138 - Confession (Ying Cheng)

Chapter 138: Biting Back The lunatic venom had a significant impact on the little fox. Yan Jue realized that her memory was gradually deteriorating, and her spiritual power was depleting severely. She forgot about some recent events. There were times when Yan Jue would occasionally become clear-headed and, out of habit, lift her foot to scratch, genuinely believing she was a little fox. Thankfully, Qi Xianqing would talk to her every day, tirelessly repeating everything that had happened recently. Under Qi Xianqing's meticulous care, Yan Jue's condition was gradually improving. Yan Jue turning into her fox form was actually a self-protection mechanism. Feeling her spiritual power slipping away, reverting to her original form was the best way to conserve strength. Gradually, under Qi Xianqing’s attentive care, Yan Jue was finally able to change back to human form. Sometimes, when Yan Jue was lucid, lying on the bed, she would carefully examine Qi Xianqing's sleeves. Yan Jue noticed Qi Xianqing’s arms were bruised, understanding full well it was from when she lost control and bit her. Yan Jue was deeply pained by this, feeling entirely remorseful. ... One day, Qi Xianqing went to the library. When she returned, she heard strange noises coming from the room. “Tock… Tock… Tock…” Qi Xianqing frowned and stepped inside. The gilded incense burner in the corner had been knocked over, scattering ashes everywhere; the table leg had been gnawed upon, and the bed drapery was torn to shreds. The little fox had its back to her, showing only a plump backside—it was indeed plump as the little fox had grown chubby from Qi Xianqing’s feeding in just a few days. Clutching a piece of wood of unknown origin in its paws, it was gnawing away. Qi Xianqing shut the door behind her. The little fox heard the door close, its black ears twitching back. It immediately stood up, wagging its tail to greet Qi Xianqing. Qi Xianqing caught her and said, “Ah Jue, just because you look like this now, don’t think I won’t discipline you.” Her voice was low and somewhat stern, causing the little fox’s fur to stand up in dismay as she clung to Qi Xianqing and whimpered. In her current state, many of the mischievous traits of a spirit fox had surfaced. Seeing her like this, Qi Xianqing couldn’t help but be amused. Qi Xianqing let go of her waist, gently soothing her fur with a reverse stroke, softly asking, “Is it because you couldn’t see me that you were upset?” Causing her to wreck the place. The little fox turned with a roll, unsure if she understood or not. Qi Xianqing tapped the tip of her moist nose and pulled her into her arms, “I forgive you.” - These days, Qi Xianqing had been staying with the little fox in the Ice Peach Blossom Sanctuary, offering Yan Jue attentive care. On the tenth day, she finally received a message from Yun Zhen. Qi Xianqing walked into the Autumn Pavilion, unexpectedly seeing someone standing next to Yun Zhen. Her steps faltered. The woman wore a pale white moonlight skirt, her long hair intricately styled into a clouded bun. Her face was as if powdered, dazzlingly beautiful. She stood beside Yun Zhen with a sullen expression, her arms crossed. Yun Zhen, however, wore a gentle smile, whispering something to her. The woman appeared uninterested, leading Yun Zhen to cheerfully brew a cup of tea and offer it with a slight bow. Qi Xianqing had never seen her usually noble master show such attentiveness. Qi Xianqing walked over and knelt down. The smile in Yun Zhen’s eyes faded. She glanced at Qi Xianqing and straightened up, saying softly, “You’re here?” Following behind Qi Xianqing was a sleep-deprived Yan Jue. Yan Jue bowed with a cupped fist, her lips moved slightly, momentarily unsure of what to say. Lu Yanshuang quickly approached her, cradling her face, “Jue Jue, are you alright? Are you hurt?” Yan Jue's face was pale, but she forced a smile, “Qi Xianqing has taken very good care of me.” Yan Jue was not lying. When she first got intoxicated, she often couldn’t control herself and would bite people recklessly. It got to the point where she had to wear a muzzle. As time passed, she no longer needed the muzzle. If it weren't for Qi Xianqing's meticulous care, she might truly have remembered nothing now. Lu Yanshuang looked at Yan Jue, slightly furrowing her brows. She had heard about the incident with Qi Xianqing and Yan Jue in Lu Wu. Without Qi Xianqing, Lu Wu might have suffered calamity. Naturally, she couldn’t blame Yun Zhen. But Yan Jue was her niece, and seeing Yan Jue in this condition, she couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. Yun Zhen said, “Regarding the lunatic venom in Xiao Yan’s body, I have scoured through books recently and finally gained some insight.” Qi Xianqing’s expression turned serious, listening attentively. Yun Zhen continued, “All venom can be purified with flames. Using the Nine Heavens Mysterious Flame to cleanse Xiao Yan’s body should have a good effect.” Lu Yanshuang, with a displeased look, said, “If so, then please act quickly.” Being a fire spiritual root, Yun Zhen could naturally help treat Yan Jue with the Nine Heavens Mysterious Flame. Yun Zhen turned back, laughing charmingly, “Yan Shuang, Yan Shuang, if I help Xiao Yan this time, you’ll owe me one more favor.” “What do you say, how will you repay it?” Lu Yanshuang pursed her lips and looked away. Qi Xianqing stood silent, unsure of her thoughts. Qi Xianqing couldn’t help but suspect whether it was her illusion. Yun Zhen seemed exceptionally warm toward Yan Jue’s aunt. Lu Yanshuang rolled her eyes dramatically, helping Yan Jue to a nearby altar. The altar, made of bluestone, was about half a person high, with a small staircase at the edge, and an intricately carved Yin-Yang Bagua diagram in the center. This was Yun Zhen’s usual place to perform magic. Sitting at the center of the altar, Yan Jue felt the warmth of the sunlight and the faint overwhelming righteousness that tingled her skin. Yan Jue wasn’t quite used to such surroundings and subconsciously lifted her gaze to Qi Xianqing. Meeting her eyes, Qi Xianqing’s expression softened as she walked over and held her hand, “It'll be over soon, junior sister, bear with it.” An icy rope was then fastened around Yan Jue’s neck. Yun Zhen had previously mentioned using this to prevent Yan Jue from thrashing about during extreme pain. Yan Jue nodded, taking a deep breath, “I trouble you, Master.” She needed to endure the venom within; Yan Jue reminded herself to tolerate it. Yun Zhen sat cross-legged below the altar, beginning to chant spells. Being of the eighth realm, Yun Zhen’s spells were steady and precise. A dense, dark-red flame emerged from her palm, slowly moving toward the altar above. The fire spread above the altar and grew increasingly large, turning Yan Jue’s body into a shadowy silhouette in the flames. Yan Jue instinctively clenched her teeth, feeling as though the fire scorched her entire body, the pain nearly causing her to spit blood. Something rose slowly from her throat, eventually causing her to retch painfully. She expelled a clotted mass of dark blood. Within the black blood wriggled a crimson worm. How could there be such a thing inside her? Yan Jue couldn’t think further as another wave of scorching pain surged. Yan Jue clenched her fists, causing the chain around her neck to rattle, leaving faint red marks where it bound her. Something began to ascend slowly from above Yan Jue. Qi Xianqing squinted slightly at the sight. It was a fierce and menacing red fox’s head, fangs crisscrossed, and its eyes shimmered with a cold, eerie light. As the flames ebbed away, Yan Jue, who had been sitting cross-legged behind the fire, vanished. Only a small, charred little fox lay curled on the altar, pressing its body tightly against the ground. Yun Zhen withdrew her magic, “It’s done. Xianqing, go bring Xiao Yan down, I can see you’re worried.” Qi Xianqing took a step forward, unfastening the iron shackle around Yan Jue’s neck. The shackle, still warm from the flames, scorched her hands, and she winced slightly with compassion, holding the little fox close to her chest. Yan Jue lay in Qi Xianqing’s embrace, barely opening her eyes, emitting small whimpering noises. Qi Xianqing’s heart softened, reminded of a time long ago when Yan Jue sought her out after surviving a heavenly calamity. Standing nearby, Lu Yanshuang watched Qi Xianqing with thoughtful eyes. The concern in Qi Xianqing’s gaze toward Yan Jue was unmistakable. Lu Yanshuang was aware that being afflicted with such an extreme, sinister poison from the demon sect would significantly impair memory. In severe cases, one would have to remain in their crimson fox form for a long time. Yet Yan Jue’s memory seemed intact, even capable of reverting to human form. Surely, it was the meticulous care of Qi Xianqing over these days. - Yan Jue dreamt a heavy, consuming dream. In it, her body was scorched by fierce flames—unbearably painful—but someone was always holding her gently. Their body was soft, a comforting coolness, lightly patting her back. A shiver ran through Yan Jue, suddenly waking from the dream. She squinted her eyes open to a blurred vision, faint movement beside her; instinctively, Yan Jue hugged tightly. A sweet, clean scent filled her nose, the material of the person’s clothing was soft against her face. Gradually, her vision cleared, revealing Qi Xianqing’s face. Qi Xianqing lay by her side, her skin porcelain white in the sunlight, features elegant, with those beautiful almond eyes lowered. Seeing Yan Jue wake up, Qi Xianqing's brows relaxed slightly. Yan Jue blinked in surprise, meeting her gaze. Her lips parted, "Senior Sister, I..." Over the past few days, Yan Jue had been muddled, with hazy memories of being in her fox form. However, she could clearly recall Qi Xianqing taking care of her. Qi Xianqing gently caressed her soft cheek. "Feeling better?" Yan Jue suddenly sat up, but her vision went dark again. She rubbed her aching temples, gradually recalling the events of a few days ago when her master helped rid her body of the venom. Qi Xianqing supported her as she lay back down slowly. "Master said the venom in your body has been dispelled. Now you just need to rest indoors." Midway through speaking, Qi Xianqing noticed Yan Jue staring at her intently with clear, sparkling eyes. This reminded her of the frenzied little fox from a few days ago, and she found it amusing as she pinched Yan Jue’s cheek. “Ah Jue.” “What’s the matter?” Qi Xianqing’s voice was husky yet pleasant. Yan Jue gazed at her, eyes filled with innocence and a hint of longing. Yan Jue knew how tirelessly Qi Xianqing had cared for her these past days. She also remembered, when lucid, checking Qi Xianqing's arms and seeing the faint bruises. Yan Jue sat up, opened Qi Xianqing’s sleeves to inspect them again, then wrapped her arms around Qi Xianqing's waist, resting her chin weakly on her shoulder, unwilling to let go. Qi Xianqing chuckled softly, leaning closer to her ear with interest, “Don’t just hug me, why don’t you bite back too?” Yan Jue blinked in surprise before immediately extending her arm to her, and Qi Xianqing, seeing her sincerity, gently smiled. Qi Xianqing ruffled her hair, “You’re almost all better now.” The lunatic venom Yan Jue was afflicted with was special. Even though it was fully neutralized, she still needed to take medicine. The medicine Yun Zhen provided was incredibly bitter. Just the smell while brewing was enough to bring tears to one’s eyes. Now that Yan Jue was finally alert, Qi Xianqing wanted to care for her properly. She had prepared a special candied fruit made from spiritual fruit, kept in her pouch. Dressed in nothing but thin inner clothes, Yan Jue reluctantly pinched her nose, sitting at the table, tentatively looking at Qi Xianqing. “Senior Sister, do I have to drink it?” Qi Xianqing replied, “You brought the venom upon yourself, so you must drink it.” Yan Jue: “…” With no escape, she lifted the bowl and slowly drank the medicine. The remedy was unbearably bitter... Her eyes watered from the bitterness, her stomach in turmoil, feeling the urge to retch. Finally finishing the medicine, Yan Jue weakly slumped over the table until she saw Qi Xianqing pass her something yellow. Candied fruit. Yan Jue paused for a moment. The setting sun’s glow bathed the candied fruit, making it look like a piece of golden sunlight. She placed the sugar-coated candy into her mouth, the sweet and tangy taste spreading over her tongue, causing her to close her eyes in contentment. - At the Qi Dun Sect’s grand hall. “Crash—” The sound of shattering filled the air as Mo Zun smashed his teacup, his hand trembling slightly. Elder You Long knelt in the hall, cold sweat trickling down his brow, too afraid to lift his head. “My venom technique was flawless. The lunatic venom should have devoured that girl's consciousness, her soul in peril. Yet someone broke into my courtyard and destroyed all the arrangements painstakingly set.” “This…” Mo Zun’s expression darkened, murmuring, “Every time she manages to escape…” “Is there a master behind the girl?” Mo Zun replied indifferently, “Yun Zhen is a selfish woman and likely wouldn’t care for such matters.” “Forget it; it’s not your fault. Stand up.” Although Mo Zun had a mercurial temperament, he had a knack for managing people's hearts. Elder You Long discreetly wiped away sweat, quickly standing up with a forced smile. “Though the venom attempt failed, I’ve discovered something significant.” Mo Zun raised an eyebrow slightly, “Oh? What is it? Speak in detail.” With bloodshot eyes, Elder You Long slowly approached Mo Zun, leaning in to whisper in his ear.