Chapter 30
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Chapter 30
When the two cultivators spoke, the Wolf Demon initially thought two rich fools had come again. Not only could they afford two thousand taels, but they also wanted her to return one thousand! How amusing!
But when the younger one took out two spiritual fruits, her nose twitched and her eyes suddenly brightened.
Just as she leaned in to take a closer look, Ji Yang already tucked the items away and said calmly, “These are jade dew plums from beyond the Three Thousand Lifetimes. As far as I know, it’s extremely difficult to even find plum leaves in this realm, let alone a single fruit.”
“Let me see again!” the Wolf Demon was anxious. “I couldn’t even smell it properly!”
Ji Yang took the lead and leaned in to ask her, “Can you afford that Thousand Taels of Gold?”
“What a joke!”
The Gray-haired Woman pulled out a hairpin and waved it against the wall, causing countless gold and silver items to appear within the wooden wall’s barrier.
Just that two-inch square space was enough to show how lavish the Second-Floor Teahouse truly was!
“Do you think I can’t afford it?! Show me something!”
Ji Yang then stretched out his fingers again, allowing her to see but not touch.
“Alright, alright, we’re not a black store,” the woman said boldly. “If it’s a treasure, I’ll accept the high price.”
Tu Xuixin whispered, “Isn’t this also a black store?”
The Wolf Demon plunged her hands into the barrier, clanging Gold Ingots onto the table as if she were dumping Mahjong tiles.
The noise was so loud that patrons downstairs peeked upwards.
When the snoring stopped in the shadows, the customers quickly ducked their heads back, afraid to inquire further.
After a large stack of Gold Ingots was piled on the table, the woman tied her hair back with the pin and wiped her apron, raising her willow brows. “Half a pound is the same as eight taels; a thousand taels is over sixty pounds. Do you want me to lend you a weight?”
“No need,” Ji Yang said quietly. “I’ve verified it.”
Tu Xuixin raised a hand to stop him, dividing the gold pile into two and transforming them into two shabby volumes of scripture, handing them over to Ji Yang to keep safe.
They weren’t sure how much longer it would be before they found Gong Wu, so having some cash on hand felt safer.
As one hand exchanged money, the other handed over goods, the Wolf Demon stuck out her wide four-fingered tongue to lick the spiritual fruit, still feeling it wasn’t enough.
“I really want to swallow it whole,” she mumbled, sitting down and casually pulling out four pre-written Paper Scraps from her sleeve, tossing them in front of them. “The Keys are here; see for yourselves.”
From that moment on, Ji Yang felt something was off about her actions.
If these were the correct Keys, why write down four? That seemed excessively redundant.
The master and disciple unfolded the four Paper Scraps in front of them and found that none matched with the places they had previously visited.
Before Tu Xuixin could get anxious, the woman blocked him with her hand and leisurely sipped her tea, saying, “I’m not lying to you.”
“Think about it; who would set a secret door right near home?”
“In this day and age, even rabbits wouldn’t dig holes so foolishly.”
Ji Yang’s attention remained fixed on her strange behavior.
“Why did you give us four? Which one goes to the Fox Realm, and which one goes to the Wolf Realm?”
The Wolf Demon narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know.”
Ji Yang smiled and asked, “You don’t know?”
“If my relationship with my clan were good, would I have come here to live like this?” the woman replied with irritation. “Don’t assume all the news comes from me. These four are recent acquisitions, and they’re Keys to different realms.”
“You always go for the rare stuff. Let me give you a heads-up: these Keys change frequently—some take half a month, others just three to five days. Don’t waste your time here!”
Tu Xuixin watched in stunned silence, feeling a headache coming on.
“My luck has never been good… If I have to choose one of the four to save your Junior Sister, whichever I pick will inevitably be the wrong one.”
Ji Yang studied her expression closely and sensed she was telling the truth.
“Now, tell me about her.”
The Wolf Demon’s interest was immediately piqued when the little girl was mentioned.
“At the Second-Floor Teahouse, we’ve been struggling to compete with those pawnshops and wonton stalls in the Central Plains that deal in information. Thankfully, this girl emerged in the Southwest, and she’s helped about a dozen teahouses boost their business.”
She rapped on the wall three times, and a young apprentice soon arrived with chestnut cakes and melon slices, serving them as complimentary snacks.
“Hey, you’ve heard of the Bone Abyss in the Demon Realm, right?”
“The Abyss Master is that old man who celebrates his birthday multiple times a year. As soon as he heard rumors about this girl’s peculiarities, he ordered her to be captured alive for alchemy. The bounty has skyrocketed since then!”
The Wolf Demon licked her lips as if savoring a delicacy. “This little girl is fascinating. Immortal and undying—she’s practically a living ginseng fruit. Imagine how much cultivation one could gain by consuming her!”
The master and disciple exchanged uneasy glances, their spirits sinking further.
Moonfire Valley was likely to face endless troubles in the future.
With the Demon Realm openly offering a bounty for her capture, countless monsters would surely come to cause trouble.
Gong Wu… had already fallen into such a perilous situation.
Noticing their silence, the Wolf Demon slapped her tail against the bench and grabbed a flaky pastry. “Isn’t she already taken by the Monster Realm?”
“If you want to catch her, you’d better act fast.”
Ji Yang’s voice grew serious. “You know about that too?”
“Consider it a bonus,” the Wolf Demon said with a sly smile. “It’s business, after all. We’ll be seeing more of each other in the future.”
“I’ll only say this much: once she’s captured, many will exhaust themselves trying to sneak into the valley, only to come up empty-handed. Right now, they’re cursing up a storm.”
As the bell chimed, dawn had arrived.
Inside the Mysterious Void Cave, Gong Wu finished Needling beside the flesh and wiped the sweat from her brow.
“Yes.”
Around her, a group of foxes gathered, peering in eagerly to see if their ancestor would return to life.
The old fox had explained that there was originally no cave here.
Their ancestors had once cultivated and thrived near Rainbow Ridge before being deceived and imprisoned here for a hundred years. The foxes had traveled far and wide to rescue them but failed. Eventually, they created a barrier and built this cave, waiting for an opportunity.
The cave was surrounded by a poison lair, constructed to resemble a celestial dwelling of ice and jade, utterly devoid of any human presence.
The bright red foxes circled around her, their reflections casting a mix of icy white and fiery red hues on the walls.
Gong Wu withdrew the needle and gestured for the old fox in charge to approach.
“Your ancestor’s flesh must be reinvigorated with snow spirit mushrooms to restore its true form.”
“He has been suspended for many years; his legs are likely beyond repair.”
She took paper and ink, listing about twenty types of herbs, and also noted the specifications for various kinds of fire needed for the cauldron, which she then handed to the old fox.
“Some of these might be difficult to obtain, so I’ve also included some alternative herbs that can be used as substitutes.”
The old fox flicked his tail, and immediately a young fox named Young Fox took the note in his mouth, leading dozens of foxes to swiftly disappear.
After finishing the necessary arrangements, Gong Wu sighed and covered the scabbed and ulcerated lump of flesh with a silk quilt, carefully tucking in the edges.
“You mentioned earlier that people from the Demon Realm are searching for me?”
“I followed your instructions and sent my subordinates to confirm,” the old fox said quietly. “Recently, some demonic creatures have visited Moonfire Valley five or six times, but they all left empty-handed. Consequently, the word has spread that you are not there.”
“What about the tasks I assigned?”
“They have been carried out,” the little fox said with enthusiasm. “Your Master and Senior Brother have indeed left the village to search for someone. My older siblings are hurrying along, and they should be able to track them down in the next couple of days.”
Gong Wu murmured in acknowledgment, still concerned about the safety of her Senior Brother and Master.
Initially skeptical of the two little foxes, she accompanied them in disguise to the nearby Fu State.
It wasn’t long before she noticed some suspicious figures whispering in the shadows, holding a portrait.
Gong Wu dared not reveal her presence carelessly and could not return to Moonfire Valley, now surrounded by birds and rabbits. She found herself in a difficult predicament.
People were conversing softly under the beams, oblivious to the wild mice eavesdropping within the walls.
The most prudent course of action now was to have the foxes bring her Master and Senior Brother to her, and after their meeting, they could plan their next steps.
Now, holding the life and death of the Fox Ancestor in her hands, all the little foxes were obediently following her commands.
She could not enter the main palace, but the side palace had been prepared with bedding and cabinets, with servants ready to assist with her washing, eating, and drinking.
…It was unclear whether this was a visit or a form of imprisonment.
“There’s something I’m not entirely sure about,” Gong Wu said as she carefully stored the golden needles back into the silk pouch. “It seems he is currently using a false heart; I truly don’t know where his real heart is.”
“He has survived for so long partly because he is indeed sustained by a Spell Technique, and also because most of his divine consciousness is not here.”
Using her spiritual sense, she perceived that the beating organ within the lump of flesh was a deer’s heart.
Moonfire Valley’s teachings were meticulous, with various animals dissected to demonstrate their anatomical structures.
But why would a Fox Ancestor have a deer’s heart? That seemed quite peculiar.
The old fox was momentarily puzzled, conversing with the other foxes in a strange language that Gong Wu could not understand.
In the quiet Ice Palace, the soft murmurs of the foxes rose and fell, creating an eerie atmosphere at first.
But Gong Wu remained composed, simply waiting for the outcome.
“The little ones don’t know the specifics, but what you’ve said seems to make sense,” the old fox said, moving closer to the silk quilt, sensing that the Fox Ancestor’s energy was more stable than in the previous days, softly sniffing as if reluctant to leave. “Our ancestor was a formidable cultivator; he wouldn’t be easily tricked and imprisoned by that despicable actor!”
Gong Wu frowned, sensing there must be a complex history of love and hate involved, but she chose not to inquire further.
After a long session of Needling, she felt a headache coming on. As she reached to rub her neck, a little fox transformed into a charming girl to help massage her shoulders.
…Although it felt quite pleasant, she couldn’t shake the feeling that those were two furry little paws.
“Earlier in my cultivation, I often heard my Masters speak of the Satin Red Workshop in the royal capital. It seems to be one of the top Immortal Sects in the Yuan Xian Immortal Record.”
“People say this Immortal Sect is filled with female cultivators skilled in dance and music, and there seem to be ancient traditions of venerating the Fox Immortal,” Gong Wu said curiously. “Have you little foxes heard of this?”
The old fox twitched his whiskers, emitting a sinister laugh that seemed both fierce and mirthful.
Gong Wu had seldom seen an animal display such an eerie expression and instinctively took a step back.
“Did I say something wrong?”
The old fox turned his gaze toward the silk quilt, his movements and demeanor oddly straddling the line between beast and human.
“Their ancestor is the Rainbow Spirit Fox standing before you.”
“Year after year, they pay tribute and offer worship, but it can only be said that they haven’t forgotten their roots.”
Hearing this, Gong Wu felt a pang of unease.
“Your ancestor has been harmed like this; it couldn’t possibly be…”
“It was the doing of the former Master of Satin Red Workshop!” the old fox snarled, his fur bristling with rage. “That heartless fool!”
Four paper scraps pointed in four entirely different directions, covering all the cardinal points.
Tu Xuixin examined them closely and murmured, “I’ll head southeast; you take the northwest. How does that sound?”
“I’m concerned about other evil spirits disturbing the valley. I’ll return to check on things and give further instructions before venturing into the Monster Realm to find her.”
Ji Yang took the paper scrap Tu Xuixin handed him and pondered for a moment.
“We’ll meet in the valley ten days from now. If I don’t return, it means something has gone wrong.”
“You’re stubborn. I fear you’ll get caught up in your own thoughts,” Tu Xuixin said, his concern deepening. “But with your Junior Sister missing, I’m terrified she’s been turned into elixirs and devoured by the Abyss Master. I can’t abandon her.”
“Ji Yang, if things feel off, come back immediately. We must plan carefully.”
After a brief farewell, master and disciple parted ways.
Ji Yang stood on his sword, letting the long wind and drifting clouds sweep past him, his hair slightly tousled.
The more clues he uncovered, the more unsettled he became.
The paper scraps pointed to two locations: one was a banyan tree in front of Hundred Flowers Valley, and the other was a dilapidated temple by Zhang Family River.
At that moment, he couldn’t even guess where Gong Wu might be in the Monster Realm. He silently recited a few words, then tossed the scraps like casting divination.
One scrap landed squarely in his palm, marking the dilapidated temple.
Ji Yang soared into the sky without hesitation.
He flew steadily and swiftly, these past days feeling as though he had transcended mortal needs, no longer requiring sleep or food.
After about three or four days, Ji Yang descended and followed the sparse words on the paper to a village in the west. He asked the villagers and learned the location of Zhang Family River.
The dilapidated temple was unremarkable, resembling a straw hut nestled in the fields.
He pushed the door open in the darkness and saw the remnants of a statue shrouded in thick dust.
According to local customs, such places usually housed statues of the Earth God and City God.
But the statue before him had been so eroded that it was impossible to tell whether it was a demon or a deity.
The young man lifted his robe and knelt, bowing four times as instructed by the paper.
Suddenly, a voice came from the corner, “Do you want to go in?”
Ji Yang started and turned toward the pile of withered grass, where he spotted a child curled up, clutching an iron fork.
“Hmm, I need to go in and find someone.”
“You’re still so young; you shouldn’t go in there,” the Child said. “What is following you? It seems to have been chasing you all the way here and has just caught up.”
Ji Yang suddenly felt suspicious and quickly turned to the side, peering through the door. He caught a glimpse of a red streak, but it moved too swiftly for him to discern what it was.
He considered unfolding the portrait of Gong Wu to ask the Child if he had seen her, but the stranger’s true identity was unclear, and even the Child’s innocent appearance might be a disguise. He couldn’t assume anything good.
Ji Yang took out four incense sticks, waved his hand to light them, and intended to place them in the incense burner on the table.
The Child sighed and said, “Are you really going in?”
“What’s inside?”
“The endless sea of suffering,” the Child repeated, urging him again. “I see you have a kind heart; I’m afraid you’ve come to the wrong place.”
As they spoke, the red streak crept closer, and a fox’s ear twitched gently in the wild grass, as if preparing to lift its head.
The Child casually tossed the fork outside the door, impaling the little fox and silencing its cries before they could even escape its throat.
Ji Yang remained deep in thought, murmuring, “The endless sea of suffering?”
The two paper scraps his master had given him—how could they lead him here?
Was his master deceiving him, or was the Wolf Demon lying?
Seeing him hesitate, the Child licked his lips and said, “Take your time to think. Once dawn breaks, this dilapidated temple will lock its doors and won’t open.”
“I’m going to the Monster Realm to find someone,” Ji Yang turned to him and asked, “Who are you?”
The Child shook his head. “I’m nothing at all.”
“I don’t know anything either.” He patted his hands and settled comfortably in the grass pile. “When daylight comes, I’m going out to buy some fried dough cakes.”
The incense in Ji Yang’s hand had burned halfway, gradually showing signs of extinguishing.
Calmly, he asked, “Do you know whose domain the Banyan Tree in front of Hundred Flowers Valley belongs to?”
The Child thought for a moment and replied truthfully, “It seems like the home of monkeys; there aren’t many immortals there, only some clumsy monsters.”
Ji Yang stepped back outside the straw hut, only one step away from seeing the fox’s body.
He looked back toward the fading image in the straw hut and extinguished the incense.
“Thank you for the warning. May we meet again.”
The Child didn’t try to keep him, nodding slightly to show he had heard.
Once the young man flew away on his sword, the Child crawled into the deep grass, biting into the fox’s corpse and tearing off its head, savoring the brain matter with delight.
Just as the strange boy had said, Ji Yang arrived at Hundred Flowers Valley, entering a corner of the Monster Realm using the Keys.
The Banyan Tree sprouted thousands of aerial roots, with monkeys climbing and screeching all around. Even the little monsters that could speak were hard to find.
…Little Wu was unlikely to be taken by such unintelligent creatures.
An old monkey slowly emerged, asking questions that made little sense while reaching for Ji Yang’s spiritual sword, nearly dragging its snot along.
The young man sighed and retreated, returning to the previous straw hut.
He observed the surroundings of the hut while also discreetly gauging the Child’s vital energy.
It seemed half-human and half-otherworldly, with an indescribable peculiarity.
But at least… what he had said earlier was all true.
His master was extremely unlucky; even having touched half a Paper scrap, he most likely wouldn’t succeed.
Excluding the noisy Monkey Valley, only this place remained.
The young man made up his mind and flew back alone to the Zhang Family River.
Returning to this area, he spotted a small beast gutted open on the roadside, so mangled that its appearance was unrecognizable, making Ji Yang frown.
The boy slept in the grass, still clutching that Fork.
He intended to wake him, but the boy remained unconscious, mumbling a few words before rolling over to sleep again.
Four kneels, four incenses, four bows, and four salutes.
Ji Yang followed the instructions, bending down and then standing up, finding himself deep in another world.
He stood alone on the Blood-red Riverbank, surrounded by numerous corpses.
In the distance, a Ghost Ship sailed on the river, with hundreds of slaves holding the reins, half their bodies seemingly drenched in blood.
This was no Monster Realm; it was clearly the depths of the Demon Realm!
Ji Yang felt a chill in his heart and turned to retreat, only to find the entrance of the Keys disappearing, trapping him in this place!
He instinctively grasped the sharp sword, yet before he could conceal his presence, a keen-eyed Demon Guard spotted him.
“Oh, look, there’s a person over there!”
As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of Demons surged forward, reaching out many arms to grab him.
Ji Yang had already exhausted himself over several days, traveling without rest; if he fought now, it would drain his Spiritual Sea.
He gritted his teeth, swung his sword, and leaped into the air, instantly slaying most of the Chaos-like Entities!
The Demon Guard’s two heads both focused on him, simultaneously turning to the right and shouting, “Binding ropes! What are you waiting for?”
The young man dashed forward before the guard’s minions could fetch their magical tools and struck his sword, cleaving the Demon Guard’s two heads.
The guard stood dazed for a few seconds, as if struggling to believe he was dead, before finally staggering and collapsing.
Before Ji Yang could land another killing blow, several oddly-shaped monsters rushed forward, clawing out the guard’s Inner Core and gorging themselves on it, blood dripping everywhere!
Word spread instantly to the towering Hall of Celestial Demons, where crafted white bones made the dome, and the ground was solid Cold Resentment Stone, as an old man read a scroll, deeply focused.
Such trivial matters shouldn’t reach this place.
“Your Excellency, an elder suspects Bone Abyss intends to attack our Soul Cliff. They sent a reckless young man to kill him, and he has already lost dozens of subordinates!”
A high-ranking Demon Servant responded, “Your Excellency, the Bone Abyss has been audacious lately, not taking you seriously. If they truly find that girl and make her refine pills…”
The old man raised his gaze, and the surrounding Demon Servants fell silent, fearing to offend him.
“Where is he?”
“That young man fled alone to Crying Spirit Cave, apparently… lost,” the servant said, pondering aloud. “Could he have taken the wrong path?”
The old man withdrew his gaze and turned a page: “Since he has gone to feed the beasts, it’s best to leave things be.”
She found it dull and tossed the storybook aside.
The Demon Servants immediately knelt down.
“If we have disturbed you, please punish us, Your Excellency!”
“Go find some reading material,” the old man yawned and said, “If you really can’t find anything, capture a few storytellers or actors. I’ll eat them when I’m tired of listening.”
“Yes!! Thank you, Your Excellency!!”
When Gong Wu woke up again, she found snow spirit mushrooms with roots and soil placed on the offering plate, surrounded by all the tools she had previously requested.
Each item was meticulously prepared, taking into account wear and tear over time.
She rubbed her eyes and instinctively looked for the little fox who guarded her every day.
“Where’s that little guy?”
“He died while climbing the cliff,” the old fox swung its tail and called over another little fox to accompany her. “What does my benefactor need?”
Gong Wu was taken aback and thought, could these foxes have also trained in the Path of Emotionless?
She lost her focus for a long time, quickly shook her head, and got up to brew medicinal soup and trim herbs.
Several little foxes stood by to assist her, occasionally transforming into human shapes when needed, moving with great efficiency.
Gong Wu would occasionally glance back at them, feeling strangely silent for a long time.
That night, the scabbed meatball was soaked in warm spiritual soup, watched over day and night by the foxes to keep the temperature steady.
She never received news from her master or senior brother and often felt anxious enough to want to go out and check, yet was afraid of inviting greater trouble.
By the third day, another old fox hurried over.
“My benefactor, there is news!”
Gong Wu noticed the fur pattern on the fox was different and instinctively asked, “What about the previous one?”
“When switching the Keys, he revealed his location and was killed by enemies.” The old fox’s voice remained steady, still focused on what was before him. “Regarding your relatives, both sides have sent back news.”
Gong Wu took a deep breath, still not used to their level of casualness.
The death of her kin was mentioned as casually as if the oil lamp had simply gone out.
—Then why cling to the life and death of that ancestor, endangering so many lives just to save him?!
“Your master hurried back to the valley to report the news, intending to search the outside world for your whereabouts, but has been intercepted by the message birds, knowing that you are safe.”
The fox glossed over the loss of the tribe’s young girls and hesitated. “But… your senior brother accidentally entered the Demon Realm and will not be back for a while.”
“Subei!!”
Gong Wu suddenly stood up, not caring about anything else. “I’ll go find him!!”
Before she finished speaking, water began to ripple in the cauldron behind her, revealing a damp fox paw.
A low, lazy male voice came from within.
“Slow down.”
