CHAPTER 144 (1/2)

Wonderful Painting of the Mountains and Seas 24

Xie Xi fell into Nine Tails’ arms but it was Houqing who coughed up blood.

The moment Xie Xi rushed up, Houqing forcibly stopped and suffered a counterattack, causing double of Nine Tails’ injuries to fall on his own body.

If he hadn’t done this, the rose would’ve long died. Even so, Xie Xi was falling apart and was half-dead.

The difference in strength was too big. The little aftermath alone quickly turned the fragile rose into a dead flower.

Nine Tails panicked. He trembled uncontrollably as he held Xie Xi’s hand. “How are you, 99…”

Xie Xi was still able to speak. “It’s great that you’re okay.”

Houqing’s body shook when he heard these words. The sharp colours of his eyes were amazing, showing his obvious emotional fluctuations.

Nine Tails’ heart was stabbed. “You… aren’t afraid of death. Thanks to the enchantment, he was post-Houqing in Xie Xi’s eyes. How much did Xie Xi love Houqing that he was willing to die without fear?

Houqing staggered forward in order to say something to Xie Xi. Xie Xi grasped Nine Tails’ clothes, eyes full of wariness. Houqing stood still, his bleakness blending in with the world of ice and snow.

Nine Tails held Xie Xi and whispered, “it’s fine, don’t worry.”

He picked up the little rose and walked towards Houqing. He was staggering past when Houqing stated, “…Give him to me.”

Nine Tails’ hoarse voice was no better than Houqing. “What qualifications do you have?”

Houqing grabbed Nine Tails’ arm, his hand red with rage as he sounded like a dying lion, “Take him…”

Before he could finish, Xie Xi spoke weakly, “Ancestor Houqing… please let us go?”

The words completely swept away all of Houqing’s strength. He stared at Xie Xi with blood eyes. “Let you… you told me to let you go…”

Xie Xi closed his eyes in a tired manner. He was still holding onto Nine Tails’ clothes, clinging to him tightly like he was afraid Nine Tails would disappear.

Nine Tails realized what it meant to self-inflict a wound. He was obviously holding Xie Xi but his identity was replaced. He was post-Houqing and Houqing was him. Well, his identity wasn’t actually replaced.

Xie Xi only deeply loved Houqing. Nine Tails was the one with nothing. Nine Tails lost his soul as he left with Xie Xi.

Houqing stayed in place, staring after them in a stunned manner as his thin lips moved. “Xie Xi…”

Nine Tails heard this name and his back stiffened. He absolutely couldn’t hand over the little rose to Houqing. That man’s heart only had the dead flower god!

Xie Xi heard it too and froze…

He guessed that Houqing’s white moonlight might be the flower god but… well… wasn’t he the flower god in this setting? He became his own substitute… he must’ve been infected by Jiang Xie!

By the time Nine Tails took Xie Xi back to the palace, Xie Xi had passed out. It was a miracle that he could still breathe with such a heavy injury.

He didn’t know how long he had been sleeping. Once Xie Xi woke up again, he heard the conversation outside.

The red fox who was Nine Tails’ personal attendant cried out, “Your Excellency, this is absolutely impossible!”

Nine Tails didn’t say anything.

A green fox doctor added, “You only have two tails remaining. If you tear one of them off on your own…”

Nine Tails opened his mouth. “It isn’t a real tail. I can restore it later after cultivating.”

The red fox protested, “You are a pure-blooded nine-tails, how can…”

He seemed to be glared at and the red fox shut up.

The fox family did have such a practice. Ordinary foxes devoted themselves to cultivation. The higher their cultivation, the more tails they had. However, looking at all of Demon Sea, there was never a fox who had cultivated to nine tails.

Their Ancestor Nine Tails was unique in the world. He was born with nine tails and didn’t obtain them through cultivation!

Xie Xi wasn’t surprised when hearing this.

Before entering the painting, he knew that Nine Tails had sacrificed his eighth tail to save Xie Xi’s life. Now he knew the original story.

Another fox said, “If you cut off the eighth tail, I’m afraid the enchantment…”