Chapter 7

As she just began to speak, the grand monk suddenly transformed into a beam of golden light and vanished in the guest room in the blink of an eye

The grand monk smiled and said, "If I cannot leave unscathed, what am I doing here?"

The grand monk has an eccentric personality, displaying unpredictable moods. When he is in a good mood, he can laugh and joke with anyone, but when he is in a bad mood, he ignores everyone. Everyone is aware of his quirks, and the two clansmen immediately dared not speak.

The lock on the inn's window was as if it did not exist for her, easily opened with a thin copper wire, and she was utterly unconcerned about the barrier of the fox clan. She had prepared herself for the possibility that the great monk was not in the inn, and she was ready for any situation, whether he was sleeping, eating, or otherwise occupied, but she had not anticipated that he was taking a bath

"Do not make me say it a third time," the high monk coldly interrupted him, "Go back and tell Elder Ding Xuchang that after my right hand was severed, I have already repaid him for his efforts in reattaching it. From now on, how he conducts himself is of no concern to me.

From morning till night, they fight and brawl, making it seem as if their clan of foxes is truly skilled in combat. However, relying on his left hand, they merely treat him as a weapon for murder

The grand monk let out a faint sigh, splashed cold water haphazardly on his face, and leaned against the bathtub, gazing around in melancholy. On the table lay a teacup, which Ji Tanyin had used to drink tea at noon. In the blink of an eye, a life was lost. He had certainly played a part in this, and perhaps if given another chance, he would still act the same way, without hesitation. Yet, it might be that the death was too unjust, which led to a sense of guilt towards Ji Tanyin.

The grand monk rode on the back of the blissful bird; his mood was already poor, and it had worsened. A series of questions and unknown fears firmly locked him in place

He has encountered the immortal demons, those creatures from the twenty-four caves of the Southern Barbarians. Even if their heads are severed and sliced into pieces, they cannot die. However, he has never seen an immortal mortal and does not believe such a thing exists. Could it be that he misjudged her, that Ji Tanyin is not a mortal? Yet, there is indeed no trace of demonic energy on her, and he does not believe he could be mistaken. He is well aware of the distinctions between humans, demons, and immortals.

However, just as the clansman A was about to speak, the high monk's expression turned as cold as water, instilling a sense of fear in them. After hesitating for a moment, they ultimately chose to bow and take their leave.

She quietly looked at him and said softly, "I will not harm you." After a moment's thought, she added, "Nor will I harm the fox clan."

Elder Ding Xu has been informed of the news of Zi Fei's death. It is indeed a great fortune that you can escape unscathed. The two clansmen knelt down partially with expressions of reverence.

In the distance ahead, golden light flickered, and the grand monk immediately recognized it as the barrier of the fox clan. This must be the territory of the Orange Lake tribe. In this moment, a sense of security, akin to "finally being home," suddenly welled up in the grand monk's heart, prompting a helpless yet amused smile.

The monk Xinmao asked him: Yuan Zhong, may I ask you, besides yourself, do you still believe in anyone else in this world?

He is in a bad mood; anyone who sees their kin die before their eyes would not feel well. Moreover, Zifei was originally untroubled; it was he who sent him to investigate Ji Tanyin's identity. As a result, Ji Tanyin's matter stemmed from his own suspicions, and she has also died. Zifei's death seems increasingly unjustifiable.

"Are these old men from the Dingxu generation still unrepentant?" He took off his soiled outer robe and continued, "Fighting against the War Demon clan, today it might be Zifei who dies, tomorrow it could be someone else. If we all die together, they would probably be satisfied.

Water still dripped from his hair, and droplets clung to his long eyelashes, swaying unsteadily. Beneath the eyelashes, his two eyes shone with a captivating brilliance, with the outer corners slightly raised. His complexion was extremely pale, likely due to years of wearing a false face. Tan Yin suddenly understood why he wore a mask; such a face, once seen, would never be forgotten by anyone. The intense yet cold charm was enough to drive one to madness.

Is it possible to borrow another body? However, although she spent a very short time with the great monk, it was evident that this person is extremely suspicious. It is feared that he would never employ a maidservant. The reason he previously used her was merely based on suspicion. Even if she were to borrow another body and enter Fangwai Mountain without any flaws, she would still be unable to grasp even a single hair of his fox.

"Go back." He set down the comb, turned around, his face expressionless, yet his eyes were icy cold. The members of both clans felt a chill in their hearts at the glance of his gaze.

Tan Yin pondered for a long time before saying: "I am Ji Tan Yin"

At the moment of his death, the monk's only concern was him. Having spent a long time with Elder Dingxu, he had committed countless disgraceful acts and had changed too much. Elder Dingxu once said that this was his fate. After so many years, that hand finally reappeared in the clan, and he was destined to become the sharp edge of a fox's blade, mercilessly slaying any enemy.

He did not answer at that time, and he still cannot answer now

Moreover, being able to borrow this body is also a matter of coincidence; where in the world are there so many coincidences

When the grand monk returned to the inn, two clansmen had already been waiting there. Upon seeing him return unscathed, they both breathed a sigh of relief

The grand monk released a barrier that enveloped the inn, raised his hand to remove the false face, revealing a bloodied half of his face beneath. He glanced in the mirror and indeed saw a gash on his forehead. He paid it no mind, tore at his clothes, and plunged headfirst into a bathtub filled with cold water

He is confident that there is no immortal or demon he cannot kill, and even the renowned War Demon must submit to him. Yet, why is he unable to kill Ji Tanyin? Unable to kill her, he has no choice but to leave. When has a great monk of the Fox Clan ever been in such a predicament?

He let out a sigh of relief, only to realize that his back was drenched in cold sweat. He couldn't help but smile wryly, as everything that had happened tonight was simply absurd to the extreme. Was he perhaps trapped in some kind of nightmare

The grand monk first stared at her, his gaze filled with astonishment and disbelief, but almost in an instant, his eyes turned colder than ice. With a splash, Tan Yin was yanked and stumbled, half-leaning against the edge of the bathtub, while the window behind her closed silently.

The grand monk revealed a peculiar smile, and immediately she felt her entire body go numb, as the thick ice and snow almost instantaneously encased her. She sighed inwardly, opened her mouth, and gently blew; that thick layer of ice and snow instantly turned to powder, cascading down to the ground.

*

Tan Yin felt that she still needed to say something. She had imagined that the great monk would be furious and want to kill her, and she had also considered that he might unhesitatingly ask a series of questions. However, he said nothing, leaving her at a loss for what to do.

The monk Xinmao said: Our clan once enjoyed such carefree freedom... That was his last sentence, and after saying it, he passed away

The grand monk took a jade chess piece from his pocket, which he had previously taken from Tanghua to play with. He then aimed at the chest of the mechanical bird and flicked the jade chess piece forward. With a "click," the strange bird likely had some intricate mechanism inside it damaged, causing it to fall down at an awkward angle.

She racked her brains but could not come up with any clever plan, so she decided to stop thinking and went directly to see him

Clan member A hesitated for a moment and said anxiously: "Your Highness, the Grand Monk, the two of us have been sent by Elder Dingxu to assist you..."

He actually ran away

He does not believe that a mortal can survive, having had all his bones shattered by the war demon and then being frozen by it. Yet she can appear before him unscathed. What kind of demon has possessed her? Or is it something else he does not know about?

He took a step back, turned around, and the soap coat hanging on the rack seemed to fly over as if it had eyes, automatically attaching itself to him. When he turned around again, his face had already been replaced by a plain and unremarkable mask

What are you? The grand monk asked in a low voice, without any politeness.

Tan Yin thought of countless explanations along the way, such as that her constitution was special, so she did not die, or that she was a craftsman, so freezing her would be ineffective. However, upon careful consideration, these excuses could only be believed by a fool. She had no other choice but to ride the mechanical bird and circle outside, lost in deep thought

The two clansmen looked at each other in confusion, unsure of how to respond

Suddenly sensing something amiss behind him, he turned around and saw Tan Yin riding on the back of a bizarre mechanical bird, following him from a distance

The monk looked at her like a monster, not saying a word

The great monk slowly untangled his long hair and began to comb it, suddenly saying: "You may leave now, I need to bathe and change my clothes"

Are even the great monks preparing to leave Fangwai Mountain? The two clans were taken aback; they had lived on Fangwai Mountain since childhood, and the rules set by Elder Ding Xu and the older generation of elders were practically ironclad in their hearts. The actions of the great monk this time could already be considered heretical.

He took a towel to wipe his face and was just about to get up when he suddenly heard a "ka-la" sound from the window frame. The window, which had been securely locked, opened silently. Ji Tanyin, who should have been dead, poked half of his body in from the windowsill, only to be taken aback by the sight of him reclining naked in the bathtub. Both of them were momentarily stunned

It was not until this moment that he realized the girl before him seemed to be slightly different from before, yet he could not articulate what exactly had changed; her nose, eyes, and mouth were still identical, and even her hairstyle had not altered, but there was indeed something that was different.

He is about to leave. The carefree and untroubled state described by the monk Xingmao is something he does not understand, but remaining at Fangwai Mountain will only make everything worse

The lingering presence of the dark spirit! What exactly is she, and what is her origin?

His left hand was bare, only less than half a minute's distance from her neck, and she could clearly feel the faint chill emanating from his fingertips. She remained composed, calmly raising her head to meet his gaze.

However, the people of Orange Lake... Although they have long since separated from Fangwai Mountain, the deeper the conflict between my clan and the War Demon clan, all the clansmen must be restrained, and unity is the right path. Today, you have taken the lead for them, and I believe they will not refuse Fangwai Mountain...

The image of Ji Tan in my memory seems more like that of an ordinary person, with beautiful yet soulless eyes, a calm yet slightly youthful demeanor, resembling a true seventeen-year-old girl. Now her eyes are too bright; in the distant memory, those black, gem-like eyes flashed by, and he himself found it absurd