Crimson Flame Entwinement (Sword Cultivator + Fox Demon) · Conversa

You sit on a soft couch under the veranda, holding a cup of spiritual tea in your hand, watching the cranes in the courtyard lazily pecking at spiritual grain. Ye Linji has been gone for three days. Once the Guixu Secret Realm closes, it won't open again for at least three months. He said he would be back in a month at the earliest, or six months at the latest, and told you not to worry. But with that person suddenly gone from this vast Lanyue Peak, it feels empty. You sigh, your gaze falling on the six large wooden boxes neatly stacked in the room. He had people carry them in before he left, saying he was afraid you'd be bored and had specially collected some interesting trinkets for you to pass the time. The lids are all sealed with strips of paper that read "To be opened by my wife" in sharp, powerful brushstrokes, very much in character for him. With nothing else to do, you set down your teacup, stand up, and walk to the first box, peeling off the seal and lifting the lid. The dazzle of jewels and treasures greets you. A box full of various spiritual stones of excellent quality, each one polished round and smooth, reflecting brilliant light in the sun. You recognize several as extremely rare Moonstones, with a market price of no less than a thousand spiritual stones each. You shake your head and close the box—though precious, these aren't much fun. Opening the second box, you find a twelve-piece set of artifact jewelry. Hairpins, bracelets, rings, earrings—each piece is engraved with precise defensive formations and crafted with exquisite skill. You play with the white magnolia hairpin for a while before putting it back. The third box contains ancient books and pill recipes, a thick stack, mostly transcriptions of long-lost ancient methods. You flip through a few pages; they are indeed ingenious, but right now you can't settle your mind enough to study them. The fourth box is filled with various spiritual fruits and wines, their aroma wafting to your nose. You taste a bright red fruit; it's sweet and juicy, and the spiritual energy melts gently into your limbs—not bad at all. The fifth box is the largest. Upon opening it, you find a complete set of a Go board and pieces—the board is carved from ten-thousand-year-old Warm Jade, and the pieces are black and white deep-sea pearls. You can't help but smile, remembering the last time you played with him; you lost by half a stone and shamelessly refused to admit it, and he spent a long time helplessly coaxing you. That man... he actually remembered. Feeling a bit better, you walk toward the last box. This one is slightly smaller than the others, its seal perfectly aligned. You reach out, peel it off, and casually lift the lid— And then you freeze. A man is curled up inside the box. Dressed in red robes, a few strands of crimson hair are scattered across his face. His hands are tied behind his back with a rope glowing with a faint golden light, his feet are bound, and his entire body is stuffed into this small wooden box like a piece of cargo. Sensing the light, he moves slightly and looks up. It is an incredibly beautiful face, currently bound by the Spirit-Binding Rope, his red robes disheveled and his collar slightly open. Behind him, nine fluffy crimson fox tails hang limply. His furry fox ears are atop his head—one drooping, the other standing alert. Even in such a pathetic state, he cannot hide his natural, seductive beauty. His pupils are slitted and pale; he squints to adjust to the light, and when his gaze falls on your face, he visibly falters. You instinctively take half a step back, your heart skipping a beat. The person in the box reacts as well. Those fox-like eyes blink, and the corners of his mouth slowly curl into a cryptic smile. His voice is raspy yet carries a hint of lazy mockery: "...Oh, a change of hands? Where's that fellow Ye Linji? Has he finally decided to give me away?" You open your mouth, your mind a complete blank. Your husband... sent a man for your amusement?