Chapter 16: Collateral Damage

Xuanyuan Yu looked at the little fox with a mixture of exasperation and amusement as it clung to his "little brother," seemingly unwilling to let go. Unable to resist, he reached out to embrace the little fox.

The little fox naturally gave up inspecting her master's third leg—after all, it wasn’t something to boast about. Her pitiful master was surely still upset about it.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak,” the little fox seemed to say, “Don’t be sad, master. Once I regain my magic, I’ll help you cut off that leg.”

She pointed at Xuanyuan Yu’s “little brother” and then made a slicing motion with her paw, clearly telling him she would help remove it. Xuanyuan Yu instinctively clenched his thighs tighter.

“Little fox, are you male or female? Otherwise, why are you so naughty!” Xuanyuan Yu teased as he scooped up Nuoxue, who was already soaked from the water, to check her gender. Nuoxue stubbornly resisted, using her tail to shield her belly and pressing her legs together as she struggled fiercely.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak! I’m female! Ah, don’t look! That’s indecent!” she protested.

Xuanyuan Yu gently parted Nuoxue’s legs. “As expected, you’re female.” Nuoxue shot him a glare, ears drooping lifelessly, her eyes dim and void of spirit. She felt as if her innocence had been stripped away.

Xuanyuan Yu smiled as he washed and stroked the little fox’s fur, but no matter how he tried to win her affection, she ignored him. “Heh, is she angry? Or maybe just shy?”

Hearing his teasing, the little fox flared her fur and bit down hard on Xuanyuan Yu’s hand. He instinctively slapped her, but stopped his hand just before hitting Nuoxue. Still, the force of his palm injured the little fox, who collapsed weakly in his hand, barely conscious.

Cradling the little fox, Xuanyuan Yu leapt out of the pool, wrapped himself in a robe from behind the screen, and urgently called out, “Quick, summon the imperial physician!”

At his call, palace maids and eunuchs panicked, thinking the emperor had been injured. They hurriedly sought the doctor, causing chaos throughout the palace.

Han Bing and Lie Yan slipped silently from the shadows into the Shuihua Hall, then began searching the palace, suspecting an assassin’s attack. After all, Xuanyuan Yu had been hurt and wouldn’t call for the imperial physician unless it was serious.

“Your Majesty, it’s our failure. Please punish us,” the two knights knelt on one knee without begging for mercy.

Xuanyuan Yu paid them no mind. From a hidden compartment in the dragon bed, he retrieved a small vial, poured out a pill, and was about to feed it to the little fox.

Han Bing urgently intervened, “Your Majesty, you cannot give this medicine to that little fox.”

A flicker of silver glimmered in Xuanyuan Yu’s dark eyes, his entire presence turning cold and sharp. “This is none of your concern.” With that, he fed the pill to Nuoxue. The medicine quickly took effect, and the little fox began to regain strength.

Han Bing clenched his teeth, glaring resentfully at Nuoxue. Such a precious medicine was being used to save a mere fox. Xuanyuan Yu knew the value of the medicine, but he had no choice if he wanted to save her. He regretted ever injuring her.

This medicine, crafted by a Blue-tier alchemist, was a life-saving remedy for severe injuries. Whenever Xuanyuan Yu’s cold poison flared up, the pain was unbearable, sometimes driving him to self-harm. This medicine suppressed the cold poison and was reserved for himself, so there was not much to spare. Using it to save a fox seemed a waste no matter how you looked at it.

“Han Bing, put away that look in your eyes. This little fox is very important to me,” Xuanyuan Yu warned.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Han Bing conceded, helpless as Lie Yan pulled him away.

Xuanyuan Yu picked up a dry cloth and began gently wiping Nuoxue’s fur. Afterward, she looked much better—before the wipe-down, she had resembled a drowned rat.