Peacocks Are Smarter Than Ants

"Hey, hey, hey! You guys, don't get crazy!" Lily Bai shouted. "I'm a guest invited by your Demon Emperor!"

"A guest?"

"That's right!" Lily said. "The Demon Emperor and Azure Flame invited me here! Otherwise, how could I have gotten in?"

Turns out these Marching Wing Guards are actually reasonable. They started chattering among themselves: "She makes sense. Her cultivation is so low, if she wasn't brought in, she couldn't have come in on her own."

"Looks like she really is a guest."

"His Majesty the Demon Emperor said we should treat guests with courtesy."

"Should we let her go?"

"Let her go."

And just like that, they let Lily Bai go.

These ants are just way too naïve!

Lily Bai couldn't help but laugh. "Excuse me, but... what exactly are you? And how come you can talk?"

She'd never seen anything like this before.

"We're the Marching Wing Guard! Palace sentries of the Demon Emperor!" they announced, puffing up with pride. "Where are you trying to go?"

"Damian and Azure Flame went off to battle, so I'm just bored and wandering around. It's my first time here!"

"Don't wander too much," said the leader of the Marching Wing Guard. "Be careful."

"Haha, thanks for the tip," Lily said. "I want to check out the front mountain. If I go through here, will I get there?"

"You can," said the Marching Wing Guard. "Just go through here, turn left, then right, then left, then right, then left again, then right again—and you'll get there."

Left, right...

Is your Demon Emperor secretly a snake demon?

Left, right, slithering around like one of those?

Lily Bai thanked them and was about to keep walking.

But just then, a sharp voice rang out: "Hold it right there!"

A woman in shimmering blue clothes walked over.

Her dress rippled like water, made from the softest silk in the world, fluttering lightly with every step.

Her hair was so long it reached her ankles, twisted into a topknot and adorned with several black-blue peacock feathers—elegant and enchanting.

She was gorgeous, with big watery eyes, a straight nose, rosy cheeks, and an irresistibly charming air.

With all her years of demon-slaying experience, Lily guessed she was probably a peacock spirit.

"Peacock Fairy," the Marching Wing Guards greeted politely.

The peacock spirit stepped right up to Lily Bai and said, "Her celestial power was sealed by His Majesty. She just used invisibility to sneak out. Clearly she's a prisoner being escorted—and you dared to let her go?"

"Ah! You tricked us!" The Marching Wing Guards were furious and sprayed more golden filaments, tying Lily Bai up again.

Lily Bai: "..."

Well, peacocks are definitely smarter than ants...

"That outfit... it's from the Sigil Sect." The peacock spirit eyed her sharply. "There are grain ears embroidered on your collar—you're an inner disciple!"

Lily Bai stared at her in surprise.

This peacock spirit really knew her stuff!

Even out here in the Primeval Demon Wilds, she could recognize Sigil Sect uniforms.

The grain ear embroidery was indeed reserved for inner disciples and above.

"Flying General," called the peacock spirit.

One ant with three golden collar-rings stepped forward. "Here."

"Disfigure her face first, then break her limbs!" ordered the peacock spirit. "Wait for General Azure Flame to come back and deal with her!"

"Okay!" The Flying General walked over, summoned a green serrated thin sword with his front claws, and spread his wings, flying right up to Lily Bai.

"Hey! You wouldn't dare!" Lily Bai glared at him. "Yes, I'm a Sigil Sect disciple, but I'm not a criminal!"