North of the capital of Great Han, the moonlight converged at one point, forming a figure in the middle of a forest clearing. It was as though the moon decided to grace the lands and personified itself.

The silver rays formed a human-like shape and soon, his person could be seen facing the round moon.

"It's been a while." The being said to no one in particular.

He was a beloved herald of the goddess. Cai Xie herself dearly named him Qin Yu. But ever since the four nations turned their backs on the goddess, he was rarely seen in these parts of the continent.

His name hadn't been spoken too.

After all, to the people of Great Han and the other nations, Cai Xie was nothing but a mythical existence.

There was a dreamy haze surrounding him and the whole forest sensed his presence. The branches of the trees which seemed to be so menacing just minutes ago turned gentle. Nocturnal animals celebrated his visit, singing a chorus of welcome amidst the lonely night.

Seemingly pleased, Qin Yu hummed along with them. "I'm glad you're all very well."

The voice carried a profound love for all creatures under the heavens. Those hearing it would feel their hearts swell with mercy and forgiveness. Such was the effect of being with this ancient spirit.

"I'm trying to find someone, can you help me?"

It was answered with different calls and hoots but he understood.

The ancient spirit, Qin Yu, raised a hand as though to capture the moon.

"It's time to fetch a person who doesn't belong here."

Moments later...

The forest creatures, big and small, were ahead and behind him, looking like a royal procession. Fireflies lit the way, nighttime raptors glided from above, and four-legged beasts escorted from the sides.

So many animals gathered but they were all very careful, behaving in a way that wouldn't bother the esteemed herald of the goddess. Every moment they spent with the herald was precious because he oozed spiritual power which would be beneficial to their kin. One of them might even become a spirit beast if they were lucky.

They led him to a cave near the top of a mountain.

"So this is it." Qin Yu petted a deer that drew close to him. When he lifted his hand from the deer, the animals lowered their heads.

"Thank you." The creatures felt an immense amount of reverence as though his words were perfectly conveyed to them. Afterward, they obediently withdrew and left him.

These animals were only driven by instincts. Someone as pure as the goddess' herald attracted them in a way that children would always follow their parents.

Qin Yu watched them go with gentle eyes.

Then, he entered the cave. It was dark but he easily resolved this by producing orbs of light from his hand and they floated around him like bigger versions of the fireflies from earlier.

Reaching a certain point, the path led to a larger part of the cavern. He was surprised to find a young fox disguised as a human near an unconscious lady. The energy surrounding the fox was corrupted so he concluded that he wasn't a creature of the light.

Upon sensing his presence, the young fox turned around in alarm.

It could be said that they were beings that belonged to opposite sides yet there was no doubt who was superior of the two.

Si Hai's expression sank but he knew his place well. Actually, he only started knowing his place upon meeting Hong Chun. He learned that there was a time of showing pride and there was a time of casting it aside.

From this abrupt shift of state of mind, it was easy to see how Hong Chun thoroughly crushed his ego.

Si Hai lowered his body and willed it to change to his fox form. Soon, the cave witnessed a black fox the size of a full-grown man. But the fluffiness of its black fur and the softness of its snout indicated its young age.

Its nine tails descended on the floor, indicating its submission.

Spirit beasts were very territorial and their hierarchy was based on strength and lifespan. It was a sign of respect to present their real appearance to stronger and older spirits.

"This humble one greets the senior." Si Hai's mouth didn't move but the voice was telepathically transmitted.

He had no idea who this being was but he could sense the purity and vastness of the other party's spiritual essence. The weak would always hold the strong in high regard. Si Hai knew this person was out of his league.

He never met an ancient spirit before. His bones trembled and he didn't dare to make unnecessary sounds. He was filled with fear to even think about why the entity suddenly appeared.

Qin Yu was astonished to see a polite creature of darkness. If it was usual, he would take it upon himself to purge this dark spirit. But those in the shadows were also created by the goddess. How could he bring himself to hate them?

"Please rise." He acknowledged the fox's courtesy.

The glowing orbs from behind him scattered to fill the cavern with a soft brilliance.

Si Hai was inwardly impressed by the senior's command of spiritual power. Where in the continent would one find something similar to this?

Humans here couldn't even sense the scant spiritual essence in the air. And yet, this person wielded it as though he had an unlimited amount.

He had a vague answer at the back of his mind and his eyes darted to the sleeping Hong Chun and the herbs on her side.

The fox spirit hadn't had time to treat her wounds but someone already visited.

Just who on earth was this girl?

How he wished he forced Old Shang to tell him back then so he wouldn't be powerless in these types of situations.

"She's wounded?"

Qin Yu stepped forward and his sacred aura unconsciously pressed down on Si Hai as he drew even closer. But he failed to notice as his gaze was on the lady lying on the stone bed.

Her traveling coat was tattered and her robes were tainted crimson. This was especially true for his left forearm but he knew the direst injury wasn't that.

The fox behind him failed to react in time. He only saw the senior put his hand on the girl's nape and gingerly hoisted her up.

Qin Yu sat on the stone bed and lifted the lady to his bosom. Resting her head on his shoulder, he perused that ugly gash on her back.

This was the slash she received from the assassin who Old Shang killed before his last breath.

Only Si Hai could see Hong Chun's brows furrowed in pain.

But a helpless voice was heard. "You made her lie on her back despite this grave wound?"

The black fox was speechless. He never cared for an injured human before so he had a weak understanding of just how fragile they could be.

It wasn't Qin Yu's nature to show favoritism to humans but this girl's soul could very well be the most he was familiar with. He was also guilty of banishing her to a place like this so he was a bit distressed to see her condition.

Without further ado, he placed a hand on the wound and felt spiritual essence leave his body.

Si Hai saw light seeped through Hong Chun's skin and started repairing the lacerations on her body. But the two's ambiguous position somewhat bothered him.

Serving nobility for a good amount of years, he knew that reputation was the most important to young ladies. Although the senior was merely intent on healing her, it didn't discount the fact that Hong Chun was practically resting on a male's arms.

Maybe he should shut up about this when she woke up. There'd be no harm if she didn't know, right?

He didn't even have the mind to worry about her health. Instead, he was troubled about a stupid thing such as reputation. Was it because he was confident of the senior's capability or was it because he was keeping to mind Hong Chun's complicated identity?

On the other hand, healing wasn't taxing to Qin Yu but it would take time for her to recover from the blood loss. The dissatisfaction he felt with the young fox came back.

But he let none of his discontent show in his actions. After healing the young woman, he laid her on the stone bed again. Her breaths were more even than it was before.

It took a wave of his hand and a soft flash of light to cleanse the dried and fresh blood clinging to her skin and to fix the rips on her dress and hood.

"Child fox, you're still here." The tone was laced with tolerance and tenderness.