At once, Yin Xue's eyes turned a strange gray-white.
She flicked her finger, sending a small section of her hair towards Zheng Dong.
As the black hair drew closer to Zheng Dong, the light it emitted grew brighter, eventually flashing with a faint purple glow.
This indicated that Zheng Dong could change her fate, allowing her to turn misfortune into fortune.
Before her hair could fully reach Zheng Dong, it turned to dust and vanished with the wind.
As for the light emanating from her hair, only she, with her luck perception, could see it.
Of course, Zheng Dong also sensed something unusual.
He only felt a wave of fragrance and did not see the small section of hair.
The petals falling from the surrounding trees distracted him.
He paid it no mind.
Yin Xue did not rush.
She was waiting for Zheng Dong to step forward.
She was confident that with her charm, Zheng Dong, having come this far, would surely participate in the selection of her consort.
However, she waited for two to three hours, and Zheng Dong made no move.
At this point, only a beastman transformed from a nine-tailed fox remained on the battle stage.
He looked at Princess Yin Xue with anticipation.
As long as Princess Yin Xue nodded, he could move into the princess's mansion tonight.
Thinking of Princess Yin Xue's exquisite beauty and proud posture, he couldn't help but swallow.
Princess Yin Xue also stood up.
She didn't even glance at the nine-tailed fox on the battle stage.
Her gaze was fixed directly on Zheng Dong.
Did he not feel anything for me?
Am I not good-looking enough?
Princess Yin Xue frowned.
This was the first time she had encountered such a situation.
Even her mother, the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress, was not as beautiful as she was.
Zheng Dong was startled.
He hadn't expected to be targeted by Princess Yin Xue.
Had his mimicry disguise been seen through?
This was Qing Qiu City, not only guarded by the top-tier totem, the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress, but also by numerous overlord-level nine-tailed foxes. Escaping would be difficult.
Fortunately, Princess Yin Xue then pointed at Zheng Dong in front of everyone and declared:
"It's you, my consort!"
Immediately, a squad of armored guards respectfully "escorted" Zheng Dong.
This caused envy among the surrounding mixed-bloods and nine-tailed foxes.
As for the beastman transformed from the nine-tailed fox on the battle stage, he looked on in disbelief.
Alas, in the strictly hierarchical Qing Qiu Totem Kingdom, he could only accept his fate.
Zheng Dong hadn't expected that while he was spectating, he would end up being the center of attention.
However, this was also good.
As long as he could get close to Princess Yin Xue, he would have a chance to control her.
After all, Princess Yin Xue was only at the Monarch level.
Zheng Dong followed Princess Yin Xue into the princess's mansion.
It was a very exquisite residence, primarily in white and gold, very similar to the garden style of the Yan Huang Jiangnan region, with pavilions, towers, carved railings, and painted beams, offering a new vista at every step.
Zheng Dong did not meet Princess Yin Xue immediately.
He was led to a room to bathe.
Bathing here was similar to ancient Yan Huang.
However, instead of a tub, he was to soak in a large pool built with white marble.
A group of maidservants, all young women, surrounded him to assist with his bath.
This made Zheng Dong a little embarrassed.
"Perhaps you could leave, I can manage on my own."
"Does the驸马 dislike our service? If so, we will be punished!" said the leading woman.
As she spoke, she took the lead in kneeling on the ground.
These people were all humans, not mixed-bloods or nine-tailed foxes.
Zheng Dong did not want to bring them undeserved disaster.
Moreover, this was the Qing Qiu Totem Kingdom, and it was best to abide by its rules and customs.
He also did not want to cause any unforeseen trouble.
Afterward, without him needing to lift a finger, he was thoroughly cleaned.
Zheng Dong felt as though he had never taken such a long bath, feeling as if he could be directly put into a pot and cooked, cleaner than any ingredient.
After changing into new clothes, Zheng Dong was then brought before Yin Xue.
The main hall had been specially decorated.
A rosewood long table was laden with exquisite and delicious food, as well as the fruit wine favored by nine-tailed foxes.
Princess Yin Xue sat at the head of the table, appearing to want to have a candlelit dinner with Zheng Dong.
There was no electricity here, so candles were lit at night.
The candlelight cast upon Princess Yin Xue's delicate face made her look even more like a painting.
In fact, Yin Xue had also dressed up specially, wanting Zheng Dong to see that she was the most beautiful.
She did not believe Zheng Dong would be unmoved upon seeing her.
However, to her surprise, Zheng Dong showed no astonishment, merely giving her a normal glance.
It had to be said, Yin Xue was indeed very beautiful.
More captivating than she had been during the day.
She was also one of the most beautiful beast-eared girls Zheng Dong had ever seen.
The other was Xiao Qing.
If Xiao Qing and Jing Jing weren't constantly around Zheng Dong.
Zheng Dong might not have been able to handle it.
Zheng Dong now had a strong resistance to beautiful women.
Therefore, his reaction was not as Yin Xue had expected, which would have been him being captivated by her.
This, however, made Princess Yin Xue even more interested in Zheng Dong.
She looked at Zheng Dong and said:
"Sit down, my consort. I am very curious about you. Why didn't you participate in my consort selection competition today?"
After speaking, Princess Yin Xue added:
"By the way, I still don't know your name or where you live?"
Zheng Dong scanned his surroundings.
There were only a few servants attending the meal, and two Monarch-level guards at the entrance.
If he made a move, he should be able to control Princess Yin Xue quickly.
He was just worried that Princess Yin Xue might possess some powerful life-saving means.
Furthermore, they were not far from the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress's imperial palace. If she arrived, he might be in great danger.
He had to find a reliable method.
Perhaps he could directly lure her into the mythical-level relic space?
In an instant, various thoughts arose.
However, Zheng Dong did not rush to act.
"Can the princess tell me why you chose me? I'm not particularly handsome, nor am I exceptionally strong?"
Zheng Dong did not wish to attract attention. When using mimicry, he had only disguised himself as an ordinary-looking mixed-blood.
Princess Yin Xue was taken aback.
She felt that this mixed-blood, Zheng Dong, was very bold.
Even ordinary nine-tailed foxes would not dare to not answer her questions first.
However, she was not angry.
Instead, she became even more curious about Zheng Dong.
"If I say I like you, will you believe me?" Princess Yin Xue said.
"If the princess wanted an ordinary person, why would she hold a consort selection in the street?" Zheng Dong said dismissively, shaking his head.
Secretly, Zheng Dong used his super-perception to scan his surroundings, checking for any hidden guards.
Indeed, there were a few nine-tailed fox female guards hidden within the hall, all at the Monarch level, likely trusted confidantes of Princess Yin Xue.
"You are very smart and very bold. Since I have chosen you, there's no harm in telling you. My mother wants to send me to another world, and I want to choose a consort who can bring me good luck to accompany me!" Princess Yin Xue said.
Princess Yin Xue did not know that Zheng Dong was not from the Qing Qiu Totem Kingdom, nor did she consider that Zheng Dong might run away.
After all, in the Qing Qiu Totem Kingdom, being chosen by the princess was a matter of bringing honor to one's ancestors.
This left Zheng Dong somewhat bewildered.
How did she know he would bring her good luck? Did she possess precognitive skills?
Zheng Dong frowned.
He had not finished reading the information provided by Zeng Zuo the Legendary and did not know Yin Xue's attributes or what skills she possessed.
"Alright, now it's your turn. You'd better not lie to me, I am of the Time element," Princess Yin Xue raised her proud head.
The Time element was very mysterious and difficult to deal with.
Zheng Dong had always wanted to find a Time-element gem to mutate Mao Mao and give her Time-element attributes.
Unfortunately, he had never found one.
Xiao Qing did possess Time-element attributes, but she only mastered two pitiful Time-element skills: Precognitive Sense and Tracing Back to the Source.
Zheng Dong remained silent. He prepared to act, to lure Princess Yin Xue and the others into the relic space, and then find a way to control her.
But precognitive sense warned him that doing so would be very dangerous.
"What? Do you still have something to hide from me?" Princess Yin Xue frowned, looking at Zheng Dong with some anger.
Fortunately, Zheng Dong reacted quickly.
"I was just thinking about how best to say it. I actually live in the countryside. My name is Jian Dong, and I came looking for my sister, Jian Zhu. But she was thrown into the celestial prison, and I want to save her but can't think of any way."
Zheng Dong was not making things up.
Jian Zhu did have a younger brother, but he had long since lost contact with Jian Zhu and did not live in Qing Qiu City.
Yin Xue was somewhat surprised, not expecting Zheng Dong's sister to be in the celestial prison.
However, she did not seem worried about Zheng Dong implicating her.
In fact, as long as he hadn't committed any grave offense, she could even get Jian Zhu out of the celestial prison.
"I will find a way to try and get your sister out. Then why didn't you participate in my consort selection this afternoon? Were you not good-looking enough?"
Yin Xue was very intelligent, but also very emotional.
"No, it's because I was afraid of implicating the princess. My sister was thrown into the celestial prison, and I was afraid I would be imprisoned too!" Zheng Dong lied.
Since he couldn't act, he would use his words to stabilize Princess Yin Xue first.
Instantly, Princess Yin Xue became much happier, regaining confidence in her own beauty.
"Let's eat first. Here with me, no one dares to arrest you. Tomorrow morning, I will take you to see your sister."
This was a good thing for Zheng Dong.
However, Jian Zhu did not know Zheng Dong, and he feared she might let slip something later.
He still needed to find a way to locate the celestial prison and find Jian Zhu as soon as possible.
Afterward, Zheng Dong ate heartily.
The food tasted good and was very special.
The fruit wine was also delicious.
It was just very easy to get drunk!
Before long, Princess Yin Xue's face turned flushed from drinking the fruit wine, making her look somewhat cute.
It seemed she was a little drunk.
In fact, Princess Yin Xue was also suffering internally. Her mother, the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress, had dozens of daughters, yet she chose her to go to another world.
That was to be a hostage, a spy, a mission fraught with extreme danger.
This made her feel that the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress only treated her as a tool, not as her own daughter.
Fueled by the wine, Princess Yin Xue said:
"My consort, you must be gentle later. It's my first time!
If you perform well, I will only take you as my consort from now on."
As she spoke, Yin Xue leaned on Zheng Dong's shoulder, her alluring scent wafting around him. She reached out to unbutton Zheng Dong's clothes.
Zheng Dong frowned.
He hadn't expected Yin Xue, this beast-eared girl, to be so bold.
Upon reflection, it was not entirely unexpected. The Nine-Tailed Fox Empress had dozens of consorts, and Yin Xue's sisters each had over a dozen consorts. If Yin Xue were to remain reserved, it would likely be an act.
Seeing this, the few maidservants attending them quietly withdrew.
However, the guards secretly protecting Yin Xue remained.
This was clearly heading towards a more intimate encounter!
Zheng Dong wanted to stop Yin Xue.
Yet, Yin Xue looked up at him again.
"Why are you like a block of wood? Don't be nervous, I'll take good care of you!"
Saying this, she reached down and grabbed Zheng Dong's lower body.
Zheng Dong was stunned.
Immediately, he felt his blood surge.
It was like a volcano about to erupt!
No, if this continued, he might end up spending the night here.
Zheng Dong prepared to make a move.
At this moment, hurried footsteps sounded from outside, followed by the princess's mansion steward calling from outside the door:
"Princess, His Majesty requests your presence at the palace immediately!"
Yin Xue's expression froze, and the flush on her face disappeared. A hint of embarrassment appeared in her eyes as she looked at Zheng Dong.
"Jian Dong, you rest first!"
Then, Yin Xue changed her clothes and rushed to the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress's imperial palace with her entourage.
Zheng Dong, on the other hand, was led to a room to rest.
Two women were also assigned to assist Zheng Dong with his ablutions.
However, Zheng Dong was not in the mood to sleep. He found an opportunity, conjured a clone to lie on the bed, and his main body used the Earth Evasion skill to leave the princess's mansion.
It was not easy to search for the celestial prison late at night.
And he had to avoid causing too much commotion, lest he attract the attention of an overlord-level nine-tailed fox, which would be troublesome.
Zheng Dong found an inn.
In the Qing Qiu Totem Kingdom, those who usually stayed at inns were merchants.
Most merchants were mixed-bloods.
These mixed-bloods frequently traveled between various cities in the Qing Qiu Kingdom and could gather a lot of information.
Zheng Dong infiltrated the inn and captured three merchants, taking them to the relic space for questioning.
However, his luck was not good; none of these three merchants knew the location of the celestial prison.
But Zheng Dong did manage to gather some information.
The nine-tailed fox responsible for the daily security of Qing Qiu City was named Yu Fu, an overlord-level being, and his residence was not far from the inn.
Subsequently, Zheng Dong went to find Yu Fu.
As for the three mixed-blood merchants, they were temporarily kept in the relic space.
Even if their disappearance was discovered the next day, it would be difficult to trace it back to Zheng Dong for some time.
After all, in a city as large as Qing Qiu City, the disappearance of a few mixed-bloods was not uncommon and would not attract the attention of the Qing Qiu Totem Kingdom's high-ranking officials.
Zheng Dong arrived at Yu Fu's residence.
From the outside, this mansion did not appear as grand as Princess Yin Xue's mansion. However, the level of luxury inside was no less than that of Yin Xue's princess mansion.
But after searching around, Zheng Dong could not find Yu Fu.
Finally, from a conversation with Yu Fu's concubine, he learned that Yu Fu had also gone to the imperial palace.
Had something happened at the imperial palace?
Yin Xue went, and Yu Fu also went!
Inside the imperial palace, the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress sat lazily on her throne, with two handsome men, transformed from nine-tailed foxes, attending to her on each side.
Seeing Yin Xue enter, she merely raised her eyes slightly.
"Yin Xue, do you resent me?"
This seemed like an ordinary question from a mother to her daughter.
But Yin Xue dared not be careless and quickly knelt on the ground.
"Your daughter dares not!"
"It's right that you dare not. I am your mother. Whatever I tell you to do, you must do it! Without any reason or excuse, because your life is given by me!
You will go to another world and learn about the situation there. When I become the Nine-Tailed Fox God, you will be the new empress of the Qing Qiu Kingdom."
The Nine-Tailed Fox Empress suddenly sat up straight and spoke domineeringly.
Yin Xue was startled.
Had her mother already become a quasi-god?
"Tomorrow, Bu You Totem will return to the other world. You will go with him. I will have Yu Fu accompany you to ensure your safety."
Yu Fu was a confidant of the Nine-Tailed Fox Empress, and his status was no less than that of Princess Yin Xue.
Yin Xue nodded, not daring to voice any objections.
"All as my mother commands!"