“Let me see.”
Wen Li stood up and reached out her hand, and Hua Cishu handed the fan to her.
She took it, and with a flash of spiritual energy, she probed into it. Suddenly, a brilliant light flared. Everyone immediately drew their weapons in defense; fortunately, there was a barrier in the room, otherwise, it would have surely alerted outsiders.
The blinding white light gradually dissipated, revealing a figure.
“Who are you?”
It was a man with a head of white hair and silver fox ears. He had refined features and the bearing of a scholar. His voice was like a clear spring hitting a stone slab—clean and resonant. He was elegant as a fine tree, possessing a peerless grace.
Even as a mere phantom, one could tell this person was extraordinary.
Xin Jiuxian glanced down at her own silver hair. Hers looked better.
Wen Li didn't answer, instead asking, “Who are you?”
The fox man knit his brows in thought before falling into silence. “I’ve forgotten...”
Everyone’s gaze remained wary, not relaxing for a moment.
Wen Li asked, “You’re the artifact soul of the Cloud-Porcelain Kunxu Fan. Were you the one who controlled the fan and made it fall in front of my disciple?”
Xiao Du tilted his head slightly.
“I don’t know...”
“...”
Wen Li and her six disciples fell into a speechless silence.
He knew nothing. This looked more and more like a trap falling from the sky, a cultivation-world version of a honey trap.
“Then what do you know?” Yao Dai couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.
“I remember... my name is Xiao Du...”
“I am waiting for someone.” Xiao Du spoke softly and slowly, his gaze filled with reminiscence, yet he couldn't recall anything specific.
As soon as those words were uttered, all the disciples reflexively looked toward Wen Li.
Master, your old friend is here yet, yet, yet again.
“Hey!”
Wen Li raised her hand in a 'stop' gesture, taking emergency evasive action. “Impossible. I don’t know him. Don’t talk nonsense.”
It wasn't like she had old friends everywhere she went. In her memory, she had never actually been to the Qisu Kingdom; she had only heard of it.
Xiao Du gazed at her, silent for a moment, his eyes dark.
“...”
The six disciples once again looked at their Master in unison, their eyes filled with obvious disdain. The message was clear: 'Master, you heartless woman, you actually forgot this old friend, making him wait until he even lost his memory.'
Hiss.
Wen Li broke into a cold sweat. Could she really have remembered wrongly?
Logically, her old acquaintances were only divided into enemies and non-enemies. Since he had waited for her for so long, it must be a deep grudge! Who could it be? This guy didn’t look like he had low cultivation...
Just as Wen Li was racking her brain to recall everyone she had ever offended and was silently backing away toward the door, preparing to make a run for it—
“It’s not you.”
Xiao Du, who had been looking at her thoughtfully, finally spoke.
“Eh?”
Wen Li finally exhaled in relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. “Brother, next time, say what you have to say quickly.”
She moved her 'ready to run' foot back.
“Wait, since it’s not me, why were you staring at me? Do I owe you money?”
Xiao Du remained silent. “...But on your body, there is an aura I find familiar.”
Once again, the six disciples scanned the two of them with gossipy eyes.
Wen Li waved her hand to clarify. “Impossible. I really don’t know you. You’re a fox spirit, right? If I had met you before, you’d probably be wearing me by now—or rather, I’d be wearing you.”
(Translation note: She is referring to fox-fur clothing.)
The six disciples’ expressions turned bizarre. “...”
What kind of hellish cold joke was that? But it was indeed something she would do.
“What did you say?”
Xiao Du’s brows furrowed, and anger flared in his eyes.
Wen Li shrugged. “Since the person you’re looking for isn’t me, then there’s no need for me to talk to you.”
She glanced at Hua Cishu, who had picked him up.
Hua Cishu looked at Xiao Du with a righteous air. “This fan is mine now, which means I am your master. Master is my master, so she is also your senior. You must not be rude.”
Yao Dai and the other four thought to themselves: 'How shameless. Even at a time like this, he doesn't forget to curry favor with Master. What a suck-up.'
Xiao Du lifted his eyes to look at him, his gaze cool. “Although I have amnesia... my brain is still functional. How can a half-human, half-demon like you, with no cultivation at all, be the master of the Cloud-Porcelain Kunxu Fan?”
“Since you came out from the Fire Fox clan’s sacred grounds, you must have a reason for not wanting to go back. If you won’t acknowledge me, fine. I’ll just send you back. Maybe I can even trade you for a sum of money,” Hua Cishu sneered.
Xiao Du furrowed his brows and was silent for a moment. He took a step back. “You can have the Cloud-Porcelain Kunxu Fan, provided you help me find my memories and let me know who I am looking for.”
He didn't care about some Saint Artifact; his only obsession was that person.
Hua Cishu looked toward Wen Li. Wen Li shrugged. “Do you want it?”
She had promised to get him a fan before.
Hua Cishu was silent for three seconds before nodding. He really did like this fan; it was beautiful.
It looked much better than the one in Yan Yurong’s hand.
Wen Li waved her hand, accepting Xiao Du’s conditions on his behalf. “Fine, we can help you look into your identity. As for your memories, we can't guarantee they will truly recover. Who knows if you’ll try to back out of the deal?”
“During this time, the fan will be used by my disciple.”
“Very well.”
Xiao Du nodded in agreement and then vanished, returning into the fan.
Wen Li stepped forward and applied a talisman to mask its aura, preventing anyone from the Fire Fox clan from detecting it and following them. After setting up a soundproof barrier, she finally looked at the six of them.
“Alright, tell me what information you’ve gathered.”
Yao Dai and Xie Tinglan locked eyes. Both moved at the same time to settle it with a best of three.
“Rock, paper, scissors!”
“Rock, paper, scissors!”
“Rock, paper, scissors!”
Yao Dai let out a high-pitched scream of delight. “Oh yeah! It really isn't because I have bad gambling luck. Last time’s card game really was just an accident!” As long as it wasn't a game that required thinking, her luck wasn't that bad.
Xie Tinglan lost. He stared with wide eyes, unable to believe his gambling luck was actually this poor—to lose three rounds in a row! No, it had to be a coincidence. Yao Dai had lost nine card games in a row before; the wheel of fortune just turned, that’s all. It was just a coincidence.
The others rolled their eyes as their patience wore thin. Wen Li clenched her fist, resisting the urge to smack him on the head.
“Hurry up!”
“Don't panic.”
Xie Tinglan furrowed his brows slightly, tossing aside his earlier thoughts as he began his report.
“Yao Dai and I went to investigate the Phoenix clan. They have been extremely low-key for the past hundred years, with very few clansmen leaving the Qisu Kingdom. Most focus on cultivation within the clan, and occasionally intermarry or ally with other small groups. They have a total of six vassal clans. The Ancient Phoenix clan, Dragon clan, and Nine-Tailed Fox clan each have an Early-Stage Soul Formation cultivator. As for the Mid-Stage Soul Formation cultivator, they are said to be from the Dragon clan, though there has been no news of them for several hundred years.”
It was Zongzheng Huangyue’s turn.
“The Dragon clan is currently the most powerful of the three major ancient demon clans in the Qisu Kingdom. Not only do they have many descendants, but they are also guarded by a Mid-Stage Soul Formation cultivator. Right now, the Dragon clan is preparing for a marriage alliance between their Young Master and the Nine-Tailed Fox clan’s lady.”
“Supposedly, this Young Master was already at the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul realm when he appeared a hundred years ago. His talent is extraordinary, but his personality is extremely eccentric.”
Hua Cishu snapped his fan open and lightly fanned his face. “The Nine-Tailed Fox clan, like the other two major ancient demon clans, has six small vassal clans; the Fire Fox clan is one of them. However, the Fire Fox clan’s bloodline is not as powerful as the Nine-Tailed Fox clan’s. It is said that the Cloud-Porcelain Kunxu Fan was originally enshrined within the Nine-Tailed Fox clan. It vanished five hundred years ago for unknown reasons, only to reappear within the Fire Fox clan—and now it has vanished again. In a few days, the Nine-Tailed Fox clan will likely send people to question the Fire Fox clan.”
And now, the Saint Artifact was in his hands.
Hearing these reports, Wen Li rested her chin on her hand and leaned back in her chair, pondering something.
“There is one more thing,” Xie Tinglan suddenly said.
Rate on N.U.
