Chapter 25: Journey to the Wan Jian Sect

Su Zhuozhi blinked twice. Seeing the face magnified before him, he finally registered the situation and swatted a paw at Jiang Yangyu’s face. Retracting his claws, he used the soft pads of his paws to push the man away with visible reluctance and disgust.

“Eee!”

The little fox wrinkled up his face and somehow, as if made of liquid, he flowed out of Jiang Yangyu’s grasp, deftly evading the man’s attempt to squeeze his furry paws again.

Both Su Huailang and Xie Jue stepped forward to catch him, but Xie Jue, being quicker, swept the little fox into his arms in a flash.

Su Huailang withdrew his hand and turned to Jiang Yangyu, smiling a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “What brings the young marquis here?”

His voice was as gentle as ever, yet Jiang Yangyu felt a chill run down his spine, a creeping unease.

What was going on?

Had he somehow offended Zhuozhi’s brother?

Jiang Yangyu maintained a calm facade. “I came to take Zhuozhi out to play.”

Su Huailang offered an insincere apology. “My younger brother is unwell; I’m afraid he won’t be able to accompany you.”

Jiang Yangyu frowned, displeased. “Sick again? What use are those physicians?”

With that, he made to stride toward Yulan Hall to visit his friend, but Su Huailang stopped him, citing concern that Jiang might catch the illness.

Jiang Yangyu was not one to be easily swayed. A rebellious streak ran through his bones; the more he was told not to do something, the more he wanted to do it. He was about to ignore Su Huailang and march straight ahead when a fluffy white paw caught his sleeve.

“Eee.”

Jiang Yangyu turned around, once again captivated by the little fox. He asked with interest, “Did Zhuozhi raise this? I’ll ask him to lend it to me for a few days.”

Xie Jue, holding the little fox, darkened his expression. He pulled the fox closer, covering him completely, shutting off Jiang Yangyu’s view.

Su Huailang’s face also soured. He found a topic of conversation and half-coerced, half-escorted Jiang Yangyu away. If it weren’t for the fact that this man was close to Zhuozhi, he would have thrown him out of the manor.

Strangely, as Jiang Yangyu walked away, he kept turning back, feeling like someone was watching him. But he saw nothing. Then, something invisible tripped him, and he fell hard, completely unprepared.

Su Huailang quickly helped him up, his face a mask of sincere apology even as he chuckled inwardly. He didn’t understand what had just happened, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit satisfied. Who told Jiang Yangyu to hug his precious little brother like a cat?

Two days later.

They managed to contact the sword cultivator in the palace through someone and asked him to come to the Su residence.

But before that, a major incident shook the capital.

Pang Hongcai, the son of the Chunyuan Cloth Shop owner in the city, had just gotten engaged when he was suddenly found dead at home. The manner of his death was gruesome and horrifying. Joy turned into tragedy. Madam Pang wept bitterly, nearly fainting, demanding that the authorities find the murderer and bring justice for her son.

Compared to this, another event was even worse.

In the dead of night, a sound like an earthquake rumbled from the imperial palace. People within a hundred li were jolted awake by the tremors. Objects fell from shelves; they ran outside in panic, terrified out of their wits.

The next day, news spread that the emperor had almost been assassinated. The culprit was Concubine Jing, who had recently been enjoying great favor. The emperor flew into a rage and sentenced her to death. The Kong family was also implicated and thrown into prison.

When the news reached the Su residence, everyone was shocked, finding it unbelievable. However, they were more concerned about whether the sword cultivator Qin Zhao would come to the Su residence.

Fortunately, he arrived as promised.

When Qin Zhao saw Su Zhuozhi in his little fox form, he said, “Just as I thought.”

It turned out that when he was investigating the missing persons case in the capital, he had no leads until he discovered by chance that the giant tree in the palace was suspicious. He wanted to chop it down with one strike, but the eunuchs stopped him. After a long, fruitless argument, he waited until midnight and secretly entered the underground beneath the tree. In the center of the vast, intertwined root network, he found the missing mortals. They had become nutrients for the tree, absorbed beyond recognition. Only those who had disappeared recently were still intact. He slashed the bark with his sword and rescued everyone he could.

As for why Su Zhuozhi, attacked by the tree demon, had turned into a fox, they had to mention Concubine Jing. Her birth mother was not human but a fox spirit, so she carried demon blood. Unfortunately, half-demons are inherently incomplete, weak in body and low in demonic power, not much stronger than humans.

She had a lover and didn’t want to stay in the palace, so she chose to collaborate with the thousand-year-old tree demon. She provided nourishment for the tree, and in return, it would give her a new identity to escape the palace and be with her lover.

But unexpectedly, before things could be accomplished, Pang Hongcai, who had sworn to wait for her forever and marry no one else, got engaged to another girl. The moment she learned the news, Concubine Jing broke down. Weeping, she personally killed the faithless man. Despairing, she decided to assassinate the emperor. That way, her nine generations would be executed, and she could take revenge on the Kong family, who had forced her into the palace and led her to this point.

The actual events were more shocking than any drama. On another day, they might have had the leisure to gossip, but now Madam Su only asked anxiously, “Is there a way to save him?”

Qin Zhao nodded. “Although it’s not easy, there is a possibility.”

Su Zhuozhi had once saved him, so he was willing to help. He placed his hand on the little fox’s back and channeled spiritual energy into him. The energy traveled through the meridians, slowly…

Qin Zhao’s expression changed. How did the demonic energy get absorbed into the dantian?!

At that moment, Qin Zhao was like a doctor treating a patient. His change in expression made everyone present uncontrollably anxious. “Real Man Qin, what… what’s wrong?”

Qin Zhao hesitated, confused. “Originally, I could draw out the demonic energy that entered the body. But Young Master Su’s situation is very strange. It entered his dantian…”

“What happens if it enters the dantian?” Madam Su pressed nervously.

“The young master is a mortal, incompatible with demonic energy. Over time, he… will be corroded by the energy and lose his human consciousness.” Qin Zhao spoke slowly, reluctant to say more.

Master Su’s face darkened. He gritted his teeth and asked, “Do you mean he’ll become a real fox and forget everything?”

Qin Zhao looked at their grim faces, sighed, and had to nod. He truly wasn’t good at lying, nor did he know how to comfort them.

Su Zhuozhi’s tail, which had been lazily swaying, drooped. His beautiful face went blank, stunned by the news, frozen in disbelief.

Would he be like this forever? Turn into a fox, no longer remember being human, unable to think, only eating, drinking, sleeping—could that still be considered living? More than that, would it still be him? He would be no different from any ordinary fox.

Su Zhuozhi lowered his head. His fluffy face was unreadable, but his ice-blue eyes had clearly dimmed, losing their usual vibrant, dazzling luster.

Madam Su saw this and, heart aching, pulled him into her arms, softly coaxing him: “It’s okay. We’ll find other true men. The world is vast; there must be a solution. No matter what you become, you’ll always be Mother’s precious child.”

The young master, who was usually delicate and cried at the taste of bitter medicine, was now full of fear and panic. Yet he did not cry. Instead, he lifted his small face, stretched out a soft white paw, patted his mother’s wrist, and let out a sweet “Eee.” It seemed he was trying to comfort her, to keep her from being sad.

Seeing this, Madam Su’s heart ached even more. Her eyes reddened. She would rather he be less sensible, throw a tantrum, wail loudly, and vent all his emotions without worrying about theirs. Right now, the one suffering most was undoubtedly Zhuozhi.

In the shadow where sunlight didn’t reach, Xie Jue stood, his face hidden, his expression unfathomable.

Su Zhuozhi, having become a little fox, could be held in Xie Jue’s palm—fingers closing around him, immobilizing him, unable to go anywhere. Xie Jue liked this feeling. He thought it was good that Su Zhuozhi had become like this; he wouldn’t always run around, forcing him to follow closely.

It should be this way. But why, when he heard that Su Zhuozhi would remain this way forever, did he feel no pleasure, but instead inexplicable irritation and unease?

How could that sword cultivator from the Wan Jian Sect be so useless? Can’t even handle this?

Xie Jue spoke abruptly: “You say mortals and demonic energy are incompatible. But he was attacked by the tree demon and has been a fox for days, yet he’s still perfectly fine. Don’t you find that strange?”

He had been born with a fate of loneliness and ill fortune, everything going wrong. Su Zhuozhi was the complete opposite—it was as if he were the darling of heaven, doted on since childhood, smooth sailing and carefree.

The Buddhist son had even said he was a noble who could break the deadlock. If so, how could he be consumed by demonic energy at a time like this?

Xie Jue found it impossible.

Hearing this, Qin Zhao was taken aback. Indeed, he hadn’t figured that out. The cultivation paths of demon cultivators and human cultivators were fundamentally different; he had never seen demonic energy enter a human’s dantian. But just imagining it, a weak ordinary person should have no resistance, their internal organs corroded in agonizing pain.

Yet Su Zhuozhi ate, drank, and slept well, completely unaffected.

Qin Zhao pondered for a moment, then made a decision. He said seriously, “I can’t solve this, but our sect leader might be able to help Young Master Su. I can take him to the Wan Jian Sect.”

“To the Wan Jian Sect?”

Master Su and the others exchanged glances, hope rekindled in their eyes. In the cultivation world, the Wan Jian Sect was renowned for its size, long history, and numerous cultivators. The famous Heavenly Pure Sword Venerable was also one of the sect’s peak masters.

Master Su was overjoyed. He grabbed Qin Zhao’s hand tightly and said with gratitude, “Real Man Qin, our Su family will never forget this kindness. If you ever need anything in the future, just say the word. We will do everything we can to help.”

Qin Zhao, uncomfortable with such enthusiasm, stiffened. He tried to pull his hand back, but feared that if he used too much force, he might accidentally break Master Su’s hand. So he said dryly, “I’m not sure if I can help, and besides, I was the one who received Young Master Su’s help first. You don’t need to be too concerned.”

“How can that be! You are our Su family’s great benefactor!” Master Su shook his hand vigorously and asked anxiously, “How far is Wan Jian Sect? When do we leave? Today or tomorrow?”

“What do we need to prepare? The journey is long; we can’t skimp on luggage. And there are gifts—we must prepare generous presents for the sect leader!”

“How many of us will go?”

“Of course we’ll all go. Except Grandmother is old and shouldn’t travel far; she’ll stay at the manor.”

Several people spoke at once, creating a considerable din. Qin Zhao felt dizzy and flustered and hastily shouted, “Stop! Our Wan Jian Sect does not allow outsiders inside. I can only take Young Master Su alone. Also, I fly on my sword and use teleportation arrays, not carriages. The distance is no problem.”

Only Zhuozhi going alone? He had never traveled far by himself. How could that work?

Everyone was uneasy.

Silence fell, the atmosphere heavy.

Qin Zhao guessed their concerns and stepped aside to give them space to discuss. He sat at the side, began eating some snacks, and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he didn’t have to face so many people. Truly terrifying. Qin Zhao was a bit socially awkward.

In the end, they decided to let Su Zhuozhi go with Qin Zhao. After all, this matter couldn’t be delayed. All they could do was prepare thoroughly for his departure.

Money was the most important; they couldn’t skimp. It could be exchanged for spirit stones in the cultivation world.

Clothes—they didn’t know how long he would stay at Wan Jian Sect, so they packed many. Winter was coming, and Zhuozhi feared the cold; he had to bring his fur cloak.

Pillows and bedding—Zhuozhi had trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places, so those must go too.

And his usual bean powder for washing, incense, some snacks for the road like birou, gulouzi, and yulu tuan—pack some of those.

The luggage grew and grew, as if they were moving the entire house. It scared Qin Zhao. He had to speak up, saying that his dimensional pouch was very small, only about five square meters.

The Su family had no choice but to reluctantly reduce the luggage. They enthusiastically offered to give Qin Zhao money to buy a dimensional pouch of at least a hundred square meters when he returned.

This proposal made the poor sword cultivator’s heart flutter, but he thought, what use would he have for such a large dimensional pouch? He had nothing to put in it.

A bucket of cold water splashed over him; he instantly sobered up completely.

Qin Zhao waved his hands repeatedly. “No need, no need.”

He felt he hadn’t done much—just taken Su Zhuozhi back to the sect—and he wasn’t even sure if the sect leader could solve the problem. So he refused any reward the Su family offered.

Finally, everything was ready. It was time to say goodbye.

The Su family accompanied him all the way to the outskirts of the capital. Madam Su, tears brimming, gave Su Zhuozhi countless instructions. She hugged him, her face full of reluctance.

Finally, when Qin Zhao took the little fox into his arms, facing the red-eyed people before him, he inexplicably felt like a kidnapper. It was a strange feeling.

He nodded to them, then turned around. With a thought, his sword detached from his hand and floated in the air.

Qin Zhao leaped up, landing steadily on the sword’s blade. The blade was sheathed in a layer of mist-like spiritual energy, so the soles of his boots didn’t actually touch the sword.

The spirit sword flashed with white light and flew away.

Su Zhuozhi lay in the crook of Qin Zhao’s arm, looking back. His parents, elder brother, and grandmother were all watching him. Xie Jue also stood to the side, staring straight at him, his gaze almost tangible, as if he were very reluctant to see him go.

As the spirit sword soared, the figures on the ground grew smaller and smaller, like ants. His eyes could no longer see them, but Su Zhuozhi still stared fixedly, unwilling to look away. Not until Qin Zhao kindly reminded him not to lean out so far—if he fell by accident from such a height, he’d become a flat fox pancake.

Only then did Su Zhuozhi timidly retract his head a little and give a low whimper.

Qin Zhao heard his weak cry and recalled how much younger the young master was than himself. In his eyes, Su Zhuozhi was still a child. His heart softened. He patted the little fox’s head and began telling him about the good things at Wan Jian Sect—classes packed full, spacious sword practice grounds where one could cultivate from dawn till dusk without pause, disciples sharing rooms that were simple yet cozy, and so on.

He wanted to make Su Zhuozhi look forward to life at Wan Jian Sect, but to his surprise, after hearing this, Su Zhuozhi’s mood became even lower, listless, every strand of white fur losing its luster.

Qin Zhao didn’t quite understand. He changed the subject to the dining hall. The food was simple, but the sect gave disciples a few fasting pills each month. One pill was enough to keep them full, saving time on eating. Eating mortal food easily accumulated impurities in the body. Spiritual herbs and beast meat were too expensive, so Qin Zhao didn’t mention them.

On hearing this, Su Zhuozhi’s face became even more bitter. His pointed ears drooped, his tail curled at his side, giving off an air of utter despair.

Fortunately, Qin Zhao wasn’t talkative. After saying a few things, he fell silent, giving Su Zhuozhi time to calm down and digest.

Finally, after a stretch of sword flight, then transferring through a teleportation array, they arrived smoothly at Wan Jian Sect.

Mountains rose and fell, mist swirled, blue mountains and emerald waters stretched to the sky—a veritable fairyland.

The main gate was an archway built from spirit stones, inscribed with the three large characters ‘Wan Jian Sect’. The calligraphy exuded grandeur and majesty, infused with abundant spiritual energy, striking those who saw it with a sense of clarity and awe.

Qin Zhao carried Su Zhuozhi and flew directly to the sect leader’s quarters without pausing to enjoy the mountain scenery.

Fortunately, the sect leader wasn’t too busy at that moment. A junior disciple led them inside.

On the way, the young disciple couldn’t help turning back repeatedly, his eyes sparkling as he asked, “Uncle Qin, is this fox spirit pet you caught down the mountain? It’s so beautiful! Can I pet it?”

Qin Zhao replied, “It’s not a pet. I can’t decide for him. Ask him yourself.”

The disciple was confused but then seriously asked the little white fox, “Little fox, may I pet you?”

Su Zhuozhi shook his head without hesitation. He didn’t like strangers touching him.

The young disciple sighed in disappointment.

Inside the room, the sect leader was a man with a long beard and a kind face, appearing no older than thirty—younger than Su Zhuozhi’s father. Yet his eyes held the sedimentation of years, proof of much experience.

As Qin Zhao recounted the events, the sect leader’s gaze fell on the little fox sitting obediently by Qin Zhao’s side. He examined him and indeed found, as Qin Zhao had said, that the demonic energy had been absorbed into the dantian.

The sect leader pondered, stroking his beard, and said, “This situation is special. Perhaps he can try to absorb the demonic energy and transform it into his own power. In that way, he wouldn’t have to worry about losing his mind, and he’d gain an opportunity in the process.”

Qin Zhao was shocked. “Can that be done?”

The sect leader smiled. “Most people can’t. But since he’s already like this, why not give it a try? Can it get any worse?”

Qin Zhao hesitated.

But the sect leader said, “This is his matter. He should make the decision himself. What are you fretting about?”

That was true, but Su Zhuozhi only understood vaguely. He had no idea how to proceed. He could only tilt his head and let out a questioning “Eee.”

The sect leader looked at him. He looked at the sect leader.

Man and fox stared at each other.

Then the sect leader crouched down, reached out, and ruffled the little fox’s head.

Su Zhuozhi: “…???”

Qin Zhao: “…???”

The sect leader coughed seriously, as if he hadn’t done anything. He said matter-of-factly, “This form is indeed inconvenient for communication. I’ll suppress the demonic energy for you and let you return to human form first.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the sect leader placed his hand slightly above the little fox’s back. A warmth flowed through Su Zhuozhi’s limbs and bones. A white light flashed over him.

The sect leader had anticipated this and had placed a folding screen in front of him beforehand. Qin Zhao also took a set of clothes from his dimensional pouch and handed it over.

After a rustling sound, a figure emerged from behind the screen.

The youth was exquisitely beautiful, with rosy lips and fair skin. A moon-white brocade robe accentuated his nimble, slender figure. But what drew the most attention were the pair of snow-white fox ears on his head and the fluffy tail that flicked behind him.

The tip of the tail brushed against the back of his hand. Su Zhuozhi felt it and looked down. His expression changed. Disbelieving yet tentative, he slowly raised his hand to his head and indeed touched soft, furry fox ears, warm and flexible, twitching under his fingers.

Su Zhuozhi’s expression was very peculiar, but he first sincerely thanked the sect leader and presented the prepared gift.

The sect leader accepted it cheerfully and without ceremony. As the sect leader, he had many affairs to handle and countless places to spend money.

Su Zhuozhi opened his mouth, intending to ask if there was a way to get rid of the fox ears and tail.

But the sect leader seemed to read his mind and replied, “That depends on you. I just checked for you; you have spiritual roots, and your aptitude isn’t bad. You can join our sect and cultivate. Once you reach the Golden Core stage, the demonic energy will be negligible to you.”

Su Zhuozhi understood somewhat. His situation was special; the sect leader couldn’t directly solve it for him, but he had pointed out a clear path. As long as he cultivated, he could gradually turn the demonic energy inside him into his own strength and no longer be affected by it.

That was certainly a good thing. But was he going to have these fox ears and tail all along?

“May I ask, how long does it roughly take to cultivate to the Golden Core stage?” Su Zhuozhi’s tone was timid and wavering.

The sect leader smiled kindly and said, “That depends on personal comprehension and aptitude. Some reach it in three years; others can’t achieve it in decades. But don’t worry, our sect does not discriminate against demon cultivators. Even if someone misunderstands you, it won’t be a big deal. You know Xiao Zhao well, so let him take you to the disciple recruitment assembly to go through the formalities.”

Su Zhuozhi’s eyes widened. Not a big deal? No, no, he thought it was a very big deal!

But the sect leader was busy. Having handled this matter, he sent them out.

And so, Su Zhuozhi, utterly bewildered, followed Qin Zhao out.

On a large open space in front of the mountain gate, many people had gathered, queuing to test their spiritual roots.

Qin Zhao scanned the area, found the shortest line, and had Su Zhuozhi join it. He told him where he would be waiting and then walked away.

Su Zhuozhi stood at the back of the line. He should have been inconspicuous, but with his striking features, expensive brocade robe, and the fox ears and tail, he was hard to miss.

Within moments, he became the center of attention.

Those waiting to test whispered among themselves, speculating about his identity, suspecting he was a young fox prince. They hadn’t expected that even demons would come to study at Wan Jian Sect.

Su Zhuozhi: “…”

His face tensed, his red lips pressed together in obvious displeasure. What fox demon? He was clearly human! So annoying!

On a normal day, someone would have argued on his behalf. But now he was alone.

His pointed ears twitched slightly, drawing exclamations from the crowd. They itched to touch them.

Su Zhuozhi’s face turned cold. He was about to say something when, inadvertently, his gaze swept through the crowd and landed on a familiar, handsome face.

Su Zhuozhi froze, then widened his eyes in disbelief.

What was he doing here?!

Xie Jue walked through the crowd, heading straight for Su Zhuozhi, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the young man’s face.

No matter the reason, seeing a familiar face was always uplifting.

Su Zhuozhi’s lips curled into a bright smile. His eyes seemed to sparkle with starlight as he called out crisply, “Xie Jue!”

The sound softly pierced Xie Jue’s chest, leaving an itchy feeling.

Xie Jue’s breath caught. In a few quick strides, he reached Su Zhuozhi and draped a cloak over him. Pulling the hood down immediately concealed the fox ears, leaving only half of his face visible, nestled in soft rabbit fur, making him look even more delicate and fair.

Su Zhuozhi blinked and naturally accepted the service. He tilted his head and asked, “How did you get here?”

Xie Jue stood very close to him, lowered his head to tie the ribbons, and replied in a voice only the two of them could hear.

“Because the young master is here.”

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Special Supernatural Investigation Team

Modern FantasySupernaturalUrban Fantasy

Read Now →
Not interested