Chapter 602: With the Wisdom of Old Ox

Seeing Old Ox's cautious inquiry, Ji Yuan suppressed his smile and nodded. Old Ox's expression instantly stiffened. The gold ingot in his hand felt scalding hot, like a branding iron. No, Old Ox could even withstand a branding iron, but this gold felt impossible to hold.

Niubatian (Old Ox) took a deep breath and first addressed the couple nearby. "Mr. Ji, Old Lu, and I have some private matters to discuss. You two go rest. Oh, and please kill a few chickens and get some fresh fruits to prepare a sumptuous lunch to entertain them."

"Don't worry, Great Hero Niu, leave it to us."

"Yes, it's rare to have guests!"

Although the woman was pregnant, she could still move freely. The couple didn't linger; after promising, they left together to get busy.

Once the couple left, Niubatian's face fell. He turned to Ji Yuan with a mournful expression and said, "Mr. Ji, do even you need help sometimes?"

Ji Yuan picked up his teacup and took a sip, then smiled at Old Ox again. "Though I, Ji, have some abilities, I am not omnipotent. Of course, there are times when I need help."

"But what virtue or ability do I, Old Ox, possess that could possibly help you, Mr. Ji?"

Don't let Old Ox's usual simple-minded demeanor fool you; he was truly an intelligent person. Even though Ji Yuan hadn't said much, he instinctively realized that this matter was not simple.

As he spoke, Niubatian secretly observed Lu Shanjun out of the corner of his eye, hoping to glean some information from him. However, the tiger merely rested one hand on the stone table, gazing expressionlessly at Old Ox, without even offering a glance. This was too unfeeling, making Old Ox immediately decide that the hundreds of taels of gold he owed Lu Shanjun were now completely written off.

Hearing Old Ox's words, Ji Yuan suppressed his smile, returning to a calm expression. He gazed at him silently for a long time, making Old Ox feel extremely uncomfortable. He felt as if Mr. Ji's pale eyes were trying to pierce his very soul, seeing through his every little thought.

"Mr. Ji, I'm not some delicate young maiden. Your staring like that is quite creepy..."

Old Ox stammered out another sentence. Ji Yuan sighed softly, said nothing more, and reached out for the gold ingot in Old Ox's hand.

The moment Ji Yuan reached out, Old Ox naturally understood his intent. But instead of feeling relieved, he felt a sense of panic. Although the gold ingot was hot to handle, it also held another special significance.

In less than a breath's time, countless thoughts flashed through Old Ox's mind. He considered countless possibilities, and couldn't control his grip, slightly deforming the gold in his hand. The instant Ji Yuan's hand was about to touch the gold, Old Ox suddenly moved the hand gripping it away.

"Hoo... hoo... hoo..." Such a small movement seemed to have consumed a great deal of Old Ox's energy. He was even panting slightly, with a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead. Lu Shanjun, holding his teacup, narrowed his eyes and watched Old Ox.

"What? Do you still want this gold ingot?"

Ji Yuan withdrew his hand and sat upright, looking at Niubatian. Old Ox composed himself; since he was already gripping the gold, he wouldn't feign ignorance. Instead, he revealed his characteristic simple-minded smile again.

"Uh-huh-huh... Mr. Ji, you promised to lend Old Ox gold, why are you taking it back? How about this, lend me another ten taels of gold. And if you have any spiritual items that nourish the spirit, strengthen the body, or aid recovery, please give Old Ox a little. It doesn't have to be too miraculous; anything you take out will surely be effective anyway."

"I do."

Old Ox was a smart man. Hearing him say this, both Ji Yuan and Old Ox understood the implication. However, just as Ji Yuan was about to take out some of the remaining ambergris for Old Ox, he suddenly paused and looked up to ask Old Ox another question.

"For yourself?"

"Of course not! I'm thick-skinned, coarse-fleshed, strong, and robust; why would I need it? That fight with Old Lu didn't even faze me. Heh heh, it's for that lady!"

Ji Yuan: ...

Alright, as expected of Old Ox. Even though Ji Yuan had already considered this possibility, he still didn't expect Old Ox to say it so bluntly.

Ji Yuan was a little speechless, a mix of amusement and exasperation, but he didn't think less of Old Ox for it. He reached into his sleeve, and when he withdrew his hand, he held a handful of dates he had taken from the Jū'ān Pavilion earlier. Because the dates were so large, there were only five in one handful. But Ji Yuan didn't stop; he placed those on the table, then grabbed two more handfuls. Ultimately, a total of fifteen large dates were placed on the stone table.

Old Ox sniffed with his nose and knew instantly that these dates were definitely good stuff—far from mere ordinary spiritual fruits.

"Here are fifteen for you. If you're giving them to that lady, one is enough, but even eating all fifteen won't harm her."

"Hiss... Mr. Ji, you are truly generous! These dates are truly extraordinary; they must have been hard to come by, right?"

As Old Ox spoke, he picked up a date, held it to his nose, and sniffed it carefully. He couldn't resist taking a bite, and immediately, a fragrant and sweet burst of flavor exploded in his mouth. Its crispy and delicious taste went without saying. Moreover, special spiritual energy and charm manifested within it, instantly spreading throughout his entire body.

Lu Shanjun had long known that the date tree at Jū'ān Pavilion was extraordinary, and having chatted with Ji Yuan on their way down the mountain, he now understood that the date tree had a tendency to develop into a spiritual root. Hearing Old Ox's words, he sneered from the side.

"Hmph, these dates are certainly not simple. They are fruits borne by a spiritual root of heaven and earth. Though not the essence of the 'nine-nine' numbers, they were still nourished by the same root. How could they be easily obtained? Would an uncivilized demon like you ever get to taste a single one in this lifetime if you hadn't met Mr. Ji?"

Old Ox's heart skipped a beat. Even though his guess had been quite high, he still hadn't expected it to be *that* high. As he reached out to gather the remaining dates into his arm, he also took one out and placed it in front of Lu Shanjun.

"Hey, Old Lu, you're actually not a bad person, just a bit harsh sometimes. Here, a fruit from a spiritual root of heaven and earth. If it weren't for me, Old Ox, giving it to you, an uncivilized demon like you wouldn't get to taste even one. This must be worth ten thousand taels of gold, right? Be quicker with lending money in the future!"

"Crack, crack, crack..."

Even with Lu Shanjun's excellent composure, his fists were audibly clenched. If Ji Yuan hadn't been sitting beside them, he would have eagerly fought Old Ox again.

Seeing Lu Shanjun and Old Ox's conversation and reactions, Ji Yuan's mood inexplicably brightened. There might not be few people or things that could provoke Lu Shanjun to such an extent, but to do it so effortlessly, probably only Old Ox could manage it.

Seeing that Lu Shanjun seemed a little angry, Old Ox knew when to stop. He immediately collected all the dates, then stood up and bowed once more to Ji Yuan.

"Thank you, Mr. Ji, for the fruits. Oh, and the other ten taels of gold, Mr. Ji..."

Ji Yuan's eyebrow twitched. He calmly took out another gold ingot from his sleeve and placed it on the stone table. He watched Old Ox gleefully pocket the gold, not missing him squeezing it with his hand and inspecting it with demon power. Seeing both Ji Yuan and Lu Shanjun watching him, he quickly offered an explanation.

"Uh-hahaha, well, Mr. Ji, I, Old Ox, definitely can't trust myself. You know that the paths of transformation and illusionary arts are ever-changing and the trickiest to deal with. Old Ox here suffered a great loss because of them once, so this is just a habit..."

As Old Ox mentioned this, Ji Yuan suddenly remembered something.

"Are you referring to the time your demon body was tricked and broken by a fox demon?"

"Yes, yes, yes, Mr. Ji remembers clearly. That was the time Old Ox fell for an illusionary spell and saw through it a bit too late. So, in my cultivation these past few years, I, Old Ox, have been diligently compensating for this weakness."

Ji Yuan frowned. That fox demon knew him, Ji, and it was highly likely she was related to Tu Sixian. Wouldn't that fox demon also know Old Ox?

"If that fox demon sees you again, she'll surely recognize you?"

Niubatian paused slightly, then immediately understood something. "Mr. Ji, is your matter related to that stinking fox?"

"Yes, it's possible we might encounter her, and there might be more than one fox."

Ji Yuan admitted it very candidly; after all, such a matter could absolutely not be concealed. Hearing his words, Niubatian frowned and pondered for a long time, then composed himself and looked at Ji Yuan.

"Mr. Ji, that fox shouldn't recognize me either. Back then, she used a clone, not her true body, and because she used a strange evil spell to bind my demon bones and suppress most of my demon power, it prevented me from using my demon body. So, she hasn't actually seen my demon body. Not only was her clone's spiritual perception limited, but that clone was also immediately shattered, without giving her any time to withdraw her divine sense. It must have injured her as well. Besides..."

"Unless it's a legitimate brothel, where everything can be settled with money, otherwise, for those fleeting encounters arranged by matchmakers, I, Old Ox, always transform into a handsomer form when I go out for fun. That time was no different, so that stinking old hag shouldn't recognize me either."

Ji Yuan breathed a slight sigh of relief at Old Ox's words.

"Are you certain?"

Old Ox tidied his thoughts, then nodded seriously and said, "I wouldn't say absolutely certain, but it's close. With Old Ox's intelligence, even if there are some variables, I can handle them."

Old Ox had expected Lu Shanjun to inevitably mock him for saying that, but unexpectedly, the tiger didn't retort with a single word. He couldn't help but turn to look at him in surprise, only to find that the large date on the table was gone.

"Hey, Old Lu, you looked like you didn't want it, but you just took it! Not modest at all!"

"You! You're asking for death!"

"Cough, cough..."

Ji Yuan couldn't help but cough. He felt they were not far from a fight.