Chapter 5

The little fox once sneaked into the place where the Fox King kept his treasures and peeked at a handwritten copy.

There is a tragic story inside.

The protagonist is also a little fox.

When he first entered the human world and began his cultivation journey, he fell into a strange realm and encountered a powerful demon called the Ming Snake, suffering severe injuries.

It's hard to say whether he was incredibly lucky or incredibly unlucky.

Accompanying him was another immortal.

The immortal's original form was a snow ferret. The two were affected by the serpent's spirit-swapping technique, which resulted in them exchanging bodies and both returning to their original forms to enter a deep sleep.

At this moment, another deity arrived to help, and took the little fox and the immortal to the celestial palace in heaven.

The immortal fell into a coma, and because he was in fox form, he was handed over to others for care.

The god personally cared for the little fox who had transformed into a ferret.

The little fox injured its eye, while the immortal slept soundly.

Unfortunately, both of their original forms were fluffy white and quite similar, so the little fox couldn't see itself and didn't notice anything unusual.

Because the deity arrived late, he felt guilty towards his colleagues, so he took extra care of them.

Despite her aloof and pure nature, the High God gathered moon dew, picked lingzhi mushrooms, formed snow lotuses, and wove star patterns for the little fox.

He was hands-on, gentle, and considerate, and showed extraordinary affection for the little fox.

The god almost always carried the little fox in his arms.

If the little fox accidentally gets burned or falls, the fox will gently pinch its earlobe, soothe it softly, and even blow on its wound.

The little fox was treated like a precious jewel, held in the palm of the other's hand.

He was separated from his parents at a young age, and as soon as he developed feelings for them, he encountered God.

From that moment on, they were trapped in a web of constraints, from which escape was impossible.

Later, the high-ranking deity was given a great responsibility and had to go to the Great Wilderness to subdue Qiongqi.

For safety reasons, he didn't bring the little fox this time.

Unexpectedly, a strange change occurred, and the invincible god was seriously injured this time.

His tribulation was already imminent, and in this state, it would likely vanish into thin air.

The little fox's eyes had just been healed when it saw the unconscious god.

Like the bright moon reflected in the Xuechi Pond, pale and about to shatter.

He felt as if his heart was being torn apart, wishing he could take his place.

All the medicines and elixirs in the Heavenly Court were useless, and the little fox hurriedly remembered the elixir in its forehead.

The Peach Blossom Fox possesses extraordinary talent, and its inner core is the best healing elixir in the Three Realms.

They should have exchanged spirits with the Snow Fern Immortal first, and then each returned to their own bodies to retrieve the elixir.

However, the other party remained asleep and did not wake up, and the god's injuries became more and more serious.

The little fox couldn't wait and decided to act first and report later—after all, he was the one who would be hurt, and he wouldn't suffer any loss once the ferret fairy returned.

He used a dagger to cut open the core, and then used a lingzhi mushroom to heal the wound. After ensuring that the snow ferret immortal was unharmed, he fed all the inner core to the god.

The elixir transforms and the spirit shifts, leaving no trace.

The Snow Fern Immortal, however, was about to awaken when the Lingzhi was being extracted. After regaining consciousness, he filed a complaint with the Jade Emperor.

A wicked little fox usurped the throne, intending to replace the original incarnation and become an immortal.

The ruthless little fox, Ergui, wanted to silence him.

The little fox tried to explain, saying that it was blind and ignorant, and did not know that it had been switched into another person's body.

The fox's inner core was extracted to save the life of the god.

The alchemical substance can vanish without a trace, yet its harmful effects are still visible.

The celestial beings do not believe in the little fox.

The Heavenly Emperor used magic to switch the two back into their original bodies, while the little fox was imprisoned in a snow dungeon to await its fate.

He was pampered from childhood, always drinking morning dew, eating fragrant flowers, wearing silk gauze and draped in misty satin.

Even the roughest embroidery on the clothes is unacceptable.

But now, in the snow prison, the ground is covered in ice, the haystacks are moldy, and he is only wearing a single layer of clothing. His limbs are red and swollen from the cold, and he has even developed frostbite.

To make matters worse, the wound from the dissection hadn't fully healed, and it kept bleeding and aching at night.

The little fox reverted to its original form, injuring itself, and half of its fox fur was stained red.

Extremely hungry and thirsty, all they could do was sip a mouthful of snow and gaze at the moon outside the window.

He grew paler and thinner, like a peach blossom about to fade.

Only the moonlit Diliu River provided a sliver of spiritual energy that sustained him for several days.

When the little fox was in so much pain that tears streamed down his face in the dead of night, the only thing that could sustain him was one thought.

God will surely come to his rescue.

The gods will surely believe him.

One day, someone came.

The heavenly soldiers used magic on him and released him.

By then, the little fox was already very thin, with only a tiny bit of chin left, no longer possessing the beautiful appearance of the Peach Blossom Fox.

He stumbled to the High God, only to discover that the High God was about to become a Daoist couple with the Snow Fern Immortal.

The gods have forgotten him.

A ferret fairy, adorned with stars and moon, her robes fluttering in the wind, a scene as beautiful as a dream.

He was covered in snow and mud, and was emaciated.

The Azure Lotus God, who was combing the snow ferret fairy's hair and tying her hair with a hairpin, was so gentle, and his eyes seemed to hold a thousand emotions.

That gaze, like an icy blade, slowly tore the little fox apart inch by inch.

It was that heavenly soldier.

Someone deliberately let him out so he could see all of this and completely give up.

Seeing him so distraught, the Star Lord of Greed couldn't bear it.

He revealed the truth: "The Peach Blossom Fox is naturally gifted, but you are destined to be cursed with Peach Blossom Luck."

"If the Peach Blossom Demon is cultivated to its full potential, it could become a world-destroying demon. The Snow Weasel Immortal is merely acting on orders from the Heavenly Emperor, using this as an excuse to do his thing."

"The Heavenly Emperor knew you were wronged, and after seeing that you were indeed harmless, he released you. Now he has also bestowed thirty spirit stone mines upon Qingqiu as compensation."

The little fox stared blankly at the other person, its plain clothes fluttering gently in the wind.

He is very thin now, with a hollow waist.

He asked, "What about the Azure Lotus God? Was everything he said and did a lie to me?"

The Star Lord of Greed didn't say anything, but a hint of pity appeared in his eyes.

The little fox knew the answer.

He was nothing more than a pawn, manipulated at will.

The chess pieces, warmed by the touch of fingertips, developed feelings for each other.

How could a player who holds a game of chess fall in love with the pieces?

The little fox laughed, and he staggered away for a long time.

Because he was extremely weak, he walked for a while and then accidentally fell.

The little fox struggled to its feet and saw that its palms were covered with tiny cuts and wounds.

He mumbled, "My Lord, it hurts so much."

Tears fell, each drop tinged with blood, staining the palm of his hand crimson.

But no one responded, and no one picked him up or blew on his wound.

When the little fox found the Three Lives Stone, it was during the grand ceremony of the marriage between the Supreme God and the Immortal Lord.

The Three Lives Stone stands on Dreamless Mountain, and magic cannot be used while climbing it.

He wore his hands and feet raw, and by the time he reached the summit it was night, only to see his own name and the name of the Divine Lord prominently displayed there.

"Three lives are determined by fate."

The little fox, its expression a mixture of weeping and laughter, gently traced the translucent stone with its fingertips; blood and tears blurred the names of the two people.

"Haha, our fate is sealed across three lifetimes."

He swayed, took out a dagger, infused it with magic power, and plunged it into the Three Lives Stone.

The sound of the blade was sharp, each strike a sharp, grinding sound.

The little fox erased its name from the Three Lives Stone.

From that moment on, our connection ended, and we had no further dealings with each other.

He threw down the dagger, turned to look at the sky, and saw fireworks suddenly bursting on the horizon.

The sky resembled a giant iceberg, crashing violently into a distant peak, cracking into countless sparks and ice patterns.

The world is shrouded in the colorful names of gods and immortals.

The little fox's clothes fluttered in the night wind.

That story has no ending.

The little fox didn't know what happened to the little fox in the story later on.

Perhaps it died, perhaps it returned to its hometown, perhaps it was reincarnated.

But in any case, the little fox deeply realized a truth.

A forced relationship will not be sweet.

If the little fox in the story had never fallen in love with the god, none of this tragedy would have happened.

The fox clan and the gods are not on the same side, not to mention there is a celestial lord between them.

From the moment he learned of this story, he vowed to live only for himself.

If you accidentally get involved in someone else's marriage, be sure to extricate yourself as soon as possible.

Therefore, when the little fox first met the Azure Lotus God and the Chongyun Immortal Lord, she felt that the two were a match made in heaven.

He rested his chin on his hands, his fox ears twitching slightly, and said softly, "I already have someone I like in Qingqiu. I'll go back and propose to him when I get back."

Love and romance are the most boring things; let life pass by like a gentle breeze and flowing water.

If no one loves you, why not fall in love with yourself, enjoy the moon and watch butterflies, and feel at ease?

But as soon as he finished speaking, the Azure Lotus Divine Lord's expression suddenly changed.

A withered leaf fell on his shoulder, startling his eyes, which were like a mirror-like lake.

His hands, hidden under his sleeves, seemed to be clenched tightly.

But in no time, the man returned to normal.

The little fox even thought it had misjudged the situation.

The Azure Lotus God picked up the teapot on the table. He was always composed, but when he poured tea from the three cups, two of them spilled.

"What is that person's name?" The Azure Lotus God-King lowered his long eyelashes, his voice remarkably gentle. "Perhaps I can assess this person's character for you, Yao Yao."

The little fox thought to itself, "That person is me."

Besides myself, who else is worthy of my love?

But she still had to put on an act, so the little fox coughed twice and said, "He, he is Mr. Yaoxue."

Qinglian Shenjun chuckled, and when he put down the teapot, it made a loud bang. Chongyun Xianjun suddenly looked up and said softly, "Qinglian?"

"I've heard of this person."

The Azure Lotus God took out a handkerchief and gently wiped his hands.

"However, a mere Earth Immortal has low cultivation. Although they have some knowledge of feng shui, it is just a trivial skill."

"Who said that!"

The little fox was not satisfied.

He slammed his hand on the table, put his hands on his hips, and his chest heaved: "In my eyes, Mr. Yaoxue is the best person in the world. He is smart, handsome, kind, and gentle, and he can earn so much money. No one in this world can compare to him!"

Suddenly, a slight cracking sound came from in front of the Azure Lotus God's seat.

Upon closer inspection, the little fox discovered that the stone table had been riddled with countless cracks from the frost, which then solidified into a large block of ice.

Why are you so angry?

Seeing this, Chongyun handed the apricot in his hand to Qinglian Divine Lord: "Qinglian, why don't we talk about something else?"

The little fox was angry that Qinglian spoke ill of her, so she snatched the apricot back and ate it in one bite.

So sour!

He closed his eyes tightly from the sourness, his fox ears drooped, and his fluffy tail curled up.

He felt a lightness in his hand as the Azure Lotus God took the remaining half apricot and ate it all with a calm expression.

The little fox stood there, stunned.

Don't immortals have a sense of taste? And how could he possibly eat this apricot after he'd already bitten into it?

The Azure Lotus God is truly an eccentric immortal.

"It was I who brought you here."

The Azure Lotus God-Lord rose, lightly adjusting his sleeves.

"We should inform the Fox King when you are sent back, and then discuss your return date when someone comes to fetch you."

The little fox was somewhat dissatisfied, and flicked his tail. Just as he was about to speak, the Azure Lotus God condensed another snow lotus.

Just as he was about to take it, the deity flicked his fingertip, and the flower vanished again.

"Yaoyao, if you're not in a hurry, you might as well stay a few more days."

The flower in the palm of the Azure Lotus God Lord kept condensing and dispersing, making the little fox extremely anxious, and its fox tail even bristled.

He concluded by saying, "There's a temple fair at the foot of the mountain tomorrow, with lots of delicious food and fun activities."

It's just a temple fair, nothing special.

The little fox snorted inwardly, but its ears twitched involuntarily.

"There are fire-breathing performances, knife-wielding monkey shows, and sugar-blowing performances."

The Azure Lotus God looked at him; a gentle breeze stirred his light robes, causing ripples to spread like waves on a lake.

"There are also candied hawthorn, osmanthus ice cream, sweet fermented rice balls, fried dough sticks, crispy fried lotus root, jujube paste flower pastry, and red bean green rice balls."

The little fox was somewhat lost in thought when it was suddenly startled by the sound of itself swallowing.

His cheeks flushed instantly, and he grabbed his huge white fox tail to cover his face: "Well, actually our fox clan also has temple fairs, so I went to compare them and see how they differ from ours."

The Azure Lotus God seemed to chuckle lightly, but looking into his eyes, they were like jade thrown into an icy spring, clear and cold without any warmth.

Immortal Lord Chongyun seemed unable to remain seated. He stood up, straightened his sleeves, and raised his hand, saying, "I have other matters to attend to, so I will not disturb you any longer."

Before Qinglian Shenjun could speak, the little fox had already grabbed Chongyun's sleeve, tilted its head slightly and said, "Chongyun Xianjun, I'll see you out."

Before Qinglian Shenjun could speak, the two had already left the courtyard.

The little fox and Chongyun reached the end of the peach grove, where their paths diverged, and the immortal lord forbade him from seeing them off any further.

"Qinglian and I have known each other for hundreds of years, and I know he's the most difficult to get along with," Chongyun chuckled. "Besides me, he's probably cold and unfriendly to everyone else, so please don't mind."

He shook his head again: "He's picky about food, only wears soft silk, and drinks only ice spring water. He has many quirks."

“He will listen to me if I say a few words. If he bullies you, tell me and I will stand up for you.”

The little fox's ears twitched.

I wasn't wrong. This is a veiled way of saying that the two of them are Daoist partners.

"Immortal Lord, you are so kind." The little fox smiled slightly. "I also think that the Azure Lotus God is very cold to everyone else, but he only smiles when you come."

He said, "The Azure Lotus God must like you very much, just as I like Mr. Yaoxue."

Upon hearing this, Immortal Lord Chongyun's ears seemed to turn slightly red. He coughed lightly and then took his leave.

The little fox looked at the other's back and thought to itself, "Lord Qinglian, I ate several of your snow lotuses, but I helped you win the heart of a beauty. Does that mean we're even?"

He forced a smile, ignoring the strange, hidden pain in his heart.

But when he turned around, he saw the Azure Lotus God standing among the peach trees.

Flowers flutter and petals fall, light flows and fragrance lingers.

The Azure Lotus God looked at him, his face seemingly pale and ashen, as if bleached by the flowing light.

He frowned slightly, and suddenly clutched his chest as if in great pain.