At dusk, as the sun set, 002 grabbed Tang San's arm and flew forward, dragging their long shadows behind them. Lan Xue's soul hurriedly followed close behind.
"Hey, 002, why are you in such a rush? It's dangerous here." Tang San helplessly followed 002 to a hillside deep within Sunset Forest.
Lan Xue was slightly dazed. This hillside had been her favorite place to visit when she was still a little fox. Here, she loved watching the sunrise, the sunset, and the stars at night. She still remembered...
Five hundred years ago.
Beside a clear stream near the little hillside, a woman knelt on the ground.
"Ling'er-jiejie, Ling'er-jiejie!" Lan Xue, still a Nine-tailed Fox, came running over with her tail wagging.
The woman's name was Xue Ling. She turned around, a teardrop still on her face. "Little Xue, you're running around again. You're the most talented in our clan. Even your birth was different—I watched you form with my own eyes while I absorbed the essence of the sun and moon. Nine tails are something everyone longs to possess. I only have three myself. You must cherish them and cultivate diligently."
Lan Xue circled Xue Ling twice. "Ling'er-jiejie, why is there water on your face?"
Xue Ling stroked Lan Xue's head. "Silly little sister, those are tears."
Lan Xue asked in disbelief, "Sister, didn't the ancestor say fox immortals don't have tears? They lied to me."
Xue Ling shook her head. "No, they didn't lie to you. Fox immortals have no tears because we cannot feel sorrow. But when you fall in love with someone, and then your heart breaks..." Another tear fell from Xue Ling's eyes.
Lan Xue curled into a ball. "That's so scary. I'll definitely stay far away from it."
"Silly little sister, you can't escape it.