Chapter 6

Tanyin didn’t pay attention to what he muttered at all. This novel and prosperous town had completely captured her attention. She jumped off the carriage and looked around, feeling overwhelmed by the variety of sights and unsure where to start.

A vendor with a rattle walked towards her, carrying a half-height wooden box on his back, adorned with various colorful windmills and trinkets.

As he walked and called out, Tanyin’s gaze was instantly drawn to him. She involuntarily approached and picked up a small carp hanging from his wooden box, intricately made with beads. She looked at it carefully and was reluctant to let go.

“Do you like it?”

Yuan Zhong looked at her strangely. The craftsmanship of these beaded carps was neither exquisite nor unique and was seen everywhere. How did they catch her eye?

Tanyin was absorbed in admiring those beaded trinkets and didn’t pay attention to what he said. During the period when she was alive, the mortal realm was not as prosperous, let alone these interesting trinkets.

Even though the craftsmanship of the Ji family was superb, no one made these things. She found a small fox made of red beads particularly cute and couldn’t help but hold it in her hand, caressing it.

Seeing her fondness, the vendor smiled and said, “These are all handmade trinkets, not expensive at all. If the young lady likes it, buy one, and I’ll give you another one for free.”

Tanyin was indeed very tempted. Suddenly, her sleeve was lightly pulled, and Yuan Zhong leaned over, looking at her expectantly. “Xiao Ji, do you like foxes so much? Later, I’ll transform into one for you to see; I guarantee it’ll be a thousand times better than this one…”

Before he finished speaking, she walked away, her attention drawn to the other side, where clay figurines were being made.

As she walked away, the vendor glanced back at the High Priest, nodding slightly. Yuan Zhong smiled and picked up the beaded fox she had just been caressing, asking, “How much is it?”

The vendor smiled bitterly but didn’t say anything. He took off both the beaded fox and carp and handed them to him, along with a small windmill as a bonus, then walked away.

As Yuan Zhong blew on the windmill, he crushed the beaded carp in his palm and suddenly whispered voices lingered around his ears: “I’ve searched for a long time but found nothing. The girl’s background is extremely peculiar. Continue investigation.”

He spun the windmill rapidly, then approached Tan Yin, tapping her and saying, “Xiao Ji, here, have some fun.”

Tanyin clearly liked the windmill very much. She played with the beaded fox for a while and then tucked it into her pocket. However, she kept the windmill in her hand, examining it closely, blowing gently on it from time to time, and watching it spin colorfully.

Yuan Zhong propped his chin on his hand, boredly lying on the table, sighing, “Is this thing really that fun? It’s everywhere; only three-year-old kids would like it.”

Seeing Tanyin’s silence, he quickly added with a grin, “I’m not saying you’re childish, Xiao Ji. You’ve just kept your inner child alive. I like that about you.”

Tanyin still didn’t speak. There wasn’t much to say to him. She just buried herself in drinking tea.

Yuan Zhong seemed determined to make her talk, teasing her as if coaxing a response: “Come on, let’s finish this tea first. Then, Xiao Ji, you can rest in the guest room for half a day. I’ll go find a craftsman in the city. My carriage hasn’t been serviced in ages; it’s rattling all over, giving me a headache. Once it’s fixed, we’ll go to Ao Lan Lake, our clan’s place, which is peaceful and quiet. I’ll show you around again; how about that?”

As soon as Tanyin heard “fixing the carriage,” her eyes lit up, and she immediately stood up and said, “The carriage is downstairs?”

Yuan Zhong looked at her in surprise as she headed downstairs and asked, “Xiao Ji, where are you going?”

“To fix the car.” Her response was clear and concise.

Fix the carriage? Was she fixing it or smashing it? Yuan Zhong, seeing the danger his beloved carriage might be in, hurriedly followed her.

His extraordinary and resplendent carriage was parked in the backyard of the inn, where the attendants were taking care of it with the utmost respect, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent. Even the four Bird of Paradise pulling the carriage had their feathers groomed, making them even more snowy white and charming.

Tanyin was bent over inspecting the axle of the car. She had a small black hammer in her hand, tapping here and there. Yuan Zhong’s heart was almost knocked out by her tapping. He hurriedly smiled. “Xiao Ji, how could I trouble you with such rough work…”

Tanyin stood up straight, threw the small hammer into the bag hanging at her waist, and said, “There’s a crack in the axle; it’s crooked. We need to replace it with a new one.”

Yuan Zhong’s jaw almost dropped. So, she really knew how to fix the carriage? He looked at her with gradually more complex eyes. This woman was full of flaws and mistakes she should have made and shouldn’t have. She had already made a pile of them. No matter who sent the spy, choosing her was an incredibly stupid mistake. He was tired of pretending with her. He stared at the gilded bag at her waist and directly pointed it out. “Is that a Qiankun bag?”

But Tanyin just smiled faintly, with a hint of inscrutable satisfaction on her face. “You recognize it too?”

She died early, and although she had expected that the four Qiankun bags she made would surely attract countless people’s attention, she hadn’t expected that after so many years, there would still be people who recognized them.

Yuan Zhong rolled his eyes and said, “Of course, this is a rare treasure.”

The Qiankun bag was crafted by a certain ancient craftsman. No one knows how many were made to this day. He only knew that there was one in the palace of the Kingdom of Qiong, one with the War Ghost Clan, and another one reportedly appeared in the Eastern Yan kingdom. All other rumors were false. Whose Qiankun bag was this one around her waist?

“Rare?” Tanyin was puzzled. She had always thought that after so many years had passed, there must be talented individuals in the mortal realm who could make many more Qiankun bags.

Yuan Zhong shook his head and changed the subject: “Xiao Ji, do you know how to fix carriage?”

She blushed a little, which was rare for her. “Not exactly, but even though ebony is precious, it’s not suitable for making axles because it’s hard and brittle. It’s more comfortable to replace it with a cypress axle.”

Yuan Zhong couldn’t help but fall silent for a moment before smiling. “Xiao Ji, you understand so much. Could it be that your family has a rich heritage?”

Tanyin shook her head in silence. “Let’s go find a craftsman to replace the axle.”

Yuan Zhong was about to speak when suddenly a distant and eerie roar came from the mountains to the east. His expression remained unchanged as he turned to look, only to see a faint red mist slowly dispersing in the distant eastern sky.

Still maintaining his composure, he turned back and smiled. “I don’t know much about the quality of wood, but since Xiao Ji understands, would you accompany me to the mountains to see which wood is good?”

For Tanyin, going to the mountains usually had only one purpose: to select wood.

When she was young, although she was still a child, she was mature beyond her years. Unlike other children in the family who played and frolicked on the mountains, she always followed her father, listening to him talk about the various uses of different types of wood.

Later, when her father fell seriously ill, nearing the end of his life, he couldn’t rest assured about her. He said, “Tanyin, you’ve never behaved like other children since you were young. I’m not worried about you. It’s just that you’re so mature, solitary, and seldom speak. How will you find a suitable husband in the future?”

She had never really taken the time to appreciate the scenery in the mountains. At that time, her mind was always occupied with making things and nothing else.

Now, riding on the Bird of Paradise’s back, it flew slowly, brushing against the treetops. Several times, leaves brushed against her skirt. In the distance, the silhouette of the green mountains, the high sky, and the faint clouds—all these were scenes unique to the mortal realm. Yuan Zhong also rode on a Bird of Paradise beside her, constantly chattering away, as he always did, with his endless nonsense.

Tanyin stopped at the top of a tree, bent down to pick up a leaf, and examined it closely. The High Priest also leaned in eagerly, almost wanting to stick to her, and asked, “What kind of tree is this?”

“A cypress tree.”

Yuan Zhong stretched lazily and said, “Why not just cut down this tree and use it for the axle…”

Before he could finish his sentence, there was a sharp sound of splitting air. The Bird of Paradise he was riding let out a mournful cry as its wing was abruptly severed, blood splattering everywhere, and it almost instantly plummeted to the ground.

Tanyin was startled. She was about to look down to check on Yuan Zhong’s condition when suddenly, a strange whistling sound came from below the tree. Her own Bird of Paradise, enticed by the whistle, looked around anxiously. Then it suddenly flapped its wings in a frenzy, nearly tipping Tanyin over. She hurriedly hugged its neck, trying to calm the panicked spirit bird.

“Whoosh!”

Another sharp sound pierced the air, but this time it didn’t strike the bird. Tanyin felt a sudden icy sensation on her knee, followed by intense pain. She looked down and saw a deep, long gash on her knee, blood not yet flowing out. Shocked, she looked around but couldn’t see anyone.

Before she could react, another sharp sound rang out. It felt like her back was stabbed with a knife, causing her whole body to tremble. Her hands could no longer hold onto the bird’s neck, and she tilted sideways, falling straight from the sky.

Yuan Zhong had already jumped off at the moment the Bird of Paradise’s wings were severed. He landed lightly on the ground and saw a figure flash across the treetop opposite him. He hesitated for a moment but decided not to give chase. Looking up, he saw the bird Tanyin was riding flying erratically, gradually disappearing into the distance. He deliberately shouted, “Xiao Ji! Don’t be afraid! I’m coming!”

With that, he started to chase after her, but he couldn’t catch up. In no time, she vanished from sight. Yuan Zhong abruptly stopped in his tracks. The mountain breeze blew gently, carrying an elegant fragrance. His face was as calm as water as he followed the scent slowly to the east, only to suddenly see a vast pit on the ground ahead, as if it had been dug out by a giant.

Yuan Zhong walked slowly over and looked down, only to see a blood-covered red fox lying at the bottom of the pit, already dead for quite some time. Beside the corpse lay a broken, half-height wooden box, with many beaded trinkets scattered all around.

The fox clan was skilled in making fragrances, and their blood contained a scent. The more blood, the stronger the fragrance. However, the scent was gradually fading away in the mountain breeze.

He sighed deeply, clasped his hands together, and silently bowed to the body of the red fox. The fox’s body gradually became transparent, eventually turning into numerous twinkling light spots, lingering around him unwilling to depart, before slowly dissipating.

This was the last message left by his fellow clan members. Yuan Zhong opened his palm, on which there were glowing small words: Encountered remnants of the War Ghost clan, estimated six individuals, urgent report to Aolan Lake for our clan to take precautions.

Yuan Zhong’s expression remained unchanged as he lightly wiped away the row of words with his fingers. He turned slowly and sighed again, saying, “Even the War Ghost clan has learned to spy in the shadows and launch a collective attack?”

After a while, several people slowly emerged from the forest, all dressed in black with cold and stern faces. The pupils in the eyes of each person were blood-red, staring menacingly at him.

One, two, three, four… Yuan Zhong counted. Five War Ghosts. No wonder the messenger from his clan died so quickly and miserably.

The leader of the War Ghosts said coldly, “You injured our Lord Li Chaoyang first. Today, we will exterminate all the foxes in Ao Lan Lake to avenge Lord Li Chaoyang.”

Yuan Zhong chuckled bitterly, touching his right arm. “So it’s for Li Chaoyang. Well, I also have a score to settle with her. The one who sealed her in ice was me. My right hand was also chopped off by her. It took great effort to reattach it, but it’s still not functioning properly.”

The War Ghosts’ faces changed instantly. They had heard of the high priest of the Fox clan but had never expected the unassuming person in front of them to be him.

One of the War Ghosts couldn’t contain himself any longer and pulled out a long whip from his waist, swinging it towards Yuan Zhong’s head.

Yuan Zhong stepped back, and immediately a large pit was smashed at his feet. He waved his hand, saying, “Easy now, easy now. I’m a lazy person. You’re not all here yet. Wait until we’re all here, then we can kill together.”

The leader of the War Ghosts sneered, “You were able to injure Lord Li Chaoyang. We dare not underestimate you. Today, we will let you accompany your beloved to the underworld.”

Beloved? Yuan Zhong was stunned. Then he saw two more figures emerge from the forest: one in black with red eyes, the sixth War Ghost, and the other… a girl covered in blood, who was none other than Tanyin.

(End of this chapter)