Chapter 217
"Xie Qinzhou, what exactly are you trying to do?" Zhi Yao looked at Xie Qinzhou, utterly perplexed.
If he only wanted to prevent conflict between the Wolf Tribe and the Fox Clan, he could have simply led the Fox Clan to a quiet place to live. Judging by his actions in kidnapping her mother, Xie Qinzhou clearly wasn't considering the Fox Clan's interests at all.
She could see that Xie Qinzhou was ambitious. As for what his ambitions were, Zhi Yao had no idea.
Xie Qinzhou looked at Zhi Yao, his previously angry expression suddenly calming in that moment.
"Zhi Yao, sometimes I truly hate."
Zhi Yao stood still, silently watching Xie Qinzhou.
"Do you know what I hate?" His gaze drifted far away, as if recalling something.
"From the moment I was born, our Fox Clan has been constantly wandering, relocating. All of this is because of the Wolf Tribe, and of course, because of our own weakness. Since I was young, I've harbored an intense hatred and disgust for the Wolf Tribe. To me, they're truly a despicable race. Until one day, my mother told me that our Fox Clan had a Nine-Tailed Red Fox. She was a symbol of power in our clan, and with her, our Fox Clan would no longer be bullied by the Wolf Tribe."
At that moment, it was as if he had seen hope. He joyfully anticipated the day when the Fox Clan's mightiest warrior would mate with the Nine-Tailed Red Fox, giving birth to the most powerful fox cub.
He no longer wanted to watch his loved ones and friends being bullied by the Wolf Tribe.
Watching important people leave before his eyes was not an easy thing to bear.
Until...
The clan discovered that Zhi Yi had actually betrayed the Fox Clan! She had given birth to a Wolf Tribe child!
This was a betrayal to everyone in the Fox Clan! A deep, unforgivable betrayal! Everyone had been hoping that Zhi Yi would give birth to another Nine-Tailed Red Fox.
At that time, the more Nine-Tailed Red Foxes there were, the stronger the Fox Clan would become.
"You, and your mother, you're both traitors!" Xie Qinzhou's eyes reddened. "My mother... my mother died protecting your mother from the Wolf Tribe. She died at their claws, but what did your mother do? She actually went and joined the Wolf Tribe! She even bore a child for them?! Unforgivable! This is truly unforgivable!!"
Xie Qinzhou's emotions had reached a fever pitch. Zhi Yao was completely taken aback, never imagining there was such a backstory.
She froze on the spot, at a loss for words.
"Zhi Yao, I never meant to hurt you." Xie Qinzhou closed his eyes in pain. "I don't have any grand ambitions either. All I want is for the Fox Clan to live in peace."
Over the years, many foxes had died, been injured, or lost their spiritual power and become immobile. The Fox Clan was declining day by day, and if this continued, they might become extinct! Especially the Nine-Tailed Red Fox, which only appeared once every thousand years. Now, all hope had been lost because of Zhi Yi's actions.
Zhi Yao was at a loss for words.
Just then, a sudden movement in the distance caught her attention. Zhi Yao raised her head alertly, catching sight of a flash of crimson.
Before she could react, the crimson figure emerged from the shadows.
As she recognized who it was, Zhi Yao was stunned.
She blurted out, "Mother?!"
Zhi Yi slowly walked out, in her original Nine-Tailed Red Fox form. She was an enormous fox with fluffy fur, her golden eyes shimmering with intelligence. Nine bushy tails stood straight behind her, presenting a truly rare sight.
Thousands of years ago, when the Nine-Tailed Red Fox had appeared in the mortal world, those who chanced upon it were awestruck. An artist had captured the scene in a painting, and from then on, the Nine-Tailed Red Fox became a symbol of good fortune in the human world.
Even among the Fox Clan, the Nine-Tailed Red Fox was revered as a sacred being.
Zhi Yi slowly walked out of the room. Looking at Xie Qinzhou, she sighed and said, "Child, you've misunderstood me."
Zhi Yao examined Zhi Yi closely, unable to find any sign of injury. Relieved, she ignored what Zhi Yi was saying and quickly rushed to her side, throwing her arms around her mother's neck.
At 5'6", Zhi Yao seemed tiny next to Zhi Yi's original form, almost able to climb onto her back.
"Yao Yao, I'm fine."
She comforted Zhi Yao, and as she drew closer, Zhi Yao could sense that her spiritual power was still intact.
What was going on?
Sensing Zhi Yao's confusion, Zhi Yi explained, "Xie Qinzhou didn't harm me, Yao Yao. Let me explain to him what really happened back then."
What happened back then?
Zhi Yao was puzzled for a moment, then suddenly realized that her mother was about to reveal the truth about how Xie Qinzhou's mother had died saving her.
Zhi Yao immediately pricked up her ears, listening intently.
"I didn't go to the Wolf Tribe willingly back then." Recalling the past, Zhi Yi's expression cooled.
"I was sent there by the Fox Clan."
What?!
This revelation shocked not only Xie Qinzhou but Zhi Yao as well.
Xie Qinzhou was stunned because he had always been told that Zhi Yi had betrayed the Fox Clan and fled to the Wolf Tribe.
Zhi Yao was shocked because she had always assumed her mother had been forcibly taken by her father. Heaven knows, she had already imagined countless stories of a domineering wolf chief and his fiery fox wife.
Who would have thought... it was this kind of plot twist?
She immediately held her breath, ready to listen to the story.
"Back then, the Wolf Tribe was pursuing the Fox Clan, defeating us utterly. Many newborn spirit foxes, barely old enough to take human form, were snatched away and devoured by the Wolf Tribe, their spiritual energy absorbed. The Fox Clan was truly desperate. Think about it, how could we possibly be a match for the Wolf Tribe? So, the Fox Clan elders came up with a plan..."
That plan was to send the Nine-Tailed Red Fox, the symbol of the Fox Clan's dignity, to the Wolf Tribe in exchange for the survival of the other foxes.
After all, the spiritual energy possessed by the Nine-Tailed Red Fox was incomparable to that of other foxes.
The Wolf Tribe was a group-oriented species, only listening to their Wolf King.
If they offered Zhi Yi to the Wolf King, who knows? Perhaps the Wolf King would be pleased and might even spare the Fox Clan.
When Zhi Yi learned about this, she had already been drugged by the Fox Clan and sent to the Wolf Tribe. By the time she woke up...
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