The mortal world
Upon landing, Yun Shu briefly lost consciousness due to the distance from the sealed territory.
When he opened his eyes again, the first person he met was a statue with slightly lowered eyes and an inscrutable expression—his own statue.
It's the Fox Fairy Temple. He tried to sit up, but before he could even figure out what was going on, he heard the little girl running out happily to announce the good news to everyone.
"The fox spirit has awakened!"
Yun Shu and the snake were left staring at each other in bewilderment. The snake stared at Yun Shu with its clear eyes for a long time, then hissed and used its tail to lift a cup of water and bring it to Yun Shu's mouth.
"Thank you." Yun Shu scratched its scaly chin and slowly walked to the statue.
His fiefdom included Yunhua Immortal Mountain and any area where a Fox Immortal Temple existed. This granted him far more freedom than the Mountain Lord.
But... it's still strange to be in the same place as one's own statue.
Despite saying this, Yun Shu did not make any changes. He simply shook his head with a light smile, picked up a broom to sweep the dust into the corner, and then used a little of his immortal power to wipe the dusty window corners and eaves clean.
The White Fox Immortal was born amidst the blessings of the people, so his appearance should be left to the people to sculpt.
He never expected that there would be a place in the Western Regions where a temple could be built for him.
"Squeak."
Looking in the direction of the sound, an eye peeked out from the crack in the old temple door. The mighty Demon Lord, the newly born Demon God, was actually hiding furtively, seemingly hesitating about something.
The White Fox Immortal could only laugh helplessly.
...You've only brought out a bunch of fools. When we get back to Yunhua, I'll have to find a time to talk to my senior sister, lest one of my disciples is too afraid to acknowledge me and the other is too afraid to show up.
"Heng'er, come in." Seeing that his eyes were darting away and trying to shrink back, Yun Shu called out.
The person called out shuddered in fright but obediently moved inside. Mo Yiheng stood before those crystal-clear eyes, twisting the hem of his clothes, occasionally glancing up to steal a glance.
Perhaps because the dust had finally settled, the White Fox Immortal Lord surprisingly felt a mischievous urge to play tricks on the person. He bent down slightly and mischievously tilted his head to look at him: "What are you hiding from?"
The master who had been tricked, who had never seen him like this before, immediately blushed bright red, turned his head away, and dared not look again: "...No! It's nothing!"
"Really? Then you don't want this heart either?" Yun Shu seemed regretful as she took out the furry ball from her chest, which should have been lively and energetic but was now reddish like its owner, and placed it on Mo Yiheng's head.
Compared to before, this little black lump of coal is clearly much sturdier and twice as big. Only its shyness remains unchanged.
The base of the Jenga was startled at first, then his face turned red and then quickly turned pale. He didn't dodge anymore, turned around and threw himself into the embrace that was filled with a light grass and wood scent, nudging his master's cheek with the top of his head, making the little black coal ball lose its balance and fall limply into Yun Shu's palm.
Ah... what happened? Did I go too far with the teasing?
Unable to understand why her little apprentice had suddenly become aggressive, Yun Shu could only lower her head slightly, put the little black coal ball back on her shoulder, and then put one arm around her apprentice and rubbed her back with the other to comfort her.
After embracing each other for a moment, the person in his arms felt a little more at ease. Pressing against his master's fragrant chest, he whispered a plea: "Master, Heng'er has... impure thoughts about you. Heng'er knows that this is a great transgression, but... please, Master, don't expel Heng'er from the sect again."
So that's why. Yun Shu breathed a sigh of relief and asked softly again, "Why should I send you away again? I already know Heng'er's feelings."
"...You don't hate me?" Mo Yiheng was overjoyed, but then became dejected. "But I disobeyed my master's orders and secretly used it to monitor you, and...it even stole a kiss..."
These delusional thoughts have been repeatedly profaned; does Yun Shu truly feel no disgust whatsoever?
"Haha..." Upon hearing this, Yun Shu couldn't help but laugh. "Heng'er, instead of thinking about these things, why don't you first consider how this little thing got back?"
"Pop!" The little black coal ball was poked by the fox fairy and staggered about. It cried out twice in a hurry, then bit Yun Shu on the face and fled the scene, hiding in her waterfall of silver hair.
This question truly stumped the young demon god. After much thought, he could only guess one thing with hesitation: "Is it the elixir made by the Ash Leaf Orchid?"
"That thing did play a part, but not entirely." Yun Shu patted his head approvingly, then pressed her good disciple closer to her, saying mysteriously, "The rest of that thing... Heng'er, why don't you listen for yourself?"
At first, Mo Yiheng blushed with embarrassment at the intimate posture, but soon, the voice coming from Yun Shu's chest made him forget his refusal.
Although his five senses were not as sharp as Yun Shu's, the close proximity allowed Mo Yiheng to clearly discern what was flowing and leaping within the White Fox Immortal Lord's chest.
The veins that flowed with the countless rivers of humanity; the pulse that throbbed in his chest, the very breath of humankind. They were so intimately intertwined that Mo Yiheng could almost hear the whispers of the people wishing the fox spirit eternal peace and well-being; so quiet that Mo Yiheng nearly felt he was standing somewhere in a bustling fox spirit temple, listening to the desires of all living beings. With each breath of the White Fox Spirit, a gentle rain was brought to the drought-stricken land; with each glance into the distance, a refreshing breeze was sent to humanity in the sweltering heat.
So, where did the heart of the White Fox Immortal Lord—Yun Shu—go?
Mo Yiheng thought to himself that he already understood.
"You... fused your flesh and blood heart with my heart, and then used the Ash Leaf Orchid as a needle to repair the two as before." Under Yun Shu's gentle and encouraging gaze, he almost trembled as he spoke these words. An indescribable happiness overwhelmed his mind, and he felt like he was about to faint in the arms of the fox fairy.
That's why the lump of coal was so much bigger. That's why Yun Shu didn't care about those petty, "insubordinate" actions.
But...why?
Yun Shu's gaze should be fixed upon all things in the world.
He had prepared himself to gaze at the bright moon forever, but the moonlight that illuminated everyone silently separated a ray, transforming into his little boat adrift in the mortal world, leaning on it for support.
To this, Yun Shu simply said, "I came from the mortal world, and I must return to it. In this vast and complex world, I wish to invite one person... to fall into the net of love together. I wonder what you think, my lord?"
The young man was completely speechless, clinging silently to the fox spirit's body.
Such pure love must be very difficult to find. The White Fox Immortal chuckled a few times, unconsciously pulling the person closer to his arms to make sure the little guy's face was completely hidden before clearing his throat and calling the group of people who had been eavesdropping outside to come inside.
"Xiao He, did I win this round?" Yun Hua pushed open the door first, carrying a jar of fine wine in his hand.
“Yes, yes…” Yunhe, who followed closely behind, pinched his brow and admitted defeat. “This wine can be yours. But you must promise me that you will not drink too much, no more than three bowls a day. If you drink more than that, I will ban you from drinking for two months.”
Upon hearing this, Yunhua shrank to the side, clutching the wine jar, fearing that Yunhe would carry it out on the spot. Yunhe, having already reprimanded his master, turned and teased Yunshu, saying, "I didn't know you, this silly fox ball, could say such things. Is this called... extraordinary talent? Racial advantage?"
Noticing that the little one pretending to be dead in her arms was warmer, Yun Shu patted her new lover and changed the subject: "What did Senior Sister and Master gamble on just now?"
Yunhua was still looking for a place to store the wine, so Yunhe answered the question again. She glanced at the Demon Lord who was almost smoking and casually said, "It's nothing serious. Now that you two have fallen in love, take good care of him and don't let the demons think that their Demon Lord has been bullied."
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Yun Shu sensed an unusual fluctuation in the shadows behind her. Turning around, she saw Ye Xiuluo holding the head of the Jade Guanyin. The two of them stared at the demon god hiding in the Immortal Lord's arms, hesitant to speak.
...It seems a little awkward.
Just as she was hesitating whether to let go of Mo Yiheng, the Jade Guanyin couldn't help herself and covered her mouth with Ye Xiuluo's hand to chuckle—although she laughed harder and harder and couldn't cover it up at all.
After a moment of contemplation, Ye Xiuluo had a flash of inspiration, bowed to Yun Shu, and said, "This subordinate greets the Demon Queen."
Even Yun Shu was momentarily speechless: "...No need for formalities?"
Night Demon nodded nonchalantly, confirming that his master was just shy and there was no problem, then straightened up, grabbed the laughing head of the Jade Guanyin, and quickly disappeared into the shadows.
Jinzhu, who had been peeking around from Yunhua's side, looked up at her grandmaster with a puzzled expression and asked, "Grandmaster, what should I call the Demon Lord Uncle from now on?"
“…Good question.” Yunhua was stumped. “Come, think about it with your grandmaster.”
Yunhe shook his head at this: "Just call it whatever it should be called. Why all the twists and turns?"
"Immortal Lord, what's wrong with the mortal capital?" A demonic physician named Wu Ying, dressed in a pink dress, entered the room and was the first to address the sect leader of Yunhua Mountain—it was truly a mystery whose family she belonged to. Seeing Yun He's strange expression, and noticing the Immortal Lord and Demon Lord embracing each other so tenderly, Wu Ying took out an exquisite embroidered pouch from her sleeve and, with her ears turning red, presented it to Yun He.
Yunhe's mood improved considerably. After carefully considering Wu Ying's feelings, she returned to the main topic: "What happened to Murong Jin in the imperial capital?"
"The deputy commander came to report that the emperor was weak and exhausted and did not have much time left. Therefore, he took it upon himself to ask the fox spirit to go and see the emperor."
Heart failure and exhaustion... If he hadn't carried the weight of the nation on his shoulders, he could have lived longer. But this is not a decision they can make for him. When Yunhe turned her head, Yunshu was already looking at her.
“I once said that I would never see him again in this life.” Yun Shu lowered her eyes and, in the suddenly heavy atmosphere, smoothed Mo Yiheng’s long hair. “This vow cannot be broken. But that Deputy Commander Ling also helped me... Please ask Miss Wu Ying to send a message for me, saying that Yun Shu said that she would use her immortal power to help him prolong his life until the Crown Prince is ready to take on the great responsibility.”
"Okay, I understand."
She left again, and the stagnant air eased slightly. But… Yun Shu looked at the bright, sparkling eyes of the person in her arms and smiled bitterly—this child would definitely find a chance to show off to Murong Jin…
"No." He pinched Mo Yiheng's cheek. "What if I anger Ah Jin to death? How am I supposed to repay Commander Ling's favor then?"
"...Oh." The Demon Lord immediately wilted, but after a moment he looked up again and asked, "Then, instead of going to upset him, could you go and bring him some medicine?"
To be fair, Murong Jin wasn't exactly a hated rival in love. On the contrary, in many ways, Murong Jin was a very good teacher.
“If you want to do it, then do it,” Yun Shu said.
"It's really lively... How about we join a few more people?"
After a chill passed, several more mirrors appeared in the temple. One of them, naturally, was the Mountain God of the far north. He and his younger sister were huddled in front of the water mirror, seemingly unharmed.
"Long time no see, Qiuqiu." Shanjun raised the raccoon's paw and shook it, laughing, "I heard your fiefdom is quite special? If I build a fox spirit temple at my doorstep, can you come visit your brother more often?"
Brother Shan Jun was as enthusiastic as ever. Yun Shu thought for a moment and replied, "Theoretically, this is indeed feasible."
“Great! Then my little sister will have another playmate.”
The other water mirror failed to reflect any human figure. Unsurprisingly, this mirror originated from the underworld.
Dai Yue, now acting as the judge of good and evil, still spoke in a somewhat old-fashioned tone: "Master, the wicked criminal has been successfully imprisoned. I hope you can rest assured."
"Okay. A-Yue, you must take care of your health even in the Netherworld."
"...Yes. Master, rest assured, the Lord of the Underworld treats his subordinates very well. I will ask for leave tomorrow."
The Lord of the Underworld screamed from the background: "What? You're going to skip work!"
"Master, it's just a request for leave..."
The White Fox Immortal's ears twitched, precisely catching his friend's mutterings outside the door: "Hmm, how lively... Did I arrive at the perfect time...?"
It was the cult leader. Yunhua had obviously heard it too. Without saying a word, he rushed out the door and pulled the cult leader back in without giving him any chance to regret it. He even grabbed the man and asked where the former cult leaders were buried, as he was going to sweep the graves of his old friends.
The cult leader was a genuine person, and he actually chatted with this close friend of the former leader of the Red Lotus Cult from who knows how many years ago, and the conversation was very lively.
With the two of them around, everyone in the room seemed to be infected by their joy, and laughter filled the air.
"Master."
Mo Yiheng tugged at Yun Shu's sleeve, and the latter looked at him with a smile in her eyes: "What's wrong?"
Bewitched once again by the White Fox Fairy, the young demon god mustered his courage, tilted his head back, and kissed those pale lips, only to pull back with lightning speed, his entire body, along with the coal briquettes, burning to dust.
"nothing……"
I just feel that this is really good.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com