FenFang finally frowned and changed into her nine-tailed fox form, anticipating a fight. In her fit of anger and anxiety, she momentarily forgot about the restriction MengYao placed on her. Black chains appeared all over her body and a collar was around her neck. It all seemed to disappear into the ground below FenFang, restricting her movements. She felt utterly humiliated to be seen in such a state but was not willing to back off without a fight.

Just as BaiXue lifted a hand towards FenFang, LongFei entered through the front door in his human form. A black cage appeared out of nowhere above him and dropped down. He frowned in annoyance but reacted fast. He overbearingly swung his hand above him like he was simply swatting a fly away and the cage flew to the side easily.

This thoroughly shocked FenFang who still had no idea who this intruder was.

On the other hand, BaiXue's lips twitched at his show of power that she would never have so could only resort to avoiding such traps like she did earlier.

"I see him. You don't have much time left." LongFei had already went back out and changed back into his dragon form.

BaiXue called out to him just as was about to take off. He stopped immediately and peeked into the room through the door.

FenFang looked at the dragon with her mouth open and slight fear in her eyes. When and how did this wretched girl make such a powerful acquaintance?

"Free her from the chains. Break them."

"What?!" LongFei and FenFang exclaimed at the same time.

"Do you really think he would spare your life if you traded it for mine? Did you not consider escaping together? How could I come here just to kill you when you saved me from starvation?"

Knowing that there was not much time left, LongFei did not wait for her to ask again and reluctantly did as she said. He asked BaiXue to step out of the hut which she obediently did, destroyed the hut without a care for the person still inside, then hooked a claw and broke the chains where it was connected to the ground. After it was broken, it turned into normal dull rusty chain. Afterwards, LongFei took off while FenFang broke out of the remaining chains around herself with her own power.

"Now are we even?"

FenFang's face lit up. "You're no snake in the end. It's good that you have some heart in you. You should have just stated your purpose from the start. You silly girl, causing me needless stress and worry."

BaiXue smiled coldly. "It's not too late to say it now right? As you now know, I came here to save you..."

"I know I know, but we don't have the time, let's move while we talk." FenFang turned her back towards BaiXue and began walking off.

"Then kill you." BaiXue leapt towards FenFang just as the last word left her mouth and changed into her rabbit form.

FenFang turned around in anger and shock then received even more shock upon seeing BaiXue's mystical form. Her body reacted before her brain could and she felt herself tumbling onto the ground to roll away from BaiXue's stomp. A small crater was created from BaiXue's landing.

"What are you? I-"

BaiXue did not bother to wait for her to complete her sentence and attacked again. When FenFang dodged to the side again, she spun in midair with her leg fully extended to try and intercept her dodge, however it was not enough. In the same instant, she remembered how she now has a long tail so used it to wrap around FenFang's neck and brought her face down in the ground to eat dirt.

At the same time that FenFang's face smashed into ground, her own tails wrapped all around BaiXue's body in a tight hold. FenFang stood back up, shook her head and used her paw to brush more dirt off her face before looking at BaiXue to scowl at her.

"That's enough! I may not have seen a creature like you before but I'll not lose!" I'll just fight like always!

FenFang gradually tightened her hold on BaiXue and wanted to kill her by strangulation. BaiXue initially put up a fierce struggle however FenFang could feel her resistance weakening. Soon, BaiXue's body went limp and her tail no longer coiled around her neck. FenFang smirked and dropped BaiXue's body.

Just before BaiXue's body touched the ground, her eyes opened and she rebounded off the ground to tackle FenFang. As they were not very far apart to begin with, FenFang did not have enough time to dodge and got kicked in the chest in the midst of dodging. She felt intense pain and blood flew out of her open mouth. She skidded on the floor and was not given any time by BaiXue to recover. BaiXue was already in midair jumping towards towards her.

FenFang growled in pain and anger. She used six of her tails to shield herself and three went out to try and counter BaiXue's attack. Just before they made contact, ice blue flames came from above and went between FenFang and BaiXue.

BaiXue experienced going through the flames before so it did not faze her. She created another crater, deeper this time, but the spot was now empty. What she did not expect was to meet LongFei beyond the flames. FenFang was still in her nine-tailed fox form looking pitiful and weak behind LongFei and his tail moved away from FenFang as if he was just done dragging her out of BaiXue's path.

BaiXue frowned.

"MengYao told me that you poisoned FengJiao."

BaiXue's eyes widened with realisation then gritted her teeth. I'm still too slow in the end.

Huh? What're you saying? BaoBao was dumbfounded.

"You'll pay for harming my beloved." LongFei said menacingly then shot his flames at BaiXue.

BaiXue jumped out of the way and was chased by LongFei who was flying in the air while spewing out his flames repeatedly, setting the forest on fire.

BaoBao could no longer help it and screamed out. BaiXue!! What are you doing?! What's going on?!

BaiXue had only been able to barely miss his attacks by a hair's breath each time so BaoBao's sudden alarmed scream surprised her and threw her off beat, causing her to get hit squarely on her back by LongFei's flames. She felt paralysing pain and crumpled onto the floor.

BaiXue!! What happened?! Why're you in pain?!

At the same time that BaoBao exclaimed, LongFei spewed out another shot of fire at BaiXue. From this point on, she knew that something was wrong. I'm not supposed to die by his hands! This can't be happening! It's an illusion!

The flames engulfed her right after she made that conclusion. However, the pain from being roasted alive still felt very real. It consumed her entire being but she knew that she could not die. 

BaiXue!! BaoBao was really panicking now. All he had seen was BaiXue behaving as if she had lost her mind. Not only was her jumping trajectory completely off, she suddenly stopped where she was when FenFang was right in front of her, then took off in the opposite direction where FenFang was at. Now, she randomly curled into a ball and writhed in pain while FenFang slowly made her escape in her seriously wounded state.

"Gah!" BaiXue could no longer hold her voice back when she suffered yet another torturous blow of fire from the illusionary LongFei.

BaiXue guessed that FenFang's illusion magic played on people's minds and expectations, thus making it feel incredibly real. She would likely have caused her own death by not breathing if she did not realise that she could not die from this. Unfortunately, knowing that it was an illusion would not enough to break the magic. One would have to completely and sincerely disbelieve the possibility of it happening for the magic to have no effect. In this case, it is not possible that it would not hurt if you were hit by LongFei's flames.

BaiXue fought hard to tolerate the pain and get her brain to work. BaoBao! Where is FenFang?!

Running away to your right!

BaoBao's answer confirmed her suspicion that the FenFang she saw was fake as well. BaiXue decided to keep her eyes closed and hoped that it was only visual hallucinations so that she could find the truth with her hearing.

Her long ears twitched and when she focused completely on her hearing, she picked up several sounds from as far as the battle between MengYao and the real LongFei and sounds as soft as the ruffling of every leaf and blade of grass. Among the plethora of sounds she heard, she could distinctly hear footsteps on grass to her right. She also noticed that she no longer felt any pain as if the illusionary LongFei has disappeared.

She stood up shakily with her muscles aching from tensing it continuously to bear with the pain. As soon as she stabilised, she took off towards the movement she heard to her right. Her fast reflexes combined with BaoBao's directions prevented her from hitting into any trees and obstacles.

She's right in front of you now! Just go!

BaoBao had not even completed his first sentence when BaiXue trusted his call and launched her entire body forward, intending to tackle FenFang down.

One second before she felt herself ram into a soft body, she heard LongFei's voice, "Did you think someone like you could escape from me?"

When her body tumbled onto the floor with FenFang's body, she could hear fire raging then her flesh sizzling. At the same time, BaoBao was also shouting excitedly, thinking that it was the end. Just bite down hard! She's writhing in pain on the ground in front of you! If only you could see that look of fear in her eyes!

However, he quickly noticed the weird lag in BaiXue's response to his direction. He paid attention to her condition again and noticed how she was not only all curled up again but there were also now tears glistening on her eye lashes.

BaiXue!!

 

Around the time when BaiXue engaged FenFang in a fight, LongFei started his with MengYao.

LongFei gradually realised that it was not as easy as the previous time he fought against MengYao. Not only was LongFei partially distracted by checking on BaiXue every now and then, MengYao seemed to be running on adrenaline and put up the fiercest fight he could manage. He was dead bent on getting to BaiXue. LongFei could see it in his eyes the strong intention to kill BaiXue. This strengthened his resolve to keep MengYao away from her. In this state that MengYao was in, BaiXue would not stand a chance against him. This put the two in a stalemate.

Black and blue flames covered the part of the sky where they were at. Each time one side thought the other would be hit, the other would somehow snake their way out of it and counter with an attack of their own.

LongFei stole another glance at BaiXue and saw how she was caught in FenFang's tails. He decided to intervene in BaiXue's fight whether she liked it or not. With his mind made up, he blasted MengYao with his flames at full power fueled by his frustrations and rage. It won MengYao's flame that he was fanning with his wings and almost hit the same wing that he injured from before. This time, MengYao was swifter and dodged it by tucking his wings in and diving down below.

The next thing MengYao saw was LongFei taking off to BaiXue's side. Unable to take it anymore, he put aside his jealousy and shouted out to LongFei. "Why are you protecting a person like her?! Didn't FengJiao mean something to you? FengJiao told me about you!"

LongFei's actions faltered involuntarily.

"Don't you know that FengJiao has been poisoned?!"

LongFei frowned. What's he saying? How's that possible? "She's poisoned?!"

"For a day and a half! She hasn't been getting better at all and her condition's still deteriorating!"

LongFei was stunned and his senses suddenly felt clouded. How? What happened? Why didn't she blow the whistle? FengJiao... How's she now? What did I do? Where was I when she needed me? The almighty me losing someone to something as petty as poison? No way.

MengYao noticed how LongFei seemed absorbed into his own thoughts so took the chance to fly to BaiXue.