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"Long ago, there was a new person, dressed in a red robe, accompanied by a Copper Mirror, which guarded the heart. They died and their resentment lingered." The fox repeatedly examined the Copper Mirror and eventually arrived at an answer that Xing Ruyi could never have imagined: "This Copper Mirror is somewhat strange; it resembles the Heart-Guarding Mirror commonly used by generals. I have heard a story about this Heart-Guarding Mirror, which relates to what I just said."
"Heart-Guarding Mirror?" Xing Ruyi leaned closer, carefully observing the Copper Mirror. Indeed, this Copper Mirror was somewhat different from the one that Mo Must Have had given her. The mirror surface seemed slightly convex, and its overall craftsmanship was thicker than those Copper Mirrors typically used by women for grooming. Additionally, the edges showed signs of having been worn down by sharp blades.
The fox rarely told stories, so if he had begun, it likely had something to do with the ghost hidden within the Copper Mirror.
"You've piqued my curiosity," Xing Ruyi tugged at the fox's sleeve. "Tell me about this Copper Mirror... oh no! I mean the Heart-Guarding Mirror. What stories does it hold?"
"There was a general in my dynasty whose surname was Li. Unfortunately, this surname was quite sensitive and caught the attention of the Empress. To protect his son, this general's father had no choice but to let his son adopt his mother's surname."
"Are you referring to General Li Yan?"
"Li Yan?" The fox paused for a moment before realizing and said, "So he has reverted back to the surname Li. No wonder this Copper Mirror has appeared at this time. If I'm not mistaken, General Li Yan should be at Yun Family Gathering right now."
"How do you know? Could it be that this mirror is related to General Li Yan?" Xing Ruyi straightened up. "Long ago, there was a new person, dressed in a red robe, accompanied by a Copper Mirror, which guarded the heart. They died and their resentment lingered. Could it be that the new person mentioned in this saying is Li Yan?"
The fox smiled slightly and gently rubbed Xing Ruyi's forehead, smoothing out her frown: "You need to be patient when listening to stories. It's only been a few days since we last met, and not only have you become dull-witted, but your eyes have also lost their sharpness, and even your temperament has become restless."
"It's not like that; I'm just thinking about you," Xing Ruyi stuck out her tongue at the fox and swatted his hand away. "Stop patting me; I'm not like you who can live forever. As I age, wrinkles will inevitably appear. Don't disdain me; it's useless even if you do."
"I don't disdain you!" The fox laughed cheerfully. "Just like yours; it doesn't matter if you disdain me because I only have eyes for you."
"Ugh, hurry up and tell the story! I'm dying of curiosity. What does that saying mean? Is it about Li Yan or the ghost in the mirror? I think it's about the ghost because Li Yan is merely ill; Brother Chang visited him today. Although he's somewhat on death's door, he's still alive."
Xing Ruyi chattered on while the fox remained calm, focusing intently on her. During these days away from Yun Family Gathering heading to Qingqiu, he had experienced many things, but nothing could compare to his desire to return and watch over Xing Ruyi. Even now, simply gazing at her jade-like face and inhaling her faint scent of rouge mixed with herbs while listening to her endless chatter made him suddenly understand why so many demons would willingly give up their centuries or millennia of cultivation just to be with a mortal. Because only by being with mortals could they understand what it meant to experience life's mundane joys and realize what they sought in this world.
After chatting for a while, Xing Ruyi noticed that the fox had not reacted at all. She looked up and met his intense gaze; her cheeks flushed slightly as she lowered her head.
"What are you looking at? Do you think I'm still as foolish as ever? You can't blame me for that! During your absence, all my energy has been spent thinking about you; my deductive abilities have been entirely focused on predicting what situations you might encounter on your journey and whether you'd face any dangers. Plus, all my thinking has gone into whether you'd come back to marry me. With so many demons in Qingqiu who can transform into beautiful women, what if you meet someone you fancy and forget about me?"
"Fool!" The fox poked Xing Ruyi's forehead before taking her hand and pulling her into his embrace. "In both the human realm and Underworld, I have yet to find a soul more interesting than yours or a woman who captivates my attention more than you."
"How cheesy! What should I do if I feel like throwing up?" Xing Ruyi squirmed uncomfortably in the fox's arms. "I've often heard you say such things before, but it seems they've never reached this level. Yin Chensi, tell me honestly—have you encountered something? Why has your sweet talk suddenly skyrocketed? Even though my skin is thicker than those women from the Golden Tang Dynasty, I can't take it anymore."
"Isn't it bad?" the fox asked with a smile, lowering its head to gently nudge Xing Ruyi with its forehead. "Do you want to continue listening to the story?"
"Yes! Of course! But I want to sit over there," Xing Ruyi pointed to the nearby bench.
"Why?"
"Because..." Xing Ruyi bit her lip, her cheeks turning even redder. "Because when you hold me like this and say so many cheesy things, I can't think straight and end up thinking about other things."
"Other things? What other things?"
"Yin Chensi, you know exactly what you're doing!" Xing Ruyi stood up, hands on her hips, looking at the fox with a flushed face. "You clearly know that I've wanted to eat you for quite some time now. I warn you, I'm an adult. If you keep holding me like this and saying those mushy words, I might get fired up, and you'll have to deal with the consequences."
The fox laughed, unable to suppress its joy this time.
"Alright! Alright! I promise, for the sake of my own innocence, and to save it for the night I marry Fox Demon, I Yin Chensi will absolutely refrain from saying such cheesy things to you."
"That's not acceptable!" Xing Ruyi interjected decisively. "You can still say slightly less cheesy things often. You see, women who hear sweet words often have better skin and a better temper. As for intelligence, with a cunning fox like you around, I don't need to be too smart."
"My wife's requests are indeed unique; it's just that this degree is hard for a husband to grasp." The fox showed a troubled expression. Xing Ruyi bit her lip and thought for a moment before gently kicking him twice with her foot. "My husband isn't just any annoying person. Hurry up and tell the story; if you don't start soon, it'll be dark again."
"Okay, let's continue with General Li's story." The fox composed itself, reached out, and pulled Fox Demon onto its lap so she could sit quietly. "When Li Yan was young, his father arranged a marriage for him. The other party was as sensitive in the eyes of the Empress as the Li Family. Both families chose similar ways to cope: staying away from the capital and serving in the military outside. Due to their royal lineage, they usually wouldn't be sent to the front lines and could enjoy slightly better treatment in the army. Therefore, both Li Yan's father and his future father-in-law held civil positions.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans. During an enemy raid, Li Yan's future father-in-law was injured by enemy forces. Though he barely survived, he could no longer remain in the military. So he took his wife and daughter back to his wife's hometown. Fox Demon, you should already know that Li Yan's future father-in-law chose this place."
"Yun Family Gathering?"
"That's right! Li Yan's future mother-in-law's surname is Yun, and her ancestral home is in this Yun Family Gathering. There is a Relay Station here that you must have seen before. This Relay Station was established by Li Yan's father-in-law after he returned home with his wife and daughter; it was considered a form of settlement provided by the court.
Time flew by quickly; years passed in a blur. Before long, Li Yan was already eighteen years old, while that girl had turned sixteen. Following the previous agreement between their families, Li Yan brought the marriage certificate to Yun Family Gathering. Unfortunately, before he could meet the girl, news of war came through, forcing Li Yan to hurry back home and leave the marriage certificate along with all necessary items with his attendant at Yun Family Gathering, asking him to handle subsequent matters.
The attendant took the marriage certificate to the Relay Station, where he happened to meet that girl and fell in love at first sight. When he took out the marriage certificate to explain the truth, she mistakenly identified him as Li Yan. By some twist of fate, this attendant tacitly accepted it without clarifying on the spot."
When Li Yan's father-in-law returned from Border Defense with his wife and daughter, Li Yan was just a young child. As the years passed, it was normal for his appearance to change. Additionally, due to the sensitive nature of their identities, both families feared that the Empress in the distant capital might become suspicious. Therefore, for over a decade, they only communicated through a few simple letters. When the Attendant assumed he was Li Yan, his father-in-law did not investigate further and arranged for the two to marry at the Yun Family Gathering.
On the night of the Attendant's marriage to the young lady, Li Yan had just been promoted due to his military achievements and was hastily returning to the Yun Family Gathering. However, everything was already too late. By the time Li Yan arrived at the Yun Family Gathering, it was already early morning of the next day. The Attendant and the young lady had entered the Wedding Chamber and had become a real couple.
Upon seeing Li Yan, his father-in-law regretted his decision immensely, while the young lady, filled with shame and anger, attempted to take her own life but was stopped by Li Yan.
"What happened next?"
"Once rice has turned into porridge, there is no need to force it. Li Yan came as promised because he is a man of his word. He had no impression or feelings for this future wife of his. Seeing that things had already happened, he calmly accepted the outcome. After congratulating the newlyweds, he intended to bid farewell to his father-in-law with whom he had a fateful but unfulfilled connection."
"Then this can be considered a good thing; why does that statement sound somewhat tragic?"
"If everything could turn out as we wish, then naturally the ending would be good. But unfortunately, it wasn't! That young lady had a strong and stubborn personality. Watching her fiancé go from being a future General with great military achievements to becoming a servant of another General while feeling deceived ignited her anger. Taking advantage of Li Yan's moment of inattention, she drew Li Yan's sword and stabbed at the Attendant's heart."
"Did the Attendant die?"
"No! The Attendant had always borrowed Li Yan's identity, and because of this identity, his father-in-law specially made him a military groom's outfit and even sewed a Heart-Guarding Mirror onto it."
"This one?" Xing Ruyi shook the Copper Mirror in her hand.
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