Married the Second Generation Fox Demon with a Baby in a Flash Marriage - Chapter 60

“Let’s hear it then. I’ll see what this is about,” Gu Yiying said, raising an eyebrow.

Before Hu Qingqing even spoke, Gu Yiying was already skeptical. Fox demons were masters of illusion, and by extension, masters of deceit; their acting skills were legendary. This was likely just a ploy to escape the contract.

“Gu Yiying, I know you are essentially the Sect Leader of the Array Sect. The Ye family only has Ye Xinyu left, so there’s no one to compete with her. You two represent the Array and Sword Sects—I only hope you aren’t the same kind of people as the demon hunters I’ve encountered before. Maybe then this will be worth something,” Hu Qingqing said with a light, somewhat flippant smile, her eyes glinting with red light.

“Hu Qingqing, don’t play tricks!” Hu Mengmeng warned. She used the chains Ye Xinyu had given her to bind Hu Qingqing and slapped several talismans on her to seal her spiritual flow.

Hu Qingqing struggled but couldn’t budge.

“How cruel. A demon who becomes a human’s servant truly is no longer a demon! Heh, I know you don’t trust me. Believe it or not, I’ll say my piece, and you can judge for yourselves!” Hu Qingqing looked at Hu Mengmeng and began her story.

“More than twenty years ago, I left Mount Qi to travel with a sister from my tribe. Back then, we did nothing wrong; we just wanted to experience human life. We started a trade business between the deep mountains and the human world, mostly dealing demon-to-demon, though occasionally daring humans would seek us out. For instance, people from the Pill Sect or the Taoist medical lineage. The older generation of those sects can testify to this. We traded fairly—no cheating, no lies. Mount Qi produces spiritual herbs and fruits that are quite useful for human cultivators.”

“Everything was peaceful until we were inexplicably hunted by your people. Two powerful demon hunters, skilled in arrays and carrying countless talismans, ambushed us. We were no match for them. They didn’t follow any rules! My sister was severely injured saving me, and we were separated. But it didn’t end there! After that, we lived cautiously, staying away from big cities and hiding in small towns. Months later, I reunited with her. She wanted to continue the trade, so I followed her.”

“We were wary of humans by then, but we still lost to your shamelessness! You two are demon hunters—you must have heard about the treasure the Array Sect lost over a decade ago, right?” Hu Qingqing asked pointedly.

“The lost treasure of the Array Sect? Are you talking about the Protection Bracelet?!” Ye Xinyu asked, her heart racing. The Array Sect had lost many things, but the Protection Bracelet was the very one Su Mingli had given to Hu Mengmeng.

“So you know of it. That makes things simple. That bracelet is said to grant invisibility and protection, making the wearer invincible against anyone below the Heaven rank. The Array Sect treated it like a holy relic. During a Hidden Sect Assembly, my sister and I saw it while in disguise. She wanted to buy it. She found someone from the Array Sect, and after talking, that person said the item was too precious to sell, but they could lend it to us for a period of time—provided we gave them what they wanted. Nothing we offered interested them. What they wanted… were fox tails. At least three of them. They had to be fresh, from a fox with at least a six-tail cultivation! Our tails represent our power because the essence of our spiritual energy and blood is concentrated there. Losing one tail means dropping a rank in cultivation. To recover, you have to start all over again.”

As she spoke, Hu Mengmeng’s body began to tremble. Ye Xinyu placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. Hu Mengmeng was completely shocked. Who else could this “sister” be but Hu Yaoyao?! The timeline matched Su Mingli’s story perfectly! When Su Mingli met Hu Yaoyao, she was gravely injured. Months later, she recovered and began disappearing periodically—likely to carry out this “trade.”

“I don’t know why she wanted that bracelet so badly. If you increase your strength, you don’t need a bracelet for protection. But she insisted. After verifying it was real, they signed a blood oath, fixed the duration of the trade, and made the exchange. My sister severed three of her tails, leaving her with only three. You humans probably don’t know what it feels like to sever a tail. Imagine hacking off your own arms and legs. That’s the sensation.”

“I was there. It looked like a fair trade. But once the bracelet was in our hands, that person actually pried out the Spiritual Jade Stone! They told us to provide our own! The power of the bracelet depends entirely on the grade of the jade. Without it, the thing is just a piece of scrap metal! They say we foxes are cunning, but we were the ones scammed by you demon hunters again!”

“My sister used years of savings to buy a middle-grade Spiritual Jade to install, finally making the bracelet functional. But before the agreed time was up, their people started hunting us everywhere, claiming we had stolen their bracelet!”

“Tell me, what kind of creatures are you humans?! Heh! You don’t trust us? We trust you even less!” Hu Qingqing’s eyes were bloodshot, and she looked genuinely pained.

“I want to ask you… what happened to that sister of yours?” Hu Mengmeng asked, her hands clenched so tight her knuckles were white. It was Hu Yaoyao. Hu Mengmeng was sure of it. To protect Su Mingli and her, to keep the “hybrid” scent from drawing every demon in existence, her mother had paid the price of three tails! No one knew better than a fox what that meant. Tails were like limbs; they could feel, they could move. To cut them off… she couldn’t imagine the pain or the courage required.

Hu Mengmeng hadn’t felt much for this “Fox Mama” before, but hearing this, her eyes grew red with unshed tears, and her heart filled with resentment toward the Array Sect.

“She only had three tails left—what could she do?! She was no match for them! I don’t know what happened in the end. She told me to hide, saying she had a plan. She ran to lead them away. I haven’t seen her since. She must have been captured by the Array Sect! All these years, I’ve been trying to find a way to deal with them. But those cowards stay hidden behind layer upon layer of arrays and never come out. My cultivation is limited; if I wanted to grow strong enough to fight them, how else was I supposed to cultivate? You humans use our demon alchemies and spiritual herbs to cultivate—why can’t I use your Primal Yin? As for the vital energy thing… you forced me! You injured me so badly that I could only recover quickly by absorbing energy!” Hu Qingqing cried.

“You say she was captured by the Array Sect—did you see it with your own eyes?! Years ago, the Sect Leader and another hunter went to catch the ‘thief’ and disappeared. The Array Sect never caught any demon!” Ye Xinyu questioned.

“Never caught a demon? She only had three tails; she had no power to resist! What is a three-tailed fox in front of you? Not even a Great Demon! You say they disappeared? Who knows if that’s true? Maybe they’re all dead just to cover up their own shamelessness!”

“Who was the person from the Array Sect who traded with you?” Ye Xinyu asked.

“When humans trade with us, they are always masked. Everyone is on guard. Who knows who it was? But it was someone from the Array Sect; to get that bracelet, they had to be a core member.”

“What was the name of that sister of yours?”

“Even if I tell you, you wouldn’t know. Her name was Hu Yaoyao. She was the most talented fox of our Mount Qi side-branch! If she had cultivated until now, she would likely have reached seven tails!”

“Hu Yaoyao…” Hu Mengmeng repeated the name under her breath, her eyes growing redder.

“If this story is true, then it’s possible. But if it’s a lie, then your motives are sinister,” Gu Yiying said. “Are you trying to turn the Talisman and Sword Sects against the Array Sect? They’ve always been on good terms—allies who help each other. Making them enemies would be like the spear against the shield; it would throw the entire demon-hunting world into chaos. A clever move. You think we’ll believe you?”

Gu Yiying knew nothing of Hu Yaoyao. From her perspective, she was still skeptical. After all, the Sect Leader had disappeared, along with Ye Xinyu’s mother. With the main parties gone, it was just Hu Qingqing’s word against a lack of evidence.

“Believe it or not, won’t you check for yourselves? I’ve said all I have to say. That person from the Array Sect—I didn’t see her face, but I remember her voice. I remember her aura, too. It was a woman. Even after ten years, I might still recognize her. I’ve told you the truth; if you don’t investigate this and give me an explanation, I’d rather die than submit,” Hu Qingqing said. She stopped struggling and slumped onto the floor, lying motionless in her chains.

“Mengmeng, come with me,” Ye Xinyu said, patting Hu Mengmeng’s shoulder.

“Sister…” Hu Mengmeng pouted, her heart feeling incredibly heavy.

“Gu Yiying, watch her. Add a few more talismans.”

“Got it. What are you two whispering about that I can’t hear?” Gu Yiying asked, seeing them both looking troubled.

“Something important. I’ll discuss something with you later, too,” Ye Xinyu replied.

Ye Xinyu took Hu Mengmeng’s hand and led her into a private room, setting up a spiritual barrier for soundproofing.

“Mengmeng, stay calm. Hu Qingqing’s words may not all be true. We must find out exactly what happened,” Ye Xinyu said, her hands on the girl’s shoulders.

“Sister… the people from the Array Sect! I won’t let them go!”

“If it really was someone from the Array Sect causing trouble, I won’t forgive them either. If what Hu Qingqing said is true, the Sect Leader was either an accomplice or was kept in the dark and also fell victim. My mother was caught up in this. It’s very possible it was a case of silencing witnesses. Just for one bracelet… it’s still a bit hard to believe. There might have been something else. And why that person wanted fox tails back then is also very strange. We have to uncover all of it. The Hidden Sect Assembly in a few days is our chance; many people from the hidden sects will be there.”

Ye Xinyu spoke with an unusual, piercing calmness.