297 - The Demon Fox Wife is a Foodie

"Did they not rest well?" Su Zijun was momentarily taken aback. Yan Zhao nodded, adding, "There might be bugs in the room. Mother got bitten, and now her neck is covered in welts." Su Zijun: "?" What kind of bug would leave welts like that on Yan Yuanqing? A moment later, "...Oh." She finally put two and two together. Seeing Yan Zhao's innocent expression, Su Zijun found it amusing but chose not to explain. Instead, she thought with a sigh, resigning herself to the conclusion that Miss Ren likely still has a long way to go. "Let them continue resting then." Su Zijun advised Yan Zhao, "And don't disturb them." At the same time, she felt somewhat critical of Yan Yuanqing, who seemed to find interest in such things even with the Xuanji Immortal Monarch at large. But it was their personal matter as a couple, and she had no place to comment. Yan Zhao agreed and followed Su Zijun's instructions to help at the pharmacy. The pharmacy wasn't far from the medical hall, but the route to it wasn't familiar to Yan Zhao, as she'd seldom visited before. Passing by a secluded courtyard, she heard voices coming from around a corner. "Hey, don't be so unreasonable!" The voice sounded familiar, suggesting Yan Zhao knew the speaker. "How am I unreasonable?" Another familiar voice floated over. "Is it unreasonable to want to spend more time with you? You weren't like this when I was bedridden." Chen Er gave Ye Yanran a shove. "That was ages ago!" "Was it really that long?" Ye Yanran countered. "Even if it was, does that mean it never happened?" Chen Er turned crimson, avoiding eye contact with Ye Yanran, "I didn't mean it like that..." Ye Yanran pressed on, "Then what did you mean?" Chen Er bit her lip, saying nothing, her hands clutching her clothes so tightly she nearly tore them. Ye Yanran lifted Chen Er's chin, forcing her to meet her eyes, raising her voice, "Answer me!" Suddenly, a head popped out from behind the wall, "What are you doing?" "Aaaaah!" Startled, Chen Er leapt back, hiding behind Ye Yanran. The sudden shriek hurt Yan Zhao's ears, making her clasp her hands over them. Once Chen Er composed herself, she peered out from behind Ye Yanran’s shoulder. Seeing who it was, she sighed in relief, "Phew, it’s you, Yan Zhao!" She emerged from behind Ye Yanran, patting her chest with lingering fear. Yan Zhao removed her hands from her ears, perplexed, "Who else would it be?" Who could have scared Chen Er like that? "I thought it was..." Chen Er hesitated, although being seen by Yan Zhao was awkward, it was better than being caught by her master. Her reply was too quiet for Yan Zhao to catch. Yan Zhao tilted her head, bemused, but Chen Er didn’t repeat herself. She cleared her throat, turning her back to Ye Yanran and awkwardly shifting topics, "Ahem, are you heading to the pharmacy for medicine?" Yan Zhao answered, "My godmother said they're short-handed, so I'm here to help." "Oh." Chen Er responded absentmindedly, eager to change the subject, "Get going then." Yan Zhao, suspecting nothing, turned and took a few steps. Chen Er exhaled slowly. Terror turned to exasperation as she elbowed Ye Yanran, "This is all your fault!" Suddenly, Yan Zhao turned her head at the corner, "You two..." Chen Er's expression shifted, nearly seeking refuge behind Ye Yanran again by instinct. Just then, Ye Yanran spoke up, "We're going to assist at the medical hall later, Miss Yan, you should go ahead." Distracted by Ye Yanran's remark, Yan Zhao forgot what she intended to say. Unbothered, she nodded, "Alright, I'll be off then!" Once Yan Zhao was gone, Ye Yanran shot a sidelong glance at Chen Er, "I helped you out of a pickle; how do you plan on thanking me?" Chen Er turned her flushed face away, "Well, with our friendship, do we really need formal thanks?" "Why not?" Ye Yanran asked in confusion, "What sort of relationship do we have that you don’t need to thank me?" "…" Chen Er couldn't find words or perhaps couldn't bring herself to say them. Merely thinking about it made her breathless with embarrassment, feeling like she might faint. She planned to make a beeline, but Ye Yanran pulled her back, making her stumble into her arms. Ye Yanran held her tightly, peering down at her pointedly, "What kind of relationship do we have?" Under Ye Yanran's intense gaze, Chen Er felt lightheaded, her mind a blank. So she took a deep breath and, as if going to her doom, closed her eyes, "Master and servant!" Ye Yanran: "...?" --- Chapter 325 The pharmacy was indeed busy, disciples constantly bustling in and out. Arriving at the pharmacy door, Yan Zhao informed a disciple, "I'm here to help." The busy disciple, without looking up, absentmindedly replied, "Alright, then you can..." Halfway through speaking, he glanced back and saw Yan Zhao's face, momentarily stunned. "Young M-m-lady... Miss Yan!" Startled, the disciple paid his respects. Though Yan Zhao usually acted low-key, everyone in Wanbao Palace knew she was Su Zijun's adopted daughter. Her valorous display on the golden dragon during the battle yesterday had left a deep impression. Su Zijun hadn't taken on any disciples yet, and the Wanbao Palace disciples, having been helped by Yan Zhao, privately referred to her as the Young Palace Master. However, calling her that directly seemed inappropriate as it hadn't been publicly acknowledged by Su Zijun. Luckily, Yan Zhao didn't catch the title's implication. Seeing the disciple halt mid-sentence, she blinked, puzzled, "What do you want me to do?" Hurriedly, the pharmacy disciple corrected himself, "Miss Yan, a new batch of herbs arrived this morning, and I need to help with transporting and sorting them. Would you mind sitting here for a while? If anyone comes for consultation, please have them register in the log." Yan Zhao nodded, "Alright." She sat at the pharmacy entrance. Word of her presence spread quickly, and several Wanbao Palace disciples took the chance to approach her under the guise of collecting medicine. One male disciple, trying to gauge her preferences during the sign-in process, was taken aback when Yan Zhao glanced at the log, "Why haven't you signed?" "I'll sign right now!" the male disciple hastily scribbled his name. As soon as he finished the last stroke, Yan Zhao pulled the log back, waving to the person behind him, "Next!" Male disciple: "..." In the end, due to Yan Zhao's diligence, not one Wanbao Palace disciple managed to strike up a conversation with her that morning. That didn't mean they gave up, though. As the afternoon approached, the pharmacy disciple finished organizing the herbs, allowing Yan Zhao to return to her bamboo courtyard for a rest. A few male disciples secretly trailed behind her, slipping into the bamboo grove. As Yan Zhao entered the courtyard, the neighboring room's door creaked open, and Nangong Yin emerged, though Yan Yuanqing was not in sight. "Ah Yin!" Yan Zhao called out to Nangong Yin, asking, "Did the bugs in your room bite you last night?" Nangong Yin paused, clearing her throat to suppress the embarrassment reminiscent of being caught with Yan Yuanqing that morning. Prepared, she wore a high-collared outfit that concealed her neck entirely, responding with a straight face, "No." Yan Zhao nodded, "That's good." Simultaneously, she thought to herself: Poor mother, bitten by a bug that didn't even bother Ah Yin. After Yan Zhao went inside, Nangong Yin furrowed her brow, glancing outside. With a wave of pressure, the lurking Wanbao Palace disciples turned pale with fear, scattering like birds at the first sign of danger, never daring to venture close again. That night, just as Yan Zhao was about to use magic to heal the little fox, there was an unexpected knock at the door. Cradling the fox, she answered it, finding Yan Yuanqing at the entrance. "Mother?" Yan Zhao looked puzzled. Yan Yuanqing patted Yan Zhao's head, instructing her, "Quickly gather your things. We're heading to the Immortal Realm." Yan Zhao's eyes widened, utterly stunned, "To the Immortal Realm?" "Yes!" Yan Yuanqing nodded, not waiting for questions as she urged, "Don’t ask anything, just hurry!" Yan Zhao replied, "I don't have much to pack; we can leave right now." Yan Yuanqing seemed satisfied with the answer, "Very well." With that, she firmly placed a hand on Yan Zhao’s shoulder. Yan Zhao only felt the surroundings blur briefly, and in the next moment, she and Yan Yuanqing were already outside the Wanbao Palace, moving so swiftly it felt like teleportation. With each deft step, Yan Yuanqing altered their surroundings, akin to continuously using a heavenly scroll, yet even more agile and efficient. Their movement was silent, barely making a sound. Yan Zhao, long accustomed to being carried around like a little chick, stayed perfectly still in Yan Yuanqing’s grasp, holding her little fox close. When they had been away from Wanbao Palace for about as long as it takes a stick of incense to burn, Yan Zhao suddenly remembered something, blinking in confusion, "Mother, why isn't Ah Yin with us?" "Ah Yin? Why would she come?" Yan Yuanqing snorted lightly, a trace of petulance in her voice, "We're running away from home, of course we don't bring her." Yan Zhao was bewildered, "Running away from home?" Why was Mother running away from home? After a moment's thought, Yan Zhao deduced it had to do with the bugs biting Mother and not Ah Yin, making Mother unhappy. Makes sense. Seeing that Yan Yuanqing appeared to be in a bad mood, Yan Zhao decided to stay quiet, to avoid further displeasing her. The mother and daughter traveled through the night, and as dawn broke, Yan Yuanqing finally halted in a picturesque location, setting up a barrier to conceal their presence. "Let's take a break." On a clean boulder, Yan Yuanqing set up a low table, building a fire to boil water for tea. She skillfully caught two wild chickens, seasoned them, wrapped them in clay, and buried them in the fire pit. Watching in curiosity, Yan Zhao asked, "What is this?" "Beggar's chicken," Yan Yuanqing chuckled, tossing more wood into the fire, "Have you tried it before?" Yan Zhao shook her head. Yan Yuanqing gestured for Yan Zhao to sit beside her, "Then today, you get to try it." Having tasted Yan Yuanqing's cooking once in a dream—grilled white bird—Yan Zhao was intrigued but remembered waking up hungry with no lingering sense of satisfaction. Seeing that Yan Yuanqing had prepared two chickens, Yan Zhao was full of anticipation, temporarily forgetting any concerns about Ah Yin possibly worrying when she awoke to find them gone. While waiting for the beggar’s chicken to be ready, Yan Zhao recalled she hadn’t had the chance to heal the little fox last night. She pulled out a soul-nurturing pill, feeding it to the little fox, and prepared to perform a healing spell to see if she could wake it once more. Yan Yuanqing, observing, sighed internally but refrained from interfering. Instead, she chose to shut her own hearing, closing her eyes and using the cycle of her inner energy to estimate the time. The beggar's chicken needed turning, and as she calculated the time and opened her eyes, Yan Zhao had just finished casting her spell. The little fox was awake, appearing no different than before. Concerned that the fox might still be unwell, Yan Zhao carried the playful creature over to Yan Yuanqing. With a quick incantation for tranquillity, Yan Yuanqing calmed the little fox. Even though it no longer caused a commotion, it, unlike before, did not fall back asleep. It nestled quietly in Yan Zhao’s arms, its green gemstone-like eyes wide and curious, eyes darting all around. "It’s awake!" Yan Zhao exclaimed with joy, "Is Sister getting better?" Yan Yuanqing frowned, contemplating deeply for a moment before shaking her head, "Not yet."