Chapter 3: The Enigmatic Little Fox

A gentle breeze swept across the peaks of Zixia, carrying with it a refreshing coolness that made the little fox, Xiao Xi, shiver involuntarily. At that moment, his mind was racing, trying to grasp a sense that something in Su Mei’s words had slipped beyond his control.

Meanwhile, Bai Luozhu, standing nearby, carefully observed the mischievous little fox cradled in her teacher’s arms. Bai Luozhu, as the only personal disciple of the Zixia Peak, had rushed to greet her teacher upon Su Mei’s return to the Qingluan Sect the previous day. Naturally, she had learned about her teacher’s recent trials and tribulations.

However, what puzzled her was the little fox in her teacher’s embrace. During their first meeting the day before, the fox had shown a hint of resistance toward her. By the end, it had even pretended to be asleep, which left Bai Luozhu baffled. After all, she believed this was her first encounter with the little fox, yet it had given her the impression of being a formidable beast from ancient times.

If Xiao Xi could hear Bai Luozhu’s thoughts at that moment, he would undoubtedly nod in agreement. The reason for his agreement is quite simple: Bai Luozhu is the female lead in this novel, the counterpart to the protagonist, Ye Chen. It is well-known that the female leads in novels rarely have male confidants or ambiguous relationships. This is understandable, as the audience, including Xiao Xi as a reader, tends to have a certain purity of spirit. The issue is that, given the current situation, if Xiao Xi were to become too close to the female lead, he might find himself facing a sharp axe when the protagonist arrives.

Although Xiao Xi believed that, having read the novel, he had a certain advantage with his God’s perspective. However, it was precisely because he had read the story that he understood the overwhelming luck and power of Ye Chen, the author’s favored son. Therefore, it is best not to get too close to the protagonist’s female leads.

Some might question why Xiao Xi is so close to Su Mei. The answer is that Su Mei is not part of Ye Chen’s harem. In the original story, shortly after Xiao Xixi, her younger sister, fell into the path of magic, the Great Joy Temple officially declared war on the Qingluan Sect. As the leader of one of the sect’s peaks, Su Mei bravely prepared to defend her sect. Although the novel ‘Heavenly War’ hints at Ye Chen developing a slight flirtatious interest in his teacher, Su Mei, during the war, the author seems to have avoided the ‘teacher-student sharing play’ scenario or simply wanted to incite readers’ hatred for the antagonistic sect, the Great Joy Temple.

Xiao Xi clearly remembers that during the early to middle part of the story, when the sect war broke out, Su Mei fought fiercely to protect her two disciples (the male and female leads) against several high-ranking monks from the Great Joy Temple. In the end, she perished, leaving behind only a red sash. Xiao Xi recalls feeling a heavy sadness in his chest at that point, reminiscent of the feeling when Ace died in the One Piece war arc. Although Xiao Xi had never seen the real Su Mei, who could resist falling for a beautiful, kind-hearted teacher like her?

…

Su Mei looked at her beloved disciple, Bai Luozhu, whose bright, almond-shaped eyes were fixed on the little fox in her arms, a look of longing on her face. To ensure a good relationship between the two, Su Mei narrowed her deep, alluring peach blossom eyes. Then, with a playful tone, she lifted Xiao Xi, who was in a state of shock, and offered him to Bai Luozhu. ‘Little Luozhu, do you want to pet your little sister? She’s so soft!’

Without a word, Su Mei handed the stunned, fluffy Xiao Xi to Bai Luozhu. Bai Luozhu, who had only intended to understand why the little fox seemed distant, was taken aback by her teacher’s assumption that she wanted to pet the fox. However, unable to resist the allure of the soft, fluffy creature, Bai Luozhu gently took Xiao Xi into her arms. The little fox was surprisingly light, and Bai Luozhu felt no pressure at all. Instead, she was filled with warmth from the soft fur and the fox’s gentle body heat.

Xiao Xi, still reeling from the shock of being called ‘little sister,’ was unable to process anything else. Bai Luozhu interpreted this as a sign that the little fox was not averse to her. Seeing no resistance from Xiao Xi, Bai Luozhu began to stroke his pure white fur, starting from his spotless head. The fox’s fur was like soft silk, and Bai Luozhu found herself unable to stop petting him, her hands moving down his body.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew up from the base of Zixia Peak, carrying with it a few fallen leaves from the nearby forest. As a leaf was about to land on Bai Luozhu’s head, she instinctively made a hand seal, and the leaf fell swiftly, as if struck by an unseen force. After using her right hand to dispel the leaf, Bai Luozhu caught a whiff of a faint, sweet citrus scent, reminiscent of the first days of winter. Before she could savor the aroma, a clear, melodic voice echoed from the base of the peak. ‘Su Teacher, let me see your little fox disciple, will you?’

Accompanied by the cheerful voice, a lively young girl in a yellow dress appeared on the peak, riding a thin, soft sword. She landed gracefully, and her sword returned to its sheath. Without her sword, she descended gently, her small, delicate feet supported by a green wind. As soon as she landed, she hurried toward Bai Luozhu, her eyes fixed on Xiao Xi. As she approached, she reached out with a gentle, enticing smile. ‘Heehee, adorable little one, don’t be scared!’