Chapter 2 — The Nine-Tailed Fox Who Loved Sweet Potatoes

The deacon flew through the air like a tattered sack, slamming heavily against the courtyard fence and losing consciousness on the spot. Everyone froze. They stared at me as though looking at some terrifying monster. How could a three-tailed good-for-nothing send a five-tailed deacon flying with a single flick of her tail? I paid no mind to their utter shock, fixing my gaze entirely upon Mi Ji as I repeated myself once more.

Not a single drop of my blood will be given to you ever again. If you dare reach out your hand again, I will break every last claw on it.

My voice was not loud, yet the wooden chamber felt as cold as a frozen tomb. Mi Ji’s pristine, saintly complexion finally drained into an unsightly, sickly gray. She bit her lower lip, her eyes instantly rimming with red as large, heavy tears spilled freely down her cheeks.

You... how could you treat me like this, You You? I was only doing it all for Qing Qiu...

She began to weep. The moment she cried, the hearts of the elders shattered into pieces.

This is treason! Utter, lawless treason! The Third Elder trembled with rage. Someone, seize this rebellious, vicious little wretch at once! Throw her into the Ice Cauldron Cave and let her reflect properly upon her sins!

Several guards swarmed forward, their demonic energy surging into the air. I merely curled the corners of my lips. Reflection? Very well. As it happened, the Ice Cauldron Cave was situated right next to the ancestral hall.

The Ice Cauldron Cave was the place where the Qing Qiu clan punished wrongdoers. Within its depths, a howling wind chilled one to the very bone, the biting frost capable of piercing deep into the marrow. Any practitioner with weak cultivation left inside for three days would inevitably freeze solid into a block of ice. I was escorted leisurely toward the back mountain, flanked by two guards on either left and right. Mi Ji and the elders followed closely behind; she continued to sob pitifully while the Third Elder murmured comforting words at her side.

Rest assured, little Mi Ji, we shall never condone such a wicked criminal! Once she understands the error of her ways, she will naturally offer her heart’s blood with obedience.

But I am afraid her health will be ruined by the cold...

Hmph, she brought this entirely upon herself!

Overhearing their exchange from behind, I nearly burst out laughing. They likely assumed that after half a day locked inside the Ice Cauldron Cave, I would be weeping for mercy and dutifully offering my vital blood. How terribly naive. As we reached the cave entrance, a wave of biting frost rushed out to meet us, causing both guards to shiver involuntarily.

Get inside! They shoved me forward.

I stepped in willingly, not even bothering to look back. With a heavy thud, the stone door slammed shut. The cave instantly plunged into pitch darkness, illuminated only by a few glowing pieces of glacial stone that cast a mournful, indigo light. It was cold—genuinely freezing. Yet, as I circulated the demonic energy within my body just a fraction, that biting chill felt like nothing more than a mild itch. I sought out a clean, broad slab of ice to sit upon and drew a small, oiled paper package from my bosom. Unwrapping it revealed a deliciously charred, fragrant roasted chicken thigh. Grandfather had secretly slipped it to me, whispering that my constitution was delicate and required nourishing. I took a bite, the savory juices spilling over my lips. How utterly divine. While they imagined I was suffering immensely, the reality was that I had never felt more blissful. First, no one was here to disturb me, allowing me to focus entirely on my cultivation. Second, just as I had mentioned, this place was closest to the ancestral hall.

I closed my eyes, letting my spiritual sense quietly drift outward like an invisible tendril. It bypassed the jagged rocks and pierced through the protective barriers, cautiously and meticulously spreading toward the ancestral hall. Inside the hall, the spirit tablets of the Qing Qiu ancestors were enshrined, and the stone altar sitting dead center looked utterly ordinary at first glance. My spiritual sense circled the stone altar repeatedly. Sure enough, an exceptionally faint fragrance seeped out from the crevices of the stone. Sweet, warm, carrying an indescribable, alluring breath. It was the scent of the Nine-Turn Heavenly Fragrance Honey Tuber! I was so excited I nearly swallowed the chicken bone whole. It seemed Grandfather had not deceived me; it was genuinely nearing maturity! According to the records left in the old ancestors' journals, this seal would gradually weaken in tandem with the growth of the honey tuber. The day the fragrance reached its peak would also be the moment the seal grew thinnest. When that time came, I would only need to use the power of my nine tails, coordinating from both inside and out, to crack it wide open.

At this thought, I gnawed on the chicken thigh with even greater enthusiasm. Mi Ji, esteemed elders, do take your time playing your little games; I shall not accompany you any longer. Once I have eaten and drunk my fill to restore my strength, that would be the moment they would all be weeping. While I sat there munching on chicken and planning my grand culinary enterprise, Mi Ji and her companions had not yet departed outside the cave.

Third Elder, will You You be entirely alright in there by herself? Her cultivation is so low... Mi Ji’s voice was dripping with manufactured anxiety.

Hmph, she won't die! Let her taste a bit of hardship! If we don't beat that rebellious streak out of her, what kind of order will be left in the clan?

But still...

Enough with the buts! Let us go! Leave her to reflect properly on her own!

The footsteps gradually faded into the distance. I swallowed the final morsel of meat, tossed the bone into the corner, and dusted off my hands. Reflect? Very well. I was currently pondering whether, once I harvested the Nine-Turn Heavenly Fragrance Honey Tuber, I should roast it, steam it, or perhaps roast one half and steam the other. What a delightfully vexing dilemma. At that exact moment, my ears twitched slightly.