177 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

Behind the young lord, a group of cultivators with similar levels of cultivation joined in the mockery, derisively claiming that the cultivators from their sect were nothing but a bunch of street rats. Ever since the corpse puppet incident during the opening of the mysterious realm, their sect's reputation had been in tatters. Despite the sect leader, Bu Dong Hou, quickly distancing himself from the situation, declaring the removal of Dao Ling Immortal Venerable's position and banishing him from the sect, it was still difficult to restore their reputation. The Immortal Alliance had yet to find conclusive evidence proving that others from their sect also participated in the corpse puppet plan. As a result, their disciples were not disqualified from participating in the Immortal Sect Disciple Conference, though they faced tacit exclusion. Given the current situation, it seemed impossible for their sect to send anyone to support or cheer for the participating disciples. The Immortal Alliance had invited Bu Dong Hou according to tradition, though his attendance remained uncertain. Yan Zhao shifted her gaze towards the young lord's counterpart. Blocked at the doorway by this group was a short, slender woman. Yan Zhao had never seen this woman before; she was unfamiliar. Yan Zhao didn't know much about the disciples of their sect, only aware that the one participating in the conference was Bi Lan. This woman, publicly mocked by the young lord and his followers, didn't offer a single retort. Compared to the overbearing disciples before her, her frail figure appeared particularly small and fragile. Yet, she remained calm throughout. As the laughter subsided, she finally spoke. "Have you finished barking?" She glanced indifferently at the lead troublemaker, her tone unruffled. "Then move aside, a good dog doesn't block the way." The young lord and the group of disciples froze. Their eyes widened, their reactions exceedingly comical. Things were not proceeding as expected. In his mind, the woman, surrounded by so many of them, should be terrified, her face pale, crying for help. Realizing no one would stand up for her, she should have humbly endured, quietly begging for mercy. Yet, nothing he imagined manifested. The woman's utter disregard for him severely bruised his ego; the suppressed laughter from the disciples behind him sounded like mockery, making him jump with fury. "You called me a dog!" The man, enraged, raised his arm to strike. From afar, Yan Zhao witnessed the scene, as the little fox in her arms curiously peeked out, only to be swiftly pushed back by her. She had no intention of intervening in such matters. The only thing she pondered was how long it would take for them to finish fighting and if it would delay her registration. Just then, a joyful shout interrupted the tense atmosphere: "Brother Xuan Yuan! You're here for the competition too!" Following the voice, Yan Zhao saw a man dressed in a rich azure gown stride towards the two groups by the entrance, laughing heartily before even getting close, "It's been years since we last saw each other, right?" Xuan Yuan Zheng turned at the sound, initially unable to recognize the man. However, given the brilliance of the man's smile and friendliness, they must have been acquaintances. Moreover, the man looked distinguished and carried an extraordinary air; Xuan Yuan Zheng, not wanting to appear faltering, instinctively lowered his arm. At this moment, he overheard the disciples behind him whisper, "Isn't that Senior Brother Qiu from Wanbao Palace? He's here for the competition too?" "Senior Brother Qiu and Xuan Yuan Zheng know each other?" "Not surprising, Wanbao Palace and the Xuan Yuan clan are both known for artifact crafting; their disciples often have interactions." Xuan Yuan Zheng racked his brain to recall if he knew anyone from Wanbao Palace with the surname Qiu, but nothing came to mind. Yet, before he could ponder further, Qiu Le An had already approached, throwing an arm over his shoulder in camaraderie, "Come, Brother Xuan Yuan, Qiu invites you for a drink! Let's celebrate, everyone come!" Xuan Yuan Zheng was half-dragged away by Qiu Le An, and the disciples who had been causing trouble, hearing about the drinks, eagerly followed suit. Looking down at the little fox in her arms, Yan Zhao murmured, "Xuan Yuan?" The surname Xuan Yuan likely hailed from the Xuan Yuan clan. Recalling her prior efforts to remove the seal on Little Gold, she sought information about the Xuan Yuan clan from Xuan Yuan Mu, who had reacted with strong antipathy. It seemed wise to steer clear of the Xuan Yuan clan. As the crowd dispersed, another figure appeared beside the female disciple from their sect, speaking languidly, "There are too many eyes here, your actions are too obvious, they've already noticed." The female disciple glanced up, reluctantly pausing the hand gestures she was making. Amidst the departing crowd, Qiu Le An patted Xuan Yuan Zheng’s shoulder, and a small yellow-and-black striped bug fell from his back, twitched twice on the ground, curled its six legs together, and ceased to move. Left Xun said coldly, "That Wanbao Palace disciple was just watching the show from the side, thinking he did something chivalrous?" Yin Wu Xian raised her eyelids slightly, "Men always tend to strike up camaraderie; nothing strange about it." After speaking, she glanced to the side, noticing Yan Zhao standing not too far away, but her presence seeming negligible. Though she had never seen this woman before, her aura was oddly familiar. The spirit fox cradled in her arms was of notably high quality. As Yin Wu Xian's gaze swept over, the little fox instinctively bristled under its fur. This woman, though appearing casual, was extremely keen. Could she have discerned Yan Zhao’s identity? Sensing the fox's tension, Yan Zhao assumed it was anxious about the crowd and reassured it with a gentle pat on the head. Having surveyed for only a moment, Yin Wu Xian retracted her gaze, turned, and said to Left Xun, "Go ahead." Left Xun nodded, stepping into the Immortal Alliance stronghold and presenting his Immortal Profound Token for registration. With the crowd dispersed, Yan Zhao continued forward, expressionless as she walked past Yin Wu Xian. "This young lady, please hold on." Yin Wu Xian suddenly called out. The little fox's heart skipped a beat, alarmed. Yet Yan Zhao showed no reaction, her pace unchanged, calmly entering the Immortal Alliance stronghold. Behind her, Yin Wu Xian displayed a puzzled look. Could this woman be deaf? Yin Wu Xian frowned, watching Yan Zhao stand behind Left Xun. Once Left Xun finished registering his information, Yan Zhao produced her own Immortal Profound Token. The Immortal Alliance attendant took it from her hands, verifying its authenticity, then nodded and asked, "Which sect are you from, Immortal Friend?" Yan Zhao replied, "The Beast-Taming Sect." Behind her, Yin Wu Xian muttered to herself, the woman wasn't deaf after all. The Immortal Alliance attendant verified the records, confirmed there was indeed one entry from the Beast-Taming Sect, then handed her a bamboo token. "Sign here." Yan Zhao placed the little fox on her shoulder, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and carefully wrote two characters. "Nian Qing." Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-One The little fox was stunned to see the characters Yan Zhao wrote. So, Yan Zhao had never known how to write the new name Nan Gong Yin gave her. She had thought the "Qing" of "Nian Qing" was the same "Qing" as her senior sister's name, and it was the only character she knew how to write. After finishing her writing, Yan Zhao paused to admire her significantly improved calligraphy before handing the bamboo token back to the Immortal Alliance attendant. "All set," the attendant nodded, taking the token and said to Yan Zhao, "Miss Nian, please wait here; we will soon arrange for personnel to take you to the Mirror Platform." Yan Zhao nodded, accepting the Immortal Alliance's arrangement without issue. Left Xun returned to Yin Wu Xian's side, seeing her staring intently at the reception, asked curiously, "Sister Yin, what are you looking at?" Yin Wu Xian snapped out of her trance, shook her head, "It's nothing." She was only slightly intrigued by how familiar Yan Zhao felt at first glance. It wasn't a visual familiarity, as she was sure she had never seen that face before. But as Yan Zhao passed by, her little companions had given her a strong sense of familiarity as well. This was why she suddenly called out to Yan Zhao. The Beast-Taming Sect? Yin Wu Xian pondered over this unfamiliar sect. Then again, perhaps it was her own ignorance; after all, the spirit pet she carried appeared quite splendid. With no memory of meeting the woman or knowledge of the Beast-Taming Sect, the unsubstantiated familiarity was set aside, no longer occupying her thoughts. "The Immortal Alliance should send someone up soon," Yin Wu Xian gathered her thoughts and spoke to Zuo Xun. "I can only accompany you this far. The rest is up to you. Don't take the Peak Master's words too seriously. Just do your best." Zuo Xun nodded, "I understand." However, she was determined to fulfill the tasks assigned by the Peak Master. Yin Wu Xian offered a few more words of advice to Zuo Xun. Although she said she could only accompany him to this point, she showed no intention of leaving. Back when Yan Yuanqing sealed the Xuanhuang Mystery Realm on behalf of the immortals, their sect's name commanded respect. Now, after what happened, everyone was eager to kick them while they were down, wishing they would never recover. People's loyalties can be fickle. Yin Wu Xian worried that, by leaving, the junior sister from her peak might be bullied again. Although Zuo Xun wasn't one to suffer in silence, should any trouble arise allowing the Immortal Alliance to take advantage, their mission would be in jeopardy. Yan Zhao, after completing her registration, sat down in an empty spot and idly played with the fox. In the meantime, two more disciples arrived, registering and finding corners to either engage in conversation or meditate alone. Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside the base. The disciples all turned to see a woman walking towards the entrance, surrounded by admirers. The same group of male disciples who had gone off for drinks earlier returned, led by the very Xuan Yuan Zheng who had provoked Zuo Xun. Xuan Yuan Zheng walked at the forefront, his face a mask of friendliness, a stark contrast to his earlier aggressive demeanor. "Sister Wu, I recently acquired an excellent artifact crafting blueprint called the 'Hun Tian Frost Cloud Furnace.' I'm just short of two materials, but once I have them, I'll craft it and gift it to you." Wu Yingying's eyes lit up, and she responded with an unguarded sweet smile, "Thank you, Brother Zheng." Zuo Xun huffed coldly at the scene. Having traveled extensively for three years, she was well-acquainted with the sects participating in the Immortal Sect Disciple Conference. Wu Yingying, the granddaughter of Elder Wu from the Medicine God Sect, naturally attracted many who sought her favor, despite her average cultivation. Those from the Xuan Yuan clan truly excelled in currying favor. As the group reached the entrance and found Yin Wu Xian and Zuo Xun still standing there, Xuan Yuan Zheng's expression immediately darkened. He was about to admonish Zuo Xun for making a fool of herself by standing there when an excited shout interrupted him. "Sister Yin!" Xuan Yuan Zheng was taken aback. Wu Yingying suddenly rushed forward with dainty steps, eyes gleaming with admiration, and grabbed Yin Wu Xian's sleeve, "I didn't expect to see you here! Sister Yin, how have you been?" Afterward, she noticed Zuo Xun next to Yin Wu Xian, turning with a radiant smile, "This must be the junior sister from the same sect Sister Yin mentioned earlier, right? Hello, I'm Wu Yingying!" Zuo Xun's heart skipped a beat. She had been silently criticizing Wu Yingying just moments ago, but faced with her genuine warmth and dazzling smile, she felt uneasy, awkwardly scuffing the ground with her toes and forcing a smile, "Zuo, Zuo Xun." "Zuo Zuo Xun?" Wu Yingying widened her doe-like eyes, intrigued. "What an interesting name! I'll turn six hundred soon, should I call you senior sister or junior sister?" A cloud of confusion seemed to rise over Zuo Xun's head, but she didn’t correct Wu Yingying's misunderstanding, maintaining a stiff expression, "I'm a bit older than you."