Inside the room, Moyan dipped a cloth into warm water and began to clean Jiu Loubing's body.
Her movements slowed when the dirt washed away. Beneath the grime, there were no scars, no open wounds, only skin stretched tight over fragile bones.
Moyan's brows knit together. "So thin…" she whispered. "So malnourished… no wonder she collapsed."
Her hand paused briefly at Loubing's chest. It was flat as a board, her frame so frail it seemed as though even a light breeze could break her.
Moyan sighed softly and continued her work. She dried her skin carefully, then found the smallest set of robes she owned and slipped them onto the unconscious girl.
The clothes still hung loose around her, but it was better than the torn rags she had worn before.
When she was done, Moyan slid her arms under Loubing and lifted her gently.
She stepped out into the courtyard. The fragrance of the Spirit-Nurturing Tree washed over her, and the air shimmered faintly with spiritual Qi.
Beneath its branches, Moyan laid Loubing onto the soft grass. Pale threads of light drifted down from the leaves, sinking into the girl's skin.
Almost at once, the color in her face shifted. Her breathing steadied, and her chaotic Qi, once thrashing wildly within her body, began to flow more smoothly under the tree's influence.
"This should help heal her meridians.." Moyan murmured. "At least for now."
She sat nearby, keeping watch as the light from the Spirit-Nurturing Tree wove itself into Loubing's fragile body.
The courtyard was silent. Mist from the Spirit-Nurturing Tree drifted like thin silk in the air, sinking into the frail body that lay beneath it.
Moyan sat nearby, her gaze steady, watching the faint glow mend what little strength the girl had left.
The sound of footsteps approached.
"You don't need to watch her."
Ye Feng's voice carried low across the stillness. Without waiting for Moyan's answer, his figure blurred.
In the next breath, a colossal fox stood where the man had been. Black fur rippled like shadow, and nine tails spread behind him, filling the courtyard with an oppressive, sacred aura.
He lay down beside Loubing. One massive tail curled around her thin frame, cloaking her in warmth. Beneath the tree's glow, his presence seemed to deepen the air itself, sharp yet strangely tranquil.
She was his to protect, so he would be by her side.
Moyan didn't argue and found a different spot to sit down.
He had quite the massive form, so she had to sit quite far but close enough to reach him.
His crimson eyes slid to Moyan, now he could ask the question that been burning at the back of his mind. "Tell me. Why chicken blood? Do you hate foxes so much that you'd smear it over your array just to keep us away?"
Moyan's lashes lowered. She extended her hand, her fingers brushing into his fur. It was softer than she had expected, warm and alive beneath her touch.
"What a beautiful fox you are.." she said softly. A smile touched her lips, calm but sincere. "I have lived for a very long time, yet this is the first black nine-tailed I have seen. A divine beast this magnificent… it almost doesn't feel real."
His ears twitched. "Flatter all you like, human, but you haven't answered me."
Moyan's hand fell back to her lap. "It is not meant to harm you. Chicken blood is only one of the components required to anchor the concealment array. Bear with it, while you are here."
Ye Feng gave no reply. He simply lowered his head to the grass and closed his eyes.
Under the Spirit-Nurturing Tree, his breathing soon grew steady, as though lulled by the same aura that wrapped the girl.
Time passed quietly.
When Jiu Loubing's eyes finally opened, the sun had already shifted high into the afternoon sky.
The first thing she saw was unfamiliar leaves, stretching overhead in shades of jade. The second was the weight draped around her like a heavy cloak.
Her chest tightened. She remembered the cliff, the sharp pain, and then nothing.
Where was this?
Had she been taken away?
Her breathing grew shallow, but she forced herself to look around. Not far away, Moyan sat cross-legged, her expression calm.
"Who are you?" Loubing demanded, her voice tight. "What have you done to me?"
"I have done nothing.." Moyan answered lightly. Her eyes softened as she tilted her chin toward the creature beside Loubing. "Your friend here would not allow me to."
"Friend…?" Loubing whispered, stunned.
The dark mass beside her stirred. Slowly, the nine-tailed fox raised his head, crimson eyes locking onto hers.
"You are finally awake.." his voice rumbled directly within her mind. "I have been waiting for you, Jiu Loubing."
Her heart lurched. The words sank in, but her thoughts scattered.
Confusion flooded her veins.
Jiu Loubing blinked.
It had been waiting for her. But why?
Her eyes followed the black mass as it shifted. Darkness collapsed into itself, shrinking and reshaping. Within moments, the towering nine-tailed fox became a man.
Tall.
Regal.
Black hair pulled back neatly, held by a simple brooch. Blood-red eyes shone with quiet authority.
Her breath caught.
"I am Ye Feng.." he said, voice low and steady. "I have been with you since the day you were born. I know your parents. I was sent to protect you."
Loubing's mind stuttered.
Protect her? She blinked, trying to place him.
The shape of a small, black fox appeared in her memory, a mischievous, playful creature that had followed her through the gardens.
The feel of soft fur under her fingers. The brush of a warm tail against her shoulder. A small laugh she thought she'd forgotten.
Her chest tightened. Could it be him? Could this towering man truly be that same fox she had known as a child?
"Protect me? I've been suffering for as long as I can remember. What difference could you make now? I no longer need you to protect me, when I needed it.....I was all alone.."