Demon Girl resumo, enredo, sinopse

Sinopse de Demon Girl

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing and in a massacre, Nie Rufeng’s family encountered a life-threatening situation.

In this situation, Nie Rufeng’s wife, Ying Die, chased Nie Rufeng and his daughter away to face the enemy alone.

Fifteen years later, Nie Rufeng’s eldest daughter, Nie Qingcheng, befriended Mingxia who came from a wealthy family.

In the midst of the chaotic world, they fell in love and got together after all the twists and turns.

Resumos de Demon Girl

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Humans all believe demons exist in legends, but in reality, demons do exist. Normally, they are no different from ordinary people, except for a pair of glittering golden fingernails. When transforming, they grow a pair of wings, their ears and fingernails lengthen, their pupils show a different color, their tears are golden, and their blood is pink. Demons can fly, are fast, and have strong attacking power.

Besides this, they also experience birth, aging, sickness, and death, and similarly need food, clothing, and other necessities. In winter, they need to hibernate, otherwise, they will die. When a demon dies, they melt into a pool of clear water. After being exposed to sunlight, they will slowly condense into a child. With no memories of their past life, they continue to live. In 1900 AD, the Eight-Nation Alliance captured Beijing, burning, killing, and looting within the capital city.

Large numbers of refugees, disregarding their family assets, fled the city with their families, and Nie Rufeng's family was among them. His wife, Ying Die, saw the foreign pursuers getting closer behind them, and handed her two daughters, Nie Qingcheng and Nie Qingxin, to her husband, who had already run out of the city gate. Amidst her daughters' cries, she waved her hands, and the city gate immediately closed.

Ying Die glared at the foreign devils who had caught up, grew a pair of wings from her ribs, and soared into the sky. She swooped down, and a pair of golden sharp claws instantly tore the foreign devils apart. But ultimately, being outnumbered, she died under a hail of gunfire. Standing outside the city gate, Nie Rufeng didn't know if his beloved wife was alive or dead; he preferred to believe she had merely gotten separated.

He and his daughters eventually made their way to Shanghai, earning a living by teaching. A few years later, the Republic of China was established, and his daughters slowly grew up. Under their father's tutelage, Nie Qingcheng and Nie Qingxin both became skilled in singing and dancing. Nie Qingxin continued to attend school. To help with household expenses, Nie Qingcheng secretly worked as a star performer at the Xianlesi cabaret, without her father's knowledge.

Nie Rufeng only thought his elder daughter was working at a company. Nie Qingcheng occasionally had a strange feeling: a golden flash would appear on her arm, and a pair of faint, flickering wings would grow on her back. This feeling was fleeting, and she herself thought it was an illusion. On this day, Nie Qingcheng, who was performing on stage, was forcibly pulled off.

It turned out to be Fifth Master, a local smuggler and gangster, who wanted to present her to Ming Xia, a rich young master from Shanghai and the Chief of the Police Station. Ming Xia, with his status and position, was not interested in the sordid act of seizing common women. Fifth Master was put in an awkward position, couldn't save face, and vented his anger on Nie Qingcheng.

If Ming Xia hadn't intervened in time, Nie Qingcheng would have likely lost her life on the spot. Although a rich young master, Ming Xia took on the thankless job of a police inspector because of his nature to hate evil as if it were a personal enemy. He had already bribed Fifth Master's subordinates, catching Fifth Master off guard and preventing him from acting rashly.

After dealing with Fifth Master, Ming Xia held Nie Qingcheng's hand and left the Xianlesi cabaret. This was not an act of impropriety; it was to make Fifth Master wary, preventing him from bothering Nie Qingcheng again. Before parting, Ming Xia draped his suit jacket over Nie Qingcheng; this thoughtful gesture greatly improved her impression of him. Returning home, it was already late, and Nie Qingcheng, sneaking in, was seen by her father.

Although the Nie family's financial situation was far from what it used to be, Nie Rufeng still believed in upholding the rules of a formerly prominent household. With his daughter returning dressed so alluringly and wearing a man's coat, he inevitably had a few words of admonishment. Fortunately, her younger sister provided cover, preventing their father from becoming suspicious. Back in their room, Nie Qingxin heard that her sister seemed to have a sweetheart.

While they were playfully bickering, a golden flash appeared on Nie Qingcheng's arm again, and cracks simultaneously appeared in the bathtub full of water. Nie Qingxin didn't notice, but Nie Qingcheng looked at the clear, pale red cross-shaped mark on her forearm, and her doubts grew even larger. In the following days, Nie Qingcheng waited for the person who gave her the suit jacket, but Ming Xia was late in coming to retrieve it.

What one thinks about during the day, one dreams about at night; Nie Qingcheng saw Ming Xia in her dream. She was awakened by her sister sleeping next to her before they could share much intimacy, interrupting a beautiful spring dream. One day, Nie Qingcheng found her sister sad because she couldn't attend a party. All those attending the party were social elites, and since the Nie family currently had no money or power, they naturally wouldn't receive an invitation.

That evening, Nie Qingcheng borrowed a gown from the cabaret and took her sister to sneak into the party. She personally saw Nie Qingxin's classmates making sarcastic remarks to Nie Qingxin and decided to stand up for her sister. The best way to retaliate was to attract everyone's attention. Nie Qingcheng and Nie Qingxin gracefully danced in the center of the ballroom, earning a round of applause. Nie Qingxin immediately became the center of the party, leaving the others speechless.

After helping her sister fulfill her wish, Nie Qingcheng left the party alone and unexpectedly saw Ming Xia outside, being persistently pestered by a girl. This time, it was Nie Qingcheng's turn to rescue Ming Xia from his predicament by pretending to be his girlfriend and helping him escape. This accidental encounter brought their hearts together. Ming Xia, who wasn't good at dancing, meeting Nie Qingcheng, the queen of dance, also created more opportunities for contact.

Over several months, they met almost every day, and their feelings for each other grew warmer. As fire cannot be hidden in paper, Nie Rufeng eventually found out about his daughter working at the cabaret. In a fit of anger, he locked Nie Qingcheng in her upstairs room. Nie Qingcheng, who had an appointment with Ming Xia, was burning with anxiety.

By the time Nie Qingcheng finally managed to escape from home through the window using bedsheets and arrived at their meeting place, she was five hours late. Ming Xia was still steadfastly waiting there, which deeply moved Nie Qingcheng. Ming Xia also fell in love with this intelligent and kind girl. The two shouted out their wishes loudly in the evening glow. Ming Xia decided to help her achieve her heartfelt wish, making Nie Qingcheng's father understand his daughter's hardships.

Ming Xia sent people to forcefully bring Nie Qingcheng's father, Nie Rufeng, to Xianlesi. At first, Nie Rufeng was very angry at the man who claimed to be his daughter's friend. But Ming Xia made him realize that without Nie Qingcheng working there, he alone would not be able to shoulder the heavy burden of the family.

At this moment, Nie Qingcheng sang a song her father taught her as a child on stage, making Nie Rufeng recall his daughter's docile appearance when she was young. With Ming Xia's promise, Nie Rufeng finally let go of his worries and no longer interfered with his daughter's life. After this incident, Ming Xia proposed to Nie Qingcheng and became her official boyfriend. When Ming Xia returned home, his mother Fang Yaqing had prepared another blind date for him.

Ming Xia's father died young, and the family business had always been managed by his mother. The mother and son shared a deep affection; Ming Xia often playfully called his mother "princess" to show intimacy. Fang Yaqing intended to set up her son with Miss Meng, ostensibly having Ming Xia accompany her for fun, but actually wanting to foster their relationship.

Ming Xia, of course, knew his mother's intentions, so he took out a photo of himself with Nie Qingcheng from his wallet. Seeing this, the woman could only wisely bid farewell and leave. Fang Yaqing didn't blame her son much, but she was still uneasy and asked Butler Zhang to secretly investigate Nie Qingcheng's background. The investigation quickly yielded results.

The Ming family was one of Shanghai's most prominent aristocratic families; how could Fang Yaqing allow a showgirl who appeared in public to enter their home? She firmly believed that Nie Qingcheng was after the Ming family's wealth. For this, she made a bet with her son Ming Xia: if she could prove her suspicions correct, Ming Xia would have to break up with Nie Qingcheng.

When Ming Xia accepted this bet, he didn't know he was pushing Nie Qingcheng to the edge of a fiery pit. That very day, Nie Qingcheng lost her job at Xianlesi, and Nie Rufeng was also dismissed from school. The Nie family suddenly lost all sources of income. One misfortune after another followed; Nie Qingcheng then received a call that Nie Qingxin had caused trouble at school.

When Nie Qingcheng rushed to the school, she found out that Nie Qingxin had torn a classmate's expensive clothes. The compensation would be hundreds of silver dollars, which was an astronomical sum for the Nie family. Although Nie Qingxin denied it, many classmates unanimously testified that she was the culprit. Nie Qingxin was unable to defend herself, and in desperation, she went to the school rooftop, intending to prove her innocence by dying.

Nie Qingcheng's appearance did not calm Nie Qingxin down. For years, she had been ostracized and ridiculed by classmates in this aristocratic school. Now, filled with humiliation and anger, she pulled two other classmates who had falsely accused her, climbed over the rooftop railing, and plunged towards the hard ground. Nie Qingcheng leaped forward, invisible wings sprouting from her back, forcefully pulling the three falling individuals back onto the rooftop.

The two students were already terrified beyond their wits, unable to think clearly, and hastily fled the rooftop. Nie Qingxin's emotions also stabilized, and she no longer dared to entertain thoughts of suicide. On a full moon night, Shen Tianyang, the deputy general of Guo Xiang, the Commander-in-Chief of Shanghai's Songhu garrison, was killed in the red-light district by a strange bird falling from the sky.

The killer was the demon You Tong, who was naturally cold and aloof, and took it upon himself to punish evil and promote good. Shen Tianyang, who habitually bullied others and indiscriminately killed the innocent, naturally became his target. You Tong's servant, A Xiang, had been loyal to his master for many years. He worried that his master's zeal in eliminating evil would delay his hibernation period.

The police station received an alarm, and Ming Xia and his good brother Xu Shaobai were discussing the case. The most peculiar aspect of this case was the victim's wounds; Xu Shaobai, who had handled cases for many years, had never seen five small wounds simultaneously piercing the victim's throat. He couldn't imagine what kind of weapon could cause such wounds. Regarding such strange cases, Xu Shaobai recalled Professor Jiang Bonian, whom he had met while studying at medical school.

This person possessed superb medical skills but focused on supernatural phenomena; perhaps some clues could be obtained from him. Ming Xia decided to personally visit Professor Jiang. Since he had a dinner appointment with Nie Qingcheng, he left a note for Xu Shaobai to give to Nie Qingcheng. Not long after Ming Xia left, Fang Yaqing arrived at the police station. Upon seeing his aunt, Xu Shaobai immediately stood up to greet her.

Hearing that her son had left a note for Nie Qingcheng, she devised a plan and asked for the note. Fang Yaqing invited Nie Qingcheng to a restaurant, and directly, she took out a large check, demanding that Nie Qingcheng leave Ming Xia. Feeling humiliated, Nie Qingcheng rushed to the police station but was stopped by the guard outside. She loudly called out for Ming Xia but never saw him.

At this point, she believed what Ming's mother said and felt that Ming Xia already had someone new. When Nie Qingcheng returned home feeling lost, she saw her father and sister packing their luggage and leaving. The landlord suddenly needed the house urgently, so he evicted the Nie father and daughter. At this moment, Nie Qingcheng already knew that Ming's mother was behind the mischief. Her optimistic nature made her rally again, preparing to face the unknown life ahead.

In the restaurant, four young masters from distinguished families, who usually lived in comfort, were anxiously waiting for Jiang Xuewu, the goddess in their hearts. But in Jiang Xuewu's eyes, one was an uncultured parvenu, another was a young master who blindly followed his parents with no opinions of his own, one was a homosexual who took a fake relationship seriously, and the remaining medical colleague was merely a hypocrite without medical ethics, unwilling to take responsibility.

Her sharp tongue left the men looking at each other in dismay, and they all left their seats, except for Wang Shaotang, who quietly remained at the table. Shaotang had loved painting since childhood but was forced to become a lawyer due to family arrangements, so it was no wonder Jiang Xuewu said he had no opinion of his own. He stared blankly at Jiang Xuewu's retreating figure, wanting to speak but holding back.

Professor Jiang, accompanied by Ming Xia, arrived at the morgue, and the wounds on the victim's throat immediately caught his attention. That year, when the Eight-Nation Alliance entered the city, Jiang Bonian, who was lying on the ground feigning death, saw a red-eyed woman with wings kill a "foreign devil" at the city gate, leaving identical golden claw marks on the enemy's throat.

Professor Jiang carefully examined the wound, confirming it was caused by a creature he had been researching and searching for many years. He summoned his pet falcon, Yue'er, to absorb the scent left on the corpse. After that, Professor Jiang left in a hurry without providing any clues, leaving Xu Shaobai greatly disappointed. Professor Jiang's daughter, Jiang Xuewu, is a skilled doctor with a beautiful face and many admirers.

When she arrived at the hospital, she found that her father was not seeing patients, and the hospital was already full of people seeking medical attention. Unexpectedly, her father, who was always fond of money, returned from the police station today and didn't want to see patients, instead secluding himself in his room. Jiang Xuewu had no choice but to see patients on behalf of her father. Jiang Bonian returned to his room to look for an old notebook.

That year, he personally witnessed Ying Die's strange appearance and fierce attacking power, and when he closely examined Ying Die's corpse, he found that she had turned into clear water and vanished without a trace. All of this was meticulously recorded by him. From then on, Jiang Bonian devoted himself to researching all matters concerning demons, hoping that proving their existence would bring him countless honors and wealth. Now that this creature had reappeared, how could he not be excited?

Yue'er flew out of the room under the professor's command, following the scent to search for You Tong. Having received no clues from Professor Jiang, Ming Xia and Xu Shaobai could only go to the crime scene to continue their investigation. Suddenly, a striped tiger leaped out from around the corner, pouncing on Ming Xia. Ming Xia, with quick reflexes, shot and killed the tiger.

Investigations revealed that the tiger had escaped from a circus, and its teeth matched the wounds on Shen Tianyang's throat. Ming Xia always felt there was something more to it, but couldn't find a more reasonable explanation. This was actually done by A Xiang, whose purpose was to cover up his master's tracks to prevent disturbing his master's hibernation. Shen Tianyang's case was considered closed.

When Ming Xia, who hadn't seen Nie Qingcheng for days, came looking for her with roses, he discovered that the house had new tenants. The new tenants were also arranged by Fang Yaqing, and they told Ming Xia that Nie Qingcheng had married and left. Ming Xia couldn't believe his ears. He went to Xianlesi again and saw that Nie Qingcheng's poster had also been removed from the front of the dance hall.

He couldn't accept it for a moment, and drowned his sorrows in alcohol at the place where he and Nie Qingcheng used to meet. Nie Qingcheng was also at her wits' end at this time; work was hard to find, and her father had to go down into the mine to dig coal for a living. Nie Qingxin saw an advertisement for a "Flower Queen Election Contest" in the newspaper and encouraged her sister to participate.

Just as Nie Qingcheng had made up her mind to enter the contest, she heard shouting outside. It turned out that there was a mine collapse, and Nie Rufeng was injured, but the foreman refused to pay for medical expenses. The fellow workers had no choice but to send Nie Rufeng home. In her anger, Nie Qingcheng decided to go to the mine to confront the foreman.

It was another full moon night, and You Tong set his sights on the next target. But while the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole lurks behind. Just as he was about to succeed, Jiang Bonian also appeared. Jiang Bonian shot a tranquilizer dart. You Tong only felt his body gradually becoming numb, unable to transform. He fought off the drowsiness and escaped into town, with Jiang Bonian relentlessly pursuing him with Yue'er's help.

You Tong awkwardly hid in a trash heap, covering his scent, thus escaping Yue'er's pursuit. To escape the aerial "eagle eye", You Tong had no choice but to change into clothes he found in the trash heap. As soon as he finished changing, he saw Nie Qingcheng asking for directions to the mine. You Tong proactively stepped forward, offering to take her there.

Jiang Bonian would never have imagined that among the pair of men and women walking past him, one would be the person he was looking for. As the anesthetic gradually took effect, You Tong couldn't fight off the overwhelming drowsiness and fell into a deep sleep, face down on the table, while eating with Nie Qingcheng at a restaurant.

Nie Qingcheng only thought she had encountered a poor person on the road, and after placing a silver dollar in his hand, she went to the mine alone. The mine foreman, who valued money above all else, would never willingly give money. Hearing Nie Qingcheng incite the miners to revolt, he became even more enraged and malicious.

He pretended to agree to get the money, led Nie Qingcheng to a deserted area, knocked her unconscious, and threw her into an abandoned mine shaft. The mine shaft was vertical, hundreds of meters deep. As the unconscious Nie Qingcheng was about to hit the bottom of the shaft, her arm flashed with golden light again, and her entire body descended steadily, unharmed.

You Tong woke up, found the silver dollar in his palm, and felt a warmth he had never experienced before. He suddenly heard two miners at an adjacent table discussing a girl demanding medical expenses, knew that Nie Qingcheng was in grave danger, and immediately rushed to the mine. How could the foreman be a match for You Tong? After being severely beaten, he honestly confessed.

However, You Tong was not as cunning as the foreman and was tricked into falling into the mine shaft. Fortunately, Nie Qingcheng was unharmed. You Tong embraced Nie Qingcheng and used the power of his inner core to break through the rocks and emerge. By the time Nie Qingcheng woke up, You Tong had already retrieved the medical expenses for her. What You Tong didn't mention was that he had also killed the foreman and set the mine on fire.

Furthermore, by using his inner core, You Tong greatly depleted his vital energy. Ever since meeting Nie Qingcheng, You Tong had been moved by her kindness and vivacity, completely shedding his formerly cold demeanor. When he saw Nie Qingcheng's name on the list for the Flower Queen Contest in the newspaper, he immediately rushed over.

At this time, Nie Qingcheng was being harassed by other contestants; she not only drank chili water, damaging her voice, but also had ink poured over her head, ruining her makeup.

Nie Qingcheng was about to give up, but with You Tong's encouragement, she mustered the courage to walk onto the stage. The judges and audience below the stage gossiped when they saw her appearance, but Nie Qingcheng still conquered everyone present with her inner and outer noble temperament, winning the Flower Queen championship. And those contestants who made things difficult for Nie Qingcheng also received their due punishment; You Tong scared them quite a bit.

After Nie Qingcheng won the championship, by etiquette she had to pay a visit to the competition's sponsor, Nan Batian. The organizer's representative accompanied Nie Qingcheng to Nan Batian's mansion. This competition was essentially a beauty pageant for Nan Batian to choose his concubines. Nie Qingcheng, unaware of the trap, drank red wine mixed with medicine during the banquet. Seeing Nie Qingcheng faint, the accompanying organizer's representative and the various concubines discreetly left.

Nan Batian ordered his men to help the unconscious Nie Qingcheng into the bedroom. At the police station, Ming Xia was somewhat distraught because he couldn't find Nie Qingcheng. Xu Shaobai brought Nan Batian's information; he had long heard about Nan Batian using competitions to forcibly occupy beautiful women but had never found evidence.

After this Flower Queen competition, he specifically sent people to stake out Nan Batian's residence and found that this year's Flower Queen had not come out after going in. When Ming Xia heard of such a villain, he immediately led people to rescue her. Unexpectedly, the one he rescued was his beloved Nie Qingcheng. When Nie Qingcheng was found, she was lying motionless on the bedroom bed, while Nan Batian was unconscious in the corner of the bedroom.

It turned out that Nan Batian was just about to molest Nie Qingcheng when a golden light flashed, and a huge force pushed him out, causing him to hit the wall and fall unconscious. Fortunately, nothing had happened, otherwise, Ming Xia might have pulverized him. You Tong was busy scattering white roses along the streets, celebrating Nie Qingcheng's championship win.

But he heard other contestants say that Nie Qingcheng had gone to Nan Batian's mansion, and that Nan Batian was known for forcing innocent women into prostitution, killing anyone who dared to disobey. You Tong was enraged upon hearing this. He clenched his fists and went to the Nan residence. Nan Batian, not having gotten Nie Qingcheng, was unable to quell his lust and found a young maid to vent his frustration.

Unexpectedly, due to her fierce resistance, he accidentally strangled her to death and was currently burning the body to destroy evidence in the backyard. You Tong mistakenly thought Nie Qingcheng had been harmed, and in a fit of rage, he revealed his true form, slaughtering everyone in the Nan residence, leaving no one alive. When Nie Qingcheng woke up, she saw Ming Xia, whose face was full of concern.

After they talked, she finally understood that everything was Ming Xia's mother's conspiracy. To prove his sincerity, Ming Xia took Nie Qingcheng back home and swore in front of his mother that he would stay with Nie Qingcheng for life, never leaving her. Fang Yaqing saw that her son was so determined; if she continued to insist on separating them, she might force him to run away from home.

She immediately changed her tone, using the previous bet as an excuse, only saying that it was all to test Nie Qingcheng. One scheme failing, another arose. Fang Yaqing demanded that Nie Qingcheng must learn the rules of a wealthy family, with her personally teaching her. Ming Xia and Nie Qingcheng did not know it was a delaying tactic, thinking that Ming Xia's mother had changed her mind, so they eagerly agreed.

The next morning, Nie Qingcheng began to receive the devilish training specially tailored for her by Ming Xia's mother, practicing her deportment by walking a hundred laps around the garden in high heels, then drinking scalding hot soup to learn etiquette, and even more horrifying, memorizing over a dozen thick English books, which made Nie Qingcheng suffer immensely. Fang Yaqing simply wanted to force her to retreat in the face of difficulties.

The tragic case at the Nan residence alarmed the entire Shanghai Bund. Ming Xia and Xu Shaobai examined the bodies, finding that the wounds were identical to those on Shen Tianyang, indicating that the tiger was merely a cover-up. Ming Xia immediately summoned everyone for a meeting, determined to solve the case and apprehend the real culprit. Meanwhile, the heartbroken You Tong was consulting a great psychic, hoping to help Nie Qingcheng cross the sea of suffering early.

A Xiang saw his infatuated master being deceived by the charlatan, and with a clever trick, exposed the charlatan's deception. Only then did You Tong realize that this "great psychic" could not communicate with Nie Qingcheng at all, and that the so-called psychic communication was merely fabricated to please the master. After driving away the charlatan, You Tong angrily stormed through the streets and unintentionally saw Nie Qingcheng in the distance, following behind a noblewoman.

Nie Qingcheng carried large and small bags, following behind Fang Yaqing. Her arms ached, but she didn't dare complain of tiredness. Fang Yaqing didn't expect the young girl to be so stubborn, so she continued to make things difficult for her. Nie Qingcheng's arduous appearance was clearly seen by You Tong. He grabbed Nie Qingcheng's wrist and pulled her into an empty alley. You Tong was ecstatic to see Nie Qingcheng again and didn't want to be separated from her.

However, Nie Qingcheng already had Ming Xia in her heart and rejected You Tong's pursuit. Although You Tong possessed immense wealth, he didn't understand what love was. Since childhood, he had always gotten everything he desired. But neither money nor intimidation moved Nie Qingcheng. You Tong revealed his true form, thinking Nie Qingcheng would yield, but Nie Qingcheng treated him as a lifelong friend and didn't believe he would harm her.

Furthermore, Nie Qingcheng's love for Ming Xia made her strong and fearless of any threat. You Tong began to ponder love in his heart; he wanted to know what love truly was. Fang Yaqing saw Nie Qingcheng being inexplicably pulled away and followed the traces into the alley. Her unwarranted scolding of Nie Qingcheng angered You Tong. To teach her a lesson, You Tong spread his wings again.

Fang Yaqing suddenly saw a monster with red glowing eyes, golden claws, and a pair of black wings on its back standing before her, and she fainted from fright. Nie Qingcheng immediately looked for help. After settling her future mother-in-law, Nie Qingcheng recalled You Tong's spread wings and couldn't help but wonder if she was like You Tong. Just then, Fang Yaqing woke up, still shaken by what had just happened.

Nie Qingcheng quickly comforted her, claiming it was just a dream and there were no monsters in the world. Fang Yaqing also had doubts at this point and decided to see a doctor. When Fang Yaqing arrived at Ji Ren Hospital, Jiang Xuewu was complaining about her dean father. Jiang Bonian, disregarding the hospital's financial situation, borrowed a large sum of money to purchase a strange capture device.

Jiang Xuewu was truly worried that if they couldn't repay the money, the hospital would have to go bankrupt. The father and daughter came out of the laboratory and coincidentally encountered Fang Yaqing, who was throwing a tantrum because she was asked to wait in line. Jiang Bonian and Fang Yaqing were old classmates, so they exchanged a few polite words and some common pleasantries from the wealthy circles. Professor Jiang personally diagnosed Mrs. Fang.

As soon as he heard Fang Yaqing's description, he knew that the monster was the very demon that had escaped from his hands that day. What excited him even more was that Nie Qingcheng actually knew that demon and even helped conceal its whereabouts. This gave him a new demon-catching plan. Nie Qingcheng was crowned the Queen of Flowers and gained favor with many advertisers, with advertising contracts pouring in. During filming, many spectators gathered, admiring her greatly.

Jiang Bonian was also among them, secretly sprinkling a special medicinal powder on Nie Qingcheng. Ming Xia was just about to pick up Nie Qingcheng for dinner, but he panicked when he saw Nie Qingcheng suddenly faint. Jiang Bonian, who was hiding nearby, immediately appeared and, acting as a doctor, sent Nie Qingcheng to Ji Ren Hospital.

After a solemn diagnosis, Jiang Bonian declared that Nie Qingcheng had been poisoned by the powder and that only the water weed Zirong Jin, which grew deep in the Huangpu River, could detoxify her. The currents at the bottom of the Huangpu River were turbulent, making it impossible for ordinary people to descend.

Nie Rufeng, Nie Qingxin, and Ming Xia had no choice but to follow Professor Jiang's advice and distribute flyers on the streets, hoping for an extraordinary individual to come to their aid. You Tong, determined to understand what love was, went to a brothel. He thought that any woman would understand love. But these common, gaudy women only knew how to flirt and didn't understand any true emotion.

Just as he was about to leave in disappointment, he heard a sound from the stairwell. It turned out to be a prostitute named Haitang, who used her hard-earned money to support her lover, only to be abandoned by him. The madam scolded her a few words, but Haitang didn't care. She believed that love was unconditional giving. This single sentence resonated in You Tong's heart, and he understood the true meaning of love.

You Tong excitedly emerged from the brothel, about to search for Nie Qingcheng, when his attention was caught by a flyer dropped at his feet. The flyer's content was a plea for Zirong Jin to save Nie Qingcheng. Only then did You Tong realize that Nie Qingcheng was poisoned and unconscious.

That night, when no one was around, You Tong leaped from the bridge into the icy cold Huangpu River, using all his strength to find a single Zirong Jin at the riverbed. The moment he placed the Zirong Jin into his inner pocket, Jiang Bonian, hidden nearby in a diving suit, fired the capture device. This item, made by Americans using exotic steel, was shaped like an umbrella.

Once placed over the head, it released electric currents that inhibited brain nerves, rendering the target immobile. Jiang Bonian locked You Tong in a specially made cage in the laboratory, his heart overflowing with joy, as if he could already see large stacks of money flying toward him. He couldn't wait and immediately notified major newspapers overnight to come to the hospital the next day to witness a significant discovery. However, man proposes, God disposes.

Just as he was notifying the media, Jiang Xuewu, who came to bring food to her father, discovered You Tong in the cage. She thought You Tong was a thief caught by her father. Seeing You Tong bleeding from the corner of his mouth and motionless, she opened the cage to check, only to be knocked unconscious by a palm strike from You Tong. You Tong ignored his injuries and entered Nie Qingcheng's hospital room.

He took out the Zirong Cao from his pocket, chewed it up, and gently fed it into Nie Qingcheng's mouth. Seeing Nie Qingcheng wake up, You Tong breathed a sigh of relief. Nie Qingcheng's concerned gaze was the best reward for him, and You Tong experienced the joy of giving.

He placed a copper whistle in Nie Qingcheng's hand, telling her that whenever she needed him in the future, she just had to blow the whistle, and he would immediately rush to her side. Before anyone else could discover him, You Tong leaped out of the window and disappeared into the night. Early the next morning, numerous reporters swarmed in, all eager to snatch the headline of discovering a demon.

Jiang Bonian smugly pulled back the black cloth covering the cage. Amidst the reporters' jeers, he realized the cage was empty. Jiang Xuewu entered the laboratory, thinking her father was looking for last night's thief. Hearing the father and daughter's conversation, the reporters assumed Professor Jiang mistook a thief for a demon. Coupled with rumors that Jiang Bonian had a history of delusions, this further convinced the reporters that Professor Jiang was mentally unstable. Thus, Jiang Bonian, afflicted with delusions, became today's headline news.

Reports about Professor Jiang's delusional disorder spread like wildfire, and everyone avoided Jiang Bonian. Jiren Hospital, usually bustling with people, became deserted. When Jiang Xuewu found her father, he was heavily drunk, telling everyone on the street that he did not have delusional disorder. Jiang Bonian wanted to tell everyone that there truly were demons in the world, but no one was willing to believe him.

Overwhelmed by despair, Jiang Bonian, next to a traditional street stove boiling water, picked up a bucket of kerosene and poured it all over himself. Jiang Xuewu watched helplessly as her father struggled in the flames, shouting heartbreakingly, "There are demons in the world." Jiang Bonian's voice grew weaker and weaker, until all that remained was a pile of charred bones. Jiang Bonian wanted to use his death to prove his innocence, but even his daughter could not accept it.

Jiang Xuewu did not disbelieve her father, but she was constrained by circumstances. With the bank demanding repayment and clients leaving, she had to bow to reality to save Jiren Hospital, which was the fruit of her father's lifelong hard work. Immediately after the funeral, Jiang Xuewu held a press conference at the hospital. She publicly admitted that her father had delusional disorder and offered discounts to patients her father had previously treated.

To prove her medical skills, she offered free consultations to those who couldn't afford medical care. The first patient had an abscess on the back of his hand. Jiang Xuewu, in front of reporters, skillfully cut away the rotten flesh, and the patient felt no pain at all. With such superb medical skills, coupled with media reports, people flocked to Jiren Hospital in an endless stream, and it restored its former glory.

But Jiang Xuewu was not happy, as that patient was actually just an actor. Having to rely on deception to restore her reputation, the self-righteous Jiang Xuewu couldn't forgive herself and could only drown her sorrows in alcohol. She drank until midnight before stumbling out of the hotel. A few local thugs loitering on the street saw Jiang Xuewu alone and unsteady on her feet, thinking they could take advantage of the situation. Coincidentally, Ming Xia passed by and intervened.

These thugs were blind and didn't recognize Chief Ming, who was dressed in plain clothes. Ming Xia showed no mercy, knocking them down with a few punches and kicks. Jiang Xuewu also didn't show weakness; she had practiced Taekwondo since childhood, so beating two small thugs was no trouble at all. After dealing with the thugs, the two introduced themselves and realized they were family friends for generations.

Ming Xia's mother and Jiang Xuewu's father were old classmates, so the two no longer treated each other as strangers. Jiang Xuewu had too much bitterness in her heart and was looking for someone to confide in. After expressing all the humiliation and pain in her heart, Jiang Xuewu felt much lighter. Ming Xia's gentle comfort beside her made her confidence stronger. To support Jiang Xuewu, Ming Xia specially brought his colleagues from the constabulary to the hospital for check-ups.

Police officers often got bumps and bruises in their daily work, and having this big client was a timely help for the hospital. The always proud and aloof Jiang Xuewu found her heart entwined with Ming Xia. But her love was unrequited. Ming Xia didn't feel Jiang Xuewu's affection; his heart was only for Nie Qingcheng. Nie Qingcheng was still continuing her rigorous training, following Fang Yaqing around as an attendant every day.

That day, Fang Yaqing bought several more clothes at her frequently visited mall. When checking out, she took a fancy to a new style of hat and accessories near the counter and wanted the store to give it to her for free. However, the sales clerk absolutely refused, attracting nearby customers to stop and watch.

Fang Yaqing, fearing criticism, insisted that the store had said buying clothes came with a free hat, and asked Nie Qingcheng, who was beside her, to testify. Nie Qingcheng was clueless and didn't grasp her future mother-in-law's intention at all. Just as Fang Yaqing was in an awkward situation, Jiang Xuewu stepped out from the crowd and secretly handed money to the sales clerk.

Other customers, seeing the sales clerk leave without a word after receiving no money, thought the sales clerk had made a mistake, so they dispersed and continued shopping. Because of this incident, Fang Yaqing disliked Nie Qingcheng even more, but saw Jiang Xuewu in a new light. Fang Yaqing had also been unlucky these past two days; she almost lost face at the mall, and at home, she lost every hand playing mahjong.

She felt annoyed even hearing her son play slow piano pieces. But when Jiang Xuewu came to visit her, it was different. Jiang Xuewu was clever and understood people's thoughts, so she played a lively "Ode to Joy" together with Ming Xia. Fang Yaqing was in a great mood and contemplated marrying her son to Jiang Xuewu. You Tong was preparing to hibernate in a secret room deep in the mountains.

He had done so every year since he awakened at the age of ten, never interrupting it, but this time he encountered an obstacle. As You Tong finished his cultivation and calmed his internal energy, the ruddiness on his face gradually faded, and snow-white ice crystals slowly formed. But his mind was not peaceful, thinking of every memory of Nie Qingcheng. As his internal energy became disordered, You Tong's face began to flush red, and he couldn't enter hibernation.

He couldn't control his longing for Nie Qingcheng, but he didn't want to disturb Nie Qingcheng and Ming Xia. Caught in a dilemma, You Tong didn't know what to do. He ran to the riverside and shouted, wishing for heaven and earth to give him an answer. The words of an old boatman by the shore enlightened him. The old boatman had worked on the river ferry for decades and was reluctant to part when he left.

He came to the riverside every day to watch the ferry; as long as he saw the ferry safe and sound, he was content. You Tong realized another way of love. He would silently guard Nie Qingcheng, and whenever she needed help, he would lend a helping hand and then quietly leave. He didn't seek Nie Qingcheng's gratitude; as long as he could see her happy and joyful from afar, he was satisfied.

Fang Yaqing had been looking for an opportunity to maliciously harm Nie Qingcheng, and today she finally found one. Ming Xia worked through the night in his study to organize the headless murder case of Nan Bantian, only returning to his room to rest at dawn. Fang Yaqing knew her son's rules that he wouldn't touch things in the study, but Nie Qingcheng didn't. Fang Yaqing deliberately arranged for Nie Qingcheng to clean the room, starting with the study.

Nie Qingcheng diligently organized the books and documents. A pile of papers on the desk that looked like random scribbles was also burned by her as waste paper. When Ming Xia returned to the study and threw a fit, Nie Qingcheng realized she had been tricked. Fang Yaqing deliberately scolded her loudly in front of her son, and Nie Qingcheng dared not talk back, so she could only endure it.

Ming Xia hastily excused Nie Qingcheng, reasoning that she couldn't be blamed for what she didn't know. But the documents he had organized all night were destroyed in flames, so Ming Xia had to redo them. At this moment, Jiang Xuewu hurried over. She was knowledgeable and had medical expertise, so she could lend Ming Xia a hand. Watching her son and Jiang Xuewu busy in the study, Fang Yaqing gloated inwardly. She wanted Nie Qingcheng to feel inferior and ashamed, and thus voluntarily leave Ming Xia.

Ming Xia took his mother and Nie Qingcheng to a housewarming dinner hosted by his superior, Colonel William. William thought highly of Ming Xia, even intending to hand over his position to Ming Xia after returning to his home country. The venue was filled with dignitaries and celebrities. Nie Qingcheng, attending a high-society gathering for the first time, was extremely cautious, afraid of making a faux pas and embarrassing Ming Xia.

However, no matter how careful she was, it couldn't stop unexpected attacks. Fang Yaqing knew that her son would introduce Nie Qingcheng to Colonel William later. She intentionally or unintentionally complained about William's lecherous nature in front of Nie Qingcheng. Nie Qingcheng, being simple and innocent, couldn't have imagined the hidden agenda behind it. When Ming Xia brought William to his mother and Nie Qingcheng and introduced them one by one, Nie Qingcheng saw William actually kiss Fang Yaqing's hand.

This common Western etiquette, in Nie Qingcheng's eyes, became an act of impropriety. When William kissed Nie Qingcheng's hand, she was already unable to accept it. When William leaned closer for a cheek kiss, a gesture of intimacy, Nie Qingcheng was so startled that she screamed and jumped away. Her scream alarmed all the guests present, making William feel extremely embarrassed. Just then, Jiang Xuewu, at the invitation of Xu Shaobai, entered the dinner party.

Seeing the situation, she quickly stepped forward to explain and resolve William's awkwardness. After Shaobai accompanied William away, Fang Yaqing didn't miss the opportunity to scold Nie Qingcheng. Nie Qingcheng knew she had caused big trouble and no longer dared to stay at the party. Seeing her scheme succeed, Fang Yaqing was inwardly pleased. Jiang Xuewu, on the other hand, was worried that offending William would be detrimental to Ming Xia's future.

Fang Yaqing didn't care about the Chief's position; she had long not wanted her son to do such a dangerous job. If she could drive away Nie Qingcheng and make Ming Xia lose his job, that would be killing two birds with one stone. Seeing Nie Qingcheng run out, Ming Xia ignored his mother and Jiang Xuewu and quickly chased after her. This incident had a significant psychological impact on Nie Qingcheng, and a sense of inferiority naturally arose.

Although Ming Xia didn't blame her and continued to love and cherish her, the seed of inferiority had slowly begun to sprout in Nie Qingcheng's heart. You Tong, who had always guarded Nie Qingcheng, watched Ming Xia and Nie Qingcheng's intimate moments, feeling both happy and pained. Early the next morning, Ming Xia arrived at Jiren Hospital with a bouquet of lilies.

Jiang Xuewu, who had thought Ming Xia came to thank her, felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her when she heard he was thanking her on Nie Qingcheng's behalf. Besides expressing gratitude, Ming Xia also wanted to ask Jiang Xuewu for help in solving a case. Because Jiang Xuewu was skilled, she was the best helper in assisting with the cracking of the baby trafficking ring.

Ming Xia had already stationed his men in advance at the hotel where the baby trafficking ring was hiding. To obtain sufficient evidence, he and Jiang Xuewu were to conduct a transaction with the baby trafficking ring under the guise of a married couple. The two arrived at the hotel, met with the traffickers, and proceeded to the designated room. Unexpectedly, this scene was seen by Fang Yaqing from a distance. Fang Yaqing didn't know her son's plan.

Hearing the room number from afar, she thought her son and Jiang Xuewu were having an affair. So, she impersonated a police station operator and called Nie Qingcheng, informing her to meet Ming Xia in the hotel room. Fang Yaqing thought she could make Nie Qingcheng completely give up and end everything once and for all, but she didn't expect to cause a disaster. In the hotel room, the trafficker placed a baby boy into Jiang Xuewu's arms.

To stall for time, Jiang Xuewu intentionally asked various questions, from whether the baby was a boy or a girl, to whether it was good-looking. The traffickers sensed something was wrong; the couple in front of them didn't seem as excited as other couples seeing a child, but were just continuously asking questions. Just as Ming Xia was about to find an excuse to explain, he heard a knock on the door.

The trafficker opened a crack in the door, and seeing the woman outside was looking for Mr. Ming, quickly let her in. Ming Xia and Jiang Xuewu were both surprised to see Nie Qingcheng. Seeing that they had been exposed and that his men downstairs hadn't arrived yet, Ming Xia had no choice but to ask Jiang Xuewu to protect Nie Qingcheng and the child, while he dealt with the traffickers alone.

Members of the baby trafficking ring hiding in the inner room heard the commotion, rushed out, and began firing wildly. Bullets immediately flew everywhere in the room. Nie Qingcheng, holding the child, hid in a corner. Ming Xia and Jiang Xuewu were outnumbered and gradually began to lose ground. The child's cries attracted the gunmen's attention. Seeing Nie Qingcheng in danger, Ming Xia bravely shielded her, and a bullet struck his shoulder blade.

At this moment, a large group of police officers kicked open the door and brought the members of the baby trafficking ring under control. Seeing Nie Qingcheng safe, Ming Xia finally couldn't hold on any longer and fainted from the pain. At Jiren Hospital, Jiang Xuewu personally treated and bandaged Ming Xia. Fang Yaqing also rushed over. After knowing that her son was not seriously injured, she began to loudly scold Nie Qingcheng again.

The responsibility for burning work documents, offending the superior, and being shot and injured was all shifted onto Nie Qingcheng. At this point, Nie Qingcheng was completely flustered, truly believing that she only brought harm to Ming Xia. That night, Nie Qingcheng dreamt that a giant dragon separated her and Ming Xia, and no matter how hard Ming Xia fought, he couldn't defeat the dragon.

When she woke up from the dream, she saw the suit Ming Xia had given her hanging outside the window, being battered by the wind and rain. Before, she would have run to carefully dry and put away the suit. Now, she wouldn't do that; there was no need to keep something lost. Nie Qingcheng wrote a letter to Ming Xia overnight.

In the letter, she no longer held her previous hopes, stating that their family backgrounds and experiences were too disparate, and the chasm between them was insurmountable. Nie Qingcheng proposed a breakup. After Ming Xia regained consciousness, he saw Nie Qingcheng's letter. He frantically rushed into the wind and rain, ran to Nie Qingcheng's doorstep, and desperately pounded on the door, wanting to see her. Nie Qingcheng blew a copper whistle, and You Tong swooped down.

To sever the ties of affection, Nie Qingcheng asked You Tong for help. She had to pretend to be a woman who was two-timing in front of Ming Xia. Hearing that Nie Qingcheng had chosen You Tong, Ming Xia returned to the hospital distraught. Under the dual blow of anger and pain, he fainted again. When Ming Xia woke up, he saw Jiang Xuewu sitting wearily in a chair by the bed, fast asleep.

Remembering that Nie Qingcheng had chosen You Tong and told him to marry Jiang Xuewu, who was a suitable match, a surge of anger rose in Ming Xia's heart. This anger made Ming Xia lose his rationality; he wanted to marry Jiang Xuewu and make Nie Qingcheng regret it. Jiang Xuewu also had her own pride; she didn't want to be someone else's substitute.

However, inwardly she accepted Ming Xia's request; even if Ming Xia still loved Nie Qingcheng, she was willing to marry him. Fang Yaqing finally achieved her goal. News of the marriage alliance between the Ming and Jiang families quickly appeared in the newspapers. Nie Rufeng and Nie Qingxin had originally intended to keep it from Nie Qingcheng, but the truth couldn't be concealed forever. Nie Qingcheng cried sadly, and You Tong decided to make her happy.

Roadside magic tricks made Nie Qingcheng temporarily forget her pain, and winning the horse race made her beam with joy even more. Only then did You Tong experience the joy of love.

You Tong was not overwhelmed by happiness, and still remembered the true meaning of love in his heart. He recounted a past event. During the reign of Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty, a young dart escort named You Yuan was ambushed by mountain bandits while on an escort mission. In a hurry, he took the escorted goods and climbed down a cliff, inadvertently entering a hidden cave.

It was in this cave that You Yuan met the love of his life. Pian Pian woke up from hibernation. When You Yuan saw the girl appear from a snowball in front of him, he was not afraid; instead, his face was full of concern. Two souls accidentally connected. Pian Pian revealed her true form and killed the bandits who followed. Her unusual appearance did not make You Yuan distance himself from her.

A year later, their love child was born. The child slowly grew up, but because of Pian Pian's identity, the couple often moved to hide who they were. Whenever this happened, Pian Pian felt guilty, thinking it was she who prevented her family from settling down and finding happiness. Therefore, she chose to leave, not wanting her husband and son to be displaced any longer.

Pian Pian thought this would bring You Yuan happiness, but things turned out contrary to her wishes. To find her, You Yuan wandered with their child for several years, having no fixed abode. When You Yuan saw his wife sitting by the pond in the mountains where they first met, he was already gravely ill. In his last moments, You Yuan fulfilled his wish and closed his eyes.

The departure of her beloved made Pian Pian lose the will to live. She abandoned her young child, embraced You Yuan's corpse, and plunged into the deep pond. Seeing You Tong's eyes, Nie Qingcheng guessed that this was the love story of his parents.

You Tong said he wasn't trying to gain sympathy, but rather wanted Nie Qingcheng to understand that sometimes what one believes is the best gift for a loved one can actually cause greater harm to the other person. Just like his mother leaving for love, it ultimately brought lifelong pain to both of them. Nie Qingcheng seemed to understand something, turned around, and hurried towards the Ming Residence.

Seeing Nie Qingcheng's retreating figure, You Tong felt a pang of pain in his heart. The entire Ming Residence was preparing for the young master's wedding, filled with a festive atmosphere, but Ming Xia alone sat silently on the sofa. Ming Xia hadn't slept all night, Nie Qingcheng's image constantly appearing in his mind. He kept thinking about Nie Qingcheng's words, which clearly hinted at an unspeakable secret.

Regardless, Ming Xia decided he had to find Nie Qingcheng again and ask her what made her change her mind. As he rushed towards the Nie Residence, Nie Qingcheng, panting, was running towards him from the opposite direction. After experiencing stormy waters, their little boat of love continued to sail steadily towards happiness. Jiang Xuewu was trying on her wedding dress, while Fang Yaqing praised her continuously from the side.

Just then, the butler brought news that the young master was with Nie Qingcheng again. Jiang Xuewu didn't even bother to take off her wedding dress and ran out onto the street, where she saw Ming Xia holding Nie Qingcheng's hand, asking the neighbors to witness their pledge of love. This was something no words could reverse. Jiang Xuewu could only take off the veil from her head and place it on Nie Qingcheng's head.

A mournful "Congratulations" conveyed all the pain and sorrow in her heart. Fang Yaqing's joy was ultimately short-lived and came to nothing. When there are gains in love, there are often setbacks in career. Due to Nan Batian's accidental death, the "Queen of Flowers" election was suspended, and other beauty pageants took its place. Nie Qingcheng thus became an outdated beauty and was discarded by advertising companies. You Tong bought the largest storefront in Shanghai's most prosperous area.

He planned to establish a dance studio, specializing in developing children's interest in dance, and the instructor would naturally be the exceptionally skilled Nie Qingcheng. However, You Tong did not reveal this himself; instead, his servant A Xiang was sent to hire Nie Qingcheng. He hoped Nie Qingcheng could establish a career through this and be able to hold her head high within the Ming family in the future.

Jiang Xuewu, who seemed to be able to pick up and let go easily, was unwilling to admit defeat just yet. Unfavorable in love, she focused wholeheartedly on her work, intending to open branch hospitals and become a powerful woman on the Shanghai Bund. However, the recent opening of several Western hospitals caused Jiren Hospital to lose a large number of clients.

Jiang Xuewu, being highly skilled and courageous, decided to perform craniotomy in public to expand her influence and attract clients, proving her capabilities. Meanwhile, the nouveau riche Young Master Zhou Hengli, who had once pursued Jiang Xuewu only to be severely rejected, now had an idea. He thought that with both her love life and career going poorly, Jiang Xuewu would compromise herself to him. But she was once again rejected with Jiang Xuewu's sarcastic remarks.

On the day of the surgery, a sterile room enclosed by plastic sheets was set up in the hospital courtyard. Jiang Xuewu performed the surgery live in front of reporters. She knew that the reporters all wanted to see her fail, and a patient's death would be big news. Therefore, Jiang Xuewu absolutely could not afford any mistakes, which would ruin Jiren Hospital's reputation. However, Young Master Zhou Hengli deliberately set off firecrackers at this critical moment.

His scheme was simply for Jiren Hospital to go bankrupt, forcing Jiang Xuewu to seek his help for her survival. Unfortunately for him, Jiang Xuewu was not affected in the slightest, and the surgery was successfully completed.

The dance class business was booming. Besides the children from wealthy families who paid to cultivate their interest in dance, Nie Qingcheng also freely recruited some poor children who loved to dance. Her good deed attracted media attention. During a time of unrest, the authorities needed such reports to inspire people. Therefore, Jiang Xuewu, who painstakingly tried to grab attention, did not make it to the front page; instead, Nie Qingcheng, who achieved success unintentionally, gained the public's attention.

Jiang Xuewu, naturally strong-willed, could not accept reality. Having lost both love and career to Nie Qingcheng, her heart felt as if it was being gnawed by demons, and her reason was gradually consumed by jealousy. To turn the tide, Jiang Xuewu desperately contacted the druggist, Luo Wen. Luo Wen had previously visited Jiren Hospital to promote a panacea, a miracle cure, but it was rejected by Jiang Xuewu because it had not yet passed inspection.

Now, this miracle cure became a bargaining chip in Jiang Xuewu's hands; to defeat Nie Qingcheng, she was willing to take any risk on this gamble. When the miracle cure was first put into use, it indeed alleviated many patients' long-standing chronic illnesses. Jiang Xuewu seized this opportunity to place large advertisements on busy streets throughout Shanghai, building momentum for Jiren Hospital. However, soon after, side effects began to appear, and everyone who took the miracle cure developed epileptic symptoms.

After receiving reports, the local police station arrested Jiang Xuewu, while Luo Wen had already absconded with the money. Xu Shaobai was burning with anxiety upon hearing the news. Jiren Hospital was not in his jurisdiction, so he couldn't intervene at all. He had heard rumors internally about other police stations torturing suspects and abusing prisoners, so Xu Shaobai sought out Ming Xia. Ming Xia was just about to rush to his date with Nie Qingcheng.

Today was Nie Qingcheng's birthday, and Ming Xia planned to give her a surprise. But upon hearing that Jiang Xuewu was in trouble, a guilt-ridden Ming Xia could only put aside the date and begin investigating the relevant information. By the time Ming Xia arrived at the park for his date with Nie Qingcheng, it was almost midnight. Nie Qingcheng did not blame him; she understood Ming Xia's feelings very well.

As midnight was about to pass, Nie Qingcheng clasped her hands together and made a wish towards the bright moon. She hoped Ming Xia could solve the case soon, apprehend the culprit behind the fake medicine case, and rescue Jiang Xuewu. In the distance, You Tong, standing on a treetop and hidden in the night, heard Nie Qingcheng's birthday wish.

With only ten days left until his hibernation deadline, You Tong was willing to fulfill the wish of the goddess in his heart during this time. The only person You Tong could think of was Hua Yuenong, who was immensely powerful in Shanghai but kept a low profile. Hua Yuenong was also a demon, and she had feelings for You Tong, her fellow kind, and had once wanted to duel him to decide their betrothal.

For this very reason, You Tong had avoided her for many years. Now, You Tong came to Hua Yuenong's villa, built by the water. To avoid hibernation, Hua Yuenong had specially built a massive greenhouse within her villa. Inside the greenhouse, it was perpetually spring-like, a stark contrast to Shanghai outside, where autumn leaves withered, truly two different worlds. Hua Yuenong seized the opportunity to make a demand: a fair contest.

If You Tong won, he could take Luo Wen, and Hua Yuenong would no longer bother him; otherwise, You Tong would have to stay with Hua Yuenong for life. You Tong agreed without the slightest hesitation. Two days later, Hua Yuenong indeed caught Luo Wen, who had fled elsewhere. You Tong also kept his word and went to Hua Manor for the contest as agreed. Originally, You Tong's power far surpassed Hua Yuenong's.

However, Hua Yuenong had been recuperating in the greenhouse, while You Tong had been constantly on the move for Nie Qingcheng during the cold season, and had also suffered vital energy damage in the mine, so he could only exert one or two tenths of his power. Their powers were evenly matched, and after a fierce struggle, it was still hard to determine a winner.

You Tong once again activated his inner core, sending vases and pottery flying around the greenhouse, shattering its glass curtain walls into countless holes. Hua Yuenong, who had not been exposed to cold for many years, had no choice but to retract her power, freezing herself into hibernation. She still couldn't understand why You Tong was so fixated on one woman.

Greatly depleted of vital energy, You Tong felt a surge of blood qi within him, and a gush of clear water nearly sprayed from his mouth. This was his body giving its final warning, but You Tong ignored it. He quietly left after dropping the tightly bound Luo Wen at the entrance of the police station under Ming Xia's jurisdiction. He also knew he couldn't keep going much longer, so he found an opportunity to bid farewell to Nie Qingcheng.

Before leaving, You Tong told Nie Qingcheng a way to deal with demons: find a way to destroy their claws, so they could not cause harm. After saying this, You Tong finally left with peace of mind, setting off to find a suitable place for hibernation. With Luo Wen's confession, Ming Xia and Xu Shaobai immediately completed the necessary procedures and rushed to the police station where Jiang Xuewu was detained.

However, just as they arrived, they saw Jiang Xuewu, who had already been released. Jiang Xuewu's face was covered in bruises; in those days, she had suffered inhuman torture from the police and was beaten by the prison bully and his gang. After her hope of rescue by Ming Xia and Xu Shaobai had been slowly eroded, Jiang Xuewu met Zhou Henry.

Zhou Henry took advantage of the situation, blackmailing her with the promise of freedom, and obtained Jiang Xuewu's body in the interrogation room. Now, the fake medicine case files in Ming Xia's hands were irrelevant to Jiang Xuewu. Jiang Xuewu, expressionless, got into Young Master Zhou's car, preparing to become his concubine. But a vulgar person can never change their vulgar character.

After obtaining Jiang Xuewu, Zhou Henry no longer cherished her, ordering her around and treating her as a mere ornament. Jiang Xuewu was also unwilling to remain such a man's concubine. At a banquet, she deliberately seduced Commander Cheng, a rising star in Shanghai. The two openly flirted and were extremely affectionate on the dance floor.

Seeing the time was ripe, Jiang Xuewu subtly hinted that she wished to be with Commander Cheng forever, but was hindered by Zhou Henry standing between them. Commander Cheng was ruthless; he immediately pulled out a pistol and shot the obstacle in front of him dead. Jiang Xuewu watched Zhou Henry, who died with eyes wide open, and felt a thrill of revenge in her heart. But she didn't realize she had escaped one wolf's den only to enter a tiger's lair.

Before You Tong left Shanghai, he checked the dance studio's accounts. Unexpectedly, there was almost no income on the books. Nie Qingcheng often helped poor children learn to dance for free. Over time, wealthy children were no longer willing to come, so there was naturally no income. This situation was something You Tong had not considered; he had originally hoped Nie Qingcheng would have some assets when he left, but now that hope was dashed.

So he decided to use the last five days to save up some family wealth for Nie Qingcheng. The quickest way to make money in Shanghai was through commissions, especially since collectors never hesitated to spend money to acquire their desired treasures. At an auction, a magnificent "Eye of the Angel" necklace garnered much favor, making all bidders eagerly covet it.

But just as the auction was underway, You Tong snapped his fingers, and all the women present found themselves wearing identical necklaces. Rarity makes things precious; with so many identical necklaces appearing, bidders who had intended to buy it for their wives or lovers gave up one after another. Collectors who truly valued the intrinsic worth of the necklace obtained it at the reserve price and paid You Tong a considerable commission.

While You Tong was orchestrating this drama, he didn't see Jiang Xuewu sitting alone in the front row. Ever since she had followed Commander Cheng, Xuewu had experienced the benefits that power brought. Now she had soldiers guarding her when she came and went, spent lavishly, and had become quite the rich madam. When Xuewu saw You Tong at the auction, she suddenly remembered that he was the person who had been imprisoned in her father's laboratory cage.

She quietly followed You Tong and discovered that he deposited the commission into the bank, with Nie Qingcheng as the recipient. Nie Qingcheng was still unaware of this. At this time, she was at the police station looking for Ming Xia. Ming Xia had been working through the night due to several unsolved cases over the past few months. The victims in these cases all had strange claw-like wounds.

The previous case of Shen Tianyang was closed, suspected of being caused by a tiger, but the remaining cases remained unexplained and had dragged on until now. As soon as Nie Qingcheng saw the wounds on the deceased in the photos, she thought of You Tong's golden sharp claws. She didn't bother to explain, but rushed alone to a remote small grove and blew a bronze whistle. You Tong, who had just left the bank, vaguely heard the whistle.

Being in a bustling city, he dared not unfurl his wings rashly, so he ran on foot to find Nie Qingcheng, only to be met with her baseless reprimand. His enthusiasm was doused with a bucket of cold water, and You Tong, filled with resentment for a moment, revealed his true form, circling in mid-air. Words like "slaughtering innocents," "murderer," and "surrender" stimulated his nerves repeatedly.

You Tong, full of fury, flew past the trees, his sharp claws slashing through one tree after another, venting his anger. Xuewu and the soldiers who had been tracking him all the way saw You Tong flying overhead. The soldiers screamed in panic, but Xuewu understood one thing: her father was right; there really were demons in the world. She decided to clear her father's name.

When she saw Nie Qingcheng's figure walking in the distance, Xuewu thought of a good way to draw out the demon. To prevent Ming Xia from interfering, Xuewu had previously used Commander Cheng's connections to obtain a warrant from Colonel William. Ming Xia, of course, would not believe that Nie Qingcheng was connected to demons, and was even less willing to use her as bait.

But hampered by superior orders, he was confined to the police station and unable to leave. At this time, Xuewu had learned from A Xiang about You Tong's selfless dedication over the past few months, and she felt a pang of guilt. With only three days left until his hibernation, A Xiang couldn't find his master, and his inner worries were understandable. But no matter how much Nie Qingcheng blew the bronze whistle again, You Tong did not appear.

In these past few days, Nie Qingcheng had stopped working at the dance studio to search everywhere, but she soon discovered Xuewu stealthily following her. Xuewu did not hide her intentions and simply told the truth. If Nie Qingcheng went to tip off the demon, she could be followed to find it; even if Nie Qingcheng remained indifferent, the demon would not stand by and watch her being tracked. In either scenario, Xuewu was confident she could catch the demon.

Nie Qingcheng, unaware of Xuewu's thoughts, found an opportunity to hide in the restroom, locked the door tightly, and blew the bronze whistle out the window. Finally seeing You Tong's figure sweep across the sky, she shouted for him to leave quickly. Xuewu, who had been guarding outside and heard the whistle, immediately ordered soldiers to break open the door, but found nothing upon entering the restroom. Xuewu felt a pang of annoyance. Misfortunes never come singly.

Due to the intensifying war, Commander Cheng decided to head to the Northeast, scheduled to leave Shanghai by train with his army the next day. Xuewu knew that without Commander Cheng's backing, there would be no hope of catching the demon. She took a risky move, sending people to take Nie Qingcheng to the police station that night and spreading the word.

As expected, You Tong, upon hearing that Nie Qingcheng had been brought to the police station for harboring a criminal, rushed over immediately. But he wasn't surrendering; he was there to prove that there were no demons in the world. The gloves You Tong always wore were removed, and Xuewu expected to see golden nails, but before her eyes were just five fleshy fingers. You Tong, to save Nie Qingcheng, resolutely pulled out his own nails.

For this love, he gave up his powers. Xuewu never expected to fail at the last moment. Enraged, she grabbed Nie Qingcheng's wrist and accused her of tipping off the demon. The cross mark on Nie Qingcheng's forearm once again shone with golden light, and a tremendous force pushed Xuewu away. Xuewu, having achieved no results, was driven away by the police, but You Tong was not finished; he intended to settle this matter once and for all.

The next day, a corpse hung high at the entrance of the police station. The corpse's ten fingers bore golden sharp claws, consistent with the wounds in the unsolved cases. This was an evil person You Tong had killed, and he had attached his own golden fingernails to the corpse's fingers. At this moment, sporadic snowflakes were falling in Shanghai.

You Tong, standing in a corner, saw Ming Xia not taking credit in front of reporters, but rather felt somewhat worried about whether his pedantic nature could fully protect Nie Qingcheng. However, You Tong could no longer concern himself with these matters; only one hour remained until the final deadline, and he had to return to his cave for hibernation. Amidst the heavy snowfall, Xuewu failed to catch the northbound train and could only return to the hospital dejectedly.

Due to the fake medicine scandal, Jiren Hospital had not had any income for a long time. But she didn't want to give up; this hospital was her father's lifelong effort and her only capital to make a comeback. Even if she had to sell her jewelry and old house, the hospital could not close. In her father's laboratory, Xuewu looked at the materials collected and organized over many years, which contained very detailed analyses and interpretations of demons.

Perhaps it was fate's cruel twist, but both father and daughter had suffered greatly because of demons. Just as she resented the unfairness of the world, a passage in her father's notebook caught her attention: demons all had a cross-shaped birthmark. Xuewu remembered the mark on Nie Qingcheng's arm and that invisible power at the police station.

If she could prove that Nie Qingcheng was a demon, she could not only clear her father's name but also avenge her past humiliation. Thinking of this, a hysterical laugh escaped Xuewu's throat.

The white expanse of the cold winter Shanghai was covered in gloom, the sun hidden even in daylight. Because of You Tong's departure, Nie Qingcheng's mood was as dark as the weather. Ming Xia, unaware of the reason, tried everything he could to make Nie Qingxin truly happy. By chance, he learned that there was an extraordinary person in Shanghai who could create magical perfumes.

The special thing about this perfume was that it could make the wearer feel happy, and the scent was long-lasting, lingering without dissipating. Ming Xia sincerely asked the extraordinary person to be his master, and after several months of study and experimentation, he finally created this magical perfume. When spring blossomed, Nie Qingcheng received this magical gift, and it really made her feel refreshed, as if all her troubles had been diluted by the fragrance.

But troubling things always came one after another. As soon as Nie Qingcheng got home, she learned from her father, Nie Rufeng, that Nie Qingxin had dropped out of school a long time ago. Nie Qingxin looked gentle, but Nie Rufeng and Nie Qingcheng knew her personality. Since she was hiding it from her family, forcing her to answer would only make her rebellious.

So Nie Qingcheng followed her sister who was going to "school" without making a sound, and found that she did not go to school but was working in a dye shop to save money. It turned out that a few months ago, Nie Qingxin met Sheng Jiayu, a poor young man with aspirations to act, at the entrance of a film company.

Jiayu played various roles at the entrance of the film company, just to attract the attention of the directors coming in and out. Because of his poor family, he had no money to attend actor training classes. He also comprehended and arranged the scripts he performed himself. Nie Qingxin was touched by his dream and confidence, and resolutely dropped out of school to work and help Jiayu fulfill his wish.

Jiayu was indeed very talented, and he was able to get small roles from the film company soon after completing the training. And his relationship with Nie Qingxin developed from that time. Worried that the inexperienced Nie Qingxin would be deceived, Nie Qingcheng and her father Nie Rufeng personally visited the film company and saw that Jiayu's acting skills were good. He also asked all the staff of the crew to witness his love with Nie Qingxin.

Seeing this, Nie Qingcheng and her father Nie Rufeng no longer interfered, as long as Nie Qingxin was happy. But Nie Rufeng and Nie Qingcheng and Nie Qingxin didn't consider one thing: the more ambitious a person is, the more unscrupulous he or she often is to achieve his or her goals.

In order for Jiayu to attend the film festival in a decent manner, Nie Qingxin used the money she exchanged for her long hair to order him a fashionable suit. Just as Nie Qingxin happily delivered the suit to the make-up room on the set, she heard laughter behind the curtain. At this time, she realized that in order to get a more important role, Jiayu had long been flirting with Cao Yanyan, the leading actress in the company.

Nie Qingxin had never experienced such a thing before. She couldn't believe that all this was true, and she didn't want to believe that reality could be so cruel. She returned home dejectedly, clutching the shopping list for the suit in her hand. Nie Qingcheng heard about this and was furious. She immediately took the list and rushed to the film festival scene. Jiayu and Cao Yanyan were being interviewed by reporters, and the surrounding area was full of fans.

The most shameless thing was that Jiayu was actually wearing the suit Nie Qingxin bought. Nie Qingcheng squeezed into the crowd and condemned Jiayu for playing with her feelings in front of reporters and fans. Jiayu still wanted to deny it, but the custom-made suit he was wearing and the shopping list in Nie Qingcheng's hand were the best proof. Seeing that the situation was not good, Cao Yanyan slipped away.

The angry fans rushed up and knocked Sheng Jiayu, the heartless man, to the ground and beat him severely. Nie Qingcheng, who had relieved her sister's hatred, was walking on her way home. It was already dark, and there was no one in Shanghai's typical Shikumen alley. She didn't notice that three figures were sneaking behind her, waiting for an opportunity to attack. These three people were local thieves who made a living by stealing.

A few days ago, they were caught by Jiang Xuewu while stealing medicines from Jiren Hospital. Since following Commander Cheng, Jiang Xuewu's temperament has become more gloomy, and her methods have become more ruthless. She injected drugs into the three people's bodies to threaten them to attack Nie Qingcheng. The harm was not the purpose, Jiang Xuewu wanted to observe Nie Qingcheng's reaction.

Sure enough, at the critical moment, the mark on Nie Qingcheng's arm flashed golden light again, and the huge force blew the three people away, their internal organs were shattered, and they died on the spot. In a panic, Nie Qingcheng spread a pair of invisible wings and flew away. Jiang Xuewu, who was hiding in the corner, smiled proudly when she saw that her goal had been achieved.

At dawn, Ming Xia and Shaobai arrived at the scene to investigate after receiving a police report, but they had no clue. Vaguely, Ming Xia smelled a special fragrance, which was the perfume he gave to Nie Qingcheng. He followed the fragrance to a pool of water, where Nie Qingcheng was lying unconscious on the shore. Ming Xia hurriedly sent Nie Qingcheng home.

After Nie Qingcheng woke up, she did not dare to tell the truth about that night, and she was even less willing to go to the hospital for a physical examination. She didn't understand what had happened to her, and the powerful force didn't make her feel safe, but instead weighed heavily on her heart like a mountain.

Shaobai obtained the autopsy reports of the three deceased, which showed varying degrees of poison in all three bodies. To his surprise, this poison was Professor Jiang's exclusive invention. When Shaobai was in university, he studied under Jiang Bonian and knew a little about this poison. Although he didn't want to admit it, Jiang Xuewu now became the prime suspect. To investigate the matter thoroughly without attracting media attention, Ming Xia went to Jiren Hospital alone to visit Jiang Xuewu.

After confirming Nie Qingcheng's identity, Jiang Xuewu began to become deranged. To prove to the world that her father was right, she racked her brains trying to find a way to make Nie Qingcheng transform, and Ming Xia, who came to her alone, became her target. Of course, Jiang Xuewu would not admit to having seen the three deceased, and as for the poison in their bodies, she claimed that hospital medicines had been stolen.

Unsuspecting, Ming Xia collapsed onto the sofa unconscious after drinking the coffee Jiang Xuewu handed him. With Ming Xia, Nie Qingcheng would be the next target. Nie Qingcheng was demonstrating dance moves to children in the dance studio. As she turned, she felt as if a pair of wings unfurled behind her in the wind, which terrified her. This incident had been bothering Nie Qingcheng, and she also wanted to know what kind of creature she was.

At this moment, Jiang Xuewu, who appeared in the dance studio, gave her a glimmer of illusory hope. Jiang Xuewu could discern Nie Qingcheng's confusion from her expression. The data Jiang Bonian had collected over years of studying demons mentioned half-demons formed from the union of humans and demons. Jiang Xuewu only needed to reveal parts of this information to sufficiently capture Nie Qingcheng's attention.

By then falsely claiming that the data contained methods for half-demons to revert to humans, she successfully lured Nie Qingcheng to voluntarily come to the hospital's underground laboratory. In Jiang Bonian's laboratory, there was a separate room containing all his extremely detailed research materials on demons. On the wall of this room hung a painting he had personally drawn of the demon he saw back then.

Nie Qingcheng was shocked to discover that the person in the painting, with outstretched wings and sharp claws, was actually her mother, Ying Die. While Nie Qingcheng was in a daze, Jiang Xuewu quietly slipped out of the room and locked the door. The door was made of steel, and the only small opening on it was also blocked by an iron grate. Nie Qingcheng vigorously shook the door, but the iron door didn't budge.

Outside the room, Jiang Xuewu lifted the unconscious Ming Xia onto the operating table and gestured with a dagger over his body. In a panic, Nie Qingcheng vigorously shook the iron door, creating a deafening roar. Suddenly, the laboratory became eerily silent. In this strange quiet, Jiang Xuewu pulled out a pistol and walked towards the room where Nie Qingcheng was locked.

After opening the door, she found no one inside, but a huge dark shadow rushed out of the room, sweeping across the laboratory's air. Ming Xia, who had just woken up, also saw this dark shadow, but Jiang Xuewu remained silent about it, only telling him to ask Nie Qingcheng. Ming Xia didn't know what Jiang Xuewu was up to. When he arrived at Nie Qingcheng's home, Nie Qingcheng was sitting by the bed, weeping silently.

After asking a few questions, Ming Xia couldn't get to the bottom of it. Nie Qingcheng truly didn't know how to explain, so she just chased him out. Nie Qingcheng didn't sleep a wink all night. The next morning, she wanted to ask her father, but Nie Rufeng equivocated and was unwilling to say more.

Nie Qingxin, who had lost Jiayu, not only didn't thank her sister for standing up for her but instead blamed Nie Qingcheng for ruining Jiayu's life, calling it completely demonic behavior. This remark deeply stung Nie Qingcheng's heart. She wanted to go to the library to look for information about demons but was treated as mentally ill by the librarian.

Only Professor Jiang's laboratory in the world had detailed records of demons, so Nie Qingcheng decided to sneak into Jiren Hospital. However, even after changing into a nurse's uniform and wearing a mask, she couldn't escape Jiang Xuewu's watchful eyes. The moment she entered the underground laboratory room, she was firmly immobilized by the capture device fired by Jiang Xuewu.

The unique poison developed by Jiang Bonian had a characteristic: once it came into contact, it could not be wiped away. Jiang Xuewu applied the poison to Nie Qingcheng's body, so she wouldn't be afraid of Nie Qingcheng going to Ming Xia to report it, otherwise, with the poison on her body, she would become a suspect.

Over the next few days, Jiang Xuewu conducted various measurements and experiments on Nie Qingcheng, hoping to find evidence of her being a demon. However, Nie Qingcheng consistently did not transform, leaving Jiang Xuewu at a loss. During this period, Ming Xia also came to the hospital to search for Nie Qingcheng, but Jiang Xuewu was well-prepared, causing Ming Xia to return empty-handed.

Nie Qingcheng also tried to save herself by pretending to transform during an experiment, tricking Jiang Xuewu into untying her. Seizing this opportunity, Nie Qingcheng escaped the laboratory but fell into the hands of the hospital's Chief Physician. The Chief Physician had been Professor Jiang's assistant and had helped Jiang Xuewu manage the hospital for many years. Both for public reasons and private loyalty, he sided with Jiang Xuewu, wanting to clear Professor Jiang's name.

To avoid drawing too much attention, at the Chief Physician's suggestion, Jiang Xuewu took Nie Qingcheng to the Jiang family mansion. By the pond in the center of the large garden at the Jiang family mansion, Jiang Xuewu and the Chief Physician tied Nie Qingcheng's hands behind her back and threw her into the pond, hoping to trigger her half-demon instincts this way. Nie Qingcheng slowly sank to the bottom of the pond. Through the murky water, her eyes clearly saw two monstrous faces on the surface of the water.

Thinking of being buried at the bottom of the pond, forever separated from Ming Xia, a golden tear flowed from Nie Qingcheng's eyes. As Jiang Xuewu wished, Nie Qingcheng finally awakened, her pupils glowing red, and golden claws emerging from her fingertips. Her powerful strength allowed Nie Qingcheng to easily break free from the ropes, spread her wings, and burst out of the water.

Jiang Xuewu and the director were also startled to see Nie Qingcheng burst from the water and hover in mid-air. At this moment, Nie Qingcheng was filled with rage. She swooped down from the air, forcefully twisted the director's neck, scaring Jiang Xuewu into repeatedly backing away. After killing the man, Nie Qingcheng's mind calmed down, and the anger in her heart turned into terror. Jiang Xuewu seized this opportunity, pulled out her pistol, and fired several shots.

Nie Qingcheng didn't want to get entangled further. After flapping her wings to deflect the bullets, she ascended into the sky and disappeared into the night. The frightened and restless Nie Qingcheng landed inside a secluded grotto entrance. After regaining her human form, Nie Qingcheng was soaked, lonely, and helpless. Only with the help of a kind person did she manage to change into clean clothes and rest for a night.

At dawn, just as Nie Qingcheng arrived at her doorstep, she saw Jiang Xuewu's car parked by the roadside. Jiang Xuewu had gained Nie Rufeng's trust but still couldn't find any news about Nie Qingcheng. Furthermore, there was indeed no trace of the Jiang family's unique poison at the Nie residence, so Jiang Xuewu was convinced that Nie Qingcheng had not returned home. Watching Jiang Xuewu drive away, Nie Qingcheng fell into deep thought.

Whether she went to her father or Ming Xia, she would be captured as long as she appeared in public. The only difference would be whether she was caught by Jiang Xuewu or by the police on suspicion of murder. Now, her only option was to leave Shanghai and find a place where no one knew her. As night fell, Nie Qingcheng arrived at Ming Xia's doorstep.

Looking at the light shining from the window, she wished so much to catch one last glimpse of Ming Xia. However, what she saw was Jiang Xuewu. Jiang Xuewu had anticipated Nie Qingcheng coming to the Ming residence and had been waiting outside for a long time. This time, Jiang Xuewu came prepared. Several well-trained hounds, under their owner's command, pursued Nie Qingcheng relentlessly. Nie Qingcheng ran desperately but couldn't shake off the shadowing hounds.

At this critical moment, Ming Xia, who had been searching for Nie Qingcheng on the streets, appeared on a motorcycle. Several gunshots scared off the fierce hounds. Ming Xia quickly left with Nie Qingcheng, causing Jiang Xuewu's capture plan to fail once again. After reaching a safe place, Ming Xia did not press Nie Qingcheng for the reasons behind these events. He believed that if Nie Qingcheng was unwilling to speak, there was naturally a valid reason.

At this moment, Ming Xia made an important decision in his life: to give up everything in Shanghai and go to another land with Nie Qingcheng. The next day, Nie Rufeng received a letter, only then realizing that Nie Qingcheng and Ming Xia had left Shanghai together. This letter was like another heavy burden added to his weary body. Nie Qingxin had fallen ill from missing Sheng Jiayu, acting delirious all day.

Now that Nie Qingcheng had left without a word, the entire family was shattered. Fang Yaqing was also struck by similar misfortune. She had been widowed young and hadn't remarried to care for her son. Without her son, she lost her spiritual anchor. When she thought of finding a man to rely on again, she discovered that Steward Zhang, who had been with her for many years, had been quietly caring for her behind the scenes.

But Jiang Xuewu had no intention of stopping there. To find someone in the vast Shanghai Bund, she thought of a person she had once rejected: Wang Shaoshang. Wang Shaoshang loved painting but became a lawyer under family pressure. With his network of informants, finding someone would not be difficult. Most valuable was that Shaoshang, unlike Young Master Zhou, did not take advantage of others' difficulties but sincerely helped Jiang Xuewu without expecting anything in return.

At this moment, a hint of guilt arose in Jiang Xuewu's heart, regretting her initial harshness and coldness towards Shaoshang. Ming Xia and Nie Qingcheng bought a small courtyard in a suburban town near Suzhou, naming it "Xia Cheng Courtyard". On the day they moved in, to entertain their enthusiastic neighbors, Nie Qingcheng served hotpot. This allowed the rice-loving southerners to experience the warm and comforting northern flavor during the coldest months of winter.

Their new life together was happy, but Nie Qingcheng's identity as a demon constantly weighed on her mind. Ming Xia, coming from a wealthy family, had no concept of money. To please Nie Qingcheng, he spent money like water, often spending more than they earned. To solve their financial problems, Ming Xia took over a storefront in the small town. Although surrounded by famous restaurants, he believed that with the unique flavor of northern hotpot, he could establish a unique presence, attract customers, and defeat the four major surrounding cuisines.

Ming Xia was very confident in his hot pot restaurant, openly challenging the head chefs of the four major cuisines from the surrounding restaurants on the street. The chefs looked down on the hot pot presented by Ming Xia, each showcasing their signature dishes, hoping to win first place in the competition and greatly promote their own restaurants. Unexpectedly, after tasting all the dishes, the judges awarded first place to Ming Xia.

In fact, Ming Xia had used a clever trick; hot pot could be prepared very quickly. When the judges first ate the spicy and oily hot pot, their mouths were already unable to taste other flavors. No matter how delicious the dishes served afterwards were, they tasted bland. Through this lively promotion, Ming Xia's hot pot restaurant prospered, making a fortune every day.

However, every time Ming Xia, now with a financial foundation, proposed to Nie Qingcheng, she would find various excuses to avoid him, which made him feel bewildered. After the hot pot restaurant opened, business boomed. The two had a clear division of labor: Ming Xia was responsible for the restaurant's operations, and Nie Qingcheng was in charge of purchasing ingredients.

One day, while Nie Qingcheng was buying groceries, she unexpectedly encountered Sheng Jiayu, who had drifted to Suzhou; he had become much thinner. A medical record that fell from Jiayu showed that he had a terminal illness and only a few months left to live. Only then did Nie Qingcheng realize that Jiayu's feigned change of heart was merely an act, intended to make Nie Qingxin forget their relationship. Before leaving, Jiayu took out a pair of pearl earrings.

Nie Qingxin had once loved these earrings but couldn't afford them. Now Jiayu had bought them with his remaining money, hoping that Nie Qingcheng could give them to Nie Qingxin when she found someone she loved again. However, what Jiayu believed to be the right way only pushed Nie Qingxin into a more dangerous situation. Wang Shaoshang didn't expect Nie Qingcheng to flee to Suzhou, and several days of searching yielded no results.

Jiang Xuewu then set her sights on Nie Qingxin. At this time, Nie Qingxin had lost her mind, often believing herself to be Sheng Jiayu. Exploiting Nie Qingxin's infatuation, Jiang Xuewu easily lured her to the hospital's underground laboratory. Under the pretext of being able to transform her into Sheng Jiayu, Jiang Xuewu performed various experiments on Nie Qingxin, just as she had done with Nie Qingcheng previously.

However, the experimental results greatly disappointed Jiang Xuewu; Nie Qingxin did not show any signs of transforming into a demon, nor did her body possess the demonic constitution. Although Nie Qingxin was not a demon, she still held value for Jiang Xuewu. Jiang Xuewu held a press conference, announcing that she would perform the first sex-change operation, with Nie Qingxin as the subject. Soon, this shocking news reached Suzhou.

Knowing full well that this was Jiang Xuewu's scheme to lure them into a trap, Nie Qingcheng and Ming Xia still resolutely returned to Shanghai. The two disguised themselves as reporters and infiltrated Jiren Hospital, but they were still discovered by the sharp-eyed Jiang Xuewu. So Jiang Xuewu turned their plan against them; while reporters from various news agencies were snooping around the hospital, she drove Nie Qingxin, who looked dazed, away through the back door.

Nie Qingcheng knew Nie Qingxin must have been taken to the Jiang family's old residence. She ran all the way, at such a speed that even Ming Xia couldn't catch up. When she arrived at the main gate of the Jiang family's old residence, Jiang Xuewu had just taken Nie Qingxin inside. Nie Qingcheng climbed over the wall, pulled down the power switch, and taking advantage of the darkness, knocked down Jiang Xuewu, grabbed Nie Qingxin, and ran.

Jiang Xuewu pulled out a pistol and chased closely, trapping Nie Qingcheng and Nie Qingxin in a second-floor room with no escape. Nie Qingcheng saw her sister foolishly calling Jiayu's name, and took out the pearl earrings from her pocket. Seeing the earrings, Nie Qingxin's soul seemed to return to her body. Hearing that Jiayu had left because of a terminal illness, she didn't know whether to feel sorrow or joy.

Holding the earrings and thinking of Jiayu's face, the dazed Nie Qingxin fell from the window, landing in the kennel where hunting dogs were kept. In a panic, Nie Qingcheng pushed away Jiang Xuewu, who was blocking the room door, and rushed downstairs. But the kennel was tightly enclosed by iron fences, and Nie Qingcheng watched helplessly as her sister screamed and was torn apart by the hunting dogs, powerless to save her. Jiang Xuewu looked down from upstairs at the frightened and helpless Nie sisters, letting out a maniacal laugh.

Nie Qingxin was torn by several hounds, letting out heart-wrenching cries for help. Nie Qingcheng desperately shook the iron fence, her younger sister's screams finally making the potential within her body erupt, awakening once more. This time, the wings that spread from Nie Qingcheng's back were black, just like You Tong's, and her demonic energy was completely awakened. She easily tore open the fence and rescued Nie Qingxin from the hounds' jaws.

But it was too late; Nie Qingxin's injuries were too severe, and Jia Yu's departure had made her lose the will to live. Perhaps in another world, she could find Jia Yu and live happily together. Nie Qingcheng held Nie Qingxin's body, angrily turning her head to glare at Jiang Xuewu. Jiang Xuewu had captured the entire process with her camera; this was the best evidence to prove her father's innocence.

Seeing Nie Qingcheng charging over, Jiang Xuewu calmly pressed a switch, and an iron cage made of fine steel enveloped her. This was made by Professor Jiang during his lifetime, and no matter how hard Nie Qingcheng tried, the iron cage remained motionless. Seeing that she was powerless to avenge her sister, Nie Qingcheng instead picked up Nie Qingxin's body and soared into the sky. In the pouring rain, Nie Qingcheng landed in a bamboo forest in the wilderness.

She dug a grave for her sister with her own hands. Rainwater mixed with tears dripped onto the loess, and Nie Qingxin no longer had to feel the sorrows of the world. But in Nie Qingcheng's heart, she vowed to avenge her sister. Just as Jiang Xuewu was rushing out with the developed photos, Ming Xia, who was late, had just arrived.

Jiang Xuewu was in a hurry to drive to the newspaper office and had no time to pay attention to Ming Xia. At this moment, Nie Qingcheng suddenly appeared, blocking the front of the car. Seeing the unfavorable situation, Jiang Xuewu started the car, intending to flee. To her surprise, Nie Qingcheng revealed her true form, holding the front of the car with one hand, making it impossible for the car to move.

Ming Xia saw this scene and quickly pulled Nie Qingcheng away from the front of the car to prevent her from getting hurt. Jiang Xuewu seized the opportunity, pressed the accelerator, and fled in panic. It wasn't that Ming Xia hadn't seen Nie Qingcheng's appearance just now, but he had to keep his promise that no matter what happened, he would not leave Nie Qingcheng. This sentence was like a key, unlocking the heavy shackles that bound Nie Qingcheng's heart.

Between the sorrow of losing her sister and the joy of Ming Xia's promise, Nie Qingcheng felt weak all over and fainted. When Nie Qingcheng woke up in her bed at home in Suzhou, how she wished it was all just a dream, but reality was still reality. She confessed everything to Ming Xia, who was guarding her bedside. Ming Xia did not blame her; these events required both of them to adapt together.

However, Ming Xia could not agree to Nie Qingcheng going to find Jiang Xuewu; he wanted to avenge Nie Qingxin in his own way and make Jiang Xuewu pay the price. For this matter, he also needed the help of Xu Shaobai, the current police chief. Meanwhile, Jiang Xuewu's plan to clear her father's name with the photos was unsuccessful.

Director Li of the newspaper was a member of a secret monster-hunting organization, and he had long known that demons existed in the world. These photos could easily be faked and would not convince the public. He took Jiang Xuewu to a photography studio, where the photographer, Duan Shaoqian, was the instructor of the monster-hunting organization.

Jiang Xuewu was arrogant and had no interest in joining such an organization; she only wanted to expose Nie Qingcheng's identity and restore the Jiang family's reputation. Jiang Xuewu did not heed Duan Shaoqian's advice and held a press conference on her own. But she never expected that Ming Xia, who had always been upright and honorable, would send people to pose as reporters.

When Ming Xia and Shaobai entered the venue, Jiang Xuewu was fearless, admitting on the spot that Nie Qingxin had been injured by the Jiang family's hounds and not denying that she had instigated three thugs to harass Nie Qingcheng. She believed this was a necessary means to prove the existence of demons in the world and eliminate harm for the people.

But when Ming Xia burned her photos and all the reporters in the audience shed their disguises to reveal their police uniforms, Jiang Xuewu realized she had fallen for Ming Xia's trick. Nie Rufeng saw the news of Nie Qingxin's death in the newspaper. Amidst his grief, seeing Nie Qingcheng return after being away from home for many days was a kind of comfort. At night, Nie Rufeng and Nie Qingcheng burned incense and paper offerings for Nie Qingxin.

Too many misfortunes had occurred during this period; ever since Nie Qingcheng left home, Nie Rufeng could feel that something had happened. He couldn't help but talk about his past with Nie Qingcheng's mother, Ying Die. During the Guangxu Emperor's reign, Nie Rufeng was still a young guard in the imperial palace. He found it quite novel when he first heard about the Ying family, who guarded the Qing Dynasty's dragon veins.

A few days later, Ying Die received an imperial decree from the Empress Dowager to come to the capital for an audience. An inadvertent glance back made an unforgettable impression on Nie Rufeng for life. Thereafter, they met many times in the imperial palace, but each time Ying Die would mysteriously disappear without a trace. Gradually, feelings inexplicably developed between the two young people.

While Ying Die was still repairing the dragon veins, she asked Rufeng to guard them for her. However, the Qing Dynasty's fate was sealed, and the dragon veins could no longer be restored. After going through hardships, the two finally saw their true feelings.

Ying Die grew up in Changbai Mountain since childhood, lively, cheerful, and unconventional. She had genuine feelings for Nie Rufeng. With a few small tricks, she helped Nie Rufeng, who had no qualifications, rise to the position of Guard Commander. With her orchestration behind the scenes, all the guards were truly convinced and obedient to the new commander. Regarding matters of affection, Ying Die didn't treat herself as an outsider; she proactively visited the Nie family elders, winning their favor.

Nie Rufeng was born and raised in the capital, always cautious and meticulous. Facing Gege's fiery passion, he was both delighted and nervous. However, fate had other plans. The benevolent Empress Dowager broke up the lovers. Ying Die was bestowed a marriage, to be wed within three days to Tan Beile, a nephew of the Yehenara clan. This news was like a bolt from the blue.

The Ying family had received imperial favor for generations, and Ying Die dared not implicate her family due to her personal desires. On the day of the wedding, Nie Rufeng stood on the Forbidden City wall, watching the sedan chair pass through the Meridian Gate below, feeling his heart go with it. In the days following Ying Die's departure from the palace, Nie Rufeng lost his appetite and couldn't sleep at night.

But at this time, rumors spread in the palace that Tan Beile had died tragically on the second day of his marriage, torn into pieces by a fierce beast. Upon hearing this, Nie Rufeng immediately rushed to Ying Die's former residence in the palace. Sure enough, Ying Die had returned to the palace. It turned out that on their wedding night, Ying Die was unwilling to consummate the marriage.

Tan Beile dared not offend Gege, so he vented his anger on his servants. Seeing his cruelty and disregard for human life, Ying Die took action to eliminate him quickly. Although Ying Die dared not remarry Nie Rufeng, she knew that the Qing dynasty's days were numbered, and if they were willing to wait, they would eventually have their day.

Nie Rufeng also didn't care about Ying Die's status; he was willing to wait until the seas ran dry and rocks crumbled, his heart never changing. Just as Rufeng and Ying Die were deeply in love in the depths of the palace, they didn't know that this was all part of the benevolent Empress Dowager's scheme to catch someone by letting them loose first.

Ying Die soon showed signs of pregnancy and was punished to kneel for a long time outside Cining Palace. Cixi intended to use this incident to pressure the Ying family, making them find ways to continue the imperial bloodline. Ying Po Po, an elder from the Ying family who accompanied her into the palace, knew that the imperial bloodline was already broken and beyond recovery, so she could only risk saving Ying Die from the palace.

Ying Die's heart was with Rufeng; how could she escape alone? But Li Lianying, the chief eunuch of the imperial household, held Rufeng hostage, and Ying Die dared not act rashly. In utter desperation, Po Po had no choice but to enter Cining Palace alone to request an imperial decree, bestowing Gege Ying Die to marry Guard Commander Nie Rufeng.

The overjoyed Ying Die and Rufeng, however, never imagined how great the cost of this favor would be: Ying Po Po had to use her lifetime of cultivation to sacrifice her life to repair the imperial bloodline and prolong the Qing dynasty's destiny. On the wedding day, Ying Po Po, whose vital energy was exhausted, secretly entered the Nie family. Only after the couple completed their marital rites did she summon Ying Die in a unique way.

Before her death, she entrusted the Ying family to Xiao Die, then transformed into a pool of clear water. Under the sunlight, the clear water condensed into a child, who ran far away and never returned. Rufeng, who came to find his wife, witnessed this process and was so frightened at the time that he couldn't even breathe. After telling Nie Qingcheng all this, Nie Rufeng felt a great sense of relief.

The secret he had hidden for many years could finally be revealed. He always believed that his wife, Ying Die, had not died, but like Ying Po Po, had transformed into a child with no memories, living somewhere. But Nie Qingcheng still had a question: why didn't Nie Qingxin exhibit demonic characteristics? It was then that Nie Rufeng revealed another shocking secret: Nie Qingxin and Nie Qingcheng were not full-blooded sisters.

Nie Qingxin's mother was not Ying Die. Back then, Nie Rufeng didn't know that Ying Die had to hibernate in winter. Nie Qingcheng was born in the second year of their marriage, and every year Ying Die insisted on taking her daughter back to her maternal home and returning after spring.

Nie Rufeng, longing for his wife and daughter but unable to leave the capital, could only drink day after day when other families were setting off firecrackers and having reunion dinners. All of this was exploited by the maid Chunxi. She took advantage of Nie Rufeng being drunk and disoriented, and got into his bed. After sobering up, Nie Rufeng was filled with regret and no longer paid attention to Chunxi.

Little did he know, that one night of passion resulted in a pregnancy. After spring, Ying Die returned with Nie Qingcheng, and Chunxi's belly was already slightly swollen. Ying Die understood the situation and did not blame Nie Rufeng; instead, she pitied Chunxi for marrying a man she didn't love. After this, Ying Die took great care of Chunxi, but Chunxi was quite scheming.

To give birth to a son and secure the position of the main wife, she took various elixirs indiscriminately, ultimately harming herself to death. Ying Die used her inner elixir to save Nie Rufeng's flesh and blood, naming her Nie Qingxin. From then on, Ying Die always treated Nie Qingxin as her own child, so much so that even Nie Qingcheng didn't notice.

After the Eight-Nation Alliance entered the capital, Nie Rufeng fled to Shanghai with Nie Qingcheng and Nie Qingxin. Because Shanghai was a place Ying Die longed for, Nie Rufeng could feel that Ying Die was waiting there for him, Nie Qingcheng, and Nie Qingxin. But now, with Nie Qingxin's misfortune, Nie Rufeng couldn't help but shed tears of old age remembering these past events.

The only thing that comforted him was that Ming Xia did not care about Nie Qingcheng's identity. Such a man was very rare, and it was Nie Qingcheng's good fortune. Xu Shaobai performed a psychiatric evaluation on Jiang Xuewu and decided to send her to a mental hospital for treatment. While called treatment, it was essentially a life sentence. This was a huge favor for Jiang Xuewu; otherwise, according to the law, she would face the death penalty.

But Jiang Xuewu was stubborn and still defended herself by claiming Nie Qingcheng was a demon, showing no remorse for Nie Qingxin's death. At this point, Wang Shaoshang became Jiang Xuewu's only hope and lifeline. Jiang Xuewu's admission to the mental hospital was precisely what the demon-hunting organization wanted to see. After this incident, Jiang Xuewu's claws would be blunted, allowing her to obediently follow the organization's arrangements.

Duan Shaoqian used his connections to obtain a military pardon, but when he took Jiang Xuewu out of the mental hospital, he discovered that this Jiang Xuewu was not "that" Jiang Xuewu. It turned out that Shaoshang had already sent people to infiltrate the hospital, using disguise techniques to dress other patients as Jiang Xuewu. The real Jiang Xuewu had changed her appearance and escaped from the mental hospital.

For Jiang Xuewu, Shaoshang was willing to do anything, even if it meant violating laws and professional ethics. Soon, the headlines of major Shanghai newspapers all reported the news that Nie Qingcheng was a demon, immediately becoming a hot topic of discussion on every street and alley. Everyone who saw Nie Qingcheng pointed fingers behind her back, fearing to avoid her too late.

To avoid worldly stares, Nie Rufeng, Ming Xia, and Nie Qingcheng decided to leave Shanghai together by train. But just as the train was about to depart, Nie Rufeng saw a peculiar mole on the ear of a flower girl on the platform, identical to one on Ying Die's ear. He jumped off the train recklessly and followed the flower girl. Ming Xia and Nie Qingcheng, on the slowly departing train, were utterly unable to catch up.

Getting Nie Qingcheng to leave Shanghai was precisely Jiang Xuewu's well-designed conspiracy. As long as they left the protection of the police station, Ming Xia and Nie Qingcheng would be isolated and helpless. There were Shaoshang's people in the train compartment; they subdued Nie Qingcheng with anesthetic, then falsely claimed there was a bomb to get rid of Ming Xia in the chaos.

Shaoshang's obsession with Jiang Xuewu made him disregard right and wrong and become an accomplice to evil, but Jiang Xuewu's crazy actions also made him extremely worried. A Xiang was well aware of all these things that happened to Nie Qingcheng, but to spare his master from worry, he only told You Tong in the ice ball about good things.

Knowing that "the more one talks, the more mistakes one makes," and that Nie Qingcheng had given up her dance studio to open a hot pot restaurant in Suzhou for no reason, and then returned to Shanghai for no reason, You Tong knew something must have happened to Nie Qingcheng. He shattered the ice ball prematurely, awakening from his hibernation.

Nie Qingcheng had been missing for three days and three nights, and Ming Xia searched all over Shanghai with no news. You Tong thought of Huayue Nong, and surprisingly, Huayue Nong not only agreed to look for Nie Qingcheng but also promised to help You Tong and Nie Qingcheng be together forever. Of course, she also had conditions.

The underground of the greenhouse was the demon headquarters, and Huayue Nong considered herself the queen of all demons; any information she wanted could be commanded from headquarters, instructing all demons in Shanghai to collect it. Huayue Nong, who had been the demon queen for many years, had grown tired of the loneliness at the top. Since being rejected by You Tong last time, she had a complete epiphany and decided to seek her own happiness.

She placed the ring symbolizing power on You Tong's hand, implying that if he wanted to know Nie Qingcheng's whereabouts, You Tong could not refuse. Huayue Nong shed her heavy burden, finally able to find someone who loved her to live a peaceful and comfortable life with.

While You Tong was waiting for news, Ming Xia and Shaobai found out that Jiang Xuewu had left the mental hospital, and following the clues, they traced it back to Wang Shaoshang, immediately sending people to monitor near Wang's mansion. Shaoshang also discovered he was being monitored; he had already prepared for the worst when he decided to help Jiang Xuewu. This deeply moved Jiang Xuewu. When she proactively threw herself into his arms, Shaoshang, however, avoided her.

Because Shaoshang knew that Jiang Xuewu did not truly love him, and such a show of affection for convenience held no meaning. The next day, heavy snow fell. The police officers responsible for monitoring discovered that the gates of Wang's mansion were wide open, and a coffin was being carried out amidst festive music. This was Shaoshang's 'lure the tiger out of its den' strategy, and Ming Xia and others indeed fell for it, leading their men to follow.

Upon reaching a secluded wilderness, Shaobai gave the order, and the police officers stepped forward to block the funeral procession. Shaoshang suddenly turned and fired, while others also took out long rifles from behind the wreaths, engaging in a fierce gun battle with the police. Seeing his men falling one after another from gunshot wounds, Shaoshang stood by the coffin and pulled out four grenades.

A violent explosion shattered Shaoshang and the coffin to pieces, and the huge shockwave knocked everyone present to the ground. This was the last thing Shaoshang could do for Jiang Xuewu, making everyone believe that Nie Qingcheng in the coffin had been utterly obliterated.

Shao Shang distracted Ming Xia from the front door, and Jiang Xuewu drove out from the back door. Nie Qingcheng, in the back seat, had her hands tied behind her back and a towel stuffed in her mouth, powerless to resist. Once the car reached the French Concession, Jiang Xuewu would be able to confidently display Nie Qingcheng to the world, proving the existence of demons, without worrying about interference from the police station.

But she only thought of human interference and forgot that demons would also rescue their companions. You Tong suddenly appeared in front of the car and stopped it with one hand. Jiang Xuewu knew she was no match for You Tong and fled in a hurry. How could Nie Qingcheng let go of the murderer of her sister? She and You Tong pursued Jiang Xuewu relentlessly.

Jiang Xuewu, in her panic, crashed into a speeding tram, fell to the ground, spat blood, and lost all signs of life. You Tong learned Nie Qingcheng's identity and was overjoyed, expressing his love once more. This time, Nie Qingcheng did not feel repulsed as before; instead, she pondered repeatedly whether Ming Xia was truly suitable. Perhaps You Tong was right; since she and Ming Xia had been together, too many misfortunes had occurred.

This was probably because humans and demons were meant to walk different paths and could not force a relationship. Meanwhile, Ming Xia was heartbroken and unable to accept the reality of Nie Qingcheng turning into ashes. He still wandered aimlessly in the wilderness, searching everywhere, hoping for a miracle from heaven's mercy. A miracle truly happened; Nie Qingcheng came to his side, and You Tong arrived with her.

Ming Xia excitedly ran to embrace Nie Qingcheng, but she gently pushed him away. Nie Qingcheng was there to say goodbye, to never see each other again, and to each begin a new life. Ming Xia had always doted on Nie Qingcheng and never gone against her wishes, and today was no exception. Each farewell word spoken by Ming Xia pierced his heart. There comes a time when all words are spoken, and one must face eternal separation.

You Tong held Nie Qingcheng's hand and returned to the Hua Family Manor. Hua Yuetong had left, and You Tong became the owner here. All the demons in Shanghai gathered in the conservatory to pay homage to the new King of All Demons. You Tong was triumphant at this moment and planned to hold a grand wedding that Nie Qingcheng would never forget.

While You Tong was preparing for the wedding, Jiang Xuewu woke up on a sofa in the demon-hunting organization. The scene of her being hit by a car on the street was entirely directed by Duan Shaoqian; the one hit was just a puppet he controlled. A dummy had deceived the eyes of everyone present, including Nie Qingcheng and You Tong.

With such methods possessed by the demon-hunting organization, Jiang Xuewu was thoroughly convinced and willing to join the organization to learn demon-hunting methods. The demon-hunting organization established a school in a hidden location, specifically to educate those aspiring to eliminate demons on the methods of demon hunting. The school was built by a general, who made this decision after being attacked by a demon.

The school had remained undisclosed for over ten years since its establishment, to avoid causing public panic. Jiang Xuewu's purpose here was to train to be faster and stronger than demons. Learning at the demon-hunting school was not simple; one not only had to endure hardships but also constantly be wary of those around them. The school's educational motto was to never disdain deception in war, and to use any means to achieve one's goal.

Within days of enrolling, Jiang Xuewu was set up by other classmates and confined to the solitary confinement room. In the confinement room, Jiang Xuewu met Hao Meili, who was confined in the same room. Hao Meili was originally a reporter. Over a year ago, she heard about this school and secretly came to enroll, hoping to get firsthand information. However, she was obese, and many training subjects did not meet the standards, so being confined became commonplace for her.

In this past year, Hao Meili's only achievement was obtaining the key to the school's main gate. Jiang Xuewu already had many complaints about the school and decided to escape with Hao Meili that very night. The escape did not go smoothly; they were quickly discovered. Jiang Xuewu held the main gate key, and seeing the people behind her getting closer, she realized that even if she unlocked the gate, she wouldn't be able to escape far.

The school's education played a role at this moment; to ensure her own safety, Jiang Xuewu hid the key, pointed at Hao Meili, and shouted that someone was escaping. Jiang Xuewu narrowly managed to slip through, while Hao Meili was injected with drugs to erase all her memories. People without memories, even if released, would not reveal the secrets of this place. During this period, You Tong tried his best to please Nie Qingcheng.

But he could see the sadness in Nie Qingcheng's heart; there would always be a Ming Xia in her heart. You Tong couldn't understand how to enter Nie Qingcheng's heart; all he could do was make her happy. He ordered all the demons in Shanghai to search for Nie Rufeng's whereabouts. Soon, news arrived that Nie Rufeng was with a flower girl. You Tong took Nie Qingcheng to the rooftop of a small villa.

Looking down, Nie Qingcheng saw her father happily living with the flower girl. But her mother had passed away more than ten years ago, and this flower girl was only seven or eight years old, so she could definitely not be the reincarnation of Ying Die. However, seeing her father so happy, how could Nie Qingcheng bear to tell him the truth?

You Tong hoped Nie Qingcheng would understand that true happiness was the most important thing, and not to pretend to be happy out of consideration for others' feelings. If Nie Qingcheng was unwilling to marry, You Tong would never force her. If Nie Qingcheng was willing to forget Ming Xia, You Tong was also willing to wait. Nie Qingcheng thought that in due time, she would be able to forget Ming Xia.

But the closer the wedding date came, the more she missed Ming Xia. Every little moment she had spent with Ming Xia lingered in her mind, refusing to leave. As the wedding was about to begin, Nie Qingcheng finally couldn't help but spread her wings and fly into the Xia family's courtyard. She stood among the high treetops, watching Ming Xia sighing below the tree. Ming Xia, disheartened and lonely, passed the time by making magical perfumes.

Only when he was focused on blending perfumes would Nie Qingcheng's image not appear in his mind. These perfumes were all made for Nie Qingcheng. Ming Xia opened all the perfume bottles, hoping that the fragrance wafting in the air would be carried by the wind to Nie Qingcheng's side. Ming Xia succeeded. Not far away, Nie Qingcheng deeply inhaled the fragrance in the air, reveling in it. And Ming Xia, inadvertently, saw Nie Qingcheng's figure in the reflection of the water basin.

Ming Xia saw Nie Qingcheng's figure, but he did not look up at her. Instead, he arranged all the perfume bottles to spell out "May you be happy." In the reflection of the water basin, Ming Xia saw Nie Qingcheng's tears, and a few golden rays fell from the air. Nie Qingcheng spread her wings and flew away, and Ming Xia could only offer his silent blessings.

When Nie Qingcheng returned to the greenhouse, there were no other guests at the wedding venue except You Tong. You Tong learned that Nie Qingcheng had gone to find Ming Xia again, and he was filled with resentment. In a fit of anger, he drove away all the guests. He didn't understand why, after doing so much, Nie Qingcheng still only had Ming Xia in her heart.

He only wanted to hear Nie Qingcheng say "I love you" with her own mouth, but Nie Qingcheng couldn't bring herself to say it. You Tong then realized that Nie Qingcheng had never loved him. If this wedding caused Nie Qingcheng pain, then there was no need to hold it. You Tong sat in anguish in the basement of the greenhouse. This was the headquarters of the demons, the place with the greatest power in the world.

But even with supreme power, he still couldn't win Nie Qingcheng's heart. Hua Yuening quietly appeared. You Tong's mood at this moment was not unlike her own in the past. She had come this time to bring You Tong a solution to the problem: a dream sprite. This flying sprite could hypnotize humans, making the hypnotized person think they were in a difficult situation. Vulnerable humans will do anything in difficult situations, even abandon true love.

Nie Qingcheng was pulled by You Tong to the street, a place that Ming Xia often passed by. You Tong wanted to prove to Nie Qingcheng that Ming Xia's love was not worth waiting for. Of course, if Ming Xia passed the test, You Tong would choose to withdraw and silently protect Nie Qingcheng and Ming Xia. This was a very fair duel.

It was only pitiful for Ming Xia, who, without knowing it, began to experience a difficult test for his love. Ming Xia walked down the street. He suddenly felt dizzy and gently stroked his forehead. When he looked up again, he saw Nie Qingcheng with wings on her back, using sharp claws to wreak havoc on the street. Corpses were lying scattered on the ground, and pedestrians were running away in panic.

He wanted to stop Nie Qingcheng's killing, but it only made Nie Qingcheng even more crazy. Ming Xia raised his gun, but he hesitated to pull the trigger, with the muzzle pointed at Nie Qingcheng. Nie Qingcheng saw the gun in Ming Xia's hand and flew forward to grab Ming Xia's neck, losing Ming Xia consciousness with just a little force. The blare of a car horn woke Ming Xia up.

He looked around and saw that the street was still full of people. The feeling just now was so real, and Ming Xia didn't understand what was going on. The first test was over. Ming Xia did not pull the trigger, which meant that even if Nie Qingcheng was a demon, Ming Xia still loved her deeply. Today, Ming Xia went out to return to the police station as an ordinary police officer.

After leaving the police station, the dream sprite began its next hypnosis. Ming Xia saw Nie Qingcheng ragged, sitting in a corner. At this time, Nie Qingcheng no longer had her former beauty. A deep scar on her face was shocking. In order to become a human again, Nie Qingcheng searched everywhere and finally found a medicine, but while becoming a human, she also lost her human appearance.

Ming Xia did not dislike her, but instead looked at Nie Qingcheng with pity. Fang Yaqing was looking at photos at home. Now, many celebrities and wealthy families sent photos of their daughters, hoping to form a marriage alliance with the Ming family. Ming Xia held Nie Qingcheng's hand and returned home. Before returning home, the two had just held a wedding in a church and were legally husband and wife.

Fang Yaqing saw that her son had married Nie Qingcheng without permission, and that she was so ugly, she was so angry that she collapsed on the sofa, unable to say a word. After Nie Qingcheng entered the Ming family's house, she became money-worshiping and snobbish, buying a lot of expensive clothes and jewelry every day, and this money was stolen from Fang Yaqing's safe.

Nie Qingcheng believed that since she lost her appearance for Ming Xia, she should be compensated with money. Fang Yaqing didn't have any money for retirement, so how could she spare Nie Qingcheng? Ming Xia was caught between Nie Qingcheng and his mother, not knowing who to help, and was very annoyed. When he was walking on the street, feeling upset, he met a considerate girl, Xiao Ping.

Xiao Ping was engaged through a childhood arrangement, but the man died young. Her parents sent her to the man's house in order to keep the agreement. She was usually bullied by her in-laws at home and suffered unspeakable hardship. A few days later, Fang Yaqing led a girl to the house, and it turned out to be Xiao Ping.

It turned out that Fang Yaqing thought Nie Qingcheng was hateful, so she took it upon herself to let Ming Xia take the well-behaved Xiao Ping as a concubine. If Ming Xia did not agree, Xiao Ping would be sold to a brothel by her father-in-law, and she would never have a chance to get ahead. Just as Ming Xia was hesitating, Nie Qingcheng returned home with large and small packages.

Hearing that Ming Xia was going to take a concubine, Nie Qingcheng threw the things in her hand away and resolutely refused, wanting to die. Out of pity, Ming Xia still married Xiao Ping. On the wedding night, Ming Xia withstood Xiao Ping's temptation. In his heart, he and Nie Qingcheng had gone through all kinds of hardships to be together, and no one could replace Nie Qingcheng's position.

But the next day, Ming Xia found Xiao Ping foaming at the mouth and poisoned to death. The person who poisoned her was Nie Qingcheng. Ming Xia was at a loss for what to do, and Fang Yaqing called the police without thinking. Before the police arrived, Ming Xia also made a decision to let Nie Qingcheng surrender herself. He would hire the best lawyer to try to get a reduced sentence for Nie Qingcheng.

Nie Qingcheng was unwilling to take this risk and begged Ming Xia to let her go and let her hide in other places. At this time, Shao Bai came to the Ming family with the police. Ming Xia was unwilling for Nie Qingcheng to suffer any more hardship, so he took the blame for poisoning and murder. When Ming Xia was escorted out of the house by the police, a car drove over and stopped in front of the door.

Fang Yaqing returned home from outside. Ming Xia looked back and saw that the police, Nie Qingcheng, and Xiao Ping's bodies were all gone. Fang Yaqing saw her son standing alone in a daze at the door, not knowing what kind of fool he was making. Ming Xia also didn't understand what was going on. This time, even You Tong had to admire Ming Xia's sincerity. But there was still one more dream.

Only if Ming Xia could persevere to the end would You Tong be willing to admit defeat. During a mission, Ming Xia saw Jiang Xuewu holding a gun to Nie Qingcheng's head on the edge of a cliff. Jiang Xuewu threatened Nie Qingcheng's life, demanding that Ming Xia shoot himself in the limbs. For Nie Qingcheng, Ming Xia took out his gun and shot himself in the thigh and left arm.

Jiang Xuewu was smug in her heart, satisfied with Nie Qingcheng's painful appearance. Just then, Ming Xia gritted his teeth and fired the last shot. The bullet did not fly towards his right arm, but instead went into Jiang Xuewu's head. Jiang Xuewu was shot and fell backwards off the cliff. Ming Xia endured the great pain and ran to the edge of the cliff, grabbing Nie Qingcheng.

The beloved person was finally saved, and Ming Xia felt weak all over and fainted on the edge of the cliff. After being rescued in the hospital, Ming Xia's life was saved, but his legs and left arm lost sensation and could no longer function. At this painful moment, Fang Yaqing, who had always loved her son, pushed Ming Xia to Nie Qingcheng.

Nie Qingcheng took care of Ming Xia without hesitation, helping Ming Xia with everything from serving tea and food to bathing and using the toilet. But as time went by, the conflicts between the two became more and more. The accumulation of contradictions eventually led to Nie Qingcheng's infidelity. She needed a man's care and love, not to be tied to the side of a disabled person.

Ming Xia sat in a wheelchair and saw Nie Qingcheng kissing another man, and his heart was bleeding. It was as if Nie Qingcheng was not kissing someone else's lips, but tearing at his heart. With a heartbroken Ming Xia sat alone in a wheelchair, wandering aimlessly on the street, unintentionally getting involved in a gang fight. He wanted to die in this bloody fight, but he couldn't get his wish.

A gun next to a corpse gave him hope again, and an evil thought arose. After waiting at home all night, Ming Xia finally waited for Nie Qingcheng to return. He took out his gun and pointed it straight at Nie Qingcheng's beautiful face.

Actually, Ming Xia had already written the divorce agreement, because he didn't want to see Nie Qingcheng suffer while spending her whole life with him, but he was even more unwilling to see his wife's betrayal. Nie Qingcheng seemed to have known this day would come; she had been taking care of Ming Xia and often felt powerless. If it weren't for You Tong's companionship, she might have lost the courage to live.

Now that both were in pain, it would be better to end it all with death, to stop this endless suffering. But Nie Qingcheng was wrong; Ming Xia's love for her would never change. Ming Xia hoped Nie Qingcheng would always be happy; he wanted to end his own life, freeing Nie Qingcheng from the burden to find happiness. When Ming Xia pulled the trigger against his temple, he suddenly woke up, finding himself at the scene of a mission.

Shaobai escorted the prisoner and, finding Ming Xia missing, brought people to search for him. Ming Xia could still feel his heart pounding, and that painful life experience still lingered in his mind, yet his body was here, perfectly intact. He followed Shaobai in a daze, while You Tong was utterly convinced of his defeat. With a man who loved Nie Qingcheng so deeply, You Tong admitted his inferiority.

From then on, he willingly became Nie Qingcheng's servant, guarding his master and Ming Xia for life. Ming Xia came out of the police station; capturing criminals had taken a lot of effort, and he had inexplicably had a tragic dream. Now he just wanted to go home and rest early. Just outside the gate, he was surprised to see Nie Qingcheng standing by the roadside.

Having experienced too many illusions before, Ming Xia wasn't sure if this time was real. Nie Qingcheng, however, was very certain that these were all real: real people, real feelings, and a real life. She promised Ming Xia that they would never be separated again. When Ming Xia brought Nie Qingcheng home, Fang Yaqing no longer objected; she certainly didn't want to lose her son again.

Jiang Xuewu didn't learn anything new at the demon-hunting school; what the teachers taught had already been recorded in her father's notes, some even in more detail. What she could learn from the school was agile skills and more refined weapons. The organization developed a new generation of armor—the Golden Soft Armor.

The Golden Soft Armor not only protected the body, but it was also coated with a special medicine that could stick to a demon's claws and make them fall off. Once a demon lost its claws, it would lose its supernatural abilities. Ming Xia and Nie Qingcheng's wedding would be held three days later, and the news was published on the front page of the newspaper. When Jiang Xuewu saw the news, her heart was filled with extraordinary rage.

All her suffering was thanks to Nie Qingcheng. Now that Nie Qingcheng had found a happy home, Jiang Xuewu planned to get out as soon as possible and reveal Nie Qingcheng's identity to the world. With this thought, she began to prepare. During her daytime training, she secretly hid crossbow bolts on her person. At night, she put on her golden armor, killed the main gate guard, opened the gate with Hao Meili's key, and escaped into the darkness.

The wedding proceeded as scheduled. Before the ceremony began, Ming Xia couldn't resist sneaking into Nie Qingcheng's bridal room. He gently caressed Nie Qingcheng's face, truly unable to believe he possessed such happiness. The two were immersed in sweetness, and if Hua Yuenong hadn't knocked on the door to urge them, they would have almost missed the auspicious time. Nie Qingcheng entered the church arm in arm with You Tong.

Under the witness of the pastor, Ming Xia and Nie Qingcheng became husband and wife. As they exchanged rings, the church doors were pushed open, and Jiang Xuewu rushed in with reporters. Nie Qingcheng hadn't expected Jiang Xuewu to still be alive, and even less that Jiang Xuewu would shoot a crossbow bolt into Ming Xia's head to force her to reveal her true form.

Nie Qingcheng held the unconscious Ming Xia, overwhelmed with grief, and her pupils slowly turned red. You Tong could not let Jiang Xuewu succeed; he absolutely could not let Nie Qingcheng transform into a demon in front of the reporters. He leaped onto the altar, pulled the sorrowful Nie Qingcheng, and quickly left the church. Outside the church, You Tong spread his wings and flew, holding Nie Qingcheng to escape Jiang Xuewu's pursuit.

But Jiang Xuewu was prepared; she jumped onto a light aircraft and chased relentlessly. You Tong flew until he reached the deep mountains before landing. Jiang Xuewu also leaped down and stood before You Tong and Nie Qingcheng. Jiang Xuewu's crossbow bolts were used up, but You Tong still had a pair of sharp claws.

However, Jiang Xuewu was no longer the same; after hellish training, she also possessed extraordinary strength and impressive skills, not to mention her secret weapon—the Golden Soft Armor. You Tong's hands were firmly stuck to the armor, and his golden claws slowly fell off. Feeling weak and powerless without his claws, You Tong would not allow himself to become Jiang Xuewu's hostage. If Nie Qingcheng were to obey Jiang Xuewu because of him, he would rather perish with Jiang Xuewu.

You Tong pushed backward with both legs, forcing Jiang Xuewu to fall off the cliff with him. Jiang Xuewu's scream echoed among the mountains. Nie Qingcheng hastily climbed down the narrow mountain path to the foot of the cliff. You Tong knew he couldn't survive; he took off the Ring of the King of Ten Thousand Demons and solemnly placed it on Nie Qingcheng's hand.

A streak of pink blood flowed from You Tong's mouth; his only regret in this life was that he had known Nie Qingcheng for too short a time. You Tong's remains transformed into a pool of clear water, and the clear water transformed into a child that swiftly departed. Nie Qingcheng desperately chased after the child, wondering if she would ever see him again in this life.

Jiang Xuewu, lying to the side, probably hadn't expected that she wouldn't die from the fall, but from the subsequent pursuit by the organization. To die at the hands of her own kind was perhaps the greatest irony for her. Ming Xia lay in the hospital, still completely unconscious. The crossbow bolt was in his brain, and even doctors were helpless.

To save Ming Xia, Nie Qingcheng used her identity as the King of Ten Thousand Demons to command all demons to find a cure. Demons also had a way to bring people back to life: inner pills. The demons were willing to offer their inner pills to their master, but they had one condition: Nie Qingcheng must no longer associate with mortals, to avoid further trouble.

This was a difficult choice for Nie Qingcheng; her love for Ming Xia had become an inseparable part of her life. But for Ming Xia, Nie Qingcheng accepted the demons' condition. After gathering all the demons' inner pills, Nie Qingcheng flew into Ming Xia's hospital room. The inner pills, imbued with ten thousand years of cultivation, dissolved the crossbow bolt lodged in his brain, rapidly healing the wound, and Ming Xia's complexion began to become rosy again.

Before Ming Xia regained consciousness, Nie Qingcheng left the room. From outside the window, she saw Fang Yaqing's surprise, the doctor's astonishment, and Ming Xia's confusion. Due to his brain injury, although the wound healed, he lost his memory. Perhaps forgetting the past was a good thing for Ming Xia, freeing him from being inextricably bound between humans and demons. To become a qualified King of Ten Thousand Demons, Nie Qingcheng still had much to learn.

Hua Yuenong did her best to teach Nie Qingcheng how to become a true King among demons. During this time, Nie Qingcheng tried to forget Ming Xia, to forget the past. After achieving some progress in her studies, Hua Yuenong felt that Nie Qingcheng should personally handle some matters to establish her authority among the demons.

There was now a demon named Chang Qi, who often revealed his true form and harmed people, which was a good opportunity for Nie Qingcheng to personally deal with him. That night, Chang Qi appeared again, going on a rampage in the kitchen of a wealthy family. When Nie Qingcheng appeared before him, he remained defiant and did not take Nie Qingcheng seriously.

Nie Qingcheng also did not take Chang Qi seriously; for such an unruly demon, there was no need for mercy. With a mere flick of her hand, Nie Qingcheng slit Chang Qi's throat, giving him the punishment he deserved. After dealing with Chang Qi, Nie Qingcheng did not return to the warm room, but instead wandered the streets. She was looking for Ming Xia.

But when she saw Ming Xia, he merely walked past her, as if they had never met. Snow fell from the sky, marking the time for hibernation again. Nie Qingcheng watched Ming Xia's receding figure, her heart as cold as ice, just like the frost gradually appearing on her body. She stood on the street like an ice sculpture until a child led her into a cave.

When spring arrived and flowers bloomed, Nie Qingcheng awoke in the cave, and the frost on her body began to melt. She looked at the child beside her, believing he was You Tong reincarnated. The two flew out of the cave together, looking down at Shanghai under the setting sun. With You Tong's companionship, Nie Qingcheng was confident she could overcome future difficulties, and she also hoped Ming Xia could find his deserved happiness in the human world.