Chapter 87: The Fox Lord's Invitation

Xiaoye's few short words revealed shocking information!

From their conversation, Xiaoye should be here to demand I return the thing I took from Wangting Mountain.

That thing is likely the key to opening the Sword Formation.

Inside the Sword Formation, within the bronze cauldron, trapped are not only Liu Junyan's mother, but also the person Xiaoye loves?

So Xiaoye guards the forbidden area, yet ignores Li Qingying's monthly visits, because he simply doesn't care.

He only cares about the lover trapped for him in the Sword Formation.

Year after year, fleeting over a hundred years of time.

I recall that night when we left, he stood at the cliff's edge with a forlorn silhouette.

He has waited too long; when the ray of hope shines in, he cannot wait.

He lost his sanity.

He pressed forward aggressively, even laid hands on Liu Junyan, but Liu Junyan's reply to him was always just three words: "Impossible!"

This matter pulls the whole body with a single thread; Liu Junyan has no second chance.

The firm refusal earned another muffled punch; Xiaoye has suppressed his feelings too long, today he truly might go mad: "Give it to me!"

"Impossible!"

"Liu Junyan, you're a good-for-nothing! You can't protect your mother, you dare not pursue your beloved, and now you've even lost the courage to resist?!"

"Ao Xiao, snap out of it!"

"I can't sober up! How could I? Susu is trapped in that soul cauldron, suffering day and night; Liu Junyan, tell me, how can I stay sober?"

"Are you sure opening the Sword Formation will let Zhong Susu escape the soul cauldron? You're not saving her; you're delivering a death warrant!"

That hit Xiaoye hard.

After a brief silence, I heard Xiaoye's somewhat broken voice: "A hundred years have passed, exactly a hundred years!"

"Every night, as soon as I close my eyes, I see Susu's painful, helpless gaze; she begs me, begs me to free her."

"Old Seventh, if it's fated we can't save her, perhaps letting her go sooner would be better."

"What you call liberation—do you mean letting her soul scatter, never to be reborn?"

Xiaoye stared, stunned.

"You forgot how, when the little fire fox disappeared over a hundred years ago, you advised me? Now the situation is on you, yet you can't see through it?"

"Ao Xiao, I can wait for the little fire fox to return; you will surely be able to rescue Zhong Susu. I will help you, but not now—I never fight without certainty."

Xiaoye seemed to finally calm down, and the main hall fell into a long silence.

After a while, the main door was suddenly pulled open, and Xiaoye walked out from inside.

Perhaps because they had just fought inside, his black robe hat fell off—this is the first time I've seen Xiaoye's face.

He has a handsome, heroic face with thick brows, big eyes, a high nose bridge, and full lips—a loyal and affectionate countenance.

But his right eye corner bears a deep sword scar, nearly crossing his right temple, adding a hint of roguishness to his demeanor.

He stepped over the threshold, saw me and Li Qingying huddled in the corner, said nothing, put on his hat, and strode away.

Li Qingying hissed, whispering: "Xiaoye's mouth is all bruised purple; Seventh Lord is probably worse off—Xiao Jiu, hurry and check on Seventh Lord."

Having said that, she shoved me inside and, as an afterthought, closed the door.

Liu Junyan was leaning against the black coffin, head lowered, thumb wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

Hearing the movement, he lifted his eyes to look at me.

His right side of the face was swollen, blood streaks at the mouth—Xiaoye struck even harder.

These two brothers are truly... speechless.

I turned and ran to the front to get ice, wrapped it in gauze, returned to the main hall, and saw the east room's door open; Liu Junyan sat at the table, lost in thought.

I walked over, while helping him reduce swelling with ice, I chided: "Why are you so honest? When Xiaoye's fist comes down, won't you dodge?"

We're all cultivators; even if Xiaoye gets angry, can he really strike a killing blow?

If Liu Junyan wanted to dodge, he certainly could.

Liu Junyan rested his head on my waist, like a wronged big wolf-dog: "This is what I owe him."

I rubbed his head, thought of something, and tentatively called: "Āyàn"

Liu Junyan lifted his head to look at me: "Hmm?"

I fixed my gaze on his eyes and asked: "What is the Red Dragon Scale Robe?"

Back then, to help me retrieve Feng Wu, he had Li Qingying ask Xiaoye for something, granting him a day to go out.

Li Qingying said that using that thing would cause Liu Junyan to suffer a severe backlash.

And that thing is likely the Red Dragon Scale Robe Xiaoye spoke of.

Liu Junyan's vertical pupils noticeably contracted, then he again rested his head on my waist, shaking his head: "It's all in the past; no need to mind."

"Liu Junyan," I said sternly, "from now on, don't do foolish things for me, got it?"

Liu Junyan gave a light laugh, but didn't respond to me.

Over the next few days, Liu Junyan rested easy to heal, while I busied myself with driving practice and memorizing study points.

The day of the driving test, everything went smoothly.

After that, it was just waiting for the certificate to be issued.

I was very happy; on the way back I bought some snacks, mulling over when I could go pick up the car.

But upon returning to the pawnshop, at the gate I sensed something was off.

The hexagonal palace lamp under the west corridor was missing.

I immediately went inside to find Li Qingying: "Sister Li Qingying, has Liu Junyan gone out?"

Li Qingying hurried over, lowering her voice: "They went to the teahouse, Xiao Jiu, you hurry over too—it's an invitation from the Fox Lord, and it seems they brought that woman along."

My heart gave a thump.

What was bound to come, eventually came.

The other party is really impatient.

I instinctively turned and walked toward the tea house.

Although Liu Junyan has recognized me, why is Fox Lord helping that girl so much?

Could it be… Liu Junyan really mistook me?

After many chaotic thoughts, I soon found myself standing in the tea house.

I'm quite familiar with the tea house owner; after a quick inquiry, I found out which private room Liu Junyan was in and went over.

To my surprise, the door of that private room wasn't closed tightly; I peered through the crack and saw three people sitting around the table.

Liu Junyan and Fox Lord sat facing each other, with the girl sitting on Fox Lord's inner side.

Fox Lord's voice came first: "Ah Li's reincarnation has returned, there are differences, but you should recognize the feather mark on her brow and her natal magic artifact, right?"

Liu Junyan calmly said: "Of course."

Fox Lord breathed a sigh of relief: "So I said you got the wrong person, Seventh Lord. Xiao Jiu is Xiao Jiu, Ah Li is Ah Li, Xiao Jiu can never replace Ah Li."

The girl on the inner side quickly said obediently: "I don't blame her for impersonating me; as long as she leaves voluntarily, I don't mind..."

"I mind." Liu Junyan said coldly, "Xiao Jiu is the person I have recognized for my life, irreplaceable."

Fox Lord grew somewhat angry: "Seventh Lord, you've gone too far! The affection between Ah Li and you over many years—you say you let go, just let go?"

"I have let go. Isn't that better for you?" Liu Junyan said teasingly, "Fox Lord, I sincerely suggest that when you have time, go wash your eyes at the Rootless Spring; otherwise you might go blind someday, and blame me for not warning you."

Turning to that girl, I also gave her a warning: "Drawing a tiger's skin is hard to draw the bones; having stolen someone else's things, you'd better return them soon!"