The Fox's Eternal Star: A Tale of Love and Fate

Behind the half-drawn curtains, who was whispering in the room?

Under the moonlit night, the stars flickered faintly, their silvery light spilling softly into the room, much like the faint glimmer in his eyes as he watched from the shadows.

There were two figures—one was Zheng, but who was the other? They spoke in hushed tones, so quiet that even if he strained his ears, he couldn't make out a single word.

Suddenly, Zheng turned and noticed him. After a moment of hesitation, he walked over.

But Shining Li had already caught the fleeting emotion hidden in Zheng's eyes.

Zheng lifted the curtain and smiled gently. "A guest has arrived from afar. I can't accompany you right now. Go back to the room and wait for me, alright?"

"I'm hungry!" Shining Li peered into the room and saw a stranger with his back turned.

The man carried the scent of dust, as if he had rushed here from beyond the borders. But that didn't concern Shining Li. He was merely curious about who this person was, someone important enough to pull Zheng away from the warmth of their bed.

"Who is it?" Shining Li asked.

"An important guest." Zheng only remembered that Shining Li hadn't eaten since arriving at the Prime Minister's residence. But the guest was waiting, so he said, "If you're hungry, go find Cui first. I'll come find you as soon as I'm done here."

"What are you talking about?" Shining Li pressed.

"..." Zheng hesitated again, at a loss for words.

"Never mind. I'll eat and then return to the palace." Shining Li turned to leave. The words "important guest" grated on his ears, filling him with displeasure.

Zheng looked stunned and quickly grabbed his arm. "No, wait for me after you eat. I'll finish here and come find you right away."

"Fine," Shining Li agreed verbally, but in his heart, he added, "If you can catch up to me, that is."

He shook off Zheng's hand and headed toward Cui's room. Zheng sighed and hurried back inside.

Just as Shining Li was about to leave, unwilling to eavesdrop, a voice drifted into his ears. It was the low, magnetic murmur of the two men inside the room:

"The people of Xiqi hope my father can return to his territory soon. He has been imprisoned by King Zhou for years, his aged body worn down by torment. There are even rumors that King Zhou plans to eliminate him. Today, I come to ask for your help in rescuing my father. If you succeed, all of Xiqi will be eternally grateful for your righteousness."

"King Zhou hasn't attended court in months. The government is in disarray, and it's nearly impossible for ministers to see him. If I were to petition for Ji Chang's exoneration, I doubt I'd even get an audience. You've just arrived in Chaoge. Rest for now, and we can discuss this further tomorrow."

"My father's life hangs by a thread. I can't wait another moment. When King Zhou first ascended the throne, he was a benevolent and wise ruler. But now, he's become a tyrant who kills without blinking, disregarding the lives of his people..."

Shining Li listened for a while and quickly deduced the visitor's identity—Bo Yikao of Xiqi. But as he walked further down the corridor, the voices faded, and he lost interest. After all, the man's insults toward Shou meant little to him. The only thing that mattered was whether his stomach was full or empty. As long as no one crossed him, he couldn't be bothered with other people's affairs.

A few steps later, he stopped in front of Cui's door.

Behind the wooden door, there was a scent of stillness, the fire extinguished, the girl asleep. Outside, the faint chirping of insects accompanied the growling of his empty stomach, clouding his thoughts with hunger.

Quietly, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was filled with the sweet, delicate fragrance of a young woman. The pitch darkness accentuated the predatory gleam in his silver eyes, which shone with a terrifying beauty.

He approached the bed and gazed at the sleeping Cui. Her skin was as soft and smooth as the women of Chaoge, tempting and delicate.

Zheng had told him to find Cui. Did that mean he was giving her to him? He liked Cui, but eating her seemed like a waste. Still... his stomach growled loudly, and he couldn't care less about anything else.

He took her slender arm and sniffed it. The girl stirred in her sleep, murmuring softly as if trying to pull her arm back. Shining Li glanced at her and tightened his grip, preventing her from retreating. Then he opened his mouth, revealing sharp teeth, and bit down on her tender skin.

Instantly, the taste of fresh blood filled his mouth.

Cui jolted awake from the pain, her eyes wide with fear and confusion as they met Shining Li's deep, predatory gaze.

Suddenly.

"Ahhh—help! Someone help!"

The piercing scream echoed through the Prime Minister's residence, reaching the heavens and waking everyone within earshot.

In the dead of night, the wooden floorboards of the corridor creaked under the weight of hurried footsteps.

Shining Li, still holding his prey, sensed someone rushing into the room. But before he could react, the low hiss of a sword being drawn cut through the air. A cold gust of wind brushed past him, and the blade plunged into his shoulder.

"Don't hurt him!"

Shining Li felt a searing pain as the sword tore through his flesh. Zheng's hidden anger flared like a cool breeze in the fiery night. He released Cui, but the man who had stabbed him showed no intention of withdrawing his sword.

Bo Yikao declared, "This demon must have sneaked into the Prime Minister's residence to feast on humans. Let me rid the world of this scourge."

"He's not a demon!" Zheng grabbed the blade with his bare hands, stopping Bo Yikao from driving it deeper.

"Prime Minister!" Bo Yikao was shocked by Zheng's defense of the creature. He quickly withdrew his sword, but the blade still cut through Zheng's palms, leaving them bleeding profusely.

Shining Li turned around, his shoulder throbbing with pain. Bo Yikao's sword was stained with Zheng's blood. The man's handsome face was pale, but he maintained a calm demeanor as he stared at Shining Li.

Zheng also looked at him, but his gaze soon shifted to Cui, who was trembling in fear on the bed.

Shining Li heard him ask, "Does it hurt?"

Cui whimpered, and Zheng's eyes returned to Shining Li, filled with a mix of pity for Cui and reproach for him. Zheng wanted to scold him, but the words caught in his throat. Only the regret on his face revealed his thoughts.

Zheng's silence was punishment enough.

"Yes, I am a fox demon," Shining Li said, pushing Zheng away. His silver eyes glowed with a cold, alluring light as he smirked.

He still didn't understand why Zheng protected him or what place he held in Zheng's heart. It seemed that everyone else was more important—Cui, the people of Yin, even this stranger he had just met.

His voice was icy, carrying an innate nobility and arrogance that radiated from his every gesture.

Bo Yikao shuddered under the weight of Shining Li's gaze.

"Why didn't you aim better?" Shining Li pointed to his chest and slowly approached Bo Yikao. "Come on, stab here. See if you can end my life with one strike."

"Demon!" Bo Yikao felt an overwhelming pressure suffocating him. Shining Li's deep, silver eyes, filled with a mocking smile, seemed to pierce his soul. In a panic, he raised his sword and thrust it toward Shining Li, desperate to escape that mesmerizing gaze.

Shining Li laughed disdainfully. In an instant, his hand shot out, and with a single motion, he shattered Bo Yikao's bronze sword. He sidestepped and reached for the man's throat, ready to end his life. After all, he lived by the principle of not provoking others, but if provoked, he would show no mercy.

But just as he was about to strike, a figure stepped in front of Bo Yikao, and Shining Li's slender fingers closed around that person's throat instead.

Bo Yikao stumbled back, his face pale. He stared in shock at the broken hilt of his sword, completely dumbfounded.

Shining Li narrowed his eyes, the silver light in them intensifying. His anger didn't subside with the intervention; instead, it grew fiercer.

"Killing him won't do you any good," Zheng said calmly, his voice filled with deep affection for Shining Li. He no longer knew how to guide Shining Li back to the right path. The corrupt capital of Chaoge had taught Shining Li suspicion, anger, and desire. He acted without restraint, driven solely by his whims.

"Then I'll kill you!" Shining Li spat.

"No, I'm not ready to leave you yet," Zheng replied softly. A trace of love crept into his eyes, forming a gentle smile that radiated warmth.

"Not ready to leave me?" Shining Li sneered. "But you seem to have forgotten one thing. You're mortal. At most, you have a hundred years. After that, you'll still leave me."

"Until then, I'll stay by your side."

"And after that?" Shining Li said bitterly. "Another thousand years of abandonment? Zheng, you're so selfish. You love when it suits you, but I have feelings too. If you can't stay with me forever, you shouldn't have saved me back then. I'd rather have been struck by lightning and turned to ash than endure this pain for a thousand years."

Shining Li's love had turned to hatred. Zheng's reappearance had stirred up emotions he thought he had buried. Zheng's selfish love had reawakened memories he no longer wanted to remember. He had made Shining Li love again, only to fill him with hatred. He had disrupted his peace, leaving his thoughts tangled and heavy.

Shining Li angrily shook off Zheng's grip. He turned and glared at Cui, who was trembling at the edge of the bed. He had always gotten what he wanted, and no one could take it from him. The more others tried to stop him, the more determined he became.

And so, he claimed Cui.

"Star Lord..." Cui's eyes widened, tears streaming down her face. She looked at Zheng in desperation, but Zheng's bright, star-like eyes were clouded with mist, fixed solely on Shining Li's back, as if no one else existed.

"You're mine!"

Hearing Shining Li's declaration, Cui's mouth fell open in shock. She glanced around, wondering why no one was coming to save her.

"Don't hurt her!" Zheng pleaded.

"It's none of your concern!"

Shining Li pulled Cui into his arms, holding her as tenderly as he had once held Little Li. Ignoring Zheng's desperate pleas, he walked toward the window.

The night was dark, the stars twinkling above. He glanced at them briefly before closing his eyes. In this world, he could trust no one. Having been hurt once, he had learned his lesson.

He vanished into the night, the wind blowing cold and merciless, stinging his eyes and his heart.

"I won't abandon you..."

Zheng's whisper lingered in the wind, as gentle as his touch, carrying a promise.

"I'll find you... no matter where you are... this heart will always belong to you... no matter where I am... I'll always return to your side..."

A lie.

The grand city of Chaoge, standing tall on the high plains, looked like a lonely, lifeless fortress under the cold moonlight.

Since its founding by Pan Geng, the city had grown over the centuries, its palaces, temples, and tombs connected by winding corridors. The architecture was vast and intricate, with pillars and eaves overlapping in a sprawling, majestic display.

The people of Yin revered spirits and ghosts. Every time they built something new, they would bury sacrifices—often war captives, slaves, or children—beneath the foundations, believing their souls would guard the dynasty for eternity.

In the dead of night, Shining Li, holding Cui, descended gracefully into the palace courtyard. His robes fluttered, stirring the cold air.

At the base of the palace pillars stood ghostly figures in armor, their pale, lifeless faces turning toward him as he landed.

"Empress Su... Empress Su has returned..." A child's soft voice echoed through the empty courtyard, followed by several small, shadowy figures appearing under the moonlight.

The cold moonlight spilled into Chaoge, casting an eerie glow on the faint, translucent forms.

"Empress Su... Empress Su... we don't want to stay here... we want to go home..." The children's pleas drifted through the air, haunting and persistent. The guards remained silent, their hollow eyes fixed on Shining Li, their presence chilling.

"Empress Su... Empress Su... when can we go home..."

"Enough! Go guard your palaces!" Shining Li shouted, his voice shaking the air and scattering the restless spirits. He scoffed, "If you want to escape Chaoge, fine. Wait until the Shang dynasty falls, the capital is destroyed, and everyone is dead. Only then will you be free."

"Destroy Shang... destroy Shang..." The spirits murmured, their whispers awakening the entire city. Shining Li's words sent a ripple of shock through them, turning the quiet night into a cacophony of voices. "Destroy Shang... destroy the dynasty..."

The ghosts chanted.

Shining Li snorted and turned his attention to Cui, who was still trembling in his arms, her tears soaking his robes.

Ignoring her fear, he carried her into the palace. The wooden doors creaked open on their own as he approached, closing behind him as he entered.

"Wh-what was that..." Cui stammered, her face pale with terror. The floating children, the ghostly guards, and the self-opening doors were too much for her to handle.

She had been a minor celestial maid in her past life, but now she was just an ordinary mortal. And mortals were naturally afraid of such things.

"Just some gatekeepers," Shining Li replied casually, tossing Cui onto the soft bed.

But as he spoke, the doors opened again on their own. Cui's eyes widened as a man in a crimson dragon robe, his hair tied with a jade crown, entered with calm, measured steps.

"He's... so handsome..." Cui murmured, momentarily forgetting her fear as she stared at the man's elegant, refined features.

But when the man turned his gaze toward her, the coldness in his eyes snapped her back to reality. She shrank back, trembling uncontrollably.

The man was none other than King Shou. His voice was calm and emotionless as he spoke.

"I told you not to linger, but you didn't listen."

"You knew I would meet Zheng and Bo Yikao," Shining Li said. "Your eyes must have seen more than that. Tell me, what else did you see?"

Shou paused before answering, "No matter what I see, the outcome remains the same. Bo Yikao is a turning point. He binds our fates together. Even if one of us tries to escape, the others will pull them back."

When Shou mentioned Bo Yikao, Shining Li noticed a flicker of emotion in his eyes. Though it was subtle, Shining Li caught it.

The Star-Gazing Tower, built to chase the stars, was it meant to follow someone's shadow? The unwavering calm in Shou's demeanor—was it breaking because of Bo Yikao? The man from Xiqi, protected by Zheng, was a key figure. But the wound from Bo Yikao's sword still throbbed in Shining Li's shoulder.

He wouldn't forget this grudge.

"Tell me, what's the outcome?" Shining Li demanded.

"At most, twenty years. Chaoge will fall." Shou's voice was devoid of regret or sorrow, as if the fate of his dynasty meant nothing to him.

Shining Li thought to himself that if everything was destined to end the same way, he might as well make the most of it.

"Don't get any ideas," Shou warned, noticing the glint in Shining Li's eyes.

"You once said that no matter what I wanted, you would bring it to me, didn't you?" Shining Li tested.

"If you behave, I'll even pluck the moon from the sky for you."

"I only want one person..."

Before Shining Li could finish, Shou's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile.

"Not him," Shou repeated. "Not him."

The repetition of those words seemed to carry all of Shou's initial and final thoughts. But Shining Li, who had provoked this response, only scoffed. What was this thing called love, that made people dive headfirst into it, laughing even as they fell to their deaths?

If Bo Yikao was Shou's destined trial, then Shining Li would eliminate him first!

In the Star-Gazing Tower, the music never ceased. Day and night, musicians played seductive melodies, and dancers swayed to the rhythm. The king, with his beloved by his side, had long abandoned the affairs of state.

That day, news arrived of a crisis in the north. Grand Tutor Wen Zhong, leading troops to suppress a rebellion, was struggling. The divinations in the temple foretold disaster. The officials of Chaoge, anxious and unable to see the king, gathered in secret and stormed the Star-Gazing Tower.

The tower was vast, and the officials, dressed in their court robes, lined up on either side, dismissing the musicians and dancers. The atmosphere grew tense.

Shou lay on a mat, sipping wine from a bronze cup, his expression calm as if the sudden intrusion meant nothing to him. Beside him, Shining Li, drunk and disinterested, glanced at the crowd.

Then he spotted Zheng among them. Their eyes met briefly before Shining Li looked away. Zheng's hands were bandaged, a reminder of the wound from Bo Yikao's sword. Zheng's presence annoyed him, though he didn't want to care. But his thoughts kept drifting back to Zheng and his injury.

The officials stood in awkward silence, until Minister Ji Zi stepped forward to speak.

"Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Wen Zhong is in dire straits in the north. Should we send reinforcements to aid him?"

"What do you think?" Shou turned to Shining Li instead.

Shining Li, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, laughed. "What does it matter to me? Even if the whole world perishes, as long as you're with me, it's enough..." He hiccuped and laughed again.

His gaze flicked back to Zheng, who stood calmly among the officials. Shining Li wondered how much Zheng could endure and what lay beneath that composed exterior.

The officials continued to plead with their king, but Shou paid no attention, drinking his wine as if nothing else mattered. To Shining Li, their voices were like the buzzing of insects, drowned out by the storm of emotions swirling within him.

And so, he leaned in and kissed Shou, stealing a taste of the wine on his lips.

Hidden among the officials, Zheng had been watching Shining Li since he entered the tower. He stepped back, trying to distance himself, but his eyes remained fixed on Shining Li.

He watched as Shining Li leaned against Shou, sharing his wine, pressing his lips to Shou's. Zheng had tasted those lips before, and the memory burned in his mind.

His hands clenched into fists, the bandages staining with blood as he struggled to maintain his composure. The sight of Shining Li, so close to Shou, ignited a fire of jealousy and rage within him.

The man he had longed for, the one he had waited a thousand years to see, was now in someone else's arms.

The flames of envy consumed him, clouding his mind and drowning his reason. He could feel the hatred spreading through him, a dark, overwhelming force that threatened to destroy everything in its path.

In the name of jealousy, he knew he had descended into a hell of his own making.

The fire in his heart burned fiercely, boiling his blood.