The Aloof Immortal Venerable is Pregnant with My Fox Cub - Chapter 99

Chapter 99

The little fox cub cried for a long time, and no one could comfort her. Cang Ran suddenly thought, Is the child hungry? She quickly asked someone to get some spiritual cow milk.

Cang Ran had prepared a batch of spiritual cows for the little fox cub before the new year. They were fed the best pasture grass and had started producing milk in the winter, which was perfect for feeding the little fox cub now. Tan Qingxuan was resting, and the little fox cub couldn’t disturb her mother.

The little hedgehog and Mingxin volunteered to milk the cow. They quickly brought back a small bucket of warm milk. After boiling it and using ice magic to cool it to the appropriate temperature, they poured it into a crystal bottle to feed the little fox cub.

The little fox cub was extremely hungry. As soon as the nipple approached, her little nose sniffed the milky scent, and she stopped crying. Her two small hands anxiously held the bottle, and she started drinking the milk quickly, her fluffy little fox ears pulled back as she drank.

The little cub’s eyes were wet from crying. Tears clung to her long, thick eyelashes, making her look pitiable. However, this little cub had been fond of eating since she was in the womb and wasn’t picky. She became well-behaved as soon as she had milk.

This was Cang Ran’s first time feeding the baby, and she lacked experience. She didn’t feed her too much. The palm-sized bottle was half-empty when the little fox cub was already full. Full and satisfied, her watery big eyes blinked and looked around at everyone. After a little while, she buried her head in Cang Ran’s arms, snuggling in, and sweetly fell asleep.

Not only Cang Ran but the other ‘Aunts’ also breathed a sigh of relief. When this little cub cried, she wasn’t like other human babies. Her cries were soft and weak, as if she had many grievances, making everyone feel like they would pluck the moon from the sky for her.

Because she hadn’t fully developed for a period while in her mother’s womb, the little fox cub was smaller than other babies when born, weighing only five jin (approx. 2.5 kg). Wrapped in a small blanket, she looked only slightly bigger.

After soothing the child, Shui Shaoyi walked in from outside, carrying two medicinal pots. Seeing everyone there, she poured the decoction from one of the pots into several white porcelain bowls: “Since you are all here, please drink the medicine. Master specially instructed me to brew it for the injured; it can help recuperate the body.”

The medicinal broth already tasted bitter before they even drank it. Lin Mingyue quickly pulled her junior sisters away: “We weren’t injured. The battle was fierce this time. My junior sisters and I should go see where we can help.”

Zheng Mingxin heard her senior sister and pulled the little hedgehog along: “Little Hedgehog, let’s go together.”

Despite being reluctant to leave the Great King and the Little Great King, the little hedgehog also didn’t want to drink bitter medicine. She curled into a ball and rolled away: “Great King, I need to go help now. I’ll come back to see the little fox cub later.”

The group, along with the little hedgehog, left the Rising Phoenix Palace like a whirlwind. Cang Ran looked at the bitter medicine, picked up the sleeping child, and headed toward Tan Qingxuan. Huazhao also planned to slip away but was a step too late.

Song Zhen and Zuo Chunli emerged from the sleeping chamber together. Seeing so much medicine undrunk, Song Zhen picked up a bowl and said, “This medicine was specially bought from Sect Master Zuo at a cost. Why aren’t you drinking it?”

Cang Ran was blocked by the bowl of medicine. Although the wound on her back was throbbing, she felt the medicine would taste deadly bitter and politely refused, “I feel like my injury isn’t hurting so much anymore. Song Zhen, weren’t you also injured? You drink first.”

Song Zhen drank a large bowl without changing her expression or even furrowing her brow. She then pushed another bowl forward: “Demon cultivators also need to drink it. It helps you recover faster.”

Huazhao saw Song Zhen say this, nudged Cang Ran’s arm, and maliciously urged, “Zhen Zhen told you to drink it. Hurry and drink more. The Grand Profound Sect paid for it, which is basically your Qingqing paying for it. It would be such a waste not to drink it.”

Was the time spent locked in the dungeon not long enough, or did Song Zhen’s whip not hurt enough? The bad little bird was actually siding with Song Zhen, urging her to drink the bitter medicine first.

Cang Ran handed the little fox cub to Zuo Chunli to hold for a moment, picked up the bowl, and quickly poured it down. The bitterness was stuck in her throat. The medicine indeed had a miraculous effect on external wounds. The painful itch of the healing wound was covered by a refreshing coolness that spread from the inside out.

After drinking, she took the little fox cub back and said to Huazhao, “Huazhao, you drink too. You lost so many feathers. How will you grow new ones if you don’t drink some?”

Huazhao noticed Song Zhen’s gaze fixed on her. She pouted slightly, “Even if I drink it, someone will still pluck my feathers. The poison someone gave me hasn’t been undone yet.”

Zuo Chunli smelled the sweet scent of gossip. Looking at the exquisite and lovely little beauty and the cold-faced, speechless Song Zhen, she teased, “What poison? Who could be heartless enough to harm such a cute little bird?”

This was no cute bird, but a bird full of schemes that lied without remorse.

Song Zhen only wanted to stop Zuo Chunli from talking nonsense. She said flatly, “I could harm her. If you don’t want to drink it, fine. This time, out of respect for Cang Ran’s safe return, I will give you the antidote later.”

Huazhao clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into the flesh of her palm. In the past, Song Zhen would hug the little bird and say, Little bird is so cute. Just one more sip of medicine and you’ll be better. Now, she was directly being told to drink it or not.

This drastic change was intolerable for the bird. Huazhao rushed over, drank the medicine in one gulp, and defiantly said, “It’s just a bowl of medicinal broth. I can drink ten more bowls.”

Song Zhen saw her frown from the bitterness and subconsciously reached into her sleeve, feeling a bag of small granular malt sugar balls in her storage pouch.

She was used to taking care of the bird and often kept small, bird-specific sugar balls in a cloth bag. It had become a habit over time.

Cang Ran immediately asked Shui Shaoyi to bring ten more bowls: “Drink up.”

Now, Huazhao was not only bitter in her mouth but also in her heart. Since she had already spoken, she picked up a bowl of medicine to drink.

Song Zhen coughed, interrupting, “One bowl is enough. It was bought with spiritual stones; it’s not for you to waste. The rest of the medicine needs to be distributed to the elders and the demon cultivators who were injured fighting.”

Huazhao’s heart was a mix of emotions, throbbing with a dense ache. It turns out she wasn’t afraid the medicine was too bitter for me, but that it was needed for others.

Song Zhen glanced at Huazhao, pulled the sugar from her sleeve, and handed it to Cang Ran: “Senior Sister just fell asleep. Take the child in, and be quiet. This sugar is for you; it can counteract the bitterness.”

Cang Ran suddenly found Song Zhen quite gentle, even carrying candy with her. She popped a piece of candy into her mouth. It was sweet: “This candy is delicious, sweet but not cloying. Huazhao, do you want a bite?”

Huazhao saw the familiar pale yellow little sugar ball, and her apricot-like eyes immediately reddened. She quickly took the candy from Cang Ran’s hand: “I want to eat it.”

This was the candy Zhen Zhen had specially commissioned for the little bird, not for the fox.

Song Zhen left a final word for Cang Ran and turned to leave: “I still need to check on the elders, so I won’t stay long. If Senior Sister needs anything, send someone to notify me immediately.”

Cang Ran saw Huazhao’s lingering affection: “You go with Song Zhen. Tell those Demon Kings that the Ancient Demon Emperor’s Relic will open for one month in a month’s time, and they should all come over. That will be exactly the time of the child’s full-month celebration, and you should come too.”

Huazhao nodded: “Okay, I’ll tell them all to return to their respective mountain ranges first.”

Huazhao quickly chased after Song Zhen’s footsteps. Only Zuo Chunli and her disciple were left in the Rising Phoenix Palace.

Zuo Chunli looked at their retreating figures, then turned back and said gently, “Cang Ran, I see you and Song Zhen were both injured. You’ll inevitably have insufficient energy to take care of the child. Our Ten Thousand Medicine Gate’s post-natal confinement meals and baby food are available at a discount. Five hundred thousand high-grade spiritual stones. Would you like to order a set?”

Cang Ran held the soft little fox cub and asked curiously, “What dishes are included?”

Zuo Chunli smiled and took out a menu from her storage artifact, handing it to Cang Ran. She also asked Shui Shaoyi to open the lid of the other clay pot: “Our Ten Thousand Medicine Gate has been doing this for many years. The tonic soup in this pot can be sampled by Venerable first; postpartum recovery requires a lot of nourishment.

The child is a little fox demon and will be able to eat minced meat by the full month. We will also deliver baby food then. If you like it, you can subscribe to our toddler meals, which last until the child is three years old.”

The menu listed rare delicacies Cang Ran had never heard of. Cang Ran thought that the Ten Thousand Medicine Gate had helped her and Tan Qingxuan immensely this time, and outsourcing the confinement meals would indeed make it easier to care for both the mother and the child. Moreover, the tonic soup in the clay pot smelled very fragrant.

Cang Ran curved her eyes and agreed, “Let’s order for one month first. Thank you for your hard work, Sect Master Zuo, during this time.”

Cang Ran gave Zuo Chunli the five hundred thousand high-grade spiritual stones. Zuo Chunli smoothly accepted the payment and said with a smile, “It’s no hardship. I’ll have my disciple deliver meals every day. I’ll have Shaoyi bring this tonic soup into the inner room. If Venerable wakes up later, just heat it up and serve it to her.”

Shui Shaoyi delivered the tonic soup to the outer room of the sleeping chamber and then left with Zuo Chunli. Cang Ran carried the sleeping little fox cub and tiptoed inside.

The sleeping chamber had been restored to its usual tidiness. The window was open, and the warm spring sun shone into the room. Tan Qingxuan was extremely exhausted and was still sleeping soundly, unaware of her and the little fox cub’s entry.

Cang Ran placed the little fox cub next to Tan Qingxuan, pressed close to her, and settled on the right side of the little fox cub, guarding both mother and daughter.

Cang Ran looked at her beautiful, sleeping wife, and then at the little fox cub in the swaddling clothes for a while. Her heart was filled with warm love, and she couldn’t bear to look away. However, she couldn’t fight off the fatigue from her long journey and fell into a deep sleep.

She slept soundly. When she woke up again, bright candlelight was burning in the room.

Cang Ran heard the sound of a baby near her ear and then remembered that her and Tan Qingxuan’s baby was born.

She opened her eyes. Her forehead was resting near Tan Qingxuan’s long legs. Her top clothing had been undone, revealing her fair and delicate back. The knife wound on her left shoulder was deep enough to expose bone, and the new pink flesh growing back tingled where a slightly cool finger stroked it.

The little fox cub was nestled in Tan Qingxuan’s arms, her little fists shoved into her mouth, sucking on her hand. Tan Qingxuan’s bright fingertips rested on her back, and her peach blossom eyes were filled with tenderness.

Cang Ran gently rubbed her cheek against Tan Qingxuan’s long leg, tidied her clothes, and pushed aside the long red hair behind her ear: “Qingqing, when did you wake up?”

Tan Qingxuan pressed down on her hand, preventing her from fidgeting with her clothes: “I woke up a while ago. Who injured you like this?”

Cang Ran saw a coldness flicker in Tan Qingxuan’s eyes and said softly, “I was hurt while fighting the snake demon. I already killed that snake demon and feel much better after taking the healing medicine. But the little fox ornament you gave me is gone. The fox fur turned to ash.”

Tan Qingxuan stroked her hair, her eyes gentle: “I’m just glad you are safe. I will refine a new magical artifact for you later.”

Tan Qingxuan wanted to pull her into a hug, but she was holding the little fox cub. So she placed the little fox cub beside her, gently patted the cub a couple of times, and tenderly cooed for a while, then motioned for the big fox to come and lean into her embrace.

Cang Ran happily snuggled into Tan Qingxuan’s arms, careful not to put too much pressure on her, just lightly pressing close: “My wound should recover in a few days. You gave birth to the cub. Are you feeling very unwell?”

Tan Qingxuan nodded slightly, resting her chin on Cang Ran’s head: “I will need some time to recover.”

Cang Ran suddenly remembered the three hundred years of cultivation lost to the child and said somewhat dejectedly, “Qingqing, I’m not a good fox. I know you lost cultivation and can’t ascend for the time being, and I’m a little happy about it.”

Tan Qingxuan’s eyes were gentle: “I know what you mean. I also want to stay with you and our cub forever.”

Tan Qingxuan then kissed the big fox’s fluffy fox ear: “You will always be my favorite little fox.”

Cang Ran’s heart felt both sour and sweet, as if gently wrapped in Tan Qingxuan’s warm love, feeling cozy all over.

She remembered the tonic soup stewed by the Ten Thousand Medicine Gate: “I ordered confinement meals from the Ten Thousand Medicine Gate. Their tonic soup smells very fragrant and is good for postpartum recovery. I’ll go get you some to taste.”

Tan Qingxuan watched her rush off to get the soup, feeling a sense of déjà vu with the little fox carrying the small charcoal stove from before. Cang Ran was as cute and considerate as ever, making it impossible for her to look away, wanting to keep this little fox locked in her heart forever.

Cang Ran used exotic fire to heat the cooled tonic soup, poured a small bowl, and brought it to Tan Qingxuan.

She used a white porcelain spoon to scoop up a mouthful, blew on it repeatedly, and only handed it over when the temperature was right: “Qingqing, try it. Is it tasty?”

Tan Qingxuan lowered her eyes and took a sip. The tonic soup was rich and fragrant, yet not greasy, very palatable. It was much lighter than the food she ate while pregnant with the little fox cub. Feeling a bit hungry, she quickly finished the small bowl of soup.

Cang Ran scooped several more bowls, feeding them all to Tan Qingxuan. The remaining small half-pot wasn’t wasted either, as Cang Ran quickly devoured it all.

The little fox cub watched her two mothers eating and made soft, cooing sounds.

Cang Ran finished cleaning up the dishes and smiled knowingly, gently poking the little fox cub’s nose: “Baby is a little foodie, but you’re too small to eat now. You can only eat meat when you’re a bit bigger.”

The little fox cub’s short little hand grabbed Cang Ran’s slender finger. Cang Ran’s index finger was grasped tightly. She said to Tan Qingxuan in surprise, “Baby is so strong, Qingqing! She’s grabbing my hand!”

The big fox and the little fox cub shared the same kind of cuteness. Tan Qingxuan’s eyes rippled: “Is she hungry?”

Cang Ran was confused: “I don’t think so. I just fed her some milk before falling asleep. How could she be hungry so quickly?”

A damp sensation suddenly came from Cang Ran’s fingertip. She looked down and saw the little fox cub holding her finger and starting to suck on it, her fluffy little fox ears trembling.

“It seems she really is hungry,” Cang Ran gently pulled out her finger, wiped it with a handkerchief, and couldn’t help but laugh, “I’ll go get the bottle for the baby.”

Tan Qingxuan pulled her hand back and said softly, “Give the child to me. I’ll feed her a little.”

Cang Ran supported the little fox cub’s soft body and placed her in Tan Qingxuan’s arms.

She saw the little fox cub anxiously burrowing around, wanting to nurse, and couldn’t help but blush, remembering her own previous lustful moments.

Cang Ran turned away, transformed into a fox, and used her fluffy fox fur to hide her instantly crimson face. Her furry fox ears drooped down, embarrassed to listen to the sound of the little fox cub nursing.

The big fox’s nine tails were twisting into a tight knot. After Tan Qingxuan finished feeding the little fox cub in her arms, she untwisted the tangled tails and curved her lips: “She’s fed. Come here.”

Cang Ran’s nose was very sensitive. She smelled the lingering scent of milk in the air, and her face grew even redder: “Wait a moment, I’m not ready yet.”

The nine fiery red fox tails tightly wrapped around Tan Qingxuan’s wrist, round after round. The big fox was extremely shy today. The little fox cub, on the other hand, was full and sleeping contentedly in her mother’s arms.

Tan Qingxuan gently pinched the big fox’s tail, her eyes shimmering: “What are you shy about?”

Cang Ran rubbed her furry fox head against Tan Qingxuan, melting into a flat “fox pancake,” rolling around near Tan Qingxuan.

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