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墨書 Inktalez
Xing Ruyi gazed into the fox's eyes, not missing the fleeting hint of disappointment that crossed his face. She understood why he felt that way, just as she understood the endless sadness that spread within her own heart.
At that moment, a phrase that she once found amusing unexpectedly surfaced in her mind: "Humans are born from humans, and demons are born from demons."
So, what would be born from humans and demons together?
In the past, she might have laughed and said, "It would either be a human-demon or a demon-human; what else could it be?"
But now, looking at the child beside Sister Tiger, she found her own answer.
The children born of humans and demons would mostly just be ordinary mortals, at most a mortal with a trace of demon blood flowing through their veins.
The child of Lord Yun and Bai Jiao was like this.
The child of Sister Tiger and her husband was like this.
Even in the myths, the child of White Lady and Xu Xian was like this.
Thus, Xing Ruyi felt that the child she would have with the fox would inevitably follow this predetermined path.
So, she raised her hand to touch the fox's handsome face and gently tugged at the corner of her mouth again.
"In the past, I stubbornly believed that our child, regardless of gender, would surely be like you. But it wasn't until I met Sister Tiger that I realized that a child born of a human and a demon could be a demon, but more likely they would be an ordinary mortal with a short lifespan like mine. I once hoped that if our child resembled you, at least they could accompany you after I'm gone. But if they were like the tiger cub, just an ordinary mortal like me, I would rather not have them. Because I don't want you to experience another separation after watching me leave. So, fox, please indulge my selfishness; one Yin Yuan is enough for us."
The fox silently held Xing Ruyi close, remaining quiet for a long while.
He had once told Fox Demon that Sister Tiger and her child lived until the time when Fox Demon arrived—a time when everything was still prosperous yet changed beyond recognition a year later. He hadn't lied to Fox Demon but had kept some things from her.
The child of Sister Tiger could never live for such a long time. Even if he began cultivating from this moment, without eight or nine lifetimes of Reincarnation, it would be difficult for him to achieve success. Yes, Sister Tiger only guarded her child after each Reincarnation.
Those once vibrant eyes became dry and faded through Sister Tiger's repeated searches, gains, losses, and searches again in the cycle of Reincarnation, until the Qingqiu riot occurred. Sister Tiger tragically died at the hands of the mob while trying to save him, which finally ended this Reincarnation. At that moment, what he saw in Sister Tiger's eyes was not her reluctance or resentment, but a long-lasting sense of relief.
She said, "Brother, I can finally stop looking for him."
The "her" that Sister Tiger referred to was the child connected to her by blood across lifetimes. Because she couldn't let go, she guarded his life after life; because she was reluctant to part with him, she watched him go through Reincarnation again and again; and out of fear of not finding him, she would leave a mark on him with her magic every time he departed.
Before the Qingqiu riot, she found that child one last time, but he merely looked at her with disdain and said, "I only have one Mother. Even if I was once your Son, I was only your Son in that lifetime. Your obsession means nothing to me. Please leave and stop bothering me, you crazy old woman!"
"Crazy old woman," that was the last thing the child said to her.
After a thousand years of searching, Sister Tiger lost all desire to cultivate. Because of those thousand years spent searching, she exhausted all her cultivation and became as withered as the elderly women you see rummaging through trash on the streets. Yet the child she had guarded for a millennium despised her so much that he felt everything she did was meaningless.
With endless disappointment and regret, she returned to Qingqiu. As the mob thrust their poisoned swords toward the fox, she used her nearly decayed body to shield him just once.
Sister Tiger let go of her endless Obsession for that child in the most tragic way possible but permanently etched that scene into the fox's heart. Because of Sister Tiger, the fox never dared to imagine having a child with the Fox Demon. And because of Sister Tiger, when he saw her transformed into a white tiger while pregnant in a cage at the market, he temporarily set aside his feelings for the Fox Demon to save her.
In truth, the fox also had selfish motives; he wanted to deal with that child before Sister Tiger gave birth. But Sister Tiger was unwilling. Even after hearing those descriptions, she insisted on giving birth to the child in her womb.
She said, "Brother, you haven't been a Father yet, so you wouldn't understand. I think my Obsession for a thousand years must be because there is something I can't let go of. My choice to let go in the end is certainly not just due to disappointment and sadness. Everyone eventually dies; so do demons; it just depends on whether it's worth it."
The fox didn't know if Sister Tiger was worth it or not, but he understood that both humans and demons have their Obsessions. Therefore, he respected Sister Tiger's choice and turned back to the market to find the Fox Demon to help her.
The fox admitted that when he blurted out not wanting Midnight, he hadn't thought it through deeply. He simply felt that child would be a nuisance; if born by the Fox Demon, it would surely occupy much of her heart's territory. Deep down, he didn't want to share his Fox Demon with anyone—even if that person was his own child.
However, what he didn't expect was that his momentary words would evoke so many feelings within the Fox Demon. He felt some pain but mostly helplessness.
Xing Ruyi sniffed, unwilling to continue immersing herself and the fox in this topic. She tugged at his sleeve and told him, "Just now, when I was buying medicine, I encountered a person on the street. An ordinary mortal man, probably around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, covered in blood. The key point is that the smell emanating from his blood was exactly the same as Sister Tiger's."
A hint of coldness flashed in the fox's eyes. "He's just a stranger. There's no need to worry about him!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the child who had been sleeping peacefully beside Sister Tiger suddenly burst into loud cries.
Both the fox and Xing Ruyi turned their attention to the child, only to find that Sister Tiger, who should have been sound asleep, was also wide awake.
"Sister Tiger, you're awake? How do you feel?"
"I was already awake when Tiger Child was sleeping beside me. I just didn't want to interrupt Brother Chen and Sister-in-law's conversation. It's not that Sister Tiger intended to eavesdrop on Brother Chen and Sister-in-law." Sister Tiger paused for a moment. "What about that person Sister-in-law mentioned earlier? What happened to him?"
"Are you talking about the one who was locked in a cage?"
"Cage?" Sister Tiger looked at Xing Ruyi in confusion.
"Oh, I forgot to mention it to your brother earlier. That person was locked in a huge iron cage. According to a brother who was watching, it seems that the people from Yamen treated him like a monster; he actually ate his own Wife and children."
"He didn't!" Sister Tiger sat up, unable to hide her agitation. "He didn't eat me, nor did he eat the child. Tiger Child and I are perfectly fine here, right? What will happen to him? Will he be killed?"
Mortals pray for protection from immortals but fear monsters that can cast spells.
Sister Tiger understood what kind of fate awaited a rumored man-eating monster if captured.
"According to that brother, the people from Yamen do not intend to deal with him."
"That's good."
Sister Tiger let out a sigh of relief. When she looked up, she saw Xing Ruyi with a hesitant expression, and her heart, which had just settled, began to race again. "Is Sister-in-law still hiding something from me? Since the people in Yamen are not taking action, why is he locked in that iron cage?"
"You already understand in your heart, so why ask me? The injuries on your body were inflicted because he discovered your identity as Sister Tiger, right? Even a husband who shares a bed with his first wife treats her this way; what do you think those onlookers will do to a monster that they believe can devour people?"
"But those people have never seen him eat anyone."
Sister Tiger defended herself, though her argument seemed somewhat weak.
"Has he seen you eat anyone?" Xing Ruyi pressed.
Sister Tiger shook her head.
"No."
"Has he seen you harm anyone?" Xing Ruyi asked again.
Sister Tiger still shook her head.
"No."
"If he has neither seen you eat anyone nor witnessed you harm anyone, why does he fear you so much that he would dare to try to take the lives of both you and your unborn child when you are pregnant?"
"Because I told him I come from Qingqiu and am transformed from a white tiger. Although the child in my womb is just as mortal as he is, during childbirth, I will become weak and revert to my original form. I told him in advance just to prepare him psychologically, so he wouldn't be scared when the time comes. Also, there’s no need to rush to find a midwife because it would surely frighten the one assisting with the delivery. I assured him that I could give birth to our child myself."
"Then what about him? Not only was he not moved, but he was also scared to death, wasn't he?"
Sister Tiger nodded and argued back, "He is just an ordinary mortal! It's normal for him to be afraid."
"I am also a mortal!" Xing Ruyi whispered five words: "When I met your brother, I was just as ordinary as your husband. At that time, I was so timid that even a monster or a fierce dog could scare me away. Yet, despite my fear, when I saw your brother's true identity, I was only slightly stunned for a moment and felt a little scared, but then I accepted it happily."
"But I am the Azure Hill Nine-Tailed Fox!"
"What does being a Nine-Tailed Fox matter? Aren't you still part of the fox clan? At most, you just have a few more tails than others." Xing Ruyi snorted lightly and pointed at the fox. "I admit that I was mainly tempted by his stunning beauty, which made me let my guard down and accept him easily. But I must also admit that I like him, whether he is human, demon, ghost, or monster. Moreover, I trust him; this trust is based on my understanding of him. I know that no matter what your brother is, he will not harm me. Sister Tiger, you have been in the mortal realm for so long; you should understand. Sometimes demons are simpler than humans. The reason your Father fears you is simply that he does not love you enough. In other words, his love for you is not enough to bear everything, including your original form."
"So, I have never blamed him!"
Though Sister Tiger said this, tears still fell uncontrollably.
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