Talulah, I'm still a child.

As a long-lived being, before he received the name Chongyue, he was Shuo. Until one day he understood humanity, he separated himself, sealing one part into a sword, and then created a new body to house the remaining part. In this way, he became a relatively long-lived person.

Life has an end, so everything is worth cherishing. Chongyue truly understood what Meixue meant by "the human world," which is passed down from generation to generation, day and night, through spring and autumn.

"I left in a hurry twenty years ago and didn't have time to say goodbye to you, but now I'll be staying in Yumen for a few more days."

Bai Ruoshui put down her wine bowl. Although she was a woman, she had a chivalrous spirit and was not at all reserved. Zuo Xuanliao and Meng Tieyi did not know what to say, and Chong Yue was taciturn from beginning to end.

"Did a fox spirit save you?"

"Yes, ten years ago, I was seriously injured and my illness was terminal. I had at most five or six more years to live, but the fox spirit saved my life and asked me a question."

"What's the problem?"

Zuo Xuanliao frowned slightly. Anything involving Mei Xue was usually not ordinary and always required extra caution.

"Would you be willing to be his daughter-in-law?"

"..."

"puff!"

Chong Yue's face darkened. Zuo Xuanliao and Meng Tieyi couldn't help but spit out their wine. The former was surprised and the latter was astonished, but they couldn't say anything. Zuo Xuanliao knew about the fox spirit, and although Meng Tieyi was kept in the dark and didn't even know Chong Yue's true identity, the fact that the fox spirit had named someone was too shocking.

However, having traveled the world for many years, he was not stupid. The fox spirit wanted Bai Ruoshui to be her daughter-in-law, but she came here at this time. The relationship between them was already quite clear.

"Are you the son of a fox spirit?"

Looking at Chong Yue with some disbelief, Meng Tieyi suddenly understood a lot of things. No wonder this guy's appearance hadn't changed in over ten years, no wonder he was so skilled in martial arts and even received a sword from a fox spirit.

"He's considered an adopted son."

Chongyue had no intention of hiding it any longer and told the truth directly. Bai Ruoshui wouldn't be so unreasonable as to say such things, so she obviously had her own considerations.

"The fox spirit raised twelve children in total. He was the first and eldest brother, and that Miss Ling was the third and eldest sister."

As Bai Ruoshui spoke, she suddenly realized a problem: Mei Xue hadn't told her Chongyue's age yet. Was this what people often called an old cow eating young grass?

While the reunion continues, Zuo Xuanliao and Chongyue need to explain the cause and effect of the matter to Meng Tieyi. Meanwhile, Mei Xue returns to the inn, where Eureka is indeed waiting for her as agreed, since this may be her only chance to escape her misfortune.

"Fox Spirit, is there any hope for me?"

Seeing Eureka's cautious demeanor, Mei Xue couldn't help but want to laugh, but she held it back, because the little fox was partly responsible for the girl's bad luck and suffering.

"Sister Eureka, you can just call me Meixue. As for your matter... that's not a problem."

The little fox's tail swayed gently. He and Eureka sat alone at a table without attracting anyone's attention. Eureka knew that this must be Mei Xue's power, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She just felt that this little fox had changed a lot, yet it seemed the same as before. Even though she had only met him once or twice before, her ability to judge people was never wrong.

"Come on, close your eyes for a moment."

"Oh."

Although she didn't know what to do, Eureka chose to obey. She had been tormented by this misfortune for too long and was eager to get rid of it completely.

Mei Xue gently raised her index finger to make a shushing gesture. The surrounding space seemed to be noticeably disconnected from the outside world. The little fox gently placed her hand on Eureka's head, sensing that most familiar aura.

Yes, Eureka may be unlucky by nature, but she doesn't have such immense misfortune that it affects those around her.

She first appeared in Laterano, where Andorn and his companions caused a ruckus; then she appeared in Kazimierz, where the Merchant Guild was bullied by Mei Xue and the Doctor; and then she appeared in Siesta, where, if Surtr hadn't been idly strolling around the volcano, that giant Originium bug would probably have caused a volcanic eruption powerful enough to destroy Siesta.

And now she has appeared here, Ya Zi has appeared, and natural disaster is about to strike.

Everything seemed to be just a coincidence, and it couldn't be forced to be connected with Eureka. But Mei Xue knew best that she hadn't caused these disasters, but rather that these disasters were unconsciously guiding her towards them, simply because disasters are inevitably accompanied by sorrow, pain, and misfortune.

A pale blue butterfly flew out from Mei Xue's tail. Eureka felt a gentle breeze on her face, as if Mei Xue was blowing softly in front of her, but in reality it was just the butterfly flapping its wings, not Mei Xue's butterfly, but the swarm inside her body.

Unlike Mei Xue's butterfly, pure white light formed flawless butterflies that fluttered out from between Eureka's hair. One after another, ninety-nine pure white butterflies fluttered around Mei Xue, jumping for joy, as if cheering for their reunion with Mei Xue.

This is the reason for Eureka's bad luck. These butterflies, which originally belonged to Su Xue'er, have been residing in her body since some time ago. Just like when Mei Xue gave the jade pendant to Mostima to help her collect luck, these butterflies in Eureka's body are stirring up the girl to go to places where disasters might occur without her noticing.

As time goes by, Eureka will naturally accumulate misfortune without realizing it. When she can no longer bear this misfortune and disaster, even drinking a sip of water can bring her to the end.

"Come back."

Mei Xue used her tail to gather the butterflies. Although these were all misfortunes, Mei Xue was now whole and could accept both good and bad fortune. She could also help Su Xue'er's soul butterfly recover a lot.

"Um, Fox... Meixue, are you done?"

Eureka had just felt a blinding light, as if something had left her body, making her feel much lighter.

"Okay, Eureka, open your eyes now."

Mei Xue returned to her seat and continued drinking the bottle of Nutritional Express. Eureka opened her eyes, as if nothing had happened. Everyone around her went about their business as usual, but she hadn't heard any outsiders' voices when she closed her eyes.

"That's it?"

"All right."

The little fox nodded, then took Mandela out of the hat and took off the jade pendant from before, handing it to Eureka.

"Wear this, and your luck will improve from now on."

"I can't accept this, it's such a valuable item."

Eureka quickly waved his hand. The fox spirit was an auspicious creature of the Great Yan Dynasty, and what he gave her would definitely not be ordinary. It was already too much trouble for him to help her remove the bad luck, so how could she accept this as well?

"Take it, and I'll return it to you in a few months. We'll definitely meet then."

The little fox placed the jade pendant in Eureka's hand, then looked at the Grand Tutor who was slowly walking in through the door. His expression was as serious as ever, but he had changed into ordinary clothes. Most people could only see that he had an extraordinary aura, but they could not tell that he was an official.

"I still have things to discuss with someone, so you should go back first, sister."

"...Then, I'll definitely pay you back in the future!"

Eureka could tell that Mei Xue had something more important to do, so she had to leave first. But as soon as she brushed past the Grand Tutor, she felt something under her feet. Looking down, she found a full wallet.

This made Eureka unable to resist turning back to look at the table. Mei Xue and the Grand Tutor sat facing each other, one holding a bottle of nutritional drink and the other holding a teacup. The child and the old man, the young and the old, were like a stark contrast.

"We didn't find her, but according to the captured secret agents of the Mountain and Sea Clan, Ya and the others met on the way."

The Grand Tutor didn't ask about Eureka, but only mentioned that the Yumen garrison was investigating Ya's situation. This was not unexpected at all. After all, Ya was an agent of the giant beast's incarnation, making him difficult to find. But at least Mei Xue didn't make a move, so there was no need to worry too much about the other party causing trouble.

"So, it's a temporary cooperative relationship?"

"Pretty much. She showed a portion of her power, making the people of the mountains and seas believe that she was connected to the giant beast and telling them that a natural disaster was about to strike."

"What is her purpose?"

Mei Xue countered, saying that although his memories had not returned, he knew that Ya Zi's arrogance made it impossible for him to achieve genuine cooperation with the people of Shan Hai Zhong. It would only be a matter of mutual exploitation. Therefore, Ya Zi's goals might overlap with those of the people of Shan Hai Zhong, but they would not be the same.

“Revenge, or… anger, but not directed at you.”

The Grand Tutor analyzed the situation for a long time, and only after the last piece of intelligence arrived did he think of coming to discuss it with Mei Xue.

"So her only goal is to kill Sui. It's normal for her to be angry. To the giant beast, your actions are nothing short of betrayal."

"That's right, it's normal for them to be angry."

Mei Xue licked her lips, but the conversation wasn't over yet. The little fox was using her brain, which she hadn't used in a long time.

"But if that's Sister Yazi's purpose, then what about the Mountain and Sea Clan? What are they here for at Yumen?"

"I've thought about this problem, and if nothing unexpected happens... it's most likely related to certain court officials."

The Grand Tutor was observant and well-informed, frequently traveling both inside and outside the court, so he was quite clear about some things. Since he knew that Yazi and Shan Haizhong were on different paths, it was easy to deduce the situation.

If it weren't for Mei Xue that night, Wei Yanwu would likely be in grave danger. But here's the question: why Wei Yanwu of all people? The only connection between Ya Zi and Wei Yanwu is Wei Yanwu's royal lineage, but to a giant beast, that's no different from being an ordinary person.

With Ya Zi's sharp eyesight, it was impossible for her not to see that the most vulnerable person at the time was the Grand Tutor, yet she specifically targeted Wei Yanwu.

"Without any grudge or enmity, this is most likely the intention of the Mountain and Sea Clan. Since they couldn't make a move at Dragon Gate, they wanted to take advantage of the chaos when Jade Gate and Dragon Gate were connecting."

"As expected, it's still the same old stuff from the imperial court."

Mei Xue suddenly felt bored. She rested her chin on her hand and looked at the Grand Tutor. The Shan Hai Clan asked Ya to assassinate Wei Yanwu, but there was no obvious conflict between Wei Yanwu and the Shan Hai Clan. So it was obvious that the person behind the Shan Hai Clan wanted Wei Yanwu to die at Yumen or cause some conflict.

"It's not surprising that the court is a murky and corrupt place, with everyone having their own agenda."

The Grand Tutor was not surprised. In fact, he had already guessed who was behind it. However, no matter who the other party was, even if it was the current Emperor of Great Yan, it had nothing to do with Mei Xue.

This is a struggle between people, not involving the safety of the country or the people, so it has nothing to do with Mei Xue, who is a fox spirit. Not interfering in court affairs was clearly stated in the original contract, and he also doesn't like dealing with conspiracies.

"But the people of the Mountain and Sea Sect alone cannot kill the Governor of Longmen. I have heard from others that Wei Yanwu's swordsmanship is very good."

Mei Xue had never seen Wei Yanwu make a move, but Chen Huijie and Talulah had both told him about Wei Yanwu's unfathomable abilities, and the Grand Tutor nodded in agreement.

"He has the best talent, and his Crimson Sky Sword Technique has reached its peak. The bandits of the Mountain and Sea Clan can do nothing to him."

"So Yazi came."

Before the Grand Tutor could finish speaking, Mei Xue's words made him fall into deep thought again, and he finally realized that he had overlooked those details.

Wei Yanwu's swordsmanship is superb, a fact that is legendary in the martial arts world of the Great Yan Dynasty. It is no surprise that the people behind the Mountain and Sea Clan know that Wei Yanwu is not someone that this group of people can deal with, which is why Ya Zi was involved.

However, as a giant beast, Ya Zi would never obey orders. Therefore, there was a hand behind Ya Zi pushing her to Yumen, where she met the people of Shan Hai.

"That was truly a brilliant move."

Clearly, the Grand Tutor knew who was behind Ya. The giant beast was seriously injured and needed to recuperate, but Ya suddenly woke up, which was illogical. By using her to kill Wei Yanwu, the Grand Yan could be alerted to the giant beast, and a potential threat could be eliminated. It was a brilliant plan to kill two birds with one stone.

"The Mountain and Sea Clan, the Mountain and Sea Clan... are nothing but a bunch of ignorant fools who don't know the immensity of heaven and earth and the vastness of the world. They commit all sorts of evil deeds under the pretext of reasons that they themselves may not even believe. But such people have always existed."

Grand Tutor couldn't help but sigh. The giant beasts were visible enemies, but the ignorance and corruption of people's hearts were the greatest hidden danger of the Great Yan. The Mountain and Sea Clan was just a representative. Even if the Great Yan promoted the belief in the Fox Fairy as a bottom line for people's hearts, people's hearts are fickle, and there were more than a few people who did not believe in Mei Xue.

"Actually, it's not so bad. Two thousand years ago, you thought the world was surrounded by mountains and water. Now you know how vast the earth is. Although only a few people know that the planet beneath their feet is round, sooner or later, these roots of ignorance will be uprooted."

As Mei Xue spoke, her eyebrows lowered slightly. After hesitating for a moment, she still couldn't speak. Knowing the truth about the starry sky now wouldn't be a good thing for either Da Yan or this old man.

But in any case, the day of reckoning won't be too far off.

Chapter 44 Can Plum Blossoms Fly?

For Du Yaoye, apart from the Grandmaster's announcement of his impending resignation, there seemed to be nothing of great interest during this period. If there was anything, it was that Mei Xue had seen her naked that night, but she really didn't want to recall that incident.

"Brother, I feel like eldest sister is a little distracted."

"Brother, I think so too."

"Does she have a boyfriend?"

"Impossible. If even the eldest sister could find a boyfriend, why would the shopkeeper need to pray to the fox spirit for marriage every year?"

Hearing the mutterings of the two brothers, Daqi and Xiaoqi, behind her, Du Yaoye's forehead creased with annoyance. She felt like she was about to punch them. Did they really think the ears on her head were just decorations? Besides, she wasn't bad-looking, and she maintained a great figure through years of martial arts training. How could no one like her?

However, according to Zheng Qingyue, the reason she brought these brothers here to open a logistics company and revive Xingyu's reputation is that she should learn to be more composed. In fact, with Mei Xue's blessing, if it doesn't work out, she should just go home and inherit the family fortune.

As for vying for the top spot on the martial arts ranking and winning that sword? Although her martial arts skills were quite good, she wasn't arrogant enough to be that arrogant. Besides, a sword wasn't anything special. Her family's bowls and chopsticks were all used by the fox spirit, and Zheng Qingyue had collected them all, intending to keep them as family heirlooms.