217 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

He was gravely injured, yet due to his high level of cultivation, such wounds were not fatal—rather, they were a cruel form of torture. Yan Zhao found Xuan Yuan Kai's squirming nauseating. So, she lifted her foot and kicked his head, rendering him unconscious. Afterward, Yan Zhao flicked the blood off her Qing Shuang sword and bent down to check Xuan Yuan Kai's breath. Relieved, she announced, “He’s not dead.” Chapter 234 Yan Zhao admired the Qing Shuang sword, acknowledging its effectiveness. Under normal circumstances, even a successful sneak attack would hardly inflict such damage on Xuan Yuan Kai; victory was largely owed to the sword itself. Yet the sword would not claim credit. Ultimately, the triumph was hers, and Yan Zhao felt triumphantly pleased. With Xuan Yuan Kai unconscious, Yan Zhao looked around, contemplating her escape. Suddenly, a rumbling sound emerged from beneath. Brick and stone on the floor split into several cracks. The fissures rapidly widened, causing the ground to cave in. From the soil emerged nine fox tails, as the earth beneath collapsed in a large section. A white shadow leaped gracefully from the falling debris, returning elegantly to the ground. Yan Zhao's eyes lit up, calling out, “Snowball!” The Nine-Tailed Fox, seeing Yan Zhao unharmed, felt a sense of relief but immediately scanned the surroundings, wary of further traps. The mastermind might have used Yan Zhao as bait to lure it into complacency. However, finding no immediate danger, the Nine-Tailed Fox noticed a large pool of blood not far from Yan Zhao, with a body lying within. Startled, it wrapped Yan Zhao closer with its long tail, assuming a protective stance. The figure within the bloodstain remained motionless, arousing suspicion in the Nine-Tailed Fox. Peering closer, it was taken aback: Xuan Yuan Kai! How did he end up here, with broken limbs and unconscious? Who did this to him? No one else was around; could it be that... Yan Zhao, sensing the Nine-Tailed Fox’s confusion, spoke, “He tried to seize the Qing Shuang sword and got beaten up by it.” The Nine-Tailed Fox: “?” Yan Zhao blatantly lied: “The sword acted on its own.” She decided to tell Xuan Yuan Mu the same thing later. It was better to plan ahead than to let word of her disabling someone reach her senior sister. While speaking, Yan Zhao discreetly clutched the pill furnace now hanging at her waist. Little Black and Little Gold couldn't speak, after all. The Nine-Tailed Fox looked up at Yan Zhao. She was covered in blood as well, with a tear in her shoulder indicating she’d been injured. It glanced indifferently at Xuan Yuan Kai, its gaze icy cold. What of the Xuan Yuan Family Head? Coveting their master’s relic and daring to harm Yan Zhao—death seemed well deserved. The Nine-Tailed Fox took Yan Zhao away, casually choosing a direction, and clumsily smashed a path outward. Even so, it took almost half an hour to exit the formation. Shortly after their departure, a figure emerged from the trees to where Xuan Yuan Kai lay fallen. Xuan Yuan Mu stood over him. She had been puzzled by the constantly shifting formation's sudden halt, only to find Xuan Yuan Kai grievously wounded and unconscious. Squatting beside him to observe, her suspicions were confirmed. The wounds on his broken limbs were clearly inflicted by a sharp weapon, and aside from this, there were no other significant injuries on him. This suggested that the culprit must have been the fox with Yan Zhao. Or perhaps its other form. As she pondered, the figure on the ground stirred. Xuan Yuan Kai awoke. Seeing someone in front of him, he showed fear, instinctively trying to retreat. But then, recognizing the one crouching beside him as Xuan Yuan Mu, a hopeful look appeared in his eyes. His struggle ceased, and he opened his mouth, incoherently pleading while extending a stump of a hand toward Xuan Yuan Mu. Despite everything, they were father and daughter. Surely, between them, there couldn’t be an insurmountable hatred. Xuan Yuan Mu would save him, she would... Xuan Yuan Mu stood up and took a step back. Simultaneously, a pillar of fire illuminated Xuan Yuan Kai’s vision. Standing behind the flames, Xuan Yuan Mu watched coldly. The fire eventually descended upon Xuan Yuan Kai, engulfing him in flames with ferocity that consumed him in an instant. Xuan Yuan Mu reached out to touch the rigid body and the cold feathers of the spirit puppet, feeling no gratification of vengeance fulfilled, only an endless void. After leaving the forbidden formation, the Nine-Tailed Fox hastened with Yan Zhao to a three-story pavilion. Bi Lan’s presence was nearby. With a swing of its tail, the pavilion's doors splintered and collapsed, revealing the scene inside. It was a spacious study. Several paintings hung on the wall directly ahead, with a large ancient redwood table to the left. Otherwise, the room was sparsely furnished. After a quick glance, finding no one inside, they promptly withdrew, ascending the wooden stairs to the library. Rows of bookshelves were neatly arranged in the library, obstructing the view, making it uncertain whether anyone was hiding. The Nine-Tailed Fox deployed its tails, moving several nearby shelves together and shifting them aside. The last shelf proved immovable. Detecting oddity, its tail lightly swept the shelf clear. Yet, a single jade qilin remained stubbornly perched. Recognizing an issue, Yan Zhao dismounted from the fox, running over to the shelf to touch the jade qilin. It couldn't be lifted, but could move along a predetermined path. Click. A mechanical sound echoed, followed by an unfamiliar noise behind them. Yan Zhao turned to see a large cabinet against the wall slowly shifting to the left. Whizz— A crossbow bolt shot out from behind the cabinet. The Nine-Tailed Fox's tail darted swiftly, snatching the bolt just in time. Approaching quickly, it shielded Yan Zhao. Peering from behind the plush fox tail, Yan Zhao looked at the open secret door: "Is Bi Lan inside here?" Likely, but not certain. The Nine-Tailed Fox signaled Yan Zhao to proceed with caution. Having fought alongside it several times, they shared enough experience, and a simple exchange of glances sufficed for understanding. Thus, she obediently remained still, giving a nod toward the Nine-Tailed Fox: "You go." Instead of entering the door, the Nine-Tailed Fox extended a tail, cautiously probing the way. Yan Zhao exclaimed, "Wow! Your tail can do that!" The Nine-Tailed Fox ignored Yan Zhao’s amazement. Suddenly, its demeanor shifted, swiftly vanishing into the dark passage. Yan Zhao hurriedly followed: "Wait for me!" Beyond the secret door lay a long descent of stone steps, with a hole in the wall behind it—where the crossbow mechanism had been housed. The Nine-Tailed Fox had already bolted ahead, leaving Yan Zhao to descend alone, soon encountering an indescribable stench. Slowing her pace, she descended roughly a hundred more steps to find the passage’s end. Producing several luminous stones and tossing them on the ground, Yan Zhao illuminated the subterranean space. It was a dim and cramped area, with cages lining both sides, scattered with beast bones and pelts. Inside one cell, the bars had been dismantled, evidence of fierce claw marks. In the center, a passageway led to another chamber beyond. Yan Zhao followed the path until reaching a small, dark room, where a clutter of jars and containers covered a central table, and various peculiar instruments filled the cabinets lining the walls. The Nine-Tailed Fox stood at the room's end, releasing Bi Lan from chains. Bi Lan awoke groggily from unconsciousness, terror lingering in her eyes, evidently suffering severe fright before passing out. Upon recognizing her rescuers—the Nine-Tailed Fox and Yan Zhao—she initially smiled with relief but quickly changed expression as she recalled something, urgently warning: "You must leave, it’s dangerous here!" Dangerous? Yan Zhao paused, scanning the area. Aside from its oddity, there seemed no living threat—where was the danger? The instant the thought crossed her mind, a sharp aura appeared. Yan Zhao reacted swiftly, sidestepping a sudden cold arrow that narrowly missed her ear and embedded itself in the wall. The unexpected commotion caught the Nine-Tailed Fox's attention. A cold gleam flickered in its eyes, and suddenly, a fierce light burst forth as it turned to look behind Yan Zhao. A strangely shaped spirit puppet appeared at the entrance, tightly blocking the doorway. As it moved, mechanical clacking sounds emanated from its limbs and torso, releasing a barrage of arrows from multiple small orifices. Arrows shot out densely, enough to perforate anyone caught in their path. Yan Zhao found herself too close, unable to dodge. Just before the arrows struck, nine long tails wrapped protectively around her. The sword-like air slashed against the fox tails, cutting off a large swath of fur. Simultaneously, Yan Zhao noticed blood seeping through the overlapping tails, quickly staining the pristine fur red. With its initial attack thwarted, the spirit puppet's mechanisms shifted, revealing several dozen sharp blades, which whirled towards them. The cramped space offered no escape. The fox tails released, flinging Yan Zhao over to Bi Lan, while exhaling a long, frosty breath. A cold, icy spirit energy swept through the room, causing the temperature to plummet. In an instant, half of the room was covered in frost, with half an inch of ice forming even on the ceiling. The spirit puppet was frozen but not destroyed. Whatever material its body was made from was resilient against the cold, only temporarily immobilizing its movement. The Nine-Tailed Fox had no intention of engaging it further in battle. It broke the chains binding Bi Lan, cradled her with one tail, and wrapped another around Yan Zhao. With a powerful leap, they retraced their path, soon escaping the building. Outside, Bi Lan observed the chaotic scene in the courtyard, her expression one of shock. Only then did she realize that Yan Zhao’s ability to find the secret door in the pavilion wasn’t mere luck. She tentatively inquired, “Did you encounter the Xuan Yuan Family Head when you arrived?” “The Xuan Yuan Family Head?” Yan Zhao replied with a puzzled look. "Who?" Bi Lan pressed her lips, “A man with a square face, wearing a purple-black brocade.” Recalling the man who had attacked her midway, it seemed he indeed had a square face. Yan Zhao nodded, “We did meet him.” Bi Lan was suddenly alarmed, “He didn’t harm you, did he?” Yan Zhao honestly recounted the events: “He injured me, a crossbow bolt went through my shoulder and pinned me to a tree, and he demanded I hand over the Qing Shuang sword.” Bi Lan paled with fright, “And you…” “I’m fine,” Yan Zhao said, spreading her hands. “His luck wasn’t good, and he got injured by the sword.” She was committed to maintaining a consistent story. Bi Lan was momentarily taken aback: “The Family Head was hurt by the sword? And you escaped?” Yan Zhao thought back to the moment and nodded, “...Well, something like that.” Bi Lan exhaled deeply, “That’s a relief. As long as you two are safe.” “Weren’t you here to retrieve something?” Yan Zhao asked her, “How did you end up locked in a secret chamber?” At this, Bi Lan's expression grew complex. She had always known that Xuan Yuan Kai was peculiar, but she never imagined he hid such a disturbing nature beneath. The underground chamber was used for human modification experiments. He would sever and preserve various parts of human bodies, then use a peculiar method to fuse them into magical artifacts, intending to awaken the artifact’s spirit and enhance its quality. Bi Lan briefly explained her ordeal. To intimidate her, Xuan Yuan Kai conducted an experiment right in front of her. Recalling the horrific scenes from the experiment, Bi Lan felt a wave of nausea wash over her, the color draining from her face.