Chapter Two: My Son, Nianfeng

Later, it was said that the Second Prince, Jiang Li, fled in such panic that he didn’t even bring his betrothed with him. In the end, his marriage to the young master of the Fire Phoenix clan from the Divine Realm was truly called off, and for tens of thousands of years afterward, the Six Realms were rife with rumors that someone had coveted Jiang Li’s beauty and deliberately ruined his betrothal.

Thinking back now, Jiang Li was indeed beautiful—delicate and gentle, blushing at the slightest raised voice—but this reputation was not one Yin Xun would shoulder.

Returning to her senses, she glanced at the little fox’s impatient gaze and let a faint smile curl her lips. “Yin Xun.”

The little fox’s features scrunched together in lively confusion. What a peculiar name—Yin Xun? A signal?

“Your age?” The voice dropped to a deeper register.

“Uh,” she counted on her thumb for a moment, “Twenty million and twenty years, I think. Haven’t celebrated my birthday in ages, it’s hard to remember.”

“Where are you from?” The fox’s red fur shimmered with a dark glow.

“The Divine Realm, Mount Wu.”

After a long silence, seeing the little fox say nothing and lying languidly on the bed, Yin Xun sat up.

“Little fox, why aren’t you asking anything?”

She saw the fox with its head bowed, little paws clenched, legs trembling.

Had her reputation frightened it senseless? It wouldn’t be the first—many had fled from the Divine Realm in terror, and this was just a little one who hadn’t even properly ascended to immortality.

Her first time as a human, Yin Xun kept her spirits high, intending to comfort it. For example:

“All those stories are rumors. I don’t eat foxes.”

“Though I have violent tendencies, I’m quite restrained—I only beat people half to death, but I’m precise, they never actually die.”

“The gossip in the Six Realms is just that; I’m actually quite decent.”

But before she could showcase her rare gentle side, the fox suddenly leapt up, leaving her stunned.

“Where did you come from, little ghost? How dare you interfere with an immortal’s duties—away with you, off you go!”

The fox was exceedingly displeased, ready to forcibly yank Yin Xun’s soul from her ugly mortal body, but Yin Xun simply sat there, letting the fox “torment” her. Half an hour passed, and her soul remained unmoved.

“This can’t be right—the sacrificial handbook said this was the method.” The fox’s ears drooped, dispirited. “Maybe I recited the spell wrong. Yes, that must be it. I’ll try again!”

Watching this creature’s ears perk back up, Yin Xun felt a mischievous urge to tease.

“Come here.”

The little one exploded, “What’s your attitude! I’m an immortal. If anyone’s coming, it should be you!”

“What’s your name?”

Yin Xun, seeing it didn’t answer, suppressed her temper and softened her tone. “Little immortal, what’s your name?”

The little fox smacked its lips, hiding its paws behind its back. “Tsk, this wandering soul doesn’t know how to speak—drop the ‘little’ for this great immortal!”

Yin Xun clenched her fists, then released them.

She reminded herself, “Don’t stoop to a fox’s level.”

Perhaps it was because she’d once raised a fox, but she felt extraordinary patience towards this one.

“Great immortal, may I ask now?”

The fox was obviously pleased; its ears twisted with delight, the short tail lifted skyward.

“Yes, yes, yes! Address me this way from now on.”

Yin Xun’s lips curled up. Newly awakened, her lips were already cracked, but she didn’t mind the cold tea nearby.

“Listen well, this immortal’s name is Bai Pu!”

“Pfft!”

Yin Xun sprayed tea all over the fox and burst out laughing. “Bai Piao? Were your parents really your parents, to give you such a name?”

She couldn’t help herself; Yin Xun laughed with abandon, shaking the heavens.

“No laughing! My father said my mother named me.”

Yin Xun saw the fox was truly upset and, recalling her own loving mother, quieted her laughter.

“How about a nickname? I really can’t call you that.”

She suggested, “You’re all snowy white except for a red mark on your forehead, which looks like a flame. I’ll call you Little Flame—how’s that?”

Bai Pu had no intention of dealing with this mortal woman, but seeing her smiling eyes, so warm and familiar, he let her have her way. Consider it respect for her twenty million years—honoring the elderly and cherishing the young.

Still, a wandering soul drifting for twenty million years?

Seeing his tacit approval, Yin Xun softly chanted, “Little Flame, Little Flame… I truly am a genius at naming.”

Bai Pu rolled his eyes, then quietly packed up his little white cloud.

Yin Xun crossed her legs and propped herself up with one hand on the couch. “Are you planning to abandon me?”

Her tone was full of grievance. This little one lacked any sense of responsibility—before fulfilling a sacrificial wish, the little immortal who accepted the task was supposed to stay with the mortal.

No wonder he was only a trainee immortal!

Yin Xun couldn’t help but feel a bit of disdain.

Bai Pu, seeing this, bristled.

“You mortal brat, don’t overthink! I’m just going up to ask the heavens, see if there’s any way to pull you out.”

Yin Xun frowned, her features severe. “Little Flame, mind your wording. What do you mean by ‘pull out’?”

Bai Pu collapsed in response, then rose to point at Yin Xun. “What on earth is in your head?”

Yin Xun laughed heartily.

Bai Pu decided not to bother with her, stood up and shook out his fox fur. “I’m not familiar with the Immortal Realm, so I might get lost and be delayed. Stay safe down here. Here’s a booklet on sacrificial precautions—read it when you have time. Don’t let me come back and find you buried in dust.”

Yin Xun waved her hand. “Impossible, I am, after all, the famed ancient demon…”

Before she finished, the little fox was gone. Yin Xun awkwardly withdrew her hand and lay back down.

Clutching her chest, she muttered, “The wound hasn’t healed. Rest is what I need most. Whatever happens, it can wait till tomorrow.”

Qingqiu — Birch Cavern

A seven-tailed divine fox bounded through the mountain stream, finally penetrating layer upon layer of waterfall illusions to enter the cave.

Upon entering, the divine fox transformed into human form—a woman of extraordinary allure, her charm emanating not from her appearance but from her aura.

She knelt on the cold stone steps, trembling all over, her eyes red from prolonged weeping.

“Divine Lord, the young prince is missing. I—I searched all of Qingqiu and couldn’t find him. Please forgive me, Divine Lord.”

The cave was austere, once the place of cultivation for the direct line of Qingqiu. After that great battle tens of thousands of years ago, the Divine Lord moved here and never left.

“Jiuli, return. Nianfeng has been sent away.”

“Sent away?” Jiuli’s sobs stopped abruptly, raising her head to look at the figure in white on the distant stone altar. “Divine Lord, the young prince is still so little. Perhaps Jiuli could go as well, to help care for him.”

The jade hand holding a brush paused on the altar, and a subtle smile at the lips seemed to drain the color from the world.

“No need. Someone will take care of him.”

“But Divine Lord…” Jiuli was still worried. The young prince had always been with her, and the world outside was dangerous. Today, several rare thousand-year-old monsters were rampaging outside. Was it really safe?

“Don’t worry. All is well. Also, tell everyone Nianfeng is in closed cultivation.”

“Yes.”

Jiuli saw the Divine Lord’s mind was set; further persuasion was useless, so she withdrew.

Yet in her heart, she resolved to search for the young prince, even if she had to do so behind the Divine Lord’s back.