Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The fox looked at Xing Ruyi with a desire to steal a kiss but felt a bit shy. Lowering its gaze with a smile, it gently captured her cherry lips. Xing Ruyi wrapped her arms around the fox's neck, rolled over, and pinned him beneath her, letting out a triumphant laugh from her chest.
Hearing this, the fox instinctively flattened its ears and focused solely on savoring its delicious meal.
"What do you plan to do about Hui Niang's injury?"
After they had been intimate for a while, it was the fox who regained composure first and used the topic to pause their moment.
Xing Ruyi's face flushed red as she buried her head in the fox's chest, muffledly replying, "What else can I do? With only seven short hours left, I'm just an amateur Female Doctor. Right now, aside from using Ghost Technique, I have no other options."
"Have you forgotten what I said?" The fox raised its hand and playfully smacked Xing Ruyi's perky bottom. "Before your body recovers, try not to use Ghost Technique. Fox Demon, you need to understand that everyone in this world is less important to me than you."
"I know that," Xing Ruyi lifted her head slightly. "In my heart, it's the same for you."
The fox hugged Xing Ruyi tightly without saying anything.
"Yin Chensi, there's something I've always wanted to ask you but never found the opportunity."
"You want to ask about those two Inner Dans?"
"No! I want to ask what you've encountered during your time away." Xing Ruyi gently traced the outline of the fox. "I can see you're exhausted, and your eyes have changed from before. Yin Chensi, we are lovers, right? Lovers shouldn't hide things from each other. I know you've returned and protected yourself well, but I want to know what you've been through. If... if it was very dangerous, I hope you won't worry about my condition anymore. I don't want to take any Ghost Dan or Snake Dan. If Master really only gave me a very short time to be with you, I hope we can cherish every moment together instead of spending our time and energy elsewhere. Yin Chensi, do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Fool, things are not as you think." The fox sat up while still keeping Xing Ruyi in its embrace. "I did encounter some matters, but they have nothing to do with you or with those Ghost Dan and Snake Dan."
The fox then pulled something out from its embrace. It looked like a zongzi (a traditional rice dumpling) from the Dragon Boat Festival but was poorly wrapped and appeared haphazardly made. Upon closer inspection, the leaves seemed different; they were not only clearly veined but also softer and more translucent. Especially when the fox placed it in its palm, Xing Ruyi seemed to see some shimmering colors.
"What is this?" Xing Ruyi cautiously touched it. "Is this a leaf from Qingqiu? It feels so soft, like... like touching an infant's skin. How amazing!"
The fox looked at Xing Ruyi's sparkling eyes and helplessly patted her head. "I didn't mean for you to look at this leaf."
"Oh!"
Xing Ruyi responded and carefully pushed aside the leaf, discovering that it only wrapped a black-and-white Pill inside. If she had to make an association, she thought this Pill resembled the Taoist Yin Yang Bagua Diagram.
"This should be the mixed product of Ghost Dan and the demon pill, right? It looks like it wouldn't taste very good. No wonder you were reluctant to give it to me."
"I didn't give it to you not because it's unappetizing, but because I'm not sure what would happen if you consumed it." The fox furrowed his brow as he looked at the Pill: "You can't fully trust Moxuyou."
"I know!" Xing Ruyi wrapped her hands around the fox's. "Let's put the Pill away for now! We aren't in a hurry. Once we catch that stinky Taoist Moxuyou, just watch how I interrogate him. If he wants to harm me, I won't let him off easily."
The fox's hand still reached forward. Internally, he was struggling. At this moment, he saw both Xing Ruyi's feigned fierce yet adorable appearance and the chaotic energies swirling within her. The fox understood very well that Xing Ruyi was safe at the moment because something was suppressing those energies; once they found an outlet, her situation would only worsen. But could this Pill truly be given to a Fox Demon?
"Fox!" Xing Ruyi opened her arms and gently hugged him. "Don't worry about me. I promise I'll take care of myself until you confirm the safety of this Pill."
The fox let out a sigh and gently embraced Xing Ruyi: "You must take care of yourself. We haven't married yet; I haven't become your true fox Husband. If you... then I'll return to Qingqiu and casually marry a female fox."
"You dare!" Xing Ruyi lowered her head and bit the tip of the fox's ear. "No female fox from Qingqiu is as cute as I am!"
The fox laughed, and his previously heavy heart seemed to lighten at that moment.
Xing Ruyi and the fox lingered until the afternoon before heading out, naturally attracting teasing from Yin Yuan and Li Mao. They joked that she was so infatuated with men that she neglected business in the shop. Xing Ruyi made a face at them and pulled the fox over to sit by the heater.
In just half a month, it would be Lunar New Year, and especially after two heavy snowfalls recently, the weather had grown increasingly cold. The reason Xing Ruyi was huddled in her room was partly because she hadn't had time to spend with the fox for some intimate conversations that belonged solely to them. On another note, she truly couldn't stand the intensifying chill; staying indoors was certainly warmer.
"Where's Brother Chang? Has he been taken by the people from Yamen again for some case?"
"The Shopkeeper really knows how to guess!"
"With New Year approaching, things in Yamen are getting busier. By the way, while I was busy with Hui Niang, I forgot to ask about the situation regarding the return of the General Spirit Coffin."
"The court sent someone to escort the General's Spirit Coffin back home, but from what I saw of their formation, it seemed more like they were there to confirm whether the General is truly dead." Li Mao handed over a prepared heater to Xing Ruyi: "Besides one civil official, one military officer, and a Father-in-law, there’s also an Imperial Physician and a Coroner. That Coroner, you know him too—he's under Lord Xie Xuan from the Capital Prefecture Yamen. I heard you're also at this Yun Family Gathering, and he wanted to visit but got turned away."
"Bringing an Imperial Physician is understandable since the identity of the General is somewhat special; it's reasonable for someone from the palace to want confirmation of his death. But bringing along a Coroner, especially one close to Xie Xuan, does that mean even the Empress doubts the cause of death? In other words, it's not just someone from within the palace who wants the life of the General."
"With how sickly Li Yan has become, the Empress isn't foolish enough to go through all this trouble just to have someone killed. Besides, if she wanted to act, she wouldn't need assassination; there have been more than one or two members of the Li family who have died at her hands." Rarely not munching on a drumstick, Yin Yuan sat down next to the heater with a cup of tea: "I think whoever is eager to act must have other motives. Perhaps there are secrets hidden within that body of General Li that we don't know about."
"Secrets?" Li Mao scratched his head: "What secrets could there be besides that of the General's Wife?"
"General's Wife, I just remembered something," Xing Ruyi said, beckoning Li Mao with a finger. "Aren't you old acquaintances with that General's Wife? I heard that when she first arrived at the Yun Family Gathering, you were eager to see the commotion. And when you heard the name Mu Xi, your expression changed a bit. Speak honestly, no hiding anything! Of course, if you really don't want to share, Shopkeeper can't force you. Just know that from now on, I might also keep some things from you; it's only fair. So, think it over!"
"Shopkeeper..." Li Mao said with a pained expression. "Mu Xi... yes, the original Mu Xi... I knew her."
"The original Mu Xi? Oh, I remember now. I recall that Mu Xi was originally a person who, due to her unjust death, lingered in the mortal realm after her passing and couldn't enter the Underworld for reincarnation. Later, through a twist of fate, she became a half-demon, half-ghost being and has been cultivating in the mountains for nearly a hundred years. The Mountain Deity at the Mountain God Temple seems to have taken good care of her."
"Both of us are spirits transformed from the essence of the land. In simpler terms, we absorbed the essence of the earth and, with some good fortune, cultivated for nearly a thousand years to regain our demon forms. Initially, I lived next to Mu Xi; during our cultivation, we would look out for each other. At that time, we were still inexperienced in our practices but couldn't resist the temptations of the mortal world and ended up encountering a Demon Hunter. After a fierce battle, Mu Xi managed to entangle that Demon Hunter so I could escape."
"And then? Did you really escape?"
Li Mao nodded, his face filled with guilt and remorse. "Mu Xi had her own ways to get away; I actually believed it and didn't even consider what would happen to her after I fled. By the time I realized my mistake and went back to find Mu Xi, all I saw was the aftermath of a fierce battle—both the Daoist who captured demons and Mu Xi had vanished. For hundreds of years afterward, I searched for Mu Xi, always hoping that she had truly escaped."
That night when the General's Wife entered the city, I caught a whiff of that familiar Fruitwood Fragrance. It was Mu Xi's unique scent—one that no other wood demon possessed. Especially when I learned that the General's Wife was also named Mu Xi, I couldn't help but secretly follow her to verify whether this General's Wife was indeed my old friend. As for the outcome, Shopkeeper knows it well: The General's Wife is both Mu Xi and not Mu Xi—her body remains while her soul is gone."
"I'm sorry!" Xing Ruyi sincerely apologized. "I had no idea you had such an experience."
"Demons have their own experiences and stories just like humans do," Li Mao shrugged. "Moreover, demons live longer than humans; they have more experiences and stories—nothing surprising about it. Seeing the General's Wife made me realize that all those past events should be put aside. Mu Xi has survived in another way and seems to be doing quite well."
After hearing this, Xing Ruyi looked at Li Mao and found herself at a loss for words on what to say next.
Comment 0 Comment Count