282 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

The former Fox Emperor's cherished daughter, she was favored without a doubt, yet the Emperor had greater aspirations for Tushan Xun, aiming to groom her as his successor. Nonetheless, the Fox Queen harbored significant ambitions. Pretending to relinquish authority to Tushan Xun, she was merely enacting a performance to quell public discontent. Tushan Xun remained nothing more than a puppet, as the true power of Qingqiu resided firmly in the hands of the Fox Queen. Hearing these words ignited the fury in Tushan Yu, much like adding a barrel of tung oil to a blazing fire, especially when reflecting on his father’s predicament. He concluded that a demonic being, most likely the Cyan Arrow Demon, was responsible for Tushan Xun's murder. The only demon known in the demon realm and skilled in archery was Feng Jin, yet now Feng Jin claimed she wasn’t a demon, but a human. To think a human served as Namgong Yin's lapdog—how ironic! Tushan Yu couldn't fathom where things went awry, or why everyone accused him of wrongdoing. If his culprit identification was incorrect, then the credibility of his prior claims substantially diminished. Tushan Hanzhi gestured for Bai Qingcang to release Feng Jin and sighed in resignation upon witnessing Tushan Yu's state. To uphold the Tushan clan's honor, she vouched for Tushan Yu: "Though Yu’er didn’t witness the perpetrator firsthand, this item is undoubtedly a demonic artifact. Nangong Yin, do you have anything to say for yourself?" Upon recognizing the arrow as steel, Nangong Yin had her answer. In response to Tushan Hanzhi's inquiry, she remarked, "I’m ashamed to admit it, but there’s indeed a traitor in our demon realm, the Great Demon Lianxiang." "Lianxiang is skilled in crafting, and this piece should be of his making." Nangong Yin maintained her composure, "Recently, while purging Lianxiang’s domain, I eradicated him along with an immortal lord." Tushan Hanzhi’s expression grew serious, matched by Bai Qingcang's displeasure. The internal strife among demons bore traces of celestial intervention, just as celestial beings were found beside a demonic traitor. Could all these occurrences simply be coincidences? And yet, Tushan Yu, upon hearing Nangong Yin’s words, felt thunderstruck, frozen in place. Moments later, regaining his senses, he erupted with agonized disbelief: "You’re lying! That’s impossible!" Disregarding Tushan Yu’s interrogation, Nangong Yin addressed Tushan Hanzhi, "If you doubt me, inspect the magic arrow for a scythe mark. Its presence would verify my claims." Raising her hand, Tushan Hanzhi retrieved the magic arrow, inspecting it meticulously. Nearby the arrow’s iron-forged tail feathers lay a scythe mark, confirming Nangong Yin’s truthfulness that the arrow was indeed fashioned by Lianxiang. Nangong Yin continued, "Though Lianxiang has been vanquished, before his demise, he divulged the name of the immortal lord who incited his opposition. The lord named Yun Xiao surrendered his artifact while I eliminated him." Saying this, she presented and tossed the obtained artifact to Tushan Hanzhi. After verifying the artifact, Tushan Hanzhi inclined to believe Nangong Yin more. It was then that Nangong Yin turned to question Tushan Yu: "The Immortal Lord advising you, does he go by the name Huan Yun?" Tushan Yu’s face turned ashen, trembling involuntarily as he stepped back: "You, how did you know?" "Immortal Lord Yun Xiao offered his accomplice’s name, pleading for his life," Nangong Yin stated matter-of-factly, "I’ve provided both testimonial and physical evidence, Tushan Yu, what more can you deny?" "Incidentally, there was an assassination attempt on the Fox Emperor within the Xuanhuang Mystic Realm," Ren Qingyue added, "And last year, while escorting the Fox Emperor back to the demon realm alongside Azhao and Master Yaoshengzi, we faced an ambush." Contemplatively, she mused, "Their skills were bizarre, shadowy—remarkably similar to those used by the black-clad assassins hunting Bai Jin this time." Having spoken, Ren Qingyue turned to Yan Zhao for confirmation: "Azhao, do you agree?" Yan Zhao nodded earnestly: "Yes!" Even though she barely comprehended the exchange, whatever her senior sister said was, undoubtedly, correct! Tushan Yu’s complexion was like wilted vegetables, whereas Tushan Hanzhi and Bai Qingcang were piecing together the truth. Evidently, the situation was engineered by the celestial realm against both the demon and magic realms, exploiting their discord to provoke Tushan Yu into a power struggle for his father, inadvertently leading to calamity. "Yu’er," Tushan Hanzhi intoned seriously. Tushan Yu's knees buckled in fear as he stammered, "A-aunt... believe me, I had no harmful intent." "At this juncture, your intentions no longer matter," Tushan Hanzhi remarked coldly. With those words barely departing her lips, she suddenly struck, sending Tushan Yu flying with a palm blow. Tushan Yu was sent hurtling away, his chest caved in, his dantian shattered, a mouthful of blood spewing forth as he crashed against the courtyard's faux mountains. In fading consciousness, he overheard Tushan Hanzhi instruct Bai Qingcang: "Restrain him securely. Once matters resolve, he will be turned over to the Fox Queen for judgment." Obediently, Bai Qingcang replied: "Understood." ### Chapter 308 Bai Qingcang subdued Tushan Yu with unmatched ease, as the latter stood powerless against the demon realm’s foremost martial artist. However, an unexpected crisis erupted. The dark magical arrow at Tushan Hanzhi’s side suddenly moved. A flash of black light traversed the air, heading directly for Nangong Yin. Feng Jin was the first to sense the anomaly, instinctively stepping in to intercept the arrow’s trajectory. In an instant, the arrow pierced through her chest. Blood trickled from Feng Jin’s lips, yet disregarding her life, her eyes sharpened as she grabbed the arrow’s tail. Dragged by the arrow, she skidded several feet, her heels etching white lines onto the ground. The arrowhead stopped perilously half an inch from Nangong Yin’s face. The abrupt events transpired in the blink of an eye, leaving Lei Shuang and Jiang Ying startled: "Feng Jin!" Lei Shuang's palm deflected the arrow, while Jiang Ying swiftly caught the collapsing Feng Jin. That arrow caused severe internal damage, shattering her spiritual barriers and organs. Lying supine on the ground, Feng Jin coughed up foamy blood relentlessly, her eyes losing focus rapidly, any rosiness draining from her cheeks. Disturbed by the change of events, Tushan Hanzhi lashed out in a specific direction: "Show yourself, whoever you are!" Where her attack landed, a peach tree snapped in half, also causing a section of the courtyard wall to collapse, as a white figure sprang forth at alarming speed, attempting to vanish. Bai Qingcang, preoccupied with Tushan Yu, couldn’t react in time. Just as the white figure nearly escaped Qing Shuang Residence, a deafening roar resounded, manifesting in a colossal golden form spanning the skies within seconds. As the dragon’s breath swept through, void formations struggled to maintain shape, the white figure momentarily stalling mid-air before plummeting uncontrollably. The ancient dragon brandished three gaping maws exuding palpable malice toward its prey. Attempting to fend off the dragon with a reverse palm strike, the white figure struck out. One strike to the first dragon head, another to the second, yet before the third could take form, darkness consumed its vision as the remaining dragon head clamped down on his upper body. Nangong Yin’s voice cut in coldly, warning Yan Zhao: "Capture him alive!" With a thunderous crash, Xiao Jin collided with the ground, Dragon Three securely clasping the white figure in its jaws—its sharp teeth impaling him thoroughly, rendering him helpless regardless of his prowess. Bai Qingcang appeared astonished: "Is this the ancient dragon?" While journeying through the human realm with Tushan Hanzhi, they’d heard rumors of a golden ancient dragon revealing itself during the Fuyun Sect's grand event, overpowering the Celestial Alliance’s dragon. Their skepticism about its existence wavered with the sight before them. Xiao Jin unceremoniously dropped the battered white-clad figure into the courtyard, the figure rolling several times into the dirt, coating his once pristine garments with yellow earth mingling with blood, appearing particularly grim. Tushan Hanzhi approached, scrutinizing the figure: "A celestial being." Yan Zhao called Xiao Jin back, then glanced toward Feng Jin lying by Nangong Yin. With a gaping wound in her chest from the arrow, Feng Jin lay in a pool of red, already unconscious. Jiang Ying took out dragon saliva to staunch Feng Jin's bleeding, while Lei Shuang, with a grave expression, channeled her magical energy into Feng Jin. Despite their best efforts, it was like a drop in the ocean. Everyone knew the Fox Emperor had perished from a similar magic arrow. The bottle of dragon saliva in Jiang Ying's hand was emptied, yet it barely made a dent against Feng Jin's grave injuries. The arrow's power was not to be underestimated—the demons noted that even though Feng Jin was a cultivator, her body was fragile and her life was fading rapidly, with a grim prognosis looming. As the two were at a loss, a sudden sound of footsteps approached them. Turning their heads, they saw Yan Zhao arriving with a bundle of small medicine bottles cradled in her arms. Without hesitation, Yan Zhao uncorked one of the bottles and poured its contents over Feng Jin’s wounds, using three to five bottles until the injured flesh was fully covered and began regenerating. “How is she doing?” Yan Zhao asked Lei Shuang. Lei Shuang, her face grim, replied honestly, “She’s clinging to life by a thread.” Luckily, the arrow’s impact had only expressed a fraction of its potential, sparing Feng Jin from instantaneous death—a narrow chance at salvation remained. Stopping the bleeding was just the first hurdle. Healing the external wounds was easy; the internal damage was the most perilous and troublesome. Feng Jin’s internal meridians were nearly severed, but in the moment she realized the danger, she mustered all her energy to protect her heart, thus carving out a slim hope for survival. Standing aside, Yan Zhao watched Feng Jin's face rapidly paling as her vitality ebbed away. After a moment's contemplation, she addressed Lei Shuang and Jiang Ying, "Boss, Aunt Ying, let me give it a try." Her words caught both off guard, and they exchanged looks of surprise. They had never heard of Yan Zhao having any medical expertise. Nearby, Nangong Yin also took notice, her brow slightly furrowed. Among those present, only Ren Qingyue grasped Yan Zhao's implication, her brow knitted as she called out, "Azhao!" Yan Zhao turned, seeing Ren Qingyue rushing towards her with urgency written on her face. As she neared, Ren Qingyue placed a firm grip on Yan Zhao’s shoulder, asking seriously, "What do you intend to do?" Yan Zhao blinked, providing an honest response: "Back at Fuyun Sect, when I was near death, it was Senior Sister who saved my life. At the time, while I was in a haze, I sensed a peculiar energy converging from the world around us, infusing into my body." "This energy still resides within me," Yan Zhao explained, spreading her hands wide to reveal the energy she spoke of, drawing it forth to gather into a mist-like azure aura in her palms. "This is..." Ren Qingyue’s pupils contracted, inhaling sharply, "Essence of Life energy?" Upon seeing this, both Lei Shuang and Jiang Ying were taken aback: "You can draw on the Essence of Life energy for your own use?!" Nearby, Tushan Hanzhi and Bai Qingcang overheard the conversation, their expressions changing dramatically: "Is this not the art of shamanic healing?" Yan Zhao, perplexed by Tushan Hanzhi's words, furrowed her brows, "What is shamanic healing?" "In our fox clan's ancient texts, it is recorded that during the ancestral wars beyond this realm, the progenitors were gravely wounded and inadvertently swept into a void rift. They believed they would surely perish, but unexpectedly arrived in a wondrous domain," Tushan Hanzhi recounted. "This realm was a place of harmony and life, seemingly inhabited by divine beings. Upon witnessing our ancestors' severity of their injuries, these beings were moved by compassion and chose to save their lives, subsequently returning them to the Three Realms." "Our ancestor documented this encounter, mentioning that these divine beings used Essence of Life energy for their healing arts, referring to themselves as shamans. Thus, our ancestor termed this healing ability as shamanic healing." Thus articulated, Yan Zhao’s ability to harness the Essence of Life resonates closely with the concept of shamanic healing.