Chapter 624: Seeing the Show

When Ji Yuan appeared, some of the maids and servants standing on the periphery of the reception hall, even Princess Churu Yan's two personal attendants, gently slumped to the ground, clearly having fallen into a deep sleep.

Liu Shengyan's lips trembled as she yearned to speak, but the peaceful benevolence Ji Yuan displayed to others was amplified tenfold, a hundredfold, into sheer terror before her. Under the suffocating dread, she could only stand motionless, her gaze fixed on Ji Yuan's pale eyes that seemed to pierce through everything. No thought of escape could arise in her mind, for with just one look, she was absolutely certain that it was Ji Yuan's true self standing before her.

Ji Yuan observed Liu Shengyan's reaction and seemed quite satisfied.

"It seems you do recognize me."

Although Ji Yuan was now quite renowned, those who actually knew him were still not widespread. Among cultivators, few beyond those he had directly interacted with were familiar with his name. Those friendly with him would also not casually spread rumors. The Great Zhen Divine Way was, after all, only a national religious system. Setting aside his connection with the old dragon lineage, among demons, those who clearly recognized Ji Yuan and feared him so intensely were likely members of the Heavenly Revelation Alliance.

"It's Mr. Ji!" "Mr. Ji!"

After their initial shock, Chu Ruyan, Lu Qianyan, and Hui Tong all uttered sounds of slight surprise and delight. Ji Yuan looked at them, nodded, and then his gaze returned to Liu Shengyan.

"I'm only stopping you from moving; you can still speak. Is that fox in the palace?"

Ji Yuan, however, was confident that Liu Shengyan knew exactly what he was asking.

"Replying, replying to Mr. Ji, I... I don't know what you are talking about. I have long admired your great name, Mr. Ji, knowing you are an eminent immortal with a virtue of cherishing life, holding no significant prejudice against our demon race..."

"Your illusionary art is indeed passable, but in my eyes, it still cannot conceal your malevolent aura. Since you know me, Ji Yuan, you should understand that I cannot tolerate demons like you. However, if you answer my questions honestly, I may spare your life."

Liu Shengyan's eyes flickered slightly, and she subconsciously clutched her skirt. Ji Yuan, ignoring her inner struggle, pretended he had never met Shi Jiu and continued to ask.

"This time, I happened to be passing through Tianbao Kingdom, seeking fine wine. I didn't expect to detect a subtle demonic aura within this Hui Manor. Besides your aura, there's another faintly familiar, subtle demonic aura, which must belong to a fox I once met. Back then, I rarely traveled the mortal world, yet that fox recognized me at a glance, which suggests some connection to Tu Siyan."

Ji Yuan muttered a few words to himself as if lost in thought, then suddenly looked at Liu Shengyan again and asked, his tone a mix of truth, falsehood, and trickery.

"What exactly are you foxes up to? Is Tu Siyan the only one from the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven, or do all of you come from there?"

Liu Shengyan's heart trembled slightly, but her face showed a hint of bewilderment.

"Tu Siyan? I don't know her. As for the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven, that is the sacred land of our fox clan, far away in Lanzhou in the Western Regions, even more ethereal and untraceable. How could I be qualified to go there? If I could cultivate in the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven, why would I humble myself to marry a mortal for survival... Sir, I..."

"You're quite good at pretending. Since you claim I possess the virtue of cherishing life, how about I strip away your cultivation, reduce you back to a naive fox, and release you into the wilderness?"

She had only ever heard of demons being slain or gravely wounded, never of their cultivation being stripped away to revert them into mere beasts. Yet, coming from Ji Yuan's mouth, these words carried an inexplicable credibility. Liu Shengyan's fear intensified a hundredfold at that moment.

This casually offered "reprieve" from Ji Yuan's lips sounded far more terrifying to Liu Shengyan than being slain on the spot or even having her soul extracted and refined. As his words faded, Ji Yuan's left hand subtly lifted, his thumb pressing against his bent ring finger, three fingers extended flat towards Liu Shengyan. A terrifying aura of the Heavenly Dao manifested as he pointed this hand seal towards her from a distance.

Ji Yuan's movement appeared gentle and slow, yet it occurred in an instant, creating a sensation of temporal dislocation. Before Liu Shengyan could even react, she let out a piercing shriek.

"Ah!"

The woman, who moments before had been resplendent and charming in her brocade robes, was now curled up painfully on the ground, clutching her head, her body trembling incessantly.

"No, please, no! Don't turn me back into a fox, please don't!"

Liu Shengyan felt herself truly transforming back into a wild fox, standing on an exposed mountaintop facing endless thunderclouds. Her primordial spirit and consciousness seemed to separate; the former watched from the side, while the latter was bewildered and foolish, concerned only with eating snakes, insects, rats, and ants, and overwhelmed by an innate terror of heavenly lightning. This fear enveloped her, like an endless darkness and an infinite unknown.

"Booming..."

Thunder exploded in the sky, and the fox on the mountaintop shrieked. At that moment, as if affected by the heavenly lightning, the clarity of her primordial spirit began to dissipate, and the confusion in her consciousness grew more profound. It was a sensation countless times more terrifying than death...

The next moment, Liu Shengyan shuddered violently and awoke, her body still trembling, her eyes wide with bewilderment and undiminished terror at everything in the reception hall.

After a long while, Liu Shengyan finally regained her senses. She then rose and knelt on the ground, cold sweat streaming down her face, no longer caring if she could move or not.

"Mr. Ji, I... I have indeed made some mistakes, but I sincerely strive for goodness and cultivate devoutly. Please, don't demote me back into a fox! Even killing me would be better! Please show mercy, Mr. Ji! And Master Hui Tong, Master, have I ever treated you disrespectfully? Please, Master, plead for me! I don't want to turn back into a wild fox, I don't want to turn back into a wild fox!"

Tears streamed from Liu Shengyan's eyes as she knelt on the ground, pleading with both Ji Yuan and Monk Hui Tong. Her face was drenched in tears, and her words were incoherent. The sensation she had just experienced was far too real, far too terrifying.

"Namo Amitabha. Donor Liu, you should answer Mr. Ji's questions."

After uttering a Buddhist chant, Hui Tong took a step back. He didn't know what had just happened to the fox spirit, but she was clearly terrified. At that moment, Ji Yuan's voice spoke again.

"Let's start with my initial question: Is that fox in the imperial palace?"

Liu Shengyan clutched the ground with both hands, then gritted her teeth and looked up at Ji Yuan.

"Tu Yun is in the imperial palace. Her alias is Hui Xiaorou, and she is nominally my daughter. She is currently Consort Hui, greatly favored by the Tianbao Emperor..."

"So this fox is called Tu Yun, is she? It seems she's indeed of the same ilk as Tu Siyan."

Ji Yuan deliberately muttered this to himself in front of Liu Shengyan, as if he had only just learned the name Tu Yun, though he had, in fact, known it all along from Shi Jiu.

About another fifteen minutes passed before Hui Yuanqiao returned from the government office. As he entered the manor gates, he immediately ran into the household steward.

"Master, you're back?"

After the steward bowed, Master Hui quickly inquired about the situation.

"How are things?"

"To answer you, Master, Madam personally received the Princess of Tingliang Kingdom and the eminent Monk Hui Tong, and they got along very well. Additionally, Gan Qingle, a renowned hero of the martial world, also came to visit."

"Good, I'll go meet the Princess and the eminent Monk Hui Tong."

Although Hui Yuanqiao had vaguely heard of Gan Qingle, he was, after all, merely a martial artist from the jianghu, so Hui Yuanqiao didn't pay him much heed. Normally, he might have met him, but today he went directly to Chu Ruyan's side.

Upon arriving outside the reception hall, Hui Yuanqiao straightened his clothes before entering, affecting a hurried stride. His first glance inside fell upon the remarkably handsome Monk Hui Tong, followed immediately by the radiant and captivating Chu Ruyan, which made his eyes light up. Only then did he notice his wife and Lu Qianyan.

"Hui Yuanqiao greets Your Highness, Princess of Tingliang Kingdom, and Master Hui Tong! It's true what they say: hearing about you pales in comparison to meeting you; to see you is to be astonished by your heavenly grace!"

"Greetings, Prefect Hui!" "Master!"

Everyone rose and bowed. Hui Yuanqiao dared not be remiss, treating them with utmost courtesy. He arranged for meals and personally explained the travel itinerary to the capital. After all, Master Hui Tong had been invited by the Emperor at the Empress Dowager's behest, so he could not be neglected.

At the same moment, in a comparatively smaller reception hall, Gan Qingle sat with Ji Yuan, who had only recently returned. Although they were also served tea, their treatment was vastly inferior.

"Hero Gan, your reputation doesn't seem to command much respect here, does it? Master Hui has been back for quite a while, and he still hasn't made time to show his face?"

Although Gan Qingle already knew Ji Yuan was extraordinary, while being much more respectful, he wasn't overly reserved. He replied with a smile.

"He's a high-ranking official, and I'm just a martial artist; I'm naturally beneath his notice, especially with such esteemed guests present today."

As he spoke, another steward from the Hui manor entered, his face full of apologies as soon as he stepped inside.

"Hero Gan, I am truly sorry, but the manor still has esteemed guests. Master wishes very much to meet you, Hero, but he is currently tied up. However, he has instructed me to prepare fine wine and delicious dishes. If you don't mind, please dine here at the manor!"

Just as Gan Qingle was about to speak, Ji Yuan interjected.

"Excellent, excellent. We greatly appreciate Master Hui's kindness." "Oh, yes, thank you for Master Hui's kindness!"

"As long as Hero Gan doesn't mind! Please follow me to the dining hall!"

The steward led the way, and Gan Qingle quietly asked Ji Yuan from behind.

"Sir, what exactly are your plans?"

"Heh, let's fill our stomachs first; it's free food, so why not? Afterwards, we'll go to the capital together. I'll take you to see a good show."

"What kind of show?"

Gan Qingle, unable to contain his curiosity, continued to ask. He felt a thrill, as if he had stepped into a tale of gods and monsters. At that moment, his beard appeared faintly red in Ji Yuan's enlightened eyes, but Ji Yuan didn't mention it, instead replying with a smile.

"Haha, today's esteemed guests at the Hui manor are the Princess of Tingliang Kingdom and the eminent Master Hui Tong from Daliang Temple. We'll join them on their journey to the capital and watch Master Hui Tong expel evil spirits and demons from the imperial palace."