The Sujin Clan was skilled in warfare, yet every woman of the clan was an expert weaver.
The garments and robes worn by High God Yaoguang were all crafted by the women of the Sujin Clan.
News of the upcoming grand wedding between Baize and Yaoguang had already spread, and the reactions of various clans to this match were mixed.
Especially the Fox Clan of Qingqiu.
Baizhi had calculated for so long, never expecting to fall short by a single move, allowing Baize to awaken.
He had intended to steal Baize's innate merit, only to find that the inheritance grounds were protected by countless formations.
After breaking through layer after layer, he still encountered Emperor Donghua's handiwork. Left with no choice, he could only place Shaowan's lingering resentment around the perimeter of Baize's inheritance grounds.
He had hoped that Baize would fall into the trap.
Just as little Wu was on the verge of succeeding, Baize's appearance had brought Yaoguang back to her senses.
It seemed Yaoguang's fortune was beyond his grasp.
At this point, his only hope lay with little Wu, pinning his expectations on her ability to use that face resembling Shaowan's.
She needed to grow closer to Moyuan and siphon away his fortune.
Once little Wu successfully crossed her romantic tribulation and ascended to High God, she would realize just how brilliant today's actions truly were.
In the Celestial Tribe, the Heavenly Lord listened to his subordinate's report.
Hearing that High God Yaoguang was getting married, he furrowed his brows.
Upon learning that she was to marry High God Baize, he said nothing more; after all, both of them belonged to the Celestial Tribe.
As long as outsiders were not plundering their harvest, he was naturally more than happy to see it happen.
Another place was the Ten-Mile Peach Blossom Grove.
Zheyan, dressed entirely in pink, painstakingly buried several jars of freshly brewed peach blossom wine beneath the trees.
Just then, he saw a maidservant from Yaoguang Palace approach, and upon asking, he learned the news.
That little Baize who had received the inheritance had awakened and was soon to marry Yaoguang.
A profound sense of gratification filled his heart.
"It seems Yaoguang's years of waiting were not in vain."
"This High God Baize... what is his background? Wasn't High God Yaoguang fond of Moyuan...?"
A flash of annoyance crossed Baizhen's exquisite face.
Ever since he became a High God, his father Baizhi had revealed to him the reason he had achieved ascension with such ease.
Thus, Baizhen had long been aware that Yaoguang's fortune had been prepared for Bai Qian.
If she had not fallen for Moyuan as his father had calculated, how could they have stolen Yaoguang's fortune?
At the mere thought of this, Baizhen found himself unable to harbor any liking for that Baize.
"Zhenzhen, where on earth did you hear such a rumor? Why would Yaoguang ever fancy Moyuan?"
"Wasn't she? But I heard she even moved right next door to Kunlun Xu because of Moyuan."
Zheyan looked at Baizhen in surprise, feeling as though Zhenzhen was somewhat different today.
"Moyuan's beloved was Shaowan, the world's very first Phoenix. Yaoguang chose to reside in Yaoguang Palace precisely because of that reason, so how could it have anything to do with Moyuan? You'd be better off concentrating on your cultivation instead of soiling someone else's reputation over baseless rumors."
"I only heard about it, I didn't make up the rumor! Why are you yelling at me? You really are an old Phoenix past his prime!"
Baizhen had always been proud. Having stayed by Zheyan's side since childhood, and favored with such exceptional beauty, he had received no end of pampering.
Consequently, he was the most willful of all. Seeing that Zheyan had no intention of coaxing him,
Baizhen flew into a rage, resorted to his old trick, and flew away on his Bi Fang bird.
After reaching adulthood, Baizhen had grown close to Zheyan, taking the opportunity to bewitch him and siphon off a vast amount of fortune.
He had successfully passed his High God tribulation and long since claimed his own fiefdom.
Whenever he threw a tantrum with Zheyan, Baizhen would retreat to his own territory and stay there for a period of time.
Only when Zheyan came over to coax him
would Baizhen condescend to forgive Zheyan.
Yet this time seemed different from the past. Zheyan watched coldly as Baizhen stood upon the back of the Bi Fang bird,
until his retreating figure vanished from sight.
A person as preternaturally wise as Zheyan—how could his mind ever be captured by such a crude charm as the one Baizhen used?
It was simply because he had never lowered his guard against Baizhen.
Compared to the Fox Emperor and the Fox Empress, he was the one who had accompanied Baizhen the longest.
Yet even so, Baizhen had still used the arts of bewitchment upon him.
Zheyan had once held a shred of admiration for Baizhen's mother.
That was entirely on account of Ningshang's mastery of bewitchment arts.
Later, through his own guidance, he had helped refine those arts so that they could not be easily detected.
Though that applied only to those of equal cultivation.
He never expected...
"Cough, cough..."
After all, he had raised the child for many years; a betrayal dealt overnight had left his mind and spirit deeply unsettled.
Zheyan made a swift calculation with his fingers, his expression, which had already been poor, suddenly turning grim.
How had his own fortune diminished by so much for no apparent reason?
Worse still, there were faint signs of him slipping into the demonic path.
Back then, it was precisely to avoid falling into the demonic path that he had sealed away the Fuxi Qin.
Could it be that over these past tens of thousands of years, all his efforts had been in vain?
Suddenly,
a flash of inspiration struck!
A name flickered across Zheyan's mind.
It was none other than Baize.
According to what Baizhen had claimed, could Yaoguang's affection for Moyuan have been the result of manipulation?
Or perhaps it was intentionally spread by someone with an ulterior motive?
Enlightenment suddenly dawned upon him. Zheyan's mind grew crystal clear, and past memories played through his head as if reliving them anew.
Only then did he realize just how foolish he had been.
He had actually mistaken fish eyes for pearls.
He had used his own personal fortune to sustain that massive bottomless pit of Qingqiu, acting like an overbearing nanny raising foxes for someone else.
"Splendid, simply splendid! It turns out the utter fool playing the patron was none other than myself!"
The pink-robed figure vanished in an instant!
Outside Taichen Palace.
Zheyan walked in with a gloomy expression.
"What a coincidence it has been lately. First Yaoguang and that little white cub came over, then Moyuan, and now you have arrived as well. You never visit unless there is a matter at hand—speak, what brings you here?"
The Emperor Donghua sat upon his mat, an ancient text tossed aside beside him.
"Just waking up from a long dream, that is all!"
"Indeed, you are awake. What do you plan to do next?"
Seeing not a trace of surprise in Donghua's eyes, Zheyan knew that everything was much as the other had anticipated.
Yaoguang's earlier visit had also been on account of this matter; for all he knew, Moyuan might be aware of it as well.
"Did all of them turn out like me?"
"Didn't you guess it yourself?"
Donghua countered with a question.
"It was my own utter stupidity that failed to see through such a venomous scheme."
"Then it is not too late. Keep your guard up, remain vigilant from now on, and find a way to investigate how Baizhi operates."
Unlike Yaoguang and Moyuan, Donghua could perceive the faint wisps of demonic Qi emanating from Zheyan.
Once too much of his fortune was siphoned away, Zheyan would inevitably fall into the demonic path.
He had never imagined that after not seeing his old friends for so many years, one after another would fall victim to such plots.
It seemed living for too long was truly no blessing.
"Once Yaoguang and Baize are married, I am returning to the Ten-Mile Peach Blossom Grove into seclusion, and I will never step out again."
"Surely not? A pack of foxes has frightened you to this extent, to the point that you daren't even step outside your own home?"
Zheyan rolled his eyes.
"With this body reeking of demonic Qi, I'm afraid if I laid eyes on them again, I'd end up stripping their skin and pulling their tendons."
"Very well. But... why didn't Yaoguang and the little cub invite me to their wedding?"
"..."
Come to think of it, the maidservant sent to deliver the wedding invitations was still at the Ten-Mile Peach Blossom Grove; she probably hadn't arrived yet.
With a guilty conscience, Zheyan glanced outside Taichen Palace, only to find the area dead quiet with not a soul approaching.