Muzzle
For the past half month, Yan Jue had been staying in Qi Xianqing’s Frozen Peach Haven.
Qi Xianqing spent her days reading by the table or meditating by the bed; from time to time, she would go to the back courtyard to practice her sword before coming back to change Yan Jue’s medicine.
In any case, she never stayed away for more than an hour.
The important thing was that Yan Jue had discovered the Five-Dragon Summit was almost here.
While everyone else was busy, Qi Xianqing herself had barely practiced at all.
She was like one of those top students who never seemed to study much, yet still got excellent grades.
Yan Jue’s injuries had kept her bedridden for so long. Thankfully, before she was struck by the heavenly tribulation, she had already told Du Ying she was going into seclusion, so for now, her identity hadn’t been exposed.
Right now, she really didn’t have the strength to transform back into human form.
Afternoon.
The sun was bright.
Yan Jue lay on her side on the bed and watched Qi Xianqing return from outside carrying a bamboo basket.
Qi Xianqing knelt in front of her and opened the basket, taking out a few fruits.
One plump spirit-nourishing fruit after another had already ripened. Their enticing deep-purple skins glowed in the sunlight, carrying a faint fragrance of grass and wood, with a hint of orange mixed in.
Spirit-nourishing fruits could stabilize a cultivator’s foundation; they were especially suitable for cultivators who had just broken through to a new realm, and they also had healing effects.
Very suitable for the little fox.
The moment the little fox saw the fruit Qi Xianqing had taken out, it immediately let out a pitiful whine and flopped weakly onto the ground as if every bone in its body hurt.
Qi Xianqing couldn’t help laughing. She cut the spirit-nourishing fruit into small pieces and fed them to the little fox one by one.
The fox yipped again, still seeming to want more, so Qi Xianqing slowly peeled the rest of the fruit and fed it all to her.
Even if she had been struck by lightning and punished by the Heavenly Dao, being able to lie in bed and eat spirit-nourishing fruit on such a bright, sunny day after the rain was still unbelievably blissful.
Yan Jue was chewing happily when a hand suddenly pressed against her chest.
The little fox froze at once. She only felt those soft hands slowly slide down her body, stirring wave after wave of shivery sensation, before lightly pinching the flesh over her chest again.
It was awkward, but it felt good. The little fox stiffened into a ball while Qi Xianqing turned her over. Her deft fingertips pressed against Yan Jue’s body, kneading her little by little.
For the past half month, Qi Xianqing had often helped massage her.
Because her injuries were severe, she couldn’t get out of bed. If she didn’t work her muscles, they might atrophy.
The little fox didn’t know how many times her legs had kicked in reflex. She timidly opened her eyes and saw that Qi Xianqing’s gaze was gentle, her movements careful and thorough, starting with the chest, where there was the least flesh, then moving on to the fox’s soft belly.
Yan Jue went limp like a puddle of water. Her narrow phoenix eyes half-lidded as she felt the girl’s hands move lower...
She wasn’t going to let her touch her anymore.
Yan Jue rolled upright in one motion and bared her teeth at Qi Xianqing with a fierce look.
Qi Xianqing seemed not to notice the little fox’s mood at all. She lifted Yan Jue under the armpits and set her on the floor. “Try walking and see whether you can.”
Over the past half month, Qi Xianqing’s care had been meticulous.
The little fox had basically recovered already; even the fur burned off by the heavenly lightning had grown back.
Her vivid, fire-bright coat no longer had that faint milky tint from before. It was dazzlingly beautiful, like drifting clouds and rosy light in the sky. The two large black ears looked like ink lightly diluted with water, while the fur on her belly was white as snow.
After the tribulation, another tail had grown on Yan Jue.
Four long, fluffy tails hung behind her like drifting multicolored clouds, making her look like a divine beast from a storybook.
The little fox still couldn’t stand very steadily; her hind legs were a little lame.
She hopped a few steps, then sat on the ground and looked up at Qi Xianqing.
Qi Xianqing curved her eyes and rubbed the little fox’s fluffy head. “Pretty good. You’re recovering well.”
Yan Jue drank a little more milk, her four tails swishing back and forth.
Ever since that day she had encountered the heavenly tribulation, Yan Jue had felt her body become much lighter, as if something in her dantian and sea of qi were slowly burning, swollen to the point it seemed ready to overflow.
Yan Jue knew very well that on the surface, this heavenly tribulation looked like punishment, but in fact it was helping her break through from the peak of the Enlightenment Realm to the Fusion Realm.
It felt as if fire were burning in her sea of qi, and spiritual energy was surging wildly through her whole body.
This was the sign of the early stage of the fourth realm, the Fusion Realm.
By the demon race’s standards, it was called bone tempering.
Demon races formed their inner core earlier than humans did.
After the fourth realm’s bone tempering came the fifth realm, the Demon Core Realm.
She could start preparing to form a core.
Just thinking about that made Yan Jue feel greatly comforted.
Sure enough, when heaven closes a door, it opens a window.
-
“Your Excellency, the charm technique you taught me last time had no effect on her at all!”
A pungent smell of blood hung thick in the dark cave.
Chu Fu set the basket of food on the ground and addressed the person behind the water curtain.
In the dim light, the boy’s expression was not very good.
This time, on the ghost-hunting trip in Fengxian Town, he had wanted to show off in front of Qi Xianqing, but he had never expected that woman to steal the lead from him again.
Chu Fu was a little puzzled.
In the past, Yan Jue had loved him to the point of desperation.
Somehow, at some unknown point, Yan Jue had become a powerful obstacle standing between him and Qi Xianqing.
Yan Jue didn’t seem to be stopping him from getting close to Qi Xianqing because she loved him...
It looked more like she liked Qi Xianqing too!
“The charm technique is ineffective...” A contemplative voice came from behind the water curtain. “The Five-Dragon Summit is imminent. With your Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation, you have no hope at all of winning.”
Chu Fu: “Please, Your Excellency, you must help me.”
He paused, then licked his lips. “When I first came up the mountain, the spiritual root test revealed that I had a heavenly-grade root, and I was exceptionally promoted to a reserve disciple of Five Dragons Sect.
“But my cultivation speed over these past three years truly hasn’t been fast. A lot of people in the sect have already started mocking me. If, if I can shine at the Five-Dragon Summit, it will definitely make those who laughed at me look at me in a different light.”
The Demon Lord said slowly, “That woman has a Pure Yin Physique; the yin essence in her body can help you leap directly from the Foundation Establishment Realm to the Fusion Realm. The Five-Dragon Summit will begin in two months. You must obtain her yin essence before then.”
“If it really comes down to it, I’ll step in and help you.”
Chu Fu had always been clever; even now, he sensed something was off.
This Demon Lord had always been selfish. Why would he be so eager to help him?
Frowning, Chu Fu asked, “But Your Excellency... why are you so concerned with the Five-Dragon Summit?”
The Demon Lord fell silent for a long time. Then his hoarse voice came again from behind the water curtain. “Immortal sects have always looked down on the demon race. Many years ago, it was Five Dragons Sect that led the other immortal sects to suppress me and the Jueming Valley Demon Lord beneath Chalk Mountain.”
“In their eyes, we demons are no different from pigs and dogs; filthy and loathsome.”
“But.” The Demon Lord suddenly laughed, his voice trembling and ragged. “If you can become the new first disciple of Five Dragons Sect through the Five-Dragon Summit, wouldn’t that be a mockery of the whole world? Their most despised Demon Lord teaching the disciple who ends up as the first disciple of one of the six great immortal sects—hahaha, hahahaha!”
Chu Fu frowned, a trace of displeasure flickering across his face.
He naturally didn’t want to admit that he was this Demon Lord’s disciple.
He and the Demon Lord were merely using each other.
The Demon Lord: “This Five-Dragon Summit will bring not only honor, but also a dao companion. What a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Chu Fu raised his brows. “Oh?”
“The prize those old men in Five Dragons Sect have set for the summit is the peerless famous sword Drifting Ice.”
“This sword was forged a thousand years ago by the Central Plains’ top swordsmith, Xuanwu, using a wisp of the spirit essence of Tenebrous White Ancient Grass as the guiding core and White Tiger Green Profound Essence as material. Later, it absorbed the essence of heaven and earth for hundreds of years in the Taqing Secret Realm; it long ago awakened spiritual intelligence.”
“And it is a pair of male and female swords with Lord Meng Heng’s Zhuying. Whoever wins Drifting Ice will have the qualification to stand side by side with Lord Meng Heng.”
Chu Fu lowered his eyes, and a faint light rose in them. “Yes.”
The Demon Lord: “I have always thought highly of you. As long as you have a chance to get close to Lord Meng Heng, you’ll surely win her favor. She is in the Fusion Realm now and has reached the age for choosing a dao companion. Men who are intelligent and well-matched in spirit roots are desperately scarce to her. You must seize this chance.”
“Tsk, tsk. An Immortal Spirit Physique; what a great help this dao companion will be.”
In the dim light, Chu Fu clenched his fists and frowned. “I will work hard.”
Chu Fu: “Your Excellency, you still haven’t said how to trick her into giving up her yin essence?”
The topic then turned back to Yan Jue.
The Demon Lord smiled. “How difficult can that be? When the time comes, I’ll lend you a hand. You can rest assured.”
He took out something and tossed it over. “Right. Take this first.”
A small pellet landed on the ground with a crisp click.
“That woman is naturally lewd. When the time comes, you can use this...”
Chu Fu smiled. “Excellent. Many thanks, Your Excellency!”
-
Today was bright and sunny; a rare good day.
Qi Xianqing: “Sit.”
The little fox sat down, her back straight.
Qi Xianqing: “Turn in a circle.”
The little fox hopped and spun three full turns at once; the wind rushed past her ears with a whoosh.
Qi Xianqing rested her chin on one hand and smiled. “Jump.”
Yan Jue was unhappy. Among all the things she was made to do, she disliked jumping the most, because it was simply too tiring.
The little fox flopped onto the ground and let out a string of whining yips at Qi Xianqing, her four big tails flailing desperately.
Qi Xianqing couldn’t help pausing.
A fox’s coquettish cries were beguiling. Sunlight fell on the little fox’s eyes; those clear pupils shone like amber, and her narrow phoenix eyes were full of life. Though it was unintentional, there was an inborn allure to her.
Perhaps this was how King Zhou had been bewitched by Daji back then.
Yan Jue was very dissatisfied and howled at Qi Xianqing for a while. Qi Xianqing only said, “Jump.”
Yan Jue: “...”
Yan Jue jumped straight up, soaring three feet into the air and leaping higher than Qi Xianqing herself.
As a red fox, she had an excellent bloodline; both her pouncing ability and her biting ability were astonishing.
Qi Xianqing set her on her own stool and lightly scratched her neck with a fingertip. “Whose little fox baby is this cute? Is it you?”
Yan Jue stared at Qi Xianqing’s beautiful peach-blossom eyes; then her hind legs slowly lifted and kicked idly in the air, while some indescribable feeling rose in her heart.
They had spent too long together.
Qi Xianqing knew every sensitive spot on her body.
For example, Yan Jue liked having her head rubbed the most, and it also felt good when her ears were touched... Yan Jue yawned, her body stretching out.
Then came the chest, followed by the belly and limbs.
The air fell into a brief silence.
Qi Xianqing suddenly sat down on the stool and looked at her with a smile in her eyes. “Tell me. What realm are you in now?”
Little fox: “Yip?”
The little fox stared at Qi Xianqing, tilting her head left and right in frantic confusion.
Qi Xianqing: “I think you should be at the fourth realm. By rights, ordinary demon beasts can take human form by the second realm, but you still haven’t transformed. Could it be...?”
Yan Jue looked at Qi Xianqing; in that instant, all the blood in her body turned cold.
Qi Xianqing frowned slightly. “Do you want to take the spirit beast path?”
...
Yan Jue let out a breath of relief.
So humans were the spirit of all things, and many birds and beasts, when they cultivated to the second realm, would choose to transform into human form in order to gain a more thorough understanding of the great Dao of heaven and earth.
Remaining in their original form would limit their cultivation.
But there were also birds and beasts that chose to remain in their original form and continue cultivating; these were spirit beasts.
Spirit beasts like these usually had excellent bloodlines, which was why they disdained using transformation to elevate themselves.
Some spirit beasts of noble bloodlines, such as Bai Ze, qilin, or even white apes and suan-ni, looked down on becoming human.
Because they could cultivate very well in their original forms.
Qi Xianqing held the little fox’s two soft little paws and looked at her.
A long time ago, Qi Xianqing had wanted a spirit beast.
Immortal Lady Yun Zhen had even promised to take her to Clear Autumn Path to catch one.
But spirit beasts were intelligent creatures.
A lot of spirit beasts had extremely strong possessiveness.
Qi Xianqing wasn’t sure whether, after she had another spirit beast, it would bully the little fox baby.
And she really liked the little fox baby.
She didn’t much want any other spirit beasts.
Of course, Qi Xianqing only thought about it briefly before quickly dismissing the idea.
For some reason, perhaps because the little fox baby looked too much like a person, Qi Xianqing always felt that she and the little fox baby were friends.
A spirit beast would still require a master-servant contract, and then the little fox baby would probably be unhappy too.
-
The little fox was leaving.
Yan Jue had recovered at Qi Xianqing’s place for more than half a month, and her body had completely healed. Her whole red coat was fluffy as flames, delicate and beautiful.
Yan Jue felt that if she stayed with Qi Xianqing any longer, she would sooner or later reveal a flaw.
At first she hadn’t thought so.
It was only that day, when she woke up on the bed in broad daylight and found herself already back in human form, lying naked on Qi Xianqing’s bed...
Fortunately, Qi Xianqing had been out handling matters that day; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
And besides, over in Watercloud Sect, she had initially told Du Ying she was going into seclusion.
She wasn’t some powerhouse at the eighth realm. If she stayed secluded for more than half a month, she would sooner or later expose herself.
So it was better to leave early.
There was one more thing that made her want to leave Qi Xianqing ahead of time.
She had gotten carried away and wrecked the place again...
She had overturned the wastebasket Qi Xianqing used for trash, and she had also bitten a huge chunk out of the storage box under the table.
Who told Qi Xianqing to put food in there? The little fox didn’t understand anything.
Qi Xianqing would definitely be angry when she saw it.
Yan Jue had run away while Qi Xianqing was out practicing her sword.
It could be said that she fled in a panic.
...
This experience taught Yan Jue one thing: even little demons had their own tribulations.
But the harsher the heavenly tribulation, the faster her cultivation advanced.
That counted as turning misfortune into fortune.
Yan Jue had never been someone who stayed discouraged for long.
Since running away down the mountain wasn’t going to work, she could only think of another plan.
...
Ever since that day Five Dragons Mountain had endured a massive downpour, the weather afterward had been excellent.
In the afternoon, Yan Jue sat at the desk in her room, looking out at the bamboo shadows slanting across the window. She frowned slightly and held a writing brush in her hand, slowly writing on the paper.
The first trouble she faced.
The first question was whether she would have her yin essence drained by the male lead.
If this plot was truly impossible to change, then the male lead would first use her entire yin essence to grow stronger, and only then would he be able to win Qi Xianqing’s favor.
A thought had vaguely formed in Yan Jue’s mind.
If all of this truly could not be changed, then could she take an indirect route instead?
For example, the Five-Dragon Summit was imminent. If the male lead was going to become much stronger because he absorbed her yin essence, then what if she helped him raise his cultivation and made him think he had absorbed her yin essence—would that work?
In another way, use her to help the male lead improve his cultivation.
Didn’t she just loot a lot of immortal herbs and elixirs from Suyang Immortal Mansion last time?
This method seemed feasible.
Still, using the immortal herbs and elixirs she had looted from Suyang Immortal Mansion to support the male lead felt a little wasteful to Yan Jue.
Anyway, she already had her identity token now and could go down the mountain at any time.
She just needed to make another trip to Myriad Demons Pavilion in a few days.
-
A deep courtyard, so deep no one knew how far it stretched.
Qi Xianqing, dressed in white and carrying a black sword on her back, arrived at Immortal Lady Yun Zhen’s residence.
Yun Zhen was standing in the courtyard, gently stroking the fur of the nine-colored deer while speaking softly to it.
She truly deserved to be a great powerhouse of the eighth realm, in the Divided Spirit Realm. She was also very well-preserved; the older she became, the more beautiful her face grew.
Her long brows and phoenix eyes, the cinnabar mark between her brows, the pale-purple flowing-sleeve gown—all of it made her seem like a goddess or immortal maiden stepping out of a painting.
The nine-colored deer was an ancient divine beast. In the sunlight, its fur was snow-white, and the pink markings on its forehead were faintly visible. A pair of antlers bent inward like branches. It was enough that it simply stood there; it was a scene straight out of a painting.
Perhaps because its mood was different today, its eyes were a beautiful light blue.
When Yun Zhen saw Qi Xianqing return, she asked casually, “Xianqing, was this trip down the mountain smooth?”
Qi Xianqing knelt before her, her body bowing slightly, and said solemnly, “Reporting to Master, this disciple’s trip down the mountain went very smoothly.”
Yun Zhen: “Your cultivation is already at the middle stage of the Fusion Realm now. Very good.”
Qi Xianqing: “Thank you for the praise, Master.”
“Quite a few disciples in Five Dragons Sect are still stuck at the peak of the Enlightenment Realm and haven’t been able to break through. You can be considered far ahead of the rest. If no disciple breaks into the Fusion Realm before the Five-Dragon Summit, then I’m afraid the champion this time will be our Thunderflame Sect again. Hahahahahaha.” Yun Zhen laughed loudly.
Qi Xianqing: “...”
This was probably the norm whenever Qi Xianqing was with her master.
Yun Zhen usually did most of the talking; Qi Xianqing only needed to listen.
Yun Zhen: “I’m rather curious about that little girl who went down the mountain with you this time.”
“There are so many people in the sect; why did you choose her?”
Qi Xianqing: “...”
Yun Zhen: “She’s useful?”
Qi Xianqing chose her words carefully. “That day, during the outer disciples’ large unified lecture, I held a class sparring match to select someone to go down the mountain with me. She performed exceptionally well among everyone, so I brought her.”
Yun Zhen: “Even so, someone who can catch your eye definitely isn’t a mere brute.”
One had to know that ever since reaching the Enlightenment Realm, Qi Xianqing had been constantly taking missions.
Aside from acting as the senior sister leading a team, she had almost never once brought anyone along on a mission.
Anyone who could make Qi Xianqing unwilling to dismiss them was either exceptionally clever and not a burden, or they had some extraordinary brilliance.
Qi Xianqing: “This disciple came today to ask Master for something.”
Yun Zhen: “Oh?”
“The outer disciple who went down the mountain with me this time is Watercloud Sect’s Yan Jue. Although she is in the outer sect, she has always wanted to learn martial arts, but the outer sect lacks good resources.”
Yun Zhen: “So?”
Qi Xianqing: “This disciple wants to ask for permission to teach her immortal arts and divine powers separately.”
Five Dragons Sect’s outer sect had always been hard to describe.
Aside from reserve disciples temporarily placed in the outer sect for training, the outer disciples included wealthy second-generation heirs who had paid to get in and wanted to learn a few immortal arts to bring honor to their ancestors, as well as many heaven-blessed second-generation heirs who had gotten in through connections despite lacking sufficient talent. There were even ordinary mortals with no spiritual roots who had joined just to do chores in the immortal sect.
There was no helping it; Five Dragons Sect was no longer the Five Dragons Sect it used to be.
From this year’s objective evaluation by the Starcloud Manor, Five Dragons Sect’s ranking among the six great immortal sects had already fallen to fourth place.
That was not a good omen.
Beyond the six great immortal sects, there were countless other sects in the world.
Every year, people wanted to push Five Dragons Sect out of the top six.
Because Five Dragons Sect was somewhat short on funding in certain areas, it had lowered the threshold for entering the outer sect and taken in many miscellaneous people.
So compared to the inner sect, the outer sect’s conditions were naturally much worse.
The main issue was the lack of a master to lead them.
There were many great powers in Five Dragons Sect, but no one was willing to spend time and effort on the outer sect.
The only people who could teach outer disciples martial arts were inner disciples.
But even an inner disciple as skilled as Qi Xianqing was still only a disciple in the end; she couldn’t match the maturity of a true master.
A disciple trained by someone at the fourth realm and one trained by someone at the eighth realm would naturally differ greatly in ability.
Yun Zhen was a little surprised; she rarely saw Qi Xianqing take the initiative like this.
“All right. Just submit the report.” Yun Zhen stroked the nine-colored deer’s smooth white fur. “But since you want to teach her, why not recommend her directly into Watercloud Sect’s inner sect?”
Qi Xianqing thought of what Yan Jue had said and answered, “Her nature is mischievous; she said the inner sect would be too tiring and that she doesn’t want to go in.”
“It’s rare for a disciple to not want to enter the inner sect.” A trace of interest flashed in Yun Zhen’s eyes. “I rather like teaching mischievous disciples... hahahahaha.”
Qi Xianqing’s brow moved.
She fell silent for a long time.
Then she said again, “Master, this disciple still has another matter to ask about.”
Yun Zhen’s expression was indulgent. “Go ahead.”
Qi Xianqing: “Although I borrowed Master’s black python whip last time, this disciple found...”
Yun Zhen smiled. “You couldn’t bear to discipline her, right?”
Qi Xianqing said nothing, which was as good as admitting it.
Some time ago, because the little fox baby had been wrecking the house, she had specially borrowed the black python whip from her master.
But for various reasons, she hadn’t managed to use it.
Yet a few days ago, when she returned to Frozen Peach Haven, she found that all the things in the house had been chewed up by the little fox.
The little fox was already nowhere to be seen.
Qi Xianqing stared at the mess on the floor for a long time before deciding to come ask her master about it.
Yun Zhen: “That’s normal. I also often can’t bear to hit Ajiu, but the problem of a spirit beast wrecking the house still has to be solved. After all, if the spirit beast is poorly disciplined, the one who loses face when going out is still yourself.”
Qi Xianqing: “May I ask how Master solves it?”
Yun Zhen lifted a hand lightly, and the black box over there opened in response.
Then something very round fell into her hand.
Yun Zhen tossed it to Qi Xianqing.
Qi Xianqing took one look and found that it was actually a... muzzle.
Yun Zhen: “No matter how naughty a little spirit beast is, once it’s wearing a muzzle, doesn’t it still have to behave? Ajiu has a very fiery temper. Whenever I take it out to play, I always have to put a muzzle on it!”