After staying in the Netherworld for two days, Fuxi, Nuwa, Red Cloud, and the others bade farewell and departed. Houtu also told Wu Chu and the others to return, saying there was no need for them to remain with her.
Wu Chu had Qingqiu Li and the others go back first, then asked Feng Yi to return to Purple Jade Mountain and bring several Rollings over. He himself stayed behind to keep Houtu company.
As for Shiji, she returned to Myriad Crows Mountain to pack her belongings. She also brought the two gatekeeper boys and Black Phoenix to Fengdu in the Netherworld. From then on, she would be stationed in Fengdu as well. She likely would not return to the White Bone Cave dwelling on Myriad Crows Mountain very often, so sealing it off would suffice.
Only after everyone had left did Houtu roll her eyes at Wu Chu and say irritably, "The Netherworld has only just been established. I need to oversee everything myself! What are you doing here getting in my way?"
"Those matters can be handled by your avatars. There's no need for you to do everything personally." Wu Chu smiled, then sighed softly. "I was originally worried that after becoming the Mistress of Reincarnation, you would turn into Lady Houtu, impartial toward all races, without even a trace of personal feeling."
"And then you could shake me off and go looking for more fox spirits?"
"..."
Well, the fact that she could still make such jokes meant she was normal.
After a brief daze, Wu Chu gave a foolish chuckle, utterly lacking the shrewd and capable air he usually displayed before outsiders. Houtu responded by rolling her eyes at him repeatedly.
"If outsiders saw you like this, they'd definitely wonder whether you really were Daoist Wende."