In the Eastern Region, at the foot of Tian Xuan Sect.
Jiang Huai planned to spend some time with Wen Fufu. According to Wen Fufu, if she hadn’t known Jiang Huai was back, she could have spent her days leisurely eating, sleeping, and petting Doudou in the courtyard. But now that she knew Jiang Huai was back, she couldn’t spend a single day without seeing him, leaving her feeling restless. She didn’t even want to pet Doudou anymore.
When Jiang Huai pushed open the door, Fufu was pretending to practice swordplay in the courtyard. Jiang Huai came to her side to teach her. Fufu, soft and pliant, liked to snuggle into his embrace, completely unfocused. Jiang Huai, flustered, grabbed the strap of her dress. The strap was pulled to her waist, and she crossed her arms, her face a picture of alarm. “Brother-in-law, that’s too much. It’s broad daylight.”
“Kiss.”
“No, no, no, no,” Wen Fufu retreated like a frightened little rabbit until Jiang Huai cornered her by a tree. Her back touched the tree, and realizing she had nowhere left to run, Wen Fufu feigned turning her face away. She dropped her crossed arms and held her hands high above her head obediently. “Then I’ll reluctantly let Brother-in-law kiss me.”
…
Noon.
Jiang Huai was summoned by the Sound Transmission Spirit Jade and taken away by Li Qiushan.
He had always been idle at Tian Xuan Sect. This jade token was given to him by Li Qiushan long ago, serving as proof of his status as the Saint Son of the sect. Even after he had lost his cultivation, Li Qiushan had never taken the jade token back.
“Sect Master, what do you need me for?”
At this moment, Li Qiushan was holding a teacup, gazing at Jiang Huai. Upon sensing his cultivation level, he was first slightly stunned. “Your cultivation level?”
“I simply repaired my Qi Sea. My cultivation level is currently fixed at this point.” Jiang Huai answered frankly. Li Qiushan suppressed the surprise in his eyes and nodded gently, then smiled. “It’s nothing major. I just wanted to ask if you have time this afternoon to be in charge of the assessment for those disciples from aristocratic families?”
Jiang Huai scratched his head. “Why would such a task fall to me?”
Generally, the assessment for new disciples was personally handled by the minor elders of the sect. Li Qiushan quickly explained the reason behind it. “You shone brightly at the Eastern Region Grand Competition. As a result, many young rogue cultivators or disciples from capable aristocratic families who haven’t yet joined a sect want to seek an immortal destiny at Tian Xuan Sect. Now that Tian Xuan Sect is holding its autumn recruitment, we want you to assess those disciples and let them meet you.”
This was treating him as the face of Tian Xuan Sect’s younger generation. As Wen Wanwan was also away from the sect, and Jiang Huai had nothing else to do, he naturally agreed. So, he went to the North Mountain Gate, responsible for the sect’s assessments, to act as the referee for the competition among these potential new disciples.
Most of these disciples were children from cultivation aristocratic families, and they all possessed Foundation Establishment cultivation. They were directly seeking an opportunity to train in the Inner Sect for a few years. Most of them were quite young, only sixteen or seventeen years old.
Jiang Huai was responsible for bringing a chair and sitting aside, watching them in their ornate robes, holding precious Spirit Swords, preparing for the competition. The autumn weather was cool and pleasant. Jiang Huai watched lazily, not paying too much attention at first. Until he saw a person wrapped in a black robe, almost completely concealing their face, appear in the crowd. For some reason, he suddenly sensed that the aura was somewhat familiar.
Familiar?
Jiang Huai immediately sat up a bit straighter, focusing his gaze. But the black-robed person had their back to him, so he couldn’t see clearly. It wasn’t until her match began and she stepped onto the stage, feigning to hide her cultivation and projecting a Foundation Establishment aura, that Jiang Huai’s eyes twitched slightly. He stood up directly, walked onto the stage, first sent the aristocratic family disciple who was competing against her away, and then stared intently at the black-robed person in front of him.
“Why are you in the Eastern Region?”
At this moment, he was still somewhat surprised. But the black-robed person in front of him stopped pretending altogether, removed the hood that concealed her face, revealing a face that was almost devastatingly beautiful.
“I’ve come to the Eastern Region to study the Way of Talismans and Formations.” Su Qingyi’s voice was still as cold and aloof as ever.
“Human clan sects do not accept the Monster Clan, you silly.” Jiang Huai looked at her eyebrows helplessly. Su Qingyi, however, took out a large pile of spirit stone notes. “I’ve brought plenty of spirit stones and am willing to spend them at your sect. One million spirit stones for a year of study. Your sect should have no reason to refuse.”
“…” Jiang Huai shrugged helplessly. “It’s not a matter of money. The Eastern Region humans have always been xenophobic. Generally, they are unwilling to accept a Monster Clan member as a disciple.”
“Then will you accept me as a disciple?” Su Qingyi’s eyes were filled with a smile, and the snow-white fox ears on her jet-black hair twitched slightly.
Jiang Huai was rendered even more speechless. “No.”
“Why not?”
“I’m very busy.” Jiang Huai replied righteously.
Su Qingyi bit her lip gently, looking at Jiang Huai’s cheek. “I just need a small room and some books on formations and talismans. I can stay there and study on my own.”
“Then can’t you study slowly in the Western Region? Why did you come all the way to the Eastern Region?”
“The Western Region no longer needs me. With my mother there, the Snake Clan and the Fox Clan are no longer at war. She can handle everything very well.” A trace of stubbornness flickered in Su Qingyi’s eyes. “So, I came to the Eastern Region.”
“The Fox Clan doesn’t need you, so you ran away?”
“I didn’t sneak away. My mother agreed to let me leave the Fox Clan to cultivate for a while.” Su Qingyi tilted her head slightly. “I don’t know where to go now, so can you take me in?”
Jiang Huai looked at her with utter helplessness. At this moment, the two of them on the stage had already attracted the attention of most of the disciples. With Su Qingyi’s beauty, she would be the focus of attention wherever she stood. Yet now, she was in front of Jiang Huai, seemingly speaking softly and acting cute. Jiang Huai immediately pulled her off the stage and sat down beside her on a chair.
Jiang Huai first asked the elder beside him to judge the match on his behalf, and then he began to reason with Su Qingyi beside him.
Now that her identity had been seen through, Su Qingyi no longer hid. Her eyes were fixed on him, her delicate pink tongue lightly licking her lips, as if Jiang Huai were some delicious dish.
“I’m very easy to take care of,” she said.
“It’s not about being easy to take care of, it’s about you coming to the Eastern Region…”
“In order to learn talismans and formations, which I can then pass back to the Western Region.” Su Qingyi’s eyes turned pitiful again. They say women are born actors, and Fox Girls are no exception.
“Sects in the Eastern Region will not accept you.”
“Then accept me?”
“No.” Jiang Huai shook his head. “Humans and demons are different paths. Our statuses are worlds apart. I am the Saint Son of Tian Xuan Sect, and you are not worthy of me.”
Su Qingyi was instantly filled with irritation. Her Body Integration first-level cultivation was immediately unleashed. In terms of cultivation alone, she could suppress Jiang Huai by a lot. It was precisely because she unleashed her cultivation that all the cultivators present were stunned. Several elders in the Body Integration realm even broke into a cold sweat, as if facing a formidable enemy.
After all, her bloodline also carried a natural pressure on the soul. But fortunately, the elders had not yet drawn their swords when Su Qingyi grabbed Jiang Huai’s arm and began to act spoiled. “Please, please accept me. I’m very well-behaved. I can practice swordplay with you during the day, warm your bed at night, and let you play with my tail. Please!”
Su Qingyi held onto Jiang Huai’s arm tightly, her soft chest wrapping around his arm so tightly that Jiang Huai couldn’t pull it out at all. He looked at the Fox Girl in front of him, then glanced around. The crowd was now looking at the two of them with surprise. He turned back to Su Qingyi. “I really don’t have time to teach you formations and talismans.”
“I can study on my own. I’m very obedient and know how to live under someone’s roof. I don’t have any princess temper; don’t worry.” Su Qingyi winked playfully at him.
Jiang Huai didn’t doubt this point. Su Qingyi was clearly very worldly-wise.
Jiang Huai suddenly remembered that Su Qingyi was three years older than him. The Fox Girl in front of him was already twenty-three years old. He felt his heart in chaos from her shaking. “Can you stop shaking me?”
“Okay.” Su Qingyi immediately became obedient, but she still refused to let go of Jiang Huai’s arm, as if she was sticking to him.
“Are you really here to learn talismans and formations?”
“Of course. And partly because the Fox Clan doesn’t need me anymore, and I want to go out into the world to get some fresh air. I’ve been so suffocated all these years. Now that I’m relaxed, I don’t have any relatives or friends elsewhere, so I’ve come to rely on you.”
“I can arrange a place for you to live.” As soon as Jiang Huai finished speaking, Su Qingyi’s eyes lit up brilliantly, as if she were about to pounce forward and kiss him. Jiang Huai, as if expecting it, reached out and pushed away Su Qingyi’s snow-white and tender little face.
“Down with the Fox Girl!”
“Can you be mindful of your image in front of outsiders?”
“I’m not in the Fox Clan anyway, and I’m no longer the Grand Princess of the Fox Clan. I’m Brother Jiang Huai’s pet little fox now.” Su Qingyi leaned into Jiang Huai’s ear, her voice soft and charming. The next moment, she was angrily given a light tap on the forehead by Jiang Huai.
She covered her head and looked at him aggrievedly. She heard Jiang Huai say, “I can arrange a place for you to stay, but that’s all. Even so, you have to agree to three conditions before I can help you stay here.”
“You say them,” Su Qingyi’s fox tail had, at some point, emerged from behind her black robe. The tip of her tail swayed around Jiang Huai, clearly very happy. Before Jiang Huai could speak, she continued, “I can help Master bathe, warm his bed, and clean the courtyard.”
“The first condition is to agree to be an obedient Fox Girl and not to be so frivolous in front of me.”
“Oh…” Su Qingyi immediately withdrew all the flirtatiousness from her face. In an instant, her expression became cold and aloof, and even her slender waist sat straighter. Her tiptoes were slightly tensed. Her proper posture instantly seemed to add a touch of nobility to her, as if she were an ethereal fairy from heaven, not some lowly Fox Girl.
“Like this?” Su Qingyi turned her head, her eyes looking at him coldly. There seemed to be a faint smile at the corner of her lips, but it was by no means ambiguous, merely gentle.
“The second condition is to be as obedient as possible and cause as little trouble as possible. If you suffer any grievances in the Eastern Region, tell me first, and I will decide for you, rather than acting on your own. Do you understand?”
“Understood.” The Fox Girl nodded enthusiastically, like a puppy.
This was also because Jiang Huai was afraid she would cause trouble in the Eastern Region. Although she was the Grand Princess of the Fox Clan, even the gods could not help those who were far away. It was better to be safe.
“The third condition…”
Before Jiang Huai could finish speaking, Su Qingyi’s eyes were still full of anticipation, as if waiting for him to give an order. At that moment, Jiang Huai suddenly seemed to realize something. He reached out and pinched her cheek. “I haven’t thought of the third condition yet. We’ll talk about it later. Sit here obediently for now. I have something to do. After I’m done, I’ll take you to a courtyard.”
Jiang Huai planned to arrange for her to live with Wen Fufu for a while. If he rashly brought Su Qingyi back to his courtyard… it was hard to imagine how Chu Xianning wouldn’t accidentally kick him countless times a day with her white and tender little feet.
“The first condition is the most important, understand?” Jiang Huai looked at Su Qingyi’s eyelashes.
“Understood,” Su Qingyi’s voice in reply was also clear and cold, as if she had successfully gotten into character and was earnestly playing the role of her aloof Fox Clan princess again.
In an instant, Jiang Huai suddenly understood.
This girl was simply looking for a good place to slack off in the Eastern Region now that the Fox Clan no longer needed her. He couldn’t be too nice to her; the nicer he was to this Fox Girl, the better she would be at pushing her luck.
