Wang Mulan’s heart ached. She began to weep openly, the tears falling like rain onto the baby’s fur. She stroked the small head with a shaking hand.
"My daughter," she whispered, her voice thick with sorrow.
"Remember... your mother will always love you. I will protect you even if it costs me my soul. They want you... I know they want your light. But as long as I am breathing, they will never snatch my baby. They will never use your beautiful soul for their filthy dark magic."
She looked up at the moon, falling to her knees. She begged the Beast God for strength. She begged for a miracle to save her child from the evil that was chasing them.
"Please," she sobbed. "Take me. Kill me. But save my daughter."
"Beast God...if you exist, please show mercy to my pitiful child..."
"She had done nothing wrong...to deserve such fate."
Suddenly, a silver glow descended from the sky. It enveloped the mother and child in a soft, warm light.
Wang Mulan felt a surge of energy, and she cried even harder, hugging the baby as she crouched on the ground. It was a temporary blessing, a shield against the darkness.
When the glow faded, Wang Mulan’s expression changed. It was no longer just fear; it was a final, tragic determination.
She began to kiss the baby’s forehead repeatedly. She kissed her cheeks, her tiny ears, and her paws.
"Remember, my child," she said, her voice a ghost of a whisper.
"Your father and I love you very much. We will always love you. No matter where you go, no matter what happens, you are our heart."
She was saying goodbye. Su Qinglan, trapped in the memory, felt a wave of agony so deep it felt like her chest was being ripped open.
The baby started to weep, though no sound came out. The trauma was so great the child couldn’t even scream.
"Baby, don’t worry. Everything will be fine," Wang Mulan said, though her eyes were filled with the shadow of death.
She bit her own finger, drawing a drop of bright red blood. With a shaking hand, she began to draw a complex, painful symbol on the child’s forehead.
It was a spell...a forbidden art to separate the soul from the body, leaving only a bit so the body will be forever alive, but it came with a terrible price of pain.
"Wahhuuu!"
"Wahhhh...hhh."
The small fox whimpered, its tiny body arching as the magic burned into its skin.
"Don’t cry, baby. The pain will be gone soon," Wang Mulan sobbed, her heart breaking into a million pieces. "I’m sorry. I’m so sorry."
The baby shrieked in agony as the symbol glowed. The pain was unbearable, a searing heat that felt like it was branding the child’s very soul.

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