155 The central region of the forest 4 (1/2)

From the next day onwards, An Fei did not catch a hint of the white nine-tailed fox regardless of where her gaze roamed the undergrowth of the forest.

The little raven was similarly incapable of determining any inclination of a creature hidden within the background that possessed a sufficiently severe threat towards the young girl.

Thus, from sunrise to sunset, the young girl continued to march forth, heading directly towards the core of the Wu Ji Forest's core without her knowledge.

As she walked utilizing the trees as increments representing the distance she had traveled, An Fei was musing her luck in not encountering any other creature as fierce nor scary as the nine-tailed fox.

After the forced stalemate generated by the sudden repair of the nearly shattered steel sword, the fox had retreated, never to be spotted again.

Five days had passed, and just as usual, she only spotted rabbits and other miniscule creatures roaming throughout the grass, their innocent souls attempting to pursue their daily lives.

…and for An Fei, the current laid-back and tranquil circumstance was not terribly bad either.

The young girl was still considerable strife due to the harrowing experience with the white fox, her mind barely recovered from the wide differentiation between play and actual combat.

Occasionally, An Fei's voice soothed the swaying grasses and creatures, accompanied by the indecipherable but encouraging calls of an unusual raven.

She had clearly noticed the difference between the experience regarding the eerie vine-wielding monster and the nine-tailed fox with the pristine white fur.

The creature that wielded an innumerable amount of vines, An Fei did not notice anything that terrified her soul except for the imposing pressure that tightly squeezed at every iota of her body.

Otherwise, the passive but absolute assistance of the had ensured that the vines could not harm her in any form, and when armed with the twin butterfly swords, she could easily wade through the sea of terror and thorny death.

Thus, the entire event, through startling as it may be, was nothing more than a trivial gasp of grotesque amazement. From the surface, the experience with the nine-tailed fox was the same.

However, An Fei was clearly able to obtain a hint of how dreadful an actual fight would have been, even if she, as usual, had not received a single scratch from the entire ordeal.

The steel blade had nearly been shattered from a single exchange, and had it not been for the abrupt repair, it would have been completely scrapped by the next blow.

She could consistently evade and ignore any incoming physical damage, but what then?

”Without the handle-less sword, I really can't pose a threat towards these creatures, ah.”

The young girl hummed in discontent towards the little raven perched on her shoulder, her beautiful countenance flickering with a disgruntled resignation.

The little creature directed an eyeful of a crimson glare of impasse and disbelief, but deigned not to speak any further.

An Fei shrugged her shoulders towards the silent reply of the little raven, the fingers of her right hand grabbing at the empty air as though stroking the fur of an imaginary white fox with nine tails.

”Just you wait, I'll obtain your fur and play in it all day long!”

The young girl had assured herself to regain her rationale when in a circumstance regarding combat.

Appearing invulnerable as she may, An Fei wasn't entirely certain regarding the protection offered by the , and strived to increase her vigilance.

…outside of fighting… she would dream of stroking that white and heavenly fur to her heart's content.

Play with it, rub her cheek against the smooth and silky surface of the fur…

The steel blade without a handle trailed behind the young girl as though a silent and pensive sentinel, the inscriptions flickering with a scarlet light in response to the young girl's intimate affair with the comfortable white fur of a nine-tailed fox.

In an unknown region of the forest not far from An Fei, a certain nine-tailed fox couldn't help but cower into the ground and tremble with an unprecedented fear, its heart suddenly praying for its continued life.

Who knew, perhaps that human devil would return for a rematch?

–

Months ago, in the Wu Ji Forest.

”Your Imperial Highness, the end of the forest is in sight!”

The refined and respectful voice of the carriage driver resounded from outside of the carriage, rousing Feng Yu Xin from her afternoon nap.