The little white fox suddenly speaking human words startled Ye Qiu so much that he even forgot to ask about the supreme opportunity.
“You can talk?” Ye Qiu was stunned.
“Nonsense. Any demon that has cultivated the Dao can speak the human tongue.” The little white fox’s cold voice carried supreme majesty, as if a queen looking down from her throne. “Let me ask you—are you trying to obtain the supreme opportunity?”
Ye Qiu replied, “If I weren’t after the supreme opportunity, why would I come here?”
“In that case, I’ll help you once. Whether you can obtain it will depend on your own fortune.” With that, the little white fox turned and walked toward the cliff edge.
Ye Qiu stared at its back, his expression strange.
“It can speak, which means it’s highly intelligent. When it was on its period and I poked it there with my finger… it won’t hold a grudge, right?”
But Ye Qiu quickly relaxed.
“What’s there to fear? I am a healer. Saving the dying and healing the wounded is my duty. If it truly understands reason, how could it blame me?”
“Besides, I didn’t know it was menstruating at the time.”
While Ye Qiu’s mind wandered, the little white fox reached the cliff edge. Its tiny body stood upright, front paws clasped together in a fist salute, respectfully bowing toward the abyss below.
“What is it doing? Could the supreme opportunity be down there?”
Ye Qiu’s face was full of doubt.
This scene caught Elder Longbrow’s attention.
“Little monster, what’s it doing?”
“It looks like it’s paying respects to its ancestors.”
“Could some demon have died here in the past?”
“Little monster, this old Daoist has a bad feeling. This fox is no ordinary creature. You’d better keep your distance, or it might suck you dry…”
Before Elder Longbrow could finish, a chill ran through his entire body. He looked up to see the little white fox staring at him, its emerald eyes like ten-thousand-year-old ice, sending shivers down his spine.
“Speak nonsense again, and I won’t be polite.”
The little white fox raised a tiny fist menacingly.
Elder Longbrow never expected a fox to speak human language. Terrified, he plopped straight onto the ground, crying out, “Heavens, a fox spirit!”
“Shut your trap! One more word and I’ll cut out your tongue.” The little white fox’s voice was icy.
Elder Longbrow immediately clamped his mouth shut.
Strange as it was—his cultivation had already reached mid-Cave Heaven, so the fox should be no match for him—yet when it spoke, he felt an overwhelming pressure.
It made him deeply uneasy, suppressed, a bone-deep awe, as if the little white fox wasn’t a mere beast but an emperor seated upon the dragon throne.
Ye Qiu looked at Elder Longbrow with utter contempt. “Look at you. Scared witless by a fox. Aren’t you ashamed?”
Before Elder Longbrow could retort, the little white fox spoke again.
“I am not a fox. I am a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox!”
Ye Qiu muttered under his breath, “Isn’t a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox still a fox?”
“What did you say? Say that again!” The little white fox grew angry. Like an adorable little girl, it shook its tiny pink fist at him, looking fiercely cute.
Ye Qiu hurriedly corrected himself. “Right, right, you’re a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, not an ordinary fox.”
“Hmph.” The little white fox gave a cold snort, turned back, and continued bowing to the abyss.
The commotion had already drawn everyone else’s attention.
Yun Xi approached with the Green Cloud Sword Sect disciples.
“What happened?” Yun Xi asked, glancing at Elder Longbrow sitting on the ground.
Elder Longbrow said, “Fairy, you don’t understand. This old Daoist nearly had a heart attack from fright just now.”
“Heart attack?” Yun Xi looked puzzled. “What is a heart attack?”
Elder Longbrow: “???”
Ye Qiu explained, “A heart attack is a common illness in the mortal world. Usually there are no symptoms, but overexertion or sudden shock can cause problems—ranging from dizziness and palpitations to difficulty breathing, coma, or even death.”
“Changsheng, you don’t have this illness, do you? Your stamina seems quite good,” Yun Xi said meaningfully.
“Of course not. My body is perfectly healthy.” Ye Qiu winked at her, as if saying, You’ve tested it yourself, haven’t you?
“Though your body is healthy, you mustn’t be careless. You need to take care of yourself. Conveniently, I know some medical arts. I’ll give you a thorough check later.” Yun Xi emphasized the word “check.”
Ye Qiu naturally understood what kind of “check” she meant and grinned. “Sure!”
Though old, Elder Longbrow understood the innuendo perfectly. Seeing Ye Qiu and Yun Xi flirt right in front of him, he fumed.
“Little monster, can’t you see this old Daoist is still on the ground? Give me a hand.”
Ye Qiu replied, “Can’t you get up yourself? Even a three-year-old can stand up after falling.”
Damn it—
Elder Longbrow glared at him, then angrily scrambled to his feet.
“Daoist, you said something scared you. What was it?” Yun Xi asked curiously.
Elder Longbrow answered, “It was that little fox. It suddenly spoke human words and nearly scared this old Daoist to death…”
“I am not a little fox. I am a Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox.” The little white fox cut him off and turned to emphasize again.
Yun Xi smiled. “Any demon that has cultivated the Dao can speak human language. Moreover, Nine-Tailed Heavenly Foxes are demon royalty. From the moment they are born, they can speak our human tongue.”
“Not bad, little girl. You have some knowledge,” the little white fox said in an elderly tone.
Ye Qiu found it amusing. This little white fox really had personality.
Yun Xi was not offended at being called “little girl.” She smiled gracefully and composedly.
“Ye Changsheng, wait obediently. I’ll fetch the supreme opportunity for you.”
With that, the little white fox knelt again at the cliff edge and began kowtowing toward the abyss below.
“Little monster, does it know where the supreme opportunity is?” Elder Longbrow asked in shock.
Ye Qiu replied, “Not sure. Let’s watch.”
The little white fox kowtowed nine times with resounding thuds, then stood up. One long tail suddenly rose, curling above its head.
It extended a paw and pinched the tail. Blood immediately gushed out.
Instead of splattering, the blood rapidly condensed in front of it, forming a fist-sized crimson bead. In the blink of an eye, the crimson turned emerald green, radiating divine light.
“That’s demon essence blood!”
Yun Xi gasped, realization dawning. She cried out in shock, “Could it be… it’s offering its essence blood as sacrifice?”
