Volume 3, Chapter 293 – Heard Some Rumors

The Fifth Realm assassin of Sin Moon Tower was reduced to nothing beneath the Wolf Clan elder’s beast staff, leaving behind only an unrecognizable heap on the ground.

The Wolf Clan elder put away his staff and looked down at the remains, a pensive light rising in his eyes.

He murmured to himself.

“Bu Lan…”

Bu Lan, the Wolf Clan prince, was Bu Lianshuang’s older brother.

Not long ago, he had met with misfortune and been taken captive.

Bu Lianshuang had come to human territory precisely to rescue her brother.

But the Wolf Clan elder had never expected to hear Bu Lan’s name from someone in Sin Moon Tower.

While the Wolf Clan elder was lost in thought, footsteps sounded behind him.

Several young fox demons.

Seeing that the Wolf Clan elder had dealt with the threat, they crept carefully closer.

The little foxes craned their necks and stretched their noses, lightly sniffing the air around them.

“Wow! He’s really gone! Not even a trace of that person’s scent left!”

“Wolf Uncle is amazing!” The young foxes, none of them very old, clustered around the Wolf Clan elder with their eyes full of little stars. “Wolf Uncle, Wolf Uncle! I wish the Fox Clan could be as strong as the Wolf Clan!”

Hearing the flattery from these young Fox Clan juniors, the Wolf Clan elder came back to himself.

With these adorable little foxes calling him “Wolf Uncle” one after another, even his weathered old face had trouble keeping its composure.

The Wolf Clan’s little pups were each and every one unruly little troublemakers. Wild and mischievous, enough to make even a dog worry.

None of them were as sweet and well-behaved as these Fox Clan girls.

No wonder the various clans outside all liked fox demons so much. Who could hold out against this?

“ Ahem …” The Wolf Clan elder gave a light cough. “It was nothing. Not worth mentioning.”

He stroked his white beard. “If I were a few years younger, a small fry like that wouldn’t even need a weapon. One light jab of my finger would have been enough to punch clean through his heart.”

This was no empty boast. His body carried old hidden injuries from years past, and age had left him weak. His condition was long past its peak, his strength having slipped quite a bit.

Of course, whether at his peak or not, killing a Fifth Realm little assassin was still effortless.

“Wolf Uncle is truly amazing!” The little foxes’ eyes grew even brighter at that. “You made it look so easy, doing something the Fox Clan could never do!”

That the Fox Clan had weak combat power was common knowledge.

“Aiya, don’t say such things!” the Wolf Clan elder said hastily. “If the Fox Monarch herself were to act, it would be even easier than this!”

He couldn’t quite handle the little foxes’ enthusiasm, so he quickly brought up the Fox Monarch to change the subject.

“No, no, no, that’s completely different!” the little foxes said. “The Fox Monarch is the Fox Clan’s god. She’s not on the same level as Wolf Uncle!”

The Wolf Clan elder couldn’t help a wry smile at that. “The Fox Monarch is an Eighth Realm great demon. I truly cannot compare.”

Just then, an older fox demon woman walked over. “Alright, enough. Stop fooling around. It’s time to get to work.”

“If you delay the task, watch out for the Fox Monarch punishing you till your backsides are blooming!”

The little foxes immediately clapped their hands over their mouths.

“Ah! Understood! We’ll get to it right away!”

With that, the little foxes immediately sprang into action.

They came trotting over carrying cleaning tools and began tidying up the remains on the ground.

The older fox demon gave the Wolf Clan elder an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Elder. The little foxes don’t know any better. We’ve caused you trouble.”

The Wolf Clan elder smiled. “It’s fine, really. It’s fine.”

“Children ought to have some energy to them.”

Compared to the Wolf Clan pups who, if not given something to do for three days, would be tearing the roof off their homes, the little foxes were so much more endearing.

But thinking of those pups made the Wolf Clan elder think of Bu Lan.

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Bu Lan, that Wolf Clan prince, had been raised by his own hand.

The Wolf Clan had many princes. Bu Lan was not particularly notable among them.

But to him, a child he had raised himself naturally held a special place.

Thinking of Bu Lan still being missing with no news, a shadow crept back over the Wolf Clan elder’s heart.

The older fox demon noticed the shift in his expression. She smiled gently. “Elder, are you thinking about Bu Lan?”

The Wolf Clan elder nodded, a bitter smile on his lips. “Princess Lianshuang and I came here precisely to find Prince Bu Lan.”

“But we never imagined that after arriving on human territory, things would go wrong at every turn. Had it not been for the Fox Clan’s support, the princess and I might well be prisoners of the humans by now.”

When the Sin Moon Tower man had spoken Bu Lan’s name just now, the Wolf Clan elder had indeed hesitated for a moment.

He had genuinely considered keeping the man alive long enough to extract Bu Lan’s whereabouts from him.

But humans were treacherous. They had already been burned by that sort of thing once before.

And besides, eliminating this Sin Moon Tower contact point had been the Fox Clan’s request.

The Fox Clan had asked him to kill. How could he act on his own judgment and leave a threat alive?

He had also worried that the human might seize the opportunity to make threats and raise troublesome demands.

The Wolf Clan valued honesty and loyalty. To avoid further complications, the Wolf Clan elder had ultimately chosen to eliminate the man outright.

“It is only a pity… that after being delayed in the human empire for so long, we still have not received even a scrap of news about Prince Bu Lan.” The Wolf Clan elder let out a long sigh.

The fox demon smiled. “Elder, there is no need to worry. Since the Fox Clan has given its word to the Wolf Clan, we will not go back on it.”

“In fact, we have already obtained some leads on Prince Bu Lan. It is just that they have not been verified yet, so it is not proper to speak of them in detail.”

“Please rest assured, Elder. Once the trouble in Beihe Commandery is resolved, the Fox Clan will do everything in its power to help the Wolf Clan investigate Prince Bu Lan’s whereabouts.”

The fox demon paused, then added, “Moreover, this is also the Fox Monarch’s personal order.”

“The Fox Monarch’s order.” Surprise flickered through the Wolf Clan elder’s eyes.

He had not expected that the Eighth Realm Fox Monarch would personally concern herself with this matter.

If it was the Fox Monarch’s promise, then it was certainly trustworthy.

The Fox Clan was one of the four great powers of the Demon Territory. The four clans stood as one. The Fox Clan had no reason to lie about something like this.

With the Fox Clan’s assurance, much of the weight lifted from the Wolf Clan elder’s heart.

“If it is the Fox Monarch’s order, then I am at ease.”

While the two of them were speaking, the little foxes had already finished cleaning the battlefield.

“Ta-dah!”

“Sister, we’re done cleaning!”

The ground had been swept spotless. The alley looked exactly as it had before, with no trace that a completely one-sided battle had ever taken place here.

Not even the faintest smell of blood lingered.

After finishing the cleanup, the little foxes had also scattered a special scented incense, erasing every trace of foreign scent left in the area.

For all their small size, these little foxes were meticulous. This was precisely the foundation that allowed the Fox Clan to conduct safe, hidden operations among humans.

Had it not been for the sacrifices of generation after generation of fox demons, those alive today would not enjoy even this much stability.

Though “stable” was hardly the right word when surrounded by enemies on all sides.

“Wolf Uncle! Wolf Uncle!” The little foxes crowded in front of the Wolf Clan elder, practically preening for praise.

“How did we do with the cleaning?”

The little foxes circled the Wolf Clan elder, tilting their heads back to look up at him, their faces plastered with expressions that screamed “praise us, praise us.”

The Wolf Clan elder’s old face couldn’t help but soften into a warm smile.

He reached into his storage space and produced a few pieces of dried ice lotus fruit, distributing them among the little foxes.

“This is a specialty snack from our Wolf Clan ice plains. See if you like it.”

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“If you do, Wolf Uncle will bring you some more next time.”

The little foxes cradled the dried fruit in both hands, munching away happily. Then they turned sweet smiles up at the Wolf Clan elder.

“Thank you, Wolf Uncle! The fruit is so yummy!”

“Wolf Uncle is so nice! Not scary at all, not like what the older sisters said!”

The Wolf Clan, scary?

The Wolf Clan elder was baffled.

The Wolf Clan was simply a bit more straightforward in how they did things, that was all.

These thoughts he kept to himself, of course.

Faced with this group of adorable Fox Clan girls, his old face was all smiles. “As long as you enjoy it! As long as you enjoy it!”

The older fox demon standing nearby was left staring.

Bringing a few little fox cubs to the Wolf Clan elder’s side had been the Fox Monarch’s idea.

According to Lu Zhuxin, an elderly man who had spent his years alone like this wanted nothing more than the warmth of family in his old age.

Put a few adorable little juniors around him, and he wouldn’t be able to hold out.

“The Fox Monarch truly sees everything before it happens.”

***

Qin Qingfen returned to the Chi residence, her heart pounding nonstop.

Though the Sin Moon Tower man had not given her a clear promise, if a drug like the one she needed truly existed within Sin Moon Tower, her chances were very good.

Even now, back at the Chi residence, the excitement and tension coursing through her would not settle.

After all, this time was different from before. When she had hired killers to assassinate Yu Lizhi, she had not been personally involved and had felt no real sense of participation.

But this time, if she could get her hands on the drug, she could send that girl to her ruin with her own hands.

Personally doing it and watching from a distance were two completely different feelings.

Just imagining that vixen ending up the same way as that Miss Chen of the Chen family made Qin Qingfen practically vibrate with excitement.

Once the excitement in her chest had settled a little, Qin Qingfen thought of Chi Xiyan.

“I should go see Xiyan.”

“She is a clever child. She has only been blinded by that vixen for now. If I can make her see that girl’s true face, perhaps she will come to her senses.”

With that thought, Qin Qingfen acted without delay, pushing the door open and stepping out.

It was nearly evening now, the busy day drawing to a close. Most of the residence’s people had already retired, and the courtyard was quiet with few people about.

Qin Qingfen knew that by habit, Chi Xiyan would be in her study reading at this hour.

So she took a shortcut directly to the study.

Through the window, she could see Chi Xiyan inside, poring over something.

She seemed troubled. Her elegant brows were tightly knit.

“Lingxiao Sword Sect… Immortal Venerable Qingzhi… Sword Dao Sacred Physique…”

“Sigh… this Sword Dao Sacred Physique is such a mystery. I cannot find a single useful record.”

Chi Xiyan let out a quiet, weary sigh.

She had intended to look deeper into Yu Lizhi’s special constitution, but after going through every text in the Chi family’s collection, she had found that records of the Sword Dao Sacred Physique in the wider world were almost nonexistent.

In most texts, references to the Sword Dao Sacred Physique amounted to only a few sparse lines.

The constitution was simply too rare. Only two instances had ever been documented in detail throughout history.

And in most legitimate sources, even those brief mentions did little more than name the Innate Supreme Sword Dao Sacred Physique and nothing more.

It was actually the unreliable fringe texts and unofficial histories that dedicated the most ink to the Sword Dao Sacred Physique.

Though even that extra ink was mostly spent lavishing praise on how extraordinary the constitution was.

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Things like: every sword technique passed down in the world, a Sword Dao Sacred Physique practitioner could grasp with a single glance and master instantly.

A Sword Dao Sacred Physique practitioner encountered almost no bottlenecks in sword cultivation.

Those were at least relatively grounded descriptions. Some of the more exaggerated accounts depicted a Sword Dao Sacred Physique practitioner as something close to a saint born into the world.

From the moment of their birth, they were destined to become a supreme exalted one.

The favorite of the world, the agent of Heavenly Dao made flesh.

By comparison, Chi Xiyan was starting to think the earlier idea of “reincarnation of a sword venerable” was actually more believable.

After finishing yet another useless text, Chi Xiyan rubbed her aching head, then looked up to find Qin Qingfen walking in.

Seeing Qin Qingfen, something complicated passed through Chi Xiyan’s eyes.

She still held some feelings for her nursemaid, naturally.

Though Chi Xiyan was also well aware that her nursemaid’s intentions toward her were not entirely pure. Qin Qingfen stayed at her side only because she wanted to lean on her and enjoy the Chi family’s wealth and comfort.

That was not really wrong, in itself, and Qin Qingfen’s loyalty to her was beyond question.

Her nursemaid had raised her, and Chi Xiyan had no objection to Qin Qingfen living out her old age in comfort at the Chi residence.

But all of that was contingent on one thing: Qin Qingfen not making trouble for her.

What Qin Qingfen had been doing lately had gone far too far.

For reasons Chi Xiyan could not fathom, she harbored deep hostility toward Yu Lizhi and had repeatedly taken action against her.

Acting without authorization, refusing to listen to anyone.

Chi Xiyan had warned her more than once, yet she continued on her own course without wavering. She had even committed a serious blunder right in front of the Demon Suppression Bureau’s eyes.

For Chi Xiyan to shield her even once more was already the full extent of what she owed her.

Now, Yu Lizhi had been confirmed as a Sword Dao Sacred Physique practitioner. Her importance to the Chi family was incomparable to before.

If Qin Qingfen continued on her reckless path and did something harmful to Yu Lizhi, Chi Xiyan no longer knew how she could protect her.

At that thought, Chi Xiyan pressed her throbbing forehead and said, “Auntie, did you come to find me for something?”

“Xiyan…” Qin Qingfen looked at the girl she had raised with her own hands, and something complicated moved through her.

She had taught this girl every rule of survival she knew about the inner workings of great families.

And yet she had never imagined that the girl she raised would end up cradling a filthy, reeking little vixen in the palm of her hand like a precious treasure.

Poor judgment, misplaced trust. In the end, it led to the same fate as Miss Chen of the Chen family.

“Xiyan, today out on the streets, I heard some gossip. So I thought I would come see you.”

“Gossip?” Chi Xiyan’s brow furrowed slightly.

Her first thought was that word had leaked about Yu Lizhi being a Sword Dao Sacred Physique practitioner.

She had received word today that rumors of a sword cultivation prodigy appearing in the Chi family had begun circulating outside, though no one seemed to know quite when they had started.

Normally, such rumors would not be worth paying attention to.

But right now, the Chi family genuinely did have a Sword Dao Sacred Physique practitioner in its midst.

So Chi Xiyan could not help but wonder whether someone had leaked information about Yu Lizhi.

With that thought, Chi Xiyan’s brow tightened, her expression turning serious. “Auntie, what kind of rumors did you hear?”

Seeing that Chi Xiyan was willing to listen, Qin Qingfen felt a small surge of relief.

What she had feared most was that Chi Xiyan, for the sake of that vixen, would no longer hear a word she said.

If her trusted confidants were pushed away and good counsel drowned out, then Chi Xiyan would truly be following in Miss Chen’s footsteps.

But looking at her now, Xiyan was still her Xiyan.

Xiyan was a clever and sensible child. She would not be so easily deceived.

Qin Qingfen settled herself in front of Chi Xiyan’s desk and said, “Xiyan, have you heard about the tragedy of the Chen family in the north of the city?”

“The Chen family in the north of the city?” Chi Xiyan’s delicate brows drew together.

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She had no particular memory of the name. It was probably just some unremarkable minor family.

After thinking for a moment and coming up with nothing, she asked, “Is the rumor coming from the Chen family?”

“It isn’t a rumor!” Qin Qingfen said, her expression grave. “It is fact!”

Chi Xiyan’s eyes cooled slightly. “Auntie, explain clearly. What are their rumors to the Chi family?”

“Of course, I understand.” Qin Qingfen gave a small nod. “I came to find you precisely to warn you. Do not let the Chi family end up like the Chen family.”

Chi Xiyan frowned. “Auntie, what are you talking about? Is this rumor about Little Xue’er coming from the Chen family or not?”

“Ah? What rumor you ask?” Qin Qingfen said. “Xiyan, Miss Chen of the Chen family couldn’t see people clearly, she trusted the wrong person, and in the end that’s how she came to such a fate. I don’t want to see the same thing happen to you!”

Chi Xiyan pressed her hand over her face in pained silence.

She had just realized that from start to finish, she and Qin Qingfen had been talking completely past each other.

She was almost driven to laughter by Qin Qingfen. When a person was rendered utterly speechless, they really did sometimes laugh.

Chi Xiyan held down her irritation. “Auntie, what rumors did you actually hear?”

“Oh, you don’t know about it?” Qin Qingfen looked surprised. “I thought you already knew.”

“Tell me,” Chi Xiyan said coldly.

She did want to know, actually. What kind of story could have sent Qin Qingfen all the way to find her this late in the evening?

Qin Qingfen collected herself and spoke slowly. “This is what happened. When I went out today, I ran into two maidservants who were chatting about the Chen family in the north of the city…”

She then proceeded to recount Miss Chen’s ordeal again, with considerable embellishment.

Of course, she left out the part about the second miss using a drug. She said only that the second miss had used some trick.

Because Qin Qingfen herself intended to use a similar method against Yu Lizhi, and if Chi Xiyan caught on, it would all be for nothing.

Chi Xiyan held her irritation in check and listened patiently to Qin Qingfen’s account.

Gradually she began to sense something off about it, and her expression grew darker and darker.

When Qin Qingfen finally finished, Chi Xiyan let out a cold laugh.

“So, Auntie. That is what you came to tell me?”

“You think I can’t see people clearly, and that Little Xue’er is going to bring about my ruin?”

Qin Qingfen startled. Chi Xiyan’s reaction was not what she had expected.

Chi Xiyan pressed hard at her temples. “I’m practically begging you, Auntie.”

“Please stop going after Little Xue’er, all right?”

“You two stay out of each other’s way. She won’t provoke you, so don’t go looking for trouble with her.”

“With me here, Little Xue’er won’t cause you any grief. You are free to live out your days in comfort at the Chi residence.”

Qin Qingfen stared at Chi Xiyan, frozen.

A chill crept up her spine.

She had been wrong. Xiyan had gone completely over to that vixen’s side, deaf to any counsel.

Chi Xiyan pressed her forehead and waved a hand at Qin Qingfen. “All right. Auntie, please go. I still have things to do.”

“Don’t come to me over something so small again.”

What weighed on her right now was the entire Chi family’s future. What she was turning over in her mind was how the Chi family should face the crises ahead.

She had no time at all for Qin Qingfen’s petty and troublesome temperament.

Qin Qingfen clenched her fists. She looked at Chi Xiyan for a long moment.

“All right, Xiyan.”

“It was Auntie’s fault. Auntie shouldn’t have come to bother you.”

With that, Qin Qingfen walked out.