Chapter 32: Nònglí and the Phantom Sword Immortal

Fox demons hadn’t always hated humans so much, but ever since that insane woman started hunting her down, she had completely turned against them.

That woman was utterly mad—crazy and deranged.

She couldn’t understand what was wrong with her; all she’d done was eat something, yet the woman had been chasing her relentlessly for decades.

Her life seemed to revolve around just two things:

Cultivate! Kill me!

Her gang of lackeys was even more terrifying—they had been pursuing her across several provinces!

Fortunately, she was finally able to take human form.

Once she did, she could quietly escape, hide away, grow stronger, let her wings unfurl, her tails sprout, and then seek revenge on that madwoman!

She’d show her what it truly meant to be a Great Demon!

But—

Her fox tail had been revealed!

Seeing her tail, the fox demon’s murderous intent flared up.

“Uwaa!” she suddenly pounced on Qingmu, moving as fast as the wind, completely catching him off guard.

“Ah?”

Just as she was about to rip out the throat of the person beneath her, she suddenly realized this person looked… very familiar!

And the scent?

Just a little older.

She leaned down and sniffed Qingmu, immediately exclaiming, “Ah! You… ah…”

She wasn’t very good at speaking.

In truth, she should have taken human form a long time ago, but after being seriously injured by that crazy woman once, her cultivation had stagnated.

Now, although she could take human form, her language skills were still lacking.

This person beneath her gave off a strange sense of familiarity—the scent was familiar too, like she’d smelled it somewhere before.

“I… I won’t say anything. I won’t reveal your secret.”

Hearing Qingmu’s nervous words, the fox demon realized this might really be the case.

This man had indeed seen her rush inside, but hadn’t told the madwoman’s minions.

Why?

“Ah…”

Unable to speak, she wanted to ask but couldn’t find the words.

Qingmu seemed to understand and said,

“You can’t speak, but you understand me?

I mean no harm.

Stay hidden here.

I’ll find a way to get you out when I can, alright?”

The fox demon nodded at Qingmu’s proposal.

Because she was still unfamiliar with human form, as she nodded, her golden fox ears were flung out.

Her eyes now were vertical red slitted pupils, her shoulder-length hair styled in a Ji-style cut, and her small eyebrows had turned silver-white.

Now not only was her fox tail revealed.

She truly possessed a breathtaking beauty—uncertain whether she was the most beautiful being ever seen or simply the embodiment of the fox demon’s seductive nature.

This golden-eared, red-eyed white fox made hearts race and minds fog, though she appeared like a thirteen or fourteen-year-old human child.

The fox demon raised a hand to cover her fox ears and noticed her silver hair.

She huffed a few times, then simply covered Qingmu’s eyes, who was still dazed.

It was partly instinctual caution, partly shyness.

This was her first time taking human form, and the first time being seen in this half-fox, half-human appearance.

Her heart pounded, and she even wanted to gouge out Qingmu’s eyes and yank his tongue.

Suddenly, a phrase pierced her heart like a dart, and she froze.

“You’re really beautiful.”

Covered eyes, Qingmu spoke softly.

“Ah…”

The fox demon parted her lips, her little brows furrowing.

She released Qingmu’s eyes.

“What’s your name?”

But Qingmu didn’t say anything more about her beauty—he asked her name.

The fox demon understood what a name was but had none of her own, and didn’t lie.

She shook her head.

“Then I’ll give you one.”

Qingmu looked at her face and suddenly said, “How about Nònglí?”

Nònglí blinked and mumbled incoherently…

…

……

Nònglí?

Rose Kingdom, border checkpoint, roadside stall.

Xiao Ya, Lin Qiyou, and a few others sat around a table.

Just now, these people said they had been sponsored by a foreign noble to participate in the hero selection.

And that foreign noble’s name was Nònglí.

“That’s right.

Lord Nònglí, like you, is also of Eastern descent.”

The person who spoke Nònglí’s name nodded toward Lin Qiyou and continued, “Lord Nònglí is known as a great benefactor; she…”

“Lin, what’s wrong?”

Xiao Ya noticed that Lin Qiyou had been acting strange since hearing the name Nònglí.

“Nothing, it’s just… the name sounds familiar.”

Lin Qiyou shook his head, signaling Xiao Ya not to worry.

“Familiar?

You’re all of Eastern descent, maybe you know her?

You really should meet Lord Nònglí; she’s truly… strong and powerful!”

One person said, eyes filled with admiration.

Xiao Ya: “Strong and powerful?”

“She’s tall, a fox of Eastern descent, and her figure is just—”

“Shut up! Don’t think of Lord Nònglí in such filthy ways.”

“That’s clearly admiration—a pure compliment!”

Ignoring their banter, Xiao Ya turned to Lin Qiyou again.

“Do you know her?”

“Impossible.

There’s no way I’d know any fox from this world.”

Lin Qiyou flicked Xiao Ya’s forehead.

“Ouch… didn’t you say you forgot a lot of things?”

Xiao Ya rubbed her forehead and looked at Lin Qiyou reproachfully.

Lin Qiyou froze for a moment, then shook his head, still insisting he didn’t know Nònglí.

Xiao Ya knew Lin Qiyou was planning to do something bad to these people.

She had been urging him not to break the law, as a priest she wanted to stop the wrongdoing.

But Lin Qiyou had convinced her otherwise with these words:

“To be a hero means accepting death and sacrifice.

Those with power are heroes; those without are fools rushing to their deaths.

In truth, I am stronger than anyone here.

Taking their passes is actually giving them a chance to live, to walk another path.

Isn’t that a kind of mercy and virtue?

I’m saving a son, a husband, a father.”

Xiao Ya felt Lin Qiyou’s logic was twisted but didn’t know how to argue.

The path of a hero is perilous—that much was universally accepted.

If Xiao Ya were to pick the person most like a hero among those she knew, it would probably be Lin Qiyou.

But it was still strange.

Lin Qiyou had done things like patricide…

Was that really the case?

“You said you used to be a tutor in the church? Really?”

As they chatted, Xiao Ya and the others grew friendly.

Upon hearing someone say they’d been a tutor before, Xiao Ya became somewhat admiring—she’d always dreamed of becoming a powerful priest to teach others.

“I did too.

We’re kindred spirits.”

Lin Qiyou suddenly cut in.

“Eh? You never told me before!”

Xiao Ya looked at Lin Qiyou.

He took a sip of water and smiled faintly.

“Back then, they all called me… the Phantom Sword Immortal.”