“In the days since I last saw you, I dreamed about your aroma several times. It was absolutely captivating…. For someone to have a cultivation base like that but still have primal yang is really rare in the world. What a pity you couldn’t see how amazing I am. Instead you treasured a little snake, and thus broke my heart.”

The woman’s ample chest heaved as she spoke, and her sweet voice couldn’t have been more coquettish, like a yellow oriole or a bubbling brook, or the sounds of nature echoing eternally in an immortal mansion.

The words struck Xu Qing to the core. Breathing heavily, he turned and put some more distance between them before looking over his shoulder at her.

“Don’t run, my child. I forgive you! Who went and made you so damn attractive, you naughty little boy? Just looking at you makes me happy.” As the clay fox looked at him with glistening eyes, it felt as if she could see every inch of him inside and out. A wild, unrestrained smile spread out on her face as she walked toward Xu Qing. “Did you resign yourself to reality? Or did you really come around? After all, you did sneak over here all alone.”

Xu Qing backed up a step. The clay fox walked forward a step, and it looked like her gauzy red robe was about to slip completely off her.

She almost seemed like a vicious bully stripping off his clothes as he stalked closer and closer to a young woman waiting in the boudoir to be betrothed.

In the end, Xu Qing couldn’t back up any more. Inhaling, he smoothed out his face and calmly said, “Senior, I came here today in the hopes of negotiating with you about that kidney you showed me.”

The clay fox licked her lips and then laughed merrily. “That’s nothing at all! Just a silly little kidney! Let’s not waste any time. Come inside my house for a bit. Afterward, I’ll personally go to the kitchen and make you a nice kidney stew to replenish yourself.” It looked like she was about to grab Xu Qing and fly him up to the palace. “Don’t worry, boy, I’m very warm and soft.”

Xu Qing’s scalp tingled as he fully rotated his cultivation base. “Senior, that’s not what I meant. I want—”

The clay fox laughed softly and waved her hand gracefully. A golden, crescent-shaped kidney appeared, floating just above her hand and sending golden light shining everywhere. Spectacular fluctuations rolled off the kidney, along with a desolate, ancient aura.

Previously, Xu Qing’s cultivation base had been much lower than it was right now. And now, he saw the world differently. And thus, his eyes glittered when he confirmed that the kidney had the Captain’s aura.

“Is this the one?” the clay fox asked, her eyes twinkling.

Xu Qing nodded. “That’s the kidney I was hoping to make a deal for.”

The clay fox’s glistening eyes suddenly seemed even more flirtatious. It was almost as if her eyes had exuded a mysterious pink mist that filled the area. “Don’t be so blunt, you naughty boy. That makes things less interesting. Come with me, and I can give you a lot more than just a kidney. From the very beginning, I promised to offer you replenishment. However… what are you going to give me in exchange? Your primal yang?”

When the words ‘primal yang’ left her mouth, the clay fox’s eyes burned even more brightly, and she bit her lip as she looked at Xu Qing. Her voice seemed even sweeter than before, as if it dripped with honey.

Although Xu Qing had prepared himself before coming here, the look on her face left him feeling very unsettled.

Looking very sincerely at the clay fox, he said, “Senior, my six Masters all warned me about the same thing…. I’m afraid I can’t help you. That said, I do have an Eldest Brother who I’m sure you would really like. I joined my Master later in life. My Eldest Brother, however, joined him years earlier. He cultivates the same technique as me, and he also has some great primal yang that you can easily pluck away.”

The clay fox’s eyes lit up. “What does he look like? Let me see.”

Xu Qing immediately took out a jade slip that had an image of the Captain in it. He quickly made some adjustments to make sure his Eldest Brother looked as handsome as possible.

The clay fox glanced at it, and then her lips twisted disdainfully. “Too ugly! In fact, he’s so ugly that I don’t care how much primal yang he has, I just couldn’t stomach it!”

Xu Qing was about to add something when the clay fox waved her hand, sending the golden kidney flying toward him.

Stunned, Xu Qing caught it.

The clay fox looked up at the seemingly empty darkness. Smiling nonchalantly, she looked back at Xu Qing. “Don’t bother racking your brains trying to figure out what to pay me. All you know how to do is refuse my offers, you naughty little boy. Think about it. If you were my gigolo, then who would dare to cause problems for you? You could just spend your time serving me without a care in the world. That said, I’m not the kind of person who takes advantage of others. Trading your primal yang for that kidney wouldn’t be a fair deal, so I’m not surprised you refused the offer.

“Ah, whatever. Who made you this tempting, huh? Consider that kidney as a down payment. I’ll just wait until you have something really nice that you can give me in exchange. For now, you just need to do me a favor. I want you to come and use your primal yang body to open a pathway for me.”

With that, the clay fox waved her hand, whereupon ripples spread out, tearing open a rift that led to a passageway. The opening was unstable, pulsing randomly between being open wide and nearly shut. It almost seemed as if two types of power were struggling with each other inside. The interior was pitch black. Faint but intimidating roars echoed out along with a terrifying, sinister aura that would be profoundly damaging to an ordinary cultivator. However, the cave itself suppressed all of that, ensuring that it didn’t spread very far.

“Let’s go.” The clay fox smiled, turned, and swayed into the rift, her body undulating beneath her gauzy robe. Once inside, she turned and looked at Xu Qing with a broad smile.

Xu Qing looked down at the kidney in his hand, then the clay fox inside the rift. After a moment of thought he made his decision. Eyes gleaming, he walked into the rift. Wind stirred his garments as he walked through the dark pathway toward the clay fox.

After Xu Qing was inside, the rift closed up and disappeared.

The pressure in the cave faded away into nothing.

***

After all the fluctuations were gone, two figures appeared.

They were none other than the Heir Apparent and Princess Brightblossom. Of course, they had no intention of interfering with Xu Qing’s affairs. However, Xu Qing had informed the Heir Apparent that he was going on this trip, and thus, both the Heir Apparent and Princess Brightblossom had been secretly keeping an eye on him. Both of them were currently looking at the spot where the rift had disappeared.

“The little punk has good judgment,” the Heir Apparent said. “That really was a god. Shē noticed us, but didn’t seem to care, and actually let us eavesdrop.

“That said, I can sense that shē has no malicious intentions regarding Xu Qing…. What’s more, shē’s not here as hēr true self. That was just a stream of divine will. As for hēr true origin, I can’t make a determination right now. Nor can I determine what hēr goals are. I was about to step in just now. Why did you stop me, Third Sister?”

The Heir Apparent looked at Princess Brightblossom.

She simply stood there for a long moment before answering, “The Firemoon Darkheaven people have three High Gods of sun, moon, and star. The sun god is asleep, the moon god is alive and kicking, and the star god is very mysterious…. And given the setup here, my guess is that this clay fox has something to do with that mysterious star god. That’s why I stopped you. As for what hēr goal is, I think I have a general idea, and it’s going to be a destined opportunity for Xu Qing.”

The Heir Apparent took in that information thoughtfully.

***

Xu Qing and the clay fox were proceeding through the pathway.

The clay fox held a lantern in her hands, which cast soft light out to illuminate the surroundings. If you looked closely, you would see that the light in the lantern actually came from Xu Qing. He exuded innumerable tiny motes that the clay fox directed into the lantern, turning them into a light source.

Beyond that light, everything was as dark as the Nine Serenities underworld. No path was visible, and there was only an unending sinister wind that carried with it howls and moans. However, the light from the lantern had a certain power that kept the howling at bay. And thus, the two of them proceeded through the darkness and gloom. Before them, the darkness parted like ink, making the way for them to pass.

Xu Qing kept his guard up as he followed. He had no idea where they were going, but he could sense a strong mutagen beyond the borders of the light. In fact, it wasn’t just one type of mutagen. It was a mixture.

Eyes flickering thoughtfully, Xu Qing kept close to the clay fox and the lantern. He had already come to realize that the pressure radiating from the lantern might seem like it came from the light, but actually… came from the lantern itself. The light was more of a guide.

As they continued, it seemed like the light from the lantern was actually being attracted to a certain location up ahead.

“This primal yang is indeed very pure,” the clay fox said lightly. Her voice was beautiful, and in the murky surroundings, sounded very carefree and relaxed.

Looking away from the lantern light, Xu Qing said, “Senior, my so-called primal yang… isn’t really a requirement to come here, is it? You’re so strong that I imagine you can come and go as you please anywhere, Senior.”

The clay fox turned and looked at Xu Qing with praise in her eyes. “You’re very perceptive, naughty boy. That’s right. Your primal yang is more like a guide. And that’s because the place we’re going to is somewhere that you’ve been before.”

When Xu Qing heard that, his gaze hardened.

Around then, the lantern light grew brighter, driving away the darkness and revealing an opening ahead.

“Finally here.” The clay fox’s face was full of anticipation, and her eyes glittered flirtatiously. Her chest heaved with excitement, and part of her garment slipped down her shoulder. “I’ve finally found it.”

Hurrying forward, she stood in front of the opening and looked inside.

Expression grave, Xu Qing did the same.

Ash drifted aimlessly on a gritty wind. Deep inside was an ancient wooden door that was apparently hidden within the wind. The door had some faint, horrendous marks on it…. It was completely gruish, astonishing, and sinister.

And when Xu Qing saw it, his heart started pounding. He had been here before.

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