In the pitch-black space, the Fox Servant stood silently, her mind weighed down by her master's decision. Although she disagreed with it, her loyalty and unspoken feelings for the Fox Immortal had always kept her from opposing her master's wishes. This time was no different, but it didn't mean that Meng Shuying was worthy of receiving "that" thing.
The Fox Servant twirled her sword, the blade catching the dim light as she pointed it at Meng Shuying. The silver-white sword gleamed coldly, like a spring of icy water.
"Let's fight. If you can defeat me, I'll give you something."
"I don't need anything from you," Meng Shuying replied, her tone sharp with concern for her senior sister's safety. "All I want is for you to send me out of here immediately."
"That won't do." The Fox Servant lunged forward, her speed blinding like a flash of lightning. Meng Shuying barely caught a glimpse of the sword before she instinctively drew her own, blocking the attack.
Clang! The two swords collided with a crisp sound before they quickly separated.
The Fox Servant had expected her initial strike, aimed from a tricky angle, to catch Meng Shuying off guard. To her surprise, Meng Shuying deflected it effortlessly. Realizing her opponent was more capable than she had anticipated, the Fox Servant's expression grew serious. "It seems you're not without skill."
"You're overestimating me," Meng Shuying said as she twirled her sword, the straight blade moving with the grace of a dragon. "But I thought you'd be stronger."
The Fox Servant's gaze turned icy as she scoffed, "Let's see you handle this."
This time, she attacked even faster. Meng Shuying first saw countless sword shadows before hearing the blade slicing through the air.
In the next instant, those sword shadows were upon her.
Meng Shuying had anticipated this and raised her sword in defense, staying calm in the face of the onslaught.
Already weakened by the love poison and her injuries, Meng Shuying couldn't afford to take risks. She bit down and poured all her energy into resisting the attack.
Suddenly, the Fox Servant withdrew her sword.
The blade slid back into its sheath, leaving only a lingering sword intent in the air.
Meng Shuying sliced through the residual energy with a single swipe of her sword, her expression puzzled. "Why did you stop?"
The Fox Servant hesitated. "Are you… injured? If you were at full strength, I might be interested in a proper duel. But fighting you while you're weakened would be dishonorable, and I have no interest in that."
"Then can you send me out now?" Meng Shuying sheathed her sword, her voice calm. "I still need to find my senior sister."
The Fox Servant floated in the air, her hand summoning a vortex of spiritual energy. As the energy swirled, misty veils appeared, as if rain clouds were forming.
"Your injury…" The Fox Servant stared at the swirling mist for a long time before speaking again. "You've grown weaker not because of an injury, but because you're afflicted by a love poison."
"How do you know… I'm poisoned?" Meng Shuying's eyes burned with intensity.
It was said that love poison had no cure, but the Fox Servant, once an attendant to the Fox Immortal and practically a demi-god, might know a way to neutralize it.
"Because I've been poisoned by it before," the Fox Servant admitted, her normally stoic face showing rare signs of emotion beneath her mask.
It had happened long ago when the world's spiritual energy suddenly waned, and mortals stopped worshipping the gods. As the incense offerings dwindled, the remaining immortals divided into righteous and demonic factions, waging war over the scant resources.
The Fox Immortal, who detested conflict, naturally sided with the righteous. However, a deity once close to her, the God of Joy, had defected to the demonic side and, taking advantage of the Fox Servant's trust, poisoned her with the love poison.
That incident had severely weakened the Fox Servant, leading to the Fox Immortal's downfall in the celestial battles, which culminated in the collapse of all her temples.
The Fox Servant's mind was turbulent as she recalled those events. As she struggled with her emotions, a series of silver circular arrays lit up around her, helping to stabilize her thoughts.
She closed her eyes, silently chanting a name. When she reopened them, her gaze was once again clear and determined.
"To think that even after the God of Joy's death, the love poison still lingers in the world."
"Is there a way to cure it?" Meng Shuying stepped forward, her voice filled with urgency.
"Love poison cannot be cured unless you become an immortal. But in today's world, where spiritual energy is scarce and mortals no longer believe in gods, making it to immortality is as difficult as climbing to the heavens."
Meng Shuying responded, "No matter how difficult the path, I will try. I must, if I am to continue protecting my senior sister."
The Fox Servant studied her for a long moment before finally understanding why her master had chosen to give that item to Meng Shuying.
Meng Shuying was like her.
With a wave of her hand, the Fox Servant sent a shadowy figure into Meng Shuying's body. "This is half of a divine bone, something I acquired long ago. It will help you temporarily suppress the love poison. It's yours now."
As the divine bone entered her body, the pain that had been tormenting Meng Shuying vanished. She clutched her chest, coughing up a clot of blood, and immediately felt a sense of relief.
After giving away the divine bone, the Fox Servant's aura visibly weakened. Meng Shuying watched as she wavered, almost collapsing, and quickly moved to support her.
"I'm fine." The Fox Servant straightened up after a moment, refusing Meng Shuying's help with a shake of her hand.
"The God of Joy is long dead, and after so many years, the love poison is no longer as potent as it once was. I'm only weakened because my master is about to enter a deep sleep. Now, I must go and guard her."
With a swipe of her fingers, the Fox Servant drew a line in the air, sending Meng Shuying out of the space.
When Meng Shuying opened her eyes, she found herself staring into Su Luowei's face. Seeing her awake, Su Luowei smiled brightly and took her hand. "Thank goodness, you're finally awake. I've found a way out. Let's go."
Meng Shuying stared at her for a moment before squeezing her hand. "Senior Sister, you fainted earlier. Are you alright…"
"I'm fine," Su Luowei replied with a gentle shake of her head. "Not only am I fine, but I also met the Fox Immortal and received a gift. What about you?"
Meng Shuying smiled. "I also met someone and received something good."
Su Luowei laughed. "Then we should properly thank them."
The two helped each other up and first walked to the Fox Immortal statue, where they bowed deeply in gratitude.
Afterward, Meng Shuying carefully picked up the black fox statue and placed it next to the Fox Immortal, positioning them side by side.
Looking at the two statues—one white, one black—standing in perfect harmony, Meng Shuying silently vowed: I have someone I want to protect, and I won't be content with merely admiring her from afar. I will stand by her side, shoulder to shoulder, through all trials and tribulations.
They left the temple and followed the path to the northwest. Before half a day had passed, they could see a glimmer of light ahead.
It was a marvel how the Fox Valley had been designed. The entrance was through a well, but the exit was in a bamboo grove outside the temple.
When they emerged, they bumped right into Xie Hanzhu and the others, who had been stationed outside the bamboo grove.
Xie Hanzhu had just woken up and was splashing water on her face, trying to come up with a plan. She was starting to think that waiting around wasn't getting them anywhere, and that she should discuss a more active search with Junior Sister Miao Miao.
In truth, Xie Hanzhu had grown impatient yesterday and had wanted to jump into the well to find her senior sister. But Wen Miaomiao had strongly opposed the idea, saying that if Xie Hanzhu went down there, she would immediately return to the Qingxu Sect to ask their master for help.
Xie Hanzhu wasn't afraid of anything—except their master. The moment Wen Miaomiao mentioned their master, Xie Hanzhu quickly gave up on the idea, deciding not to risk it.
No way! Wen Miaomiao was the master's favorite, and if she really went to tattle, Xie Hanzhu might not be allowed to leave the mountain ever again.
She was still trying to think of a solution when she looked up and saw the two people she had been worrying about, Su Luowei and Meng Shuying, emerging from the bamboo grove, supporting each other.
Thinking it was a hallucination, Xie Hanzhu rubbed her eyes. But after confirming that it was indeed Su Luowei and Meng Shuying, she shouted, "Senior Sister Su!" and rushed over, hugging them both tightly. "Senior Sister, you jumped into the well, so how did you come out from here?"
Su Luowei and Meng Shuying exchanged a glance, silently agreeing to keep what happened in the well a secret.
It wasn't that they wanted to deceive Xie Hanzhu, but because the reappearance of Fox Valley, the opulence of the Fox Temple, or the sleeping Fox Immortal—any of these things would be too shocking for the current time.
When legends suddenly manifest in reality, people's first instinct isn't to protect them but to destroy them.
So Su Luowei decided not to mention the events in the well to anyone.
"I found a hidden passage at the bottom of the well. Following it, I found the exit. But the terrain down there is complex, with many dangers besides the beasts. You should inform the people at the Sheng family to fill the well with clay to prevent anyone from accidentally falling in."
"Got it. I'll tell them in a bit. But, Senior Sister, how did Meng Shuying end up with you?" Xie Hanzhu pulled Su Luowei aside, covering her mouth to whisper, "Oh, and another thing—I asked the Sheng family why Sheng Ruiming hasn't come looking for you after you went missing, and they told me that the night before the wedding, some thug broke into the Sheng family and injured Sheng Ruiming. He's still bedridden!"
Sheng Ruiming was a Golden Core stage cultivator, so it was unlikely he would be easily injured, and the timing was suspiciously convenient, happening right before the wedding.
Xie Hanzhu had immediately suspected that it was Meng Shuying, the notorious jealous type.
"Hmm? He's that badly hurt? Then we should check on him when we get back to the city."
Su Luowei glanced at Meng Shuying, noticing her calm demeanor, and couldn't help but think that after a few years of worldly experience, Meng Shuying had indeed changed.
In the past, she would have been nervous and avoided eye contact after doing something like this. Now, she seemed completely unruffled.
Xie Hanzhu wouldn't let the topic drop. "Senior Sister, you still haven't explained how you ended up with Meng Shuying."
Su Luowei replied, "I told you earlier that another bride was taken with me. That person was Meng Shuying. When she saw the white fox trying to escape, she chased after it. We met in the well, and that's how I found out it was her."
"Ah, I see." Xie Hanzhu clicked her tongue and then gave Meng Shuying a knowing look.
Meng Shuying couldn't help but explain, "I only wanted to protect Senior Sister." After donning the bridal outfit, she had planned to swap herself with Su Luowei but had been caught off guard when the bridal escort made their move earlier than expected. Unable to get Su Luowei out in time, she had no choice but to enter the sedan chair herself.
But Xie Hanzhu's expression was one of clear disbelief.
Tut, who would have thought? Just a few years of experience in the mortal world, and Meng Shuying has become this kind of person.
Attacking the groom was bad enough, but then sneaking in as the bride?
Anyone with half a brain could see she was trying to use the situation to marry her Senior Sister.
Thinking she had figured everything out, Xie Hanzhu winked at Meng Shuying, silently promising to keep her secret. But she couldn't wait to tell Wen Miaomiao all about it later—they were going to have a good laugh.