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Yunxi obtained a piece of silk from Xi'er, which depicted a woman strikingly similar in appearance to Xing Ruyi. Judging by the condition of the silk, it had existed for at least several decades. The reason it had not decayed over the years was due to being imbued with protective magic.
This object had similarities, and people bore resemblances. As a mortal from a millennium later, Xing Ruyi found nothing strange about it; she regarded it merely as an interesting coincidence and handed the silk to the fox. However, the fox seemed quite concerned, its gaze towards the woman in the painting becoming peculiar, almost leading Xing Ruyi to mistakenly believe that this woman was the fox's former lover. If not for the significant difference between her current appearance and her original one, she might have thought this was a cliché plot from some melodrama—where the fox fell in love with her because she resembled someone else.
Shaking her head, she dismissed these chaotic thoughts and seriously asked the fox, "Have you managed to break the spell on that portrait and uncover its secrets?"
"It's just an ordinary portrait of a woman. If there is any secret, it is merely that she resembles you. As for the spell, it only serves to protect that piece of silk; there is nothing worth researching. My reason for investigating that silk is simply to find out who the woman in it is and why she looks so much like you."
"Have you found out who she is?"
The fox nodded. "Yes! I have found out."
"Could it be that there truly was a woman in the Golden Tang Dynasty who looked like me? Who is she, and is she still alive today?"
The fox nodded again. "This person, though you have never met her, you have heard of her. She is the only Empress since the founding of the land and the only one who left no words behind after her death. She is Wu Zetian, Consort Mei, currently residing in the palace. That portrait depicts her appearance from her early years."
Xing Ruyi was stunned and took a while to regain her composure.
"Are you saying that my current appearance resembles that of the Empress when she was young?"
The fox gave a soft hum in affirmation.
"I have always found it strange that you and I arrived in this Golden Tang Dynasty together. Even if I am from the Azure Wind Nine-Tailed Fox Clan and can maintain my physical form through time travel, you are a mortal whose body cannot withstand such temporal reversal; borrowing another's body would be normal. Yet our appearance in such a peculiar place is odd."
"Is your location Tong Tower?"
"Yes, Tong Tower, a royal domain. I have always wondered how there happened to be a woman's corpse available for your reincarnation in such a place. Now it seems there is more to this than meets the eye."
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have realized; thinking about it now, even my new identity seems to have come about rather easily."
Xing Ruyi lowered her head in contemplation.
She and the fox had just arrived in the Golden Tang Dynasty, both feeling lost and ignorant. Although the fox was a celestial fox and had lived for nearly a thousand years, most of that time was spent in Qingqiu. His knowledge of the Golden Tang Dynasty and this world was not much greater than hers. By coincidence, the fox saved an old man with the surname Xing, who had a daughter of the same age and name as her, recently deceased and not yet registered as dead. Thus, she gained a legitimate identity in the Golden Tang Dynasty, even though Chang Tai suspected her and conducted multiple investigations without uncovering anything.
"Fox Demon, our arrival in the Golden Tang Dynasty cannot simply be explained by mere coincidence."
"Ah! It's so complicated!" Xing Ruyi sighed deeply and waved her hand. "The worst outcome is probably what we speculated before: that we came to the Golden Tang Dynasty because someone like Moxuyou is pulling strings behind the scenes. But so what? Since we are here, we might as well make ourselves comfortable. If they want to use us as pawns, do they really think we will follow their game plan?"
With that, Xing Ruyi blinked at the fox.
"Even if their schemes are intricate and their plans elaborate, if we don’t want to follow their wishes, even deviating just a little each time will be enough to give them a hard time. In my opinion, it’s better to remain calm and observe what these people are truly plotting."
"I'm just worried about you!" The fox tightened his embrace around Xing Ruyi. "There are too many things in this world that I cannot guard against. I'm afraid that if I let my guard down for just a moment, you might fall into their trap. What should I do then?"
"Fool! Have you forgotten that I can protect myself now?" Xing Ruyi said, conjuring a wisp of ghostly blue fire. "Besides, no matter how dangerous it gets, even if I fall into trouble and can't get out, you will follow me closely and won't leave me to face it alone. Right?"
"Of course!"
"Then there’s no problem at all. As they say, when husband and wife work together, they can cut through metal. No matter how clever Moxuyou is, there will always be aspects he overlooks, and we are the biggest variables in his plans."
"Fox Demon!" The fox's expression finally softened a bit. "Perhaps I’ve been too anxious."
"You’re not too anxious; you’re underestimating me." Xing Ruyi raised her hand and pinched the fox's perky nose. "You should be like a rock while I am like a reed; but Fox Demon doesn’t want to be a reed and only wishes to be another rock beside you. Even if just a little, I want to weather storms with you; you should trust me."
"Alright, I trust you!" The fox said indulgently as he lowered his head to kiss Xing Ruyi's forehead. "Do you know? What moves me most is right here; what pains me most is also right here. Sometimes I wish you were like those ordinary mortal women who could safely hide behind me while I shielded you from storms with all my heart. But you won’t! The more independent you are and the more you want to share the burdens with me, the harder it is for me to let go of you and the more I worry about you."
Xing Ruyi lowered her head shyly and gently tapped the fox with her toes. "I’m used to it! At worst, I’ll learn to let you protect me in the future?"
The fox laughed. "You should forget about that! If you truly had the mindset to hide behind someone for protection, you wouldn’t have sneaked over here."
The fox pointed at the corpses surrounding them. Although this was the mortuary of the Yamen, most of the bodies stored here were unclaimed corpses waiting for cases to be resolved before being buried somewhere. However, due to bureaucratic delays in official matters, some decayed beyond recognition remained here until they turned into bones without ever being laid to rest.
"You think I want to be here? It's just that I've already made a big deal out of it, so I have to prepare something." Xing Ruyi said while searching the morgue. Her eyes suddenly lit up when they landed on a corpse in the corner.
"Fox." She tugged at the fox's sleeve. "Do you have any way to help me get the Corpse Oil from these bodies without harming them?"
"Corpse Oil?" The fox frowned. "What do you need that for?"
"It's a secret! You'll find out in a few days."
Xing Ruyi approached the corpse. It was a relatively fresh male body, with a handsome face and delicate features, even more attractive than many women.
"I heard A Niu mention yesterday that a performer died mysteriously and was sent here because of the strange circumstances. I was worried I wouldn't be able to find him, but it turned out to be so easy."
Xing Ruyi glanced at the ghost sitting in the corner, heavily shrouded in shadows. "Don't worry, I'll only take a little something from you; I won't harm your body. As for the one who hurt you, I'll help you seek justice in return."
The ghost looked up, staring blankly at Xing Ruyi. Seeing that she didn't seem to be lying, it bit its lip and gently nodded before disappearing from the morgue.
Two days later...
Yun Zhu looked at herself in the Copper Mirror, gently stroking her face. She hadn't expected that what Madam from Ruyi Cosmetic Shop said was true. Now, not only had her skin become increasingly delicate, but her face was also undergoing silent changes.
The maid stood behind Yun Zhu and noticed her lost in thought while touching her face. After a while of silence, she cautiously asked, "Madam, which hairpin would you like to wear today?"
"That hairpin?" Yun Zhu gazed dazedly at herself in the Copper Mirror. "Any will do! No! Not just any; let’s go with the Peach Blossom Hairpin. My husband loves peach blossoms. If I wear that hairpin to see him, he will surely be very happy."
The maid nodded and turned to look for the Peach Blossom Hairpin but couldn't help thinking about how strange her mistress had been these past two days. Not only did she love looking in mirrors more and more, but her words were also becoming odd. Plus, the ointment her mistress used had an unpleasant smell but seemed to have some miraculous effects; her once dry face had transformed into something as smooth as a peeled egg—delicate and increasingly fair.
The maid calculated in her mind that once this month's wages were paid, she would also visit Ruyi Cosmetic Shop to see if she could buy some of that same ointment for herself.
"Madam, how do you like it? Are you satisfied?"
"Well, it's not bad. By the way, go get my new spring outfit." Yun Zhu tidied her hair and admired her reflection in the Copper Mirror. As she lowered her head, her peripheral vision couldn't help but glance at the box of ointment she had received from Ruyi Cosmetic Shop.
That Madam had given her this box of ointment just for her to try. If she was satisfied, she could purchase it later. She was indeed satisfied, but the only thing that bothered her was that it felt a bit too much.
After the Yun Family retreated from society, they still engaged in some business dealings. Yun Zhu considered herself familiar with the tricks commonly used by merchants. She thought to herself that when she went back to Ruyi Cosmetic Shop, that Madam might raise the price. Silver wasn't something she was unwilling to part with; it was just that if she gave too much, she would feel a bit reluctant.
As these thoughts crossed her mind, her expression turned gloomy. Yun Zhu turned to look into the maid's eyes and said, "This afternoon, you need to go to Ruyi Cosmetic Shop again. I'm quite satisfied with this ointment. Ask how much it would cost to buy those larger boxes. Also, tell that Madam that while I am satisfied with this ointment, I am not extremely satisfied. If she raises the price too much, then I won't buy it."
The maid nodded and was about to respond when she noticed Yun Zhu's expression darkening further.
"Did you remember everything I just said?"
"Yes, Madam, I've noted everything down!"
"Do you know how to say those things? Especially the last sentence."
The maid paused for a moment before understanding: "Don't worry, Madam. That last sentence is not your intention; it's something I will ask myself."
"Good! And also, last time you went there, that Madam seemed to mention that she had a prescription that could make my husband think only of me from now on. When you go back this time, make sure to ask what that prescription is."
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