Chapter Seventy-Five: Princess Aisha Duling Yue

Li Yunfei smiled gently, his eyes glinting with mischief, and spoke aloud, “Since Princess Elsa is awake, why not come out and have something to eat? The sound of your stomach rumbling could be heard from a mile away, haha…”

Du Lingyue froze at his words. Princess Elsa?

Then, she recalled that she had awakened last night—and it was the ice ability, so similar to Princess Elsa. Her eyes brightened with curiosity and uncertainty. She was filled with questions, and the man outside seemed genuinely kind; her anxiety eased considerably.

She pulled open the tent’s zipper and slipped outside.

In truth, Li Yunfei had heard her stirring the moment she awoke, but pretended to know nothing. He understood that after everything she had endured the previous night, she was bound to feel deeply insecure. The slightest disturbance could disrupt her mind and trigger another episode of uncontrolled power.

So, he had intentionally created a warm and harmonious atmosphere to soothe her nerves.

After taking Du Lingyue away from Fangjiaping Village last night, Li Yunfei had summoned his little fox to carry them here. He pitched the tent, settled her in, and then spent the night outside cultivating with the fox.

At dawn, seeing no signs of her waking, Li Yunfei remembered what Zhang Ziying had told him: the girl who had caught fire had also remained unconscious until the people from Zixiao came to awaken her. He speculated that perhaps, after exhausting their powers, those who had awakened abilities needed deep sleep to recover.

He was eager to continue clearing dungeons and would soon have to pass through Baling; there was no time to wait for her to wake naturally. So, he tried feeding her a few Boar King Pills.

These pills could accelerate recovery tenfold; after all, supernatural abilities were also a form of cultivation. Perhaps, they would help.

As expected, less than an hour after taking the pills, she woke.

Li Yunfei watched Du Lingyue with a gentle smile, his gaze appreciative.

Du Lingyue was beautiful, but in a way quite distinct from Zhang Ziying. Her disheveled hair framed a delicate, fair face; her lips were thin and rosy, and her eyes bore a resemblance to those of the little fox. Yet, unlike the slyly upturned eyes of the fox, which seemed forever to invite mischief, her eyes were gently slanted, surrounded by a faint blush like peach blossoms, moist and sparkling.

These were classic “peach blossom eyes”—not as alluring as a fox’s, but all the more charming, tender, and pitiable.

When not smiling, her eyes resembled peach petals; when she smiled, they curved like crescent moons, the line between black and white blurred, leaving an impression of dreamy intoxication.

Her nose, unlike that of most women, was not petite but prominent, giving her features a striking three-dimensional beauty.

When she emerged from the tent, Li Yunfei noticed her timid gaze and smiled even more warmly.

He pointed to the table, and a small folding stool appeared beside it out of thin air. Another gesture conjured a bowl with a spoon. With a third, a steaming plate of soup dumplings materialized on the table.

As he scooped porridge from a pot into the bowl, he spoke gently, “Come and have something to eat. Otherwise, you’ll have no strength to descend the mountain later.”

Of course, this was all deliberate. He could have prepared everything before she came out, but chose instead to perform these small acts before her, hoping to draw her attention and ease her anxiety with curiosity.

Indeed, Du Lingyue was fascinated, walking over almost unconsciously. She smoothed her skirt over her legs before sitting down.

“Here, try my lean pork congee and see how it tastes.”

“Thank you.”

Li Yunfei set the bowl before her. She murmured her thanks but didn’t eat right away, instead gazing curiously at the little fox on the table.

Li Yunfei tilted his head and said, “Her name is Honghong. She’s my pet.”

The little fox’s long snout and eyes curved into a smile, so heartwarming that Du Lingyue’s guard melted on the spot, and a faint smile blossomed on her lips.

“She’s called Honghong? Don’t tell me her surname is Tushan?”

Li Yunfei laughed. “So, Princess Elsa has seen ‘Fox Spirit Matchmaker’ too?”

Du Lingyue’s peach blossom eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. “Yes! I watched it as a child.”

Then she looked at Li Yunfei. “Don’t call me Princess Elsa. My name is Du Lingyue, but you can call me Xiaoyue.”

Li Yunfei extended his right hand with a smile. “Li Yunfei. My friends call me Dafei.”

She reached out and shook his hand lightly. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “How did I end up here? Who are you?”

How could she eat in peace without answers?

Li Yunfei explained, “I’m a cultivator, traveling the land to train. Last night, I happened to be passing by Fangjiaping and witnessed what happened to you.”

“You passed out, and someone tried to kill you. I had no choice but to take you away first.”

“This is Mount Taihuang. After breakfast, you can go down to the village inn and call for help.”

Du Lingyue’s expression changed dramatically, shock and fear etched on her face. “Someone tried to kill me? Who?”

Li Yunfei’s expression darkened. “It was the husband of that middle-aged woman. Their son was among those who bullied you.”

His words brought a flood of memories from the previous night back to Du Lingyue. Her face turned pale, her sorrow palpable.

With a trembling voice, she asked, “What happened to him?”

Li Yunfei replied, “Although you passed out, there was still residual power protecting your body. He… met the same fate as the others.”

Du Lingyue turned even paler, her body shaking uncontrollably. Li Yunfei hurried to comfort her. “You don’t have to blame yourself. Those people brought it upon themselves. No one will hold you accountable for this.”

She wrapped her arms around her head, chin pressed to her chest, shivering as cold air began to seep from her body. “But I… I killed so many people… I…”

Sensing the shift in her mood, Li Yunfei tensed, spiritual power surging through him. The little fox’s fur glowed faintly red, ready to ignite at any moment.

Li Yunfei raised his voice, cutting her off. “It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t intend to kill them.”

“There have been others before you—and there will be others after—who, upon awakening their powers, inadvertently caused harm.”

“Think about it: if you hadn’t awakened your ability, what would have happened? Those scum would have hurt you without restraint, perhaps even worse…”

“You’ve heard stories like this before, haven’t you? Even if you had acted intentionally, those people deserved what they got.”

His words soothed her somewhat; the cold air dissipated, and both human and fox quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Since Du Lingyue’s ability was ice, the scene hadn’t been bloody, so she was spared lasting trauma. Still, with more than a dozen deaths on her conscience, it was guilt and unease that truly weighed upon her heart.