The Aloof Immortal Venerable is Pregnant with My Fox Cub - Chapter 87

Chapter 87

The teleportation array in the Penglai Mountain Range hadn’t been used for a long time. When Cang Ran and the two others entered, it was filled with accumulated dust. It shook violently as it operated, smelling strongly of disrepair.

Cang Ran wondered where Huazhao had managed to procure this array. Looking at the array patterns around them, she noticed they were different from the one she used to leave the Azure Wave Mountain Range. There were many signs of wear and tear, as if it was second-hand.

Cang Ran held Tan Qingxuan’s hand and curiously asked Huazhao, “Didn’t you say you were connected to the Phoenix Perch Pavilion? Why didn’t you switch to a new teleportation array?”

Huazhao clasped her hands together, “I have my clan members to support! A little bird from a poor family learns to be independent early. I just have a partnership with the Phoenix Perch Pavilion and get a small cut of the commission.”

Cang Ran asked, “The Phoenix Perch Pavilion charges a one percent commission. Your clan members eat meat, not spirit stones, right?”

Huazhao’s pretty face drooped. She sighed, “You’ll know when you see the situation of my clan later. By the way, Venerable’s human cultivator scent still needs to be concealed further. Ran Ran, you need to figure out a way.”

Cang Ran said, “Then you should look away.”

Huazhao turned her back, “I wasn’t planning on looking anyway.”

Cang Ran held Tan Qingxuan in her arms, surrounding her with her own aura. She transmitted her voice, “Qingqing, is the shaking making you uncomfortable? How is the baby?”

Tan Qingxuan took her hand and placed it on her lower abdomen, “After taking the pills these past few days, the child is still absorbing the medicinal power. Its time in slumber is longer than before, only becoming active briefly in the evening. Don’t worry.”

Tan Qingxuan used to feel unwell whenever she took a teleportation array due to the little cub, but whether it was because of the two magical medicines she took or the strong demonic aura on this teleportation array, the cub was surprisingly quiet today.

Cang Ran always seemed to choose an unfortunate time to touch the cub; eight times out of ten, the cub was sleeping when she did. Its routine was quite similar to that of a demonic beast—cultivating at night and resting during the day.

She wondered if it would be a noisy one after birth, keeping them up at night. She and Qingqing would have no choice but to stay up late with the cub.

Cang Ran felt relieved knowing the cub was fine. The teleportation array was old and in disrepair, operating much slower than the ones they usually took. It took half an hour to finally reach the Penglai Mountain Range.

The Penglai Mountain Range is the farthest of the four major demon territories. Every mountain is connected to large and small islets. In autumn, vast patches of reeds burst into tender white blossoms. The dense reed leaves rustled, and the water was full of fat fish.

Huazhao flew over the reeds, leading Cang Ran and Tan Qingxuan toward her mountain peak. The journey was picturesque with clear waters and green mountains. They encountered many bird demons along the way. These little bird demons were very enthusiastic towards Huazhao, chirping and greeting her, and asking Huazhao where the two of them came from.

Huazhao said with a beaming smile, “This is my fox demon friend, Cang Ran, from the Azure Wave Mountain Range, visiting with her wife, Qingqing.”

A bold partridge flew closer, clearly saw Cang Ran’s fox ears and tail, and curiously pecked at them. Then, looking at Tan Qingxuan next to her, it asked, “I haven’t seen a red fox demon in a long time. What kind of demon is her wife? She smells like a fox, but why does she look like a human?”

The partridge was a chatterbox. Cang Ran took the initiative to speak, interrupting its suspicions, “My wife is a fox demon like me. She has fully transformed. She is frail and doesn’t like to socialize much with other demons.”

The partridge looked at Tan Qingxuan. She was very beautiful and extremely elegant. Standing there, she looked like a sharp long sword, not at all like someone frail and sickly.

While the partridge looked confused, Cang Ran looped her arm through Tan Qingxuan’s and subtly urged Tan Qingxuan to lean in. Tan Qingxuan gave Cang Ran a side-eye but cooperatively leaned her head against Cang Ran’s shoulder.

That felt right, but she still looked very human-like.

Huazhao dismissed the partridge, “Disperse, everyone. We need to go.”

The partridge flapped its wings and flew away, almost crashing into a redwood tree because it was still pondering whether Tan Qingxuan was a demon or not.

The path to Huazhao’s cave abode became increasingly desolate. Unlike the other areas rich in color, Huazhao’s abode was dominated by gray tones, with withered plants and no vitality.

Huazhao flew a few circles around a dead tree, letting out sharp, urgent chirping sounds.

A large flock of black crows quickly flew down from all directions. Some crows slowly walked past her and Tan Qingxuan, moving towards Huazhao’s location.

Huazhao sat on a high branch fork. Her cheeks were rosy, and her green ruqun dress embroidered with brocade flowers swayed in the wind, as if she were the only bright color in this barren land.

Her two long legs dangled. She took out large chunks of preserved meat from her storage ring. The meat was still a vibrant red. She used a sharp little knife to slice off pieces, and fresh blood flowed down the blade’s groove. She fed the pieces one by one to the crows on the ground.

While feeding the meat, a sweet smile was on her face. She said, “Ran Ran, Venerable, this is my home. There’s not much I can offer you. Once the Great Clan Leader arrives, we will go to the Ancient Demon Emperor’s relic together.”

After a large chunk of red meat was snatched by one crow, it held it in its beak. The sharp beak pecked at it a few times, tearing the tender meat into shreds. The beak was stained with bright red blood foam.

Cang Ran watched the scene and couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Huazhao, aren’t you a Silver-throated Tit? Are these crows your clan members?”

Huazhao sighed with emotion, “Yes. Many years ago, when the Stairway to Immortality collapsed, our clan was also affected by a terrible sealing curse, transforming us from Silver-throated Tits into crows.

My clan members sacrificed the strength of the entire clan to save me. They haven’t been able to transform successfully since. Now they are old and their lifespan is nearing its end. Only by breaking the seal and reopening the Stairway to Immortality can they return to their original appearance.”

Cang Ran asked, “Are you going to the Ancient Demon Emperor’s relic just to break the seal?”

Huazhao nodded, “Ran Ran, I can’t watch my clan members die one by one. I must save them! No one is willing to help me. I can only rely on myself!”

Cang Ran looked at the ground full of black-feathered crows and asked confusedly, “If breaking the seal only requires going to the Ancient Demon Emperor’s relic, why did you have to develop the Demon Empowerment Dew to harm other demons, and why did you launch an attack on the cultivation world?”

Huazhao explained, “I was forced to. The Demon Empowerment Dew incident was many years ago. I was compelled by another demon and couldn’t help myself. I also had clan members to support, and they are now helpless crows.

The attack on the cultivation world last time was proposed by the Demon Lord to the other Great Demon Kings. I wasn’t present then. If I had known, I would definitely have stopped it!”

Cang Ran found every word she said reasonable and lacked any motive for ill intent. For a moment, she didn’t know if she should comfort Huazhao.

Tan Qingxuan suddenly grabbed Cang Ran’s hand. A strong gust of wind swept toward them from the front, causing their sleeves to flutter. A large crow, a hundred times bigger than the others, landed in front of Huazhao.

This crow’s tail feathers had a dark blue glow. Its black eyes were fiercer than the other crows, radiating cold light. It spoke in human language.

“Chaobao, you’re back.” The old crow’s voice was that of an aged and weakened woman.

Huazhao immediately flew down from the tree, “Yes, Clan Leader. We have found the key to open the Ancient Demon Emperor’s relic and brought people. Please help us open the gate to the Ancient Demon Emperor’s relic.”

The old crow’s ink-like wings gathered around Huazhao, as if nurturing its child for the last time.

The old crow spoke, “Once the gate is opened, it will become an open space after one day. All demons can choose to enter. If any demon competes with you then, you must protect yourself well. You are the only one left of our clan.”

Huazhao knew this meant a farewell to the Great Clan Leader. She nodded and promised, “For the sake of the clan, I will reach the Demon God Hall one step ahead!”

The old crow kindly patted Huazhao’s head. Huazhao stepped away from the old crow’s embrace, pulled out a bone fragment as bright as jade from her arms, and said to Cang Ran, “Ran Ran, take out your bone fragments.”

Cang Ran handed over the bone fragments she had collected to Huazhao. When all the fragments were pieced together, a dazzling golden light immediately appeared. The map that was originally like a maze suddenly became clear. Phantom images of mountains and lakes were displayed before the three of them, and a conspicuous palace stood within these mountains and lakes.

The old crow conjured a special square spiritual artifact. The artifact’s circumference was engraved with special runes. When the object formed by the bone fragments was inserted into a special slot, the mountains and lakes that were flashing with golden light instantly vanished. An entrance to a golden-glowing relic appeared directly above.

At the same time, thunderclouds gathered in the sky, bolstering the entrance. The wind surged all around, and at this moment, the entire Penglai Mountain Range ignited a dazzling golden pillar that shot straight to the heavens.

This unusual phenomenon not only startled the entire Demon World but also alarmed the cultivation world and the demonic realm.

The old crow pushed Huazhao in, then gestured for Cang Ran and Tan Qingxuan to quickly follow, and instructed them.

“You have gained the upper hand over everyone else. Once you enter, get what you want, and leave as soon as possible. After one day, the relic will be fully open, and other demons above the Nascent Soul stage in the Demon World will also be able to enter the Ancient Demon Emperor’s relic. I must also leave this place with the crows now.”

Cang Ran and the two others bid the old crow to take care, and then they stepped into the secret realm. The extremely dense spiritual energy almost submerged Cang Ran. No one knew how long it had been since anyone had come here.

If she weren’t in a hurry to find medicine for the cub, she would have wanted to immediately meditate on the spot. It felt as comfortable as bathing in a pool of spiritual liquid, making the demon want to turn into her true form and roll around inside.

Tan Qingxuan also felt that the spiritual energy here was extremely suitable for cultivation. No wonder there were so many ascending cultivators in ancient times. Even the cub in her womb became active.

If the little cub were to be born now, it would probably be rolling around in the grass impatiently, just like its fox mother.

Huazhao spread her wings wide, greedily absorbing the spiritual energy in the air. She said to Cang Ran, “I told you, you’re lucky to have met me! If we can cultivate in the Ancient Demon Emperor’s relic, we can gain a hundred years of accumulation in just one year compared to other demons.”

Cang Ran eagerly asked, “You still haven’t told me where the Red Moon Sacred Orchid is.”

Huazhao pointed into the distance, “I asked the Clan Leader. There are many such orchids near the Demon God Hall. Let’s go together.”

Cang Ran nodded, “Okay, but we can’t rush like you all the time. I need to take care of Qingqing. If you’re in a hurry, you can fly ahead and search first.”

Every blade of grass and tree here felt incredibly familiar to Cang Ran. The abundant spiritual energy made her feel extremely comfortable, giving her the idea of settling down permanently.

Of course, settling down in a relic was impossible. She could vaguely sense the location of the Red Moon Sacred Orchid. Tan Qingxuan and the cub in her womb had just finished consuming two stalks of immortal-grade spiritual plants. They wouldn’t be able to reach the destination in one day, nor was it suitable for them to rush day and night.

She and Huazhao did not enter this secret realm hand-in-hand, but they landed at the same starting point. This was different from their previous method of scattered teleportation. One day’s head start was already enough.

Huazhao didn’t say much after hearing this. She knew the fox prioritized her wife in everything. However, she couldn’t understand why Tan Qingxuan, a Mahayana-stage cultivator, needed so much care. Cang Ran was treating Tan Qingxuan like a precious treasure, afraid of melting her in her mouth or dropping her from her palm.

Huazhao said very straightforwardly, “Alright, then I’ll go ahead. If I reach the Demon God Hall first, I’ll pick a stalk of Red Moon Sacred Orchid for you. We’ll meet at the Demon God Hall.”

Cang Ran agreed, “Okay.”

Huazhao flapped her wings and flew forward quickly, soon disappearing into the dense forest.

Cang Ran walked behind her, hand in hand with Tan Qingxuan. Tan Qingxuan said to Cang Ran, “I thought you would stay with Huazhao the whole time.”

Cang Ran frowned in thought, “I feel something is strange, although I can’t quite pinpoint what. You bad people and bad demons all like to speak half-truths and hide the other half. Even if I’m the most foolish fox, I know I need to be more vigilant now.”

Tan Qingxuan stroked her head, a gentle, soft smile curving her lips, “How can one coax a fox home without hiding a half? Tell me, what’s strange about it?”

Cang Ran analyzed, “She said she was coerced many years ago and couldn’t help herself, and the only thing she cared about was her clan. Therefore, the person who knows her roots and can coerce her might be the Great Demon King of the Penglai Mountain Range.

But then she told me she has a close private relationship with the Great Demon King, praising their Great Demon King as wise and mighty. She even gave away the Ice Toad she was supposed to deliver to the Great Demon King for Song Zhen. I haven’t seen her worry about the Great Demon King’s punishment at all.”

Tan Qingxuan nodded slightly, indicating for Cang Ran to continue.

Cang Ran, “Let’s assume their relationship is truly good. But the fact that she brought me into the Ancient Demon Emperor’s relic without even needing to inform the Great Demon King is even more suspicious.”

Tan Qingxuan understood Cang Ran’s unspoken meaning and voiced it for her, “Are you guessing that although Huazhao is not the Great Demon King of the Penglai Mountain Range in name, she is likely the operator behind the scenes of the Penglai Mountain Range, right?”

Cang Ran nodded, “That’s exactly what I think. So, it’s hard for me to judge whether Huazhao is good or bad, and I don’t know what exactly she wants to do.”

Tan Qingxuan’s expression was calm, “As far as I know, the Great Demon King of the Penglai Mountain Range hasn’t appeared for many years. Your speculation is not unfounded. However, Huazhao has never harmed you and has helped you quite a bit. If she intended to target you, don’t you also have the medicine Song Zhen gave you?”

Cang Ran felt somewhat relieved at this thought. Indeed, she shouldn’t pass judgment on Huazhao. Huazhao was also running around for her own clan members. If there were no conflicts, why should she make things difficult for Huazhao?

However, every wrong has its perpetrator. She still needed to tie Huazhao up and resolve the grievances between her and Song Zhen.

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