293 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

"How could it be the same?" Yan Yuanqing shrugged. "The gift for Zhao'er is something you owe, and you can't skimp on my share either. Oh, and let's not forget a share for Ah Yin. Given our friendship, you wouldn't be so stingy as to deny us, would you?" Caught off guard by the mention, Nangong Yin was a bit bewildered, thinking to herself: You shameless woman, how could you drag me into this? Su Zijun was too exasperated to argue, but just as she was about to agree, Yan Yuanqing chimed in again, "Oh, and there's one more thing. Our family played a part in helping your Palace of Ten Thousand Treasures through its crisis. Surely, a token of gratitude from you isn't too much to ask? Just three gifts, it's reasonable, right?" "..." Su Zijun simmered in silence before erupting in anger, "Yan Yuanqing, are you robbing me?!" Su Zijun would naturally express thanks, but only Yan Yuanqing would have the audacity to ask outright. Yan Yuanqing shrank her neck and darted behind Nangong Yin, softening her voice into a melodious hum, "Ah Yin, she’s being mean to me! You have to stand up for me!" Nangong Yin, with a calm expression, nodded towards Su Zijun, "My wife is not quite right in the head. I hope Palace Master Su can be understanding." Though Yan Yuanqing was unreliable, Nangong Yin was at least reasonable, which helped Su Zijun calm down, deciding not to stoop to Yan Yuanqing's level. At that moment, Nangong Yin suddenly changed her tune, "Five gifts in total, it's the thought that counts. Palace Master Su, would you like to gift treasures, or convert them into money?" Su Zijun: "..." Fine, fine, birds of a feather flock together. Yan Yuanqing burst into laughter, leaning against Nangong Yin, limp as if she had no bones, "Ah Yin, it’s been a while, you’ve become even more interesting than before." Nangong Yin remained expressionless, "Naturally, I learned from my wife." Yan Yuanqing continued to laugh uncontrollably, while Su Zijun rubbed her arms to brush away the goosebumps, hopping mad, "Meeting you two is the worst luck ever!" Before Yan Yuanqing could respond, Su Zijun quickly interrupted, "Alright, alright, I’ll make good on the gifts later, but let’s discuss the serious matters first." Yan Yuanqing raised an eyebrow, as Nangong Yin waited in silence. Su Zijun suggested, "This isn’t the place to discuss it. Follow me to the hall." Nangong Yin and her companion naturally had no objections. Yan Yuanqing was about to walk forward when Nangong Yin held her back, prompting Yan Yuanqing to turn to her with surprise, "What’s up?" Nangong Yin looked a bit helpless, "Did you forget something?" Yan Yuanqing: "?" Nangong Yin called back, "Zhao'er." Yan Zhao, holding a small fox, got up and followed them hastily. Yan Yuanqing: "...Ahem." She had grown accustomed to being alone and was not yet used to having a child around, which was understandable. Yan Zhao, holding the little fox, followed closely behind Yan Yuanqing and Nangong Yin. Her focus was on the little fox's injuries, causing her to overlook the significance of this meeting between her mothers. It wasn't until Nangong Yin called her over that she ran to her mother's side, where Yan Yuanqing extended a hand, "Little Zhao Zhao, come, let Mommy hold your hand." Yan Zhao nodded in acknowledgment, carefully switching to holding the small fox with one arm as she reached out to hold Yan Yuanqing’s hand with the other. Their hands met, warm and gentle, the sensation permeating through the skin, leaving Yan Zhao slightly stunned, finally giving her a real sense of her mother’s miraculous return to life. Before, even though she had seen her mother in the cave, never once did she feel her mother's warmth so clearly. As Yan Zhao held onto Yan Yuanqing, she still needed to cradle the little fox, thus leaving Nangong Yin to walk beside Yan Zhao. Yan Yuanqing playfully stuck out her tongue, exuding an air of smugness, "See, our daughter is closer to me." Nangong Yin: "..." Some inexplicable sense of competition. Not long ago, who was it that almost left their daughter behind? Yan Yuanqing, herself like a child, naturally bonded with the youthful Yan Zhao, whose nature was still innocent. Nangong Yin turned away, internally proclaiming: I have no interest in joining in on this pandemonium. The family of three, counting the little fox in as the fourth, followed Su Zijun to the grand hall of the Palace of Ten Thousand Treasures. At the time, Yao Shenzi, Master Yuanhai, and other experts who helped safeguard the palace during the crisis all gathered together. Ye Yanran and the other disciples of the palace were busy attending to the wounded from the battle, with Chen Er assisting, so busy she didn’t have a moment's peace. Lei Shuang, Zhang Ying, and another companion carried Elder Wu to the hall. As Yan Zhao and her two mothers entered, they saw Dongfang Cixin tending to Elder Wu’s pulse. Nangong Yin immediately remembered the main issue, stepped up to Dongfang Cixin, and cupped her hands in greeting, "I have an injured individual here. When you have a moment, could Elder spare some time to take a look?" Dongfang Cixin glanced at her, then her gaze drifted past Nangong Yin to Yan Yuanqing, who was softly speaking to Yan Zhao in the background. "So Yan Yuanqing is awake, what a joyous occasion." Nangong Yin smiled, "Thanks to Elder Dongfang's help." Had Dongfang Cixin not found a way to preserve Yan Yuanqing’s body, the method of bringing someone back from the dead would scarcely have succeeded so smoothly. Nangong Yin was sincerely grateful for Dongfang Cixin’s efforts. "No need for pleasantries," Dongfang Cixin withdrew her gaze and continued assessing Elder Wu's condition, "I just did what I thought was right." Hearing their conversation, Su Zijun grew curious and asked Nangong Yin, "Who needs such intervention requiring the assistance of the great Demon Master?" Nangong Yin answered candidly, "The Queen of Qingqiu." "The Fox Queen?" A puzzled expression appeared on Su Zijun's face, "How did you manage to bring the Fox Queen to the human realm?" "Please, Palace Master Su, mind your words," Nangong Yin calmly explained, "With the recent turmoil in the demon realm, I've no doubt you’ve heard. The Fox Queen was poisoned and imprisoned by her son Tu Shan Yu. Now that peace has returned among the demons, the Princess of Qingqiu entrusted us to escort the Fox Queen here for medical treatment." Su Zijun came to a realization, "I see now." After Dongfang Cixin finished examining Elder Wu, she administered some acupuncture to stabilize his condition, then asked the disciples of the palace's pharmacy to help collect the medicine. "Three ghost money grass, two poison king flowers, ten silver-blood venomous spiders..." Each time she named an ingredient, the face of the palace's disciple turned paler, and they hesitated to move, instead looking to Yao Shenzi and Su Zijun for help. Yao Shenzi and Su Zijun, however, had seen Dongfang Cixin's medical expertise before. Yao Shenzi withheld his opinion, while Su Zijun gave a slight nod, "If she told you to, just go. No dawdling." With the permission granted, the disciple dashed out of the hall. Lei Shuang and her companions lent a hand, bringing Elder Wu to the medical quarters of the palace. With that settled, Dongfang Cixin asked Nangong Yin, "Where is the patient you mentioned?" Nangong Yin replied, "Elder, please follow me." She led Dongfang Cixin to Yan Yuanqing, signaling Yan Yuanqing to open the abode. With a nod, Yan Yuanqing willed the surroundings to shift, and when everything resettled, they found themselves in Yan Yuanqing's abode. Though stated as a 'group', it was actually only Nangong Yin, Su Zijun, Dongfang Cixin, and Yan Zhao present. Yao Shenzi stood bewildered in the now-empty hall, left alone, as a perplexed look spread across his face. What just happened here? "This way," Yan Yuanqing led the way, taking Su Zijun and Dongfang Cixin to a side chamber. The Fox Queen, arranged by Yan Zhao, lay resting upon the bed of the side chamber, not too far from Yan Yuanqing’s personal quarters. Observing the Fox Queen’s demeanor, Dongfang Cixin swiftly formed an assessment. As she moved closer to examine the Fox Queen's pulse, Yan Yuanqing peered from behind with a smile, "She’s my future mother-in-law, after all. Elder, please do her justice." Dongfang Cixin: "..." Ignoring Yan Yuanqing's remarks, Dongfang Cixin summoned a stool to the bedside to assess the Fox Queen’s condition. After a moment, Dongfang Cixin declared, "The Fox Queen is afflicted by the poison of the Nether Chill Grass, extremely cold and yin. Only the pure energy from the celestial realm can neutralize it." Nangong Yin furrowed her brow at the revelation, growing serious. Su Zijun propped her chin with her hand, pondering aloud, "So it seems we'll need to make a trip to the celestial realm for her sake?" "Direct access to the pure celestial energy would be ideal, indeed," Dongfang Cixin replied. "Alternatively, a sufficient quantity could be gathered via an artifact." "However, the poison has spread deeply," Dongfang Cixin cautioned. "Attempt to purge it within a month, otherwise not even I could save her." Yan Yuanqing, hitting her chest confidently, reassured, "Not a problem, leave it to me." The extent of Yan Yuanqing’s capabilities was acknowledged by all present. With her assurance, there was no need to worry about the Fox Queen's condition. As everyone returned to the main hall, Yao Shenzi was initially taken aback and then rubbed his eyes. After confirming that Nangong Yin and the others had appeared out of thin air, he finally understood what had happened earlier. It was quite unsettling to realize that even at his old age, he could still feel excluded—what a heartache. Su Zijun was about to discuss their next course of action with everyone when suddenly, a disruption was sensed from outside the hall, quickly followed by the voice of a Palace elder entering the chamber: "Palace Master, a celestial soldier has come to see Xianzun Yuanqing." Su Zijun was taken aback by this and turned to look at Yan Yuanqing, "Someone's here for you." Yan Yuanqing blinked, "Oh." Su Zijun instructed the elder outside to let them in, and shortly after, a celestial soldier clad in silver armor hurriedly entered. His armor was damaged, and a bit of blood stained his face, making him look particularly disheveled. Nangong Yin's expression darkened, and Yan Yuanqing raised an eyebrow, her tone unexpectedly casual, "Whoa, are you about to tell me that the immortal king we bound up like a zongzi escaped?" The celestial soldier, his predicament laid bare by Yan Yuanqing, felt awkward, "Please, Xianzun, forgive us! Just moments ago, a villain charged the formation and abducted Xuan Ji Xian Wang. We couldn't stop them." Yan Yuanqing's expression was wry amusement, "Was it that you couldn't stop them, or that you had no intention to?" With tens of thousands of celestial soldiers, if someone truly stormed the formation, how could she not notice any disturbance? The celestial soldier turned pale with fright and fell to his knees, bowing low, his shoulders trembling, "Xianzun, please believe us. We lost many brothers trying to hold them back!" "I never said I blame you," Yan Yuanqing's tone remained gentle, "After all, you've been with him for so long—it's human nature." The celestial soldier's tense demeanor laxed slightly. Unexpectedly, Yan Yuanqing's lips curled into a smirk, her gaze wild and unruly, "But even if all of you aid him, what difference does it make?" The celestial soldier tensed again, a sense of dread washing over him. Yawning languidly, Yan Yuanqing then remarked, "I let him escape on purpose, just to show you that running is futile." Chapter 321 The celestial soldier's mind buzzed, his heartbeat thunderous in his ears. Later, he couldn’t quite recall what else Yan Yuanqing had said. Dazed, he found himself leaving the hall, only coming to his senses when he realized his armor was drenched in cold sweat. Though he had followed the immortal king for so long, never before had he felt such an immense pressure. Yan Yuanqing hadn't intentionally used her aura to intimidate; it was merely her offhand remarks that left him flustered and nearly stripped of his composure. Despite her intimidating words, the celestial king had already gotten away, so what could Yan Yuanqing possibly do now? He thought to himself, don't scare yourself over nothing. In the hall, apart from Yan Yuanqing and Yan Zhao, the others wore grim expressions. Everyone had witnessed Xuan Ji Xian Wang’s strength. Even though he could not defeat Yan Yuanqing, combining the strength of everyone in the Palace of Ten Thousand Treasures still fell short against him. Such a dangerous figure had just been captured, only to escape shortly after. Nangong Yin's brows furrowed deeply, almost forming a “川” character, as though she were about to crush a fly between them. Unable to hold back any longer, Yao Shenzi questioned, "Yan Yuanqing, why did you let him go?" The severity of Elder Wu's injuries from Xuan Ji Xian Wang during the battle was something everyone witnessed. Even putting Elder Wu's injuries aside, both Nangong Yin and Ren Qing Yue had sustained severe wounds. Yao Shenzi couldn't fathom the reasoning behind Yan Yuanqing's actions.