Chapter 3 The Art of Persuasion

"I'm not a fox demon, I'm a fox spirit".

The sword in Lan Bingyue hand was ready to slash the creature in front of him, but because Hong Mei looked harmless he subconsciously lowered his guard.

"What's the difference?" Lan Bingyue didn't know if he could defeat the demon or the fox spirit in front of him who was looking at him with curiosity.

His face was very red and the fox in front of him turned into a very beautiful and charming girl Lan Bingyue stomach felt hot for no reason it felt like something was tickling his internal organs. Suddenly he remembered that the fox demon would lure its prey first before eating it and then Lan Bingyue facial expression became serious.

Hong Mei who was still sitting on the floor because she fell from Lan Bingyue lap slowly stood up and looked at Lan Bingyue with curiosity and confusion visible on her flawless jade white like and smooth face, her pink hair that was as long as her buttocks moved according to her body.

"Of course it's different. I'm a fox spirit from Qing qu not a demon fox from the demon realm. I was born from a pure spirit and the demon fox was born from impure energy. we are not the same..." She replied in confusion. couldn't humans tell them apart? She stated in her mind.

"Look, I don't have black miasma all over my body right? I'm a fox spirit of course i dont have it, to reach the immortal realm I cultivate by absorbing natural resources just like you humans, isn't that right?" So Hong Mei explained in detail about their differences, but that alone didn't make Lan Bngyue lowering his sword, he swung his sword towards Hong Mei.

"Huh, do you think I'll believe it?" then he started attacking Hong Mei and his sword hit the air behind Hong Mei because she managed to dodge. Lan Bingyue's bookshelf was split into two and fell apart.

"Human!" Hong Mei widened her eyes in disbelief. Why didn't this human believe it?

"Human, I didn't mean any harm I came to the human world to inquiring about your kind cultivation techniques! Please don't attack me" Lan Bingyue chased Hong Mei who ran to Lan Bingyue yard and swung his sword again, once again Hong Mei managed to dodge and that shocked Lan Bingyue's fish pond in front of Hong Mei.

"Please stop, let me tell you something!" Hong Mei turned around and cast her magic causing Lan Bingyue who did not expect the sudden attack to fall, and his sword was thrown to the side.

Lan Bingyue looked at Hong Mei in disbelief as he stood up from falling on the grass. "Say it…, but don't come any closer" Lan Bingyue immediately stopped Hong Mei who wanted to walk towards him, Hong Mei puffed out her cheeks cutely, they were 5 meters apart.

"I'm Hong Mei, do you know about Qing qu?" Hong Mei asked half shouting at Lan Bingyue who was looking at her warily, the young man took back his sword that was thrown beside him.

"I don't know…, continue" then he put the sword back into its sheath.

"I don't want to scream anymore, can I come a little bit closer?" Hong Mei stepped closer.

"No! Continue…" Lan Bingyue looked at Hong Mei with wary eyes, Hong Mei couldn't help but stop.

Hong Mei took another deep breath she looked up at the sparkling sky it seemed that this sect was protected by a protective array with her spirit aura how could she fly out of here? Or could she get out without being detected?

"I came from Qing Qu a spirit realm that is in another dimension from the human realm, but is still adjacent and accessible unlike the immortal realm that requires qualifications to enter, do you understand?"

Hong Mei explained half-shouting again and this time she was panting with a red face.

"Then what is the difference between you and a fox demon?" Lan Bingyue asked curiously, in his entire life he had never dealt with the demon realm and had only heard rumors about fox demons. Therefore he tried to process what he was experiencing now.

"Like I said before ...fox demons come from the demon realm demons and spirit are different we do not absorb vitality and inner strength from other creatures like them, we eat and drink and practice just like humans, can I come closer this time?"

"I still don't believe it"

"If you don't believe me, you can tie my hands or lock me up until you believe me, but I have no evil intentions towards humans, or if you are kind enough to let me out of here, I will return to Qing Qu after that and will not appear in front of you again. How about that?"

"I can't"

"Why?"

"I already planned with my friend to sell you"

"..." the atmosphere suddenly quieted down.

"But I am not a real fox; I am a fox spirit, im the same as you human" Hong Mei adds in disbelief.

"Well, for that I will discuss it with my friend first, for now you can obediently enter the cage first"

Hong mei turned back into a fox form and ran past Lan Bingyue then entered the open cage.

"Kaing...Kaing" (already) replied Hong Mei as she waited for Lan Bingyue to close his cage.

Lan Bingyue closed Hong Mei's cage carefully then locked it after that he put a spell on the cage because he worried that Hong Mei would break the cage with her power and escape.

"Speak in human language, I don't understand fox language"

"Kaing...kaing...kaing" (I can't speak human language in this form) Hong Mei's fox form scratched her iron cage.

"I don't understand, sit quietly, I'll call my friend" then after saying that Lan Bingyue immediately left his room leaving Hong Mei sitting quietly in her room.

Hong Mei sighed, she thought that by changing her form she could make Lan Bingyue give up his intention to sell her because their forms were the same but she almost died from an attack by Lan Bingyue whose cultivation level was slightly stronger than hers, what a foolish thinking of her. Can't all humans differentiate between spirit and demons? Will she die here if she doesn't return to Qing Qu as soon as possible? Hong Mei lowered her head weakly and curled up in the cage.

Xiao Yang was sitting under a big tree behind a mountain with a ravine not far from him, he was trying to understand the contents of the book given by his teacher, the lesson this time was about the slashing swords level three swordsmanship which is one of the skills possessed by his teacher.

One of his hands made seal shapes and the other hand held an old book with yellowed pages, his mouth was muttering mantras and small knives flew around him combined with his wind aura so that the knives gave off a striking yellow color.

Not far from where he was, a young man riding his flying sword emerged from under the mountain and approached him, his long blue and white clothes and his long black hair like ink fluttered in the wind.

"Xiao Yang!...Xiao Yang!!" shouted the young man not far from him, he landed in front of the young man with long blonde hair which made Xiao Yang stop his studies, immediately the small blades went back into the weapon storage on the young man's waist and Xiao Yang looked at the black-eyed young man who called him, Lan Bingyue was seen standing on his sword not getting down from it.

"What's wrong Bingyue?" asked Xiao Yang .

"You won't believe this, I'll show you something, come with me!" Then Lan Bingyue left Xiao Yang's presence which made the blonde young man curious then he took out his flying sword and immediately followed Lan Bingyue who took him back to the Fire Leaf Sect and then headed to his room.

"What's wrong?" asked Xiao Yang to Lan Bingyue while they were in the corridor to Lan Bingyue room which was not far from the cave entrance.

"Just see it for yourself" When they arrived in front of the room, Lan Bingyue opened the sliding door and entered it followed by Xiao Yang .

"What?" Xiao Yang entered and saw nothing strange in this man's room except for the fox that was curled up in the room with no enthusiasm.

"Hey fox, come on, change quickly!" Lan Bigyue knocked on the fox cage lightly which made Hong Mei stand on all fours. Xiao Yang looked at Lan Bingyue with doubt did my friend has gone crazy, he thought.

"Kaing...kaing..." (Open the cage door) then scratched at the cage door which was still locked.

"I don't understand..." replied Lan Bingyue, Hong Mei scratched at the cage keyhole again.

"Ohhh... right" then the young man took out the cage key from the pocket he tied around his waist and remove the spell that he had put before.

"Bingyue, are you okay?" Xiao Yang asked with concern as he put his hand on Lan Bingyue forehead and felt his temperature.

"You're not hot," said the young man.

"Damn you Xiao Yang! I'm not crazy! look at this!" Lan Bingyue pushed away Xiao Yang hand that was holding his forehead.

Hong Mei then carefully got out of the cage then she focused her inner strength and pink smoke came out of her body.

"Thi-This is-" Xiao Yang choked and looked at Lan Bingyue.

When the thick smoke disappeared a beautiful girl with long pink hair appeared before them. Xiao Yang's mouth gaped wide and Lan Bingyue stared at the girl seriously but his gradually ears turned red.

"Y-you're a fox? A fox demon?"

"She said she was a fox spirit, not a fox demon" replied Lan Bingyue casually.

Hong Mei just looked at Xiao Yang and smiled slightly at him.

"What's the difference?" Xiao Yang tried to stay calm, buton the inside he was already panicked.

"Of course it's different, I come from a spirit race not a demon race, I don't eat human hearts to boost up my cultivation" Hong Mei answered carefully as she was afraid Xiao yang would attack her like Lan Bingyue earlier.

Xiao Yang thought hard and long then looked at Hong Mei deeply before pulling Lan Bingyue clothe's and dragged him out of the room leaving Hong Mei alone in the room.

"Bingyue..." he massaged his temples in frustration.

"I still can't digest what's going on, what's going on now?" asked Xiao Yang.

"Don't ask me, I don't know either, I hope with your presence here we can think about this together, what should we do with her?" Lan Bingyue replied in a half whisper.

"We can't sell her and what should we do if other people find out?" Xiao Yang asked, he started pacing restlessly.

"What do you mean she can't be sold? Doesn't fox spirit is extremly rare? We can get a higher price than what we have planned, right?"

"Then are you willing to bear the risk?"

"What kind of risk?"

"What if her family is looking for her? The spirit seems to have many relatives, are you able to defeat them all?"

"Don't we have the teachers?"

"Don't joke around! Our teacher can't withstand the attack of the spirit wave either!… Let's just ...let her go then"

"Let her go? Haha, how could it be! I cathed her, she's been mine since I managed to get her!"

"Bingyue! I'm saying this as your friend who knows your level of power, don't mess with creatures from the spirit realm many of them have filled the immortal realm and live longer than us humans! If we make the wrong decision about her, I can't guarantee that we can live long"

"Earlier you said that you couldn't differentiate between spirit and fox demons, how come you know so much about them?"

"spirit or demons are the same as humans, I have read a lot about them in the books, they have a very loyal friends and will sacrifice anything to keep each other safe, trust me. Our lives are more valuable than that money! what about after this...go inside, at midnight we will sneak out of the sect and release the fox wherever we find it! What do you think? " suggest Xiao Yang.

Lan Bingyue thought long and hard then murmured. "Let me think about it first"

Then Lan Bingyue entered his room. When he opened the door he saw Hong Mei lay on his bed sideways with a book she was reading, her beautiful figure looked so graceful and looked very seductive with her eyes so focused on reading.

Xiao yang also wanted to enter the room but Lan Bingyue stopped him and closed the open door behind him. He turned his body to face Xiao Yang.

"Xiao Yang, you go back to your room first, this midnight I will give you an answer"

Xiao Yang suprise and confuse look appeared on his face and then he look at his friend strange look and swallowing his questions, but later he just said. "Just dont do anything you shouldn't" after that warning, Xiao Yang walked back towards his room.

After seeing Xiao Yang disappear from his sight, Lan Bingyue opened the door behind him again and entered his room.

"What are you doing on my bed? "Lan Bingyue asked Hong Mei who was reading his book seriously.

"Reading your book, what else?" Hong Mei replied casually, her sexy figure in Lan Bingyue's eyes fascinated him but he immediately shook his head to dispel dirty thoughts that shouldn't exist in a situation like this.

"Turn back into a fox" Lan Bingyue ordered as he walked slowly towards his bed.

"Why? I don't want to, I still want to lie down here" Then Hong Mei stretched her body to fill the single bed-sized mattress and made fun of Lan Bingyue whose patience was limited now.

"You are very vulgar, do you want to tease me in your human form like this?"

"Vulgar? Tease? What is vulgar? I'm not teasing you why do you say I'm teasing you?" Hong Mei answered innocently, she sat on the mattress then got off the mattress then put Lan Bingyue book back on the shelf.

"I'm not joking and want to play with you now, I want to rest for a while and please turn back into a fox so I can feel safe if you enter the cage"

"tsk, You bossy!" Then Hong Mei turned back into a fox and went back into her open cage and not long after that Lan Bingyue locked it from the outside and also put the same spell as before.

He sighed in relief, "Don't make trouble, I can't watch you if my teacher finds out so don't go anywhere while I rest, you hear me?"

"kaing (okay I understand)" the fox pouted and rolled herself up in the cage.

Lan Bingyue then lay down on his bed, but Hong Mei smell filled his nose which made his head dizzy, then he cast a cleaning spell on his mattress and pillow so that the smell disappeared and Lan Bingyue could finally rest in peace.

An owl hooted in the middle of the night.

Two young men and a fox who were in the cage walked silently from behind the sect and they jumped over the fence with the help of a spell.

"Who's there?" Shouted the patrol officer who when checking found the magic fence behind the sect was half broken.

"Is it an intruder?"

Then the patrol officer sent a bell signal to the magic tower with the help of a rune so that the bell rang and woke up all the sect residents in the middle of the night.

"We're in trouble if we get caught!" The young man with long yellow hair was hysterical and accelerated the speed of his flying sword through the trees with the long black-haired man when he heard the warning bell ringing behind them.

"We have to get back to the sect soon or we'll be caught!" The long black-haired young man said with a stren expression on his face.

To be continue...