Tomorrow

Qi Xianqing patted her shoulder. “All right, go to sleep.”

She really played the part well; there wasn’t a single flaw in Fang Hu’s persona. Her tone was indulgent and gentle.

It was as if they had gone back to those days in Five Dragons Mountain, when she had lived with Qi Xianqing as a little fox.

For some reason, Yan Jue’s eyelid twitched. She murmured, “You still have to make things clear, right, Brother.”

“After all, what other people see may not necessarily be true.”

Yan Jue had only said that offhandedly before closing her eyes to rest, but it gave Qi Xianqing something new to think about.

Over the years, there had been many rumors about her on the mountain, and the description of her in The Five Dragons Encyclopedia was even more exaggerated.

Yet she had let those rumors spread, never once bothering to explain herself.

If something became true simply because no one explained it away, then were Yan Jue’s rumors false too?

But that was hard to reconcile with the fact that Yan Jue really had once shown hostility toward her.

Qi Xianqing frowned slightly and lightly stroked the mosquito-repelling jade tube Yan Jue had given her.

When had that snake-like aggression in Yan Jue disappeared?

Qi Xianqing turned her head and looked at the drowsy girl leaning against her shoulder.

Yan Jue was probably just too sleepy; or maybe it was because Qi Xianqing was beside her, so she felt safe.

Her eyes were half-lidded, her breathing even; she had already fallen asleep. A slit remained between her eyelids, and one could faintly glimpse the amber color of her pupils.

That was not good. Because of the abilities stored in the talisman token, the two of them had both taken on the appearances of the Fang siblings, but that was only an illusion. Someone transformed by the Thousand Forms and Myriad Changes immortal art could never be exactly the same as the original.

During sleep, flaws might very well be exposed.

Qi Xianqing stared at those faint amber eyes for a moment, and a trace of doubt flashed through hers.

She really did look like... a little fox cub.

Qi Xianqing then extended her hand, palm down, and gently covered the girl’s eyes.

In the corner, the pale girl with blue eyes watched coldly and suddenly asked, “Why?”

Qi Xianqing did not lower the hand still covering Yan Jue’s eyes. “The light might be too harsh.”

The girl sat cross-legged, and her hands actually formed a spell gesture. She slowly closed her eyes. “You siblings have such a good relationship.”

Qi Xianqing stared at her hands for a long while, then lazily glanced at the soft crown of the girl leaning against her shoulder and smiled carelessly.

“Of course. I like my little sister the most.”

-

Life in the cave mansion truly had no distinction between day and night.

Yan Jue could only roughly tell time by the two meals they received each day.

It was probably ten days and nights later.

Yan Jue walked around the cave every day, chatting with boys and girls of all kinds.

There were only about twenty people in this cave. Many of the children were tormented here, but they were still willing to talk.

By the twelfth day, Yan Jue had basically become familiar with the children in the Pharmacy.

Except for... the blue-eyed little girl in the corner.

That blue-eyed girl was truly cold beyond the ordinary. Most of the time, she either leaned against the wall and sat cross-legged in meditation or closed her eyes to rest; she even ate very little.

Perhaps because fox-demon senses were naturally sharp, Yan Jue always felt a pressure from her that did not belong to a child.

She faintly felt that this girl was not simple.

Maybe because they had been at ease for too long, Heavenly Master Su Yang was not very wary of the outside world.

Most of the children locked in the Pharmacy carried some personal belongings from their families.

Some were small books, some were toys.

That made things easier for Yan Jue. Her Qiankun bag looked like an extremely ordinary cloth pouch hanging at her side, and no one suspected a thing.

Besides Qi Xianqing, the one Yan Jue spent the most time with was little Jia Ni.

Yan Jue sat beside Jia Ni and said, “I’ll tell you a story.”

Jia Ni clutched her arm. “I want to hear it! I want to hear it!”

Telling stories to Jia Ni had probably become Yan Jue’s only form of entertainment in this mountain cave.

She didn’t just tell them to Jia Ni; she told them to Qi Xianqing too.

“Once upon a time, there was a man. Outside, he ran into a female ghost..."

Yan Jue had read plenty of books in modern times, and of course she had read ghost stories.

These past few days, she had told Jia Ni many stories about fox spirits and ghosts, all under the guise of being meaningful while actually trying desperately to instill one idea into Qi Xianqing as quickly as possible.

There are good demons too.

Fox demons aren’t all just creatures that survive by sucking up human yang energy!

If she thought about it, four months from now Qi Xianqing would stab her through with a sword, and that was only because Qi Xianqing’s impression of demons was too poor.

If Qi Xianqing found fox demons adorable, maybe she wouldn’t lay a hand on her!

Today, the story Yan Jue told Jia Ni was a classic human-fox love story.

The main plot was a man meeting a very virtuous fox demon, and after a series of twists and turns, the two finally ended up together.

Yan Jue told it vividly, and little Jia Ni listened with wide eyes.

Fang Hu, the boy Qi Xianqing had transformed into, leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, resting. No one knew whether he was listening.

The story ended.

Yan Jue asked, “All right, the story’s over now. Do you have any questions you want to ask?”

Jia Ni moved her lips and shook her head.

This older sister told stories so well that she really had no questions to ask.

Yan Jue swallowed and was just about to start the next story.

From the corner where she sat meditating, the silent blue-eyed girl suddenly spoke. “What virtue does Sang Sheng have to deserve marrying Lian Xiang as his wife?”

“..."

That question left Yan Jue speechless.

Actually, when she read fox-spirit stories in modern times, she often had the same doubt: the men in these stories clearly didn’t have any standout qualities, so why were there always so many fox demons willing to be with them, one after another?

Yan Jue took the opportunity to steer the topic in a favorable direction. “So you see, most humans are hard to describe in polite terms; only little fox demons are selfless and hardworking, asking for nothing in return!”

The exceedingly composed girl asked, “By your logic, all fox demons are good. Then how do you explain fox demons absorbing human yang energy, bewitching men, and causing thousands of families to fall apart?”

Yan Jue: “...”

Yan Jue: “Those are bad fox demons. Fox demons don’t all cultivate the same way. There are legends that say some fox demons cultivate by absorbing human yang energy, but that’s just taking a crooked path. Some fox demons cultivate by absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. They can’t be compared.”

As soon as she said that, Qi Xianqing suddenly opened her eyes on the other side.

Just then, the Pharmacy door was suddenly pushed open.

A Daoist boy with rouge smeared across his face and a fierce expression walked in, a fly whisk in hand. “Master will be back at the cave mansion tomorrow. You all are to go purify yourselves now!”

Yan Jue paused.

In the dim light, one could see that the Daoist boy’s eye sockets were pitch black.

For some reason, as he entered, a nauseating stench of rot began to spread through the surroundings.

Yan Jue only looked once before lowering her head. If this Daoist boy was telling them to bathe and cleanse themselves now, then it seemed the time was already night.

That mysterious Heavenly Master Su Yang was returning tomorrow?

A group of children walked out of the Pharmacy.

Yan Jue kept her eyes forward, her gaze darting around as she seized the chance to memorize the cave mansion’s routes.

The whole cave mansion twisted and turned, the lighting dim. After passing along a long, steep slope, what came into view were six round cave openings; Yan Jue somehow felt it looked a bit like Spider-Hole Cave.

This was a cave mansion with passages in all directions, and every ten or so steps they would pass another entrance.

Each cave entrance had a gilded plaque hanging above it, with flamboyant calligraphy written across it.

Free and Unfettered Palace.

Midnight Palace.

Taiyin Tower.

Drunken Breeze...

Yan Jue walked very slowly, lingering at the back.

Beside her was a Daoist boy with cheeks thickly rouged.

Yan Jue took the opportunity to ask, “Big brother Daoist, what is Drunken Breeze for? Is it where Master drinks with all of you?”

She was already pretty and cute, and had a naturally docile, clingy air about her. The Daoist boy stared into those eyes, and for some reason his heart suddenly trembled; then he answered good-naturedly, “Drunken Breeze is where Master lectures the disciples.”

Yan Jue blinked, her eyes bright. “Lectures? Including us?”

Daoist boy: “Of course it includes you. Don’t be fooled by how small the entrance to Drunken Breeze is; inside, there are carved beams and painted rafters, and it can hold over a hundred people. If you all behave well, maybe Master will be pleased and take you in as named disciples.”

Yan Jue: “Oh, oh. Named disciples—what’s the difference between that and the Boy of Almsgiving we were told about before?”

“Uh... this...” The Daoist boy began stammering.

At last Yan Jue had managed to pry out a great deal of information from him, so she slipped back to Qi Xianqing’s side.

After all, this mission was to be carried out together with Qi Xianqing; she couldn’t just sit back and enjoy the benefits. She had to contribute something.

Through transmission, Yan Jue said, “Drunken Breeze is where Heavenly Master Su Yang gives lectures. I don’t know why, but the Daoists’ meeting place and the alchemy room are in the same place.”

Qi Xianqing: “Mm.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Yan Jue suddenly caught sight of the taciturn blue-eyed girl at the very back of the group.

“..."

The girl looked blank, walking slowly at the end of the line. She seemed to have stopped, turning to glance at the cave chamber beside her.

The Daoist boy shoved her. “Hurry up! Don’t lag behind.”

Only then did the blue-eyed girl lower her gaze and move forward.

-

The group arrived at the entrance to the Purification Room and saw only a pitch-black cave.

Above the entrance, a warped wooden plaque carved with the two crooked characters for “Purification Room” gave off a faint, rotten scent of dampness.

It was dark inside; nothing could be seen.

Yan Jue was also a little fox who loved cleanliness. Following the scent, she found the water source and turned back to say to Qi Xianqing, “The water’s here.”

Hearing footsteps gradually approaching behind them, Yan Jue turned back again and simply wiped her face with a handkerchief, even washing the dirty sleeves of the Daoist robe at the same time.

After she finished tidying up, she suddenly heard a very soft voice by her ear. “Remember it?”

Yan Jue paused, then realized what Qi Xianqing meant and nodded. “I remember most of the routes. If we need to escape, there won’t be a problem.”

Qi Xianqing stopped transmitting after that.

All around them was pitch black; nothing could be seen.

Yan Jue stood in the darkness. The stone underfoot was uneven, and she swayed slightly, unable to keep her balance.

Qi Xianqing: “If you can’t stand steadily, you can hold on to me.”

Yan Jue: “I’m not holding on to you.”

She reached out to feel for the wall and suddenly touched something slippery. It was a little damp, and when she pressed lightly, it deformed. That thing seemed to be frightened and slithered away on its own. Yan Jue was so startled that cold sweat instantly broke out on her back. “Good heavens, that—” She grabbed Qi Xianqing’s shoulder.

Qi Xianqing stood behind her and slightly curled her lips. “Didn’t you just say you didn’t want to?”

Yan Jue gave a dry laugh. “I’m compelled by circumstances.”

She reached out again to steady herself against the wall.

Once more, she felt something soft, and this time it was warm too.

?

That thing was startled and squeaked as it burrowed away. By the dim light, Yan Jue turned her head sharply to look.

It turned out to be a cluster of round bugs. One of them looked back, opened its mouth wide, and revealed tiny teeth like a saw blade: “?!”

Yan Jue’s face went pale. She staggered back two steps and grabbed Qi Xianqing’s sleeve again.

Qi Xianqing reached back to support her. “Be careful.”

After suffering through snakes and insects, Yan Jue really had no strength left to object to Qi Xianqing anymore.

Her hand moved slowly, lightly resting on Qi Xianqing’s arm as she helped smooth the clothes back into place.

Qi Xianqing turned slightly, and the hem of her Daoist robe was lifted.

As Yan Jue supported her hand, she suddenly touched a patch of swollen redness.

She froze a little.

She remembered that several days ago, there had been no such mark on Qi Xianqing’s hand!

Could it be a mosquito demon?

Had Qi Xianqing... been bitten by a mosquito demon after all?

Yan Jue had once looked up similar books in the Library Pavilion.

For ordinary people, a bite from a mosquito demon would feel no different from a bite from an ordinary mosquito, and the wound would heal after a few days.

But if an Immortal Spirit Physique was bitten by a mosquito demon, it would be completely different.

The swelling would take half a month to fade, and it would itch unbearably and hurt terribly.

Yan Jue frowned. Her fingers unconsciously brushed along Qi Xianqing’s arm to sense it; the farther in she went over the cool skin, the deeper the swollen marks became.

That made sense. No matter how powerful the mosquito-repelling jade tube was, it couldn’t possibly protect every inch without any blind spots.

Qi Xianqing really was the type to stay proud even at death; she’d been bitten by a mosquito demon this badly and still hadn’t said a word.

Yan Jue was lost in thought. After a moment of silence, the other side seemed to give a soft laugh. “Junior Sister, are you this familiar with everyone?”

Her tone was slightly probing, and Yan Jue broke out in a cold sweat, immediately pulling her hand back.

The reason she was so familiar with Qi Xianqing wasn’t because she had spent too long living with her as a little fox?

When she was in fox form, she slept in Qi Xianqing’s arms every day and used Qi Xianqing’s arm as a pillow.

Yan Jue: “Because Senior Sister gives people a very approachable feeling. I just can’t help but... rely on Senior Sister.”

They were both speaking through transmission, so no one else could hear.

Yan Jue then handed the cleaned handkerchief to Qi Xianqing. “Wipe your face.”

Qi Xianqing took it. “Thank you.”

-

After the bath, everyone returned to the Pharmacy again.

The Daoist boy shut the door hard behind them.

With a thud, the Pharmacy fell silent once more.

The children seemed long used to this kind of scene and all fell asleep one after another.

A little boy pursed his lips and tossed a leather ball in his hands by himself.

The ball flew up, slammed hard into the rock wall, and bounced back.

It happened to pass over Yan Jue’s head. Yan Jue instinctively reached out and, with a slap, caught the ball firmly.

Qi Xianqing turned back and looked at her in surprise.

Yan Jue tossed the ball back to the little boy.

The boy said, “Thank you, sister.”

Pursing his lips, he played alone for a while, then suddenly jumped up and kicked the ball again with a light motion. The ball flew up and disappeared into the darkness.

Because the surroundings were so dark, one couldn’t see anything even a little farther away.

The boy froze, instantly panicking. His big eyes filled with tears.

He took two steps forward to look for his ball.

But after circling the cave, he still couldn’t find it.

Now the boy was truly frightened. This ball was the only thing his mother had given him before he came here... sob sob...

His lips were already quivering, and before he could even cry, something was suddenly held out before him.

A ball.

The boy froze, then looked up abruptly. There was Yan Jue, holding out the ball to him. “Be careful. It’s so dark here; you can just kick it near you.”

The boy pressed his lips together. “Thank you, sister!”

“Sister seems to... be especially good at catching balls.”

“...” Yan Jue’s expression stiffened for a moment. Slowly, she turned around, and sure enough, she met Qi Xianqing’s searching gaze.