Chapter Seventeen: The Deep Affection and Loyalty of the Fire Fox

Generally speaking, whether it is a spirit beast or a cultivator, as long as they reach the Enlightened Spirit Realm, a faint aura of heaven and earth will linger around their bodies, much like the ethereal presence of a ghostly spirit. As a prodigy possessing the Nine Yang Physique, Mo Bufan’s sensitivity to such auras far surpassed that of ordinary people; even when his cultivation was much lower, he could easily sense the flow of spiritual energy around him—let alone now.

Sensing the approach of a spirit beast, Mo Bufan instinctively wanted to evade and avoid unnecessary trouble. However, as the beast drew nearer, a trace of ease flickered across his face. The creature had only just broken through to the Nascent Void Realm; naturally, it was no threat to him.

Having come to that conclusion, Mo Bufan decided to simply scare the beast away. He no longer suppressed his aura, letting it expand outward so that the beast could sense the danger here and retreat before it was too late.

But unexpectedly, the beast proved either incredibly foolish or far too desperate, failing to notice the looming peril and plunging headlong into the area.

In that instant, man and beast abruptly came face to face, gazes locking together.

It was a fire lynx—a rather low-ranked spirit beast, seldom heard of ever transcending the Mortal Shedding Realm to achieve immortality.

Yet its appearance was exceptionally charming: a coat of fiery red fur, a fox-like form and bushy tail, but with a face more akin to a cat’s—rounded ears, a short muzzle, and a pair of large blue eyes that, upon closer inspection, seemed to reflect the vastness of the starry sea.

The fire lynx stared at Mo Bufan, momentarily stunned, and then a profound despair welled up in its eyes. Its fur, which had been bristling in alarm, deflated as it sensed Mo Bufan’s cultivation. Whimpering, it collapsed to the ground in abject submission.

Mo Bufan was taken aback. “Damn, you barged in here without a clue, and I didn’t even intend to harm you. Why are you crying?”

As he thought this, he noticed a wound on the lynx’s back, blood steadily oozing from the gash. The color of its fur matched the blood so closely that he hadn’t noticed at first.

“So, you’re injured,” Mo Bufan realized. Standing up, he also saw that the lynx’s hindquarters were wet with amniotic fluid, and its belly was slightly swollen—it was pregnant.

If most people saw this, they would be overjoyed. A pregnant fire lynx was a rare treasure; such adorable spirit beasts were highly favored by certain female cultivators. Bringing back a kit would fetch a handsome price, and the mother lynx itself was valuable—a worthy prize for any adventurer.

But Mo Bufan had little interest in such things.

“Alright, enough with the pitiful face,” he said, unable to bear the lynx’s mournful howls. He knew spirit beasts could understand him. “I have no intention of hurting you. Go ahead and give birth, rest up, and once you’re recovered, we’ll go our separate ways.”

Upon hearing this, surprise flashed across the lynx’s face, followed by a series of kowtows, its whimpers echoing through the cave. When it finished, it leapt behind Mo Bufan, found a corner, and began licking its wounds, stealing occasional glances at him.

Mo Bufan glanced at the presumptuous little beast, curled his lip, and paid her no more mind.

He was about to rest and then hasten on his way when, all of a sudden, another aura approached—and this time, several unfamiliar presences accompanied it. Cultivators!

“Damn, I’ve fallen into a trap!” Mo Bufan groaned.

He’d acted on a moment of compassion and forgotten about the lynx’s wound. If it was injured, it must have enemies or pursuers, and the little creature had clearly been fleeing. Of course, she’d lead them straight here.

Without further thought, Mo Bufan turned to leave this troublesome place. He had no desire for the lynx and no regrets about leaving; the only thing he dreaded was encountering cultivators eager for blood and treasure. If that happened, escape would become impossible.

Peering from the mouth of the cave, he saw another fire lynx in the distance, running frantically, its body streaked with blood, and a group of four or five cultivators giving ruthless chase.

The fire lynx was among the rarest and most devoted of spirit beasts, akin to the penguins Mo Bufan had seen in his previous life—monogamous, faithful for life. He’d just seen the female lynx; this must be the male.

Both had been discovered at once. The male was luring away the pursuers to give the female a chance to escape. But a spirit beast was still a spirit beast; the male didn’t get far and kept circling the area, following the female’s scent, unable to shake his enemies.

At that moment, the female lynx in the cave sensed her mate’s presence. She leapt from the cave, rearing up and staring unblinkingly in his direction, grief surging in her eyes.

Mo Bufan saw this and knew his guess was right, but witnessing this scene of two little creatures facing life and death, he found himself unable to walk away.

In the moment’s hesitation, the group of cultivators caught up with the wounded male lynx. A blade of spiritual energy flashed, sending the lynx tumbling to the ground, and the four surrounded him. The lynx roared in fury, but before he could rise, their attacks descended upon him.

Helplessly watching her mate beaten to death, the female lynx let out a heart-wrenching wail and, without thinking, charged toward the cultivators.

“Hey, what the—” Mo Bufan hadn’t expected her to be so reckless. Even with amniotic fluid still hanging from her, her movements were not the least bit sluggish.

Luckily, Mo Bufan was swift as well. In a blur, he grabbed the female lynx and barked, “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

In her distress, the lynx turned to bite Mo Bufan’s hand but stopped herself at the last moment. Staring at her swollen belly, her eyes grew even more desolate.

“Good grief, even animals have their own Lin Daiyu,” Mo Bufan thought, feeling his heart unexpectedly moved. He set the lynx down and said, “Forget it, just stay by my side. I’ll keep you safe.”

From the way those men fought, Mo Bufan was certain they were no match for him. Judging by their attire, they weren’t disciples of any great sect—just opportunistic wanderers. Even if he took the lynx from them, there would be no unnecessary trouble.

The female lynx wept quietly at Mo Bufan’s feet, but no longer tried to rush off and join her mate in death.

Mo Bufan called her back into the cave, then, feeling a pang of regret, took out several formation flags he’d obtained from the Foundry Pavilion. He quickly set them at the cave entrance to conceal it, then sat down to wait for the pursuers.

Formation flags were powerful, but also consumables; each use meant one less. Using them for a fire lynx—Mo Bufan couldn’t help thinking he was being rather foolish.

Sure enough, after killing the male lynx, the cultivators made their way straight toward him. The female’s howl had given them a clue, and they clearly knew the habits of fire lynxes.

Soon, five men emerged from the forest and arrived before the cave. When they saw Mo Bufan, they were momentarily surprised, but then a look of scorn flickered across their faces.

Mo Bufan hadn’t suppressed his cultivation, so they could easily sense his level—and theirs was higher. Naturally, they didn’t consider him a threat. Still, they did not neglect courtesy. The leader, a burly man with a broad-backed saber, cupped his fists and said, “Fellow Daoist, I am Lu Feng from Mang Mountain in the Yue Lai Kingdom. Have you seen a pregnant fire lynx? That is the beast we have been tracking. If you happened to find her, would you kindly turn her over to us?”

Mo Bufan quickly processed the names Mang Mountain and Yue Lai Kingdom, guessing they were itinerant cultivators seeking fortune here—men whose deaths would cause no stir.

Truth be told, even if he killed the king of Yue Lai himself, it would matter little. No mundane kingdom could draw the attention of the Heavenly Profound Sect, especially since he was the vice sect master’s consort. But there was no need for pointless killing.

“I am Mo Bufan of the Heavenly Profound Sect,” he announced, ignoring their surprise. “I have seen the fire lynx, but as a personal favor, I ask you to let the female go. You already have one, haven’t you?”

The five frowned, eyes darting warily around.

“No need to look,” Mo Bufan said casually, knowing they feared experts from his sect might be nearby. “There’s no one here but me.”

The five exchanged glances, seeming to confirm the area was clear, and their expressions grew darker.

“Fellow Daoist, surely you jest. You must know the value of a pregnant fire lynx. Please don’t make this difficult, or we may have to be less polite,” Lu Feng continued.

“Enough with the nonsense,” snapped a tall, thin man beside him, his voice sharp. “This is Dragonfall Abyss. Your Heavenly Profound Sect may be powerful outside, but here, even if you get hurt or killed ‘by accident,’ your sect might never find out. Hand her over, and we won’t trouble you.”

Mo Bufan sighed and stood, casually drawing the longsword from his back. “Well, it seems we’ll have to fight. Here’s my offer: if you beat me, I won’t interfere. If I win, you leave with your prize and go. What do you say?”

The men exchanged strange glances. Was this fellow a fool? This was Dragonfall Abyss, where life and death were settled in an instant. For someone with only First Heaven Nascent Void cultivation to challenge them and even bargain—how laughable.

“Very well, let’s see what tricks you have,” Lu Feng said with a hearty laugh, drawing his broad saber and striding forward.

Seeing his contempt, Mo Bufan scratched his head, still kindly warning, “Don’t underestimate me; I really am powerful. Do your best, or you’ll embarrass yourself…”

The five roared with laughter.

Mo Bufan could only shake his head in exasperation.