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Under the Empress's intervention, Moxuyou ultimately spared Chang Tai's life. History seemed to continue along its predetermined path.
After finishing her sentence to Xing Ruyi, the Empress supported Moxuyou and left the grand formation. Before departing, she instructed Moxuyou to ensure that the entire formation and its core were destroyed. To prevent future practitioners from exploiting the Reincarnation Wheel, she requested that after her death, her physical body be used as a sealing object, permanently locked within this grand formation.
In truth, the Empress harbored some selfish motives. Over the years, in her quest to resurrect Li Zhi, she had disguised her actions as repairing a tomb, while secretly establishing the core of the formation. Even the burial places of her sons were all designed to serve this grand formation. Now that the formation was complete, yet still unwilling to fulfill its purpose, she could only hope to rest eternally with Li Zhi at the core of the Reincarnation Wheel, hoping for a chance after ten thousand years.
Xing Ruyi was saved by Chang Tai; she merely glanced at him before leaving.
Though she felt sorrow for Chang Tai, she could not bring herself to resent him. Because she could not resent him, she also could not forgive him. After all, her brother Chang had blood on his hands from those close to her—A Niu and perhaps even Bell!
Silence was perhaps the most fitting way to say goodbye at that moment.
Stepping out of the grand formation, Xing Ruyi was swept away by a gust of wind. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the embrace of a fox. She pinched the fox's face and cried, "Yin Chensi, do you know? I'm so afraid I won't see you again."
"Fool, that won't happen. In this life and the next, for eternity, wherever you go, I will follow. Don't forget, we are already bound; since you've taken advantage of me, you must be responsible for me. Xing Ruyi, you have been sentenced to life imprisonment, and I am your cage."
"That's wonderful!" With tears in her eyes, Xing Ruyi smiled as she wrapped her arms around the fox's neck. "How did you know I was here? Moxuyou showed me a scene where I saw you and Yin Yuan carrying that fake Xing Ruyi away."
"That was to confuse Moxuyou," the fox wiped away Xing Ruyi's tears. "Chang Tai told me about it. He left me a message amidst the chaos."
Xing Ruyi nodded.
"He is a descendant of the Empress. Moxuyou wanted my body and my Yuan Shen within it but desired his blood instead. He refused and turned against them at a critical moment."
"Don't worry; I won't owe him any favors."
The Fox Demon gently touched the tip of her nose and picked her up.
"Tired, right? Let's go home!"
"What about the Deer Lady?"
"She was seriously injured and will need some time to recover. Don't worry, I had Yin Yuan take her to Qingqiu. That place is much safer than out here."
"And Pixiu?"
"I don't know; he might have gone with Yin Yuan and the Deer Lady to Qingqiu."
"You didn't stop him?"
"It was a baseless threat using the Deer Lady's life as leverage, which is Pixiu's weakness. He had no choice but to comply. The Deer Lady understands this; she just can't forgive Pixiu for putting you in danger because of her. She has always regarded you as her own daughter, and she would rather suffer herself than let you be harmed in any way. So, for nearly a hundred years, Pixiu probably won't be able to see her again, and to avoid further angering the Deer Lady, he won't force his way into Qingqiu."
"That's good!" Xing Ruyi's eyelids drooped. "What about Li Mao?"
"He was also injured, but it's nothing serious. I had him go with Yin Yuan to Qingqiu as well." The Fox paused for a moment and added, "Li Mao fell into an unfounded trap while in Divine Capital. Although his injuries aren't severe, they are still troublesome. The fox den in Qingqiu is perfect for his recovery. Don't worry; he'll be back after a while."
"Your arrangements are naturally the best." The Fox Demon's eyelids grew heavier. "I just... don't want anyone else around me to get hurt."
The Fox hugged Xing Ruyi tightly, causing her eyelids to feel even heavier.
“Fox Demon,” the voice of the fox said, “there's one more thing I think you should know. Do you remember the Silk in that cave? Your body was reshaped by Moxuyou using that Silk along with your original bones and blood. And those hairs, the ones taken from countless dead bodies…”
“Fox, I'm tired. I don't want to hear any more ghost stories.” Xing Ruyi gently shifted in the fox's embrace. “You know that if I listen to ghost stories, I will definitely have Nightmares. Fox, I don’t want to have Nightmares anymore.”
“Alright! We won't listen to ghost stories anymore.”
“Fox.”
“Hmm?”
“Take me back to Qingqiu! I want to see if there are ten miles of peach orchards there. Also, we should go back and formally visit Father and Mother Empress. You know, their time is running out, so I want to spend some quality time with them together with you.”
The fox lowered its head and gently kissed Xing Ruyi on the forehead. “Okay, I will take you back to Qingqiu, back to the fox den where I used to live.”
“Is Qingqiu far away?”
Xing Ruyi's eyes were already too heavy to open, and her voice grew weaker. A light breath brushed against the fox's face, dimming its eyes.
“It is a bit far. You should sleep now; when you wake up, you'll be in my fox den.”
Xing Ruyi murmured unconsciously, sinking into a deep slumber, no longer breathing.
A wisp of white smoke enveloped the fox and Xing Ruyi, disappearing into the dawn of the approaching day at the Yun Family Gathering.
Yun Family Gathering, the door of Ruyi Cosmetic Shop suddenly closed. The gentle breeze of early spring slipped through the crack of the door, swirling into the half-open Bedroom. On the door of the Bedroom, festive red characters were pasted, and on the bright red wedding bed, Red Dates, Longan, peanuts, and Lotus Seeds were scattered.
……
In the year 705, on the twenty-sixth day of the eleventh month of the Lunar Calendar, the Empress passed away. Her remains were buried alongside Gaozong at Qianling, leaving behind a blank stele.
Seven years later, in 712. The Li Tang dynasty was in turmoil, and Rui Zong disregarded his sister Princess Taiping's objections and resolutely ceded the throne to Li Longji, changing the era name to Xian.
On the night of the new emperor's ascension, an unadorned Carriage quietly drove out from the palace and headed straight for an old residence in the market.
As the Carriage approached the old house, its occupant ordered it to stop and then lifted the hanging curtain.
"You all wait here."
"Third Uncle—"
The man referred to as Third Uncle waved his hand, silencing the voice that was about to protest.
The moonlight descended from the wall, illuminating Third Uncle's face. It was a face that, despite having weathered many storms, still bore a hint of handsomeness. He glanced at his servant before walking alone towards the old house.
Though many years had passed, the appearance of the old house remained unchanged; even the plaque reading “Ruyi Cosmetic Shop” looked as new as ever. He pushed open the door and gazed at everything illuminated by moonlight, a scene from his memory echoed in his mind.
A lively young girl stood behind the counter, chattering about strange medicinal names while grinding herbs that he could not identify. Suddenly, she looked up and smiled brightly at him, calling out, “Brother Chang, you’re here! Come in quickly; let me show you what I’ve made!”
"By the way, when are you getting married? When will you find me a sister-in-law? I will give her all the good things from this shop."
The man suddenly laughed, looking at the graceful figure of the girl in the moonlight.
"Fox Demon, Brother Chang is getting married, but if you were to take all the good things from this shop for me as you initially said... Brother Chang fears you might go bankrupt. You love money so much that it would surely hurt your heart, right? Don't worry, Brother Chang has also prepared plenty of good things for you, enough to match what you have. Brother Chang will never let you suffer or let others take advantage of you. Even if that other person is Brother Chang himself."
"Brother Chang is not just anyone." The man seemed to hear the girl say something playfully, "In Fox Demon's heart, you are like a real older brother, the kind that is truly family."
A bitter smile appeared on the man's lips as he gazed at the girl's smile in the moonlight. He gently said, "But you know, I don't want to just be your Brother Chang."
"Then who can we blame?" The girl leaned closer to him, her eyes sparkling: "If there’s a next life, remember to run fast and find me before the fox does."
"Fox Demon, have you ever held a grudge against Brother Chang? Have you ever hated me for stabbing that sword into your marrow? Have you ever... ever tried to forgive me?"
The man spoke with reddened eyes.
"Brother Chang, what's wrong with you? Have the recent cases been tiring? How about I lend a hand?" The girl patted her chest: "I can do more than just make rouge and face powder; I can also read fortunes and examine corpses. If there were female coroners in the Golden Tang Dynasty, I would definitely be the best in Divine Capital."
As she spoke, her figure fluttered like a butterfly and flew directly to the backyard. The moonlight in the hall seemed to be drawn away by her presence, instantly turning pitch black.
The man stood quietly at the door, a gentle smile on his lips. He thought that in this lifetime, his Fox Demon would never know that every woman beside him carried a trace of her charm.
"Third Master, do you need me to light your way?"
The servant carefully approached with a lantern in hand. He quietly raised his eyes to glance at the dark shop, unsure of what his master was looking at.
"No need," the man waved his hand and turned to look at the Black Canopied Carriage parked not far away. With a hint of reluctance, he asked, "Has no one come to this Shop in all these years?"
"The officials from the Metropolitan Government Office are keeping an eye on it. If anyone were to return, they would have reported it to you long ago."
The man's gaze darkened. A gentle breeze stirred, lifting his newly grown beard as he turned and walked toward the Carriage.
"Remember to send someone to clean here regularly. As for everything inside, do not move anything without permission. Also, if anyone returns, make sure to inform me."
"Understood, sir. You don't need to remind me of that."
The servant bent down, raising the lantern higher in his hand to illuminate the path beneath the man's feet.
The black Carriage moved away quietly, and the market returned to its usual tranquility.
The wind circled around the Carriage before returning to the Ruyi Cosmetic Shop, where a candle sitting on the counter suddenly flickered to life!
(THE END OF BOOK, THE FOLLOWINGS ARE EXTRA CHAPTERS)
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