The betting game and the little fox

In the courtyard, wisps of smoke rose from the sandalwood incense burner, and a faint lotus fragrance floated in the air.

"...My fox clan is not one to be ungrateful. Linlang is willing to submit to the Mountain Lord." Bailing held up chopsticks in one hand and imitated the fox girl Linlang's tone and accent perfectly. "Our fox clan is loyal to its partners, and we hope that the Mountain Lord can follow our customs." She paused and looked at Yu Mo.

Yu Mo chuckled and replied, "Aren't you afraid we already have a harem of concubines?"

"That doesn't matter. As long as the mountain lord kills them all, then I'll be the only one left!" Bailing said, slamming her hand on the table. "So what if they're foxes? What's so great about them? How dare they come here and spout such nonsense!"

“Speaking of which, the fox clan members are all very beautiful and proud, which is understandable. Besides, this is the mountain lord's business, why are you making such a fuss?” Yuan Dan patted Dan Shu, who was drooping his eyelids, affectionately. “If you want to sleep, go sleep outside, don’t doze off here.”

Bai Ling was even more furious, pointing her finger at the wolf clan chief's nose: "It's a common problem for men! They're fickle, spineless, and shameless!"

Yuan Dan was still filming Dan Shu, who was drooling with happiness: "Wake up."

Zi Lin let out a soft hum, and Bai Ling immediately put her hand down. Yuan Dan withdrew her hand, and Dan Shu wiped her drool and looked around: "What's wrong? What's wrong?" Only Yan Dan was still focused on the boiled shrimp on her plate, completely detached from the situation.

Bai Ling couldn't help but whisper, "Yan Dan, say something. The Mountain Lord will definitely listen."

Yan Dan picked up a handkerchief, wiped her hands clean, moved to Yu Mo's table, and called out emotionally, "My lord!"

Zi Lin spat out a mouthful of sake and hurriedly picked up a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

Yu Mo gently held her fingers and looked at her with a smile: "Lian Qing."

"My lord, I ask for nothing but to serve you forever. But that fox queen is a hundred times more beautiful than us, and I am filled with shame. If you are happy, I am willing to drink poison to end this life, and I will never cause you any trouble."

Yu Mo gently covered her hand with his palm and said softly, "With someone as understanding as you, how could I possibly betray you?"

Yan Dan chuckled and turned to look at Bai Ling: "The mountain lord said that he would never kill us for the sake of the fox clan."

Bailing muttered to herself, "Can't you just speak properly? It's kind of the mountain lord to cooperate with you. He's really so gentle..."

Suddenly, Zi Lin said in a sinister tone, "Yan Dan, since you are so capable, do you have a way to subdue those fox clan members?"

They all declared that they would rather be wiped out than submit, so what could she do?

"Zilin, you're putting me in a difficult position." Yu Mo looked at Yan Dan with a smile. "Actually, that fox girl Linlang is confident in her beauty, but I think you're no less beautiful than her. It's just that the fox clan is very proud and won't admit it. Do you have a way to make her admit that she's inferior?"

Yan Dan looked at him and said, slowly and deliberately, "Why would I do something so pointless?"

Yu Mo rested his chin on his hand and said leisurely, "Don't you remember what Lian Qing just said?"

Zi Lin couldn't help but think that this damned lotus spirit had finally fallen into the trap.

Yan Dan thought it over and over, then sighed: "Since my lord has said so, I have no choice but to do it. I will certainly not let my lord down."

Linlang looked at the little fox on the table, writhing in pain and clutching its legs. She sighed deeply and stroked its head. "Ziyan, just bear with it a little longer. They'll heal you soon. If they can't, I'll take you to the Palace Master of Shenxiao Palace. He'll definitely be able to cure the curse poison in your body."

Suddenly, there were two light knocks at the door. The door creaked open and a girl in green walked in, carrying a fruit plate. It was Yan Dan.

Linlang didn't even look up, continuing to comfort the little fox.

As footsteps approached, the girl reached out and touched the little fox's leg. A layer of white vapor spread from the charred black curse poison, and the little fox, which had been writhing in pain, immediately quieted down.

Linlang looked at her in surprise, and after a long while, she said, "Can you cure it?"

Yan Dan shook her head and smiled apologetically: "I can't do it."

Linlang remained motionless, disappointment in her eyes: "Yes, you can't do it, but your mountain lord can."

Yan Dan lowered her eyes, her expression sincere: "Is it worth it? You've sacrificed so much for the Fox Clan, yet they might not even be grateful to you." She raised her eyes, looking into the other person's eyes: "In this world, it's not only the Mountain Lord who can undo the curse. You should go find someone else."

Linlang stared into her eyes, as if trying to discern something: "You want me to leave? Are you the mountain lord's concubine?"

"I am a flower spirit, and I was indeed a concubine when I first came here." Yan smiled faintly. "I won't disturb Miss Linlang any longer." After saying that, she turned around and walked towards the door. When she reached the door, she suddenly heard Linlang ask from behind, "With your appearance, how could the mountain lord treat you badly?"

Yan Dan paused, and simply said, "Take care, young lady."

"Wait a minute!" Linlang stood up, grabbed her, and closed the door. "Don't be afraid. Just say what you have to say. I won't let anyone bully you."

Yan Dan was secretly pleased, but she didn't show it on her face. She carefully chose her words: "I was forcibly sent here and knew nothing. At that time, Lord Yu Mo said that he only wanted the most beautiful one. I was unwilling at first, but at that point, to survive, I had to get the Lord's approval first. Our flower spirit clan is all good-looking after transforming into human form, so I told the Lord that I was better than the others and had deeper cultivation. The Lord happily accepted me. But later, I realized that I was very wrong..."

“The Mountain Lord was once tricked out of his extraordinary eye, a treasure of heaven and earth, by a very beautiful demon. He still hasn't gotten it back. That's why I…” Yan Dan hesitated slightly, then suddenly began to loosen her belt. Lin Lang exclaimed in surprise, “What are you doing—” Before she could finish, she suddenly fell silent. Yan Dan stood with her back to her, her back graceful, her skin as white as porcelain, gleaming with an ivory-white sheen. However, it was covered with several deep, charred, old scars, showing how severe the injuries she had suffered back then were.

"Words are no proof. Now you should believe me, right?" She lowered her head to tie her belt. "Fortunately, I am skilled in healing arts, so I managed to save my life."

Suddenly, tears streamed down Linlang's beautiful eyes, which were visible through her veil. She turned her head to look at the little fox, her body trembling: "What should I do? How can there be such a beast in human form in this world?"

Yan Dan softly comforted her, "Miss Linlang, please be careful tomorrow. That's all I have to say. I should be going now." She then closed the door and walked away lightly and cheerfully. What a beast in human form! That was a perfect insult. She smiled slightly and headed straight for the mountain lord's residence.

Yu Mo was standing in front of the lotus pond in the front courtyard, scattering fish food into it, which attracted the fish to scramble for it.

Yan Dan leaned closer: "Yu Mo, Yu Mo."

Yu Mo glanced at her sideways: "What?"

She grabbed a handful of fish food from the earthenware pot in his hand and slowly sprinkled it down. "Can you do me a favor?" Yu Mo pushed her hand away. "Don't overfeed them. What favor?"

"I need glutinous rice, cinnabar, and cinnabar, and I need it tonight."

Yu Mo turned to look at her and said seriously, "The first two are fine. You can go get the Night-Shining Sand yourself from the bat spirit. It's just bat droppings, so go get as much as you want."

Yan Dan grabbed a handful of fish food from the earthenware pot and pretended to throw it into the lotus pond: "If you don't agree, I'll feed your kin until they die of overeating."

Yu Mo said coldly, "Yan Dan!"

"exist!"

“No wonder Zi Lin wanted to skin you alive. I’m thinking about it now too.” He weighed the earthenware jar containing fish food in his hand. “Put everything back in your hands. The food will be delivered to you tonight.”

Yan Dan did as she was told and put the fish food back into the jar, smiling slightly as she said, "You're still the best. Zi Lin is so fierce and doesn't understand human feelings at all."

Yu Mo watched her walk away with a wry smile. He then heard a soft cough behind him, and Zi Lin walked up to him with her hands behind her back: "Yan Dan wants these things. It seems she wants to help the Three-Tailed Snow Fox get rid of the curse poison."

Yu Mo turned to look at him: "It seems so." He interlaced his fingers and placed them on the railing by the lotus pond: "Anyway, we don't want the fox clan to do anything. Even if we help them for nothing, it doesn't matter if they remember it or not. We just need to put their arrogance to a halt. They can even say such things. They're really scoundrels."

"Actually, what you said before was just to let her go see the fox clan. But you knew that as soon as she saw them, she would help them?"

"Well," he smiled meaningfully, "after knowing each other for a long time, I do know a thing or two."

Linlang knelt on the cushion, head bowed, not daring to look ahead. She heard soft footsteps, and before her appeared a pale blue robe with exquisite Suzhou embroidery. Cool fingers slowly lifted her chin. Yu Mo smiled slightly: "You're still wearing a veil. It's time to take it off. I only love those with good looks; if you're not good enough, I don't want you anymore."

Linlang was drenched in cold sweat. She knelt and took a few steps back, hurriedly saying, "No, no, I'm not good enough. I'm afraid I'll offend the Mountain Lord's eyes!"

Yu Mo took two steps closer: "I've heard that all the women of the fox clan are stunning beauties."

Linlang recalled the miserable state of Yan Dan she had witnessed yesterday and shook her head repeatedly: "No, it's not like that!" She casually pointed to the woman beside her who was slowly walking towards her with a plate: "Lord Mountain Lord, my appearance is not as good as hers!"

Following Linlang's finger, Yan Dan was standing to the side, bowing respectfully: "Mountain Lord".

Yu Mo chuckled softly: "You're really something."

Yan Dan replied modestly, "Not at all, Mountain Lord, you flatter me. It's far from enough."

Linlang's eyes widened as she looked at this and that, realizing something was definitely wrong. Her gaze was sharp as a knife as she stared at Yan Dan: "You lied to me." She suddenly ripped off her veil, revealing her stunningly beautiful face: "You dared to lie to me, saying you weren't the Mountain Lord's concubine, and that you were sent here!"

Yu Mo nodded: "That's true."

"You even said that you took the initiative to tell the mountain lord that you were better than the others, which is why the mountain lord took you in!"

"That's true too. Yan Dan came to Yelan Mountain with a purpose."

Linlang trembled with anger: "Then, then she also said that the injuries on her back were inflicted by you!"

Yan Dan couldn't help but interject, "I only showed you the injuries back then, and I didn't say a word that the Mountain Lord was behind it."

"But...but you said that once upon a time, a demon stole the mountain lord's extraordinary eye, which is why he hates all beautiful demons and tortures them..." Her voice gradually lowered, but Yu Mo, upon hearing it, didn't seem to care much.

Yan Dan sighed, her expression sincere and regretful: "The matter of the strange eyes is also true, but I didn't say how it relates to my injuries. You're the one who insisted on connecting the two."

Linlang trembled for a long time, her face turned pale, and she shut her mouth and didn't say anything.

Yu Mo looked on with sympathy, then turned around and glanced at Yan Dan before flicking his sleeves and walking up the steps to sit down next to Zi Lin.

A fluffy little head peeked out from under Linlang's cloak, the little fox's obsidian-like eyes blinking as it looked around. Yan Dan suddenly reached out and caught it in her hand.

The little fox separated from its sister, cried out pitifully, and struggled incessantly.

Linlang was shocked: "What do you want to do?!"

Yan Dan placed the tray on the ground: "Undo the curse." She picked up the knife, touched the blade with her finger, and immediately gushed out bright red blood.

“But you said yesterday that you couldn’t untie it…” Linlang said half a sentence, then shut her mouth. She wasn’t stupid; just by looking at the things on the tray, she knew that when she said “couldn’t untie it,” she just meant that the things weren’t ready yet.

Yan Dan held the little fox down, bringing her cut finger close to its leg. Her lips moved slightly, as if she were chanting a spell. The charred poison gradually faded, while a cloud of black mist slowly rose, growing larger and larger. Yan Dan released the little fox, grabbed some glutinous rice and cinnabar from the side, and sprinkled it over. She slightly bent her fingers, forming a hand seal. With a hiss, the black mist vanished.

She picked up the remaining plate and handed it to Linlang: "Give this to the little snow fox, and it will be fine."

Linlang took the plate and leaned forward, saying, "Miss Yan Dan, thank you." She beckoned to the little fox, "Come here quickly."

Yu Mo looked at the plate in the three-tailed snow fox's mouth, his expression complicated. If he remembered correctly, it contained night-shining sand, which is bat droppings, and it had just been collected last night.

Zi Lin stood up: "Miss Linlang, we can be considered friends now. Let's just consider those words as a joke and let's leave it at that. A banquet has been prepared in the courtyard. Please, honored guest."

Linlang smiled slightly and looked at Yan Dan: "No, how can I take back a promise that has already been made? Since Miss Yan Dan saved my brother, I should serve you." She thought for a moment and added: "If Miss Yan Dan doesn't feel comfortable, I can also transform into a man and serve you wholeheartedly." She emphasized the word "serve".

Yan Dan was startled and turned to look at Yu Mo. Lin Lang raised her hand to stop her: "Since you're not the mountain lord's concubine, what are you worried about? Is it because I'm not good-looking enough?"

Yan Dan pointed to the little fox carrying the plate in its mouth: "Actually, I still prefer it a little more, it's small and soft."

The little fox immediately dropped the plate and pounced on her, rubbing against her with soft moans. Yan Dan caught it in her hand, and saw it stick out its little tongue and lick her fingers.

Linlang still smiled and said, "Since Miss Yan Dan likes it, we have no choice but to do so. However," she paused, "Ziyan is a bit immature."