I have the best bloodline

This cat must have been kept by someone before becoming a stray; it has quite a few wounds and is covered in dust.

Seeing how well-behaved it was, I felt uneasy instead.

Are you planning to surprise me with a litter of kittens?

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 65 The Mysterious King (Please read and add to your favorites)

"The day after we left Wanhua Pavilion, Xiao Chi showed signs of catching a cold at night. We originally planned to go to the capital city the next morning to ask the imperial physician for help, but on the morning of the third day, Xiao Chi developed severe diarrhea, and even the imperial physician's efforts to save him were in vain."

Sitting in the carriage carried by the celestial horse, Feng Shiqi recounted the events to everyone with a face full of regret.

Xiao Chi is the name of the fox kept by Princess Luanming. Xiao Chi is a red fox with a bright red body and a strong sense of self-management. In order to get close to the rich lady Luanming, it dyed its fur white. It is very good at pleasing Princess Luanming.

Therefore, even when Princess Luanming went to play with women, she would take the little red fox with her.

However, after their parting at Wanhua Pavilion, Xiao Chi fell ill the day after returning to the Xuanwang Mansion. Princess Luanming did not pay much attention to this, because it was the time when the temperature in Xia Yu dropped sharply, and Xiao Chi himself said that he had just caught a cold and was fine.

Unfortunately, after a night of diarrhea, by the morning of the third day, the imperial physician was already powerless to save Xiao Chi. The cause of Xiao Chi's death was extreme weakness that disrupted the body's five elements, leading to the depletion of his spiritual energy and a sudden, tragic demise.

The little red fox was raised by the county princess when she was a child, and now it has been more than 30 years. County princess Luanming even spent a lot of money to find a rare transformation pill for it, so that it could transform into a beastman form when it reached the Foundation Establishment stage, thus increasing its cultivation speed.

Xiao Chi's sudden departure was a great blow to the county princess, causing her to lose her appetite and lock herself in her room, becoming quite withdrawn. Seeing this, Xuan Wang was worried that his daughter was having psychological problems, so he thought of finding a little fox that could speak human language to accompany her through this difficult time.

Therefore, King Xuan was willing to spend a lot of money to urgently find Su Yan, the guard who had accompanied Princess Luanming to the brothel. Su Yan immediately reported Su Yan, the "fox demon of the Southern Prefecture," and received a reward from King Xuan.

That's why Feng Shiqi mentioned that an important person wanted to invite Su Yan to his residence for a meeting.

"A cold and diarrhea ultimately led to the depletion of spiritual energy?" After hearing the details, Su Yan's cheeks twitched slightly involuntarily: "Are you sure it wasn't an infectious disease? A common cold wouldn't have such power."

Feng Shiqi shook her head and said, "No, the county princess's mansion also raises other little foxes and demon beasts, and no abnormalities have been found. The imperial physician also said that Xiao Chi's sudden death was an accident."

Hearing this, Su Yan felt a little relieved.

The aunt, who was traveling in the same carriage, raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly upon hearing this, and chuckled inwardly: "What nonsense! Demon cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage are far stronger than humans. That fox definitely died at the hands of a powerful water-element cultivator."

Originally, Auntie agreed to go because the King of Xuan had given her so much money that she wanted to earn some extra cash. However, after hearing Feng Shiqi's story, she realized that things might not be so simple.

That old bald bird is clearly lying to the children!

Foundation Establishment stage cultivators are as strong as oxen. They can hoe the ground for three days straight without sleep or panting. Demon race cultivators of the same level are generally three times stronger than humans.

Demons do get sick, but no matter how severe the cold, it is impossible for a Foundation Establishment demon cultivator to die!

Judging from the symptoms described by Feng Shiqi, the aunt became increasingly convinced that Chihu must have died at Shui Xiu's hands.

A powerful water-based cultivator can not only summon massive waves to engulf their enemies, but also silently influence the bodily fluids of living beings, thereby interfering with the normal functioning of their organs and causing the cultivator to die from exhaustion of spiritual power.

My aunt herself was a half-immortal cultivator of the water element, and she knew most of the methods of water element cultivators. Therefore, the more she heard about the symptoms of the red fox before its death, the stranger her expression became.

That bald bird, Xuanwang, is just fooling children! He hasn't revealed the truth about the Red Fox's death.

………………

Unlike other horse-drawn carriages that are ground-based, the celestial horse carries the carriages that are pulled by it, flying through the sky and speeding along at high speed while its feet tread on the void.

The no-fly zone order issued by Emperor Yu of Xia applies equally to all cultivators in the main city of Xia Yu. Only in this way can the high altitude be cleared so that the people of the imperial court can fly without congestion.

If everyone were to fly through the air, wouldn't it cause a stampede and kill people? No one could increase their escape speed.

Therefore, Emperor Yu of Xia prohibited cultivators from flying at high altitudes, and currently only allows low-altitude flights of 20 to 50 meters.

However, Xuanwang's carriage could disregard this rule. Apart from not being allowed to travel over the imperial city, there was nowhere in Xia Yu's main city that Xuanwang's carriage could not go.

In no time at all, the celestial horse, which was as big as a dog, about two meters tall at the shoulder and as black as charcoal, landed the carriage inside the Xuan King's mansion and in the courtyard.

Led by Feng Shiqi, Su Yan and her aunt got off the carriage and saw a man sitting in the pavilion in the courtyard. His long white hair was casually draped behind him, his face was unhealthy and pale, and the dark circles under his eyes were so thick that they looked like eyeshadow. The black brocade robe he wore also gave people a very uncomfortable feeling, and at first glance, it could be associated with the style of mourning clothes.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you, fellow insect enthusiast."

The young man rose from the pavilion, and when he saw his aunt, a slightly forced smile appeared on his face.

"I knew the address looked familiar; it turns out it belongs to Fellow Daoist Insect's fox."

"Long time no see, King Xuan."

My aunt greeted me with a normal expression.

The two were not actually very familiar with each other. However, the size of Xia Yu's main city was relative. For top cultivators like them, crossing the border was only a matter of time.

The powerful figures of Xia Yu might not be very familiar with each other, but they had greeted each other and knew of each other's existence.

Xuanwang was clearly unaware that the little fox demon he had found belonged to Chongqiong's family.

When Su Yan met Junxia and Feng Shiqi, he didn't intend to develop a deeper relationship with them, so he didn't reveal anything except their race and names.

However, King Xuan was not a fool. Realizing that he had offended the arrogant insect people, he took the initiative to create a way out for himself.

The Proud Insect Clan. Although classified as exotic beasts, the Proud Insect Clan is highly respected among the demon race and is involved in some secrets known only to the upper echelons of the demon race. King Xuan does not intend to antagonize such a race.

"Please excuse my poor appearance."

Xuanwang stepped out of the pavilion, shook his head, and said, "The fox demon that my daughter raised since childhood has unfortunately passed away. Currently, she is unable to overcome her predicament with her own willpower. If she continues to sink into this state, I am worried that her Dao heart will be damaged."

"I hope that you can help my daughter out of her predicament."

The Fox Demon King could have as many as he wanted; the Pure Fox Clan was teeming with foxes who were starving and freezing.

He could find a suitable one if he wanted to, but the situation was urgent, and he needed to borrow a foreign fox to appease his daughter and prevent her depression from affecting Princess Daoluanming's Dao heart.

Whether the fox's memory was erased and thrown away after use, or whether it was kept in the backyard, Xuanwang didn't really care.

"This number."

Seeing this, the aunt didn't waste any words. The two sides weren't very familiar to begin with, so a few polite words were enough. Now that the pleasantries were over, it was time to get down to business. After all, the aunt ran a brothel, and there was an extra charge for home visits.

My aunt raised her hand and pointed to a number with her fingers.

Faced with the guardian's demands, King Xuan agreed without saying a word.

"Let him reveal his true form from the past! I'm in my dorm room right now."

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 66 Biting Fate by the Back of the Neck

After Auntie finished negotiating the price with Prince Xuan for Su Yan, she did not follow Su Yan to the side courtyard. Instead, she stood in front of the pavilion and watched Su Yan and Feng Shiqi enter Junxia's side courtyard.

After the two had walked away, the aunt turned to Xuan Wang and asked, "Was that red fox demon assassinated by a water-element cultivator?"

"Um"

Xuan Wang responded indifferently, confirming that his aunt's guess was accurate.

The Red Fox Demon did not die suddenly from a serious illness, but was assassinated by an assassin who infiltrated the Xuan King's mansion. The assassin disregarded the heavy guards of the Xuan King's mansion and even deceived the Xuan King, killing the Red Fox who lived in the main courtyard of Luanming County without alerting anyone.

Even the Xuan King only discovered the clues after observing the Red Fox Demon's corpse after its death.

However, in order to avoid causing a disturbance, the Xuan King, together with the imperial physician, misinterpreted the truth and ordered an investigation into the assassin.

"The assassin's skill is not much weaker than mine. We have preliminarily ruled out the involvement of those from the Nightmare Suppression Sect, as well as warnings from political enemies and revenge from vengeful spirits."

The Xuan King said calmly, "The clues have gone cold. We have no leads at the moment, so we can only start guarding against thieves."

The assassins came and went without a trace, leaving no trace at the Xuanwang Mansion. The investigation, including following clues and tracing back to the enemy, yielded nothing unusual.

"A water cultivator whose cultivation level is comparable to yours should already be quite famous in the cultivation world, right?" Aunt's expression became slightly strange, unsure how to comment on what had happened in the Xuanwang Mansion.

The whole thing was strange. Xuan Wang's cultivation was a level and a half higher than Chong Qiong's. Only a cultivator at the Integration Stage or the Refinement Stage could have infiltrated and committed the crime right under his nose.

Cultivators at the Integration and Refinement stages are among the highest-ranking members of various sects and forces. They wouldn't be so bored as to sneak into the Xuanwang Mansion to kill a fox. It would be understandable if they killed Princess Luanming, but Princess Luanming, who lived in the same courtyard, was unharmed, while the red fox demon was assassinated by the intruder.

All leads regarding the assassin have gone cold, and Xuan Wang has no suspects.

This infuriated King Xuan.

………………

…………

In the side courtyard of Princess Luanming.

Su Yan, transformed into a white fox, nestled in Feng Shiqi's arms and peered back at the courtyard, asking softly, "That person... is that the Xuan King? Why does he seem a little strange?"

You mean he's incredibly handsome and easygoing, right?

Feng Shiqi, seemingly unrelated to the question, completely ignored Xuan Wang's mourning clothes, weary expression, and bright eyes, and said:

"Lord Xuan is widely recognized in our circle as the most suitable person for marriage in Xia Yu. He is in his prime, possesses unparalleled cultivation, and has the bloodline of a phoenix. Many girls in Xia Yu want the title of Princess Xuan!"

"Did you consider Junxia's feelings when you said that?" Su Yan retorted hesitantly.

"Of course I've considered it! The county princess is so eager for a stepmother whom the Xuan King would approve of to appear."

Feng Shiqi explained to Su Yan, "The former Princess Consort of Xuan has been gone for many years, and the Xuan King has the bloodline of the Luan bird in his body. The Luan bird clan is a model of unwavering loyalty. The death of the Princess Consort of Xuan was a great blow to the Xuan King, and he has not been able to get over that grief to this day."

"The county princess has always hoped for the appearance of her stepmother, so that the Xuan King would not harm his health due to excessive grief."

The phoenix sings in harmony, and each phoenix has only one mate in its lifetime. If one of its mates dies and only the other remains, the phoenix will follow it.

This is the nature of the Luan bird. Before it truly falls in love with Minghe, the Luan bird is rather aloof. Once it establishes a relationship, it will remain faithful until death. Because the Xuan King's bloodline was not pure enough and because of his relationship with Princess Luanming, he did not follow his wife directly in death. However, his health also suffered some problems due to long-term depression.

This explains why Su Yan immediately noticed that Xuan Wang's complexion and state were not right when they first met.

The others did not show any reaction, because everyone knew about Prince Xuan's situation. His Majesty the Emperor had even held several selection ceremonies for Prince Xuan, hoping that he could resolve his inner conflict and accept his other half, Minghe, back.

However, this is not very meaningful, as there are certain reasons why the Luan bird clan binds itself to a partner.

King Xuan could never find a suitable person again.

It was also because of the Luan bird bloodline that King Xuan was so worried about his daughter.

"The phoenix and the birds sing in harmony"

Su Yan suddenly came to her senses and remembered an anecdote from her mother's treasured appraisal book.

The phoenix and the luan bird sing in harmony. The luan is male, and the song is female; when the luan and the luan sing in harmony, they can transform into a phoenix. This is why the luan bird is bound to one mate for life; the two are almost inseparable, and if one is in trouble, the other will inevitably follow.

Su Yan hadn't heard it before, but after Feng Shiqi's description of Xuan Wang's love, Su Yan remembered a story about a phoenix from a book he had read as a novel.

Seeing Su Yan's changing expression, Feng Shiqi couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

"fine."