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

The Star-Picking Tower is very tall.

It was so high that it felt like you could reach out and touch the cold, clear moon overhead.

The wind on the rooftop was strong, making Su Qing's red dress flutter wildly, as if she were about to ride the wind and return home.

She held the paper crane in her hand, playing with it irritably, while on her feet, she wore a pair of spotless embroidered shoes and casually kicked the railing.

"They're here."

A voice came from the shadows, its tone unreadable, yet it carried an indescribable weariness.

Su Qing turned around.

On the armchair that usually only housed black cats, a woman was now sitting.

The woman was dressed in an extremely elaborate black palace gown, and her face was covered by the iconic bronze mask, revealing only her eyes.

Those eyes no longer held their former majesty, only a deathly stillness.

"If you don't have something important to say, I'll tear this building down if you call me here in the middle of the night to stand in the cold wind."

Su Qing casually pulled over a chair, sat down, crossed her legs, and adopted an even more arrogant posture than the Imperial Advisor.

The Imperial Advisor remained silent.

She raised her hand and slowly removed the bronze mask.

As the mask fell away, a face of unparalleled beauty was revealed.

It was an extremely beautiful face, almost eerily beautiful, with a natural allure in every corner of its eyes and brows. But at this moment, that face was covered with tears.

Su Qing raised an eyebrow.

similar.

This old hag is indeed a fox spirit, and her bloodline is quite high; she's at least a six-tailed fox.

"Why are you crying? Did your husband die?"

Su Qing was sharp-tongued, but she became wary in her heart.

That old hag usually acts like a saint, but today she's suddenly revealed her true colors and acted like this; nothing good can come of it.

The Imperial Advisor placed the mask on the table, making a soft sound.

"Su Qing, what do you think of the Great Zhou?"

"It's alright." Su Qing casually straightened her cuffs. "Aside from the high prices and the large number of idiots, it's barely habitable."

"Do you know what this place was like three hundred years ago?"

The Imperial Advisor turned to look at the myriad lights below, his gaze drifting, as if piercing through time.

"Three hundred years ago, this was a desolate graveyard."

"There is no capital city, no people, only withered bones scattered across the mountains and man-eating wild dogs."

Su Qing didn't reply, but just listened quietly.

"At that time, I was just a little fox demon who had just gained sentience. I was being chased by cultivators from the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect. I fled all the way here, but was seriously injured and thought I was going to die."

The Imperial Advisor's voice was so soft that it was easily dispersed by the wind.

"Just when I was about to die, a scholar saved me."

"His name is Bhikkhu."

Su Qing's fingers paused for a moment.

Bhikkhu.

That legendary foolish scholar who cut out his heart to save his wife.

"He's a fool." The Grand Tutor laughed, a laugh more like a grimace. "He's so poor he can't even afford to eat, yet he still gives me the last half of his steamed bun."

"He has the purest heart in the world."

"A mind with seven orifices of exquisite beauty."

Su Qing narrowed her eyes.

really.

"We built thatched huts here and cleared the wasteland. Life was hard, but it was peaceful. Later, as more refugees came to flee, he led everyone to build houses and repair water conservancy projects. Gradually, villages, cities, and eventually a country emerged here."

"He became the king here, and I, too, have attained human form."

The Imperial Advisor paused here, a glimmer of happiness flashing in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant, swallowed up by endless fear.

"However, the people from the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect still came looking for us."

Su Qing tightened her grip on the folding fan.

"They didn't come to kill me, they came to watch the show."

The Imperial Advisor's voice began to tremble.

"They discovered the monk's seven-aperture exquisite heart. That is the main ingredient for refining the 'Supreme Elixir of Forgetfulness,' a shortcut to ascension."

"That leader, the Mysterious Yin True Man, was going to rip out the heart of the monk right in front of me."

Su Qing sneered: "Reputable families, yet they do nothing but despicable things that result in sons who end up with nothing."

The Imperial Advisor let out a bitter laugh.

"In order to save me, the monk knelt before the True Man Xuan Yin and begged him to spare me and the people of this city."

"He made a deal with True Man Xuanyin."

Su Qing's heart skipped a beat, and she had a bad feeling.

"What kind of deal?"

"He voluntarily donated his heart in exchange for my life and for the three hundred years of peace in this Great Zhou Dynasty."

The Imperial Advisor closed his eyes, and two lines of clear tears slid down his cheeks.

"But he deceived Xuan Yin. Before offering his heart, he secretly transferred half of his life force to me, helping me to take human form and saving my life."

"Xuan Yin took away a broken heart and was furious."

"But he soon discovered that this land, nourished by the monk's heart blood, had become a 'blessed land'."

"A blessed land that can nurture a mind with seven orifices of exquisite wisdom."

Su Qing suddenly stood up, causing the chair behind her to tip over with a loud "bang".

She understood.

"So..." Su Qing's voice was as cold as ice shards, "This Great Zhou Kingdom is not a country at all."

"It's a pigsty that breeds 'human nature'!"

The Imperial Advisor opened his eyes, looked at Su Qing, and nodded.

"That's right."

"This is a medicinal field. The people are the fertilizer, the fortune is the nutrients, and the seven-aperture exquisite heart that is born every three hundred years is the mature 'great medicine'."

"I am the guardian."

"Xuan Yin forced me to make a Heavenly Oath to guard this place and wait for the next Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart to mature before personally offering it to you."

"Otherwise, he would slaughter all the people in this city, destroying the monk's hard work in an instant."

Su Qing felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head.

absurd.

It’s ridiculous.

This bustling capital city, with its millions of inhabitants, is nothing more than fertilizer in the eyes of others?

And that silly, cheerful Gu Xiang, who haggled with her over a few taels of silver, yet dared to curse the prince for the sake of the people…

Is it that "big medicine" waiting to be slaughtered?

"Gu Xiang..." Su Qing gritted her teeth and uttered the name.

"Yes, Guxiang is the 'fruit' of this season."

The Imperial Advisor looked at Su Qing, his tone eerily calm.

"Originally, he was just an ordinary seed. Without you, he might have lived a mediocre life, his mind unenlightened, and Xuan Yin wouldn't have even looked down on him."

"I've thought countless times about killing him, or destroying his mind and turning him into a cripple, so that at least I could save his life."

"But you came."

"You protected him, pampered him, made him study, taught him principles, and nurtured his upright character."

"Now, his brilliant mind has fully matured."

"The Mysterious Yin Master sensed it tonight."

Su Qing's red robes fluttered without wind, and the phantoms of nine fox tails behind her appeared and disappeared, instantly engulfing the entire Star-Picking Tower with terrifying demonic energy.

"To hell with that 'Supreme Indifference' nonsense!"

Su Qing kicked over the table in front of her, shattering the teapot and teacups on the floor.

"The man I raised, is he someone they can even touch?"

She walked a few steps to the Imperial Advisor, grabbed her collar, and lifted her up.

"Are you just going to watch?"

"You're going to watch Gu Xiang die for a dead man's promise, for this so-called bullshit oath?"

"Your three hundred years of affection is affection, but these past three years of my life haven't been life?"

The Imperial Advisor was being strangled so badly he could hardly breathe, but he didn't struggle.

Looking into Su Qing's eyes, which were burning with anger, she felt as if she were seeing herself three hundred years ago.

At that time, she was just as angry and resentful.

But what's the use?

"It's no use..." The Imperial Advisor managed to squeeze out a few words, "Master Xuan Yin is at the peak of the Cave Profound Realm, and he also possesses the Quasi-Emperor Weapon 'Demon Refining Pot.' We... can't defeat him."

"So you just give up because you can't win?"

Su Qing released his grip and slammed the Imperial Preceptor heavily onto the chair.

"Let me tell you, don't try to disgust me with your cowardly rhetoric."

"In my life, what I hate most is accepting my fate."

"If the sky tries to oppress me, I'll tear it apart! If the earth tries to bury me, I'll shatter it!"

"Does the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect want to devour Gu Xiang's heart?"

Su Qing sneered, a smile that carried a chilling madness.

"Then let them break their teeth, but leave their lives behind!"

The Imperial Advisor stared blankly at her.

Once upon a time, monks also did the same, pointing to the sky and saying they would establish a heart for heaven and earth and establish a destiny for the people.

So this is what righteous spirit is.

So this is what human nature is like.

The Imperial Advisor suddenly smiled.

She reached into her bosom and pulled out an ancient-looking jade slip.

The jade slip was covered with cracks, yet it emitted a warm luster, much like the aura emanating from Gu Xiang.

"This was left behind by the monks back then."

The Imperial Advisor handed the jade slip to Su Qing.

"This is the core of the national protection formation. The monk set up this formation not to defend against external enemies, but to defend against the mysterious Yin."

"As long as this formation is activated, we can borrow the nation's fortune to trap Xuan Yin for a moment."

Su Qing grabbed the jade slip, didn't even glance at it, and turned to leave.

"Su Qing".

The Imperial Advisor suddenly called out to her.

"If you lose, you will die."

Su Qing didn't stop walking, nor did she turn her head.

"So what if I die?"

"Anyway, if Gu Xiang is gone, there's no point in me living."

"But before I die, I have to set some rules for those bastards who cultivate immortality."

Su Qing walked to the top of the stairs, turned her back to the Imperial Advisor, and waved her hand.

"You old hag, watch closely."

"I will not be a gravedigger."

Although Su Qing spoke with great enthusiasm, she already had other plans in mind.

After all, she was just an incarnation.

(Guess how the knife is used during the labor (laughs))

After saying that, the red figure flashed and disappeared into the night.

The Imperial Advisor sat in his chair, holding that cold mask in his hand.

After a long while, she turned her head and looked at the empty dragon throne.

"Monk..."

"you're right."

"If demons had feelings, they would be human too."

"If a person is without feelings, they are no better than a demon."

She slowly stood up, walked to the railing, and looked down at the brightly lit capital city.

Among those myriad lights, one belongs to Gu Xiang and Su Qing.

There was the warmth of home, the noise of the house, the steaming roast chicken, and the crooked "happiness" character written by that silly scholar.

The Imperial Advisor took a deep breath and slammed the bronze mask in his hand down hard.

"Snapped!"

The mask shattered into pieces on the bluestone slab.

"I'm not going to be this watchdog anymore."

A terrifying aura shot up from the top of the Star-Picking Tower, stirring up the wind and clouds.

Tonight, the capital city is destined to be sleepless.

……

In the courtyard of Zuixianju.

Gu Xiang was slumped over the table, looking at the bright red invitation card with a worried expression.

"The character '合' in '百年好合' (a harmonious union lasting a hundred years) just doesn't look right no matter how it's written."

He muttered to himself and crumpled up another piece of paper.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew open the window, sending the papers on the table flying everywhere.

Gu Xiang quickly got up to close the window.

"How could the weather change so suddenly? It was fine just a moment ago."

He closed the window while looking outside.

Dark clouds rolled across the horizon, resembling a giant beast opening its jaws to swallow the capital whole.

Gu Xiang felt a sudden, inexplicable panic.

He subconsciously touched his chest.

That heart was beating very fast, very fast.

"Why hasn't Su Qing returned yet?"

Gu Xiang turned around and looked at the empty room, the unease in her heart growing stronger.

He picked up the oil-paper umbrella hanging on the wall, intending to go out to meet it.

Just as he reached the door, he saw a figure in red descend from the sky and land in front of him.

"My wife!"

Gu Xiang's eyes lit up, and she quickly went to greet him, "You're finally back! I thought it was going to rain, and I was just about to come and pick you up."

Su Qing looked at him.

Looking at this man with a silly grin on his face, whose eyes were only for her.

She suddenly reached out and hugged him tightly.

They hugged me very tightly.

It's as if they want to meld him into their very bones.

"Su...Su Qing?"

Gu Xiang felt a little pain from being strangled, but didn't dare move. He just gently patted her back, "What's wrong? Who bullied you? Tell me, and I'll go and confront them tomorrow!"

Su Qing buried her face in the crook of his neck and took a deep breath.

That was the scent of Gu Xiang.

It smells of ink, soap, and that comforting, righteous aura.

"Gu Xiang".

Su Qing's voice was muffled.

"If one day someone wanted your heart, what would you do?"

Gu Xiang paused for a moment, then smiled.

"my heart?"

My heart has always been with you; who can take it away?

Su Qing raised her head and looked into his eyes.

"I'm serious."

"If someone wanted your heart to become an immortal or attain enlightenment, would you give it to them?"

Gu Xiang's smile faded.

He thought about it seriously for a moment, then shook his head.

"No."

"Why? Isn't helping others achieve immortality a great act of merit?"

"The merits of farts."

Gu Xiang curled her lip, her face full of disdain.

"As the sage said, our bodies, hair, and skin are given to us by our parents. Besides..."

He reached out and gently brushed Su Qing's nose.

"If I lose my heart, who will care for you?"

"If I die, who will buy you roast chicken? Who will draw your eyebrows? Who will warm your feet?"

"So that you can become a widow to please others?"

"Only a fool would do something that loses money!"

Su Qing looked at him and suddenly smiled.

I laughed so hard that tears came out.

"right."

"Only a fool would do that."

Seven-Character Quatrain: Resolve

Dark clouds loom over the city, threatening to crush it; demons sit high, their bones turned to ash.

The scholar, unaware of the elixir of immortality, only offered his heart to save the ashes of his calamity.

Let me, in my red dress, drink to my heart's content, and ask not whether I shall return tomorrow.

The foolish child laughs and points at the moon in the sky, daring to say that even immortals cannot return.