The giant wolf slightly opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth. Its hot breath fell by Qiao Xuan’s ear…

Every muscle in Qiao Xuan’s body tensed.

He was no longer the person he was in that lifetime—his appearance and scent were entirely different. He couldn’t count on Xue Ming letting him off easily. He knew all too well how territorial the foolish dog was. Back then, anyone or any demon who entered its territory, apart from himself, was killed.

Before he came here, Qiao Xuan had also heard that none of the ugly slaves sent up the mountain had survived.

Qiao Xuan’s eyes sharpened as he held his breath. Suddenly, he raised his hand and placed it on the side of the giant wolf’s neck. As he moved, he noticed the golden pupils of the giant wolf flash with a fierce, murderous glint, as if it was ready to bite his throat in the next second. But as his hand touched the wolf—

The giant wolf slowly narrowed its eyes, staring at him for a long time, and the killing intent gradually faded…

Qiao Xuan gently stroked the fur on the side of the wolf’s neck. It was silky smooth, pure white with no hint of any other color, like the finest silk—soft and fluffy. It felt just as good as it always had.

Qiao Xuan could feel the giant wolf gradually relaxing under his hand. He took a deep breath and, slowly standing on his tiptoes, wrapped his arms around the wolf’s neck, his fingers sinking into the fluffy, soft fur.

The giant wolf remained still, allowing the small, ugly human in front of it to approach without resistance.

…………

The first light of dawn crept over the horizon.

The monsters guarding halfway up the mountain yawned.

The black dog demon nudged the flower snake demon next to it and said, “It’s been a whole day and night. Should we go in and collect the corpse now?”

The flower snake demon hesitated for a moment. “Maybe we should wait a little longer. The demon lord might throw the body out later.”

The black dog demon felt uneasy. “What if it doesn’t?”

The flower snake demon winced.

Usually, the demon lord would throw out the corpses of the slaves it killed to avoid dirtying its territory. But sometimes, it couldn’t be bothered, and that’s when they had to go in and clean up. That was a dangerous job, as the demon lord was temperamental. Any living creature that entered its territory could be killed. If they weren’t careful, they could end up being swatted to death by the demon lord too. Many of the demons sent to clean up in the past had died! They had been relegated to this awful job because they were out of favor…

The two demons exchanged glances and, in unspoken agreement, said, “Let’s wait a bit longer!”

It was pretty boring while they waited, so they passed the time chatting.

“How do you think that slave was killed this time?”

“Maybe bitten to death?”

“I’ve seen the corpses before. Most of them are crushed to death, often without a whole body left…”

“These humans can’t withstand a single blow from the demon lord. They’re probably just mush by now.”

“And let me tell you, I heard that the demon lord is incredibly temperamental. Once, it killed a slave just because they stepped into the cave with their right foot first!”

“Really? Then should the left foot go in first?”

“Who knows? All I know is that, over all these years, not a single slave has ever been able to please the demon lord!”

“That guy is pretty pitiful, being the first one sent to die.”

The two demons sighed in sympathy, already convinced that the slave from yesterday was dead.

The slaves in the nearby cages were utterly hopeless, believing that soon, it would be their turn after that person was killed.

By noon, the demons were about to take a break when they noticed a human figure slowly walking down from the mountain.

They rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

The ugly human slave was walking down the mountain, alive!

Not only alive but also completely unharmed!

How was this possible?!

Qiao Xuan drooped his eyes, looking exhausted. Yesterday, to keep the foolish dog calm, he had to use his well-practiced dog-petting techniques. Who would have thought that the foolish dog, perhaps starved of attention, had become so clingy? It pressed him into its bed and refused to let him leave.

Qiao Xuan was both tired and sleepy. After being forced to pet the dog for so long, he had fallen asleep, only waking up when the sun was already high in the sky.

He yawned, noticing the shocked, frozen expressions of the two demons in front of him. Qiao Xuan chuckled softly. He had lived by Xue Ming’s side for ten years, after all! He knew exactly what the foolish dog was thinking with just a flick of its tail. He was more familiar with it than anyone.

While Xue Ming might be terrifying to others, to Qiao Xuan, it was just a big, familiar dog.

Back then, Qiao Xuan had risked his life to pet the dog. He had been nearly killed several times, but in the end, he had successfully earned the foolish dog’s acceptance.

And based on what happened yesterday, Xue Ming was still the same as it was five hundred years ago, and his dog-petting techniques still worked. Everything was as simple as if he had never left.

With that, Qiao Xuan finally felt at ease.

Staying here for now wasn’t dangerous.

“Hey.” Qiao Xuan called out to the two dazed demons lazily, “Go prepare some fine wine and food. The demon lord will be eating soon.”

The two demons: “…”

In hundreds of years, this was the first time they had seen a slave not only survive but also come down the mountain with such a strange request. They were too stunned to respond.

The demon lord never asked for anything! Back in the day, the high-level demons had tried to please the demon lord with the finest food, wine, and beauties, but everything had been thrown back down like garbage. Only ugly slaves were accepted…

So how could they possibly send anything else now?

And now you’re telling us the demon lord wants to eat and drink?!

The two demons exchanged bewildered glances, thinking they must have misheard. This was too absurd! Too ridiculous!!!

“Ahem…” Qiao Xuan also knew that his request was a bit far-fetched and didn’t really sound like something the foolish dog would ask for. But if he was going to pretend to be in charge, he needed to be confident. So he lifted his chin and said coldly, “What? Are you defying the demon lord’s orders?”

The two demons immediately stiffened, glancing carefully at Qiao Xuan. The fact that this ugly human had survived a night unharmed was already unprecedented… And looking closely, they noticed a few strands of white fur on his clothes, likely from the demon lord. Not only was this human covered in the demon lord’s fur, but he had also come down the mountain openly demanding food and drink…

How could they refuse?

“We wouldn’t dare! We’ll prepare it right away!” The two demons hurriedly agreed, not daring to question the absurdity any further.

In less than half an hour, they had packed fine wine and dishes into a sandalwood box and respectfully presented it to Qiao Xuan.

The two demons fawned over him, “Does this meet your standards?”

Qiao Xuan glanced at the contents, smiling. “Not bad. Don’t forget to prepare more for tomorrow, and make sure the dishes aren’t the same.”

“Yes, yes! We’ll make sure everything’s ready on time!” The two demons bowed and scraped.

Satisfied, Qiao Xuan took the food box and headed back up the mountain.

When he returned, Xue Ming was no longer in the cave, but Qiao Xuan didn’t act rashly or try to escape. The entire snowy mountain was Xue Ming’s territory, and slipping past it wouldn’t be easy.

He needed a long-term plan.

In the meantime, he wouldn’t deny himself a bit of comfort.

That foolish dog wouldn’t ask for food on its own. All of this was for Qiao Xuan. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for him carefully feeding and looking after the dog all those years ago, he seriously doubted it would have eaten anything at all.

The dog had no sense of how to enjoy life, no appetite, and was terribly lazy. That was probably one reason why it hadn’t eaten him back then…

Qiao Xuan sighed deeply.

Back then, Xue Ming didn’t have any servants to help, so he had to do everything himself. Now that Xue Ming was a demon lord, at least he could benefit from that.

Qiao Xuan opened the food box and began eating happily. “Mmm, what kind of fish is this? It’s pretty tasty. Let’s have this again tomorrow!”

As he ate, the giant white wolf quietly approached him, its dark golden eyes fixed on him. After a long moment, it actually sat down next to him.

The wolf was enormous, even when sitting. It made Qiao Xuan look even smaller, like a little rabbit next to a giant beast.

The giant beast stared at the food in the little rabbit’s hands.

Qiao Xuan: “…”

After a brief hesitation, Qiao Xuan held out the grilled fish to the wolf. The fish was far too small for the wolf, barely a snack. The wolf grabbed it in one bite and swallowed it whole.

Qiao Xuan: Did you even taste it?!

Then the giant wolf opened its mouth, showing its sharp teeth, and silently looked at him again.

Qiao Xuan: …

I don’t think you even need to eat, considering how you’re wasting food like this!

But feeding it was inevitable. Qiao Xuan reluctantly fed the rest of the food to the wolf, bit by bit, while mentally planning…

Tomorrow, I’ll need double—no, twenty times the amount of food!!!

After they had eaten everything, even the wine was finished by the foolish dog.

Qiao Xuan silently packed up the food box, feeling a little angry. He felt like the foolish dog had changed.

Back when he was still here, he would go to great lengths to prepare food to please Xue Ming, but the foolish dog would only eat a few bites if it was in a good mood. It was so picky, never satisfied, and extremely difficult to please… Who would have thought that after five hundred years, the dog would actually beg him for food?

If he had known it would turn out like this, he would have asked for more food.

What a miscalculation!

Qiao Xuan was in a bad mood.

After the foolish dog finished eating, it didn’t leave. Instead, it lazily lay down in front of him, its chin resting on the ground, looking at him with a faint, expectant gaze.

Qiao Xuan: …

His thoughts drifted back to five hundred years ago.

Back then, he had survived by sheer luck, desperate to avoid becoming food. He had gone to great lengths to please the foolish dog, offering to help whenever it scratched at an itch it couldn’t reach. But as soon as he got close, the dog nearly beat him to death. That was probably because Xue Ming didn’t actually want to kill him.

But Qiao Xuan had gritted his teeth and kept trying.

Once, twice, three times…

Gradually, he learned how to approach…

Until eventually, the dog stopped beating him away.

Qiao Xuan sighed and raised his hand to scratch the giant wolf’s back. Its back had been injured before, so it often itched. These were things Qiao Xuan had painstakingly figured out back in the day.

He knew Xue Ming all too well. But as he scratched, he realized that the foolish dog seemed to have more scars now.

Hidden beneath the pure white, beautiful fur, the wounds were difficult to spot.

The giant wolf slowly closed its eyes.

Qiao Xuan, feeling drowsy, wobbled and collapsed forward.

The soft, fluffy paw in front of him was so comfortable that he soon fell into a deep sleep.

The giant wolf, however, opened its eyes, staring at the human sleeping soundly against its fur, completely unguarded.

After a while, the wolf adjusted its tail, curling its thick fur around the human like a blanket. Even in the snow, this would keep the human warm and comfortable.

Then it closed its eyes again, not moving an inch.

…………

The next morning, Qiao Xuan woke up in the dog bed. He brushed off the fur stuck to his clothes and sneezed.

When he went down the mountain, the demons had already prepared the food.

Qiao Xuan immediately said, “This isn’t enough. It won’t even fill the demon lord’s teeth. Prepare more and send it all up the mountain.”

The two demons didn’t know what had changed, but they didn’t dare refuse. They quickly agreed and rushed to prepare more!

Soon, an entire cart of food was sent up the mountain.

The demons delivering the food were terrified, standing at the entrance of the cave, not daring to lift their heads. They caught a glimpse of a pair of dark golden eyes inside, watching them coldly…

So scary!

The demons dropped the food and ran off as fast as they could.

Qiao Xuan looked at the cart full of food, satisfied. Finally, we won’t have to fight over food! He picked out what he wanted for himself and placed the rest in front of the giant wolf. “Here, all of this is yours. Is it enough?”

The giant wolf gazed at him but didn’t touch the food. Nor did it try to steal his food.

Qiao Xuan didn’t bother with the foolish dog and turned to enjoy his meal.

The wolf watched Qiao Xuan for a long time, noticing how happy he was eating, without any intention of feeding it. Its eyes narrowed coldly, its teeth grinding. Then it turned and left.

The cart full of food remained untouched.

When Qiao Xuan was halfway through his meal, he glanced back and realized that the giant wolf had disappeared at some point. He looked at the untouched cart of food, frowning in confusion.

This foolish dog is so unpredictable! Yesterday it fought with me over a tiny bit of food, and today I prepared so much, and it doesn’t even want it.

So fickle and picky!

Qiao Xuan shook his head, deciding not to worry about it, as long as it didn’t steal his food.

In the blink of an eye, more than half a month passed.

During this time, no matter where Qiao Xuan went, the giant wolf would follow him, occasionally appearing in front of him.

At night, the wolf would carry him back to its bed, curling its body around him to sleep.

It was like being wrapped in the finest fur coat.

Qiao Xuan slept comfortably but remained deeply concerned. Xue Ming was keeping too close an eye on him, and he had no chance to slip away!

Qiao Xuan was speechless. He had been wrong. At first, he thought nothing had changed here.

But the dog had changed.

This foolish dog used to be so aloof, barely interacting with him. Now, it was constantly circling around him, even asking to be petted. It was almost wagging its tail at him…

Sometimes, it gave Qiao Xuan the illusion that this was his pet…

He quickly shook off that horrifying thought. There was no way he would consider this foolish dog his pet. This dog killed people without blinking an eye!

He couldn’t afford to keep such a dangerous pet.

One day, Qiao Xuan woke up in the dog bed, rubbed his eyes, and walked out of the cave, only to find the demons had already arrived with the food. When they saw him, they immediately bowed obsequiously and said, “Here’s today’s meal. Is it to your satisfaction?”

Qiao Xuan glanced at the food and nodded. “It’s fine.”

The demons quickly withdrew, heads bowed, looking deferential.

Qiao Xuan smirked. Did they really think he hadn’t noticed? They changed the demons delivering the food every day, unable to suppress their curiosity.

He wasn’t interested in staying here, playing with the foolish dog, and being treated like some kind of exhibit. He needed to find a way to shake off the foolish dog and leave.

Even though Xue Ming had changed a bit, Qiao Xuan had quickly adapted. In the past few days, he had figured out a new way to coexist with the wolf.

As he ate, he would occasionally toss a bit of food to the giant wolf. A bite for you, a bite for me—this arrangement worked quite well.

Qiao Xuan patted the wolf’s head.

Seeing its lazy and unmotivated state, he sighed softly. He couldn’t help but think of the goddess Ruo Hua in the heavens. She was now so glorious, admired by many. She probably didn’t even remember that there was a foolish dog still pining for her in the Western Wastelands.

After all these years, this foolish dog hadn’t grown at all. It was still living in a cave, sleeping in a dog bed, unable to find anyone who would give it a good petting… To think it had even managed to become a demon lord! Qiao Xuan found that particularly unbelievable.

Based on the bits and pieces of information he had picked up, it seemed the only reason the foolish dog was made a demon lord was because it was strong enough to fend off the invading demon cultivators from the other side. The monsters probably just gave it the title as a token gesture.

Since the dog had no desires, it didn’t care about the title.

As long as it could fight, it was good enough!

But if you’re going to be a hitman, at least enjoy some of the perks! Don’t just loaf around all day with no ambition.

Qiao Xuan couldn’t help but feel frustrated at the dog’s lack of drive.

But that wasn’t his problem to solve. He was just passing through. Qiao Xuan glanced at the giant wolf lying at his feet, narrowing his eyes.

As dusk approached, Qiao Xuan stood up and casually said, “I’m going down the mountain to check on the evening meal. Why hasn’t it been delivered yet?”

Lately, he had been going down the mountain by himself, deliberately wandering around, but never escaping, always returning on time. He knew Xue Ming was watching him and was purposely lowering its guard, making it think he wouldn’t run away…

Yesterday, he had asked for today’s evening meal to be delivered late, intending to use the delay as an excuse to leave, hoping Xue Ming wouldn’t get suspicious…

Xue Ming opened its eyes and glanced at him, then closed them again, lazily lying there without moving.

Qiao Xuan calmly headed down the mountain.

When he reached the halfway point, he veered off to the side. He was very familiar with this snowy mountain and knew all the hidden paths. He took a secluded route and soon made his way to the back of the mountain.

There was a narrow passage here, and up ahead, faint flashes of lightning flickered. The air was cold, swirling into a vortex—beyond this point lay the boundary between life and death.

Qiao Xuan’s eyes brightened.

He quickened his pace, ready to charge forward, when suddenly, the giant wolf descended from the sky, smashing the hard ground with its paw, leaving cracks in the rock. Its dark golden eyes locked onto him.

The cold wind howled past his ears, stinging his face like a blade.

Qiao Xuan: “…”

The giant wolf slowly approached, lowering its head and baring its sharp teeth, growling deep in its throat.

Qiao Xuan cleared his throat, feigning innocence. “I got lost.”

On the surface, he remained calm, but inside, he was cursing his bad luck. This foolish dog may be useless in many ways, but it was terrifyingly good at watching him!

Was this the beast’s instinct at work?!

The giant wolf stared at Qiao Xuan for a long time before suddenly opening its mouth and biting down on him. It seemed angry, its eyes filled with displeasure, cold and fierce, brimming with killing intent as if it was about to tear him apart… But in reality, it was careful not to let its sharp teeth hurt him. Instead, it gently held him in its mouth.

Qiao Xuan didn’t dare move. He stared at the teeth beside his face, knowing that just one inch further, and his head would be separated from his body!

In no time, the giant wolf carried Qiao Xuan back to the entrance of the cave and spat him out.

Qiao Xuan’s face was dark. His clothes were soaked in the foolish dog’s saliva, which was unbearable for someone who liked to stay clean!

But as soon as he moved, the giant wolf immediately glared at him, looking ready to pounce and bite him again.

Qiao Xuan had had enough. He quickly explained, “I’m not leaving. I just want to take a bath, I’m not going anywhere! You can follow me if you don’t trust me!”

After watching the giant wolf for a moment and seeing that it had stopped baring its teeth at him, he cautiously turned around.

Deep in the snowy mountain, there was a hot spring.

Qiao Xuan had always liked it here—warm and comfortable. Without it, he doubted he would have survived so long back then.

Recently, he had been deliberately dressing in rags and getting himself dirty to play the part of an ugly slave, which made him feel constantly uncomfortable. Now, with the addition of dog saliva, he felt downright miserable. He glanced back and saw that the giant wolf hadn’t followed him into the spring. He slowly removed his outer robe and stepped into the water.

The warm water rose to his chest, and Qiao Xuan relaxed, sighing in comfort, though a worried expression soon appeared on his face.

It seemed this plan wouldn’t work. He would have to come up with something else.

He did have some sleeping powders, but Xue Ming’s sense of smell was too sharp, and these powders might not work. If Xue Ming detected them and didn’t fall asleep, it would definitely get angry, making things even more dangerous. No, he couldn’t use that unless it was an absolute last resort…

But more than half a month had passed, and even though he had been behaving obediently, Xue Ming hadn’t let its guard down at all…

Although staying here wasn’t dangerous, he couldn’t just keep going on like this…

As Qiao Xuan was thinking, he suddenly felt the water ripple. Startled, he looked up to see the giant white wolf stepping into the spring.

The wolf was so large that it took up most of the hot spring, causing the water to spill over the sides…

So, you’re taking a bath too?

Qiao Xuan had just finished bathing and was about to climb out when, without warning, a massive paw pressed down on his back, forcing him face-first into the water. He almost choked. Then he felt something warm on his face, and his expression instantly turned pale.

He had been licked by the foolish dog!

Author’s Note:

Qiao Xuan: I’m just an ordinary guy who likes to eat.

Xue Ming: I’m just an ordinary simp.

Qiao Xuan: Go lick someone else!

Xue Ming: …