The sky was just beginning to lighten.
The fox then left the dilapidated inn and returned to the palace.
She slipped quietly through the bushes, unaware that a pair of eyes were already watching her from the shadows.
Master Tongji stood under the eaves, leaning on his Zen staff, holding Buddhist prayer beads, and closing his eyes, as if he could detect where she was.
"They're here."
"The aura of a demon."
He leaped into the air, soared over the woods, and his figure, clad in a cassock, stopped in front of the fox.
He struck the Zen staff with force.
"You audacious monster, reveal yourself at once!"
"What? Another stinky monk!" Bai Lingyu exclaimed in surprise, hiding behind a tree. A wisp of smoke drifted by, and the fox's form had transformed into a slender young girl with her white hair tied up in a high bun and dressed in a white gauze robe.
"Old monk, get out of my way, don't block my path."
"You vixen, how dare you be so insolent in front of me! Tell me, where have you locked my disciple up!"
"Want to know? Then prepare to die!"
Bai Lingyu made a move.
Master Tongji closed his eyes, as if he could more accurately capture Bai Lingyu's aura when his eyes were closed.
No matter what moves she made, she couldn't touch even a single sleeve of his clothes.
Bai Lingyu quickly realized that she was no match for him. This old monk was Kong Wang's master, so his skills were naturally greater than Kong Wang's.
She had no choice but to leave.
Unexpectedly, the moment he took off, the old monk grabbed his ankle and pulled him down hard, causing him to fall into the ground, where he felt as if all his bones were about to crack from the pain.
"You old fool, you—"
She wanted to shout angrily, but the monk's staff had already struck her heavily on the back. The intense pain made her internal organs churn, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
At this moment, Bai Lingyu finally felt afraid.
She transformed into a fox and let out a mournful fox cry.
At the same time, Li Shengyuan, who was on the Empress's bed, suddenly woke up with a start, his forehead covered in cold sweat: "Xu Ninghai! Get in here! What time is it?"
"Your Majesty, it's still early. You can sleep for half an hour before attending the morning court."
Xu Ninghai said obsequiously.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong? Let's sleep a little longer." Consort Ru wrapped her long arm around his shoulder, nestled softly in his arms, her black hair loose and exuding a wonderful fragrance.
Li Shengyuan remained silent. He seemed to have just heard Bai Lingyu weeping.
The demon core within his body surged in his dantian, causing his qi to churn.
Something must have happened.
A fleeting glint of darkness flashed in his eyes.
He abruptly pushed away Consort Ru, threw off the covers, got out of bed, and hurriedly put on his shoes.
"No, I need to get up. Xu Ninghai, get ready, let's go to Yuqing Palace."
"Are you going to find Bai Lingyu?"
Empress Ru was shocked, her face filled with dissatisfaction and twisted jealousy.
Li Shengyuan offered no explanation and quickly left.
At the same time, Mi Shan and Li Changyu also heard this mournful cry.
They had just returned from Luoxia Palace and were about to cross this sparsely populated green forest when they heard a fox's cry. As they hurried forward, they saw Bai Lingyu fighting with an old monk.
Bai Lingyu was no match for the old monk and was beaten until she revealed her true form.
He lay on the ground, his breathing rising and falling, his eyes filled with hatred and fear.
The next second, the old monk took out a sack, put the fox demon's true form inside, and turned to leave.
"Oh no, Bai Lingyu has been captured by that monk. Who is he?" Mi Shan frowned, her tone filled with worry.
"Let's go and see." Li Changyu subconsciously grasped her hand.
He paused, then released his grip, and said coldly,
"Follow me."
The two followed quietly and saw that the old monk actually entered the Cining Palace and went to the Empress Dowager's bedroom.
"Master Tongji." The Empress Dowager immediately came out to greet him.
At the same time, there were several other people in the hall.
Mi Shan and Li Changyu quietly landed behind the house, knocked out a guarding eunuch, and poked a hole in the window.
There, Prince Li Huaiyan, Prime Minister Xiahou Qing, Master Tongji, and the Empress Dowager were all in one room.
Eunuch Zheng stood guard by the door.
"The fox spirit you wanted has been captured by this old monk." Abbot Tongji threw the sack on the ground. "This fox spirit only dared to act lawlessly in the palace because of the emperor's favor. But in front of this old monk, she had no choice but to obediently surrender."
"The abbot of Tongji University truly possesses extraordinary magical powers." The Empress Dowager said with satisfaction, "Who can open it and take a look to confirm?"
"Let me do it." The sixth prince took action, pulled open the sack, and saw a snow-white fox with bloodstains at the corner of its mouth. When it saw them, it bared its teeth in anger.
The Tongji University abbot reached out and grabbed its throat, tapped its forehead with his other hand, and muttered something under his breath.
Soon, the fox transformed back into a human, just like Bai Lingyu, but only for less than a second before returning to its original form.
"It really is her!"
The Empress Dowager was startled and retreated repeatedly, horror creeping onto her wrinkled face. "How hateful! With such a monster in our Great Yue harem, by the Emperor's side, how can the Emperor be well!"
"I wish I could skin her alive, pull out her tendons, and hang her on the city wall to dry in the sun!"
After saying that, he struck Bai Lingyu's back heavily with his cane.
Bai Lingyu let out a soft moan, much like the mournful cry of a small animal that had been beaten.
It huddled up pitifully, trembling all over, its tail tucked between its legs.
"Now she knows how to play the victim. Before, even I was completely fooled by her!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down! It's good that we've captured her. Once the Emperor holds court, we'll bring her over and let all the civil and military officials see her. Let that blind dog of an emperor have a good look at whether this vixen is truly human or a fox!"
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