Dao Yu Yue clearly didn't believe her, thinking the little fox had been corrupted by someone. Her expression grew even more somber.
In the desolate wilderness, the environment was gloomy, yet Dao Yu Yue kissed Xing Yuan passionately, forcing her to promise not to learn such slick, seductive techniques again.
Xing Yuan, blinded by love, readily agreed. After all, it was Hu Xiao Yuan who agreed, and what Hu Xiao Yuan agreed to had nothing to do with her, Xing Yuan.
Dao Yu Yue, unaware of Xing Yuan exploiting the loopholes in her words, let her off the hook upon hearing her assent.
Fox Mountain was bustling with activity, filled with little foxes either running wild across the mountainside or quietly lying on the ground, listening to elders tell stories.
Dao Yu Yue had notified a few of the old ancestors of Fox Mountain before her arrival, so she encountered no obstruction.
The last time Xing Yuan received a letter from Hu Xiao Jing was six months ago. By the time they reached Fox Mountain, Hu Xiao Jing had already given birth to her little fox a month prior and had regained her figure.
Hu Xiao Jing proudly showed off her cub, saying, "Isn't he handsome? My son."
"Which man's is he?" Xing Yuan guaranteed that she was merely asking out of curiosity, with no ulterior motives.
Hu Xiao Jing's face instantly darkened. The timing of her last two men had overlapped somewhat, and foxes had robust constitutions. Their cubs weren't as fragile as human infants, so she genuinely couldn't be sure.
Her throat tightened, and she blurted out, "Just tell me if he's handsome! Don't beat around the bush."
"He's handsome," Xing Yuan replied honestly, nodding.
Perhaps it was because this fox had half human blood, giving it the innate form of a human infant, with a chubby, incredibly cute face.
Hu Xiao Jing's standards were always high; if the child were ugly, it wouldn't have caught her eye, so the child's appearance was naturally not bad.
"As the child's godmother, where's your gift?" Hu Xiao Jing smiled, not being polite at all.
Perhaps not expecting to give a gift, Xing Yuan froze in place, her mind racing to find a suitable present.
Dao Yu Yue stood by, watching Xing Yuan's flustered demeanor with a smile. It was a rare sight, so she wanted to savor it.
Xing Yuan pondered intensely, finally remembering the Little Beast Tian Ling she had long forgotten.
She retrieved it from some dark corner, held it in her hand, and handed it to Hu Xiao Jing.
"This is for you. Give it to the little one to play with when he grows up."
Since she had recalled some things, she no longer needed it for world-hopping. Its advice was generally useless, and this world was quite good, suitable for releasing it.
Tian Ling was utterly bewildered. Having been ignored by its master for a long time and confined to a dark room, rarely seeing the light, it had eventually fallen asleep, only to be awakened now.
Just as it excitedly wanted to leap into its master's arms to tell her how lonely and sad it had been during this time, it was abruptly told it was being given away.
GIVEN AWAY!
Instantly, its spirit became listless.
"Where did you get it from?" Hu Xiao Jing asked, ignoring the dispirited Tian Ling, her curiosity piqued.
Xing Yuan, seeing their shared confusion, stiffened slightly. She pondered how to brush it off, then finally smiled mysteriously and said, "That's my little secret."
Both of them looked somewhat suspicious but didn't probe further.
Tian Ling spoke pitifully, "Master, I don't want to!"
Xing Yuan gave it a cold look, then said indifferently, "You probably don't have the right to refuse."
"Waaah~" Tian Ling was utterly dejected, its paws weakly tugging at Hu Xiao Jing's sleeve as it looked between the two.
Finally, it grudgingly nodded.
This person seemed much gentler than its master, and this world also seemed to have spiritual energy. Staying here seemed much better than being bullied by its master.
Tian Ling figured it out, and a fawning expression suddenly appeared on its beastly face. It patted its chest and declared with conviction, "Master, don't worry, I will definitely take good care of them for you."
Xing Yuan felt something was off with that statement. Why did Tian Ling's words make her feel like a heartless scoundrel?
Xing Yuan shook her head, pushing away the chaotic thoughts. After a moment of silence, she slowly said, "You, be mindful of your boundaries."
Although Tian Ling was quite useless in front of her, it was still created by the Heavenly Dao of a cultivation world and could even traverse various worlds. Naturally, it wasn't that ordinary.
"When he grows up, as long as you don't return to the original place (world), you can go wherever you want," Xing Yuan instructed.
She had established a master-servant contract with Tian Ling back then, so she wasn't worried about it doing anything. Even if it harbored any ulterior motives, she could control its life and death at any time.
Tian Ling's eyes brightened, and it nodded repeatedly with excitement, "Master, don't worry, I'm the most reliable beast."
Xing Yuan looked at Tian Ling's excited appearance, but a hint of hesitation suddenly arose in her heart. Was this guy really reliable?
Hu Xiao Jing smiled, unconsciously stroking Tian Ling's soft fur, and asked, "We haven't named the little one yet! Do you two have any ideas?"
"Should he also have the surname Hu?" Dao Yu Yue smiled languidly, a hint of slyness in her eyes.
"Yes," Hu Xiao Jing nodded gently. "The National Teacher is learned and knowledgeable. Perhaps you could bestow a name upon him?"
Dao Yu Yue feigned contemplation, then uttered the name she had long thought of, "Hu Xiao Chun. No matter when, one can maintain their original intention. How about that?"
"Xiao Chun. Not bad. Then that's the name," Hu Xiao Jing mused, repeating the name for a moment.
A triumphant smile spread across Dao Yu Yue's face. Chun and Chun (stupid) were homophones!
Later, when Hu Xiao Chun descended the mountain and introduced himself to others as Hu Xiao Chun, the other person exclaimed in surprise, "Little Stupid? How could anyone be named that?"
Foxes did not have universal education, so their cultural level was generally low. For so many years, Hu Xiao Chun had never heard anything wrong with his name. Being suddenly exposed to the naming master's malicious intent by a newly acquainted friend, he truly felt like crying without tears.
Tian Ling, who had always been inseparable from him, dared not curse along with Hu Xiao Chun. It was fine for him to curse, as the true culprit couldn't hear him anyway. But it was different; Xing Yuan could sometimes glimpse its inner thoughts.
Tian Ling thrived in this place. After bidding farewell to those it was familiar with, it randomly tore open a spatial rift and ventured to an unknown world. Perhaps it too would have its own adventurous story.
This is an epilogue!
Foxes had a longer lifespan than Daoists. As Dao Yu Yue approached the end of her life, she momentarily saw her past and the residual soul carried by Xing Yuan.
She smiled with understanding, her gaze gentle. With a soft sigh, she reached out to touch Xing Yuan, but her fingertips passed through. "A Yuan, you don't need to blame yourself for the past. Those were all my own choices. I have never regretted them."