bayedsolid Chapter 1037 Exposed
Chapter 1037 Exposed
The moonlight on the eve of Mid-Autumn Festival, as the wind and rain arrived, was eerily bright. Silver light filtered through the branches of the jujube trees in the backyard of the study, weaving a mottled web on the ground, like a trap set by someone to catch an animal. Lingxi carried a wooden bucket to the well to fetch water. The bucket hit the stone pavement, making a soft clang that seemed particularly abrupt in the silent night. The well water reflected the osmanthus hairpin in her hair, the silver head gleaming coldly in the moonlight. She had been feeling uneasy for the past few days, as if something bad was about to happen. The tip of her tail itched all day and all night, and she would have bizarre dreams at night—in her dreams, there were always two dark shadows chasing her through the woods of Qingqiu, shouting, "Catch that nine-tailed fox." With a "splash," the well water was stirred up by the wooden bucket, creating ripples that shattered the moon's shadow into a piece of silver. When Lingxi bent down to pick up the bucket, she caught a glimpse of two dark shadows passing over the courtyard wall, as fast as two black lightning bolts. Her heart suddenly shrank, and she subconsciously held her breath, pressing her body into the shadow of the well wall. The two dark shadows made almost no sound when they fell to the ground. They were wearing cloaks embroidered with black bats, and the brims of the cloaks were pulled down low, covering most of their faces, revealing only the blue stubble on their chins. The chains in their hands glowed with a faint green light, and the links were engraved with dense runes, which shone with an eerie luster in the moonlight. "Have you found the fox?" One of them spoke, his voice hoarse as if sandpaper had been used to grind wood, and every word carried a rusty smell. "It should be around here. The Demon Suppression Bureau's compass is responding in this courtyard." The other man's voice was slightly younger, but tinged with ruthlessness. "The old man said this nine-tailed fox had just transformed, and its spiritual power was unstable, perfect for refining elixirs." Lingxi's blood froze instantly, like ice suddenly frozen in a cold pond. She huddled behind the water tank, the cool pottery wall pressed against her spine, but it couldn't dispel the chill in her bones. Claws dug deep bloody marks into her palms, and drops of blood dripped onto the ground, merging with the water stains from the water tank. Shen Yanzhi was still reading in the study, his figure bent over his desk reflected on the window paper. She couldn't let these people hurt him. The iron soles of the black-clad men's boots tapped on the bluestone slabs, making a "thump-thump" sound that felt like knocking at Lingxi's heart. Their footsteps drew closer, and the green chains dragged along the ground with a harsh scraping sound, like the hissing of a venomous snake. Lingxi could smell their scent, a mixture of blood and incantations, identical to the scent of the black-clad men who massacred the Qingqiu people three years ago. Just as the black-clad men were about to bypass the water tank, Lingxi suddenly leaped from the shadows, like an arrow shot from a bow, slamming into the black-clad men in front of her. She exerted all her strength, but with a dull "ouch!" the black-clad man stumbled back a few steps, the chain in his hand clanging to the ground. "Catch her!" the young black-clad man reacted quickly, reaching out to grab Lingxi's hair. Lingxi dodged sideways and ran as fast as she could, desperately trying to escape the courtyard. She could feel the spiritual energy within her body burning furiously, like geothermal heat erupting from the bottom of a cold pond, coursing through her veins. Her tails shot out uncontrollably from beneath her skirt, nine snow-white tails drawing graceful arcs in the moonlight, like blooming night-blooming cereus. "Catch her! It's a nine-tailed fox!" The black-clad figure who had been hit climbed to his feet, clutching his chest and roaring, his voice filled with greed and excitement. Two dark figures immediately pursued him, swinging green chains in their hands with a sharp, clattering sound. Lingxi rushed out of the yard in a panic and turned into the familiar alley. The lanterns in the alley had long been extinguished, and only moonlight squeezed in through the cracks in the walls, casting narrow spots of light on the ground like traps. Her feet hurt from the gravel, but she didn't dare stop. The pursuers behind her were hot on her heels, and the sound of chains cutting through the air was ringing in her ears. Lingxi suddenly remembered what Shen Yanzhi had said: that on full moon nights, the yin energy was heavy, and strange things often occurred in the mass graves west of the city. The resentment there was the heaviest, and ordinary people dared not approach. "Perhaps the resentment there can temporarily mask my demonic aura." Lingxi gritted her teeth and turned into the path leading to the west of the city. She had only walked this road once, during the day, with Shen Yanzhi. At night, in the darkness, she couldn't see the path clearly. She nearly tripped over rocks several times, her tail swishing nervously behind her, sweeping the weeds and making a soft rustling sound. The wind from the mass grave was filled with the smell of decay, like a coffin that had been opened after years of dust. Grayish-white phosphorescence floated in the air, flickering through the grass like countless eyes peering in the darkness. The paper figurines on the graves swayed in the wind, their clothes fluttering and making a whining sound, like someone sobbing softly. Lingxi huddled under an old locust tree, its trunk hollowed out long ago. The dark hollow seemed to hold a monster. She wrapped her nine tails tightly around her body, curling herself up into a ball, trying to blend her breath with the surrounding resentment. The white fur on her tails was damp with dew, sticking to her skin, icy cold. Men in black chased after them, torches in hand. The light stretched their shadows long, casting them across the graves like snarling demons. "Search! She can't get far!" A hoarse voice echoed through the mass grave, startling night birds from their perches in the trees. They fluttered into the night sky, shattering the moonlit shadows in the pond. As the torchlight drew closer, Lingxi could see the dancing glow of the flames and smell the scent of burning pine wood. She bit her lip tightly, trying to hold back a sound. The atmosphere was as heavy as ice. The kerosene lamp flickered slightly in the wind, casting their shadows on the wall, flickering in and out like a silent saw. Lingxi huddled in the corner, her back pressed against the cold wall, trying to draw strength from the biting chill. Her tail drooped uncontrollably to the ground, its snow-white fur matted with dirt and grass, and in some places, stained with dark red blood—where it had been scratched by the gravel in the mass grave. Shen Yanzhi half-knelt in front of her, holding a clean cloth in his hand, and was carefully wiping the wound on her leg. His movements were as gentle as if he was stroking fragile porcelain, but when his fingertips touched her skin, Lingxi shuddered violently as if she was burned. Her eyes were fixed on his wrist, where the black bamboo birthmark was clearly visible under the light. The outline of the bamboo leaf looked like it was carved with the sharpest knife, and each line was like a needle, pricking her eyes. "You knew I was a fox a long time ago, right?" Lingxi's voice trembled uncontrollably, and the ending tone unconsciously took on the softness unique to foxes, but mixed with a hint of imperceptible sharpness.