Chapter 49: Su Youjin

Xiao Xiaos eyes lit up as he suddenly thought of a certain *yokai*.

A fox *yokai*!

Yes, that was the exact scent of that fox *yokai*!

Having figured it out after deep thought, a wide arc naturally formed at the corners of Xiao Xiaos lips.

However, why would the scent of a fox *yokai* be on this girl?

Could it be...

Thinking of that possibility, Xiao Xiaos expression instantly darkened.

Xiao Xiao thought of Ruan Rou, that pretty girl whose life had barely begun when it was prematurely cut short.

Heh, Xiao Xiao covered his face and laughed silently; against that girl's fate, he had been powerless.

However, he would not allow the exact same thing to happen a second time right under his nose!

...

Xiao Xiao motioned for the *Erhshu* to come over. He certainly did not want to wake the girl and get mistaken for a petty thief breaking into a greenhouse.

That would be too unjust.

This time, the *Erhshu* did not roll its eyes at him; it obediently trotted over.

Xiao Xiao walked a few steps away, stopping only when he was blocked by flowers and plants so the girl was out of sight.

He turned around and squatted down, coming eye-to-eye with the *Erhshu*. Looking into its crimson vertical pupils, he asked softly, "Do you know that she has been possessed by a fox *yokai*?"

The *Erhshu* stared quietly at Xiao Xiao. After a moment, it nodded, then shook its head.

Xiao Xiao: ...

"You nodded because she is indeed possessed by a fox *yokai*, and you shook your head..." Xiao Xiao pondered as he spoke slowly, "And why did you shake your head?"

A whimpering sound came from the *Erhshu's* mouth, somewhat resembling a dog's bark.

What a miraculous *yokai* indeed. Though it should be a rat, it had the head of a rabbit and the body of an elk, yet the sound it made was like a dog barking.

For a brief moment, Xiao Xiao felt a sense of wonder, but he quickly reined in his thoughts and focused back on why the *Erhshu* had shaken its head.

Clearly, the *Erhshu* wanted to convey some information to him, but they did not share a common language.

Xiao Xiao reached out and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

"This girl is indeed possessed by a fox *yokai*, so why did you shake your head?" Xiao Xiao asked the *Erhshu* the same question again. The response was identical: the *Erhshu* first nodded, then shook its head.

Suddenly, a possibility struck Xiao Xiao.

Could it be...

"She is indeed possessed by the fox *yokai*, but the fox *yokai* hasn't succeeded yet, am I right?"

Xiao Xiao stared intently at the *Erhshu*. Seeing it nod and waiting a while without shaking its head, he knew his guess was correct.

I see!

This was truly a pleasant surprise! Originally, Xiao Xiao had lingering worries about whether someone whose consciousness had been stolen could ever return to normal. Now, things were simple: as long as they drove the fox *yokai* away, this girl would recover completely.

......

"This girl is quite formidable," Xiao Xiao muttered to himself. For her consciousness not to be completely usurped by the fox *yokai*—such mental fortitude was truly extraordinary.

Normally, when a human is possessed by a *yokai*, they are at a disadvantage, especially when caught completely off guard. Yet she had managed to stay in a stalemate with the *yokai* all this time, refusing to let it have its way. Forget a young girl; even a strong man might not be able to achieve this.

However, although she had temporarily maintained the status quo, this girl had clearly paid a heavy price.

Xiao Xiao recalled the girl from moments ago: though pretty, she was far too pale and thin, with dark circles under her eyes and a heavy exhaustion etched across her features.

Therefore, aside from feeling secure that no one else could enter this greenhouse, she was simply too exhausted to notice the approach of a stranger.

Right now, she was standing on the edge of a cliff, with an abyss of eternal darkness yawning right behind her.

She had to keep her nerves tightly strung every single second, without a single moment of laxity; otherwise, what awaited her would be swallowed whole by the *yokai*, resulting in eternal damnation.

She had no right to relax.

Fortunately, she still had one advantage: this was her body. As long as she did not give up, the fox *yokai* would have to pay a tremendous price to seize it.

Thus, when both sides were exhausted, there was still a brief window for rest.

Otherwise, how could human stamina ever compare to a *yokai's*? If the fox *yokai* just kept wearing her down, this body would eventually belong to it.

......

"Are you asking me to help her drive the fox *yokai* out of her body?" Even with an