Who is being conquered?

Tail watched Huo Huo cover herself in talismans and wave a flag for courage, her actions so embarrassing she almost buried her face in her clothes. Immediately, Tail was filled with anger, scolding her with disappointment.

"What do you know? Everyone has their own aura. The stronger their power and luck, the more potent their aura. Like Lady Xue Yi, her aura is very powerful. Every time I stand next to her, I feel like I'm submerged in ice. Not to mention that Bai Jun!"

"Useless thing, snap out of it! Think of this as tempering your will. Crying about everything is so undignified. I'm embarrassed just looking at you—"

"I-I don't want to temper my will! If you hadn't dragged me here, I would have directly refused Lady Xue Yi. Besides, you have no idea how terrifying that Bai Jun is!"

Huo Huo's sudden silence made Tail a little strange. She thought she had the upper hand, so her voice grew louder.

"I still remember the first time I saw Bai Jun. The aura around him was unbelievably immense! It was almost five or six times that of Lady Xue Yi! And that's just the aura he naturally exuded. If I accidentally made him angry... sob sob, I'd definitely be eaten!"

Words like "fierce tiger" couldn't describe him. If I had to say, he was like a majestic, towering mountain that one had to look up to. I remember the last person I saw with such an aura was General Jing Yuan.

"I believe your name is Huo Huo, correct? Hehehe... Are you a midnight snack that's delivered right to my doorstep?"

"Eeeek eeeek eeeek... D-don't eat me, my meat is very tough! If you want to eat, go eat Tail—!"

One moment, Huo Huo was indignantly complaining to Tail. The next, she noticed Bai Jun standing beside her without her realizing it and immediately cowered in fear, covering her head and crouching defensively. She buried her face in her clothes, leaving only her long green hair trembling outside.

"I heard that the ears and tails of the Foxkin are delicious, especially those of young, underage fox girls. Hee hee, I want to eat fox ears..."

Bai Jun revealed a harmless, kind smile, but the aura he exuded was one of pure amusement at toying with the girl. He squatted in front of Huo Huo, mischievously poking her soft, exposed fox ear with his finger.

"Waaahhh~ N-no, please don't! My tail was eaten long ago. If I don't have my ears anymore, I'll definitely never get married... A-and I'm already an adult, my meat is super tough and not tasty. If you want to eat, go eat Tail, its meat is the tenderest!"

Tears immediately welled up in the little girl's beautiful eyes. Trembling, she raised the small banner in her hand in surrender, simultaneously shifting the blame to the Tail behind her.

"That's enough, you brat. I didn't eat you, and you're turning it around and telling others to eat me?"

Tail's voice emerged eerily from behind Huo Huo. It had been silent only because it saw Bai Jun approaching and had merely exchanged greetings. However, when it turned around, it found that Huo Huo, the coward, had actually been scared into crying.

"I-it's all because of you! If I hadn't been talking to you just now and not paying attention to my surroundings, I would have definitely run away long ago. Now it's over, I'm going to be eaten! Sob sob~"

"Hmph, I hope you get completely eaten, then I can regain my freedom."

Huo Huo, who had been trembling with fear moments ago, immediately mustered her courage to bicker with Tail upon hearing its voice. However, whenever she noticed Bai Jun still beside her, she would become terrified, burying her head in her clothes and trembling.

"Alright, I'm done playing with you."

Although it was amusing and cute, Bai Jun still had something to ask her, so he stopped teasing and stood up, extending his hand to her. "I have something I want to ask you. Hurry and get up from the ground. Don't you feel cold?"

"Waaah, s-sorry..."

Upon hearing that Bai Jun was just joking with her, Huo Huo's flustered face turned crimson with embarrassment and shyness. Trembling, she reached out her small hand, leaning on Bai Jun's hand to get up from the floor. But as soon as she looked up and saw Bai Jun's face, Huo Huo's expression turned into a QAQ again.

"H-hello... I'm Huo Huo. Um, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now. G-goodbye..."

"I asked you to come say hello, not goodbye!"

In front of Bai Jun's bewildered expression, Huo Huo tremblingly patted the dust off her clothes. Then, with stiff, uncoordinated steps, she began to leave like a little crab. Fortunately, Tail's timely appearance interrupted her embarrassing behavior.

"I see, so you were asked by Xue Yi to pick up a gift. Does she have something else to attend to that she couldn't come herself?"

Bai Jun nodded in realization. After a period of comforting and explanation, he finally understood what the little Underworld Emissary was here for.

"Y-yes, Lady Xue Yi said she had some other matters, so, so she could only send me to collect it."

Although Huo Huo was still trembling all over with fear, she could at least manage to utter a few complete sentences.

"I see. Then I'll trouble you. The armguards in the storage box are for Xue Yi, and this small notebook is for Cold Crow. Please help me return these two items to them. Remember not to mix them up?"

Bai Jun took out the storage box and notebook from his embrace and handed them to her. Huo Huo kept his words in mind, took the two items handed to her, and prepared to leave.

There was no helping it; Bai Jun's aura was too terrifying. She felt like a great mountain was sitting next to her, and the air around her was so thin that even breathing felt difficult.

But before Huo Huo had taken two steps, her nervousness caused her left foot to accidentally trip over her right foot. Her body instantly lost balance, and her small frame drew an elegant yet helpless arc through the air. With a thump, she once again achieved the feat of falling on flat ground in front of Bai Jun's astonished gaze. The paper figures in her pocket also scattered all over the ground, fitting the scene perfectly.

"How embarrassing. Has this become your ritual every time you meet someone?"

A ball of cyan flame ignited behind her again, transforming into a small cluster of cyan-green flames floating in the air. The flame's face showed a very human-like helplessness. Huo Huo felt a familiar tug on her body. When she came to her senses, she was once again brought back to Bai Jun's side by Master Tail.

"Hey, kid, long time no see. How's Suihuang doing recently?" Tail proactively struck up a conversation.

"Suihuang? Him... Not much has changed."

"Look at your dispirited appearance. Shouldn't being recognized by Suihuang be an honor? The last person to be recognized by Him was that Lan."

Bai Jun was taken aback. He sighed and waved his hand, telling Tail to stop talking nonsense. He had almost lost half his life because of Suihuang, so what honor was there in that?

Tail looked at his expression and could roughly guess his meaning. It just chuckled mysteriously and said, "It is precisely because He fairly denies everything, yet always selflessly embraces everything, that He is Suihuang. Don't rush, you'll understand later."

Bai Jun hated this kind of cryptic behavior. But no matter how much he asked, Tail refused to speak. With a helpless sigh, he finally shifted his gaze to Huo Huo.

"Honestly, I've always been curious. How did you get involved with this lump of Suiyang? Logically, its strength shouldn't be so weak that it would be sealed by Cold Crow."

"Eh? Me, me..."

Huo Huo trembled. Noticing Bai Jun's gaze, she didn't dare to refuse. She could only nervously swallow and slowly said:

"When I was young, I saw a flickering flame in a corner of the Luofu. I was momentarily soft-hearted and placed it on my tail. B-but I didn't expect Master Tail to want to eat me!"

"Hey, hey, hey, don't talk nonsense. I was starving to death back then. I was thinking of dying early and being reborn. Why did you insist on taking the initiative to put me on your tail? Don't you know that Foxkin tails are the most delicious?"

Tail, which had been silent for a long time, immediately protested indignantly upon hearing this.

After all, when a person is starving to death, if you place their favorite food in front of them, only a god could resist eating it. Clearly, Tail was not such a god.

Huo Huo, as if she hadn't heard its retort, continued to speak to herself, "I've always been thin-skinned and timid since I was little. Ever since that tail spirit latched onto me, it's been like falling into a nightmare. Nothing went right, and then the Ten Lords Bureau forcibly appointed me as a Underworld Emissary..."

After hearing the story of the unlucky little fox beside him, Bai Jun looked at Huo Huo with an expression that said, "I understand you," his gaze filled with deep emotion.

"Hey, hey, hey, you believe that just like that? If you ask me, the root cause of this little girl's bad luck is herself. It's clearly nothing, but she always gets scared like a scaredy-cat and then blames others... Do you think I want to be tied to you?"

"I don't want to be tied to you either!"

Hearing the tail's complaint, Huo Huo was very angry, and let out a soft "Hmph!"

"You don't want to be tied to me? You're useless, always messing things up more than you fix them. Besides hanging your creepy little paper figures all over the house, you rely on me whenever there's trouble. If you ask me, you should just set up a small stall and sell pastries!"

"Do you think I don't want to? If it weren't for you clinging to me, I would have... I would have already set up a small stall and lived a peaceful, stable little life..."

Huo Huo's emotions were unusually low, her eyes brimming with tears. Even Bai Jun, who was watching from the side, sensed something was wrong and quickly tugged at the tail, trying to stop it.

But the tail seemed to gain energy, grabbing Huo Huo's weakness and continuing to taunt her, "Ha! With your timid nature, you'd probably be scared away by some hooligan on the first day you opened your stall! You can't exorcise ghosts, you can't catch Suiyang, and you wouldn't be able to sell pastries either!"

"I, I, I don't want to be so timid! I've tried my best... Otherwise, do you think I want to stay in a scary place like the Ten Lords Bureau! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have left my parents. I'm also afraid of ghosts and evil spirits. I want to live like a normal person!"

Huo Huo was sent to the Ten Lords Bureau early to prevent the tail spirit from running rampant and causing trouble, all for the sake of peace. But how could she not wish to play freely under the sun like other girls her age?

Gradually, as Huo Huo became more familiar with her work as an Underworld Emissary, she also began to understand the various evil spirits recorded in the Ten Lords Bureau's archives. While aware of the harm evil spirits brought to the world, she also began to shoulder a sense of responsibility in her heart.

"Perhaps if I try harder, if I bear more misfortune, maybe I can make it better for others who are afraid of evil spirits and ghosts?"

With such thoughts, she tried hard to change something.

Although she wasn't indifferent to her own timidity, she had tried to cultivate the courage to overcome evil spirits, but no matter what, she couldn't overcome her fear of those things.

"Why, why does no one acknowledge me? Even though... even though I've tried so hard..."

The last thread of her usual composure finally snapped under the strain, and the girl couldn't help but sob, tears streaming down her face.

Seeing that Huo Huo seemed to be genuinely crying, the tail, which had been so vocal moments before, instantly turned into a wisp of flame, its color even changing from blue to white. It was clear that it didn't mean to be so cruel, but it still wouldn't admit its mistake.

"Uh, Bai Jun, go comfort Huo Huo. This guy's crying is more annoying than intermittent mosquito buzzing..."

"You made her cry, so why should I comfort her... Unless you tell me what you didn't finish saying just now?"

The tail crept closer to Bai Jun, quietly trying to ask him to coax Huo Huo. Bai Jun, as if seizing a good opportunity, retaliated against its earlier cryptic behavior with a threat.

"Oh! You, you, sigh... Fine, fine. As long as you comfort her, anything goes."

The tail agreed with a sense of resignation.

Chapter 67: If You Cry, Happiness Will Slip Away Quietly (5k)

"How many years has Huo Huo been an Underworld Emissary?"

With the tail looking on with an expression of "let's see what this kid comes up with," Bai Jun slowly moved closer to Huo Huo.

"Ab... About thirty years..."

"Thirty years? So, Huo Huo can go on missions alone now?" Bai Jun mused thoughtfully for a moment, then asked softly.

Huo Huo nodded through her sobs, trying to cover the tears rolling down her eyes with her sleeve, but they still fell onto the back of her hand.

For over thirty years, she had constantly tried to hone her courage and take on the responsibilities and duties of an Underworld Emissary.

—Staying up late to watch low-budget, B-grade horror comedies, attempting to strengthen her courage, only to end up with dark circles under her eyes.

—Buying all sorts of new scientific ghost-exorcising tools to improve her combat power, only to make her wallet thinner.

—Seeking divination, but being told by the owner of Jianyao Xuan that she had a rare "ominous destiny" for a thousand years, likely to be plagued by bad luck her entire life.

—Seeking medical advice, hoping to obtain "courage-boosting medicine," but in the end, her cabinet was just filled with more expensive health supplements.

—The art of paper figures, which she painstakingly learned from ancient texts, was often mocked by the tail as futile, and it would find ways to exaggerate and worsen the process.

Looking back, she always tried to grasp at minuscule chances for unrealistic ideas, and the result was always a futile effort. She neither improved her courage nor learned any demon-subduing skills; it was utterly foolish.

Even though she felt inadequate, she couldn't muster the courage to resign. She could only continue to persist in fear, because deep down, a voice constantly told her—even if she left the Ten Lords Bureau, this cowardly self wouldn't be able to adapt to life outside, right?

That's why when she heard the tail say she wouldn't be able to sell pastries either, Huo Huo became so grief-stricken. It wasn't because of lies or curses, but because the tail spirit was speaking the truth—her own incompetent and cowardly reality.

Perhaps deep down, the target of this ignited anger was always her own cowardly and incompetent self.

Even she despised and looked down on herself, so how could she expect others to feel differently? Without even thinking, she was sure that Lord Xue Yi and Lord Cold Crow must have complained about her immaturity countless times in private, and this Bai Jun in front of her must be thinking the same.

Even if he didn't say it out loud, he must be thinking it in his heart.

"You can already undertake missions alone as an Underworld Emissary after just over thirty years? That's truly unheard of. You're so amazing, I'm really impressed, Huo Huo."

Bai Jun's face showed surprise, and his gaze towards Huo Huo was filled with admiration.

"Eh?" Her tears paused for a moment.

A person's expressions and actions could be faked, but their aura and scent wouldn't lie. No matter how Huo Huo observed, she couldn't detect any trace of falsehood from the person in front of her. This meant—he was serious!

"Ah, no wonder Xue Yi told me last time that you were the one she and Cold Crow had the highest hopes for. Well, I was a bit skeptical at first, but now I can understand it better."

To make his point more convincing, Bai Jun counted on his fingers and explained to Huo Huo in detail:

"According to the regulations of the Underworld, for a regular minor Underworld Emissary to qualify for solo missions, it would take at least three to four hundred years of service, right? But you managed to achieve this qualification in just thirty years. Doesn't that prove your aptitude and potential?"

"B-but that's all thanks to the tail spirit. I was just hiding behind, too scared to do anything..."

Huo Huo choked back a sob, rubbing her reddened eyes with her fingers.

Her tail possessed her, making her a target for all sorts of demons, much like honey to butterflies or candlelight to moths. Fortunately, her great tail would always resolve the troubles for her. Even after studying at the Ten Lords Bureau for thirty years, this aspect hadn't changed much.

The tail's flame flickered, and just as it was about to explain, it was quickly stopped by Bai Jun.

Bai Jun could tell that Huo Huo's problem didn't stem from her tail's recent remark, but rather from her own internal struggles. The one who tied the bell must untie it. Unlike external factors such as post-war psychological syndrome, if her inner knot were to be truly untangled, it would ultimately depend on Huo Huo herself.

So, he changed his approach, his tone becoming much gentler and more relaxed. "But I think Huo Huo has already tried her best."

"N-no, I haven't... I've never had the courage to face and confront those terrifying things. No matter how hard I try to improve my courage, in the end, I'm always the one hiding at the back. Someone like me, someone like me..."

"No, in my eyes, you already possess courage itself," Bai Jun shook his head and said softly.

"W-why..."

Huo Huo, whose mood had plummeted back to rock bottom, instantly lifted her pretty face, her eyes red from crying, desperately seeking an answer.

"When a man is insulted and cannot bear it, he draws his sword and rises to fight – this is not true courage. True courage is not the absence of fear and fright, but the ability to face fear. When sacrifice is needed, one must overcome the fear of death and charge forward even while trembling."

Bai Jun took out a meticulously cleaned handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Huo Huo, whose eyes were red from crying, with a smile.

"The praise of humanity is the praise of courage, and the greatness of humanity is the greatness of courage. In my eyes, you, who can bravely stand up while enduring the fear of demons and evil spirits, are already the bravest girl. No matter what the reason, try to hold your head high; you've already done your best."

"I... really... really..."

Huo Huo buried her face in her clothes again and cried even more miserably. However, this way of crying was slightly different from before.

After crying for a while, when her sleeves were completely soaked with tears, Huo Huo finally stopped crying. She didn't take Bai Jun's handkerchief, but lowered her head to hide her blushing face. "I-I'm sorry... it'll get dirty..."

"Don't worry about it. For a man, it's an honor to lend a handkerchief to a crying girl."

"But... I, I, I'm sorry..."

Huo Huo timidly shook her head, but Bai Jun reached out and lifted her chin without hesitation. She didn't know what was happening and was too scared to move. The handkerchief gently wiped her eyes and the remaining tear streaks.

"There, there. You're so cute, it would be a shame to have your face all tear-stained. To be honest, I actually really like your courage?"

Huo Huo was stunned, her soft eyes reflecting the man before her. The imposing aura that should have been terrifying and powerful in her eyes instantly became warm and relaxed.