Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"Okay, to be honest, I just didn't want to stay with the people from Kunlun, so I came here to avoid them."

Left with no other choice, Tamamo-no-Mae's pretty face tightened, the blush faded, and she revealed the truth in a rather annoyed manner, adding a casual remark as she did so.

"Don't worry, it's just mixed bathing..."

Mixed bathing is a very common feature in Japan.

But this is China.

The ancient snake frowned slightly, but as its gaze fell upon the white reflection on the water's surface, it pondered for a moment and finally nodded in agreement with reluctance.

"We should respect the customs of different places."

Tamamo-no-Mae's eyes lit up with joy, and she eagerly moved closer.

"stop!"

However, Samael immediately raised his hand to stop him, marking the boundary with a blank expression.

"Mixed bathing is fine, but we still need to keep our distance."

When it comes to appreciating scenery, it's best to just admire it from afar.

Too close, be careful you don't get bitten in return.

"Tch, how indifferent."

Tamamo-no-Mae stopped reluctantly, muttered a complaint, and then obediently stretched her body in the hot spring, seemingly having given up on her intention to approach.

Fifteen minutes later, Samael withdrew his gaze with satisfaction, licked his slightly dry lips and teeth, wrapped himself in a bath towel, and walked to the edge of the pool.

"I've got it done, you can take your time washing."

The scenery is pleasing to the eye, but unfortunately it's too easy to provoke anger.

"You're done washing, why don't you help me wash too?"

Tamamo-no-Mae leaned against the edge of the hot spring pool, stretching out her arms. Her bare back was as smooth as jade and as clear as snow, and the rolling water droplets reflected unusual colors in the sunlight.

Upon seeing the magnificent scenery, Samael was stunned for a moment, then displayed extraordinary composure.

"Don't you have hands?"

"You don't want to? Then forget it. I'll find someone else. But according to tradition, what should I call out for convenience?"

Lying by the pond, Tamamo blinked her cunning fox-like eyes, her "kind and gentle" tone concealing a deep sense of smugness and threat.

"Pervert? Molestation?"

"..."

Samael's steps toward the door froze, his head stiffly turned as he stared at the fox spirit in the hot spring, grinding his teeth.

"you are vicious!"

Ultimately, in the contest of moral bottom lines, the snake lost to the fox, who had lower standards for itself.

"Help me apply shower gel."

Samael reluctantly returned to the poolside, picked up the bottle of shower gel, applied it to his palm, and then gently placed his hand on the fox spirit's skin, lightly applying and massaging it.

Oh well, let's just consider it a paid ticket to see the scenery.

"Mmm...uh...that feels good...give me a good shoulder massage, they've been so sore lately..."

The fox spirit, now freed from her serfdom, was delighted by Samael's condescending service. She lay down by the pool, revealing her pink back, and hummed happily.

That languid yet elegant tone, filled with seductive charm, seemed to melt the listener's bones, leaving them feeling as light as two ounces.

As the muscles twitched, ripples spread across the pool water.

The surrounding mist seemed to have dissipated considerably.

Unexpectedly, the curves hidden underwater came into view.

Ouch, this is a terrible omen!

Previously, the difference wasn't so noticeable when wearing loose kimonos and fitted office lady outfits, but with a full display, the unparalleled visual impact is quite stunning.

Chu Xiange gasped slightly, her thoughts drifting involuntarily. She quickly composed herself and applied the shower gel to the girl's smooth back, her eyes lowered as she muttered to herself to distract herself.

"In the spring chill, the emperor bestowed a bath at Huaqing Pool..." What's the next line again? "From then on, the emperor no longer held morning court?"

Samael's originally dry mouth began to secrete saliva, and the frequency of his Adam's apple movements gradually increased, not to mention his congested heart that kept pounding like a heavy hammer against a city gate.

It must be said that a fox spirit that hasn't been degraded from its natural habitat is still quite lethal.

However, for Samael, who had just tricked this vixen in the Holy Grail City, the alluring scene before him was, to some extent, a form of torture.

After all, canines are known worldwide for their vengeful and resentful nature.

However, Tamamo-no-Mae clearly ignored the dilemma of the person behind her, her eyebrows and eyes relaxed, and her expression was pleasant and carefree.

The pressure from the back massage was just right, helping to relax stiff muscles and tendons. The subtle force, derived from fighting techniques, even stimulated blood flow through blocked acupoints, causing the entire magically manifested body to resonate from the inside out.

Combined with the rushing water, the sour, numb, and hot sensation followed by a refreshing coolness was simply irresistible to the pleasure-loving Tamamo-no-Mae.

Facing the formidable and dangerous Samael, they felt even more uneasy.

Meanwhile, Hinako Akuta next door is also facing the same problem.

Hinako Akuta, sitting in the hot spring, stared at her reflection on the water's surface, her teeth clenched, her expression unpleasant.

"Hey, what are you doing following me here?"

"Of course, it's to wash and bathe our distinguished guests."

Qin Liangyu, kneeling by the pool, picked up a towel and shower gel, and spoke in a serious tone, her green eyes revealing undisguised wariness.

As an assassin with a long criminal record, she had to personally monitor the criminal's every move.

Even so, you don't need to use this posture, do you?

Hinako carried the heavy weight on both sides of her head, hugged the barren land in front of her, and her face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

"No need, stay away from me!"

"Oh."

Qin Liangyu wasn't annoyed. She responded calmly, got up, and went into the water. She lingered around Jie Chuzi, her eyes glancing at a dangerous individual out of the corner of her eye.

Through the stretching of her body and the refraction of the water, the size of the female general's chest, which made Akuta Hinako feel extremely humiliated, was more directly brought into the eyes of this celestial maiden.

"Tch, so what if it's big? It'll sag sooner or later!"

Looking at Qin Liangyu who kept lingering around her, Jie Chuzi hugged her chest, gritted her teeth in resentment, and secretly speculated maliciously. The air around her seemed to be filled with a strong sour smell.

A familiar sound drifted past the honeycomb-shaped soundproof relief stone slabs that separated the hot spring pools. Samael looked surprised and glanced at the opposite side.

They actually chose the place next door, what a coincidence!

"What, interested?"

Just then, a teasing voice came from beside her ear, and those blinking fox eyes leaned closer.

Samael slapped Tamamo-no-Mae's head away and snorted coldly in annoyance.

"I'm just a little curious about the true nature of you celestial maidens."

The ancient snake picked up a fruit plate placed by the pool, picked up a grape, threw it into its mouth, and squinted its eyes in contemplation.

"As far as I know, among your predecessors, the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden's true form was a black bird, Jian Di was related to swallows, and later Nü Jiao, like you, was a fox. They were said to be 'celestial beings.' Why are your formations all related to animals, and not even of the same species?"

"The essence of the so-called celestial maiden is the spirit of mountains, rivers, plants and trees, and the embodiment of the spirit of all things on earth. We are born from the intertwining of different concepts of life."

It seemed that the service just now had satisfied Tamamo-no-Mae, and this industry scourge smiled as she recounted the origins of the "Celestial Maiden" clan.

I see……

Samael suddenly realized where the nine-tailed fox, the three-legged bluebird, and the black bird that resembled a swallow and a phoenix—these celestial maidens with their different physical forms—came from.

They are the result of the fusion of early concepts of life on earth and all things, and therefore, the records in the Classic of Mountains and Seas contain a mixture of multiple biological characteristics.

After figuring out the problem that had been bothering him, Samael couldn't help but turn his gaze to the barrier, and curiosity began to rise in his heart.

"And what about Hinako Akuta? What is her true nature?"

"Want to know?"

The fox spirit in the water licked her cherry lips, her charming eyes full of laughter, and gently stretched out her jade arm to beckon.

"Come closer, I'll tell you a secret."

Samael nodded, then instinctively leaned closer and listened intently.

Tamamo-no-Mae approached with a smile, placed her hand on Samael's shoulder, and spoke leisurely.

"If you want to know, go see for yourself..."

Samael was slightly taken aback. Before he could react, the hand on his shoulder suddenly threw him upwards with force!

In an instant, the ancient snake, caught off guard, leaped into the air, forming a perfect parabola, and roared over the partition.

Enemy attack!

With her back to the partition, Qin Liangyu sensed the whistling wind approaching and instinctively swung her right fist, forcefully blasting away a humanoid projectile.

Having changed direction, Samael hadn't even recovered his senses when he looked at Hinako Akuta's pretty face, which gradually changed from astonishment to horror, and was filled with grief and indignation.

"grass!"

"boom!"

The white expanse in my field of vision rapidly magnified, the sound abruptly stopped, and water splashed high into the air.

The stone surface of this hot spring is a bit rough to the touch...

Feeling dizzy and lightheaded, Samael subconsciously complained to himself and pressed his hand against the wall, trying to prop himself up.

"what!"

In an instant, a high-pitched scream erupted from underwater, and a long, slender leg kicked upward with all its might.

"Scumbag, pervert, die!"

The water exploded, and a well-built male figure was kicked to the opposite side like a cannonball.

"Caught!"

Before Samael could even enjoy a few seconds of "lying dead" in the water, he was immediately locked tightly by a pair of arms that could almost bend an iron bar. Even worse, his dizzy head was also forced into that soft, deep crevice.

The perpetrator's spine creaked under the pressure, making him seem more like the victim of abuse and violence.

Hearing the chaotic noise from the other side, Tamamo-no-Mae's pretty face was filled with vengeful pleasure.

Incidentally, the vixen is not a good drinker.

When she's drunk, she often loses control and reveals her true feelings, exposing the pure and virtuous wife side that lies deep down.

Unfortunately, the poor quality of the foxes turned everything into a "crying wolf" situation.

"I'm practically naked and lying here, and you're still thinking about soaking a plant!"

The fox spirit, repeatedly thwarted, had a frosty expression on her face, and her voice, filled with gritted teeth, was full of deep resentment.

Immediately, Tamamo-no-Mae took a deep breath, gracefully rose from the water, put on her clothes, grabbed the wooden tub from the bathroom, kicked open the door, and charged righteously towards the next room.

"Who? Who dares to spy! How shameless!"

At this moment, Samael, who was being held tightly by Qin Liangyu, struggled to pull his head out of the deep ditch and looked at Tamamo-no-Mae, who was shouting "The thief is chasing the thief!" with grief and indignation.

"Let me explain! This damned fox framed me! I'm innocent!"

Qin Liangyu and Jie Chuzi paused slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

Then, the two looked at Tamamo-no-Mae, who was dressed neatly, and the wooden basin in her hand. They seemed to understand something and materialized their clothes and armor, and summoned their twin swords and white spear.

Samael, who was trapped in the pool, immediately turned green.

Chapter Seven: Girls Help Girls?

"Snapped!"

The crisp snap of fingers echoed across the water, and the surrounding world seemed to be frozen in time as if a photograph had been taken.

The two celestial maidens and one heroic spirit, who had surrounded them with overwhelming force, remained frozen in place, their forward-charging posture unchanged.