Chapter 27: The Kunlun Archipelago

Wang Xinyue recently started a group called "Kunlun," adding Zhong Yang, myself, and another girl named Ding Yuan. Ding Yuan was introduced to the dojo by Zhong Yang a while back, having met her through a traditional Hanfu association.

Ding Yuan possesses a refined, ordinary beauty, and with her glasses, she carries an air of scholarly gentleness. The day she first visited the dojo, she wore a light green shirt and white trousers.

Ding Yuan’s true form is a phoenix; she is the daughter of the Mao Sun Star Official, one of the twenty-eight mansions. The Star Official’s true form is a giant white rooster—the very same one who descended to subdue the scorpion spirit that had abducted Tang Seng in the Kingdom of Women, as recounted in *Journey to the West*.

After Ding Yuan left the dojo that day, Teacher Yang fell into deep contemplation, turned to Teacher Xing, and asked slowly, "What do you think of this girl, Ding Yuan?"

A flash of inscrutable light crossed Teacher Xing’s eyes. "Precise in her thoughts, flawless in her speech."

I sat holding my teacup, looking blank. Teacher Xing and the others explained that people like Zhong Yang and me are "pure, simple, and sweet"—transparent to everyone at a glance. Ding Yuan, however, appears gentle and honest on the surface, but in reality, no one can fathom her true thoughts; she possesses an unfathomable depth.

Remembering the evaluation of Ding Yuan by Teachers Xing and Yang, I quietly watched Wang Xinyue in the group chat, boasting about how she had practiced the Art of Heart Communication during her life as Lu Dongbin.

Wang Xinyue: [The Art of Heart Communication doesn't just allow one to hear the voices of all things; it can sense the origins and stories behind many things.]

After thinking it over, I took a photo of the antique sapphire ring I had worn for three years and sent it to the group. The ring, set with three peacock-blue sapphires, is my most prized possession.

Yu'er: [Take a look and see if there’s any story behind this ring of mine?]

Wang Xinyue: [Let me look closely... Oh! Little sister, did you buy this ring yourself?]

Ever since Wang Xinyue learned I was his cousin from the divine realm, he had taken to calling me "little sister."

Yu'er: [As if anyone would ever give me a ring.]

I sent an eye-rolling emoji.

Wang Xinyue: [This ring was clearly given to you by Yang Jian.]

Yu'er: [What nonsense are you spouting? I bought this ring from a Western antique store online.]

Wang Xinyue: [Let me ask you: does this sapphire ring fit your left ring finger perfectly, and it won't fit on any other finger?]

Yu'er: [And what does that prove?]

Wang Xinyue: [This ring is an engagement ring given to you by Yang Jian. The three sapphires symbolize the three eyes of Erlang Shen, representing that you are the only one in his eyes. It was merely delivered to you through human channels. If you don't believe me, ask Teacher Yang to use the Dragon-Seeking Ruler to see if my Lu Dongbin-sense is correct.]

Actually piqued by curiosity, I messaged Teacher Yang to inquire about the Dragon-Seeking Ruler.

Teacher Yang replied quickly: "This antique sapphire ring is indeed an engagement ring from Yang Jian. How did you suddenly sense it?"

Without waiting to reply to Teacher Yang, I held the antique ring up, looking at it with joy, rubbing it against my cheek, and giving it a happy, cautious kiss before putting it back on.

I excitedly picked up my phone and replied to the group, [Sisters, it really was from Yang Jian! *Sob*... I’m so touched...]

Zhong Yang: [Another mouthful of dog food.]

Ding Yuan also replied: [Impressive, impressive.]

Wang Xinyue became incredibly arrogant: [I told you my Lu Dongbin Heart Communication wasn't just bragging.]

***

I had long been troubled by a mystery, and since Wang Xinyue possessed the Art of Heart Communication, I asked him to help me sense something that had puzzled me for a long time.

I posted a photo of a female celebrity in the group. [Take a look and see if this celebrity's face looks like the face of my divine soul?]

The first time I saw my divine soul, I was confused as to why I looked so much like that famous entertainer—there was at least an eighty percent resemblance.

Wang Xinyue: [Isn't that An Wei’er, the famous "vase" celebrity? She has no talent for acting or singing, but rose to fame in the entertainment industry solely based on her devastating, catastrophic beauty.]

Yu'er: [Exactly, that's her.]

After a while, Wang Xinyue replied: [I know what’s going on. It’s just like Hu Meiniang stealing the face of Bai Suzhen!]

I asked below, [What exactly do you mean?]

Wang Xinyue: [In *The Legend of the New White Snake*, there is a rabbit spirit named Hu Meiniang. Her original face was incredibly ugly, but to be with Xu Shilin, she stole Bai Suzhen's face. This An Wei’er is like Hu Meiniang; she pirated your divine soul’s beauty to give her human incarnation a new face. It’s just that her magic wasn't strong enough to copy your face one hundred percent—only eighty percent—which is already quite impressive.]

Zhong Yang: [Holy crap.]

Ding Yuan remained silent.

To verify if Wang Xinyue’s sensing was correct, I again asked Teacher Yang to check with the Dragon-Seeking Ruler. The result confirmed that what Wang Xinyue sensed was true.

Wang Xinyue sent a disdainful emoji: [This kind of pirated face-copying is no different from plagiarism in the music industry. Little sister, you can totally ask Teacher Xing to take your face back.]

I hesitated and replied: [Forget it. After all, her human incarnation doesn't know what her divine soul did. It’s better to be forgiving. Besides, the mortal world only lasts a few decades; in a dozen years, this celebrity's looks will fade anyway, so there’s no real point in taking it back.]

Wang Xinyue: [Magnanimous, magnanimous...]

Zhong Yang: [Last time my brother Nezha came to see me, he looked just like the second male lead who became famous in that xianxia drama. I asked Teacher Yang about the Dragon-Seeking Ruler, and she said that actor is Nezha’s avatar. *Chirp*, my brother is so handsome!]

Yu'er: [Yang Jian also has avatars in the entertainment industry. Before, when I found a top-tier actor with super-first-class acting and looks who resembled my Yang Jian, I asked Yang Jian about the avatar in the photo, and he lied to me, saying that actor was his twin older brother.]

Zhong Yang: [I remember you told me that. So that actor isn't Yang Jian’s brother? Then who is he?]

Yu'er: [That actor is Yang Jian’s avatar. He knew that in this life, I couldn't be with his avatar, so he lied and said it was his twin brother. In reality, Yang Jian has no twin brother at all.]

Ding Yuan: [So, are there many stars in the entertainment industry who aren't mortals?]

I replied: [I realized long ago that over ninety percent of stars in the entertainment industry aren't mortals. Their divine souls are usually gods or demons. Many have divine souls that are nine-tailed foxes. Some stars act so perfectly like legendary historical or mythical figures because they are the reincarnations of those very figures.]

That night, I was hunched over my computer, updating my writing. As the chapter wrapped up, I breathed a long sigh of relief and stood up to get changed for a shower. Just as I turned around, I saw a fiery red fox standing in the doorway behind me. The fox stood upright like a human, its long, narrow eyes staring greedily and deeply at my face.

A strong intuition told me this red fox was the divine soul of An Wei’er, the one we had been discussing in the group chat.

My whole body felt as if it had been doused in heavy-duty glue; not just my feet, but my entire body was stuck, unable to move. I could only watch helplessly as the fiery red fox spirit swayed its nine tails and sauntered toward me step by step.

The fox opened its mouth, emitting a charming, seductive woman’s voice: "I didn't just want to copy your divine appearance for my human incarnation to change her destiny; I also want this stunning face of your divine soul." With that, the fox’s claw reached toward my face.

I struggled desperately, but it was as if I were bound by invisible shackles. Since this fox spirit had reached the nine-tailed level, her divine cultivation had already spanned over a million years, while my divine soul was only thirty-some thousand years old. I was no match for her.

Many believe thirty thousand years is an incredible cultivation, but in the divine realm, it is truly insignificant. Gods who have lived for hundreds of millions of years are everywhere; one could say that gods have existed since the very beginning of the universe, long before the creation of the world.

***

The nine-tailed fox’s palm emitted a red glow. Soon, my face was peeled away, layer by layer, and held in her palm. She piously and cautiously pressed my face against her own. *Flash*—a red light flickered, and as it dissipated, her fox face transformed, replaced by a devastating, world-toppling beauty.

She hooked her lips into a triumphant smile, her fingers sliding along the contours of her face as if admiring a perfect work of art. "Indeed, this face suits me best." She cast a glance at me, filled with contempt and disdain. "So what if you are the 'Flower of Kunlun Mountain'? When we fought over our beloved back then, you still lost to me. Now, even this peerless beauty of yours is merely a gift prepared for me."

"You shameless vixen!" Suddenly, I realized something was off. I asked, "What are you talking about, fighting over a beloved? You fought me for Yang Jian before?"

"I never said it was him. Forget it, you’ve lost your memory anyway." The nine-tailed red fox seemed to know me quite well.

"I won't take your face for nothing. Here’s a little gift." A sinister light flashed in the fox’s seductive eyes. She parted her red lips and blew a puff of air onto my face. The moment it touched me, a wave of dizzying drowsiness swept over me.

The next morning, I woke up yawning, but for some reason, my face was prickling with itchiness. I couldn't help but scratch it, and the more I scratched, the itchier it became. I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror.

"Ah—!" I stared in despair at the red bumps covering my face; it looked even more terrifying than an allergic reaction. I remembered the nine-tailed fox from my dream saying she had a gift for me—so this was it.

I immediately contacted Zhong Yang via WeChat. On the video call, she was wrapped in a blanket, hair a mess. She tried to open her sleepy eyes, and after staring for a long while, she said incredulously, "Xiaoqian, where did your divine face go? And you’ve been cursed with fox poison."

I said dejectedly, "Remember we were talking in the group about An Wei’er’s divine soul copying my face for her human incarnation? Last night, her divine soul came and took my face."

"Xiaoqian, I see that red fox spirit you mentioned..." Zhong Yang’s voice went high and shrill. "She’s standing right behind you."

When I am awake, I usually can't see those things; seeing them is random.

Zhong Yang described the fiery red fox spirit standing there wearing my divine face, standing upright like a human, haughtily swaying her nine red tails in provocation.

Zhong Yang shouted, "Bold nine-tailed fox, how dare you lay a hand on a disciple of Kunlun Mountain! Quickly remove the fox poison from Xu Xiaoqian’s face and restore her true divine appearance, and I might consider giving you a chance to cultivate at Kunlun Mountain."

The nine-tailed red fox’s eyes showed arrogance and disdain, as if she couldn't care less about Zhong Yang’s proposal. "I stayed to see what kind of helper you would bring, and it’s just this little girl? Hmph!"

Insulted by the fox, Zhong Yang was furious. "Jade Gourd, go capture this fox spirit!" The Jade Gourd flew lazily toward the nine-tailed red fox, but she didn't even glance at it. With an arrogant demeanor, she turned and left. The Jade Gourd couldn't catch her at all, let alone capture her.

The battle was lost before it even began. Zhong Yang and I stared at each other through the video call. Now, we had no choice but to ask Teacher Xing to intervene.

Teacher Xing placed his hand over my face, closed his eyes, and used his mental power to retrieve my face. He then removed the fox poison and summoned his divine soul, the Kunlun God.

A golden light erupted from Teacher Xing’s body, and the Kunlun God appeared, clad in dazzling golden armor. In a mere moment, he had snatched the nine-tailed red fox from the void. His iron-like hands gripped the fox’s neck tightly. The nine-tailed fox struggled desperately; her fur was as smooth as silk, and she fought so fiercely that she nearly bit his hand several times and almost broke free.

Teacher Xing’s eyes flashed with a cold, sharp light. "This nine-tailed red fox has some skill!"

Suddenly, an inspiration struck him: *Execute!*

This fox had committed countless evil deeds that could not be fully recorded. It had incited the wrath of heaven and the resentment of men, and the divine realm had issued an order: she must be executed to restore the balance of the universe.

Teacher Xing summoned his artifact. A massive, golden-glowing tripod fell from the void, landing steadily in the center of the dojo. Seeing the tripod, the nine-tailed red fox lost her arrogance; her fox eyes filled with deep terror of death. She struggled even more frantically, twisting her neck and baring her fangs, trying to bite Teacher Xing’s hand, but it was in vain. She was forced into the tripod head-first.

The tripod erupted with golden flames, and the nine-tailed red fox didn't even have time to let out a scream before she vanished into nothingness.