Chapter 481: Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road

Two arrows hit their targets. The military officer drew a third arrow, notched it onto the bowstring, and pulled the bow to a full draw with outstretched arms.

“Whoosh!”

The third arrow flew with even greater force, soaring like a comet, aimed at a white fox in front of the group, to their left.

“Ah! No!”

Amidst the white fox’s startled cry, its demonic energy surged, and its form blurred, narrowly dodging the arrow. The arrow struck the ground, burying itself in the soil, with only a small section of its fletched tail remaining visible.

The fox pack was now in extreme panic, knowing only to run and to distance themselves from the mounted soldiers behind them.

The leading officer had fired three consecutive arrows. The first two hit two foxes, and the third was dodged. However, the fox pack’s terror intensified, and because the officer’s arrows had all been aimed to their left, the foxes instinctively fled to the right.

The thundering sound of hooves echoed across the ground. As the fox pack fled, two agile riders from the rear contingent leaned down and scooped up the two previously struck foxes, each clutching one as they rode past.

“General, excellent archery! Both of these were killed with a single shot, giving the demons no chance to use their magic.”

“Hmph, they’re already exhausted. Even if they had demonic magic, our military formation could handle them. We’ll capture them all today! Charge!”

Ahead, a group of foxes, numbering thirty to forty, was being chased by the cavalry. They were primarily red and gray foxes, with one rare white fox among them.

The cavalry behind pressed closer, with soldiers occasionally firing arrows. Their purpose was not to kill the foxes, but to drive them in the desired direction. The officer, however, had not fired another arrow since his third shot missed.

“Hoo-hoo-hoo... Sister, what do we do?”

“Hoo... I don't know, I don't know...”

“Just run, quickly! Escape to Pozi Mountain, deep into the mountains, where horses can't follow us. We can hide in ravines and caves!”

“Ah...”

Another fox was hit by a soldier’s arrow, letting out a pained yelp. It tried to continue running on its limping leg, but its speed drastically decreased. It could only watch as the other foxes overtook it and sped away.

“No! Save me, save me, please save me! Don't leave me behind!”

In such a situation, the fox pack could barely protect themselves; who would stop? Even if someone did stop, who could save it?

The fox pack gritted their teeth, avoiding looking at their lagging companion. Everyone knew what would happen if they were caught. Soon, the pack crested a small hill during their escape, just as another cavalry unit, which had already outflanked them, burst forth in an instant.

“Kill!” “Exterminate these demonic creatures!”

“Demons, prepare to die!” “Hoo!”

“Ah!” “They're here too!”

Forty to fifty riders charged in, catching the fox pack off guard. Many foxes were struck by sweeping weapons, and some were even impaled directly onto the ground by long spears.

The mountain entrance was directly ahead, and all the fleeing foxes strained to reach it, their entire attention focused on the pursuers behind and on their right flank. But as they charged forward, another unexpected change occurred.

“Ding-a-ling... ding-a-ling...”

As a series of bells rang out, sturdy large nets rose from the ground at the path ahead, or dropped down from all sides. Almost all the foxes were caught in this one sweep.

The rumble of horse hooves grew louder in Ji Yuan's ears. He and the old beggar, traveling on the wind in the sky, soon approached the dust-stirring cavalry. Ji Yuan saw a thick aura of military bloodlust rising from the riders, while ahead of the chasing cavalry, demonic energy billowed.

“Are they chasing demons?”

The old beggar could naturally discern the demonic energy ahead, and also saw that there weren't just one or two demons, but a whole group. He stroked the short, scattered gray whiskers on his chin and said,

“For a great dynasty like Da Xiu, such a sight isn't too surprising. Mr. Ji, these soldiers have a strong aura of bloodlust, clearly seasoned veterans and fierce warriors. Each is robust and exceptionally skilled, so it's no wonder they can pursue and encircle demonic beasts.”

Ji Yuan frowned and remained silent, simply lowering his altitude on the wind. The cavalry below had gradually slowed from their charge, and over two hundred riders reduced their speed, converging on the location where the fox pack was caught.

The heavy breathing of horses filled the air, and riders dismounted one after another, their spirits high.

“Hahahahaha... I've chased you for so long, and you're still caught by me! How dare you use demonic magic to cause trouble in Bianrong and even commit murder? Even if you are demons, you won't escape!”

The leading officer, with a bow on his back and a spear in hand, walked step by step towards the netted foxes. Small copper bells hung from some knots on the sturdy net, emitting a faint jingle as the net swayed.

The officer's gaze swept the surroundings. Any foxes not caught in the net had by now either been captured or killed outright. He assumed no foxes had escaped, or if any had, they weren't part of this pursued group but rather had fled at the very beginning.

The officer waved to the side, and an attendant immediately brought him a scroll. Holding the document, he walked towards the trapped fox pack, who were too terrified to make a sound, and slowly unrolled the scroll.

“A demonic fox has used magic to harm people in Bianrong Prefecture, causing the deaths of three officials and six commoners. It was apprehended by an Immortal Master from the Celestial Masters' Bureau, who ascertained its name to be Luo Xiaoqiu, a demonic fox from the Withered Wood Tomb. Demonic creatures causing chaos and harming people is an unforgivable grave crime. By order of the Prefect of Bianrong and the Immortal Master of the Celestial Masters' Bureau, the demonic fox is to be eradicated, and the Withered Wood Tomb leveled.”

The officer slowly rolled up the document in his hand and looked again at the trapped demonic foxes, his gaze lingering on the white fox among them.

“Hmph, your pelts are quite good. After executing you, your furs can be presented, which will certainly count as a minor merit.”

Even though the foxes were terrified, they knew this was their last chance, and they all cried out for mercy.

“It's a mistake! General, General, we've been wronged!”

“General, we don't know any Luo Xiaoqiu. There's no such fox at Withered Wood Tomb!”

“General, please spare us. We've never done anything harmful! We wouldn't dare to harm anyone; please investigate thoroughly, General!”

“Don't kill us, don't kill us!”

The foxes continued to beg for mercy, while also struggling to break free. Some even clawed at the net ropes with sharp claws and bit with keen teeth, but they couldn't budge the ropes. The small copper bells on the net, even with a slight shake, caused their teeth and claws to ache, yet they dared not stop trying.

The surrounding soldiers stood ready, weapons in hand.

“Aim carefully; don't damage the pelts.”

“Yes, sir!” “Understood!”

The officer gave his subordinates an order, then sneered at the foxes again.

“Stop pleading innocence! Are there any good demons? Even commoners of Da Xiu who commit grave crimes face collective punishment, let alone you fox demons. If you want to blame someone, blame Luo Xiaoqiu!”

At this moment, the old beggar and Ji Yuan also landed nearby, observing the foxes killed during the chase and the remaining two dozen caught in the net.

The two had already concealed their aura and presence, and with Ji Yuan wielding the Grand Void Jade Talisman to cast a spell, neither the fox demons nor any of the soldiers could sense their existence.

“What do you think, Mr. Ji?”

Well, trouble shouldn't extend to family members. Even though the old beggar didn't have much affection for demons, if these foxes were truly innocent, he wouldn't mind intervening. However, to say these foxes were entirely innocent wouldn't be accurate.

At the very least, these foxes weren't telling the whole truth. Their claim of never having committed any wrongdoing was clearly false, as the manifestation of demonic energy couldn't deceive people, at least not the old beggar or Ji Yuan. However, the extent of their misdeeds wasn't severe; at most, it involved charming mortal men for illicit pleasure and stealing some vital energy.

Ji Yuan squinted, observed for a moment, then suddenly shifted his gaze and spoke.

“It's not for us to handle.”

As the old beggar heard this, he also felt something, turning his head towards the direction of Pozi Mountain's forest. At that moment, a woman in white appeared, strolling casually. She cradled a gray fox in her arms, head bowed, gently stroking its fur, as she approached the mountain path entrance with a seemingly slow but actually quick pace.

“Foes on a narrow path.”

Ji Yuan murmured faintly, then looked down at his right sleeve. It seemed the Grand Void Jade Talisman was indeed miraculous, as the newcomer couldn't see through their concealment.

Meanwhile, the old beggar observed the newcomer with an intrigued expression. Though curious, he didn't speak, quietly awaiting the unfolding events.

A woman in white, cradling a fox, appearing in the wilderness beside the mountain, looked anything but normal. The soldiers, of course, were not fools.

“Halt! Who goes there?”

At the soldier's shout, the woman indeed stopped in place, then slowly raised her head and offered a faint smile to everyone.

This was the feeling of a smile that could topple cities. Including the officer, all the soldiers froze in a daze at that moment.

‘Is this Tu Siyan's true form? Or is it yet another transformation?’

As Ji Yuan pondered this, the woman, as if ignoring distance, instantly walked to the edge of the large net holding the fox pack. With a gentle swipe of her hand, all the nets instantly tore, and the foxes were freed.

“Thank you, Immortal Master, thank you!” “Thank you, lady immortal!”

“Thank you, Immortal Master, for saving our lives!”

All the foxes gathered around, bowing to the woman, which amused her.

“Ah-ha... You call me a lady immortal? Lady immortals wouldn't do this...”

As the woman spoke, she extended her hand forward, as if pulling invisible threads from the void, grasping a bundle of glowing threads. Each thread was connected to one of the soldiers.

“Whoosh!” “Whoosh!” “Whoosh!” “Whoosh!”

Black smoke billowed from all the soldiers' bodies, indicating that their protective talismans had burned away.

“Dare to hunt my fox clan? You shall all die!”

Just as the woman was about to pull the threads, she suddenly heard a series of “boing-boing-boing” sounds. Then, her hand went slack as all the threads snapped. The old beggar had made his move.