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The fox clung to Nie Mingjue's neck, desperate not to slide down any further onto Nie Mingjue's thick girth. It whimpered pitifully. Nie Mingjue wasn't entirely unsympathetic. He was a military man. He'd lived with other men in close quarters, seen them bathe and bare. It was inevitable that there would be some comparison. He knew he was Big, bigger than anyone else he'd seen.
But he also knew this fox could take him. It was what they were made for.
With a tragic sob, it collapsed further despite sincere effort.
He pressed a soft kiss to the fox's brow once its legs gave out and it sank firmly down onto his cock, sobbing quietly, still trying to hold on with trembling arms.
Nie Mingjue kept his hands lightly perched on the fox's hips, applying no pressure, just a comforting presence. He rubbed the fox's hip bone soothingly with his thumb. Before long, the fox would adjust and move of its own accord. He did his best to keep still but couldn't help the slight roll of his hips, wringing a beautiful moan of fear and pleasure from the fox.
--
They were losing three men for every one Wen they killed. Those Wen dogs had the advantage of home terrain. It was a long and arduous journey to finally be able to push the Wen back beyond the border and chase them to the Wen capital. He couldn't disappoint his troops now. He couldn't allow the Nie forces to be pushed back.
The problem was that it seemed even nature was fighting against them in favor of Wen Ruohan. Wen Xu was a mediocre leader at best, even if he was the more capable of Wen Ruohan's sons, but somehow, he'd managed to avoid confronting Nie Mingjue’s troops head-on. Every time Nie Mingjue thought he knew where their camp was, by the time he brought his forces to confront them, the camp was empty.
But he knew they were there because his men were dying.
The Wen attacked from the safety of the forest, picking off the Nie easily. Most of Qishan was protected by mountains densely packed with trees. So, Nie Mingjue had no choice. He ordered his men to burn the forest down. It burned for three weeks, but it worked. They advanced nearly 300 li without opposition.
Then in the dense black of razed charcoal, they stumbled upon an untouched hut. The small circumstance of grass surrounding it still green as if there had been no fire.
It was the scout who discovered it, but Nie Mingjue who made the decision to approach it. In general, strange things were mysterious things, which were bad things, and you didn't want strange, mysterious, bad things at your back in a war. He had to do his due diligence and investigate before they went any further into enemy territory.
Nie Mingjue rode his horse closer.
The air was completely normal until you approached the border of unscorched land. Then you could taste the stain of demonic power in the air. At least, those with sufficient spiritual energy could recognize it. To the lay person, perhaps it would just read as an oppressive aura, stifling and suffocating, making it hard to breathe. But Nie Mingjue could read it for what it was, the work of a powerful yao.
That alone meant they would have to clear this place out before proceeding.
Demons were dangerous and should be eliminated wherever found. But not only was the hut inhabited by a demon, he could see a tattered Wen flag fluttering in the window. They could not leave until they cleared out its den.
Nie Mingjue circled the hut on horse to see if there was any sign of an opening in the force field. If it was possible, he wanted to breach it at its weakest point. There would be no sense in wasting resources on brute force if a smart solution could be found.
He lightly tested it as circled, but could find not difference in the composition of the structure from the front to the back.
If this hut was protected from the fire by a demon spirit, then that demon was old and powerful, likely to have consumed thousands of humans to gain its current strength. It was strong enough to withstand the time it took for the surroundings to burn to a crisp, the suffocation it took to turn trees into charcoal, the heat that would have wilted the grass within.
Though…—weak enough that the hut was visible. If it was a formation at full strength, it could've re-routed Nie Mingjue's troops to pass right through it without revealing itself. This seemed like something thrown up in haste. For something thrown up in haste to still be standing... Tearing it down might take a lot of effort. Then they would have to face the ancient monster within on top of that.
If it wasn’t affiliated with the Wen, he’d consider charging Wen Ruohan for the effort.
He kidded, of course. Why would you send the bill to country you would plunder after winning? What would they pay with?
Nie Mingjue tested it first with spiritual power, like reaching out to trace it with his fingertips. From what he could feel, it was both yielding and solid, like pressing into dough. It held even with increasingly forceful prodding. He probed it with spiritual energy like poking it with a finger. It finally trembled when he struck it with his spiritual energy like thumping one's fist against a metal drum, but this drum did not dent as one would under the force of Nie Mingjue's strike, just reverberated and eventually stilled.
He could not spend all day standing and testing the demon's shield. His men stood behind him waiting. If Nie Huaisang was here, his little brother would be talking his ear off right now with suggestions.
Nie Mingjue drew Baxia and sent it out. It flew with the single-minded swiftness of a loosed arrow to pierce the barrier, but even that failed. The demon's wall adapted. Nie Mingjue's saber was easily repealed, glancing off the invisible boundary like metal sliding across oil.
He sighed. It did not want to come down easily.
Lifting his hand up in signal to his men, he brought it down decisively and ordered, "Take it down."
This was the last thing he wanted, but the demon could not be allowed to live and wreak havoc upon the unsuspecting.
They had a standard play book for these occasions. His men were well versed in hunting down yao and other supernatural creatures. The most effective way to tear down the barrier and the path they would eventually have to take was using spiritual power, but they found that using physical methods first wore down the power of the wall and made it easier in the end. The worst would be to waste spiritual energy on the force field without being able to bring it down and then use real weapons after.
Nie Zonghui returned for Nie Mingjue's go ahead after encircling the perimeter of the barrier with straw and wood.
This was the least labor-intensive way to wear down the force field. The fire had already burned for weeks, perhaps the wall would fall down with just a bit more heat.
They wouldn’t have taken this route if they were tight on time, but they were at the perfect lull and could adjust to the schedule of a normal hunt for a high-tiered demon.
From scout reports, it would be weeks before any Wen force could reach them. Since there was no forest coverage, Wen Ruohan had likely known they'd been approaching as soon as they set out, but it also meant they knew there was no way for the Wen to easily reach them when their men had likely perished in the forest fire or retreated to defend the capital.
Crown Prince Lan Xichen would arrive in a week's time with reinforcements and supplies. This was as good a place as any to wait for rendezvous.
They could light a pyre around the demon's hut and wait until it went out before trying to waste weapons and energy on it.
Nie Zonghui signaled for the men to light the fire.
Then with a glance, he recognized Nie Mingjue's intention and gave the order to start camp.
--
Besides the hut that appeared in their path, everything else was going astonishingly to plan. Which made Nie Mingjue nervous. War was meant to be uncertain and when things went too well, you had to worry if it wasn't because of someone else's trap.
Perhaps there were no Wen because they'd already gone around and cut off Lan Xichen. Perhaps his country's sweet and gentle Crown Prince was already dead, head on a pike to be displayed for Wen troop morale.
More than Nie Mingjue's need for reinforcements or supplies, it was important that Lan Xichen stay safe. He was the future of the country. Nie Mingjue could not imagine a better person to rule than the compassionate Lan Xichen. It was traitorous of him to think so, but he'd rather Qingheng-jun go into battle over Lan Xichen, why protect the past if there was no future?
These were the things he murmured deep in the depths of his heart, but he recognized that this was their fate, and this was the right order of things. No matter how much better Lan Xichen would be as ruler, the laws of heaven had structure, and it was their duty to obey that structure, or they would invite worse upon the world.
He sighed and began to pen the secret missive to be sent to the king, but the ink was too runny. Nie Mingjue glanced up at the person grinding the ink. Nie Zonghui was spaced out, staring in the direction of the tent entrance. It had been a long time. Ever since Nie Huaisang held a course on ink grinding for anyone who would listen, Nie Mingjue never had an attendant grind ink of poor consistency.
Speaking of his little brother, where was that brat now?
Nie Huaisang avoided Nie Mingjue like the plague because he knew Nie Mingjue would send him back to the capital if he caught him. One little month in a small coma from a battle wound and suddenly your pleasure-seeking little brother was sneaking into your army and refusing to return to the very safe, very fun, very suitable capital city where the Grand Duke, Lan Qiren, could keep a careful eye on him.
He only knew his little brother was still alive thanks to the loss of several pornographic books from his bag this evening. He'd confiscated those from Nie Huaisang just last week when he sent him home with an armed retinue to escort him safely back to Yunshen. And yet. Somehow his baby brother had escaped his guards and snuck back amongst the troops while the soldiers Nie Mingjue sent to babysit were yet to return.
Hopefully, for once, his little brother would have mercy on him and stay out of trouble.
Just in case, he gave the order to keep that little brat from approaching the demon's hut. Of course, that slippery kid was infamously talented at persuading his men to let him disobey Nie Mingjue, so that was no guarantee.
Simply thinking about how disappointing his men were at resisting his little brother was upsetting Nie Mingjue. It hadn’t even happened yet, but if he found out they let Nie Huaisang get into danger, not only would he cane Nie Huaisang, but he’d also have those men on latrine duty for the next two moons.
His only hope was that Nie Huaisang had the sense to stay away from an active fire and the issue of his disappointing little brother would be Tomorrow Nie Mingjue's problem.
Nie Zonghui abruptly stopped grinding the ink, dropping the ink stick into the watery pool and splashing Nie Mingjue right in the face. Nie Mingjue’s hand tightened on the ink brush. He only didn't sputter because the ink was still dripping down his face and he didn't want to get any more into his mouth. Nie Zonghui finally glanced down and noticed what had happened.
"General Nie, I'm so sorry!" He grabbed the dirty tea towel and began to aggressively wipe Nie Mingjue's face.
Nie Mingjue was already annoyed at the thought that his irresponsible little brother had snuck back into camp and at how Nie Zonghui wasn’t paying attention to his duties, and now he had ink on his face being wiped by a dirty towel. Having enough, Nie Mingjue yanked the dirty towel out of Nie Zonghui's hand and tossed it to the ground, roaring, "Watch what you're doing!"
Nie Zonghui bowed repeatedly, bobbing up and down like an egg in boiling water. "I'm sorry, sir!" But it didn’t seem to be very sincere because in the next moment, without handing Nie Mingjue a clean towel, retrieved the dirty one from the floor, shouting, "Please excuse me!"
Then ran out of the tent.
Nie Mingjue threw down his pen as well.
Nothing was going well today. He might as well go practice the saber.
--
Nie Mingjue'd had a perimeter set up last night to prevent anyone from entering or leaving the demon barrier, but he didn't need to worry. It was an uneventful night.
They gathered outside the force field the next morning.
The fire died down shortly after dawn. Perfect timing for them since most demons were more powerful at night. Plus, with daylight it was easier for the Nie to see what they were doing.
Nie Zonghui signaled to Nie Mingjue that the archers were ready.
Nie Mingjue nodded. He kept his eye on the air space above the border of green grass, hoping to catch sight of the actual barrier. It would only visibly reveal itself once sufficiently weakened.
Nie Zonghui ordered loudly, "Shoot!"
They'd retreated a short distance away from the hut in preparation for exactly what Nie Mingjue worried would happen. The arrows seemed to pierce the invisible barrier before reversing course and flinging themselves right back at the Nie force.
Thankfully they were ready, and the returned arrows simply pierced the shields they pulled up immediately after releasing the first fleet. It was a great way to retrieve the arrows for later use as well. No need for Zhuge Liang's boats.
From the corner of Nie Mingjue's eyes, he recognized a skinny, short "soldier" fidgeting in a uniform just slightly too big for him, but he let it slide. At least he could keep him where he could see him.
"Again!"
The rain of arrows flew speedily through the air until it struck the force field, then it slowed down as if piercing molasses before appearing to reverse course.
But this time the arrows were aimed higher and shot with greater force than they arrived! Nie Mingjue seemed to be able to see a vague golden glow around the arrow tips.
Suddenly the arrows were right above them!
This had never happened before.
The arrows seemed to be moving in a coordinated fashion. It was if the barrier had gained sentience and was no longer just defending against their attacks, but actively plotting an offense, imbuing the arrows with some form of self-control. Every single arrow seemed to search for a living target, dodging shields and slipping further into their formation.
This! This was why it was dangerous to be lulled into routine.
Just as Nie Mingjue mentioned Zhuge Liang in his mind, the barrier turned the tables. Quite a few of the soldiers had grown complacent, moving on muscle memory without paying attention and did not notice the change, just drawing up their shield in rote motion. Only a few realized these arrows were curving around them and thought to change the direction of their blocking.
Nie Mingjue flew up to deflect as many arrows as he could from his men, making sure none of them reached the short "soldier". Thankfully some of his troops knew to lower their heads and let their metal helm take the brunt of the attack, but a few were unlucky, and the arrow found the gap between their armor. Nie Mingjue himself was struck between chest plate and shoulder pad.
He broke off the shaft of the arrow to deal with it later.
He glanced at his second in command. Nie Zonghui was fine. The short "soldier" cowered behind him.
There were quite a few soldiers who fell to this foolish trick. Even the lucky ones who weren't cut by the arrows were dazed from being struck in the head by a steel tipped object or embarrassingly stumbled and fell from the shock.
Nearly Nie Mingjue’s entire archery team was shaken, a portion of the melee men were too, some even struck by stray arrows.
Nie Mingjue bent down to pick up one of the arrows that dented a soldier's helmet. The tip held a faint glow of golden demonic energy, but it quickly dissipated leaving the normal iron head behind.
For a moment, he had the most irrational thought, What a beautiful aura...
And then it was gone.
Nie Mingjue clenched his fist. This was supposed to be an easy task, but now he had men dead and injured because of this creature.
It wasn't that they were half-assing it before, or that they were neglectful in anyway, but in retrospect perhaps they were too conservatives with their efforts, seeking to save their strength and not being as brutal as they could've.
The thing with brutality though, was it took a lot more out of you than waiting for a fire to burn down from a safe distance.
But—.
Nie Mingjue swallowed.
It was stupid.
He recognized it was stupid.
It was immensely impractical and impulsive and probably disrespectful in some way, especially to the soldiers bleeding out.
But—.
He could feel Baxia tremble in his hand, excitement catching in his spiritual weapon as Nie Mingjue's heart began to beat faster.
The whooshing of blood in his ears deafened him to the sound of Nie Zonghui tittering away somewhere behind him.
One strike.
He would give it everything.
No more dillydallying with a playbook. No more wasting time and men and weapons.
It had been a long time since monster-hunting brought something unexpected.
Spiritual energy began gathering in his core, pouring in from his limbs, from outside, from nature. It gathered and thickened, spooling and condensing in that way where his body was ready to give everything, not to last with stamina, but to burn it for brute strength.
Baxia sang in his hand, lifting up as if she had wings.
He roared from the gut, emptying his lungs as he charged the barrier and struck with all his strength, using Baxia to channel both his spiritual energy in an explosive burst as well as all his physical power in a single downward draw.
Spiritual sparks flew.
It was worth it. It was so worth it. The recoil from the invisible wall threw him back 30 chi.
For Nie Mingjue, the trick to landing well was to jump into the pushback and spring back. He dug his saber into the ground. Bending his knees to keep balance. Baxia managed to keep Nie Mingjue from striking anything. He came to a stop without too much troubling, one leg lowered for balance, half kneeling.
His lungs felt congested. It was a stronger retaliation than expected.
He coughed up a fistful of blood and rose.
The sun was bright and shining now, high in the sky and reflecting off of his men's gear. With its strong glare, you could almost see the invisible barrier like a thick gel coating the hut and its nearby surroundings in a big bubble. Even if this was all he managed to do, he’d won. The barrier had revealed itself.
Nie Mingjue could not spot any weaknesses in the wall, but he had more confidence in his will and tenacity than some demon hiding in a bubble.
He could feel the heat of the sun through his armor. It warmed Baxia in his hands from hot to scorching.
They stood again before the barrier, he and Baxia. Nie Mingjue smiled and took a deep breath, then—together with Baxia, struck again.
This time it shattered. That thick gel dried to a thin shell under the blistering fire of Baxia's energy and cracked into tens of thousands of pieces to rain like snowflakes upon him, the kind that dissipated before it touched the ground. He could smell it now.
Hulijing.
His father caught and skinned one just a few years before his death. Its pelt hung in Nie Mingjue's own study, a remnant of his father's decor that Nie Mingjue never bothered to change and Nie Huaisang didn't deem important enough to steal or destroy.
Nie Mingjue was not one to exhibit his kills for merit nor revel in the victorious outcome of a difficult hunt by immortalizing body parts. He had no new heads nor pelts to mount upon the walls. Furs served more use for him as clothing or bedding, or as a gift for those who appreciated those things. The only thing he cared to display were the decapitated heads of Wen dogs.
In any case, the fox demon's pelt held its position above the mantel in the study without rival or fear of replacement.
When he was younger, he found himself drawn to it without understanding why. Now he knew it released the most deceptive and seductive of scents, soothing, calming, comforting, to lure its prey and lower defenses before consuming men whole, soul and all.
It wasn't just Nie Mingjue who was intrigued. Nie Huaisang used to run and hide in his room with scrolls of information on the topic and not come out for long stretches of time. Only after much threatening and cajoling in equal measure did his little brother agree to share his collection of knowledge.
A lot of it seemed to be bedtime stories about the hulijing, but for some reason whole sections were ripped out and the edges crispy.
Nie Mingjue didn't enjoy reading trivial folk tales for leisure anyway and even if the pages hadn't been torn, perhaps he would've only skimmed those sections regardless.
He dragged in a ragged breath. Years of training helped him stabilize his breathing more quickly than most, but he was still panting heavily as he kicked in the door of the hut with a solid thunk of his boot, splintering the wood.
The sight that awaited him within the hut made all that air catch in his chest. He was supposed to be prepared for a seductive fox spirit intent on seducing and consuming him, but what he saw instead—.
It originally should've been pretty, seductive, enticing. It should've been just the image to fill him with lust. It should've looked innocent and sweet to entice him to lower his guard. It originally should've been a formidable creature, totally in control of itself and its surroundings—but it must've exhausted itself. First by creating the barrier, then by defending its territory. Because by the time Nie Mingjue broke down the door, this fox—in all of its fierce monstrosity—was just a small thing trembling with one fluffy flared tail, raised high in alarm. Its arms were outstretched to hide the cowering children behind it. It looked at him with a tiny, palm-sized terrified face with enormous eyes, snarling at him, fangs bared.
Oh…
Nie Mingjue sighed inside his heart.
But it still was all those things—beautiful, sweet, brave, weak form belying deadly power.
It was all those things, and fragile looking fox protecting a bunch of children.
Nie Mingjue reflexively lowered Baxia. It took all of his battle-honed instincts to resist hiding his saber behind his back in shame.
How many children were there?
Over 300 li into Wen territory...
One of the children clinging to the fox's robes worked up the courage to step around their protector and shout loudly, "Go away Wen dogs! We want no part of your war!"
The fox's eyes widened impossibly further in panic. Yanking the little waif back with a small hand that easily wrapped around the poor child's thin arm and covering the child's mouth frantically, the fox shoved the child behind it—as if Nie Mingjue was some kind of monster who would open his mouth right then and there to swallow the child.
Nie Mingjue was beginning to piece this story together. This fox demon must've rescued these children and hid them deep in the forest to protect them from the war. Since they were in Wen territory, it hung the Wen flag in the window hoping to not incur the wrath with men with weapons. Perhaps these children were saved from Wen prisoner camps. Perhaps they had as much bad blood with the Wen and the Nie.
Or.
Perhaps these children were under the thrall of this fox demon, and this was all an elaborate ruse. Perhaps these children were just future food sources for the fox.
But—.
But if they were expendable, if this fox demon wasn't protecting them, didn't care about them, why not abandon them? Why not flee alone. With such power, this fox demon would've found it simple fare to escape alone, no need to squander so much spiritual energy to protect the hut.
Reservations aside, it would be smart to kill the fox demon and these possible co-conspirators right here, but—Nie Mingjue couldn't do it. He couldn't risk killing an innocent.
What if things really were as they seemed?
He sighed and lifted Baxia to sheath it.
"No, Da-ge!!! You can't!" The short "soldier" leapt out from behind him to cling to his sword arm before he could safely tuck Baxia away.
Nie Mingjue was furious. He should box his silly little brother's ears! That was dangerous! He shook his arm a little too hard to throw Nie Huaisang off and accidentally tossed his brother atop the fox.
The fox caught Nie Huaisang, face shocked from fearful to stunned at receiving an armful of Fake Soldier.
His infuriating younger brother, instead of getting up, glanced up at the fox's surprised face, sighed and sank further into the fox's embrace. It was not the first time Nie Mingjue hated that iron was not steel.
From his seemingly very comfortable spot firmly entrenched in the fox's arms, Nie Huaisang begged (whined), "Da-ge, you can't kill this fox demon! Don't you know how rare and useful they are?! Plus, it clearly possesses a heroic spirit. Don't you warrior types have some kind of moral code about that?"
His brother gasped mid plea, jolting upright as if he was struck with a brilliant idea.
"Think about the aesthetics, Da-ge! You barge into a pitiful, weak, underfed beauty's house and slaughter them along with a bunch of little orphan children?!" Saying this, Nie Huaisang grabbed the fox's wrist and pulled back its sleeve to reveal a very possibly malnourished wrist.
--
And that was how Nie Mingjue found himself with a fox demon chained to his bed, in his tent, while his little brother prattled in his ear about the care and maintenance of a hulijing as they had dinner. Nie Mingjue wasn't really listening, but he vaguely understood the gist that his brother believed he would be the better caretaker for a demon fox between the two.
Nie Mingjue sighed.
At least he could have dinner without it staring at him. But he'd have to go back to his own tent eventually. He couldn't hide in the command center forever.
Now what was he going to do?
Where was he supposed to sleep tonight?
What would the king think?
Should he bring the fox demon back as tribute?
What were they going to do about the children? They were in the midst of a war. They were an advancing army. There was no one to babysit or teach or whatever it was kids needed to function.
The only person who could look after them was a dangerous demon.
It would've been so much simpler if the fox demon had behaved as expected and he killed it and moved on. Now there were children in the camp and an entire demon.
Nie Huaisang was finally fed up with his brother's absent mindedness and clutched Nie Mingjue's sleeve. He shook it, whining, "Da-ge, if it's too hard for you to bed the demon, I can do it! I've studied A Lot of manuals on the subject. I'm confident I can satisfy the hulijing!"
Nie Mingjue glanced down at his brother who was pouting with all his soul, eyes opened wide to blink in a way that Nie Huaisang considered cute which after much training cause Nie Mingjue to think was cute.
All it did was make Nie Mingjue sigh heavily this time.
The hulijing was the most wanton and seductive of demons. Known for charming then eating humans alive, they could only be controlled through sex, or so the history books claimed. Apparently, if you could make a fox spirit accept your authority over them, you could control them. Being such a lewd creature, that meant—of course—by establishing your dominance through intercourse. It was said that if you could give it enough pleasure, it would accept you as its master.
There was also the glaring possibility that all these enthralled kings were making up excuses to keep their concubine fox demons beside them and actually there was no way to control such a dangerous creature as a hulijing.
Half of these facts were from the scrolls Nie Huaisang lent him when they were young and confirmed in the campfire stories of his men. He'd never learned of anything to the contrary so of course, he took it as true.
"Well, Da-ge? What do you think?"
Nie Mingjue stood up. He was their leader. He was the one who made the decision to bring the hulijing back to camp. He would take responsibility.
"Keep an eye on the children."
Nie Mingjue had a fox to take care of.
--
The camp was quiet in his vicinity.
Nie Mingjue paced outside his own tent for over two joss sticks of time. The sun had already long set. His men carefully avoided staring and cut a wide berth if they had to walk by. Nie Mingjue paid them no mind, overcome with nervousness.
A lot of combat was practice and instinct from practice. Nie Mingjue did not have a lot of practice in what he was about to do.
The pictures and books Nie Huaisang handed him explained some of it (hopefully most of it) and the rest were things his brother quickly drilled into him.
Nie Mingjue's grip tightened around the handle of the jug of oil he had Nie Zonghui collect from the kitchen.
It wasn't like him to be this hesitant. He should just march right in there and face the fox head on. Nie Mingjue did some personal mental counseling, convincing himself that this was just what needed to be done to ensure the safety of everyone around.
He rubbed his head in frustration. Nothing would improve the longer he waited outside.
Nie Mingjue took a deep breath and lifted the entrance flap.
The breath he took trapped itself in his chest.
It really was so beautiful. Just long expanses of smooth skin only marred by pink patches where his men must've gripped too hard.
The fox wasn’t wearing much inside the hut, just an inner robe and thin, rough, brown outer robes, but now it was clothed in less. It lost the outer robe. Pale legs were uncovered, and the slit of the single inner robe protecting its dignity was so high up its inner thigh, it was clear it didn’t wear anything else under that white inner robe. The neckline was pulled wide, exposing a shoulder and hint of pink nipple.
Nie Mingjue’s mouth dried. It was posed on the bed as if carelessly sleeping, robe pulled open naturally by gentle tossing.
The enchanted shackle Nie Huaisang had magically produced to seal the fox's demonic power was also spelled to force the hulijing to remain in its humanoid form, the only thing betraying its true nature were a pair of fluffy pointed ears and a luxurious furry tail. He could almost imagine the way Nie Huaisang would describe it: a pitiful, impoverished, weak young beauty stolen from his village by a fearsome General as spoils of war.
Of course, it would never happen if this fox was actually a Wen, but—.
But it didn’t look like a Wen dog.
The fox’s tail swished lightly in its sleep.
No wonder father treasured that pelt so much. Just the sight of its tail was capable of tugging at the heart strings, like brushing a feather across his heart, making his chest unbearably itchy.
The fox shifted in its sleep, making the fine gold chain connected to its shackle chime melodically. What a fragile ankle. Nie Mingjue imagined he could easily break it with a simple squeeze of his hand.
But it was its hand that did it. From this angle, Nie Mingjue could see the calluses on the pads of the fox’s fingers and on the ridge of its palm. He could see defensive scars from blocking a blade. Maybe it was a hard worker, maybe it protected a lot of people at detriment to itself.
He didn’t know how to describe what he felt at this moment, but he was compelled to approach the cot. He wanted to touch its calluses.
The room was dark, but Nie Mingjue could see easily using his cultivation. Perhaps with its spiritual powers sealed, the fox would have a harder time. He didn’t want to scare it by appearing out of the dark, so he waved his hand, sent out spiritual power and lit the lanterns placed around his tent. He set the jug of oil beside the bed.
The fox awoke when Nie Mingjue sat down. It scrambled backwards, pulling its parted robes shut, hiding its chest while doing nothing to cover its legs. All it could do was clamp its thighs together and lean to the side so that one hip was raised, and one leg hid below the other.
“What’s your name?” Nie Mingjue asked. “Can you speak?”
It just stared back at him with huge, enormous eyes, chin tucked down and shoulders hunched and guarded.
“Can you understand me?” Nie Mingjue asked gently.
Well, logically, it should at least be able to understand him, but there was a chance it never cultivated to the point of human speech. Maybe it was only a century or two old.
The fox’s ears looked so soft. Before he knew what he was doing, his hand was halfway there, but the fox dodged, not allowing him to touch its ears.
It stared at him warily.
“You’re dangerous to us,” he explained. “But…”
It shifted, chains tinkling faintly.
Nie Mingjue’s eye was naturally drawn to its shackled ankle.
“I don’t want to kill you.”
Nie Mingjue laid his hand upon its delicate ankle and traced the bone with his thumb, drawing a shudder out of the hulijing before it caught ahold of itself and jerked its leg away from Nie Mingjue’s hand. He tried to remember his manners and allowed his hand to close around empty air.
“In order to let you live, I have to make sure you can’t hurt us.” Had he ever been so patient in his life, he wondered.
Nie Mingjue dragged his focus up reluctantly to meet the fox’s confused eyes.
“I have to make sure you recognize me as your master,” he continued to explain, holding the fox’s gaze.
Its eyes swept down a moment to glance at Nie Mingjue’s crotch. The fox’s tongue stole out to wet its lip and then it swallowed, raising its eyes back to Nie Mingjue’s.
He shifted closer. The fox wanted to scoot away, but it had nowhere to go, the chain would not extend any further.
“But I won’t force you,” Nie Mingjue promised. “It’s your choice.”
The fox sat in a very demure style with its legs to the side, as if it was a modest maiden, hands still clenching its robes closed. Nie Mingjue felt like a hulking brutish barbarian in comparison.
He sighed.
His mother used to say that you lost a bit of your life in every sigh. How much of his life would this cut off in the end?
“You’ll be able to go wherever you want around camp once your body accepts my authority. If you don’t want to… I won’t kill you unless I have to. You’ll stay chained in my quarters or in our jail. Once the war ends, I’ll have you sent back to the capital as an offering to the king.”
Nie Mingjue waited for it to move, to decide. Its hand tightened, clenching at its robe until the knuckles were white from the force.
And then.
It loosened its grip and let the neckline fall apart.
Nie Mingjue’s heart stuttered in his chest. He moved slowly, cautiously, considerately.
His hand easily wrapped all the way around the fox's ankle. This time it didn’t shake him off.
Nie Mingjue sighed achingly and pulled the fox across the bed towards him. It was startled, arms flinging out to grab at the bedding and slow its slide.
Perhaps because it was a fox spirit, it brought out the beast in Nie Mingjue. He felt like an absolute pervert. The meager inner robe half hanging onto the fox by the cotton belt tied into a bow made him feel as if this hulijing was clothed just for him to unwrap. And he so wanted to unwrap it. He never felt like this before, as if he wanted to peel a ripe persimmon to lick and suck at its soft, sweet, juicy flesh.
He pulled by the hips onto his lap so that its thighs were spread wide around his waist.
It—.
It was so—.
He never felt so well-built as he did at this moment when he noticed that the poor fox was almost spread into a split just to bracket his waist. What would it look like with one knee over his shoulder and the other hook around his hips? If he bent it in half to thrust inside, would it just take it?
The fox reached out a nervous hand to hold onto his bicep. Nie Mingjue had to close his eyes a moment as he caught sight of how small its hand was on his arm. Tiny.
It seemed like all blood flooded south and he could no longer think, operating solely off of what he retained from Nie Huaisang’s picture books and how much he wanted to do all of it to the fox spirit before him.
Actually, from the moment he entered the tent he could smell the sweet comforting pheromones of the fox spirit, but this close, it was like dunking his into the cool river at the height of summer or basking in the sun in the middle of winter.
Now—.
Now it seemed to be releasing something else. A smell that made the blood race, that made the groin ache, that made his cock throb.
The fox’s other hand was at its mouth. Cute, sharp teeth snuck out to lightly bite its top lip. How did he not notice it before? He thought he could see quite well in the dark, but it was only now that he noticed those glistening cinnabar red lips. Were they always that plump? Had the fox been nibbling and sucking on them?
He wanted to nibble and suck on them.
So, he did. Nie Mingjue leaned forward, rough hand clasping the back of the fox’s neck to hold it place as he took the opportunity to bend it in half. His thumb caressed its smooth skin, feeling its pulse speed up. He didn’t know how to kiss politely, or well, all he knew was that he wanted to lick into the fox’s mouth, suck its tongue into his, devour it. It pulled his lower lip in between its teeth and lightly bit. He could feel the sting of his lower lip being cut on a canine, but he didn’t care. His tongue snuck in to sweep across its teeth, as if he could learn everything by taste.
The hand not sealing the fox’s head to his, gripped a fleshy upper thigh, kneading it harshly, to his own pleasure. The fox felt so nice to touch, to grope, to fondle—everywhere.
Nie Mingjue was so hard, it hurt. It felt like he would burst out of his pants. He let go of the fox’s thighs to ruck up his robes to undo the laces on his trousers.
No. Nie Mingjue forcibly pulled his hand away after pressing on his hard on to relieve some of the torture.
No. He tried to get a hold of himself. He was supposed to go slow. He was supposed to be considerate.
He needed to prepare the fox first.
It was a shame, but they had to take a break from kissing.
The fox panted just as heavily against Nie Mingjue’s lips as they both tried to catch their breath.
Nie Mingjue opened his eyes only to immediately regret it. It turned out the fox bruised very easily. It had such a cute neck, so thin compared to Nie Mingjue’s thick one, so easily enveloped by Nie Mingjue’s large hand. He only gripped its nape, but he could see the faint red of his thumb at its pulse and start of his fingers on the opposite side.
His eyes flickered back up.
Nie Mingjue blinked. He must've imagined it, but for a moment he thought he saw a hint of green aura around the fox's lips, but now they were back to a glistening, teased red.
The fox brought a hand to its chin, trailing down to the base of its throat.
How was he to resist?
Nie Mingjue immediately latched onto the space beside the bump of cartilage on its throat to suck and bite, leaving a mark that would turn purple tomorrow. It gasped in a way that made him throb. The sound of its moan was a delicious vibration beneath his lips.
He pressed one last kiss to the base of its neck, promising to return in his heart, and reluctantly pulled back. He still had not unwrapped his gift.
Nie Mingjue slid a hand up its inner thigh, groaning as he confirmed that the fox wore nothing beneath that inner robe. While one hand grabbed and squeezed its buttock, the other wildly groped below the bed for the jug of oil. Before his hand closed on the oil, his fingers slid between it checks and found it moist.
Nie Mingjue’s hips gave an aborted thrust, grinding into the space between the fox’s legs.
The part of his brain responsible for grabbing the oil lost the fight. Nie Mingjue’s desire and impulse took over. He slipped a finger inside the fox, dry. The fox clenched down, hot, scorching heat, back arching, pressing its ass further into Nie Mingjue’s grip. It was already a little loose, easily allowing another to slide in beside.
Slut. The thought popped into his mind before he even knew it existed.
There was a reason they claimed foxes were meant for this. Did it just naturally prepare them for intercourse? The books said—.
The fox raked sharp nails across Nie Mingjue’s back, drawing blood as Nie Mingjue unceremoniously pulled his fingers out. That forced a hiss out of Nie Mingjue, skin stinging. Still, he remembered his purpose, Nie Mingjue lightly prodded the space behind the fox’s balls to see if that slit had appeared yet, but he only felt unbroken skin. That was apparently how you’d know when a fox accepted you as its master.
All fox demons were born capable of having both reproductive abilities. It was one of the reasons they were coveted for breeding, but they would only allow their master to put a baby in them.
Nie Mingjue finally untied the fox’s belt.
The fox laid back, breathing heavily, eyes half-lidded, nails still bloody with Nie Mingjue’s blood, just watching to see what Nie Mingjue would do next. Its tail swished leisurely back and forth, ears twitching twice.
Nie Mingjue forced his eyes to leave the fox’s so he could take in the sight of the fox’s body.
Beautiful.
Stunning.
The picture books did not do it justice.
Even the stories did not properly prepare Nie Mingjue.
Pink nipples pebbled from the cool air, soft stomach, adorable little cock already half-hard, Nie Mingjue’s mouth watered.
He bent his head to kiss the fox’s soft belly, open his mouth and pull some of that flesh between his teeth to lightly bite. Nie Mingjue wondered if perhaps fox demons consumed humans because otherwise, they’d be consumed themselves. He wanted to stuff this sinful fox inside his stomach and keep it forever.
The fox reached out a hand to stop him just as he was about to swallow its cock down, taste it. Nie Mingjue really wanted to feel it on his tongue, but he reminded himself that the stolen melon was not sweet. He squeezed its hips and reluctantly pulled away.
After pulling its knees up and spreading them, he grabbed a pillow to place under its hips. He didn’t know if this was the best position to prepare the fox, but at least this way he could see what he was doing.
Nie Mingjue shook too much and coated his entire hand in oil, but he figured that was fine.
The fox yielded easily, spreading its legs wider of its own accord, holding it own knees up by hooking its elbows under them to give Nie Mingjue better access.
Before long Nie Mingjue had four fingers inside. His heart races at the thought that perhaps this fox could maybe fit his entire hand. It seemed to know his thoughts as it reached a foot out and gave him a swift kick to the chest. Nie Mingjue caught it by the ankle.
The fox tried to yank it back, but he easily held on, pulled it closer, and pressed a kiss against its sole.
Well, the fox should be ready now.
Nie Mingjue got off the bed and finally undid his own belt and tossed off his outer robe. Disrobing until he was only in his inner robe too, pushing off his trousers to puddle with the rest of his clothing on the floor. The fox laid back the entire time, just watching quietly.
At the sight of Nie Mingjue’s erection tenting his underrobe, the fox seemed to finally be nervous, closing its knees and sitting up.
Nie Mingjue smiled. He bent down to retrieve the oil and slick himself.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he easily lifted the fox so that it was braced atop his lap.
It looked down at him anxiously.
Nie Mingjue guided himself to the fox’s entrance. He just rested the mushroom tip against the wet furl of the fox’s channel and waited. Its eyes seemed to plead with Nie Mingjue, but it didn’t make a sound.
Nie Mingjue was patient. At this height, the fox’s pink nipples were delivered straight to his mouth. Licking lightly for a first taste had the fox shivering and curling in on itself. They looked so delicious. There was no reason to hold back. He latched on, pulling that cute pebble into his mouth to suck and nibble.
If the fox accepted him one day and they had children, would these nipples be filled with milk? His cock jumped at the thought, releasing a spurt of precum.
The fox jolted at that, hole kissing the tip Nie Mingjue’s penis. It looked at him with pleading eyes again.
He cherished jade and pitied the flowers and had mercy.
He pressed a kiss to its collarbone.
Then Nie Mingjue guided its hands to its cheeks to have it hold them open.
He pressed the head against the furl. The fox had been stretched well, but there was still some resistance and he had to fight to press the head inside. The fox demon couldn’t hold on anymore and instead held onto Nie Mingjue for balance, tail wrapping around Nie Mingjue’s arm to beg for help.
Tears gathered at the corner of the fox’s eyes. He leaned forward to kiss them away.
The fox clung to Nie Mingjue's neck, desperate not to slide down any further onto Nie Mingjue's thick girth. It whimpered pitifully. Nie Mingjue wasn't entirely unsympathetic. He was a military man. He'd lived with other men in close quarters, seen them bathe and bare. It was inevitable that there would be some comparison. He knew he was Big, bigger than anyone else he'd seen.
But he also knew this fox could take him. It was what they were made for.
With a tragic sob, it collapsed further despite sincere effort.
He pressed a soft kiss to the fox's brow once its legs gave out and it sank firmly down onto his cock, sobbing quietly, still trying to hold on with trembling arms.
Nie Mingjue kept his hands lightly perched on the fox's hips, applying no pressure, just a comforting presence. He rubbed the fox's hip bone soothingly with his thumb. Before long, the fox would adjust and move of its own accord. He did his best to keep still but couldn't help the slight roll of his hips, wringing a beautiful moan of fear and pleasure from the fox.
They finished once that way, the fox coming on his abs and Nie Mingjue spilling deep inside. He let the little fox rest against his chest while they waited for him to get hard again. But perhaps the fox was not waiting, and sincerely wanted to sleep. But Nie Mingjue was reluctant to part and did not want to leave its body until he could no longer get it up.
He tried to be polite, but his hands and lips were curious. He wanted to touch its cock. He wanted to trace the shell of its ear with his tongue. He wanted to fondle its butt. He wanted to kiss.
It didn’t take long before he was ready to go again.
The poor fox demon was too tired to move, but Nie Mingjue had strength enough for both of them. It was easy work to bounce the fox on his lap, raise and drop it on his cock like lifting weights. But that still seemed to be too much for the fox demon to take. Its cute cock was hard again, but the fox spirit was exhaustedly draped against his chest, arms limp around Nie Mingjue’s neck.
Perhaps…
Nie Mingjue stood, fox still impaled on cock and laid the fox back down on the cot, hips propped up by a pillow. Maybe this position would be easier on the demon. It certainly was perfect for Nie Mingjue to stare at its delicate face.
He remembered the way it had looked defiantly at him, ready to die for those children. He groaned, having to still so that he wouldn’t spill too quickly.
No, this position was no good. He nearly came immediately. Nie Mingjue wanted to make sure the fox came before him. How was he going to make the demon submit with pleasure if all he took was his own?
He turned it around and withdrew. The fox whined as he pulled out, legs trying to lock around Nie Mingjue’s hips but failing in strength, tail curling around Nie Mingjue’s waist in an attempt to hold him in. Nie Mingjue smiled and shushed it gently, murmuring reassurances, kissing chastely it over and over again. When it calmed again, Nie Mingjue was able to see its ass.
He swallowed. Having accepted his girth for so long, its entrance gaped a little, unable to close. A bit of cum from before was frothed at the entrance, more slowly bubbling out. Nie Mingjue moved on impulse.
Pressed his cock between its cheeks, squeezed his shaft with its thick ass just to feel his cock against the fox demon, the way its loosened hole mouths at it as if complaining about what it wasn’t inside yet. He nearly lifted it clear off the bed by pulling its hips up and biting into a butt cheek. Its entrance winked wetly at him, a bubble of cum leaking out as he watched.
Nie Mingjue opened his mouth to lick but held back because the moment the fox felt his breath against his hole, it contorted in amazing display of core strength and acrobatics to yank at Nie Mingjue’s hair. When he met its eyes, it seemed to be pleading with him not to. Nie Mingjue was extremely disappointed.
But respected its wishes.
Besides, this wouldn’t be the last time.
Then he put it on its knees and pressed its chest to the bed, pulling it up by the hips. He held the base of its tail, moving it out of the way to force it to bear its glistening wet hole to him and thrust in smoothly with one stroke. Nie Mingjue fucked it until it had no more to give and came dry, shivering and impaled on his cock.
--
The fox demon was so tired. It didn’t even wake as Nie Mingjue bathed it, washed and combed its hair. If it entered the family, Nie Huaisang would constantly ask to braid its hair. Could one marry a fox demon? Besides raising eyebrows, was it legal? Perhaps it could enter the mansion as a concubine. Marriage had to be approved by the king, but a concubine could be a private decision.
He dressed it in his own clean inner robes which was akin to swaddling it in an enormous blanket. Nie Mingjue sighed. Why was it so much smaller than him? It stirred a desire to protect. It was confusing because he kept forgetting that it was a dangerous creature.
As for his own sleeping attire, Nie Mingjue ran hot so he always slept nude. Tonight, was no different. He spared a thought for whether the fox would be disturbed by that upon waking, but ultimately decided, they’d done more intimate things than that.
It was only a shichen until dawn. He should get as much rest as he could while he could.
Wrapping his arms around the little fox spirit, he tucked its head under his chin and fell asleep like a boulder dropping into the ocean. He slept peacefully without dreams.
--
The sun rose without fail. In the middle of their rest, the fox had pressed its back against Nie Mingjue’s chest, likely craving his heat.
He chuckled softly at the small frown that crossed its forehead when he pulled away and tucked the blanket back around it. Nie Mingjue smoothed away that small furrow with his thumb. He bent down to press a gentle kiss to the space between its eyes. He didn’t want to disturb it. He just couldn't resist.
Nie Mingjue gently traced the curve of its full brows.
It smelled so nice, nicer than the pelt in the study at home.
What a beauty…
The robe he gave the fox was too big and easily slipped off a shoulder, baring its chest and bite marks from the night before. The sight of pink nipples was tantalizing and Nie Mingjue’s mouth watered in turn. Oh, how he wished he had to time slowly wake the fox with soft kisses pressed to its neck.
Part of him could not bear to leave the fox for even a moment, but even if they were going to be encamped for a while, he still had work to do.
He should be receiving correspondence from the capital soon.
“General!” Nie Zonghui called at the tent entrance.
Duty called.
Nie Mingjue stepped out.
“Don’t let my brother in and have someone bring the fox breakfast later. Treat it well,” Nie Mingjue instructed.
--
He was right about the work. How was it that even in the middle of war there was paperwork to be done?
It was afternoon before Nie Mingjue was able to leave his seat.
Nie Zonghui with his sixth sense, seemed to immediately know when Nie Mingjue was finished with one task to assign him another.
He suppressed the sigh that arose in his chest at the sight of Nie Zonghui returning. He waved the man over, hoping to skip the formalities of greeting and salute and the ‘are you free?’ If he wasn’t, would Nie Zonghui appear like magic to ensure he was no longer?
“General, Crown Prince Lan Xichen has arrived.” Nie Zonghui announced.
Nie Mingjue looked up in surprise. He didn’t receive any news of the reinforcements or supplies arriving this soon.
“Crown Prince Lan Xichen is here?”
Nie Zonghui nodded, “Yes, sir. He’s waiting outside.”
Nie Mingjue put his brush down and hurriedly rose to go greet Lan Xichen.
But there was no one outside.
“I—” Nie Zonghui looked baffled. “He was just here.”
Nie Mingjue raised his eyebrow, wondering if he should wait for Lan Xichen here or go search for the Crown Prince himself.
He probably should go search in case anything happened to the Crown Prince on his watch.
“You take the men to search the perimeter,” Nie Mingjue ordered.
Nie Zonghui bowed in acknowledgment.
Nie Mingjue went to search the inner part of camp.
He went back to his tent first to check on the fox demon and came across a strange scene. The men stationed to guard his tent to prevent the fox demon from escaping stood nervously outside. The visitor within, of too high a rank to obstruct.
They quickly saluted Nie Mingjue once they noticed his approach.
He held up his finger, bringing it to his lips to silence them before they could make a fuss.
Nie Mingjue dismissed them and entered the tent himself. He did not knock because this was his tent and he did not think the current inhabitants had anything to hide, but what he saw took him aback and made him wonder if he should've.
His fox was still half dressed, white inner robe hanging off a shoulder, outer robe still hanging on the stand unused, chest partially bared, a hint of pink nipples with teeth marks, and a long stretch of red bitten neck bared to the world. It was chained by the ankle to the tent pole to prevent it from leaving, draped across the bed with its meal untouched on the table, as if it hadn't bothered to move from the position Nie Mingjue left it this morning.
The only difference was that Lan Xichen was now sitting on the bed with his arms around Nie Mingjue's fox, cradling it to his chest. Lan Xichen's hand easily encased both of the little fox's wrists, as immobilizing as shackles.
"A-Yao, what happened," his gentle friend whispered to the fox, "How could you be here? Didn't I clearly tell you to wait for me to return?"
The fox shook his head and struggled against Lan Xichen's embrace.
"What happened to your tails?" Lan Xichen whispered in horror, hand reaching around to stroke the fox at the base of its tail.
The fox demon thrashed even harder at that. Lan Xichen had to relent.
Nie Mingjue bowed in greeting, “Your highness, you’re here?”
Lan Xichen looked up at Nie Mingjue but did not release the fox demon.
“Mingjue-xiong, what did I say about calling me that? You’re my senior. Please call me Xichen.”
Nie Mingjue smiled. Lan Xichen was the same as always.
“Xichen, why are you here so early? Is everything alright in the capital?”
“Huh?” Lan Xichen seemed genuinely baffled for a moment. “Oh yes! I came to tell you the war is over. Wen Ruohan is dead, and we’ve annexed Qishan.”
“Ah?” Now it was Nie Mingjue’s turn to be perplexed.
“I came to bring you home. We’ll ride into the capital together. There’s to be a grand ceremony for you. You’ve suffered these years. The country is grateful.”
Nie Mingjue had a lot of questions, but perhaps in front of the fox demon was not the time to be asking them.
“By the way, how did you find A-Yao?”
“A-Yao? Do you know this fox demon?”
Lan Xichen's soft smile was like the refreshing spring breeze, it made you want to smile in return.
“It’s embarrassing.” Lan Xichen kept his eyes on the creature in his arms.
If it was a private matter, then he did not need to pry. Nie Mingjue simply answered the question, “There was a heavily protected hut in the middle of the path we cleared. We had to break its barrier. We had to take precautions in case it was dangerous.”
“Why didn’t you explain it him, A-Yao?” Lan Xichen gently reproached the fox demon. “You’re half human and Prime Minister Jin’s lost son.”
Nie Mingjue could not withhold his shocked exclamation, “Hah?” Today was full of surprises.
“Mingjue-xiong, this is Meng Yao. Prime Minister Jin has agreed to add him to the family register after learning of his existence.”
At that, Meng Yao finally seemed to stop struggling, sitting upright and staring at Lan Xichen with bright eyes. The Crown Prince returned his gaze with adoring, indulgent sweetness.
“That’s right, A-Yao. Your father has agreed to accept you into the genealogy.”
Meng Yao still didn’t speak, just wrapping his arms around Lan Xichen’s torso for a tight squeeze.
“We’ll have to work on recovering your spiritual energy so you can speak. You can stay with me. I’ll help you.”
Meng Yao at last glanced over at Nie Mingjue.
“Oh, that won’t be a problem,” Lan Xichen said to Meng Yao before turning to face Nie Mingjue. “Mingjue-xiong, you don’t mind parting with him for his father, do you?”
Nie Mingjue shook his head, “Of course not. If he can reunite with his father that would be a wonderful thing.”
Lan Xichen smiled, “We’ll all ride into the capital together then!”