“Young Master, we could not find Princess Bai Jin’s whereabouts.”
The Imperial Guard Captain returned to report. His expression was despondent as he spoke, and fearing Tushan Yu’s reprimand, he hurriedly presented the only lead from this trip with both hands. “But we discovered this in the place where the Princess went missing.”
It was a piece of torn cloth.
Soaked in blood, the original pattern on the fabric was unrecognizable.
Tushan Yu cast a spell on it. Moments later, faint black smoke seeped out from between the cloth’s fibers.
The Imperial Guard Captain’s pupils constricted. “This is… Devil Qi! Young Master, it’s Devil Qi!”
Tushan Yu’s five fingers tightened, and the torn cloth turned to dust in his palm.
He thought of the several Devil Clan experts he had seen days ago at the residence of Immortal Venerable Yuanqing, and… that Devil Lord known as Devil Venerable Cangli, Nangong Yin.
The grudge between the Devil Clan and the Demon Clan had never been resolved. He had not expected that before he could even make a move, the other party would strike first.
Tushan Yu took the news to find Elder Wu. Upon learning that Bai Jin might have been captured by someone from the Devil Clan, Elder Wu’s face immediately grew solemn.
He stroked his gray beard, a thoughtful look appearing on his face. “Recently, perhaps because my senior brother’s emergence from seclusion is near, there have indeed been reports of Fiend activity spotted within the Taiyan Immortal Domain.”
Tushan Yu stood up and walked before Elder Wu.
“Since my younger sister was lost fifteen hundred years ago due to unforeseen circumstances, Bai Jin is the only girl left in the clan. I have always treated Bai Jin as my own sister. If she also meets with misfortune because of me, I will have no face to return to Qingqiu!”
His expression was sorrowful. He bowed deeply. “I beg Elder Wu to help me find my younger cousin. Yu will never forget this kindness in all his life!”
Elder Wu was greatly alarmed and hurriedly helped Tushan Yu up, his tone helpless. “What are you doing?! I, too, have watched that little Jin girl grow up. Naturally, I will not allow the Fiends to abduct her without reason!”
He patted Tushan Yu’s hand and reassured him, “Rest assured, aside from the necessary personnel to prepare for the Medicine Ceremony, the rest of the sect’s experts are all at your disposal!”
Then, he added one more sentence: “I will report this matter to the Immortal Alliance. Once the Immortal Alliance intervenes, the person will be found soon.”
Tushan Yu bowed again. “Many thanks, Elder Wu!”
That night, multiple groups from the Medicine God Sect descended the mountain, conducting a blanket search of the Taiyan Immortal Domain. All locations with unclear factional affiliations were meticulously searched.
Any Devil Clan members they encountered, regardless of their identity, were first given a sound beating, then captured and sent up to the Medicine God Sect.
That very night, the experts of Medicine God Sect clashed with the Devil Clan’s Left and Right Protectors. Elder Wu, together with Tushan Yu, personally took action, forcing Lei Shuang and Jiang Ying into a continuous retreat.
Tushan Yu harshly interrogated them: “Where have you taken my younger female cousin?!”
Lei Shuang cursed back, “Who took your cousin?! Striking without distinguishing right from wrong—is this the conduct of your prestigious sects?!”
Tushan Yu did not believe her at all. “Doing yet not daring to admit it! If you have terms, state them plainly. Resorting to these underhanded schemes behind our backs is truly despicable!”
Lei Shuang and the other had no way to explain themselves. Jiang Ying stopped her: “Don’t waste your breath! The Devil Lord has sent word, telling us to retreat first!”
“Hmph!” Lei Shuang was extremely displeased.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t win the fight. They were also carrying Feng Jin, whose cultivation base had greatly decreased due to injury, and naturally could not entangle with the Medicine God Sect’s forces.
Lei Shuang pressed her palms together, summoning several brilliant golden lightning bolts from the sky.
Lightning flashes crackled and flickered. Not only was their vision obscured, but any body part that touched the arcs would be instantly paralyzed. By the time this burst of lightning dissipated, the Devil Clan’s Left and Right Protectors had vanished.
With a shift of intent, the white day was replaced by the black night.
Returning to the peach blossom forest outside the Immortal Market, Ren Qingyue still felt as if she had just woken from a long dream.
She clenched her fist and felt a hard object pressing against her hand. Looking down, it was precisely the jade talisman Yan Yuanqing had given her.
—The people from Fuyun Sect have already arrived in the Taiyan Immortal Domain. Take my token and bring Zhao’er to the Medicine God Sect to seek refuge.
Her Shizun’s request still echoed in her ears. Ren Qingyue dared not delay. She immediately picked up Yan Zhao, rode her sword into the air, and flew straight towards the Medicine God Sect.
The Medicine God Sect was not far from the peach blossom forest. Ren Qingyue poured out all her Dharma Power, quickening her speed again and again.
In less than two hours, they had flown into the Medicine God Sect’s territory.
Restricted by the Sect-Protecting Grand Array, they could not ride swords before the Mountain Gate.
Ren Qingyue gauged the distance. Seeing it was about time, she prepared to control her flying sword to descend.
Just then, Yan Zhao’s eyelids trembled, showing signs of waking.
The flying sword under Ren Qingyue’s feet wobbled. She failed to stabilize, her strength giving way.
The sensation of weightlessness was sudden. As her body plummeted, Ren Qingyue’s hands suddenly tightened around Yan Zhao.
Yan Zhao’s features immediately scrunched up.
Ren Qingyue’s heart skipped a beat.
Oh no.
Yan Zhao was squeezed awake.
Her eyelids trembled, about to open, when the force gripping her suddenly loosened.
Her body was hurled upwards, tracing a beautiful curve across the night sky, then somersaulted and landed, tumbling head over heels, covered in dirt.
This fall was too sudden, simply baffling.
Yan Zhao lay prone on the ground, motionless, her expression a bit dazed.
Her mind hadn’t caught up. She remembered lying on a tree branch before sleep and thought she had fallen from the tree.
How high a tree would it have to be for such a violent fall? The force was so great she almost embedded herself in the mud.
Feeling her body escape its stiff, numb state, Yan Zhao moved her neck and tried to prop herself up on her arms.
She heard a cracking sound, like a bone snapping into place.
Looking up, a ball of snow-white fluff appeared in her vision.
The little fox sat primly before her.
Its big tail wagged left and right behind it, the swing not too wide. Its pair of green eyes looked bright and luminous, but its gaze didn’t meet Yan Zhao’s, seemingly trying to deliberately avoid it.
Yan Zhao actually saw a guilty, thieving expression on the fox’s face.
It was uncertain if Yan Zhao had seen what happened just now. If its response wasn’t timely, and Yan Zhao discovered it was the one who dropped her, or if Yan Zhao saw through its identity, how would it explain?
The longer Yan Zhao remained silent, the more uneasy Ren Qingyue felt inside.
“Are you hurt from the fall?”
Yan Zhao climbed up from the ground, and the first words out of her mouth were actually this.
In Yan Zhao’s impression, whenever she slept, the little fox always nestled in her arms. If she fell from a tree, her fox might not have had time to dodge.
The slight shame in Ren Qingyue’s heart suddenly vanished. She involuntarily raised her head to look into Yan Zhao’s eyes.
Unexpectedly, she met Yan Zhao’s clear, clean gaze.
Like an electric shock, an invisible arc of electricity coursed through her body.
In an instant, her tail exploded.
Yan Zhao picked it up from the ground and patted away the grass clippings and dirt on its back. Only then did she have the presence of mind to look around.
“Huh?”
The environment seemed to have changed.
Before sleeping, it was clearly a peach blossom forest. How was it that upon opening her eyes, she was surrounded by lush, tall, straight pine trees?
Yan Zhao stood still in a daze, pondering for a moment.
She drew a conclusion: “Maybe the wind blew me here.”
After saying this, she nodded affirmatively. “That would also explain that fall just now. It must be so. I am truly clever.”
Little Fox: “…”
You need to be more careful, you know.
Yan Zhao couldn’t grow even a little bit of shrewdness.
That nap just now hadn’t been good, so she intended to find another place to continue sleeping.
This time, it absolutely had to be a cave that could block out the wind.
Seeing Yan Zhao walking further and further away, the little fox grew anxious.
In its earlier desperation, it had already crushed the jade talisman. If Yan Zhao walked even further, and the person coming to receive her arrived but couldn’t find her, they might miss each other!
Yan Zhao was looking around, searching for a path in the woods, when the little fox suddenly jumped out of her arms and ran back the way they came.
“Hey! Snowball!” Yan Zhao hadn’t held it steady. She watched helplessly as it ran off, angry yet helpless, baring her teeth as she complained, “When will you ever fix this terrible habit of yours?!”
She couldn’t possibly truly abandon her fox, so she had to follow its whims and follow along.
Luckily, this time the little fox didn’t run fast, as if deliberately waiting for her. But the moment she got close, the little fox would hop two steps away, circling in a small area, refusing to let her catch it.
“I understand.” Yan Zhao nodded, her face breaking into a happy smile. “You want to play hide-and-seek with me!”
Saying so, she covered her eyes with both hands and said to the little fox: “You go hide. I’ll count to one hundred, and when I’m done, I’ll come find you!”
Yan Zhao covered her eyes so tightly she couldn’t see a thing and began counting: “One, two…”
Little Fox: “…”
Forget it. It was better than her running around randomly by herself, and it could pass the time.
The little fox cooperatively ran into the woods, hiding behind the nearest tree, and deliberately made noise so Yan Zhao could hear.
Yan Zhao did indeed hear the sound the little fox made, but she strictly followed the game rules. She said she’d count to one hundred, and she would not stop a single count short.
By the time she counted to ninety, she heard the bushes rustle again.
Not long after, a soft, warm, furry little body brushed against her ankle.
Yan Zhao couldn’t help but laugh. “I told you to hide, why did you run back? If you’re still not hiding when I finish counting, there’s a punishment for being caught!”
“Three, two, one!”
Yan Zhao suddenly opened her eyes and simultaneously bent down to pick up the little fox by her feet.
She was about to reach out her wicked hands, stroke the little fox from head to tail, then hold its little head and give it a few fierce kisses.
But…
“Huh?”
Yan Zhao was dumbfounded.
She was indeed holding a little fox in her hands, a fluffy big tail wagging left and right behind it.
But this fox was orange.
Orange with black stripes, its big tail red like a ball of fire, the circles around its eyes as if elegantly lined, beautiful yet carrying a hint of charm. Held in Yan Zhao’s hands, it even blinked at Yan Zhao.
Yan Zhao’s smile faded. Expressionless, she let go.
Thud.
The little fox hit the ground, tumbling in a massive somersault, rolling far away like a rattan ball.
It flipped over and stood up, an extremely human expression appearing on its fox face: shock, disbelief, incredulity.
This person, she actually let go!
Was it not good-looking? Why would Yan Zhao watch it fall to the ground with her own eyes?!
Yan Zhao didn’t spare it a glance, turned around and left.
She didn’t know where Snowball was hiding, so she had to find it quickly.
She hadn’t taken two steps when the fox behind her stuck close again, like a clingy cat rubbing against Yan Zhao’s calf, trying to get her attention.
Yan Zhao’s steps were blocked, forced to stop.
She saw the unfamiliar little fox twist its body and lie down in front of her, rolling over to expose its white belly, showing friendliness to her.
Yan Zhao frowned.
She saw blood on the fox’s paws, and some also on the fur of its belly.
So it was injured.
This reminded Yan Zhao of the day she first met Snowball.
It was because of a similar karmic chance that she became Snowball’s owner.
She crouched down in front of the little fox, pushed aside its paws to look, and indeed saw a fresh wound still oozing blood.
“I already have a Spirit Pet. I can’t keep you. Don’t follow me anymore.”
Yan Zhao spoke earnestly. After finishing, she took out cloth strips and the Stasis-Clearing Ointment she had prepared to prevent Snowball from getting hurt again from her Universe Pouch.
“I’ll bandage you up, then you go.”
The little fox’s nose twitched, smelling the scent of medicinal herbs.
Stasis-Clearing Herb?!
It jumped up, wanting to run. Yan Zhao, without another word, grabbed its tail and dragged it back.
The little fox panicked.
Wait! Help! No, no, NO!!!
Bai Jin right?