Chapter Thirty-Five
Mount Putuo was perpetually shrouded in thick fog, with mist swirling over the small river behind the mountain. Ayin sat on a tree branch, craning her neck to catch a glimpse of the exposed, jade-like slender waist emerging from the river's surface.
Tsk, tsk, tsk... I bet even the fairies of the Heavenly Palace don’t have skin as fine as our A Jin’s... Ayin thought lazily, her eyes never leaving Gu Jin, as if glued to him.
This deeply ingrained casualness truly reflected the temperament of the one who had raised her.
Gu Jin emerged from the river after soaking for a long while, wearing only his inner robe, with the outer garment still loosely draped over his shoulders, when he spotted Ayin sitting on the tree branch, her eyes sparkling as she swung her legs.
He froze, his face maintaining its usual cool composure, though the slender fingers tying his belt stiffened slightly.
"A Jin, your skin is so lovely, even softer than the ladies of our Immortal Tribe. Did Qinghe secretly leave you some top-grade Immortal Dew? Share a little with me." Ayin touched her own face, her gaze roaming over Gu Jin with a mix of satisfaction and curiosity.
Gu Jin snapped back to reality and coughed awkwardly. "Nonsense! Where did a young girl like you learn such improper behavior? How could you spy on someone bathing?" His face remained stern, but his ears flushed bright red, betraying a hint of flustered anger.
Ayin blinked, then covered her mouth and laughed. "A Jin, what are you thinking? I was talking about your face—so fair and tender, much more radiant than mine." She leaped down from the tree, landing in front of Gu Jin, and grabbed his left hand, pressing it toward her face. "If you don’t believe me, just pinch it. It’s not as fair and soft as yours."
Just as his fingers were about to touch Ayin’s cheek, Gu Jin recoiled as if shocked, pulling his hand back and taking two steps backward. "Enough nonsense! Why aren’t you keeping an eye on that fox of yours? What are you doing following me here?"
Listen to that—the remark carried a distinct hint of youthful jealousy. Unfortunately, Ayin was too straightforward, assuming Gu Jin simply disliked A Jiu for being troublesome and a troublemaker, completely missing any other implication.
Ayin took a step forward and grabbed Gu Jin’s left hand again. Gu Jin tried to pull away.
"Don’t move!" Ayin’s voice lowered, tinged with seriousness and displeasure.
A gentle surge of Spiritual Power flowed into his palm, bringing a wave of warmth. Gu Jin looked down to see Ayin cradling his left hand in hers, emerald-green Spiritual Power continuously streaming from her palm to heal the wound he had sustained from blood-sacrificing his sword in Mount Guixu.
Since emerging from the Nine Nether Purgatory, Ayin had been diligently cultivating her powers. In mere moments, she had healed Gu Jin’s wound.
"Fortunately, you only used Immortal Power to sacrifice the sword and didn’t damage your Primordial Spirit." Ayin looked up, her sharp intelligence unmistakable in her eyes. "When you entered the mountain and saw that seal, you guessed it was laid by Princess Jing Zhao, didn’t you? As a disciple of Great Marsh Mountain and a member of the Immortal Tribe, if you stepped in to protect A Jiu, she would surely show you mercy. That’s why you only summoned the Primordial Spirit Sword and didn’t fight her with all your strength, right?"
Gu Jin was surprised by Ayin’s keen insight and nodded. "She has lived in seclusion in Mount Guixu for a century, showing kindness even to strangers who accidentally trespass. Even if angered, she wouldn’t have intended to kill me." Gu Jin paused and sighed. "But she’s ultimately not the same as she was a hundred years ago."
Ayin asked curiously, "From what Princess Jing Zhao said, it sounds like you two are old acquaintances. A Jin, have you met her before?"
Gu Jin nodded. "When I was young, I traveled the Three Realms with my mother and once crossed paths with her.""Your mother?" Ayin stroked her chin. "A Jin, I've heard you mention your mother many times. Who exactly is she? And, are you very close with the Phoenix Sovereign?"
"My mother lives far away. When the opportunity arises in the future, I'll take you to meet her." Gu Jin had promised Tian Qi not to reveal his identity to anyone before he was capable of breaking the seal, so he could only brush off Ayin's question with a vague answer. "Why do you say I'm close with the Phoenix Sovereign?"
Seeing Gu Jin gloss over his origins in just a few words, a flicker of disappointment passed through Ayin's eyes, though she didn't let him notice. She simply smiled and said, "I heard from Qinghe about the events that have occurred in the Three Realms over the past few centuries. It's said that the Phoenix Sovereign and the Second Prince Jing Jian were lovers. The fact that the Second Prince's soul still lingers is a secret even Princess Jing Zhao doesn't know, so it must be a major secret. Yet you know about it—it must have been the Phoenix Sovereign who told you. It seems that when you were on Phoenix Tree Island back then, it wasn't our master's doing that saved you from being crushed by the Phoenix Sovereign's claw. Even if she wanted to crush you with all her might, she probably couldn't bring herself to do it!"
"You little imp, so you followed me just to ask about my relationship with the Phoenix Sovereign?"
Ayin pouted. "Who knows where you come from or who you really are? What if you abandon me someday?"
Gu Jin was taken aback, noticing a hint of unease hidden beneath Ayin's stubborn expression. He understood her concern.
Ayin was naturally clever and had likely sensed his mysteriousness long ago. He had always been evasive about his origins, never revealing a single word. Ayin was afraid that one day he might leave her behind.
"Don't worry about such nonsense. You're my immortal beast, and I'll take you with me wherever I go."
Ayin felt a surge of joy upon hearing this, her eyes curving into crescents. She hummed a little tune before suddenly asking, "By the way, A Jin, when you saw A Jiu eat the heart of the Second Prince's birthday tree in Guixu Mountain, you were so angry. Why didn't you scold him at all after protecting him in front of Princess Jing Zhao? Was it because you found out his identity?"
"You figured out his identity?" Gu Jin raised an eyebrow.
"He was holding the Fox Demon Clan's royal artifact, the Nirvana Wheel. Who else could he be but Tribal Chief Chang Qin's nephew? No wonder Chief Chang Qin allowed us into the Tranquil Lake back then—she must have known we had saved her nephew on Purple Moon Mountain."
Gu Jin nodded. "I protected him not just because Chief Chang Qin showed us kindness."
"Then why?"
"He did it on purpose."
"What?" Ayin looked surprised. "You mean he deliberately ate that Phoenix Tree heart?"
"Yes." Gu Jin sighed, recalling a past event.
"Chang Qin wasn't originally the ruler of the Fox race. Back then, she was trapped in the Demon Realm's Third Heaven for thousands of years by Sen Yu, the son of the Demon Emperor. The ruler of the Fox race was her elder brother, Hong Xuan. Hong Xuan was a Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, brave and skilled in battle, with formidable Demonic Power. Under his leadership, the Fox race became the second-largest clan in the Demon Realm, second only to the Tiger Demons. Unfortunately..." Gu Jin paused. "Unfortunately, a thousand years ago, during a great war between the Immortals and Demons, Hong Xuan fell in battle, and his wife, who had fought alongside him, was slain by an Immortal General, her Soul Scattered and Spirit Dispersed. After Hong Xuan's death, Chang Qin was supported by the clan's Elders and became the ruler."
"What? A Jin, are you saying A Jiu's parents were killed by the Immortal Tribe...?"
Gu Jin nodded, his voice heavy. "The one who led the army into the Demon Realm back then was Empress Wu Huan."Ayin suddenly understood the bone-deep hatred and icy coldness in A Jiu's gaze when he looked at Jing Zhao. No wonder he deliberately spoke of the wrongdoings committed by the Heavenly Empress in the past to provoke Jing Zhao—it turned out there was such a deep-seated grudge. However, a century ago, the Heavenly Empress had already been exiled from the Three Realms by the Ancient True God and subjected to Divine Punishment. Knowing that revenge was hopeless, A Jiu deliberately destroyed that phoenix tree, likely wanting to do something for his parents.
"A Jiu had the opportunity to seize the phoenix tree heart in the Nine Nether Purgatory, but he didn't do it. He stole the tree heart at Guixu Mountain not to refine and absorb its demonic power but to destroy the phoenix tree personally planted by the Heavenly Empress for the Second Prince, Jing Jian. I should have realized it earlier—King Hong Xuan and the Queen had nine children, and their only son was the ninth in line." Gu Jin looked toward the direction where A Jiu lay sleeping inside the mountain and said solemnly, "Ayin, he is the nephew of the Fox race's king, the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, Hong Yi."
Not far away, behind a rock, the little fox stood quietly, listening to their conversation, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"But he's still A Jiu!" Ayin's clear voice rang out by the quiet river, interrupting Gu Jin's concerns and the little fox's contemplation.
"Even if he is the nephew of the Fox race's king, he's still the A Jiu who risked his life to save us in the Nine Nether Purgatory." Remembering how A Jiu had been acting cute and clingy ever since they left Guixu Mountain, afraid of being left behind, Ayin always felt a sense of shared hardship with him. "A Jin, he followed us out of the Demon Realm, clearly not wanting to return to the Fox race. Today, destroying the phoenix tree at Guixu Mountain also had its reasons. Can we continue to keep him with us?"
"You want to take him back to Great Marsh Mountain?" Now that they knew Hong Yi's identity, Gu Jin had originally planned to escort him to the Immortal-Demon boundary and let him return to the Fox race on his own.
"No." Gu Jin firmly refused. "Hong Yi is the nephew of the Fox Demon Clan's king. Even though our Great Marsh Mountain has a simple and honest tradition, we cannot allow members of the Demon Tribe to enter the mountain gates. Moreover, if other sects in the Immortal Realm find out, it will bring great trouble to Great Marsh Mountain."
"But A Jin, we don't know what A Jiu went through in the Nine Nether Purgatory. That day, he forcibly shape-shifted to save us, damaging his Demon Core. If I hadn't been using my Spiritual Power to heal him daily, his Demon Core would have shattered long ago."
Spiritual Power healing? Gu Jin finally understood why A Jiu stayed by Ayin's side every day in the form of a little fox. Water Condensation Beasts naturally possess miraculous healing abilities—he had actually been using Ayin as a medicinal vessel.
Gu Jin's face turned ashen. "This is reckless. How much Spiritual Power do you even have to be able to pour it into him daily for healing? Besides, he consumed the phoenix tree heart, so his injuries should have healed."
"It didn't work." Ayin shook her head. "I just checked. Although the phoenix tree heart can replenish the demonic power in his body, it cannot heal his Demon Core. At Purple Moon Mountain, even Bi Bo's Spiritual Power could only replenish his demonic power, not repair his Demon Core. Only my Spiritual Power can do it, and I don't know why. That's why he didn't return to the Fox Demon Clan and has been staying by my side. Don't worry—although his Demon Core is damaged, I only use a small amount of Spiritual Power daily to repair it. It hasn't harmed my life essence. Once his Demon Core is fully healed, I'll definitely send him back to the Fox race. A Jin, it'll take at most half a year. What do you think?"
Ayin pleaded earnestly. Bi Bo had said that if A Jiu's Demon Core couldn't be repaired, his life essence would last no more than ten years.The little fox's stone ears twitched, its crimson eyes shifting as it gazed at Ayin with a trace of warmth in its gaze.
No wonder she had followed him here alone. He had originally thought Ayin was curious about his background, but it seemed she had come to plead for the fox's sake in private.
Gu Jin remained silent for a long while, ultimately unable to refuse Ayin's plea. Moreover, Chang Qin and A Jiu had done him a favor, so he nodded. "Alright, I can take him back to Great Marsh Mountain for now, but once his Demon Core is restored, he must leave."
"Mm!" Ayin's eyes sparkled with delight, a heavy weight finally lifting from her heart. Noticing that Gu Jin beside her still looked gloomy, she suddenly spoke up, "By the way, earlier you said..."
Ayin abruptly leaned in close to Gu Jin, face to face, so near that they almost kissed. "You said you'd take me with you wherever you go. But what about when you take a wife? Will you still keep me by your side then?"
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