The monk looked to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He was not very old, yet he exuded a wisdom and restraint not typical of his age.
A faint golden light seemed to surround him and when Bai Lixin looked into his eyes, he found a lotus platform within. His gaze seemed detached from worldly matters yet it was filled with compassion, truly a face of mercy.
He wasn’t extraordinarily handsome, but his unique aura made his face remarkably pleasant to behold.
Bai Lixin stared at the monk’s face for a full two seconds. Despite his sharpness, the monk merely glanced at Bai Lixin before withdrawing his gaze.
The guards’ attempts to drive him away did not provoke any anger from the monk. He stood there calmly, facing their impatience, and patiently said, “If this is not resolved now, there may be bloodshed.”
The guards, who had been trying to drive away the monk, immediately became much more respectful when they saw the arrival of the thin maid and her group. They greeted them respectfully, “Madam, you’ve returned?”
The monk’s words happened to reach the ears of the thin maid. She glanced at the monk and took out some silver coins from her pocket, casting a disdainful look at the two guards. “You two are blind fools.”
With that, she walked over and smiled at the monk, “It’s said that it’s difficult to invite a Buddha to one’s home, but Master, instead of going to other families, you’ve come to ours. It must be fate.”
“Master, this is my humble offering.”
As she said that, she extended her hand and presented the money to the monk. “Please accept it, Master. Our Song family has always been charitable, and our master is kind-hearted. We have a joyous event to celebrate tomorrow, and there should be no evil spirits present in our home. Our Song family is humble and cannot afford a living Buddha like you. Thank you, Master. Please leave quickly.”
The monk’s slightly lowered eyes lifted gently, and his compassionate gaze glanced over. He released his staff, but it did not fall over and remained upright and motionless.
The monk clasped his hands together. “In that case, this humble monk takes his leave. If the benefactor has any needs, you can find me at the Hanshan Temple outside the city.”
With that, the monk picked up his staff and walked away. He didn’t bother taking the silver coins. His departure was broad-minded and carefree, displaying a natural and unaffected demeanor.
S419M: [Lord Host, is this person a fraud? You’re now a fox demon, and he claims to see evil spirits, yet he ignores you.]
The Escape System chimed in: [Exactly, he must be deceiving people.]
Bai Lixin stared at the monk’s departing figure, his gaze deep. He didn’t respond to the two systems.
It was only after the monk disappeared around the corner that they walked back into the courtyard from the main gate.
Bai Lixin: “Momo, both of are practitioners, but why is there such a significant difference in your attitudes towards them? You speak so highly of the Qingcheng Sect people, almost wanting to invite them home. Yet you treated the monk just now with contempt. Why is that?”
The thin maid replied, “Two tigers can’t occupy one mountain. Our Qingcheng Town is located at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain. We have been under the protection of the Qingcheng Sect since ancient times. Naturally, we keep our distance from other practitioners. There’s nothing special about it.”
“Immortal Lady, it’s getting late now. You need to rise early tomorrow. I will bring your meals to your room shortly. After you finish eating, please rest well.”
As they walked and talked, they returned to the room where Bai Lixin was staying. Once he entered the room, the thin maid prepared to leave. However, she heard the Immortal Lady calling her from behind.
Turning back, she saw that the Immortal Lady had already removed her hat. Although she had seen this face several times before, she was stunned every time she saw it.
She stared blankly at the face for a long while before realizing her abruptness. She quickly lowered her head and asked, “I wonder, Immortal Lady, is there something you need?”
Bai Lixin: “Has she been buried yet?”
The maid was stunned for a moment, then realized who the Immortal Lady was referring to.
She glanced at the guards around them cautiously and hurried into the room. After closing the door, she lowered her voice and said, “Not yet.”
Bai Lixin frowned slightly. “Why hasn’t she been buried yet?”
The maid replied, “Master said that it’s auspicious to marry before burying the dead. After you pass the threshold tomorrow, we will secretly bury the young miss. It’s just a pity for her; she can’t have a lavish burial. In the end, there will only be a simple tombstone standing by her grave.”
“When she came into this world, she was lively and spirited, but when she left, it was desolate and empty. Ah, now only we remember Miss. When we also pass away, who will remember that Miss existed? Who will know whose body lies beneath that tombstone?”
At this point, the thin maid’s eyes turned red, and her voice choked up.
This maid seemed genuinely heartbroken for this Miss.
“Immortal Lady,” the thin maid raised her head, glanced at Bai Lixin, and hesitated for a while before saying, “Please be careful. That County Magistrate Lin is not a good person. Although you are doing it for a loyal cause, you don’t need to sacrifice your own happiness.”
“Our master didn’t say it, but your presence could save the Lin family.”
“But when I see you, I keep thinking about how our Miss would have fared if she had married over there.”
“Master can’t be considered a good person, but he’s not evil either. He just doesn’t want to offend County Magistrate Lin. I heard that County Magistrate Lin is not only ruthless but also has a taste for human flesh. He has already lost three wives. The first wife died two years after marriage, and the following two wives also died one after another.”
“Besides these, there are several concubines there.”
“I’ve heard that none of these concubines are kind-hearted. Please be cautious.”
Bai Lixin asked, “Is the rumor about County Magistrate Lin eating human flesh something you heard?”
“I saw it with my own eyes!” The thin maid suddenly looked terrified, “One time I happened to pass by the back door of County Magistrate Lin’s residence. I saw their servants sneaking out with something wrapped in straw mats. It looked quite heavy.”
“I was afraid of getting involved in some trouble, so I hid behind the stone lion statue. Then I saw them throwing the straw mats onto a carriage. When they threw It up, they didn’t pay much attention, and the mat unraveled, revealing the body inside.”
“It was a woman’s body. It was covered in wounds and everywhere was injured. It looked like it had been gnawed by a beast, and many places had exposed bones.”
“I have met the county magistrate’s wife a few times. Although her face was ruined, I could still recognize her. She was the third wife of County Magistrate Lin.”
Bai Lixin: “So, did you tell your Miss about this?”
“I couldn’t just watch our Miss walk into the fire pit. I not only told our Miss, but I also told Master. But Master, although he knew it’s a fire pit, he said it’s all rumors and insisted that our Miss jump into the fire pit.”
Bai Lixin: “I understand. Thank you for telling me all this. You can go back now.”
The thin maid was still worried, “Are you really okay?”
Bai Lixin: “Don’t worry, I’m not another wife to County Magistrate Lin, nor am I your Miss.”
‘I have eight hundred hearts.’
*Meaning: ‘I am more scheming’.
The thin maid finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright, Immortal Lady, I’ll prepare your meal.”
“No need,” Bai Lixin said, “I don’t eat.”
The thin maid scrutinized Bai Lixin, her eyes moving up and down. “You don’t eat? Were you raised on dewdrops?”
Bai Lixin: “…”
‘Umm, not exactly.’
Bai Lixin was about to send her away when he saw the thin maid looking curious again, “I just want to ask, Immortal Lady, do immortals use the restroom?”
Bai Lixin: ???
Get out!
————————————
In the live broadcast room
[Hahaha, this cracked me up.]
[Hello, everyone, I’m an immortal, an immortal raised on dewdrops, an immortal who doesn’t poop.]
[Unsolved mysteries of the world: Do immortals poop?]
[That monk, why do I find him a bit handsome? Individually, his features aren’t exceptional, but put together on his face, it feels comfortable. Although he’s not as handsome as the big boss, he has a unique charm.]
[The abstinent master who pities the world. It’s a pity, he’s not the big boss. If it were the abstinent monk vs. seductive little fox, I’d die.]
[The character of the big boss in this copy doesn’t seem likable. He orders the killing of foxes and gives out their meat. I hope there will be a twist later, this kind of big boss makes me uncomfortable.]
[There should be a twist, but I find it a bit strange.]
[What’s strange?]
[Just, haven’t you noticed that from the first copy, the big boss always acts alone. He might have a noble status, but he never gets involved in anything. He only shows up when God Xin is here, otherwise, he keeps a low profile. But the big boss in this copy feels so proactive. Becoming an elder of the sect and leading disciples to come and eliminate demons.]
[Yeah, I’m thinking of breaking the CP.]
[Maybe it’s just a different character setup. It’s only the first day, let’s see. Let’s be more tolerant of the big boss, maybe he’s also forced into this situation.]
[Right, exactly, let’s wait and see. We can also watch Nine Heaven’s seductive little fox, God Xin, so cool～]
————————————-
After the thin maid left, the guards outside didn’t leave.
They stood guard outside, as if afraid Bai Lixin would escape.
Bai Lixin sat on the bed and took out the small red ball from his backpack.
The black fox said this ball was a secret treasure of the fox clan. Since it belonged to the fox clan, why were the people from the Qingcheng Sect looking for it?
He tried to find some clues from this small ball, but to no avail. Whether he tapped it or tried to sink his consciousness into it, the shiny red ball in front of him remained just a small ball.
The system didn’t provide any hints either.
Unable to find any leads, he had no choice but to put the small ball back into his backpack.
Then he began to examine his hands. Before he transformed, he seemed to have a strong desire to become human, and then he transformed.
Thinking like this, he started to silently chant in his mind, “I want to become a fox,” but after chanting for a long time, there was no change in his body.
He gave up in frustration and started gesturing aimlessly in the air.
When he was escaping in the jungle, he caught a glimpse of the black fox using some kind of gesture to cast spells. Could he also use magic?
He tried many gestures in the air, but nothing happened.
The candlelight flickered in the air, seemingly mocking his incompetence.
After trying several gestures without success, he finally gave up.[I just want to ask one thing, am I really considered a demon? Do I really not have any magic? Or is it that I just don’t know how to use it?]
The Escape System’s voice was gentle and sweet: [Master Bai Lixin, you do have magic! How could you not?]
Bai Lixin sat up on the bed in surprise: [Quickly tell me, what magic do I have?!]
The Escape System: [You forgot, you have charm!]
[…] Bai Lixin struggled to maintain a calm voice, [What else?]
The Escape System pondered for two seconds and then happily said: [Nothing else!]
Bai Lixin: [?]
[Um, let’s go over this again. In this copy, am I just cosplaying as a fox demon?]
The Escape System: [Yes, yes.]
Bai Lixin: [When I’m a fox, I can’t use weapons because I only have claws and no hands. And it seems like my combat power decreases when I’m in fox form? So, I’m almost useless in my fox form, right?]
The Escape System: […Yes.]
[Then there’s my human form which is barely passable.]
[No, let’s talk logically. I’m a demon, okay? A demon. How can there be such a weak demon like me?]
The Escape System spoke cautiously: [Perhaps your character setting this time is a weak fox demon? Although demons are powerful, there’s still a chance of being a weakling, right? After all, your luck value…]
Bai Lixin: [Heh, there’s no good thing in any copy.]
The Escape System: [.]
Trembling.
After confirming that turning into a fox demon didn’t enhance his strength but instead weakened it, Bai Lixin completely accepted his fate.
In the dead of night, when everyone was fast asleep, Bai Lixin suddenly heard a faint sound.
Although he didn’t gain any physical or magical power after becoming a fox demon, the beast’s natural senses of hearing and smell added quite a lot to his abilities.
He instantly woke up from his sleep.
He could still hear the faint sound and he pricked up his ears to listen.
“Crack—”
“Scrape—”
“Crunch—”
The sounds were harsh and dry, as if something was scratching against wood.
He tried to identify the source of the noise. It wasn’t coming from the neighboring room; it was from a farther place.
He put on some clothes and walked to the door, intending to follow the noise. Just as he opened the door, he saw two guards standing at the doorway.
They were already drowsy when they were suddenly awakened by the sound of the door opening and they trembled in fright.
When they turned around, they realized it was the immortal.
One of them rubbed his eyes and spoke, “Immortal Lady, it’s late. Where are you going?”
Bai Lixin: “I felt a bit suffocated in my room and wanted to go out for some fresh air.”
The two guards exchanged glances. “It’s dark outside at night. How about we open the windows for you to get some ventilation?”
Bai Lixin glanced at them and, not wasting any time, activated his charm skill.
In an instant, a flash of light appeared in his eyes, and the gazes of the two guards became bewitched.
Bai Lixin: “I’ll take a walk outside and be back soon, alright?”
The two guards’ eyes glazed over, and they answered respectfully, “Of course, please feel free.”
The guards no longer obstructed him and Bai Lixin effortlessly pushed the door open and walked out.
After he had walked a bit, the two drowsy guards became slightly more awake. Though more alert, due to the psychological suggestion buff from the charm skill, they still believed they had let Bai Lixin leave willingly. Even when they saw Bai Lixin’s figure receding into the distance, they didn’t find anything amiss.
They exchanged puzzled glances and then turned their gazes back to Bai Lixin’s retreating back.
One of them rubbed his eyes, lowering his voice as he spoke to his companion, “Did I just see… something furry shaking a couple of times?”
The other guard yawned, “Maybe it’s a stray cat. Where is it?”
The first guard stammered, “It, it, it’s behind… the Immortal Lady.”
When the other guard looked in the direction he pointed, Bai Lixin had already moved out of their sight. “You’re probably seeing things. You must have been drinking at night and haven’t woken up yet. You are always greedy for wine! You drunkard, even when we warn you, you never listen. Are you hallucinating now?”
The guard scratched his head sheepishly, “Alright, alright. I almost fell asleep just now. I can’t afford to sleep again.”
Bai Lixin walked forward for a while following the sound. The sound was intermittent and it was not convenient to find it in the huge yard.
After walking for a bit, he suddenly stopped, turning his head in confusion.
His eyes scanned the area alertly but then became puzzled.
Strange, he felt like there was a sound behind him, as if someone were following him. But when he turned around, he couldn’t find that gaze.
Could it be that he became too sensitive after transforming into a fox? Was he hallucinating?
He walked forward for a while, but the odd sound persisted.
S419M couldn’t stand it anymore: [Lord Host, your furry tail is showing.]
The young man’s body that was in the middle of turning back, stiffened slightly. His gaze slowly lowered, and he saw a furry red tail swaying behind him.
It was swaying itself and he hadn’t noticed it at all.
He quickly reached out and grabbed the big tail. The big tail shook twice before going still. […]
Was this the situation Liang Xi often talked about, where a cat’s tail and its body are separate?
He released the tail. The big red tail swayed twice again before gradually dropping down.
After giving it a try, he found out he could control the tail; he just hadn’t been aware of it since he had only had four limbs before. Suddenly having an extra tail was a bit strange.
He tried moving his tailbone, and the tail moved accordingly.
