158 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

The questions from his little apprentice were growing increasingly difficult, causing the Herbal Master to nearly pull his hair out in frustration. However, he still racked his brains to provide an answer: "If you like someone, you'll wish to be with them forever. If you both like each other and consider each other the most special person in your lives, then you can become Dao Companions." Yan Zhao silently pondered, softly repeating to herself: If I like someone, I'll wish to be with her forever. This is how she felt about her Senior Sister. Though she was only half-understanding, her curiosity heightened considerably, and her thoughts slipped out: “I like my Senior Sister, but what if she doesn’t like me?” The Herbal Master was still reflecting on how well he had answered the previous question and hadn’t noticed that Yan Zhao hadn’t prefixed her sentence with “if.” Upon hearing this, he burst into laughter: "Your Senior Sister couldn’t possibly dislike you, she adores you to pieces. You're practically her precious little darling.” Yan Zhao's eyes lit up with hope: “Really? So can my Senior Sister and I become Dao Companions?” "Uh?" The Herbal Master snapped back to reality, was dumbfounded, and instinctively replied, "That might not be possible..." Yan Zhao was unprepared for this rejection, her mood deflated: “Why not?” The Herbal Master was about to say that Dao Companions should be a man and a woman, but his previous words circled back in his mind, and, recalling recent insights, he fell silent. He’d lived a long life and had seen much; liking doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to the opposite sex. Communication, interaction, hugs, companionship, these could all be shared with the same sex too. Aside from not being able to have offspring, everything else about a same-sex union was the same. In the long life of an immortal practitioner, whether or not one has children doesn’t seem to matter much. Seeing her master not answering, Yan Zhao persisted, demanding: “Why?” “Hmm.” The Herbal Master's eyebrows knitted together, somewhat regretting discussing this topic with Yan Zhao. Still, faced with her eager eyes, he had no choice but to continue reluctantly, “Maybe... it isn’t impossible?” Yan Zhao's eyes sparkled again: “So is it possible or not?” The Herbal Master waved his hand: “It’s not something you can decide unilaterally. Even if you want to become Dao Companions with your Senior Sister, you need to ask if she agrees.” “That’s true.” Yan Zhao dejectedly let her shoulders slump. Mutual affection is only the precondition for becoming Dao Companions. She liked her Senior Sister, and maybe her Senior Sister liked her too, but that didn’t mean her Senior Sister would want to be Dao Companions. For most matters, she might directly ask in person, but not this, not when it concerned her Senior Sister. She didn't dare to. It wasn't the fear of being beaten; if her Senior Sister merely beat her up, she wouldn’t mind. Last time, she only wished for her Senior Sister to give her a kiss, and her Senior Sister avoided her at all cost. If she recklessly asked, her Senior Sister might ignore her forever. And her Senior Sister was still angry about the matter where she killed someone for her. Yan Zhao suddenly felt a wave of distress, and let out a helpless sigh. Just then, the Herbal Master nudged Yan Zhao’s shoulder: “My apprentice, my apprentice, look over there.” Following the direction indicated by the Herbal Master, Yan Zhao saw Ren Qingyue walking alongside a regal and graceful woman. As they proceeded mid-way, a man, flaunting all his feathers like an ostentatiously displaying peacock, approached Ren Qingyue. Striking a pose he thought irresistibly handsome, the man said to Ren Qingyue: “May I ask for the young lady’s age? Do you have a suitor? If not, would you mind having one now?” The Fox Queen’s eyelid twitched as she cast a cold glance at the man, but she refrained from speaking on Ren Qingyue’s behalf. Ren Qingyue remained expressionless, just about to respond... Thunk— The man’s back of the head was struck by something, causing his eyes to roll back before he collapsed unconscious. The onlookers buzzed with surprise, and the Fox Queen was equally taken aback, scanning her surroundings warily. Ren Qingyue stood there, dumbfounded. Was that just now... Xiao Hei? Chapter 172 Xiao Hei? Ren Qingyue’s face changed drastically, shooting a glance around her immediate surroundings. The Herbal Master felt a jolt of dread, inwardly crying out: Not good. In the blink of an eye, Yan Zhao had acted without his notice. This obedient little apprentice certainly wasn't making things easy for him. Seeing everyone on the street raising their guard, the Fox Queen called forth hidden guards, while the Herbal Master whisked Yan Zhao away in an instant. Moments later, the beast clan guards arrived where Yan Zhao and the Herbal Master had been hiding. On the Fox Spirit temple, a few broken tiles remained, evidence of recent occupancy. The guards began casting divinations, concentrating deeply, but were unable to track the offenders. "Fox Queen, they’ve escaped." A short while later, a guard returned to report. The Fox Queen furrowed her brow: “They?” The guard replied: “At least two.” “Intensify the watch, keep alert for any suspicious persons within the city,” the Fox Queen ordered, her demeanor stern and commanding. “Report any findings immediately.” “Yes!” The guards departed swiftly, taking the unconscious peacock man with them. The incident was soon calmed down, with various speculations among the beastly population about the identity of the attacker. The prevailing belief was it was a rival of the peacock man trying to embarrass him in front of the Fox Queen. Since it was just a knockout rather than murder, and with no further violent actions, the disappearance of the assailant didn’t cause significant unrest. Ren Qingyue’s heart was still pounding, not yet recovered from the shock. The Fox Queen, noticing her unease, assumed she'd been frightened by the sudden event and inquired, “Miss Ruo Er, are you alright?” “I’m fine.” Ren Qingyue shook her head. Yet she remained tense, her eyes drifting occasionally to where the hidden weapon had flown from. It must have been a mistake. How could it possibly have been Xiao Hei? It must have been a hidden weapon resembling him. Yan Zhao couldn’t possibly slip past the Herbal Master’s vigilance to reach Qingqiu. The Fox Queen closely observed Ren Qingyue and saw her tension gradually dissipating, finally putting her own mind at ease: “We’ve roamed enough for today; let’s return to the palace.” Ren Qingyue nodded, staying silent. As they exited with the Fox Queen, she gazed back one more time at the desolate rooftop of the Fox Spirit temple, seeing nothing. Elsewhere, the Herbal Master had narrowly avoided the beast clan guards in a secluded corner and set Yan Zhao down, blowing his beard out in anger: “Look at yourself, what should I say to you? Why did you suddenly act without saying a word?” The Herbal Master poked her in the forehead to reprimand her: “If the beast folk had caught us, where would this old face of mine find the place to hide?” Yan Zhao loudly expressed her motivation: “But that man wanted to pair up with my Senior Sister.” The Herbal Master patted his thigh: “Oh, my dear apprentice, isn’t it obvious? Your Senior Sister would definitely not agree to it! It wouldn’t matter if he wanted to; she might even beat him up!” Yan Zhao was uncertain: “Really?” “What else?” The Herbal Master thought his apprentice was exceptionally dense, responding resignedly, “Do you think you could succeed if you asked your Senior Sister whether she’d be willing to form a coupling with you?” Yan Zhao decisively shook her head: “No, I can’t.” “If even you can’t, how could anyone else?” The Herbal Master sighed deeply, “Hey, my good apprentice, even if you truly like Qingyue, you can’t behave like this.” “Why not?” The Herbal Master stroked his chin, exuding wisdom: “Think about it, if she finds out it was you, do you think she’d be mad?” Yan Zhao considered it along his line of questioning. Result: “…She would.” “There you have it,” the Herbal Master said, clapping his hands. “If you want to get close to your Senior Sister, you can’t upset her.” Yan Zhao acknowledged his reasoning. She then asked: “So what should I do?” The Herbal Master, lacking personal experience, could only pretend to be profound while answering his eager apprentice: “You should do some pleasing things to make her like you more.” A light of understanding appeared in Yan Zhao’s eyes: “Can I make my Senior Sister like me more?” “Of course, effort is key,” the Herbal Master mused, “You need to care for her, give her gifts, and more importantly, spend time with her. Learn her interests, and if you’re able to spruce up yourself a bit, that would be the icing on the cake.” Yan Zhao felt she was beginning to grasp the concept. However, she couldn’t even meet her Senior Sister face-to-face at the moment. How could she talk about spending time and getting to know her? It was truly worrying. As Ren Qingyue returned to the demon palace with the Fox Queen, she still couldn’t shake the incident from her mind. Despite her rational belief that Yan Zhao couldn't possibly be in Qingqiu, Ren Qingyue couldn't help but think: What if? What if Yan Zhao came to Qingqiu without Herbal Master's knowledge? What if she accidentally got discovered by the beasts and either injured them or got injured herself... Ren Qingyue's mind was a tangled mess. Although her outward demeanor remained mostly calm, the occasional glimpse of anxiety in her eyes was enough to catch the Fox Queen's attention. As they neared the gates of the demon palace, the Fox Queen inquired, “Miss Ruo Er, do you have any concerns?” Startled, Ren Qingyue quickly shook her head. "It's alright," the Fox Queen reassured warmly, "Whatever it may be, you can always talk to me." Her heartfelt words struck a chord within Ren Qingyue, but she chose to keep her worries to herself: “I’m grateful for your concern, but I have nothing troubling me at the moment.” The Fox Queen didn’t press her further, simply saying, “How admirable to have such peace of mind, Miss Ruo Er. I only wish I could say the same; lately, my own mind has been quite troubled.” Ren Qingyue, momentarily distracted, asked, “Why so?” “Oh, it's those two blockheads at home,” the Fox Queen said, her usually composed demeanor disrupted with a scornful tone, referring to the Fox Emperor and their son. “They’ve gained little from their excursions between realms, except for a staggering arrogance. They conduct themselves with a stubborn, outdated manner, consumed only by their egos!” She sighed heavily, frustration palpable in her voice: “This time they’ve returned injured again. Do you know what antics they’ve been up to in the human realm?” Ren Qingyue originally didn't wish to get involved in the domestic matters of this fox family, but she was aware of what transpired in the Xuanhuang Mystic Realm. Bai Jin might not explain it clearly, and Tushan Yu and the Fox Emperor might conceal the truth. Recognizing the Fox Queen as a sensible person, Ren Qingyue decided she shouldn’t be left in the dark and narrated the events from an observer's perspective so she could understand the reality. “So that’s how it is!” The Fox Queen’s lips curled into a cold, sharp smile, and a frosty glint flickered in her eyes. “I suppose those two still believe they’ve accomplished some great act of benevolence for the world. Such utter foolishness!” Qingqiu had been too peaceful, breeding such foolishness in those two. Ren Qingyue only recounted the sequence of events, unconcerned with how the Fox Queen would handle it afterward. As they entered the demon palace, the Fox Queen soothed her emotions. She then took the opportunity to propose: “Miss Ruo Er, the demon palace is vast but sparsely populated; it's often quite lonely in my Qingyao Palace. Since I rarely stay there, perhaps you’d like to keep me company for a while? I can have a guest room prepared for you, and it’ll be nice to chat often.” The Fox Emperor and the Fox Queen seldom stayed together because she found him foolish, routinely sending him back to his study to sleep. Hence, Qingyao Palace was the Fox Queen's domain, one even the Fox Emperor dared not intrude into lightly. Ren Qingyue, not particularly fond of residing at the Moon Court Palace, realized the Fox Queen's offer was considerate and willingly agreed: “In that case, I shall impose on you, my senior.” The Fox Queen's eyes twinkled with amusement, waving her hand with a laugh: “It’s no imposition at all. I'm just relieved you agreed, fearing you might decline.” Having spent some time together, conversing during their outing, their relationship seemed to grow closer. Ren Qingyue didn't mind these measured interactions. Despite occasional feelings of constraint, overall, she found being with the Fox Queen quite pleasant. That night, Ren Qingyue settled into a side chamber of the Qingyao Palace. Bai Jin, under the pretext of visiting his aunt, lingered in Qingyao Palace, subtly trying to find out where his cousin was. The Fox Queen felt conflicted. Though Bai Jin was naturally outgoing and kind-hearted, he happened to fall for Ren Qingyue. However, while one side harbored feelings, the other might not reciprocate. A mother's favor for both “children” was akin to the dilemma of choosing between the back and palm of her hand—an impossible balance to strike. لحکککق اپنی ماں سے محبت کرتی ہوں I'm not looking forward to the moon, but rather to our encounter. Donate to support the website. 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