Yun Fuzhao withdrew her hand.
Her eyes, hidden behind the mask, swept coolly over the crowd as she uttered a rather melodramatic line.
“Those who stand in my way shall die.”
With that, she unleashed her spiritual pressure.
The crowd felt as if they had been plunged into a boundless ocean, the pressure so immense they could barely breathe.
Sprawled wretchedly on the ground, all they could do was watch in bitter resentment as Yun Fuzhao took the fox away.
“This aura is terrifyingly powerful…”
Feng Shang stumbled out from the side, hunched over.
His robes were stained with blood as he clutched his chest and said in a grim voice, “Mahayana Realm.”
Wen Yan was stunned.
“Mahayana Realm?
What would a Great Power from the Mahayana Realm want with a fox?”
The next stage after the Mahayana Realm is the Divinity Transformation Stage, and passing the tribulation at that stage leads to Ascension.
Why would a Great Power with one foot already through the Immortal Gate neglect their Cultivation to come here and snatch a fox?
Feng Shang’s expression was also grim.
“The number of Cultivators who have reached the Mahayana Realm can be counted on one hand.
I have no idea who he could possibly be…”
Yu Nian’er said softly, “Could it be that there’s something special about the fox?”
Her words hit the nail on the head.
Feng Shang swallowed an elixir, just barely managing to suppress the metallic, sweet taste of blood rising in his throat.
“This matter must be reported to the Sect Master immediately.”
…
Yun Fuzhao ran as fast as she could, terrified the others would catch up.
Following the system’s directions, she took a series of twists and turns until she was on a deserted path.
When she reached the shade of a tree, Yun Fuzhao lowered the Young Master of the Fox Clan from her shoulder.
She couldn’t very well run while dragging a cage, so she had injected him with a tranquilizer beforehand and carried him to make her escape.
Yun Fuzhao’s breathing was shallow, and she was covered in sweat.
‘That was way too intense,’ she thought.
‘I was so scared they’d see through my act.’
After catching her breath, she approached the fox she had unceremoniously dropped on the ground.
His long, silver hair shimmered like moonlight—cool and pristine.
‘This fox is even more beautiful up close.’
She crouched down, and just as she reached out to brush a leaf from his hair, the fox’s eyes snapped open.
His fingers curled into a claw, aiming straight for her heart.
Yun Fuzhao’s body moved faster than her mind; she instantly caught his wrist.
“Whoa, I just saved you!
Is this how you show your gratitude?”
She wasn’t disguising her voice now, and upon hearing it, a flicker of something passed through the fox’s eyes.
But the disgust and wariness in his eyes remained.
“Save me?
How are you any different from the people who bought me?”
The fox’s tone was glacial, and his eyes looked as if he wanted to slice her into a thousand pieces.
Yun Fuzhao considered this seriously for a moment.
“The difference is, I didn’t pay for you.”
“…”
The fox was so incensed his eyes turned red.
‘I see,’ Yun Fuzhao realized.
‘The Young Master of the Fox Clan seems to have a very low Cultivation, probably only around the Foundation Establishment Stage.’
She wasn’t sure how Cultivation was measured in the Demon Realm, but at the very least, she couldn’t sense much power coming from him.
‘No wonder he was captured so easily.’
Yun Fuzhao released his wrist.
“You don’t have to be so hostile.
I was asked by someone to save you.
Now that I’ve rescued you, my mission is complete.
You’re free to go.”
Qi Huai clearly didn’t believe her.
“Asked by whom?”
“That, I can’t tell you.”
Yun Fuzhao stood up and stretched.
“Man, I’m exhausted.
I’m out of here.”
She turned and walked away.
System 001: [Congratulations, Host, for successfully completing the mission.
899 points have been added to your account.]
The person behind her stirred, accompanied by a series of soft jingles.
After a moment, silence returned.
When Yun Fuzhao glanced back, the fox was long gone.
All that remained was a string of small golden bells.
She averted her gaze and started walking back at a leisurely pace.
Just as she was about to exit the woods, she sensed people heading her way.
Yun Fuzhao immediately leaped up into a tree.
‘Don’t tell me those guys caught up already?
This fast?’
“The Young Master of the Valley’s location should be right here.”
“I wonder if he’s alright.
Those people are so shameless, trying to steal our prize!”
Two men, one tall and one short, passed beneath her tree.
“The Young Master of the Valley said he caught something good, but I don’t know what.
Could it be some kind of spirit beast?”
“Enough chatter.
Let’s hurry and rendezvous with the Young Master of the Valley.”
‘Something good?’
Yun Fuzhao blinked.
‘It couldn’t be the fox, could it?’
‘Whatever.
My mission is done.
What happens to the fox has nothing to do with me.’
[Ren Chen Sheng has joined the fan club.]
[Yun Family Team 1 Ren Chen Sheng has gifted Cultivation x1000]
Yun Fuzhao: “…”
‘Fine,’ she thought.
‘I’ve already saved him once, what’s a little more effort?
I’ll go take a look.’
Yun Fuzhao headed back the way she came.
Before long, she spotted the two men from earlier.
Walking ahead of them was a youth dressed in a bamboo-green brocade robe embroidered with auspicious, swirling clouds.
In his hand, he held a rope, and tied to the other end was a strikingly handsome man.
‘Isn’t that the fox?’
Yun Fuzhao sighed.
‘This kid is so much trouble.’
“Hold it.”
Yun Fuzhao, holding a wooden stick, pointed it at the fox.
“He’s mine.”
Her sudden appearance startled the three of them.
The round-faced youth in the lead glared at her.
“I caught him, so he’s mine!”
“Is that so?” Yun Fuzhao said with a deceptively sweet smile.
“Then don’t blame me for what happens next.”
She wiggled her fingers.
「Ten minutes later.」
The three of them were trussed up and hanging upside down from a tree.
‘Good thing their strength was beneath mine,’ she thought.
‘Otherwise, I really wouldn’t have been able to subdue them.’
The round-faced youth’s face was flushed with rage.
“You have a lot of nerve!
Do you have any idea who my father is?!”
Yun Fuzhao nonchalantly picked at her ear.
“Who?”
“My father is Qiu Wanhe!”
Yun Fuzhao paused.
The youth, however, thought she was afraid and said smugly, “Scared now, are you!
My father is the Valley Master of Ten Thousand Beasts Valley!
You’d better hurry up and let me go!
Otherwise, I’ll have you thrown into Snake Valley to feed the snakes!”
‘Ten Thousand Beasts Valley…’ she recalled.
‘That seems to be the place with the highest concentration of Beast Masters in the Cultivation World.
A lot of top-tier Beast Taming Grandmasters have come from there.’
‘So the kid has some serious backing.’
‘But I’ve already offended the Xuantian Sect.
Why would I be scared of a little place like Ten Thousand Beasts Valley?’
Yun Fuzhao walked over, grabbed the youth’s rope, and gave it a tug, sending the round-faced boy spinning in mid-air.
THUMP—
Something fell from his robes.
Yun Fuzhao picked it up.
‘Well, well.
Isn’t this the Treasure Map?’
‘So this kid was the one who bought it.’
“You bitch, I’ll kill you!
I spent six hundred top grade spiritual stones on that!
Six hundred!
You thief!
Give it back!”
Yun Fuzhao silently tucked the Treasure Map into her storage bag and shamelessly threw his own words back at him.
“Finders keepers.”
“AHHH!
You damn woman!
You better hope I never get my hands on you!
Or I’ll chop you up and feed you to the fish!”
‘Tsk, tsk.
So violent.’
Yun Fuzhao turned and untied the little fox.
“See?
I saved you again.”
This time, the fox didn’t snarl at her.
Instead, he just looked at her, completely baffled.
“Who are you, really?”
“I’m one of the good guys.”
Yun Fuzhao dusted off her hands.
“Alright, you can go.
But if you get caught again, I’m not coming to save you.”
Uncharacteristically, the fox didn’t leave.
His beautiful eyes remained fixed on her.
After a long moment, he asked softly, “Can you take me home?”