Chapter 263

Chapter 263: Time To Settle My Grudge With Ye Cong Xin
A few days later, Nine-Tails summoned Yu Zhao.

“In ten days it will be our demon race’s Little Gathering,” she said. “Do you dare to lead my Fox Clan there?”

Yu Zhao asked: “What do I need to do?”

“It’s very simple,” Nine-Tails said lightly. “Just bring the nine-tailed foxes who go to the gathering back safely.”

“Alright.”

Yu Zhao agreed without hesitation, which actually made Nine-Tails start to feel uneasy.

“The Demonfolk Fair is an event our demon race holds once every half year,” Nine-Tails explained. “Many demonic beasts will be there. Human-demon hybrids are naturally rejected. If your identity is exposed by accident, you might not be able to come back. You’re not afraid?”

Yu Zhao shook her head.

If Nine-Tails dared to let her lead the team, what was there for her to be afraid of?

Since it was called a Little Gathering, the demonic beasts who attended should have cultivation levels at most equal to hers. With her illusion art to cover her, she was confident she would not reveal her identity.

“You really are bold,” Nine-Tails muttered.

Even so, she still raised her hand and tossed Yu Zhao a clump of Fox King Fur Talisman.

Yu Zhao had not even caught it yet, but she could already feel the heavy Fox King aura on it.

“Thank you, Clan Leader Nine-Tails.”

Yu Zhao tied the Fox King Fur Talisman at her waist. Not long after she returned to her room, a group of fluffy little foxes came knocking at her door.

She opened the door and met more than a dozen bright, shining fox eyes.

The gray little fox jumped onto Yu Zhao’s shoulder with practiced ease and said: “Yu Zhao! Elder Sister Clan Leader said you’re leading us this time. Let’s hurry and set off!”

“Yu Zhao, I want to stand on your shoulder too!”

“Do you still have dried fish? I’m hungry!”

“…!”

With more than a dozen little foxes chirping in her ears, Yu Zhao’s head started to ache.

She really felt like she was not leading a team to the Little Gathering, but taking a bunch of furballs out on a picnic.

“Do you all know where the Little Gathering is?” Yu Zhao asked.

“We know, we know, I’ve been there!”

“I’ve been there too!”

“You’ve only gone once. I’ve gone twice, Yu Zhao. I’ll guide you!”

“Liar, you’ve only gone once too!”

“You’re the liar!”

“…!”

Seeing that a few of the little foxes were about to start fighting, Yu Zhao quickly took out some dried fish from her storage pouch to calm them down.

The little foxes fell silent at once.

“Xiao You, you guide the way,” Yu Zhao said.

“Okay!”

The gray little fox lifted its head and answered loudly, then buried itself back into its dried fish.

Yu Zhao rubbed the fur on its head and started down the mountain.

The other little foxes followed obediently behind her, not one falling behind.

Soon, the once noisy wooden cabin became quiet again.

From next door, broken, muffled cries started up once more.

…

The habits of demonic beasts were wildly different, and they lived in regions scattered far and wide.

At some unknown point in time, the Dragon Pool Mountains south of the central region had become a place where the demon race exchanged goods. Demonic beasts often went there with things they did not need and traded with other demonic beasts.

Over time, an unofficial marketplace formed within the demon race.

Qingqiu Mountain, where the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan lived, was not far from the Dragon Pool Mountains. Combined with the foxes’ lively and playful nature, this meant that whether or not they had anything to trade, there would always be nine-tailed foxes braving wind and rain to attend the Little Gathering.

All Yu Zhao had to do was exactly what Clan Leader Nine-Tails had said: bring the little foxes back safely.

The little foxes were greedy for fun, but also quick and clever. Without much reminding from her, they would avoid danger on their own. With dried fish as extra motivation, they did not make Yu Zhao worry too much.

What bothered Yu Zhao more was the many cultivators they met along the way.

Some cultivators recognized the little foxes as rare members of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan and grew greedy.

After being suppressed by the aura Yu Zhao released, they did not dare attack head-on. Instead, they tried to think of ways to “infiltrate the enemy from within.”

They treated Yu Zhao as a nine-tailed fox in human form and thought she was inexperienced. Putting on fake kind smiles, they came over to chat with her, but the malice in their eyes was obvious.

Yu Zhao did not give them a chance to get close. She sent out a streak of spiritual light that forced them back at once.

Most of the ones she drove away could see that Yu Zhao was not someone to mess with, and they quickly fled.

A small number were stubborn. They even tried to kidnap the little foxes to threaten Yu Zhao.

Those people were left behind by Yu Zhao, to lie forever with the rotting leaves and mud.

That day, they came upon a river.

Yu Zhao was in a very good mood and organized the little foxes to catch fish, while she herself took out a fishing rod she had not used in many years, hoping to wipe away her past shame.

In the end, under the little foxes’ loud, mocking laughter, she had to admit defeat again and was reduced to being their grilled-fish cook.

Under the endless night sky, the flames burned bright.

The little foxes, full and satisfied, lay sprawled all over the ground, like a thick, furry blanket spread over the earth.

Yu Zhao sat beside the fire.

The firelight lit up her eyes.

She tilted her head back to look at the night sky.

Her heart was unusually calm.

She had already forgotten how long it had been since she had last sat quietly on the grass like this, spacing out, thinking about nothing, simply enjoying this rare silence.

From the moment she was reborn, she had never stopped moving.

She did not dare stop.

Ye Cong Xin was like a ball of shadow that always hung over her heart, warning her at every moment.

Because of what she had gone through in her previous life and because her own strength had not been enough, she had never dared tell anyone about Ye Cong Xin.

But now, she had reached Nascent Soul Formation.

She was a Nascent Soul Old Fiend who could open her own peak and take in disciples.

In the Five Elements Dao Sect, First Senior Sister Zhou Jin Yue was the partner she trusted the most. Sect Master Ji Yuan was the elder who favored her.

She had many, many friends.

Her place in the sect was no longer insignificant.

Her words would no longer be ignored.

[It’s time to settle my grudge with Ye Cong Xin.]

Once this matter was done, she could put all her attention into finding a way to repair the Heavenly Ladder.

After making up her mind, Yu Zhao felt as if she had finally finished dealing with a heavy matter pressing on her heart. Her mood became indescribably light.

She cleared away all stray thoughts and quietly watched the sky. The spirit power in her body flowed like a happy stream, gently nourishing her body until dawn.

…

“Master, magma stone! Look, is that magma stone?”

Su Ming, his hair a messy black mop, stared at the dark red chunks of stone that appeared and disappeared in the lava ahead. He almost burst into tears of joy.

He had almost thought the Nine-Tailed Fox chieftain’s story about magma stone was just a rumor. Today, he had finally found it.

Master Qing Yan gave Su Ming a thoughtful look, but after taking in his appearance, he frowned and turned his eyes away.

Su Ming had not been cultivating for very long and did not know much about some artifact forging materials that only existed in ancient records.

Qing Yan, however, knew quite a bit.

Magma stone was an extremely rare fire-attribute artifact forging material. Even among a hundred volcanoes, you might not find a single piece of magma stone.

Yet they had found magma stone at only the third volcano they visited.

Su Ming’s fortune was clear to see.

But when Master Qing Yan thought back on the past, he could not find any shining point in his memories of Su Ming. He only remembered that Su Ming had been born into a noble family, so he was especially picky about food, clothing, housing, and travel.

When he first came to Lone Moon Peak, he had even thrown a fuss several times because the place he lived in was not luxurious enough. In the end, Qing Yan did not even know how Fang Cheng Lang had soothed him.

In terms of cultivation, Su Ming did not have any outstanding performance and was not very remarkable among the senior brothers.

So why was he so specially favored by the Heavenly Dao?

Master Qing Yan could not figure it out.

[Why does the Heavenly Dao favor him so much?]