Inside the Formation Pavilion
The interior of the pavilion was dim, lit only by the glow of the formation disc floating above the meditation mat. A soft hum filled the air—low, steady, resonant with spiritual energy.
The fox stepped lightly across the woven floor, tail swishing lazily. Its turquoise eyes gleamed as it looked up at the hovering disc.
The lizard on its head twitched its tail, eyes narrowing.
The fox smiled faintly.
> "There you are."
It approached the disc, its surface pulsing with concentric lines of jade light. Silver runes shimmered just beneath its surface, shifting like water.
> "The core of the formation."
It held out a paw and, with a flick of Qi, the disc quivered—then slowly floated down into its grasp.
> "Without this, no one can control the estate's defensive array."
Lizarius on its head, lying on the pouch, stared—gold eyes wide at the disc—thought.
Is this the core of the defensive formation? I thought it would be like a demon core.
It inspected the formation core with sharp eyes, expression cool.
The fox continued:
> "Not even someone at the peak of Qi refining would be able to get out now. Unless he turns out to be a formation master…
It chuckled.
> "Which they won't."
With practiced ease, it flicked open the pouch hanging from its neck. The spiritual light flared briefly as it placed the disc inside.
It vanished without resistance.
The pouch sealed itself with a quiet chime.
> "And now... they're trapped."
The fox turned slowly, casting its eyes around the room.
> "Let's see what else this old guy was hiding."
It flicked out a wave of spiritual sense, sweeping it across the pavilion like a net.
Shelves. Scrolls. Bottles. Dust.
Then—three small jade containers shimmered faintly in the corner of a wooden shelf.
It strode over, tail swaying, and popped the lid off one with a nudge of Qi. A faint medicinal scent drifted out.
Its eyes lit up.
> "Low-tier Earth-grade pills. Not bad at all."
It checked the other two. Same glow. Same scent.
> "Healing, maybe? Or Qi-recovery? Either way… good stuff."
It swept them into its pouch without a second glance.
It paused. Cast its spiritual sense out again—deeper, slower this time. Every inch of the pavilion.
Silence.
Dust.
Nothing.
The fox tilted its head, mildly disappointed.
> "Hmph. That's it? Figures. He probably kept all the real treasures in his personal pouch."
Its ears perked up, grin returning.
> "Which means I'll have a fun time going through it later."
It turned, stepping calmly toward the entrance, tail flicking once behind it.
> "Alright then... let's go greet the clan head properly."
It sensed the clan head's arrival.
Moonlight pooled on the courtyard tiles; the fox's turquoise eyes glinted as it stepped from the shadow of the pavilion into the open. Still perched on its head, the tiny lizard unfolded, tail twitching like a metronome.
Shen Moyu arrived at the pavilion breathless, robes fluttering, eyes sharp. Moyu halted a few paces away on the threshold and froze. His gaze locked on the fox—sharp, unblinking. But what caught Moyu's attention even more was the strange creature perched atop the fox's head: a lizard-like beast with glowing golden eyes, tail curled lightly around the fox's ears.
His eyes narrowed.
> A fox? Don't tell me…
His hand hovered near his blade.
He blinked at the sight—an unarmed fox, calm.
He studied the pair in silence. The Qi around them was strange—concealed, but undeniable.
> Is it the one that sent the message through the guard? And that creature on its head...
"Who are you?" Moyu asked, voice calm but laced with tension. "Are you the one who sent the message through the guard?" His sharp eyes never left the fox. "Where is Shan Zhen?"
The fox blinked slowly.
Its voice came smooth and measured:
> "If you're referring to the cultivator who once possessed the formation core... sorry to disappoint—but I'm afraid he's already dead."
Moyu's breath hitched. "Dead?" The word spat from him like a blow. "What do you mean—how? Shan Zhen is a third-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator. He can't—"
He took a step forward, disbelief flickering across his face.
> Impossible. How could a third layer of Foundation Establishment. be killed so easily…
"That's the point," the fox interrupted, voice smooth as lacquer. ""He couldn't before. He can't now. He won't again. Not anymore." It took a slow step forward; the lizard's golden eyes bored into Moyu like a hot pin. "You should be careful with your assumptions, Clan Head."
A cold thread ran down Moyu's spine. If Shan Zhen could be killed without sign, then the hand that struck him must be—worse. Higher. Something capable of tearing through a third-layer elder like paper. The possibility settled over him like frost.
Moyu swallowed. The courtyard seemed to shrink; the moonlight felt thin and distant. "If that's true…" he breathed, voice small, "then whatever killed him may be of a higher layer. Or something far stronger." He clenched his fist, trying to marshal courage he didn't feel.