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"Some foxes hide their tails; others their thrones."
— Mountain Sect Proverb
The road out of Wind-Bone Market was deathly quiet.
Moria walked ahead, her stride lazy, arms folded behind her back. The crescent moons painted her silhouette in silver, catching faint glimmers in her dark cloak. Every now and then, her golden eyes flickered sideways—watching, waiting.
Behind her, Li Yuan was unusually silent. The weight of the Mirror Witch's illusions still clung to him like cobwebs. And Jiang Yan… he hadn't said a word since they left.
"You're awfully quiet, Fox," Moria said without turning.
Jiang Yan didn't answer immediately. His red cloak fluttered in the wind, eyes sharp and distant.
Finally, he said, "That woman. Meimei Xue. She knew you weren't normal."
Moria smirked. "I've never claimed to be."
"You shattered her domain. That's not mortal magic."
Li Yuan glanced between them. "What are you then? Really?"
Moria didn't reply. Instead, she stopped near a cluster of ancient rocks—the Whispering Cliffs, where voices of the dead were said to echo in the winds.
She placed a hand on the stone. "Long ago, I was someone else. Someone from a world that didn't believe in foxes, dragons, or living gods. I died… and was sent here."
Jiang Yan turned sharply. "You're a transmigrator."
Moria smiled faintly. "With a system and everything. Annoying little thing. Calls itself Mirth."
Ding!
[Host has revealed identity. +10 Chaos Points. New Quest Available: Seduce or Destroy the Fox.]
She rolled her eyes. "Ignore it."
Li Yuan's mouth fell open. "You're saying… you're from another world? And you chose to stay here?"
"I didn't choose. But this world's far more entertaining."
Before Jiang Yan could question more, a whistle rang out from the trees.
A group of riders emerged—five in total, each draped in gray, faces hidden under hawk masks.
"Orders from the Eastern Fang Sect," the lead rider declared. "By decree of the Elders, hand over the mixed-blood boy."
Moria sighed. "We just left a haunted market. Can we not have one day without someone trying to kill us?"
Li Yuan stepped back, trembling. "I don't even know them."
"You're a mistake to them," Jiang Yan muttered. "They want to erase what shouldn't exist."
Moria snapped her fingers. "Then let's give them something else to fear."
With a swirl of her cloak, the ground shifted. From the soil, pale vines shot upward—snaring two riders instantly. Their hawk masks cracked as they were slammed into the cliffs.
Jiang Yan moved like fire, blades drawn. He was graceful, deadly—his strikes clean and silent.
Li Yuan stumbled, raising a barrier with the talisman Moria had given him. It pulsed just in time to deflect an arrow.
The last rider faced Moria.
"You're not—"
"Pretty? Smart? Merciful?" she finished, stepping closer. "Sorry, I'm none of those."
With a single gesture, the rider burst into laughter… then tears… then choked, eyes wide with terror. He fled screaming into the woods.
"What did you do to him?" Li Yuan whispered.
"Showed him his future," Moria said calmly. "One where he obeys and dies forgotten."
The dust settled. Jiang Yan wiped blood from his blade, eyes unreadable. "You could've let me handle them."
"Of course," she replied sweetly. "But then I'd be bored."
Li Yuan collapsed onto the grass. "I'm starting to think traveling with you is the most dangerous decision I've ever made."
Moria grinned. "Wait until we reach the Lake of Burning Petals. That's where the real fun begins."
She walked ahead. Behind her, Jiang Yan paused.
"Why are you helping him?" he asked quietly. "You're not the nurturing type."
Her smile faded. "Because once… I was a mistake too."
For a moment, Jiang Yan watched her back. The wind tugged at her cloak. His eyes softened—just a little.
"You know," he muttered, "you're beautiful when you're cruel."
"Careful," she said without turning. "Flirt too hard and the system might ship us."
Ding!
[New Dialogue Unlocked: "Your tail is showing, Fox." Would you like to tease him now?]
She groaned and slapped her own forehead.
Li Yuan blinked. "Did she just argue with herself?"
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the group resumed their journey. Shadows lengthened, and with it came the scent of ash and roses.
Far ahead, nestled between scorched hills, a lake shimmered—blazing red as fire.
The next artifact waited.
So did something else.
Something old… and hungry.
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