Chapter 37: The Fox
After Xu Baishen came looking for them, their time together as a trio returned to normal.
Sang Ying stayed in Xie Lingyu's arms, pretending to be dead and refusing to show herself.
She had previously boasted to Xu Baishen that she would have an affair, but now that she and Xie Lingyu had actually done something shameful, she was extremely ashamed and afraid that Xu Baishen would find out what they had done.
Fortunately, Xu Baishen didn't say anything after he arrived; he simply shared some of his discoveries in the secret realm.
Seeing this, Sang Ying breathed a slight sigh of relief. The young man holding her naturally noticed her tense body, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Senior sister was just spouting grand words in front of him, why are you silent now?"
"……Shut up."
Sang Ying bumped her head against his shoulder and whispered.
Xu Baishen, watching the intimate interaction between the two, pursed his lips.
He was startled when the thought flashed through his mind.
How could he have such a disregard for human ethics? Especially towards his own senior sister?
Looking at the two of them, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his mind. He couldn't help but rub his forehead as some memories suddenly came back to him.
The mountain gate was bright red, and the sunlight, though warm, was also cold, shining on the white silk-covered trees.
Across the crowd, he glanced up and saw a girl dressed in white mourning clothes sitting quietly under a tree.
The moment she appeared, the surroundings fell into an eerie silence, all the scenery paled in comparison, and only the girl slowly raised her eyelashes, revealing her lifeless eyes covered in frost and snow, as she looked at the old man opposite her.
When they met again, only a few days had passed, and the girl had changed out of her white clothes and put on a bright red wedding dress.
Like a puppet being manipulated, he was helped down from the bridal sedan chair, and the marriage and union took place in a wooden manner, without uttering a single word. But when the veil was slightly lifted by the wind, he saw a tear falling down his cheek.
At that moment, a feeling of heartache filled my chest, almost bursting out.
Xu Baishen held his forehead, his brows furrowed, as he gleaned two pieces of information from his memory.
Firstly, her marriage three years ago was forced upon her, and she had no feelings for her nominal husband.
Secondly, he had feelings for her three years ago...
But what is this intense hatred? Why does such strong hatred arise in his heart the moment he sees her?
He suddenly realized... perhaps it wasn't hatred, but rather love that had been turned upside down? Since this forbidden zone could cause complete memory loss without anyone noticing, it wasn't surprising that it could also control emotions.
Xu Baishen looked at the two of them and said gently, "The road ahead is even more dangerous. It is really inconvenient for Fellow Daoist Xie to carry Senior Sister Sang. My strength is not enough for Fellow Daoist Xie, so I will carry Senior Sister Sang on my back."
Feeling guilty, Sang Ying, who was nestled in Xie Lingyu's arms, froze.
Upon hearing this, Xie Lingyu glanced at her with his dark eyes and said indifferently, "No need. As her lover, I have to be somewhat cautious, lest she take a fancy to other male cultivators."
Sang Ying: "..."
She sounds like a bad woman who falls in love with every guy she meets!
Xu Baishen was taken aback by his words and gave an awkward laugh: "Sister Sang and I are senior and junior brothers, it's not like that."
Xie Lingyu said calmly, "She's already having an affair with my junior brother. Do you think that's convincing?"
Xu Baishen: "..."
Sang Ying: "..."
Sang Ying silently buried her face in his chest, took out a transformation talisman and stuck it on herself. With a "poof", she turned into a red fox, silently burrowed into his clothes and buried herself completely inside.
This is so shameful, she doesn't want to live anymore!
Xie Lingyu looked down and saw the little fox crawl into her clothes and stay still, with a red, fluffy tail hanging outside.
He flicked the tip of the tail with his fingertip, kindly reminding, "There's still a tail."
A fox paw stretched out, as if it were not used to this body at all, and reached out and touched the air twice, but did not grab anything.
Xie Lingyu couldn't help but laugh. She hooked the tip of the tail with her knuckles and brought it under her paws, but the fox paws swiftly pulled the tail back.
The last time Sang Ying transformed into a fox was on the day Xie Lingyu was in the demon realm during his hot period. He held her too tightly, and when he left in the morning, she couldn't break free, so she had no choice but to use a transformation talisman to turn into a fox.
Transforming into a non-human creature requires a lot of spiritual power, and Sang Ying's previous meager spiritual power wouldn't last long. Fortunately, she had just absorbed a lot of elemental spiritual power, which she could use now.
Now that's good. Sang Ying hugged the fox tail and snuggled inside her clothes. Since she was a fox, she didn't need to carry him, so the two of them wouldn't have to worry about it anymore, and she wouldn't have to embarrass herself anymore.
Having just enjoyed the pleasure, her body felt languid. Sang Ying found a comfortable position in his arms, resting her head on the fox tail. "Xie Lingyu, I'm sleepy."
Through her clothes, the young man tapped her head with his fingertip and gave a soft "Mmm," "Sleep."
Sang Ying never stood on ceremony with Xie Lingyu; she fell asleep as soon as she said she would, and soon her breathing became shallow and she was still.
When she woke up again, she vaguely heard the sounds of fighting. She peeked out from behind her folded clothes with her little paws and just saw a demonic beast attacking. She was startled and tried to hide, but the bluish-white sword light had already cut the demonic beast down.
Noticing she was awake, the young man lowered his head slightly, his pale chin resting between her two fluffy fox ears. "Did you sleep well?"
His breath tickled the fox's ear, his voice low. Sang Ying couldn't help but tremble, the downy hairs on her ear brushing against his chin.
The close proximity of their conversation instantly reminded her of what had happened by the stream, when he spoke so close to her ear, his warm dragon tail gently rubbing against her as he spoke.
Thinking of this, Sang Ying's fox ears turned red and swollen with blood. She shook her fox ears and tried to remain calm as she asked, "How's the exploration of the secret realm going?"
"That's about enough." Xie Lingyu sheathed her sword. "The special anomaly of this forbidden zone is caused by an ancient demon tree called the Thousand-Turned Tree. The closer you get to it, the stronger this influence becomes."
Sang Ying blinked and raised her head: "What impact?"
She didn't notice that he was affected; his swordplay was still as sharp as usual.
Sang Ying suddenly felt a cool fingertip covering her fox ear, gently caressing it.
She looked up and saw the young man with his eyes downcast, a cold frost emanating from beneath his dark eyelashes. His tone was casual and nonchalant, as if he were talking about the weather: "I want to kill my senior sister, hang her up and drain her blood, and then peel off her smooth skin bit by bit."
? ? !
Sang Ying was instantly jolted awake. Hearing him speak sent a chill down her spine, making her fox ears perk up.
No, he was all lovey-dovey with her before bed. What happened in between that made him want to kill his wife and turn her into a fox fur scarf the moment he woke up?
She shrank back: "Xie Lingyu, you..."
The fox's head was lifted up by Wen Liang's long fingers. The young man met her frightened eyes and said calmly, "You're scared already."
She lightly scratched his chin with her fingertips, as if she were handling a small animal, and said in a very soft tone, "With such audacity, Senior Sister, you still dare to have an affair with me?"
Perhaps it's because she's become an animal and has developed animalistic habits, but when his fingers scratched her chin, Sang Ying couldn't help but let out a soft groan before quickly stopping herself.
She pried his hand off with her claws, angrily saying, "That's all your fault! You kissed me, touched me, and then turned your back on me, even trying to kill me."
"emotion."
Sang Ying was taken aback. "What?"
"This tree affects people's emotions. The closer I get to the tree, the stronger my hatred for you becomes."
Sang Ying nodded, understanding. That's why he would have the idea of killing her under such influence.
So that's how it is, so that's how it is, then it's alright... my foot! Sang Ying jumped out of his arms and landed on a nearby rock, her face serious: "Then stay away from me, don't come near me."
What if he couldn't resist? She'd end up with a fox fur scarf!
Xie Lingyu glanced at her calmly with his dark eyes, but did not stop her. He simply said in a low voice, "Stay behind me, but don't stray too far."
...Is he also worried that he might lose control?
Sang Ying removed the illusion talisman and transformed back into a human. Looking at his back, she quickly followed, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
She didn't know how long she slept. Sang Ying checked her spiritual root and found that it was more than halfway complete, with only the last bit left to complete the cultivation.
The bad news is that the fire elemental spiritual power in her body has been almost completely absorbed, leaving almost nothing. This means that if she wants to cultivate, she will have to continue to stay close to him.
But his current state...
Sang Ying looked up at the white-clad youth walking ahead and wondered to herself, "Would he stab me while we're getting intimate?"
"By the way, Xie Lingyu, where did Xu Baishen go?" Sang Ying looked around but didn't see him.
"They separated when they entered the territory of the Thousand Turns Tree."
The young man's voice sounded calm. "I advise my senior sister to mind her own business and worry less about others. His intent to kill you is no less than mine."
Sang Ying: "..."
She was quite likable; one or two people wanted to kill her.
As they followed Xie Lingyu, they encountered many demonic beasts, which grew stronger and stronger, becoming increasingly difficult to deal with.
Sang Ying knew they were getting closer and closer to the Thousand-Turned Tree.
Unable to help and afraid of causing him trouble, she hid behind a rock, watching the indifferent young man slaying the demon beast. Her gaze fell on the blood dripping from the tip of his sword, and her heart grew increasingly uneasy.
He will kill you.
A soft voice suddenly reached my ears.
Sang Ying was startled and turned her head to look. A pale-faced girl gently supported her shoulder, and her beautiful and clear eyes met her gaze.
Her voice was weak as she repeated, "He will kill you, run!"
Sang Ying's gaze fell down. The girl was wearing the clothes of a fairy from Yaochi, but she seemed to have no physical form. Her figure was ethereal. This form immediately reminded her of an unnatural creature... a ghost.
She rested her chin on her hand and sized her up: "Who are you?"
The girl seemed stunned for a moment, her expression becoming somewhat blank. She shook her head and said, "I don't know either. I've been in this area ever since I woke up."
This fits the ghost story even better; after death, people lose their memories and become ghosts wandering here.
Sang Ying stroked her chin. This place was the forbidden area of Yaochi. Something big must have happened here before. It wouldn't be surprising if a fairy from Yaochi died here.
Sang Ying looked at the female ghost: "You said he would kill me and told me to run away quickly, what did you mean?"
The female ghost looked timid and spoke softly, "I've been here for a long time and have seen many people mistakenly enter. After they come in, they all change and start to harm their companions. In the end, no one can leave."
“He, he’s like that too. I just saw him kill the man who was with him.”
Sang Ying nodded thoughtfully: "No wonder I didn't see him when I woke up. He even made an excuse that we had separated."
The female ghost nodded slightly: "So you'd better run. I know how to get around here, he can't catch you."
"run?"
Sang Ying looked at her with some surprise, "Why did you run away?"
The female ghost was somewhat stunned, and said timidly, "But he's going to kill you..."
"He wanted to kill me, and so did I."
Sang Ying glanced at the battle on the young man's side and said with disdain, "I'm already tired of this guy, but he just keeps sticking to me. If he hadn't threatened to expose my affair, I would have dumped him long ago."
Sang Ying turned around and weighed the collarbone-protecting heart scale pendant in her hand. "I've inquired about it. Their clan's weakness is their heart, but they are protected by heart scales. I finally managed to trick them into giving me this, and I'm just waiting to make my move."
"Hey, can you help me? If you help me, I can rescue you from this place and send you to a Buddhist temple for salvation so you can be reincarnated."
The female ghost looked timid. "...Okay. But how can I help you?"
"Can't you ghosts possess people? You just lurk around and when I make my move, you take advantage of his weakness to possess him. Controlling him for even a moment will be enough for me to kill him."
Having finalized the plan, and with Xie Lingyu having just dealt with the demonic beast, Sang Ying stood up and said, "Let's go."
From Sang Ying's unseen perspective, the girl behind her gave a mocking glint in her cold gaze.
After walking through this section, Sang Ying looked up and saw the Thousand Turning Tree.
It's a very large tree, but it looks no different from an ordinary tree with a wishing plaque hanging from its branches. Standing under the tree, you can vaguely see the words written on the wishing plaques.
Upon closer inspection, there was no spiritual energy fluctuation around the tree; it looked like an ordinary tree of destiny.
"Xie Lingyu, do you see anything here?" Sang Ying squatted down by the tree and suddenly called out to him.
Upon hearing this, the young man looked up and glanced over; his eyes were even colder than before.
He walked over and was about to bend down to look when the girl suddenly turned around, crushed the powder and sprinkled it over, spreading a light purple poisonous mist.
He frowned and stepped back. "What are you doing?"
The girl chuckled and stood up: "This Black Spirit Tendon-Dissolving Powder is something I specially sought out for my junior brother from afar. It's specifically designed for your clan. How does it feel?"
The young man's gaze sharpened. "You—"
"Junior brother, don't be so angry yet. There's something even worse waiting for you."
Sang Ying took out the Heart-Protecting Scale and weighed it in her palm, smiling, "Look what this is, the lifeline of your clan. Junior brother is really adorably naive, thinking I don't know the secrets of your dragon clan, and so easily handed it over to me."
The young man stared at her with dark eyes, his gaze chillingly cold, and drew his sword to confront her.
Just as she was about to make her move, Sang Ying calmly clenched her fist, her spiritual energy dissipating. The young man's aura weakened instantly, his face tense, clutching his chest in pain, and he knelt on one knee, supporting himself with his sword.
“Junior brother always thought that high cultivation level made him invincible and arrogant, which is why he was defeated by me.”
Sang Ying walked up to him and squatted down as well, smiling as she held up a talisman between her fingers.
Just as she was about to press closer, a flash of sword light suddenly appeared before her eyes, and a cold sword was placed against her neck. Sang Ying's hand stopped abruptly.
The young man slowly raised his eyes, his dark pupils fixed on her.
Sang Ying's eyes widened. "How could you still move? You clearly—"
A woman's voice suddenly chuckled behind the young man, "Of course it's because he didn't fall for your trick at all."
Sang Ying looked up and saw the female ghost, but her expression had changed to one of contempt, completely different from the timid girl she had been not long ago. "You really think your little tricks are enough to kill him? How ridiculous."
The girl leaned down, getting closer to Xie Lingyu, and spoke softly with a seductive tone: "See? The girl you've always loved is such a vicious, selfish bastard. What are you still resisting for? Unleash your true nature, hate her, hate her even more."
"With just one sword strike, such a disgusting person will never appear in front of you again, and everything will be over."
The young man's dark eyes were lifeless as he gripped his sword tightly, the tip slowly pointing at Sang Ying.
Sang Ying's eyes revealed a fear of death.
In the distance, Xu Baishen, who had just followed the footsteps, saw this scene as soon as he looked up, and his pupils contracted.
"Sang Ying—"
The girl's laughter, the youth's indifference, and Sang Ying's fear.
Everything came to an abrupt end the moment the sword tip pierced his chest.
...
The sword tip pierced through the yellow paper talisman, impaling the pale-faced girl on the Thousand-Turned Tree.
The yellow paper talisman hissed and crackled, as if burned by thunder and fire. The girl looked extremely pained, but her ethereal body could not break free no matter what she did.
Sang Ying patted her legs and stood up from the ground, raising her small face to look at Xie Lingyu with a hint of disdain, "Xie Lingyu, your acting is terrible!"
She poked his shoulder and pointed at him, looking at him with a disappointed expression.
"Your performance completely failed to capture the pain, shock, and heartbreak of discovering the betrayal of a loved one. Even your lines consisted of just a dry 'you.' Is this right? Does this even mean you can act?!"
Xie Lingyu glanced at her indifferently, "Senior sister, you think you're so professional for mixing a little rouge into sugar pills to make poison?"
Sang Ying said matter-of-factly, "Never mind that. Anyway, for these kinds of poison-sprinkling scenes, all you have to do is shout out the name of the poison. That's what the brainless villains in the stories my dad read to me when I was little did!"
Xu Baishen, who was watching from the sidelines: "..."
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Thanks to the sofa user for the grenade! [cat paw emoji]
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