AUOF - 70

Her sixth sense, sensing danger, made her pristine fur stand on end. Yet she didn’t dodge, still looking at him with confusion and concern.

Ji Hengyu opened his mouth slightly, letting out a shallow breath.

His bones felt as though they were about to explode. Cracks spread from his heart, shattering toward his spiritual core. Ji Wu tried to calm him, but to no avail. On the other side, Ji Xun, who possessed a heart, was in an even worse state.

The loss of control over his immense spiritual energy caused the entire palace to tremble.

He could barely straighten his body, curling up painfully on the low bank. Muffled groans escaped through clenched teeth, followed by seeping blood.

[Sang Sang.]

The name kept echoing in his mind.

It was his true self’s thought.

He cared for her.

He even wanted to possess her.

The overwhelming surge of desire was uncontrollable, wave after wave assaulting his heart.

While enduring, Ji Xun unconsciously began to feel panic and resentment.

________________________________________

“Karmic obstacles… have erupted?”

A sudden gust of cold wind swept through the forest.

Ji Hengyu stood under the tree, a faint blush trailing along the corners of his eyes. His demeanor remained aloof, but compared to his previous calmness, there was now an indescribable sense of brokenness.

“I’ll be alone for a while; there’s no need to follow.”

He turned around, his figure vanishing into the depths of the forest in the blink of an eye.

Sang Li tilted her head in bewilderment, unable to understand the situation.

Ji Hengyu’s condition was dire.

She had witnessed the terrifying eruption of karmic obstacles before. In Gui Xu, safety wasn’t a concern, but this was the lower realms—no one could guarantee what reckless actions Ji Hengyu might take if he lost control.

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became.

She ran back to Da Yanjing, gently tapping its wings with her little paw: “Da Yanjing, can you find a place to hide first? I’ll be back soon.”

Upon hearing that she was leaving, Da Yanjing’ eyes instantly filled with panic.

It clung tightly to Sang Li, shaking its head vigorously, full of resistance.

Sang Li understood what it feared and sighed. “I’ll be back very soon.” With that, she plucked a tuft of her fur and handed it to Da Yanjing. “If I don’t return, follow my scent to find me.”

Da Yanjing clutched the tuft of fox fur tightly, reluctantly loosening its arms.

As it watched her run away, it transformed into a wisp of black mist, carefully slipping into a hidden cave, masking its scent thoroughly, anxiously waiting for Sang Li to return.

________________________________________

Ji Hengyu disappeared without a trace.

Fortunately, thanks to the silken thread curse, even without his presence, it could lead her to him.

Ji Hengyu concealed himself behind a waterfall, inside a secluded cave.

He sat cross-legged, chanting incantations, suppressing the karmic obstacles with the Clear Heart Mantra as he always did.

The effect was minimal.

The karmic patterns continued to crawl up his skin like spider webs, forming a stark contrast between his whitened hair tips and his otherwise ink-black hair.

Sang Li slowly shuffled closer.

Though his eyes were tightly shut, his spiritual consciousness remained clear, allowing him to see a distinct white silhouette in the dark night.

That whiteness was like dandelion fluff floating in the polar night, bright and radiant, exuding a snowy glow.

“I said there’s no need to look for me,” Ji Hengyu spoke without opening his eyes, his voice cool yet tinged with hoarseness.

Sang Li plopped down, her tail dragging on the ground, swaying back and forth.

Whenever he was plagued by karmic obstacles before, it seemed… things would settle after some interaction.

She had been shy the first time.

But after their previous wild encounter, all sense of shame had been cast aside.

With that precedent set, doing it again didn’t seem like a big deal to her.

“My Lord, do you want me?”

She looked up at him with her clear, innocent fox eyes, her words causing his brows to furrow.

Before he could respond, Sang Li leapt into his lap.

A small bundle, the tip of her tail brushing against the back of his hand resting on his knee, tickling his skin as it moved.

Sang Li had rushed over in a hurry and hadn’t realized she was still in her original form.

Upon realizing this, she intended to transform back into human form. But before she could act, his low voice came from above: “Will you help me?”

Sang Li countered: “Do you not want me to help you, My Lord?”

He had always been honest: “I do.”

Sang Li prepared to transform, but he urgently said: “No need to change back.”

Huh?

Sang Li raised her puzzled eyes.

The sound of rushing water echoed loudly in her ears.

His face was pale, his features veiled with weakness. He resembled a sword sheathed in its scabbard—gentle yet sharp. His long lashes half-covered his crimson pupils, beneath which lay serenity.

—He appeared too tranquil.

Sang Li obediently nestled herself in his arms.

In that instant, she clearly saw a faint smile ripple across the corners of his eyes, the ferocity dissipating, and the spiritual pressure within the cave immediately easing.

“I can...”

He stared at Sang Li’s ears, hesitating, struggling to speak.

Sang Li suddenly understood. She nudged his hand with her head, placing her ears beneath his palm, allowing him to stroke them.

The texture of her true form was even softer than Ji Hengyu had imagined.

Every time he gently pinched her ear, it would twitch under his fingertips. Unable to resist, his fingers traced from her ear down to her back. She had a double-layered coat, making her appear stocky, and her fur was much softer and smoother than that of wild foxes, not prone to tangling.

Ji Hengyu lowered his eyes and stroked her repeatedly.

Her fluffy fur obediently clung to his slender, jade-like fingers.

This was also the first time Sang Li had been petted like this.

Each stroke sent waves of comfort through her follicles, making her instantly go limp, lazily letting out soft sighs.

“Tail, tail...” she rolled over in bliss, curling her big tail toward Ji Hengyu.

It seemed Ji Hengyu had also forgotten about the karmic obstacles.

Without a word, he began stroking the fox’s tail. The tail was incredibly fluffy and soft, and unable to suppress his curiosity, he quietly parted it and counted each one.

Not too few, not too many—exactly nine.

Each one was beautiful, perfectly so.

After thoroughly enjoying the tail, only her belly and chin were left untouched.

But her belly was sensitive and couldn’t be touched casually. So Sang Li tilted her neck upward, rubbing her chin against him.

He quickly understood and immediately began scratching her chin.

His scratching was neither too light nor too heavy, just right. Sang Li felt as though she were floating on clouds, her mind wrapped in a fog, almost losing all sense of direction.

But she still remembered Da Yanjing.

In her daze, Sang Li said to Ji Hengyu, “My Lord, if you’re feeling better, let’s hurry back. Da Yanjing is still waiting alone—I don’t feel at ease leaving it behind...”

Ji Hengyu neither agreed nor refused.

The little fox lay drowsily on Ji Hengyu’s lap, and eventually fell asleep.

She had come intending to comfort Ji Hengyu, but in the end, she became the one being comforted.

Once she fell asleep, she no longer cared about much else.

She flipped over completely, exposing her belly, one paw up, another covering her eyes, her hind legs resting on Ji Hengyu’s abdomen, her chest rising and falling slightly with each breath.

Ji Hengyu stared at her silently.

The Nine Ling World was filled with countless rare and exotic creatures, and even the Abyss Dungeon of Gui Xu held many imprisoned beasts, including fox spirits and cat spirits. Some minor demons even tried to seduce him to escape his control.

—Ji Hengyu had never once been bewitched.

But...

He gazed unblinkingly at the little fox sleeping soundly in his arms.

But this one was different.

Ji Hengyu found her adorable. She was cute when she had two legs, and equally cute with four. She was adorable when she smiled at him, and even when she didn’t smile. Even thinking about the time she stabbed him, that blow seemed impossibly endearing.

Unfortunately, she didn’t belong to him.

She simply... didn’t belong to him.

The karmic obstacles, which had been suppressed earlier, showed signs of resurfacing.

He nuzzled her ears, and after a long while of relief, he exhaled deeply.

The waterfall rushed fiercely outside.

Suddenly, Ji Hengyu’s gaze shifted to the entrance of the cave. His presence sharpened, spiritual pressure intensifying. With a loud crash, countless rocks tumbled down, and a black shadow darted inside.

It was Da Yanjing.

Clutching the tuft of fox fur, it looked at Ji Hengyu with fear and unease.

After a moment of silence.

He retracted his spiritual energy. “She’s just asleep.”

Da Yanjing had been captured by humans for half a year.

That half-year was enough for it to learn how to read people. From the start, it could tell that Ji Hengyu was different from Sang Li and realized he wouldn’t like it the way Sang Li did.

Cautiously glancing at Sang Li nestled in Ji Hengyu’s arms, it lacked the courage to compete. After some thought, it curled up into a ball and inched closer to Ji Hengyu, attempting to win his affection with cuteness.

However, it was no longer the same as when it was young.

Its scales were black and hard, its tail rough, and its face was almost entirely dominated by its large eyes, surpassing even Qi in grotesqueness.

This near-fawning posture made Ji Hengyu feel nauseated, and he coldly ordered, “Get away.” He never hid his feelings toward things he disliked.

Who would have thought that just as he finished speaking, Sang Li, who had dozed off briefly, slowly woke up.

She rubbed her eyes with her paws: “Who are you telling to get away?”

Ji Hengyu’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he froze.

“Guru.”

Suddenly, Da Yanjing rolled around pitifully at their feet.

She first stared blankly at Da Yanjing, then at Ji Hengyu, whose expression was as cold as winter. Realizing what had happened, she immediately transformed back into human form and hugged Da Yanjing, complaining indignantly, “Ji Hengyu, how could you tell Da Yanjing to leave? It’s already pitiful enough after being bullied by others.”

She didn’t even bother addressing him as “My Lord” anymore.

Ji Hengyu: “...”

Once it had support, Da Yanjing suddenly gained confidence.

It gurgled and spoke rapidly. Ji Hengyu couldn’t understand, but judging from its expression, it likely wasn’t saying anything nice.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, I won’t abandon you,” Sang Li tenderly stroked the scars on Da Yanjing’ face. “You can’t return home, and neither can I. Here, we’ll be family.”

After saying this, the two embraced tightly.

Ji Hengyu glanced sideways, watching the blossoming joy in her features, her smile brighter than the springtime sun.

“Sang Li.”

“Hmm?”

Ji Hengyu said, “Are you planning to bring it back to Gui Xu?”

With this question, Sang Li was taken aback.

Meeting Da Yanjing was an unexpected situation. Both the lower realms and the cultivation world were fraught with danger, so she certainly wouldn’t leave it here alone. But bringing it back to Gui Xu… that also seemed impossible.

Ji Hengyu always kept his personal and professional life separate. Even though he liked Sang Li, he hadn’t lost his mind.

“I won’t allow you to bring this ugly…” His Adam’s apple moved, swallowing the insult. “...Mirror Demon back to Gui Xu.”

Sang Li scratched her head.

If they couldn’t return to Gui Xu, the only option was to go back to the Spirit Race.

“Da Yanjing, if I...”

Before she could finish, Da Yanjing shook its head desperately, its eyes brimming with委屈 (grievance).

“One person, no want. Want to be with you.”

Its stance was clear—it wanted to stay with Sang Li forever.

Sang Li frowned deeply, finally deciding, “Alright, you’ll stay with me.”

Ji Hengyu’s brows tightened, and before he could speak, Sang Li turned and said, “I’ve thought it through. After I finish my initiation ceremony in Gui Xu, I’ll become a wandering disciple. That way, I won’t have to stay in Gui Xu all the time and can train outside with Da Yanjing. What do you think, My Lord?”

Gui Xu’s wandering disciples were akin to undercover officers in modern times.

They returned to Gui Xu less than twice a year, tasked with upholding justice or going undercover. Naturally, the level of danger was also top-tier.

Ji Hengyu’s hand on his knee clenched and unclenched repeatedly.

After a long silence, he closed his eyes and chose to compromise: “You may bring it back to Gui Xu.”

Sang Li was stunned again: “How... can it be allowed now?”

Ji Hengyu: “Only in the Abyss Dungeon or Moon Forest, where the aura can conceal it. No other areas are permitted.”

Sang Li grew anxious and stood up, saying, “No, I can become a wandering disciple.”

“Sang Li.” Ji Hengyu opened his eyes and looked directly at her. “Can’t you see?”

Sang Li was utterly bewildered: “...Huh?”

His back straightened, seemingly trying to maintain his usual authoritative demeanor, but the slight droop of his eyes revealed his current unhappiness and a hint of barely perceptible helplessness and humility—

“I’m making concessions.”