Chapter 13 The Fox Demon (Conclusion)

The original fox spirit had possessed her and was killed by Xie Jing. Now, with the fox spirit not possessing her, the scene where Xie Jing kills Qin Yunwan and the fox spirit never happened. Xie Yun and Bai Qianluo have yet to discover Xie Jing's strength.

Unaware that the fox spirit is dead, the fox spirit's arc is not yet concluded. Qin Jiujiu believes she needs to act as a catalyst to advance the plot. She wants the protagonists to know about this as soon as possible, but she also needs to prevent Xie Jing from knowing she was the one who revealed it, making the situation complicated.

After a moment of contemplation, Qin Jiujiu decides to go back for a good nap and then thoroughly investigate the matter in the afternoon.

By the time Qin Jiujiu wakes up, it's already dark. Qin Lao Ye has sent someone to invite her to the main hall for dinner.

Dining in the main hall usually means entertaining guests, suggesting a new development in the plot. Qin Jiujiu quickly washes up and changes into a refreshing goose-yellow dress. She had broken out in a sweat after waking up. In this early autumn season, ancient clothing is truly unbearable, so she opted for a summer dress.

Upon arriving at the main hall, Qin Jiujiu is surprised to see Qin Jia Da Shaoye and Da Shaonainai also seated at the table. She hadn't even seen a shadow of them for days.

Qin Jiujiu glances at the couple and cannot help but notice their mismatched appearances. Qin Mosheng is exceptionally handsome, while Azhi's features are plain. She has a crescent-shaped dark red birthmark on her forehead and, due to being possessed by the fox spirit, her vital energy has been depleted. Now, her face is gaunt, far from being considered beautiful.

Yet, the atmosphere between them is excellent. Qin Mosheng's devotion to his wife is undeniable, with deep affection even hidden in his gaze. Qin Jiujiu marvels that even someone with no experience in romance like herself can see the depth of their affection.

As Qin Jiujiu is the last to arrive, she surveys all the seats at the table. There are two empty seats left: one next to Xie Yun, and the other next to Xie Jing.

Qin Lao Ye sits in the main seat, with Xie Yun to his right. To Qin Lao Ye's left sits Qin Mosheng, followed by Azhi, and then Bai Qianluo. The two empty seats are positioned next to Xie Yun and Xie Jing, with Xie Jing sitting between himself and Bai Qianluo.

Without much deliberation, Qin Jiujiu takes the seat between Xie Jing and Bai Qianluo. She decides not to sit next to the male lead, reasoning that while Xie Jing is terrifying, with the female lead present, the villain is merely a weak youth. However, sitting next to Xie Yun would bring more trouble, and the thought of trouble makes Qin Jiujiu instinctively shrink her neck.

"Sister Bai, I'll sit with you!"

Qin Jiujiu gives Bai Qianluo a charming smile and then decisively sits down next to her.

Bai Qianluo glances at Xie Yun and the seat beside him. She recalls that when they first arrived at the Qin manor, Qin Jiujiu had forcibly pushed her away from the seat next to Xie Yun. Now, with empty seats available, she deliberately chooses to sit next to her.

After her surprise, she reflects on Qin Jiujiu's behavior in recent days. She seems to have truly changed her disposition. Not only is she no longer clinging to Xie Yun as before, but she has also become increasingly close to Bai Qianluo. Indeed, the current Qin Jiujiu is much more likable. Looking at Qin Jiujiu's smiling face, Bai Qianluo cannot help but feel pleased.

This is a farewell banquet for the protagonists' departure, and the dishes on the table are naturally abundant. Qin Jiujiu is heartily eating until she hears Xie Yun's farewell words, only then does she lift her head, still managing to stuff a chicken leg into her mouth.

Qin Jiujiu discreetly glances at Xie Jing beside her several times. He continues to sit alone in silence. Looking at Xie Jing like this, Qin Jiujiu finds herself gradually understanding the actions he takes later when he falls in love with the female lead. While she cannot accept them, she is beginning to understand.

Qin Jiujiu thought her furtive glances were well-concealed, but she didn't realize that from the very first glance, someone had noticed.

Xie Jing, with the intention of treating others as they treat him, deliberately turns his gaze to Qin Jiujiu's face the third time she peeks while chewing on a chicken leg, staring directly into her eyes.

Caught in the act, Qin Jiujiu feels both embarrassed and shy. A handsome man suddenly meets her gaze, staring so directly at her face; even with her thick skin, Qin Jiujiu feels flustered!

After that, she doesn't dare to glance at Xie Jing again. She decides to bury her head in her meal.

Xie Jing was initially indifferent, but a glance at the person beside him makes him chuckle. Qin Jiujiu is indeed eating wholeheartedly, and watching her eat, Xie Jing shows a hint of disdain, yet his chopsticks unconsciously move.

Xie Jing stares at Qin Jiujiu with a look of disdain for a long time, and his expression of disgust deepens. This woman, Qin Jiujiu, is truly ugly.

He watches for a long time and finds that she shows no sign of stopping. Xie Jing suddenly wonders, "Is it really that delicious?"

Then, he sees Qin Jiujiu suddenly lift her head, her eyes fixed intently in a certain direction. Xie Jing naturally knows that Xie Yun is sitting there. Suddenly, he feels irritated, and Qin Jiujiu's appearance becomes even more ugly in his eyes. He then withdraws his gaze, continuing to sit alone quietly.

He would have moved his chopsticks slightly before, but now he finds the food in front of him displeasing. If not for... he would have destroyed all of this long ago.

Qin Jiujiu learns of the fox spirit's death from Bai Qianluo. She hears that the yamen received reports and found a young girl's body outside the city.

Xie Yun and Bai Qianluo keenly sense that this matter is related to the fox spirit and rush to the yamen to examine the body. As expected, there is the aura of the fox spirit on the girl's body.

Xie Yun tracks the lingering aura but finds that the fox spirit's whereabouts cannot be determined. There is only one possibility: she has turned to ashes.

Soon, all speculations are confirmed. Before long, someone discovers the fox spirit's corpse. She has already transformed into her fox form; it is a nine-tailed fox.

Xie Yun and Bai Qianluo understand. Only a nine-tailed fox can master the fox clan's secret technique, the "Glamour Art," allowing her to alter Azhi's appearance. Since her cultivation is still shallow, she cannot linger in the human world in human form for too long. Thus, she possesses a human girl to absorb vital energy from men to cultivate herself.

This nine-tailed fox, due to her infatuation with the human world, cultivated using forbidden arts, thus violating the fox clan's rules. The nine-tailed fox clan is a demon race with half immortal blood, and its members are forbidden from leaving Qingqiu without permission, from misusing their powers, and from harming humans. This underage nine-tailed fox clearly snuck out of Qingqiu.

She eventually possessed this rural girl to absorb vital energy and recover her strength. However, before she could commit any evil deeds, she was trapped within the girl and killed, her soul scattered to the winds.

Nevertheless, the method used by the one who killed the fox spirit is undeniably brutal.

The innocent girl was also killed. Xie Yun cannot identify who this person is.

Their group has delayed too long in Shangyang Town, so they decide to depart early the next morning. Thus, Qin Lao Ye prepares this farewell banquet to see them off.

Qin Jiujiu receives a system notification: she must follow them to complete her mission. If she cannot keep up, the mission will surely fail. Just as Qin Jiujiu is struggling to think of a plausible reason to follow the protagonists, the reason presents itself.

"Young Master Xie Yun, is there any way to cure Azhi's illness? Her health has been weakening recently, and I am worried about her..."

Qin Mosheng frowns, and Azhi holds his hand, her eyes gentle. She gently squeezes his hand as a gesture of comfort. Qin Mosheng returns a smile. He knows he cannot force this matter. The fox spirit's possession has left her body in a state of exhaustion, but he hadn't expected there to be a glimmer of hope.

"Your wife's illness may be curable, but..."

Bai Qianluo looks troubled. She grew up in the Dao Xuan Sect. Although the sect primarily cultivates swordsmanship, her master, True Master Han Ling, is world-renowned for his medical skills. This is why Qin Mosheng places his last hope on Bai Qianluo.

Bai Qianluo had already sent a message to her master, describing the events of their trip to Shangyang Town and particularly emphasizing Qin Fu Da Shaonainai Azhi.

Although they have only known each other for half a month, Bai Qianluo feels Azhi is a woman of profound devotion. While she cannot fully empathize, she believes such a woman should not wither away so soon. Thus, she had promptly sent a message to True Master Han Ling, inquiring about treatment methods.

The result is that there is a cure, but it is extremely risky.

"Miss Bai, please speak your mind. No matter how difficult, Qin will do his best to try..."

Qin Jiujiu remembers that the only hope for curing Azhi mentioned in the book was to find the descendant of the Medicine King, who had already appeared in the world. After all, curing Azhi is akin to extending her life, a feat only the Medicine King of that era could achieve, hence he was revered as the Medicine King by the world.

In the original text, the descendant of the Medicine King was found by Bai Qianluo in the next stop, Xi Liu City, the protagonists are about to visit. Ultimately, with Bai Qianluo's efforts, Azhi was miraculously cured.

Also, because Azhi's health was too frail for long journeys, the Qin couple could not travel personally and entrusted everything to the kind and righteous protagonists. Qin Jiujiu believes this is a perfect opportunity for her to seize and follow the protagonists on her mission.

Therefore, Qin Jiujiu volunteers, stating that to atone for her past mistakes, she wishes to accompany them in their search for the descendant of the Medicine King. Initially, Qin Lao Ye and Qin Mosheng disagree, as she is weak and has never traveled far from home before. They refuse Qin Jiujiu's proposal.

However, after Qin Jiujiu's persistent efforts, Qin Lao Ye finally relents. He sighs, "My grown daughter is beyond my control," and then quietly instructs the servants to prepare for her journey.