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墨書 Inktalez
No matter what Mo Xu You was at this moment, Xing Ruyi would not take it to heart. To her, Mo Xu You was a complete villain. Besides being on guard against him, she had to find a way to rescue the Deer Lady. After thinking it over, it seemed there was only one way: to forcefully take action.
No matter how unfathomable Mo Xu You was, he was still just a person. Pixiu appeared to be allied with him, but considering the Deer Lady, even if he acted, he would likely have reservations. With a plan in mind, Xing Ruyi did not hesitate further; she didn't even inform the fox and Yin Yuan. Instead, she directly used her ghostly powers and lunged at Mo Xu You.
"Fox Demon!"
"Mother!"
The fox and Yin Yuan shouted in unison, ready to act, but they found themselves surrounded by a swarm of demons that perfectly separated them from Xing Ruyi.
Xing Ruyi did not notice what was happening behind her. All she saw was that when she threw herself at Mo Xu You with all her might, intending to strike him, he mysteriously smiled and lightly dodged her attack. The eerie blue flames roared toward another person—Chang Tai.
Xing Ruyi did not know whether he had originally been standing behind Mo Xu You or had just arrived; all she knew was that when facing him, she couldn't bring herself to strike. As she watched the eerie blue flames about to scorch his face, she hurriedly withdrew her attack but was backfired by her own ghostly powers, collapsing to the ground and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Chang Tai moved slightly; his eyes held a hint of hidden pain. However, when Xing Ruyi looked up at him, he discreetly hid his sleeve along with the dagger concealed within it behind his back.
"Chang... Brother Chang!" Xing Ruyi looked into those familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar eyes and asked reluctantly, "Why? Why are you doing this? Is it because I let you down that you... No! You're not that kind of person! You've been controlled by Mo Xu You, right? You're not acting of your own free will, are you?"
"Fox Demon..." Chang Tai murmured softly as he called her name. "I'm sorry!"
"I don't want apologies; I just want an explanation. Brother Chang, tonight, no matter what you do to the Fox Demon, the Fox Demon will believe you."
"Brother Chang never intended to harm you. He didn't before, doesn't now, and won't in the future. But Fox Demon, just because he never thought about it doesn't mean it won't happen. There are many things in this world that aren't right or wrong. Just like Brother Chang now doesn’t know if this is for your good or if it will harm you."
"Brother Chang..."
Xing Ruyi watched as Chang Tai walked toward her step by step. She initially thought he was going to help her up, but when his hand reached out, it did not touch the familiar warmth of the past. After a brief moment of confusion, she felt a sharp pain as if her spine had been pierced by a weapon.
"Chang... Brother Chang... why?"
Xing Ruyi felt the energy within her being gradually drained away, even her consciousness beginning to dissipate.
"Fox Demon!"
Chang Tai released his grip and held the gradually weakening Xing Ruyi in his arms.
When she opened her eyes again, Xing Ruyi was met with a blinding white light. She instinctively thought it was the fluorescent lights of a hospital, and like many stories describe, at the moment the blade pierced her body, she had crossed back to the era that originally belonged to her due to the pain.
However, ideals are always beautiful, while reality is often cruel. Just as she was filled with joy and prepared to search for the fox, she saw the face belonging to Moxuyou.
Moxuyou leaned down to look at her, his slender eyes narrowed slightly, a familiar false smile playing on his lips.
"You're awake?"
"Where am I? What happened to me?"
"Don't worry, you're fine!"
Moxuyou stood up, allowing Xing Ruyi to see more things, especially the high and mighty Empress.
By instinct, Xing Ruyi knew that person was Wu Zetian. The only Empress in Chinese history, unprecedented and unparalleled.
She instinctively tried to get up but realized her hands and feet were bound, and the bindings were strangely familiar. Silk—silk that could seep into one's bones and turn them into nothingness.
"Where's the fox? What about Yin Yuan? Moxuyou, what have you done to them?"
"They're all fine! If you don't believe me, look!"
Moxuyou gestured with a finger into the void, and Xing Ruyi saw an image.
In the image, the fox and Yin Yuan not only killed numerous monsters but also stabbed Moxuyou on the spot. She was injured, with that blade still embedded in her back. It was clear that both the fox and Yin Yuan were anxious, so much so that they failed to discern that the Moxuyou they faced was a fake, just as the Xing Ruyi they knew was also a fake.
"I know you have many questions in your heart; there's no rush. We still have some time," Moxuyou said as he lightly raised his index finger, causing Xing Ruyi to slowly stand upright. Now she could see clearly; this was a large formation, and she and Wu Zetian were positioned at two focal points of it.
"I told you before that I was setting up a formation. This formation is very large and requires many people; it consumes considerable energy and resources. The reason I went through so much effort to set up such a large formation is to resurrect someone."
Moxuyou clicked a few times in the void, and Xing Ruyi saw two overlapping circular rings radiating like the sun. Behind the rings, a map gradually became visible. This was the map of the Golden Tang Dynasty, which she had seen in a museum.
The overlapping inner ring began to rotate, and when it stopped again, forming a new overlap with the outer ring, Xing Ruyi saw several glowing points.
At the center of the inner ring was the imperial city. Among the glowing points, Xing Ruyi recognized Tong Tower and Capital Prefecture Yamen. Additionally, at a few slightly dimmer points, she saw the locations of Ruyi Cosmetic Shop and Four Niang's Tavern. Furthermore, Xing Ruyi discovered that all the places she had visited were at the intersections of the inner and outer rings.
"Everything is your design!" Xing Ruyi turned to look into Moxuyou's eyes. "My arrival in the Golden Tang Dynasty with the fox is related to your Tong Tower; it can also be understood as being orchestrated by you. The fox comes from Qingqiu and naturally has no fear of its identity in the human world, but I am different. I am a mortal, and if I stay in the human world without a reasonable identity, it will surely raise suspicion among others.
"So you arranged for that old man to be with us. I found it strange that just as the fox and I arrived in the Golden Tang Dynasty, we happened to encounter a daughter who had lost her father, and she even looked like me with the same name. Coincidentally, just as I took on this identity, the old man disappeared for no reason. I initially thought it was the fox's doing; now it seems all of this must have been your arrangement. Only you could make these events seem reasonable without anyone noticing."
After speaking, Xing Ruyi glanced around again and continued.
"Brother Chang was also deliberately arranged by you to be by my side, wasn't he?"
Moxuyou nodded.
"What is your purpose? I have never understood why you placed Brother Chang beside me. Was it simply to stab me in the back? If you only wanted to kill me, you wouldn't need to go through so much trouble. Oh, I almost forgot; Brother Chang also serves another purpose by staying with me: he can guide me at critical moments and lead me to act according to your plans. Although I am wary of the fox, I have never doubted Brother Chang. If this is indeed your true intention, you have succeeded."
Xing Ruyi smiled bitterly as she looked into Moxuyou's eyes and asked, "Chang Tai, is that his real name?"
"No!" Moxuyou surprisingly did not play coy. "His surname is Li; he is the third child in his family and is known as Li Sanlang. Or perhaps if I mention his full name, you might be more familiar with him. His name is Li Longji; he is a grandson of Wu Zetian and the third son of Prince Li Dan."
"Tang Minghuang!" Xing Ruyi blurted out three words but quickly corrected herself: "So it's him! How could it possibly be him?"
"Everything you just said is correct. I arranged for Sanlang to be by your side for two reasons: first, to supervise you both. Although my design is intricate and my calculations are precise, human plans cannot always account for every variable; there’s no guarantee that nothing unexpected will happen. With Sanlang here, we can always control the larger situation. The second point you just mentioned is also correct: it is Sanlang who will lead you to where I want you to go."
"The Ghost Technique on me and those inexplicable powers are also your doing..."
"I don't have that ability; the energy within you comes from your bloodline heritage and has nothing to do with me. What I've done is merely help awaken them."
"I've heard from you that I am a descendant of Lord Yun and Bai Jiao from Yun Village. Lord Yun is a ghost, while Bai Jiao is a demon."
"You are only partially correct!" Moxuyou shook her finger. "When Bai Jiao was pregnant, Lord Yun was still a person. The child she gave birth to, although possessing the blood of the demon clan, has long since vanished after more than a thousand years of reproduction."
"Then I—"
"Don't rush. We still have some time, and I will tell you slowly." Moxuyou moved a little closer. "Think carefully, did you ever see me when you were young?"
Xing Ruyi suddenly recalled the strange dream she had before.
"You remember now, don't you? Yes, we met when you were very young. You have an extremely yin constitution, yet you had a mischievous nature. The more forbidden a place was, the more you wanted to explore it. As a result, you were possessed by evil spirits, and when your father brought you to find me, you were already on the brink of death. To save you and fulfill my mission, I placed something inside your body."
"What was it?"
"My Yuan Shen!" The lofty empress spoke. "The only remaining Yuan Shen belonging to the Nine-Tailed Fox within me."
"I don't understand! I can't comprehend!"
"You will understand!" Moxuyou smiled gently. "Do you remember what Azure Qiu Emperor said when you married the fox?"
"Father said he would never make the same mistake again. He told you to inform the empress that if she dared to target the fox again, he wouldn't hesitate to help Qingqiu clear its doors. But what does this have to do with me?"
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