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"Do you recognize me?" The Oni Beast flicked its hand towards Xie Xuan's sword. "Where did you get this sword?"
"It is said that during the great battle between Xuanyuan Huangdi and Chiyou, Chiyou was slain, and his head fell to the ground, transforming into the Oni Beast. The Oni Beast is a glutton; it devours everything in sight, and if it runs out of food, it will turn to eat itself. It is the most lethal among the four ancient fierce beasts. I never expected that what I see before me is just this thing!"
"Are you saying I'm nothing?" The Oni Beast let out a cold laugh, but its gaze never left the sword in Xie Xuan's hand. Even this most ferocious monster had something it feared.
"Could it be that you are not a thing?" Xie Xuan replied, slightly adjusting his stance. At this moment, every nerve in his body was tense.
The sword in Xie Xuan's hand was given to him by Moxuyou and was said to be forged from the divine weapon left by Xuanyuan Huangdi. At first, he didn't believe it, but just moments ago, he had used this sword to wound the Oni Beast, even instilling some fear in it. Thus, his grip on the sword tightened further. His palms were sweaty, but on the surface, he still maintained a relaxed demeanor.
At this moment, both the Oni Beast and Xie Xuan were observing each other closely. The watching fox and Xing Ruyi continued to stand in place. However, the fox quietly set up a Barrier around Xing Ruyi to prevent any potential rampage from the Oni Beast from harming her.
Looking at the scene before him, although Xie Xuan held a longsword, his heart still felt some fear as he faced the Oni Beast. The Oni Beast was good at eating but also skilled at reading people's hearts; it sensed the fear deep within Xie Xuan. It raised its head and scrutinized him from top to bottom. "Whether you are a thing or not doesn't matter; since you have come seeking me with that sword, you must know my background. I have lived for tens of thousands of years and will not quibble with a mere mortal like you over trivial matters. As for this Mountain Spirit, if you want it, I will give it to you. But as a condition for exchange, you need to tell me where this sword came from."
"What if I found it? Would you believe me?" Xie Xuan said, pointing the longsword at the Oni Beast's eyes. "In fact, there is no need for you to ask that question at all because even if I answered, you wouldn't know whether it's true or false. All I can tell you is that this sword does not belong to me, and its original owner should be very familiar to you."
The expression in the Oni Beast's eyes changed slightly; it smiled as it lowered its head and quickly struck out. In an instant, Xie Xuan found himself tightly grasped by the throat: "To me, you're not even worth a snack between my teeth. Do you really think that sword can hurt me? Let me tell you, mortal, that sword indeed carries the aura of that old fellow Xuanyuan. But he has been dead for countless years; do you think I would still be afraid?"
"Then why did you just hold back against me?" Xie Xuan struggled to ask.
"That was because I was testing another person or perhaps the fox! But it seems he doesn't want to meddle," the Oni Beast said as it glanced at the fox. "You are from Qingqiu, right? Given our past connections with your Qingqiu clan, I won't make things difficult for you or your mortal wife beside you. If you're wise, you'd best stay out of my affairs."
"I don't like meddling!" The fox replied coolly. "It's just that my wife has a kind heart; if she wants to intervene, I will certainly help."
"So you're going to interfere after all?" The Oni Beast's eyes glinted dangerously. "Fox, you need to know that if it comes down to a fight, you will definitely not be my match."
"Oh really? Then I would like to test whether my Nine-Tailed Fox Clan truly cannot defeat a so-called fierce beast like you who only lives for food," the fox said as it moved closer to the Oni Beast. Although the Oni Beast was fierce, over these tens of thousands of years, aside from eating, it had done little else. Its power had dwindled down to barely thirty percent of its original strength. The Nine-Tailed Fox Clan was different; they had been diligently training over these thousands of years in preparation for calamities and had developed many methods to counter them.
The reason why the fox could become Qingqiu's new Fox Emperor was not only because he was the only legitimate bloodline of the white fox clan but also because he inherited the powers of the previous Fox Emperor and Empress. If they truly fought, the odds would favor the fox more. The Oni Beast understood this too; thus when the fox teleported closer, it released its grip on Xie Xuan.
"Just a mere mortal; if you want to protect him, I'll give you this face!"
"I don't want him!" The Fox said, waving his sleeve and pushing Xie Xuan back to the Oni Beast. Then, the ropes binding Jin Se snapped, and she fell to the ground. The Fox looked on coldly but did not approach, only saying, "My Wife has a kind heart and wants to save this Mountain Spirit."
The Oni Beast lowered his gaze and smiled, saying, "So it's her? Very well, you can have her. After all, I've already taken a heart and a pair of eyes from her Mountain Spirit; the remaining heart is nothing I would miss. However, I'm quite curious—how does a dignified Azure Wind Nine-Tailed White Fox like you get involved with a mortal and call her Wife? Is this how things are done in your Qingqiu?"
"The rules of Qingqiu are determined by us. Whether they align or not is none of your concern. We will take this Mountain Spirit with us. As for this Lord Xie, if you're interested, feel free to fry or boil him as you wish!"
"Good! You're quite perceptive. Just for that last statement, I would like to be friends with you, Fox!" The Oni Beast gestured to the female shopkeeper to help the Mountain Spirit up and bring her to Xing Ruyi's side. "That Mountain Spirit's eyes are still fresh; I'll give them to you as well. Whether you want to put them back on her is up to you. However, while these Mountain Spirit's eyes are clear and beautiful, they cannot discern the thoughts of mortals. This Mountain Spirit actually believes that this mortal man came for her. Truly foolishly infatuated. Such foolish eyes and heart would have no flavor when eaten!"
Jin Se had no intention of interjecting but couldn't help turning around to ask upon hearing the Oni Beast's words, "What do you mean by that?"
"What do I mean?" The Oni Beast chuckled, his seemingly frail shoulders shaking slightly. "Did your Mountain Spirit mother not tell you before she died that she sacrificed all her cultivation and even agreed to serve the Mountain Deity after death in exchange for your safety and that of your brother?
Your mother set up an extremely secretive barrier in that mountain, allowing only mortals to enter. This was not due to her lack of foresight but rather her kindness; she couldn't bear to cut off the livelihoods of the surrounding Mountain Dwellers. Moreover, after your family faced misfortune, the bloodline of the Mountain Spirit began to awaken. It wouldn't be easy for ordinary mortals or even mountain monsters to harm you.
But this young Master Xie before you secretly marked the way out when he left and even used a tool given by others to tear a hole in that barrier. Otherwise, how could I possibly have found you?"
"You’re talking nonsense! Young Master Xie is not that kind of person!" Jin Se searched for Xie Xuan's presence and finally turned her empty eyes covered with white silk towards him, softly asking, "Young Master Xie, what he said isn't true, right?"
"Jin Se, do you trust me?" Xie Xuan countered with a question.
Jin Se nodded, "As long as it's yours, I believe it!"
"And Jin Yu? How is he?"
Xie Xuan asked again, his expression dark enough that one couldn't discern his thoughts. Unfortunately, at that moment, Jin Se had no eyes to see; she could only tilt her ear and quietly wait for Xie Xuan's answer.
"Jin Yu—" Jin Se recalled Jin Yu's pained cries when he was captured by the Oni Beast and his final gaze. He fought desperately to protect his sister but was powerless against such a formidable beast.
Thinking of Jin Yu's gaze made Jin Se's human heart feel as if it were being tightly gripped by a hand, causing her pain so intense that she could only slightly part her lips and struggle to breathe.
"Jin Yu... he’s dead!" Jin Se's voice was soft; within it lay both pain and comfort. "I know I should be sad now, but I also feel a hint of happiness because Jin Yu can finally rest. He doesn't have to accompany me anymore or endure the daily torment of living flesh turning to bone. I am not a qualified sister; I did not protect Jin Yu well enough; even in his final moments, he still worried about me."
"This is not your fault! The Oni Beast is not to blame; it's me, I marked that mountain."
"Why?" Jinse retorted. "Why leave a mark on the mountain? Is it really as he said, that you did it on purpose?"
"I..." Xie Xuan stiffened his neck. "If I left that mark, it was to come back for you. Do you believe me? Jinse, everything I told you back then was true. I genuinely wanted to take you out of the mountain, and I really liked you a bit. More importantly, I sincerely wanted Jin Yu to rest in peace and be buried properly.
After leaving the mountain, I searched everywhere for someone who could cast spells. I hoped to find a way to help Jin Yu and you. Later, I met someone who could help, so I believed him. At that time, I didn't know that thing was a Barrier; I thought that as long as it was gone, I could return to find you anytime. Jinse, I'm sorry; I never intended to hurt you or Jin Yu. Now my life is also in the hands of the Oni Beast, and I'm going to die. Can you forgive me?"
Jinse pressed her lips together and remained silent.
The Oni Beast let out a disdainful sneer and looked into Xie Xuan's eyes. "The thoughts of you mortals are truly filthy. A string of lies, and yet your face doesn't even flush with shame!"
"I'm not lying!" Xie Xuan argued, trying to snatch the sword from the Oni Beast's hand.
"You clearly knew that destroying the Barrier would bring danger to the Mountain Spirits Siblings, yet you still did it? I'm sure the person who gave you that artifact warned you about this. But at that time, you had no idea what kind of trouble that place would attract."
"Now I know; it will draw you over!" Xie Xuan shot a glance at the Oni Beast's eyes.
"Yes, you're not wrong; it will draw me over, but besides me, there are other things!" The Oni Beast said, waving his hand. Madam quickly pulled out a map. The map looked fresh, as if it had just been peeled off someone's back.
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