The Fox Mistress of Qingqiu: The Nine-Tailed Fox
Only then did everyone present let out a long breath.
Su Hu finally rose to his feet, his face clouded.
There was hostility in his gaze as he looked at Bo Yikao.
Bo Yikao had traveled thousands of miles to Jizhou.
His main purpose was to discuss cooperation between Xiqi and Jizhou.
This fellow had only just arrived when the Human Emperor inexplicably appeared in Jizhou. What was the reason for that?
It probably did have something to do with Bo Yikao.
At the thought of that possibility, Su Hu's gaze grew colder.
This fellow had brought trouble upon Jizhou.
"Worthy nephew, if there is nothing else, please leave Jizhou."
"These are troubled times in Jizhou, and your presence here is somewhat sensitive."
Bo Yikao's gaze turned cold at those words, but in the end, he said nothing.
He led the people from Xiqi away, turning and leaving without hesitation.
Night!
Back in her chambers, Su Daji could not help sitting in a daze!
For she had thought again of the Human Emperor she had seen that day, whose commanding presence and charm were beyond compare!
She had been drawn to the Human Emperor by that legendary edict in which he condemned his own failings.
To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth!
To secure a livelihood for the people!
To carry on the lost teachings of the sages of old!
To open an age of peace for ten thousand generations!
This was the Human Emperor's promise to all living beings under heaven!
Such words, brimming with heroic ambition, had naturally caught Su Daji's attention!
When they met that day, the Human Emperor had indeed not disappointed her!
At the spring outing gathering, the Human Emperor had faced the scholars alone in a battle of words!
With heroic spirit soaring to the heavens, he had composed that verse, bristling with killing intent!
My hair bristles with rage beneath my cap; at the railing, the driving rain has ceased!
I raise my eyes and roar at the sky, my heart surging with fierce resolve!
Thirty years of fame and deeds, but dust and earth; eight thousand li of roads, clouds and moon!
Do not wait idly till youthful hair turns white, and grieve in vain!
The shame of Xia Jie has yet to be washed away!
When will the hatred of his subjects be extinguished?
I shall drive my war chariot through the passes of the Helan Mountains!
In lofty ambition, I hunger for the flesh of Hu captives; laughing, I thirst to drink the blood of the Di!
Then I shall start anew, reclaim the old rivers and mountains, and pay homage at the heavenly palace!
At the thought of that stirring verse, Su Daji sank into deep fascination!
Though Bo Yikao was also said to possess unparalleled literary talent, he plainly paled beside the Human Emperor and his heroic spirit.
Perhaps in Yin Shang today, only the Human Emperor, so full of heroic spirit, possessed such bearing?
But the Human Emperor had not come for her.
That left her somewhat downcast and her mood a little melancholy.
The Human Emperor had once composed the lines: "The singing girls know not the grief of a fallen kingdom; across the river, they still sing of the flowers in the rear courtyard."
Now it seemed that the Human Emperor understood better than anyone.
The reason Bo Yikao of Xiqi had appeared in Jizhou.
Su Daji, clever as ice and snow, could naturally guess a little of it as well.
Su Daji understood something of her father's ambition, more or less.
Perhaps that was the real reason the Human Emperor had appeared in Jizhou.
At that thought, she could not help letting out a long sigh:
"The mayfly's feathers, its robes so fair; my heart is troubled, where shall I go to return?"
"The mayfly's wings, its garments bright; my heart knows something is amiss, where shall I go to rest?"
"The mayfly emerges from the earth, its hempen robes white as snow; my heart is troubled, where shall I go to dwell?"
Sanqi and Sanjiu, who had been attending her all along, could not help asking:
"Miss, what are all those things you're talking about?"
Sorrow clouded Su Daji's brow:
"The mayfly is merely an ancient insect, born in the morning and dying by evening, its life no longer than a day and a night-but it harbors lofty ambitions-"
How could Sanqi and Sanjiu understand such things?
Su Daji was merely using the mayfly as a metaphor for the aspirations in her own heart.
"People are like mayflies, born and dead between morning and evening..."
Her tone was mournful, making the hearts of those who heard her ache.
Just then, Sanqi and Sanjiu, who stood behind Su Daji, collapsed limply to the floor as though possessed.
A dim light flashed, and a figure appeared silently at her side, giving Su Daji a fright!
"Miss Su truly lives up to her name as a phoenix among mortals. You do indeed possess the fate of a supreme sovereign among humans."
Su Daji glanced over in alarm.
She found an exceedingly beautiful woman in revealing clothes standing beside her.
Judging by her attire, she did not seem like a mortal woman.
The woman seemed to possess the power to steal souls; with just one look,
even Su Daji, a woman herself, began breathing heavily.
Clearly, this scantily clad woman possessed unparalleled charm and terrifying arts of seduction.
"Since Miss Su was sighing over the mayfly here, you must understand its ambitions very well?"
Su Daji, however, gave her a wary look.
"Who are you? Why have you appeared in the Jizhou residence? I advise you to leave quickly, lest a great calamity befall you."
The scantily clad woman gave a gentle laugh.
"Miss Su, there is no need to be afraid. I am the Fox Lord of Green Mound. I happened to pass by this place and heard you sighing here. Only then did I discover that you and I were bound by fate, so I came to meet you. I have something to say; I wonder if you would be willing to listen?"
Though Su Daji had doubts, she thought for a moment and ultimately nodded.
"I just heard Miss Su sighing over the mayfly. You must know it very well."
"The mayfly is a remarkable insect of this world. It lives for some three to five years, and when its time comes, it faces its emergence. Only if it emerges successfully can it grow wings, fly between heaven and earth, and become a true mayfly."
"Though its life is exceedingly short, it still has no complaints or regrets. I imagine Miss Su understands its aspirations quite clearly?"
Su Daji was renowned as the foremost extraordinary woman of the Human Clan. Naturally, she was gifted with an orchid heart, and in an instant, she gained some insight.
She naturally understood the mayfly's ambition very well.
It endured long solitude and loneliness, all for the moment it emerged and soared between heaven and earth, without complaint or regret even if its glory lasted only an instant.
Seeing that the woman was no ordinary mortal, Su Daji asked:
"What is it you wish to say?"
The woman of the Qingqiu Fox Clan smiled bewitchingly and answered a different question:
"The current Human Emperor is a mighty ruler of Heaven and Earth, with the cosmos in his breast and unmatched strategic brilliance. Even the Holy Mother holds the Human Emperor in high regard."
"Yet Su Hu of Jizhou harbors treacherous designs. Before him, Su Hu is nothing but a clown. Should the Human Emperor erupt in thunderous fury, Jizhou City will become a purgatory on earth in an instant. I fear that not even all the gods and buddhas in heaven could save it."
"The present Human Emperor is a being who contends with all the gods and buddhas in heaven. Su Hu's filthy tricks are truly beneath the Human Emperor's notice."
"The people of Jizhou are about to see their homes destroyed and their families killed. I wonder how Miss Su feels about that?"
"Perhaps in your father's eyes, you are nothing but a chess piece as well."
Su Daji's expression changed at those words.
"So that really is how it is?"
Su Daji was clever as ice and snow, and naturally had heard a little about some of her father's affairs.
She was also fairly clear about her father's attitude toward her.
Hearing that the people of Jizhou were about to be plunged into misery, she could not bear the thought.
"Perhaps there is still a chance to turn this around, but that chance rests with you. Perhaps it can also spare you the fate of being a chess piece. I only wonder whether you are willing?"
Hearing this, Su Daji hurriedly asked:
"Please enlighten me, Fairy!"
The scantily clad woman giggled, then leaned close to murmur in her ear.
"I am the Fox Lord of Green Mound. A few days ago, I received a divine decree from the Holy Mother, ordering me to-"
As the Nine-Tailed Fox Lord spoke, Su Daji's expression changed abruptly.
In an instant, it grew complicated.
Her eyes held shock, despair, and pleasant surprise, as well as the emptiness that followed all those emotions.
Was I truly a chess piece? Su Daji could not help giving a smile that seemed to weep blood.
Her vacant gaze looked into the distance, then settled on the woman before her, whose seductive allure was unmatched and who possessed a touch of bewitching charm. At last, she could not help falling into a daze.
She seemed to see once more the Human Emperor, so unrestrained and wild that day.
In the end, she spoke, downcast: