The woman’s beauty was so ethereal, standing there like a radiant full moon. While he was nothing more than the lowly dust beneath her feet.

She was completely different from any human he had seen in the Western Wastelands, as if she didn’t even belong in this filthy world…

Why would someone like her come here?

He stared blankly as he turned his head, noticing that the wolf demon seemed different from usual.

The wolf demon didn’t chase her away like it did with other intruders. Instead, it transformed into human form in front of her, showing an expression he had never seen before. The wolf demon then asked why she had come.

It was at this moment that he realized, for the first time, that the wolf demon could take human form.

But in the ten years he had lived here, he had never seen it take that form, not even once.

It was also at this moment that he realized that this woman must hold a special significance for the wolf demon.

The events that followed proved him right.

The wolf demon, who had never been moved by anything and had never stepped even a foot outside its territory, was now willing to leave for this woman.

To accompany her to the underworld, across the river of Forgetfulness.

He once thought that, even though the wolf demon was cold, distant, and didn’t talk much, as long as they lived in this isolated world together, it was enough. But as he watched the wolf demon treat the woman so carefully and gently, he finally understood—it had been nothing more than a delusion.

He was still that lowly human, sacrificed as food.

And the woman was an untouchable part of the wolf demon’s heart.

The crossing between the realms of life and death was dangerous, and at the end of the river of Forgetfulness lay a land no living being could set foot on. Even though the journey was fraught with mortal danger, the wolf demon did not hesitate to leave with the woman, leaving him behind.

He didn’t want to be left behind.

He didn’t want to stay alone on the snowy mountain.

He ran headlong into the snow, desperately chasing after them, knowing full well how insignificant he was, like dust…

The wolf demon probably never expected him to risk his life to follow. An ordinary human like him, who could barely survive in the snowy mountains, wouldn’t last long in the ice fields. But he still came. The wolf demon grew impatient, likely finding him a troublesome burden, and told him to go back.

But he didn’t want to go back.

He would rather die here than be left behind.

The wolf demon, seeing that it couldn’t drive him away no matter what, eventually took him along.

He knew he was a burden, unable to help in any way, but he did his best to serve the wolf demon and the woman.

If this was the person the wolf demon loved, then he hoped the wolf demon would get what it wished for, as long as he could stay by its side…

Even if it meant watching the wolf demon be with someone else, he could accept it.

The journey was incredibly treacherous.

The wolf demon was completely focused on the woman and didn’t have time to take care of him. But no matter how difficult the path became, he would follow.

Finally, they arrived at the edge of the river of Forgetfulness.

This was the river that the dead crossed to enter the underworld. But they were not dead, so they couldn’t cross the Bridge of Helplessness and had to navigate the river. However, the river was filled with vengeful spirits, refusing reincarnation for thousands upon thousands of years. The accumulated malice made crossing incredibly difficult.

The wolf demon didn’t want the woman to take the risk, but she was insistent on going to the underworld.

In the end, the wolf demon relented.

They boarded a small boat.

The wolf demon said to him, “You stay behind.”

But he shook his head and said, “Take me with you.”

The wolf demon looked at him with disdain, as if it thought he was overestimating himself, but it didn’t bother to stop him and let him fend for himself.

He followed them onto the boat.

The vengeful spirits in the river were vicious, constantly trying to climb aboard and tear them apart. The further they went, the stronger the spirits became…

The wolf demon and the woman began to struggle.

Three days later, they finally couldn’t hold out anymore. But by then, it was too late to turn back. The vengeful spirits, greedy and ravenous, stared hungrily at them, trying to capsize the boat and drag them into the endless hell, to make them part of the spirits’ legion…

He silently stood beside the wolf demon. As a powerless human, he couldn’t help at all and could only watch. But from the moment he stepped onto the boat, he understood the reason for his existence…

The wolf demon wouldn’t refuse any of the woman’s requests, even knowing the trip was a life-and-death gamble.

But it didn’t look back, all for just a word from her.

He couldn’t watch it die. The wolf demon had given him the best ten years of his life, the most peaceful and warm time he’d ever known. It had become the most important part of his life.

If you are willing to give your life for her,

I think, I am willing to give my life for you.

I know it’s useless to try to stop you.

You wouldn’t listen anyway.

But I still hope you both can return alive.

He said to the wolf demon, “You’ll be fine.”

The wolf demon was wounded, its eyes cold and full of impatience, not bothering to respond.

He smiled lightly, unbothered, then turned and leaped into the river. The vengeful spirits, drawn to the fresh, warm flesh, swarmed toward him, no longer paying attention to the wolf demon and the woman. As the spirits tore into him, he used the last of his strength to push the boat toward the shore.

He smiled at the wolf demon.

See? You’ll be fine.

Without me, you still have her.

I hope you get what you want. That’s my final wish.

…………

Qiao Xuan finished his recollection and sighed. In terms of lifestyle, his life with Xue Ming was the most miserable out of the seven lifetimes.

Although they both lived in the Western Wastelands, unlike Qing Xun, Bai Cang was at least a demon with a proper sect who knew how to enjoy life. When he was Bai Cang’s cultivation furnace, he was treated to fine clothes and luxurious meals. But Xue Ming was different… He was a beast, living on raw meat and blood, sleeping in caves and on grass beds. If Qiao Xuan hadn’t taken care of him, Xue Ming probably wouldn’t have even eaten cooked food…

Moreover, Xue Ming was antisocial, moody, never forming alliances or gathering followers, and didn’t care about living comfortably. As a result, Qiao Xuan ended up living a harsh life with him, constantly worrying about food because, unlike Xue Ming, he was just a mortal and couldn’t survive without eating…

To get a hot meal, he had to gather firewood, make a fire, cook, and also take care of the lazy dog. Was his life easy?

But thinking back, compared to how he looked in that life and then seeing the goddess Ruo Hua, it was obvious who anyone would prefer. He wasn’t surprised at all that Xue Ming liked Ruo Hua. If it were him, he’d choose her too.

His appearance in that life was truly repulsive.

It was already a miracle that Xue Ming didn’t dislike him, so he couldn’t ask for more.

There’s nothing wrong with liking beauty; the fault lay in his own hopeless obsession.

Even though he knew it was impossible, he still couldn’t help but treat Xue Ming as the only light in his life.

Xue Ming might have been Ruo Hua’s simp, but wasn’t Qiao Xuan the same for Xue Ming?

Even though Xue Ming wasn’t particularly kind to him, treating him coldly and unpredictably… Without Xue Ming, he would have either frozen to death that night or been fed to monsters. In a way, Xue Ming gave him the most peaceful ten years of his life and even helped him take revenge. In this cold, unfeeling world, Xue Ming was the only faint warmth he could cling to… So, in the end, giving his life back to him didn’t feel unfair at all.

A life for a life. That was perfectly fair.

Unfortunately, emotions were never fair. Xue Ming was willing to risk his life for Ruo Hua, but Ruo Hua still didn’t like him.

At the time, Qiao Xuan didn’t understand. But looking back now, Ruo Hua had never shown any affection for Xue Ming and was even rather indifferent. Xue Ming had been helping her entirely out of one-sided devotion…

When Qiao Xuan jumped into the river, he had no other choice left.

If that foolish dog hadn’t overestimated itself and insisted on following Ruo Hua into the river of Forgetfulness, he wouldn’t have had to sacrifice himself to save them. But that was Xue Ming’s choice. Perhaps loving someone meant knowing something was impossible and still going through with it, willing to die for them.

Qiao Xuan didn’t mind any of this. After all, it was just part of the tribulation. But several hundred years had passed, and Xue Ming still hadn’t caught up to Ruo Hua. Ruo Hua even confessed her love to Jiang Wei Qing in the heavenly realm! Can you believe that? I gave my life to make things work for you two, and this is how you end up?

Qiao Xuan felt angry just thinking about it.

He felt like he had died in vain.

With that personality of his, Xue Ming was doomed to be a perpetual backup. How could he possibly win over the goddess without being more proactive?

To sum up that life: it was a story of two fools, both simping and getting nothing in return!

Qiao Xuan shook his head and sighed.

The carriage transporting their group of ugly slaves soon entered the snowy mountains, and the temperature dropped sharply. While Qiao Xuan was fine, the other slaves around him began shivering uncontrollably.

Along the way, the once desolate and barren landscape now had many more camps and monsters.

It was far more bustling and lively than before.

Could it be that the foolish dog finally learned how to enjoy life after becoming a demon lord? That would certainly be a cause for celebration!

But what puzzled Qiao Xuan was why the monsters were searching for ugly slaves to offer to Xue Ming.

Though Xue Ming might not have much emotional intelligence, he had good taste. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have liked Ruo Hua. So why was he now into ugly things? Could it be that his aesthetics had been warped after failing to woo the goddess and suffering such a blow…

Of course, there was also the possibility that this demon lord wasn’t Xue Ming at all.

After all, several hundred years had passed, and it was entirely possible that the foolish dog was no longer here or had been killed by another monster.

They soon arrived at the entrance of the snowy mountain.

The monsters herded them out of the carriage and told them to walk up the mountain.

Qiao Xuan remained calm and indifferent. Step by step, he thought. He would find out soon enough.

They walked halfway up the mountain when a few guarding monsters stopped them. Beyond this point was the territory of the demon lord, and no unauthorized people were allowed to enter.

Qiao Xuan stood inconspicuously among the group, head down.

He absentmindedly plotted his escape. Once he crossed this area, he’d be close to where he needed to go—the Ice Fields Wilderness.

Up ahead, a few monsters were sizing them up, as if deciding who to send in first.

“Serving the demon lord is an honor for you all. If you do well, Lord Xiao will reward you greatly.”

“Don’t be afraid. This is your chance. If the demon lord favors you, you’ll be living the good life. Who wants to go first?”

But no one moved.

No one here was stupid.

It was said that the demon lord was extremely cruel and had a strange temperament, and none of the ugly slaves sent to him had ever come out alive.

Qiao Xuan certainly wasn’t planning on being the first to step forward either.

In fact, he was about to take a step back… when suddenly, he felt a force behind him, and he stumbled forward, ending up at the front of the group.

Qiao Xuan: …

The monster looked at him with pity, patted his shoulder, and said, “Not bad, you’ve got guts. Alright, you go in.”

Qiao Xuan kept a straight face.

He had stayed away from the Western Wastelands for too long and wasn’t used to it anymore. That’s how he got tricked in such a place, underestimating this group of inconspicuous humans.

Retreating now wasn’t realistic. Although he didn’t want to be the first, it would come to him eventually anyway. He might as well go ahead and scout things out first.

Qiao Xuan bowed his head and pretended to be scared as the monster pushed him inside.

The whole mountain was covered in snow.

There were no signs of human activity.

He slowly walked along the mountain path, familiar memories flooding back to him.

Unlike the drastic changes outside, the area above the mountain’s halfway point was exactly as he remembered. Qiao Xuan could almost navigate with his eyes closed. Trudging through the thick snow, he finally arrived at the entrance of a cave.

The cave was at the base of a steep cliff, overgrown with weeds at the entrance. Qiao Xuan walked in and glanced around. The bare cave only had a messy dog bed, and the ground was covered in thick layers of dust, as if no one had cleaned or maintained it in a long time.

Qiao Xuan was speechless. This foolish dog was too lazy!

Had it really not cleaned up its bed in the five hundred years since he died?

If he hadn’t known for sure that five hundred years had passed, Qiao Xuan would’ve thought that, aside from the thicker dust, everything was exactly the same as when he left. Even the position of the stones at the entrance hadn’t changed!

He had met many people and seen many things during this time, most of which had changed beyond recognition. But here, it felt as if he had never left…

Everything was as familiar as it was yesterday.

For a demon lord, with so many subordinates eager to please him, living this impoverished lifestyle was something Qiao Xuan couldn’t understand…

After thinking it over, maybe it was because he was human and couldn’t understand the mindset of animals?

Maybe, even if presented with a golden palace, this foolish dog would still prefer its bed… Cats and dogs are just like that…

It clearly could transform into human form, but deep down, it wasn’t human. It was just a beast.

A beast that didn’t know how to enjoy life.

Especially when compared to Bai Cang—one was high in the heavens, and the other, stuck in the dirt. After a few hundred years, Bai Cang not only gained the title of Demon Sovereign, but lived a carefree life, commanding the wind and rain. Meanwhile, this foolish dog had earned the title of demon lord but lived no differently than it had five hundred years ago, not even willing to move its bed.

Qiao Xuan sighed.

Unable to stand it anymore, he found some branches, tied them together to make a broom, and started cleaning. Back when he lived here, although his abilities were limited and he couldn’t bring in good things, at least he kept the dog’s bed clean and regularly swapped out the bedding with fresh, soft leaves…

As he cleaned, he muttered complaints. “So many slaves were offered to you, and you just killed them all? You can’t go around killing innocent people for no reason, you know? Lazy and picky, no wonder no one wants to serve you.”

Qiao Xuan cleaned the place up and removed the weeds from the entrance. Finally, it looked more presentable. As someone with mild OCD, and after living here for so many years, he simply couldn’t bear to see the place so dirty and messy!

After looking around and feeling like everything was in order, Qiao Xuan was about to leave. But just as he turned around, he came face to face with a pair of dark golden, slit pupils.

A giant wolf demon stood at the entrance of the cave, its cold, piercing gaze fixed on him. Who knows how long it had been standing there.

Qiao Xuan’s entire body tensed up, his mind racing. Given Xue Ming’s sharp instincts, it had probably noticed him the moment he set foot on the mountain but had only appeared now…

His hand clenched tightly around the drop of water his master had given him, hidden in his sleeve.

Although he had spent ten peaceful years with Xue Ming and knew it well, five hundred years had passed, and this wasn’t his original body anymore. He was well aware of how wild and unpredictable Xue Ming could be. One wrong move, and it might swipe him to death with a single paw. He had suffered many injuries in the past, taking a long time to finally tame the foolish dog…

When facing such a beast, he had to be careful not to show any signs of hostility.

Qiao Xuan lowered his eyes, avoiding eye contact with Xue Ming, standing quietly and still.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

The giant wolf demon walked step by step toward him, its cold, fierce eyes locked onto him. Suddenly, it lowered its head, and its scorching breath brushed against his neck.

Author’s Note:

Xue Ming: I’m clearly a wolf, why do you keep calling me a dog? Ferocious teeth baring.jpg

Author: Wolves and dogs don’t have reproductive isolation. Untamed wolves are wolves, tamed wolves are dogs. So, are you a wolf or a dog?

Xue Ming: …