Chapter 24 Who is the Roundest Little Fox Spirit

Chapter 24: Who is the Roundest Little Fox Spirit

This Archdemon, who feared loneliness, was indeed scared by him, not only obediently listening to him as usual but also re-combed his tail for him.

Once the tail was combed, Xie Huanxiang had curled up in the Archdemon's embrace, his head resting on the man's shoulder, fast asleep.

Since he couldn't sleep without holding a tail, while the man was grooming his tail fur, he instinctively grabbed the Archdemon's black-purple tail, which he absolutely loathed, and pressed the soft flesh between his legs against the cold, hard scales, leaving faint, indescribable red marks.

Through the drawn bed curtains, a subordinate's voice stubbornly piped up, "My Lord, is this also just acting?"

The man paid no heed, lowering his gaze to snuggle the little fox in his arms.

The black-purple tail silently crept a bit further between the youth's legs, its tip fully wrapping around one of Xie Huanxiang's legs, nuzzling affectionately.

The man leaned down, his thin lips touching the demon mark on Xie Huanxiang's forehead, his voice cold, in stark contrast to his tail behind him, which was excitedly entwining the youth's soft flesh, "If we're putting on a show, we have to go all the way."

…

Xie Huanxiang woke up early, staring blankly at the underpants that had somehow been put on his legs, too dazed to remember anything.

Why did he put on these annoying underpants again?

Rong Jue seemed to have woken up even earlier than him; as soon as he lifted the bed curtain, he saw the man sitting by his bedside.

"Big Senior Brother?"

"Huanxiang, the spirit crane sent to gather information last night died," Rong Jue said solemnly. "The immortal sect didn't receive any news. I have to go to Cangshan myself to check things out."

Xie Huanxiang noticed the injury on his back. "Big Senior Brother, what happened to your back?"

Rong Jue didn't want to say more. "Just a small injury."

The injury on his back was from the master's beating.

When word of the crane's death came in the middle of the night, they knew something big must have happened at Cangshan.

Rong Jue insisted on going to Cangshan in person, but the sect leader naturally wouldn't agree.

Rong Jue was still young, was the most promising junior in the Liuyun Immortal Sect to break through the ninth-level Sword Formation, and once his cultivation advanced, he would become the next Sword Lord.

That World-Ending Demon didn't even care about his own kind, let alone show mercy to a highly talented human. This trip was too dangerous.

So the master had beaten him with a whisk.

"Junior Brother, it's not that I don't care about what you care about," Rong Jue said, looking at him. "But I can't let you put yourself in danger. I can't take you with me. It's all my fault for not being useful enough."

"You stay put in the little wooden hut and wait for me to come back, okay?" Rong Jue took out a silver ring set with a red spirit stone from his chest and slid it onto Xie Huanxiang's index finger. "This is a magical artifact I came across a hundred years ago while seeking opportunities in a secret realm. It can block one fatal blow from a Heaven-tier demon."

Rong Jue trailed off, hesitating, as if he had a lot to say. But in the end, he didn't say anything, only continuing:

"No matter who it is in the future, even if it's the master, if they force you to do something you don't want to do, you can refuse. Your Second Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother are still recovering, but if you go to them, they'll help you out... Junior Brother, no one would be willing to not help you."

Xie Huanxiang, unaware of the bitterness in the man's eyes, nodded and said seriously, "Big Senior Brother, you're very strong, stronger than them. You can't say you're useless."

Rong Jue gave a faint smile. "I'm leaving now."

He stood up, patted Xie Huanxiang's head, and said warmly, "Go back to sleep, Huanxiang."

Xie Huanxiang watched the man walk away, then stuffed two large pillows under the blanket to make it look like someone was sleeping. He transformed back into a little red fox cub, leaped a few times into the grass outside the wooden hut, and disappeared.

A crow demon followed him, flying behind with a hesitant look. "Huanxiang, what's your plan to get back to Cangshan?"

"You'll see soon enough!" Xie Huanxiang ran to the agreed-upon foot of the mountain, where he saw a male demon in a large black cloak standing against the light, as if waiting for someone.

"Hey! I'm over here!"

The demon turned around, scanning the area but not seeing anyone, until his boots were scratched by claws. He looked down to find a little red fox, no taller than his knee, wagging its tail and looking up at him, puffing up like a round, fiery red ball when angry.

"Pick me up already! My four paws are tired from walking!"

The demon crouched down and picked him up.

Xie Huanxiang immediately nimbly climbed onto the demon's broad shoulder, gripping the cloak tightly with his front paws, and said softly, "He's a crow demon, and he's coming with us."

Before the man could speak, the crow demon was already wary: "A demon?"

And this demon's cultivation was so deep that he couldn't even sense its level—at least an Earth-tier demon.

"What's wrong with a demon?" Xie Huanxiang said irritably. "I finally found someone to take us. If you don't go, I will."

"No, I have to stay with you," the crow demon said, flying to Xie Huanxiang's side, still watching the faceless demon warily.

"Let's go," Xie Huanxiang said, raising a paw and pointing forward. "Set off."

As soon as he spoke, a dark crack appeared before them.

Xie Huanxiang got a little scared, no longer perched on the man's shoulder, but jumped into his arms, burrowing into the cloak until only a fluffy tail and a round, plump fox bottom were visible.

"We're here," the demon said flatly.

Xie Huanxiang cautiously poked his head out of the cloak, and before him lay the endless snow and pallor of the Cangshan snow domain.

This was a small town at the foot of Cangshan, home to many mixed-blood demon clans.

Xie Huanxiang jumped out of the man's arms, landing lightly on his fox paws, and looked around, puzzled.

It seemed… no different from when he had left, still as peaceful as ever.

"Huanxiang," the crow demon said, "let's first scout the town for information, then head up the mountain."

As soon as they entered the town, they saw a line of demon guards carrying a painting, going door to door asking questions.

The painting clearly showed a round, plump little red fox cub.

"Huanxiang, change into human form quickly!" the crow demon urged.

Xie Huanxiang hurriedly emerged from the demon's arms, transforming into a human, his bare feet stepping onto the snow, toes round and relaxed, but not a trace of redness from the cold.

The line of demon guards passed them by without a second glance.

"Why… are they trying to catch me?" Xie Huanxiang pouted, a little upset. "When my brother returns, I'll tell him someone's bullying me again."

The crow demon was silent for a moment, then said coldly:

"That line of demon guards—I've never seen them in Cangshan before. They're beasts that escaped from the Tonghua Secret Realm."

"Your Majesty and the Fox Chief must have been trapped in the palace by that World-Ending Demon, who's using them to threaten the fox clan by capturing you."

"Huanxiang, you absolutely must not let him find you," the crow demon warned earnestly.

Xie Huanxiang nodded blankly. "What do we do now? I have to save Grandpa Chief."

"That World-Ending Demon has never seen your transformed form. Huanxiang, just disguise yourself as a disciple of the Liuyun Immortal Sect."

Before the crow demon could finish, the demon suddenly interjected, "Leave the rest to me."

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