Seeing this, Shui Yun dropped to one knee with a thud, burying his head low and placing his right hand over his heart. He regarded Yan Yijue with a mixture of fear and reverence. "Your subordinate wouldn't dare utter a single word. I'll keep it a complete secret."
He knew full well that the Snake Lord would do as he said. Disobeying the Snake Clan's rule of "speaking less" would lead to an unbearable fate.
Just imagining the excruciating torture made his scalp tingle and his whole body shiver.
Seeing this, Yan Yijue retracted the cold aura around him. He merely waved his sleeve nonchalantly. "Fine. You may step down. I'll be in secluded cultivation for the next few days. You and Elder Yin will temporarily take charge of the clan's affairs. During my seclusion, I won't receive any visitors."
"What if Elder Yin wants to see you?"
Yan Yijue frowned and hesitated for a moment. He was about to refuse directly but left a glimmer of hope. "Unless it's of utmost importance, don't allow anyone to seek an audience."
"Your subordinate obeys."
Shui Yun respectfully saw the tall and slender figure enter the Xuanmen Pass. The moment he looked up, a chilling smile suddenly crept onto his handsome face.
It spread all the way to the corners of his mouth, exuding a cold, cruel, and sinister aura.
The Snake Realm temporarily sank into tranquility, but it could also turn unpredictable at any moment, like a storm brewing on the horizon...
The Tree House.
Smoke curled up from the chimney, adding a touch of domestic warmth to the secluded tree house. It softened the coldness and brought a sense of comfort.
However, this idyllic scene seemed to be marred by something.
In the smoky kitchen, a figure stood out from the chaos. A refined man in white robes was flapping a fan desperately, trying to disperse the thick smoke.
But this man was like an otherworldly being. Even when boiling medicine, he managed to smear his delicate face with dirt.
The smoke seeped into the inner room, rousing the man on the bed from his coma.
Of course, it wasn't just the smoke that woke him up. There was also the faint sound of coughing, which sounded like someone was being choked.
Shu Yue rubbed his head. As he sat up, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. He frowned involuntarily, but his attention was quickly drawn to the smoke.
He got out of bed with a hint of hesitation. Although he stumbled a bit when he stood up, he managed to make his way to the kitchen with ease.
His steps were slow at first, but when he saw the white figure surrounded by the smoke in the kitchen, he quickened his pace in a hurry.
Just as the man was about to lift the lid of the medicine pot, Shu Yue rushed over and grabbed him just in time. He was afraid that the man's beautiful hand would get burned.
"Dad, what are you doing?" Shu Yue pulled Shu Yao aside and scolded him sternly. "Do you know how dangerous that was? What if you burned your hand?"
"Shu Yue, you're finally awake. How do you feel? Are you feeling better?" Looking at the man in front of him, Shu Yao's heart was filled with joy. He didn't take Shu Yue's scolding to heart at all.
"I'm fine. It's just that my shoulder hurts a bit." Come to think of it, the sudden tug had really aggravated his shoulder injury.
He pretended to be in pain, frowning and covering his shoulder. All he wanted was a little bit of his father's concern.
"Then why did you get up? Go back to bed and lie down. I'll bring the medicine to you when it's ready."
Shu Yao tried to push Shu Yue out of the kitchen, but Shu Yue snatched the fan from his hand and pushed him aside instead.
"Let me do it. Otherwise, the kitchen will be on fire soon."
Shu Yao suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. Not only was he unable to protect Shu Yue, but he was also causing him trouble.
Shu Yue noticed his father's dejection. He lifted Shu Yao's face and looked into his deep, dark eyes. "Dad, why do you look so unhappy all of a sudden?"
"It's okay. I just blame myself for not being able to protect you well. You got hurt again because of me."
Hearing this, Shu Yue couldn't help but feel elated. His heart was as warm as the rising sun. He gave a charming smile. "As long as I have Dad's concern, I'm willing to endure any injury."
"You're just a sweet talker. Since the kitchen doesn't need me, I'll go for a walk."
"Dad, are you really going to leave me alone?"
Despite his pitiful cries, all he got in return was Shu Yao's back as he walked away without looking back.
He waved his sleeves gracefully, leaving not a single cloud behind.
Shu Yue couldn't help but complain. He was still a patient, after all. How could Shu Yao be so heartless and leave him to do all the work?
As he grumbled, the fan slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. Just as he bent down to pick it up, he saw a pair of delicate feet and a slender hand in front of him.
The hand picked up the fan from the ground. Looking up, he saw a beautiful woman in white robes looking at him with a pair of charming eyes.
"Here you are." Shu Yue glanced at her and took the fan expressionlessly. Their fingers accidentally touched.
He was as cold as ice. He casually patted the dust off the fan without even looking up. "Why are you here?"
The coldness in his eyes made Liuli's heart ache.
She opened her beautiful eyes, which could make any man in the world fall in love with her. She looked at him tenderly, but all she got from this cold man was disdain.
"Shu Yue, can you stop being so cold to me?" She no longer called him "Young Master Shu." She called him by his name, hoping to get closer to him.
The warmth of his touch still lingered on her fingers, but it was quickly dispelled by Shu Yue's cold attitude. "Don't call me Shu Yue. We're not that familiar."
"Besides, we've only met once. How do you expect me to treat you?"
"You said we've only met once. Even strangers who've only met once wouldn't be so cold. What happened last time was really an accident. I've already apologized. Why do you always treat me like an enemy?"
The fate from their past lives and the trials in this life had brought them together. But contrary to what the clan elders had said, not every fox spirit who descended to the mortal world to experience the trials of love would have a passionate love story.
From the moment they met, she had fallen in love with him. Since then, she had been doomed.
"Liuli, even if nothing had happened last time, you're a fox spirit and I'm a human. We're from different worlds. We can never be friends."
"What about that Shu Yao? He's also a fox spirit!"
"Shu Yao is my father. He's my whole world."
"You!" His determination and cruelty were shattering Liuli's hope bit by bit. Her hope was turning into ashes.
Her infatuation and obsession had now turned into anger and resentment. The nails on her hands hidden in her sleeves grew sharp. Behind her, nine snow - white fox tails suddenly appeared, swaying wildly.
Shu Yue was stunned by this sight. He stared at the beautiful woman in front of him with wide eyes. Her pale hands were raised, her beautiful eyes were filled with hatred, and her clothes and hair were fluttering in the wind. Her cold face looked even more stunning.
A gust of wind blew by, and he was suddenly thrown against the wall. As a figure rushed towards him, a hand tightly grabbed his neck.
This hand seemed to be filled with great hatred. It was slowly squeezing the air out of his lungs, trying to kill him.
Just as Liuli was about to lose control and attack, she saw a glimmer of desperation and the will to survive in his eyes. The complexity in his gaze made her heart ache. Her love and hatred for him were intertwined, making it hard for her to make a decision.