The Celestial Fire Mirror, which rested on her chest, gradually stilled, its radiance slowly fading. Zhang Xiaofan suddenly realized that the enormous fire dragon that had once writhed beneath them had vanished without a trace.
He didn’t know how much time had passed…
He stood there, his mind a whirl of thoughts, yet he felt a profound emptiness in his heart.
The Six-Tailed White Fox, after a long silence, slowly lifted its head and addressed Zhang Xiaofan: “Young man, come here for a moment.”
Zhang Xiaofan approached slowly, and behind him, in the corridor, the howling wind grew louder and more menacing.
The fox, still cradling the lifeless body, its expression now calm, spoke in a voice as serene as water: “Could you do me a favor?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Zhang Xiaofan asked, “What is it?”
The fox gazed at the woman in its arms and said quietly, “Throw both of us into the magma below.”
Zhang Xiaofan’s head snapped up, and he stepped back, shocked.
The fox looked at him, silent.
Zhang Xiaofan’s mouth opened, as if to speak, but no words came. He felt a sudden heat in his eyes, as if they were being scorched by flames.
He nodded heavily.
The fox smiled and tightened its embrace around the woman.
Step by step, Zhang Xiaofan carried the two foxes, tightly entwined, towards the edge of the platform. The roaring inferno raged beneath his feet.
At last, he reached the brink, standing on the very edge of life and death.
The fox’s face, though still pale, showed a slight improvement. It looked up at the young man.
No one could see Zhang Xiaofan’s expression at that moment.
The fox smiled, as if all grudges had been forgotten, looking at him with the gaze of an elderly guardian.
“Is this really necessary, young man?”
Zhang Xiaofan remained silent.
The fox gently took the Celestial Fire Mirror from the woman’s chest and, with its last strength, lifted Zhang Xiaofan’s sleeve, tying the mirror to his arm with the red tassels.
“This divine treasure, earned with countless lives, I give to you as a keepsake.” It smiled, even as its body began to tremble violently, and black blood trickled from its mouth. “But remember, do not let anyone else see it…”
Its voice, finally, faded away.
Zhang Xiaofan bit his lip, took a deep breath, and then released his hands.
From afar, a deafening boom echoed, and Biyao, Shitou, as well as Li Xun and Yan Hong from the Fragrant Incense Valley, shot out of the corridor, appearing on the platform. They saw Zhang Xiaofan throwing the two foxes into the magma.
Zhang Xiaofan stood at the edge of the platform, oblivious to what was happening behind him, staring at the tumbling figures in the air.
A gentle breeze, from somewhere, fluttered his robes.
A faint light flashed, and the graceful woman, as she turned, shed her mortal clothes, revealing her true form: a beautiful Three-Tailed Fox.
The two foxes, though lifeless, still embraced each other, tumbling through the air and falling into the magma. With a low rumble, they disappeared beneath the surface, never to be seen again.
Biyao, concerned, approached and called out, “Xiaofan…”
But the young man stood motionless, unresponsive.
***
Emerging from the Fire Dragon Cave, they passed through the dark Black Stone Cave, finally reaching the surface. By now, dawn had fully broken.
Everyone sighed in relief, including Li Xun and Yan Hong, who, despite their weariness, had successfully defeated the creature known as the “Great Black Leech” the previous night.
But Zhang Xiaofan remained silent, lost in thought.
Biyao, standing beside him, asked softly, but he only shook his head.
Li Xun glanced over and walked up to Zhang Xiaofan, saying, “It’s a joy to see that you, Junior Brother Zhang, have escaped the deadly abyss. Congratulations.”
Zhang Xiaofan forced a smile and nodded, “Thank you, Senior Brother Li.”
Yan Hong also approached, her demeanor more relaxed than Li Xun’s. She smiled, “Junior Brother Zhang, you are truly blessed. Surviving such a peril, you will surely be rewarded in the future.” Her expression softened, “When we couldn’t find you in the abyss, your fellow disciples were extremely worried, especially your senior sister, Lu…”
Zhang Xiaofan’s heart stirred, and he looked at Yan Hong, who seemed to be smiling slyly, glancing at Li Xun. Li Xun, feeling her gaze, managed a rare smile, though a hidden light flickered in his eyes. He nodded, “Indeed, your fellow disciples were very concerned. You should return and report your safety.”
Touched, Zhang Xiaofan bowed slightly, “Thank you, both of you.”
Yan Hong returned the bow, and her gaze inadvertently fell on the green-clad woman beside Zhang Xiaofan, whose expression was somewhat grim.
Yan Hong, always observant, noticed this and looked at Biyao more closely. “Junior Brother Zhang, who are these two?”
Zhang Xiaofan turned, “Oh, this is Shitou, a disciple of the Vajra Sect under the Great Master.”
He then introduced Shitou to Li Xun and Yan Hong. Shitou, upon hearing their names, immediately showed great respect, “Greetings, Senior Brother and Sister.”
Li Xun and Yan Hong bowed in return, Yan Hong adding, “Shitou, your cultivation is impressive!”
Blushing, Shitou couldn’t help but show some pride, “Thank you, too kind.”
Yan Hong smiled and turned to Biyao, “And who is this lady?”
Zhang Xiaofan hesitated, and Biyao’s expression hardened.
Shitou, seeing the silence, chimed in, “This is Biyao, a friend of Zhang Xiaofan. She is highly skilled in cultivation.”
Li Xun glanced at Biyao, who didn’t greet them, and turned away. Yan Hong, however, continued to study her, “Ah, Miss Biyao, may I ask which sect you belong to?”
Biyao, seeing Zhang Xiaofan’s silence, sneered, “I belong to no sect. I am alone, and even when I try to help, I am shunned!”
Zhang Xiaofan frowned, but Yan Hong simply smiled and observed her.
Li Xun then cleared his throat and addressed Zhang Xiaofan, “Junior Brother Zhang, I need to ask you something.”
Zhang Xiaofan responded, “Please, Senior Brother Li.”
Li Xun looked at him and asked, “You were the first to enter the Fire Dragon Cave. Did you see a jade ring with a flame symbol and red tassels, either in the cave or on the white fox?”
Zhang Xiaofan’s heart skipped a beat, but Shitou blurted out, “Yes, yes, we saw it last night when we fought the Three-Tailed Fox!”
Li Xun and Yan Hong’s faces lit up with hope. Yan Hong, more perceptive, wondered, “But why didn’t the Three-Tailed Fox use the Celestial Fire Mirror when we faced her?”
Li Xun replied, “She must have used it to summon the fire dragon to fight us, so it must have been on her.”
Yan Hong nodded, and Li Xun turned to Zhang Xiaofan, “Junior Brother, the Celestial Fire Mirror is a precious treasure of our sect. Have you seen it?”
All eyes were on Zhang Xiaofan. He took a deep breath and, after a moment, said, “No.”
Li Xun’s brow furrowed, and Yan Hong’s gaze shifted, “Didn’t the Three-Tailed Fox and the Six-Tailed Demon Fox use the Celestial Fire Mirror when you fought them?”
Zhang Xiaofan paused, “When I stumbled into the Fire Dragon Cave, I found the white fox, the Six-Tailed Demon Fox, critically ill. When the Three-Tailed Fox arrived, she was also severely weakened. I didn’t have to exert much effort to… to defeat them.”
Disappointment filled Li Xun and Yan Hong’s faces. Yan Hong sighed, “Well, perhaps it fell into the magma with them.”
Yan Hong turned to Li Xun, “Regardless, we have eliminated the fox demons, and that is a good result for our sect.”
Li Xun nodded and turned to Zhang Xiaofan, “Since that is the case, my junior sister and I must return to the Fragrant Incense Valley to report. We shall take our leave.”
Zhang Xiaofan and Shitou bid them farewell, while Biyao remained grim-faced.
Li Xun and Yan Hong left, and Yan Hong, pausing, added, “Junior Brother Zhang, the Demon Cult is stirring again. The Qingyun Sect and other righteous cultivators are gathering at the Flowing Waves Mountain. Your master’s lineage is also there. Why don’t you join them?”
Zhang Xiaofan, surprised and pleased, said, “Really? I will go right away.”
Yan Hong smiled, “That’s good. After we return to our sect, we might also head there. Perhaps we will meet again.”
Turning to Biyao, Yan Hong smiled, “Miss Biyao, the golden bell on your waist is very beautiful.”
Biyao’s face paled, remembering the Golden Bell of the Heart Sutra from the Blood-Drip Cave. Yan Hong, however, merely smiled and left with Li Xun.
Biyao, frowning, sensed something, and met Zhang Xiaofan’s gaze.
***
Leaving the forest outside the Black Stone Cave, they passed the Moon Well. Biyao, remembering the Three-Tailed Fox’s questioning, asked Zhang Xiaofan, but he just shook his head, not answering.
Frustrated, Biyao stopped asking but went to the well herself. She saw her reflection in the clear water, but nothing else, and dismissed it.
Back in the town, the mayor and townspeople greeted them with relief. When Shitou announced the demons were gone, the crowd cheered.
Zhang Xiaofan, standing apart, felt lost, the image of the foxes still in his mind. When Li Xun asked about the Celestial Fire Mirror, he knew it was tied to his arm, but the white fox’s words echoed in his mind. Though he had only met the Six-Tailed Demon Fox for a night, their tragic end had left an indelible mark. He felt a strange connection and, inexplicably, denied knowing about the mirror.
Shitou finally broke free from the crowd and signaled to Zhang Xiaofan and Biyao. They followed, leaving the cheerful villagers behind.
As they departed, the old fortune-teller Zhou Yixian and his granddaughter Xiao Huan watched, wondering who had obtained the Celestial Fire Mirror.
Zhou Yixian speculated, “Perhaps the Fragrant Incense Valley’s disciples reclaimed it. I was hoping to find something valuable, but it seems fate had other plans.”
Xiao Huan, munching on a candied hawthorn, said, “If the Celestial Fire Mirror is as powerful as you say, the Three-Tailed Fox wouldn’t have perished. It’s probably just a myth.”
Zhou Yixian disagreed, “The Celestial Fire Mirror is a divine artifact. The fox’s lack of skill and the presence of powerful adversaries sealed her fate.”
Xiao Huan asked, “Do you think someone else got it?”
Zhou Yixian shrugged, “We’ll follow the flow of events. I heard many cultivators are heading east. Let’s go there too.”
Xiao Huan grinned, “Sure, let’s go.”
***
After Zhang Xiaofan and the others left, peace returned to Small Pool Town. No more demons emerged from the Black Stone Cave, but strange beasts appeared in the nearby forest. Most people avoided it, and over time, it became a desolate place.
The townspeople built a shrine in the east, dedicating it to three deities: a robust figure resembling a Vajra, and a man and a woman. The woman was beautiful, but the man, holding a stick-like object, was peculiar.
Years passed, and the shrine’s popularity grew. People from far and wide visited, making wishes for wealth, power, and even fertility. Yet, if Zhang Xiaofan, Shitou, and Biyao knew, they would likely be astounded.
***
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