C22 Dragon God's Bloodline.

As dusk approached, Mo Fann finished dyeing Bai Xiyi's hair and fitting him with contact lenses. Seeing Bai Xiyi finally looking somewhat human, Mo Fann exhaled a long sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted was for this unexpected half-brother to draw the Demon Slayer Division's scrutiny.

At home, Bai Jiuyan was stewing soup, her face etched with irritation. The trouble had started earlier that afternoon. After swiftly dispatching a few assassins in an alley, she sensed someone watching her. She took several convoluted routes to confirm her suspicion, and when she did, she spun around and caught the little lizard demon by the neck.

Confronting the panicked child, Bai Jiuyan's eyes narrowed threateningly. "Who are you?! Speak up if you value your life. Tell me, who sent you to follow me?"

The little lizard, trembling with fear, managed to speak. "Second Miss... I recognize you, you're the Second Miss, aren't you? My parents were taken by the Demon Slayer Division. I detected a hint of demonic energy by the door and followed it to you. I swear I wasn't trying to tail you..."

Hearing the title 'Second Miss,' Bai Jiuyan's anger surged. She didn't buy the creature's story for a second. "Nonsense! I carry the bloodline of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox; a minor demon like you couldn't possibly detect my aura. And after calling me Second Miss, you still claim you weren't sent by our clan? Stop lying! Who's behind this?"

The little lizard stuck out its forked tongue, a sign of its distress. "I just... I just could sense it..."

Bai Jiuyan rolled her eyes at the sight of the lizard, not fully transformed and still showing its demonic traits. Despite her disdain, she relaxed her grip slightly. "I doubt those old geezers or that witch would bother sending someone as useless as you after me... Get back to your clan and stop risking your life in a human-dominated city."

After one last disdainful once-over, Bai Jiuyan released the creature and turned to leave. But she hadn't gone far when she heard the soft footsteps behind her. Annoyed, she turned back to face the little demon. "What now?"

The little lizard, looking pitiful, fidgeted with its pants. "Second Miss, you can move freely in and out of the Demon Slayer Division, right? Could you... could you rescue my parents? They've never hurt anyone..."

Bai Jiuyan couldn't help but laugh. "You almost sound convincing... But you should know, the Demon Slayer Division doesn't just go after demons that harm humans. Their job is to keep the human realm safe. Any demon they find, they capture. You'd better leave quickly. With your looks and power, you'll end up just like your parents within a day."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away. It wasn't that Bai Jiuyan lacked compassion; she simply couldn't lower her guard around a demon that had appeared out of the blue.

Watching Bai Jiuyan disappear into the distance, the little lizard bit its lip, then, as if making a decision, dashed after her and tugged at her clothes. "Second Miss, please! Our family was hunted by our own clan, which is why we left. A human promised to help us, and my parents believed him—that's why we came to the city. They were deceived. Please, you have to save them."

Bai Jiuyan spun around with a frown upon hearing the words.

"What? Why would our clan want to kill you?"

Tears welled in the little lizard's eyes as it blinked at her and rolled up the sleeve that had been concealing its arm.

Before Bai Jiuyan, a few vibrant green dragon scales on its wrist were revealed.

"We've always been subservient to the Fox Clan. I met you once when I was little, so I recognized you... The clan accused me of a grave sin, claiming that only in death could the Dragon God's bloodline be returned to our ancestors. My parents refused to sacrifice me, so they fled with me in tow."

Bai Jiuyan's fists clenched in fury.

"They've lost their minds... All of them... Those senile old fools in the clan have gone completely mad!"

The little lizard spirit wept quietly.

"My parents said the lizard clan's elders didn't want me challenging their status, and the Fox Clan's elders didn't want our clan to rise, so they conspired to hunt us down. I don't understand what I did wrong. It's my fault my parents are suffering..."

Bai Jiuyan was too angry to speak.

Memories of her own past, being hunted since childhood, flooded her mind, perhaps out of empathy.

Bloodline! This accursed bloodline!

The Demon Clan never introspected, never questioned why humans, once trampled like ants, could now stand their ground.

Those noble bloodlines had been extinguished in the Demon Clan's infighting before humans even had a chance to act.

Insanity! Did those old fools even comprehend their actions?

Anger flared in Bai Jiuyan's eyes, her demonic pupils barely visible.

The little lizard spirit tugged at her sleeve.

"Second Miss, will you help me?"

Bai Jiuyan gritted her teeth, then angrily shook off her sleeve.

"Firstly! Don't call me Second Miss! I am not that damned Fox Clan's Second Miss! Secondly! You have no idea how stringent the Demon Slayer Division's security is. How am I supposed to rescue your parents from there? We need to think this through carefully! Thirdly! If you're going to follow me, you better start training and hide your distinct features. I won't have you bringing trouble down on us, got it?"

Bai Jiuyan's barrage of demands left the little lizard dumbfounded.

"Uh... but you are the Second Miss..."

"Get lost!"

Their verbal sparring continued all the way back to Mo Fann's house.

That's what Mo Fann overheard when he arrived home.

Bai Jiuyan's feelings toward the little lizard were mixed.

She empathized with his plight and felt a pang of pity for him.

Yet, his presence also dredged up her own harrowing memories of fleeing for her life, igniting her temper.

Her greatest concern, though, was Mo Fann's reaction.

She had already caused him enough trouble over the years; did she really want to burden him with another little demon?

Bai Jiuyan might not be human, but she had the compassion of one.

She didn't want to make things difficult for her husband.

Mo Fann's subsequent actions had eased her worries, but as time passed without their return, Bai Jiuyan couldn't help but feel anxious.