The Qingqiu Black Spire was a mysterious structure built by the first-generation Golden Nine Tails.

The first and second floors were open to the bloodline of the Azurehill Fox Clan. But that was as far as they could go.

The upper floors were the private domain of the Golden Nine Tails bloodline. It was said they held a mysterious power of bloodline inheritance. Only the great Auspicious Fox was qualified to touch them. Even the fox clan elders couldn't set foot there.

So no one expected the mysteriously vanished Mulan and Qingqiu Zili to walk down from the upper floors.

That was something the fox clan elders had never imagined.

The Grand Elder strode up to Mulan and Qingqiu Zili, his expression slightly stern.

“How did you get up there?”

This concerned the great Golden Nine Tails. Even the usually kind and approachable Grand Elder couldn't treat it lightly. That went for these two blue foxes as well.

Before Mulan could answer, Qingqiu Zili stepped forward on her own.

“Of course that book sent us up there. We don't know what happened either, okay?”

Qingqiu Zili knew how important the situation was.

When she learned that the area she and Mulan had entered was actually the Black Spire's third floor, even she was startled.

That was supposedly a place only the Golden Nine Tails had the right to enter. Yet somehow, two blue foxes had stepped into it.

Even Qingqiu Zili didn't dare act willful in a situation like this.

Then the Grand Elder handed the book over.

“Try what you did before one more time.”

Mulan calmly took the book. She only flipped through a few pages lightly, but it didn't release that dazzling light again.

It seemed the teleportation had a limited number of uses. Or maybe the trigger conditions couldn't be met again.

“That was it. I just opened it a little.”

Mulan blinked and showed a slightly innocent expression.

The Grand Elder fell silent and thought for a moment.

“Try going back and see if you can get up there.”

Mulan and Qingqiu Zili obediently did as told. In the end, they were stopped by an invisible barrier.

“Guh...”

Mulan looked aggrieved, like she'd walked into a wall. She raised both hands and innocently rubbed her slightly aching forehead.

Qingqiu Zili was in about the same state.

If it wasn't going to let them up, then fine!

At least put in a proper door people could actually see.

What was with this invisible wall? Was it there on purpose just to make people crash into it?

Seeing this, clear disappointment appeared in the Grand Elder's eyes. But it quickly faded.

“In that case, we'll leave it at that. I won't ask what you saw up there. And you must not spread what you saw either. This concerns the secrets of Lord Golden Nine Tails. Keep it buried in your hearts forever.”

“Oh.”

Mulan and Qingqiu Zili nodded lightly like pecking chicks. Under the Grand Elder's authority, neither of them had any thought of refusing.

Only when it came to matters involving the Golden Nine Tails did the elders' authority truly show itself.

Even Qingqiu Zili, known as the elders' nemesis, had to avoid the edge for now. She could only wait for another chance to pluck their tail fur later.

After seeing Mulan and Qingqiu Zili obediently nod, the Grand Elder put on his kind smile again.

“Then this matter ends here. As long as you two had fun, that's enough.”

At that, Qingqiu Zili narrowed her eyes, and her gaze gradually turned sharp.

“Now that I think about it, Grand Elder, I still have something to ask. When Wuyue first came to the Azure Fox Realm, why didn't I know anything at all? Did you deliberately keep it from me, Princess?”

Hearing that, the Grand Elder only smiled without speaking. The next second, he vanished.

Qingqiu Zili puffed up her cheeks, and all the fur on her tail fluffed up.

“Don't run!”

Then she looked toward the other elders, as if she wanted to vent her anger on them instead.

After all, they had a hand in hiding it from the noble princess too.

But before Qingqiu Zili could speak, the elders present also vanished in a flash. Only the Fourth Elder remained, the one she couldn't bear to take it out on.

All Qingqiu Zili could do was stomp the floor angrily.

“Hmph. Lucky for you, you ran fast.”

Mulan was speechless.

A bunch of eight-tailed old foxes were actually scared of a little three-tailed fox.

If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she really wouldn't have believed it.

The Fourth Elder walked over and smiled slightly.

“Do you still want to keep touring?”

Qingqiu Zili looked at Mulan, seeming to ask what she thought.

Mulan blinked.

“Let's eat a tiny bit more Violet Crystal Grape, then head out.”

...

...

Time gradually passed.

Mulan had basically gotten used to life in the Azure Fox Realm.

Qingqiu Zili had already completely forgotten what she'd said before.

She'd claimed she would make Mulan her lowliest servant and have her wait on her. But somehow, she'd turned into a clingy little tagalong who kept sticking to Mulan.

The noble princess was very fond of this cute new little sister.

But Mulan didn't want to admit she was the younger sister at all.

Whenever Qingqiu Zili came over wagging her tail and trying to cuddle up, Mulan would always reach out and push her away.

But when it came to liking closeness with their own kind, blue foxes didn't give up easily.

Under Qingqiu Zili's relentless attempts to stick close, Mulan finally gave up and let it happen.

This charm had nowhere to go.

Was turning into a fox really this popular?

Besides that—

With Qingqiu Zili's endless energy, Mulan was constantly dragged around everywhere by her. As a result, every fox in the Azure Fox Realm learned that there was one more blue fox around.

So after the fox clan elders made the information public, the foxes finally learned the astonishing background of Azurefox Wuyue.

Under those circumstances, Mulan finally got to experience what excessive fox affection really meant when she went out for walks.

While walking down the road, she would get pounced on by several busty fox girls with teary eyes. They'd hug her and fight over who got to be her mother or older sister, saying they wanted to make up for the love of family.

Even though the whole “wandering blue fox” identity had been made up in people's heads, those big foxes truly believed it.

So during this time, Mulan had been forced to enjoy quite a few warm embraces, lavish hospitality, and all kinds of close cuddly contact.

Some bold fox girls went even further. They actually wanted to keep her overnight, like their maternal instincts were overflowing. They wanted to dote on her like a newborn daughter, and it honestly scared Mulan.

Once again, Mulan directly felt just how much the Qingqiu fox clan cared for blue foxes.

It had nothing to do with whether a blue fox was their own child. As long as it was a blue fox, it deserved the clan's affection.

Unconditional affection.

In human form, Mulan was like a sun in the night. She even overshadowed the brilliance that had originally belonged to Qingqiu Zili, becoming the brightest jewel of the Qingqiu fox clan for a time.

Her pitiful background, combined with a charm even greater than ordinary blue foxes, only made Mulan more popular.

This burst of popularity in such a short time even far surpassed that of the male blue fox who had arrived not long ago—Qingqiu Nine Calamities.

That was the most outrageous part.

Speaking of Qingqiu Nine Calamities...

Mulan felt it was time to start moving.

The longer she dragged this out, the more uneasy she felt.

What exactly was that guy plotting?

Mulan had to find out his goal and tear away his mask completely.