Chapter 687: Chapter 549: Nothing Left at All

When her pristine white dress was speckled with blood.

When she stood there so quietly beneath the Moon God Tree.

Everyone stared at her, dazed. For a moment, it was as if they were seeing the very ancestor who had single-handedly founded Tushan, depicted in the clan’s historical scrolls.

It was this battle that allowed Tushan Jing Ci to firmly establish her position, and no one dared question her again.

...

「Thirty years passed in the blink of an eye.」

After their disastrous defeat in the sneak attack on Tushan thirty years prior, the Holy Demon Alliance and the Celestial Demon Alliance had truly fallen apart. They were no longer able to join forces, each fighting for itself and disregarding the other.

During these thirty years, the Ten Thousand Demon Alliance, led by Tushan, had continuously absorbed the Sects and Dynasties of the Demon Race’s World. Its power grew daily, threatening to sweep across the entire Demon Race’s World like a whirlwind.

However, the Dynasties and Sects of the Demon Race’s World were no fools who would simply wait for their doom.

Faced with this situation, they knew they had to join forces and resist together if they didn’t want to be absorbed by the Ten Thousand Demon Alliance one by one.

And so, thanks to the combined efforts of these other powers, the Ten Thousand Demon Alliance’s advance was halted. A delicate, relative balance seemed to form once more across the Demon Race’s World.

In contrast to the rest of the Demon Race’s World, which was mired in years of war and devastation, Tushan itself was like a tranquil paradise, secluded from the world.

During these thirty years, Tushan Jing Ci had opened one school after another within Tushan to teach and guide the common members of the Fox Race, answering their questions and clearing their doubts.

Even the younger generation of the Fox Race with only mediocre aptitude could enter these schools to learn how to read and write.

Xiang Niang became one of the teachers in the academy.

Although this "teacher," Xiang Niang, hadn’t actually read many books herself and wasn’t particularly scholarly.

But when it came to teaching these young little foxes to recognize a few words and read a few passages, she was more than capable.

Tushan Jing Ci would also personally visit the academy from time to time to teach a class for the little foxes.

And among those innocent faces, she did indeed find many promising young talents with outstanding Root Bones.

Tushan Jing Ci took on three female disciples, letting them move into Moon Spring Peak.

These three little foxes were all of common Fox Race blood, and their backgrounds were not particularly distinguished.

To them, the Saintess, Tushan Jing Ci, was like a celestial Fairy—a lofty and unattainable being.

But what the three little foxes could never understand was why, despite being so beautiful, they had never seen the Holy Daughter smile. Not even once.

Furthermore, the Holy Daughter often worked alone on some profound Arrays.

The Arrays were too esoteric for them to understand at all.

They had asked out of curiosity a couple of times, but the Holy Daughter never explained much. She would only say softly that she was looking for something—the most important and precious thing.

Aside from that, the Holy Daughter would often sit in the courtyard, staring blankly while holding a yellowed envelope.

They didn’t know what was written on that yellowed paper.

All they knew was that the Holy Daughter read that paper over and over again, as if she could never tire of it.

One day, after finishing their training, the three little girls quietly slipped over to the front of the Holy Daughter’s courtyard residence.

Three little fox-eared girls, who looked no older than seven or eight, clung to the doorframe and poked their fluffy little heads out. They blinked rapidly, their eyes filled with the guilt and nervousness of tiny thieves.

"Dou Dou, Yiyi, is it really a good idea for us to sneak into the Holy Daughter’s study?"

The little girl named Tushan Hanhan stared with wide, round eyes, blinking rapidly.

She was already beginning to regret it, feeling she shouldn’t have come along with Dou Dou and Yiyi.

’If the Holy Daughter finds out we snuck into her room, she’ll definitely be angry.’

"It’s okay, Hanhan. We’ll just pop in for a peek to see what’s written on that paper the Holy Daughter is always holding. We’ll look for a second and come right back out. The Holy Daughter will never know," whispered Yiyi, the boldest of the three.

"Mhm, mhm." Tushan Dou Dou nodded vigorously in agreement. "Hanhan, aren’t you curious why the Holy Daughter is so sad? I think the reason is on that paper. If we know why she’s sad, then we can figure out a way to make her happy, right?"

"I know, but..." Tushan Hanhan still felt uneasy, mumbling under her breath.

"Oh, come on, Hanhan. We’re already here, so stop worrying!" Tushan Yiyi said, then pulled her two friends by the hand and tiptoed into the Holy Daughter’s room.

They had actually been in the Holy Daughter’s room many times before.

Sometimes, the Holy Daughter would hold their lessons right in this room.

And they also knew that the letter the Holy Daughter treasured so much was kept right under her pillow.

Soon, the three little girls found the yellowed piece of paper.

Tushan Yiyi carefully smoothed it out on the table, afraid of creasing even the smallest corner.

But just as the three little ones gripped the edge of the table and leaned their fluffy heads in close, trying to make out what was written on the paper—

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

Each of the three little ones received a light knock on the head.

"Oww..." The three little ones yelped, clutching their heads. When they looked up, they saw that Sister Yue Shi was standing right behind them.

"S-Sister Yue Shi..." The three little ones shot up, standing ramrod straight. Their small bodies were as taut as fully drawn bowstrings, too nervous to move a muscle.

"What are you all doing in here?" Yue Shi asked softly, her gentle gaze sweeping over the three of them.

"We... we..." The three little girls hung their fluffy heads, fidgeting with their fingers and unsure of how to explain themselves.

But they didn’t need to answer.

Yue Shi glanced at them, then at the yellowed paper spread out on the desk, and she quickly understood what had happened.

"I’ll let it slide this time, but don’t let it happen again. You are not to sneak into the Holy Daughter’s room anymore, understand?" Yue Shi’s tone was stern as she carefully picked up the paper.

"Sister Yue Shi, what’s written on that paper?" Tushan Yiyi, refusing to give up, gently tugged on Yue Shi’s skirt and looked up at her with pleading eyes.

"Yeah, Sister Yue Shi, please just read it to us," Tushan Dou Dou added, coming over to hug Yue Shi’s leg and speaking in a sweet, wheedling voice.

"You three little rascals, why are you so obsessed with what’s written in this letter?" Yue Shi asked, looking helplessly at the trio.

"Because the Holy Daughter is always staring blankly at this paper," Tushan Yiyi answered earnestly.

Tushan Dou Dou nodded repeatedly, chiming in, "And every time the Holy Daughter looks at it, she seems so sad. It’s heartbreaking to watch."

"We... we want to make Sister Jing Ci happy, so first we have to figure out why she’s sad..." Tushan Hanhan added in a small voice.

Yue Shi listened to them chime in one after another. Seeing the earnest looks in their eyes, she knew the children weren’t lying.

Besides, these three little girls were terrible liars anyway.

"In that case, you’re mistaken..." Yue Shi sighed, her tone softening considerably. "What’s written on this paper isn’t something that makes the Holy Daughter sad. It’s just a poem."

"Just a poem?" Tushan Hanhan tilted her little head, her eyes full of confusion. "Then why does the Holy Daughter always stare at it?"

Yue Shi slowly knelt, gently stroking Tushan Hanhan’s fluffy head. Her voice was soft and distant. "Because this poem was written by the most important person in the Holy Daughter’s life."

"Then, Sister Yue Shi, why does the Holy Daughter never smile?" the little girl asked, blinking.

"Because..."

An image of a man flashed through Yue Shi’s mind, her eyes filling with reminiscence and sorrow.

"The Holy Daughter gave all of her smiles to him..."

"...until there were none left."

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