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墨書 Inktalez
“Prescription?”
Xing Ruyi stopped grinding the herbs and looked up at the maidservant of Yun Zhu.
“If it’s about that Prescription, why didn’t your lady come in person?”
“My lady has too many matters to attend to, how could she come to your Rouge shop all the time?” The maidservant pouted. “Besides, tasks like this should be left to us servants; there’s no need for the master to handle it personally.”
“That’s true!” Xing Ruyi yawned. “A Niu, a customer has come inquiring about the Prescription. You handle it. After all, I am the manager of this Ruyi Rouge shop; I can’t just receive every random customer without maintaining some authority. Here, this young lady, you take care of it. If you know, then say so; if you don’t, just say you don’t. Anyway, our shop doesn’t cater to everyone or sell just anything.”
A Niu agreed and cheerfully walked up to the maidservant, politely asking, “Miss, are you here to buy Rouge or Face Powder, or perhaps some regular skincare products? Our shop has a wide variety of goods.”
The maidservant shot Xing Ruyi a glare and then angrily glared at A Niu before storming out.
A Niu shook her head and turned to Xing Ruyi, saying, “Manager, it’s quite something that such a generous person like you would get into a spat with a maidservant. Well, it seems today’s first business deal has flown away.”
“If it’s gone, it’s gone. I’m in a bad mood as the manager and then I run into such a girl; I’ve lost my desire to make money. By the way, has Deer Lady, Beggar Uncle, and Yin Yuan returned yet? They went out to buy supplies; even if they went to Luoyang, they should be back by now.”
“The manager really knows how to joke. Deer Lady and the others have only been gone for two or three days; even if they were riding swift horses, they wouldn’t reach Luoyang by now, let alone return.” A Niu replied while organizing the jars and bottles behind the counter. “When Deer Lady left, she was preparing for your wedding. Although it was a bit rushed in terms of timing, everything that needed to be arranged should be done well. Even if it can’t compare with what’s in Luoyang City, at least it should amaze the towns around here.”
“But I can’t help but feel that Deer Lady helping me prepare my dowry is just an excuse; she and Beggar Uncle…” Xing Ruyi gave A Niu a knowing look.
“If that were true as you say, how could Deer Lady take Lord Yin along?”
“Yin Yuan… If that brat could just behave and follow Deer Lady, that would be great.”
Thinking of Yin Yuan, Xing Ruyi couldn't help but feel an extra layer of sorrow in her heart. Ever since the cave closed for meditation, Yin Yuan's whereabouts had become as mysterious as a fox. Upon careful reflection, she realized that during this time, she had seen Yin Yuan even less than she had seen an actual fox.
After pondering for a while longer, she couldn't help but start to blame herself. It seemed that she had been too easygoing as a mother and perhaps a bit irresponsible.
She lightly tapped her fingers on the counter and asked A Niu, "Do you think I'm being too casual as a mother? I feel like I haven't really taken care of my son."
"Do you want the honest truth from the shopkeeper?" A Niu replied cautiously.
"Of course! If I wanted to hear something superficial, why would I ask you?" Xing Ruyi shot A Niu a glare. "Come on, am I not a qualified mother?"
"Well, if the shopkeeper wants the truth, then you can't blame A Niu for being blunt." A Niu took a deep breath and looked into Xing Ruyi's eyes. "I think our Yin Yuan is different from other children. Not only does he not need you to take care of him, but sometimes he even has to take care of you. Tsk tsk, being the son of the shopkeeper seems to be harder than being someone else's son. Not just Yin Yuan; even he doesn't get as much attention from you as he deserves. Just look at other wives; which one isn't revolving around their husband, going out of their way to please him? But you, on the other hand, often forget about Yin Yuan."
"Forgotten?"
"Isn't it forgotten?" A Niu said indignantly on behalf of the fox. "Sometimes when Yin Yuan stands here for a long time, you don't even notice. Luckily, he has a good temperament and doesn't get angry; he just quietly waits. Sometimes he waits for quite a while just to see a smile from you, and then like a spoiled child, he comes over to cling to you. But most of the time, you're oblivious to him; he always waits silently, watching, and then quietly leaves to do his own thing."
Xing Ruyi looked at A Niu suspiciously and pointed her finger at him. "Can you guarantee that what you just said is true? If he really stood here for so long, how could I possibly not notice?"
"Of course it's true! Besides Yin Yuan, who else can timely hand you fruit when you're craving it or bring you tea when you're thirsty? Even when it gets windy, he's quick to offer you an extra piece of clothing. It's not just us feeling sorry for him; even Deer Lady has seen it several times and thinks you've spoiled him."
"Really? Or is it fake?"
Xing Ruyi touched her neck and lowered her head in thought. It seemed that indeed there were times when she had overlooked the fox.
"Where is Master Yin? Has he returned since he went out this morning?"
"Yes, he came back early. I saw the shopkeeper lost in thought, so I went to the back courtyard," A Niu said with a smile, pointing towards the backyard. He then added, "I hope that old man has mercy; I really don't want to meet a woman like you, shopkeeper. It would be truly pitiful."
"You have quite the imagination!" Xing Ruyi said, tapping A Niu on the shoulder. Then, without maintaining her shopkeeper demeanor, she pointed to herself and said, "I am Xing Ruyi, the sole female shopkeeper of Ruyi Rouge. There are no other products like mine. Even if you accumulated virtue in your past life, you might not encounter someone like me again. It's better to find a common girl and live a good life."
A Niu shook his head and smiled.
Xing Ruyi lifted her skirt and quickly ran into the backyard. She saw a fox in white clothing and shoes sitting under a grapevine that had just begun to sprout green buds, quietly reading a book. A warm feeling surged in her heart as she ran towards the fox. Just as she reached him, she noticed the fox raise his eyebrows and gently ask, "Did you know I was back?"
"Mm!" Xing Ruyi replied softly, feeling a rare sense of shyness. She lightly bit her lip and leaned closer to the fox to peek at his book. "What are you reading? Why are the pages all dark? I can't see anything clearly."
"This is a ghost book. Without using Ghost Eye, naturally you can't see what's written on it," the fox said as he set down the book and pulled Fox Demon into his arms, letting her sit on his lap. "I went to the Underworld early this morning and met with the Underworld Lord. I also visited Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and asked about you."
"Is it related to the portrait? Is it connected to that Empress in the imperial city?"
"We both already know about the Empress's situation. What was said before was not entirely false. The Empress belongs to my Azure Wind Nine-Tailed Clan; I confirmed this during my earlier visit to Qingqiu."
"Since she is from your Azure Wind Nine-Tailed Fox Clan, it’s understandable why there has only been one female monarch since the establishment of this land. The Empress is quite common in your Qingqiu but rare among humans; ordinary women lack the temperament and courage to become such a revered figure."
The fox did not respond directly to Xing Ruyi but continued from where he left off: "Though we are both from the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan, this particular one is considered taboo even in Qingqiu. Do you know why?"
"I think I've heard something about it," Xing Ruyi recalled carefully. "It seems that your ancestor once received an edict from Lady Nuwa to come to the human realm and seduce King Zhou. Unexpectedly, she truly fell in love with him and was willing to descend into reincarnation like a mortal, hoping to reunite with King Zhou in her next life. It’s quite touching."
"That's right! After the fall of Shang Zhou, she was sealed by Lady Nuwa in ice and imprisoned in Qingqiu for tens of thousands of years of bitter cultivation. She thought that over time she could let go of past events, but little did she know that the poison of love among mortals cannot be resolved even by the passage of time."
She would rather give up thousands of years of cultivation just to exchange for a lifetime reunion with her beloved. Being reincarnated as the Empress was the last blessing bestowed upon her by the goddess Nüwa. However, despite their deep feelings, their fate was shallow; although she and that person had become husband and wife after enduring many trials, the time they spent together was merely a few short decades. She harbored a heartache and was unwilling to let go, which led to many subsequent troubles. Regarding your current body, I once inquired about it. The King of Hell's Book of Life and Death does not record this person, while Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva follows the heart in matters of fate. I pondered over it but ultimately could not grasp its deeper meaning. Before departing, Cui Fujun gifted me this ghostly book, claiming it would be beneficial to you, so I took it to read.
"Beneficial to me?"
Xing Ruyi was intrigued by this ghostly book. When she closed her eyes and opened them again, her gaze was already ignited with a faint blue flame. This was due to her increasing proficiency with Ghost Eye, much like the cultivation of demons.
With each use of ghostly techniques, Xing Ruyi became more skilled, and the accumulated power of spirits within her grew stronger. If it were in the past, she might not have been able to bear it; however, after consuming Ghost Dan and Demon Dan, her constitution seemed to have undergone some changes, allowing her to transform that accumulated power into her own energy in an instant. Unfortunately, Xing Ruyi herself did not notice these changes; instead, the fox appeared slightly excited.
"This looks like a medical book at first glance, but its contents are somewhat different from those I've seen before—strange and peculiar."
"Of course it's strange!" The fox closed the ghostly book. "From ancient times until now, aside from the ancient god Shennong, anyone skilled in medicine has entered the underworld upon death since the establishment of the nether realm. Those who are used to treating people in the mortal world find it hard to change their habits when they arrive in the underworld; thus, they end up treating ghosts instead. So this ghostly book in your hands is a compilation of many ghost doctors' knowledge—an exceptional medical text that cannot be found in the mortal realm. It can heal both humans and ghosts. Cui Fujun likely thought it would be useful for you."
"He really understands me." Xing Ruyi said as she tucked the ghostly book into her bosom. "Since it's useful for me, I'll keep it for now. As for you, I have some questions. Just now A Niu told me that you always stand silently watching me while I remain unaware. Did you use some kind of spell while watching me? Otherwise, how could I not notice such a handsome husband standing beside me? That seems quite unreasonable."
"You were too focused on what you were doing." The fox smiled and tapped Xing Ruyi's forehead lightly. "Fox Demon, are you ready?"
"Ready for what?" Xing Ruyi looked up at the fox.
The fox leaned in closer, gazing intently into her eyes. As he lowered his head to kiss her red lips, he asked softly, "Are you ready to marry me?"
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