The Aloof Immortal Venerable is Pregnant with My Fox Cub - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Cang Ran was pouring tea when she heard Dong Ming’s question and couldn’t help but study the expression on Dong Ming’s face.

The little leopard’s thoughts were very shallow; everything was written on her face, and her eyes were filled with hostility and vigilance.

Demons in the demon world rarely liked human cultivators. This was probably due to the differences in their ways of life and the frequent battles and mutual harm that had occurred for tens of thousands of years.

Cang Ran filled the teacup, handed it to Dong Ming, and said gently, “When I was in the Yunze Mountain Range, I was once injured and saved by her. Recently, I saw that she was in trouble, so I brought her back to the cave dwelling to heal her injuries.”

Dong Ming breathed a sigh of relief: “It seems she’s a good person. Fortunately, she saved your life. I should thank her properly too.”

Cang Ran’s eyes shimmered: “Yes, she is a very good person. You don’t need to thank her on my behalf. I have already repaid her well.”

Seeing the look of amusement on Cang Ran’s face when she spoke of the human, Dong Ming involuntarily clenched her teacup.

She took two sips of tea, still feeling a bit uncomfortable, and impatiently asked, “Will that human’s injuries heal soon? The demon world is not a place for humans to stay. When does Aunt Ran plan to send her away?”

The little leopard asked so sharply. How did she suddenly stop being so naive and sweet?

Cang Ran rested her chin on her hand, hesitatingly saying, “Her injuries are very serious. It will probably take some time. She doesn’t usually leave the cave dwelling and just stays on the mountain, so there shouldn’t be anything to worry about. There’s no need to rush to send her away.”

Dong Ming furrowed her delicate brows and secretly clenched her fist: “Is that so? But the demon world is inconvenient after all. My mother asked a doctor to prescribe healing medicine for me, and I have quite a lot left. Why don’t I give some to her so she can recover faster?”

You don’t have to be so anxious on her behalf, rushing to send Qingqing away so quickly.

Cang Ran took a sip of tea and declined: “The medicine used for healing is different for demons and humans. I can slowly use the essence of the moon to help mend her injuries.”

Dong Ming immediately became anxious: “No! That’s your inner core! What if she has ill intentions? My mother said that humans are very wicked.”

Afraid that Cang Ran would be angry, she quickly added: “I’m not deliberately suspecting she’s a bad person. I just want you to be careful. If you get hurt, there are demons who will worry about you.”

Cang Ran massaged her forehead: “No, don’t worry about this for now. I’m going into the mountains to hunt some prey. You wait for me here.”

Dong Ming immediately stood up: “I’ll go with you. I’ve recently learned a lot of new demon spells, and my mother praised me for being a very good hunter.”

There was no reason for a guest to help the host prepare the meal. Just as Cang Ran was thinking about how to refuse the little leopard, she suddenly saw Tan Qingxuan walking out of the cave dwelling.

Tan Qingxuan’s eyes were icy, staring at Cang Ran, practically freezing the surrounding air.

Under her gaze, Cang Ran felt an invisible pressure, and the fox tail behind her was about to stiffen.

She knew Qingqing was a cultivator, but she hadn’t expected Qingqing’s gaze to be so cold, bitingly icy, like a cold knife descending from the sky as it swept over her.

Tan Qingxuan glanced at the red silk-wrapped boxes on the ground. She knew this little demon’s estrus period had arrived and that she needed a companion.

She had already helped Cang Ran relieve her distress more than once yesterday. Why did Cang Ran still seek out other demons to spend her estrus with?

Just now, when Cang Ran spoke to the other demon, her three fox tails were wagging happily, just as they had been seeking pleasure on her body last night.

If she didn’t come over now, Cang Ran would go hunting and traveling with someone else.

She had never done such a thing for anyone else and had indulged Cang Ran repeatedly. Why was Cang Ran still not satisfied?

Cang Ran quietly lifted the tips of her fox ears, making them stand up, and then swayed her large tail, concealing the fact that she was a little afraid.

She didn’t look at Tan Qingxuan and turned to Dong Ming, saying, “No need, I’ll go by myself. I’ll be back soon.”

In Tan Qingxuan’s eyes, this meant Cang Ran knew her mistake but repeated it, showing no remorse.

Dong Ming saw that this mortal, who was now living in Cang Ran’s cave dwelling, dared to glare at Cang Ran. How ungrateful.

Taking advantage of Cang Ran’s back being turned, she shot a fierce look at Tan Qingxuan, stomped her foot, and chased after Cang Ran: “Aunt Ran, I’m going with you!”

Cang Ran thought Tan Qingxuan would come after her, but it was the little leopard who followed.

Right, Qingqing isn’t even willing to give me a kiss, so why would she chase after me?

She was always sitting high up in the clouds, untouched by dust, so why would she step down from her pedestal for a little three-tailed fox?

Dong Ming noticed Cang Ran seemed to be in a bad mood and said softly, “Aunt Ran, ignore that mortal. She’s just being arrogant because she saved you.”

“Humans are like that—cunning, sinister, and greedy. She doesn’t know your worth, but some demons do, and some demons are willing to cherish you.”

Cang Ran replied, “Let’s not talk about that. A guest shouldn’t have to hunt for food. You sit here and wait for me. I’ll catch some prey and be back soon.”

Dong Ming quickly said, “I’ll go with you. I can help.”

The little leopard was persistent. Cang Ran told her to stay, but she refused. She helped Cang Ran catch fish and shrimp, even getting mud on her skirt.

She enjoyed herself and didn’t spare any effort. The basket full of green shrimp was placed by the pool, jumping around inside the basket.

Seeing Cang Ran preparing the ingredients, she also squatted down, trying to process the green shrimp like her.

Cang Ran quickly stopped her. If the Mountain Leopard King knew she let her cherished daughter do such a thing, she would be furious.

“Stop, stop. I’ll do this kind of work. Those green shrimp have claws and will pinch you.”

The green shrimp in Dong Ming’s hand were taken away. Hearing Cang Ran still worrying about her, her heart softened: “I’m not afraid of being pinched. I have beast claws. I’m at the eighth stage of the Bone Refinement period now.”

Cang Ran still shook her head: “That won’t do either. I’ll handle it myself; it’s faster. You’ve already worked hard catching these shrimp for me.”

Seeing Cang Ran acknowledge her efforts, Dong Ming’s cheeks flushed repeatedly: “It’s not hard work. I can keep catching more!”

Cang Ran pinched off the hard heads of the green shrimp and patted Dong Ming with her fox tail: “Your skirt is dirty. You must be uncomfortable. There’s a smaller pool by the waterfall. Go wash up there. By the time you’re clean, I’ll be finished here.”

Dong Ming’s face flushed all the way to her neck. She quickly hooked her furry leopard tail around the beautiful fox tail, then ran away quickly: “Okay, I’ll come back as soon as I’m clean.”

Her fox tail was suddenly wrapped by another furry tail. It was a strange and soft sensation.

Cang Ran stood frozen in place. She was so used to patting the little hedgehog with her tail that she forgot she couldn’t do that with demons who had tails.

Did Dong Ming think she was flirting just now, and that’s why she responded?

Impossible, she thought. She and the Mountain Leopard King were close friends despite their age difference. This little leopard was a different generation. The little leopard shouldn’t have that kind of thought, right?

Tan Qingxuan’s divided divine consciousness, which observed this scene, immediately retracted all of her consciousness.

She told herself over and over again that if Cang Ran insisted on getting entangled with another demon, she should just let her be.

The internal fire remained hard to extinguish. Tan Qingxuan stopped cultivating and looked at the bamboo leaves outside the cave entrance, which were constantly trembling in the mountain wind.

Cang Ran finished preparing the ingredients and brought Dong Ming back to the cave dwelling, seating her at the stone table.

She went into the kitchen and quickly prepared five dishes, including shrimp, crab, fish, and duck.

Only the chicken soup was specially brewed for Qingqing, filled with high-quality ingredients. The meat was stewed until very tender.

When the dishes were brought out, the aroma was almost overwhelming. Dong Ming’s apricot-like eyes lit up.

“Aunt Ran, your cooking smells so good! The taste is different from the food made by the chef my mother hired, and the colors are very pretty too.”

Cang Ran’s lips curved upwards from the praise: “Really? Then eat more later.”

Dong Ming smiled and picked up her chopsticks, feeling a bit impatient. Cang Ran said a step ahead, “Wait a moment, I’ll call Qingqing to come eat with us.”

Dong Ming sweetly agreed. Cang Ran then turned and went into the cave dwelling.

Tan Qingxuan was not in quiet cultivation. She was looking at the fully bloomed begonia flowers, her face more beautiful than the blossoms, lost in thought.

If Tan Qingxuan was admiring the flowers, did that mean her mood had improved again?

Cang Ran took the initiative to say softly, “Qingqing, I’ve made some food. Let’s eat together.”

Tan Qingxuan heard her but showed no intention of turning around to speak to her.

It seemed she wasn’t hungry yet. Cang Ran hesitated: “If you don’t want to eat now, I’ll make a separate portion for you later. Today, the Mountain Leopard King’s daughter came to deliver gifts, so I invited her to stay for a meal.”

Tan Qingxuan thought about Cang Ran’s earlier cheerful conversation with the other demon, and how her fox tail was still swaying, indicating she was very satisfied with that demon. Why bother coming to explain this one sentence?

She concealed the icy look in her eyes and said faintly, “Let’s eat together. It saves you the trouble of making a separate portion.”

Cang Ran’s heart rejoiced: “Good. I specifically stewed chicken soup for you. It’s so fragrant. You should nourish your body well.”

Believing that Tan Qingxuan was truly not angry anymore, she enthusiastically took Tan Qingxuan’s hand and led her out of the cave dwelling.

Tan Qingxuan glanced indifferently at Cang Ran’s hand. Did this little demon really think she wouldn’t care at all?

The two sat together opposite Dong Ming. Cang Ran said to Dong Ming, “Sorry for the wait. Let’s eat now.”

When Dong Ming saw Tan Qingxuan sitting next to Cang Ran, she instantly felt that the food was no longer as fragrant.

Cang Ran was overly kind to this human, even personally inviting her to eat.

Dong Ming poked at the food in her bowl, eating very slowly, only to see Cang Ran suddenly take the initiative to pick up some food.

Just as she was about to feel delighted, she saw Cang Ran place the food into Tan Qingxuan’s bowl.

Cang Ran cared: “Qingqing, eat more. I just tasted this; it’s very delicious.”

Tan Qingxuan picked up the food and slowly ate it.

Dong Ming poked her bowl even harder.

This human didn’t need to eat more. No matter how much she ate, she wouldn’t gain any weight.

She inwardly snorted, then also picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and put it into Cang Ran’s bowl, thoughtfully saying, “Aunt Ran, you should eat more too. You’ve been busy cooking for so long.”

Cang Ran picked up the meat, ready to eat it, when she suddenly noticed Tan Qingxuan staring at her with icy eyes.

All her fox fur felt like it was freezing into ice. Tan Qingxuan looked like she was about to use an ice sword to stab her to death right where she sat.

Dong Ming saw Cang Ran pause with her chopsticks and couldn’t help but glare angrily at Tan Qingxuan.

If she won’t give Cang Ran food, she won’t let others give Cang Ran food either? How overbearing is this human!

Before Cang Ran put down her chopsticks, Tan Qingxuan’s eyes flickered, and she suddenly said, “Get me some chicken soup, Cang Ran.”

Cang Ran quickly nodded. The chicken soup was, after all, specially prepared for Tan Qingxuan.

Cang Ran scooped out both chicken drumsticks from the soup, deboned them, skimmed off some excess oil, ladled a spoonful of broth, and put it all into Tan Qingxuan’s bowl.

“Eat quickly. I stewed this chicken for a long time. It’s still hot and tastes the best.”

Tan Qingxuan quietly hummed in acknowledgment and silently ate the chicken.

Seeing this, Dong Ming was so angry that she nearly ground her teeth to dust, stomping her foot several times in frustration.

Cang Ran heard the noise, saw Dong Ming’s angry eyes, and suddenly felt a bit excessive.

A guest was visiting, and she had given both large chicken drumsticks to Qingqing. It seemed impolite. She should at least offer.

Cang Ran handed the serving spoon to Dong Ming and said softly, “Dong Ming, if you want some, scoop some for yourself. There’s so much chicken soup; Qingqing probably can’t finish it all.”

This human named Qingqing is so entitled and comfortable! Cang Ran is practically being treated like her servant!

Dong Ming angrily gripped the spoon and ladled herself a large bowl.

After drinking some soup, she snapped at Tan Qingxuan: “Aunt Ran said you were seriously injured. You don’t look that severely hurt. You can walk, so you must have recovered a long time ago.”

Tan Qingxuan glanced indifferently at Dong Ming. Her ink-jade eyes turned to Cang Ran: “I’m finished eating. I’ll return to the cave dwelling now.”

With that, Tan Qingxuan truly stood up and left.

Feeling ignored, Dong Ming couldn’t help but turn to Cang Ran again: “Aunt Ran, look at her. She ignores us demons, and she’s so arrogant. She doesn’t look like a good woman at all.”

Cang Ran rested her chin on her hand: “Mhm, I just realized today that she does have quite a temper.”

Dong Ming chimed in: “She has such a temper and isn’t gentle or considerate at all. No one will like her, right, Aunt Ran?”

Cang Ran nodded vaguely: “Yes, no one likes her.”

But that doesn’t include me. She liked a cold beauty with a temper like that. She loved her even more.

The unpleasantness in Dong Ming’s heart finally subsided a little. She finished lunch with Cang Ran, left the boxes of gifts, and returned to Dong Ming Mountain.

With so many boxes piled up outside the cave entrance, it looked messy. Cang Ran moved them all inside and opened them to see what the Mountain Leopard King had sent.

Cang Ran first opened four of the much heavier boxes. Her eyes were almost blinded by the glittering spiritual stones. They were all medium-grade spiritual stones, totaling about twenty thousand pieces.

As expected of the wealthy and powerful Sister Leopard. Her way of giving gifts was direct—sending money. Simple and crude.

The next two boxes contained various magical artifacts. Cang Ran examined them and found their functions quite complex, so she put them away for now.

When Cang Ran opened the last two boxes, she discovered large boxes nested within smaller boxes. After unpacking seven or eight layers, she finally reached the final mystery gift package.

One box was full of exquisite jewelry and jade ornaments, neatly packed in gift boxes. The other box contained six sets of gorgeous magical robes inscribed with defensive arrays.

Such beautiful things shouldn’t be from the Mountain Leopard King; they must be Dong Ming’s personal gifts. It seems she put a lot of thought into choosing the presents.

Cang Ran noticed that the storage ring in the jewelry box was quite good. She picked up a ring and put it on her finger. This type of storage ring automatically adapts to the cultivator’s finger and binds itself to them.

The internal space of the storage ring was much larger than the storage bag she usually used. It should be an intermediate-grade one, which would normally sell for a thousand medium-grade spiritual stones on the market—something she wouldn’t usually bear to buy.

It seems the stronger you are, the easier it is to accumulate wealth. The Mountain Leopard King was richer than she had imagined. Then the One-Armed Ape must be even wealthier.

Cang Ran turned the storage ring on her finger, feeling a sense of ambition. She also wanted to become a very rich fox.

Tan Qingxuan saw Cang Ran becoming utterly captivated by the small gifts sent by someone else, and the look in her eyes grew colder.

This little fox was truly lacking in worldly knowledge. She had cultivated for eight hundred years. Her accumulated wealth over those years meant that any of her private treasuries was worth more than these few things.

She would normally carry a storage artifact with her, and inside that artifact was a private treasury. Unfortunately, the celestial lightning had reduced it all to dust, otherwise she wouldn’t have been reduced to her current state.

Cang Ran had been spaced out for so long. Was she truly moved by the other demon’s wealth? Did she want to be with that leopard demon?

She had many treasuries, better and more numerous than these, and could entirely afford to support a greedy little fox.

Cang Ran replaced her previous storage bag with the storage ring and put away the boxes of medium-grade spiritual stones, artifacts, and accessories.

She picked up the beautiful magical robes and happily brought them to show Tan Qingxuan.

“Qingqing, look how beautiful this magical dress is. The fabric feels very silky, and the style is very new!”

The little fox held the pretty dress up to herself, clearly very fond of it. Did she like the gift, or the person who gave the gift?

Tan Qingxuan suppressed her emotions and turned her face away expressionlessly, refusing to look at Cang Ran anymore.

Cang Ran was about to try on the new dress when she suddenly felt the surrounding temperature drop by several degrees again.

Why is Qingqing still inexplicably angry?

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