Chapter 21: A Fox’s Heart is Comforted.

On the way back, Ah Ling apologized to Yan Zhao for what had happened that morning.

Yan Zhao acted as if she hadn’t heard, giving no reaction.

“Hey!” Ah Ling grabbed her arm. “I’m talking to you, did you hear me or not?”

Yan Zhao stopped walking and replied, “I heard you.”

“Then why didn’t you make a sound?” Ah Ling’s guilt shifted back to anger. She felt she and Yan Zhao must be fundamentally incompatible.

Yan Zhao tilted her head, her eyelashes fluttering, her eyes showing confusion.

“Did you do something wrong?”

Ah Ling froze.

The same posture, the same indifferent and aloof expression—she used to find it annoying. But now, meeting Yan Zhao’s gaze, it was as if a stray arrow had flown directly into her heart.

Ah Ling’s heart pounded wildly: What an obedient little pup!

“No, nothing.”

Bi Lan turned her head at the sound, seeing Ah Ling release Yan Zhao with no small amount of embarrassment, a thoughtful look on her face.

Yan Zhao walked into the bandit stronghold holding the fox. The previously noisy courtyard instantly fell silent.

Everyone turned to look in unison.

Yan Zhao hadn’t changed her clothes, but her hair had been neatly combed up, revealing a refined and delicate face.

Even so, they almost didn’t recognize her.

Was this really the same wild girl from before?

Yan Zhao had a fair complexion. Her features hadn’t fully matured, still retaining a trace of childishness. Her eyes were clear, making her look like an exquisite, pretty porcelain doll.

Everyone in the courtyard, men and women alike, stared directly at her.

A man who had been eating took a bite of fruit, looked up and saw Yan Zhao. His teeth moved and clamped down on his tongue. The pain made him swallow the pulp whole, nearly choking himself.

Ah Ling raised an eyebrow, a strange sense of pride welling up inside her. She called out loudly, “What are you all looking at? Never seen a beautiful woman before?”

Only then did everyone snap back to reality, guiltily looking away.

The men who were usually accustomed to speaking rough, bawdy talk were suddenly mute, unable to utter a single word.

The bandit who had previously been certain that the Head Chief had been swayed by lust saw this scene and became animated: “What did I say before? You guys didn’t believe me then, but you have to believe it now, right? Who wanted to bet with me? Pay up!”

Feng Jin heard the commotion in the courtyard and came to the window to take a look, only to freeze in place.

Seeing Yan Zhao’s features clearly, her expression became dazed.

Yan Zhao’s appearance… bore a striking resemblance to an old acquaintance.

Therefore, Feng Jin didn’t show herself. But Ah Ling spotted her with a single glance.

Seeing Feng Jin lost in thought, Ah Ling snorted heavily, thinking to herself: Pfft! I actually believed your nonsense, you duplicitous liar!

Yan Zhao and Bi Lan, as guests of the stronghold, were both invited to dine in the main tent.

Bi Lan had already reached the Fasting stage and didn’t eat mortal food, so Feng Jin ordered a pot of tea brought for her, accompanied by several plates of snacks.

When the dishes were brought to the table, Yan Zhao immediately revealed her true nature, reaching out to grab food from the plates.

Unfortunately, just as her hand was halfway there, the fox caught her sleeve in its teeth and pulled it back forcefully.

“What are you doing?” Yan Zhao plucked the little fox off her sleeve, tapping its nose in admonishment. “I can give you some to eat, but you can’t snatch it.”

The little fox: “…”

Yan Zhao reached out again, but the little fox stubbornly blocked her, refusing to let her.

This scene attracted the attention of the others in the room.

Feng Jin understood the spirit fox’s intention at a glance, but Yan Zhao likely didn’t know her senior sister’s identity. Since her senior sister had no intention of revealing her true form, she went along with keeping her secret.

Ah Ling poured wine for Feng Jin. Seeing her staring at Yan Zhao with a lecherous smirk, she felt very displeased and slammed the wine cup down heavily.

Feng Jin turned back, looking astonished: “Why are you so fiery?”

“Because I ate firecrackers!” Ah Ling glared at her.

Feng Jin glanced at the cup on the table. Because of that slam, wine had spilled everywhere.

She said, “If you’re unwilling, you don’t have to do it.”

Ah Ling retorted loudly, “I insist.”

Girls this age were truly difficult. Feng Jin didn’t understand why she was throwing a tantrum.

She thus commented, “Utterly baffling.”

Ah Ling snorted and turned her face away, ignoring her.

Bi Lan sat in the guest seat opposite Yan Zhao. Seeing Yan Zhao fighting over food with the fox, she only found it novel.

Junior Sister Yan, who was usually cold, aloof, and ignored people, seemed to have more life in her expression when she was with this fox.

Yan Zhao and the little fox tussled back and forth, unable to reach a resolution for a long time.

The result was that Yan Zhao hadn’t started eating, and the other people hadn’t touched their chopsticks either.

The food was laid out on the table, visible but out of reach. Yan Zhao’s brows twisted into a knot: “What exactly do you want?”

The little fox tugged her hand to the side, guiding it until it bumped against the bamboo chopsticks by the bowl.

Seeing Yan Zhao’s hand resting on the chopsticks, the little fox let her go, lifting its head. Its bright eyes looked at Yan Zhao: Do you understand now?

Having finally managed to wash and tidy up, gaining a semblance of a human appearance, Ren Qingyue wouldn’t allow Yan Zhao to grab food with her hands like a wild animal anymore.

No one had taught Yan Zhao these manners before, so she would teach her now.

Yan Zhao’s face showed a conflicted expression.

The little fox, seeing her like this, didn’t understand: Is it that difficult?

Immediately after, Yan Zhao picked up a dish beside her and placed it in front of the little fox: “Here, for you then.”

It was a portion of braised meat, the dish with the best appearance.

The little fox: “…”

Yan Zhao’s long hesitation was actually her steeling herself to give up something she cherished.

Things finally settled down. Yan Zhao pulled her hand back, preparing to eat to her heart’s content.

The next moment, the fox grabbed her hand again.

Yan Zhao was getting a bit annoyed: “What else do you want to eat? Just say it all at once.”

The little fox picked up the chopsticks right in front of Yan Zhao.

Yan Zhao was surprised.

The little fox didn’t avoid her gaze. Its large, fluffy tail wagged behind it. Its emerald-like eyes sparkled, staring unblinkingly at Yan Zhao.

“You’re quite particular,” Yan Zhao was amused by its manner. “How novel, a fox that needs chopsticks to eat.”

The fur on the fox’s tail puffed up, freezing mid-air.

“Pfft!” Feng Jin choked on her wine, covering her mouth as she coughed.

Ah Ling, splashed by the wine, shook her sleeve in disgust: “What a waste!”

Bi Lan lowered her head and silently sipped half a cup of tea.

The little fox rose indignantly and stuffed the chopsticks into Yan Zhao’s palm.

“…” Yan Zhao paused, then belatedly understood. “Ah? They’re for me to use?”

The little fox nudged her hand with the tip of its nose.

Yan Zhao began to feel troubled: “This is so much trouble.”

The little fox was insistent, staring at her with a stern expression, not allowing Yan Zhao to be lazy.

Yan Zhao had never used chopsticks to eat before and had no idea how to use them.

But under the little fox’s blazing gaze, she grudgingly tried a couple of times, failing to pick up a single piece of meat.

Yan Zhao glanced sideways at the little fox. Her right hand held the bamboo chopsticks, but she attempted to use her empty left hand to secretly grab food.

Before her hand could even reach out, the fox was already baring its teeth.

“…”

What she had picked up wasn’t a spirit pet; she had clearly picked up an ancestor for herself.

Yan Zhao tried again. This time, she used the chopsticks like dry twigs and skewered a piece of radish.

She finally managed to eat something, gaining a tiny bit of experience.

The little fox stood guard by the table like a supervisor, not touching a single bite of the food on the plates.

Watching Yan Zhao’s movements with the skewering become more and more practiced, its fox heart was greatly comforted.

Yan Zhao’s table manners were still unsightly, but that didn’t matter.

Compared to the disheveled, wretched state she was in when they first met two days ago, Yan Zhao had already changed significantly.

There was plenty of time ahead. Ren Qingyue thought to herself that she would slowly teach Yan Zhao in place of her Shizun.

Even though Yan Zhao had fiend bloodline within her, she was, after all, still Immortal Venerable Yuanqing’s child.

Yan Zhao’s understanding was just beginning to open; she couldn’t distinguish between good and evil, right and wrong. Ren Qingyue didn’t expect her to be as outstanding and renowned as her Shizun, but at the very least, she shouldn’t stray onto the wrong path.

What happened last night absolutely must not occur again. It would be better not to deal with fiends and devils from now on.

Yan Zhao’s meal was arduous. The chopsticks in her hand greatly reduced her eating efficiency. Several times she wanted to put down the chopsticks and use her hands directly, but the little fox was watching her closely.

She patiently extended her chopsticks to skewer another piece of meat, while also quietly observing the little fox.

Unexpectedly, she actually saw a look of satisfaction in a fox’s eyes.

The little fox tilted its head slightly, its eyes clear and bright.

“…”

Yan Zhao silently tightened her grip on the chopsticks.

By the time she finished her meal, Feng Jin had also more or less put down her bowl.

After the meal, some tea snacks and fruit were served. Fortunately, once the snacks were brought out, the fox wasn’t as strict. Yan Zhao was able to pick up an apple with her hand.

Using hands was much more convenient. Yan Zhao thought as she chewed the fruit. Those chopsticks were purely instruments of torture.

The little fox nestled down beside her, resting its small head on her arm.

Yan Zhao’s gaze dropped down, glancing at it.

Her mouth continued munching noisily.

The fox, disturbed by the sound of her chewing, raised its little paws to cover its ears.

Yan Zhao looked away and put down the half-eaten fruit.

That night, Yan Zhao lay in bed sleeping.

Perhaps because the covers were too thick, she felt hot and started throwing off the blankets after falling asleep.

Tossing and turning, she soon woke the fox.

The little fox opened its eyes and found that Yan Zhao had, at some point, pulled off her hair ribbon, leaving her hair a slept-on mess again.

A hazy immortal aura swirled within the room. In an instant, a clear silhouette appeared within the mist.

Ren Qingyue emerged from the mist, stepping over to the bedside and casting a Mind-Calming Spell on Yan Zhao.

In her sleep, Yan Zhao’s spirit platform cleared, and she stopped fidgeting restlessly.

Ren Qingyue removed the top cotton blanket for Yan Zhao and tucked her restless hands and feet back under the covers properly.

She brushed the messy hair from Yan Zhao’s face, her fingertips inadvertently touching Yan Zhao’s cheek.

Yan Zhao was in a deep sleep, her little face flushed red. Who knew what delicious food she was dreaming about? She smacked her lips.

Ren Qingyue’s gaze softened. She thought: If Shizun’s spirit was watching from heaven and saw this child’s sleeping face, would she be comforted?

Suddenly, her ears picked up the sound of footsteps in the courtyard outside the door.

The visitor knocked on the door.

Ren Qingyue saw the person through the crack in the door and already had a good idea.

She didn’t open the door. Through the gap, she asked quietly, “Why have you come so late at night?”

Feng Jin stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall outside, tilting her head to look at the moon in the sky. “May I ask, Senior Sister, what is the relationship between Yan Zhao and Immortal Venerable Yuanqing?”

The next morning, someone knocked on Yan Zhao’s door.

She opened her eyes, habitually scooped up the little fox beside her pillow and tucked it into her arms, then came to the door.

Opening the door, she saw Bi Lan standing outside.

Seeing Yan Zhao, a flicker of surprise seemed to pass through Bi Lan’s eyes.

Yan Zhao asked her, “What do you want?”

Bi Lan quietly tucked a wooden comb back into her sleeve. “I came to greet Junior Sister Yan and ask how you slept last night?”

Yan Zhao made an “Oh” sound. “Alright.”

“That’s good then.” Bi Lan made small talk. “There’s still no lead on the training mission. I might take my leave from the Stronghold Leader today. May I ask when Junior Sister plans to descend the mountain?”

Yan Zhao: “Don’t know.”

Bi Lan: “…”

Yan Zhao looked up. “Anything else?”

“No, nothing else.”

The door closed in her face.

Bi Lan stood outside, sighing.

She had originally thought Junior Sister Yan’s hair might have come loose after a night’s sleep, so she came to help her tie it up.

But now it seemed she had been overthinking.

It turned out Junior Sister Yan had already learned to comb her own hair.