The morning unfolded through the forest mist, like a flower unsure if it should bloom.
Xiao Huli, still in her fox form, walked beside Jiutian with soft, cautious steps, like a white shadow blending into the dew. Her ears twitched at every crack, every whisper between the leaves, every branch snapping in the distance.
Jiutian moved slowly. Though his major wound had healed, the Qi within his spiritual core was still unstable, and the battle against the demon that had injured him had left scars far deeper than his body revealed.
—This forest… it seems to ignore the passage of time —he murmured, looking around.
Xiao Huli didn't respond. She simply walked ahead of him, tracing a path she knew by heart. Small marks on trees, hidden root shelters, signs of passing beasts to avoid. Her life here had been solitary, but meticulously adapted for survival.
—You took care of yourself here all this time… —Jiutian said, a mix of awe and sadness in his tone—. This isn't a kind place, and yet… you turned it into your sanctuary.
The little fox let out a faint sound and stopped. In front of them, a split stone marked the end of the forest and the beginning of an old cultivator's path. Beyond it stretched the Borderlands of the Mortal Realm, filled with ruins, scattered villages, and roads leading to the world beyond oblivion.
—Today is the day we leave —Jiutian said firmly—. And you're coming with me.
The little fox tilted her head.
—I can't leave you here. I owe you my life. And even if you don't know it… you saved me more than you think.
He raised his hand and formed a small circle of light: a spiritual oath floated between them, invisible to human eyes, but as solid as destiny.
—I will protect you —he promised.
The little fox felt something stir deep in her chest.
She didn't understand everything he said.
But she believed it all.
Not long after, they arrived at the first human village.
It was a ruined village, built beside a dried-up lake, where the houses still stood but were covered in moss and time. Jiutian searched for supplies and a place to restore some of his Qi. Xiao Huli walked beside him… until the villagers appeared.
—A spiritual beast! —shouted a man when he saw Xiao Huli—. Catch it! It could sell for hundreds of spirit stones!
In an instant, four armed men lunged toward her.
Jiutian raised his hand.
A wave of golden Qi expanded outward with force, knocking them down without causing mortal wounds.
—Enough! —his voice carried the authority of the heavens.
The men froze, trembling.
—Who are you to interfere? That beast could belong to anyone!
—She belongs to herself —Jiutian replied—. And if any of you dares to raise a hand against her again, you'll bear the karma of a celestial prince.
Silence.
The villagers were not fools. That kind of aura only belonged to cultivators from the higher realms. They lowered their gazes, muttered excuses, and slowly dispersed.
Xiao Huli, who had leapt into Jiutian's chest during the attack, trembled. Not from fear, but from something deeper… an emotion she didn't understand. Her eyes welled with moisture as she nestled closer against his chest.
—It's okay, little one —Jiutian said softly—. This world is cruel to the pure. But as long as you're with me, no one will touch you.
That night, they camped outside the village, beneath a sacred rock engraved with ancient Dao characters.
While Jiutian cooked some wild roots, Xiao Huli watched him in silence.
And then, without warning, she moved closer, climbed into his lap, and rested her head on his arm.
Jiutian froze.
—Are you… alright?
The little fox just looked at him. Then, she made a very soft sound. An attempt at a word. A broken note. Something that didn't belong to the language of beasts.
He smiled, bittersweet.
—Sometimes I feel there's a very old soul inside you. That you've lived many lives… and that, perhaps, we've already met before.
She closed her eyes.
And for the first time since she awoke in the ruins… she dreamed.
She dreamed of an immense moon, of the reflection of nine tails swaying in the air, and of a name she didn't yet remember… but that her heart already knew.