Chapter 121: Then Let Us Play

In a remote corner of the Myriad Demon Continent, nestled within a mountain not particularly rich in spiritual energy, Bai Qianluo finished telling her disciple about a little game she wanted to play. The white fox, known as Xiaoyi, nodded in agreement.

Shortly thereafter, Bai Qianluo departed the Myriad Demon Continent, telling her disciple to wait ten years for her return. Ten years is a long time; for a mortal, it is enough to turn one’s homeland into a place of unrecognizable change. But for a cultivator—especially one in the Upper Five Realms with a lifespan of at least ten millennia—ten years is merely the blink of an eye, no more than ten days to a common person.

Ten years later, Bai Qianluo returned to the mountain peak to find Xiaoyi in the midst of a brief seclusion. Sensing her master’s spiritual presence, the young woman ended her meditation. Looking at her disciple, Bai Qianluo said with pleasant surprise, "Xiaoyi, I’ve found it."

The woman, whose full name was Bai Yi, was unimpressed. "Master, you spent these past ten years just to find a thing?"

"It’s not a thing, it’s a person," Bai Qianluo replied happily. "Didn’t I tell you we were going to play a little game? Over these ten years, I’ve found a suitable candidate."

Bai Yi’s expression turned to one of disgust. "A man?"

Bai Qianluo rolled her eyes at her disciple, though her smile grew increasingly lecherous and playful. "If you happen to have a preference for lilies, Xiaoyi, I wouldn’t mind playing this game with you myself."

"Forget it," Bai Yi said, shaking her head. "Since I’ve already agreed, a man it is. But Master, if he turns out to be too repulsive and I can’t help but kill him, don’t blame me."

"Well... if possible, try to spare the poor fellow his life. After all, we are the ones seeking him out..." Bai Qianluo scratched the back of her head, feeling a touch of helplessness regarding her disciple's temperament. Still, she knew that Xiaoyi was not a bloodthirsty creature by nature.

"Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s go."

"Where to?"

"Wutong Province."

The Myriad Demon Continent and Wutong Province were vast distances apart. For a cultivator in the Jade Terrace Realm, traveling day and night would take a month. While taking a cross-continental ferry would take two months, it was at least far more comfortable. However, Bai Yi did not care for it. Even with her face veiled, her figure still drew the stealthy gazes of many cultivators on the ferry. If not for her master, Bai Qianluo, "shamelessly" wagging her nine tails, those men would have been far more brazen.

"This is why I despise males! Whether they are human, animal, or some plant or spirit, they are all disgusting," Bai Yi complained in their cabin, regretting that she had followed her master.

"Hahaha, don't say that... we are of the White Fox clan, after all, and you, Xiaoyi, possess a natural charm that is rarely seen in a thousand years."

When demons reach a certain level of cultivation, they choose to take human form. This is because the human shape is closest to the gods of the ancient era, possessing a greater affinity for the Great Dao, and the "small world" within a human form is the most rigorous and perfect of all living things. Once a demon takes human form, they not only retain their original aesthetic preferences but also gradually accept and appreciate human standards of beauty. (For instance, a bull before taking human form might only find cows attractive, viewing human and other animal shapes as indifferent; but after transforming, it might grow fond of human women as well—and if it encountered a female who had also taken human form, the joy would be doubled.)

Oddly enough, white foxes possess an inexplicable allure to almost every species. In some miscellaneous chronicles, there were even legends of a newly sentient wild goat falling in love with a white fox, bringing grass to the entrance of her cave daily, like a desperate, fawning fool.

Bai Yi was aware of her natural charms. Ignoring her master’s words, she gazed out at the ferry flying through the sky.

"Xiaoyi is so cold; Master is so bored," Bai Qianluo said, resting her chin on the table, her two white fox ears drooping listlessly. But as she thought of the possibilities awaiting them in Wutong Province, her eyes lit up. "I’m so looking forward to it."

"Looking forward to what?"

"To see what my obedient disciple will become in the end."

"Master, you’re talking nonsense again. I am who I am."

"Yes, of course. Xiaoyi is Xiaoyi."

Like a leisurely trip, neither was in a hurry. It took three months in total for the pair to arrive at a small mountain peak. Looking down, they saw a dilapidated little village. It belonged to a small, ordinary human nation that had recently suffered the ravages of war. The village was deathly silent; apart from charred and ruined houses, there was nothing—not a single soul to be seen.

"Master, what did you bring me to see? A village with no one in it?"

"Who said there’s no one? Look down there."

Using her spiritual energy to peer into the distance, she saw a young boy of about seven or eight years old emerge from a small hut. The boy was thin, though not quite skin and bones. Winter would be upon them soon, and if nothing changed, he would surely freeze to death.

Bai Qianluo watched the boy and said slowly, "It’s impossible for you to experience love, Xiaoyi—the lad is just a little brat, after all. But perhaps you can experience other emotions; it wouldn't be a bad way to broaden your horizons. In a moment, I will seal your spiritual apertures, reverting you to the form of that cute little fox you once were. You won’t be able to use your magic during this time. Of course, you could force the seal open if you wanted, but the game would end. Oh, and if I recall correctly, your 'Mind-Reading' ability will still work even with your apertures sealed. Spend a few months with him—let’s say until the heart of winter. No matter what, don’t kill him; just leave if you must. Of course, if he drives you away, you must go. During this time, you are just an 'ordinary' little fox; do not use any spells. When the game is over, I will erase his memories of you to avoid any karmic entanglement in the future."

Listening to her master, Bai Yi frowned. "Master, are you sure you aren't just bored and making fun of me?"

Bai Qianluo wiped her nose. "Hehehe, even if I said no, you wouldn't believe me—you can see my thoughts, after all. Xiaoyi, what do you say? Shall we play? If you do, I have a reward for you."

"Is the reward for me to have my tail groomed again?"

Bai Qianluo looked slightly embarrassed and pouted. "Oh, Xiaoyi, your Mind-Reading is so dull; there’s no sense of mystery at all! So, will you play? It’s only a few months, anyway."

Bai Yi turned her head to look back at the small mountain village, watching the young boy who was walking away, carrying a tattered bamboo basket and a wood-cutting knife. Her silver-white eyes narrowed. "Why did you choose him, Master?"

"Why..." Bai Qianluo pondered. "Perhaps because this little boy is rather special."

"Special?" Bai Yi murmured to herself. Not until the boy had disappeared into the mountains did she finally withdraw her gaze. "Very well, let’s play."