Gu Xi, the former Underworld King, was betrayed and suffered soul annihilation before reincarnating repeatedly in the mortal realm. With each life, her memories and magical power slowly returned. Sensing the Netherworld's pursuit, she lay in wait for a Celestial Beast descending from the Celestial Realm. When the beast, seeking a kind-hearted host, bound with her, Gu Xi revealed her true nature by signing a forbidden Blood Pact that reversed their master-servant relationship. The beast, terrified, realized it had bound the ruthless and cruel former Underworld King. Gu Xi used the beast to travel to the Three Thousand Minor Worlds, choosing a realm marked with three red exclamation points to evade detection while she recovered her full strength.
Gu Xi transmigrated into the body of Chu Mingxi, the legitimate princess of the Kingdom of Chu. The original host was known for her beauty and kindness but had been secretly poisoned by Consort Rong, her own aunt, who sought to eliminate her to secure imperial favor. Upon awakening, Gu Xi discovered the poison and decided to play along with the princess's frail image while secretly plotting revenge. She also encountered Jun Qi, a hostage from the defeated Jun Kingdom, who was being bullied by the emperor's sons. Despite his crippled meridians and miserable living conditions, Jun Qi maintained a gentle and polite demeanor. The Celestial Beast identified him as the world's male lead due to his righteous aura, but Gu Xi saw something else. She felt a strange stir in her Divine Soul whenever she was near him, a sensation she had not experienced in centuries.
Gu Xi began to openly protect Jun Qi, ordering renovations for his dilapidated courtyard and providing him with servants and meals. She confronted his bullies by having them escorted to the academy by the emperor's elite guards, effectively neutralizing the threat without direct violence. When Consort Rong visited, Gu Xi manipulated the situation to make the emperor believe that the consort's presence triggered the princess's illness due to her resemblance to the late empress. This led to Consort Rong's confinement, removing Gu Xi's primary enemy from the immediate picture. Meanwhile, Jun Qi observed Gu Xi's actions with cold calculation. He revealed to his subordinate that he found her boldness amusing and considered keeping her as a pet if she survived her frail health, indicating his own dark and possessive nature.
As days passed, Gu Xi continued her visits to Jun Qi, openly declaring her interest in him. The Celestial Beast panicked, warning that Gu Xi was pursuing the Heavenly Dao's favorite protagonist recklessly. However, Gu Xi remained indifferent to social norms, viewing Jun Qi as a possession she intended to take back to the Netherworld. Jun Qi, in turn, played the role of the grateful, gentle hostage while hiding his true ruthless intentions. The story establishes a dynamic between two wolves in sheep's clothing: Gu Xi, the demon king pretending to be a saint, and Jun Qi, the kind hostage hiding a sinister agenda. Their interactions are filled with subtle power struggles and unspoken threats, setting the stage for a complex relationship defined by manipulation, obsession, and mutual recognition of each other's true nature.
