I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

"Well done. Your ability to adapt to changing circumstances is better than your usual verbal skills."

Lilith was so happy she almost jumped for joy, but she held back, her haughty noble expression remaining unchanged, though she slightly quickened the pace of chewing her dry rations.

But in Ji Tian's eyes, she was like a hamster focused solely on eating.

"I've hypnotized the demon who was sent to verify your identity. He'll confirm your identity with Scarface—the only daughter of the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, a runaway, bad-tempered, and with a sweet tooth."

Lilith bit down on the dry rations with even more force, almost breaking her teeth.

Master, if you're going to hypnotize me, why did you add "bad temper, loves sweets"? Is that an objective description of me?

But she didn't dare ask.

Because Ji Tianxia said something: "I can hear what you're thinking right now."

Lilith instantly cleared her mind of all thoughts about whether her master was a pervert, and replaced them with a still life sketch of "small cakes, egg tarts, macarons, canelés, and crème brûlée".

"...And now?"

"It's all desserts. Are you a pig?"

"Master, my current identity is that of a haughty and unruly noble lady. Could you please stop scolding me?"

"Yes, you can. But you do eat a lot."

Lilith took a deep breath and swallowed her humiliation.

She knew her master was there, in a place she couldn't see, staring at the entire demon team with his calm, indifferent eyes.

If she is truly in danger, her master will intervene.

This realization was like a scalding hot stone, warming her from her stomach all the way to her fingertips.

She straightened her back even more, raised her chin even higher, and ignored the half-protective, half-monitoring gaze of the scarred demon behind her. Her steps changed from "light and quick" to "unrecognizable to anyone."

A few hours later, the demon deputy who had been sent out to "verify his identity" hurriedly returned with a strange expression on his face.

Scarface frowned: "How is it?"

His deputy leaned close to his ear and whispered, "We found it. The deputy commander of the Imperial Guard does indeed have an only daughter named... Lily. The age, appearance, and accent all match. And it's said that this young lady has... well... a bit of a temper, and she did run away from home recently."

Scarface's expression was subtle, carrying a sense of relief that said "I knew it," along with a hint of helplessness that said, "Why did I have to run into this living ancestor?"

He strode up to Lilith, clenched his right fist against his chest, and bowed deeply: "I was unaware of your identity before, Miss Lilith, and I apologize for any offense I may have caused."

Lilith screamed inwardly: Master, how did you do that?! You even made up the name of the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard's daughter?! When did you hypnotize him?! You can read minds?! Is there anything you can't do?!

But she just gave a lazy "hmm," finished her dry rations, clapped her hands, and said, "Fine, I'm magnanimous, I won't hold it against you. But—"

She glanced around at the dense forest, her gaze sweeping across the crooked trees, the damp moss, and a squirrel baring its teeth at her from a short distance away.

"I don't want to sleep on the floor."

Scarface was taken aback: "Miss means—"

Lilith put her hands on her hips, her tone leaving no room for argument, "Set up a tent, the luxurious kind. I'm going to sleep now. You all go about your business. We'll find the dragon tomorrow."

Scarface opened his mouth as if to say, "We are on an emergency mission," but then swallowed the words back.

A noble lady, the only daughter of the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, who ran away from home and has a bad temper.

These four labels, when stacked together, equal three words—"Don't mess with us."

"What are you all standing there for?" Lilith tilted her head, her purple eyes gleaming with a "you'll regret it if you don't obey" light. "Do you expect me to do it myself?"

Scarface took a deep breath, turned around, and waved to the soldiers behind him.

"Set up a tent."

"My lord, we only brought our camp tents—"

"I said, set up a tent."

The demon soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment, then began frantically rummaging through their packs for canvas, ropes, and nails.

Lilith stood to the side, arms crossed, toes tapping lightly on the ground, humming an unknown tune.

"Master, am I being arrogant now? Actually, I wasn't like this when I was still a demon princess. I'm just acting now."

"Um."

Aren't you going to stop me?

"Whatever makes you happy."

Lilith's lips curled up into a smug smile.

"Master, you're the best!"

"Um."

"Could you conjure up some small cakes for me? That dry food is awful, I feel like my stomach is protesting."

"cannot."

"Why!"

"Because I'm not a pastry chef."

"So what kind of master are you?"

"Your master."

Lilith pondered the words "your master" over and over in her mind, concluding that it was probably the most omnipotent and illogical answer in the world.

Half an hour later, the tent was set up.

Despite being called a "luxury tent," it was actually just a few pieces of canvas pieced together, tied to a tree with ropes, and covered with a layer of hay and a cloak.

But Lilith glanced at it and thought it was probably the best "room" she had ever stayed in since she fled.

She crawled inside, lay down on the hay, wrapped her cloak tightly around herself, and let her long, silvery-white hair fall among the grass blades like a scattering of moonlight.

"I'm going to sleep. Wake me up tomorrow when you find the dragon."

Scarface responded from outside, then lowered his voice and said to his deputy, "Increase security. If anything happens to the young lady, neither of us will be able to go back."

"Yes."

A night breeze blew in from the ridge, carrying a hint of coolness.

Lilith closed her eyes, a smug smile still lingering on her lips.

"Master, are you still there?"

"exist."

"Could you tell me a bedtime story?"

"cannot."

Why?

"Because you're here to track down demons, not to camp."

"But I'm camping right now."

"..."

"Master?"

"Shut up and go to sleep."

Lilith chuckled silently and buried her face in her cloak.

Her heartbeat was slow and steady.

Because she knew that her master was there.

The night was deeper.

The sounds in the mountains and forests gradually subsided, and even the chirping of insects became sparse.

Just as Lilith was drifting off to sleep, she suddenly sensed a strange current of air surging from afar.

That was the sound of breathing.

Heavy, lingering, and carrying a scent of volcanic ash and sulfur, it emanated from the deepest part of the mountains, like a colossal beast that had slept for millennia turning over in its dream.

The aura swept through the mountains and forests, bending the lower trees in unison under its invisible pressure.

Lilith's sleepiness vanished instantly; she opened her eyes abruptly, her heart pounding in her chest.

This is--

Ji Tian's voice echoed in her mind, his tone revealing a hint of excitement.

"Dragon's Breath".