As Yi Yefeng spoke, he continued to smear mud on Xueya’s clothes. In no time, the clean, fair-skinned youth looked like a scruffy child who had rolled several times through a mud pit.
Even so, Yi Yefeng was still unsatisfied. As he studied Xueya, thinking about what else he could do, he suddenly heard Xueya’s hesitant voice.
“Are you telling the truth?”
Without even pausing, Yi Yefeng replied, “Yes, it’s true.”
Hearing this, Xueya couldn’t help but glance at his own chest. At that moment, Yi Yefeng’s hand reached his neck, smearing some dirt there as well before quickly disguising himself. Soon after, he stood up. “It’s time to head into the city.”
Xueya looked at his filthy appearance, wanting to get angry, but fearing that his chest might really explode like Yi Yefeng had said. Feeling wronged, he reluctantly stood up and followed Yi Yefeng.
As they rode their horse closer to the city, Yi Yefeng stopped. He lifted Xueya off the horse and tied the animal to a tree. “I’m going to check if there are any wanted posters. You stay right here and don’t go anywhere.”
Xueya nodded. Watching Yi Yefeng walk toward the city, he was tempted to wipe the mud off his face. But just as he was about to touch it, he stopped.
It’s better to endure it. Getting recognized would be troublesome.
After a while, Yi Yefeng returned. The first thing he did was draw a dagger and cut the reins from the horse, then he stabbed the horse’s flank hard. The horse, in pain, bolted forward and quickly disappeared from sight.
Seeing this, Xueya panicked. “Why did you let the horse go? How are we supposed to get to Kangwu County now?”
“We’re disguising ourselves as refugees. We can’t have a horse. We’ll buy another one when we leave the town,” Yi Yefeng replied, sheathing the dagger.
Hearing this, Xueya couldn’t help but ask, “Do you have money?” His voice dropped in the latter half. “I don’t have any.”
“I do.”
Hearing Yi Yefeng say this, Xueya felt slightly reassured, but as they were about to enter the city, he still felt nervous and hid behind Yi Yefeng the entire way.
At the city gate, his anxiety peaked. Fortunately, the town was small, and the guards weren’t strict. They quickly let the two in, though the dirt-covered pair caused other townspeople to avoid them.
Xueya had always been self-conscious about others’ opinions, and now he was too ashamed to lift his head. In contrast, Yi Yefeng walked with confidence, leading Xueya through the town in search of a clinic, as if he didn’t care about the disgusted looks they received.
After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, they finally found a clinic.
“Doctor, my younger brother is injured. Could you please take a look at him?” Yi Yefeng said in a deep voice.
The doctor, an elderly man, walked out from behind the counter. “Where’s the injury?”
“His hand,” Yi Yefeng glanced around. “Do you have a room?”
Inside a small room, the doctor examined Xueya’s wound. After confirming it was an arrow wound and noticing their disheveled appearance, he asked, “Did you encounter bandits on the road?”
“Yes. Our belongings were all stolen. My brother and I barely survived,” Yi Yefeng replied.
The doctor nodded knowingly. “There are indeed many mountain bandits in this area. Your brother’s wound is deep. He’ll need regular dressing and medication. He’s also caught a cold and will need bed rest for several days.”
Hearing this, Xueya couldn’t help but glance at Yi Yefeng.
Yi Yefeng remained calm. “How many days of medication does he need?”
“The internal medicine will take at least seven days. As for the external treatment, come back every three days for a dressing change. How many times depends on how well the wound heals,” the doctor explained.
Xueya immediately wanted to protest, but Yi Yefeng spoke first. “Doctor, please prepare the medicine.”
Noticing their shabby appearance, the doctor asked, “Do you have money?”
“We do.”
Satisfied with the answer, the doctor left to prepare the medicine, leaving Yi Yefeng and Xueya alone in the room. Xueya quickly asked, “Are we taking the medicine and leaving?”
“Let’s first treat your arm. It’s freezing outside, and if the wound isn’t healed properly, it could worsen. You might lose your arm entirely.”
Yi Yefeng’s reasoning made sense, but the thought of staying in this town for at least seven days unsettled Xueya, especially since he didn’t know what was happening with He Xulan.
Sensing Xueya’s worry, Yi Yefeng said firmly, “Once your arm is healed, we’ll continue on our way. A few days won’t make much difference. If your injury isn’t treated properly, it’ll be a bigger problem on the road.”
Reluctantly, Xueya suppressed his impatience, partly because he was feeling terribly unwell—his head was dizzy, his throat was sore, and it felt like something was stuck inside.
Since they would need to stay at least seven days, Yi Yefeng asked the doctor if there was an empty room available. Fortunately, the clinic did have one spare room, but only one.
“The bed isn’t large. If the two of you sleep on it together, you probably won’t fit,” the doctor said, glancing at Yi Yefeng. He couldn’t help but squeeze Yi Yefeng’s arm. “Young man, how tall are you? If bandits come at you alone, they definitely wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Doctor, do you have an extra blanket? I can sleep on the floor,” Yi Yefeng replied.
The doctor immediately objected. “That won’t do! It’s too cold. Sleeping on the floor will make you sick. You may feel strong now, but you’ll regret it when you’re older. Are you married?”
When Yi Yefeng shook his head, the doctor’s expression became that of an elder giving advice. “All the more reason not to sleep on the floor. You might have trouble fathering children later. Though, with your build, I’d say you could have seven or eight kids at least.”
The nearby Xueya was feeling unwell, but when he heard that comment, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Little did he know that as soon as he laughed, the doctor’s attention shifted to him.
Unlike his expression towards Yi Yefeng, the doctor looked at Xueya and shook his head repeatedly. “You need to nourish yourself properly. Look at your delicate hands; a man like that will be looked down upon.”
Xueya’s laughter immediately died down.
Fortunately, after the doctor found a simple cot that could barely be slept on for Yi Yefeng, he went back to attend to other patients. The cold weather had caused many people to catch colds.
Yi Yefeng tidied up the empty room and fetched a basin of hot water so Xueya could wash his face. After washing up, the medicine was ready.
Once Xueya drank the medicine, he started feeling drowsy. However, he was reluctant to sleep in the bed while still covered in dirt. With his injured arm making it inconvenient to bathe, Yi Yefeng fetched a basin of water, and Xueya used a cloth to wipe himself down.
Just from that simple wipe-down, Xueya was already exhausted. Afterward, he dressed in relatively clean inner clothes and curled up under the blankets. He vaguely remembered Yi Yefeng standing by the door, raising his voice to call someone in, before he fell asleep.
Xueya’s cold persisted for three days, and it wasn’t until the fourth day that he could finally get out of bed. As soon as he was up, he wanted to bathe. He had sweated a lot over the past few days, and his body felt sticky. His clothes also needed to be changed.
When Xueya mentioned wanting to change his clothes, Yi Yefeng didn’t say much and took him to a clothing store that afternoon. Before they left, Yi Yefeng somehow obtained a strange powder and had Xueya apply it to the exposed parts of his skin.
Once applied, his skin turned yellowish.
Although his facial features hadn’t changed, the darker skin tone made him look duller, and he attracted less attention on the street.
Having already been smeared with mud, Xueya was now entirely accustomed to using such powders.
At the clothing store, Xueya first noticed some ruqun hanging on the wall. He almost said something but quickly remembered that he didn’t need to wear ruqun now. His face flushed red, and he hastily looked away.
To his surprise, Yi Yefeng noticed where he had been looking and asked the shop owner about the price of the ruqun.
The shop owner, a woman, couldn’t help but ask, “Who are you buying this for? How old is she? How tall?”
Just as Yi Yefeng was about to speak, he felt a tug on his arm.
“Shut up!” Xueya said anxiously.
Yi Yefeng glanced at Xueya, noticing his wide, panicked eyes, and obediently closed his mouth.
Relieved that he had stopped Yi Yefeng, Xueya turned to the shop owner and said, “He was just asking casually. We’re not buying it.”
With that, he immediately walked over to the men’s clothing section.
Before choosing anything, Xueya pulled Yi Yefeng aside and whispered, “Do you have enough money?”
They must have already spent a lot on medical treatment.
Yi Yefeng nodded.
Even though he nodded, Xueya was still too cautious to pick anything expensive. Who knew when they’d reach Kangwu County, and there would likely be many more expenses along the way.
Seeing Xueya choose two outfits made of poor-quality cotton, Yi Yefeng frowned and stopped the shop owner from fetching them. “Get something better.”
Yi Yefeng picked out two outfits himself. After choosing the clothes, they also bought new bedding.
It was nearing noon, and the marketplace was getting busier. Yi Yefeng was carrying items in both hands, but his eyes remained on Xueya, fearing he might get lost.
As the crowd thickened, someone suddenly bumped into Yi Yefeng.
His expression sharpened immediately. He dropped what he was carrying and grabbed the boy who had bumped into him. “Hand it over.”
The boy, no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, was thin and scraggly. At first, he wanted to argue, but Yi Yefeng’s grip was like iron, his fingers digging into the boy’s shoulder as if they would pierce his bones. In the end, the boy said nothing and shakily pulled a pouch from his sleeve.
At that moment, Yi Yefeng heard Xueya gasp. He quickly turned to see Xueya squatting down, clutching his foot.
“Here, take it back.” The thin boy, seizing the moment, tossed the pouch onto the ground and tried to flee.
Yi Yefeng, seeing that the pouch had been returned and that Xueya was hurt, didn’t bother to check it closely. He let the boy go, then helped Xueya up before picking up the pouch. It wasn’t until he opened it that he realized it wasn’t his pouch at all.
The thin boy was long gone.
Inside the pouch were small stones.
When Xueya saw the stones, his already pale face turned even whiter. “Does that mean we have no money now?”
Yi Yefeng immediately understood that the person who had stepped on Xueya’s foot was working with the boy. His expression darkened as he tucked the pouch of stones into his clothes. “Don’t worry about it. I have a way.”
Even though Yi Yefeng said he had a plan, Xueya visibly slumped. One thing after another, and now, with his injury, the horse gone, and their money stolen, how could they possibly make it to Kangwu County?
Back at the clinic, the doctor noticed Xueya limping and asked, “What happened to your foot?”
“I got stepped on,” Xueya replied as he held onto the doorframe, trying to hop over the threshold. Before he could jump, he suddenly found himself lifted into the air.
Yi Yefeng had picked him up.
After setting Xueya down, Yi Yefeng gathered the items from the ground and walked inside. “Doctor, could you please take a look at his foot?”
The person who had stepped on Xueya had done so with great force, leaving a large bruise on his foot. The doctor clicked his tongue in astonishment. “That was a hard stomp! You’ll need to apply ointment three times a day—morning, noon, and night.”
After prescribing the medication, the doctor walked away, and Yi Yefeng followed him. Once he was sure Xueya couldn’t hear, Yi Yefeng said quietly, “Doctor, I just got robbed. Do you know of any quick jobs in town that pay well?”
“You were robbed? Hmm…” The doctor thought for a moment, his eyes lingering on Yi Yefeng’s physique. “I know the dock is hiring laborers. They pay daily.”
That night.
When Xueya learned that Yi Yefeng was going to work at the dock, he was stunned and immediately asked about the pay.
“You get paid based on how much cargo you move. We’ll know the exact amount tomorrow,” Yi Yefeng replied while staring at Xueya’s foot soaking in the basin. “The water’s getting cold. Are you done?”
Thinking Yi Yefeng wanted to soak his feet, Xueya quickly pulled his feet out of the basin. He dried them with a towel, and Yi Yefeng immediately brought over the ointment.
The moment Xueya saw the ointment, his expression soured.
The ointment prescribed by the doctor had an awful smell, and the last time he applied it, Xueya had almost vomited. Just seeing it now made him feel nauseous again.
“My… my foot is much better. I don’t need it anymore,” Xueya said hastily, trying to hide his foot under the blanket. Unfortunately, the heavy blanket pressed down on his injured foot, causing him to gasp in pain.
Yi Yefeng, of course, heard it.
Yi Yefeng looked at Xueya expressionlessly. “Aren’t you going to apply it?”
Even though Xueya was in pain, he really didn’t want to be surrounded by that foul smell while sleeping at night, so he decisively refused. But as soon as he did, his blanket was pulled back.
Yi Yefeng avoided the wound on Xueya’s foot and grabbed it.
Fresh from soaking in warm water, his foot had a faint pink hue. The five toes were round, like pearls inside a river clam. Xueya didn’t have much flesh on his body, and his feet were one of the chubbier parts, soft and plump, as if there were no bones inside.
—
**Bonus Chapter (Unrelated)**
Author’s Note:
I hit a bit of a block, so I decided to write a bonus chapter (though it’s unfinished and I might complete it later).
Tomorrow this chapter will be replaced with the main story, so if you don’t want to read the bonus chapter, you can check back tomorrow for the main story, and it won’t cost you extra.
—
On Fox Mountain lived a group of foxes. Among them was a five-tailed fox named Xueya. Orphaned and unable to attend the Fox Academy, he spent his days with ordinary, powerless foxes.
One day, realizing he hadn’t stored enough food for winter, Xueya went out to forage and smelled meat coming from the Fox Academy, so he followed the scent. Instead of entering through the front gate, he jumped up from the base of the wall and peeked over it.
The fox students were preparing an autumn feast, grilling meat that sizzled deliciously. Even though it was already deep into winter, these foxes didn’t have to worry about food, thanks to their wealthy families.
Xueya was envious but couldn’t bring himself to leave. As he craned his neck to get a better view, he unknowingly opened his mouth, and drool dripped down the wall.
Unfortunately, it landed right on a fox’s head.
The fox looked up and saw Xueya, immediately shouting, “Ah! There’s a fox spying on us!”
“It’s that wild fox!” one of them recognized him.
Realizing he’d been spotted, Xueya tried to scramble down the wall, but a spell hit him first, knocking him off and leaving him rolling in pain on the ground.
Before he could recover, the group of fox students came out, led by an eight-tailed fox, the most gifted among the younger foxes.
“A wild fox dares to come here? You must have a death wish,” the eight-tailed fox sneered, circling around Xueya. Seeing Xueya’s five tails, he mocked, “A five-tailed fox? How pitiful. When will you ever grow eight tails?”
“He’ll never manage it! Look at how poor he is, spending all his time with unintelligent foxes. He’ll die with five tails, embarrassing all of Fox Mountain.”
“I heard his mother was only a three-tailed fox. No wonder his father didn’t want them.”
The foxes laughed at Xueya, even mocking his late mother. Furious, Xueya’s fur bristled as he pounced on the fox with the fewest tails.
Though this fox had one more tail than Xueya, his magic skills were lacking, and he couldn’t beat Xueya.
Claw met claw, and the two foxes tussled, their tails puffed up like feather dusters.
The eight-tailed fox watched the brawl for a while, then lazily transformed into human form. With a casual gesture, he grabbed both foxes by the scruffs, effortlessly pulling them apart.
Defeated, the two foxes went limp. Xueya, especially, curled his tails around his belly, while his ears flattened in fear under the eight-tailed fox’s oppressive aura.
The eight-tailed fox glanced at Xueya before tossing him aside. “Scram.”
Xueya rolled several times before stopping. By the time he got up, the group had already returned to the academy to feast. Humiliated, Xueya cried all the way back to his den, where a non-intelligent fox came to play with him. Annoyed, he kicked it away, vowing to avenge himself.
But as the eight-tailed fox had said, it could take Xueya countless years to grow eight tails. He didn’t have parents to give him treasures and elixirs or a master to teach him spells. By the time he grew eight tails on his own, the arrogant eight-tailed fox would probably have ascended to a higher realm.
After much thought, Xueya decided to take a different path.
These days, more and more cultivators were keeping demon pets. Once, a cultivator came to Fox Mountain, trying to claim a nine-tailed fox as his pet. But he was killed by the mountain elder, and his belongings were divided among the foxes. Xueya didn’t get any cultivation books, just a small flyer.
The flyer announced that a certain elder’s demon pet had successfully transcended its tribulation, and the elder hosted a ten-day banquet at a renowned inn, inviting cultivators from all over.
Despised by the other foxes, Xueya figured that becoming a cultivator’s pet might give him a better life. Though the foxes of Fox Mountain saw it as shameful, Xueya was more focused on revenge.
Once he found a powerful master, he would have that arrogant eight-tailed fox beaten, just like he was today.
So, Xueya left Fox Mountain.
Before leaving, he took all his possessions: a comb, a mirror, three sweet potatoes, two ears of corn, and a small bag of dried pork.
The flyer mentioned that the elder lived at the Baohe Temple, so Xueya decided to head there in search of a master—someone wealthy and powerful, more so than the elder mentioned in the flyer.
Carrying his belongings, Xueya set out, but he didn’t know where Baohe Temple was. Along the way, he met a weasel, a cunning merchant. The weasel offered to trade a simple map for a small bag of dried pork and one sweet potato.
“If you don’t want to trade, I’ll be on my way. Hmph, I’ve seen plenty of poor foxes, but one as poor as you is a first.” The weasel flicked its tail, preparing to leave.
“Wait, I’ll trade! Is that enough?” Xueya reluctantly handed over the food, and in exchange, he received a very basic map.
“Just head north, then east, then north again, and finally west…” The weasel rattled off directions that left Xueya thoroughly confused before slipping away.
Unaware he’d been scammed, Xueya followed the map aimlessly. By sheer luck, he stumbled upon Baohe Temple.
Seeing the temple’s grand floating jade plaque, Xueya rushed forward, only to be thrown back by a barrier.
The barrier was no joke—Xueya’s tail tip turned black from the blast.
Normally intolerant of pain and quite vain, Xueya clutched his tail and began wailing at the temple gate. Just then, a disciple of Baohe Temple returned and saw the snow-white fox crying. Unable to resist, he approached.
“What happened to you?” the disciple asked.
“M-my tail… It turned black,” Xueya sobbed.
Seeing the small patch of discolored fur and noticing how cute the fox was, the disciple took out a bottle of pills from his storage ring. “Don’t cry. There’s a barrier around the temple; only disciples can come and go freely. Don’t come this way next time—there’s nothing fun in there. Take this as an apology from our sect.”
Xueya had never seen a pill in his life. The disciple gave him an entire bottle, just for being a stranger!
Clearly, the people of Baohe Temple were rich. Xueya had come to the right place.
He quickly stored the pills but insisted, “I’m not here to play. I’m here to find someone.”
“Who are you looking for?” the disciple asked.
Without hesitation, Xueya replied, “The strongest person in your sect. I want to be their demon pet.”
—
“Master, I’m back.”
Elder Le Yi had already smelled the scent of a demon and looked displeased. “Go ahead, tell me. What have you brought back this time? Last time it was a goose. A ferocious one at that—it bit everyone in the sect. Your Seventh Uncle was the worst off; his rear end turned purple.”
“Master, you make it sound like I love collecting things. I’ve only brought something back twenty or so times.” Wen Fu grinned mischievously.
“Twenty or so times? You’ve only gone out on missions twenty times.” Elder Le Yi’s tone was stern, and he looked at Wen Fu as if he were a spendthrift. “What is it this time?”
Wen Fu chuckled and pulled out the five-tailed fox from his demon pouch. “It’s a fox. Isn’t it cute?”
Elder Le Yi gave the fox a once-over and reluctantly said, “It’s… alright. Why did you bring it back? Doesn’t it have a master?”
“Oh, it does. You’ll never guess who.” Wen Fu’s voice was full of mystery.
Elder Le Yi perked up his ears, though his expression remained casual. “Who else could it be? It must be your Sixth Senior Uncle. He’s always raising spirit beasts. Remember the last time? A rat successfully transcended its tribulation, and he threw a ten-day banquet. And what happened? Embarrassed himself. His big rat couldn’t resist diving into the food right away. Just bringing it up is shameful—it might even affect enrollment next semester.”
Wen Fu shook his head. “Master, it’s not Sixth Uncle. You would never guess. When I found out, I was shocked. This person has never kept a spirit pet before.”
Hearing this, Elder Le Yi spilled a few drops of water from his teacup. “You’re not about to say…”
“Yes! It’s the head of the sect!” Wen Fu replied, while openly stroking the fox’s fur. “I’m about to deliver the head’s beloved little fox to him.”
Elder Le Yi was silent for a long time before letting out a deep sigh and extending his hand to his disciple.
Wen Fu, seeing this, handed over the five-tailed fox. After taking the fox, Elder Le Yi thoroughly examined it, inspecting each paw carefully.
“Trim its claws properly before handing it over. We don’t want it scratching up the head’s face. The Heroes’ Gathering is coming up in a few days, and the head’s face is important. Keeping that face intact is crucial for enrolling students next semester,” Elder Le Yi said as he secretly stroked the fox in his arms.
