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墨書 Inktalez
Knowing the reason for Luo Fu's altered appearance does not mean that Xing Ruyi can solve it herself, but fortunately, she has a very powerful fiancé.
Upon seeing the fox, before she could say more than three sentences, the fox raised a hand and pinched her cheek, smiling as he asked, "Have you finally figured it out?"
"What do you mean 'finally'? I'm just a mortal! A mortal, okay?" Xing Ruyi said in frustration, sitting on the fox's lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. "What should we do now? Although I know the reason for Luo Fu's altered appearance, I have no way to address her 'root problem.' I thought about using ghost techniques, but you know the rules—unless absolutely necessary, I can't use them lightly. I'm still very obedient."
"Feeling very frustrated?" the fox asked.
"Yes!" Xing Ruyi nodded gloomily.
"As long as you know where the 'problem' lies, you don't necessarily need to take action yourself."
At first glance, the fox's words sounded a bit strange.
Xing Ruyi silently looked at him for a moment and said, "Is this really a matter of necessity? I feel like it's more about whether I can do it or not. I can't use my ghost techniques, and from your tone, it seems like you don't want to take action either. So who should I go find? Yin Yuan?"
"No need to look for Yin Yuan," the fox replied, picking up Xing Ruyi and setting her down on the ground, signaling her to listen to the sounds outside. "The person who can help Luo Fu solve her problem has arrived!"
Xing Ruyi looked at the fox in confusion and then heard Yin Yuan's voice coming from the courtyard: "Deer Lady, you've returned!"
"Deer Lady!" A smile spread across Xing Ruyi's face as she lifted her skirt and rushed out the door.
As soon as she stepped out of the bedroom, she saw Deer Lady standing in the courtyard, looking travel-worn and exhausted. Xing Ruyi felt a mix of joy, concern, and guilt as she looked at Deer Lady's current state; tears couldn't help but fall from the corners of her eyes.
"Fox Demon, Aunt Sheng has come!"
Just those few words made tears well up in Deer Lady's eyes as well.
At this moment, there was no need for any more words. Xing Ruyi let go of her skirt and slowly walked toward Deer Lady. However, Deer Lady rushed over and gave her a big hug.
"Fox Demon, do you know? During your time away, Aunt Sheng was most worried about you not eating well. It seems you're doing alright now; at least Lord Yin has kept you looking healthy."
“Aunt Sheng…” Xing Ruyi called out playfully.
The same word, when used in front of different people, can evoke different feelings and expressions. In front of Deer Lady, Xing Ruyi felt like a daughter, and Deer Lady indeed treated her like one.
Xing Ruyi smiled through her tears, wanting to embrace Deer Lady once more to absorb the familiar and comforting scent that she carried. However, just as she wrapped her arms around Deer Lady's waist, another pair of hands pushed her away.
Before Xing Ruyi could see who it was, she heard Deer Lady shout, “Old man, why are you standing so close!”
Xing Ruyi looked up and saw a beggar—or rather, someone dressed very much like a beggar. His clothes were tattered, and his hair was messy, covering half of his face.
“Fox Demon.”
As Xing Ruyi assessed the Old Beggar, the fox appeared and tightly held Xing Ruyi in its embrace. At that moment, even if Xing Ruyi was oblivious to danger, she sensed that the atmosphere was off. Moreover, even Yin Yuan beside her looked on guard.
The fox leaned down and whispered in Xing Ruyi's ear, “He is Pixiu!”
“Pixiu!”
Xing Ruyi stared at the Old Beggar for a moment before suddenly exclaiming, “Do all dragon offspring look this peculiar?”
The Oni Beast she had seen earlier also resembled a strange old man, but now this Pixiu was even more different from the depictions in later legends. No matter how she looked at him, he seemed like a destitute Old Beggar who couldn’t even afford a meal. How could such an image represent wealth?
“The Old Beggar’s appearance isn’t great, but throughout history, only the poor have earnestly sought wealth. As for the rich, they are always scheming for it. Seeking wealth and scheming for wealth may sound similar, but upon closer examination, their meanings are vastly different. You’ve managed two Rouge shops; surely you understand this distinction.”
The Old Beggar glanced at Xing Ruyi and walked over to Deer Lady, trying to ingratiate himself by saying, “Don’t be angry. I just felt a bit uncomfortable seeing her hug you. Think about it; when we were close back then, you never hugged me like that.”
“When we were close?” Deer Lady turned around and pointed at the Old Beggar’s face. “Old man, let’s be clear about what ‘we were close’ means. Who has ever been good to you? If I’m looking for you again, it’s not to reminisce but to get back what you stole from me!”
The dignified divine beast Pixiu had actually deceived a Deer Shulu. Besides love, Xing Ruyi couldn’t think of any other reason. Judging by the current situation, it seemed that Deer Lady and Pixiu were more like lovers having a quarrel.
Xing Ruyi quietly squeezed the fox's arm and asked, “Is there a story between Pixiu and Deer Lady?”
“What story could I possibly have with this old man!”
"There's a story, how could there not be a story?" The Old Beggar raised his face eagerly. "Hundreds of years ago, I met you in the mountains. At that time, you weren't as temperamental as you are now. I just thought you looked unfamiliar and seemed quite delicious, so... I was also tricked by Old Six."
"Who is Old Six?" Xing Ruyi quietly asked the fox.
"Oni Beast!" the fox replied seriously.
"So, what the Deer Lady means might not be what we Common People understand, but rather that her heart was truly eaten by Pixiu?" Xing Ruyi stammered, "If a person loses their heart, they would die. What happens to a demon if it loses its heart?"
"It should feel very empty, right?" The fox thought seriously for a moment. "Demons cultivate inner elixirs. If the inner elixir is gone, they might die and revert to their original form. But I really don't know what happens if they lose their heart."
Seeing that the Deer Lady didn't seem to be in any trouble and that Pixiu was also gone, this matter of heart-stealing happened hundreds of years ago and likely didn't cause much disturbance in the Deer Lady's life. So, this curious, gossiping, and worried heart could be temporarily set aside. Right now, the most important thing was to deal with Luofu's situation. The fox's grievances had a source... oh no! It should be said that to untie the bell, one must find the person who tied it. The Deer Lady was definitely not the person mentioned by the fox; the only one left was this Old Beggar, who was said to be the son of Long.
"Did you change Luofu's face?"
Since he was an old acquaintance of the Deer Lady, there was no need to hide anything in their conversation. Xing Ruyi knew her question was somewhat direct; she had intended to be more tactful. However, when she approached the Old Beggar and saw his eyes, she couldn't help but feel anxious. This question she had repeated in her mind many times just slipped out.
"Luofu?" The Old Beggar squinted his eyes. "You mean that girl from the Luo family? Yes, I changed her face."
"That's good." Xing Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief. "Then can you please change her face back?"
"I can't!" The Old Beggar answered firmly.
"Why not?"
"Because the Old Beggar made a deal with someone; until the time is right, this deal cannot be concluded. The girl is also a businessperson and naturally understands the importance of keeping promises."
"Deer Lady—" Seeing that she couldn't move this divine beast, Xing Ruyi could only tug at the Deer Lady's sleeve like a spoiled child. "Luofu is really pitiful. She was originally the eldest daughter of the Luo family and was supposed to marry her betrothed after the new year. Now she has had her face changed by her own maid and can only watch helplessly as her maid uses her appearance to deceive her father and brother while brazenly marrying her future husband. That's not even the most important part; what's crucial is that before her face was changed, she sought help at Rouge shop. If this trouble can't be resolved by this Fox Demon, our Ruyi Rouge shop's reputation will be ruined."
The Deer Lady patted Xing Ruyi's hand. "This matter of others is something Aunt Sheng cannot manage or is too lazy to care about. But since you built up Rouge shop all on your own as Fox Demon, if someone damages its reputation, you can tolerate it; Aunt Sheng cannot."
Deer Lady cast a cold glance at Old Beggar.
Old Beggar, who had been maintaining a serious expression, instantly looked defeated. "Deer, you shouldn't get involved in this matter. I promise, I won't ruin this girl's reputation, alright?"
Deer Lady snorted coldly and said nothing.
Old Beggar could only face Xing Ruyi. "This matter is much more complicated than what the girl sees. Once the truth about White Fox comes to light after the New Year, the girl will naturally understand why Old Beggar has to do this. For now, I ask you to be lenient and not use Deer to pressure Old Beggar. I know I owe Deer an apology, but there’s no room for negotiation on this matter. Even if Deer wants to tear Old Beggar apart, Old Beggar will not change his mind."
When Old Beggar mentioned Deer, he was naturally referring to Deer Lady. Upon hearing this, Deer Lady only slightly furrowed her brows, making it hard to tell whether she was pleased or displeased. However, Xing Ruyi felt a bit awkward. The scene was reminiscent of a daughter hearing her father call out her mother's name; it created an uncomfortable atmosphere that made one feel like standing there for another moment would give them goosebumps.
She slowly moved back to the fox's side and quietly asked, "Should I trust this Lord Pixiu? Actually, even if I don't trust him, there's nothing I can do. I definitely can't defeat him and wouldn't want you and Yin Yuan to confront him recklessly. Although Deer Lady is an old acquaintance of his, after what just happened, I already feel quite despicable. I can't keep relying on Deer Lady's affection for me; it would only increase the distance between them. Fox, what should we do?"
"Let nature take its course; let's wait until after the New Year," the fox replied as it held onto Xing Ruyi's hand and gave Yin Yuan a knowing look. "Why don't we let Deer Lady have a good talk with this Lord Pixiu? They haven't seen each other in hundreds of years; I'm sure they have plenty to discuss."
As soon as the fox finished speaking, Xing Ruyi felt a gust of wind behind her head, and before she knew it, she was wrapped in the fox's embrace. When she opened her eyes again, the courtyard was filled with swirling dust, and she could see two shadows darting up and down, chasing each other. It looked like they were engaged in a fierce battle, yet there was no sense of killing intent—only inexplicable anger.
It seemed that Deer Lady and Pixiu were still a pair of happy rivals.
Hiding in the fox's embrace, Xing Ruyi shouted at the two figures amidst the flying dust, "Aunt Sheng, fight all you want, but please don't destroy this courtyard! That… renovating it would be quite expensive!"
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