The Fox Spirit Raised by the Villain Wants to Defect - Chapter 32

How did she suddenly revert to her original form?

Xiaoyu’s pupils contracted in shock. Hearing the clamor behind her, she looked back to see several people rushing towards her, shouting to capture her.

Frightened, she bolted, hopping over the threshold in one leap. Her claws snagged Wen Yu’s garment, and she scrambled up his body.

Wen Yu reacted to her movement by reaching out, catching her steadily.

His palm was filled with fine fur. The little fox huddled in his arms, only her head visible.

Looking down at her fox tail, which instinctively wrapped around his wrist, a fleeting smile crossed Wen Yu’s eyes.

The smile quickly vanished; when he looked up again, only coldness remained.

Nan Chenghui saw Wen Yu’s action and moved to stand in front of him.

The people pursuing Xiaoyu stopped abruptly, looking puzzled: “Senior Brother Nan, what is the meaning of this? Why won’t you let us catch that demon beast?”

Duanmu Ying and Lian Qiao, who had not yet walked far, paused. Duanmu Ying had watched for only a moment before attempting to rush over, but Lian Qiao firmly pulled her back.

“Aunt—”

She turned around and saw Lian Qiao shaking her head.

“With Wen Yu present, what do you think you can do?” Lian Qiao glanced at Xiaoyu without revealing her intentions, then pulled Duanmu Ying away. “Hurry and go see your father, Qiu Hong.”

Duanmu Ying bit her lip, glancing back at Nan Chenghui.

In the end, she chose to follow Lian Qiao’s advice and go see Qiu Hong.

The moment she turned to leave, Nan Chenghui subtly tilted his head toward her. Seeing her retreating back, his expression instantly became lonely.

“She was brought back by me. It is not for you to lay hands on her,” Wen Yu warned the group with his eyes, then turned and walked away.

Nan Chenghui followed suit.

Apologies continuously rang out behind them, but Nan Chenghui watched Wen Yu’s back and saw no reaction from him.

Suddenly, a head popped into Nan Chenghui’s line of sight. Pointed fox ears stood erect, and beautiful eyes looked at him.

Nan Chenghui heard Wen Yu quietly say, “Don’t move.”

Immediately after, the fox’s head retracted.

It was a very beautiful fox, the prettiest demon beast he had ever seen.

Was it a new disciple Master had taken in?

Nan Chenghui was preoccupied with his thoughts, following along distractedly.

Xiaoyu was also preoccupied with her own thoughts.

This time, she was conscious and clearly aware of her current situation.

But this just makes the situation more embarrassing!

She was being held by Wen Yu in one hand, and her own claws had to tightly cling to his clothes to prevent him from dropping her if he lost strength.

Xiaoyu shifted her head and saw that Wen Yu’s clothes were already threaded loose in places. She measured with her claws and realized she was indeed the one who scratched them.

Wen Yu had quite a lot of clothing, so she probably wouldn’t have to compensate him, right?

She couldn’t afford to.

The embrace was too comfortable, and the temperature was just right; Xiaoyu felt herself getting sleepy inside.

As she was drifting off to sleep, she heard Wen Yu’s voice: “I apologize. I did not realize they had suddenly added a Demon Detection Array.”

Yet, in less than half a month since he left, they had already set up a Demon Detection Array. The motivation behind it was intriguing.

It was also set up discreetly; he hadn’t fully recovered from his injuries, so he hadn’t noticed it.

Xiaoyu blinked, looking up at Wen Yu.

From this angle, she could only see his chin.

Xiaoyu opened her mouth and said, “It’s alright, Daozhang. Being in my original form means I don’t have to walk.”

What Wen Yu heard was: “Jiji, jijijiji!”

His footsteps paused. He looked down at the fox in his arms that was still ‘jijiji-ing,’ his eyes showing confusion.

“What are you saying?”

Xiaoyu froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

This time, her sound was finally indistinguishable from a human’s laughter.

“Hahahahaha.”

Nan Chenghui, who was walking behind, threw a perplexed glance toward Wen Yu upon hearing the laughter.

Who is laughing?

“I forgot you don’t understand the demonic language,” Xiaoyu closed her mouth after laughing, but then made a few more ‘jiji’ sounds. Seeing Wen Yu’s expression, she stopped.

Then, she couldn’t resist saying one more thing: “Daozhang, keep holding me. It’s so comfortable not having to walk.”

Xiaoyu simply voiced her inner thoughts, knowing Wen Yu couldn’t understand.

Wen Yu and Nan Chenghui both had question marks floating above their heads. They couldn’t understand anything, only Xiaoyu’s ‘jijiji.’

“When we meet Yan Ziqiong, he can understand,” Wen Yu said, continuing to walk.

Xiaoyu’s eyes suddenly widened at this.

Oh no. Yan Ziqiong is Wen Yu’s disciple and would definitely side with him. If she spoke in the demonic language then, wouldn’t everyone know what she was saying?

“Darn it, Daozhang, you can’t bring in outside help!” Xiaoyu decided to say everything she wanted before she met Yan Ziqiong.

Wen Yu could only hear a series of ‘jijiji,’ but roughly guessed that after mentioning Yan Ziqiong, her focus had shifted to that topic.

Listening to the fully animated ‘jijiji’ sounds, the pain in his body seemed to lessen somewhat.

Upon reaching Wangyue Residence, Wen Yu stopped and turned to Nan Chenghui, saying, “For the next few days, you should go into secluded cultivation and control yourself.”

He paused, then added, “You don’t need to worry about the exposure. I will handle it.”

Nan Chenghui nodded, said no more, and went inside with Wen Yu toward his own residence.

Wen Yu, still holding Xiaoyu, entered a different room.

Setting her down on a table, Wen Yu finally showed signs of exhaustion.

He leaned one hand on the edge of the table and swallowed a pill with the other.

Xiaoyu edged closer, examining him, her demon eyes filled with concern.

Is Wen Yu going to die…?

She extended a paw and pressed it onto Wen Yu’s hand. When he looked at her, Xiaoyu asked him: “Are you alright?”

“Jiji?”

In her current state, it was easy to guess what she was saying. Wen Yu did not pull his hand away, merely saying, “I’m fine.”

Xiaoyu retracted her paw, sat on the table, and tilted her head, watching him continue to take pills.

He swallowed them one by one without a sip of water.

His injuries truly were severe; it hadn’t been long, yet he had to take so many pills again.

Quietly waiting for Wen Yu to finish, Xiaoyu carefully observed him. Seeing that he seemed to have recovered slightly, she pawed at him.

“Can you help me return to my human form?” she asked, demonstrating with body language.

Wen Yu understood, raising his hand to press it onto Xiaoyu’s head.

Xiaoyu was slightly uncomfortable being touched so intimately all of a sudden.

Moreover, her ears were highly sensitive. Feeling the touch of his hand, they immediately flattened to the sides.

The top of her head felt so itchy; she wanted to scratch it.

Xiaoyu endured the itch, controlling herself not to move erratically. After a moment, a familiar sensation rushed through her. The next second, she fully reverted to her human form, though she remained seated on the table.

Immersed in the joy of finally regaining her human form, she completely failed to notice how awkward her current posture was.

She was sitting at the edge of the table, her legs dangling over the side, the open space perfectly encircling Wen Yu.

Wen Yu’s gaze only lingered for a moment before shifting to the trembling fox ears atop her head.

His hand had not yet moved from the top of Xiaoyu’s head. He could feel the warmth of the fox ears on both sides of his palm, and the fur brushed his skin, causing a tickle.

“Daozhang, what are you touching?”

Xiaoyu shook her head, realizing that Wen Yu’s hand was still resting on the top of her head, and a strange sensation was emanating from that spot.

Wen Yu gave her a direct answer: “Your fox ears are sticking out.”

Xiaoyu was startled and raised a hand to touch them, but Wen Yu quickly pressed her hand down.

“Don’t move.”

Wen Yu’s hand, which had been propping him up on the table, now gripped Xiaoyu’s wrist. Without the support, his body leaned directly against the table’s edge, bringing him even closer to Xiaoyu.

Both of their attention was focused on the fox ears. Neither noticed the gradually shrinking distance or their slowly approaching bodies.

Spiritual threads flowed out, and Wen Yu applied the same concealing spell to her fox ears.

His palm cupped the fox ears, and the cold sensation transmitted through them made Xiaoyu’s body tremble from sensitivity.

“I-Is it not done yet?” Why did she feel like Wen Yu was taking so long?

The last time he helped conceal her ears, it was much faster.

“My spiritual power hasn’t fully recovered, so it’s a bit slow.” His palm remained covering her ear tips. His gaze shifted down to the girl’s constantly fluttering eyelashes.

The hand he was holding was clenched, and her other hand gripped her clothes tightly, seemingly from nervousness or a strenuous effort to endure something.

Seeing her like this, his heart suddenly beat violently once, before returning to stillness.

The temperature of both the hand covering the fox ears and the hand gripping Xiaoyu’s wrist gradually rose.

The coldness was replaced by heat, making Xiaoyu’s face flush red.

She had maintained that posture for so long that her upper body ached. She moved slightly and quietly urged Wen Yu: “Daozhang, can you hurry up a bit?”

Wen Yu’s hand paused, and he suddenly released both hands, retreating backward.

“It’s done.”

He placed one hand on the jade flute at his waist, his gaze turning toward the door.

“Get down and stand properly.”

Only then did Xiaoyu realize her legs had been spread apart the entire time.

Her face instantly turned crimson. She jumped down, smoothed her clothes, and stood ramrod straight.

Next, she saw Wen Yu walk over and sit in a chair. Not long after, an unfamiliar male voice sounded outside.

“Is Sword Venerable inside the residence?”

Xiaoyu heard this and looked at Wen Yu, who was also looking at her.

“That is Qiu Hong, the Sect Master of Yuehui Sect.” Wen Yu paused, then spoke the words that gave Xiaoyu a strong sense of security: “Don’t be afraid. I am here.”

Xiaoyu took a deep breath and nodded at Wen Yu.

Wen Yu looked deeply at her before speaking, allowing Qiu Hong to enter.

The moment the door opened, Xiaoyu felt both nervous and curious.

She was about to meet another character from the book, who was also Duanmu Ying’s father—a character with significant roles in the early stages.

More than one person came.

The man leading the way was dressed in a dark green robe, in his prime, and looked somewhat honest.

He spoke even before he fully saw the person inside: “Thank you, Sword Venerable, for rescuing Young Ying’s aunt. Qiu Hong will remember this favor forever.”

Following him was a man of a similar age. Unlike Qiu Hong, he looked around everywhere upon entering, first fixing his gaze on Wen Yu. Upon noticing Xiaoyu’s presence, a flash of astonishment crossed his eyes, quickly followed by a look of covetousness.

This made Xiaoyu feel uncomfortable.

“Greetings to Sword Venerable Wen Yu. I have long heard of your great name. I am Qi Zhuolun, Deputy Sect Master of Xuanqiu Sect.” As he spoke, his eyes kept glancing toward Xiaoyu.

Wen Yu naturally noticed his gaze, lifted his eyes, and looked directly at him: “Deputy Sect Master Qi, what are you looking at?”

Qi Zhuolun quickly withdrew his gaze, maintaining a respectful demeanor: “Please forgive me, Sword Venerable. I am a man of little experience, and seeing the Sword Venerable for the first time, I am naturally a bit overwhelmed.”

He completely avoided mentioning that he was staring at Xiaoyu.

“Is that so?” Wen Yu walked to the main seat and sat down. Xiaoyu followed and stood to the side.

Qiu Hong smoothed things over: “Old Qi is a close friend of mine for many years. He came this time to discuss the Sect Grand Competition with me. Sword Venerable, please do not be angry on my account.”

Despite his words, he already knew from Duanmu Ying that Wen Yu had brought back a demon, and disciples had also reported it to him.

Wen Yu had been in Yuehui Sect for many years; bringing back a demon now must serve his purpose.

Moreover, Qiu Hong somewhat understood Wen Yu’s temperament and did not immediately scrutinize the demon beast, fearing it would upset Wen Yu.

Sure enough, Qi Zhuolun had already provoked Wen Yu.

“Ah, yes, yes. Sword Venerable, please don’t let this simpleton offend you,” Qi Zhuolun chuckled awkwardly, no longer looking at Xiaoyu.

Xiaoyu stood watching the two men putting on a show. If she hadn’t read the original book, she might have actually believed them.

These two were among those who would eventually turn against Wen Yu. They were warm and polite in the early stages, but once their own interests were involved later, they would immediately drop all pretense.

Since Wen Yu was present and had defended her, she decided not to interfere.

After all, she was in someone else’s home, and she lacked power. If she handled it poorly, she might endanger herself.

Survival was the top priority right now!

Wen Yu remained silent, only watching the two men.

His oppressive gaze was like razor blades shooting at them. Qiu Hong immediately changed the subject: “Sword Venerable, after you left the sect, the major sects decided to hold the Sect Grand Competition again. Since you are in Yuehui Sect and are the most prestigious cultivator, all the major sects have nominated our sect to host the competition. What are your thoughts?”

His words implied asking for Wen Yu’s opinion, yet he had already brought Qi Zhuolun to discuss the competition, showing no intention of genuinely consulting Wen Yu.

Xiaoyu listened, thinking the two men were hypocritical.

You’ve already brought people here. Can he even refuse you?

Xiaoyu turned her head to look at Wen Yu, using his handsome face to cleanse her eyes.

“You may decide for yourselves. There is no need to ask me,” Wen Yu only needed one look to know what they were planning.

Qiu Hong wanted to use his name to secure the hosting of the competition.

With the Sword Venerable Wen Yu as the main draw, who wouldn’t support Yuehui Sect hosting the competition?

Qiu Hong immediately took the opportunity, smiling happily: “Good. With your words, Sword Venerable, I can proceed confidently.”

At this point, he finally looked at Xiaoyu.

Duanmu Ying had already told him that she was a demon beast, but he hadn’t told Qi Zhuolun. He wouldn’t easily share the sect’s internal matters with outsiders; even a close friend might unintentionally leak the information.

Qiu Hong signaled with his eyes for Qi Zhuolun to leave first. Qi Zhuolun received the hint, bade farewell to Wen Yu, and sneaked another glance at Xiaoyu on his way out.

After he left, Qiu Hong asked Wen Yu: “This person by your side, Sword Venerable, is a demon beast, correct?”

After he finished, he met Wen Yu’s gaze, and the dark eyes sent a chill down his spine.

Qiu Hong quickly explained: “I mean no harm, I am just a bit worried. The Demon Race has always harbored ill will towards the Human Race. With so many humans in the sect, if this demon beast were to suddenly go mad and attack the disciples and elders, wouldn’t we be completely unprepared?”

The subtext was clear: he wanted to get rid of Xiaoyu.

Xiaoyu remained silent, already tired of this kind of talk.

Everyone had to utter the phrase “demon beasts harm people.” It was undeniable that demon beasts in this world did commit harm, but she was an exception.

“She is under my watch. What are you worried about?” Wen Yu showed no mercy, his sharp gaze cutting through Qiu Hong as if it could penetrate him.

The tiny person in Xiaoyu’s heart cheered, applauding Wen Yu’s dominant words.

Well done, Daozhang! Say a few more things to infuriate him. This is the man who will eventually force Wen Yu to hand over his two disciples, stand against Wen Yu, and scheme against him.

This happiness didn’t last long, as Xiaoyu noticed the blue veins bulging on Wen Yu’s neck—a detail visible only to her due to her angle.

Xiaoyu immediately diverted her gaze, controlling her expression to reveal no hint of concern.

Is he about to lose control?

Qiu Hong’s words once again captured Xiaoyu’s attention.

“Hearing the Sword Venerable say that reassures me.” Qiu Hong then asked, “Since the Sword Venerable brought her to your side, you must have established a master-servant contract with this demon beast?”

A master-servant contract?

Xiaoyu recalled reading about this. It was a method used by human cultivators to bind demon beasts and exert complete control over them.

Once a demon beast was bound by a master-servant contract, it could never break free from the human’s control until death.

Furthermore, the human who entered the contract would not suffer any harm.

Just as the Demon Race had “human slaves,” the Human Race also had “demon slaves.”

Xiaoyu subtly turned her head to look at Wen Yu, hearing him give an acknowledgment: “Mm.”

Mm?

Acknowledge what? They hadn’t entered a contract.

However, him saying that meant she was safe for now.

Sure enough, Qiu Hong immediately relaxed: “That’s good, that’s good. I won’t trouble the Sword Venerable any further. I have matters to attend to regarding the Grand Competition, so I will take my leave now.”

He cupped his hands to Wen Yu, turned, and walked out.

His back was held perfectly straight.

Xiaoyu waited until he had gone far away, then quickly walked up to Wen Yu: “Are you alright?”

Wen Yu stared at her, then suddenly reached out and touched her fox ear.

The fox ear twitched lightly when touched, and the gloom in Wen Yu’s heart seemed to be shaken away with the twitch.

“I need you to remain here to watch over things for me these few days.”

His intention was for Xiaoyu to monitor the people coming to Wangyue Residence, but she misinterpreted his meaning, thinking he wanted her to stay and take care of him.

“Yes, Daozhang. I will take care of you, remaining by your side!” Xiaoyu immediately agreed.

This would also allow her to hide from the Demon Lord’s tracking. If she were still found this time, she would have no choice but to tell Wen Yu and beg for his protection.

Wen Yu did not correct her, only saying: “Good.”

However, shortly after this conversation, and before nightfall, Qiu Hong aggressively showed up at the door, bringing Qi Zhuolun and Lian Qiao with him.

“Sword Venerable, are you concealing this fox demon’s identity out of self-interest, or do you simply not regard the safety of the entire Yuehui Sect seriously?”

The door was open at the time, and the three of them walked straight in without knocking.

Qiu Hong and Qi Zhuolun looked like they were demanding an explanation, while Lian Qiao stood at the back, acting as an invisible observer.

Wen Yu walked out from the inner room. Seeing the three of them, his gaze finally settled on Lian Qiao.

Among these three, only Lian Qiao had interacted with Xiaoyu, and she was close to Duanmu Ying.

With Xiaoyu’s identity exposed, aside from Duanmu Ying, Lian Qiao was the remaining person who knew.

Coupled with the suddenly established Demon Detection Array…

If the array was set up for the Grand Competition, it could be explained, but if it was targeted at a specific individual, then it was highly suspicious.

When he had first detected the Demon Detection Array, Wen Yu had already sent a message to Yan Ziqiong, telling him to be cautious.

With Nan Chenghui already exposed, if something happened to Yan Ziqiong too, the situation would become much more difficult.

“She is the core of the Pure Fox Clan! Her approaching you and Yuehui Sect with such an identity is absolutely done with malicious intent!” Qiu Hong stepped forward, his attitude now completely opposite to before.

Qi Zhuolun concurred: “With the Sect Grand Competition imminent, could the Sword Venerable have been mentally confused by that demon beast, leading you to do something that endangers the sect?”

Only Lian Qiao stood behind the two men, not saying a word, but her gaze was fixed on Wen Yu.

“For the safety of the sect, and for the sake of the Human Race, please hand over this demon beast, Sword Venerable. Do not be misled,” Qiu Hong’s words elevated Wen Yu’s decision into a moral obligation.

Wen Yu scanned all three of them, his face showing no emotion.

“How did you come to know that she belongs to the Pure Fox Clan?” Wen Yu lowered his eyes, meticulously observing the trio’s expressions.

“Was it Duanmu Ying, or Lian Qiao?”