60 - The Cannon Fodder is Prepared to Divorce

“……On the mountain of Qing Qiu, there is a beast whose appearance resembles a fox but with nine tails, whose voice sounds like a baby’s cry, and it can eat humans; those who are eaten are not deceived.” Ji Wu Nian was about to set her pen down, but as if called by something, she picked it up and wrote the last four characters again. "Those who are eaten are not deceived." “……Sounds like you're going to get bitten again.” Jiu Yi grinned, thinking Yue Bai must be afraid of Ji Wu Nian's bites, as they genuinely hurt. Yue Bai shuddered at the memory of Ji Wu Nian’s teeth. “If you bite me again, I'll really hit you.” Ji Wu Nian’s pen paused, leaving a tiny droplet of ink. She turned her head, and there was Yue Bai, appearing both real and unreal among the myriad bookshelves, illuminated by the candlelight. This person always appeared ephemeral like fireflies but solid as moonlight. In truth, whether Yue Bai concealed her form or not made little difference to Ji Wu Nian; she could always sense her presence. She instinctively knew when Yue Bai wanted to be seen and when she didn’t. Thus, she would cooperate and let Yue Bai follow her. Even now, Yue Bai’s form was semi-translucent, and Ji Wu Nian could still tell she had her fox ears and tails. Walking over, Ji Wu Nian cornered her and whispered amidst the book-scented air... “...Yue Bai...” Yue Bai’s ears tingled, and she lightly pushed Ji Wu Nian away. Once playful urges surfaced, they were hard to suppress. She summoned more light spots, growing a pair of fox ears and nine tails, some perky, some drooping, like a blooming white flower behind her. “Do you like this?” The little apprentice usually only revealed one tail, but the enigmatic Yue Bai had grown the full number of celestial fox’s tails. Foxes were seductive by nature, and celestial foxes were like walking poppies, making people addicted with just a glance. The temptation was irresistible, but Ji Wu Nian at least remembered to be gentle when kissing her, ensuring she wouldn't press Yue Bai against the wall too hard and cause her pain. The best approach was to turn her around, gather her fluffy tails in her arms, and bite her tender neck from behind... "...No biting." As if Ji Wu Nian would listen. This time, Yue Bai reacted quickly, pushing Ji Wu Nian away before she could use force, leaving only a shallow mark on her neck that would fade soon. Seeing Yue Bai frown, Ji Wu Nian tactfully said, “I’m a rabbit, not a dog.” Yue Bai found her too sensible to even scold. Too lazy to fix her disheveled robe, Yue Bai brushed past Ji Wu Nian, walking to the desk piled high with papers. Most were neatly stacked, only a few scattered. "The Disciples' Teachings" was short, fitting on one sheet. "The Medicine Canon" and "The Book of Beasts" were each a small booklet, taking Ji Wu Nian some time to copy. Her handwriting maintained its vigor and strength, not losing its spirit despite the volume of work. They say one’s writing reflects their character; Ji Wu Nian's certainly did. Yue Bai casually glanced over, her fox ears occasionally twitching. In her true form, Yue Bai’s demeanor contrasted starkly with her disguise as Ye Er. As Ye Er, she was endearing, but as Yue Bai, she exuded a temptation that made one want to strip her, bite her fox ears, and watch her tails droop helplessly. Ideally, she would cry prettily like a pear blossom in rain, her claws scratching deep into Ji Wu Nian’s back. Ji Wu Nian coughed, feeling her residual demonic energy still lingering. She walked to the candlelight, sitting on the desk next to Yue Bai, picking up and stroking one of her tails. “What brings you here?” Comforted by the stroking, her earlier irritation faded, “Just bored.” Jiu Yi chuckled. Yue Bai advanced swiftly in her cultivation, often seeking distraction without real tasks, coming to see Ji Wu Nian in her free time. Whether this was the true reason or an excuse, Jiu Yi didn’t bother clarifying. The reality was Yue Bai, with her fox ears and tails, was next to Ji Wu Nian, being caressed. ...Damn this saccharine display. Another swaying tail was gathered as Ji Wu Nian nuzzled its soft fur with her face, “So, what do you want to do?” Yue Bai set the paper down, jumped off the desk, sliding away with her tails from Ji Wu Nian’s embrace, and delved into the sea of books. They were in the lower level of the book pavilion, filled with earthly novels. Yue Bai picked out "The Essence of Principles." Despite its proper-sounding title, it told a scandalous tale of love and betrayal involving humans, demons, and monsters, each ensnared in forbidden love and intense encounters whenever they met. As Jiu Yi put it, melodramatic and explicit. Having immersed herself in serious texts, Yue Bai grew to love this kind of popular literature. Jiu Yi was long immune to it. Ji Wu Nian was well aware of her disciple’s enigmatic fondness for these stories, but seeing Yue Bai read such a book in this form before her was rather intriguing. ...Someone's body probably wasn't fully recovered; even casual requests might be too much now. But if it’s just to the point of ear trembles and tears...it might be doable? A shadow fell over the page, but Yue Bai wasn’t distracted, speaking lazily, “Aren’t you...” supposed to be copying books? Yue Bai’s book was tossed to the ground as she was pinned again, this time against a bookshelf, free from the risk of hurting her tailbone, leading Ji Wu Nian to be bolder. Gone was the timid master of her memory; reality showed Ji Wu Nian, even without demonic energy, was intensely aggressive, shedding her 'rabbit' disguise to reveal the wolf beneath. Her seemingly gentle hands traced Yue Bai's body, but lacked patience to undress her, tearing her waistbands and fastenings apart with spiritual energy. ...Yue Bai really didn’t have enough clothes to withstand Ji Wu Nian’s habits. Yue Bai couldn’t focus on the clothes now, the icy touch making her tremble. With enough space between the shelves, Ji Wu Nian cleared books away, using the gap for Yue Bai and her tails to settle. To protect Yue Bai's head from hitting the shelves, Ji Wu Nian refrained from biting her neck, instead nibbling her soft ear, making her whimper like a small animal. Yue Bai’s claws wrinkled the cloud-patterned fabric on Ji Wu Nian’s shoulders; pulling her out a bit, Ji Wu Nian's hands moved deeper. “Mm…” As expected, the fox ears trembled, Ji Wu Nian noting how her tails stiffened at each thrust. Looks like it's inevitable her tails would droop. Half-hearted apologies dissipated when Yue Bai’s teeth pressed against Ji Wu Nian’s neck and her trembling voice urged her on. Losing patience, Ji Wu Nian made Yue Bai stand on tiptoe, shoulder pressed against the shelf, reliant on her for support. Yue Bai didn’t hate this; she used her little sharp teeth to graze Ji Wu Nian’s ear. Truly maddening. *** When the socialist harmony system Jiu Yi reopened his view, Yue Bai was lying against Ji Wu Nian's leg, half-conscious, looking thoroughly spent. No need to check to know their host was drained. Jiu Yi sighed, then snorted disdainfully, “Excess indulgence harms the body…” Yue Bai’s voice, though fatigued, was content, “Well-nurtured.” Even if well-nurtured, this was excessive depletion!!!! Jiu Yi wanted to roll his eyes, knowing their host was willful. All they could do was sigh. As long as the big boss was happy. Ji Wu Nian casually toyed with Yue Bai's ears; the fluffy fox ears felt nice, and a tweak made her shiver. Fingers playing with the ear tips, Ji Wu Nian eyed Yue Bai's tails, spread into a white fan from beneath her thin clothing. The study was quiet; the scattered books Ji Wu Nian had knocked down lay in disarray, with only the flickering candlelight and rhythmic breathing breaking the silence. Yue Bai, feeling rested, rose and gathered her tails, naturally. Ji Wu Nian sat on the floor watching her, dressed quickly and neatly, her tails flicking gracefully without hindrance. “Yue Bai,” Ji Wu Nian wiggled her feet, smiling, “are you a fox spirit?” Yue Bai, fastening her clothes, replied without looking up, “No.” Her clothes' ties had all been destroyed by Ji Wu Nian, but Yue Bai could effortlessly recreate them, not planning to discard her outfit. She only had a few sets that accommodated her tails; making new ones was a bother. The cold and indifferent Yue Bai contrasted starkly with her earlier whimpering self, which made Ji Wu Nian feel a bit sulky, wanting to tear her clothes off again. But standing up, she changed her mind, merely hugging her, burying her face against Yue Bai's back. “What’s wrong?” The dawn was near, and Yue Bai wanted to return. Perhaps weary, Yue Bai's aloofness made Jiu Yi feel like she was a scoundrel abandoning her diligent young wolf after a night together. ...Initially thought the other was heartless, but now it seemed their host was just as unfeeling. Ji Wu Nian’s voice was filled with frustration, muffled as she leaned into Yue Bai’s back, but still audible. “My clothes are ripped.” Yue Bai’s hand paused in the middle of adjusting her clothing, and she slightly turned her head, catching a glimpse of Ji Wu Nian’s shoulder resting against hers. The fabric was wrinkled, and several gold-thread cloud patterns had been torn. …Fox claws were sharp; Yue Bai considered it a success they hadn’t torn into her skin. “…Yue Bai, help me mend it…” Annoying. Yue Bai turned around and lightly touched Ji Wu Nian’s shoulder. Instantly, the cloud pattern mended itself, “Alright…” The cloud pattern wasn’t the point; Ji Wu Nian just wanted an excuse to kiss her a little longer. But entwining lips and tongues was exhausting, and after a short while, Yue Bai pushed her away, her voice tinged with frustration, “Tired.” Tired and sleepy, she could barely lift her tails. Ji Wu Nian leaned on her shoulder, laughing so hard her back shook. Not in the mood to pay her any mind, Yue Bai leaned against the bookshelf in silence. After what seemed like enough laughing, Ji Wu Nian didn’t raise her head, instead, she leaned on Yue Bai’s shoulder, her voice soft and muted in the space between the shelves, “After some rest, would you go see Cong Sheng with me?” Cong Sheng, the name rolled around in Yue Bai’s mind for a moment before she remembered she had asked Ji Wu Nian about meeting him. Yue Bai looked up at the ceiling and finally uttered, “Okay.” The ceiling of the library was inscribed with intricate formations, likely mirroring those on the floor above. It was, after all, an important library of the San Qing Sect, and such protective measures were warranted. She just wondered how books like "The Essence of Principles" found their way into this collection… “…Yue Bai, Mu Tian asked about the demonic energy—do you have a solution?” Fatigued to the point of drowsiness, Yue Bai’s mind was wandering, but Ji Wu Nian’s words drew her back a bit, only enough for her to yawn, “Now you ask?” She didn’t ask when plotting against Ming Yun, nor during the assault, not even when nearly wiping out Ming Yun’s faction. Only now, when everything’s settled… Was it a guilty conscience or did someone catch onto something? Too tired to overthink, Yue Bai pushed Ji Wu Nian away and yawned, heading out. “Do you want to help?” Jiu Yi asked, “There’s no mission triggered.” Bathed in light as she reached the aisle between two shelves, Yue Bai turned to see Ji Wu Nian shrouded in shadow, her smile unchanged. The big bad wolf had donned the rabbit disguise again. “If I can search her Sea of Consciousness,” Yue Bai watched Ji Wu Nian’s reaction, not making any promises, “Perhaps I might.” “I’ll figure it out,” Ji Wu Nian nodded and approached, pinching Yue Bai’s cheek, “I’ll return to the Qing Lin Hall tomorrow.” …Can she really copy books that fast? Yue Bai glanced at the piles of paper and ink on the desk, throwing out a “Suit yourself.” Turning into sparkling dust, Yue Bai intended to sleep first.