Chapter 5, Misunderstanding
Huiya's eyes narrowed, resembling a dog being scratched under the chin, looking quite pleased. He flicked his cloak and struck a pose as he took off, but when he rescued her, he still rudely let the branches rebound, striking her on the backside, causing a sharp pain. Out of embarrassment or to maintain decorum, she did not say anything to Huiya.
She decided with great trepidation that from now on, she would properly worship this life-saving tree, consecrating it as her divine tree
Thus, the singing continued, and the dancing resumed, except that no one dared to show a smile, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed. Everyone maintained a serious expression and exchanged pleasantries with one another, making the entire venue appear particularly solemn.
"There is no need!" Hu Chun smiled resolutely, "I absolutely do not want to wade into this murky water!"
The wild dog ignored her, sharply turning its head and emitting a growling warning sound, as if it would pounce and bite her neck off at any moment. The wild dog wife bared her fangs, sizing her up with disdain in her eyes, speaking in a sarcastic tone, "A vixen is indeed a vixen, charming in appearance! Clinging to those thick legs, we truly cannot afford to provoke her, we can only hide! We have lived on this beautiful Jinyu Mountain for nearly sixty years, and now we are told to roll away just like that. At least she has a human form, taking advantage of us!" After finishing, she let out a cold laugh, emphasizing the phrase 'taking advantage' with particular sarcasm. This vixen has not taken advantage of anyone; how could they possibly help her?
The wild dog wife also understood her husband's intentions, but her pent-up resentment had not yet been expressed. Therefore, she turned her attention to the wild dog, pointed at it with her paw, and scolded, "Cowardly dog!"
It seems that her strange feeling is not wrong; Huiya has developed some romantic thoughts. She is so wronged! She has no interest in Huiya, and besides, he is already married, and his wife is so formidable. She must have encountered some bad luck; ever since she transformed into human form, every step has been fraught with difficulties. If she doesn't get killed by a fall, she will be struck down by something else.
Hu Chun suddenly realized, listening to Hui Ya's cheerful laughter, he had once again turned danger into safety, his naturally smiling face became even more sincere, and his eyes curved even more.
Hu Chun did not find anything inappropriate about this action; she was already accustomed to being close with everyone, as it was common for good friends to be so affectionate. Being valued so highly by Hui Ya truly made her feel delighted.
Hu Chun's mind seems a bit muddled; can being killed by the deity's intention be considered a way to bring honor to everyone?
For someone who makes such an infuriating expression, no amount of pleading on her behalf will be of any use
Jialing is a rather impressive female demon who has declared herself a princess, which is why various princesses are commonplace in Qianfeng. However, those certified by Huiya are different; so far, there has only been one, Yun. With his decree, the value of the title "princess" in Qianfeng has significantly increased.
Hu Chun felt a bit embarrassed, after all, having lived for over a hundred years, she had long become a strong woman. Being referred to as "auntie" or "ancestor" by the younger generation made her mindset unsuitable for acting coy. If there was something she desired or if circumstances compelled her, she would act coy, but only in actions, like circling around someone's calf like a dog or clinging to someone's thigh like a cat, as seen when she tried to please Ju Feng; these were all animal-like displays of affection. However, as a human, this kind of delicate coquetry was unintentional for her, and even akin to a smile, it could be considered an inherent flaw.
Manager Wu immediately understood this statement and revealed a reassuring smile, "Your Highness, there is no need to worry too much; the King is very experienced in this regard and will certainly ensure your safety"
Manager Wu did not respond immediately; he merely looked at her with a sinister smile. Suddenly, he raised his hand and struck her on the back of the neck, coldly saying: "This is no longer up to you."
Hmm..." Huiya looked at her face, his eyes somewhat glazed, and said boldly, "For this merit alone, I want all the demons of Jialing to respectfully call you 'Princess'!"
She was in excruciating pain, and when she finally regained her composure, she realized that her foot was caught by a tree growing on the cliff face, leaving her hanging upside down from the branch, only about one or two zhang above the ground. In other words, she was just a hair's breadth away from being smashed into a pulp, and it was fortunate for her that this horizontally growing tree had saved her.
Huiya fell to the ground, but he did not put her down immediately. He was tall and strong, while Hu Chun was quite petite. He effortlessly carried her in his arms. "Today, you have brought honor to the many demons of Jialing, and this king wishes to thank you."
Upon hearing this, all the demons rose and raised their cups, joining Lady Yun in toasting to Yong Wei.
With eyebrows dancing and colors vibrant, raising her brows and pouting her lips, her eyes fluttering with flirtatious glances, and the corners of her mouth twitching.
"My lord, please put me down," she said, her voice trembling. In truth, she was frightened; anyone who falls from such a height and nearly dies would shiver. However, the way she spoke made it sound delicate and timid, turning her plea for help into a display of affection.
How can this be worthy of such praise? Hu Chun said with a grin, her usual slick tone resurfacing. However, when a fox says this, it carries a completely different meaning and auditory impression compared to when a seductress says it
She nodded slightly, but placed her hand on his arm, signaling him not to rush. She picked up a glass of wine, stood up, and toasted to Yong Wei: "The Hundred Demons Conference occurs once every ten years. May the Lord God and all the demon friends not be disheartened by trivial matters. Let us all toast to the Lord God, thanking him for gracing us with his presence at our grand event."
The deity looked coldly at Hu Chun, and although there was no expression on his face, Hu Chun could clearly see that his eyes were saying: I am giving you one more chance
Huiya was taken aback by her slap, and then burst into laughter, his eyes darting around Hu Chun's face, saying: "As long as you appreciate it, that's good."
With a loud "bang," something fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Hu Chunzhen was suspended in the wind, his eyes squinting from the dust, and he coughed repeatedly
Huiya gently whispered in Laiyun's ear: "I will go take a look"
Huiya transformed into purple smoke and flew away
Chief Steward Wu was somewhat impatient, "You think that Lady Yun is difficult to deal with, but do you think our king is easy to handle? If you still want to linger in Jialing, I advise you to just be the king's fox princess of Jinyu Mountain and Jinyu Cave!"
Hu Chun listened, feeling both grateful and moved. She heavily slapped the back of her hand against Hui Ya's chest, saying, "Old... Great King, you truly have a sense of loyalty." Behind his back, she and Bai Guang always referred to him as Old Rhino, almost letting it slip.
Hu Chun had nowhere to go; after some thought, she decided to return to her small temple. In fact, she did not find it inconvenient to live in the Fox Fairy Temple. It was simple, but she had grown accustomed to it
Hui Ya took this opportunity to transform into a purple smoke, evading the attention of the crowd, and pursued the direction in which Hu Chun was falling.
In the moment Hu Chun was thrown out, she felt an overwhelming fear, the sound of the wind whistling past her ears, rising and falling. She truly believed that after a hundred years of cultivation, everything had come to an end, that she would be killed just like that. However, as she fell vertically from the cliff, hope reignited within her. There was a time when she had gone to the top of the cliff to gather herbs for an old lady, and she had slipped and fallen from the edge. She had a tail and claws, which could slow her descent when spread out. Moreover, at the height near the ground, there were trees and vines that grew, and if she could grab onto anything, she could escape death and land safely.
Her heart had just steadied a little when it immediately shattered again—because she realized she could not revert to her original form! Without a tail, and lacking the ability to spread her four limbs, her body was thin and elongated, and no amount of flailing could slow her descent. It was not just her body that was plummeting rapidly, but her mood as well; it was over, completely over.
She cherishes this opportunity for survival! Frowning, anxious, with her lips turned downwards
As she approached the mountain pass, she spotted a family of wild dogs from a distance. The intelligence of wild dogs is considered poor among animals, and at their highest level of cultivation, they resemble a creature with a dog's head and a human body. The wild dog was pulling a cart, which carried their belongings and a pair of children. The wild dog’s wife was holding various packages of different sizes, and the couple was cursing and had an unfriendly demeanor—they were never in a good mood, always baring their teeth as if ready to bite.
"What that Xiuqiao fairy said, I really dislike!" Huiya said, "After all, I am a rhinoceros, not a nimble creature. Even after transforming into a great demon, I still speak straightforwardly." "That kick you gave her was quite satisfying," Huiya continued, laughing heartily.
"Old Wu," Hu Chun said earnestly, accompanied by a smile, which made his words seem particularly sincere and heartfelt. "If I go, my life will be at stake."
Hu Chun frowned and smiled wryly; no matter how much she was troubled or at her wit's end, she could still manage to smile.
The white light formed into a sphere and hurriedly rolled to the feet of the deity. She initially intended to plead for her friend, but upon stretching out her body, she saw Hu Chun's expression and the white light gave up.
Hu Chundai was stunned; the old crow was right. She was so preoccupied with fearing Lady Yun that she forgot to fear King Huiya.
"You deserve it! You deserve it!" Hui Ya smiled radiantly, almost outshining his dark golden armor. He set Hu Chun down but casually wrapped his arm around her shoulder, saying, "You still deserve me to treat you even better."
Huiya released her, raised an eyebrow, and cheerfully advised, "You can wander around for a while; I still have to return to the Hundred Demons Conference to socialize for a bit. Before tonight, I will have Old Wu prepare everything."
She has come to realize her position too late. Huiya said that everyone should recognize her as this princess, and with that title, she has now become the "Third" Princess! Who has she surpassed? It seems she must correct her own positioning; she is no longer just a fox, but now a rather beautiful fox spirit. The old routine of calling everyone brothers and sisters no longer works.
"Dog Sister!" The wild dog initially felt that his wife was scolding him quite satisfactorily, but gradually it became a bit too explicit. After all, Huiya could not afford to offend her, so he quickly spoke up to stop her, panting as he said, "Since we have acknowledged our defeat, let's hurry and leave, no need to say more."
Fortunately, you are safe
Princess Hu Chun! Manager Wu appeared out of nowhere, smiling so brightly that it made Hu Chun feel a chill in her heart. Just a moment ago, she had seen the old crow smiling at Lai Yun in exactly the same way. "I was just about to look for you, and what a coincidence that you have returned."
Although Huiya does not seem to be a meticulous person, he is quite considerate when it comes to taking care of others, after all, he is someone who can serve Laiyun. He inquired about Hu Chun's residence and stated unequivocally that she is no longer suitable to live in the Fox Fairy Temple, and he would have Steward Wu make proper arrangements for her.
Hu Chun turned and left, actually wanting to escape. How could she still be clear-headed about going to the wild dog's den? Moreover, she recalled the words that Hui Ya had said before leaving. Now thinking back on it, she felt goosebumps all over, filled with a lewd undertone. No wonder she felt a bit nauseous at that time.
Ha! Don't you know who it is? It's your family's great king, Princess Hu Chun! The dog sister has a long tongue and is skilled at cursing, standing with her hands on her hips and speaking fluidly, "It's our misfortune to live next to someone like you, the 'Third' Princess. Don't smile so smugly; everyone has seen the methods of Lady Yun. Be careful, or you might end up like a charred fox skin, and our beautiful Jinyu Mountain will be reduced to rubble because of you! You, the Third..."
"Brother Dog, Sister Dog, are you going on a long journey?" Hu Chun greeted them with a smile. The wild dog family lived on Jinyu Mountain behind her temple, which made them neighbors. Although they did not interact much on a daily basis, they would often see each other while foraging, so they were considered acquaintances.
When the fox says this, it is just an old trickster, a seasoned schemer; even if it is a female fox, there is nothing charming about it. However, the fox spirit—just like Hu Chun in her current appearance—when she says this, it gives off a feeling of wanting to refuse yet inviting, of wanting to capture yet letting go, a flirtatious and teasing demeanor
Just as she closed her eyes, preparing to accept the end of her life, she felt a chill by her ear, a sharp coldness rushing past her at an incredible speed. She immediately opened her eyes wide; apart from the constantly shifting blurred scenery around her, there was nothing else. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her back, as something snagged her foot, causing her whole body to lurch heavily, nearly pulling one of her legs from her body. She immediately opened her eyes wide; apart from the constantly shifting blurred scenery around her, there was nothing else. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her back, as something snagged her foot, causing her whole body to lurch heavily, nearly pulling one of her legs from her body.
Hu Chun felt a strange sensation in her heart under his gaze; she had never been looked at in such a way before, and it was not a very comfortable feeling
Hmm... Hu Chun replied hesitantly, as she always felt that there was something strange in Hui Ya's last sentence, slightly lewd, as if it had another meaning.
Hu Chun made exaggerated facial expressions, vividly conveying with his features: Come and hit me! If you have the ability, come and hit me!
Ah! Ah! Please don't go! The crow stepped left and right to block Hu Chun's path, resembling a rogue teasing a young lady. If you leave, how will I explain to the king?
Hu Chun realized that the wild dog’s wife was cursing at her, and she felt a sense of understanding in her heart. Nevertheless, she still mustered the courage to ask, "Who told you to move?"
Thus, the couple exchanged insults, each cursing the other, but in reality, they were indirectly cursing Hu Chun. As they pulled their cart further away, the wild dog wife, still unsatisfied, turned back and shouted from a distance: "I refuse to believe there is no place for reason! I know how to get to Yunshan!"
She heard Huiya's deep voice exclaiming with great delight
The deity was indeed blinded by the stabbing, disdainfully flicking his hand, throwing Hu Chun out in an arc like an object dropped from a great height, and then he fell straight down from the cliff of the mountain. Hu Chun's scream echoed long and far, gradually fading away until it could no longer be heard, leaving the gathering in complete silence
She was troubled and said with her head lowered: "Let me think it over, I will return to the Fox Fairy Temple first, and I will clarify things with Huiya later."
She blinked a few times, finally squeezing the dust out of her eyes, and only then did she see Huiya standing brightly right below her. The hair that she had let down was just a little above his forehead. He looked up at her with deep concern, his eyes reflecting a light that was both familiar and unfamiliar to her.