Chapter 50

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Chapter 50

Logically speaking, when a great demon suddenly appeared in their valley, the cultivators should have quickly drawn a line of separation.

However, with the old lady’s remark about her son, everyone was confused, especially since she planned to recognize two more daughters without any hesitation.

Typically, demons don’t behave like this.

Northern Soul Abyss had been mysterious for hundreds of years, and now the Master had changed to this slightly eccentric old lady; it was unclear whether this was a blessing or a curse for the righteous path.

She mentioned going to Night Poison Mountain with a carefree tone, as if she were simply going out for a stroll, showing no awe or caution for the place.

Yan Fangji gestured for Ji Yang to take two steps back and clasped his hands, saying, "Elder, Moonfire Valley rarely interacts with outsiders and cannot afford to linger."

"Night Poison Mountain is filled with thick poison miasma, and the fierce beasts are terrifying. I hope the elder will take care."

Kan Jixuan’s eyes glinted, looking at Yan Fangji as if she had something to say.

"This is the Palace Lord of Moonfire Valley," Ji Yang immediately clarified, "Her parents are still alive, and she has a son who is over twenty."

"Then forget it," Kan Jixuan replied, feeling uninterested, "I won’t compete with others for children."

"Are you coming with me to the top today?"

Tu Xuixin quietly provided an escape for his disciples, steering the conversation elsewhere.

"May I ask, elder, how will you reach the top?"

Master Ancestor would always prepare several talismans and medicinal pills when intending to step into this place, bringing along the most capable disciples.

Even so, they each time only stopped halfway up the mountain, never seeing the view from higher up.

Yet this Northern Demon Lord, who lived in the darkest realm, seemed even more familiar with the terrain than the locals, effortlessly reaching the peak.

Kan Jixuan spoke frankly, "I am not afraid of poison miasma."

"But there are also fierce beasts and cave formations," Tu Xuixin observed her expression, "My senior brother is exceptionally wise, yet even he often gets trapped by tree formations and spends half his time finding a way out."

"On the mountain, even strange birds can swallow a person’s head whole, not to mention those seemingly docile but bloodthirsty vines."

"Is that what has stumped you?" Kan Jixuan laughed heartily, "What is the name of that mountain?"

"……Night Poison Mountain."

"Where is Night Poison?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the people present found it hard to respond.

The poison wine referred to in legends is merely liquor infused with herbs like aconite, taking its name from the mythical Night Poison Bird.

Ji Yang recalled his Young Phoenix, which he had stumbled upon in the secret realm, and asked, "Elder, did you capture the Night Poison Bird from the Demon Realm? Can it lead the way?"

"Is it even possible to catch a Poison Bird?" Hua Tingxiao asked in confusion, "Its feathers are so poisonous that ordinary people can’t touch them."

"Unless…" the old lady chuckled proudly, "you have rhinoceros hide gloves."

In ancient times, there was a saying, "Burning rhinoceros illuminates the night."

In the earlier days when the Poison Bird roamed freely, the streams in the mountains could not be easily drunk from, for fear of contamination by the bird’s feathers.

—Unless there were rhinoceroses in the mountains, touching the water’s surface with their horns.

Rhinoceroses were exceedingly rare, but Kan Jixuan produced a glove made from a single piece of white rhino horn, slipping it onto her right hand and reaching into her bag.

When she pulled it out, she indeed held a large purple-green bird the size of a mountain eagle.

Its gaze alone was so menacing that one instinctively wanted to avoid it, and its crimson beak appeared sharp and dangerous.

The old lady, fearing it might struggle and escape, showed it to everyone briefly before preparing to leave.

"Son, would you like to go up and take a look with your mother?" She then glanced at the two girls, "Are you daughters coming too?"

Du Ren quickly bowed, "Me, me, me! I have a mother too; she is in the capital!"

Gong Wu, thinking quickly, hid beside Yan Fangji, "He is my father!"

Kan Jixuan sighed deeply, "That won’t do; I won’t let him benefit here. I will not take you."

Gong Wu examined the scene closely and thought that the lucky formation indeed gathered all the opportunities together.

A single thought would call her senior brother back from the capital to Moonfire Valley, and it was such a coincidence to meet the newly appointed Master of Soul Cliff passing through the valley.

It just so happened that this new demon lord planned to visit Night Poison Mountain and happily wanted to take Ji Yang along.

Could it be that after ascending and descending, her senior brother would directly break through and ascend to a higher realm, becoming a powerful figure like their master?

The old lady held a divine object in her hands. Although its effectiveness had yet to be tested, it seemed quite reliable.

Tu Xuixin was uncertain about how to respond, but Yan Fangji pondered for a moment and gently said, "This mountain originally belongs to Moonfire Valley. Unfortunately, the dangers are numerous, making it difficult to patrol."

"Elder, you are climbing the mountain for a view; you are also helping us check on the valley, which is hard work."

"I, Yan, thank you here in advance. Gong Wu, you will go up later with Subei."

The old lady was quite pleased with this acknowledgment.

"You are a thoughtful one! Two children, let’s go."

Gong Wu paused for a moment, then quickly followed behind, waving goodbye to her master and senior sister.

"Come back early—" Tu Xuixin called out, "Wait for both of you to have supper together!"

"We have sweet rice balls tonight!!"

A phoenix and a leopard followed closely behind as the three individuals entered Night Poison Mountain.

Before they reached the foot of the mountain, the old lady donned the rhinoceros hide gloves again and pulled out the oddly-shaped Poison Bird.

With a sharp cry, the nearby deep purple miasma suddenly parted like waves, clearing a wide path for them to pass through.

Not only that, but the faint rustling sounds they had heard earlier also vanished.

Insects, snakes, wolves, tigers, mutated beasts, and magical creatures all quickly retreated into the distance upon hearing the piercing call, daring not to linger any longer.

Ji Yang stepped into the mud and reached out to steady Gong Wu.

They both realized that the Young Phoenix and the leopard had stopped following, and together they looked back.

Flower Orange lowered its arched back under the fog and growled softly, its claws firmly gripping the ground, refusing to take another step.

Xuan Zhi stood at a distance on a branch, showing no intention to fly forward.

The old lady took a step forward and asked, "Shall we go?"

Gong Wu, worried about a potential trap, asked, "Senior brother, what do you think now?"

Ji Yang tightened his grip on her hand.

"Let’s keep walking."

"Alright, I’ll follow you."

Kan Jixuan led the way, holding the Poison Bird like a noisy lantern.

The two young people followed closely behind, stepping where she had stepped.

The strange scenery continued to unfold before them.

Everything on Night Poison Mountain feared the presence of the purple-green hairy Poison Bird; even the mercury left in the mire sank into the ground, avoiding the monsters.

The old Demon Lord hummed a tune as she moved forward, dispersing the poisonous fog along the way, with wild beasts retreating, creating a path as smooth as walking on flat ground.

Before long, they reached the mountainside. Gong Wu’s sharp eyes caught sight of the two jade dew plum trees that Master Ancestor had observed several times.

Indeed, there were only branches and leaves without any flowers. Back then, Master Ancestor had been so worried that such a precious Medicine Tree would go extinct.

Ji Yang felt a thought arise and whispered to Gong Wu, "This old elder said she knows how to plant this tree."

Gong Wu’s eyes brightened, "What if we invite her into Moonfire Valley later? Maybe Master Ancestor and she can become friends?"

At this moment, both of them recalled Yan Fangji’s earlier concerns.

Since ancient times, righteousness and evil have never coexisted; if one were to argue strictly, personal relations with the Demon Realm would be considered a crime.

However…

After Gong Wu had been isolated, it became difficult for her to view these matters with calmness.

Her immortal and indestructible Strange Physique had once caused dozens of sects to pressure her and create chaos, disrupting the peace of the entire valley.

Even if she had never done anything wrong or harbored any malicious thoughts.

From the perspective of those righteous gentlemen, if they truly brought the elderly woman to Moonfire Valley… it would be like tarnishing their reputation.

Gong Wu shook off these thoughts and plucked a leaf to craft a paper kite, sending it drifting into the valley to deliver a message to Master Ancestor.

The old lady spotted the paper kite soaring away and did not stop it.

"You two are quite bold," she remarked as she slowly walked forward with her cane. "Aren’t you afraid I might sell you off?"

Gong Wu couldn’t help but laugh, "Not likely! If you really sold me… I’d count the money for you."

The old lady burst into hearty laughter, responding cheerfully, "With that statement, I wouldn’t do it!"

"Little girl, do you know who I’m going to the mountain top to find?"

"If you guess correctly, I’ll give you an extra treasure."

The last person who played this guessing game with her was Hu Fengyu.

He had given her two pairs of Calling Shells, which turned out to be incredibly useful.

Gong Wu, thinking of Ji Yang who still had the blessings shining upon him, asked, "What if my Senior Brother guesses right? Can he get something too?"

"Of course," the old lady replied, continuing on her path. "What’s the difference between your guess and his?"

Gong Wu nodded, lifting her hem as she walked, pondering who could possibly live at the peak of such a treacherous mountain.

…It must be someone who craves solitude.

Night Poison Mountain was seldom visited; even Qing Zhen from the Great Wuxiang Temple had returned injured after just one trip.

This place was akin to a gate to the underworld, with not a single cottage at its base.

"Perhaps… it’s a monk?" she ventured uncertainly. "Someone seeking to comprehend the highest forms of sound, thus needing a place of utmost silence to meditate and refine themselves?"

"Wrong," the old lady said, sounding quite pleased. "Not even close, so I won’t need to part with my prize."

Ji Yang suddenly spoke up: "It’s a monk."

Kan Jixuan, who had been walking without pause, came to an abrupt halt at the word "monk."

"You," she scrutinized him, "can you read minds?"

"No."

"Then how did you guess?!"

Ji Yang replied honestly, "I can roughly see it in my mind and just said it."

"What sharp intuition! You can see that?!" Kan Jixuan stomped her foot. "Are you on the path to ascending to immortality?!"

She was slightly annoyed but conceded defeat.

"Alright, alright, I’ll give you a gift."

Gong Wu chimed in, "Since I guessed wrong, then I should give you a gift as well."

Kan Jixuan found this curious: "In all my years, my father was the only one who remembered to give me things I liked on my birthday."

"Little girl, what do you want to give me?"

Gong Wu quickly rummaged through her bag, feeling that ordinary medicinal pills and miscellaneous items weren’t appropriate. She pulled out two pieces of butterfly candy that her master had given her.

"Is this okay?"

"This might be very simple candy for you," she said, handing the candy to the old lady with a gentle smile, "but when I was a child, my master and senior brother always used it to comfort me. Just a taste of this little sweetness made me feel like I could endure any hardship."

"Would you like to try some?"

Kan Jixuan stared at her, unwrapped the candy, and ate one right in front of her.

It was sweet—sweet in a simple and pure way, without any impurities.

"Son," she suddenly declared, "if you don’t marry this little girl, you’ll be the biggest fool in the world."

Ji Yang paused for a moment, then smiled without a word.