Chapter 701
by fanqienovelChapter 701: The Fox of Qingqiu
The Haotian Realm is not a celestial realm that belongs solely to human cultivators.
The demons, evolved from magical beasts, are in no way inferior to human cultivators in terms of numbers or power.
In fact, when it comes to the territories they occupy, they far surpass those of human cultivators!
Take, for instance, the expansive Manglong Mountain, which stretches for hundreds of thousands of miles—it is, strictly speaking, the domain of the demons.
Therefore, encountering demons in the outer regions is quite a common occurrence.
However, the human form this demon has taken is nearly flawless, and even the aura it emits is without blemish, making it impossible for ordinary cultivators to detect its true nature.
But Wang Chen is no ordinary Purple Palace cultivator.
His physique has reached the Golden Core level, his soul attributes far exceed those of his peers, and with the assistance of an external elixir, his perception is exceptionally keen.
Initially, Wang Chen did not immediately notice the demon’s presence.
However, the subtle sound of swallowing, prompted by the aroma of grilled meat, caught his attention.
In other words, the fox had revealed its tail!
When the demon curiously inquired about how Wang Chen knew, he simply smiled and said, “I guessed.”
The demon was left speechless.
After a moment, it slowly admitted, “I prefer cooked food.”
Wang Chen nodded in understanding, “I see.”
Earlier, when he had asked whether the demon preferred raw food or blood food, it was a question of some significance.
Raw food refers to prey that is killed and drained of blood before consumption, while blood food is swallowed whole—preferably while the blood is still fresh.
These two distinct eating habits represent the two major factions within the demon community!
As for cooked food, it is a rather unconventional preference.
This particular demon, who favored cooked food, showed no hostility towards Wang Chen from start to finish, and its demeanor and aura suggested a closeness to human cultivators.
It was indeed an anomaly among anomalies!
Wang Chen chuckled and asked, “Aren’t you worried that I might have laced the grilled meat with poison?”
For many cultivators, regardless of the type of demon, they are seen as enemies and resources; unless one is incapable of defeating them, they are never to be spared.
The relationship between demons and human cultivators has always been fraught with tension.
“You wouldn’t do such a thing.”
The demon looked at Wang Chen, its eyes shimmering with an unusual light: “You bear no aura of bloodshed, nor do you carry any resentment or malevolence; you are a cultivator who adheres to the righteous path.”
“Uh…”
Since his journey from the Mountain-Sea Realm to the Haotian Realm, this was the first time Wang Chen had been referred to as a righteous cultivator.
And this “person” was, in fact, a demon.
He felt a wave of emotion and replied, “Even righteous cultivators view demons as adversaries.”
For cultivators in the Haotian Realm, the act of slaying demons is not merely a pursuit of profit but also a declaration of allegiance to a particular faction.
Standing on the side of human cultivators, fighting demons is the righteous thing to do!
“I know.”
The demon smiled and said, “So you are a good person.”
Wang Chen shook his head, “Good people don’t live long!”
He didn’t continue the topic: “Since we have met by chance, and since you like cooked food, I’ll make you a dish called Beggar’s Chicken. I guarantee you’ll like it.”
“Beggar’s Chicken?”
The demon immediately showed an expression of anticipation: “What an interesting name.”
Wang Chen took out two freshly slaughtered and cleaned three-colored chickens from his Xumi Ring, along with dried lotus leaves and yellow mud.
Three-colored chickens are a type of very delicious spiritual chicken, and many people raise them in the farms surrounding Yongle Immortal City. Wang Chen, fond of fine delicacies, had procured some and stored them in his Xumi Ring.
Much of the space in his Xumi Ring is dedicated to storing food ingredients and personal items.
He didn’t want to deprive himself while out and about.
The chickens were already marinated, so he wrapped them tightly in lotus leaves, tied them up with light Grass Rope, and finally covered them in thick yellow mud before placing them in the bonfire pile to bake.
The demon watched Wang Chen prepare the Beggar’s Chicken with great interest, moving to sit directly across from him.
Wang Chen felt no threat; after cleaning the yellow mud off his hands, he poured a cup of spiritual tea for the demon: “Have some tea, the Beggar’s Chicken will take a little time to cook.”
Normally, it would take one to two hours, but Wang Chen had thrown a few pieces of spiritual wood into the bonfire, so the time would be greatly shortened.
“Thank you.”
The demon gracefully accepted the spiritual tea and smiled widely at Wang Chen.
Her teeth were snow-white, with sharp canine teeth on both sides, making her look quite adorable!
In the desolate and quiet abode, having someone, or even a demon, to chat with was quite nice.
Wang Chen took a sip of tea and said, “I’m Wang Chen, from Yongle Immortal City.”
The demon hesitated for a moment before responding, “Hu Jiao, from Qingqiu.”
Wang Chen almost spat out his tea.
Although he suspected the demon was from the fox clan, he didn’t expect her to be from Qingqiu.
Qingqiu is the holy land of the fox clan, which is equivalent to being from the capital.
She belongs to the Heavenly Dragon people, the Heavenly Dragon fox!
Wang Chen put down his teacup and clasped his hands in salute: “I am honored.”
Hu Jiao rolled her eyes at Wang Chen and then sighed softly: “You don’t understand…”
Wang Chen felt that this fox had some quirks.
He was the same way.
However, with the conversation started, the relationship between the human and the demon undoubtedly became closer. Hu Jiao was very curious about Wang Chen’s background, and Wang Chen also wanted to learn more about the demons, so their exchange was quite pleasant.
But as time passed, a peculiar fragrance wafted from the bonfire pile, making Hu Jiao restless, almost revealing her tail and swaying side to side.
The three-colored chicken itself is excellent food, and the marinade Wang Chen used was specially formulated; under the roasting of the spiritual wood, the aroma that wafted out was sure to make anyone drool.
Wang Chen had eaten it before, but the Qingqiu fox seemed to be completely captivated, her focus on Wang Chen wavering as her black eyes flickered toward the bonfire pile.
Wang Chen chuckled, “Just wait for a little while longer, it will be ready in about the time it takes to burn an incense stick.”
Hu Jiao swallowed instinctively: “No worries, I can wait.”
A faint flush suddenly appeared on her face.
She surprisingly radiated a hint of charm.
Wang Chen caught a glimpse and felt his heart skip, quickly shifting his gaze away.
Neither of them spoke again.
The atmosphere in the room became strange.
Finally, when the fragrance of the three-colored chicken reached its peak, Wang Chen reached into the bonfire pile and pulled out the Beggar’s Chicken.
Unfazed by the heat, he peeled away the thick, hard mud shell and handed the whole roasted chicken wrapped in lotus leaves to Hu Jiao.
“Try it.”
Hu Jiao was not polite: “Thank you.”
She eagerly opened the lotus leaves, which were drenched in oil, revealing the golden-skinned, fatty chicken inside.
A rich aroma filled the air.
The expression of the Qingqiu fox was truly beyond words!
Wang Chen had made two Beggar’s Chickens, keeping one for himself, and soon both of them started to eat heartily.
Halfway through the meal, Hu Jiao suddenly took out a purple wine gourd from her storage bag.
She twisted the cap and took a sip.
Then, after hesitating for a moment, she offered the gourd to Wang Chen: “You should drink some too.”