Chapter 37 Xue Yuyu, lamenting the passing of spring and the coming of autumn.
Xue Wenxiang almost forgot to keep an eye on the fox outside, her attention completely absorbed by Xu Cangyu.
So much so that the moment it sensed danger, the knife was only half-drawn before it was knocked away by a huge tail.
A crack appeared in the brick wall, and dust and rubble fell on her. Xue Wenxiang couldn't stand up for a long time; a metallic taste filled her throat, and blood welled up in her mouth.
He twisted and reassembled his broken shoulder blade, propped himself up with the Dark Fragrance Blade, and looked at the almost gigantic fox in front of him, a cold glint in his eyes.
"Finally stopped pretending?" Just as he expected, this fox was no ordinary creature. The swipe of its tail at him just now was not entirely due to his carelessness. Even if he had been fully focused, he probably would not have been able to escape easily.
"It's actually an eight-tailed spirit fox."
The spirit fox transformed into a nine-tailed fox and ascended to immortality after encountering a tribulation. This creature has almost transcended the human path and may only need a few hundred years to attain enlightenment. How could Xu Zangyu have provoked it?
The eight-tailed fox's body, like a small mountain, occupied half a room. A person was hidden inside one of its tightly wrapped tails. Perhaps realizing that such a size was not suitable, it shrunk its body, revealing only half a person's height.
Its fur shimmered with iridescent light, and its eight tails were incredibly beautiful, yet they were violently torn apart.
Xu Cangyu looked at him warily and stepped back in front of Xue Wenxiang: "We have no enmity between us, why did you hurt my friend?"
Her eyes, which should have been hazy with intoxication, were clear and she wasn't too surprised by his change. Only then did he realize that he had fallen into their trap.
"I didn't think you were friends. What kind of friends would use alcohol to force someone? But now it seems you're not against it, are you?"
Xu Cangyu frowned. The fox's words were soft, yet they contained an unsettling barb. He couldn't recall where he had heard them before.
Xue Wenxiang drew her sword: "Stop asking so many questions. It's none of your business. Are you afraid to show your true face because you're ashamed to be seen?"
His narrow, fox-like eyes suddenly turned fierce: "People fear the name of Anxiang Tower, but when I was cultivating my human form, Anxiang Tower didn't even have a shadow."
"You're still young, so don't act recklessly. If you know what's good for you, you'd better leave now, you mere Nascent Soul cultivator."
Xu Zangyu knew that he was coming for him. Xue Wenxiang had been attacked without cause. The fact that the other party hadn't made a move yet meant that he didn't intend to start a massacre. He tugged at Xue Wenxiang's sleeve and said, "Go back to Anxiang Tower first."
Xue Wenxiang, however, seemed to be provoked: "I won't go back! What kind of man abandons his wife and deserts in the face of battle? Unless I die today, he won't take her from me."
Ten years ago, he was powerless and could only watch helplessly as his loved ones were chopped into pieces. Now that he has a knife and some decent cultivation, how could he run away like a piece of trash?
"Who's your wife?" Xu Cangyu was amused by his words, but she had to admit that his aggressive words were indeed heartwarming.
Are you even willing to risk your life? What an impulsive and foolish young man.
"I know you're cursing me, but what's wrong with letting me call out one last time before I die?"
The fox's long, thin laugh was like a seductive lock: "Is this the lovelorn man of the world? It's a pity, he'll probably be buried here today."
The fox tail lashed out like a whip, but was blocked by a series of light blades. It was as if it was shuttling through a forest of swords and blades. The swift wind of the blades was continuous and formed a shield, which withstood the attack.
The hut was reduced to ruins with a crash. Xu Zangyu could not believe that Xue Wenxiang had actually blocked the oppressive force that had been comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator, which had made it hard for him to breathe.
The swordsmanship was so fast that it was invisible to the naked eye.
The fox, surprised, tucked its tail back and looked at the weapon in his hand: "Your swordsmanship is quite interesting."
Xu Zangyu also realized that while the Dark Fragrance Blade lacked offensive power, its defense was truly extraordinary.
But this couldn't go on forever. Xu Cangyu gripped his sword tightly and said, "Before I die, I wonder if I can see you one last time?"
Even if he dies, he doesn't want to die without knowing why.
The fox suddenly laughed: "What are you talking about, dying or not? Since you've asked, how can I refuse?"
The eight-tailed fox transformed into a beautiful woman with gentle, spring-like eyes. Her face, as delicate as a flower, was surrounded by a brocade robe adorned with rosy clouds. That face was all too familiar.
The impeccably polite Xue Wenxiang was the first to break down: "I curse your ancestor You Fengchun!"
I never expected it to be him!
Xu Zangyu asked hesitantly, "You...you're not human?"
"Even if they're not human, foxes are cute too. Don't you like them, brother?"
Xu Zangyu's lips twitched: "Don't make my brother feel bad."
You Fengchun blinked, looking aggrieved, and said, "Although I have cultivated for hundreds of years, I have only recently taken human form. According to the rules of the fox clan, of course I can call you brother."
Xue Wenxiang was disgusted: "You're so old and you're still pretending to be young, have you no shame?"
Xu Zangyu fed him healing pills and also gagged him.
Although You Fengchun is the owner of Chuncifang, he is also a person with strength comparable to the Nascent Soul stage, so there is no need for him to offend him to death.
His concerns and lingering wariness did not escape You Fengchun's notice: "I only attacked because I thought he was bullying you, brother. You don't need to be nervous."
What are you doing in Yu'an Village?
For more than a decade, Xu Zangyu had never seen a cultivator come here, let alone a spirit beast born from spiritual energy.
"I originally wanted to find a desolate place to refine the demon core I got from your senior brother, but who knew that I would enter that ghost forest and be bitten by insects and eaten alive and almost die. If I hadn't met my brother, I probably would never have gotten out of here."
With her clothes swaying, a figure suddenly appeared behind Xu Cangyu. Before Xu Cangyu could dodge, she was embraced tightly and pressed close to that smiling face.
"Brother, do you think we are destined to be together?"
"Destined my foot! You're good at patting yourself on the back." Xue Wenxiang pulled him away and accused him of his crimes: "Is your way of repaying a debt of gratitude to tear down your benefactor's house?"
The once peaceful house was now a complete mess. You Fengchun knew he was in the wrong, but he still didn't look at Xue Wenxiang. Instead, he begged Xu Zangyu for forgiveness: "It's my fault. Brother, I'll have someone build you a bigger one."
Just a trip home has brought one problem after another, and Xu Zangyu is having a headache looking at the two big Buddhas in front of him.
"No need to repair it. It's normal for cultivators to drink dew and eat wind. Being close to nature is good."
He resigned himself to his bad luck and sat down to meditate and cultivate himself.
But neither of them left. Xue Wenxiang took medicine to heal her injuries, while You Fengchun actually had the leisure to nurse the little fox, feeding it meat bite by bite. After eating, it slipped onto Xu Zangyu's lap to sleep, and You Fengchun laughed and scolded it for being heartless.
The little thing was particularly close to Xu Zangyu, perhaps because he seemed more approachable.
However, that was indeed the case. Xu Zangyu had chased it away, but unexpectedly, the thing sneaked back over and even gave him the meat that was still in its mouth. Xu Zangyu found it amusing and let it go.
That evening, a heavy rain fell.
Xu Zangyu and the little fox huddled together under a tree, looking utterly miserable. Both of them were soaked to the bone. Whoever wants to suffer like this can have it.
“Since it’s about cultivation, there’s nowhere you can’t go. Why don’t you come back to Chunci Fang with me, brother?” You Fengchun came over with an umbrella, the umbrella tipped towards him.
Not to be outdone, Xue Wenxiang followed suit, saying, "You've got a good plan, why should I go back with you?"
You Fengchun: "I will certainly repay your kindness."
Xu Zangyu rubbed the fox's head in his arms: "Saving people is not about repaying kindness. If I had encountered it, I would have saved it too. You don't have to repay me."
The rain took a long time to stop, and in the end, it was the people from Anxianglou and Chuncifang who repaired the house. The two sides almost got into a fight over the arrangement of the interior.
Finally, one side is decorated with gilded red plum blossoms, while the other side features silk gauze draped with poems and paintings.
Not knowing how to convince each other, they ended up putting three beds side by side.
It seems they plan to stay for an extended period.
Xu Zangyu didn't let them idle either, and directed them to go out and do work.
You Fengchun took on the important task of repairing the house, while Xue Wenxiang became Xu Zangyu's sparring partner.
The Dark Fragrance Blade Technique is indeed unpredictable; it's hard to say whether it's superior to the Fearless Sword in his hand.
The Golden Core stage is a whole realm lower than the Nascent Soul stage, and Xu Zangyu was overwhelmed and had to retreat step by step.
However, the attack of the Dark Fragrance Blade is far inferior to the defense that erupted that day. When dealing with the skills of the Dark Fragrance Pavilion, offense is the best defense.
Xu Cangyu charged forward with gritted teeth, and the sword in his hand gradually began to generate a powerful force that could push the sea. Xue Wenxiang sensed something was wrong and was forced to switch to defense to resist.
The sword and shield blocked the attack, and Xue Wenxiang still couldn't believe that she had been forced back by his Golden Core power.
"The Fearless Sword: Never retreat, that is war. So that's what it means."
Xu Zangyu was overjoyed; he had truly found a treasure.
The sword looks ordinary, yet it's comparable to a divine weapon.
Xue Wenxiang was equally surprised: "If I hadn't recently grasped the true essence of the Dark Fragrance Blade Technique, I might not have been able to dodge your sword just now."
For him to admit that this sword is truly extraordinary, Xu Zangyu laughed and said, "You had an epiphany between life and death. It seems you should thank You Fengchun."
Xue Wenxiang snorted coldly: "Why should I thank him? It's not because of him."
He sheathed his knife and leaned against a tree, the sunlight casting shadows that obscured his eyes and brows. His emotions, which he refused to reveal to others, grew wildly in the darkness.
"Xu Zangyu, there's something I lied to you about."
Which sentence?
Xu Zangyu stood in the sunlight, the shadows like sharp blades cutting a line between the two of them.
"Actually, my mother is not weak. Those people are afraid that she can build a world for Anxiang Tower without a knife, and they are even more afraid that Anxiang Tower will continue to grow stronger. They are afraid of her, afraid that if the Anxiang Young Master, who is known throughout the world, had a knife, he would cut off their path."
The Fragrance Prince, the master of the Fragrance Pavilion, is a boss who dies early in the book. Although he is only mentioned briefly, he has a very high level of popularity.
Xu Zangyu still remembers a fan drawing a picture of a handsome young man, which was criticized for not fitting the image of a martial arts performer wielding a knife.
Can--
"Is Young Master Anxiang your mother? Or your father?"
It's no wonder some people are afraid that ordinary people who can't cultivate are actually the masterminds behind the Dark Fragrance Pavilion.
"It's just a nominal statement that it's my father, to prevent those people from retaliating on their own."
“My mother has no knife in her hand, but she is the backbone of Anxiang Tower, while my father is the knife that supports that backbone.”
"I never understood why the Dark Fragrance Blade Technique, despite its fierce and outward appearance, was primarily defensive until now.
The Dark Fragrance Blade has never existed for killing, but for protection.
It's like a father protecting his mother.
And he also needs to find the lover he can protect.
Xue Wenxiang always thought of herself as a failed successor, having failed to grasp the true essence of her sect after more than a decade.
It turns out that the most ruthless knife hides the tender word "love".
He laughed self-deprecatingly: "I only realized how stupid I am today."
"You're not too stupid if you can figure it out." Xu Zangyu took a step forward and saw that his eyes were indeed wet.
No wonder she's Xue Yuyu, always lamenting the passing of spring and the coming of autumn.
She had barely stopped walking when she was pulled away, and a soft voice whispered in her ear, "Thank you, Xu Zangyu."
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Author's Note: Xue Yuyu, who thinks she's arrogant and domineering, actually cries her heart out at the slightest coaxing.
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