Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

The rain stopped, but the fog in Yunmengze became even thicker.

The two did not linger in that drafty, shallow pit. They followed the rock wall for half an hour and found a dry, secluded stalactite cave.

The cave was pitch black, and the ground was covered with pebbles and bat droppings.

Bai Yin settled Su Xiaojiu on a flat, large blue stone, then turned around and began to busy himself.

His right hand was still in a sling in front of his chest, so he could only work with his left hand.

This tiger is stubborn.

He picked up the dozens of kilograms of rubble with one hand and threw them out of the cave one by one.

After clearing away the rocks, they somehow got a large bundle of dried lemongrass and laid it on a sheltered stone platform at the deepest part of the cave.

They laid layer after layer until they could press down on it and sink in half a palm deep before they stopped.

Su Xiaojiu sat on the bluestone, swinging her legs, watching him bustle around.

Bai Yin's forehead was covered in sweat, mixed with blood on his face, making him look disheveled, but his movements were swift and efficient.

He even used that broken sword to carve a pit in the stone, diverting the spring water dripping from the cave ceiling into it, making a simple water trough.

"Alright."

Su Xiaojiu jumped off the bluestone, walked to the pile of soft grass and pressed it down, "If we lay any more, it will reach the top of the cave."

Bai Yin stood to the side, hastily rubbing the mud off his hands. "The ground is cold."

"Come here." Su Xiaojiu didn't reply, but pointed to the straw mat. "Sit down."

Bai Yin didn't move, but shrank back a little. "I'm dirty, don't ruin the straw mat."

"I told you to sit down," Su Xiaojiu emphasized.

Bai Yin stiffened, then obediently walked over and sat down on the edge of the straw mat he had carefully laid out, barely touching the bottom.

Su Xiaojiu took out the white jade bottle from her bosom; it was the "Rejuvenating Dew" that the system had rewarded her with.

"Take off your clothes."

Bai Yin suddenly looked up, his golden pupils contracting slightly, and his hands instinctively gripped his collar. "What are you doing?"

"Apply the medicine." Su Xiaojiu shook the bottle. "If you don't treat your wound soon, it'll rot on your body. Don't call me if it gets infested with maggots."

"I can do it myself." Bai Yin reached out to take the bottle.

Su Xiaojiu pulled her hand away, leaving him with empty air. "Your right hand is useless, how can your left hand reach your back? Stop talking nonsense and take it off."

Bai Yin gritted his teeth, and the veins on his neck bulged out.

He gripped his collar tightly and wouldn't let go.

"What? Shy?" Su Xiaojiu leaned closer, staring into his eyes. "We've been living in this cave for so long, what part of your body haven't I seen?"

"No..." Bai Yin turned his head away, his voice muffled, "Ugly."

"What?"

"Scars are ugly."

The injuries on his body weren't just from this incident.

For the past twenty years, he has been rolling around in piles of corpses, and his body is covered in sores that there isn't a single good piece of flesh left.

Those crisscrossing scars, like centipedes crawling all over his body, were hideous and terrifying.

He had heard it in the storyteller's tale: the beautiful woman loved the young man in white, not a beast like him covered in rotten flesh.

Su Xiaojiu was stunned for a moment.

Looking at the tiger with its head buried in its chest, her mischievous impulse suddenly vanished.

"Bai Yin," she called out.

Bai Yin did not respond.

"Your life is mine." Su Xiaojiu reached out and forcefully pried open his fingers that were gripping her collar. "Since it's mine, whether it's ugly or not is up to me."

The fingers were pried apart one by one.

Bai Yin didn't dare to resist forcefully, afraid of hurting her, and could only let her tear open the tattered Taoist robe.

His clothes slipped off.

Although Su Xiaojiu was mentally prepared, her breath still caught in her throat when she saw the body.

It was indeed a tragic scene.

New wounds piled on top of old wounds, knife marks covered sword holes.

Especially around the waist and abdomen, the Taoist's golden net had twisted the skin and flesh so deeply that the bone was visible, and the blood had soaked through the underpants.

"Hiss—" Su Xiaojiu gasped, "Is your tiger skin made of iron?"

She uncorked the bottle and poured a little emerald green liquid onto her fingertip.

Cool fingertips touched burning hot skin.

Bai Yin tensed up instantly, his muscles hardening like rocks.

"Relax a bit." Su Xiaojiu patted his shoulder. "You're as hard as an iron plate, how's the medicine going to seep in?"

Baek In's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and sweat poured even more heavily from his forehead.

This is pure torture.

The slender, cool finger traced circles on the most sensitive skin of his waist.

The medicine seeped into the wound, causing both pain and itching, and then seeped directly into the bone along the nerve endings.

He could smell her scent.

It doesn't smell like cosmetics; it has a faint milky fragrance mixed with the scent of grass and trees after the rain.

The smell wafted into his nose, stirring the wild beast within him.

"Don't move." Su Xiaojiu pressed down on his waist as he tried to dodge. "This medicine is very precious. If you spill even a drop, I couldn't afford to pay for it even if I sold you."

Bai Yin gritted his teeth and gripped the dry grass beneath him with both hands, tearing the pile of grass to shreds.

Su Xiaojiu chuckled inwardly as she looked at his alarmed expression.

This tiger kills without batting an eye, but applying medicine to it feels like it's going to kill him.

[Ding! The target is in a state of extreme tension and excitement. Favorability +2. Current Favorability: 82.]

The system notification tone sounded at the appropriate time.

Su Xiaojiu's lips twitched.

excited?

Does this system have some misunderstanding about excitement?

After applying the medicine, Su Xiaojiu took out a clean strip of cloth, wrapped it around his waist, and bandaged him up.

The two were very close together.

Her arms wrapped around his waist, and her cheek was almost pressed against his chest.

Bai Yin could even feel her warm breath spraying on his skin.

Boom, boom, boom.

My heart was pounding like a drum.

"Alright." Su Xiaojiu tied a knot and stepped back. "Don't get it wet these next few days, and don't move around too much."

Bai Yin let out a long breath, as if he had just fought a fierce battle, and collapsed onto the haystack, completely exhausted.

"Are you hungry?" Su Xiaojiu turned around to tend to the fire. "I just speared a couple of fish by the river to help you recover."

The fire crackled and popped.

The aroma of grilled fish quickly filled the cave.

Su Xiaojiu blew on the grilled fish to cool it down, then tore off a piece of the tenderest belly meat and offered it to Bai Yin's mouth.

Open your mouth.

Bai Yin leaned back slightly. "I'll eat it myself."

"You just got your hand bandaged, and you want to unwrap it?" Su Xiaojiu glared at him. "Open your mouth."

Bai Yin looked at his left hand, which was wrapped up like a dumpling, and then at Su Xiaojiu's oily fingertips. In the end, he gave up.

He carefully opened his mouth and took the piece of fish into his mouth.

The tip of his tongue accidentally brushed against her fingers.

Su Xiaojiu recoiled as if electrocuted, rolling her eyes at her. "Are you a dog? Do you eat meat or your hand?"

Bai Yin's face flushed red to his ears. He lowered his head and chewed the fish, forgetting even to spit out the fish bones.

……

Late at night.

The rain started falling again outside the cave, drizzling softly.

Bai Yin huddled in a corner of the straw mat, sleeping very restlessly.

He was dreaming.

My dream was filled with blood.

Blood filled the sky, staining the waters of Yunmeng Marsh red.

The Taoists' sword formation pressed down like a meat grinder. He tried desperately to run, but found that his leg was broken, and he could only watch helplessly as the giant sword fell.

"Jiu'er!"

He convulsed suddenly, letting out a suppressed growl from his throat.

A pair of warm hands pressed down on his shoulders.

"I am here."

The voice was very soft, yet it was like a ray of light that cleaved through the crimson of the dream.

Su Xiaojiu was not asleep.

She looked at Bai Yin, who was covered in sweat, and sighed. This tiger may look fierce, but it's actually more fragile than anyone else.

With a sway of her body, nine snow-white fox tails appeared out of thin air.

Its fluffy, enormous tail was like a thick quilt, gently covering Bai Yin and enveloping him completely.

Bai Yin seemed to feel this sense of security in his sleep, and his tense body slowly relaxed.

He instinctively reached out and hugged one of the tails, burying his face in the soft, long fur and rubbing against it.

"Mother..." he muttered.

Su Xiaojiu rolled her eyes.

Fine, being both a father and a mother is a huge loss for me.

She leaned against Bai Yin and softly hummed an unknown tune.

That was a requiem she had unearthed from her original memories, specially used to soothe frightened little demons.

Silent all night.

The next morning.

Sunlight streamed in obliquely from the cave entrance, illuminating the stone platform.

Bai Yin opened his eyes groggily.

What catches the eye is a patch of snow-white, delicate skin.

His hands were holding something soft and warm.

He instinctively pinched it.

"Um……"

The person in his arms let out a lazy nasal sound.

Bai Yin froze, his mind instantly clearing.

He was horrified to find himself entwined around Su Xiaojiu like an octopus, his face buried in her neck, and one of his legs brazenly pressed against her waist.

boom!

It felt like something exploded in my head.

Bai Yin jerked backward as if he had been burned by fire.

"Bang!"

His back slammed heavily against the stone wall.

"hiss--"

The impact aggravated his wound, causing him to grimace in pain, and the newly scabbed wound began to bleed again.

Su Xiaojiu was awakened by the noise.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking at Bai Yin, who was clinging to the wall like a gecko, then at her own disheveled clothes, and said irritably, "What's wrong with you so early in the morning?"

"I...I..." Bai Yin stammered, his face flushed crimson. "I didn't mean to! I fell asleep...I..."

"Alright, alright." Su Xiaojiu yawned and stretched. "Come here."

"W-what are you doing?"

"Change back."

"what?"

"Back to normal." Su Xiaojiu patted the grass mat beneath her. "This grass is a bit prickly. I want to take a nap, but I need a pillow."

Bai Yin was stunned.

He is a great demon, a tiger fiend.

To let someone use it as a pillow?

If word gets out, how will he ever be able to face people in the Western Continent again?

"Hurry up," Su Xiaojiu urged, "or I won't get up with you anymore."

Bai Yin gritted his teeth.

A flash of white light.

A large tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead, over three meters long, appeared on the stone platform.

The tiger was covered in bandages, which made it look rather comical.

Su Xiaojiu cheered and pounced on him.

She rolled over on the tiger's soft belly, buried her face in its thick fur, and took a deep breath.

It smells like sunshine, all fuzzy and soft.

Comfortable.

She reached out and grabbed the tiger's big ears, kneading them like dough, making them round and flat.

"Snoring...snoring..."

An uncontrollable vibrating sound came from the tiger's throat.

Bai Yin felt so ashamed and indignant that he wanted to die.

This is a tiger's instinct; if its chin and ears are scratched, it will start snoring, and it simply can't control itself!

Hearing the deafening snoring, Su Xiaojiu laughed so hard she nearly fell over.

"You say no, but your body says otherwise."

The tiger buried its head in its two front paws, completely too ashamed to show its face.

[System notification: The target's injury recovery speed is abnormal. The ancient White Tiger bloodline is detected awakening. It is recommended that the host increase the intensity of emotional stimulation.]

Around noon.

Bai Yin went out despite his injuries.

When he returned, he had a huge banana leaf in his mouth.

The leaves held a bunch of bright red fruits, each one crystal clear and glistening with water droplets.

It is a red fruit.

This plant grows on cliffs and is usually guarded by venomous snakes, making it extremely difficult to harvest.

Bai Yin transformed into human form and carefully placed the packet of Vermilion Fruit in front of Su Xiaojiu.

"For you."

He had several new scratches on his body, obviously from picking the fruit.

Su Xiaojiu picked up a fruit and took a bite.

Juice overflowing, so sweet it'll make your teeth ache.

"Have you eaten?" she asked.

"I ate." Bai Yin squatted at the cave entrance, his back to her.

Su Xiaojiu turned her head and saw him stuffing something into his mouth.

It's not a red fruit.

It was a section of dried tree root and several pieces of bark as hard as stone.

The vermilion fruit in Su Xiaojiu's hand suddenly stopped being sweet.

She stood up, walked behind Bai Yin, and kicked him in the butt.

"Spit it out."

Bai Yin was startled. He swallowed the piece of bark, choking so badly that his eyes rolled back in his head.

"What are you doing?" He patted his chest to catch his breath.

"I told you to spit it out!" Su Xiaojiu threw the half-eaten vermilion fruit at him. "You're going to eat this?"

Bai Yin picked up the half-ripe fruit, wiped off the dust, and said, "I'm a demon, I can eat anything. This tree root contains spiritual energy, which is good for healing."

"What good will that do you!" Su Xiaojiu laughed angrily. "If you starve to death, who will protect me?"

She grabbed the bag of red fruits, picked out the biggest and reddest one, and held it to Bai Yin's lips.

"eat."

"I don't like sweets." Bai Yin turned his head away.

"Bai Yin," Su Xiaojiu's voice turned cold, "Do I need to feed you a second time?"

Bai Yin's body stiffened.

He turned his head and looked at Su Xiaojiu.

Those azure eyes held anger, as well as a hint of emotion he couldn't decipher.

He slowly opened his mouth.

Su Xiaojiu stuffed the vermilion fruit into his mouth.

The movements were a bit rough.

My fingers inevitably touched his fangs.

Sharp and cold.

But her fingertips were warm.

Bai Yin held the fruit in his mouth, not daring to bite it, afraid of biting her hand.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

The cave was eerily quiet, with only the sound of water dripping into the stone trough.

Tick.

Tick.

Su Xiaojiu did not pull her hand away.

Her fingertips gently caressed the sharp fang.

"Is it sweet?" she asked softly.

Bai Yin's Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was hoarse, as if it had been rubbed on sandpaper.

"sweet."

It's incredibly sweet.

[Ding! Strong emotional fluctuation detected. Target's favorability +3. Current favorability: 85.]

Su Xiaojiu curled the corners of her mouth, her finger sliding down his fangs and touching his lips.

"Sweet is just right."

She leaned close to Bai Yin's ear, her breath sweet as orchids.

"From now on, you are only allowed to eat what I give you."

"Whether it's fruit..."

"Or something else?"

This scene is just as the poem says:

After the rain in Yunmeng subsided, I sought refuge in the deep rocks, where my bare hands, like a healer, explored to remove my wounds.

Last night, the fox's tail embraced me in my dreams; this morning, I tasted the sweetness of the red fruit.

Tigers and wolves lay down their armor and become loyal dogs; silence speaks louder than words.

My heart is already trapped in this situation; from now on, there will be no evil stars in the Western Continent.