223 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

After the great battle, the Immortal Emperor, citing the use of sinister magic, not only broke his promise to bestow an official position but also dispatched people to hunt down the individual, leaving him with no place to rest in peace. Yan Zhao didn't understand the intricate scheming between people, but through the stories Su Zi Jun told her, she vaguely gained a deeper understanding of the advice Nan Gong Yin gave her before she attended the Immortal Sect Disciple Conference. Human nature is complex and greedy, and resisting the lure of wealth and power is a rare quality. No matter how high one’s status, as long as they reside within the three realms and five elements, personal desires and ambitions exist. On the last day of the month, Su Zi Jun advised Yan Zhao, "Zhao’er, when you go to Fu Yun Sect, you must remain vigilant. Regardless of whether Dongfang Cixin is genuine or deceitful, you cannot rashly place your trust in him." Having listened to numerous tales, Yan Zhao, despite her simplicity, understood Su Zi Jun's intention. She nodded obediently, "I understand." Beside Yan Zhao, the Little Fox seemed dazed, or rather, ever since Yan Zhao whispered "I like the senior sister" in its ear a month ago, it had been in a state of confusion. "That's all I need to remind you of." Su Zi Jun's expression relaxed, her tone lightened, "You don't need to come tomorrow." Yan Zhao stood, bowed to Su Zi Jun, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, godmother." Su Zi Jun nodded slightly, "Go ahead." As Yan Zhao turned to leave, suddenly something came to her mind, and she paused, turning back. She retrieved a sword case from her pouch, holding it with both hands. Su Zi Jun raised an eyebrow, "What is this for?" Yan Zhao handed the sword case to Su Zi Jun, "I've been waiting a month for Ah Yin, and she hasn't returned yet. I don't know what she's busy with. Once I go to Fu Yun Sect, I won't have the time to deal with this, so I wish for you to hand this sword over to Ah Yin on my behalf." Su Zi Jun looked down at the sword case, feeling quite moved. She could clearly sense Yan Zhao's growth—no longer as naive as before. "Alright." Su Zi Jun agreed, accepting the Qing Shuang sword. Entrusting the sword to Nan Gong Yin through her is indeed the safest option. Yan Zhao returned to her small courtyard, tidying up briefly and ensuring nothing was forgotten. She then called to the Little Fox, letting it settle on her shoulder as she instructed, "Hold on tight, it's time for us to go." The Little Fox clung to Yan Zhao's collar, the small bell on its ankle jingling softly. Yan Zhao spread out the Divine Scroll of Yan Tian and wrote the words "Fu Yun Sect" on it. To avoid mistakes, she had practiced these characters many times recently to ensure accuracy. Especially with the Little Fox overseeing, once she finished writing, she held the scroll up to it, confirming, "Is it correct?" Only when the Little Fox nodded did she feel assured, using a technique to press her palm to the center of the scroll, activating her power. A flash of golden light, and Yan Zhao, along with the Little Fox on her shoulders, vanished from the bamboo house. Shortly after, another figure emerged slowly from the void. Clad in black robes, her presence was cold and imposing, and as she appeared, the temperature in the courtyard seemed to drop significantly. "Just after Zhao’er left, you arrived." Su Zi Jun approached from the shaded pathway outside the bamboo house. Nan Gong Yin, though somewhat regretful, was unfazed, asking her, "Is it repaired?" Su Zi Jun retrieved two boxes, one long and one short, with a backward flick of her hand. Nan Gong Yin was surprised, "What do you mean?" Su Zi Jun handed her the boxes, "See for yourself." The long box undoubtedly contained her Blood Shadow Spear, but as for the short box... Nan Gong Yin opened the lid, revealing a sword with a blue hilt inside. "Qing Shuang Sword." Nan Gong Yin recognized it and, with a nostalgic expression, reached out to caress the blade gently. No doubt, this was left by Yan Zhao. Su Zi Jun pursed her lips, her tone displeased, "Even though you two have yet to acknowledge each other, Zhao’er constantly thinks of you." Nan Gong Yin chuckled, "Are you jealous?" Su Zi Jun huffed, "Do I look like I'm jealous?" Nan Gong Yin was about to retort with "you certainly do," when her expression abruptly changed. Su Zi Jun noticed the change in her demeanor and asked, puzzled, "What's the matter?" Nan Gong Yin pursed her lips, "The remnants of Yuan Qing's soul are not in this sword." In other words, they were once present, but now they are not. Chapter 241 "They're gone?" Su Zi Jun frowned, "How could that be?" When Mirror Terrace revealed the Qing Shuang Sword earlier, she had sensed the lingering aura of Yuan Qing on it. But now Nan Gong Yin said the aura on the sword had vanished, and the remnants of Yuan Qing's soul no longer existed. Nan Gong Yin didn't speak, stepping aside to gesture for Su Zi Jun to examine it herself. Silent, Su Zi Jun placed her hand on the Qing Shuang Sword and concentrated deeply. Moments later, her already knitted brows furrowed even tighter. The reality was as Nan Gong Yin stated: there was a sword spirit within, but it wasn't Yuan Qing's soul remnants. So where had the spirit originally concealed in the sword gone? At the base of Fu Yun Sect in the southern region of Tian Chen, a ring of golden light appeared out of nowhere, gradually dispersing. The Divine Scroll of Yan Tian fell from the air, caught skillfully by Yan Zhao, who rolled it up and stored it in her pouch. On Yan Zhao's shoulder, the Little Fox looked ahead at the winding mountain path, a wave of emotions rising within. Three years ago, when it fled in panic at this spot and met Yan Zhao, it never imagined they would return under such circumstances. Yan Zhao had transformed from a "worthless" individual who couldn’t cultivate due to blocked meridians, to someone who had broken through the Golden Core stage and possessed numerous treasures in just three years. Even calling such cultivation progress "one in a million" wouldn't do it justice. Although the mountains were devoid of people, with the sect's grand ceremony approaching, people would occasionally soar by on their swords to attend. Despite the recent outcry against Fu Yun Sect, Yun Daozi is indeed a renowned elder, conspicuously active in the southern region of Tian Chen, leaving small sects reluctant to loosen their ties with him. Those passing by Yan Zhao, seeing her standing idly in the path, sent curious and perplexed looks. Especially when they noticed the Little Fox on her shoulder; people with some insight began to piece things together: recently, the winner of the Immortal Sect Disciple Conference and the final disciple of the Medicine Saint also had a snowy fox spirit as their pet. Consequently, after some had passed by, they turned back, walking up with smiling faces, politely asking, "Fellow cultivator, are you Miss Nian Qing from the Medicine Saint Sect?" Turning to face the questioner, Yan Zhao nodded, "I am." Zhan Shu's eyes lit up with interest, his expression eager, "I'm Zhan Shu. My master's master once studied alchemy at the Medicine Saint Sect and knew the Medicine Saint. Are you here for Fu Yun Sect's ceremony? We could go together." Yan Zhao wasn't curious about the connection between his master's master and her master, and whether she traveled alone or not mattered little to her. So she agreed, "Alright." When they reached the protective formation surrounding Fu Yun Sect, outsiders could no longer fly on their swords. Zhan Shu and Yan Zhao climbed the mountain path side by side, with Zhan Shu talking at length about his master's master's ties to the Medicine Saint. Yan Zhao occasionally offered a few words, but most of his narrative passed in one ear and out the other. The stone steps leading to the Fu Yun Sect's entrance weren't particularly long, taking about half an hour to traverse. Today, the sect was far more bustling than it was when she departed. The gatekeeper disciples welcomed and registered every sect disciple arriving for the ceremony. As Zhan Shu and Yan Zhao reached the entry platform, one of the disciples recognized Yan Zhao, momentarily startled. Coincidentally, among those on duty today was an inner disciple of Tianzhu Peak, named Qin Zao. Upon seeing Yan Zhao's familiar face, Qin Zao felt an uncanny sense of recognition, though he couldn’t immediately recall where they might have met before. When Zhan Shu and Yan Zhao arrived side by side, Qin Zao offered the writing tools first to Zhan Shu. However, Zhan Shu stepped aside, allowing Yan Zhao to sign first. Yan Zhao accepted the brush without hesitation, swiftly writing two characters: Nian Qing. For a long moment, Qin Zao scrutinized the writing, recollecting that the winner of the recent Immortal Sect Disciple Conference was also named the same. Despite the name’s notoriety, he shouldn't have met this person before. Puzzled, Qin Zao watched as Zhan Shu completed his entry and walked alongside Yan Zhao through the gates, preoccupied by Yan Zhao’s retreating figure: strange indeed, where had he seen her before? The senior brother standing next to Qin Zao, who was on duty with him, noticed his distraction and teasingly raised his eyebrows. "What is it? Have you developed feelings for this girl?" Qin Zao snapped back to attention and hurriedly waved his hand to clear any misunderstandings. "Senior brother, you misunderstood, I did not..." "What's the problem? Don't be shy!" the senior brother interrupted with a cheerful laugh. "If I were you, I would have struck up more conversation earlier. If you really fancy her, be bold!" Sweating nervously, Qin Zao knew it was pointless to argue further, so he just nodded along with his senior brother's words. "Thank you for the advice, senior brother." Beyond the mountain gate, they continued walking awhile, passing through a thick forest, until a wide-open view revealed a sprawling complex of buildings—this was the Welcome Peak of Fu Yun Sect. The Welcome Peak served as the second mountain gate of Fu Yun Sect, and it housed the teleportation arrays leading to the main peak and the other four peaks. The disciples on duty led Yan Zhao and Zhan Shu into the teleportation array. Moments later, the array activated, and in a blink, their surroundings shifted—they had arrived at the main peak of Fu Yun Sect. Ahead stood the grand Sect Affairs Hall, a three-story building with eight auspicious beasts neatly arranged along each eave. With three days to go until the sect's grand ceremony, many small sects from the southern region of Tian Chen had already sent representatives to show their support. Despite any misgivings they harbored about Fu Yun Sect, they still stood by it officially. Regardless of their private thoughts, their actions were publicly supportive of Fu Yun Sect. Yan Zhao and Zhan Shu's arrival wasn't particularly noted, most people casting a curious glance before turning away, only a few sharp-eyed individuals recognized the fox on Yan Zhao's shoulder and surmised her identity. However, since Zhan Shu was by her side, few approached to strike up a conversation. Yan Zhao appreciated the breather, settling cross-legged in a corner, gently stroking the Little Fox’s head as she surveyed the scene, discerning who among the crowd she knew, had seen before, or didn't recognize at all. This sect's ceremony differed from the Immortal Sect Disciple Conference—a stage featuring the rising stars across the Tian Chen territory’s various sects and factions, mostly young yet well-advanced in cultivation, many of whom could count as Yan Zhao's peers. Yet, this time, while the attendees’ levels of power hadn’t improved drastically, their average age certainly had, with many bearing white beards. Yan Zhao paid little heed to these people, although Zhan Shu was quite interested. Trying to foster a connection with Yan Zhao, he eagerly sought opportunities for conversation, especially regarding individuals they could see. He pointed out each person he knew to Yan Zhao, providing her introductions. A disciple from Fu Yun Sect spotted Zhan Shu and approached him warmly, speaking in a friendly, enthusiastic manner, indicating a close personal relationship. Zhan Shu stood proud, chest out, as he introduced this new acquaintance to Yan Zhao. "Miss Nian, this is Zhang Senior Brother from the Inner Sect of Earth Spirit Peak at Fu Yun Sect. We met while training in the mountains." Yan Zhao glanced at him, but he didn’t ring any bells. Zhang Senior Brother, having heard that the gentle-looking, quiet girl before him was none other than Nian Qing, the recent champion of the Immortal Sect Disciple Conference, was genuinely impressed. "Miss Nian, appearances can be deceiving. It's an honor to meet you!" Yan Zhao nodded politely in response. Zhang Senior Brother felt slightly awkward, but Zhan Shu smoothly intervened with a laugh. "Miss Nian is introverted. Don't be too enthusiastic, Zhang Senior Brother, or you'll frighten her." Uninterested in their ongoing conversation, Yan Zhao cast her gaze around, seeking her true objective.