Volume 3, Chapter 199 – Knocked Down

“Women bearing children together, that’s an ability only possessed by fox demons from the demon realm.”

“In the human realm, the vast majority of information regarding fox demons has already been sealed by the Seven Great Sword Sects.”

“The world only knows that fox demons are beautiful and alluring, but never knows what kind of charm fox demons truly possess, or what kind of abilities they have.”

“I also only learned by chance from a clan disciple who joined a sword sect that female fox demons can also bear offspring with female sword cultivators.”

“Zhizhi, your mother was just an ordinary farm woman who never cultivated. How did she learn about such an absurd thing as female sword cultivators being able to bear children with women?”

After this question was asked, Chi Xiyan discovered that the girl before her had begun trembling lightly again.

She raised her hands to hug her own chest, her fair shoulders constantly shaking.

“Zhizhi… what’s wrong?” Chi Xiyan hastily asked. “Is the wound hurting again?”

Yes, and you’re the one who tore it open. Lu Zhuxin silently criticized.

However, though she thought this in her heart, outwardly she still spoke in a voice carrying a trace of suppression. “Mm… I’m fine…”

Chi Xiyan heard this voice, her eyes showing some concern. She said, “…Really fine?”

“I’m fine.” Lu Zhuxin lowered her head slightly, her voice low and hoarse. “…Sister, do you really want to know?”

“Zhizhi, do you not want to say?” Chi Xiyan asked.

“Mm…” Lu Zhuxin’s words paused. “If Sister wants to hear, then telling Sister is fine…”

“I once worked as a maid in a clan household in Nanhe Commandery… That clan also had a disciple who joined a sword sect…”

“I also only learned from that clan disciple’s casual conversation that fox clan women and female sword cultivators could bear offspring.”

“After returning home, I once told Mother about this as amusing gossip. I never expected she would remember it until now.”

This was an explanation Lu Zhuxin had prepared in advance.

That day, after the old woman had said those words, Lu Zhuxin had already guessed that Chi Xiyan would come inquire about this matter afterward.

“So that’s how it was.” Chi Xiyan didn’t suspect anything.

The Dao contract the two had signed showed no abnormal movement.

In Chi Xiyan’s view, Yu Lizhi also had no need to lie about such a matter.

Chi Xiyan continued asking, “Then… what about that son-in-law matter?”

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This one was indeed a bit hard to explain.

Lu Zhuxin was silent for a while.

The muscles on her body tensed tightly, and her voice trembled slightly.

“Sister… do you really want to know about my past?”

Chi Xiyan was slightly hesitant.

She wasn’t stupid. She could tell that something must have happened to this girl in the past.

Looking at Yu Lizhi’s reaction, it was very likely related to that “son-in-law” the old woman had mentioned.

Moreover, that so-called “son-in-law” was also a woman?

Could Yu Lizhi actually like women?

But during these past few days Chi Xiyan had spent with Yu Lizhi, she hadn’t seen anything abnormal about her at all.

Yu Lizhi was just an ordinary girl. How could she have such shocking thoughts?

“Zhizhi, I have no intention of prying into your past.” Chi Xiyan said. “If you feel you don’t want to say, I won’t force you either.”

Lu Zhuxin shook her head slightly. “This isn’t something I can’t tell Sister… it’s just that saying it might make Sister laugh at me…”

“I once liked someone…”

“A clan disciple, and also a sword sect disciple…”

“I met her and thought I had met my lifelong support…”

“I just never imagined… that entrusting my body and heart would bring unspeakable harm instead…”

“Sister… can the barriers brought by bloodline and status truly never be crossed?”

Though the girl’s tone was calm, Chi Xiyan could see that, as she spoke these words, her muscles unconsciously tensed.

The girl had removed her clothing, leaving her body completely bare.

Chi Xiyan could clearly capture these changes.

Although this girl’s tone had maintained a pretense of calm, her body’s instinctive reactions revealed her true emotions.

A young girl in the spring of youth, easily trusting others.

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And coincidentally meeting someone unsuitable, thus having an experience she was unwilling to recall.

Not all clan disciples possessed a good upbringing.

What kind of degenerates those clans raised, Chi Xiyan understood very clearly.

Talented, well-connected clan degenerates, how could they truly connect with an ordinary girl like Yu Lizhi?

They were just playing around.

Chi Xiyan could imagine the vile face of that clan disciple.

Perhaps she shouldn’t continue asking. Chi Xiyan thought.

“It’s okay, Zhizhi. It’s all in the past.” Chi Xiyan comforted the girl. “After the Chi family’s recognition ceremony ends, you’ll be the Chi family’s second young lady. With me here, no one will dare bully you anymore.”

“Bloodline, status—for you, these will no longer be problems.”

“The Chi family in Beihe Commandery is not inferior to any clan.”

“Mm…” Lu Zhuxin nodded lightly. “Sister is right. I shouldn’t think about those past matters anymore.”

“I’ll forget all the past events…”

“And also forget that person… together…”

“From now on, I won’t be that little girl who could be casually played with and deceived anymore…”

This should be enough to get past it, right? Lu Zhuxin thought.

The trouble left by that old woman had increased the difficulty of Lu Zhuxin’s conquest considerably.

“Zhizhi, if you can think this way, that’s best.” Seeing that her consolation seemed effective, Chi Xiyan’s face also showed a trace of relief.

“I almost forgot, I need to prepare the medicinal bath for you.”

Chi Xiyan walked to the table at the side and began processing the medicinal materials that had already been prepared in advance.

“Zhizhi, you’re not a cultivator. You have no spiritual energy in your body. External injuries on ordinary people recover very slowly, and may even leave ugly scars.”

“Combined with a medicinal bath, your wound can recover better.”

“When bathing, don’t worry about the medicinal liquid entering the wound. This liquid is meant for healing external injuries. What you need to watch out for is avoiding large movements, which would tear the external wound open again.”

Chi Xiyan instructed while using spiritual power to stimulate the medicinal properties of these materials.

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A rich medicinal fragrance slowly drifted out.

Lu Zhuxin looked at Chi Xiyan’s busy back and said softly, “Sister, your clothes were also dirtied by me. Why not wash them together while you’re at it?”

Hearing this, Chi Xiyan’s hand movements paused slightly. Her tone was somewhat strange as she said, “No need… After I finish treating you, I’ll go back and change clothes.”

Speaking to this point, she added another sentence. “I’m a cultivator. I don’t need to bathe like ordinary people do.”

“Oh.” Lu Zhuxin responded lightly.

At this moment, Chi Xiyan had already walked over carrying the medicine tray.

Seeing this, Lu Zhuxin suddenly conceived a plan.

“Sister, watch out!” Lu Zhuxin raised her hand to point at Chi Xiyan’s feet. “Some medicinal material fell on the ground!!”

As Lu Zhuxin spoke, the demonic power of the Eighth Realm great demon invisibly spread out.

Where Chi Xiyan’s foot was about to step, a small stone rose up.

“Eh?” Chi Xiyan felt an unusual sensation from beneath her foot.

She instinctively lifted her foot and stepped back half a step, while moving the medicine tray that was blocking her view aside, wanting to see what exactly had fallen on the ground.

However, just as Chi Xiyan’s gaze moved away from the medicine tray, she didn’t notice Lu Zhuxin’s fingertip lightly pointing into the void.

On that medicine tray, a pill that had originally been placed steadily suddenly began rolling along the slightly tilted tray.

Originally, Chi Xiyan’s medicine tray had been held very steadily and wouldn’t have had any problems.

But after Lu Zhuxin secretly acted.

That pill rapidly rolled down along the medicine tray, precisely rolling to where Chi Xiyan’s foot was landing.

Chi Xiyan hadn’t expected that this step would land on something.

Caught off guard for a moment, her form immediately became unstable. Holding the medicine tray, she pitched forward toward Lu Zhuxin, who was sitting by the bath pool.

Chi Xiyan only had time to cry out once before directly colliding with Lu Zhuxin, who hadn’t reacted yet.

With a splash, both people fell into the water together.

“ Glug glug …!!”

Lu Zhuxin flailed about in the water like a landlubber without any cultivation.

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“Zhizhi!”

Chi Xiyan hastily threw away the medicine tray in her hands and pulled the girl who had choked on several mouthfuls of water out of the pool.

“ Cough cough… cough cough cough! ” After surfacing, Lu Zhuxin coughed violently.

Chi Xiyan placed one hand gently on her shoulder, the other hand lightly patting the girl’s back.

After a moment, the girl stopped coughing.

“How are you? Feeling better?” Chi Xiyan asked.

“Mm… I’m fine, Sister.” Lu Zhuxin nodded slightly. “It’s just that it hurts a bit, and I can’t really lift my hand anymore.”

Chi Xiyan looked at the wound she had just treated, only to see fresh blood slowly seeping out from the wound again.

As expected, the wound that had just been treated had been torn open again in the recent accident.

Though it wasn’t very serious, in this condition, it was best not to let her move her arm casually.

“Zhizhi, your wound is fine. It just needs more rest.” Chi Xiyan said.

Lu Zhuxin sat in the pool water, lowering her head slightly, her tone dejected. “But if that’s the case… I have no way to wash myself…”

Chi Xiyan’s gaze shifted slightly. “I’ll go call two maids over to help you…”

“Sister!!” Lu Zhuxin called out to her, lightly biting her lip. “Does Sister dislike me this much…”

A trace of discomfort flashed across Chi Xiyan’s face. “I didn’t think that way…”

“Then why is Sister so unwilling to help me?” Lu Zhuxin said. “I already… said I don’t like others touching me.”

“But Sister insists on…”

Chi Xiyan waved her hands repeatedly. “Zhizhi, it’s not what you think…”

“I just…”

Helping someone treat a wound was already pushing her limits.

To go any further, she didn’t even dare think about it.

“Then… is Sister trying to avoid suspicion because I once liked a woman?”