Jiu Baiyun leaned his back against the cold courtyard gate and slowly slid down to sit on the ground.
“Fox Demon,” he said, taking a deep breath to suppress his irritation, and called out urgently in his mind, ‘How long will this take to go down? Is there any way to get rid of it faster?’
Yao Fox Demon Venerable spoke in a lazy, unhurried tone, with a hint of detachment.
“What’s the rush? Do you think I’m your nanny, here to prepare a solution for everything?”
“Save the nonsense!”
Jiu Baiyun practically ground the words out through clenched teeth.
His fluffy tail swept restlessly across the ground behind him, stirring up a few dead leaves.
“If last night hadn’t been an emergency, would I have resorted to that method?”
“So is there a way to fix it or not?”
“A way?”
Yao Fox Demon Venerable chuckled lightly.
“There isn’t.”
“Either you stay put and wait for it to fade on its own. Last night, you forcibly drew spiritual energy to counteract the demon power, which deepened the fusion unexpectedly. The backlash hit hard, and it won’t disappear quickly. I’d say… it’ll take at least half a day.”
“Or…”
Yao Fox Demon Venerable drew out the word, a playful taunt in her voice, “you figure it out yourself.”
“After all, I’ve never been through this, so how would I know a way?”
Jiu Baiyun was stunned.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.
What Yao Fox Demon Venerable said was true.
Given their situation, this was probably a one-of-a-kind occurrence in the entire world.
There really wasn’t any precedent to follow.
But the problem was, if the Fox Demon Venerable didn’t have a solution, he certainly didn’t either.
Thinking that, Jiu Baiyun let out an annoyed “Tch,” his head throbbing.
For now, the best course of action was to wait half a day until the fox demon traits faded on their own.
But then he remembered telling A Ran he’d be back soon, and his headache only worsened.
The way things looked now, it wasn’t going to be quick.
Seeming to realize that this wasn’t working, Yao Fox Demon Venerable chimed in again with a reminder.
“Try restoring some of your own spiritual energy. See if that can speed up the reversal of the fox demon transformation.”
That was actually a valid idea!
But Jiu Baiyun soon ran his hand through his hair in frustration, a grimace spreading across his face.
Easier said than done.
Restoring spiritual energy was no simple task! The reserves stored in the jade token had been completely absorbed and used up, and his own recovery rate was painfully slow.
The difficulty of recovering spiritual energy was no small matter.
“Stop sighing. I remember you left something with that girl Yun Yao, didn’t you?”
Hearing this, Jiu Baiyun froze for a moment, then let out a bitter laugh.
“Wait, you’re not suggesting I go meet her again, are you?”
He had already caused enough trouble with the Grand Harmony Sect.
And even aside from that, he didn’t think Yun Yao would exactly welcome him.
The things he left there were also left while he was in his fox demon state.
Besides… the three people chasing after Yun Yao…
If he went, Jiu Baiyun was certain he’d stir up trouble again, one hundred percent.
“Her situation doesn’t seem very good right now~.”
At that, Jiu Baiyun’s mouth twitched.
That guy was trying to play on his sympathy again and drag him into more trouble!
But you know what?
That move always worked like a charm.
Remembering Yun Yao’s extremely poor condition, Jiu Baiyun gritted his teeth and decided to go check on her.
If he really ran into trouble again, he’d just make a run for it first!
Though…
“The problem is, I don’t even know where she is right now. And are you sure you’re not trying to set me up by sending me out like this?”
Yao Fox Demon Venerable let out a sudden laugh at Jiu Baiyun’s words.
“What if I told you that Yun Yao is right outside your door right now?”
!?!
What the hell?
“Don’t look so shocked. If she hadn’t appeared at the door, I wouldn’t have mentioned her.”
After double-checking that Yao Fox Demon Venerable wasn’t lying, Jiu Baiyun hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively, “So… what’s happening outside the door?”
“Hmm… No one’s noticed yet. Yun Yao is unconscious at the doorstep. That maid of hers isn’t around either…”
“Yeah, she’s pretty badly injured. If you don’t help her, she’ll probably die soon…”
Yao Fox Demon Venerable didn’t finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear.
Yun Yao was on the verge of death, and she was right outside his shabby courtyard door.
Jiu Baiyun’s heart sank heavily.
He instinctively held his breath, pressing his body against the cold wooden door.
His fuzzy fox ears strained to catch any sound from outside.
Huff… huff…
An extremely faint, intermittent wheezing sound barely filtered through the gap in the door.
The breath was weak; each exhale seemed to drain the last of her strength.
A faint, unsettlingly sweet and bloody smell seemed to drift in the air—the scent of blood.
Yao Fox Demon Venerable hadn’t lied!
Yun Yao really was outside the door, and she was gravely injured!
What should he do?
Jiu Baiyun’s mind raced.
“Are you sure no one’s around?” he asked cautiously.
After a moment of hesitation, Jiu Baiyun made a decision.
He had to save her, but first he had to make sure no one was watching and that there was no ambush.
And she’d just shown up at his doorstep the moment he got back? Was that really a coincidence?
“No one nearby for now. At least no sign of life within a hundred zhang. She probably used a teleportation talisman she had on her to get here.”
Jiu Baiyun breathed a sigh of relief.
Yao Fox Demon Venerable’s senses and judgments were rarely wrong.
If she said there was no one within a hundred zhang, then Yun Yao’s situation was temporarily safe.
Without further hesitation, he turned around and pulled hard on the door bolt.
As he moved, his snow-white fox ears swiveled alertly, and his fluffy tail unconsciously tightened behind him, making a soft rustling sound as it swept the ground.
Creak—
The old courtyard door opened just enough to let one person through.
Jiu Baiyun’s gaze immediately locked onto the curled-up figure lying on the threshold outside.
Yun Yao.
She looked even more ragged and miserable than the last time he saw her.
Her once-clear face was now deathly pale, covered in dust and dried blood.
A few strands of hair, soaked with sweat and blood, stuck to her temples.
Her fine clothes were already torn and ruined.
Deep wounds on her shoulders and abdomen were still oozing dark red blood, staining the soil beneath her a deep brown.
Jiu Baiyun’s heart sank again.
This injury was even worse than he had imagined.
“Tch. That’s brutal,” Yao Fox Demon Venerable said in his mind, her tone turning serious.
“What are you standing there for? Do you really want her to die on your doorstep and let the whole village see?”
Jiu Baiyun jolted at the sharp jab, snapping out of all hesitation.
He quickly slipped outside, made sure the coast was clear, and then immediately bent down.
Carefully, he slid his arms under Yun Yao’s neck and knees.
Her skin was cold and clammy, stained with blood and sweat.
Even in her coma, Yun Yao seemed to feel the touch.
She let out an extremely faint groan of pain, her brows knitting tightly together.
Jiu Baiyun froze, then lightened his hold even more.
Taking a deep breath, he used his arms and lifted her up in a bridal carry.