A small three-story building stood on the main road in the center of Yuxin City.
It featured red railings and green tiles, with copper bells hanging from the eaves that chimed ding-dong whenever the sea breeze brushed past.
It looked like the residence of a scholarly family—except for the three large characters HEHUAN BUILDING hanging brightly on the lintel.
Without a doubt, this was the Hehuan Sect’s base in this city.
The lobby on the first floor was spacious and bright. In the center stood several rosewood round tables, each adorned with seasonal flowers.
Today, a bouquet of pink and white camellias was paired with a few sprigs of heavenly bamboo, creating an elegant and airy arrangement.
The chairs and couches were covered with autumn-fragrance-colored cushions, and sandalwood burned in the corners, sending thin wisps of smoke into the air.
Exquisite calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls, clearly not ordinary decorations used for superficial display.
Behind the main counter, a barefoot young girl was fiddling with a jade abacus.
She wore a pomegranate-red floral satin jacket that partially revealed a snow-white camisole, appearing both charming and spirited.
A pair of fluffy fox ears with black backs twitched slightly atop her head.
Her reddish-brown hair was pulled into a bun, decorated with a red gold hairpin inlaid with precious pearls, while a fluffy reddish-brown tail swayed gently behind her.
Her fox-like eyes were naturally smiling, the corners turned slightly upward, and her pupils were a light golden-brown.
“Saintess, please have some tea.”
A maid dressed in equally exquisite clothing approached with a tea tray.
“Mm.”
Su Feiyao nodded, took the teacup, and took a sip. Her eyes curved with satisfaction, and her voice was lazy and alluring.
“Not bad. Over the past fifteen days, we have already made a small fortune in Yuxin City.”
“As expected, if you want to earn Spirit Stones, you have to rely on the cultivators of the great sects.”
She set the abacus aside and used her fingers, stained with balsam, to pick up a piece of dried meat from the tray and place it between her lips.
“It is just a pity that these great sect cultivators stay in seclusion all day, buried in cultivation on their own mountains. When would they ever give us a chance to make money?”
“Only at gatherings like this can we catch them.”
She stuck out her pink tongue, lightly licked her fingertip, and shook her head before turning to the maid.
“In any case, Ajuan, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We must squeeze a few more fortunes out of these great sects.”
“Yes, Saintess.”
Just as the maid responded, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the building, followed by a delicate shout filled with anger.
“Su Feiyao! Get out here!”
A slender figure with red hair and red clothing burst through the door, flying straight behind the counter.
In the blink of an eye, she grabbed Su Feiyao by the collar and hoisted her up.
Su Feiyao blinked her fox-like eyes. Once she recognized the person’s face, she immediately let out a charming laugh.
“Oh my, isn’t this our handsome and suave Young Master Hua? Why do you look like this—did you not use that transformation artifact I gave you?”
“And why have you come all the way to the remote South Sea?”
She feigned surprise and covered her mouth, her eyes gleaming.
“Could it be… that you followed me here? Hmm?”
As she spoke, she threw a flirtatious wink at Hua Yan, who was still holding her collar.
“You damned vixen, you still dare to mention that artifact to me!”
Hua Yan glared at her fiercely, her grip on the collar tightening as she gritted her teeth.
“You said back then it was an apology gift from the Hehuan Sect—but Xuechang told me everything! She was the one who paid you for it!”
“You dare to trick me!”
‘Xuechang?’
Su Feiyao keenly caught the name, her affectionate fox eyes darting around.
‘This shouldn’t be… Given the current situation between the Righteous and Demonic Paths, how could Hua Yan and Yun Xuechang have run into each other again so soon?’
‘And from her tone, it seems the two are on good terms?’
‘The cynical Young Master of the Hundred Flowers Valley I know isn’t such an easy person to deal with—especially not with the woman who once defeated her in public…’
‘What has happened between these two that I don’t know about?’
The fluffy tail behind the fox girl swayed with interest.
“Oh, Young Master Hua, please don’t be so hasty.”
She smiled and held Hua Yan’s hand, which was still clutching her collar. She leaned forward slightly, her loosened collar faintly revealing a hint of pale skin.
“I simply didn’t explain things clearly back then, causing you to misunderstand. Why don’t you let me go first? We can settle this peacefully and talk properly, can’t we?”
She blinked, her voice becoming even more seductive.
“Or… are you interested in my body, Young Master Hua, and that is why you won’t let go?”
She swayed her hips, biting her red lip slightly. Her fox eyes were full of tenderness as she made a move to press herself against Hua Yan.
“Get away from—”
“Yan’er, wait for me!”
Before the sentence could be finished, a figure in moon-white robes rushed in, carrying a little girl who looked as if she were carved from pink jade.
It was Yun Xuechang and Hua Xiangrong.
As soon as they entered, they stumbled right into the scene behind the counter.
The bright red-haired girl was blushing while clutching the fox girl’s collar. The posture looked as if she were trying to pull off the other’s clothes.
Meanwhile, the fox girl appeared to be “refusing while welcoming,” her eyes full of affection as she pressed her body against the other.
“Whoa! Mother, are you trying to assault this fox demon sister in broad daylight?!”
Hua Xiangrong, held in Yun Xuechang’s arms, widened her eyes and cried out in surprise.
She quickly covered her mouth with her small hands, leaving only her bright eyes visible.
“Mommy and I are still here!”
“It’s not like that! Let me explain!”
As if she had been burned, Hua Yan immediately released Su Feiyao’s collar.
She turned around hurriedly and began gesturing frantically toward the two—especially toward Yun Xuechang.
“I came here to settle a score! She was the one who lunged at me just now! I-I wasn’t trying to assault her!”
She looked directly into Yun Xuechang’s eyes, her face full of anxiety.
Yun Xuechang watched her quietly before nodding slightly after a moment.
“Mhm, I believe you, Yan’er.”
“Xuechang!”
Hua Yan looked at her, deeply moved.
“However,” Yun Xuechang paused. Her gaze swept over the fox girl behind the counter, who was straightening her clothes.
Her tone remained gentle, but it carried a hint of subtle seriousness.
“It would be best for Yan’er to stay away from the Saintess of the Hehuan Sect.”
For some reason, the thought of the two being so close just now made her feel a strange sense of discomfort.
“She will lead you astray.”
“Huh? Oh, right… Okay.”
Though Hua Yan was a bit confused, she was delighted that the other had believed her so quickly. She immediately walked to her side obediently.
“Did Mother really not do anything with that fox demon sister?”
Hua Xiangrong tilted her head while nestled in Yun Xuechang’s arms, her face still full of suspicion.
“You can’t have a change of heart and leave Rongrong and Mommy for another woman, okay?”
“You brat, what ‘change of heart,’ what ‘other woman’—where did you learn such strange talk?”
Hua Yan was both annoyed and amused. She reached out a slender finger to lightly tap the girl’s nose and stood with her hands on her hips.
“Even your mommy believed me just now. What, you little thing won’t believe me instead?”
“Who knows,” Hua Xiangrong said with the air of a little adult, speaking with great conviction.
“Elder Ji said that a woman’s mouth is a lying ghost. Women’s hearts change very easily.”
“Hey, I think you’re asking for a lesson!”
Hua Yan rolled up her sleeves, pretending she was going to flick the girl’s forehead.
“Mommy, save me!”
Hua Xiangrong immediately buried her head into Yun Xuechang’s shoulder.
Yun Xuechang lightly patted her back and then softly soothed the bristling Hua Yan.
Behind the counter, Su Feiyao had finished tidying her clothes and stood up leisurely.
She watched the interaction of the family of three in front of her.
‘Mother… Mommy… Daughter…’
‘Looking at this situation, Hua Yan somehow ended up having a daughter with Yun Xuechang?’
‘Judging by the child’s age, could she have been conceived right when they left my Hehuan Sect years ago?’
‘But how did they get together? Where did this passion come from?’
‘And why is Hua Yan willing to dress as a woman and appear here in the South Sea with a child?’
‘What secrets are hidden in all of this?’
What puzzled her even more was that, according to her Hehuan Sect secret techniques, both of them were clearly still virgins.
Yet, that child definitely shared a blood relation with them.
‘Hehehehe… Interesting… Truly interesting…’
The fox girl keenly sensed a scent that piqued her extreme interest. The corners of her mouth curled higher and higher.
The fluffy reddish-brown tail behind her swayed excitedly from side to side.
She was certain that this wife-and-wife pair and their little family were a most fascinating existence.
They would surely provide her with endless entertainment during this period.
“Alright, I’m done messing with you, brat. I have serious business.”
After bickering with her daughter, Hua Yan turned back to Su Feiyao. She crossed her arms, her tone unfriendly.
“Su Feiyao, be sensible and hand over the Hehuan Sect’s apology—or spit out the Spirit Stones Xuechang used to pay you back then. Otherwise…”
The red-haired girl clenched her fists, her gaze dangerous.
“Don’t blame me for being impolite.”
“Oh my, my dear Young Master Hua, have you forgotten one thing?”
Su Feiyao remained calm and produced a mahogany folding fan from somewhere.
With a shing, she snapped it open, revealing an embroidered pattern of mandarin ducks playing in the water.
She squinted her eyes with a smile.
“We are in the South Sea now. This is neither my Hehuan Sect nor your Demonic Path territory—this is the domain of the Righteous Path.”
“Furthermore, the powerhouses of the Righteous Path are all gathered here right now.”
She used the fan to cover her lips, her eyes glimmering.
“You wouldn’t want me to reveal your true identity and have you captured by the Righteous Path, right?”