And the visitor was smooth-skinned and completely naked.
This was the Tiger King Palace, heavily guarded. Few could break in at midnight.
Of course, even without looking, just by scent, Ian Song knew exactly who had slipped into his bed.
"Seventh Princess, visiting so late—what brings you here?" Ian asked in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, must you ask when you already know the answer?"
Serena Fox replied in a sultry voice, secretly rolling her eyes at Ian's fake innocence.
Ian chuckled, reaching out to touch her silky skin with interest. Serena Fox had served him a few times before, but they'd never truly gone all the way. Tonight, though, this fox spirit had crawled into his bed, already undressed—clearly determined to give herself to him. But Serena was far too clever to offer herself up for nothing; she must have a bigger scheme. Ian couldn't let his guard down.
"As they say, no one flatters without a motive—especially when it comes to offering yourself. Seventh Princess, why not tell me what you really want?"
"So in Your Majesty's eyes, am I really just someone who never gets up without a reason?"
In the darkness, Serena Fox's eyes shimmered like water, a hint of sadness in her gaze as she looked at Ian.
"That's right. You are," Ian nodded seriously.
Serena froze for a moment. Then, naked as a beauty serpent, she wrapped herself around him. "Your Majesty, that's just too cruel. Can't I do this simply because I admire you?"
"Heh."
Ian just smiled, not denying it. His other hand slid down quietly, landing on her perky curves and giving a gentle slap—a crisp, delightful sound.
"Mmm!"
Serena couldn't help but let out a soft hum, the sound utterly captivating.
Suddenly, Ian withdrew both hands and pushed Serena away. "Seventh Princess, you should go. I need to rest."
Serena's watery eyes flashed with anger at his words. She rose gracefully from the bed and walked slowly toward the door.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
......
Ian watched her, certain that if she took more than ten steps, this fox spirit would turn back.
But after ten steps, Serena Fox still didn’t turn back. Ian frowned slightly, wondering if she really had no other motive this time.
Just then, he suddenly saw a droplet of water fall from midair.
Drip!
The droplet splashed onto the floor and quickly scattered.
Staring at the tiny wet spot on the ground, Ian was momentarily stunned. Instinctively, he called out, "Wait."
"Your Majesty, do you have any instructions?"
Serena Fox turned around, her expression cold as she looked at him. There were faint traces of tears at the corners of her eyes.
Seeing this, Ian's heart softened. "I apologize for what I said earlier," he said.
As he spoke, he floated over to her side and gently wiped away the tears from her face.
Serena was stunned, then felt warmth in her heart—but mostly grievance. Tears welled up and streamed down her cheeks like pearls on a broken string. She really hadn’t come with any ulterior motive this time. More than that, she was used to Ian’s cold, domineering manner. Now, his sudden gentleness left her both moved and a bit out of sorts.
"Alright, don’t cry. If you keep crying, you’ll break my heart," Ian said as he wiped her tears, his voice growing softer.
"Your Majesty."
Suddenly, Serena threw herself into Ian’s arms. Instinctively, Ian wrapped his arms around her and gently patted her smooth back. "That’s enough. You’re the Fox Clan Queen—if you keep crying, people will laugh at you."
"I don’t care. You’re the one who made me sad, you heartless man," Serena said, pounding Ian’s chest.
"Serena, it’s my fault. Don’t blame me, alright?"
Ian lifted Serena’s chin and gazed at her tear-stained, stunning face. He spoke earnestly.
"Your Majesty, I’m so happy."
As soon as she finished speaking, Serena rose up on tiptoe and kissed Ian.
The moment their lips met, Ian tasted a faint saltiness and thought, So even a fox spirit’s tears are no different from a human’s.
After a long, passionate kiss, Serena’s beautiful face was flushed red. Her eyes shimmered with emotion. "Your Majesty, love me!" she pleaded.
"Alright!"
Ian nodded heavily, scooped up Serena’s soft, boneless body, and strode toward the bed.
The next morning.
Ian woke up to lingering fragrance on his pillow, but Serena was nowhere to be found. Thinking of last night, he couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction. Fox spirits really were something else—even newly deflowered, her stamina and tricks were astonishing. Even Ian, with his powerful physique, found her exhausting.
After washing up, Ian left his room, and a demon girl from the clan brought him breakfast.
Just after breakfast, Tiger King arrived right on schedule.
"Did the Human Emperor sleep well last night?" Tiger King asked with a sly smile. This was his palace, after all—Serena’s movements couldn’t possibly escape his notice.
"Thanks to you, Tiger King, I slept very well," Ian replied with a smile.
"Good to hear," Tiger King nodded.
After a bit of small talk, the two quickly turned to the topic of dealing with the Sky-Wing Clan.
The Sky-Wing Clan only had one Monster God. Under the Eagle King, their flying beasts were fewer and weaker than the land-beasts, but their ability to fly made them a headache—if they lost, they’d just escape into the sky. This infuriated Tiger King.
"Does Tiger King have any plans for dealing with the Sky-Wing Clan?" Ian asked seriously.
Tiger King pondered, "I plan to invite the Human Emperor and Eastern Martial Saint to join forces with Golden Tiger and Silver Tiger to capture the Sky-Wing Clan’s Monster God. If he submits to me, the rest of the Sky-Wing Clan will fall easily."
Ian sneered, "Tiger King, you should know—capturing a quasi-Monster-God is much harder than killing one. If he tries to escape, his flying talent far surpasses ordinary Monster Gods or Martial Gods. Stopping him won’t be easy!"
Tiger King fell into deep thought. He had major issues with the Sky-Wing Clan, but they were still part of the Monster Race. Killing their Monster God would weaken their side considerably, so he hesitated, unsure whether to go through with it.
Ian didn’t push him, just waited quietly. As long as Tiger King agreed to kill the Sky-Wing Clan’s Monster God, Ian would have a legitimate reason to do it.
In the end, Tiger King couldn’t resist the temptation of becoming Monster Emperor with Human backing, and agreed to kill the Sky-Wing Clan’s Monster God.
Three days later, the land-beast clan mobilized five million troops and marched straight for the Sky-Wing Clan’s homeland, Sky-Wing Forest.
Sky-Wing Forest was enormous—its total area rivaled two Human imperial provinces, and was home to millions of flying demonic beasts. The Sky-Wing Clan’s capital lay at the forest’s center, complete with its own city.
Ten days later, the land-beast army approached Sky-Wing Forest, and the Eagle King, unwilling to lose face, led six million Sky-Wing troops to the forest’s edge.