Chapter 335: Rumors Abound, Fox’s Warmth in Winter
On the border of Wuchang Province, there was an old and simple town.
In the cold winter days, it seemed every household was preparing for the Spring Festival. There were few people on the streets, mostly travelers and merchants from outside the county. Occasional hawking cries echoed, the atmosphere somewhat desolate.
Lin Tianlu and his group had just entered the town and found a decent inn. Across the street was a famous restaurant, renowned for its delicious food.
After quickly settling their luggage and seeing that it was getting late, they decided to have dinner at the restaurant and sample the local cuisine.
But as he closed the door to their room, Lin Tianlu happened to see Youluo, wrapped in a black robe, walking past.
Their eyes met, and she smiled seductively, winking playfully: “I’m going out to explore the county, don’t wait for me. Enjoy the night with your three beautiful wives, Master Lin.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled: “Are you planning something again, Miss?”
Hearing his suggestive words, Youluo paused slightly.
But she lowered her eyes and chuckled softly: “You’re so interesting, Master Lin, I can’t bring myself to make things difficult for you. I won’t harm you.”
“Also… a woman’s secret?”
“You’re so clever, Master Lin, it makes me quite fond of you~”
Youluo regained her seductive and mischievous smile, her eyes alluring as she lightly traced his chest with her finger: “Just wait for me to return. If no one comes knocking at your door tonight, perhaps I can let you… enjoy yourself a bit, as a reward~”
Leaving these ambiguous and teasing words behind, Youluo smiled and walked away gracefully, her figure disappearing around the corner.
Lin Tianlu watched her go and couldn’t help but sigh, shaking his head.
She truly was a restless woman.
…
A short while later, the three of them entered the restaurant.
After sitting down, Mao Ruoyu brushed her hair and looked towards the windows on the third floor of the inn across the street, asking, puzzled: “Isn’t Miss Youluo coming down for dinner?”
“She couldn’t stay still, she’s probably wandering around the town again.”
Cheng Yishi arranged the bowls and chopsticks on the table: “If she’s hungry, she’ll come back.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled softly.
The more they interacted, the more he realized that this woman’s personality was as unpredictable as a wild cat.
But thinking back, after their reunion two days ago, Youluo’s personality… seemed to have become more approachable and gentle?
Although her actions were still mysterious and secretive.
“—I’m also feeling quite conflicted.”
Mao Ruoyu took a sip of warm tea and couldn’t help but laugh wryly: “When Miss Youluo left without saying goodbye before, I felt quite disappointed and regretted that she couldn’t continue traveling with us.
But now that she’s back, talking to her again makes me… quite annoyed.”
Although she hadn’t said anything explicitly suggestive, her occasional teasing and playful remarks were quite exasperating.
“Such teasing probably means she cares about you.” Cheng Yishi chuckled: “With your gentle and reserved personality, Ruoyu, people just want to tease you.”
“Mm…” Mao Ruoyu blushed slightly and gave her a playful glare: “You’re talking nonsense again.”
Lin Tianlu rubbed his chin and mused: “But my wife is so gentle and adorable, some people just want to see you blush and flustered, it must be even more charming.”
“How can you tease me too, husband!”
The beautiful woman playfully punched him lightly.
But her gentle touch was more like a caress, a playful and affectionate gesture, rather sweet and intimate.
“Your dishes are here, guests!”
A young waiter quickly brought over two plates of hot dishes with a smile: “The other three dishes will be served shortly, please wait a moment.”
“Thank you.” Lin Tianlu nodded slightly.
“You’re too kind, sir!”
The young waiter bowed repeatedly.
Seeing him hurry back to the kitchen, Lin Tianlu looked away, but he suddenly heard a conversation from another table. He looked over and saw two young men dressed as scholars sighing as they drank: “Sigh! I heard that Mr. Huang was a learned man, kind and humble, I didn’t expect him to be killed by bandits… what a pity!”
“Indeed! I heard there have been many villains roaming around the county recently. Even though the authorities have sent people to search, there are still no results. This Spring Festival is truly unsettling!…”
At the same time, there were also other people whispering and sighing in other parts of the restaurant.
A middle-aged man picked up a piece of stir-fried meat, put it in his mouth, and mumbled as he chewed: “I heard that a few days ago, there was thunder and lightning, and the ground shook in Fengtai County, even people a hundred miles away saw it. Many people were wondering if some celestial being had descended!”
“I’ve also heard about it, Brother Liang.”
The man in yellow robes sitting opposite him sighed: “But these supernatural things are too far removed from us. Compared to that, the rumors coming from Qingyang Province are more unsettling.”
“Oh? What happened there?”
“I heard that ‘those above’ are making big moves, everyone is on edge.”
The man in yellow robes took a sip of wine and said with a helpless expression: “You know, Brother Liang, my cousin’s family lives in Qingyang Province. It’s very difficult to communicate with them now, I don’t even know if they’re safe.”
“Sigh, this world…”
“…”
Sighs and laments could be heard from the surrounding tables, their conversations mostly about rumors and gossip.
Lin Tianlu remained silent, pondering inwardly.
Until a gentle and caring voice suddenly whispered beside his ear:
“Husband, let’s eat first.”
“Mm.”
Lin Tianlu quickly came back to his senses and smiled, taking the bowl of rice she offered.
But Cheng Yishi blinked her beautiful eyes, staring at his chest for a moment: “Husband, although I know that Miss Chi and the others are inside your immortal mountain, shouldn’t they come out and have dinner with us?”
Lin Tianlu chuckled: “That Miss Xian’er is a mountain spirit, she doesn’t need to eat, and she’s still recuperating, it’s not convenient for her to appear.
As for Miss Chi, she seems to have made some progress in her cultivation and has been meditating quietly these past few days, barely moving.”
“I see.”
Cheng Yishi nodded slightly.
Lin Tianlu put down his chopsticks: “If you’re worried, you can go and see them.”
“Th-This… can we really see them?”
Mao Ruoyu looked slightly surprised.
But as if realizing something, a seductive blush appeared on her face, and she murmured shyly: “Wouldn’t that mean… being intimate here…?”
Lin Tianlu smiled: “Although you can see them unconsciously during intimate moments, if I guide you, you two can also easily enter the mountain.”
“Ah…”
Mao Ruoyu blushed furiously, even more embarrassed under Cheng Yishi’s playful gaze.
“Just hold my hands.”
Holding both his wives’ hands gently, Lin Tianlu calmed his mind and focused his consciousness.
Perhaps it was because he had been interacting with many Savage Realm demons and ghosts recently, but his control over his consciousness had become much more proficient. In an instant, using his spiritual energy as a guide, he brought his two wives’ consciousnesses into Mount Taiyi.
…
Immortal mist lingered, like a rosy glow.
As their feet touched the ground of the immortal mountain, Mao Ruoyu and Cheng Yishi came back to their senses, looking around in surprise and uncertainty.
“We can actually enter this place with our consciousness?”
Looking back, the endless mountain range came into view, a breathtakingly beautiful scene, like a paradise.
But what surprised them the most was—
A strange mountain peak had appeared not far from the foot of the mountain.
“That’s…”
“Immortal Phoenix Mountain.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled: “The essence of the mountain has been moved here, so naturally, the scenery of Immortal Phoenix Mountain is also here. And Miss Xian’er is currently recuperating in the mountain.”
“Truly incredible.”
Cheng Yishi’s face was filled with amazement.
Looking from afar, even the trees and vegetation in the mountain were clearly visible, lifelike, as if an entire mountain had truly been moved.
“Where is Miss Chi now?” Mao Ruoyu asked curiously.
“Right behind us.”
Lin Tianlu turned around and pointed.
Chi Lingyuan’s voluptuous figure was sitting cross-legged beside the stone table on the solitary peak of Mount Taiyi, surrounded by a shimmering spiritual light, looking ethereal and mysterious.
Mao Ruoyu covered her mouth with her hand and whispered: “She’s truly meditating, should we… be quiet?”
“It’s not that easy to be disturbed during deep meditation.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled: “And Miss Chi isn’t the only resident of this mountain.”
“Husband, you mean…”
“Look over there.”
“Hmm?” Cheng Yishi followed his gaze and quickly widened her eyes.
A brilliant and mysterious black lotus bloomed on the cliff, seductive and alluring, a faint light swirling within its petals. A blurry and indistinct figure was sitting cross-legged in mid-air, its hair and clothes swaying gently in the breeze.
“This is… me?”
A vague memory surfaced, and Cheng Yishi suddenly remembered that half of her soul was also here in the immortal mountain.
That demonic black lotus was formed from her soul.
Lin Tianlu looked at Mao Ruoyu beside him and smiled mysteriously: “And there’s another one.”
Mao Ruoyu was slightly stunned, then she suddenly felt a soft pressure against her back, making her stumble forward two steps.
“Eh?”
She instinctively looked back and her pupils constricted: “I-Is that you?”
“It’s the first time we’ve met here, isn’t it?”
Accompanied by a slightly frivolous and ambiguous chuckle, another ‘Mao Ruoyu’ appeared, her face identical, but with black hair and crimson eyes.
She caressed Mao Ruoyu’s face intimately and chuckled: “It’s been a while, you seem to have gained some weight.”
“I-I haven’t… gained any weight!”
Mao Ruoyu panicked and quickly touched her face, afraid that she had truly gained weight.
But the next moment, her face flushed crimson.
Because the black-haired, crimson-eyed Mao Ruoyu was smiling seductively as she reached out and grabbed Mao Ruoyu’s ample bosom, her fingers squeezing and kneading, the soft flesh almost spilling out of her clothes, a breathtakingly alluring curve, her delicate hands barely able to contain half of it.
“I’m talking about this part being fuller!”
“Mmm! W-Wait… why are you doing this as soon as we meet…?”
“Seeing you like this is more interesting.”
‘Mao Ruoyu’ chuckled, releasing the breathless beauty from her embrace, and stroked her hair, glancing sideways.
And the moment her eyes met Lin Tianlu’s, she pursed her lips slightly, her expression softening, her face slightly flushed as she looked away, then at Cheng Yishi.
“I didn’t expect to see you, you vicious woman, here.”
“You are…”
Cheng Yishi was clearly stunned.
But after a moment, a familiar figure surfaced in her mind, and she gritted her teeth resentfully: “So it was you who… molested me that time!”
“It was just a bit of fun, why take it so seriously?” ‘Mao Ruoyu’ chuckled softly and ambiguously: “After all, you were quite enjoying it, why be angry now?”
Cheng Yishi’s face flushed red with anger, her chest heaving.
Recalling that night when she and Linlang were being intimate in the pavilion, this woman had suddenly appeared and interfered, teasing and tormenting her. The next day, her legs had been so weak she could barely stand.
Mao Ruoyu straightened her clothes and asked shyly: “Husband, why is… another ‘me’ here?”
But ‘Mao Ruoyu’ quickly waved her hand and chuckled: “Just think about it, on our wedding night, you were so lost in ecstasy, your soul almost leaving your body, what’s wrong with me entering your husband’s body? After all, our bodies and souls are connected, it’s much more enjoyable to be with my husband.”
“Th-This, this…”
Mao Ruoyu was speechless with embarrassment.
“Alright, stop teasing her.”
Lin Tianlu interrupted, smiling wryly: “Since you’re here now, Ruoyu, you might as well go back. It must be lonely staying in the mountain all the time.”
“…Mm.”
‘Mao Ruoyu’ stopped teasing, nodded obediently, lowered her head, and her figure transformed into specks of light, merging back into Mao Ruoyu’s body.
Mao Ruoyu pressed her hand against her chest, a complex and subtle expression on her face.
Although she had just been teased, thinking about it carefully… based on her cultivation experience in Lunar Valley, that seductive and demonic woman was also a part of her, just with a slightly different personality.
So, she had just been teased by… herself?
Cheng Yishi touched her forehead and sighed: “Should I say that the true nature hidden deep within you, Ruoyu, is truly… unexpected?”
Mao Ruoyu blushed even more and could only chuckle awkwardly.
…
After the three of them left the immortal mountain, only a moment had passed in the outside world, and the young waiter soon brought over the remaining three dishes.
But Lin Tianlu, looking at Mao Ruoyu, who was sitting beside him, her face red and her head lowered, silently eating her rice, clearly still “shaken,” couldn’t help but smile.
“It’s been more than a month since our wedding, there’s no need to be so shy.”
Lin Tianlu picked up a piece of tender fish and placed it in her bowl, chuckling gently: “Even immortals have desires. It’s perfectly normal for you to have some desires, Ruoyu, even if you’re usually aloof and detached.”
“Indeed.”
Cheng Yishi smiled faintly and nodded in agreement: “To have both good and bad thoughts, changing constantly, is human nature. Being gentle and virtuous in public doesn’t mean you have to be compassionate and selfless all the time… That would be too tiring.”
“I understand the reasoning. But…”
Mao Ruoyu’s eyes were moist, and she looked up at them shyly, whispering: “I’m just a bit embarrassed.”
“What’s there to be embarrassed about?” Cheng Yishi smiled and placed a piece of vegetable in her bowl: “Only your husband gets to see this seductive and charming side of you, isn’t that wonderful?”
“As long as…”
Mao Ruoyu stole a glance at him, her face red: “As long as my husband doesn’t dislike me.”
This fleeting glance, filled with affection, was like a feather brushing against his heart, sweet and intoxicating, making his body tingle.
Seeing his wife’s alluring and pitiful appearance, Lin Tianlu couldn’t help but touch his chest and sigh: “You’re so charming and captivating, Ruoyu, I’m already completely smitten. If you were any more seductive, I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
“Pfft—”
Mao Ruoyu couldn’t help but chuckle, saying softly and gently: “My husband has also learned how to say sweet nothings.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled: “Although my words are a bit clumsy, as long as they make my wife happy.”
“My husband’s words are incredibly sweet~”
Mao Ruoyu smiled sweetly, picking up a piece of fish and carefully bringing it to his lips: “Try this fish, my husband~”
Lin Tianlu’s heart warmed, and he readily took the fish from her.
Watching them feed each other affectionately, Cheng Yishi puffed her cheeks slightly, her teeth unconsciously biting her chopsticks.
“Vixen!”
“The real vixen is right here~”
Yun Yue’s small figure suddenly appeared on Cheng Yishi’s shoulder, rubbing her face with her little paw, and chuckled: “You should suddenly feed Ruoyu some food, it would be fun to see her flustered and embarrassed.”
“Then I have to be more proactive!”
Cheng Yishi snorted softly, took a sip of hot fish soup, pursed her lips, and then leaned closer to Lin Tianlu, pressing her lips against his.
“Mm!”
Mao Ruoyu and Yun Yue were both surprised, and although a bit shy, also somewhat admiring.
To be so intimate in broad daylight wasn’t something an ordinary woman could— “Mmmmm!”
But the next moment, Cheng Yishi’s face turned bright red, her eyes watery and unfocused, as if she were about to suffocate.
After a long while, their lips finally parted, and she collapsed weakly onto the table, panting softly, clutching her heaving chest, as if smoke was rising from her head, completely exhausted.
Yun Yue suppressed a smile and patted her head with her paw: “Your courage is commendable.”
…
As night fell, the small border town became even more lively.
The area along the river was brightly lit and bustling with activity, as if a local lantern festival was taking place. Many restaurants and entertainment venues were open, and one could even see singing and dancing girls performing gracefully within the red gauze-covered pavilions, the audience cheering and applauding.
But Lin Tianlu didn’t go out to experience the local festivities tonight.
Perhaps they were in high spirits during dinner, but Mao Ruoyu and Cheng Yishi had both drunk some wine and had fallen asleep shortly after returning to the inn, needing someone to watch over them.
However—
As the restaurant became more crowded during dinner, he had also overheard quite a bit of gossip and rumors.
Some were about the incidents around Fengtai County, some about local conflicts, and some about Qingyang Province.
He heard that Qingyang Province was currently in turmoil, with constant political strife and everyone on edge, seemingly related to the Zhengyang Prince’s secret arrangements. And behind it, there were even signs of…
…a rebellion.
Because of this, many people from Qingyang Province, bordering Wuchang Province, had recently moved here to escape the turmoil.
“It’s hard to tell if the rumors about Qingyang Province are true, but the Yin energy in this town has become much denser.”
A moon-white figure nimbly jumped in through the window and landed steadily on the windowsill.
Yun Yue glanced at the brightly lit and bustling street outside and murmured: “As night falls, the demons and ghosts hiding in the shadows are starting to stir. Since the conflict between the ancient realm and the Luo Xing that night, their activities have become much more frequent. They probably also sense that something is amiss and want to take this opportunity to harvest more mortal souls and enhance their cultivation.
But the local demons and ghosts are keeping each other in check, not daring to act recklessly and reveal any weaknesses, afraid of being taken advantage of by others. A delicate balance has been maintained, and there haven’t been any innocent victims in the county these past few days.”
Lin Tianlu couldn’t help but find this both amusing and ridiculous.
Perhaps this situation could be considered a blessing in disguise?
Yun Yue blinked her bright eyes and suddenly suggested: “Aren’t you going to see the lantern festival, Tianlu? There are many learned scholars and writers composing poems and inscriptions, and also many song and dance performances. It should be quite interesting for you. I can watch over Ruoyu and Yishi, there’s no need to worry.”
“I’ve seen enough of those, I should stay and accompany you.”
Lin Tianlu smiled gently, stroking the fox’s smooth fur: “Besides, we’ve been fighting and traveling non-stop these past few days, it’s good to have some peace and quiet. How can those colorful lights and bustling crowds compare to the warmth and gentleness of my beautiful wives at home?”
Yun Yue blinked and smiled faintly: “You also want to say sweet nothings to me now, Tianlu?”
“I’m being sincere.”
Lin Tianlu sighed: “I originally wanted to take you three on a pleasant trip during this festive season, but with all the conflicts and battles, I’m truly sorry.”
“…”
After a moment of silence, Yun Yue’s figure was enveloped in a faint moonlight, quickly transforming into a beautiful and alluring woman.
Dressed in a moon-white gauze skirt, a silk sash around her waist and under her arms, her shoulders and chest exposed, a shimmering robe draped over her arms and shoulders like clouds and mist, she looked like a celestial being under the moonlight, breathtakingly beautiful and captivating.
Her fox tails swayed like clouds behind her, a gentle and tender smile on her flawless face.
“In that case, I’ll accompany you tonight, Tianlu.”
A subtle fragrance lingered, her affection as soft and sweet as honey, as her voluptuous body leaned against him, her ample bosom, barely concealed by the gauze, pressing against him, a breathtaking sensation.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, her feminine charm irresistible, making him want to cherish and protect this unique and enchanting fox woman in his arms.
“We’ll be entering Qingyang Province soon, you should prepare a gift for your reunion with Shuya, Master.”
Yun Yue leaned against him with a gentle smile, looking up tenderly: “If you’re not sure what to get, let me help you choose.”
“I’ll naturally prepare something.”
Lin Tianlu gently caressed the beautiful woman’s back, his hand moving downwards, the thin gauze robe almost like a second skin, her smooth and delicate skin incredibly soft and pleasant to the touch.
Then, he whispered in her ear with a chuckle: “And sooner or later, I’ll also prepare an unforgettable gift for you, Yue’er.”
“…Mmm…”
Yun Yue blushed slightly, a sweet and indescribable shyness spreading through her heart.
In the silent and ambiguous atmosphere, her long and shapely legs, clad in black silk, subtly intertwined and wrapped around his waist, the curve of her buttocks even more prominent, her several fox tails twitching restlessly.
After a while, soft laughter and whispers mingled with the sound of trickling water, like a gentle spring, a warm and subtle fragrance filling the night air, comforting and refreshing.
