71 - The Cannon Fodder is Prepared to Divorce

"This Fox Lord," a large tail swayed into view, belonging to the squirrel spirit who had just brought over a plate of pine nuts. "I haven't seen you at this demon market before. Are you heading to the demon realm?" "Just passing through," Ji Wu Nian smiled in response. "I heard people say the chestnut soup here is sweet, so I came to try it." "What a pity, I thought you might also be heading to serve the Demon Emperor..." The squirrel spirit chuckled and handed over a bowl of sweetened chestnut soup to the human girl next to Ji Wu Nian. She smiled at the girl as well, "This young lady is equally beautiful, not inferior to the fox spirits around here." The fox clan was known for its beauties, and this girl drinking the soup indeed rivaled, if not surpassed, the allure of the six-tailed fox spirit. Yue Bai smiled lightly, serene like a calm lake stirred by a gentle breeze, "Thank you for your compliment." People were actually quite friendly if they didn't provoke her. With this thought, Ji Wu Nian playfully hooked Yue Bai's thigh with her tail under the table. Directly holding down the mischievous tail, Yue Bai remained unflustered, "I see many cultivators in this demon market as well; it’s quite interesting." She glanced at the little fox beside her with a look, signaling her not to create trouble. Yet, she received a sweet smile in return, indicating defiance to her wishes. "Yes, there have been more recently," the squirrel spirit said. The afternoon had been long, and there were few customers at her stall; besides them, only two bird spirits were chatting after their meal. The squirrel spirit continued to chat with them, "Those who come are usually rogue cultivators from the mountains. Recently, even some large sect members have been arriving, spending lavishly..." She pointed out two individuals, "Look over there." The two looked in the indicated direction and indeed saw four people walking together with swords, dressed in light blue robes—it was the Wuji sect members. They are here already? Ji Wu Nian sneered internally, feeling revolted at the sight of them. Unfortunately, the four also noticed them and started walking straight over. Seeing them approach, the two bird spirits next to them placed a few seeds on the table and left. The squirrel spirit cleaned up the nearby table just as the group arrived. "A Du Niang," the leading disciple sat at a table next to Yue Bai and Ji Wu Nian, with the other three sitting down as well, "Four servings of pine nuts and four bowls of chestnut soup." "Right away, please wait a moment." A Du Niang turned to prepare their order, showing evident respect. Yue Bai had seen these individuals in the mind sea of Wuji disciples; if she remembered correctly, the leading one should be Song Ze, the eldest disciple under Elder Chang Xia of Wuji, who had already formed his Golden Core. A Du Niang brought the food over and arranged it for them. Song Ze took out a shark’s tear and placed it back on the tray, "Thank you, A Du Niang." “No need to be so polite,” A Du Niang bowed slightly and, passing by Yue Bai and Ji Wu Nian, gave them a small smile. Yue Bai returned the smile, and Ji Wu Nian nodded slightly. "Shall we leave after finishing?" Ji Wu Nian spoke softly to Yue Bai, her back to the group. With the sun setting, Yue Bai was almost full and ready to go. She set down her bowl and spoon, glanced subtly at the adjacent table, "Let's go." Seeing the two rise to leave, Song Ze stood up, "Ladies, please wait." Ji Wu Nian turned, shielding Yue Bai with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "Can I help you?" "I am Song Ze, the eldest disciple of Elder Chang Xia of Wuji. These are my junior disciples," Song Ze began to introduce them, "This is..." "Can I help you?" Her voice was as cold and clear as a mountain spring. Yue Bai had no interest in who they were, and seeing Ji Wu Nian so alert towards them, she was even less inclined to waste time. Song Ze was momentarily stunned but quickly composed himself, speaking gently, "Are you ladies of the fox clan? We are from Wuji, searching for a three-tailed fire fox and would like to ask if you might know anything." Three-tailed fire fox? Yue Bai thought of something but saw Ji Wu Nian take her hand and smile faintly, "We don't know." Saying this, she pulled Yue Bai to leave, but the other three stood up, blocking their path. "... What is this, a street robbery?" A muffled voice echoed in Yue Bai’s mind sea, "Not angry anymore?" Jiu Yi "hmph"-ed, "There's a new mission, 'Kill Song Ze.'" This was the first time a specific person was named like this in a mission. Yue Bai wondered what kind of entanglement between Song Ze and Ji Wu Nian had sparked such direct killing intent. Yue Bai's divine sense scanned, marking Song Ze. Ji Wu Nian stepped forward, her fox eyes turned red, "Good dogs don't block the way." "Please don't be angry," Song Ze said without anyone moving aside, "We just want to ask some questions and hope you could accompany us for a bit." Ji Wu Nian smiled charmingly, her hand turning into claws, "And if we refuse?" Nearby minor spirits subtly avoided the area. Occasionally, a few pairs of eyes peeked over but promptly recoiled, unwilling to get involved. This demon market was mostly for minor spirits with low cultivation levels. No demon dared intervene in a conflict between a six-tailed fox spirit and a Golden Core cultivator. "... Are you going to make a move or what?" Jiu Yi asked sullenly, "Kill them quickly and be done with it." Yue Bai was curious about Ji Wu Nian's sudden change in mood, "Let's see how it goes." Her indifference unexpectedly made Jiu Yi feel a bit better and even sympathetic towards Ji Wu Nian, "Tsk tsk, Yue Bai, you are quite heartless." ... What? Yue Bai couldn't fathom her system's convoluted logic, but the tension between the fox and the cultivators was palpable. Ji Wu Nian hadn't shown such emotions even towards figures like Pu Shi and Yuan Jiu, yet she seemed to take these individuals much more seriously. Was it just because he was an elder's first disciple? What made him so significant? As she pondered this, a roar interrupted from outside, followed by a booming voice, "Who's causing trouble here!?" Everyone turned to the source, where a tiger spirit wielding a giant axe cut through the demon crowd, followed by two rows of smaller spirits, exuding an imposing presence. The tiger spirit, still in partial beast form, stood on two legs, covered in stripes, wearing armor. He pointed his axe forward, creating a gust of wind, "Who are you all! What’s the commotion about!" Yue Bai found the tiger spirit somewhat familiar, and upon seeing Yue Bai, the tiger spirit also seemed momentarily taken aback, "Your Excellency?" ... It seems like I know who he is. Ji Wu Nian had never seen this tiger spirit before and was wary. However, hearing him address Yue Bai as "Your Excellency," she glanced at her, "Your Excellency?" "Who is he..." Jiu Yi couldn't remember meeting him. "Do you recall the spirit tiger that brought Wan Wan to me back then?" "..." Jiu Yi thought for a moment, "The one who didn't have grasping claws?" The one that scratched Yue Bai's back open. Yue Bai felt a headache, "Yes." The tiger spirit approached with his entourage, towering up close. His broad tiger paws extended forward, seemingly disregarding everyone else, "Your Excellency, what brings you here? Are you injured..." Yue Bai quickly interrupted, "There's no need to mention that." "Injured?" Ji Wu Nian, ignoring Song Ze for a moment, turned to Yue Bai, "What injuries? Are you hurt?" "It was before," Yue Bai didn't want her to delve into it, holding her hand, "It’s nothing serious." "Oh," the tiger's nod was somewhat simple-minded, but his demeanor changed to menacing when facing the other group, with a growl in his throat, "And who are you people, pestering Her Excellency?" Song Ze had presumed Ji Wu Nian was the dominant figure, only to realize that the woman behind her held the honorific title. Surprised, he answered the tiger, "We are disciples of Wuji, merely wishing to ask the ladies some questions." "Hmph," the tiger spirit scoffed, "Wuji and Cang Xue eye our demon clan covetously. We aren't here for any good reasons. Go ask someone else and stop causing trouble in our territory!" "How dare you!" One of Song Ze's disciples stepped up, "If not for the demons..." Song Ze raised a hand to stop his junior, "If the ladies are unwilling, we won't force them." "You’re wiser than you seem," the tiger spirit sheathed his axe, bowing to Yue Bai, "Your Excellency, Master Fox, please." Yue Bai, with Ji Wu Nian in tow, followed the tiger spirit out, flanked by his small entourage, instantly attracting all eyes in the demon market. Yue Bai sighed in her heart and quietly asked the tiger, "What brings you here?" The giant tiger cast a vast shadow over Yue Bai and Ji Wu Nian as he walked beside them, conspicuously standing out on the market street. Rubbling his tiger head, he answered somewhat bashfully, "After leaving Sanqing, I first went to other mountains. Later, hearing the Demon Emperor had called back Bu Gui, I thought of returning to the demon realm. I sought a position defending against cultivating humans invading the demon realm and was sent here to guard this small market, hoping to reduce their harassment. Unexpectedly, I ran into Your Excellency here..." Sanqing, tiger spirit, injuries... Ji Wu Nian pieced together the situation. Glancing at Yue Bai's back, she felt annoyed thinking of how Yue Bai’s past ploy had left her skin torn and bloody. Feeling a chill down her back, Yue Bai turned slightly, meeting Ji Wu Nian’s cold gaze, with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Jiu Yi was still out of the loop, "You do seem to have a fate intertwined with this tiger spirit." Reaching a shady area at the market's edge, Yue Bai paused and quickly changed the topic, "Can you, see the Demon Emperor?" "Well, normally, it's difficult to meet him directly," the tiger spirit replied, "But I send reports back regularly, which should pass through Lord Black Jiao before reaching the Demon Emperor." Yue Bai nodded and handed an envelope to the tiger spirit, "Could you deliver this letter to Pu Shi for me?" "Boss," Jiu Yi said dryly, "Is this how you request something from the Demon Emperor? Doesn't it seem a bit too casual? Are you sure it'll get to Pu Shi?" The tiger spirit hesitated, clearly aware of his limitations, "Your Excellency, I'm not sure if this letter can reach the Demon Emperor." "Just send it back; he'll know." Pu Shi, that old dog, would sense her presence. "Alright," the tiger spirit nodded, accepting the letter. His tiger eyes glanced at the silent six-tailed fox beside Yue Bai, "By the way, I haven't asked, who might this be?" "Jiang Xiao." Ji Wu Nian introduced herself, "I greet General Hu." "Ah, I named myself Hu Shi San," Hu Shi San tried to smile but only revealed his sharp teeth, "You can just call me Thirteen, Fox Lord Jiang Xiao." Jiu Yi was curious, "Why do they keep calling her Fox Lord?" Yue Bai explained, "In the fox demon clan, cultivating to three tails allows them to take human form and be recognized as 'Yao,' with six tails they become 'Lords,' and nine tails can stand alongside the Demon Emperor, hence 'Fox Sovereign,’ known as Tian Hu." "Then you should be a Fox Sovereign, right?" Jiu Yi hadn't forgotten Yue Bai's appearance with nine tails, "Aren't you still building your foundation though..." Perhaps her spirit is too strong? Yue Bai herself wasn't entirely sure. "Speaking of which, Fox Lord, would you be interested in meeting the Demon Emperor?" Hu Shi San admired the rare six-tailed fox, "The current demon realm is in peril and in need of the Fox Lord's assistance." Ji Wu Nian's eyes glowed with charm, her claw circling Yue Bai's slender waist as she leaned on her shoulder, her fox ears brushing against her hair, "I am your Excellency’s fox, why don't you ask her?" Hu Shi San's eyes widened, as did the small spirits behind him, all staring in their direction. To manage to take in a six-tailed fox, what kind of person was she? "...Let's discuss this later," Yue Bai disliked the attention, patting the fox claw at her waist, feeling a bit helpless, "Let's go back." A soft voice whispered in Yue Bai's ear, "As your Excellency wishes." Yue Bai felt somewhat awkward. The surrounding eyes stared even more intently. Hu Shi San stood speechless, unsure whether to be astonished at her Excellency subduing a Fox Lord or surprised at the Fox Lord flirting with her Excellency. In any case, the two of them together, they made a striking pair. Illuminated by Qing Feng, Yue Bai no longer wanted to linger under the watchful eyes. With a brief word to Hu Shi San, she pulled Ji Wu Nian onto her sword and flew away.