170 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

Elder Chen's thoughts remained inscrutable to others. Su Zijun did not wait for Yan Zhao to call her "godmother." Seeing Yan Zhao decide to postpone the matter, she was displeased and questioned Yaoshenzi sharply: "Why have you come here? If you've lost your mind, I know many expert healers who could treat your madness properly!" Yaoshenzi, jolted by her remark, remembered his true purpose for coming and swallowed the retort he had at the tip of his tongue. He did have another reason for coming today. After parting ways with Yan Zhao, he immediately made his way back. It had been about twenty days since Yan Zhao and her companions left the demon palace. Therefore, he was merely coincidentally crossing paths with Yan Zhao on this trip. In their fierce argument about whether or not Yan Zhao should acknowledge Su Zijun as her godmother, he completely forgot his original intent. Su Zijun's pointed remark brought him back to the present, and with a grave expression, he decided not to quibble over Su Zijun's somewhat harsh words and shifted focus to the business at hand. "I came here today with an important matter," Yaoshenzi said seriously. "Master Su, you are knowledgeable of many things. I recently acquired an item and would trouble you to identify its origin." Su Zijun raised an eyebrow: "Oh, you want my help just like that? What's your relationship with my father? Did you forget how you just ruined my image in front of Zhao'er?" This old master must be delusional, she thought. He prevents Yan Zhao from calling her godmother and then turns around to ask for her help, shamelessly presenting his face to be kicked. Yaoshenzi felt awkward. "…Ahem, let's consider these two separate things." Su Zijun propped herself against the back of her chair, adopting a leisurely posture: "To me, they're one and the same. I'm telling you now, if Zhao'er doesn't acknowledge me as her godmother, then I can't help you." Yaoshenzi: "..." Great, he had indeed shot himself in the foot. Yaoshenzi felt troubled. Their status wasn't beneath his, and on normal occasions, even on the streets, they would have respectfully greeted each other. Today, in seeking Su Zijun's help, he hadn't anticipated that hearing her wanting Yan Zhao to call her godmother would stir him into a frenzy, disregarding everything else. Since nothing would get done now, Yaoshenzi thought stubbornly. He grabbed Yan Zhao and started to leave the hall, intending to show Su Zijun what it meant to stand firm! But before they could exit, Yan Zhao suddenly asked him, "Master, what do you want godmother to look at?" Before the words had settled, Su Zijun spoke up: "Hold on!" Yaoshenzi glared at Yan Zhao: "Why are you siding with her?" With that, he quickened his pace. Yan Zhao looked puzzled. Calling someone godmother could gain her a treasure and help her master; why wouldn't he be happy? Su Zijun quickly moved to block the main entrance, looking at Yaoshenzi with a provocative glance: "Though you are a senior, it seems inappropriate to take my goddaughter in front of everyone, right?" Yaoshenzi's expression was colorful. Su Zijun really gave him a tough time. Worse still, it was his proudest disciple putting him in a corner, making him feel wronged without a cause to voice. A suppressed smile flickered in Su Zijun's eyes, but she decided to relent: "Since you're Zhao'er's master, you naturally want the best for her, so why guard against me so fiercely?" Yaoshenzi: "..." If Yan Zhao gains a connector like Su Zijun, she could traverse the three realms without relying on any magical items. While he understood this reasoning, he couldn't bear the thought of sharing his obedient apprentice with others as a daughter. With things as they were, Yaoshenzi thought long and hard but found no better solution. If Yan Zhao was willing to acknowledge Su Zijun as her godmother, he couldn't justifiably interfere. Since that was the case... "You are right." Yaoshenzi handed over the item he first intended to present and tossed it to Su Zijun. "Now you have no reason not to look." Su Zijun broke into a silent laugh: "You're rather adaptable for a senior." "…" Yaoshenzi huffed, "This is called being pragmatic!" Having gained the upper hand, Su Zijun had no interest in further bickering with Yaoshenzi. She focused her attention on the object in her hands. What she saw sharpened her gaze, a flash of keen scrutiny passing through her eyes. Yet, she maintained her poised exterior, casually weighing the object's heft as she asked Yaoshenzi, "Where did you acquire this?" "None of your business," Yaoshenzi snorted. "Just tell me if you recognize it." Su Zijun replied, "Of course, I do." It was a heart-protecting mirror made from heavenly meteorite iron. "Based on what I know, such materials should come from the outer realm battlefield," Su Zijun said with a frown. "However, this craftsmanship isn't found in the human realm; it exists only in the celestial realm. It's rare and valuable, often awarded to those who have made great contributions." The implication was clear, and Su Zijun's expression turned serious as she asked Yaoshenzi: "Senior, how did a celestial item end up in your possession?" Yan Zhao, Ren Qingyue, and the others nearby absorbed this conversation. Ren Qingyue's face grew grave, Elder Chen furrowed his brows, but only Yan Zhao appeared oblivious to the significance of the issue. Though Yan Zhao didn't grasp the full meaning of the exchange between Yaoshenzi and Su Zijun, she sensed the unusual tension and gently tugged on Ren Qingyue's sleeve, whispering, "Senior sister, why do godmother and my master have such expressions?" Ren Qingyue hesitated briefly but replied, "I don't know." "Hmm," Yan Zhao murmured, turning her focus back to Yaoshenzi. Yaoshenzi's face was conflicted for a while before he resolutely decided, casting soundproof talismans across the hall. Su Zijun's expression stiffened, her heart sinking. Yet, Yaoshenzi didn't dismiss Yan Zhao, Ren Qingyue, or Elder Chen; instead, he beckoned them closer and gave them a closer look at the heart-protecting mirror. Yan Zhao looked purely out of curiosity about treasures, whereas Ren Qingyue and Elder Chen exchanged wary glances as they inspected the item. Once everyone had examined the mirror, Ren Qingyue returned it to Yaoshenzi, her thoughts coalescing into a probable theory. She asked, "Senior, did you find this item in the Mist Devil Ravine?" Su Zijun was taken aback: "Is the Mist Devil Ravine some hidden treasure trove? Why are you all picking up things there?" Elder Chen rested his chin in contemplation. Recently, they all encountered the same event: the Fox Emperor's ambush and the appearance of many mysterious warriors of unknown origins within the Mist Devil Ravine. Hence, what Ren Qingyue mentioned must be in reference to this event. Following this line of investigation, the item was likely connected to the Fox Emperor's attack. As expected, Yaoshenzi replied gravely, "Indeed, I retrieved this during my passage through Mist Devil Ravine from one of the black-clad individuals." After leaving Yan Zhao with Ren Qingyue, Yaoshenzi had gone independently to investigate. Ren Qingyue's expression grew even more serious, while Elder Chen voiced the obvious conclusion: "Those individuals were from the Celestial Realm?" Now, Su Zijun was left out of the loop, her tone brusque: "What's with this cryptic back and forth?" One mention of Mist Devil Ravine, another of the Celestial Realm; was there anyone who could clearly explain the chain of events to her? Little naive Yan Zhao certainly wasn't up to the task. Su Zijun directed her question to Ren Qingyue: "You explain it, what's going on?" Ren Qingyue hesitated only slightly before revealing everything she knew about the Fox Emperor's ambush while passing through Mist Devil Ravine and the subsequent occupation by mysterious figures. If the ones who attacked the Fox Emperor were indeed from the Celestial Realm, this matter would take on a significant new meaning. Someone seems to want the Fox Emperor dead, potentially inciting a war between the demon and monster clans, though the instigators' identities remained ambiguous for now. Based on current clues, they couldn't definitively state those individuals were from the Celestial Realm, but there was suspicion involving the Celestial Emperor. The passage to the Celestial Realm from the human realm was guarded by the Celestial Alliance at the lower end and celestial troops at the upper. No one could pass without a summons from the Celestial Emperor. That was the extent of their leads. "If the demon and monster clans go to war, it's the human realm that will suffer first," Yaoshenzi said with a somber expression. Suspended among the realms, the human realm covered a vast territory, yet its influence was the most fragmented among the three realms. The Celestial Realm infiltrated the human realm with the Celestial Alliance to exercise control, while the demon realm and monster realm each had methods to traverse the Mist Devil Ravine. In the human realm, cultivators can't ascend to the celestial realm unless they survive a tribulation, nor dare they venture into the demon or monster realms. They are like lambs awaiting slaughter. If internal strife breaks out between demons and monsters, both groups will flood into the human realm. Should the celestial realm then intervene, chaos will ensue across the three realms, with the human realm as the battlefield, leaving unimaginable consequences. Had the first swordsman of the human realm, Yan Yuanqing, not perished, who would dare to instigate trouble so openly? Su Zijun considered the situation before saying, "This matter should not be publicized, but we must remain vigilant. The Celestial Sect Disciple Tournament is approaching, gathering experts and promising talents from the human realm. If they act, they will surely reveal themselves then." It seemed troubles were piling up one after another. The matter of the evil corpse puppets of Fuyun Sect had yet to conclude, and a new group was stirring up trouble already. "The Celestial Sect Disciple Tournament?" Yan Zhao asked, feeling a vague familiarity with the term. Ren Qingyue glanced at her: "Have you forgotten?" Yan Zhao looked puzzled, forcing Ren Qingyue to prompt her with a few reminders. After a moment, realization dawned on Yan Zhao: "Oh!" It was the initial reason she left the mountain gate. Although she hadn't planned to participate, Chen Er mentioned that the tournament would award Yuanqing Immortal Venerable's sword to the winner. With such a prize, she certainly had reason to go, but... Yan Zhao blinked: "Don't I need a token to participate in the Celestial Sect Disciple Tournament?" "You have one," Ren Qingyue reached deftly into Yan Zhao's pouch, extracting the Celestial Token. "This is your entry." Yan Zhao was surprised: "Didn't I give this token to Bi Lan?" Ren Qingyue handed the Celestial Token back to her and casually explained her confusion: "Bi Lan slipped it back into your pocket while you were asleep." Yan Zhao's eyes widened in shock, a strange feeling washing over her. Though her memory was poor and she couldn't recall the specifics, she remembered escaping the Broadsword Sect with Bi Lan after obtaining the Celestial Token. At that time, she and Ren Qingyue weren't familiar, nor had they traveled together. How did Ren Qingyue know Bi Lan had secretly returned the Celestial Token to her? Yan Zhao fell silent, looking at the Celestial Token in her hand, then back at Ren Qingyue. Upon a moment's reflection, she concluded: Her senior sister was truly prescient, knowing everything under the sun. Her admiration for her senior sister grew even more. Holding the Celestial Token, Yan Zhao beamed: "So I can participate in the Celestial Sect Disciple Tournament with this?" Ren Qingyue nodded: "Yes." "My sect will also have disciples participating in this tournament," Su Zijun added, providing new information. "I've also heard that Master Yuanhai is about to emerge from seclusion. Since Yuanqing's fall, she's the strongest in the human realm, and her stance is crucial." "Master Yuanhai..." Yaoshenzi stroked his white beard, frowning. "She's elusive, rarely seen. I've only met her a few times, never having much interaction." Su Zijun mused, "I haven't met her either, but her disciples frequently interact with Wanbao Palace." Yaoshenzi grew intrigued: "Master Yuanhai has disciples? How did I not know?" "There are many things you don't know," Su Zijun shrugged. "She has a disciple who's been under her tutelage for under five hundred years. This disciple should participate in the Celestial Sect Disciple Tournament. I will have our sect's disciples introduce themselves, and perhaps we can meet Master Yuanhai." --- I Anticipate Not the Moon, but Our Meeting Support the Website Voluntarily This site has no ad revenue and is non-profit—donations are used for server expenses! Worried about getting lost? Visit the donation page to add your contact information! Click to visit the donation page>>