In the courtyard, green smoke curled from the agarwood burner, the faint scent of lotus drifting gently in the air.
“Our fox tribe is not one to be ungrateful. Linlang is willing to dedicate herself to the mountain master,” Bailing mimicked the voice of Linlang, the fox girl, her tone exaggeratedly sweet. She captured the essence perfectly, the voice and accent imitated down to a T. “We foxes are loyal to our partners and hope the mountain master will honor our customs.” After finishing, she glanced at Yu Mo expectantly.
Yu Mo smiled and added with amusement, “Aren’t you worried we already have concubines everywhere?”
Bailing slammed the table, feigning outrage. “That’s irrelevant! As long as the mountain master kills them all, wouldn’t I be the only one left? What’s so great about the fox tribe anyway? How dare they come here and boast like that?”
“The foxes are indeed renowned for their beauty and pride. It’s to be expected,” Yan Dan commented casually while patting the drowsy Dan Shu affectionately. “If you’re sleepy, go take a nap. No need to fight it here.”
Still simmering with anger, Bailing turned toward the leader of the wolf tribe, jabbing her finger accusingly. “Typical men! Flirtatious, weak-willed, and shameless!”
Yan Dan ignored her and continued soothing Dan Shu, who was now happily drooling. “Time to wake up,” she said, nudging him gently.
Zi Lin let out a low chuckle, causing Bailing to abruptly drop her hand. Yan Dan withdrew her hand as well, and Dan Shu wiped away his drool, looking around in confusion. “What’s happening?” Meanwhile, Yan Dan remained focused on the boiled shrimp in front of her, completely indifferent to the commotion.
Unable to hold back, Bailing leaned toward her and whispered, “Yan Dan, say something. The mountain master always listens to you.”
Wiping her hands delicately with a towel, Yan Dan stood and moved toward Yu Mo, her voice soft yet filled with emotion, “Master.”
Zi Lin spat out a mouthful of sake, hurriedly reaching for a towel to clean up the mess.
Yu Mo gently took Yan Dan’s hand, his smile warm and steady. “Lian Qing.”
“My lord,” Yan Dan continued, her tone sincere, “I ask for nothing but to serve you forever. Yet, the queen of the fox tribe is a hundred times more beautiful than I could ever be. I pale in comparison. But if it pleases you, I would gladly drink poison wine and bring this all to an end, without causing you any further trouble.”
Yu Mo covered her hand with his palm, his voice tender. “You are thoughtful, how could I bear to disappoint you?”
Yan Dan smiled at Bailing and calmly declared, “The mountain master has spoken. He would never abandon us for the fox clan.”
Bailing muttered under her breath, “Can’t you just speak plainly? You really make the mountain master work hard to keep up with you… He’s much too gentle for his own good.”
Suddenly, Zi Lin’s voice cut through, sharp and calculating. “Yan Dan, if you’re so capable, do you have a plan to deal with the fox tribe?”
“They’d rather destroy themselves than surrender. What could I possibly do?”
“Zi Lin, you’re making things difficult,” Yu Mo chimed in with a smirk, his eyes on Yan Dan. “That fox girl Linlang takes pride in her beauty, but I think you’re her equal. The foxes, however, are known for their arrogance. Do you think you can make her admit she’s inferior?”
Yan Dan met his gaze, unflinching. “Why would I waste my time with such a trivial thing?”
Yu Mo leaned back, resting his chin on his hand, speaking leisurely. “Haven’t you heard what Lian Qing just said?”
Zi Lin’s thoughts raced—had the clever fairy finally walked into the trap?
Yan Dan considered for a long moment, then sighed. “Since the master insists, I’ll do what’s necessary. I won’t let you down.”
Meanwhile, Linlang looked down at the small fox rolling in pain on the table. She sighed deeply, gently stroking its head. “Zi Yan, hold on. They’ll heal you soon. If they can’t, I’ll take you to the Lord of Shenxiao Palace. He can definitely remove the curse.”
Two soft knocks echoed from the door before it creaked open, and a girl in green entered with a fruit plate in hand. It was Yan Dan.
Without looking up, Linlang continued comforting the little fox, whose pained cries echoed throughout the room.
The girl approached, touching the fox’s leg lightly. A layer of white energy spread over the cursed wound, and the little fox, which had been writhing in agony, immediately calmed.
Linlang starred in surprise before murmuring, “Can you cure it?”
Yan Dan shook her head, offering an apologetic smile. “No, I can’t.”
Linlang’s face fell, her eyes dark with disappointment. “Of course, you can’t. But your mountain master can.”
Yan Dan lowered her gaze, her voice steady. “Is it really worth it? You’ve sacrificed so much for the fox clan, but will they even be grateful? The mountain master isn’t the only one who can remove this curse. You might find someone else.”
Linlang searched Yan Dan’s eyes for a long moment. “You want me to leave, don’t you? Are you the mountain master’s concubine?”
“I belong to the flower fairy clan. I became a concubine when I arrived here,” Yan Dan said with a soft smile. “But don’t trouble yourself over it.” She turned and made her way to the door when Linlang’s voice stopped her.
“Even though you’re like this, does the mountain master still treat you kindly?”
Yan Dan paused before simply responding, “Take care, Miss Linlang.”
“Wait!” Linlang rushed over, stopping her and closing the door behind them. “Don’t be afraid. Just say what you want to say. I won’t let anyone harm you.”
Pride flickered in Yan Dan’s heart, but she kept her face neutral. She spoke cautiously. “When I first came here, I didn’t know what to expect. Back then, the master only wanted the most beautiful among us. At first, I refused, but I soon realized that to survive, I needed the mountain master’s favor. Our flower clan is known for our beauty, so I boasted of my strength and deeper cultivation. The mountain master was pleased and accepted me. But I later realized how wrong I was…”
Her voice faltered, and she hesitated before untying her belt. Linlang’s eyes widened in shock. “What are you doing—” She stopped mid-sentence, rendered speechless.
Yan Dan’s back faced her, the smooth porcelain skin marred by deep, charred scars, a stark contrast to her beauty.
“Now you understand, don’t you?” Yan Dan said quietly, retying her belt. “I was lucky to survive at all, thanks to my healing skills.”
Linlang’s eyes, visible above her veil, suddenly welled up with tears. She trembled as she looked at the little fox. "How could there be such a monster in human form in this world?" she whispered in disbelief.
Yan Dan spoke softly, almost soothing. "Miss Linlang, be cautious tomorrow. I've said all I needed to, so I’ll take my leave now." With that, she gently closed the door and walked away, her footsteps light and carefree. The phrase "beast in human form" echoed in her mind, bringing a faint smile to her lips. It had been a satisfying insult. She headed directly for the mountain lord's residence.
Yu Mo stood by the lotus pond in the front yard, casually tossing fish food into the water, drawing a flurry of fish in response.
"Yu Mo, Yu Mo!" Yan Dan called as she approached.
Without turning, he gave her a sidelong glance. "What is it?"
She grabbed a handful of fish food from the clay pot in his hands and slowly sprinkled it into the pond. "I need a favor," she said casually.
Yu Mo pushed her hand away. "Don’t overfeed them. What do you need?"
"I need glutinous rice, cinnabar, and night-shining sand. Tonight."
Yu Mo turned to her, his expression serious. "The first two, no problem. But for the night-shining sand, you’ll have to deal with the bat spirits yourself. It’s just bat dung, after all. Go collect it yourself; there’s plenty."
Yan Dan scooped another handful of fish food and made as if to dump it all in at once. "If you don’t help me, I’ll overfeed your fish until they burst."
"Yan Dan!" Yu Mo’s voice was sharp.
"Yes?" she replied sweetly.
"It’s no wonder Zi Lin wants to flay you alive," he muttered, glaring at her. "I’m starting to see his point."
He hefted the clay pot back from her. "Fine. You’ll have what you need by tonight. Just put the food back."
Obediently, Yan Dan returned the fish food to the pot, her smile softening into a pleased expression. "You really are the best. Zi Lin’s always so fierce and unreasonable—he just doesn’t understand people like you."
Yu Mo watched her walk away, bemused. Just then, a quiet cough sounded behind him, and Zi Lin appeared, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Yan Dan's request is rather telling, don’t you think? She’s likely planning to lift the curse from the three-tailed snow fox."
Yu Mo’s gaze remained on the pond. "Seems that way," he said, his fingers lacing together as he leaned against the railing. "It’s no concern if the fox clan remembers our help or not. The real goal is to shatter their arrogance."
"You knew she’d intervene once she saw the fox clan, didn’t you?" Zi Lin asked, his tone implying he already knew the answer.
"Of course," Yu Mo chuckled. "We’ve known each other long enough. I can predict her actions."
Meanwhile, Linlang knelt before him, her head bowed low. She could hear the soft sound of footsteps, and a light blue dress edged into her vision. Cool fingers gently lifted her chin, and Yu Mo’s soft voice followed. "Still hiding behind a veil? I only care for beauty. If you're lacking in that department, there’s no need for you here."
Sweat beaded on Linlang’s brow. Trembling, she shuffled backward. "No! I’m not beautiful enough... I wouldn’t dare offend the master’s eyes!" she stammered.
Yu Mo took a step closer. "I’ve heard that fox women are famed for their beauty."
Linlang, remembering Yan Dan's disfigured back from the previous day, shook her head fervently. "No, no! That’s not true at all!" She pointed hastily at Yan Dan, who had just entered carrying a plate. "Look at her, Mountain Master. She's far more beautiful than me!"
Yan Dan offered a respectful bow. "Mountain Master."
Yu Mo smiled warmly. "You’re truly remarkable."
"Not at all," Yan Dan replied with false humility. "The mountain master flatters me."
Linlang’s gaze darted between the two, panic rising. "You lied to me," she accused, suddenly tearing off her veil to reveal her face. "You told me you weren’t the mountain master’s concubine, that you were forced to be here!"
Yu Mo nodded in agreement. "That’s true."
Linlang’s voice trembled with fury. "You also said you claimed to be better than others so the mountain master would favor you!"
"Also true," Yu Mo said with a shrug. "At that time, Yan Dan came here with a very specific purpose."
Linlang’s anger boiled over. "And you said the scars on your back were his doing!"
Yan Dan intervened, her voice calm. "I never said the mountain master caused my scars. I only let you assume that."
"But… you mentioned a demon who once deceived the mountain master and stole his precious eye! You said he hated all beautiful demons because of that..." Linlang’s voice faltered, as the realization settled in.
Yan Dan sighed, feigning regret. "Yes, the story of the stolen eye is true. But I never said it was linked to my injuries. You connected those dots yourself."
Linlang stood, her body trembling, her face pale with rage. Unable to respond, she fell into a sullen silence.
Yu Mo, casting a sympathetic glance her way, turned to Yan Dan before brushing past and heading up the steps to join Zi Lin.
From within Linlang’s cloak, a small fox head peeked out. The little fox blinked its obsidian eyes, looking around curiously. Yan Dan’s quick hand darted out, capturing it.
The little fox yelped and squirmed, struggling desperately in her grasp.
Linlang was taken aback. "What are you doing?!"
Yan Dan calmly set the tray down on the ground. "Removing the curse." She picked up a knife, lightly ran her finger along the blade, and a bright bead of red blood immediately welled up.
"But yesterday you said it couldn’t be undone..." Linlang trailed off, quickly realizing the truth. One look at the items on the tray, and it was clear — Yan Dan had only said that because the necessary components hadn’t been ready.
With steady hands, Yan Dan pressed the little fox down and touched her bleeding finger to its leg, murmuring softly under her breath. The charred mark of the curse began to fade away, but a dark mist rose from the fox, swelling larger and darker. Yan Dan quickly released the fox, grabbed the glutinous rice and cinnabar, and scattered them into the air. With a slight flick of her fingers, a sharp sound cut through the mist, and it vanished with a hiss.
She handed Linlang a small dish from the tray. "Feed this to the snow fox. It’ll be fine now."
Linlang accepted the plate and bowed slightly. "Miss Yan Dan, thank you." She beckoned the little fox over. "Come here."
Yu Mo observed the plate in the snow fox’s mouth with a perplexed expression. If he wasn’t mistaken, the plate held night-shining sand — bat feces, collected just last night.
Zi Lin stepped forward. "Miss Linlang, we’re friends now. Any earlier remarks were made in jest. Let’s leave it at that. A banquet awaits in the courtyard. Please, join us."
Linlang smiled graciously but glanced toward Yan Dan. "No, a promise made cannot be taken back. Since Miss Yan Dan saved my brother, it’s only right that I serve her." After a brief pause, she added, "If Miss Yan Dan is uncomfortable with that, I can always transform into a man and serve you wholeheartedly." She emphasized the word *serve* with a teasing tone.
Startled, Yan Dan looked over at Yu Mo. But Linlang raised a hand to stop her. "Miss, since you aren’t the mountain master’s concubine, what’s the worry? Is it because I’m not good enough?"
Yan Dan, trying to divert the attention, pointed to the little fox. "Actually, I prefer it. It’s small and soft."
Immediately, the little fox dropped the plate, leapt onto Yan Dan, and affectionately rubbed against her. She caught it, chuckling softly as it licked her fingers with its tiny tongue.
Linlang smiled still, but her tone shifted slightly. "Since Miss Yan Dan is fond of it, then so be it. However," she hesitated before continuing, "Zi Yan can be a bit clueless at times."
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