Chapter 19

#He Kissed Me

I found Old Qin’s self-recommendation rather amusing, so I used three spirit stones to book two hours of his time.

But just as I was about to leave, Old Qin reminded me, “Leaving already? The timer’s already running, you know. Better hurry back.”

“You’re timing this?”

“We’re a paid service. Once payment’s made, service starts.”

“Then refund me first. I’ll pay again once I come back.”

“No refunds for our special services.”

I pointed at him. “You’re a damn con artist, aren’t you?”

Old Qin flicked open his folding fan, covering half his face, his foxy eyes smiling at me, “Prices clearly marked, fair to all, young or old.”

Damn it…

I grumbled all the way out of Cuihu Tai Terrace, but still remembered to tell Old Qin to prepare four absolutely stunning fox women for me.

I was hoping they’d be enough to charm Xie Xuanqing completely. And if they couldn’t, then at least they could bring him over to see me “behaving recklessly”…

After all, I’m still a garrison general. I still care about my reputation. Unless I really have no choice, I won’t use my trump card.

Once I had all that set up, I finally arrived at the cave in the Snow Bamboo Forest.

Before going in, I replayed Xie Zhuo’s annoying face a hundred times in my mind. Only when I was sure I was thoroughly fed up with that face did I step into the cave.

Even during the day, the cave was dark and damp, the kind of humidity that clings to your bones. There were strange creaking noises echoing faintly inside, enough to make your ears twitch.

“Xie Xuanqing?” I called out as I walked forward until I found him.

In the dim light, Xie Xuanqing was sitting against the stone wall. In his lap was a half-finished snow bamboo flute. He was still punching holes in it…

I had completely forgotten about that… How is he still at it…

“Jiuxia, wait a moment. I’m almost done.”

Looking at his focused expression, my heart nearly softened—until my rational side grabbed hold and yanked my emotions back into place.

No! Stay tough! Don’t go soft!

I’ve already spent the money! The clock is ticking! Gotta get him there!

I pressed my lips together, snatched the flute from his hands, set it down beside him, and while he blinked in mild confusion, I grabbed his hand and yanked him to his feet.

“Can’t wait any longer—taking you somewhere fun!”

Without giving him a chance to resist, I dragged him out of the dim cave.

Xie Xuanqing didn’t resist. He followed me in a daze all the way to the Eastern Market.

But once we got there—crowds swirling all around—he snapped out of it. He stopped letting me tug him around and instead walked beside me, keeping step cautiously. His expression was cold and guarded, his eyes sweeping over every immortal or demon we passed.

He was… starting to look a bit like Xie Zhuo.

I didn’t quite understand why, but time was tight, so I didn’t ask. I just brought him straight to the covered bridge outside the gates of Cuihu Tai Terrace.

There were already a few fox spirits lounging casually on the bridge—men and women both—clothes slightly disheveled, shoulders exposed, hair loose and messy. In broad daylight, it all felt a bit too suggestive.

I stood with Xie Xuanqing before the bridge and gave him a glance.

His face was just like his name—Xuanqing—dark and cold as black ice.

Without a word of explanation, I stepped forward. But Xie Xuanqing suddenly grabbed my wrist—hard enough to hurt.

“What are we doing here?”

The words “taking you out for fun” nearly left my mouth, but I swallowed them right back down. I swear, if I said that, my seven spirit stones would go poof! No question about it.

So I quickly said, “Official business.”

He frowned and looked at me.

“I’m part of the Kunlun garrison, remember? We have to patrol here sometimes. Today I’m going undercover—pretending to play—to infiltrate and see if any shady immortals or demons are running shady operations inside.”

Xie Xuanqing didn’t even blink. “You can see everything from out here,” he said coldly. “Of course there are.”

That was so Xie Zhuo.

I cleared my throat and kept lying: “Sure, shady stuff is bound to happen. Technically Kunlun does allow fox spirits to run these kinds of businesses. But I’m mainly checking if there are any hidden monsters or evil spirits.”

Not giving him time to think, I pulled his hand and dragged him forward. “Come on, come on, help me look.”

Xie Xuanqing, face dark and brows furrowed, let me drag him onto the bridge.

Maybe he was too intimidating—those fox spirits chatting on the bridge all instinctively tugged their clothes up and sat up straighter, trying to look proper.

Then Old Qin came out to greet us. A thousand-year-old fox, completely unbothered by Xie Xuanqing’s frosty glare.

He strolled over with a smile. “You’re here?”

He held a folding fan in his hand, lightly fanning himself, his loose hair swaying, making his already enchanting face look even more seductive. “Jiuxia, is this your honored guest?”

I turned to look at Xie Zhuo. Compared to Old Qin’s warm spring breeze, he was Kunlun’s cold mountain peak—his face was dark and heavy, suffocating to behold.

I decided to completely ignore it.

“Yes,” I nodded. “Let’s head in.”

Old Qin led the way with a smile, and Xie Xuanqing and I followed.

I didn’t dare touch Xie Xuanqing anymore—he looked like he’d freeze my hand off…

But at least he didn’t turn around and leave. He followed me silently, and as we turned corners, I noticed him glancing into the distance—on guard for something… just like Xie Zhuo often did…

Old Qin brought us to a room and slid open the wooden door. Honestly, I froze for a second.

Four stunning fox women were already waiting inside. Not the kind of beauty that leaves you speechless, but each had her own charm—and that uniqueness made them truly striking.

As we stepped in, they all greeted us with warm smiles. One in particular, a round-faced fox girl, was especially adorable—her chubby cheeks made you want to squish them. She caught me looking and giggled as she walked over.

“Immortal, don’t just stand there, come sit!”

She smelled like fruit—sweet and fragrant—and her soft hand gently took mine. Her hair brushed over the back of my hand…

Ah… just like clouds…

“My sisters already mixed a special Immortal Fruit Jade Drink just for you. Want to try it?” she said, offering me a pinkish drink.

Ah, spending money really is happiness!

I grinned and reached for the cup, about to take a sip—when a hand suddenly appeared, blocking my mouth.

I turned my head and saw Xie Xuanqing, face cold, taking the cup from my hands. He didn’t drink it either—just thunk, placed it on the table.

The atmosphere in the room instantly shattered under the weight of that single sound.

He looked at me—and the expression in his eyes was… hard to describe. A little annoyed, a little frustrated, and weirdly… kind of hurt?

I had no idea what he was sulking about. All I did was hold hands with a fox girl!

Xie Xuanqing looked at the fox girls, his emotions withdrawing as he sat down in a bold and imposing manner, then said, “Sit properly…”

The four cute, soft, and beautiful fox girls looked at each other, then sat down gracefully, each with their own charm.

There wasn’t a hint of a cheerful atmosphere in the room. It felt just like when we usually brought troops to conduct inspections—one by one, they pressed their lips together, eyes wide open, helpless and pitiful.

Xie Xuanqing swept another glance over them and emphasized, “Sit. Properly.”

The fox girls froze. One tucked her legs back down, one tugged at her skirt, another adjusted the collar of her clothes. Like students in a Confucian school, they all sat up straight.

Thinking of my four spirit stones, I felt like I couldn’t just stand by.

I leaned in close to Xie Xuanqing and whispered, “Isn’t this a bit inappropriate?”

He turned his head to look at me, his expression even more complicated than before. After holding it in for a while, he finally said, “This place isn’t good.”

“I know.” My brain was spinning rapidly. “Do me a favor—see if there’s any demonic energy on these fox girls. I heard they’re the most beautiful four in this place. Maybe they’re using some disguise. Take a good look for me.”

Hearing this, Xie Xuanqing’s gaze did return to the fox girls.

The fox girls looked pitifully at me, then at Xie Xuanqing, and finally turned to Old Qin as if seeking rescue.

Old Qin smiled calmly and said, “The immortal is just teasing you. Don’t be afraid.”

After soothing them, he looked at me. “Jiuxia, come with me to the third floor.”

I answered, ready to make up any excuse to get away from Xie Xuanqing, when suddenly my wrist was grabbed. Without letting me argue, Xie Xuanqing pulled me to sit down next to him and spoke on my behalf: “She’s not going anywhere.”

This forceful attitude almost made me think he’d suddenly become the Xie Zhuo of five hundred years later.

Old Qin raised an eyebrow at this. Smiling, he looked at Xie Xuanqing for a long time. “Oh dear, what now? The banquet upstairs was all prepared for Jiuxia.”

Xie Xuanqing’s brows knitted together, his eyes sharp as blades as he glanced at Old Qin.

Old Qin remained unruffled.

I quickly tried to calm Xie Xuanqing down. “Undercover investigation, covert operation! Official business!”

I gently pried his hand loose, held his wrist, placed it on the table, and stuffed a cup into his palm.

I gave Old Qin a pat to urge him out the door, then turned back to Xie Xuanqing and said, “I’ll be right back, really. Help me out here, and we’ll leave right after.” I motioned toward the four delicate fox girls.

But Xie Xuanqing only clutched the cup tightly, his gaze locked on me, unmoving, until I slid the wooden door shut and walked out with Old Qin.

At the moment we closed the door, the room fell silent—both the fox girls and Xie Xuanqing were completely still, like death.

Rubbing my forehead as I followed Old Qin upstairs, I couldn’t help thinking those four spirit stones might’ve been wasted. What kind of monster is Xie Xuanqing?

His heart’s like black iron!

Old Qin chuckled softly beside me, hiding his mouth with a fan. “Jiuxia, did you really want to send him away?”

“What else?”

“Then why are you coaxing him?”

“When did I coax him?”

“You coaxed him to come, then coaxed him not to be angry. Now you’re leaving with me, looking guilty like you’ve done something wrong.” Old Qin laughed. “If you ask me, this isn’t some scheme to push him away. It’s a test to see if his feelings are real.”

I paused, stopping halfway up the stairs to look at Old Qin.

His foxy eyes were seductive yet strangely clear, as if he could see through all worldly emotions.

“You still like him, don’t you?”

I kept my mouth shut.

Of course I liked him. Whether in the past or now, I liked Xie Xuanqing terribly—otherwise why would I have married him?

“I have to send him away.”

Old Qin chuckled. “If it were me, once I’d decided to send someone away, I wouldn’t bother with all this nonsense.”

He suddenly stepped closer, grabbed my wrist, and before I could react, pressed my hand against the wall behind me. In the chaos, my thumb brushed my ear, but he didn’t give me any time to respond. His lips came close to my ear, and he whispered:

“As long as someone sees this scene, it’ll do.”

His charming voice, like a fox’s spell, came with a warm breeze that made my ears flush red. I hadn’t even reacted yet when he suddenly let go and stepped aside, narrowly avoiding a fierce attack that smashed into the stairs.

Demonic energy had transformed into a sharp blade and struck the staircase, carving a deep trench into it.

I stood there in a daze, looking at Old Qin in front of me. He turned to look downstairs—at Xie Xuanqing.

Xie Xuanqing’s eyes were dark and cold, and he said nothing.

He looked like an enraged wolf, eyes locked on his prey, ready to strike and take a life at any moment.

I clung to the staircase, frozen, still not recovered from the shock of everything that had just happened.

I glanced at Xie Xuanqing, and the first thought that flashed through my mind was: He’s angry. I finally did what I came back five hundred years to do.

Then I looked at the trench carved into the stairs and thought, oh no, he’s angrier than I imagined. I used to not be afraid, but now… can I afford not to be? This is a man who can tear open space and time. Couldn’t he tear through me and Old Qin too?

Finally, I looked at Old Qin. Good thing he’s a thousand-year-old fox—he’s the only one who can still smile at a time like this!?

Not only was he smiling, he pulled me over the gouged stair and stood behind me. Close to my ear, he said:

“If you want him gone, just say it now.”

Though he whispered into my ear, his voice wasn’t quiet—unless Xie Xuanqing was deaf, he definitely heard it.

So my gaze circled once more and finally landed on Xie Xuanqing again.

This time, he looked back at me.

On the broken staircase, our eyes met. His gaze shifted—from cold rage, to realization, and then paused for a moment on the pain of being hurt. But soon, all those emotions vanished from his face.

He looked at me calmly.

“If you wanted me gone, you could’ve just said so yesterday.”

He thought… I’d found out who he was yesterday and set this whole thing up today to drive him away…

I opened my mouth but couldn’t explain.

I had been trying to drive him away—but I hadn’t expected to succeed at the worst possible time.

But… thinking about it, maybe that was the best time. The goal between me and Xie Zhuo was always to strike when it hurt the most.

This was clearly the best time.

Now that I had hurt Xie Xuanqing like this, he would surely leave without looking back. From this point on, there would be no more stories between Xie Xuanqing and Jiuxia.

So I held back all my emotions, closed my eyes, and thought of my argument with Xie Zhuo last night ten thousand times. Then I opened my eyes, looked straight at Xie Xuanqing, and said:

“Go. I’m afraid of you.”

It was like a blade had pierced through him.

He looked up at me from the bottom of the stairs. Though he hadn’t taken a single step back, I felt like the light in his eyes had become more distant.

He lowered his gaze, and finally said only one sentence:

“You don’t have to treat yourself with such little care.”

Then he turned and left.

I stood there, staring at the place where he had disappeared, unable to recover for a long time.

Until Old Qin behind me finally let go. He smiled and said, “See? I didn’t let your spirit stones go to waste, did I?”

I stared at him, not knowing whether to praise him or curse him…

It took me a while to say, “Can I still enjoy the service of those fox girls?”

Old Qin smiled cheerfully as ever. “Time’s not up yet. Of course the immortal may do as you please. But my children—entertainers only, not for sale.”

He walked down the stairs, turned around, and raised a hand to help me. My soul was in chaos, and without thinking, I placed my hand in his.

Old Qin gave it a squeeze. “This, I didn’t expect—General Jiuxia’s body, held in my arms, is surprisingly soft…”

“You—”

Just as I opened my mouth, a gust of wind suddenly swept past. Old Qin turned into a blur and was hurled straight into the wall with a loud thud.

The force of the impact made the broken wooden stairs rattle and lift.

Xie Zhuo, dressed in black, had grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall.

Old Qin’s exquisite face turned dark and bruised from the pressure.

I gasped sharply and finally snapped back to my senses. I rushed down the stairs and grabbed Xie Zhuo’s hand. “What are you doing!” I scolded him.

He looked murderous, glaring at me fiercely. “What are you doing?”

Old Qin, face purple from lack of air, still managed to gasp out, “This… is… what are we… doing…”

He probably never expected the man who had just left in dejection would return in a different outfit only to slam him into the wall.

I didn’t have time for him. I just tugged desperately at Xie Zhuo’s hand. “Let him go!”

Xie Zhuo said nothing. His gaze was dark and full of suppressed rage, as if he wanted to slam me against the wall too.

But he had said he wouldn’t hit me, and true to his word, he didn’t.

I looked at Old Qin, nearly strangled to death. He was someone helping me out! Even if we were done using him, this wasn’t how you dispose of someone! My anger flared, and I gathered energy in my palm, activating my cultivation technique to force Xie Zhuo’s hand away.

“I said let go!” I shouted, pouring all my strength into prying his fingers loose.

My cultivation couldn’t match Xie Zhuo’s. If he’d really wanted to go head-to-head with me in anger, I’d be toast. Might even end up with internal injuries.

Thankfully, he didn’t.

He let go.

I held his hand, panting heavily.

Old Qin slid down the wall and collapsed to the floor. He clutched his throat, barely able to cough.

All around us, fox girls and guests peeked their heads out of doorways, watching the drama unfold through the cracks.

A good number of them recognized me. If this incident with Xie Zhuo at Cuihu Terrace blew up, word might even reach Xia Xia’s ears. How would I explain it then?

I tugged Xie Zhuo’s hand. “Let’s go.” Before the crowd grew any bigger. If needed, we could deny it all later…

Xie Zhuo didn’t budge. His eyes swept over the surroundings—it was clear he’d figured out exactly what kind of place this was.

He wouldn’t move, so I gritted my teeth, gathered my energy, and broke through the window of Cuihu Terrace, riding the wind and dragging Xie Zhuo along with me.

We flew all the way back to the Snow Bamboo Grove and landed in the courtyard. The moment we touched down, I pointed at Xie Zhuo and started yelling:

“What the hell was that about today?! I told you to watch Xia Xia and keep her from going out! Why did you come to me? I told you yesterday—take care of your stuff, and I’ll handle—”

Before I could finish, Xie Zhuo yanked me close and pinned me against the snow bamboo wall in the courtyard. His lips pressed coldly against mine.

He kissed me!

It was a kiss full of fury he couldn’t voice, anxiety he couldn’t explain, and… concern he could no longer contain.