Chapter 3: Gambling and A Small Fox

Reading Time: 10 minutes

In the courtyard, the smoke rose up in green wisps in the agarwood furnace, and there was the light smell of Handan in the air.

“…We, the fox clan, isn’t a clan who doesn’t know any gratitude, so Lin Lang is willing to serve the lords for the rest of her life.” Bai Ling held his chopsticks in one hand, and had already learned Lin Lang’s voice and accents, mimicking perfectly, “Our fox clan is loyal to our partner and hope that the two lords respect and follow our customs.” After she said this, she stopped and looked at Yu Mo expectantly.

Yu Mo laughed, and asked, “Aren’t you afraid that we already have a group of concubines?”

“That would be fine as well. As long as they all die, then there’s only me left, isn’t that right?” After Bai Ling finished speaking, she slapped the table, and said angrily, “It’s just a fox clan, right? What’s so special about that? She even dares to come here and boast!”

“But speaking of that, the people born in the fox clan are very pretty, and they are also really arrogant, so this was pretty much inevitable. Plus, this is something you should be doing, as a mountain lord, so what are you complaining about?” Yuan Dan patted Dan Shu lovingly, who was fighting to keep his eyes open. “If you want to sleep, then sleep. Stop yawning and trying to stay awake.”

Bai Ling got even more angry, and pointed to the three-tailed fox’s nose, “Men are all the same! Playboys, weak, and guilty!”

Yuan Dan was still petting the drooling Dan Shu, “Wake up.”

After ZiLin snorted lightly, Bai Ling immediately retracted his hand, Yuan Dan stopped petting Dan Shu, and DanShu woke up with a jerk, drool flying everywhere, “What’s happening, what’s happening?” Only YanDan was still looking down, undisturbed, and was dealing food to everybody, completely spaced out.

Bai Ling couldn’t help it, and spoke softly, “YanDan, if you say something, then the mountain lord will definitely listen to you.”

YanDan picked up a towel, wiped her hands clean, moved towards YuMo, and emotionally called out, “Master!”

ZiLin snorted out some wine out of his mouth, and hurriedly wiped it.

Yu Mo lightly shook her finger, and smiled, “YanDan.”

“Master, I, the concubine, have no other request, but to stay forever by your side. But that fox clan lady is a hundred times prettier than me, and I’m going to get embarrassed. As long as the Master is happy, I am willing to never embarrass the lord again.”

YuMo slowly held her hand, and said warmly, “Since you are so sincere, how can I refuse you?”

YanDan chuckled lightly, and turned to face Bai Ling, “The mountain lord has already said that he won’t be willing to kill us because of that fox clan lady.”

Bai Ling muttered in her head, “Why can’t you speak a little nicer, it must be so difficult for the lords to cooperate with you. The mountain lord sure is nice…” 

Suddenly, ZiLin asked, “YanDan, since you’re so capable, do you have any ideas as for how we should subdue the fox clan people?”

“ZiLin, you’re making it difficult for her,” YuMo smiled and looked at YanDan, “To be honest, Lin Lang relies a lot on her beauty, and I know that you wouldn’t let her win. It’s just that the fox clan is extremely arrogant, and wouldn’t be okay with a simple ‘later’, so can you think of some ideas?”

YanDan looked at him, pronouncing each word clearly, “Why would I do such boring things?”

YuMo’s finger moved, asking, “Did you guys all forget what the Lotus said earlier?” *Lotus refers to YanDan, because she’s a lotus demon.*

ZiLin couldn’t help but think that that annoying lotus demon will finally get scolded by YuMo.

YanDan thought for a while, and sighed, “Since the Master said that, then I don’t have a choice. I won’t take advantage of the Master’s love towards me.”

Lin Lang looked at the small three-tailed fox rolling around in pain, sighed from time to time, and petted the fox’s head, “ZiYan, please endure a little bit longer, they will hurry up and heal you soon. If even they can’t undo the spell, then I will bring you to Lord ot the Gods, and they will definitely be able to undo the spell on you.”

Suddenly, Lin Lang heard the door open, and footstep sounds. A lady, it was YanDan, wearing light green clothes walked in, holding a plate of fruits.

Lin Lang didn’t have any reaction and was busy comforting the small fox.

The footsteps got closer, and the lady reached her hand out, touching the fox’s leg. The black smoke moved away, replaced with white mist, and the three-tailed fox immediately stopped rolling around in pain and was quiet again.

Lin Lang looked at her expectantly, asking, “Can you heal him?”

YanDan shook her head, and suddenly smiled, “I can’t.”

Lin Lang didn’t move, disappointment showing in her eyes, “Yes, you can’t do anything, but your mountain lords can.”

YanDan looked down, and asked sincerely, “Is it worth it? You are willing to sacrifice so much for your fox clan, but they might not appreciate it.” She looked up, and stared at Lin Lang right in her eyes, “In this world, the mountain lords arent the only ones who can undo the spell, there are other people.”

Lin Lang didn’t blink or move her gaze away, as if she wanted to see something inside YanDan’s eyes, “You want me to leave? Are you the mountain lord’s concubine?”

“I’m part of the flower demon clan, and when I came here at first, I was indeed a concubine.” YanDan smiled, “I won’t bother Miss Lin Lang now.” And after she said that, she tuned around and walked towards the door. RIght before she walked out of the room, she heard Lin Lang say softly, “With your natural good looks, could the mountain lord ever treat you badly?”

YanDan stopped and said, “Take care, Lin Lang.”

“Wait!” Lin Lang stood up, closed the door, “Don’t be afraid, if you have something to say, then say it. I won’t let other people bully you.”

YanDan was filled with satisfaction, but kept a staight face, “Back then, I was forced to come here, and I didn’t know anything. That YuMo, he said that he only wanted the prettiest girl. At first, I wasn’t willing, but in order to survive, the mountain lord needed to look up to you. My flower clan’s looks overall weren’t that bad, so I just told the mountain lord, ‘I’m better than everyone else and my cultivation base was good.’ The Mountain lord was really happy, and allowed me to join him. But now, I realised that I made a mistake, a big mistake…”

“The Mountain Lord back then fell in love with a demon, and would go to such far lengths in order to get her, but until now, he wasn’t able to snatch her heart. Because of this, I…” YanDan said, and then started undoing her belt. Lin Lang was surprised and said, “What are you doing-” and before she finished speaking, she suddenly quieted. YanDan had turned around, showing her back, her skin color like shining white porcelain. Only to see that there were several deeply sunken and burn scar marks, showing how serious the injury was.

“Words have no evidence, but do you believe now?” She put her clothes back on, “Luckily, I’m naturally good at medicine, and managed to save my own life.”

LinLang’s eyes suddenly burst into tears, and turned to face the little fox, “What should I do? How could there be such a beast with a human face in this world?”

YanDan softly comforted her, “Miss Lin Lang, remember to be careful tomorrow, but time’s up so I’ve got to go.” And then YanDan closed the door, and walked away with happy and light footsteps. She smiled slightly, and then walked towards the Mountain Lord’s residence.

YuMo was waiting in the courtyard in front of the lotus lake, throwing fish food into the lake, attracting fish vying for the food.

YanDan leaned forward, “YuMo. YuMo.”

YuMo glanced at her, “What?”

She grabbed some fish food from the pot, and slowly sprinkled it over the lake, “Can you help me with something?” YuMo pushed her hand away, “Don’t feed them too much. What would you like me to help you with?”

“I want some sticky right, cinnabar, and some YeMing sand by tonight.”

YuMo turned around to face her, asking, “The first two are no problem, but for the YeMing sand, you’re going to need to find some bat piss yourself. It’s just bat piss, you can go find it yourself, there’s a lot everywhere.”

YanDan grabbed a big handful of fish food, and threw it into the lake, “If you don’t agree, I will feed your fellow clan member to death.”

YuMo glared at her. “YanDan!”

“Here!”

“No wonder ZiLin wants to skin you alive. Right now, I want to do the same.” He took the container of fish food, “You can lean back and relax, everything you asked for will be delivered to you tonight.”

YanDan immediately put the rest of the fish food in her hands back into the container, and smiled, “You always treat me the best. ZiLin is so fierce and moody, and doesn’t know any gratitude.”

YuMo smiled and watched YanDan walk away, only to hear a light cough behind him, and ZiLin walked towards him, “It seems like YanDan wants these things to detoxify the three-tailed fox’s poison.”

YuMo turned to face him, “Seems like it.” He crossed his fingers and leaned on the railing, “Anyways, we don’t want to do anything to the fox clan, if we do them a favor, it doesn’t matter if they remember or don’t remember. But we must slaughter their obnoxious arrogance, they even have the ego to say these things in front of us.”

“But those words you said before, it was for YanDan to see what the people in fox clan’s are like. How did you know that once she meets the fox clan, she will help them?”

“Well…” YuMo smiled a little, “We’ve known each other for a long time, I still know a couple of things about her.”

LinLang knelt on the cushion, and lowered her head, not daring to look up. She heard some light footsteps, saw the bottom of a pastel teal dress, delicately embroidered, and cold fingers lifted her chin up. YuMo smiled a little, “You’re still wearing that viel. It’s time to take it off, I only love pretty girls, and if you’re not pretty enough, then I don’t want to.”

Cold sweat broke off on LinLang’s back, and she quickly moved away a couple of steps, hurriedly saying, “N-no, I’m not pretty enough, and the Mountain Lord won’t look up to my beauty.”

YuMo moved forward two steps, “I heard that girls from the fox clan are extraordinarily beautiful, though.”

LinLang remembered what YanDan told her yesterday, and immediately shook her head, “No, it’s not like that.” She randomly pointed to one of the servant girls, “Mountain Lord, I’m not even as pretty as her!”

Looking in the direction LinLang pointed her finger, YanDan stood on the side, bowing, “Mountain Lord.”

YuMo laughed quietly, “There really is you.”

YanDan modestly said, “The Mountain Lord is speaking too highly of myself, I’m not that beautiful.”

LinLang looked this way, and then that way with large eyes, and quickly realised something was wrong. Her eyes were as sharp as a blade, and were pointed towards YanDan, “You lied to me.” She suddenly tore off the veil, revealing a gorgeous face underneath, “You dare lie to me, you said that you’re not the Mountain Lord’s concubine, and that you were forced here!”

YuMo nodded, “What you just said was true.”

“You also said that you took the initiative to tell the Mountain Lord that you were better than other people, so that was the reason he chose you!”

“That was also true, at that time, when YanDan came to the Yelan Mountain, there was something like this happening.”

LinLang was trembling with anger, “Then-then she also said that the scars on her back were because of you!”

YanDan couldn’t help but retort, “When I showed you those scars, I never said that the Mountain Lord did that to me.”

“But, but you also said that a demon stole the Mountain Lord’s heart, so he now hates demon girls with beautiful looks, and even tortured them…” Her voice diedd down slowly, but YuMo still listened, even though he didn’t care.

YanDan sighed with sincere regret, “The demon stealing his heart is true, but I haven’t told you why that is related to my scars. You were the one who connected them together, even though I didn’t say anything.”

LinLang trembled for a long time, her face white, and closed her mouth and said nothing.

YuMo looked at her sympathetically, turned to look at YanDan, and then flicked his sleeves and went to sit down next to ZiLin.

Then, a small, white, and furry head stuck out of LinLang’s cloak, and the small fox’s obsidian eyes blinked. Yandan suddenly extended her hand, and grabbed the fox in her hand.

Once the small fox left his sister’s side, he yelled out surprisingly and kept struggling against YanDan’s grip.

LinLang was shocked, “What are you doing?!”

YanDan put the plate that was in her hands down, “Detoxifying the poison.” She took out a small knife, rested her fingers on the blade, and swiped lightly. Dark red blood imediately began gushing out.

“But yesterday you said that you couldn’t detoxify it…” LinLang said half a sentence, and then closed her mouth. She wasn’t that dumb, and looking at the plate of things on the ground, she realised that when YanDan said “can’t detoxify it”, she meant that she currently didn’t have the things to detoxify it yet.

YanDan pressed the small fox onto the ground, and put her cut fingers on his leg. The sides of her mouth moved slightly, as if to chant a spell, and the dark poison on the fox’s leg was slowly starting to lighten. But the cloud of black mist was becoming larger and larger. YanDan let go of the fox, and then grabbed a handful of the cinnabar and sticky rice, and sprinkled it onto the fox’s leg. After chirp sound, the black mist disappeared entirely.

She grabbed the rest of the things on the plate, and gave them to LinLang, “Once the fox eats all of this, he will be fine.”

LinLang took the plate, and bowed, “Thank you, Miss YanDan.” She beckoned towards the small fox, “Come here.”

YuMo saw the three-tailed fox’s complicated expression while eating what was left on the plate. If he remembered correctly, that was Yeming sand, aka bat piss, and it was fresh as well, since he got it last night.

ZiLin stood up, “Miss LinLang, since we can be considered friends, then what we said earlier could be a joke, so let’s leave it here. A banquet has already been prepared outside in the courtyard, so please come along.”

LinLang smiled, looking at YanDan, “No, how could I take back a promise? Since YanDan already saved my little brother, then I should serve her during the banquet.” She thought for a little while, and then added, “If YanDan doesn’t like it, then I can also wear some male clothes, and then serve her,” stressing the word serve.

YanDan was startled, and looked at YuMo. LinLang laced her fingers together, “If you aren’t the Mountain Lord’s concubine, then there shouldn’t be a problem, right? Or is my beauty not good enough for you?”

YanDan pointed at the small fox, “To be honest, I like him a little more, he’s both soft and small.”

The fox immediately jumped off the plate, lept onto YanDan, and rubbed his cheek against her. YanDan grabbed him, and his little tongue started furiously licking her finger tips.

LinLang smiled watching YanDan and the fox, “Since YanDan likes him, that also works, but” she paused, “ZiDan is very irresponsible.”