Reborn To Be The Imperial Consort [BL]-Chapter 127: Dancing Daffodils —VIII

[Bonus Chapter 12]

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[Where voracious hatred burns there is no victor, only victims]

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Sneer of hatred was his only warning before the tall, menacing figure lunged in his direction. Large hand poised like a vice claw seized his throat. The momentum of the man threw him backwards to plummet against the frozen cave wall. It shook, cracks crawled in a spider’s web.

Seized with terror, the white haired spirit fox stared at the man. His breath cut off, and he clawed haplessly at the hand. His veins bulged with strain.

"—Stop." He snarled. His body was stone cold, claws pierced through the skin of the man strangling him. Warmth of viscous blood caressed his fingers as he kicked about.

The man in front of him produced a guttural growl. Abhorrence burned bright within his amber gaze as he tightened his ruthless hold.

Even behind his assailant, the white fox spirit heard the hurried steps of another. His heart hammered into his ribs, thunder roared as blood in his ears.

This man, this monster was accompanied by another.

Panic seized his heart in an ancient fear. Desperation reigned supreme in the hateful brawl. Swiftly, thus, it rose above the fear of being condemned for his differences.

The white fox gasped, his eyes widened. Alight, the sapphire of his irises glowered. Following that, his humane features morphed into something more.

Inhumane.

His nose elongated, chin became short whilst his body twisted and bones snapped. Under the blanket of his flesh vessel, his structure changed inevitably.

Clothes slipped down and four tails swished. Slammed against the cracked wall, the white whips snapped forth in an assault.

In place of the wretched man now stood a glowering animal, a predator with grace. It growled and jaw full of sharp teeth unhinged.

The white fox lunged aggressively. Its jaw snapped at the arm of the man. Momentarily, though, taken aback, the man reacted deftly and leapt backwards.

His amber locks swished in the air as he glared hatefully at the animal who prowled in front. "In the end your savage nature triumphed over your impersonation!" Filled with contempt, the man spat.

The commotion made the steps quicken. Blind to the — perceived — companion of the man, the fight between two animals began in full might.

The amber-haired male drew his clawed hands back. Seconds that followed after turned a blur as he lunged and slashed at the fox’s belly. The fox retaliated in kind and bit at his arm.

Blood splattered, pristine cave painted in red. A man and a beast brawled unbidden.

Li Xinyuan panted, rushed with his pace. He followed the warmth of fire through the labyrinthine cavern. Curses filled his heart, varying profane words became echoes of his mind.

How far down must he run to follow the tail end of the fox spirit who has stormed off without a care?

In what seemed like an endless cave, the surgeon could catch the chilling amalgam of a beastly cry and a man’s hatred.

Despite himself, Li Xinyuan feared the worst.

He did not stop running, took every turn that came in his pursuit for Hu Lijing. The longer his path continued, the worse Hu Lijing’s fight with the fox would become.

He had to stop them before either could be harmed beyond repair by one another.

Hu Lijing snarled at the white fox spirit and mercilessly slashed his underbelly once more. "A beast that you are will remain so regardless of your disguise! I will—" he enunciated each word, filled with rage as he was "—put you to rest, once and for all."

The fox growled and whipped its tails towards him. Hu Lijing nearly lost his footing, had he not leapt away in the nick of time.

Squatting, he poised on the cave’s wall, glowering furiously down at the fox. The beast snarled up at him from the ground.

In that moment, the tension snapped, and both of them made towards one another—neither were willing to let the adversary leave.

"Stop——!!" A scream cut through the charged air in the frigid cave. With a whistle a singular spark lit in the silence and flew from between the two.

With a tremor, the sleek, crystalline halberd buried into the cave wall. A spider web of cracks spread out from the point of impact.

"..."

The white fox spirit stared, wide-eyed, at the shaking halberd and let out an unwitting whimper. Hu Lijing, aghast, snapped his attention towards the direction where the halberd came from.

"Xinyuan! Why are you here—?!"

Seeing the fox distracted, Hu Lijing attempted to land the decisive blow.

"Lijing, you will stop. This instant."

The nine-tailed fox stiffened. With a glance spared at the frozen fox, Hu Lijing swallowed and stepped back.

From the mouth of the dark labyrinth, Li Xinyuan emerged. His face held not a trace of his emotions nor warmth as he encroached the two brawlers.

A fleeting glance from the golden-eyed surgeon caused the four-tailed fox to shrink into himself with a whine. Hu Lijing threw a dark glare towards him, though flinched when Li Xinyuan regarded him in kind.

The fox let out another whine whilst slowly nursing the glaring wounds made on his person. He hadn’t been in the presence of a human for hundreds of years. He knew not how to act, nor did he dare to harm him.

In a strangled voice Hu Lijing spoke, bloodied hands clenched in fists. "I had asked you to remain at a safe berth. Why—?"

"Lijing, silence."

Hu Lijing frowned but clicked his mouth shut.

Li Xinyuan took in a deep breath, revelled in the silence and closed his eyes to block out the sight of carmine painted all over the cave.

In a trance, his mind drifted towards the book he had acquired. In the palace of his thoughts, the surgeon hastened to flip through the Russian book.

Finally, his fingers ceased to gently rub at the corner of the page. His gaze traced the words slowly as though to savour them.

[The white fox in a human form looked up at the man sitting on a marvelous throne with his legs spread wide.

"You wish for me to bring JiangHu to its knees?" He raised his head, sapphire eyes peered upwards. The white haired man’s gaze rested upon the cold, chiseled features of the latter. "Would it not harm innumerable masses, Cult Leader?"

The man—one of handsome visage but a sinsiter countenance—looked down at the fox spirit with hooded eyes. "Why must you care for those who have forsaken you for all eternity, young one?"

The fox spirit averted his eyes. Adorned with a scowl, he replied bitterly from where he remained kneeling. "Between us two, it is not I who is young, Heavenly Demon."

In an instant, a deep chuckle reverberated through the room. The source of the mirthful noise immensely proximate.

With a gentle tug under the fox’s chin, the Heavenly Demon tilted his face upwards and leaned near. "Alas, I’m compelled to address you as such regardless of its errors." He smiled slightly. "Why, do you wish I stop?"

To that, the fox had no answer to give but his silence.

...]

Li Xinyuan felt a chill crawl down his spine. To have the fox spirit join hands with the Heavenly Demon—