However, Ahri was puzzled: where was the little fox?
After the group of people passed, Ah Li was still supporting Jing Lian.
Jinglian didn't remind her and continued walking up the mountain with Ali.
Just then, a bell rang out from behind them, and a red figure called out, "Make way, make way!"
When Ah Li looked over, she saw the red figure appear beside Jing Yuan and stick out its tongue at him.
Jingyuan whispered, "Nonsense, go away."
The little fox pouted, somewhat unwilling, but knowing that Jingyuan had things to do, she left.
At this moment, the Empress spoke up and asked, "Master Jingyuan, who is this?"
"It's one of my pets."
Jingyuan clasped his hands together, not even glancing at the people behind him who were in chaos after being bumped by the little pet he had mentioned.
The mountain road is not wide to begin with, and it is difficult to avoid someone who runs recklessly.
"A pet?"
The Empress observed the expression on Jingyuan's face.
That person was clearly an ill-mannered little girl.
However, seeing that Jingyuan didn't seem guilty at all, she continued walking up.
Ah Li and Jing Lian followed behind in silence upon witnessing this scene.
Seeing that they were walking very slowly, Ah Li didn't want to follow them any longer, so she helped Jing Lian and walked towards another path.
Jiekong also rushed over at this moment, saying, "I knew Miss Ali would take this path! I heard that the Empress might stay here tonight. The abbot sent me to find you and ask you to go and keep watch over the Empress so that we can prepare in advance if needed."
The temple was mostly filled with monks, and it was somewhat inappropriate for them to stand guard in front of the empress, so the abbot sent Jiekong to find Ah Li.
Previously, there had been no word at all that the Empress was coming and would be staying overnight.
The three of them quickly returned to the temple via a side path.
After parting ways with Ali, Jinglian returned to her meditation room, took off her monk's robe, and sat in the steaming medicinal soup.
A monk came in and, seeing Jinglian return, asked, "Brother Jinglian, where did you go just now?"
"I went out for a walk."
“But didn’t the abbot say that you need to rest and not overexert yourself?”
Jinglian didn't say anything. The monk came in again, added more hot water, and then went out again.
Jinglian watched the rising smoke. He missed her and wanted to see her.
She never came to see him again after returning from the miasma forest.
So he went to see her.
But when he actually saw her, he wasn't satisfied; he wanted her to see only him.
Jinglian looked at the two bamboo tubes that had been washed clean not far away; those were the ones he had brought back from the miasma forest.
There was another one that didn't contain any food, which he had already thrown away.
Jinglian closed his eyes; his Buddhist mind was in turmoil.
On the other side, Ah Li tidied up a few side rooms, and then palace maids came over, lit incense, and laid out the bedding they had brought themselves.
The empress looked exhausted. She was helped to change her clothes and then lay half-reclined on the bed.
Seeing this, Ah Li silently retreated, and then she saw a red fox wagging its tail, with a pheasant in its mouth.
The pheasant had already been killed, but the red fox tried to carry it over, only to be stopped by several guards with knives.
The red fox's eyes darted around, teasing the guards with swords, making them chase her, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right.
The Empress, who was resting in the side room, frowned and said, "Go out and see what's causing this commotion?"
However, as soon as the door to the side room opened, the red fox suddenly tried to rush towards the side room.
Ah Li, quick as a flash, grabbed a bamboo basket and covered the red fox with it.
The red fox was squeaking and chattering inside, and the pheasant's feathers were falling all over the yard.
A palace maid approached Ah Li and asked, "What's in this basket?"
"A wild fox in the mountains, carrying a pheasant in its beak."
Ah Li raised her hand and slapped the bamboo basket, and the red fox suddenly quieted down.
The palace maid then said, "Open it and let me see."
Ali opened the bamboo basket. The red fox remained still. The pheasant's neck had been bitten off, and it looked like it was about to break, which was quite frightening.
Upon seeing this, the palace maid turned pale and said, "Take it away now, lest you offend Her Majesty the Empress."
"I'll take it right away."
Ali lowered his head, put the pheasant and the red fox into the bamboo basket, and then left with the basket.
The red fox was completely stunned. Where was her magic? Why couldn't she transform now? And why couldn't she move?
Ah Li curled her lips into a smile, took out the pheasant and put it aside, then picked up the red fox and said, "Why did you rush into the side room just now?"
The red fox did not respond.
Ah Li continued, "Do you know that if you had actually rushed in just now, the Empress would have been frightened, causing the baby in her womb to be lost. Can you bear that sin?"
The red fox snorted, "Why can't she bear it? That empress is just putting on an act. She's just pregnant with the dragon's child, isn't she?"
She's supposed to be the Empress? She's so spoiled. Not only did she send Jingyuan to the palace to chant sutras and pray for her, but she also had Jingyuan escort her to the temple.
Seeing that the red fox still didn't seem to know its mistake, Ah Li put the red fox back into the bamboo basket and said, "Your fur is very beautiful. I think the hunters at the foot of the mountain would be very happy to sell it to you."
At this time, the mountain road was quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.
If it weren't for Ah Li being there today, this red fox would have been able to carry the dead pheasant and charge in.
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