The curtain of night lifted, and the dawn approached. Tian Yao slowly opened his eyes.
Birds were singing and chirping in the distance. It was a fresh and crisp morning that seemed to wash away the dark and murky night. There was an itching feeling on Tian Yao's face. He lightly brushed at it and discovered a strand of black hair wrapped around his fingers.
Tian Yao's eyes traveled up the strand of hair and saw Yan Hui's bright and clean chin. The early sunlight shone its warmth upon her face. It made her entire body seem to radiate a peaceful warmth.
Her back was propped up on a tree trunk, head slightly tilted back with mouth agape. Yan Hui's breath was slow and steady, which meant she was in a deep, peaceful dream. Tian Yao was startled. He sat up and looked around. He actually slept the entire night using Yan Hui's legs as his pillow.
His movements startled Yan Hui into waking up. Her hand first grasped the air and then almost automatically grabbed Tian Yao's hand: "What is it? Does it hurt again?"
Tian Yao looked at Yan Hui's hand. Then he again raised his head to look at Yan Hui's face.
He gazed for a long time at the sleepy-eyed Yan Hui. It took awhile before she fully woke up: "The sun is up?" She rubbed her eyes. "I finally managed to fall asleep."
She stretched and moved her leg to get up when she stifled a groan. She immediately hugged her legs and didn't say another word. When Tian Yao saw that, he silently turned around and squatted down with his back facing Yan Hui: "Get on."
Yan Hui stared blankly at his broad back. However, she didn't attempt to be courteous and instead climbed directly onto his back. When Yan Hui wrapped her arms around Tian Yao's neck, he happened to see the dried bloodstains on her wrist. They were from when she haphazardly bit and wounded herself.
His throat tightened and not a word could be let out.
When Yan Hui settled herself, Tian Yao steadily started to walk. They slowly headed back.
Yan Hui laid on his shoulders which have now grown broader. She absent-minded said: "Yesterday's Autumn Moon Festival......." She started but now stopped to think about how to phrase it, so it didn't poke at Tian Yao's wound. Tian Yao prompted her to continue.
"Were you scared?"
"No, not at all," she replied. "It's just that..........are you like that every year at this time?"
"Before was even worse."
Yan Hui was unexpectedly unable to reply at those words. She stayed silent for a long time. Then, she stroked his head: "It'll get better once we find your dragon heart. We're close."
She lightly caressed his head. In the thousand years Tian Yao lived, this touch was more gentle than any spring breeze he had felt before.
Thus, under her unbelievably gentle touch, Tian Yao's eyes drooped down. His gaze was soft.
Although it was already autumn, he didn't feel the slightest bit of chill.
Before Tian Yao, still piggy-backing Yan Hui, reached Zhu Li's residence, they ran into Zhu Li himself. Zhu Li was wearing much more formal clothes than usual. He was leaving in a rush, but when he saw Tian Yao carrying Yan Hui, he immediately stopped: "What happened?" He asked more, "I didn't see you two at the Autumn Moon Festival. Now you're unexpectedly like this? Yan Hui, did your wounds get worse?"
Yan Hui smoothly lied: "I meditated for too long last night. My legs are numb."
Tian Yao's expression couldn't help freezing for an instant at those words. The base of his ears also flushed a little. He lightly coughed, swept his gaze over Zhu Li, and took the rare initiative to ask Zhu Li: "Why are you dressed like that?"
That question accurate sliced into the conversation. Yan Hui also looked Zhu Li up and down: "Is the nine-tailed fox demon clan copying the ordinary people and going to court?"
"Qing Qiu doesn't have a court." Zhu Li shot her a look. "Today, my sister is coming back. We all have to go greet her."
Yan Hui raised an eyebrow: "Sister?"
"My uncle's daughter. These past years, she's been in Central Plains. Oh, by the way, there's going to be a banquet tonight at the palace......" As Zhu Li was talking, the sound of a brass horn was heard in the distance. The old servant behind Zhu Li urged: "You brat, you're going to be late!"
"Got it," said Zhu Li. "I have to go now. Remember to come to the banquet!" Without a second glance at Yan Hui and Tian Yao, Zhu LI urgently rushed on with the old servant.
Yan Hui pondered over it. Zhu Li's uncle's daughter. Then that was the crown prince's daughter. With that kind of identity, why was she always in Central Plains? Furthermore, her identity wasn't blown. She must be someone with a lot of tricks and strategy.
And now someone who had been staying in Central Plains was returning to Qing Qiu. It probably was because the demon clans' crossing San Chong Mountain gave the cultivation sects a huge shock. Central Plain's situation must be very unstable........
When they reached the room, Tian Yao had just set Yan Hui down when she looked off to the side. The "Demon Bestoyal" book was laying on the bed where she had thrown it when she urgently left last night. Yan Hui's eyes lit up. She didn't even wait for Tian Yao to straighten his back before grabbing his arm. She held on tight like she was afraid he was going to run off.
Tian Yao looked up. He saw Yan Hui clutching the book and staring at him with bright eyes. She said, "Didn't you agree to teach me how to cultivate heart techniques with this book?"
Tian Yao was silent for only a moment: "Are all of your bones and muscles healed?"
"Not completely. But I can start learning about magic."
With a flip of his hand, Tian Yao gripped Yan Hui's arm. He squeezed it twice and then nodded: "Alright, you can start. Tomorrow......."
"No, start right now." Yan Hui immediately cut him off. "I can't wait a moment more."
"Okay."
Tian Yao took the book and opened it to the first page. He studied it and then asked: "Did you read the book yet?"
"Read it all."
"Which parts do you not understand?"
The two of them started to discuss and lost track of time. The sky had already darkened when Huan Xiao Yan broke through the window and bounced in. She yelled: "Time to eat! Zhu Li is calling for you guys to come eat!"
At that moment, Yan Hui was mediating on the bed. Her aura had been circulating around her body for the entire day. She opened her eyes but didn't respond to Huan Xiao Yan. Instead, she asked Tian Yao: "I feel like my jingmai channel is going to wrong way. Is this right?"
"The reason why you feel that way is because you're using the xian cultivation standard to judge. What you need to do now is forget everything you had learned."
Yan Hui was startled. At this moment, she untimely remembered every detail of xian cultivation that Ling Xiao had taught her over these past 10 years. She became lost in her thoughts but was forced back to her senses when Huan Xiao Yan called out, "Master, are you not hungry?"
"Oh." Yan Hui stood up. "Let's go. Let's see what a nine-tailed demon clan's banquet is like."
Since the last time she saw Qing Qiu's king, this would be the second time Yan Hui was going to the mountain peak where his palace was located.
The aura here was different from before. Tonight, there was a more festive feel in the enormous tree. The little foxes' mouths were filled with red fruit. Some were happily eating. Others were rolling the fruit around everywhere.
Yan Hui and Tian Yao were led into the tree palace by an attendant.
The door opened. The enormous tree was still as spacious and empty as before. However, this time there were seats placed up on the wall and going up all the wall to the top. Yan Hui tilted her head to look up. About every 10 meters up the wall, there was a transparent platform held there by magic. Female palace fox demons were singing and dancing on the platforms. The fox demon attendees watched on with enjoyment.
The attendant led Yan Hui and Tian Yao up the spiraling passageway along the wall. They were heading for the top. At every level, the fox demons there would curiously sized the two of them up, but most of them were focusing on Tian Yao.
A millennium dragon, if not me with an unfortunate turn of fate, perhaps would be an equal match to Qing Qiu's king. For the demon clans where the strong ruled, not one person wouldn't be interested.
Tian Yao didn't even look at them. He just continued onward without a side glance. It was like he attached no importance to them.
On the other hand, Yan Hui was looking all around. She wasn't paying attention to where she was walking. In a moment of inattention, she tripped and started to fall forward. Tian Yao moved even faster than Huan Xiao Yan, who was following behind Yan Hui. He reached out and caught Yan Hui.
Clearly........his eyes were never watching her.
Right before reaching the top, the servant politely led away Huan Xiao Yan to go play at a lower level. Yan Hui and Tian Yao stepped onto the highest platform.
It was just one step onto the platform, but immediately the field of vision expanded. The entirety of Qing Qiu, including the far away San Chong Mountain, could be seen. The stars above them looked so close that they could be plucked down.
All the fox demons who held power in the clan were present. However, Tian Yao only inclined his head toward Qing Qiu's king who was sitting there. Then he ignored everyone else, walked to an empty seat at the side, and sat down.
Yan Hui was about to follow him when she saw the person sitting by the king's side. She froze in shock.
That person was different than the other fox demons who loved to dress in white. That person was dressed in a gorgeous and dazzling red robe. Her stunning and beautiful looks were enough to steal away one's soul.
"Xian......." Yan Hui scarcely dared to murmur. "Xian Ge?"
Although Yan Hui's voice was soft, everyone present weren't normal people. Naturally, they all heard the name Yan Hui had blurted out. Everyone looked on with great interest at the two people. Qing Qiu's prince's deep voice broke the silence: "What a coincidence. Is my daughter an old friend of Miss Yan Hui?" He smiled. "Xian Ge, why don't you tell your father how you met Miss Yan Hui?"
Xian Ge.......
She unexpectedly was the daughter of Qing Qiu's crown prince, sister to Zhu Li. She was the one who had always stayed in Central Plains with many tricks and strategies......
Yan Hui was still shocked.
Xian Ge sat there and gave a soft laugh, as alluring as always: "Miss Yan Hui at that time was dressing as a man. She was dallying about with me. After all the dallying and flirting, we got to know each other well."
With those words, everyone sitting on the platform laughed.
Xian Ge looked at Yan Hui, partially sighing and smiling: "I recently heard Yan Hui arrived at Qing Qiu. I thought we might be able to meet this time, but I didn't expect it to be under these circumstances........Yan Hui," called Xian Ge. Her smile seemed a little helpless. "You're still shocked. Do you blame me for hiding truth from you?"
Yan Hui paused for a moment at those words and then immediately shook her head: "There's nothing to blame. You never once hurt me."
Not only did Xian Ge never hurt her, Xian Ge actually helped her many times.
Xian Ge smiled at those words. She saluted Yan Hui with a cup of wine: "Yan Hui always had an open and wide heart." Xian Ge drank the cup and said no more. Under these circumstances, it wasn't a good place to say more.
Yan Hui silently walked to where Tian Yao was and sat down.
She incessantly thought back to the past. Thinking about it, it did make sense. Before she thought Xian Ge's place was mysterious. Now with her identity revealed, it was to be expected---why she was so easily able to give Tian Yao an anosmia sachet, why she was so soul-shakingly beautiful.
It was all because she was a nine-tailed fox demon.