The Crazy Fox Demon Devours My Heart - Chapter 18

After the map was burned to ashes, Qingyu called Fuyin inside.

“The token you picked up from that demon clan last time — do you still have it?”

Fuyin thought for a moment. “Yes, I kept it. It’s in Your Highness’s vanity box.”

Qingyu opened the box and saw that the object was indeed still there. Her heart finally eased by seventy or eighty percent. Fortunately, it hadn’t been lost.

She instructed, “Find a box with a lock and store it carefully.”

Fuyin nodded, puzzled by why the princess suddenly attached such importance to that token. Still, she followed orders — placed the item into a locked box and hid it in a secret corner.

Now that the most pressing matter was settled, Qingyu’s mood improved greatly.

Seeing the princess like this, Fuyin thought she was finally adapting to life here and felt relieved as well.

At first, she had imagined the demons to be hideous creatures living in a cruel and dangerous land. But in truth, this place was quite livable. The young lord was handsome and treated the princess with gentle care.
If the princess could accept all this, it would be far better than living in sorrow for the rest of her days.

For several days in a row, Fox Yan did not come to bother Qingyu again, and she felt all the more at ease.

By now, she had memorized the surrounding routes. Going out alone was no longer a problem.

She brought Fuyin to the place where the great eagle was fed. Fuyin carried two heavy baskets, struggling with their weight.

Once they arrived, Fuyin dropped the baskets with a thud and rubbed her sore arms.
The princess had been coming here every day to feed that giant bird — with bloody chunks of raw meat that Fuyin wouldn’t even dare to touch, while the princess handled them without hesitation.

“Your Highness, why must you feed it with your own hands? Wouldn’t it be the same just to toss the meat on the ground?”

Qingyu blew a wooden whistle and raised a piece of meat in the air.

From within the clouds, a huge shadow circled and, upon hearing the call, swooped precisely toward her.

The eagle’s beak drew close, plucking the meat from her hand and swallowing it in one gulp after another until the basket was empty.

Unlike before, when it had been wary, the giant eagle now lowered its head, rubbing gently against Qingyu’s palm.

She took the opportunity to stroke its feathers, satisfied with the progress.
Though Fox Yan had given the creature to her, its heart still belonged to its original master. If Fox Yan were to summon it one day, it might fly back to him — and that would ruin her plans.

Since she needed it to help them escape eventually, the more it trusted her, the better.

Qingyu patted its wing, and the eagle understood at once. It crouched down, lowering its body so she could climb on.

“Fuyin, you should try riding it too,” Qingyu suggested.

Fuyin shook her head hastily. “Your Highness, that’s too dangerous. I—I’m scared…”

Qingyu sighed, tightened her grip on the feathers, and with a push of her foot, the great eagle rose into the sky with powerful flaps of its wings.

The morning sun was dazzlingly beautiful. Qingyu’s dark hair streamed behind her, and under the sunlight her face shone like a clear spring — her cool, serene eyes now softened with a smile. The faint curve of her lips was as delicate as ripples in water — a sight unforgettable, drawing one’s soul into that tranquil light.

Up in the open sky, the cool breeze brushed against her cheeks. The air was crisp and bright, filling her chest with a sense of freedom and exhilaration.

Looking down from above, she saw boundless greenery spreading across the land. After circling for a while, she signaled the eagle to descend.

They landed on a lush meadow, where white butterflies flitted among pink blossoms.
A light breeze passed, revealing a plump white rabbit nibbling on grass nearby.

The eagle’s eyes gleamed. It began to edge closer to the unsuspecting rabbit.

The little creature munched quietly, its round eyes full of innocence, unaware of the danger creeping near.

With one swift strike of its talons, the eagle seized the rabbit.

The rabbit kicked and squirmed in terror, scattering the grass it had been eating.

Just as the bird was about to devour its prey, Qingyu said, “Let it go.”

The eagle hesitated, tilting its head as if pretending not to hear, eyeing both her face and the trembling rabbit held in its beak.

“If you insist on eating it, then I won’t come tomorrow.”

The eagle froze. She won’t come? No more easy meals?

It had already grown used to being fed without having to hunt. The thought of losing that luxury made it uneasy.

After some thought, it released the rabbit and stomped off to the side sulkingly.
After all, it knew the difference between one full meal and meals every day.

The little white rabbit curled up tightly, shivering in fear.

Qingyu picked it up and examined it under a tree. Its fur was clean, no injuries — just frightened.

Her pale hand stroked its soft fur gently, unaware of the pair of cold, watchful eyes staring at her from afar.

Danger was quietly approaching.

The scent in the wind changed — a faint trace of rot mixed into the air.

Her gentle gaze instantly hardened. She scanned the surroundings warily. The eagle had wandered off somewhere, leaving her alone.

The grassy plain stretched endlessly, seemingly calm and peaceful. No sign of any beast.

Even the rabbit sensed something. It raised its head, twitching nervously.

Something was moving rapidly through the grass, rustling closer and closer.

Qingyu set the rabbit down and gripped the dagger hidden in her sleeve, holding her breath.

Suddenly, something sprang from the grass — sharp fangs flashing toward her face. Qingyu twisted her wrist and slashed, cutting the creature clean in half.

Its long, slender body writhed even as it split — a snake, with alternating black, white, and silver bands. Poisonous, clearly.

The rustling grew louder — then, all at once, countless snakes shot up from the grass, raining down on her.

She dodged as fast as she could, but one snake still managed to sink its fangs into her leg.

Venom spread swiftly through her veins. Her limbs numbed, the dagger in her hand grew heavier by the second. The serpents coiled closer, encircling her.

A piercing eagle cry shattered the air. The giant wings swept violently, flinging snakes in every direction. The remaining few were pecked up and devoured.

Qingyu collapsed to the ground, too weak to move. Numbness spread through her body; even breathing was difficult.

From a distance, a man approached slowly, stopping before her, looking down.
The scent of bl00d hung heavy in the air. His brow arched slightly, eyes glinting with curiosity.

Qingyu struggled to lift her gaze. She couldn’t tell if he was friend or foe.

The man crouched beside her, lifting the hem of her skirt to expose her calf — two puncture marks oozing bl00d, the skin around them already darkened.

She couldn’t move, forced to let him act as he pleased.

The man leaned closer to the wound, just as a fierce gust struck. He dodged back in an instant, narrowly escaping the blow.

Fox Yan landed nearby, face shadowed, eyes burning with fury so hot it seemed to sear the air — the corners of his eyes flushed red.

He had arrived just in time to see a scene that ignited his rage:
Qingyu slumped weakly against a tree, her skirt lifted, pale skin bared — and that fox demon bending down as if kissing her leg.

“Fox Chu!”

“You’re seeking death!”

Rage consumed his reason. Murderous intent gleamed in his eyes.

Fox Chu stepped back, his earlier teasing smirk fading. “Calm down. I was saving her.”

Fox Yan frowned and turned toward Qingyu. On her fair leg, two bite marks swelled black and red — clear signs of venom.

Her lips had turned ashen. She blinked weakly, confirming his words.

There was no time to waste. Fox Yan knelt beside her, grasped her smooth leg, and pressed his lips to the wound without hesitation.

Fox Chu watched, amusement returning to his eyes.

In a short while, Fox Yan had drawn out a mouthful of dark, poisonous bl00d.

Qingyu gazed down at his actions. Was he not afraid of being poisoned himself?

Then she remembered — if she died, how could his own illness be cured?
He was saving her only to save himself.