The Cold and Aloof Palace Master's Daily Demon-Slaying Life

What use is a chivalrous name when a person is about to die?

What is there to fear in criticism?

Sect rules and regulations, expectations of teachers...

These things that had bound him like an invisible cage for hundreds of years were as light as sand slipping through his fingers in the face of the final battle, easily scattered with a breath.

The only things that truly matter are this courtyard and the silly fox inside the house.

Yes……

If he dies, what will happen to Hongxiu?

The thought pierced his mind sharply. His heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, a cold, dull pain shooting through it.

Images of what she might face in the future flashed before his eyes: the prying and harassment her striking pink outfit might attract in certain corners of the sect after losing his protection; the contempt and hostility towards "demons" that she had once dared not show in fear of his reputation; or even just an "accidental injury" or an excuse to "clean house"...

No.

He absolutely will not allow these things to happen.

Fortunately... he took a deep breath and forced himself to break free from the worst-case scenario.

Senior Brother.

Yes, given the eldest brother's character, he will likely look after Hongxiu after his own death.

Upon realizing this, the last trace of hesitation lingering in his heart and the heavy burden belonging to "Qingping Hero" were completely shaken off and stripped away.

A strange tranquility descended, like snow falling into a deep pool, all was silent, and the water was still.

Since the outcome cannot be changed.

So, in these final moments, he must at least... live for himself once, and live for Hongxiu once.

Li Baitian slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all the complex emotions in his eyes had settled into a deep, unfathomable, yet incredibly bright lake.

Without further hesitation, he stood up abruptly.

Just then, Su Hongxiu came out carrying a tray with a steaming teapot and two white jade cups on it, her steps light and quick.

"Master, the tea is ready! Please have a taste..." Before she could finish speaking, she saw Li Baitian standing there, staring intently at her. His gaze was no longer the gentle yet distant one she had seen before, but a burning and unwavering light that she had never seen before, as if he wanted to engrave her image deep into his soul.

Su Hongxiu's heart skipped a beat for no reason. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head in a flustered manner, "Master... what's wrong? Why are you looking at Hongxiu like that..."

Li Baitian did not answer, but strode forward and, to Su Hongxiu's surprise, reached out his hands and gently supported her shoulders.

His hands were large and warm, with calluses from years of wielding a sword.

Su Hongxiu's body trembled slightly. She raised her head, and in her amethyst-like eyes, she saw Li Baitian's angular face, which was unusually gentle at this moment.

"Hongxiu," Li Baitian spoke, his voice low but carrying an unprecedented solemnity and seriousness, "There's something I've been holding in my heart for a long time. I didn't dare say it before because I was afraid... afraid of many, many things..."

He paused, his gaze piercing deep into Su Hongxiu's eyes, and said, word by word, with utmost clarity:

"But now, I don't want to be afraid anymore."

"Hongxiu, I love you. It's not the love between master and servant, nor the love between siblings, but the love between a man and a woman. I want to marry you, to become your Daoist companions, for all eternity, never to be separated."

"Would you...marry me?"

After he finished speaking, the small courtyard fell silent.

The only sounds were the rustling of the mountain wind through the bamboo forest and the faint chirping of birds in the distance.

Su Hongxiu was completely stunned.

Her purple eyes widened, her small mouth slightly open, her pink fox ears stood straight up in extreme shock, and her tail froze in mid-air. The tray in her hands fell to the ground with a crash, the teapot and teacups shattered, and scalding tea splashed onto her skirt and embroidered shoes, but she was completely unaware.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

She wondered if she was dreaming.

This master, whom she had looked up to, admired, and served with utmost care for over three hundred years, yet never dared to hope for a response, was now... proposing to her in marriage.

Tears, without warning, streamed down her beautiful purple eyes like pearls from a broken string.

It wasn't sadness, it was ecstasy, it was disbelief, it was the shock of centuries of anticipation finally being fulfilled.

"Master... are you telling the truth? You're not just trying to make Hongxiu happy?" Su Hongxiu's voice trembled with tears as she asked cautiously, as if afraid that raising her voice would shatter this beautiful dream.

"Absolutely true." Li Baitian nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with no hint of jest, only utter sincerity. "Hongxiu, will you marry me?"

"I'm willing! I'm willing! A thousand times willing! Ten thousand times willing!" Su Hongxiu could no longer hold back. She threw herself into Li Baitian's arms, hugged him tightly, buried her tear-streaked face in his firm chest, and burst into tears, as if she wanted to cry out all the grievances, waiting, anxiety, and love she had endured for more than three hundred years.

Li Baitian hugged her tightly, feeling the soft, trembling body in his arms and smelling the faint, sweet fragrance unique to the fox clan from her hair. His heart was filled with a bittersweet feeling, yet also with an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and warmth.

I'm sorry, Hongxiu.

All I can give you is this short month of happiness, and a promise about "lifetimes to come" that is destined to be broken.

But at least at this moment, our hearts are closely connected.

This is enough.

-

The news that Li Baitian had confessed his feelings to Su Hongxiu and successfully proposed to her spread like a spring breeze to a few of his close fellow disciples.

Senior Brother Lu Zixu was the first to arrive.

When he saw the relieved yet resolute light in his junior brother's eyes, and the little fox demon clinging tightly to him, her face full of happiness, her eyes and brows brimming with shyness and joy, he understood and felt even more heartbroken.

Junior brother... he had already guessed it.

He was using his last moments to fulfill his wish and give this poor little fox demon the rightful title and a brief but real happiness.

Lu Zixu didn't say much, but patted Li Baitian's shoulder hard, his eyes filled with complex emotions, which finally turned into a sigh: "Congratulations, junior brother and sister-in-law."

He took the initiative to change his address, no longer calling her "Miss Su" but "Sister-in-law".

This shows both respect for Li Baitian's decision and demonstrates his own attitude—he will acknowledge and protect this "sister-in-law".

Third Senior Sister Wang Chuzheng also rushed over upon hearing the news. She was a female cultivator with a cool temperament, stunning beauty, and cultivation level that had also reached the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm. She had a cold exterior but a warm interior, and she had always had a good relationship with her eccentric seventh junior brother, Li Baitian.

Upon seeing this scene, she was first surprised, then looked at her senior brother, and understood something from Lu Zixu's eyes. A trace of sadness also flashed in her cold eyes.

But she didn't ask any further questions. She simply nodded slightly to Li Baitian and Su Hongxiu, revealing a rare, blessing-filled smile: "Congratulations, Seventh Junior Brother, on finding your perfect match. Congratulations, Sister-in-law, on seeing the light at the end of the tunnel."

Aside from his eldest brother and third sister, Li Baitian did not notify any of his other fellow disciples.

Firstly, time was short, and the other senior brothers and sisters who were not in the sect might not be able to return in time; secondly, he did not want too many people to witness this destined-to-be-short-lived happiness, especially since it might attract unnecessary criticism and disturb Hongxiu.

As for his master, True Lord Fu Shui... Li Baitian didn't even send anyone to inform him.