The husband stared blankly. “How did you discover us?”
That was as good as an admission.
The wife shot her husband a glare, then could only sit up. In the next moment, clouds of mist filled the room, and a figure in green appeared at the doorway.
“Do not worry. We mean no harm!”
The wife spoke quickly, then a flash of light passed over her body, and she reverted to the lively young woman who had appeared in the mirror.
It had to be said that, although the Cloud Palace Treasure Mirror was extraordinarily mystical, it was still only a bronze mirror at heart. Its images had a certain blur and distortion. The lively young woman before them now was far more beautiful than the one shown in the mirror.
Liu Qingyan nodded. “Lu Lang knows you bear no malice. This is merely a precaution.”
A flash of light passed over the husband’s body as well, turning him into a gentle-featured young woman. She gave a slightly embarrassed curtsy. “Tu Yuqing greets you both.”
“My name is Tu Yuya,” the lively one said, then looked at Lu Zheng with puzzlement. “Yesterday you discovered us through no fault of our own. How did you find us out today? Was there some flaw in our illusion technique?”
In Tu Yuya’s view, Liu Qingyan had not noticed them yesterday, so she would be even less likely to notice today. The only possibility was that Lu Zheng had detected them and informed Liu Qingyan.
Lu Zheng gave a faint smile but did not answer. Instead he asked, “You two have visited Renxin Hall for two days now. What business brings you here?”
Of course he could not say that they already knew the pair’s purpose and should hurry up and explain where they came from.
“Er…”
Tu Yuqing and Tu Yuya exchanged a glance, both looking rather awkward.
If they had spoken openly from the start, it would have been fine. But now they had been exposed while still in disguise, and it felt rather uncomfortable.
In the end, Tu Yuqing spoke. “It is actually nothing major… It is just that Miss Liu should be our relative…”
Liu Qingyan’s eyes flickered. “Relative?”
The next moment, four fluffy fox tails rose behind Tu Yuya, while only three appeared behind Tu Yuqing.
It truly was the nine-tailed heavenly fox bloodline.
Moreover, Liu Qingyan’s aptitude was clearly exceptional. Her strength was still inferior to Tu Yuqing’s, yet she already possessed four fox tails, equal to Tu Yuya.
A note here: the number of illusory fox tails only indicates the purity of the heavenly fox bloodline within the body. It is not directly correlated with strength.
One might possess heaven-shaking power yet have only one tail. Another might have blood so pure as to manifest eight heavenly fox tails yet possess only a hundred years of cultivation.
To improve the bloodline, both innate talent and the right cultivation method are indispensable. If one can cultivate nine illusory tails, it means the heavenly fox bloodline within has reached a certain degree of purity.
Of course, for those with heavenly fox blood, the more illusory tails one has, the greater the talent and potential.
Liu Qingyan blinked, then a hazy glow appeared behind her as well. Four soft, fluffy white fox tails swayed into view.
“Four tails?” Tu Yuqing was startled.
Tu Yuya was equally surprised. “You have cultivated the Tushan Scripture too? Otherwise how could you have developed four tails?”
Liu Qingyan shook her head. “A senior once bestowed upon me the Heavenly Demon Nine Transformations Blood Refining Method.”
“The Heavenly Demon Nine Transformations Blood Refining Method?” Tu Yuya nodded in understanding. “So that is how it is. I have heard of that technique too, though for our Tushan fox clan, it is inferior to our direct transmission, the Tushan Scripture.”
“Tushan fox clan…”
Lu Zheng had already guessed when he heard their surname. As expected, it was the Tushan nine-tailed foxes, the maternal clan of Nüjiao, wife of the Great Yu in Chinese legend.
“Indeed, the Tushan fox clan.” There was unmistakable pride in Tu Yuya’s tone. “Our ancestors were nine-tailed heavenly foxes who descended from the upper realm and passed down the heavenly fox bloodline. The homeland of the heavenly foxes in the upper realm is also called Tushan!”
“You are not in the Great Jing, then?” Lu Zheng did not recall seeing any mention of the Tushan fox clan in the White Cloud Temple library’s records of the various powers in Great Jing.
Tu Yuqing nodded. “We are in the Northern Domain.”
“So that is it…”
Lu Zheng nodded in comprehension. That explained it.
“The Northern Domain?”
At these words, Liu Qingyan’s eyes visibly jumped.
Seeing Liu Qingyan’s expression, Tu Yuya’s gaze shifted lightly. Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled playfully. “Scared?”
Liu Qingyan glared, her aura flaring. “Not scared!”
Tu Yuqing smiled gently. “Rest assured. Although we do wish to overthrow the Central Plains dynasty, we have no desire for widespread slaughter. Great Jing’s momentum is strong at present. In the short term we will not send the warriors of the Snow Forest to their deaths.”
Liu Qingyan, “…”
Those words offered no comfort at all!
Lu Zheng could not help asking, “Are you not afraid we will report you to the Anomaly Suppression Department?”
Tu Yuya rolled her eyes. “Go ahead, then!”
Lu Zheng, “…”
Lu Zheng shook his head. He knew this world was like the wuxia novels: unless the two sides openly declared war face to face, high-level figures from either side could travel discreetly without issue.
Just as figures from the Southern Border could come to the Central Plains without committing crimes, the Anomaly Suppression Department would not provoke trouble for no reason. Relations between the Northern Domain and Great Jing were far worse than with the Southern Border, but the Tu sisters were not important figures. As long as they did nothing untoward, Great Jing would not detain them. Doing so would only anger the Northern Domain.
Once war began, the common people would suffer.
Liu Qingyan hurriedly interrupted Lu Zheng and Tu Yuya, asking with some curiosity, “You are in the Northern Domain. We have never been there. How did you find us? And why have you come looking for us?”
“Hm…” Tu Yuqing pondered for a moment, then decisively sold out her ally. “Xue Li told us.”
“Xue Li?” Lu Zheng was momentarily stunned before he recalled the name. “The Black Water Ink Dragon?”
Tu Yuya nodded. “The Black Water Ink Dragon clan lives in Ink River Valley, not far from Tushan. Xue Li once met our ancestress.”
At this point Tu Yuya could not help glancing at Liu Qingyan, a trace of envy appearing in her eyes. “Miss Liu’s appearance is probably seventy to eighty percent similar to the great ancestress.”
Liu Qingyan was taken aback. “What?”
Tu Yuqing continued, “The white fox that left Tushan all those years ago was none other than the great ancestress’s third daughter.”
“Ah?” Liu Qingyan was stunned again.
