Li Lanxiu followed the fox yao, turning through countless twists and bends. Along the way, the fox yao repeatedly opened hidden doors, leading them down a labyrinthine path. At last, after a long journey, they reached the sacred realm.
The expressions of the others varied. Chu Yue held the hilt of the blade strapped to his waist, his eyes fixed on the fox yao pressing close to Li Lanxiu. His gaze was dark and unfathomable, and in the dimly lit tunnel, his pupils gleamed with an eerie light.
He resembled a wolf lurking in the night.
Why did he care about something like this?
Narrowing his eyes, he felt a twinge of confusion. Li Lanxiu was both his benefactor and his nemesis—cunning and shrewd, a formidable foe worthy of respect.
But this opponent was now being touched and fawned over by a pack of fox yao. Filthy, lowly creatures—how could they be allowed? Even he hadn’t…
The eerie gleam in Chu Yue’s eyes faded. His grip on the hilt gradually loosened. The murkiness in his expression cleared, leaving his sharp black-and-white eyes vibrant and bright.
As they entered the spacious and well-lit sacred realm, he allowed a faint smile to surface. It deepened the shallow dimples on one side of his face, the smile clean and untainted.
The other three were filled with mixed emotions. This fox den, with its countless winding tunnels, hidden doors, and traps, was a treacherous maze. Had they tried to find their way out alone, they would likely have met the same fate as the Loftcloud Sect disciples, ending up as a meal for the black jiao lord.
On the Dao-Questioning Plaza of Conundrum Sect, a white crane spread its wings and flew across the floating island, letting out a high-pitched cry. It was the only sound in the plaza.
The disciples had been silent for a long time, their expressions varying wildly. Those who had initially looked down on Li Lanxiu for being enchanted by the fox yao now felt as though their faces were burning.
"What? Li Lanxiu bewitched the fox yao?"
"The way those fox yao look at him is so mesmerized, like they want to stick to him and lick him. They don't even seem like foxes anymore, more like dogs."
"He didn't even take off his mask, just showed his chin and lips, and it made these fox yao lose their minds."
"No wonder the black jiao lord went to such lengths just to see what he looks like. Now I want to see what Li Lanxiu looks like too!"
"He's so good at dealing with foxes, he completely has them under his control. Why did I ever think he was stupid?"
On the central floating island, the peak lords and elders were just as stunned. Unlike the disciples, these experienced cultivators had all encountered the bewitching arts of fox yao. Without sufficient willpower, one could be utterly consumed by them, leaving not even bones behind. Secretly, they worried that if Li Lanxiu truly fell for the fox yao and brought shame to the sect, where would Li Yanbi’s reputation go?
But to their shock, the situation had flipped. Li Lanxiu was the one who had subdued the fox yao.
Li Yanbi’s tense expression gradually relaxed. Ignoring the gazes directed at him from all sides, he said blandly, "My son is too much."
Now it was Xue Wujiu whose face darkened. He had noticed something earlier—Jiang Jiusi’s gaze toward Li Lanxiu was far from normal.
He remembered well that Jiang Jiusi had a fondness for beauties.
Elder Shen, utterly confused, approached Bai Zhenchuan and asked, "Bai Zhenchuan, why are these fox yao..."
Bai Zhenchuan fixed their gaze on Li Lanxiu in the giant mirror. Their straight, narrow nose twitched slightly as if savoring a scent once experienced. "Yao act on their desires. There is no 'why.'"
They leaned back lazily against the chair, their posture relaxed, while the disciples’ lively chatter echoed around them.
"It's too late to change the betting stakes now. The bookmaker is ruthless. Initially, betting on Li Lanxiu being beautiful was one to a hundred. Now it’s one to twenty."
"Even one to twenty is a profit! Let’s go, let’s place our bets!"
"Don’t fight me for this! If too many people bet on him being good-looking, the odds will drop again!"
Bai Zhenchuan pressed their fingers against their forehead, frowning. They turned to Elder Shen. "Elder Shen, doesn’t this kind of scene damage the dignity of Conundrum Sect?"
The disciples’ private antics had been something Elder Shen turned a blind eye to. But now that Bai Zhenchuan had spoken, he immediately had the stewards issue a notice. "Disciples, hear me! The plaza is a place for cultivation. No noise or gambling is allowed! Violators will be severely punished!"
Bai Zhenchuan’s gaze returned to Li Lanxiu. Their tongue slowly ran along the inside of their lips.
Those stupid fox yao were truly fortunate.
The sacred realm was a hidden paradise. At its center stood a tall stone platform, its array patterns glowing faintly as spiritual energy fluctuated within. It was clearly a teleportation formation leading to the outside world.
Extending outward from the platform, carved Guanyin hands held treasures of the fox clan. A quick glance revealed glittering pearls, fox pelts and other dazzling items.
The fox yao following closely behind Li Lanxiu spoke in a sweet voice, introducing the items to him. "Xianzhang, this pearl is the crown jewel of the sea dragon king, plucked personally by the true lord. Isn't it beautiful?"
Li Lanxiu nodded absentmindedly, his interest lukewarm.
Seeing his displeasure, the fox yao quickly leaned closer to his ear, whispering ingratiatingly, "The true lord’s original form is a snake. It took him five hundred years of cultivation to transform into a jiao. To evolve into a dragon would take a thousand years, so the true lord despises the dragon clan. He loves to bully those high-ranking, powerful dragons."
Li Lanxiu raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of interest.
The fox yao noticed his reaction and grew uneasy. They rushed forward in a flurry, vying to present their treasures to him.
"Xianzhang, this is the fox clan’s most precious pelt, incomparably soft. Feel it."
"This nine-tailed fox fur coat not only keeps out the cold but also enhances your physique."
"This jade pendant is a protective treasure. It wards off evil and repels demons. Xianzhang, you must accept it!"
...
Li Lanxiu swept a disinterested gaze over the array of treasures, their spiritual energy radiating visibly. He seemed accustomed to such displays and remained largely unimpressed.
The fox yao grew desperate. They crowded around him, their eyes shimmering with hope. "Xianzhang, please take all these treasures. Only you are worthy of them."
Li Lanxiu reluctantly nodded, collecting the fox clan’s offerings into his storage ring. He then asked casually, "Earlier, you mentioned the true lord…"
The fox yao, seeing his interest, began chattering about the black jiao lord’s exploits, pouring out details as though spilling beans. They described how the true lord rose to power and built his empire, their voices overlapping in a chaotic stream that revealed all the black jiao lord’s secrets.
Li Lanxiu yawned with boredom and glanced at the treasures on the platform. "The treasures he placed here are only a portion of the sum, correct?"
The fox yao chuckled sheepishly and whispered, "The true lord’s treasures are all in his dwelling."
"His dwelling?" Li Lanxiu raised his voice slightly, his interest seemingly piqued again.
Hearing mention of the black jiao lord’s dwelling, the group immediately perked up. To secure first place in the sect’s assessment, they needed to slay the black jiao lord. If they could locate his lair, their task would be much easier.
Eager to please, the fox yao hurried to entertain him. "The true lord’s dwelling is—"
Another fox yao quickly covered his mouth, signaling that this information couldn’t be disclosed.
Li Lanxiu chuckled softly and patted the first yao’s hair. "If you can’t say it, then don’t."
The fox yao, utterly charmed by his gentle gesture, pushed aside their companion’s hand and said, "The true lord’s dwelling is a hundred li south of here, in the misty winds. It’s beautiful there."
Lian-shixiong quickly noted the location, looking at Li Lanxiu with boundless admiration.
Chuyue, half-cradling the blade in his arms, leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, quietly waiting for him to finish his business.
Jiang Jiusi held a talisman in his palm, alternately loosening and tightening his grip. The talisman, capable of killing any cultivator with a lower cultivation level than his own, was the trump card given to him by Xue Wujue. It was meant for use only in desperate situations.
The transparent talisman, infused with Xue Wujue’s spiritual power, felt faintly cool against his skin. Suddenly, he clenched it tightly.
He lifted his eyes. Li Lanxiu, with his head tilted slightly upward, was admiring the fox clan’s treasures on the high platform. The curve of his jaw resembled a clean crescent moon, and a faint red scar on his neck peeked partially into view.
The Jiang family of the Four Seas Commerce Guild was a family with immense wealth. As the scion of the Jiang family, Jiang Jiusi had encountered countless beauties, as numerous as fish crossing a river.
He possessed an extraordinary resistance to physical allure. Even when Xue Wujiu had proposed to marry him to the most beautiful woman in the cultivation world, he calmly refused without hesitation.
But just now, after seeing Li Lanxiu, his resistance vanished like smoke, as if he were under a spell. He stared at Li Lanxiu, unable to look away.
Jiang Jiusi took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice. "Master, I do not believe he is a villain. There must be a misunderstanding."
He clenched his hand, crushing the talisman in his palm, and added, "I have failed in my task. When we return to the sect, I will accept whatever punishment you see fit."
Li Lanxiu finished admiring the fox clan’s treasures and turned his gaze to the array on the teleportation platform.
The fox yao exchanged glances, their dark eyes darting nervously. One of them spoke cautiously. "Xianzhang, if you stay here, all the treasures of the sacred realm will be yours." Another added, "Xianzhang, won’t you stay?"
Li Lanxiu shifted his gaze to the fox yao. "You wish for me to remain here?"
The fox yao nodded in unison.
Li Lanxiu paused, then replied in a voice that was both gentle and icy. "But if I stay here, I will be unhappy. I dislike living under others' control. If I must live like that, I would rather be dead."
The fox yao froze, startled and visibly alarmed. Their yao nature, attuned to emotions, detected the resolute finality in his words. They moved closer to him, urgently trying to persuade him. "Xianzhang, please don’t say such things. If you stay, we will do anything for you."
Li Lanxiu remained unmoved.
The fox yao exchanged uneasy looks, as if weighing the consequences. One of them finally mustered the courage to ask, "If Xianzhang leaves, will you return?"
Li Lanxiu shook his head slightly. "I will not."
This answer was cold-blooded to the extreme, refusing even the pretense of false comfort. The fox yao’s faces filled with sorrow. A few sniffled pitifully, yet they still stepped back together, clearing the stairs to the teleportation platform.
Li Lanxiu turned around and glanced at his companions. He lifted his chin, signaling them to proceed.
Lian-shixiong cast one last reluctant look at the fox clan’s treasures, then ascended the platform. Standing at the center of the teleportation array, he activated his spiritual power and vanished.
Chuxuan followed. When he reached Li Lanxiu’s side, he remarked with a faint smile, "The fox clan adores Xiao-Shidi so much. Why not stay and become their live-in son-in-law?"
After speaking, he suddenly leaned closer to Li Lanxiu, sniffed his collar, and remarked before the assembled fox yao, "You smell like powder and rouge. Shidi, go take a bath."
Li Lanxiu rolled his eyes at him, signaling with his gaze for him to leave.
Chuxuan left. Jiang Jiusi walked past Li Lanxiu, clenched his fists tightly and stepped onto the platform without looking back. He activated the array and departed.
Only Chu Yue and Li Lanxiu remained in the sacred realm. Chu Yue still leaned against the wall, his smile clear and cold. "Young Master, you go first. I'll cover the rear."
Li Lanxiu gave him a once-over and stepped onto the array to leave.
The yao crowded around the platform, watching him with longing eyes as he disappeared. Immersed in the sorrow of the departure of the sweet-smelling Xianzhang, they suddenly found that their vision darkened. A tall figure stopped before them.
This xianzhang’s companion scanned the group, his gaze locking onto the yao who had earlier slipped their hand into Li Lanxiu's robes. Chu Yue grabbed the yao’s wrist, his eyes focused as his fingers lightly traced the skin of their palm, as though discerning something.
The yao burst into giggles, thinking that Chu Yue, who seemed like an upright gentleman immune to their charms, had stayed behind for debauchery. So he was just pretending to be virtuous.
The yao he touched laughed uncontrollably. Chu Yue lowered his head and sniffed their palm. Apart from the cloying stench of cheap powder, there was no scent at all.
"Xianzhang, are you staying to have some fun?" The yao tried to stroke his face. Before their fingers could brush his cheek, a flash of cold light sliced through the air.
A pale, jade-like arm flew upward, tracing an arc before crashing onto the platform with a "thud."
Chu Yue sheathed his blade, leaped onto the platform and planted his foot in the center, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. A drop of blood fell from the tip of the blade onto the glowing golden array below.
Then he disappeared.
Everything happened in an instant. He did not say a single word.
The sacred realm’s teleportation array led to a verdant mountain ravine, where lush greenery framed a picturesque landscape of rivers and peaks.
By the creek not far away, a group of people waited for Chu Yue. Li Lanxiu bent over the water to wash his hands, his silhouette slender and trim.
Chu Yue knelt on one knee beside him, stirring the flowing water. "Young Master, that old demon will undoubtedly trouble us again."
"Let him try."
Li Lanxiu was eager for it. Only if the black jiao lord sought to trouble them would Chu Yue fall into the ancient tomb and meet the holy maiden of the Jademaiden Sect, his destined match.
Then, as described in the original storyline, they would spend an intimate night together. When the black jiao lord later set his sights on the holy maiden and insisted on forcibly marrying her, that would mark his demise.
Chu Yue turned his head to look at him. "Young Master’s composure in the face of danger shows your confidence."
Li Lanxiu glanced at him in surprise. "You can say things like that?"
Chu Yue lowered his head, appearing a bit embarrassed. He smiled slightly. "Grand Tutor Zhou taught me before he passed."
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