Before the girl could answer Lu Qing's question, Bai Xi quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply:
"Greetings, Nine-Tailed Senior!"
The girl glared at him:
"Xiao Bai, how many times have I told you not to call me 'senior'? You're making me feel old!"
Bai Xi: "Yes, Nine-Tailed Ancestor!"
The girl was immediately speechless: "...Just call me senior!"
Bai Xi: "Yes, Nine-Tailed Senior!"
Lu Qing and the others stared at the girl in surprise.
She looked like she had no demonic aura at all, just an ordinary little fox demon. Could she really be the legendary fox spirit senior?
"Bai Xi, are you sure she's the senior we're looking for?" Lu Qing asked.
Bai Xi nodded earnestly.
Nine-Tailed Fox looked at Lu Qing with a grin:
"What's wrong? Do you think I'm very young, not at all like an old fox who has lived for tens of thousands of years?"
"Your face looks like that of a human thirteen or fourteen years old, it really doesn't look like one!" Lu Qing laughed.
Nine-Tailed Fox seems to really like it when people say she looks young, and Lu Qing knew this about her before saying that.
Sure enough, Nine-Tailed Fox was very happy to hear Lu Qing's words:
"You're much more likable, unlike Xiaobai, who just keeps calling everyone 'senior' all day long."
Qin Yuebai spoke first, making her request:
"Senior Fox Spirit, we have come here to..."
"Hey girl! Can you play one more game with me?"
Nine-Tailed Fox ignored Qin Yuebai and even interrupted him.
Qin Yuebai frowned slightly, about to speak again, but was stopped by Bai Xi.
Nine-tailed foxes have strange tempers and cannot be offended; one can only take things slowly.
Lu Qing's eyes flickered slightly, then she smiled and said:
"I can play games with you, but you can't play for free. You have to answer our questions, okay?"
"Sure, sure!" Nine-Tails agreed without hesitation.
Lu Qing: "That old hag is lying!"
The smile on Nine-Tailed Fox's face froze:
"That's a really vicious curse!"
Lu Qing chuckled dryly twice: "Hehe! What if you lie to me if I don't say it this way!"
Nine-Tails: "Okay, okay! I promise I won't lie to you!"
Lu Qing: "Then let's begin!"
The human and the fox picked up their phones and started playing duo queue.
It must be said that Lu Qing didn't waste his free time playing games. With Nine-Tailed Fox, he overcame numerous obstacles and quickly captured the enemy's crystal tower.
Two hours later, Lu Qing successfully brought the Nine-Tailed Fox to the King rank.
"Yay! I finally reached the King rank!"
Nine-Tails jumped up excitedly.
Because of her emotional fluctuations, all the flowers, plants, and spiritual plants in Qingqiu instantly bloomed with dazzling brilliance.
Sensing the changes around them, Lu Qing and the others finally realized that the girl in front of them was a great demon who had lived for tens of thousands of years.
"Senior Nine-Tailed Fox, the game is over. Can you answer our questions now?" Lu Qing asked.
Nine-Tailed Fox smiled and waved its hand:
"You don't need to ask, I know why you're here."
As it spoke, the Nine-Tailed Fox opened its mouth and spat out its inner core.
"This is my demon core, cultivated for ten thousand years. It can replace the Mirror Flower Water Jade to save your friend, and it can also help you preserve your soul when you sacrifice to the Demon Extermination Array."
But I only have one demon core, enough to save one person.
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes narrowed.
"Only one person can be saved!"
Gu Xicheng, Qin Yuebai, and Helian Shi all looked at Lu Qing.
Undoubtedly, all three of them hoped that Lu Qing would be selfish and choose them.
Lu Qing stared at the demon core, remaining silent.
“Qingqing, I’ve never stopped you from making any decisions before, but this time…”
Gu Xicheng's voice trembled slightly:
"You choose yourself, okay?"
"Qingqing, if you leave your soul behind, we can help you and her rebuild your physical bodies. It's a win-win situation," Qin Yuebai advised.
Helian Shi did not try to persuade him, but instead said directly:
"This demon core must be used on you!"
Lu Qing looked at them, opened her mouth as if to speak, but didn't know what to say.
At this moment, Nine-Tailed Fox interjected:
"Let me remind you, even if someone who suffers the backlash of the Heavenly Dao dies, it's useless; the backlash will still exist."
Even if they are reincarnated, they will be weak and sickly, suffering from illness until the backlash disappears.
This could take hundreds or even thousands of years; she'll have to suffer for at least several lifetimes!
Lu Qing's eyes narrowed.
She was still hesitant at first, but after hearing this, the scales in her heart tipped directly in favor of Liu Manyun.
"Even so, as long as you survive, we can still find a way," Gu Xicheng said urgently.
"Gu Xicheng, I..."
Lu Qing clenched her hands tightly, unsure of what to do.
"Lu Qing, I'm your brother. I'll choose for you!"
As he spoke, Helian Shi was about to put away the demon core.
The Nine-Tails withdrew:
"Hey, what are you doing? I never said I was going to give you the demon core!"
Now, everyone's attention turned to the nine-tailed fox.
“We just agreed that the old hag is lying!” Lu Qing frowned.
Nine-Tails: "When did I lie to you! I said I answered your questions, but I didn't say I would help you solve them."
"Then what will it take for you to give us the demon core?" Lu Qing asked.
The Nine-Tailed Fox toyed with its demon core and chuckled:
"Actually, this thing is not of much use to great demons like us who have lived for tens of thousands of years. Giving it to you is no problem, but you have to help me find someone in the human world."
"Who are you looking for?" Lu Qing asked.
Nine-Tailed Fox: "You've all heard the story of the fox demon Xiaowei and Wang Sheng, right?"
Everyone nodded.
The story originates from Liaozhai, it's a classic, and almost everyone knows it.
"Xiao Wei was unexpectedly saved by Wang Sheng and fell in love with him. In order to be with Wang Sheng, she did not hesitate to kill Wang Sheng's wife, Pei Rong, and was eventually killed by a demon hunter. This is their story in the human world!"
Lu Qing nodded: "Pretty much, but there are many versions adapted from it, and each version is a little different."
Nine-Tailed Fox sneered:
"Humans think this is just a strange legend, so they arbitrarily adapt it according to their own ideas, but for me, it is something I saw with my own eyes."
The real Xiao Wei wasn't the heart-eating demon they portrayed, who would kill innocent monsters for a man. Pei Rong wasn't harmed by Xiao Wei either; it was all Wang Sheng's conspiracy.
Everyone looked puzzled.
"So what exactly do you want us to do?"
"I want you to find the reincarnations of Wang Sheng and Pei Rong. Xiao Wei's heart is with them. Only by getting Xiao Wei's heart back can she escape from the icy hell."
Seeing the barely suppressed anger in Nine-Tails' eyes, Lu Qing couldn't help but wonder:
What is your relationship with Xiaowei?
Nine-Tailed Fox took a deep breath:
"Xiaowei's mother was my best friend. Xiaowei is her only bloodline. I failed to protect her and let her be bullied by humans and lose her heart."
"She is now trapped in the icy inferno. Only by finding her heart can she regain her demonic power and come out of there."
Qin Yuebai: "What kind of place is the Frozen Purgatory? Why must she come out on her own? Can't you bring her out?"
Bai Xi explained:
"The Frozen Purgatory is where the Fox Clan punishes evil demons; once you enter, you will be frozen."
"Under normal circumstances, when the punishment time is up, the Fox King will break the ice layer and release the imprisoned fox demons."
But Xiao Wei's situation was different. When she was sealed inside, she lost her heart and her cultivation. The damage caused by breaking the ice was enough to kill her.
Therefore, all these years, the Nine-Tailed Fox has been searching for the whereabouts of Wang Sheng and Pei Rong's reincarnations, but unfortunately, the Qingqiu Fox Clan has difficulty operating in human territory, and the search has been slow and fruitless.
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