Chapter 180: Another Grain in Ear

Tiger roars echoed from the mountains behind him, and Ji Yuan, riding on a cloud, couldn't help but smile knowingly once more. The cloud then drifted far away, eventually settling in Ning'an.

Although Lu Shan-jun's cultivation wasn't very high yet, his role in Ji Yuan's strategic plan was significant. It wasn't advisable to directly impart cultivation methods too similar to those of orthodox immortal beasts, as this might diminish his rare demonic spiritual essence and compromise the authenticity of his demonic path.

After all, Lu Shan-jun's designated role in the grand plan was to be a pivotal figure among the demon race. Previously, Ji Yuan had only thirty percent confidence in his potential to become a great demon, but after this night, that confidence had soared to seventy percent.

On the moonlit platform that night, Ji Yuan had explained everything with exceptional care and detail. Just as Lu Shan-jun placed his complete trust in him, Ji Yuan equally trusted this extraordinary tiger.

Throughout that night, continuous tiger roars emanated from the depths of Niu Kui Mountain. Birds in that section of the forest scattered and fled—and Hu Yun fled right along with them. In that state, he was even more terrified to remain near Lu Shan-jun.

The only advantage the red fox had over Lu Shan-jun was its ability to run down Niu Kui Mountain and slip into Ning'an County town. Since the town was now more comfortable than the mountains, Hu Yun didn't want to stay another night and simply fled during the night.

It wasn't until nearly dawn that the tiger spirit, whose joy remained undiminished, finally calmed down. At that moment, Lu Shan-jun's mind was crystal clear, and every word Ji Yuan had spoken was perfectly distinct.

Although his master had not directly imparted any miraculous cultivation methods last night, he had illuminated all the crucial junctures on Lu Shan-jun's path to transformation and beyond. Most importantly, he had indicated the direction of the true 'Great Dao.' This profound sense of expectation was now unmistakably clear.

‘My master has placed great hopes in me. I will surely forge my own path. When I can proudly claim to be Ji Yuan's disciple, I will certainly not tarnish his esteemed name!’

Carrying this conviction, Lu Shan-jun did not return to his original cave. Instead, he leaped out and rushed to another location in the mountains.

That cave was no longer suitable for quiet cultivation. He needed to find a brighter location, and the new spot also had to be close to this specific mountain rock.

Lu Shan-jun had decided to come to this moonlit platform to cultivate whenever the bright moon hung high. From the night he received the teachings, this mountain rock had acquired an extraordinary significance for him.

However, after sharing the teachings that night, although his master had not officially acknowledged the fox as a disciple, there was still a bond that made Lu Shan-jun feel a sense of closeness to the red fox.

It was just that the fox remained too ignorant, unaware of its great fortune. Lu Shan-jun decided that he would discipline the little fox whenever he had the chance, lest it waste this karmic opportunity for cultivation.

Hu Yun had already returned to Ning'an County and was sleeping beside Yin Qing.

Just as Lu Shan-jun conceived the idea of disciplining the red fox, Hu Yun suddenly shivered, his fur standing on end. He woke with a start, looking around frantically, and only breathed a huge sigh of relief when he realized he was in the Yin family's bedroom.

Hu Yun had just dreamt that he was still in the tiger's den on Niu Kui Mountain, with Lu Shan-jun roaring at him, jaws agape.

Life at Ju'an Small Pavilion remained relatively peaceful. Ji Yuan returned to a routine that followed the sunrise and sunset, diligently observing the stars, admiring the moon, and cultivating his spells.

Yin Qing was already the oldest student in the academy. He often helped the old master, and his own studies required little oversight. He was originally scheduled to leave Ning'an County soon to attend Huiyuan Academy in Chunhui Prefecture, but as soon as Ji Yuan returned, he hesitated and was reluctant to depart.

Finding it difficult to force him, Ji Yuan had Yin Qing write a letter home to Wan Province, asking for his parents' decision.

It was foreseeable that the reply would instruct Yin Qing to quickly go to the academy. However, a family letter traveling between the two provinces would take about two or three months for a round trip, providing Yin Qing with a buffer period.

One day, during the academy's holiday, Yin Qing sat reading in the courtyard of Ju'an Small Pavilion. The red fox also lay on the stone table, looking at the same book with him. Occasionally, they would even recite a passage together. Anyone witnessing this scene would surely find it highly amusing or be utterly terrified.

Meanwhile, Ji Yuan sat at the other end, perusing a scroll of *Discourse on the Way of Chess*. Books on this subject had been delivered once more by the Underworld Office of Ning'an County, all carved onto bamboo slips by the Martial Judge to make it convenient for Ji Yuan to feel and read the characters.

Unbeknownst to them, the sky grew overcast again, and the rumbling sound of thunder occasionally echoed from afar. Yin Qing and Hu Yun paid no heed, still diligently engrossed in their reading.

Ji Yuan, however, put down the bamboo slips, walked out from under the jujube tree's shade, looked at the clouds in the sky, and sniffed the moisture permeating the air.

“Ah, yes, before I knew it, it’s the eve of Mangzhong. This rain is due. Yin Qing, go home and bring in your clothes.”

“Mr. Ji, I haven’t hung out any clothes today!”

Yin Qing smiled at Ji Yuan, then continued reading with Hu Yun.

“Then you two should move. It’s about to rain; come inside to read.”

As Ji Yuan spoke, he picked up the other two bamboo slips from the stone table, went into the main room, brought a chair, and sat by the doorway. Outside, the young man and the fox were still engrossed in their reading.

Soon, the first drops of rain fell to the ground, followed by more and more, gradually turning into a heavy downpour.

Yin Qing exclaimed “Oh dear!” and rushed towards Ji Yuan, clutching his book. The red fox, running on its hind legs with its two paws pressed against its head, looked even more comical.

Outside, the sounds of people rushing in the rain began. There were always some careless individuals who didn't check the sky, appearing frantic when the rain suddenly began to fall.

“Oh dear, oh dear! Quick, find shelter!” “This rain came so suddenly!”

“Run, run!” “Get the clothes in first!”

However, for most of the villagers, this rain was a cause for celebration. The rainfall caused rivers and canals to swell and provided abundant water for the fields, offering a good start for a new round of planting around Ning'an County and throughout the entire Ji Province.

The rain hammered down…

The rain hammered down on the rooftops, splashed in the courtyard, and struck the branches and leaves of the jujube tree. All the surrounding sounds and sights merged into a beautiful, harmonious painting within Ji Yuan's mind.

Seeing Ji Yuan sitting by the doorway with his eyes closed, immersed in the sensation of the rain falling on the earth, Yin Qing and Hu Yun also stopped reading. They too moved chairs and sat by the doorway, while the red fox sat on the ground beside Yin Qing, swishing its tail.

Half an hour later, as the rain began to gradually weaken, Ji Yuan stood up from his chair, stepped out the doorway, and stood under the eaves.

The courtyard gate of the small pavilion was only ajar. Though the rain had not yet stopped, three distinct knocks—‘knock, knock, knock…’—already sounded from outside.

“Please come in, Old Mr. Ying!”

“Heh heh, excuse my intrusion!”

Old Dragon Ying Hong pushed open the courtyard gate and entered the small pavilion. Rain fell on him, wetting his clothes, but he paid it no mind, exchanging hand salutes with Ji Yuan.

By the time the old dragon reached the stone table in front of the courtyard, the rain had already ceased.

Among the branches and leaves of the jujube tree in the courtyard, there was a frightened rustling sound—‘rustle, rustle, rustle…’—before it subsided into quiet. Yin Qing, meanwhile, had already stood up in surprise.

“You are—you are the old gentleman who ate half the jujube tree’s fruit in one go and got my father drunk!”

Yin Qing had an excellent memory, and coupled with the deep impression the old dragon had made and his unchanging attire over the years, he recognized him immediately despite having seen him only once.

“Heh heh heh, it is indeed I!”

The old dragon smiled, stroking his beard and nodding. Ji Yuan, meanwhile, turned to Yin Qing and Hu Yun and said:

“You two go back first. The old gentleman and I have something to discuss.”

If Mr. Ji said so, then there truly was something important. The young man and the fox almost simultaneously agreed.

“Oh…”

Then, holding their books, they tiptoed out of the small courtyard.

Only then did Ji Yuan walk into the courtyard, wave his sleeve to clear the rainwater from the stone table and stools, and gesture with his hand.

“Please sit, Old Mr. Ying!”

“Alright, Mr. Ji, please!”

As the two sat down, the old dragon smiled and teased.

“This red fox must be the one Mr. Ji saved back then, right? It’s quite interesting. That Yin family boy also possesses a spark of spiritual intelligence; doesn’t Mr. Ji intend to teach him something?”

“I am already teaching him, though not in immortal cultivation or spells. The Yin family father and son are dedicated to the common people. Although Yin Qing is young and playful, he is not fickle-minded; he is truly a great talent.”

The old dragon nodded, squinting his eyes towards the direction of the Yin family's house.

“To receive such an evaluation from Mr. Ji, the Yin family master truly deserves to be called an 'eminent figure'.”

As they were speaking, Ji Yuan extended his right hand and beckoned. Immediately, several fiery red jujubes fell from the tree, drawn by magical power to gather on the stone table.

Six berries lined up in a row, with a faint fiery glow emanating from them.

“Please, Old Mr., have a taste. Don't blame me for being stingy; the older these fiery jujubes are, the more extraordinary they become. There are only a few dozen left in this batch, and picking one means one less.”

“Oh, you. Alright, you only gave me two back then; at least today there are a few more.”

As he spoke, the old dragon grabbed all the jujubes, shoved them into his mouth, and made crunching sounds as he chewed, not even spitting out the pits.

The old dragon was not a stingy dragon, and Mr. Ji felt he should also be generous. Although the jujubes were few, they were all from the initial fiery jujubes; only ten of these had remained in total, and now only four were left.

“Old Mr., you were wandering around the vicinity earlier. Do you have any specific news?”

The old dragon naturally knew what Ji Yuan was asking about.

“It is rumored that the fated opportunities in the southern corner of the Eastern Cloud Continent are currently concealed. Perhaps precisely because of this, those with intentions to seek karmic connections are largely adhering to rules, maintaining a wait-and-see attitude, and are even less willing to disturb the mortal world.”

“Interestingly, after that true demon escaped—I don’t know if it was to spite other beings—he deliberately spread news that while the interior of Da Zhen appeared peaceful, it was actually a perilous ‘dragon’s den and tiger’s lair’…”

The old dragon paused, then continued.

“Because of this, the cultivators of Yu Huai Mountain seemed unable to sit still. They sent people to Tianji Pavilion to seek answers. It’s said that on the way, they had a confrontation with some demonic cultivators or heretics. Heh, this old man thinks it’s eighty percent related to that true demon, as they were surely provoked, and it happened in the Southern Wasteland.”

Ji Yuan’s aged eyes showed no ripples, but in reality, his mind was constantly abuzz with thoughts.

“Such a thing happened? Hasn’t Tianji Pavilion sealed its grotto-heaven?”

“Those immortal abodes of theirs always maintain some connections. Although Yu Huai Mountain doesn’t have a resounding reputation, it is, after all, at the center of this incident. Tianji Pavilion might not necessarily shut them out.”