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Have you ever eaten dumplings in front of a grave? During the Winter Solstice!
The Winter Solstice, also known as the Winter Solstice Festival, is one of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that "the Winter Solstice is as important as the New Year." On this day, not only do people worship their ancestors and share offerings, but even married daughters are expected to return home for a visit, although they must return to their husband's house by night.
At midnight, thick clouds hung low in the sky. Standing in the dense forest and looking up, one could feel the oppressive darkness suffocating. The man tightened his clothing and lowered his head against the howling wind in the woods as he walked toward the cemetery deep within.
By the bonfire, Xing Ruyi sneezed. The fox opened its eyes and pulled her into its embrace. Xing Ruyi wrinkled her nose and offered the still warm dumplings in her hand, asking the fox, "My Lord Fox, would you like to try some?"
"No!" The fox glanced at them and refused.
"But I can't finish them all!" Xing Ruyi exclaimed, deliberately patting her round belly. "I ate too much just now and got stuffed."
"Then throw them away!"
"How can I? There are surely many people in the Golden Tang Dynasty who can't get enough to eat, let alone delicious dumplings like these. It would be a waste! Even if it kills me, I will finish them all!"
As she spoke, Xing Ruyi picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks and was about to put it in her mouth. The fox frowned and said, "Feed me!"
Xing Ruyi smiled, tilting her head slightly upward as she fed the dumpling into the fox's mouth.
Si Niang stirred the dumplings in the pot and shot a glance at Xing Ruyi with a smile. She said to the fox, "Young Master Yin, you've fallen for her trick. She just wants you to taste the dumplings she made herself. Just now she told me she wasn't full; this pot is filled with her creations."
"Exactly! These dumplings were made by me; not everyone has the fortune to eat them," Xing Ruyi laughed as she picked up another dumpling and brought it to the fox's mouth. The fox looked at her and obediently opened its mouth to eat.
"To be honest, these dumplings are really not easy to make."
Xing Ruyi recalled the scene with Bai Shi in the carriage. Originally, she was sitting in the carriage with Si Niang and Bell, singing songs and chatting while making dumplings. However, during a bump on the road, not only did they drop the finished dumplings, but all the filling and flour scattered everywhere. When the fox, Chang Tai, and Li Mao heard the noise and came over to check on them, they lifted the curtain only to burst into laughter— even the fox was laughing so hard that it almost lost its ethereal aura.
After a lot of effort, they finally managed to clean the Carriage, but they perfectly missed the opportunity to find a place to stay. The fox was not an ordinary being; it didn't matter where it stayed. Chang Tai was a Constable, so spending the night outdoors was not unusual for him. As for Si Niang and Bell, staying outside was a relatively new experience for them. Although it was a bit chilly at night, there was a bonfire, the Carriage, and the bedding that Li Mao had prepared in advance, allowing them to sleep comfortably for the night.
Xing Ruyi was afraid of the cold, but with the Ghost Technique by her side and the fox acting as a large heater, she secretly used some Spell and found it more comfortable than staying at an inn.
Chang Tai returned with some firewood but still hadn't seen Li Mao and Yin Yuan. He couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Li Mao and Yin Yuan haven't come back yet?"
Xing Ruyi nodded. "Brother Chang, there's no need to worry about them. Li Mao has often roamed the Jianghu with me before, and Yin Yuan will be very safe with him."
Earlier, when they were at Su Residence, Xing Ruyi had instructed Li Mao and Yin Yuan to find Su Family's Eldest Young Master, Su Jingbo, to inform him of the truth behind the First Lady's incident. Later, when their group returned from Paper Town, Eldest Young Master Su Jingbo had already returned to Su Family, but Li Mao and Yin Yuan were nowhere to be found. When they asked Liu Er, Su Qianqian's maid, she said that the two had gone home ahead of Eldest Young Master and then left again after saying they had something to take care of, telling Xing Ruyi and the others to go ahead while they would catch up later.
Li Mao was a demon, and Yin Yuan was even more of a magical creature; Xing Ruyi had no concerns about their safety at all. She figured that the two must have encountered something interesting along the way—especially Yin Yuan—who probably dragged Li Mao along to see some excitement. Once they finished enjoying whatever it was, they would naturally return to find them.
Seeing that the fox had finished eating Dumplings, Xing Ruyi stood up to wash the bowls and chopsticks aside. Bell came over curiously and asked, "Aunt Ruyi, what is Jianghu?"
"Jianghu? It's wherever there are people," Xing Ruyi said as she tapped Bell's nose. Noticing she was only wearing a cotton jacket, she urged her to return to the Carriage.
Si Niang served a bowl of Dumplings to Chang Tai. "Since Fox Demon is here, you don't need to worry anymore. Brother Chang can relax now. I've interacted with that Clerk Li Mao a few times; he's quite clever and knows some martial arts. In this rural area, there's probably no one who could harm him."
Although Yin Yuan was young, he acted quite maturely. Just think about it: even for such an important task as finding Su Family's Eldest Young Master, Fox Demon entrusted it to them; this shows that they are actually quite capable.
"Brother Chang, hurry up and eat your Dumplings. The temperature drops at night; they'll cool down in no time."
Chang Tai nodded and took his Dumplings before finding a place to sit down.
As they ate together, time unknowingly passed until it was well past midnight. Bell had already fallen asleep in the Carriage while Si Niang went back to take care of her. Xing Ruyi nestled in the fox's embrace; although she could still talk a bit, her mind began to drift into drowsiness. Seeing this, the fox adjusted her position slightly, and soon she fell asleep.
Chang Tai glanced over and got up to fetch a blanket made of bear skin from another Carriage before handing it to the fox.
After a brief silence, Chang Tai spoke first.
"At Dragon Gate Inn, the Fox Demon turned Su Guangcai into a donkey, so she can use spells, right?"
The fox nodded.
"Li Mao should also be able to use spells, right?"
"Li Mao is similar to Lingxiang."
"Then that means Li Mao is also a demon." Chang Tai sighed in relief. Knowing that Li Mao was a demon meant he no longer had to worry about Yin Yuan's safety.
"What about you, Young Master Yin? Are you like us or like Li Mao?"
Chang Tai stared into the fox's eyes, and the fox returned the gaze at Li Mao. Time seemed to freeze, and the only sound in the air was the crackling of burning firewood.
Finally, the fox slowly spoke: "I know what you're wondering. To be precise, I am similar to Li Mao but also somewhat different. I am the last Nine-Tailed White Fox of the Qingqiu Yin Family."
Suddenly, an image of the White Fox that Chang Tai often saw in the Fox Demon’s shop flashed in his mind; it turned out that White Fox was now Yin Chensi.
"There is a record in the Nanshan Classic that states: In Qingqiu Kingdom, there is much jade in the sun and much green in the shadow. There is a beast that resembles a fox and has nine tails; its sound is like an infant's and it can eat people without causing harm. It is said that Qingqiu is rich in resources and has spring-like seasons all year round. It is home not only to divine beings but also to various kinds of demon races. When the Fox Demon first mentioned Qingqiu to me, I was curious about your origins. I even asked Lord Xie where Qingqiu was, but he told me that no one has ever found or reached Qingqiu, making your origins even more suspicious."
"Qingqiu and the mortal realm are indeed two entirely different worlds; it exists both within and beyond the mortal realm. However, unlike what Xie Xuan said, no one has ever reached it. From what I know, there is one person who not only found Qingqiu but has also entered and exited it multiple times.
In fact, there is only a barrier separating Qingqiu from the mortal realm.
In Qingqiu, not only do divine beings reside and various demon races thrive, but there are also a small number of humans living there. There are no fixed rules; whether demons, divine beings, or humans follow their respective tribal customs. Although there are some killings, they are limited to conflicts between tribes and have never affected other residents living there.
In the Qingqiu Kingdom, the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan holds an absolute position of power, as strength is revered and the powerful are often seen as being right in all matters. We excel in various offensive and illusionary spells but do not relish in slaughter or the struggle for power; instead, we are devoted to cultivation. Within the Nine-Tailed clan, there are four ranks based on cultivation level: Spirit Fox, Demon Fox, and Celestial Fox, with Spirit Fox being the weakest, followed by Demon Fox, and Celestial Fox being the most powerful. Of course, above the Celestial Fox, there are even stronger foxes; however, since I can remember, I have never seen a Nine-Tailed White Fox reach that level. Such powerful beings only exist in the legends of our Fox Clan.
"Then what about you? Are you a Spirit Fox or a Demon Fox?" Chang Tai asked curiously.
"When I first encountered the Fox Demon, I was just an ordinary Demon Fox," the fox replied softly, looking down with a gentle smile as he lightly ruffled Xing Ruyi's hair. "But for the sake of the Fox Demon, I pushed myself to become stronger. Now, all I want is to cultivate into the strongest fox of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan."
Although the fox did not directly tell Chang Tai what level he had reached, Chang Tai understood that this Young Master Yin before him had at least attained the realm of a Demon Fox. He possessed enough power to protect the Fox Demon, whether in the mortal realm or in Qingqiu.
"Whether in the mortal realm or Qingqiu, I hope you will treat the Fox Demon well."
Chang Tai sincerely said as he handed a jug of Peach Blossom Wine to the fox.
The fox accepted it, tilted his head back to drink, and looked into Chang Tai's eyes as he said, "No one in this world will treat her better than I do."
Chang Tai smiled from the heart. He raised his wine jug and said to the fox, "Besides you, no one else will make the Fox Demon care so much. I can see that she cares about you and likes you very much. No! Not just likes; in her words, it should be called love!"
The fox's heart trembled slightly as he lowered his head and gazed at the sleeping face of the Fox Demon.
"I love her too! A deep and true love!"
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