Volume 1, Chapter 78 – “Evidence”

Song Shiyuan could sense the urgency in the little fox demon’s words.

She understood the little fox demon had always been anxious about her future and fate.

Thinking of this, Song Shiyuan’s heart couldn’t help but rise with tender affection. She reached out to pull the little fox demon into her embrace.

“It’s alright. Things will get better.”

“I’m still here.”

Lu Zhuxin, suddenly embraced, blinked her eyes slightly.

Little Shiyuan seemed to have misunderstood something again, but it didn’t matter. This was also good.

…

Hu Xian’er’s study was located in the middle section of the Fox Palace, in a place fairly close to the Fox Monarch’s main hall.

Thanks to the fox demons’ trust in the Fox Palace’s formation restrictions, guards were never stationed within the Fox Palace.

At first, Song Shiyuan didn’t quite understand this.

After all, even in Lingxiao Sword Sect with its strict rules, patrolling disciples would be assigned to make rounds within the sect.

But the Fox Palace where the fox clan’s Fox Monarch resided had none of these things at all.

After Song Shiyuan had stayed in the Fox Palace for a while, she understood why.

The fox demons who could reside in this Fox Palace were absolutely loyal to the Fox Monarch.

No fox demon would disrespect the Fox Monarch, nor could they do anything to betray the Fox Monarch.

Except…

Song Shiyuan looked toward the cautious little fox demon ahead.

For the little fox demon, choosing to betray the Fox Monarch and betray her own kind must also be a very painful decision.

Thinking of this, Song Shiyuan sighed lightly in her heart.

At this moment, the little fox demon suddenly grabbed Song Shiyuan’s hand.

She gently pressed two fingers to her lips.

“Shh! There seems to be someone inside.”

Hearing this, Song Shiyuan’s wandering thoughts were finally pulled back.

She followed the little fox demon, holding her breath and hiding behind a corner of a wall.

She could see the room ahead still had dim lamplight burning.

Voices could faintly be heard from inside.

This was Hu Xian’er’s study where she handled Fox Palace affairs? Song Shiyuan furrowed her brows slightly.

This room looked plain and ordinary, no different from the common courtyards beside it.

Without the little fox demon’s guidance, Song Shiyuan truly wouldn’t have thought this could be such an important place.

Ordinary and plain was the best disguise.

“There are people inside. What should we do now?” The little fox demon quietly asked Song Shiyuan.

Song Shiyuan could see her nervousness.

“Let’s leave temporarily for now. We’ll come back next time.” Song Shiyuan said.

“No…” Hearing this, the little fox demon stubbornly shook her head.

Song Shiyuan frowned. “Axi?”

“I don’t have that much time to wait for opportunities.” The little fox demon said.

She paused her words, pondered for a moment, and her eyes became determined again.

“I’ll take you through the restrictions first. After we get inside, you find a place to hide.”

“Then I’ll try my best to stall them or draw them away.”

“You hurry inside and find what you’re looking for.”

Song Shiyuan pressed her lips together. She had wanted to tell the little fox demon not to force herself so much, but seeing her expression at this moment, she knew she couldn’t dissuade her.

So she nodded.

“Be… very careful.” She said.

The little fox demon said, “I’ll be fine.”

“The fox demon sisters in the Fox Palace generally won’t suspect familiar sisters.”

Song Shiyuan was silent. She deeply felt this point. The fox demons in the Fox Palace also didn’t have much wariness toward her.

The little fox demon took Song Shiyuan’s hand. “Come, follow me in.”

As she spoke, she reached out and lightly tapped the restriction sealing the room’s door.

The originally completely sealed restriction rippled open like water waves.

The little fox demon pulled Song Shiyuan and they rushed through.

With a fox demon helping to clear the way, the restriction ahead was now completely unguarded toward Song Shiyuan.

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“Go.” The little fox demon gave Song Shiyuan a light push.

Song Shiyuan understood. She circulated her spiritual power to conceal her presence and darted to the side.

She detected two fox demons conversing directly ahead.

Both were around three-tailed, not strong, unable to detect Song Shiyuan’s traces.

After watching Song Shiyuan leave, the little fox demon walked toward the two fox demons ahead with a sweet smile on her face.

“Elder sisters, it’s so late, what are you still doing here?”

The two three-tailed fox demons: “…”

…

Song Shiyuan heard the voices fade. She didn’t dare linger in the courtyard.

Fortunately, the fox demons in the Fox Palace were extremely confident in the Fox Palace’s security.

Aside from the defensive restriction at the courtyard entrance, there were no other defensive measures.

After entering the courtyard, Song Shiyuan very smoothly circled around from the front and pushed open a side window to climb through.

Hu Xian’er’s study was very much like what Song Shiyuan had seen in storybooks. A human emperor’s imperial study where memorials and government affairs were handled.

The desk was piled high with all kinds of scrolls and letters.

These scrolls and letters were mostly stained with faint spiritual energy.

Song Shiyuan knew these things should all have restrictions attached. Outsiders couldn’t casually read them.

Presumably, they should be very important secrets within the fox clan.

Song Shiyuan thought of the little fox demon’s earlier description of Hu Xian’er.

The nine-tailed World-Ending Fox Monarch probably wouldn’t handle affairs.

The burden of managing the Fox Palace and the fox clan’s various matters almost all fell on Hu Xian’er alone.

Even some fairly important matters within the fox clan were handled by Hu Xian’er.

Although she was merely the Fox Palace’s steward, the affairs she managed had long since extended beyond just within the Fox Palace.

“That Hu Xian’er… is almost like the fox demon clan’s prime minister.”

Song Shiyuan thought about it. Only this description was fairly appropriate.

Song Shiyuan had no intention of spying on fox clan secrets. Moreover, these things all had restrictions attached. She also worried that casually touching them would leave traces and arouse Hu Xian’er’s suspicion.

Song Shiyuan moved her gaze away from Hu Xian’er’s desk.

She searched around the study and finally found what she was looking for on a bookshelf behind the study.

An ancient-style gilded giant sword, inserted in a wooden sword stand.

Looking at that sword, Song Shiyuan’s eyes couldn’t help but dim.

Seeing this sword again, those memories she had pressed to the bottom of her heart, already hazy, began surfacing again.

“Hah…”

Song Shiyuan closed her eyes slightly, pressing down the memories in her heart.

She took a deep breath and grasped the gilded giant sword before her. The ancient sect sword that had been tempered a thousand times contained terrifying sword qi that was difficult to put into words.

Falling into Song Shiyuan’s hands, that surging sword qi seemed about to tear her palm apart.

Song Shiyuan put away the gilded ancient sword and took out the fake sword she had prepared beforehand.

This fake sword was given by Huang Shangshang.

If she directly took away the gilded sword, when Hu Xian’er returned and discovered the sword was gone, that would be troublesome.

So she needed to prepare a fake sword to replace the original real sword.

Fox demons liked yang energy but wouldn’t like the warlike and slaughtering sword qi. This sword in a fox demon’s hands, aside from serving as a war trophy to be displayed as decoration, had no other use.

Even if she replaced it with a fake sword, those fox demons wouldn’t discover it for a while.

By the time Hu Xian’er discovered the sword had been switched, perhaps they would have already successfully escaped the Fox Palace.

Song Shiyuan inserted the fake sword where the real sword had originally been placed, preparing to leave.

After walking a few steps, she was suddenly drawn by letters on a nearby bookshelf.

She seemed to have just seen that the handwriting on those letters looked somewhat familiar.

Song Shiyuan furrowed her brows. Reason told her that now that she had already obtained what she wanted, she should leave immediately and shouldn’t continue lingering.

Moreover, the little fox demon was still waiting outside. If she delayed too long, the possibility of exposure would become very great.

“…”

Song Shiyuan pressed her lips together. In the end, she didn’t choose to leave.

In the depths of her intuition, she had a feeling that what she had just seen was very important to her.

She reached out and took that thing that had been pressed on the bookshelf.

On the cover, several large characters came into view.

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That font was extraordinarily familiar.

Song Shiyuan wouldn’t mistake it. How could she possibly mistake it?

This font, she had been looking at for over ten years.

This was the handwriting of Song Shiyuan’s elder brother, Song Shixuan.

“Elder brother’s letter? How could it appear here?”

“Who was it written to?”

Song Shiyuan swallowed. The letter had long since been opened. Even if she opened it and took it out, no one would discover it.

Strong agitation in her heart urged her to open the letter.

“To Elder Sister Zhuxin…”

“The signature is… Song Shixuan…”

The letter wasn’t long. Song Shiyuan read the entire letter word by word, sentence by sentence.

As she read, Song Shiyuan felt even her hands trembling lightly.

She felt her spirit trembling. She couldn’t accept the contents of this letter.

This letter was written by Song Shixuan to the World-Ending Fox Monarch Lu Zhuxin.

The words in the letter were extremely intimate.

Just like a couple separated for a long time.

From the letter’s contents, Song Shiyuan could tell that as early as several years ago, Song Shixuan had already been acquainted with the World-Ending Fox Monarch Lu Zhuxin.

This letter was not only a belated confession letter from several years ago, but also a nomination certificate Song Shixuan had submitted to the Fox Monarch.

In the letter, Song Shixuan clearly stated that as Lingxiao Sword Sect’s Young Sect Master, he knew many classified intelligence secrets within the sword sect.

As long as they obtained this intelligence, the fox clan could occupy an advantageous position in competition with the righteous path’s Seven Great Sword Sects…

“How could this be…” Song Shiyuan’s hands went soft.

The letter paper fell to the ground.

Although the letter didn’t explicitly state what specific classified intelligence he held,

Between the lines, it implied Song Shixuan could present this classified information with both hands, on the condition that he could come to the Fox Palace and meet the Fox Monarch Lu Zhuxin again.

Song Shiyuan couldn’t find words to describe how she felt at this moment.

She couldn’t believe that the person who had always accompanied her growing up, cared for her immensely, had been her idol since childhood, her gentle and upright elder brother, would actually truly do such a thing.

He wasn’t just Song Shiyuan’s elder brother. He was also the entire Nanhe Song family’s pride, and Lingxiao Sword Sect’s Young Sect Master!

How could he do such a thing?

Betraying fellow disciples, submitting to the skirts of a fox demon?

Did that nine-tailed fox called Lu Zhuxin truly have such great charm?

Song Shiyuan recalled what it had been like when she previously encountered that red-robed Fox Monarch.

She was indeed very beautiful, beautifully enchanting and demonic.

But… Song Shiyuan felt that Fox Monarch still couldn’t compare to her little fox demon.

“Hah…”

Song Shiyuan took a deep breath.

Although she was unwilling to believe it, and in her heart very much wanted to completely deny what she had just seen.

But Song Shixuan’s handwriting, she was too familiar with it. She could never mistake it.

This letter was written by Song Shixuan. No matter what, Song Shiyuan couldn’t refute this point.

Even assuming it was forged.

This letter paper was the spirit paper most commonly used by Nanhe Song family disciples. The spirit ink used on it was also spirit ink unique to Lingxiao Sword Sect disciples.

Admittedly, these things weren’t very difficult to obtain.

Even handwriting could be imitated.

But what about writing habits?

Song Shiyuan had idolized her elder brother since childhood and was extremely familiar with some of his small writing habits.

For example, stroke order. Some people, when writing certain specific characters, had their own special stroke order habits.

Once this habit was formed, it was extremely difficult to correct.

And Song Shixuan happened to have such habits.

Even if handwriting could be imitated, its form could be copied, but certain habits, if one wasn’t extremely familiar with him, it would be impossible to understand.

Song Shiyuan was too familiar with her elder brother. Naturally, she was also extremely familiar with his writing habits.

Precisely because of this familiarity, she understood even more that this letter couldn’t possibly be forged.

So everything Song Shiyuan was seeing now, and everything she had previously suspected, was it all true?

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If all her suspicions were true, then she could explain why Song Shixuan, who was rumored to have been captured by fox demons, would appear in Mingzhao City safe and sound without any restrictions on his body, and even had a rendezvous with her little fox demon.

Because he was a traitor. Because he was that sword sect scum surnamed “Song” Song Shiyuan had always been searching for.

“I trusted him so much… how could he do such a thing…”

“Is he still that Lingxiao Sword Sect’s Young Sect Master, the Nanhe Song family’s prodigy?”

Song Shiyuan took a deep breath, barely calming the fury in her heart.

No matter what Song Shixuan had actually done, just based on that letter alone, it would be enough to have Song Shixuan sent to Lingxiao Sword Sect’s Law Enforcement Hall for sentencing.

At this time, Song Shiyuan also noticed that in the place where this letter was kept, there was also a ledger.

“This ledger is placed together with this letter. Could it also be related to Song Shixuan?”

Song Shiyuan felt that right now, no matter what she saw, she wouldn’t feel surprised.

She took out that ledger.

The font on it was elegant, as if written by a woman.

Thinking of this room’s owner, Song Shiyuan knew this scroll should have been written by Hu Xian’er.

Song Shiyuan opened the scroll and looked at a few entries.

Rage that was difficult to suppress surged again in her eyes.

This ledger was actually a “merit book” Hu Xian’er had recorded for Song Shixuan.

Item by item, entry by entry, it clearly recorded: at such-and-such time, on such-and-such battlefield, when fighting against such-and-such sword sect elder, using intelligence obtained from Song Shixuan, they were able to defeat and capture them.

Or, at such-and-such sword sect’s trial grounds, they obtained the whereabouts of a certain sect prodigy in advance, after which the Fox Palace dispatched powerhouses to capture them.

“No wonder the major sects have repeatedly suffered setbacks in battles against the demon race recently…”

“No wonder… the elders of Lingxiao Sword Sect have always suspected there was a mole within the sect.”

“So this mole has always been right beside us.”

“Moreover… this merit book…”

“On here… there’s my name… and also Huang Shangshang’s name.” Song Shiyuan felt she was having some difficulty breathing.

It was anger, disappointment, and also grief.

Song Shiyuan felt that in this moment, she had lost the elder brother she had idolized for so long.

“Shiyuan, how are you? Did you find what you were looking for?”

Song Shiyuan heard footsteps. She was startled. Just now she had been too immersed in her emotions and had neglected to investigate her surroundings.

Someone coming in at this time? Was she about to be discovered?

Song Shiyuan looked toward the sound and discovered the person coming was her little fox demon.

“Axi…” Seeing her, Song Shiyuan felt her eyes slightly sting.

“Shiyuan? What’s wrong?” The little fox demon before her was also frightened by Song Shiyuan’s current appearance.

Right now, Song Shiyuan’s eyes were reddened, her expression hurt.

Just like a small beast abandoned by someone, helpless and sad.

“I… I’m fine… I just discovered some things that are both heartbreaking and infuriating.” Song Shiyuan said with a sigh.

Lu Zhuxin glanced at the letter in Song Shiyuan’s hands, understanding in her heart.

She had arranged for Song Shiyuan to come retrieve Huang Shangshang’s sword not just to clear Huang Shangshang of suspicion. More importantly, it was to let Song Shiyuan see these things she was now holding in her hands.

Or rather, this was Lu Zhuxin’s original purpose.

Song Shixuan’s letter was of course real.

That letter was what Song Shixuan had originally written to deceive the original owner Ming Zhaoxi’s trust.

Given Song Shiyuan’s understanding of Song Shixuan, she couldn’t possibly fail to distinguish whether this letter was real or fake.

The letter was real, so the “merit book” placed beside the letter would naturally also be considered real.

When truth mixed with falsehood, reality became difficult to distinguish.

Every “merit” in the “merit book” could be verified.

Every single one was something that had truly occurred.

The only fabrication was the source of the intelligence.

The sources of this intelligence, some came from fox clan spies, some came from Lingxu Sword Sect.

And now, Lu Zhuxin had Hu Xian’er record all these “merits” under Song Shixuan’s name.

At this moment, this “evidence” was being gripped in Song Shiyuan’s hands.

“Axi… I don’t know what to do anymore.” Song Shiyuan said with reddened eyes.

The little fox demon approached. She glanced at the things in Song Shiyuan’s hands.

“Song Shixuan, is he a very important person to you?” The little fox demon asked.

“He’s my… elder brother.” Song Shiyuan said hoarsely. “We grew up together. We lived together for seventeen years, a full seventeen years…”

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“I never thought… he would actually do such a thing…”

“Also never thought… he would actually be this kind of person…”

Even now, Song Shiyuan found it somewhat difficult to believe.

Was this really her good elder brother? When did he change to become like this?

Changed until Song Shiyuan felt he was completely unfamiliar.

As if she had never known this elder brother of hers.

“It’s alright, Shiyuan… don’t pay too much attention to him anymore.” The little fox demon comforted. “Speaking of betrayal, haven’t I also betrayed my own kind?”

Song Shiyuan froze.

The little fox demon she loved had betrayed the Fox Monarch, betrayed her own kind.

Assisted her in investigating everywhere in the Fox Palace, and would also assist her in escaping from the Fox Palace.

This was for her, and also for love.

“No… this is different.” Song Shiyuan said.

“What’s different about it?” The little fox demon said. “If I can betray the fox clan for you… then why can’t that Song Shixuan betray his fellow disciples for the Fox Monarch?”

Song Shiyuan was at a loss for words.

So Song Shixuan betraying Lingxiao Sword Sect, betraying the human race, was it really just for that Fox Monarch?

What charm did that Fox Monarch have?

But if he truly was only for the Fox Monarch, why would he also provoke her little fox demon?

That man, what exactly did he want to do?

“Axi…” Song Shiyuan opened her mouth slightly. “You’re different from him… You’re just seeking a way out for yourself.”

“But he, for his own selfish desires, has already become…”

Song Shiyuan couldn’t say the words “utterly deranged.”

Just thinking about the contents she saw in that “merit book,” Song Shiyuan felt fury surge in her heart.

However, no matter what, that was still the elder brother who had accompanied and cared for her for over ten years.

How could this gratitude be severed in a single night?

The little fox demon looked deeply at Song Shiyuan for a few moments, didn’t continue this topic, and instead broke into a smile.

“Then don’t think about these things. How about taking a look at what I just found?”

“What did you find?” Song Shiyuan followed the little fox demon’s topic and asked.

“I found a good thing!” The little fox demon pulled out a red and white fox demon mask.

Song Shiyuan didn’t understand. This mask, she had seen it when she came in.

It was just an ordinary-looking fox mask. They had seen quite a few of these masks when they were shopping at the Flower Festival.

Many shops were selling them.

However, this kind of mask, local fox demons basically wouldn’t buy.

They were mostly used to sell to visiting tourists.

“This isn’t an ordinary mask.” The little fox demon said. “This is a mask the Fox Monarch once wore.”

“Legend has it, when the Fox Monarch accompanied the Demon Venerable on campaigns, she would often wear such a mask on her face to conceal her city-toppling beauty.”

“Over time, these masks became stained with some of her True Fox Spirit.”

Song Shiyuan still felt puzzled.

The little fox demon continued, “You might not quite understand if I explain it this way, so let me demonstrate it directly for you, then you’ll understand.”

As she spoke, the little fox demon put that red and white fox demon mask on her face.

“Spirit of Nine Tails, grant me fox form.”

Song Shiyuan saw the little fox demon before her release her fox ears and fox tail.

That fluffy cherry pink fur, at the tips, still carried a tuft of bright red long fur.

No matter how many times she saw it, every time she saw the little fox demon in this form, Song Shiyuan would be charmed by this fluffy little thing.

However, the changes in the little fox demon weren’t just this.

After the little fox demon released her original single tail, on the basis of her single tail, other tails continued to split off.

“This… this is…” Song Shiyuan’s eyes showed some astonishment.

That single-tailed little fox demon, before her eyes, transformed to have nine tails.

Where did she get nine tails from?!

“Wait… no, the aura isn’t right.”

Although the fox demon before her had transformed into nine tails, the aura on her body hadn’t changed at all.

In Song Shiyuan’s perception, she was still that single-tailed little fox demon.