There was no mistaking it—the beautiful peony-like pattern in front of her was unmistakable.

    At this moment, Vanessa felt that the furry little fox in her arms was no longer a cute, fluffy creature, but rather a hot potato, causing her movements to stiffen.

    "Little fox~" The little fox in her arms seemed oblivious to Vanessa’s stiffened movements. It continued enjoying the soft and jade-like embrace of the girl, rubbing against the full, plump fruits of her chest like a spoiled child, sending waves of white snow cascading.

    The little white fox was soft and smooth, its fur felt like the finest silk, and it blinked its playful, seductive eyes, a charm that no girl could resist.

    However, Vanessa wasn’t one of those naive little girls.

    On the surface, she remained unmoved, but in her heart, she knew that the bundle of fur in her arms was a ticking time bomb. A slight misstep could trigger an explosion that could destroy entire cities.

    Vanessa recalled that, as one of the top combatants in Kareliman Citrus, Jiuli Xue, the future Demon King, had terrifying battle strength. With just a flick of her tail, she could reduce an entire town to rubble.

    She was bloodthirsty, sadistic, extremely unpredictable, and utterly untrusting of anyone. A true mad S queen.

    Vanessa remembered how, in the original plot, even after Aeciphysis officially took Jiuli Xue into the Crystal Palace, their daily flirtations were filled with subtle tension. One moment, everything was sweet and loving, the next, that woman''s sharp claws were just inches from her neck. You couldn’t tell if she was playing a dangerous game or making a joke, or perhaps doing both at once.

    If one were to describe Jiuli Xue, it would be like a piece of candy laced with arsenic—sweet and tempting, yet deadly dangerous.

    As the saying goes, "Death under the peony is the most graceful," living under her charm might cost you your soul without even realizing it, and possibly even your heart—quite literally.

    Jiuli Xue was a crazy beauty. You could never guess what she was thinking, nor understand her motives for doing certain things.

    If Vanessa were to rank the female characters based on danger, Jiuli Xue would earn four and a half stars, just behind Aeciphysis.

    Dealing with such a psycho was far too random, and it clearly exceeded the risk tolerance of Vanessa herself.

    Why? She couldn’t understand. Why would Jiuli Xue show up here, at this time?

    Could it be that in the original plot, the red demon lackeys searching the forest were actually looking for Jiuli Xue? This sort of major event surely couldn’t go without involvement from demon generals.

    After thinking it through, Vanessa realized that the only variable was that she had arrived earlier than expected.

    Her guess was that, because she came so early and happened to catch the red demons during their peak search in the forest, she had encountered a demon general-level demon.

    In the original plot, Aeciphysis came later, and the demons didn’t dare stay long in human territories, leaving only a few straggling lackeys behind.

    This would explain everything.

    As for why Jiuli Xue was being chased so desperately by a few red demon lackeys?

    Vanessa found an explanation in the setting.

    If she remembered correctly, Jiuli Xue, the offspring of the King of All Foxes and the Queen of Succubi, carried the blood of two powerful demon king candidate families. With her unparalleled talent and comprehension, she had carved out her own place in the demon world at a young age.

    However, because of her mixed blood, the conflict between the two mighty bloodlines caused her to suffer from a rare disease from an early age.

    Before she transmigrated, Vanessa hadn’t fully understood Jiuli Xue’s thought process, but now, she was starting to get it.

    She remembered a detail from the original plot: Jiuli Xue’s father, the King of All Foxes, had been killed by the last Fanghui Saintess, Vanessa''s great-grandmother.

    To guide the descendant of her father’s killer to slowly fall into darkness, to even taint her with the cursed soul most opposed by her family, causing the Aeciphysis heir to walk the path of evil—what could be more exciting for a Demon King than this?

    Vanessa''s smile was like warm sunlight, blooming in a field of flowers, gently stroking the little fox’s forehead.

    The little fox purred in contentment, rubbing against Vanessa’s soft palm in a spoiled manner.

    The delicate and beautiful girl holding the cute little white fox seemed like a harmonious and peaceful picture.

    However, neither the girl nor the fox were what they seemed on the surface. The internal drama between them was likely more intricate than a suspense film.

    But one thing was the same: they were both thinking about how to trip each other up.

    It was simple, really. Vanessa held the key to the plot, knew Jiuli Xue’s identity, and was fully aware of her weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

    Jiuli Xue was at her weakest now, and this was undoubtedly the best time to strike. With a little pressure, Vanessa could easily end her life.

    But should Jiuli Xue leave in a less dignified manner?

    After a brief thought, Vanessa dismissed the idea.

    Jiuli Xue had managed to escape the red demons'' encirclement, proving that she surely had a way to escape even when someone like Vanessa had murderous intentions.

    She wasn’t a Saintess, nor a heroine—just a small NPC in the grand scheme, unable to bear the consequences of eliminating a future Demon King.

    On the other hand, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Jiuli Xue, at least for now, would remain her greatest enemy. This would divert Aeciphysis’ attention and prevent her from dealing with Vanessa, her old foe.

    Most importantly, the demon race was not a united front. The infighting among demon lords was even more intense than the struggles between human nations. With an unstable factor like Jiuli Xue, the internal conflict of the demons would weaken them, preventing them from focusing on human territories.

    In other words, keeping Jiuli Xue alive would be advantageous for humans. If she were to leave, the demon race would be more unified and could focus on wreaking havoc on humanity.

    Moreover, Jiuli Xue had no interest in burning, killing, and looting like the other demons; she preferred to torment strong enemies and rivals, showing no interest in weak, helpless civilians. This was the biggest difference between her and other demon lords.

    Besides, Jiuli Xue still had many important moments ahead in the plot. Vanessa wasn’t sure what would happen if Jiuli Xue were removed early.

    All in all, Jiuli Xue couldn’t die just yet.

    And besides, how could she let such fresh "leeks" go to waste?

    Sometimes, targeting the heart is far more sophisticated than simply killing.

    Vanessa had already come up with a brilliant idea—an idea that could humiliate Jiuli Xue to her core, make her pay for her past disgrace, and also use her as a pawn. It was a perfect three-in-one strategy.

    Alright, future Demon Queen, if you like acting so much, then I’ll gladly play along.