Chapter 687: Worth Fighting For

Ji Yuan’s foot wasn’t merely stepping on a tail; it felt more like he had seized a vital point. The stout man felt not only unable to revert to his fox form and flee, but he couldn’t even resort to desperate measures to save himself. A profound weakness spread through his body.

The problem was that in his current state, the stout man found it difficult even to turn around and kneel. He could only stand awkwardly to the side, repeatedly cupping his hands in supplication and begging for mercy.

“No need to be so anxious. Nothing will happen to you. Please, sit down.” Jiyuan said, then actively lifted his foot from the other’s tail. He picked up a nearby chair, dragged it over, and sat down.

The stout man’s first instinct upon feeling unrestricted was to flee, but ultimately, he didn’t move. It wasn’t due to any high moral standing on his part; it was purely because the golden armor’s gaze sent chills down his spine, leaving him utterly terrified and unable to stir.

“Uh… I’ll just stand, if you don’t mind…” Though the stout man dared not flee, he also dared not sit, instead standing close to the table, his gaze darting between Jiyuan and the tall golden armor.

By this time, the little paper crane no longer watched from the window outside. It squeezed directly through the opening, flapped its wings, and flew to Jiyuan’s shoulder, boldly scrutinizing the fox spirit from up close.

*So different from Hu Yun, and so different from others I’ve seen before. He can turn into a human, but he feels much weaker than Hu Yun.*

In contrast, the stout man was also unconsciously drawn to the little paper crane. He glanced towards the window where he had just heard extremely ferocious barking, which had nearly made his heart pound out of his chest. Now, not only was it quiet, but a paper bird had flown in.

“How long have you occupied this Wei family estate?” Jiyuan asked abruptly. The stout man instinctively flinched, his attention returning to Jiyuan.

“To answer your question, sir, not long at all, three months at most. And we haven’t occupied the entire estate; we merely borrowed a few houses for use. The Wei family had long since vacated the premises. We certainly didn’t seize it by force!” The stout man spoke much more calmly, his demeanor indeed much better than those who had fled earlier.

Jiyuan nodded, putting the remaining half (of a chicken, presumably) into his mouth. His tongue and teeth picked at the meat, then he spat out a bone, catching it with his hand and placing it on the table. He looked at the tabletop, which was largely a mess of dishes and crumbs, with little left intact. Some bowls and plates had even been knocked over by the scrambling foxes earlier, leaving him only able to salvage a few pieces of pastry.

“Besides transforming into human form, do you have any other abilities?” Jiyuan could tell that these foxes had very low cultivation. Even their human-like appearances were just superficial illusions, like false skins worn over clothes to put on an act.

“Uh, to answer you, sir, besides being able to transform into humans at night, I can also bewitch ordinary people if they are in a poor mental state. I can also find and identify over a dozen types of herbs and dig them up without damaging their roots. Oh, and I can catch mice, retrieve pheasants, climb trees, and swim in rivers…”

Jiyuan, who was in the middle of biting into a pastry, visibly paused. *What remarkable abilities indeed!*

However, this was normal. Apart from demons with a proper lineage, many demons cultivated on their own, by trial and error. Though Hu Yun couldn’t even transform into a human initially, his cultivation level was far superior to these foxes.

Hearing the stout man continue to boast about his abilities, Jiyuan quickly interrupted him.

“Very good, very good. You do have some abilities. So, how did this table full of food and wine come to be? You didn’t just acquire it illicitly, did you?” Jiyuan finished the three pastries in his palm, then tilted his head back to tip the crumbs from his palm into his mouth. When he looked at the table again, he really couldn’t find any food that hadn’t been nibbled on or stepped on. But looking down, he saw a plate lying upside down on the floor, and through the cracks in its broken bottom, he could see pastries inside.

Jiyuan’s face lit up with a smile. He bent down and turned over the broken plate, picking up several pieces of pastry, some whole, others shattered. Compared to eating food that had been stepped on or bitten by foxes, he didn’t mind food that had fallen on the ground. He patted the dust off the pastries and blew on them before putting them into his mouth to chew and savor.

“Uh, well, we have no money… Some of the food and wine, indeed, were not acquired properly. But we remember where and from whom each item came. In the future, we will definitely compensate them!”

Jiyuan uttered an “Oh,” finished the last bit of pastry, and turned sideways to look directly at the man.

“What is your name?”

“Uh, this little fox named himself Huli.”

This amused Jiyuan again; the name was quite straightforward. His peripheral vision flickered towards the back door.

“Woof woof woof!”

The little paper crane on his shoulder suddenly let out another fierce bark, and immediately, there was another commotion of panicked scurrying outside the back door. It turned out that quite a few of the foxes who had fled earlier had now quietly returned. They had just been about to secretly lie outside to observe the situation when the little paper crane suddenly startled them squarely.

The little paper crane on Jiyuan’s shoulder, seeing that its barking had worked again, happily flapped its wings rapidly, hovered three inches high, and then settled back onto Jiyuan’s shoulder.

Huli, standing nearby, had also given a sudden shudder. He now confirmed that the barking had indeed come from this paper bird.

“Alright, stop scaring them.” Jiyuan patted the little paper crane on his shoulder twice, straightened his clothes, and crossed his legs in the chair, looking at Huli with a smile. “Where did you originally cultivate? How many awakened kin are there in total?”

Huli had initially thought he had encountered a powerful exorcist, and that the golden armor was merely a disciple or assistant. But after seeing the little paper crane, especially after seeing its spiritual essence, he suddenly realized that encountering such an individual was far more significant than meeting an ordinary master.

“To answer you, sir, we originally cultivated in Yulin Mountain. We gathered to absorb the essence of the sun and moon, absorbing spiritual energy. By helping each other, there are now a total of twenty-seven foxes who have awakened their spiritual intelligence. All of them were here just now…” Huli was being cunning; in truth, there were thirty-two foxes who had opened their spiritual apertures, but only twenty-seven had been present. Since Jiyuan had seen them, he simply claimed there were twenty-seven in total.

“Oh, quite a few, aren’t there!” Jiyuan didn’t entirely believe Huli, but whether it was the truth or a falsehood didn’t matter much.

“Uh-huh, yes. Some time ago, we happened to hear that things were more comfortable outside, that one could learn more from humans, which would aid cultivation, and there were suitable places. So, some of us came out first, and only after establishing a foothold did all of us come out… Oh, and by the way, we didn’t harm the Wei family. Sir, you can inquire in town, and you’ll find out. The Wei family brought it upon themselves!”

“I know,” Jiyuan said lightly, looking at Huli with a serene expression. “I have an opportunity here that I can offer you. It depends on whether you dare to seize it, and whether you can hold onto it.”

*An opportunity?* Huli’s heart stirred. He cautiously took a step closer to Jiyuan, bowing low and looking up. “Could you please explain it more clearly, sir? What kind of opportunity? Uh, if it involves joining the imperial army in battle, we certainly can’t do it. The moment the murderous aura rushes in, we’d be cut down by fierce soldiers…”

“No, no… Not to mention the war between the two nations is largely decided. Even if there were variables, it wouldn’t be your turn to get involved. I simply feel that since you are fox spirits, it will naturally be easier for you to approach others of your kind. I’m thinking of having you help with something.”

“Help?” Huli looked at Jiyuan with confusion.

“Yes, help. It may involve some minor trouble, but as long as you’re clever, it shouldn’t be a big problem. If you are willing to help, I will also grant you an opportunity, and will give you some benefits beforehand.”

“Sir, could you please tell me what kind of help you need? It’s not that I’m unwilling, but our cultivation is low, and we fear we might not be able to help. We also need to have some idea!” Huli asked cautiously, his tone revealing both prudence and suspicion.

“Oh, simply put, it’s to help me find and approach certain fox demons. Of course, their cultivation is much stronger than yours; at the very least, they are true shape-shifters with proper lineage. For some reason, they are quite afraid of me and always keep their distance. You’d just be trying your luck, helping me search for them.”

*Find fox demons?*

“What, then, is the good fortune you spoke of, sir?”

Jiyuan smiled and stood up, startling Huli, who instinctively took two steps back.

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll let you experience it first, then you’ll know.” Saying this, Jiyuan reached out and pointed a finger at Huli’s forehead. A faint magical light flowed from Jiyuan’s finger and entered his forehead. A vibrant, nimble surge of magic instantly spread from his Dantian throughout Huli’s entire body.

Immediately after, an unprecedented sensation arose within his body. His bones and muscles seemed to be undergoing rapid changes. His slightly stooped and plump body also elongated and transformed, becoming strong and powerful, handsome and debonair. The tail behind his backside continuously shortened, eventually merging into his body and disappearing. Moreover, streams of magical energy, seemingly moving at his will, circulated within him, making the spiritual energy accumulated in his body incredibly agile.

“I, I’ve become human? I…” Huli felt the magic within his body, then touched his face and body, and patted his backside. His heart pounded uncontrollably fast.

Feeling the sensation of circulating magic within him, Huli felt as though this magic could do whatever he pleased. Acting on impulse, Huli made a tentative sweep towards the table. The next moment, all the dishes, cups, and food scraps floated up. Even the wine spilled from the cups due to inertia slowly floated out. With a single thought, the wine transformed into a nimble stream of water, curving several times in the air before flying into his open mouth.

The taste of the wine and the sensation of swallowing it let him know this was no illusion.

“This feeling… this, this is the feeling of having achieved cultivation…”

“Not only that, but you can also fly through the sky, escape underground, dive and swim freely, sense the changes of heaven and earth, and comprehend the wonders of nature. You are considered to have entered the true path of cultivation. However, this is merely my own magic that has transformed you; it’s not real.” Jiyuan smiled and pointed out a few things, for this fox’s understanding was too limited.

Huli immediately fell to his knees, continuously kowtowing towards Jiyuan. “Immortal Master, Immortal Master! Please, Immortal Master, teach me, I beg you to teach me! I will certainly obey any command from you, Immortal Master; I will not shrink from any danger, even death!”

Jiyuan extended a hand to support him. “Have you thought it through? I must state beforehand, this matter is not without danger. You might even die if things go wrong.”

“Please, Immortal Master, teach me! Please, Immortal Master, teach me!” Huli knelt and cupped his hands again, only pleading for Jiyuan to teach him. Such an opportunity was rare, encountered once in a thousand years. He had met a true immortal today; perhaps even if it led to death, he would never have a second chance for an “Immortal’s Guidance.” As for danger, for minor demons like them with uncertain futures, any danger was worth risking for today’s opportunity!