Chapter 102: I Quite Like It...

"Jiang Lin! Where is he?"

The girl landed in the courtyard, her eyes narrowing beneath her veiled hat as she looked at the woman before whom the white fox sisters knelt on one knee.

"Xueli, be careful. This person is concealing her true appearance, and she hasn't sealed her spiritual apertures. Even I can barely sense her cultivation level. She might be in the Immortal Realm!" Within Xiao Xueli, the Sword Spirit spoke softly.

"The Immortal Realm?" Xiao Xueli grew even more focused. "Sister Sword Spirit, do you recognize her?"

"No. Before you awakened me, I slept for a thousand years. She must have reached the Immortal Realm within this past millennium. To take that step in just a thousand years is no small feat. Judging by how these two white foxes kneel before her, she must be a powerhouse of the Myriad Demons Province, or perhaps a lord of the Demon Realm."

"But how did Jiang Lin get involved with someone like her?"

"It's hard to say." The Sword Spirit shook her head. "Besides, we can't worry about Jiang Lin right now. I'm afraid it won't be easy for us to leave."

"Sister Sword Spirit, I'm sorry..." Xiao Xueli felt a pang of guilt.

When the two white foxes claimed Jiang Lin was in their hands, Xiao Xueli had lost her composure and drawn her sword. At the peak of the Sea-Viewing Realm, she had easily defeated the white fox sisters.

However, the sisters had unleashed a magical treasure at the critical moment to escape. Even though the Sword Spirit had warned her it was a trap, Xiao Xueli had pursued them anyway, right into this manor.

"Sigh... you silly girl."

The Sword Spirit shook her head, not truly blaming the girl. That was simply her nature. Had she not risked falling in realm and damaging her Dao path just to go to the Sun Moon Sect back then?

Besides, if she hadn't come, she wouldn't be Xiao Xueli.

"Miss Xiao is indeed bold, following us here even knowing it was a trap."

The woman slowly rose, casting an isolation barrier over the courtyard.

In the blink of an eye, the woman before them was no longer clad in coarse hemp with a ruined face.

Instead, she wore an elegant, simple gown. Her figure was tall and graceful, and her snow-white hair was pinned up with a bamboo hairpin, draping over her shoulders. Though she wore a veil, her silver-white eyes were enchanting and seductive.

Behind her, nine snow-white tails swayed beneath the starlight, resembling a breathtaking painting conjured by an artist cultivator.

Resting her slender hands on her waist, the woman bowed slightly. "This junior pays respects to Senior Sword Spirit."

The longsword in Xiao Xueli's hand flew out, spinning continuously in the air from top to bottom. As the flying sword touched the ground, a woman materialized beside Xiao Xueli.

"Can you read minds?"

"This junior knows a little of the art."

The Sword Spirit's eyes narrowed slightly. "Who is Bai Qianluo to you?"

"She is my master."

"Is she dead?"

"She has gone to the Demon Realm."

"The Demon Realm? That sly fox hasn't even reached the Ascension Realm yet, has she?"

Hearing the Sword Spirit's words, the woman smiled faintly and remained silent.

The Sword Spirit did not press further, changing the subject. "If your master went to the Demon Realm, why didn't you?"

"This junior also has a trial to pass."

"Another Love Tribulation?"

"Yes."

The woman stood up and answered calmly, without the slightest hint of bashfulness.

Since ancient times, whether for ordinary fox demons or white foxes, the final trial to cross from the Immortal Realm to the Ascension Realm has always been the Love Tribulation.

The world spoke of foxes as temptresses, blaming them for destroying families and bringing ruin to kingdoms. Yet who knew that fox demons were actually the most devoted in love?

Even those fox demons who were naturally flirtatious would one day meet someone they truly loved. This person could be a cultivator or a mere mortal, and they would become the fox demon's final Love Tribulation.

Even the white foxes, who symbolized purity and self-cleansing, were no exception.

Though white foxes disdained absorbing the essence of men, and even disdained laying eyes on them, viewing men as filthy creatures.

Yet as their cultivation progressed, they would ultimately have to face the Love Tribulation. For fox demons, this was an immutable law of the universe.

But how many white foxes in this world had successfully crossed the Love Tribulation and ascended since ancient times?

They could be counted on one's fingers.

And how many had slowly lost themselves before the Love Tribulation, their bodies perishing and their Dao paths crumbling?

Far too many to count.

"Since you need to pass a Love Tribulation, then why..."

Suddenly, the Sword Spirit cut herself off mid-sentence.

Not just the Sword Spirit—even Xiao Xueli narrowed her eyes, staring at the veiled woman before them.

White foxes did not easily entangle themselves with others, especially men.

And she needed to pass a Love Tribulation.

Which meant...

"It is just as Senior and Miss Xiao suspect..." The woman spoke with complete candor, without any pretense or affectation.

"There are countless ways to overcome the Love Tribulation in this world. Which one have you chosen? And why involve our Xueli?"

The woman bowed in apology. "Please forgive me, Senior. This concerns my grand Dao and cannot be spoken of. However, please rest assured. I never intended to harm Miss Xiao. Moreover, since Senior knows my master, I have even less reason to do so."

"Then what do you want?"

"I must ask Miss Xiao to bear with a slight inconvenience."

As the woman's words fell, silence enveloped the courtyard. Aside from the starlit sky and the evening breeze rustling the scholar tree, there was only the chirping of a few insects.

"And what if I refuse?"

Xiao Xueli stepped forward and took off her veiled hat, revealing her beautiful face under the moonlight. Around her, sharp sword qi swirled.

The Sword Spirit glanced at her disciple and smiled with satisfaction.

Knowing the opponent was in the Immortal Realm, yet showing not a shred of fear. Instead, her heart harbored a pure state of mind—ready to match strength, heedless of life and death. With such a state of mind, even without the Supreme Bone, her path to the grand Dao would be limitless.

Given time, Xueli's achievements on the Dao path would not necessarily fall short of the woman's.

Since Xueli had made up her mind, the Sword Spirit said no more, transforming back into a longsword and flying into Xueli's hand.

"Miss Xiao is indeed very beautiful," the woman said softly, looking at the girl who had removed her veiled hat, as if she hadn't heard the girl's words. "Mmh, and your figure is lovely too."

"What is your alias?" Ignoring the woman's remarks in return, Xiao Xueli gripped her sword, radiating a heroic aura.

For the demon race, everyone had two names.

One was an alias, the name used in public.

The other was the true name. A demon's true name was tied to their lifeblood. Named by their parents at birth, this true name was integrated into the demon's very soul.

If a demon's true name became known to others, those others could severely restrict or even command them using spells.

Even Yin-Yang cultivators could perform calculations and cast death curses using a demon's true name.

Thus, a demon's true name was generally known only to themselves. Even parents, to protect their children, would usually erase the memory of the name after bestowing it.

"As for my alias..."

The woman tilted her head slightly, looking up at the starry sky.

In her mind, the figure of a young boy surfaced unbidden.

In a dilapidated thatched hut, a boy dressed in tattered hemp clothes and straw sandals held a small white fox whose wounds had just healed...

"Jiujiu..."

Seeing the little fox's wounds healing, the boy held it and said happily:

"I'll call you Jiujiu from now on... okay?"

...

After a long moment, she withdrew her gaze from the night sky and looked at the girl before her.

Beneath her veil, she seemed to smile.

"Just call me Jiujiu.

That name...

I quite like it."

...

...

[Book Recommendation—"Please Don't Come Any Closer to Me"

Author: Sheng Qi Yu Xing (The author's real-life friend, best friends from primary school to university, and still best friends now.)

As a first-time writer, both the outline and detailed plot, as well as various writing details, were taught to me by this guy Xing.

Although we both write in our spare time, we do our best to write every chapter well, striving to live up to our readers' expectations.

Friends who like youth daily life and Japanese-style light novels should really check it out.

(PS: The advertising fee for this plug is a cup of milk tea~~~~)]