Yan Zhao grabbed the fox’s tail. The touch was soft and fluffy, supple yet bouncy.
She couldn’t bear to let go.
Unfortunately, before she could properly play with it, that ball of fluff whoosh vanished from her palm again.
The little fox pulled its tail back, struggling to turn itself around within Yan Zhao’s embrace. A moment later, a pointy little head poked out. It stretched its neck, looking left and right.
Sure enough, the people chasing it were wary of Yan Zhao’s presence and didn’t dare show themselves, temporarily ceasing their attack. This confirmed the truth it had accidentally overheard that day.
It cautiously extended half its body out, using its two front paws on Yan Zhao’s shoulder for leverage. Its triangular ears twitched alertly, picking up the slightest rustle of wind and grass from every direction.
In this position, it was very close to Yan Zhao. The fur on the side of its neck brushed against Yan Zhao’s cheek, soft and ticklish.
Unexpectedly seeing such a serious and focused expression on a fox’s face, Yan Zhao couldn’t help but laugh. She picked the fox up by the scruff of its neck, meeting its eyes. “You’re afraid of those bad guys, but not me? Even you think I’m easy to bully?”
The fox’s eyes were green, like the most precious emeralds. Traces of sunlight reflected in their depths, incredibly beautiful.
Of course, it couldn’t speak, and there was no hostility in its eyes. But it clearly disliked being held by the scruff. Its little paws paddled furiously in the air.
Yan Zhao frowned and let go. The little fox immediately tumbled back to the ground, pulling at the wound on its belly and whimpering in pain.
She thought it would run away immediately, but this little creature was clever. It crouched by Yan Zhao’s feet and didn’t leave.
Yan Zhao lifted her foot, using the toe of her shoe to nudge its chin. It dodged away, its expression full of disdain.
“I just saved you, and you’re still disgusted by me?” Yan Zhao laughed, her eyes curving. This little thing was surprisingly interesting.
She deliberately tested it, walking past the fox.
The little creature immediately stood up, limping after her.
Its belly wound slowed it down, but it was afraid of being left alone.
Falling back into the hands of those people earlier meant certain death.
The Sect’s high-level members were using Yan Zhao as bait to lure the Devil Clan into action. As long as it stayed with Yan Zhao, the assassins Bu Donghou had sent wouldn’t dare act rashly.
But every step was excruciating. Level paths were somewhat bearable, but encountering steep slopes or potholes made progress impossible.
Watching Yan Zhao walk farther away, the little fox stood on a small mud step, so anxious it spun in circles.
Gritting its teeth, it mustered its strength and jumped down.
The anticipated pain and fall injuries never came. It landed in Yan Zhao’s outstretched hands, falling into a thin embrace.
Yan Zhao rubbed its little head. She pulled open her lapel and tucked it into her clothing, saying, “If you’re coming with me, you have to acknowledge me as your master. You have to listen to me from now on.”
The fox glared at her sideways, its ears flattening. Whatever she said, it just pretended not to hear.
Yan Zhao added, “If you don’t answer, I’ll take that as your agreement.”
Spirit Fox: “…”
It truly had no strength left to resist. Closing its eyes, it seized the moment to regulate its breathing and heal its abdominal injury.
To Yan Zhao, it looked like it had understood her words and was obediently staying still, not causing trouble.
She had just reached the foot of the mountain and already picked up a free Spirit Pet sticking to her side. Yan Zhao was in an excellent mood, humming a little tune as she walked.
One person and one fox left the Bamboo Grove. Two dark silhouettes materialized at the spot where Yan Zhao had just passed. They exchanged a glance. “The situation has changed. Let’s report back first.”
Fuyun Sect covered a vast area. Coming down from the mountain, crossing through the Bamboo Grove, and leaving the Sect Grounds, it was already dusk by the time Yan Zhao emerged.
According to the map, ahead lay one more low hill, and beyond that, they would reach the nearest Mortal town.
Yan Zhao stowed the map, intending to find a place to build a fire and spend the night in the forest.
There was also the little fox’s injury to consider. As its pet owner, she had to think of something.
She had spent three hundred idle years in Fuyun Sect. Other than Yuan Yi occasionally teaching her a few characters and a few hand seals, she had learned nothing. Surviving on Tianzhu Peak, surrounded by Fierce Beasts, relied entirely on her tough body.
What she was best at was scrambling around the mountains, picking fruit like a wild monkey and digging out bird nests.
Along the way, Yan Zhao collected some medicinal herbs. After finding a cave to temporarily settle in, she took the herbs out and ground them with a stone.
This kind of herb was something she’d seen Yuan Yi use before. It should be useful for healing wounds.
So she soaked clean cloth strips in the juice, then fished the little fox out from her embrace, ready to apply the medicine.
The Spirit Fox was roused awake by Yan Zhao’s movements. Its pointy little nose twitched, catching the scent of the herbs. It immediately began to struggle, showing great resistance.
“Don’t move,” Yan Zhao ordered it. “Stay still and let me put this medicine on you. You’ll heal faster that way.”
The little fox was inwardly horrified.
This was Stasis-Clearing Herb! The medicine didn’t match the illness! It had a blade wound, not a bruise! What it needed was Blood-Clotting Herb!
Unfortunately, Yan Zhao couldn’t hear her internal protests. Seeing the little fox unwilling to cooperate, she used both hands and feet, pinning its limbs down firmly and fixing it within her embrace. She forcefully applied the medicine and tied on the cloth strips.
Shortly after the wound was bandaged, fresh blood spots seeped through the surface of the cloth.
Yan Zhao clucked her tongue, finding this troublesome.
“See? I told you not to move. Now the wound’s split open again.”
Little Fox: “…”
Yan Zhao got up from the ground. “I’ll go find more herbs. You hide here.”
She turned around, but hadn’t taken two steps before the Spirit Fox clamped its teeth onto her pant leg.
“What is it?” Yan Zhao looked back. “You want to come with me? Afraid those bad guys are still around?”
The little fox thought: No, you misunderstand. I was trying to say, why don’t you just stop fussing.
Yan Zhao scooped it up, tucking it into her clothes. “Fine.”
Little Fox: “…”
Forget it.
If it kept a close eye and didn’t let Yan Zhao pick the wrong herbs, things should be fine.
Yan Zhao, carrying the fox, left the cave. Her search was systematic. Soon, she spotted a target.
She bent down, reaching out her hand. Just as she was about to pick the herb, something suddenly tripped her foot. Thump! She fell flat on the ground.
The fall didn’t really hurt, but when she got back up, the herb she’d just seen was gone.
“?” Yan Zhao searched the surrounding area carefully. It was truly gone.
The little fox had somehow slipped out of her embrace. It came running to her, a bunch of herbs in its mouth, presenting them as if claiming credit. Its big bushy tail wagged cheerfully from side to side.
Yan Zhao took the herbs from its mouth, glanced at them, and tossed them away. “Not this one.”
Little Fox: “…”
Its paws clenched.
In the end, Yan Zhao still picked a large bundle of Stasis-Clearing Herb.
Back at the cave, the sky had fully darkened. Yan Zhao casually tossed the Stasis-Clearing Herb aside as a spare.
Firewood was the most abundant thing in the forest. Yan Zhao had picked some up along the way back and built a fire at the cave entrance.
Exhausted after a long day, she was already sleepy. So she lay down on the spot, pulled the little fox into her arms, pillowed her head on a suitably tall stone, and went to sleep.
The little fox stayed still for a while. Once Yan Zhao was mostly asleep, it poked its head out, craning its neck. It gently blew a puff of breath at Yan Zhao.
The hand Yan Zhao had wrapped around the fox’s waist loosened slightly and fell limply to the side, close to the fire. The high heat baked the back of her hand, but it didn’t burn her awake.
A greenish mist swirled within the cave, and the little fox’s silhouette gradually vanished.
When the green mist dispersed, a graceful figure appeared out of thin air.
She was dressed in plain white robes, but there were bloodstains around her waist and abdomen. It was Tianzhu Peak’s Eldest Senior Sister, who had been missing for several days—Ren Qingyue.
Ren Qingyue crouched down beside Yan Zhao, taking her hand and gently moving it away from the fire.
In the warm orange glow of the firelight, Ren Qingyue gazed at Yan Zhao’s sleeping face, carefully tracing its youthful features.
For all these years, she had never once carefully observed Yan Zhao’s appearance.
Naturally, Yan Zhao’s features weren’t ugly. It was just that she usually neglected her appearance, dusty and disheveled, looking dirty and messy. But pushing aside the hair on her forehead and looking closely, one could find a trace of something strangely familiar.
This secret had been hidden for three hundred years. Ren Qingyue sighed helplessly. If only she had paid a little more attention on any ordinary day, perhaps she could have glimpsed the truth sooner.
Yan Zhao was a complicated figure for her.
Her Master’s death perhaps had other causes. This child should be innocent. Yet ultimately, Yan Zhao had indirectly become an accomplice in her Master’s murder.
Ren Qingyue didn’t hate Yan Zhao. But it was hard to say she liked her, either.
Yan Zhao’s origins were full of hardship, and her future path of cultivation was destined to be uneven. Ren Qingyue thought to herself: at least while I am here, I won’t let Yan Zhao die so easily.
Withdrawing her gaze from Yan Zhao’s face, Ren Qingyue stood up and threw the Stasis-Clearing Herb directly into the fire to burn.
Afterwards, Ren Qingyue quietly left the cave.
After leaving Fuyun Sect, those people seemed not to have followed.
Ren Qingyue found some Blood-Clotting Herb, cleaned her wound, and reapplied medicine properly. Finally, she returned to the cave.
Suddenly, the ground shook. Birds and beasts scattered in all directions.
Ren Qingyue’s steps halted abruptly. Her right hand swiftly pressed down on the Flexible Sword at her waist. Looking back, she saw a giant brown bear, over three meters tall, swaggering towards the cave.
A Brown Bear?!
Ren Qingyue’s mind raced. So this was originally a bear cave. No wonder the place stank so badly, with bone fragments piled in the corner.
She drew her sword, preparing a Sword Art.
Just an ordinary beast of the wilds. She could kill it with a casual strike.
The Brown Bear smelled a foreign scent coming from its den and stomped back with an aggressive aura.
Ren Qingyue thrust her sword out. A streak of Sword Qi tore through the air, striking the Brown Bear right between the eyes.
Clang—
The Brown Bear’s charge halted. It froze in its tracks.
A moment later…
“ROAR!!!”
It let out a thunderous roar and charged over, thud, thud, thud, even faster than before.
Ren Qingyue: “…”
A miscalculation. She was too badly wounded; her Dharma Power was completely gone. That strike, instead of piercing the bear’s skull, had only completely enraged it.
She decisively flew towards the cave entrance. The moment she landed, she transformed back into the little fox.
The little fox’s fluffy tail gave a gentle flick. It sprinted at full speed to Yan Zhao’s side.
With a quick glance, it saw Yan Zhao’s exposed hand. The little fox’s eyes darted around. Without further ado, it bit down—hard.
Yan Zhao’s eyes flew open. She leaped three feet into the air.
“OW!”
