Talulah, I'm still a child.

"I really don't know what they'll think after hearing that."

Despite saying that, Lin Qingyan did not feel sorry for them. Most of the Shan Hai Clan were wanted bandits and pirates by the Great Yan Dynasty. They were not good people to begin with, and their fate was entirely their own doing.

What they think is none of my business!

Danger came from behind. Lin Qingyan was too focused on Yu Ya. She was on guard against all possible directions from which the other party might strike, but she did not expect that the knife would come from behind her. She could not dodge the knife, but the injury on her foot would get in the way.

"Chixiao! Draw your sword!"

The crimson sword energy repelled the golden longsword. Chen Huijie leaped up and caught the Crimson Sky Sword that she had just thrown away. Sensing its slight dissatisfaction, she helplessly comforted it, saying that Mei Xue would hold it for a while. This sword was really extremely willful. Although Wei Yanwu said that the ancient books of the Great Yan Dynasty recorded that Mei Xue had the ability to endow things with intelligence, could it be that she had inadvertently turned the Crimson Sky Sword into a female sword as well?

As Chen Huijie stood behind Lin Qingyan, yellow sand surged up beneath Ya Zi's feet, then coalesced into sharp glass. She raised her eyebrows slightly and swung her knife to cut off Lin Yuxia's attack. This glass was not as fragile as imagined; getting pierced would inevitably cause trouble.

"Phew...you're here."

"She's the assassin?"

Chen Huijie's eyes were somewhat sharp. She was very nervous when she heard that Wei Yanwu had been assassinated. However, after meeting Talulah, her dissatisfaction with Wei Yanwu lessened considerably. After all, Talulah had raised her and taught her all her skills, treating her like her own daughter. Although she didn't consider herself Wei Yanwu's daughter yet, she couldn't do nothing from the perspective of a disciple.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have thought of asking Lin Yuxia if they could participate in the investigation together.

"It's her. Be careful. Her abilities are very strange and can't be explained in just a few words."

Lightning crackled across Lin Qingyan's hand. She roughly understood what had happened with that slash. Ya's ability allowed her to cut out a piece of time and store or hide it within it. Just now, she had merely released a piece of "time," recreating the scene of her slashing from the position behind Lin Qingyan earlier.

“I know, this guy’s ability… isn’t Originium Arts.”

Chi Xiao didn't cut through the blade, but instead used her sword energy to forcefully break through it. Having stayed on Rhodes Island for so long, and being Mei Xue's older sister, Chen Huijie was not unaware of what was going on. This person named Ya was probably the same type of person as Nian and the others.

The situation here is urgent, but in the noodle shop on the other side, Cecilia is just nestled in Mei Xue's arms, seeking a sense of security.

"Brother, it's thundering. Is it going to rain? Should we go back?"

"Need not."

The little fox's tail swayed gently, and he couldn't help but worry about the situation on Lin Qingyan's side. However, he didn't want Cecilia to see those fighting and killing scenes. For a child, the simpler the world is, the better.

Mei Xue thought for a moment, then reached out and picked Mandela up from her shoulder, rubbing the kitten's head.

"It's up to you now."

"Meow!"

Mandra affectionately rubbed against Mei Xue's palm to indicate that she received the message, and then disappeared right in front of Cecilia. Of course, the little cat couldn't teleport, but her Originium Arts were now at a master level, and with Mei Xue's little help, she could easily use Earth Escape to get there.

"Brother, is the fox spirit they're talking about really you? Hmm, why did you become a fox spirit?"

"It's a long story, and I don't remember much of it myself, but I can tell you."

Although she had lost her memory, there were detailed records within the Great Yan Dynasty about how she became a fox spirit. If possible, Mei Xue even hoped that they wouldn't remember this matter so clearly, as it was practically a dark history.

According to the historical records hidden in the Great Yan, two thousand years ago, the Great Yan completed its last war against humans on this land. During that war, the True Dragon Emperor keenly sensed the strangeness behind the war, but the newly unified Great Yan needed to stabilize and recuperate. So the True Dragon temporarily put aside his thoughts and told his descendants about them. For a whole thousand years, the entire Great Yan was busy recuperating and rebuilding, while secretly investigating the traces of the giant beasts. Finally, they realized that there were such beings on this land.

For the behemoths, the newly emerging civilizations were the newcomers to this land. The true dragon from a thousand years ago knew this, so the strategy of the Great Yan Dynasty towards the behemoths at that time was to avoid contradictions and conflicts, use communication as a means, and coexistence as the goal.

But the behemoths didn't care. They disdained human civilization because such civilizations had appeared countless times on this land, so why would they care?

However, as things developed, conflicts inevitably arose between humans and giant beasts. The ancient creatures gradually became dissatisfied with these tiny ants building their homes before their very eyes, and thus disaster struck.

Floods, droughts, or raging winds—the Great Yan Dynasty has ushered in its most devastating year. The giant beasts gave no warnings because they did not care about human thoughts. They listened to the wails and cries of the humans and thought that this was how it should be. How dare ants offend the gods?

"This is outrageous!"

The memorial was angrily thrown to the ground. Zhenlong slammed his fist on the table, his eyes blazing with endless fire. The two swords hanging above his head swayed slightly under his rage. They were swords left by his ancestors a thousand years ago to warn future generations. One sword was engraved with the words "giant beast," and the other with "people's livelihood." Both were matters concerning the safety of the Great Yan.

"I have already chosen coexistence, yet they still do such a thing! Do they really think my Great Yan is so easily bullied?!"

None of the officials dared to respond, for they too already knew the contents of the memorial, which were indeed shocking.

The north suffered a severe drought, with thousands starving to death; the south was flooded, resulting in 300,000 deaths and injuries; and disease was spreading throughout the Great Yan. And what about the gods that the people of the Great Yan had worshipped for hundreds of years? They did not lend a helping hand; they themselves were the ones who orchestrated this disaster.

That day, the court adjourned early, and the True Dragon said to his trusted ministers: "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king. Since these barbaric creatures above are unwilling to choose coexistence, unwilling to listen to the wishes of the people of Great Yan, and unwilling to accept the concept of coexistence, then let's see who is the master of this land!"

So, during the time of recuperation after the disaster, Zhenlong found two gods in the mountains. One was an arrogant and disdainful god who was not the one who caused the disaster. But this was not because she was kind-hearted; she simply did not want to waste the experience. The great history of the Great Yan was just an insignificant part of her life, so why should she care about people's opinions?

But the other one was completely opposite to what the true dragon imagined. He was neither arrogant nor indifferent. The place where he was was the safest place in that disaster.

After changing into simple hemp clothes and straw sandals, Zhenlong walked along the path and felt a sense of peace as he looked at the village in front of him. Smoke curled from the chimneys, the new rice seedlings were green, birds sang in the forest, and the towering mountain peaks were just a few miles away, clearly visible.

"Old man, do you know anything about fox spirits?"

The dragon stopped an old man returning from chopping wood. At this time, the belief in fox spirits was still a small minority. According to the investigation by the secret agents, the belief in fox spirits spread in this area.

"Fox spirit... Oh, I know, I know, look, the fox spirit is over there."

The old man smiled and nodded. This small village usually doesn't have many outsiders, so everyone is very hospitable. He generously pointed to the fields over there.

"there?"

Following the old man's gaze, Zhenlong saw a white figure. Logically speaking, such a conspicuous person should not have been overlooked before, but Zhenlong only noticed him now.

He was a handsome and cute boy with six tails swaying slightly behind him. He looked rather depressed and seemed to be muttering something to himself. At the same time, he was planting rice seedlings in the muddy field. He looked like he had been busy for a while, and his clothes were covered in mud. However, his movements were so skilled that it was heartbreaking. It was obvious that this was not his first time doing farm work.

"...Old man, are you sure that's a fox spirit?"

“How could this be fake? He’s been coming to this village regularly since my grandfather’s generation, and his face has never changed.”

The old man was about to continue walking when Zhenlong put aside all his airs and quickly helped the old man carry the firewood. Then he felt relieved but something was wrong. Why was the firewood so heavy? Although he was an emperor and didn't need to be a martial arts master, his strength was never small. The old man had looked so relaxed just now.

"Haha, this firewood is really heavy. It was cut from Qingqiu over there. One piece can burn for several days."

"I see, I knew it. But old man, could you tell me why the fox spirit is farming here?"

The firewood was a bit heavy, but the dragon could still handle it. He was just curious why that fox spirit was farming. As a giant beast, even the weakest one should have power far exceeding that of humans.

"Ah, actually this has been going on for a long time. The animals and plants on Qingqiu Mountain are very spiritual. The fox spirit can't bear to eat them, so it often comes down the mountain. Every time, it steals a chicken from our village, and it always gets caught. Since the villagers don't charge any money, it can only help with farm work."

He was caught stealing chickens and then helped grow crops to repay the debt... The dragon felt something shatter in his head. Was this the giant beast he was looking for?

Chapter 46 The Revival of Theresa

At midday, amidst the cooking smoke, Zhenlong was welcomed by the old woodcutter. This village was nestled among the mountains. According to the old man, their ancestors had fled to these mountains with their families and neighbors to escape the war. It was in that year that they encountered the fox spirit.

The story of the fox spirit was passed down from their ancestors. It is said that the village's location and the surrounding fields were given to the entire village by the fox spirit. Over the years, the number of people in the village has increased or decreased, but it has remained the same from beginning to end. When an elder passes away, a new child will be born into the world the next day. The villagers all know that such a subtle coincidence must be related to the fox spirit, but no one is dissatisfied with it.

"This village has no name?"

"No, why would I need a name?"

Holding a bowl in his hands, the old man sat casually on the square stone, picking at the food in the bowl while looking at the dragon, wondering if outsiders were not used to the local food.

"It's famous in the surrounding villages."

"Oh, outside? We don't understand the villages outside. The fox spirit often tells us about things outside, but we think it's good to live here. A village is a village, a home is a home, and it doesn't matter what the name is."

"He told you about things outside?"

"Yes, he tells stories every year. Look, the kids will be asking him to tell them stories again after they finish eating."

The old man pointed to the plum tree at the village entrance. The fox spirit was sitting under the tree, holding a bowl of noodles in his hand, squatting on the stone platform and slurping them with relish. He didn't seem to have any airs at all; he was practically a native villager. The image of a deity had been completely ruined.

But he was indeed a fox spirit. The true dragon saw him walk out of the field with his own eyes, and not a drop of mud or water remained on his hands and feet.

Noticing that the dragon was looking at him, the six-tailed fox Mei Xue raised his head. There was a noodle hanging from the corner of his mouth. Perhaps realizing that his image was a little damaged, the little fox quickly slurped the noodle into his mouth and then changed to a more obedient and quiet sitting posture.

"Big fox, big fox, tell us a story!"

Before Mei Xue could finish her noodles, a dozen or so children surrounded her. They all looked very young, the oldest being only about seven years old.

A group of children climbed up the stone pier to the platform. Some grabbed his tail and wouldn't let go, some hugged his legs, and some reached out to pull his ears. Seeing Mei Xue's impatient expression, Zhenlong was worried that he might do something hurtful. But the old man beside him smiled and stroked his beard, as if he remembered that he had been a child like that many years ago.

"Hey you guys, at least wait until I finish my noodles, okay? And how many times have I told you not to pull my ears or tug my tail? They'll be unhappy. Hey, Zhou Xiaoyu, don't use my tail as a rag to wipe your mouth!"

While protecting the bowl of noodles in her hands to prevent it from falling, Mei Xue also had to peel the children off her body like picking corn, which looked quite difficult to watch.

"Kids always like to make a ruckus, haha. Everyone in this village was raised by a fox spirit, including me. When we were kids, we all liked to play with him like this."

"It's hard to imagine that there could be such a kind and benevolent deity."

"Hmm, are the gods outside not kind to people? I thought all gods were like that."

Faced with the old man's words, Zhenlong simply shook his head. He recalled the disaster of that year, in which the Great Yan suffered extremely severe losses. Perhaps this fox spirit could truly become his breakthrough point.

Thinking of this, Zhenlong stood up and walked straight towards Meixue.

"And then what happened?"

Cecilia looked at Mei Xue with some curiosity. The little fox suddenly paused when she got to this part of her story, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

"It's nothing, let's continue."

Mei Xue twitched her fox ears, but she had some doubts in her heart. This did not quite match her memory. There was indeed a village at the foot of Qingqiu. She had watched everyone in that village grow up. The True Dragon had indeed been there, but he did not come directly to her. Instead, he learned about the situation from the old man and then left.

Putting aside these doubts for the moment, Mei Xue continued telling the little angel the story.

The True Dragon found the Fox Fairy and used the candy he carried with him to distract the children. The two sat together, glanced at the stranger, and then Mei Xue looked at her noodles. After thinking for a moment, she protected her bowl and sat a little further away from him. Anyone who didn't know better would think that the mighty True Dragon of the Great Yan Dynasty was going to steal someone's food.

"A mighty beast being played with like this by a bunch of children, doesn't it feel ashamed?"

"I'm not human, what's there to be ashamed of?"

With a sharp retort, Mei Xue, holding her bowl of noodles, picked up the noodles with her chopsticks, stirred them into a lump, and bit into it. Halfway through eating, she suddenly realized what the person next to her had said.

You know us?

“I know, actually I came here for you. Some people have left this village, and from them, Da Yan learned that there is a relatively friendly giant beast here. I just didn’t expect you to be so… approachable.”

Honestly, even Zhenlong didn't know how to describe Meixue. This little fox was simply a unique flower among giant beasts. He had thought of a lot to say when he came, but now he had no idea how to talk to Meixue.

“I’ve watched everyone here grow up. How can I not be close to them? I can’t just slap them to death, can I? I have to pray that they have enough to eat every year.”

Seeing the little fox's dejected look, the true dragon knew he had found the right person, or rather, the right beast.

"After that, I reached an agreement with the True Dragon. I would help him, but if possible, I hoped to kill as many people as possible without cause. I persuaded many people. Out of respect for me, some of my compatriots chose to leave, while others stubbornly stayed, calling me a traitor."

After reaching an agreement with the True Dragon, it was no longer appropriate to discuss the wars and conspiracies with an eight-year-old girl. Perhaps knowing that Mei Xue wouldn't like it either, Da Yan deliberately omitted this part from the materials he selected for her, and also said that if Mei Xue wanted to know, they could give her the complete version.

This is an interesting story. Cecilia hugged Meixue tightly around the waist. The little angel couldn't distinguish between giant beasts and humans, but she knew that her brother was a very good person, and that was enough.

"Brother is amazing!"

"That's right, I'm very capable..."

Looking at her nine tails and the deep black at their tips, Mei Xue hugged the little angel, gazing at her halo, lost in thought.

Mei Xue is indeed very strong now, but she has stood too high and seen too much, which has made her less free than before. The little fox needs to take time to control his power, otherwise a single thought of his could cause some negative effects. At the same time, he also needs to learn to empty his mind, because if he focuses too much on thinking about one thing, it can also have a wide-ranging impact.