215 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

Chen Er was truly willing to apply the medicine for him, which brought a secret joy to his heart, not meant to be shared with others. She glanced at the tightly closed door behind Chen Er and switched to a light-hearted and teasing tone, "I heard someone say that if I wake up, they’ll be my dog." Chen Er’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red. Not just her ears, even her neck was flushed. Ye Yan Ran looked into Chen Er's eyes, clearly amused, seemingly casual, but there was an imperceptible pressure in his gaze, not allowing Chen Er to evade. He smiled and asked, "You wouldn't be too scared to keep your word, would you?" Under Ye Yan Ran's playful gaze, Chen Er felt a chilling sensation down her spine. When she made that promise, she was sincere, but who could have guessed Ye Yan Ran would wake up so soon?! The healing medicine Yan Zhao provided was truly effective, perhaps too effective! Chen Er lowered her head, avoiding Ye Yan Ran's eyes, but stubbornly replied, "Who's scared? I've always meant what I say!" Being a 'dog' is no big deal! Ye Yan Ran beckoned with a hand, "Then squat down now and let me pat your head." Chen Er's eyes widened, frozen in place. Ye Yan Ran looked up at her from below, his lips slightly curved into a provocative smile that said 'just as I expected'. Chen Er felt as if she had been thoroughly subdued by Ye Yan Ran. She wanted to turn and leave, but a part of her felt an unwillingness to appear inferior if she refused at that moment. That would truly be losing! Gritting her teeth, Chen Er surrendered and squatted down suddenly. With Ye Yan Ran lying on the bed, it was inconvenient for him, so she willingly brought her head under his hand, despite her unfriendly tone, "Go ahead and pat!" Ye Yan Ran got what he wanted. Chen Er's hair was soft, neatly combed and smooth, quite contrary to her stubborn personality. "Don’t puppies usually bark?" Ye Yan Ran's hand slid from Chen Er's head down her cheek, finally touching her chin, and he used his fingertip to gently touch the barely visible Adam's apple on her neck, "Bark for me, let me hear." Embarrassed, Chen Er's face burned red. She felt extreme humiliation. Yet, she couldn’t immediately refuse with strength and storm out. In contrast, there was a strange excitement in playing along with this charade. Her body was far more honest than her words. Chen Er felt her throat dry. The Adam's apple moved up and down as she swallowed. Then, she parted her lips. "Woof." --- Chapter 232 Yan Zhao and Xuan Yuan Mu were keeping watch outside the medic's room, with Chen Er having been inside for almost an hour. There hadn't been any noise, and Chen Er hadn’t come out, prompting Yan Zhao to turn and ask Xuan Yuan Mu, "Shouldn't we go in and check?" She had no idea how Ye Yan Ran was doing; Su Zi Jun had sent her to visit him, yet she hadn't even seen his face. Xuan Yuan Mu thought for a moment, considering that Chen Er had been in the room long enough to settle any emotions, and nodded, "Knock and ask." Yan Zhao approached the room and was about to knock when, suddenly, the door creaked open. Chen Er stood there with an odd expression, exchanged a glance with Yan Zhao, and simply said, "Yan Ran has woken up," before hastily leaving the room. Yan Zhao turned, perplexed, watching Chen Er's retreating back as she hurried into the courtyard, rubbing her ear without a word. Xuan Yuan Mu, arriving from behind, had Yan Zhao questioning her, "What’s up with Chen Er?" Xuan Yuan Mu replied, "Ignore her." Yan Zhao simply nodded, "Oh." They entered the room one after the other to find that not only was Ye Yan Ran awake, but he was already up, sitting on the bed, propped against a pillow, appearing quite at ease. Xuan Yuan Mu felt a wave of relief and surprise. Approaching the bedside, she smiled and asked, "What wondrous medicine did Chen Er use on you that you're already so well?" Noticing the medicine bottle on the small cabinet beside the bed, Yan Zhao had a hunch. Ye Yan Ran replied, "Chen Er said it was a healing medicine from Miss Yan, incredibly effective." Xuan Yuan Mu was quite astonished. She had traveled along and was well aware of Ye Yan Ran's condition. The alliance's physicians barely managed to save him, instructing Su Zi Jun that he needed two months of rest before walking. Yet, with Yan Zhao's medicine, he was sitting up in less than two hours. Xuan Yuan Mu, somewhat pointedly, said, "When you were hurt, Chen Er was frantic, holding onto you and refusing to let go. When I tried to take over, she argued with me." Amazed, Ye Yan Ran inquired, "You two argued?" Xuan Yuan Mu, resigned, replied, "Just a small spat. She was panicked, that's all. I don't mind." Deep in thought, Ye Yan Ran finally said to Xuan Yuan Mu, "Thank you." Yan Zhao listened, confused. Then, Ye Yan Ran turned to her, offering thanks as well, "Thank you for the medicine today, Miss Yan." The diversion cleared her mind of previous thoughts. Blinking, Yan Zhao replied, "No need to thank me." Xuan Yuan Mu didn't linger, having gleaned enough about Ye Yan Ran's condition. She stood up, "I'll fetch Chen Er." Ye Yan Ran nodded, "Thank you." So, Xuan Yuan Mu went to the door to call Chen Er inside. Hearing her call, Chen Er initially wore a scowl before grudgingly turning back. Muttering under her breath, cheeks flushed red, she entered and promptly shooed Yan Zhao and Xuan Yuan Mu out. Yan Zhao was left baffled, "?" --- Xuan Yuan Residence. As Bi Lan returned to the family estate, she felt a chill emanating from the courtyard. Upon closer inspection, nothing seemed amiss. The courtyard was deathly silent, the patrolling guards nowhere in sight. Bi Lan proceeded without pause, passing through the pavilions and fake mountains, arriving at the southeastern pavilion. The first floor was a study, the second a library, and the third a viewing platform. Xuan Yuan Kai often liked to enjoy the moon and discuss poetry from the platform, but Bi Lan rarely ventured beyond the second floor. Ascending the pavilion, she pushed open the library door, starting her search based on faint memories. Records of the Soul-Sealing Nails were something she'd seen long ago, though she couldn't recall their exact location, compelling her to search book by book. She remembered it was an ancient manual, handwritten, not a jade slip, hence only looking among the books on the shelves. Time slipped by, and having looked through the majority of books, she still hadn't found her target. As she placed a book back on the shelf, she accidentally nudged a jade qilin ornament. With a soft click, the jade qilin shifted, and a noise drew her attention to a bookcase moving left. A secret passage within the library! Bi Lan's heart raced, sensing she'd stumbled upon an incredible secret, yet dared not confirm it, quickly restoring the jade qilin. Luck seemed to favor her, as soon after, while going through the books, she found records concerning the Soul-Sealing Nails. Besides the crafting method, she also found a way to dissolve it. Using a jade slip, Bi Lan recorded this section, then tidied the books and prepared to leave. Pausing as she passed the bookshelf, her expression changed. A man stood at the library door. In elegant robes stood Xuan Yuan Kai. Hands behind his back, Xuan Yuan Kai cast Bi Lan a sidelong glance and asked, "Lan'er, where are you going?" --- Yan Zhao spent three days at the Wanbao Palace. During that time, she learned from Su Zi Jun that Nan Gong Yin was absorbed in important matters and absent from the Tai Xu Immortal Domain. So, the Clear Frost Sword remained with her for a while. At night, while meditating and cultivating, curiosity led her to take out the Clear Frost Sword for closer inspection. Aside from the initial resonance with the Soul Condensing Pearl when she acquired the sword, it remained inactive afterwards; she wondered if Mother had awakened. The sword was hefty in hand, crafted from excellent material. Yasmin sensed its sharpness even without touching the blade, surprised to see her finger pricked, evidence of its keenness. Yet, her unique blood quickly healed the shallow cut. A tinkling bell sounded as the Little Fox leapt onto her shoulder, peering at the cold sword cradled in her arms with Yanzhao's hand supporting it. The silver blade shimmered icily, the azure hilt adorned with gold filigree, an exquisite sight. Yan Zhao murmured to herself while caressing the sword's hilt, "It's a pity I don't really know how to wield a sword. If only Shijie were here, once A Yin extracts my mother's soul fragment from it, I could give this sword to her." The Little Fox tilted its head towards Yan Zhao, thinking: Your shijie already has the Demon Slayer Sword. You should keep this sword for yourself. You may not know how to use it now, but you'll learn someday. Yan Zhao couldn't hear the Little Fox's thoughts, only the tinkling of the bell. She reached out to touch the fox's bell and suddenly sulked, "Shijie doesn’t even come to see me. Here I am wanting to give her something, but why should I when she won’t visit me, forget it." With that, she closed the sword case and tossed it into her storage pouch. The Little Fox: "..." Time quickly progressed to her meeting with Bi Lan, and Yan Zhao was waiting outside the medic's hall. Xuan Yuan Mu, usually appearing when free to check on Ye Yan Ran, happened to come by, whether by design or coincidence, and saw Yan Zhao sitting alone on the steps, her brow furrowed. After glancing at the sky, she asked, "Hasn't Bi Lan arrived?" Yan Zhao shook her head, "Not yet." It was past the hour of Shen; in another hour, the sun would set. Xuan Yuan Mu asked again, "How long have you been waiting?" Yan Zhao, cradling the fox, counted on her fingers, "About five hours." She had been waiting since early morning. Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuan Mu's expression darkened significantly. She chose not to speak further, silently standing by, keeping Yan Zhao company as they waited. As the last glimmer of twilight vanished, with the sun already set, Xuan Yuan Mu coldly declared, "Something must have happened." Bi Lan was known for always keeping her promises; if she said she'd come, she would definitely do so. Perplexed, Yan Zhao asked, "Huh? What could have happened?" "I'm not sure, but we should go check it out," Xuan Yuan Mu said, turning to leave. Given the current chaotic times, the Xuan Yuan family and its schemers could do anything heinous. Yan Zhao, though not fully understanding, picked up on clues that Bi Lan might be in trouble, so she quickly stood up to follow, "I'll go with you!" Xuan Yuan Mu initially intended to refuse, but recalling Yan Zhao's performance at the sect disciples' congress, she thought perhaps it would be advantageous for Yan Zhao to accompany her. Nodding, she said, "Alright, come with me." Xuan Yuan Mu soared into the sky with her sword, flying towards the western sector of the Tai Xu Immortal Domain, with Yan Zhao following closely behind. The Xuan Yuan family's main residence was within the Tai Xu Immortal Domain, not far away. It lay 600 miles westward, situated amidst a ring-shaped mountain range seen from above. “We’re here.” Xuan Yuan Mu landed with Yan Zhao, passing through two gates, directly heading to the family’s central hall. The courtyard they entered was vast and open, lush with flora, surrounded by artificial channels and variously shaped rockeries, appearing tranquil and peaceful on the surface with nothing out of the ordinary. However, no sooner had Xuan Yuan Mu set foot on the ground than the silence was split by arrows whistling from all directions simultaneously. Light on her feet, Xuan Yuan Mu leaped upwards, evading the hidden arrows with ease. Simultaneously, she whistled sharply to summon her spiritual puppet. The puppet’s eyes flashed with deadly intent, honing in on the hidden mechanisms and, like lightning, spanned several feet of space, breathing out a jet of flame that ignited and destroyed the arrow-launching contraptions. The blaze swiftly spread, consuming the foliage and vines that had masked the devices with intense heat. In an instant, the once-still courtyard was alive with flames, casting flickering orange hues all around. The sky draped down, roiling with dark clouds and billowing smoke that devoured the only remaining slivers of moonlight, plunging them into deeper shadow.