Talulah, I'm still a child.

Mei Xue nodded. This was something Lin Qingyan had hinted at. No one from the Great Yan could harm him, but not harming him didn't mean they would necessarily like him. Even though he had protected him through a thousand years of wind and rain, some people thought that legends should just be legends, while others thought that the fox spirit was an obstacle.

"Yes, even you can't please everyone. Luckily, Nian and Xi don't know, otherwise they would have made a scene too."

"I still have the ruler."

Mei Xue pulled the ruler out of her tail and waved it gently. She had just bought it casually when she went down the mountain years ago, but it had disciplined many people. Ling had also been beaten up. Back then, she was young and liked to scribble all over the walls of her house when she was drunk.

"Haha... Well, I'm already so old, maybe we shouldn't fight?"

"It depends on your performance."

Mei Xue's brows held a hint of a smile, overshadowing his previous indifference. In truth, he couldn't bring himself to do it now. Firstly, his state of mind had changed too much compared to back then, and secondly, Ling had grown up a lot.

"If that's the case, then Shang Shu's affair was just a cover-up, right?"

"I can't hide it from you, but I don't know what the Great Yan is planning either, though it's probably related to Him."

As they chatted, a sense of nostalgia unexpectedly arose in this foreign land. Mei Xue exhaled a hot breath; the daytime was scorching, and the night was bitterly cold. Ling handed her his wine gourd, but he tapped her on the head before taking a sip.

The strong liquor went down his throat without any burning sensation, because he wasn't human to begin with. The little fox frowned slightly and returned the gourd to Ling.

"I really don't understand why you guys like to drink this?"

"Haha, wine is a good thing. Throughout the ages of the Great Yan Dynasty, countless heroes have loved wine as if it were their life, and countless literati have used wine to inspire their poetry. Haven't you brewed quite a few peach blossom wines and plum blossom wines yourself?"

The Jianghu (martial arts world) culture of the Great Yan Dynasty is most praised. In their early years, they were young and ignorant, and only heard many stories from him, such as someone who traveled the Jianghu with a sword and descended the Tianshan Mountains with seven swords; someone who had a magic brush that could depict mountains and seas and bring objects to life; and someone who could become a chess master by placing a piece at the center of the board.

"But all I remember is someone stealing wine, and then that day a silly boy with a wooden stick said he wanted to become a knight-errant, a little guy said he wanted to be Jiang Liuer's idol, and you said you wanted to be Li Bai, and then you drew all over the walls of your house. Should I not have told you those stories?"

“I still remember those stories to this day, and I can still recite the poem ‘Free and Easy Wandering’ that you read to me.”

"After all, when you were little, if you couldn't recite it, I would spank your hand. You all did."

Mei Xue unconsciously brought up Ling's shortcomings again, and then stopped taking steps forward. She simply sat down on the beach, leaned back, and lay down, trying not to think about anything.

Ling also lay down beside him. How long ago was the last time they lay together like this, counting stars? She forgot, because there was no need to remember.

Are we still going to Shangshu?

"Of course we'll go. How can we not do what we promised? Breaking a promise makes you a bad kid."

"Since you're a child, don't act so old-fashioned."

"Even if I'm only a month old by my age, I'm still going to live longer than all of you, right?"

Mei Xue flicked his tail. He had indeed lived for a long time. The little fox suddenly felt that losing his memory after fulfilling his wish wasn't all bad. Although he would forget many things, at least he would have the chance to be a child again. Being carefree always made people want to be immersed in it.

"But pretending to be an old lady isn't cute."

"Okay, okay, okay~ Sister Ling~"

A crisp "Sister" could soften the hearts of many, and Mei Xue seemed to revert to her previous obedient and adorable self, like a soft kitten.

If someone were to see that this dignified fox spirit is actually this kind of person, they might... well, be very excited?

"After visiting Shangshu, hmm... I'll go to Yumen and see how he's doing. It's been so many years and he probably hasn't found a partner yet. I told him long ago that lifespan isn't an issue."

"Ah!"

In the military camp within Yumen City, a renowned grandmaster, famous throughout the city and renowned throughout the martial arts world, suddenly felt a tickle in his nose and couldn't help but sneeze.

"Master, are you alright?"

The apprentice responsible for recording martial arts techniques had never seen his master like this before, so he quickly ran over.

"It's nothing. Maybe someone I know is thinking of me. I just don't know if it's my brother or sister. I just hope it's not him..."

A white figure flashed through Chong Yue's mind, and he quickly shook his head. It wasn't that he didn't miss him; otherwise, he wouldn't have set off with the idea of ​​traveling the world to find him. It was just that if they actually met, he wouldn't know how to act.

"he?"

"It's nothing, just an old friend... but he did me a great favor."

These words made the woman who had been sitting and wiping her sword raise her eyebrows slightly. She had never heard such nostalgia in the tone of this martial arts master before, which meant that person must have been extremely important to him.

A great favor? What kind of great favor? Is it the favor of being recognized and appreciated, or the favor of saving one's life, or... never mind, thinking too much won't help my martial arts.

On the other hand, Mei Xue and Ling are probably going back late tonight. He has a lot of things he wants to talk to her about. Although he only has memories and no corresponding thoughts from that time, Mei Xue is still very curious about why she insists on being like him, a carefree person who is not so carefree.

"Everything is fine at home. Although I haven't been back for a long time, my younger siblings occasionally go to clean the house. On the one hand, they want to take good care of the house, thinking that maybe they can see you when they go back someday. On the other hand, they also want to make you happy."

“The Great Yan has changed a lot. You’ll have plenty of time to see it in the future, but you’ll have to transform into a walking form. Hmm… I just remembered something.”

Ling stroked her chin, realizing that after knowing Mei Xue for so many years, she had never asked her a serious question.

"what?"

“Giant beasts all have agents. Our agents are our brothers and sisters. So… you wouldn’t happen to be an agent, would you? Where is your true form? I heard that the fox spirit transformed into a giant white fox taller than mountains. Could that be your true form?”

The great upheaval a thousand years ago left behind many legends. Originally, the rivers were almost breached, and the north suffered from drought and locusts. But as these all subsided within a day, only a few passersby witnessed the fox spirit emerging from the mountains.

Mei Xue still remembers that incident clearly because he is afraid of heights, but the little fox shook his head firmly.

"I am who I am. There is no distinction between the original and the agent. I am unique, and I am all. Hmm... it's hard to explain."

To be honest, Mei Xue herself didn't understand what the sentence meant, but it was left by her past self. Perhaps she would make new discoveries after she understood it, but for now, the little fox was still silly, and this was not something that could be figured out by using her brain.

"Actually, if I could, I wouldn't want you to go back to Da Yan."

"why?"

"...You've done more than enough."

Ling sighed, then hugged Mei Xue's tail and gently stroked it.

“Since the Great Yan was able to defeat them a thousand years ago, it will certainly not lose a thousand years later. But if you return to the Great Yan, you will definitely face them again. Although you don’t have many memories now, I have a vague feeling that it is not a good thing.”

"age?"

"Yes, and too many people in Da Yan want to take advantage of you. Because they won't harm you, they won't suffer the consequences, but this is ultimately not a good thing."

"But if I go back, won't many people die less?"

Mei Xue sat up, tiny grains of sand slipping through his hair without lingering, the moonlight illuminating his face.

"Yes, so I just didn't want to, I didn't intend to stop you, and in the end I couldn't stop you anyway."

Ling scratched her head. She felt that returning to Da Yan would cause a lot of trouble, but it didn't matter. Mei Xue had already spoken up, so of course she should go with him. She hadn't been able to see the mountains and rivers by his side back then, so it wasn't too late to make up for it now.

"It's fine to bring that little girl named Cecilia, but please don't bring Nian and Xi."

"why?"

"I'm afraid they'll be scared and cry."

That was obviously a lie, to avoid scaring the two of them into tears. Wasn't Cecilia a child too?

Actually, I just felt that bringing Cecilia along would give it a more family-like feel. But if I brought my two younger sisters... well, who knows how many lawns they'd bury in.

Chapter 408 Let's not sleep tonight.

As promised, Mei Xue arrived late at night, and Mandra was there as well. The little fox put her on the ground, rubbed her, and gave Raphsini a smile.

"I will pick her up later."

The little fox swayed its tail gently. It had other things to do, and leaving the place for just the two of them was enough. The little fox clearly regarded Lafsini as Mandela's previous owner.

Watching Mei Xue disappear in the blink of an eye, Raphsini looked at Mandra on the ground with some confusion. The little cat was still very well-behaved, but as long as Mei Xue couldn't see her, she would revert to that arrogant attitude of disdain for others.

"Are you really Mandela?"

Looking down at the cat with some doubt, Lafsini still couldn't quite believe it. The kitten rolled its eyes dismissively and continued licking its paws.

This arrogant attitude of looking down on others is indeed very similar to Mandela in Raphsini's memory.

"You're only just finding out?"

The kitten suddenly opened its mouth and spoke in human language, which startled Lafshini so much that she almost lost her balance and fell flat on her face.

The shadows on the wall shifted, and with just a blink of her eyes, the kitten in front of her transformed into Mandela, who had accompanied her on the mission before. Although she wasn't wearing any clothes, it was indeed Mandela herself.

"You...how did you turn into a cat?"

If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, Raphsini would never have believed her eyes. Someone could actually turn into a cat. Although there were many kinds of Originium Arts on Terra, and turning people into stone was not unprecedented, she had never heard of anyone turning into a cat outside of fairy tales.

"It was just an accident. You seem very curious, so let's talk about it."

As Mandra spoke, her tail swayed gently. She had a brilliant idea to lure Raphsini to Rhodes Island. After all, compared to Abrahina, her younger sister was more innocent and kind, in other words... easier to fool.

Mei Xue had no idea what the little cat was thinking. He neither slept peacefully nor went to the dream world to discuss with the Sirens whether it was Chang'e or Hou Yi who shot down their rockets. But he was certain that someone did not want Terra to come into contact with the stars.

However, none of these things are worth Mei Xue's attention right now. The little fox doesn't use her brain much because thinking about things is troublesome, and thinking too much will make her confused. The more she thinks about the secrets on her body, the less she can figure them out.

Lying down on the beach, the little fox was shielded from the cold night wind by the oil-paper umbrella in its hand. It didn't matter where it came from; at least it was created to protect itself. The little fox thought to itself, resting its tail on its tail and looking at the sky, letting its thoughts drift freely, thinking about anything or nothing at all.

One moment he was thinking about what to do on the last day of his vacation, and the next he was thinking about where to go in Da Yan. There were a few places he definitely wanted to visit, not famous scenic spots or historical sites, but just a small, deserted village in the mountains, a courtyard planted with peach and plum trees, and a cliff. Those were his homes.

"Mei Xue..."

As he murmured his name, the little fox felt a strange, peculiar emotion. He remembered the boy who had given him his name and his last smile before he died, though the name "Awu" sounded awful.

The wind blew the bells hanging around her neck, and the clear sound of the bells evoked different thoughts. Mei Xue realized that their encounter back then was by no means accidental, but she remembered the boy's name at the highest price.

"Hmm, who?"

There were no footsteps or sounds; the only loud noises, besides the songs from the city, were the sounds of the wind. But now, the little fox didn't rely on his eyes and ears to detect movements; he directly observed the changes in the fate line, and no one's approach could escape his notice.

Realizing they had indeed been discovered, Nian and Xi had no choice but to obediently step out of the shadows, looking rather reserved, completely unlike their relaxed and composed demeanor during the day.

"Why are you here?"

"I couldn't sleep well, so I thought I'd go for a walk. I didn't expect to find you here, Father."

Nian scratched her head somewhat embarrassedly. Xi didn't say anything, but her eyes kept wandering. Ever since they learned that Mei Xue had regained her memories of raising her, they could no longer interact with the little fox as casually as before.

"You two came out together? I remember you two were only close when you were kids. You seem uncomfortable if you don't argue at least twice a day now that you're older."

It can only be said that Mei Xue remembers it very clearly, and now that no one else is around, the little fox treats the two sisters with the same personality and way of dealing with people as before.

Gentle and kind, yet serious and earnest at times, the familiar Mei Xue is back, the old Mei Xue is back... but the two sisters are not happy at all.

It's not that they disliked her, but compared to the cute and obedient little fox they could easily manipulate, the imposing Mei Xue in front of them put them under considerable pressure.

"I just happened to bump into you, and I happened to see you sitting here, so I thought I'd come and see you."

Nian and Xi walked over to Mei Xue and sat down on either side of her. The little fox gave each of them a tail and then reached into the tail to take something to eat, but the ruler just happened to fall out of the tail, causing Nian and Xi to subconsciously sit further away from Mei Xue.