From the fake emperor to the concubine

“There’s crying,” Zheng Yi said. “It sounds like a child crying.”

Everyone was stunned. A child? How could there be a child in the wilderness of this ancient ruin?

"Could it be bait from some kind of demonic beast?" Zheng Bowen asked warily. "I've heard that some demonic beasts are good at mimicking human voices to lure cultivators into their traps."

“It could also be an illusion,” Zheng Hongzhi added.

Zheng Yi pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "It doesn't seem like it. The crying sounded very real, and there were no fluctuations of spiritual energy."

After saying that, he walked towards the direction from which the crying came. The others quickly followed, their magical artifacts already drawn, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.

After navigating around several jagged rocks, the group found the source of the crying.

That's a little girl.

The little girl looked only five or six years old, dressed in a tattered gray cloth dress, her disheveled hair covering half her face. She was curled up under a rock, hugging her knees, her small body trembling uncontrollably. The cries were coming from her, filled with fear and helplessness.

Zheng Yi's divine sense carefully swept over the little girl, and his brows furrowed.

This little girl had absolutely no cultivation. Not only did she have no cultivation, but she didn't even have a trace of spiritual energy. She was just an ordinary mortal.

This is strange.

How could a mortal appear in these perilous ancient ruins? And judging from her appearance, she's been in this wilderness for quite some time. With a mortal's constitution, it's impossible for her to survive in this environment full of spiritual energy and danger.

"Patriarch, this..." Zheng Bowen also noticed the abnormality and said in a low voice.

“I know,” Zheng Yi nodded. “Something’s very wrong. But no matter what, she’s just a child.”

He slowly walked towards the little girl, trying to keep his footsteps as quiet as possible so as not to frighten her.

Hearing footsteps, the little girl abruptly looked up. Her face was dirty and streaked with tears, but her eyes were exceptionally bright, clear and distinct. When she saw Zheng Yi and the others, a flicker of fear crossed her eyes, and she instinctively shrank back.

“Don’t be afraid.” Zheng Yi stopped three steps away from her, crouching down to make himself appear less tall. “We’re not bad people. How did you get here?”

The little girl shrank back, not saying a word, but just looking at him timidly with her big eyes.

Liu Ruyan stepped forward. Being a woman, she was more likely to put the little girl at ease. She said softly, "Little sister, don't be afraid. We are cultivators exploring the ruins; we won't harm you. What's your name?"

The little girl looked at Liu Ruyan, then at Zheng Yi, and whispered, "Little Yue."

The voice was very soft, with a strong nasal tone, indicating that she had been crying for a long time.

"Xiaoyue, what a beautiful name." Liu Ruyan smiled gently. "Where are your family? Why are you here alone?"

Hearing the word "family," Xiaoyue's tears flowed again. She choked out, "Daddy...Daddy's gone...I can't find Daddy."

"Did your father also enter the ruins?" Zheng Yi asked.

Xiaoyue nodded: "Daddy said there are treasures here that can be sold for a lot of money, which will buy me new clothes and enough to eat. But...but after we came in, I got separated from Daddy, and I'm so scared being alone."

As she spoke, she began to sob again.

The group exchanged bewildered glances. If Xiaoyue's story was true, then her father must have been some impoverished rogue cultivator who had brought his daughter to try her luck. But having been separated from her in the ruins, it was a miracle that Xiaoyue, a mere mortal, had survived this long.

Although Zheng Yi was puzzled, his heart softened when he saw the little girl crying her eyes out. Whatever her reason for being there, she seemed to be nothing more than a helpless child.

"Don't cry." Zheng Yi took a piece of pastry from his storage bag and handed it to Xiaoyue. "Eat something first."

Xiaoyue's eyes lit up when she saw the pastries, but she still didn't dare to take them.

"Take it, don't be shy." Zheng Yi placed the pastries on the stone in front of her. "Eat slowly, don't choke."

Xiaoyue hesitated for a moment, then finally reached out her little hand and carefully picked up the pastry. She smelled it first to make sure it was okay before taking small bites. Seeing how much she enjoyed it, she was clearly starving.

Zheng Yi took out another water pouch and handed it to her: "Drink some water, don't choke."

Xiaoyue took the water pouch and gulped down several mouthfuls. After eating and drinking her fill, the fear on her face lessened considerably, but her eyes still held a sense of vigilance and unease.

"Xiaoyue, how long have you been in this wilderness?" Zheng Yi asked gently.

"I don't know," Xiaoyue shook her head. "I can't explain it. The weather is always like this; you can't tell day from night."

"So how did you survive all this time?" Liu Ruyan asked curiously. "There are many dangerous monsters here."

"I hid in a crevice between the rocks, too scared to come out," Xiaoyue whispered. "I heard terrifying noises outside, and I even saw someone being eaten by a monster. I was so scared, I had to stay hidden."

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again.

Zheng Yi sighed. How terrified a five or six-year-old child must have been, hiding alone in such a dangerous environment. To have survived this long is either incredibly lucky, or there's another reason.

But no matter what, Xiaoyue is right in front of him now, and he can't just abandon her.

“Xiaoyue,” Zheng Yi said, “we’re going to continue exploring the ruins. You can come with us; I promise you won’t get hurt. Once we’re out of the ruins, I’ll help you find your father, okay?”

Xiaoyue stared at him with wide eyes: "Really?"

“Really.” Zheng Yi nodded earnestly. “I mean what I say.”

Xiaoyue hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded: "Okay, thank you, big brother."

Zheng Bowen stepped forward and whispered to Zheng Yi, "Patriarch, wouldn't it be inconvenient to bring her along? Besides, her appearance is too suspicious."

“I know,” Zheng Yi transmitted his voice, “but as you’ve seen, she truly has no cultivation. If we leave her here, she’ll surely die. Besides, if she really has some problems, it’s easier to control her if we keep her by our side.”

Zheng Bowen thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "The patriarch's considerations are thorough."

Liu Ruyan also came over, smiling, and said, "Since we're bringing Xiaoyue along, we can't let her dress like this."

As she spoke, she took out a brand-new dress from her storage bag; it was her spare clothing. Although it was a bit too big, it was still better than the tattered clothes Xiaoyue was currently wearing.

"Xiaoyue, come here, let me help you change your clothes." Liu Ruyan walked to Xiaoyue's side.

Xiaoyue was a little flustered, but looking at the beautiful dress, her eyes still showed longing. Liu Ruyan led her behind a large rock and helped her change into the new clothes. When the two came out, Xiaoyue looked brand new. Although the clothes were still a bit big, at least they were clean and tidy. Liu Ruyan also washed her face with clean water, and after washing away the dirt, a delicate and lovely little face was revealed.

"So beautiful," Liu Ruyan said with a smile. "Xiaoyue was already very pretty."

Xiaoyue lowered her head, her face slightly flushed, clearly not used to being praised.

Looking at the transformed Xiaoyue, Zheng Yi's doubts deepened. This little girl was truly extraordinary. Having survived alone for so long in such harsh conditions, she had no injuries whatsoever, only some torn clothes and a dirty face. This simply didn't make sense.

But since we've already decided to take her with us, let's just take it one step at a time.

“Let’s continue,” Zheng Yi said. “Xiaoyue, stay close to me and don’t wander off.”

"Mmm." Xiaoyue nodded obediently.

The group continued onward, this time with a little one in the group. Xiaoyue stayed close to Zheng Yi, her little hand occasionally tugging at his clothes, afraid of getting separated.

Zheng Yi slowed down to accommodate Xiaoyue's pace. Although he could use his spiritual power to carry her and fly, that would frighten her even more, so it was better to walk slowly like this.

After walking for a while, Xiaoyue suddenly asked, "Big brother, are you cultivators?"

"I suppose so," Zheng Yi smiled. "We are cultivators."

"Are you guys very good?" Xiaoyue asked, tilting her little face up.

"It's alright," Zheng Yi said modestly.

"Can you protect Xiaoyue? Xiaoyue is so scared of the monsters here."

“Yes,” Zheng Yi said earnestly. “As long as I’m here, nothing can hurt you.”

A look of relief appeared in Xiaoyue's eyes, and her tense little body relaxed a bit.

After walking for a while, the sun gradually began to set in the west. Although the sky over this wilderness had always been gray, the light was indeed getting dimmer.

"Let's find a place to rest first," Zheng Yi said. "Xiaoyue is still a child; we can't let her keep traveling."

The group found a suitable spot at the foot of a sheltered cliff. Zheng Hongzhi set up a simple defensive formation to block outside observation. Zheng Bowen started a fire; although cultivators didn't need fire for warmth, the firelight would make the atmosphere more cozy.

Xiaoyue's eyes lit up when she saw the firelight. She carefully walked to the fire and stretched out her little hands to warm them.

"Are you cold?" Zheng Yi asked.

"A little," Xiaoyue said softly, "It's always cold here."

Zheng Yi took out a cloak from his storage bag and draped it over Xiaoyue. The cloak was so large that it almost completely covered Xiaoyue, making her look like a little rice dumpling.

Xiaoyue, wrapped in a cloak, peeked out and smiled sweetly at Zheng Yi: "Thank you, big brother."

That smile made her seem much more lively.

Liu Ruyan watched from the side and whispered to Zheng Yi, "I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Zheng to be so good at taking care of children."

“I had a younger sister when I was little, and I took care of her for a while,” Zheng Yi said casually.

Deep down, he still felt something was off. This little Yue, while displaying childlike innocence in her gestures, sometimes had a hint of maturity beyond her years flash in the depths of her eyes. This feeling was fleeting, making one think it was just an illusion.

But Zheng Yi knew that it wasn't an illusion.

"Big brother," Xiaoyue suddenly tugged at Zheng Yi's sleeve, "can you tell Xiaoyue a story?"

"A story?" Zheng Yi was taken aback.

"Mmm." Xiaoyue looked at him expectantly. "Daddy used to tell me stories every night. It's been so long since I heard a story after we got separated."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened again.

Zheng Yi sighed and sat down beside her. "Okay, I'll tell you."

He thought for a moment, then said, "A long, long time ago, there was a little fox..."

"A little fox?" Xiaoyue asked curiously, "What kind of little fox?"

"A little fox that had cultivated for a thousand years," Zheng Yi slowly recounted. "This little fox was very kind and never harmed humans. One day, it encountered an injured scholar in the forest. The scholar had been chased by wild beasts and was severely wounded, lying in a pool of blood. Seeing this, the little fox couldn't bear to leave him to die, so it transformed into human form and rescued the scholar, taking him back to its cave."

Xiaoyue listened attentively, her eyes fixed on Zheng Yi.

"The little fox took good care of the scholar, healing his wounds, cooking for him, and talking to him. Gradually, the scholar's wounds healed. During this time, the scholar and the little fox became friends. The scholar told the little fox about the outside world, and the little fox told the scholar stories of the forest. The two of them, no, the human and the fox, got along very well."

Liu Ruyan and the others sat around the fire, listening quietly. Although it was just a simple fairy tale, Zheng Yi told it so vividly that it drew everyone in.

"And then?" Xiaoyue urged.

"Later, the scholar's injuries fully healed, and he was ready to go home. Although the little fox was reluctant to part with him, she still saw him off down the mountain. When they parted, the scholar said, 'Little fox, thank you for saving me. If you ever encounter danger, come find me. As long as I live, I will protect you.'"

The little fox said, "Okay, I'll remember."

Many years passed, and the little fox continued her cultivation in the mountains. One day, a group of demon hunters stormed into the forest to capture a demon. Although the little fox possessed great magical power, she was gradually overwhelmed by the sheer number of hunters. Just as she was about to be captured, she remembered the scholar's words.

"So, the little fox escaped with all her might to the city where the scholar lived. But she was already severely injured and collapsed at the scholar's doorstep. The scholar heard the commotion, came out to see what was wrong, and found it was the little fox who had saved him years ago. Without saying a word, he took the little fox into his house, treated her wounds, and even fended off the demon hunters who were chasing after her."

The demon hunter said, "This is a demon, why are you protecting her?" The scholar replied, "She is my benefactor, my friend. As long as I live, I will not let anyone harm her."

At this point, Zheng Yi paused and looked at Xiaoyue.

Tears welled up in Xiaoyue's eyes, but they weren't tears of fear; they were tears of being moved.

"And then what? Was the little fox saved?" she asked eagerly.

“They’re saved,” Zheng Yi said with a smile. “The scholar protected the little fox and persuaded the others, telling them that the little fox was a kind demon and shouldn’t be harmed. In the end, the demon hunter left, and the little fox was safe.”

"From then on, the little fox and the scholar became best friends. The scholar lived in the human world, while the little fox cultivated in the mountains, but they met often and kept each other company. Even when the scholar grew old, the little fox continued to protect him until he passed away peacefully. And the scholar's descendants maintained a friendly relationship with the little fox's family for generations." (End of Chapter)