Hope the coming days will be a bit more peaceful.

As long as you’re alive, that’s what matters most.

Su Ji reached out a single finger, gently touching the little fox’s exposed nose tip.

It was warm.

The little fox seemed to sense the disturbance. Its tightly shut eyelids fluttered but didn’t open. Instead, it burrowed its head deeper into the blanket and let out a faint, tiny whimper.

“Don’t worry so much.”

Yun Yao had come over at some point, still carrying that purple clay teapot. She looked down at the pair—the man and the fox.

“It was hurt pretty badly, that’s true.”

She paused for a moment, a note of pride creeping into her voice.

“But lucky for it, it ran into me.”

“I used the Yin-Yang Sect’s special ‘Revival Powder’ and ran spiritual energy through its meridians several times to smooth them out.”

“It’s still weak, but at least its life is hanging by a thread for now.”

Yun Yao crouched down, reaching out a finger to poke the little “white dumpling.”

“It woke up once about five days ago, but since its body’s too depleted, it spends most of its time sleeping to recover. It’s only awake for about half an hour a day.”

“Thank you…”

This time, he truly meant to express his gratitude.

But before he could finish, Yun Yao cut him off.

She didn’t care about his thanks at all. Instead, she leaned in with a curious look, her big, watery eyes fixed on Su Ji’s face.

“Hold on—don’t thank me yet.”

She blinked, her voice dropping to a mysterious murmur.

“I’ve been holding onto a question for days, and I’ve been dying to ask you.”

Su Ji was taken aback.

Right then, his gratitude toward this lifesaver was overflowing.

He’d answer not just one question but ten, as long as they didn’t cross his boundaries.

“Please, go ahead.”

Su Ji adjusted his sitting position, trying to look as composed as possible, even though his entire body ached as if it were being tortured.

Yun Yao glanced around, making sure the door was shut tight, then leaned in even closer.

The faint orchid-like fragrance drifted straight into Su Ji’s nose.

“That…”

She pointed a finger at Su Ji, then at the fox in its little nest.

“You… are you from the yao clan?”

Su Ji: “?”

He instinctively shook his head. “No, I’m human. A proper human.”

“Really?”

Yun Yao clearly didn’t believe him. Her big eyes shimmered with suspicion, mixed with an odd flicker of excitement.

“But when I picked you up, you had a faint trace of yao energy on you!”

She pointed at Su Ji’s face—though gaunt with illness, it still showed signs of handsomeness.

“And the key thing is, you’re pretty good-looking.”

Su Ji’s mouth twitched.

What kind of reasoning was that? Being good-looking meant you’re from the yao clan?

Was the Chaotic Star Sea’s standard of beauty really this reckless?

“Fellow cultivator, I really am human.”

Su Ji explained patiently, “As for the yao energy… maybe it’s from killing some yao beasts out in the wilds.”

It was a perfectly reasonable explanation.

But Yun Yao didn’t seem to buy it.

She stared at Su Ji, her eyes growing brighter.

“No, no, no!”

She shook her head, her ponytail swinging back and forth.

“That kind of aura… it’s special, pure—not the kind you just pick up from contact!”

“And you care so much about that fox—you risked your life to protect it…”

“Would a normal person really value a pet more than their own life?”

Su Ji opened his mouth, about to say, “Because she’s my junior sister,” but the words caught in his throat.

If he said that, it would only make things harder to explain.

Seeing him stay silent, Yun Yao took this as confirmation. She became visibly excited.

She grabbed Su Ji’s wrist. Her grip was shockingly strong, squeezing hard enough to make his bones creak.

“Tell me the truth!”

She stared into his eyes, her tone urgent, almost pleading.

“Are you a fox spirit?”

Su Ji: “…”

“Are you a fox spirit?”

When Su Ji didn’t respond, she asked again, her voice full of anticipation.

“Come on! Are you a fox spirit or not?”

A third time.

Su Ji felt his temples throbbing with a splitting headache.

He looked at this girl, her eyes gleaming as if she expected him to sprout a pair of ears right then and there.

He decided to retract all his earlier gratitude.

This girl…

She was clearly missing a few brain cells!

Who in their right mind picks up a grown man, takes him home, and eagerly asks if he’s a fox spirit?!

“Fellow cultivator…”

Su Ji pulled his hand free from her grip.

“I’ll say this one last time.”

“I am human.”

“Purebred, walking upright, human!”

“And…”

“Do I look anything like a fox to you?”

“No ears, no tail, and I can’t do charm spells.”

Hearing this, the light in Yun Yao’s eyes instantly dimmed.

She let go of his hand and slumped back to the ground, muttering under her breath.

“Not one, huh…”

“How boring…”

“I thought I’d hit the jackpot…”

“The book says a good-looking man with yao energy is usually a fox spirit in disguise. They’re the best at bewitching people, and they always repay kindness…”

Listening to her mumble, Su Ji felt nothing but exhaustion.

What kind of nonsense books did this girl usually read?

“That said…”

Su Ji decided he couldn’t dwell on this topic any longer, or she might come up with something even more outrageous.

“Yun Yao, fellow cultivator.”

He forced a change of subject. “Since this is the Yin-Yang Sect… won’t bringing me here cause you trouble?”

“I’m just an outsider with unknown origins.”

Mentioning serious matters finally snapped Yun Yao out of her strange disappointment.

She waved her hand dismissively, looking completely unconcerned.

“Don’t worry.”

“This is Kongxuan Mountain, my master’s territory.”

“My master’s always in seclusion. As long as I don’t blow up the mountain, he couldn’t care less about these little things.”

She paused, as if remembering something, and added,

“As for my junior disciple…”

She curled her lip in disgust.

“He’s a bit of a nag, but he always listens to me.”

“As long as I don’t let him in the room, he’d stand frozen at the door and never dare step inside.”

Su Ji nodded, feeling a bit more at ease.

So he was safe for now.

As long as that apparently sharp-eyed junior didn’t come after him on purpose, he could lie low here, recover from his injuries, and take it one day at a time.

“But…”

Yun Yao suddenly changed the subject, looking Su Ji up and down.

“Your injuries are really troublesome.”

“Meridians snapped, golden core shattered.”

“If it weren’t for me, someone else would’ve buried you by now.”

She stood up, brushing the dust off her skirt.

“Take a rest here. I’ll go get you some medicine.”

“I can’t restore your cultivation, but at least I can help you walk a couple of steps on your own.”

After she finished speaking, she didn’t wait for Su Ji to respond, turned around, and walked out.

When she reached the doorway, she suddenly halted.

She looked back at Su Ji, a hint of unwillingness still lingering in her eyes.

“Hey.”

“You’re really not a fox spirit?”

“Not even… not even a little bit of fox blood in you?”

Su Ji: “…”

“Sigh…”

Yun Yao let out a long sigh.

“Fine. If you’re not, you’re not.”

“What a waste of that handsome face…”

She shook her head, a look of regret on her face, and pushed open the door to leave.

With a creak, the door closed behind her.

The room fell quiet again.

Su Ji slumped to the floor, staring at the now-shut door, then glanced at Su Jiu sleeping soundly in her nest nearby.

A strange sense of having just barely escaped disaster washed over him.

This Chaos Star Sea…

This Yin Yang Sect…

And this dim-witted savior of his…

He could only hope that the days ahead would be a bit calmer.