Chapter 204 — The Little Daoist Boy Mingyue

As the setting sun dipped below the horizon, lamps were lit in the kitchen. Chopsticks darted swiftly toward the dishes. The Daoist stacked a few slices of fatty meat and greens, holding his bowl as he shoveled food into his mouth, his gaze flicking back and forth between Lu Xiaoxian and Lu Laoshi.

Beside him, Li Jinhua tapped him with the end of her chopsticks. “What is this, a battlefield? No one’s fighting you for it!”

Then she turned, shifting her bowl slightly toward her son, and lowered her voice. “Liangsheng, that old man Wang… did he really take you as his master?”

“Not exactly.”

Lu Liangsheng picked up a bite of vegetables. Seeing the indescribable look on his mother’s face, he smiled.

“…He’s already advanced in years, yet his heart seeks the Dao with urgency. Besides, he does have some skills of his own. I’m merely helping him fulfill that wish.”

As he spoke, his expression suddenly changed slightly. His mother’s next words—“That’s wonderful, from now on that old man will have to lower his head when speaking to me…”—did not fully register.

A strand of audible chant, audible only to him, faintly echoed.

“The fox demon Yanzhi requests an audience with Master Lu of Qixia Mountain.”

A smile still on his face, Lu Liangsheng quickly finished his meal in a few bites, set down his bowl and chopsticks, and said to his parents and the Daoist, “Take your time eating—I’ll return to my room first.”

He rose, flicked his sleeve, and pulled the door open through the air. Stepping beneath the eaves, he returned to his room. Inside, the Toad Daoist pushed aside the blanket, rubbing his webbed hands as he stood up. Seeing his disciple empty-handed, he froze for a moment.

“Where is your master’s meal?”

“Honglian will bring it for you shortly, Master.” Lu Liangsheng replied. His mind lingered on the sound transmitted through the formation. With a beckoning gesture, the wolf-hair brush on the desk flew into his hand. A painting—depicting a monkey suppressed beneath a mountain, serving as the formation’s core—was placed upon the stand and unfurled. The brush tip, though dry of ink, lightly touched the surface. A ripple of spiritual force spread outward, passing through the room and extending beyond, linking with the painting formation atop the mountain.

Amid the lush, verdant spiritual aura, a strand of demonic qi stood out distinctly.

“Yanzhi… seems to be that one from the Zhang residence in He Valley Prefecture.”

Nearly three years passed without deliberately thinking about it, and Lu Liangsheng had almost forgotten this fox demon who had married a mortal. But why had she come to Qixia Mountain?

After a brief moment of thought, the Toad Daoist folded his arms and leaned against the bedframe, tilting his head as he looked at his disciple. Over there, Lu Liangsheng set down the brush, swept his sleeves aside, placed his palms upon his knees, and slowly closed his eyes.

His divine sense entered the painting, following the spiritual energy woven through the dense formation. When he opened his eyes again, a glow of spiritual light shimmered at the bottom of his pupils. Within the room, what he saw instead was the muddy path of Qixia Mountain under the night sky—and two figures, one large and one small, kneeling upon the ground.

The night wind swept across the slopes on either side of the road, the forests and fields rustling noisily.

After quite some time passed without any response, the military formation with drawn bows nearby made both her and the child uneasy. Yanzhi pulled the child down, pressing his forehead to the ground as she kowtowed once.

“Fox demon Yanzhi humbly requests an audience with Mister Lu of Qixia Mountain…”

Still, no reply came. Her heart dimmed. Yanzhi helped the child up, bowed toward the village lit with lanterns in the darkness, then turned to leave.

“Yanzhi?”

Suddenly, a clear and resonant voice sounded from the night sky behind them. The woman’s expression froze for a moment, then blossomed with joy. The child beside her turned back curiously. In the pitch-black sky, he could vaguely make out a massive human face looking down at them. His little face turned pale with fright, but immediately his mother pulled him back down to kneel again.

“Mother, what is that…?”

Yanzhi ignored him, placing a hand on the back of the child’s neck and urging, “Mingyue, quickly—kowtow to Mister Lu.”

Mother and son knelt on the ground, facing the enormous face in the night sky, and respectfully kowtowed three times in succession. When they finished, Yanzhi did not raise her head, simply staring at the ground.

The face of Lu Liangsheng, formed from the interwoven spiritual energy of the formation, looked down at the mother and child below, his brows knitting slightly.

“What is the meaning of this, you two?”

Below, Yanzhi hurriedly raised her head. “Mister Lu, misfortune has befallen my husband’s family. Liancheng passed away a month ago, and my parents-in-law also succumbed to grief half a month ago. You are aware, sir, that I used my demon core to prolong Liancheng’s life—my own lifespan is now not long for this world. I cannot bear for this child to be left alone and without guidance in the future, so I have come to beg you to take him in.”

With tears in her eyes, she gently pushed the child beside her. “Mingyue, kowtow again to Mister Lu.”

The child, his little braids swaying, blinked. Realizing that the face in the sky was someone his mother knew, his courage grew somewhat. He stepped forward and knelt again.

“Mister Lu, my name is Mingyue!”

Before the little figure could fully kneel, a gust of wind lifted him back to his feet. From the night sky above, Lu Liangsheng spoke a single sentence—“There is no need to kneel”—and then fell into silence.

A union between a human and a demon was, in the end, an ill-fated bond. Lu Liangsheng had not expected Zhang Liancheng to die so soon, even dragging the elderly couple Zhang Dongming and his wife with him… And this fox demon, having parted with her lifespan, did not have long left in this world either. If he did not take the child in, a half-human, half-fox like him would most likely be hunted down by either humans or demons.

Looking at the clever spark in Mingyue’s eyes, Lu Liangsheng sighed, caught in a dilemma.

The wind wailed through the mountains. Under the cold moonlight, Yanzhi thought that Mister Lu was unwilling to accept the child. She took a deep breath, removed the bundle slung over her shoulder, and placed it on the ground. Her voice choked despite herself.

“I know this puts Mister Lu in a difficult position. This is the deed to the Zhang residence. I only ask that you take Mingyue in. After that… I will leave, and dare not disturb your cultivation any further.”

Above the night sky, Lu Liangsheng slowly closed his eyes.

“…Sigh. Bring Mingyue here.”

With those words, the military formation standing along the mountain path parted to open a way. The howling mountain wind gradually stilled. Yanzhi wiped away her tears, hurriedly picked up the child, and passed through the ranks. Thinking the soldiers on either side were yin spirits summoned by Mister Lu to stand guard, she bowed respectfully to them before quickening her steps toward the distant village path.

When the mother and son entered, many villagers were still outside enjoying the cool autumn night. The moment they stepped into the village, Lu Pan and the others immediately jumped out, blocking Yanzhi’s path.

The eight men twisted their thick arms, glaring fiercely as they sized her up. After all, in these times, demons and ghosts were plentiful—they dared not be careless. What if some vengeful spirit slipped in?

Lu Qing lifted his chin. “Where have you come from, woman? What are you doing in our village?!”

“This humble one has come to seek Mister Lu.” With Lu Liangsheng’s permission, Yanzhi spoke with a bit more confidence.

The eight men looked her up and down, their gazes finally falling on the three-year-old child. They froze for a moment.

Beside them, Lu Xi quietly tugged at Lu Pan’s sleeve and whispered: “Could this be a woman Liangsheng kept outside? Now she’s come knocking on the door.”

“Nonsense. Would Liangsheng be that kind of person? There’s already that pretty female ghost in his house… uh… can a ghost even…?”

“Heh, that child looks really delicate—he’ll definitely grow up handsome. Could he really be Liangsheng’s? In all the surrounding villages, Liangsheng’s the only fine young man like that.”

Behind them, Wang Banxia—leaning on his cane and chatting idly with Old Master Lu—suddenly frowned.

…Why is there a trace of demonic qi?

But being in Lu Family Village, with his master present, he felt no fear. Leaning on his cane, he walked toward the group of eight and also heard their muttered speculations.

Angered, he struck his cane heavily against the ground.

“How can you all spout such nonsense!”

Wang Banxia’s grizzled goatee trembled as he squeezed his way through the gap between the eight burly men. Straightening his wrinkled robes, he slightly inclined his white-haired head, his dim eyes half-closed as he looked up toward the night sky. Facing the woman, he gave a faint smile.

“This old man knows you are a demon. What business do you have in Lu Family Village?!”

Having her identity exposed, Yanzhi was somewhat startled. The old man before her appeared to have no cultivation at all—could he be a hidden expert who had returned to simplicity?

At the mention of “demon”, the surrounding villagers reacted unexpectedly—not with fear and flight, but with curiosity, gathering closer one by one. The eight men even let out a loud shout, spreading out into formation and surrounding the woman and child.

Seeing the villagers’ excited expressions, Yanzhi instinctively took two steps back while holding the child, then bowed toward the white-haired elder opposite her.

“This humble one truly has come to see Mister Lu. Senior, I ask for your understanding.”

Upon hearing the word “senior”, Wang Banxia straightened at once, gripping his cane and puffing out his chest. Just as he was about to speak, a voice suddenly spread from above the crowd in the distance.

“Everyone, disperse.”

From afar, someone spotted a figure in white robes approaching from the direction of the fenced courtyard and quickly called out, “Liangsheng’s here!” The gathered villagers immediately parted to open a path.

Over there, Wang Banxia—who had just been standing tall with his cane—hurriedly bowed and stepped aside.

“Master.”

Master?

Yanzhi looked at the white-haired old man, then at Mister Lu approaching, momentarily at a loss for words. She quickly came back to her senses and set the child down from her arms.

“Mingyue, go on ahead and follow Mister Lu. Mother will not go in.”

After taking a couple of steps, the child suddenly understood. His eyes reddened as he turned to look at his mother behind him.

“Mother… you don’t want Mingyue anymore?”

The villagers, who had been watching the spectacle, fell silent. At the village entrance, Yanzhi shook her head, her dark hair swaying.

“No… Mother is not…” Afraid she might break into tears, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand and stepped back, putting distance between herself and the child. After steadying her emotions, her voice still choked.

“Follow Mister Lu well. Do not think of Mother.”

She wiped the moisture from the corner of her eyes, letting out a tearful laugh, and softly called to the child: “Mingyue, listen well to Mister Lu from now on, understand?”

Yanzhi placed the bundle on the ground, then knelt once more and gave Lu Liangsheng a heavy kowtow.

“Yanzhi thanks Mister Lu for taking Mingyue in. I shall set up a longevity tablet and offer incense daily in reverence to you.”

The kneeling woman rose from the ground, glanced once more at her son, then lowered her head and turned, running off at full speed. Suddenly, the ground beneath her seemed to contract, and her figure returned to the village entrance.

In her astonishment, Lu Liangsheng had already walked over from the entrance. “From now on, Mingyue will be my Daoist disciple. But this deed alone is not enough.”

Yanzhi immediately dropped to her knees again, but the scholar raised a hand slightly, lifting her back up before she could complete the motion. Her eyes were red and wet as she sniffled, instinctively looking at him.

“Mister Lu, whatever else you desire, I am willing—even to serve you like an ox or a horse.”

Lu Liangsheng waved his hand. “That won’t be necessary.” As he spoke, he looked toward the silhouette of a mountain peak under the moonlight.

“There is a formation I have set there. Go and guard it. Let that be the price for taking in your son. Are you willing?”

“I am willing!”

The woman tried to bow again, but Lu Liangsheng waved her off. “Then go.”

With that, he turned and walked back into the village. As Yanzhi transformed into a streak of fox-shadow and disappeared into the darkness, Lu Liangsheng reached out, drew the child close, and led him through the crowd toward the fenced courtyard.

His hand gently rested on the child’s head, his voice soft:

“If you ever miss your mother, go to that Little Spring Mountain and see her.”

Mingyue looked up, feeling the warmth and kindness from the hand resting on his head. His eyes widened, and a smile appeared on his face.

“Mister, is that true?”

Lu Liangsheng looked at him, smiling as well. “Mister does not speak falsehoods.”

As they entered the small courtyard, the Daoist leapt down from the rooftop, eyes wide as he stared at the child standing in the yard, then looked over at Lu Liangsheng. “Don’t tell me this is your child from outside?”

Li Jinhua came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands. Hearing the Daoist’s words, she swatted at him. How could she not know her own son’s character? But with such a little one added to the household, she was delighted beyond measure. She quickly took Mingyue inside with Lu Xiaoxian to look him over carefully.

Even Honglian drifted into the room along with them, leaving Lu Liangsheng standing alone in the courtyard, blinking.

The night deepened. The once lively and noisy courtyard gradually quieted with the passing of time. Before long, the sky began to pale with the faint light of dawn. On the muddy road leading out of the village, within a traveling merchant caravan, a youth carrying a wooden sword jumped down from a cart and bid farewell to his companions.

Not far from him, a stout monk stood on the road with two young boys, asking someone for directions.

“Excuse me, benefactor… ahead, is that, Lu Family Village…?”