After the Fairy Maidens Fell to Darkness, They Captured Me to Ruthlessly 'Repay' Their Gratitude-Chapter 253 - Just Who Are These Death-Defying Idiots Claiming to be the Empress’s Confidants?

Just Who Are These Death-Defying Idiots Claiming to be the Empress’s Confidants?

Alright, calling it a “pet collar” might be doing He Ange’s craftsmanship a disservice. Ahem. Let’s use a classier term: a close-fitting necklace. Much better.

This particular piece He Ange designed was specifically for women, with an elegant gothic aesthetic. It was meticulously hand-carved and polished, a custom job featuring an engraved, frosted gold Phoenix Mark. Hanging from the front was a deep, abyssal-red crystal, a specialty from the Abyss itself.

Wearing it? Looked fantastic, definitely enhanced her noble, elegant aura. But wait, there’s more!

That crystal on the front pulsed with potent abyssal demonic energy. It maintained a 24/7 connection to He Ange’s own Evil Phoenix Ring (邪凤戒指), allowing for shared location tracking, remote communication, monitoring the wearer’s status, and linking their spiritual power to the Master. It could even unleash a burst of protective demonic energy in emergencies!

See? Not just some cheap kinky accessory. This was a high-end item, personally customized by He Ange.

Honestly, if An Luo Yi hadn’t threatened him—”I’m your Dao Companion, not your pet! If you dare make me wear that, we’re breaking up!”—He Ange wouldn’t have parted with such a fine piece for Xia Zhiyue.

Now, seeing Xia Zhiyue actually wearing the collar... yeah, gotta admit, it looked good on her. The white fox bloodline already gave her an air of sanctity and nobility. The collar just... accentuated it, making Xia Zhiyue look even more... alluring... ahem, I mean, elegant. More regal.

“Hmm, it actually... looks pretty good...” Using an illusion to create a mirror, the white fox saintess gently traced the crystal necklace on her neck with a jade finger, captivated by her reflection. She turned left, then right, feeling increasingly that the collar perfectly matched her unique temperament.

Snowy white, holy, yet with a hint of pure desire, bewitching, tempting. The dark red crystal added a touch of demonic allure; the dark gold collar hinted at profound nobility.

By now, Xia Zhiyue had reverted to her original stunning, mature figure. How’d that happen? Simple. Initially, He Ange used the Phoenix Mark to sever Xia Zhiyue’s spiritual power connection, crippling her cultivation. Without that connection, she lacked the basic spiritual energy to maintain her adult form, so her body instinctively conserved energy by reverting to a childlike state.

But after she got the collar and became... much more cooperative (purr purr, headpats, cuddles, kisses~♡), He Ange removed the restriction on the Phoenix Mark. Her Void Refining Realm cultivation flowed back freely, and naturally, the white fox saintess’s body returned to its former voluptuous, curvaceous, mesmerizingly dominant glory.

“See? Told you you’d like it, didn’t I?” He Ange murmured playfully, resting a hand on the white fox saintess’s fragrant shoulder.

Nearby, Xia Ranyue looked at her sister’s new collar and subconsciously touched the similar one around her own neck. Ranyue had actually gotten hers before Zhiyue. Her collar shared the overall style, but the abyssal crystal was carved differently—Zhiyue’s was more elegant pendant, while Ranyue’s was a cute little bell. A subtle difference, but important! Ranyue didn’t want to be exactly the same as her sister; she needed to be special!

So, the two fox sisters were both pleased with their accessories.

But among the people present, only An Luo Yi looked... distinctly sour. Pout. An acidic feeling churned in her chest.

Back when He Ange finished the first collar, he’d wanted An Luo Yi to try it on, but she’d refused him point-blank, righteously indignant. Now... while An Luo Yi still thought wearing a collar was humiliating... seeing both Xia Ranyue and Xia Zhiyue loving theirs, seeing them both receive gifts from He Ange while she had nothing... it just didn’t sit right. `Hmph!`

An Luo Yi, deep down, was still a relatively conservative woman. Her initial aversion to the collar stemmed from traditional views: collars made her think of pets, cats and dogs. She was human (well, mostly), deserving respect!

What she hadn’t expected was that He Ange could design a neck collar into something resembling... art. Seeing it on the Fox sisters, it actually highlighted their personalities rather than looking like some oppressive slave shackle. It looked... upscale, elegant, even classy. This completely overturned An Luo Yi’s preconceptions.

What to do... `Damn it...` She actually felt... a little envious?

“Hm?” Noticing the silver-haired fairy secretly pouting, her jealous little face scrunched up, He Ange shrugged with a smile. “Want one?”

“...” An Luo Yi didn’t speak. Yes, she wanted something, but her traditional mindset stopped her from asking directly. Or maybe... she didn’t specifically want the same collar as the fox sisters. She just saw He Ange giving gifts to other women, and now she wanted a special gift, tailor-made just for her.

“Behave yourself, and Husband will give you something special when we get back... Of course, it won’t be another collar. I know Senior Sister doesn’t like that style,” He Ange promised, his eyes soft with affection.

Just those words were enough. An Luo Yi pressed her lips together, a faint blush dusting her immortal cheeks, her heart secretly thrilled. `He... he understands...♡` See? He Ange knew exactly what she wanted. Just a couple of sentences, and An Luo Yi was happy again, perfectly willing to obediently listen to her husband.

After smoothing things over, He Ange took the opportunity to ask Xia Zhiyue more about the current situation in the Fox Clan. Since the Saintess had now ‘fallen’ under his influence, He Ange, as the Master of both Nine-Tailed sisters, felt a certain responsibility towards the fractured, pessimistic state of their clan.

Currently, He Ange couldn’t openly represent the Spirit Phoenix Sect (灵凤教) to aid the Fox Clan. If the Dragon Dynasty Empress found out the Spirit Phoenix Sect allied with the Fox Clan... things would escalate fast. It wouldn’t just be some small-fry Ghost Controlling Sect invading anymore; the Dragon Dynasty itself would likely dispatch a massive army to ‘purge demonic sect remnants’ and launch a full-scale crusade against the Fox Clan. `Yeah, can’t have that.`

So, He Ange couldn’t help openly. But that was okay. He still trusted Xia Zhiyue’s leadership abilities as the Saintess. Now that she had regained her cultivation—and reached the impressive Void Refining Realm, no less—Zhiyue could likely handle the big picture even without him. He Ange’s role would be to operate from the shadows, offering advice, maybe handling some... less savory... behind-the-scenes tasks.

However... Just as He Ange and Xia Zhiyue’s discussion on the altar was proceeding nicely... an intruder burst through the Abyssal barrier nearby – a petite girl in a green dress with her hair in buns. Xuan Que.

She knelt beside He Ange, her brow furrowed with anxiety. “Master, a large group of Immortal Attendants and Generals has arrived in the Cherry Blossom Secret Realm... Among them... is Ye Qingchuan, the one we encountered on the northern border!”

Mentioning Ye Qingchuan’s name, Xuan Que practically spat the words, her voice tight with hatred. Dragons and Phoenixes were hereditary enemies, after all. This wasn’t just about Feng Yuan and Chen Long (the respective ancestors); their subordinate clans and Ebon Dragons factions absolutely despised each other, a blood feud stretching back generations.

“Ye Qingchuan?” He Ange raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “He’s not dead yet?”

An Luo Yi also raised an eyebrow, her expression one of disgust. If they remembered correctly, during that battle on the northern border, An Luo Yi had slashed Ye Qingchuan across the chest, and he’d collapsed on the spot, seemingly dead.

“The White Dragon Saintess must have saved his life...” He Ange muttered, recalling the situation, nodding thoughtfully. His expression became slightly more serious. `Right... her.`

Ye Qingchuan might be a bit naive, but his strength was the real deal – peak Void God Realm. Once his Azure Dragon bloodline activated, reaching the Heavenly God Realm wasn’t out of the question. Last time, He Ange had secretly manipulated An Luo Yi into tricking Ye Qingchuan, extracting tons of Dragon Dynasty intel, and then used him, nearly getting him killed. Now that Ye Qingchuan wasn’t dead, he’d definitely hold a grudge against both He Ange and An Luo Yi. `This... could be tricky.`

Even though He Ange was the Saint Son of the Spirit Phoenix Sect, he was currently only peak Soul Transformation Realm, just shy of Void Refining. Compared to Ye Qingchuan? Big difference. More importantly, He Ange didn’t wield much real power in the sect yet. When traveling, the best he could bring was his closest protector, Xuan Que. As for Heavenly God Realm powerhouses like Yuan Yi, He Yan, or Jiu Yue? He Ange had no authority to command them. If they helped, it was a favor; if they didn’t, that was normal.

In this disadvantageous situation, running smack into a peak Void God Azure Dragon attendant... He Ange felt the pressure. Last time, he only managed to humiliate Ye Qingchuan because Demon Lord Dongfang Zhou was present, allowing He Ange to borrow his power. This time... He Ange had no powerful backer to rely on.

“Master,” Xuan Que continued, keeping her head lowered, “based on my observations, Ye Qingchuan’s cultivation isn’t as strong as last time. He seems to be in a half-crippled state, still recovering... However, Master must still be wary of the Azure Dragon Guards he brought. Even if Ye Qingchuan is weakened, the protectors of the Azure Dragon Clan are extremely powerful.” She laid out the pros and cons carefully.

“Oh?” Hearing this, He Ange’s lips curved upwards. Aha! Found an opening.

But before He Ange could outline a plan, the white fox saintess beside him had already drawn a frost-covered demonic blade— SHIIING! —its sharp edge gleaming, showcasing the Nine-Tailed White Fox’s unwavering resolve.

“Master, let Zhiyue kill him!” Her voice simmered with killing intent. Clearly, during her time being crippled, Xia Zhiyue had suffered immense humiliation in the Fox Clan. She hated Ye Qingchuan with a passion.

Meeting her gaze, He Ange sensed her soaring battle spirit and paused, thoughtful. Hmm... After a moment, an amusing idea seemed to strike him. He chuckled softly, shaking his head as if dismissing other worries. “Alright. Let’s go. Take this Venerable One to meet him again.”

“Last time, I let him off too easily. Since fate didn’t see fit to kill Ye Qingchuan then... this time, this Venerable One will be sure to squeeze out every last drop of value from him~” Heh heh...

***

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Cherry Blossom Secret Realm...

“Achoo—!”

“Damn it! Who’s cursing me now?” Walking along the path, Ye Qingchuan felt a sudden, ominous premonition, instantly irritating him.

He gestured curtly to the several powerful Azure Dragon experts following him, commanding coldly, “I refuse to believe it today! I damn well want to see exactly which blind Dragon Dynasty attendant dares to falsely claim they’re Her Majesty the Empress’s confidant! And even has the gall to come to the Fox Clan Secret Realm to steal my woman?!”

“Truly courting death.”

—

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l