Now that the six-tailed fox clan leader was speaking to her so calmly, were they discussing the matter of silencing witnesses? Could they possibly be trying to negotiate a way to make the three of them, who had unintentionally stumbled into this place, take their own lives?!
Yun Qingxue quickly shook her head, dismissing this sudden, illogical speculation from her mind.
If something like what she had imagined were truly happening, it could only mean that this six-tailed fox had lost its mind…
However, since the other party had clearly stated the rules, there must be a reason. Without knowing their specific intentions, Yun Qingxue wisely chose to remain silent.
“From our earlier exchange, this old man has seen the remarkable strength of the Flower King. You could have injured—or even used a powerful move to kill—my younger kin, yet you refrained. For this reason alone, I believe we can turn enemies into friends,” the elder continued.
Yun Qingxue promptly nodded in agreement. Turning enemies into friends was naturally the best outcome. Still, the other party was, after all, a fox—no matter how many tails it had, cunning was inherent to its nature. Thus, while negotiating with these fox clansmen, Yun Qingxue maintained a degree of caution.
“Then, Elder, since we’ve turned enemies into friends, we won’t impose any longer.”
It was best not to linger in a place fraught with danger.
With that, Yun Qingxue signaled for Daise to leave with her.
“Wait!” Just as they were about to step away, the elder suddenly spoke again.
Yun Qingxue paused and turned to the elder. “Is there something else, Elder?”
The elder sighed deeply before speaking. “Originally, at our first meeting, this old man shouldn’t trouble the Flower King. But over the past few centuries, you are the only one who has come here and proven trustworthy… And our time is running short. So, I have a request to make!!! I hope the Flower King will grant it.”
Yun Qingxue frowned. The elder had a request for her? Why did this feel so strange?
“Please, Flower King, grant us this favor!” Seeing that Yun Qingxue hadn’t responded, the elder suddenly knelt before her.
As the elder knelt, the imposters from earlier followed suit, reverting to their true appearances.
“Elder, please rise!” Yun Qingxue hurriedly reached out to help the elder up, but the moment she touched his body, a chill ran through her heart…
The elder’s body was icy cold—a bone-piercing coldness!
“Has the Flower King noticed?”
Just as Yun Qingxue was momentarily stunned by the elder’s frigid touch, the elder suddenly looked up at her, his eyes brimming with an eerie, unsettling aura!
Startled, Yun Qingxue instinctively took a step back.
“Flower King, do not fear! We still have a request for you and would never harm you!!!”
Seeing Yun Qingxue’s reaction, a trace of sorrow flashed in the elder’s eyes as he continued, “Is the Flower King surprised by why this old man’s body is as cold as ice?”
Yun Qingxue remained silent. Of course she was surprised! Even among spirits, aside from a few cold-blooded creatures, most would have warm bodies after gaining sentience!
The six-tailed fox clan clearly didn’t fall into that exception. Foxes weren’t cold-blooded, so why was this elder’s body temperature even colder than that of a cold-blooded creature?!
“Ah~!” The elder sighed again. “To be honest with the Flower King, it’s not just me—all my clansmen share this same icy coldness! And the reason is… we were all killed by enemies long ago!!!”
Killed by enemies long ago!!!!
The elder’s final words struck Yun Qingxue like thunder, reverberating endlessly in her mind…
So… what she was facing now wasn’t a group of fox spirits, but a gathering of deceased souls?
A real ghost encounter! If the elder’s words were true, then she was truly seeing ghosts—and a whole group of them at that!
She wasn’t unfamiliar with ghosts. Among those she knew, wasn’t Xiao Xiaoxiao an official underworld ghost envoy?!
But this was different. At least her encounter with Xiao Xiaoxiao hadn’t been so tense, nor filled with so many unknowns and schemes!!!
So, what could these ghosts possibly want from her?
Yun Qingxue took a deep breath and looked at the still-kneeling elder. “Elder, please rise first before we speak.”
“Flower King, there’s no need for concern. As the ruler of your clan, you are more than worthy of receiving our respect!” the elder said.
Yun Qingxue forced a stiff smile, her mind racing to figure out how to leave this place as quickly as possible.
Being entangled with a group of ghosts whose motives were unclear made her deeply uneasy!
“For over three hundred years since our deaths, we’ve struggled to keep our souls gathered here, waiting for someone trustworthy to fulfill our final wish.
Thus, as the leader of the six-tailed fox clan, I beseech the Flower King to grant our request and help us achieve our last desire! We will never forget this great kindness!”
“Well… Elder Clan Leader, could you first tell me what it is? If it’s within my power, Qingxue will naturally do her best. But if it’s beyond my capabilities, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline.” Yun Qingxue felt sympathy for these six-tailed foxes who had died with unfinished business, but she wasn’t in the habit of making promises lightly.
The six-tailed fox clan leader gritted his teeth, seemingly deep in thought. Yun Qingxue stood there patiently.
After a long pause, as if finally reaching a decision, the elder spoke. “Very well! We’ve endured for centuries, and now our souls are on the verge of dispersing. If we don’t entrust this matter to the Flower King now, we may never meet another trustworthy person again!”
With that, the elder stood and walked toward a large banyan tree by the river. He gently traced his hand along the trunk, and the bark peeled away on its own, revealing a hollow inside.
Within the hollow, a pure white fox cub lay curled up in a nest of dried grass. Beside its mouth rested a translucent orb the size of an egg, emitting a faint glow that made the cub’s fur shimmer like snow.
The elder bent down and tenderly lifted the cub, along with the glowing orb, and brought them to Yun Qingxue.
“This is my granddaughter—the sole survivor of the massacre three hundred years ago.”
“The fox clan?” Yun Qingxue raised an eyebrow. From what she had read, six-tailed foxes were supposed to have six tails and multicolored fur, hence their name. They were distantly related to three-tailed and nine-tailed foxes.
But this little one before her was entirely snow-white, and instead of six tails, it had—ten! Ten tails! One more than a nine-tailed fox!!!
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