Chapter 15
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“Junior brother,” Yuncheng smiled gracefully, extending his immaculate hand a little further forward, “Don’t be afraid.”
The sword that lifted the curtain, stained with blood of unknown origin, was now dripping drop by drop, each droplet sliding down the blade and falling to the ground.
Pei Yunshu felt his entire body tremble. He clenched his teeth, fingers under his sleeve gripping the wooden board he was sitting on. His feet were glued to the spot, and his every organ seemed to resist moving any closer to Yuncheng.
The incoming light was so bright, yet he felt a chilling coldness throughout his body.
It was as if time was flowing backward. That day in the courtyard, Pei Yunshu had fallen from the bed in disarray, crawling toward the courtyard. He had felt the same bone-chilling coldness.
Back then, Yuncheng had worn the same gentle smile. He held a sword scabbard in his hand and softly uttered, “Junior brother, don’t be afraid.”
Much later, Pei Yunshu came to understand that the gentler Yuncheng’s smile, the greater his inner fury.
Just like now.
Yuncheng’s expression held a trace of helplessness, and he let out a soft sigh before calling out to him again, “Yunshu.”
Pei Yunshu replied slowly, “Senior brother, what are you doing here?”
Yuncheng smiled, not answering. Instead, he turned his gaze to the huddled figure of Huayue in the corner.
Huayue finally realized why Pei Yunshu had said what he did. Looking into the eyes of this seemingly upright cultivator, he felt like he was being regarded as an inanimate object.
In an instant, the fox shivered and transformed back into its true form, diving into Pei Yunshu’s arms.
Instinctively, Pei Yunshu held Huayue close. The lively fox, which had been full of energy, was now trembling uncontrollably in his embrace. Pei Yunshu caressed Huayue’s head and then looked up at Yuncheng, his eyes carrying a plea. “Senior brother.”
Yuncheng stared at him, his expression heavy with unspoken words.
Pei Yunshu’s nails dug into his palms as he struggled to control his emotions. After a long pause, he raised his hand from the wide sleeve and hesitantly handed it to Yuncheng.
“Senior brother,” Pei Yunshu looked at him, his fingers stiff, “can we spare it?”
With no trace of spiritual energy within him and his fingers as cold as snow, Yuncheng ultimately smiled. Shaking his head, he held onto Pei Yunshu’s fingers and led him out of the bridal sedan. “When junior brother pleads like this with senior brother, how could senior brother still choose to kill him?”
Yuncheng’s palm was warm, infused with spiritual energy. He used it to warm Pei Yunshu’s cold fingers.
The fox in Pei Yunshu’s embrace seemed as if it had turned into wood, utterly still. Amber eyes glistened with unshed tears, which were absorbed by the fabric of Pei Yunshu’s clothes before they could fall.
Seeing that Pei Yunshu was disgraced because of him, Huayue was tormented. With only three tails left, if it hadn’t been for Pei Yunshu’s intercession, he feared the self-righteous man might have cut off even those.
Once he had managed to warm Pei Yunshu’s stiff hands, Yuncheng released him.
Pei Yunshu tucked his hand back into his sleeve, his fingers repeatedly rubbing against the fabric. After a moment, he asked, “Second senior brother, where are Eldest and Third senior brother?”
Yuncheng replied, “They are scouting ahead.”
Pei Yunshu glanced at the bloodied sword in Yuncheng’s hand, and Yuncheng caught that glance. He said faintly, “I killed the fox that wanted to marry.”
Huayue stiffened, his fur almost bristling. A sob escaped him, and he wished he could immediately transform into a jade ornament hanging from Pei Yunshu’s body, not wanting to maintain his fox form any longer.
Pei Yunshu fell silent for a moment, then turned to look at the surroundings. The foxes that had been dancing and playing instruments around them earlier had all disappeared. The path ahead was covered in dense fog, and beyond the fog, faintly visible, was a tall pavilion.
Amidst a stretch of forest, the appearance of this pavilion seemed particularly peculiar.
As the two senior junior brother moved forward to search for their other senior junior brothers, the moment Pei Yunshu stepped into the dense fog, hundreds of yellow-furred foxes suddenly materialized out of thin air. Chattering and chirping, they swarmed in Pei Yunshu’s direction.
Men, women, the elderly, and children – a variety of voices all chimed in with the same phrase, “The groom is dead! The bride needs to throw the embroidered ball!”
Yuncheng’s expression turned stern as he shielded Pei Yunshu behind him and drew his sword to attack. However, when the sword made contact with the foxes, it was as if it met empty air. No matter how many strikes he attempted, he couldn’t harm them in the slightest.
Instead, he was pushed away by the foxes, and they surrounded Pei Yunshu. They lifted him and began carrying him toward the pavilion behind the dense fog.
Pei Yunshu’s hands and feet were firmly restrained, preventing him from escaping. Huayue’s claws clung tightly to his clothes. Together, they were lifted onto the high tower by the multitude of foxes. Amidst the lively foxes, it felt like a celebration was about to take place.
Huayue attempted to communicate with the foxes with a few calls, but they ignored him.
Once they reached the top floor, the foxes set them down and handed a delicately beautiful red embroidered ball to Pei Yunshu.
The chattering foxes began to exclaim, “Throw it!”
“Choose a new groom!”
“Proceed to the bridal chamber with the new groom!”
The room was filled with foxes, and Pei Yunshu found himself trapped in the corridor. He tried to converse with them, but all they repeated were those three sentences. Their eyes were lifeless, as if they were puppets.
Pei Yunshu had no choice but to take the embroidered ball and take a few steps forward, leaning on the railing to peer down below.
The tall pavilion had three levels. As Pei Yunshu leaned out, he saw numerous foxes below.
In addition to the foxes, his three senior brothers were also among them. Eldest Senior Brother’s expression was calm and composed. He had been looking up at Pei Yunshu all along. When Pei Yunshu looked down, their eyes met. Eldest Senior Brother nodded slightly, indicating that Pei Yunshu need not be nervous.
Pei Yunshu lowered his gaze, clutching the embroidered ball tightly in his hand.
If the foxes caught the ball, he had no idea what might happen. But he vividly remembered the scene when Yuncheng had swung his sword through the foxes earlier. He suspected that even if his senior brothers attacked, they wouldn’t be able to harm the foxes.
Given Huayue’s fear of Zhuyou, would Zhuyou’s presence make a difference here?
Where had Zhuyou gone?
Suddenly, a burst of laughter echoed from below. Pei Yunshu’s attention was drawn to the sound, and he saw the group of demonic cultivators from Flower Brocade Sect leisurely entering the midst of the foxes.
Zouyu, the leader, raised his eyes to meet Pei Yunshu’s gaze. After a moment of eye contact, he burst into laughter. His alluring and deep gaze locked onto Pei Yunshu, and he said, “What a coincidence, to encounter Your Excellency again within this secret realm.”
Standing below, Yunman wore a composed expression, his eyebrows furrowed in displeasure as he glared at the demonic cultivators. “What are you doing here?”
“If it’s an embroidered ball marriage proposal, why can’t I be here?” Zouyu retorted.
“These absurd tricks by these beasts, and the Hall Master can still earnestly call this a marriage proposal?” Yunman sneered. “What’s the matter? Do you demonic cultivators also want to join in and fight over the embroidered ball?”
Zouyu’s smile seemed enigmatic. “You’re quite right, Your Excellency.”
Yunman’s folding fan suddenly revealed bone spikes but was blocked by Second Senior Brother. Yuncheng glanced at the group of demonic cultivators with indifference. “You can do your best, then.”
This tall tower was truly strange. Just as Yunjing attempted to fly upward on his sword, he found he couldn’t ascend very high. He barely managed to fly to a position above the foxes, who were even more peculiar. They were impervious to harm, and having more people present might be better than having fewer.
Otherwise, if the embroidered ball fell into the foxes’ hands, what would happen to Fourth Junior Brother?
A shadow of discontent passed over Yunman’s eyes. He waved his fan but refrained from saying anything further.
Both groups stood on opposite sides, all eyes fixed on Pei Yunshu. Observing this scene, Pei Yunshu couldn’t help but find it ironically comical.
Here he was, a man, forced by the foxes to throw an embroidered ball, and the people waiting to catch it were either foxes or a bunch of men.
The embroidered ball felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, a deep humiliation. Pei Yunshu clung to the ball, hesitating to let it go.
Surprisingly, no one below urged him on. Even the previously rowdy foxes fell silent, and suddenly, not a sound could be heard.
“Junior Brother,” Yuncheng suddenly spoke up, “Don’t worry. Just throw it towards Senior Brother.”
All eyes turned toward Yuncheng.
A faint smile curved Yuncheng’s lips as he stood with an air of elegance. “Since Junior Brother needs it, Senior Brother will fully cooperate. Even if there’s a bridal chamber later, Senior Brother will ensure your well-being.”
“Moreover, this absurd marriage proposal is just a farce. Senior Brother won’t take it seriously.”
These words seemed to slightly relax Pei Yunshu’s expression.
If he had to throw the embroidered ball, whether to the foxes or the demonic cultivators, even though they all knew it was fake, the very idea made him feel repulsed.
Upon reflection, of course, his senior brothers would be the best choice to catch the ball. Yet, the sense of repulsion remained unchanged.
Standing atop the three-story tower, Pei Yunshu’s hair fluttered in the cold wind. Below the dense fog, those with cultivation were not hindered by vision. It was a beautiful and indescribable sensation to see through the mist.
Third Senior Brother’s eyes lit up, and he slapped his folding fan into his palm. With a spirited voice, he declared, “Junior Brother, you can throw boldly. After all, all your senior brothers are here to do their best to catch your red embroidered ball.”
Huayue said cautiously, “Yunshu, do you not want to throw?”
Pei Yunshu remained silent.
“Once the fox weds, you’ll be able to restore your cultivation. Earlier, I was worried you might be seduced by the fox groom’s beauty to give up your Yuan Yang. If your senior brother marries instead, you’ll be much safer.”
Pei Yunshu smiled faintly. In the next moment, he threw the red embroidered ball from his hand.
To survive, he even endured this. He truly was afraid of death.
The foxes below erupted into excitement, while Yuncheng and his senior brothers flew into the air.
Zouyu arrogantly lifted his chin toward his subordinates. Lazily, he remarked, “Go ahead. If you don’t retrieve that embroidered ball, don’t expect to follow me out of this secret realm.”
Author’s Note: Yunshu (mocking): I’m really afraid of death.
No, no, no. It’s not being afraid of death; I feel sorry for him QAQ
Let’s summarize the character names for clarity:
Eldest Senior Brother: Yunjing Second Senior Brother: Yuncheng Third Senior Brother: Yunman Little Junior Brother: Yunwang Master: Ling Qing Daoist Spiritual Master
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