Her voice was weak, not merely the exhaustion post-childbirth; Feng Zikang knew she had struggled to hold on only to see her child one last time.

All parents share this singular desire.

Feng Zikang drew aside the five-colored silk ribbons, allowing Miss Wu to carry the little fox inside.

The Nine-Tailed Fox was stunningly beautiful, like the evening itself, yet her raven hair had somehow turned snow-white. She paid no heed to her own appearance, her eyes fixed solely on the small fox, shining with brilliant surprise.

"Come, let me hold her!"

Miss Wu, though startled by the drastic change in her appearance, remained composed and bent to hand the little fox over.

"Good child, sweet child!"

The dignified Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, the moment the child was in her arms, was overcome with tears. She gently stroked the little fox’s fur, choked with tenderness, unable to speak.

"It is a girl, after all. I only pray your life will not be as bitter as your mother's. Find a good family later... a good fox family will do, just live out your days in peace and harmony..."

She whispered by her daughter’s ear, unconcerned whether the little fox could understand.

Feng Zikang remained silent. This parting in the face of death was simply that; his heart was cold and unmoved.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the Nine-Tailed Fox finally steeled her heart, returned the child to Miss Wu's hands, and turned to give Feng Zikang a radiant smile.

"This child, I must trouble you with her from now on..."

There was a hint of pleading in her smile. The formidable Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, who roamed the world, now found herself entrusting her child to a stranger she had only recently met.

Feng Zikang nodded, accepting the charge.

A look of relief washed over the Nine-Tailed Fox’s face. She gazed at her child with infinite love, her eyes holding both joy and sorrow, and her complexion gradually turned pale and translucent, becoming ethereal.

"The Void Nether Yin Fire has rendered my form intangible; the last spark of life in my belly is lost. I must go now..."

"After I pass, establish a cenotaph for me. Perhaps some clan members or descendants can pay respects."

Feng Zikang agreed: "Senior, do you have a name? So that I may inscribe it on the monument..."

"A name?"

The Nine-Tailed Fox’s expression grew sorrowful, a final smile touching her lips—a brilliant, radiant smile that was almost the most beautiful moment of her existence.

"Three hundred years ago, this old one had a name..."

"It was something like..."

The Nine-Tailed Fox frowned in thought, finding she could barely recall it.

"Ah, yes. He said I should be called... Hu Die (Butterfly)."

Arriving gracefully, departing gracefully, like a butterfly. The words still echoed, yet time had shifted. The Nine-Tailed Fox breathed out her name, the last two words she would ever utter.

Her body finally became completely transparent, dissolving into the air. If not for a single green crystal gracefully falling, there would have been no evidence she had ever existed.

Feng Zikang reached out and caught the green crystal. It felt chilling to the touch, but he could not discern what it was.

Miss Wu stared, lost in thought, only regaining her senses after the Nine-Tailed Fox had vanished completely.

"Uncle-Master Feng..."

"You take care of the little fox; I will erect the stone."

Feng Zikang said calmly. He retracted the five-colored silk ribbons, found a large stone, planed its surface flat, and thrust it into the ground, carving upon it: "Site where the Nine-Tailed Fox Hu Die Perished."

Even one of supreme cultivation ultimately left no remains, only a name. The path to longevity was vast and distant, fraught with unknown hardships; one careless step could result in utter annihilation of body and spirit.

He sighed faintly, sensing the solitary and vast emptiness of the Daoist path, a slight chill rising from behind him.

The flowers and grasses were lush, undulating with the wind. This forest teemed with vitality, unaffected by the recent demise of a great demon.

"Uncle-Master Feng, aren't we leaving?"

After tidying up, Miss Wu asked him, noticing he made no move to depart.

"Wait a moment, let me catch a couple of Flying Horses..."

Although they encountered a hitch, fortunately, the herd of Celestial Horses had not left and were resting by the river. He still had a chance to capture a pair to pull the cart, saving him the effort of flying so arduously.

Feng Zikang reset his traps, had Miss Wu hide behind a tree holding the little fox, and settled himself high in the canopy. Sure enough, several Celestial Horses, having grazed their fill, trotted slowly toward the river.

These horses were naturally spiritual, but perhaps having not faced an enemy for a long time, they let down their guard, galloping forward in playful abandon. Three of them happened to step right into Feng Zikang's snare, falling into the pit with a loud crash!

The other horses whinnied mournfully but immediately spread their wings and soared into the air, fearing further traps. Without a glance back at their fallen companions, they wheeled around and fled.

These beasts, possessing inherently kind natures and timid spirits, despite the formidable power and magic of the Celestial Horses, could not employ any of it, focusing only on desperate escape.

Looking into the pit, the fallen horses were also frantic and jostling against each other, unable even to spread their wings. Once netted by Feng Zikang’s snare, they were unable to fly free.

"Oh, these Celestial Horses are truly magnificent!"

Even in their dishevelled state, the horses were robust and elegantly formed, clearly unlike ordinary breeds. Miss Wu, raised in a military family, knew horses well and gasped in admiration as she approached.

Feng Zikang smiled faintly, extended both hands, and hauled the three horses out. The horses hung their heads dejectedly, glaring at Feng Zikang, refusing submission. They snorted steam and snapped their mouths wildly.

"Disobedient!"

Feng Zikang tapped each horse sharply on the head until they foamed at the mouth, their eyes blazing with intense hatred. They shook their heads stubbornly, refusing to be tamed by this man.

"Uncle-Master... that is not how you tame horses..."

Miss Wu cherished the Celestial Horses and, uncharacteristically, spoke up with genuine concern.

"Oh?"

Feng Zikang smiled: "Then tell me, how should one tame a horse?"

Miss Wu’s family education provided her with several methods for horse breaking, which she enumerated clearly. Feng Zikang nodded repeatedly, finding her points quite valid.

"The ways you describe for breaking horses are sound. But those are common horses. If we were to use your methods to tame these Celestial Horses, how many days would it take?"

Miss Wu had been delighted, but his question deflated her spirits upon reflection.

"...These techniques are indeed designed for common horses. To tame these Celestial Horses, it would take no less than ten days to half a month!"

They were currently deep within the perilous lands of the Southern Barbarians. Even if Miss Wu was not in a hurry to return home, Feng Zikang had pressing matters to attend to; he had no time for slow taming.

Since they were captured, they needed to be used immediately; otherwise, what was the point of capturing them?

"Therefore, I have a method I wish to try..."

Feng Zikang smiled broadly, drawing his nameless iron sword. He nodded toward the three Celestial Horses and asked, "I need to borrow your swiftness to pull a cart. Are you willing?"