Journey to the End of the Night Chapter 1475: 924: Thanks for the Treat

In Baili An’s final moments before losing consciousness.

He recalled being propelled a tremendous distance by the fearsome detonation of the Thunderbolt Sky Pillar.

It shattered a significant portion of a massive, ancient locust tree before impacting the parched ground.

However, upon awakening, he found himself submerged in a cool, soothing river, the severe burns on his body having been cleansed away.

Within the water, the residual lightning in his wounds had also diminished; prior to his awakening, it appeared someone had provided him with sustenance in the form of blood.

By its aroma, it was confirmed to be the blood of this small fox.

Baili An recognized this little fox demon, the one he had rescued from the Underground Dark City within the Zhao State.

Even upon its release, it had gazed at him with evident longing, reluctant to depart.

Could his appearance be so disarmingly captivating, drawing the attention of this little fox?

A fox’s backward glance typically signifies either a desire to reciprocate a kindness or to exact vengeance.

Baili An had always possessed a natural harmony with fauna, frequently forming bonds with small felines, canines, serpents, cervids, and vulpines.

He had not anticipated this particular fox would repay a favor so swiftly, especially given its diminutive stature.

If not for carrying him, such a significant burden, it likely would not have drawn the ire of the Three-tailed Demon Fox, resulting in such a grievous paw injury.

Overwhelmed with a sense of culpability, Baili An could never have fathomed that had this minor demon not unearthed him from the scorched crater and subsequently cleansed him in the water, revealing his true visage.

Furthermore, engaging in a semi-revealed display of seductive allure while drenched, it would not have incited the attention of that Three-tailed Demon Fox, known for its predilection towards handsome males.

At this juncture, he surmised that he would still be lying within the earthen pit, patiently awaiting rescue by Ying Ji and the others, ensuring no complications arose.

The notion of repaying a debt had never entered his thoughts; had the Three-tailed Demon Fox not intervened.

Shu Ci would likely have already prepared her iron cauldron, ignited the flames, and deliberated whether to incorporate scallions, minced garlic, and crushed ginger, either steaming or braising him.

Shu Ci was by no means a person of upright character; she harbored no intention of resolving the misunderstanding with Baili An, nor of offering a humble explanation.

She reveled in his erroneous assumptions, fostering a sense of guilt within him towards her.

Indeed, she contemplated whether she could exploit this perceived kindness to engineer his willing surrender into her grasp.

So that she might properly consume him, thereby satisfying her hunger.

The little fox’s scheme was meticulously crafted, drawing inspiration from the narratives of fox spirits bewitching scholars into states of entranced delirium, as chronicled in the texts she had perused.

Confronted by the scholar's comeliness, they would willingly proffer their kidneys, livers, and life essence.

She recalled that the texts consistently asserted that prey willingly offered to demons possessed the most exquisite and delectable taste, whereas forceful methods constituted the basest and least savory means of sustenance.

Shu Ci lacked proficiency in seducing males, yet she had consumed an abundance of literature.

Master Yihe possessed an exceptional aptitude for theoretical extrapolation from written works.

Adopting a guise of pitiable vulnerability was a feat she could still manage.

With this resolution, she emitted a dry, dispassionate whimper.

The fox’s eyes, starkly black and white, perpetually held an expression of indifference; she struggled to conjure tears, eventually abandoning the effort.

Affectedly elevating her injured paw, she shamelessly indicated her wounded state, incurred during his rescue.

Baili An failed to perceive the charade of her simulated distress; the intentions of the individual and the fox were diametrically opposed.

Primarily, her portrayal of pitifulness was so unconvincing, her vacant eyes open, her trembling paw raised as if to shoo away flies.

Baili An, accustomed to interacting with young deer, was familiar with the practice of being deliberately nurtured for survival.

Observing her in this manner, he presumed she wished to offer her fresh blood as sustenance.

The wound on her paw was substantial, with blood cascading forth; to refrain from licking it would be a waste.

Baili An expressed his gratitude with a single word, then lowered himself to grasp the soft, furred paw pad.

He meticulously licked away all the blood that had emerged from it.

Affectionately, he groomed the fur on her fox paw until it lay smooth and orderly, exceedingly neat and tidy.

The paw pad, too, was licked to a delicate pink hue, glistening with a dewy luminescence.

Baili An, ever one to reciprocate kindness, did not neglect to employ his Tusk to trim her paw nails subsequent to consuming the little fox’s paw, polishing them to a keen, gleaming point, presenting a rather distinguished appearance.

Shu Ci was left in a state of bewildered astonishment; she had not managed a single bite, yet her paw had already been tasted on multiple occasions.

What manner of restitution was this?

The Three-tailed Demon Fox observed this entire tableau with an expression of amusement, chuckling:

“Little Sir, to display such gentleness and consideration towards a mere fox demon incapable of transformation truly captivates my heart and soothes my very soul.

My own hand here was also wounded by you; why not extend your ministrations to me as well, perhaps a lick and a kiss might appease me, and in my good graces, I may spare you both?”

Your ravenous gaze suggests you have no intention of letting us go easily.

Baili An meticulously tended to the little fox’s injured paw, tying a small bandage and placing it around its neck.

Without uttering a word, he lifted the little fox, allowing the demon blood recently consumed to surge through his body, gradually integrating with the Corpse Pearl residing within his core.

The intense, sharp pain subsided somewhat, as a portion of the dark blood Qi, previously in a withered state, was reanimated.

Within the dim twilight, Baili An’s eyes began to glow an eerie crimson.

With a delicate push off a branch, a surge of dark red blood energy erupted around him instantaneously.

This blood energy then ignited into brilliant crimson flames as he ascended into the heavens, the little fox held securely in his arms.

Beneath the nocturnal expanse, a long, fiery trajectory silently traced its arc, departing the confines of the valley.

The Three-tailed Demon Fox delicately moistened her lips, her slender fingers softly caressing her dreadfully scarred visage, she softly chortled, “Having glimpsed my countenance, there is no possibility of escape now~”

As a chilling gust of wind swept through, two colossal fox tails abruptly unfurled behind her. Her elegant form was lifted by the wind, gracefully drifting into the expansive plains akin to a leaf caught in the breeze.