Chapter 95
The sky was shrouded in the deep darkness of night, the low-hanging curtain painting everything in black, with only the eerie, occasional appearance of ghostly blue flames providing a faint light source.
On the gloomy, dimly lit path, the judge with fox ears walked alone.
"Waaah, the atmosphere here is so scary! Tail- Mr. Tail? Are you still there? Can you talk to me for a bit...?"
The Foxkin- girl, clutching the small flag tightly in both hands, shrank her neck and suddenly called out softly to the empty surroundings.
However, the surroundings remained deathly silent, like a pool of cold, stagnant water, so oppressive and dull that even the question sounded unusually ethereal.
The deathly dark environment, the cold, howling wind, the sudden appearance of the Foxkin- girl, the eerie, ethereal echoes... If there were anyone else here, they would probably find the scene too terrifying to bear, to the point of feeling like they were watching a horror movie.
This is Fyxestroll Garden, a garden and grotto created by skilled Foxkin hundreds of years ago, for visitors to rest, stroll, compose poems, and feast.
However, as time went by, the management responsible for this area encountered internal operational problems, resulting in the area being left unmanaged for a long time. Coupled with the decline in people's interest, Fyxestroll Garden has now become a desolate area that no one cares about.
Recently, a small group of Buli person infiltrated Luofu. After a joint pursuit by the Ten Lords Bureau and the Shence Mansion, most of the Buli person were quickly captured by the judges and Vanguard, leaving only a very small number of remnants.
Tonight's mission is simple: to apprehend the Buli person who fled to Fyxestroll Garden.
Originally Huo Huo just wanted to come and make up the numbers, and just hang around with Lady Hanya. How could she have expected that Lady Hanya would suddenly issue an order to split up and search for Buli person's whereabouts?
This might be the most efficient method, or it might be a deliberate test by Lady Hanya Huo Huo could understand it rationally, but emotionally, just walking on the dimly lit paths of Fyxestroll Garden almost scared her to death.
If someone could stay by her side and talk to her, that would be fine, but unfortunately, Mr. Tail is silent at this moment. He's usually so talkative, but now it's almost obvious that he wants to tease her.
"It's better to rely on yourself than others," Huo Huo thought, patting her chest and chuckling softly, as if to dispel her fear. "Hehehehehehe!"
Even the scariest places become less scary with a smile—this could be considered her unique secret to honing her courage. However, any sound would seem particularly inappropriate in such an environment.
The laughter, accompanied by the bleak sound of the wind, seemed even more eerie.
But just then, an even more abrupt ringing sound rang out.
"Oh my god?! What kind of demon is this... Oh, it's a message from Jade Omen! It scared me to death!"
Huo Huo was startled by the sudden ringing of the bell, tears welling up in her eyes. She instinctively waved the soul-summoning banner around wildly until she realized that the bell was coming from the Jade Omen in her pocket. Only then did she cover her chest with her hand and let out a long sigh of relief.
She took out the Jade Omen, and the light from the screen instantly created a small light source in the overly dark environment, illuminating her delicate and lovely face.
"Snowfall Overcoat: Huo Huo, have you arrived at your destination yet?"
"Mr. Tail's Little Sidekick: We've arrived! Lady Hanya and I are now splitting up to search for the group of Buli person. Thank you for your concern, Lady Xue Yi. I hope your work goes smoothly!"
"Snowfall Overcoat: Yes, thank you for your trouble. I'm sorry, I have other cases to handle tonight and can't stay with you. Please be careful, after all, you are not my mechanical puppets, so please don't get hurt."
"Snowfall Overcoat: Ciallo~(∠?ω<)⌒★"
"Mr. Tail's Little Sidekick: Uh, is this emoticon something Lady Xue Yi recently discovered...?"
"Snowfall Overcoat: Ciallo~(∠?ω<)⌒★"
"Mr. Tail's Little Sidekick: Lady Xue Yi, although this request is incredibly presumptuous, I still want to say that if possible, I hope you won't send these emoticons to anyone other than Lady Hanya and Lord Bai Jun..."
Huo Huo knows that Lady Xue Yi doesn't actually understand the true meaning of emoticons; she just copies whichever one looks funny.
In order to maintain Lady Xue Yi's image in the eyes of others, Huo Huo felt it necessary to risk being insulted and try to persuade the other party. If that didn't work... she would go to Lord Bai Jun and ask Lord Bai Jun to persuade Lady Xue Yi!
"Snowfall Overcoat: I know, I will only give it to Bai Jun and my little sister, and besides the three of you, there is no one else on my Jade Omen."
Fortunately, Lady Xue Yi was as easy to talk to as ever, which finally comforted Huo Huo. Moreover, when she heard Lady Xue Yi say that she only had three people's contact information on her Jade Omen, Huo Huo was suddenly filled with emotion.
So that's how much I mean to Lady Xue Yi... I can actually be compared to Lord Bai Jun and Lady Hanya.
"Speaking of which, Lord Bai Jun should have returned to Luofu yesterday. I wonder what he's been busy with today. Hmm, I really want to go see Lord Bai Jun. He's always so gentle with me, his voice is so sweet, and he's always so warm around me. Sigh, if only Lord Bai Jun could be with me right now, maybe I could even secretly hold his hand, wait? What if I could even hug him... Hmm! Just thinking about it makes me so happy!"
Huo Huo muttered to herself, getting more and more excited as she spoke, her face growing increasingly flushed. Eventually, she covered her burning red face, squatted down, and turned into a matcha-flavored little dumpling, constantly letting out shy wails.
A cluster of blue flames slowly emerged from behind her, transforming into a round wolf's head. It glanced at Huo Huo, its human-like features filled with helplessness and disdain.
This little girl has been so excited ever since she heard Bai Jun was back. I wonder how crazy she'll go when she sees Bai Jun... But it seems kind of interesting?
Tail briefly imagined the scene and couldn't help but grin, almost bursting into laughter.
To maintain its dignity, Tail suppressed its smile and was about to urge Huo Huo to hurry up and get down to business when a faint sigh suddenly sounded from behind it and Huo Huo.
"Waaaaah, I died such a terrible death! I want you all to be buried with me..."
The sound appeared so abruptly that not only Huo Huo, but even Mr. Tail didn't notice it at all.
As the most powerful fragment of "Ignamar," the Tail inherited "Ignamar's" powerful perception. As for the extent of this perception... the Tail can even sense any subtle changes within a radius of 300 meters.
Now, a sound has appeared that even the Tail couldn't detect; in other words, something unimaginably terrifying must have happened.
"Eek!!!!!"
"Ughhhhhh!!!!"
The matcha-flavored Huo Huo and the floating Tail let out frightened screams and terrified cries respectively. The already timid Huo Huo immediately started crying and crouching down, covering its head in defense. The Tail was so frightened that the wolf-head-shaped blue flames turned into black and white lines, indicating that it was really scared.
"Oh dear, it seems the joke went a bit too far."
A plaintive sigh came from behind, tinged with surprise. The familiar voice stunned Huo Huo and Tail Ba, who turned around in disbelief to look at Bai Jun, who had appeared behind them at some unknown time.
With his silvery-white hair, azure eyes, and familiar yet exquisite features, his handsome face now wore a slightly mischievous, Elation smile. He nodded slightly, as if quite pleased with his prank.
"Sorry, I just wanted to tease Huo Huo, but I didn't expect Tail even you, Tail, could be scared?"
At this point, Bai Jun reached out his hand towards the matcha mini-cake that was squatting down.
Huo Huo stared blankly at Bai Jun, her pale green eyes sparkling with tears, as if trying to imprint the most handsome side of her hero into her eyes. Her innocent gaze was like a small white flower in spring, so delicate and pure that one couldn't bear to taint it.
"Lord Bai Jun!!!"
The long-suppressed longing, the accumulated fatigue, the intense fear hidden in her heart, and the joy and relief of seeing the person she admired all erupted at this moment. Overjoyed, Huo Huo threw herself into Bai Jun's arms, burying her face deeply in his chest, as if she wanted to make up for everything she had missed during this period.
Bai Jun did not break free. After a brief moment of surprise, he gently ruffled the girl's green hair.
Although its Tail also had a lot to say to Bai Jun, it held back its nagging urge and didn't bother the little coward. Instead, it floated beside him, its human-like features revealing a strange sense of relief.
They nestled together for a long time before Huo Huo realized what a terrible thing she had done. Embarrassed, she pulled away from Bai Jun's embrace, saying, "I'm... sorry... did I cause trouble for Lord Bai Jun?"
"No, Huo Huo has never bothered me."
Bai Jun always showed extra pampering and tolerance towards Huo Huo; perhaps in his heart, Huo Huo was more like a cute little sister.
"Is that so...? Thank you, Lord Bai Jun."
Hearing her idol say such outrageous things to her, Huo Huo couldn't hide her excitement no matter how hard she tried to stay calm. The evidence was her adorable flushed cheeks and her soft, trembling fox ears.
"Lord Bai Jun?"
Huo Huo suddenly mumbled something softly.
"Um?"
Bai Jun responded softly.
"It's nothing." Huo Huo shook her head, but after a short while, she couldn't help but softly call out, "Lord Bai Jun."
"Um."
"Lord Bai Jun."
"Um."
"Lord Bai Jun!"
"Um."
"Lord Bai Jun!"
The two seemed to have reached some strange state, with Huo Huo constantly whispering Bai Jun's name, and Bai Jun patiently replying softly each time.
Bai Jun's smile remained unchanged, but Huo Huo's expression grew increasingly intoxicated and infatuated.
Every time she uttered the name "Bai Jun," a sweet thrill would surge through her body, her chest burning with an intense heat, as if some flame was raging within her. The overwhelming feeling of happiness made her cheeks burn even hotter, causing her to let out a low whimper, almost like a puppy.
"Ahem... well, although it's not really appropriate to talk like this now, you two should at least consider the environment. Save your flirting for when you get home."
Just as Huo Huo was about to faint from this sweet joy, Mr. Tail coughed awkwardly twice, forcibly pulling her back from her boundless happiness.
"Flirting?! No, no, that's not it!" Huo Huo let out a cute scream and hurriedly hid behind Bai Jun.
Looking at the little coward's embarrassing appearance, Tail couldn't help but find it a bit funny. Then it turned its gaze to Bai Jun and took the initiative to start a conversation for him. "Speaking of which, Bai Jun, what are you doing here at Fyxestroll Garden? Do you perhaps have a strange habit of staying up late at night to go out into the wilderness to test your courage?"
"I just wanted to come and see you, but I couldn't find you at the Prison of Deep Seclusion. It took me a lot of effort to find out your whereabouts from the military officer."
"Lord Bai Jun actually wanted to come see me! Waaaaah~"
"It's you guys, don't you understand? And stop being such a flirtatious little coward, you're embarrassing yourself to death!"
Seeing Huo Huo nearly faint from embarrassment just because of Bai Jun's words, Tail sighed softly and continued looking at Bai Jun: "Just came to see the little cowards?"
Bai Jun pondered for a moment, then answered truthfully, "If I had to say, I'd like to ask Hanya some questions. So why were you acting alone? Shouldn't the Underworld Huo Huo be with Hanya?"
The Tail briefly recounted the events, and Bai Jun listened thoughtfully, his thumb unconsciously stroking the corner of his lips.
"Buli person? That's certainly rare... Let's go, I was just about to go find Hanya, and I can help you deal with this while I'm at it."
Huo Huo naturally wouldn't refuse; in fact, she couldn't wait for Bai Jun to be by her side.
Dark clouds loomed over Fyxestroll Garden, and a chilling atmosphere seemed to solidify, silently seeping into every inch of the land. Faint sunlight filtered through the bamboo grove, leaving only dappled and dim shadows.
The path was covered with withered yellow leaves, each step accompanied by a crisp, soft sound, creating a slightly eerie atmosphere in this quiet and secluded environment.
However, with Bai Jun by her side, Huo Huo felt more at ease and relaxed than ever before, as if nothing around her could affect her anymore.
Watching this scene, Tail felt a mischievous urge rise in his mind. Suddenly, Wolf Head darted to Huo Huo's ear and howled like the ghosts in the horror movies she often watched:
"Extra small cup, extra small cup, extra small cup, you're an extra small cup!!!"
"Huh! There's a ghost!!!"
Huo Huo trembled and instinctively grabbed Bai Jun's arm.
However, she soon realized that it was the Tail deliberately scaring her again, so she pouted angrily and said, "Mr. Tail is so mean!!! Humph, I'm not talking to you anymore."
"It was just a joke, really. You're always so timid and hesitant!"
Tail chuckled teasingly, inwardly lamenting that it had helped her so much yet remained so oblivious, only clinging to Bai Jun's arm. If it were it, it would have already snuggled into Bai Jun's lap to take advantage!
"It's okay, if Huo Huo feels scared, you can always hide behind me."
Bai Jun gently ruffled her hair, comforting her that she didn't need to worry.
Huo Huo: QAQ
"I am extremely grateful, deeply grateful... In that case, Lord Bai Jun! Then, then I will take offense!"
Having heard what Bai Jun said, Huo Huo no longer held back. Her small body eagerly burrowed into Bai Jun's coat, her slightly flushed face pressed tightly against his back, and her petite and soft body hugged Bai Jun's waist tightly.
The sudden, warm touch from behind made Bai Jun stiffen, and his gentle smile turned somewhat embarrassed.
The Tail blinked, then suddenly slapped itself.
Foreword retracted: This little coward is far more clingy and proactive than it imagined.
Sigh, no wonder she's a little fox; is this some kind of innate talent etched into her bones?
P. S.: Here's a summary of the data from the 26th: 729 recommendation votes, 570 monthly votes, and 37 razor blades. Combined with yesterday's data, that's 13 chapters.
Uh, that's a bit of an exaggeration.
However, it's still within acceptable limits.
Chapter 125 He was utterly righteous yet wicked.
"Lord Bai Jun, where are we going?"
With Bai Jun by her side, Huo Huo completely became a matcha-flavored accessory, obediently following him. All she could think about was how to have a more enjoyable conversation with Bai Jun. When she came to her senses, she had already followed Bai Jun to the edge of an extremely secluded cliff.
Hanging in the cold, inky darkness of the night, not a single star drifted down, and the wind howling along the steep cliff seemed like a wild beast raising its head and roaring at the night sky.
Normally, even if you gave Huo Huo a thousand times the courage, she would never come to such a gloomy and dangerous place.
But now that Bai Jun is with me, I'm not afraid anymore.
Huo Huo would rather believe that Mr. Tail would eat her than have even the slightest suspicion of Bai Jun.