The Love of Mingya in the Fox Spirit

After hearing this, Xiao Hei raised its right hand with difficulty. Just when Zhuge Ming thought it was going to show international friendliness, it didn't raise its middle finger, but instead raised its thumb and grinned at Zhuge Ming. And you know what? Its teeth were really white.

Zhuge Ming was taken aback at first, then put away the other five formations that were ready to be used in the Qiankun Fan, and smiled knowingly at Xiao Hei on the ground.

"You're really not having an easy time getting revenge."

Chapter Twenty-Five: "Tushan, I'm back!"

"Little Black, after fighting with you for so long, although you are a bit dark-skinned, I have to say that as a magical artifact tool, you are truly a fighter jet among magical artifacts! I don't know how Li Quzhuo refined you."

It must be admitted that Xiao Hei's strength is extremely terrifying. If Zhuge Ming hadn't been able to store the array in the Qiankun Fan, Xiao Hei could have easily crushed him countless times just by inscribing the array seal. Judging from the strength of demons, probably only a demon emperor could reliably suppress Xiao Hei.

"Alright, we've been here long enough, it's time to go out."

In fact, ever since Zhuge Ming finished reading the last book, he clearly sensed that the surrounding space had changed. It was no longer independent and disordered, but seemed to be connected to the outside world and had become very stable.

So Zhuge Ming began to mobilize the Milky Way and inscribe array marks under his feet.

What Zhuge Ming was about to set up was neither a trapping formation nor a killing formation, but a spatial formation created in that person's book. Through this formation, he could travel to places he had been before, which is the legendary "teleportation"!! (Ahem, does this feel familiar?)

However, the formation that Zhuge Ming set up this time was only a one-time use and would be basically useless after it was used up. Although there were permanent formations, they consumed too much star river, and Zhuge Ming could not set them up at the moment. For now, the temporary one was enough.

However, this formation is extremely complex, and even with Zhuge Ming's current abilities, it took him a full hour to decipher it.

"Phew, finally finished." Zhuge Ming wiped the sweat from his forehead, let out a long sigh, and looked at the array in front of him that would trigger trypophobia in anyone else's eyes. He gave himself a small thumbs up for his talent.

Zhuge Ming's destination was Tushan. As for why he didn't return to the Dao Alliance, Zhuge Ming naturally had his own plans. As it stands, the Dao Alliance only sees him as that person's descendant. Although he would receive care from the Masked Group after returning, all his actions would inevitably be under their surveillance, which would actually make things more difficult for him.

Therefore, Zhuge Ming decided to go to Tushan!

Of course, Zhuge Ming's trip to Tushan was definitely not because he missed Tushan Yaya after not seeing her for so long, nor was it because he had carefully cleaned himself up after defeating Xiao Hei in order to see Tushan Yaya. Before leaving, he didn't forget to say to the water mirror he had conjured: "Good, what a spirited young man!"

"Oh, right, I need to find Dongfang Yuechu. Although I don't know how much time has passed, it must have been quite a while. I wonder if he has left Tushan. If he hasn't, that would be great, and I could keep him company."

As he thought this, Zhuge Ming slowly stepped into the formation. As he activated the formation, the silver light beneath his feet gradually intensified.

Zhuge Ming took one last, lingering look at the place where he had cultivated for so long, then chuckled at Xiao Hei on the ground, gave him a big "international friendship" sign, and disappeared into the air.

"Tushan, I'm back! Oh right, did I forget something?"

~~~~~~~~

In the archives of Tushan, a man with his face covered by a red cloth was furtively flipping through books, muttering to himself, "Wang Erzhu has been familiar with the habits of all flowers for many years, so he sowed them in the valley. When the time comes for a confession, all the flowers will bloom. Hmm~~, perfect! Not bad, this is it. Hehe, it wasn't in vain that I sneaked into the archives and quietly and elegantly flipped through them for so long, hahaha~"

"I rely on!"

Suddenly, a flash of silver light appeared behind him, and Zhuge Ming suddenly fell from the sky. At that moment, Zhuge Ming saw something was wrong, so he tried his best to control his body. Wow, a perfect 360-degree spin followed by a Thomas spin followed by... landing face down.

"Ahem, a mistake, I hope no one saw it." Zhuge Ming quickly got up from the ground, and as soon as he stood up, he found a masked person staring blankly at him.

The two stared at each other for a moment, and an eerie silence fell over the atmosphere.

However, after examining the person in front of him for a while, Zhuge Ming focused his attention on the few anti-Newtonian ahoge (cowlicks) on his head and immediately realized who this person was. He said speechlessly, "Hey Dongfang Yuechu, why don't you hide your obvious ahoge instead of just wearing a mask? Do you think this is an animated film where you can just put on a mask and nobody will recognize you?"

"Hmm? Was my disguise a failure? No, who are you, and what are you doing in the archives?" Dongfang Yuechu was taken aback at first, touching the ahoge on his head, but then he realized what was going on and looked at Zhuge Ming with a wary expression.

After all, Dongfang Yuechu was probably the only human in the entire Tushan, so Zhuge Ming's sudden appearance immediately alerted Dongfang Yuechu.

Dongfang Yuechu could sense a dangerous aura emanating from the boy in front of him, who was not much older than him. This caused Dongfang Yuechu to involuntarily tense up and assume a fighting stance.

He suspected that Zhuge Ming was sent by the Dao Alliance to steal information from the Tushan Archives. So, while speaking, he secretly activated his magic power, ready to summon the Pure Yang Flame at any time. If anything went wrong, he was prepared to strike first and kill the other party on the spot.

Zhuge Ming naturally saw through Dongfang Yuechu's little tricks, and he also believed that Dongfang Yuechu, who had experienced things that ordinary people did not have since childhood, would not hesitate to do something ruthless.

However, all that time spent sparring with Xiao Hei hadn't been for nothing, so Zhuge Ming didn't stop Dongfang Yuechu. He simply explained, "Don't you recognize me? I'm Zhuge Ming. As for why I'm here, would you believe me if I said it was an accident?"

"Zhuge Ming? That's right, it's you!!"

After thinking for a while, Dongfang Yuechu remembered that it was this boy in front of him who saved him when he first came to Tushan a few years ago. So he dispersed the Pure Yang Flame and his body relaxed.

"Didn't I hear a few years ago that you were taken to the Dao Alliance? How come you're here?" Dongfang Yuechu asked in confusion.

"That's a long story~"

"Dongfang Yuechu and Zhuge Ming, who allowed you to come here?"

Just as Zhuge Ming was about to find an excuse to fool Dongfang Yuechu, (Zhuge Ming: Would I, Zhuge Ming, tell anyone that the formation I created myself malfunctioned and sent me down in such an embarrassing way?) a faint voice from behind Dongfang Yuechu interrupted Zhuge Ming's thoughts.

Dongfang Yuechu shuddered upon hearing this, but didn't turn around. He stubbornly insisted, "Dong~fang~yue~chu? Who's that? But judging from the name, he must be very handsome... um."

"Come on!" The person behind was Tu Shan Rongrong. As a fox demon, she hadn't changed much compared to a few years ago; she was still that squinty-eyed, cunning, flat-chested little loli.

Thinking back, it was because she deliberately arranged her residence next to Tu Shan Ya Ya's that I got beaten up by Tu Shan Ya Ya last time. It was a truly unbearable experience.

Looking at Tu Shan Rongrong before him, Zhuge Ming thought maliciously.

Tu Shan Rongrong slapped Dongfang Yuechu aside and said angrily, "Don't think I didn't recognize your ahoge!"

"Why are you talking about my ahoge again? Is my ahoge really that obvious?"

Dongfang Yuechu felt frustrated, but still put on a flattering act, raised her hands, and said exaggeratedly, "Oh my, what an intelligent and clever Sister Rongrong."

"This won't work. You wait here, I'll settle the score with you later." Tu Shan Rongrong first gestured for Dongfang Yuechu to stand aside, then said to Zhuge Ming, "What are you doing here?"

"That Rongrong, it was an accident. I can't explain it clearly right now. Isn't there a Dongfang Yuechu over there? He must have a lot of gossip. Why don't we go ask him first?" Zhuge Ming chuckled. He hadn't figured out how to explain it yet. Originally, his teleportation target was the boundary marker of Tushan, so he could enter Tushan openly.

But now that I've been directly transported into the archives, it's like swallowing a bitter pill – I can't express my suffering.

"Okay!" Tu Shan Rongrong squinted even smaller, smiled mysteriously, and replied decisively before turning to walk towards Dongfang Yuechu.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Zhuge Ming stared blankly at Tu Shan Rongrong's retreating figure, recalling the strange squinting eyes and smile she had given him before turning around, and suddenly felt something was amiss.

"Wait a minute, I was tricked when she did this last time. What is she planning this time?"

Thinking of this, Zhuge Ming suddenly felt uneasy, his hands and feet turned ice-cold. This time, he felt he was doomed!

Chapter Twenty-Six: "Goodbye Ya Ya"

Tu Shan Rongrong ignored the guy behind her who was lost in his own imagination, and walked up to Dongfang Yuechu, pointing at his head and saying, "Next up is you. Trespassing in the archives room, 500 yuan fine."

Dongfang Yuechu was startled by Tu Shan Rongrong's words. He still owed a considerable amount of money to Yaoxinzhai. Where would he get the money to pay 500 yuan? This was going to be the death of him.

So Dongfang Yuechu quickly stepped forward and stroked Tushan Rongrong's soft hair, looking at her with stars in his eyes: "Oh my~, Sister Rongrong, my admiration for you is like~~"

But Tu Shan Rongrong wasn't buying it and completely ignored his flattery: "Come on, that's an old joke from the last century."

She then used a feigned retreat as a tactic, threatening, "However, if you tell me the reason, I might consider not imposing a fine."

After speaking, Tu Shan Rongrong's eyes, which had been squinting, suddenly opened to an unprecedented level. Unfortunately, she had her back to Zhuge Ming, otherwise Zhuge Ming would have exclaimed, "Good heavens! She's opened her eyes wide!! This is going to be fatal!!!"

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Yuechu was initially embarrassed, but under Tu Shan Rongrong's questioning, he revealed his plan. Or rather, Dongfang Yuechu deliberately told Tu Shan Rongrong, because the premise of his entire plan was to find out from Tu Shan Rongrong where his fairy sister would go every year on Qixi Festival.

Sure enough, after hearing about Dongfang Yuechu's confession plan, Tu Shan Rongrong hinted to Dongfang Yuechu as she walked away, "There's something special about the Twin Peaks and Valley outside Tu Shan. You might want to go and take a look. Remember, I haven't told you anything yet."

Dongfang Yuechu was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly said, "Thank you, Sister Rongrong."

After witnessing this farce, Zhuge Ming finally understood the current situation. Tomorrow, Dongfang Yuechu would probably confess his feelings to Tushan Honghong. However, Tushan Honghong, deeply influenced by the little Taoist priest, was focused on fulfilling the little Taoist priest's wish—that is, peaceful coexistence between humans and demons. There was no room left in her heart for Dongfang Yuechu.

Therefore, Dongfang Yuechu's confession was destined to fail, and "among a hundred flowers in bloom, he was alone by the river" would become a turning point in Dongfang Yuechu's life.

However, Zhuge Ming did not want to stop Dongfang Yuechu. Firstly, it was actually Tushan Honghong who wanted to tell Dongfang Yuechu these things, and he did not want to ruin her plan. Secondly, he really couldn't bear to be the bad guy and tell Dongfang Yuechu all this, so Zhuge Ming thought it was better to let things take their course.

Thinking of this, Zhuge Ming shouted at Dongfang Yuechu, who was daydreaming about how he would win the heart of the beauty the next day, "Hey, are you really going to confess to Sister Honghong?"

"Hmm? You also think I have a good chance, right?" Dongfang Yuechu looked at Zhuge Ming with anticipation.

"Um, of course I believe you. Good luck! Well, I have something to do, so I'll be going now." After saying that, Zhuge Ming quickly activated the "Close to the World" ability and disappeared from the archives, leaving Dongfang Yuechu alone inside, still fantasizing about his fairy sister.

~~~~~

"Sigh, sometimes I really envy Dongfang Yuechu. He fell deeply in love with Tushan Honghong when he was very young. During the battle against the Golden-Faced Fire God, Dongfang Yuechu not only told Tushan Honghong the secret of the crew, but also planned to give his life to save the fairy sister who had once saved him."

Perhaps that kiss was Dongfang Yuechu's innocent, budding kiss, and also his farewell kiss to the world. He traded his life for a love etched in his heart. Dongfang Yuechu, you met your true love when you didn't understand love.

In the inner city of Tushan, in front of the residence arranged for Zhuge Ming by Tushan Rongrong, Zhuge Ming was in a state of turmoil. Thinking about the expectant expression on Dongfang Yuechu's face just now, he really didn't want to shatter a young man's beautiful wish, but at the same time, he envied Dongfang Yuechu. He had a fairy sister for whom he could gamble his whole life, but what about himself?

"Sigh~" Zhuge Ming sighed, pulled back the jumbled thoughts from his mind, and pushed open the door to go inside.

Suddenly, a dark figure appeared in front of Zhuge Ming. Before Zhuge Ming could react, the figure knocked him to the ground and sat on his stomach. Zhuge Ming looked closely and saw that the dark figure was none other than Tu Shan Ya Ya, who looked furious.

"You idiot, you actually dare to come back? Before you left, you touched my head when I wasn't looking, and I still haven't settled the score with you. Also, where have you been all these years? I've been asking my sister to find out where you are so I can beat you up, but I can't find you anywhere!" Tu Shan Ya Ya grabbed Zhuge Ming's clothes tightly with both hands, shook Zhuge Ming's body violently, and said fiercely.

Hearing Tu Shan Ya Ya's words, Zhuge Ming felt a warm current in his heart. Although Tu Shan Ya Ya was sharp-tongued, she still cared about Zhuge Ming, who had saved her many times. This could be seen from the fact that she had been asking Tu Shan Hong Hong to inquire about Zhuge Ming's whereabouts all these years.

However, Zhuge Ming has been cultivating formations in that space all these years, so Tu Shan Hong Hong naturally has no way of getting any news about him.

"Thank you, Sister Ya Ya!" Looking at Tu Shan Ya Ya's cute face puffed up with anger, Zhuge Ming suddenly realized that he didn't seem to need to envy Dongfang Yuechu. Dongfang Yuechu had found the love for whom he could dedicate his life, and it seemed that he had already found it as well.

Since he was willing to risk his entire life for love, there was no reason for me, as a time traveler, to be any worse than him!

"Why are you thanking me so seriously all of a sudden? Do you think you can get me to let you go by being grateful? Let me tell you, dream on!" Tu Shan Ya Ya was stunned by Zhuge Ming's sudden serious thanks. Although her anger had subsided considerably, she was still unwilling to let Zhuge Ming off the hook easily.

"No, no, no, Sister Ya Ya, I brought you a gift this time. If you hit me, you won't receive the gift I carefully prepared for you."

"A gift? What gift?" Tu Shan Ya Ya asked with a suspicious look.

"Tomorrow you and I will go to a place where I have left the gift."

"Hmm~ You're kind enough to let me off the hook for now. But if I find out you're lying to me tomorrow, hmph~" Tu Shan Ya Ya smiled threateningly at Zhuge Ming, revealing her delicate little tiger teeth. At the same time, she slammed her right fist into the floor next to Zhuge Ming's head, smashing a large hole in the floor. The flying shards grazed Zhuge Ming's hair, pulling out a strand of hair that fluttered in the wind.

"I dare not~ I dare not~" Zhuge Ming was sweating profusely and managed a weak smile.

"You're smart to know what's good for you! Rongrong, let's go!" With that, she turned and left without looking back.

Zhuge Ming then realized that Tu Shan Rongrong had been watching him make a fool of himself the whole time. No wonder she had let him off so easily in the archives earlier; she was waiting for him here! If Zhuge Ming hadn't suddenly had a flash of inspiration, he probably would have had to lean against the wall to get in today.

Tu Shan Rongrong gave Zhuge Ming a strange smile, seemingly regretting not seeing an epic blockbuster released. She then left with her older sister without saying anything more.

Zhuge Ming watched Tu Shan Rongrong's disappearing figure, thinking viciously to himself, "You bastard, people with squinty eyes are all monsters. Tu Shan Rongrong, you just wait, I'll remember this grudge, and I'll get my revenge sooner or later!"

Chapter Twenty-Seven: "Flowers in Full Bloom, Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl"

The next day, at the gate of Zhuge Ming's house. (Source: www.Biqushu.net)

"You idiot, if you don't come out, I'll tear down your door!" Outside the door, Tu Shan Ya Ya, carrying a large gourd on her back, put her hands to her mouth like a megaphone and shouted loudly.

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Ming, who had been lying in bed and refusing to get up, instantly woke up. He used all his strength to get dressed and wash up, and arrived in front of Tu Shan Ya Ya in less than a minute. He knew that the girl was really capable of doing such a thing, and he didn't want his front door to be forcibly demolished less than a day after he returned.

"Oh my, I was wondering why the sunshine was so beautiful today. It turns out it's the lovely, witty, and generous Sister Ya Ya. What brings you here so early, Sister Ya Ya?" Zhuge Ming said with a chuckle.

"Come on, where's the gift? Where's the gift you promised me yesterday? You're not lying to me, are you?" As she spoke, Tu Shan Ya Ya's tone became increasingly hostile, as if she was about to deliver a heavy blow at any moment.

"How could I? How could I dare to lie to you, Sister Ya Ya! Come with me." Zhuge Ming quickly tried to calm the little powder keg in front of him, while secretly pursing his lips when Tu Shan Ya Ya wasn't looking, thinking to himself:

"Tch, you might not even be able to beat me if we really fought."

Zhuge Ming's thinking wasn't without basis. Although human lifespan is short, human cultivation progresses much faster than that of demons. Take Dongfang Yuechu for example; didn't he go from being completely powerless against Tushan Yaya to easily defeating her in just a few years? (Although I always felt that the protagonist's halo played a part in this.)