During these nine days, Chu Yuan had already thought about how to deal with the Fox Venerable’s potential suspicions. Now that the Fox Venerable was treating him so roughly and even brought up the name “Shenbao,” it was clear she already knew what he had been up to recently and suspected that his cultivation level and the treasures he possessed didn’t match the Holy Son’s current timeline.
In response, Chu Yuan had a plan ready. He came up with two methods. The first was to directly reveal his identity as a reborn person. After all, he was originally Chu Yuan, not someone who had been possessed. No matter how much the Fox Venerable suspected, she would find no evidence. As for the second method, it was the classic trope of the “Ring Spirit Elder.” Chu Yuan would pretend to be an ancient remnant soul residing in the black ring on his finger. This identity couldn’t be just any random powerhouse but an ancestor with deep ties to the Chu Clan. This disguised ancestor would have known the Fox Venerable in the past and be aware of many of her hidden secrets. As long as he showed enough familiarity, she would believe him, and the Fox Venerable would also be hesitant to act rashly.
Neither method was inherently superior, but after some thought, Chu Yuan chose the latter.
After all, while the first method was straightforward, it came with lingering problems. Based on Chu Yuan’s understanding of the Fox Venerable from his past life, she was far too suspicious. Even if he fully revealed everything, she wouldn’t completely believe him. Rebirth was an extremely rare occurrence for ordinary people. As a result, she would always have a thorn in her heart. At any moment, she might continue investigating secretly, trying to test him. Then, at a critical juncture, she might turn against him because of some slight anomaly. Absolute loyalty or none at all—Chu Yuan didn’t want to live a life of constant worry.
Moreover, as he resumed his identity as the Holy Son later, he would need the Fox Venerable’s influence within the domain to cooperate in taking down the fake young master. He would also need to root out the hidden alliance leader behind the Demon Path Alliance. For all of this, he required the Fox Venerable’s absolute loyalty and obedience. In comparison, the Ring Spirit story was a more common occurrence than “rebirth” and relatively easier to believe.
Just as Chu Yuan made up his mind, Su Xuanxuan, who looked like a maidservant, stood before him. Her gaze was intense, as if she wanted to see through the Dharma Garment he wore. “Elder Shenbao, at a time like this, are you still going to pretend? My patience is running thin!” She spoke word by word, her voice cold as frost.
Chu Yuan clasped his hands behind his back and smiled calmly. “Hmph! After all these years, you’re still the same, Su Xuanxuan.”
What?
The moment she heard her name, Su Xuanxuan’s pupils contracted sharply. She instinctively stepped back half a step, shocked and uncertain. The room fell silent again, with only the faint crackling of the lamp wick audible. The Fox Venerable hadn’t heard anyone call her by this name in a very, very long time. It was the name given to her by the Chu Clan’s ancestor. There were only a handful of people in the world who knew this name. And those who could call it so naturally and familiarly were only old friends or old enemies who had known her since her humble beginnings. Most of those people were already dead.
Seeing the maidservant’s reaction, Chu Yuan felt a slight relief. He had guessed correctly with this step. He had learned this name in his past life through the script. Only the successive Holy Lords and the most direct bloodline of the Chu Clan knew the Fox Venerable’s true name. However, not many Holy Lords dared to call her full name directly. At this moment, by using this name to address her, Chu Yuan was already hinting at his identity.
Su Xuanxuan stared at Chu Yuan, the sharpness in her gaze gradually replaced by shock and doubt. Her voice tightened, and her breathing quickened. “You… who exactly are you?”
Chu Yuan chuckled and teased. “Hmph! The Fox Venerable is so clever, I’m sure you’ve already guessed the answer, haven’t you?”
Hearing this, Su Xuanxuan’s thoughts raced. All possible candidates were reviewed in her mind. Those who could know her name, who could show that kind of “meeting an old acquaintance” look, were only… Her lips parted, and she almost subconsciously uttered those two words. “Ancestor?”
Chu Yuan didn’t keep her in suspense. He directly hinted, “In my lifetime, I was indeed a direct descendant of the Chu Clan. But in terms of cultivation, I must respectfully address you as senior. I just wonder if this fox can bear that weight?”
After all, the ancestors had always maintained methods to restrain the Fox Venerable. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have allowed a demon race member to serve as the Supreme Guardian in the domain for so many years. Su Xuanxuan was somewhat shaken by this but wasn’t going to believe it entirely. “Since you claim to be a Chu Clan ancestor, can you state your name? Why are you possessing the Holy Son? And why do you have a Demon Path Alliance token?”
If the other party was really an ancestor, then the cultivation level and rare treasures could be explained. After all, a ring spirit often carried some inheritance. But the token was another matter. As the Supreme Guardian, Su Xuanxuan knew quite well that none of the successive Holy Lords had ever joined the Demon Path Alliance.
Hearing this, Chu Yuan clasped his hands behind his back and no longer concealed his Domain Transformation Realm cultivation. “There have been countless elders in the Demon Path Alliance over the generations. Although my cultivation is inferior to yours, Lady Fox, obtaining a small token is still within my ability! As for possessing this child, it is only fitting.”
He stopped there because he couldn’t make up any more and needed to think it over.
Su Xuanxuan was puzzled. “What do you mean?”
Having quickly fabricated a reason, Chu Yuan said with an air of ancient wisdom, “Because of you!” His gaze cut like a blade, piercing straight into the Fox Venerable’s heart.
Su Xuanxuan frowned. “Me? What do you mean?”
Thinking about how this fox had tormented him in his past life, Chu Yuan’s resentment flared, and he directly accused her. “In the Taixu Sacred Domain’s inheritance to this generation, only a single son remains of the direct bloodline. Clearly, someone has placed a curse on them. Lady Fox, how exactly have you been serving as the Supreme Guardian?”
Su Xuanxuan quickly said, “I was…”
Before she could explain, Chu Yuan waved his hand. “That’s not the point. The point is how you’ve been training this child, repeatedly putting him in dangerous situations. What exactly are your intentions?”
Su Xuanxuan gritted her teeth. “Without polishing, jade cannot become a vessel! Every time I acted, I was nearby, ensuring the Holy Son’s safety.”
Chu Yuan narrowed his eyes. “Oh? Were you ensuring the Holy Son’s safety, or were you ensuring the Holy Son met with an ‘accidental’ death?” As he spoke, he showed her the black ring on his finger. “This black ring was buried by me in the bloodline of my descendants using a secret technique. It only activates when the direct line is about to be completely extinguished. You could say that my appearance here is entirely due to your negligence.”
Faced with such accusations, Su Xuanxuan was momentarily speechless. However, having lived for over a thousand years, she wasn’t going to fall easily into the verbal trap Chu Yuan had set. “Possession? Don’t try to change the subject. You still haven’t told me your name! And have you possessed the body of your own descendant?”
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