Spiritual Inquiry
Half-asleep, half-awake, as if in a dream world.
Rong Yan opened his eyelids, his vacant gaze reflecting a dazzling starry sky.
He lay flat on the ground, and the woman in his field of vision squinted as she looked him over. He sat up from the ground.
The woman was stunningly beautiful, her eyes and brows exuding a captivating charm. Standing beside Rong Yan, she tilted her head, her figure as slender as a willow branch, her delicate sleeves revealing her graceful form as she curiously observed him.
"Where did this child come from? How did he get here?"
Rong Yan stared blankly at her, stunned by her radiance. "I...I've come to find a magical artifact."
The woman exuded a unique fragrance that was quite pleasant, but after smelling it for a while, one's body inevitably felt weak.
He instinctively held his breath, leaned back, and kept his distance from the woman.
"Don't be afraid." She stood up, her steps unsteady as if from an injury. "As long as you behave, nothing will happen."
"But if you disobey, don't blame your sister for being ruthless."
Rong Yan panicked and asked timidly, "Are you a demon?"
"So what if it is? But I advise you to be sensible."
My senior sister said that demons are ugly, while spirits are extremely beautiful. Someone as stunningly beautiful as her must be a fox demon.
Although it was the first time I had encountered a fox demon, according to the book, fox demons are most skilled at bewitching people, using their physical appearance to lure men, applying aphrodisiacs, and bathing together with love potions to burn their bodies.
Men are all susceptible to this. Rong Yan is young and growing taller, but not yet mature. Even after being drugged with the incense, he only felt drowsy.
Will you kill me?
"That depends on your performance."
He had always been afraid of demons, especially those with terrifying appearances. The fox demon was beautiful, so Rong Yan wasn't afraid of her much and awkwardly kept his distance from her.
"Why are you here?" This is inside the Hidden Sword Pavilion. Normally, demons shouldn't be able to get in, so why is this fox demon able to enter?
Rong Yan was still a child. The fox demon suppressed her seductive charm and calmly said, "I came here to find someone, but a righteous person suddenly appeared and injured me, so I hid here."
No, why would she talk so much to a child?
"But I need to find a magical artifact." The implication was that he wanted to leave alone.
"What's it to me?" The fox demon was baffled.
"So I won't keep you company any longer," he said, and walked into the darkness.
"Stop—" The fox demon made its move, its fox tail flaring up, leaping ten miles away, wrapping around Rong Yan's ankle, and pulling him back to his original spot.
"Ouch—" Rong Yan cried out in pain, his bottom thudming so hard that tears welled up in his eyes.
"Please, Sister Fox, have mercy and don't kill me!" he pleaded.
"Why are you running? I'm not going to eat you." The fox demon retracted its tail, put its hands on its hips, and said, "I'm trapped here and need your help."
Rong Yan rubbed his bottom, wincing in pain, and saw that he had fallen and gotten a bruise.
“My tail is broken, and I need healing pills.” Her gaze fell on the pouch at his waist. “Give it to me.”
"This was given to me by my senior sister." He instinctively covered it, then turned his head away. "I won't give it to her."
"Will you give it to me or not?" The fox demon's tail trembled as she threatened him.
"If I give it to you, what's in it for me?" Rong Yan asked her, pouting.
Despite his young age, he was quite shrewd and calculating. The fox demon narrowed his eyes slightly. "Give me the pills, and I'll help you find a magical artifact."
"Then you can't lie to me." Rong Yan said hesitantly, half-concealing his meaning, "Lying will make you ugly."
"You—" The fox demon's back teeth chattered with rage. No woman in the world doesn't cherish her appearance. Rong Yan's words had little effect, but they were certainly annoying.
He slowly untied the spirit pouch, rummaged through it for a while, but found nothing. The fox demon grew impatient and snatched it away.
Turning the container upside down, I unearthed pots and pans, seasonal fruits, soapberries, cumin, Sichuan peppercorns, a change of clothes, and even several fresh sea bass.
The fox demon reached into the spirit pouch, reaching inside as if entering another space, and pulled out two speckled chickens.
The hen clucked and flapped its wings, breaking free from my grasp and flying away.
Rong Yan was still picking up fish while holding up his clothes, while the hens had all run out.
"My chickens—" Rong Yan hurriedly chased after them, running back and forth around the space as he chased the two chickens.
After shaking the spirit pouch clean, bottles and jars fell out. The fox demon unscrewed the stoppers and sniffed them.
Find the corresponding elixir, quickly take it, and then sit cross-legged in meditation.
Rong Yan chased after the chickens while picking up the slippery fish from the ground.
Once they caught the chicken, they were also hungry, so they plucked its feathers, cleaned it, started a fire, and roasted it right there on the spot.
The fox demon meditated for a while, then smelled a fragrance and felt hungry. She got up and walked to Rong Yan's side.
With one swipe of its claw, it sliced off the entire chicken leg, and without a second thought, picked it up and started gnawing on it.
The chicken is tender and juicy, and Rong Yan specially prepared a sweet and spicy sauce. The skin is fragrant and crispy, the spices are roasted to perfection, and the fat is rendered with oil that is incredibly flavorful, making your mouth water.
The fox demon was in high spirits as it was the first time it had tasted such a delicacy, and it clapped and wiped its hands.
"Getting the magic weapon is simple, just shout here." The fox demon pointed casually, and Rong Yan looked in the direction she pointed, but saw only a dark sky. He rubbed his eyes uncertainly, but saw nothing.
"You're lying to me," Rong Yan said with a serious expression.
The fox demon slapped him on the head, and he quickly covered his head to avoid being hit.
My senior sister is the best; she never hits him.
"How stupid of you." The fox demon rolled its eyes. "How could it appear if you didn't call for it?"
The recognition of a spirit object by its owner signifies a mutual attraction, much like a blind date. No matter how well the matchmaker speaks, it all depends on whether both parties are satisfied.
Even if it's just icing on the cake, it's still better to see it for yourself.
Rong Yan has passed the first test. We have a preliminary understanding of his actions, reaction ability, and magical artifacts. Now it is time to meet him.
So he took a step forward, his childish voice trembling, "My name is Rong Yan, would you like to come with me?"
Nothing happened. The fox spirit said, "Keep shouting."
Rong Yan shouted into the darkness, "Is there anyone who wants to come with me?"
After shouting at the top of his lungs, Rong Yan's face turned red, and his throat was so dry it felt like it was on fire.
In an instant, starlight began to twinkle and shimmer, growing ever brighter and covering the black curtain.
A galaxy woven from starlight surrounded Rong Yan on all sides. The fox demon crossed her arms and said, "Here we are."
In the space, the flickering light is the spirit artifact; this is called spirit inquiry.
Rong Yan stood there, stunned, amidst a sky full of stars, as bright as day.
The fox demon channeled its demonic energy, lifting Rong Yan and sending him soaring into the sky.
He floated in mid-air, suddenly stretched out his hand, and a star slowly fell into his palm, turning into a fan.
It was a bamboo fan, and Rong Yan held it up, asking reverently, "Would you like to come with me?"
The ink bamboo fan transformed into smoke and dissipated from his hand, and Rong Yan lowered his brows.
He reached out his hand again, and as the stars fell, it revealed a string of purple-gold bracelets, which gradually disappeared after Rong Yan asked about them.
The Ruler of No Thought, the Spear of a Hundred Battles, the Bone Spear, the Mysterious Dragon Needle, the Vajra Pestle...
Without exception, they all vanished.
The stars went out one after another, and the surroundings became dark. Rong Yan landed gracefully, looking dejected.
"Not a single one of them likes me..."
Isn't there a single magical artifact that likes him?
The sky flickered between light and shadow, with a faint light shimmering in the corner. The fox demon slapped him on the back of the head, "You brat, what's with the gloom? Hurry up and look."
A star hangs in the corner, almost invisible if you're not paying attention.
Without needing to be lifted, Rong Yan walked up to Xingxing and tentatively stretched out his little hands.
The star shimmered and fell into my palm, instantly transforming into a long sword that felt cool and smooth to the touch.
Rong Yan's eyes widened slightly, and he couldn't help but stroke it, imitating the sword by injecting spiritual power into it, but the sword carried him away.
"You're courting death—" the fox demon shouted from below, "While the magical artifact is willing to go with you, it didn't mean it would be at your beck and call. Using spiritual power without permission, do you have a death wish?!"
"Aaaaaah—" Forced to grip the spirit sword, with the howling wind whistling past his ears, Rong Yan couldn't hear what the fox demon was saying. He yelled, "Stop it—"
That's really a headache. With the help of the elixir, the wound has healed more than halfway. However, cutting off one of its tails has reduced its full power, but it's still more than enough to subdue a spirit sword.
The fox demon freed itself and blocked Rong Yan's flight in mid-air, forcibly suppressing the spirit sword with its demonic power.
Holding the spirit sword in one hand and tucking Rong Yan under his arm with the other, he landed steadily.
With a clatter, the spirit sword fell to the ground.
Rong Yan seemed to have been transported to another world, his face deathly pale. He asked in bewilderment, "Why? Didn't it want to follow me?"
"The artifact has not yet recognized its master, so how can it obey your commands?" the fox demon retorted.
"Then what should I do?"
"Tame it, do whatever it does, and endure it until it can't take it anymore."
The spiritual weapon that chose Rong Yan was not yet mature, exuding a state of complete ignorance. While it occasionally looked at Rong Yan, it also refused to be touched by people.
Only the most sincere and genuine person can make a spiritual weapon take shape. Although Rong Yan has the opportunity to choose, it does not mean that he has gained approval.
Next, Rong Yan planned not to sleep, but to stay with the spirit artifact and do nothing else.
Those outside the Hidden Sword Pavilion knew nothing about this.
The group traversed half of the mansion and ascended to the second floor of the pavilion.
The officials of the Bureau of Ill-fated Men surrounded the mansion gates tightly to prevent anyone with ill intentions from tampering with it.
The supervisor and Du Shaoyou walked at the front, stopping at the door, where a maid opened it.
Upon entering the room, Du Shaoyou sat down on the bed first, his words filled with deep affection.
The supervisor came to the bedside, took one of Qi Qian'er's hands out of the quilt, and examined her pulse. It was undoubtedly a miscarriage.
The room was spotless. Song Qingyun tried calling out to Qi Qian'er, but she remained asleep with her eyes closed.
Unable to wake up anytime soon, the supervisor asked outside, "Which is the lady's personal maid?"
A moment later, a young maidservant pushed open the door and entered; Song Qingyun did not recognize her.
"How long has the lady been asleep?" the supervisor asked her.
The maidservant bowed slightly. "It has been three days already."
"Has a doctor been called to take a look?"
"I've already checked," the maid replied methodically.
"Did the doctor say when the lady will wake up?"
The maid shook her head. "The doctor didn't say anything, he just told me to stay in bed and rest."
"What did the lady eat before she fell into a deep sleep?" the supervisor asked, pressing for details.
"This..." The maid hesitated, unable to tell the truth, and could only look up at Du Shaoyou.
Du Shaoyou remained calm and said, "Just answer whatever the celestial envoy asks you."
"Reporting to the Immortal Envoy, I am not the lady's personal maid. I was assigned to serve the lady in her room these past two days."
"Where is the maid from before?"
"She's already dead." The maid hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.
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