Volume 1, Chapter 22 – The Fox Demon’s Estrus
Song Shiyuan struggled to suppress the heat rising in her lower abdomen as she glanced down.
The little fox demon sprawled on the bed, wiggling restlessly.
"The little fox demon is feeling lustful?"
In the little fox demon's silvery hair, a pair of fluffy fox ears had grown at some point.
The fox ears were pink, and a cluster of long, bright red fur was at the tips.
A large, fluffy tail had also emerged at her tailbone, its pink fur mirroring the ears, crowned with a vivid crimson tip.
"Pink… fox."
"Is this the little fox demon's true form?"
Surprise flickered through Song Shiyuan. The fox demon clan was divided by fur color, with crimson fox demons reigning as the most powerful, while the rare white snow foxes held the highest nobility.
The others, gray, brown, and yellow, were deemed mixed colors—lesser beings with diluted bloodlines.
For instance, Hu Xian'er, the head steward of the Fox Palace who had once eyed Song Shiyuan with hostility, was a pure white snow fox, the epitome of nobility.
In contrast, the troublemaking trio of yellow, green, and blue fox demons were nothing but mixed breeds, the weakest in talent and strength.
Initially, Song Shiyuan assumed the little fox demon was a silver fox, which matched her silvery white hair. Though not as pure as a snow fox, its bloodline was respectable.
But this revelation—pink interwoven with crimson—was entirely unexpected.
"Silver hair, pink velvet ears, red flamboyant tail…"
"No wonder those fox demons say you are mixed-colored."
This stunning creature, outshining ninety percent of her peers, was bullied within the Fox Palace.
Such beauty, yet with an inferior bloodline and no backing—no wonder jealousy ran rampant among the fox demons.
Seeing this gentle little soul suffer, Song Shiyuan felt a pang of pity.
But now was not the time for sentiment.
As she hesitated, the pheromones in the air intensified.
Her gaze returned to the little fox demon's fluffy features.
Fox demons typically concealed their ears and tails.
Much like humans do with their sexual characteristics, it was only when excitement surged through them, blood racing, that they revealed their true forms.
Either when fighting or mating.
Because of this implication, when a fox demon actively reveals its ears and tail, it is either a show of force before a fight or a show of affection before mating.
But why was this little fox demon suddenly so emotional?
Song Shiyuan hadn't done anything outrageous!
Ordinary feelings shouldn't send pheromones spiraling out of control.
The book mentioned that even when fox demons were deeply in love, they could control their pheromones.
So this situation was clearly more than just a fleeting emotion.
Could it be that the little fox demon was entering her estrus period?
Song Shiyuan's eyes narrowed. If that were the case, things could get complicated.
The book described how fox demons, upon transforming into human form, experience a unique physiological phase coinciding with their physical maturity—an "estrus period."
Though it sounded akin to human menstruation, it was entirely different!
A fox demon's estrus typically occurs once or twice every three months, lasting two to three days each time. As their strength grows, the intervals between these periods also increase.
This phase was colloquially known as the "heat cycle."
During estrus, fox demons become restless, driven by overwhelming lust, craving deep touches, with their physical desires amplified many times over.
Their cultivation and strength would plummet, leaving them vulnerable to supreme yang sword practitioners.
Pheromones would overflow uncontrollably, acting as a mating signal. Any supreme yang sword practitioner catching a whiff would be indiscriminately drawn in, and their lust ignited.
For fox demons, this was a perilous time.
In countless tales, fox demons in estrus often fell prey to others, leading to a cascade of romantic entanglements.
The thought of those stories darkened Song Shiyuan's expression.
She couldn't let the little fox demon's pheromones rage on unchecked; otherwise, she too might lose control.
From their very first encounter, she had realized her resistance to the little fox demon's pheromones was alarmingly weak.
Just being near them left her mouth parched, a desperate urge to find something moist to quench her thirst gnawing at her.
Her gaze instinctively drifted to the little fox demon's delicate neck.
Desire surged within her…
She wanted to bite it.
One bite, and it would probably burst with juice
—like a ripe fruit.
"No…"
She couldn't do that!
"Little fox demon! Are you still awake?"
Song Shiyuan's voice was hoarse.
"Wake up, and suppress your pheromones. Otherwise, something will happen!"
"Wuu…" The little fox demon let out a soft moan.
She slowly stirred, hazy eyes meeting Song Shiyuan's.
At some point, a hint of crimson had bloomed at the corners of her eyes, her pure and lovely face now adorned with an alluring expression.
Song Shiyuan's heart raced at the sight.
This was the unmistakable sign of a fox demon in estrus, just as the books had described.
"Little fox demon! Look at me! Do you remember who I am?"
The little fox demon blinked, her gaze clouded, cheeks flushed, as she leaned closer to Song Shiyuan, her nose twitching slightly.
"Sister Shiyuan, you smell so good~~"
The little fox demon blushed deeper as she spoke, rubbing against Song Shiyuan.
The sweet scent thickened in the air, intoxicating.
"Damn…"
"How did it become like this?"
"Shouldn't there be special signs before a fox demon enters estrus?"
"Doesn't the little fox demon know herself?"
"How could she suddenly enter estrus?"
In that moment, a realization struck Song Shiyuan.
Earlier, when she had helped the little fox demon disperse the blood stasis, she had employed the secret technique taught by her master.
The medical techniques from Sword Venerable Qingzhi were designed for sword practitioners to alleviate muscle fatigue.
Supreme yang sword practitioners cultivated a potent yang energy, making it effective for healing.
But now…
"I just used the conditioning technique meant for a supreme yang sword practitioner on a fox demon…"
A headache began to creep in.
The fox demon's pheromones could easily stimulate a sword practitioner's yang energy and lust, In contrast, the sword practitioner's supreme yang energy had a similar effect on the pure yin body of a fox demon.
Song Shiyuan cursed her oversight.
She hadn't considered the implications before she acted.
She had assumed that the lustful methods1 associated with sword practitioners and fox demons only applied between men and women.
But she had overlooked one crucial detail: this emotional little fox demon likely had no concept of gender.
The pure yin body of a fox demon instinctively craved supreme yang energy, and now, with so much infused into her delicate form, how could she possibly withstand such stimulation?
"So… I've inadvertently triggered a little fox demon, just transformed, into her heat cycle early with my master's treatment technique!!"
Looking at the little fox demon who instinctively leaned closer, Song Shiyuan felt the weight of her predicament.