"Ah… Slept so well…"

I stretched comfortably, rubbed my dry eyes, and quickly hopped out of bed to splash water on my face.

Still blurry-eyed from waking, the cold water sharpened my senses—until I glanced in the mirror and froze.

Staring back was a breathtaking girl: the face of a twelve- or thirteen-year-old, snow-white hair flowing down her back, youthful cheeks with a hint of allure, crimson eyes wide with panic.

Her shock mirrored mine. As I stumbled back a step, so did she.

"What the hell?! It can’t be this fast!"

The Fox Demon warned her aura would slowly reshape me—but overnight?!

Panicked, I checked myself. Chest still flat, no shoulder-length hair. Just slightly fairer skin and softer chest and arm muscles. Otherwise… unchanged.

But the girl in the mirror…

"What’s wrong, human? Stunned by this queen’s divine beauty? Go ahead—I permit your awestruck gasp."

The woman in the mirror spoke, voice identical to that fox’s. Oddly, it calmed me. At least I hadn’t turned into a demon yet.

"Is this really you? Not as majestic as I imagined."

I’d pictured a cold, regal queen. But this… plump cheeks, fluffy ears begging to be touched—adorable. Utterly captivating.

"Not entirely. This is my first human form—a child’s face. My appearance matured as I grew my first and second tails. But listen~ This body holds barely any demonic energy, so you’ll only shift into my earliest shape. In short: slack off, and in one month? This is your face."

Maybe it was psychological, but I suddenly felt shorter.

No way! My perfect 178 cm—if I shrink to 150, I’d rather die.

Wait… was the Fox Demon in the mirror… naked? Delicate collarbones below that lovely face, and further down—

Hold on. What the hell am I even thinking?!

"Anyway. Do your best, human."

Her image vanished. Only my reflection remained.

"Sorry, Brother Shan. For my future… you’ll have to bear with it."

This time, I was resolved. I hated it—but for a better life, I’d follow the Fox Demon’s plan.

That’s just me. Never sacrifice the big picture for small pride. I’ve knelt to thugs to avoid a beating, then settled the score later.

She was my opposite. Zero tolerance. A tiny slight? She’d hunt you down.

Was forcing us two to share one body really just heaven’s cruel joke?

——————————————

Azure Hill, ancestral home of the Su Clan Fox Demons.

"Xiao Qing, do you understand your mission?"

Inside the shrine honoring the Nine-Tailed Fox Deity stood three stone fox statues. The central figure, massive and majestic, bore nine tails; the two flanking guardians had seven each. The deep voice rumbled from the rightmost statue.

"Understood! I will journey to the human realm and safeguard the Ancestral Master!"

A veiled girl knelt gracefully before them. Behind her, three fluffy azure tails swayed gently.

"The Su Clan cannot break the human-demon pact. But as a half-demon, you may go. The Ancestral Master has broken her seal—you must bring her home safely. And never let other great demons discover her identity as the Nine Tails. Or else…"

The statue fell silent. The warning needed no elaboration.

Long ago, when Nüwa sealed the Nine-Tailed Divine Fox, her body was destroyed—only her shattered soul and Demon Core remained.

Among divine beast Demon Cores, only the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and the Nine-Tailed Divine Fox endure. Demons crave her: to devour for supreme power, or to dual-cultivate and drain her boundless essence.

Now the Fox Demon’s escape is known. All see her fragmented soul, defenseless. To great demons, she’s "Tang Monk’s flesh"—and this time, without Sun Wukong’s protection.