153 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

Upon hearing, Yan Zhao did not inquire further. Moments later, Yao Shen Zi emerged from the water. He ascended into the air, using his magic to dry his clothes. By the time he landed, the moisture had completely dissipated. Yan Zhao looked up and saw him holding a furry ball in his hands. It was precisely what she had seen underwater earlier. Getting closer, Yan Zhao recognized it as a fox. A white spirit fox, with scales all over its body, was covered in blood, its fur stained a deep brown. Bai Jin leapt from Yan Zhao's arms, bounded over to the injured white fox, and began licking the wound on its head. "It’s alive?" Yan Zhao was quite surprised, "How did it end up under the water?" Yao Shen Zi sealed the sharp weapon's wound on the white fox’s chest and abdomen with his magic, then took out a pill and fed it to the fox before replying to Yan Zhao, "It is Tu Shan Yu." Yan Zhao paused for a moment, suddenly widened her eyes: "Tu Shan Yu?" It turned out Tu Shan Yu was also a fox. Understanding dawned on her as she glanced at the little red fox licking the wounds of the white fox. Tu Shan Yu and Bai Jin were cousins. She came to realize: "Their whole family are foxes? Then the Fox Emperor..." Yao Shen Zi took a moment to glance at her, thoroughly impressed with his disciple’s intelligence: "Why do you think he's called the Fox Emperor?" "Oh." Yan Zhao expressed that she now completely understood. Yao Shen Zi discreetly glanced at Ren Qing Yue. Ren Qing Yue's heart was in her throat for a while, but nothing happened. The topic ended there, and Yan Zhao did not delve further into it. Ren Qing Yue didn’t know whether to feel relieved or helpless, as the truth of her identity hung over her like a sword, always threatening to fall and shatter Yan Zhao’s trust in her. The longer she delayed, the more exhausted she became, the tighter the tension in her heart grew, and the greater the eventual cost of truth would be. One lie leads to many more to cover it. Sometimes she thought, if Yan Zhao accidentally learned her identity, perhaps this torment would end. But she also selfishly yearned for the warm proximity, even if Yan Zhao was naive and unknowing, she wanted to stay by her side a little longer. Thus, as Yan Zhao didn’t ask the question, she continued to maintain her silence. "He won’t die," Yao Shen Zi concluded after examining Tu Shan Yu's wounds, "Someone used magic to heal him, although with limited success, it preserved his life; it should be the Fox Emperor." Based on the signs of magic, the Fox Emperor’s condition must be quite dire. Only Tu Shan Yu was found in the underwater cavern; the Fox Emperor was nowhere in sight. It could be inferred that Tu Shan Xun hid Tu Shan Yu in the cave to avoid detection and then revealed himself to distract the pursuers. "The Fox Emperor hasn’t fully recovered from his old wounds, so he shouldn’t have gotten too far. Let’s search nearby." Yao Shen Zi placed Tu Shan Yu into his embrace, with Bai Jin once again perching on his shoulder. Given Yan Zhao’s ever-keen intuition, Yao Shen Zi let her lead the way. They followed the occasional bloodstains on the ground, when suddenly the sound of clashing metal came from the mist. The sound was clear and sharp, vanishing quickly, yet everyone present heard it. Yao Shen Zi's spirits lifted, and he swiftly grabbed Yan Zhao and another, employing a teleportation spell to appear at the source of the sound. Beside a protruding boulder, the bloodied Fox Emperor was cornered by three dark figures. The last remaining elder of Yao Shen Sect was staunchly protecting the Fox Emperor, buying time for his healing. The three dark figures, like ravenous wolves eyeing their prey, circled the Fox Emperor and the elder, ready to strike at any moment. The Fox Emperor looked terrible, and the elder was also injured, unlikely to hold out much longer, which was why the three did not rush their attack, wary of a final desperate retaliation. Mist Demon Valley was scarcely populated; they intended to drag their quarry to death. "Hmph!" A cold snort, like muffled thunder, announced Yao Shen Zi’s descent into the fray. Bai Jin leapt from him, racing to the Fox Emperor. The elder of Yao Shen Sect was stunned at first, then overjoyed: "Sect Master!" Yao Shen Zi, with a composed expression, handed a small medicine box to Yan Zhao: "Go, give this to the Fox Emperor." Yan Zhao obeyed, took the box, and turned away. The three dark figures were taken aback but quickly attacked, fearing complications. Yao Shen Zi and the elder each intercepted one, leaving the third to speed towards the Fox Emperor. He was a distance away, but Yan Zhao was on the trajectory en route to the Fox Emperor. Seeing Yan Zhao holding the pill to save the Fox Emperor, the dark figure’s eyes glinted coldly as he murmured: "Courting death!" Yao Shen Zi moved to intercept, but another assailant’s interference knocked his attack off course, unable to stop the shadowy figure. Yan Zhao sensed the gust from behind, thick with killing intent, yet the opponent's speed made dodging impossible for her skill level. Just as the assailant raised a scimitar, ready to end her life, a sudden golden streak pierced through their chest with a swish. The shadow staggered, looking down at the shattered spiritual shield on their chest, a fist-sized hole left behind. His formidable magic dissipated entirely, leaving him weak and unable to grip the knife that clattered to the ground. Astonishment crossed his face as he sputtered blood. "...The Demon-Slaying Sword?" Ren Qing Yue maintained her stance, emanating a magical blue light as the Demon-Slaying Sword trembled, dispersing the backlash force of a Great Master’s attack without harming its wielder. Meanwhile, Yao Shen Zi’s battle with the obstructing shadow was evenly matched, with a slight advantage. The shadow contending with the elder sensed the change, launching a fierce palm strike to force the elder back. Then, deciding swiftly, he transformed into an arrow and attacked Ren Qing Yue. The Demon-Slaying Sword! Thought lost to an immortal official, it had found a new master! This woman had to be eliminated, as her threat exceeded even that of the Fox Emperor. To save Yan Zhao, Ren Qing Yue had not hesitated to unleash the Demon-Slaying Sword, but at the moment of crisis, her strength wavered, preventing her from recalling it in time. The shadow was upon her. In a flash, a figure interposed itself between Ren Qing Yue and the shadow. Boom— The shadow’s palm struck Yan Zhao’s chest. Yan Zhao’s slender body shuddered, the medicine box flying from her hands to land at Ren Qing Yue's feet. "Ah Zhao!" Ren Qing Yue's pupils contracted, and Yao Shen Zi flew into a rage. The Demon-Slaying Sword returned, stabbing through the shadow from behind, pinning him to the ground. Ren Qing Yue ignored the shadow’s fate, rushing to Yan Zhao. Yan Zhao’s footsteps faltered, a torrent of blood erupting from her mouth. Then, her body slanted and tumbled limply into Ren Qing Yue's arms. The shadow battling Yao Shen Zi witnessed the swift demise of his companions, decisively abandoning his assassination mission, and prepared a secret technique to escape. Reporting the Demon-Slaying Sword’s intelligence was more critical than the Fox Emperor’s assassination. Ren Qing Yue promptly reacted, urgently shouting to Yao Shen Zi: "Don’t let him escape!" Yao Shen Zi pursued with all his strength, reaching for the adversary’s wrist. Suddenly, golden light flared brightly from the man, a searing hot wave rebuffing Yao Shen Zi’s hand just as he retreated, distancing himself rapidly. Yet at that moment, his body suddenly plummeted without warning. With a thud, he struck the ground, stirring a dense cloud of dust. The ground fissured, yielding a humanoid pit, with over half of his body embedded in the earth. In just one motion, his entire skeleton was compressed, emitting a teeth-rattling crack. He struggled to move, attempting to rise. But his back felt as though a mountain rested upon it, rendering any movement impossible. The turn of events came so quickly that even Yao Shen Zi was caught off guard. His hand, seared by the heat, was blistered, almost allowing the villain to escape. Ren Qing Yue was likewise taken aback, stunned by the unforeseen scene. Suddenly, realization dawned on her as she glanced down at her arms. Yan Zhao was nestled there, yet she hadn’t fainted; she extended a hand toward the shadow's direction. A dark crimson glow pulsed over her, a white light on her chest bursting forth. Simultaneously, Ren Qing Yue’s ears caught the clear sound of a bell. It was the silver bell shield. A treasure Yan Zhao had selected from the Yao Shen Sect’s treasury. The shield had shattered, nullifying seventy percent of the force from the earlier attack. Yan Zhao's internal organs were enveloped in the red glow, and her sunken chest remarkably began to heal before their very eyes. She stared intently towards the shadowy figure, her gaze indifferent. "Ah Zhao!" Ren Qing Yue finally came to her senses, embracing Yan Zhao and grasping her wrist, "Stop the technique, let it go!" But Yan Zhao remained oblivious. "Kill him," she commanded them. And so, silent jubilation erupted in the deep valley, an uncountable number of demonic spirits descended on the shadowy figure, tearing at his flesh. Yet flesh alone was not enough; they would consume his soul as well. Shredding his spirit into pieces. Thus, in the eyes of Ren Qing Yue and Yao Shen Zi, the shadow splintered apart with a snap. Blood had barely splattered before being ravenously devoured by the evil spirits. Ren Qing Yue witnessed everything, her arms around Yan Zhao trembling slightly. It was she who said they couldn't let him escape, but this scene was not what she had envisioned. Yan Zhao turned her head, meeting Ren Qing Yue's gaze. So close, close enough to feel each other’s breaths. The warmth of the air brushing their cheeks lingered a moment longer. Yet those eyes were numb and merciless. Dark and consuming, swallowing all light and leaving nothing behind. In Yan Zhao’s eyes, Ren Qing Yue could find no trace of herself. Pain twisted in Ren Qing Yue’s heart, her eyes welling with tears. Yan Zhao was stunned. Clear tears fell upon her face, sliding down her temples. She saw hope fade from her senior sister’s eyes, helplessness and desolation transforming into endless disappointment. Suddenly, Yan Zhao felt guilt, and with it, an unprecedented fear. As if something binding them was swiftly slipping away. The aura of malice surrounding her gradually dissipated, her once-dark eyes now breaking with a faint light. The hand that had killed lifted, reaching towards Ren Qing Yue. Instinctively, Ren Qing Yue closed her eyes, her whole body tense. Yan Zhao’s hand paused midair. After a moment’s hesitation, she tenderly reached out. Ren Qing Yue felt the cool fingertips grazing her cheek. From one point, warmth spread slowly with the skin contact. Yan Zhao used her thumb to gently wipe away the tears from Ren Qing Yue’s eyes. As Ren Qing Yue’s eyelashes quivered and her eyes slowly opened, they met Yan Zhao’s clear gaze again. Yan Zhao lay in Ren Qing Yue's arms, looking up into her eyes. "I was wrong." Yan Zhao admitted, her tone sincere, "I will listen from now on." "Please don’t cry." Chapter 167 Ren Qing Yue couldn’t quite describe how she felt. A sudden wave of fatigue overwhelmed her, a heavy, indescribable weight settled in her heart. But she also understood that Yan Zhao hadn’t done anything wrong. Although Yan Zhao had killed, the person deserved it, there was no innocence in his death. Moreover, Yan Zhao did it for her, to protect her, risking her own life without hesitation. Without the shield to diminish the blow, could Yan Zhao have survived? Ren Qing Yue didn’t know. Her heart brimmed with guilt and sorrow, she hadn’t fulfilled her duty as a senior sister, failing to protect Yan Zhao, instead letting Yan Zhao take risks for her, repeatedly pushing Yan Zhao to become someone unfamiliar. This had happened again and again, and she could only stand by, powerless to stop it.