Hearing this, Xiao Jiu’s purple eyes sparkled with pride. Was she just any regular fox? Of course not, she was an ancient demon beast, a nine-tailed fox. She was very smart—she only needed to be told something once to understand. However... Xiao Jiu was also very lazy.

  "Chi~" Xiao Jiu's cry was filled with joy as she was praised by Lian Muxiu.

  As soon as Lian Muxiu held Xiao Jiu in his arms, she naturally found the most comfortable position. Lian Muxiu stood up and didn’t even glance at White Shopkeeper. "Let’s go, Ying Yi, let’s meet the person who White Shopkeeper was willing to risk his life to protect."

  "Yes."

  Ying Yi, who always followed Lian Muxiu’s commands without question, regarded Lian Muxiu as a god-like figure. Even if Lian Muxiu ordered him to die, Ying Yi would do it without hesitation.

  Just as they were about to leave the room, Lian Muxiu seemed to remember something. He turned around and spoke to the empty space, "Twelve, take White Shopkeeper back to the North Tower for tea. Be sure to treat him well."

  A faint "Yes" came from the air, and Xiao Jiu only saw a flash of black, and White Shopkeeper disappeared from the ground.

  "Chi?" Is that an暗卫 (shadow guard)?

  "Yes, that's Shadow Guard Twelve, very strong. Let him take people back for tea; it's just right," Lian Muxiu replied.

  "Chi chi." Xiao Jiu was curious, Lian Muxiu had so many shadow guards, and each seemed interesting. Xiao Jiu lifted her little paw and made a decision in her mind: she would work even harder to cultivate and meet all of Lian Muxiu’s shadow guards.

  Lian Muxiu smiled at Xiao Jiu's little actions, which made her seem even more adorable, and then led Ying Yi up to the third floor.

  The third floor was very different from the second. While the second floor was somewhat noisy, the third floor was silent, eerily silent.

  It was so quiet that even a needle falling to the ground could be heard. Ying Yi walked ahead of Lian Muxiu, prepared to defend against any unforeseen situations.

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  "Master, this third floor is a bit too quiet. Please be cautious," Ying Yi said.

  "Mm," Lian Muxiu responded indifferently, showing no hint of nervousness on his face.

  Just as Ying Yi was fully focused on walking ahead, he suddenly felt Lian Muxiu pass him, walking ahead. "Master..."

  "Shh!" Lian Muxiu gestured for Ying Yi to be quiet, and then did the same motion for Xiao Jiu to be silent. Xiao Jiu, understanding, nodded and kept quiet.

  If Lian Muxiu knew what Xiao Jiu was thinking at this moment, he would surely tease her—after all, wasn’t she the one who kept crying so easily?

  Lian Muxiu closed his eyes and listened intently, his ears twitching. In a moment, he figured out where the person he was looking for was. He took a step forward, heading toward a room in the center of the third floor. He walked slowly, but the distance between him and the room quickly shortened.

  Standing at the door, Lian Muxiu subtly raised his chin toward Ying Yi, who nodded and stepped forward to knock on the door.

  Before Ying Yi could knock a second time, the door creaked open. Xiao Jiu, curious, peeked out of Lian Muxiu’s arms. She was eager to see who this person was, the one whom White Shopkeeper had tried to protect.

  In front of them stood four attendants, their heads lowered, and even when the door opened, they didn’t look up.

  Following them were four or five maids, some standing aside, others holding trays, all with the same impassive expressions.

  Xiao Jiu observed for a while. These people weren’t the ones Lian Muxiu had come to see. So who were they serving?

  "I did not know that the great North Yan’s National Master would visit. Please forgive our poor reception, National Master," a voice came from the room.

  Before seeing the person, Xiao Jiu already heard the voice, which sounded like flowing water over stones—clear, elegant, and smooth. It was soothing to the ears, and Xiao Jiu’s desire to meet the speaker intensified.

  She couldn’t wait to meet this person.

  Trying to climb down from Lian Muxiu’s arms, Lian Muxiu, having already noticed her movement, firmly held her back. Xiao Jiu’s nose was pressed against his chest, and a refreshing minty scent filled her nose.

  Suddenly, Xiao Jiu shivered as if waking up.

  She huddled quietly in Lian Muxiu’s arms, feeling a bit confused. What had just happened? Why had she become so anxious just by hearing that person’s voice? This wasn’t like her!

  Xiao Jiu’s mind raced, and then she remembered something. Back in White Spirit Mountain, one of her playmates had once mentioned that there were many extraordinary people in the human world who practiced different kinds of arts, some of which could mesmerize people’s hearts simply through their voices. These people would use their voices to ensnare others, and after that, they would take the mesmerized person away, but what happened after that, Xiao Jiu didn’t know.

  Xiao Jiu suddenly realized that Lian Muxiu had also heard that person’s voice, and in a flash, she leaped from his arms and climbed onto his shoulder.

  "Chi chi," Xiao Jiu urgently warned, "Muxiu, don’t fall under their spell!"