Chapter 841: Unwelcome

Chapter 841: Unwelcome

As I walked along the path of Hansheng Valley, various Immortal Beasts and Immortals paused their cultivation to whisper among themselves, casting glances at Ruo’er.

This brought back memories for Ruo’er of her childhood. Being part of the Fox Clan, marked by features like fox fur, large ears, and a bushy tail, set her apart from ordinary humans. Even if her peers were willing to play with her, their parents were not.

Being ostracized and treated as an outcast, her childhood memories were not pleasant. She had to start working early to support her family alongside her adoptive mother, entering the Lin family as a maid where she spent a long time with Lin Nuo.

Fox maids were rarely hired due to perceived risks, but only Lin Nuo was willing to accept her.

In his words, beast-eared girls were simply amazing.

Now, these Immortal Beasts and Immortals were treating her just as she had been treated in her youth, with little kindness.

As she continued on, Ruo’er noticed the absence of her kind, the Fox Clan, and the cold words directed towards her grew more frequent.

Dong Xiyan sensed something was off and realized that something must have happened.

It had been more than a year since she’d last visited Hansheng Valley; the world had dramatically changed in that time, and the transformations were countless.

When she was with Ruo’er, she came here to connect with some fellow clansmen, but now she found no sign of any Immortal Foxes.

It was strange.

She felt the need to inquire.

Soon, she encountered a few Immortal Beasts and Immortals who were gossiping and asked them, “Hello, I am Dong Xiyan from Zifeng Valley and have discussed this matter with your valley master. I’ve visited Hansheng Valley before and met many Immortal Foxes, but I don’t understand why I can’t find any Immortal Foxes now?”

Her question interrupted their discussion.

They immediately stopped, and the Immortal Tiger standing before Dong Xiyan replied in a calm tone, “There are no Immortal Foxes left in Hansheng Valley.”

“Ah? Why is that? Did they go down to carry out a task?”

“Not exactly. It’s a bit complicated…”

The Immortal Tiger hesitated to elaborate on the situation.

“Ah, Dong Xiyan has arrived! I apologize, I was tied up with a matter and could not come to welcome you sooner.”

At this moment, another Immortal interrupted the Immortal Tiger, approaching with a turtle shell on his back, short in stature, with a long white beard, leaning on a wooden staff, exuding the aura of an Immortal.

He was the Turtle Sage, here to welcome Dong Xiyan, having delayed due to an earlier engagement.

“Ah, Elder Yu! It’s been a long time.”

Dong Xiyan politely greeted him, “You didn’t need to come personally to welcome me; I was on my way to your palace.”

“No, you are esteemed guests, so I naturally must welcome you.”

The Turtle Sage stroked his beard and smiled, casting a glance at Ruo’er.

A white fox, speaking of that traitor, she’s also a white fox.

“Please follow me.”

The Turtle Sage led the way, and Dong Xiyan took Ruo’er’s hand, following along.

“Dong Xiyan, I… I don’t want to go…”

Ruo’er murmured softly, feeling no affinity for this place.

“Why not go? It’s a rare chance.”

“Um… that Immortal just said that there are no Immortal Foxes here anymore…”

Ruo’er added quietly, being just a little girl without much guile, speaking her mind.

If there were no Immortal Foxes here, wasn’t her visit meaningless?

“Even if there are no Immortal Foxes, you can still explore. It’s a rare chance to broaden your horizons; it won’t be bad.”

Dong Xiyan encouraged, hoping Ruo’er would experience more and not stay cooped up in Zifeng Valley.

“Mm…”

Ruo’er was not adept at turning people down, and feeling Dong Xiyan’s goodwill, she found it hard to refuse.

“Little girl, it’s a rare visit, just take a stroll. Think of it as a breath of fresh air.”

The Turtle Sage smiled benignly, and after hesitating a moment, Ruo’er agreed.

They continued walking.

On the way, they encountered more Immortal Beasts and Immortals, who all stared at Ruo’er as if she were some sort of peculiar creature.

“Elder Yu, what happened to the Immortal Foxes in Hansheng Valley? What’s been going on this past year?”

“Nothing significant, just that they do not wish to stay in Hansheng Valley anymore; it’s beneath them now.”

The Turtle Sage replied, hinting at something he wasn’t ready to disclose.

After walking for a while, they arrived at an impressive palace, the residence of the high-ranking Immortals of Hansheng Valley.

This palace was majestic, draped in Immortal Qi, with rows of thriving Immortal Trees in front, bearing sweet and delectable Immortal Fruits.

Ruo’er thought that this environment was much better than Zifeng Valley, suitable for Immortal Beasts and Immortals to live and cultivate.

However, not being able to see her kind, the absence of Immortal Foxes filled her with an overwhelming sense of loneliness.

Once inside, they found an Immortal Crane who was the master of this palace.

“Welcome, Dong Xiyan! My deepest apologies for not welcoming you sooner; please, have a seat.”

The Immortal Crane personally came to greet them, preparing exquisite Immortal fruits and dishes, providing them with the utmost hospitality.

Ruo’er felt extremely uncomfortable seated there, her mind racing with thoughts of leaving, as she sensed the gazes of the Immortal Beasts and Immortals were far from friendly.

“Ah, Dong Xiyan has brought her disciple along! Truly, Elder Dong is remarkable, and surely her disciple has boundless potential as well,” the Crane Immortal remarked with a smile.

“Oh no. I intended to bring her here to interact with the Immortal Foxes, as they are all kindred spirits. However, it is indeed very regrettable that all the Immortal Foxes in Hansheng Valley have left.”

“Alas, Immortals whose hearts are not in the right place cannot be retained. With so many Immortal Beasts and Immortals here, it isn’t necessary to engage with the Immortal Foxes. I’m sure the little girl will gain a lot from staying here for a while.”

The Crane Immortal continued to smile, briefly touching upon Ruo’er’s situation before resuming his conversation with Dong Xiyan about other matters concerning their two valleys and potential collaborations.

Slowly, no one paid any mind to Ruo’er, leaving her feeling like a lonely little girl cast aside in a corner.

After a short time, Ruo’er slipped out, wandering into the courtyard to look around at the Immortal Trees and Immortal Fruits.

She gazed at the bright red Immortal Fruits, yearning to pluck one to eat, but recognizing this was someone else’s domain, she knew better than to act recklessly and settled for just looking.

“An Immortal Fox? How could there be any Immortal Foxes here? Weren’t they all driven out?”

Two Immortal Wolves darted out, surprised.

“Hey, fox! Don’t touch our Immortal Fruits. Go back to your den and stay out of here.”

“Ah? I-I didn’t touch anything! I was just looking…”

Ruo’er explained, a bit aggrieved.

“You foxes are sly and cunning; how many things have you stolen from Hansheng Valley? You can’t just look—who knows if you might steal something? Hurry up and leave.”

The Immortal Wolves were chasing her away, and Ruo’er felt miserable. Why was she being accused of stealing the Immortal Fruits when she hadn’t done anything at all?

She quickly walked away, but everywhere she turned, more Immortal Beasts and Immortals sneered at her, calling her a thief and a traitor, making her feel unwelcome.

She was anxious, not knowing exactly what had happened, wondering why the Immortal Foxes were being treated so poorly. After all, she was a guest too!

It felt reminiscent of how her young master had been teased by his sect and family in the past.

How she missed her young master.

…

Meanwhile, in the mortal realm, Lin Nuo and Luo Xiaoxue formed a small team to kick off an operation to rescue the foxes, temporarily consisting of just the two of them, naming their organization “Luo Fan Yi Pai.”