The Great King Ordered Me to Marry – Chapter 15
by Little PandaSpeaking of How a Tiger’s Buttocks Cannot Be Touched
She had seen those arcane markings, but even Longming couldn’t decipher them — how was she, a fox who couldn’t read a single character, supposed to understand them?
She didn’t know what kind of restriction it was or where it had come from, but getting it undone first was surely the right move. Something so bizarre could probably only be undone by a great demon like Longming. Once the restriction was broken, it would also be the day she left. She’d have to flee without her feet touching the ground, or who knew what whirlpool she’d get sucked into next.
Zhuoxue mused: perhaps… Perhaps she really was some powerful reincarnated great demon. Kunlun Jade Capital couldn’t destroy her, and had no choice but to devise a way to trap her. Zhuoxue marveled inwardly. She’d really made something of herself, to have a day like this.
Only, she didn’t want to be that capable. Her comfortable days ahead would flutter away like startled crows.
The fox slumped on the ground, dispirited. Perhaps from agitation, she lost control for a moment — a pair of fluffy fox ears sprang up atop her head without warning, and a fox tail swished out from below her waist. Her demonic power was truly shallow — she couldn’t even maintain a fully human form. Still, after all that tumbling and scrambling, her fur remained white as fresh snow, spotless.
Her fox ears and tail moved with her breathing, like a half-demon just beginning to take human shape, still too weak to fully transform. Anyone need only reach out a hand to seize her.
Longming gave a very soft scoff, lowering her gaze. “A great demon seen once in ten thousand years?”
Zhuoxue had just been spouting wild claims, but now she didn’t dare respond. She could only force a stiff, sheepish smile, her courage deploying and retreating on command.
“This restriction must be broken. If you truly are some ten-thousand-year great demon, perhaps you could even save the demon realm from disaster. How could I stand by and watch Kunlun Jade Capital destroy a rare talent?” Longming teased, clearly not taking it seriously, as she leisurely extended a finger.
The fingertip landed on the back of the fox’s neck, light as willow catkins, drifting to the edge of her collar like a tickle. This too was intimidation. With the most even tone and the gentlest touch, she warned the fox not to try anything foolish.
Zhuoxue’s smile was freezing on her face as she tried to make Longming let down her guard. But even with her head tilted up, she didn’t dare meet Longming’s eyes.
The two black markings beneath the white tiger’s eyes were sharp and piercing — unpolished blades, soaked in cold winter snow, stained with the color of night, so profound that no one dared to probe them.
“What could I do to save the demon realm? Why would the demon realm need me to save it? Isn’t a great demon like you enough?” Zhuoxue’s gaze darted away.
“Enough? If it were enough, the demon realm wouldn’t have fallen back then.” Longming smiled without reason, the smile not reaching her eyes. She went on: “One thing you surely know as well — since the dawn of the world, immortals and demons have been irreconcilable.”
Zhuoxue didn’t understand. Why was the tiger demon suddenly bringing this up?
“If Kunlun Jade Capital had concerns, why not eliminate the concern outright instead of leaving a hidden threat?” Longming’s voice was low and unhurried. “A ten-thousand-year great demon, all the more reason not to let it live.”
Inside the cave, wind howled from the other end, sending her silver hair flying. Her sleeve, soft as new grass, brushed lightly against the fox’s face.
“Would a mere restriction be enough to put the Heavenly Realm at ease? A restriction can always be broken — what then?” Longming’s voice turned cold.
Zhuoxue hadn’t thought that far. This whole ten-thousand-year great demon business — she’d just said it off the cuff.
“Maybe the Heavenly Realm’s power isn’t enough to scatter a ten-thousand-year great demon’s soul to the winds, so they could only resort to petty tricks.” She talked nonsense, her back dampening with sweat again.
“Then why did the pig demon try to hurt you? Don’t tell me he’s of one mind with the Heavenly Realm?” Longming mocked. “You’re saying there’s a demon colluding with Kunlun Jade Capital to wreak havoc across the three realms?”
“Exactly!” Zhuoxue answered without thinking.
Fortunately, Longming didn’t press further. She withdrew her gaze and said, “In that case, I have all the more reason to keep you here — so you don’t mistake friend for foe and lead the demon race’s once-in-a-millennium great demon into a ditch.”
Only a fool wouldn’t hear the mockery in that.
Zhuoxue couldn’t keep the story going. She simply put on a miserable face and said, “The ten-thousand-year great demon was something I made up. Kunlun Jade Capital didn’t want to slaughter an innocent, but didn’t want me running around spreading rumors either, so they had no choice but to put this restriction on me.”
“Made up? Somehow it sounds rather plausible to me.” Longming’s fingertip pressed lightly against the thin fabric. Though she wasn’t gripping Zhuoxue’s throat, it still made Zhuoxue’s breath catch.
She finished speaking, then moved her hand around to the front, pressing her fingertip against Zhuoxue’s lips. “Kunlun Jade Capital wouldn’t waste effort on such a thing. If they truly wanted to silence you, a minor silencing spell would suffice.”
In that case, the fox wouldn’t merely be hard of hearing.
“Then Kunlun Jade Capital’s hand slipped and they cast the wrong restriction.” Zhuoxue had no idea whether Kunlun Jade Capital’s hands trembled, but hers certainly were.
“The Immortal Realm really is a makeshift crew1.” Longming smiled faintly in derision.
“Isn’t it though? How could they compare to the demon race.” Zhuoxue breathed a quiet sigh of relief and stole a quick glance at the white tiger’s crimson eyes.
So red — as if she’d just finished eating a person and was now ready to eat a fox.
“If I peeled this whole patch of skin off, would it still glow?” Longming’s tone was flat, but her words seemed laced with blood.
Zhuoxue was terrified the tiger demon would gut her on the spot. She whispered persuasively, “It probably wouldn’t work once it’s peeled off.”
“The restriction is closely bound to you, so I naturally can’t peel it,” Longming said calmly. “As it happens, you also want to stay at Lingkong Mountain as a demon servant, so I’ll allow you to stay. But until this restriction is broken, you cannot leave.”
“This humble girl didn’t want to leave anyway.” Zhuoxue’s words belied her heart. As she spoke, her lips moved slightly, nearly taking the fingertip beside them into her mouth.
She flushed and fell silent, her cheeks as if smeared with rouge.
Longming straightened up. Demonic power coiled around the fox’s waist, lifting her to her feet as well.
Zhuoxue startled, her pair of fox ears drooping back against her head. Only then did she realize she had somehow revealed her ears and tail. She gave a start and hastily clamped both hands over her ears.
Longming watched her with amusement. She gave a slight flick of her hand at her side, and the fox tail beside her wrapped loosely around it, like a mortal fried-dough twist. Back at Qiufeng Ridge, Zhuoxue was used to clinging to Lan Hui. Now, with just a little coaxing, she pressed close instinctively, forgetting entirely who was beside her.
She was about to pull her tail back when the tip was pinched dead-on, sending a violent shudder through her whole body. She stood rooted, eyes wide.
It was over. Did this white tiger still want to peel her skin off?
Zhuoxue said hastily, “Great King, the night grows late. Let this humble girl attend to your rest.”
“Change back to your true form,” Longming said.
Zhuoxue’s heart leapt in panic. She recalled how, in the main hall earlier today, the great tiger had said she didn’t want to eat a fox, and that was why she’d told her to take human form.
She drew a sharp breath and stammered, “If the Great King is hungry, I’ll go to the kitchen and prepare a couple of side dishes. A domestic fox’s meat isn’t as flavorful as a wild one’s.”
“Your restriction still has some faint traces visible. Don’t let anyone else see them.” Longming glanced at her.
Zhuoxue snapped into beast form in a flash. Her legs had been long enough to stand on the ground before, but now she dangled in midair like a fox pelt, all four limbs splayed. Longming pinched the tip of her tail — a solid weight in her hand — and simply tossed the fox onto her shoulder.
While dangling in midair, the fox’s heart had been suspended in uncertainty. Now that she’d finally landed on solid ground, she still didn’t dare breathe deeply. How could she dare breathe heavily on Longming’s shoulder? One wrong breath and the white tiger would take her life again.
Once the fox was settled, Longming turned and walked out of the cave. The cave stretched long and winding. The fox was itching to leap down from Longming’s shoulder — one moment worrying she’d crush the demon lord’s shoulder, the next worrying her unclenched claws would tear the demon lord’s robes.
Stepping out of the cave, stars and moon shone together overhead, dappled moonlight pouring over the mortal world. Were it not for the dull aches all over her body and her heart pounding like thunder, the fox would have thought the whole thing a nightmare.
A patrol small demon happened to pass by and stopped in alarm at the sight of Longming, clasping his hands in greeting. “Good evening, Great King.”
The small demon’s eyes flicked, catching sight of the fox on Longming’s shoulder. He thought to himself: wasn’t that the White Fox Little Mistress from earlier? The Little Mistress was truly impressive, managing to stand on the demon lord’s shoulder.
The fox stared straight ahead, not wanting the demon to guess she’d been captured. She sat up straight, her head held higher than Longming’s.
But in her distraction — and because Longming’s robes were too smooth — the white fox tilted and slipped. Four paws scrabbled helplessly in midair.
She didn’t hit the ground. The fox froze, head pointing down, the tip of her tail caught in a grip once more. The fox went completely still, as if dead — paws motionless, eyes unblinking.
Longming gave the small demon a slight nod and carried the fox back inside. Before entering, she said in a flat voice to the demon outside: “Pass word to Qiu Ruo — no need to arrange a separate bedroom for this fox.”
Meanwhile, Qiu Ruo received the message and couldn’t make sense of it. Was the demon lord keeping the little fox close at hand to lure the snake out of its hole2?
She thought again: the demon lord’s bedchamber had only one soft couch and one soft quilt. For mistress and servant to share a bed would be somewhat improper.
Having followed Longming for so long, Qiu Ruo always felt that this demon should live like mortals — how could she just sleep wherever she pleased at night?
After much deliberation, she ordered a small demon to deliver a set of bedding. That way, even if the fox was sleeping on the floor, she’d be a bit more comfortable.
It was the small demon’s first time running such an errand. He took the bedding and knocked on the demon lord’s door.
Inside the room, lamplight flickered. The shadows cast on the window paper showed one figure sitting and one lying down.
“Enter.”
Even through the door and window, the demon lord’s reply carried a thick air of ambiguity.
The small demon pushed the door open with a nervous expression, and his eyes suddenly jolted.
The fox knelt barefoot on the floor, half her body curved against the bed’s edge like a vine winding round a lotus, graceful and light. From her sleeve she extended five slender fingers, inching forward — cautious yet bold.
The small demon shrieked, “A tiger’s buttocks cannot be touched3—”
Footnotes
- Caotai banzi, literally 'straw-stage troupe' — modern Chinese slang for a ramshackle, amateurish organization with no real competence, like a troupe performing on a makeshift straw platform.
- A Chinese stratagem meaning to bait a hidden enemy into revealing themselves, like drawing a snake from its burrow.
- A Chinese proverb meaning someone powerful cannot be provoked — their 'behind' is off-limits. Here it serves as both a warning idiom and a literal comedic comment about a tiger demon.
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