Hearing A Ran’s voice, Jiu Baiyun’s internal alarm bells immediately rang.
If the abnormality of his fox ears and tail were exposed now, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Once they saw him like this, questions and speculations about the “Fox Immortal” would come flooding in like a tide, impossible to explain.
In the flash of a thought, his body’s instinct moved faster than his mind.
Almost at the same moment A Ran’s crisp call fell, Jiu Baiyun’s gaze locked onto the old wooden window on the side, where morning light streamed in.
Without a moment’s hesitation, with a slight push from his legs, Jiu Baiyun’s figure shot out like a wisp of smoke, swift and silent, while he quickly formed hand seals with his fingers.
And just as his figure completely disappeared beyond the window, A Ran stepped into the room.
A Ran poked her head in, her face fresh with the morning air, carrying an apologetic smile as she was about to call Jiu Baiyun to eat.
However, her smile froze instantly when she saw the empty corner.
“Big Brother Jiu…”
A Ran’s call had only just begun when a clear voice echoed with spiritual energy, abruptly ringing directly in her mind, as if Jiu Baiyun were whispering in her ear.
“A Ran.”
Startled, A Ran calmed down a bit after realizing it was Jiu Baiyun’s voice.
“By now you must know I am a cultivator. This is the ‘Voice-Retaining Technique,’ which can store sound and messages.”
“Because I recalled some urgent matters at home that I cannot ignore, I’ll go down to check first. If breakfast is ready, you two go ahead and eat. I’ll be back after a while.”
The voice came abruptly and left just as abruptly.
As the last word faded, the spiritual energy lingering in her Sea of Consciousness receded like a tide, leaving only silence in the room and A Ran standing blankly at the door.
She blinked in confusion, her gaze sweeping over the empty corner, then unconsciously looking toward the slightly shaking old window.
“A Ran? What’s wrong? Where’s Jiu Baiyun?”
Su Zhiyun’s voice came from behind, tinged with doubt.
Carrying two bowls of steaming hot congee made from wild vegetables and a few grains of rice, she rounded A Ran and entered the room.
Her eyes swept over the empty corner, then saw A Ran’s dazed expression.
Su Zhiyun’s heart sank.
Had something happened?
“He…”
A Ran turned around, her small face full of bewilderment and disappointment.
“Big Brother Jiu… he left. Said there was something at home. He told me using… using the ‘Voice-Retaining Technique.'”
“Left?”
Su Zhiyun’s hand holding the congee bowl froze in midair, her brows immediately knitting together.
She took two quick steps, scanned the empty corner, then fixed her gaze on the old wooden window that was still shaking slightly.
A bit of fresh sawdust had even scraped off from the window frame.
“Something at home? He was injured like that last night. What could be so urgent now? And a ‘Voice-Retaining Technique’… so mysterious!”
Her tone carried obvious disbelief and a hint of irritation at being kept in the dark.
After what happened last night, nothing should be urgent in the short term.
Besides, she had been to Jiu Baiyun’s small courtyard before—what could possibly happen there?
This excuse of “something at home” seemed utterly clumsy to her.
A Ran twisted the hem of her clothes in dismay and repeated softly, “Mm… that’s what Big Brother Jiu said… using that ‘Voice-Retaining Technique’…”
Su Zhiyun looked at A Ran’s confused and slightly disappointed face, then at the broken window.
She stood there with the congee bowl for a few seconds.
Finally, she forcibly suppressed the rising anger, which turned into a helpless, resigned sigh.
After a moment of silence, her voice resumed its calm.
“Forget it…”
She gently placed the bowl of congee on the only intact small wooden stool nearby.
“Let’s not worry about him for now. Since he could use the ‘Voice-Retaining Technique’ to inform you, it means he’s awake and able to move. With his ability to recover most of his strength just by meditating overnight, he… probably won’t have any problems.”
Hearing Su Zhiyun’s words, although A Ran still felt empty inside and her worry hadn’t completely dissipated, she knew Sister Su was right.
She nodded without saying anything else.
Since Big Brother Jiu left in such a hurry, it must have been something urgent.
No need to dwell on it.
A Ran nodded, her voice still a little subdued but more resolute than before.
She turned and quickly walked out of the small room.
“Let’s eat first, then. The porridge will get cold.”
Su Zhiyun shot one last glance at the broken window and the empty corner, suppressed the doubts and slight displeasure churning inside her, and followed A Ran back to the small courtyard outside the Ancestral Hall.
The morning light was just right, dispelling the lingering gloom and chill of the night before.
In the stone hearth A Ran had temporarily built, the firewood had gone out, leaving only slightly warm ashes.
Two small stools had been moved to the open space next to the hearth, and a small wooden stump served as a makeshift table.
A Ran brought over the two bowls of congee that had been on the wooden stool and carefully placed them on the stump.
She then trotted back to the small room and brought out a small portion of the ten bundles of sandalwood incense Su Zhiyun had bought last night, along with a few leftover, somewhat hard cornbreads.
“Sister Su, sit down and eat.”
A Ran called out as she sat down on one of the small stools.
She picked up a cornbread, broke off a small piece, but didn’t eat it immediately.
Instead, she looked down at the steaming congee in her bowl.
There were very few grains of rice, mostly chopped wild vegetables, but in the morning mountain air, it gave off a plain, warm fragrance.
Su Zhiyun sat down on the other small stool and watched A Ran’s absentminded demeanor.
She sighed inwardly.
She picked up a cornbread and took a bite.
The texture was rough, but it filled the stomach.
“A Ran, don’t think too much.”
Su Zhiyun swallowed her food and softened her voice.
“Your Big Brother Jiu is very capable. If he said he had something to do, then he definitely did. Maybe he’s dealing with some hidden problem left over from last night?”
She tried to give a reasonable explanation for Jiu Baiyun’s departure that would put A Ran at ease.
Sometimes she really didn’t understand why A Ran was so concerned about Jiu Baiyun.
And from the looks of it… they hadn’t known each other for long…
A Ran looked up at Su Zhiyun and nodded.
“I know, Sister Su.”
She finally picked up her spoon, took a small sip of congee, and chewed slowly.
Hidden behind the house, Jiu Baiyun watched the two start their breakfast and let out a long sigh of relief.
Luckily, A Ran and Su Zhiyun hadn’t thought to look outside through the window, or he wouldn’t have known where to hide for the moment.
He rubbed his head in mild frustration, then turned his gaze to his fluffy fox tail behind him, which had been released because it was uncomfortable and was now wagging nonstop.
He clicked his tongue, having no quick way to dispel the fox tail and ears.
Inject spiritual energy from a spirit stone?
Forget it—he didn’t want the side effect to intensify and turn him into a real fox demon.
After thinking it over, Jiu Baiyun decided to slip away while A Ran and Su Zhiyun were eating.
If he stayed here any longer, he would be discovered sooner or later.
At that moment, A Ran, who was eating, suddenly paused, then quickly looked up toward the back of the house.
But soon her expression turned puzzled.
Was it an illusion? She thought she saw a snow-white tail over there…
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