Chapter 704: Come Back Safely

Unfortunately, the ferries from the Immortal Crossing Point to various regions were not readily available. The realm-traversing flying boats were not like buses; they had no fixed schedules or stops.

When Huli and the other foxes bravely entered the Moon Deer Mountain hall that managed inter-realm ferry services, the news they received left them quite disappointed.

"Even you, Immortal Elder, don't know?"

Huli and the group of foxes stood before the Moon Deer Mountain official, clear disappointment etched on all fifteen faces. This sight made the surrounding people and a few Moon Deer Mountain cultivators chuckle. Although these foxes appeared adult, in the cultivators' eyes, they were truly like "children," especially given their pure and ethereal nature, which even the immortal cultivators found endearing.

The Moon Deer Mountain cultivator on duty was an old man with a short beard. Seeing the foxes' expressions, he smiled and replied.

"Inter-realm ferries are, after all, treasures of various sacred lands and immortal sects. They don't urgently need to rely on them for money. While they do travel to some places each year, it's merely to facilitate their own sects and fellow cultivators. My Moon Deer Mountain would not force them to list their routes in advance. Mostly, we wait until the inter-realm ferry departs from its home base. Once they decide on their planned stops along the way, we naturally receive a notification, and approximate dates and other information then appear on the response plaques."

As the Moon Deer Mountain official spoke, he pointed to the plaques hanging on the hall walls.

Although the foxes didn't fully grasp everything, they mostly understood what the old immortal cultivator meant: an immediate trip to Lanzhou in the Western Regions was unlikely.

"Oh, who knows how long it will take..."

"Yeah, it's so scary here, and we don't have enough money..."

"How about we take odd jobs? I see many mortal shops over there are hiring."

"Is that allowed?" "Why not? If worse comes to worst, we can accept less pay, as long as food and lodging are provided, right?"

Several foxes began discussing, and the others were clearly swayed. This scene also brought knowing smiles to the faces of the Moon Deer Mountain cultivators. It was rare to see such yokai; if they weren't genuinely endearingly naive, their ethereal purity and innocence would make one wonder if they had been tutored by a truly enlightened master.

Meanwhile, Huli and his companions' discussion had also yielded a decision, with Huli making the final call.

"Alright, that's what we'll do. We'll find a suitable shop, earn some money, and live carefully here until a suitable ferry becomes available. Then we'll go to Lanzhou in the Western Regions!"

"Right!" "Exactly." "Let's do it!"

It must be said that the foxes' way of conversing was heavily influenced by the "little characters." During the time Ji Yuan spent at the Wei family's estate, the little characters and the little paper cranes were quite unrestrained, and their quirky conversations had clearly rubbed off on the foxes.

After making their decision, the foxes did not forget their manners. Led by Huli, they bowed to the Moon Deer Mountain cultivator.

"Thank you for the information, Immortal Elder. We will come here often to check!"

"Thank you, Immortal Elder!"

After bowing, the foxes turned around. Behind them, the Moon Deer Mountain cultivators exchanged smiling glances, and the elder in the middle spoke.

"Please wait a moment."

The foxes paused, then cautiously turned their heads. They felt no malice; instead, they saw the elder retrieve a token and hand it to Huli.

"Take this. With this token, finding work will be much easier and safer."

Huli instinctively took the token with both hands. Words were inscribed on both sides: "Moon on the willow branch, deer call on the mountain peak" on the back, and "Deer Call Bing Er" on the front.

"Thank you, Immortal Elder, for this token!"

"Go on. Just return it to me when you leave."

The foxes expressed boundless gratitude, their excitement uncontainable. They jumped and pranced with joy, some chattering about eating, others about sleeping.

After the foxes left the hall, the Moon Deer Mountain cultivators burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha... these foxes are truly amusing!"

"Indeed, born as yokai, yet so ethereal and innocent. These are true spirit foxes!"

"Precisely. If the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven, a sacred land for foxes, gathers spirit foxes of this caliber, then it truly lives up to its name."

The foxes could no longer hear the conversations in the hall, but their joyous departure from the Moon Deer Mountain temple was noticed by Wang Youhong and others who had been observing that direction.

Each person had their own thoughts, and Old Ox pondered that if Mr. Ji saw these foxes, he would likely find them quite interesting.

Gradually, summer turned to autumn. The Mr. Ji people spoke of had traveled throughout the ancestral Yue land over the past six months, and the war, crucial to both Da Zhen and ancestral Yue, was now nearing its end.

The Da Zhen army advanced like a bamboo-splitting force, having long passed Yongding Pass and entered ancestral Yue territory. Yet, the resistance they encountered grew increasingly weaker.

Not only in Ji Yuan's eyes, but also in the eyes of many insightful individuals in both countries, the fate of the realm was sealed. The demise of ancestral Yue was merely a matter of how fast the Da Zhen army advanced and established new order in the captured cities; ancestral Yue's so-called resistance no longer posed a significant challenge.

Standing atop a mountain near Yongding Pass, Ji Yuan calculated something with his fingers, then smiled as he looked north. He then turned his gaze south, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Mr. Ji, do you seem to have something on your mind?"

Beside Ji Yuan, the Mountain God of Tingqiu Mountain, Hong Shengting, appeared, holding a vibrant green bamboo tube.

Ji Yuan smiled at Hong Shengting.

"Indeed, I do have something. It seems someone from home will be looking for me. I need to go back for a trip..."

As he spoke, Ji Yuan's gaze fell upon the bamboo tube in Hong Shengting's hand.

"Mountain God Hong, what is that?"

"Oh, this? Uh, hehehe."

Hong Shengting chuckled, lifting the bamboo tube and opening its red stopper. Ji Yuan sniffed the air and chuckled.

"I thought it was some fine wine, but it's just water!"

"Hahahaha... I seem to have disappointed you, Mr. Ji!"

Hong Shengting laughed heartily, then shook the bamboo tube before replacing the stopper and speaking.

"Mr. Ji, I know you appreciate good wine, but I have no fine liquor on hand. How could I offer you ordinary wine? This water, however..."

Hong Shengting gestured with the tube and looked towards Tingqiu Mountain.

"This water comes from the heart of Tingqiu Mountain's ley line, a spring that emerges beneath the mountain spirit's stalactites. It is an extremely rare and precious commodity. This single tube in my hand represents a century's accumulation! While it isn't wine, if you use this water to assist in brewing, combined with the proper techniques, you are sure to create an excellent vintage!"

Ji Yuan's eyes lit up, and a smile immediately spread across his face.

"Indeed, this is quite interesting!"

Ji Yuan reached out and took the bamboo tube from Hong Shengting's hand, weighing it and sensing its contents.

"Thankfully, it's not truly just this small tube."

"Hahahaha, while I don't possess a rare item like your Thousand-Measure Pot, I do have some objects with considerable volume."

"In that case, I thank you very much!"

"You are too kind, Mr. Ji!"

Ji Yuan, holding the bamboo tube by its cord, bowed to Hong Shengting.

"I have a few other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now."

"Please, Mr. Ji, feel free!"

Hong Shengting returned the bow as he saw him off. Watching Ji Yuan depart on a cloud, he called out after him.

"Mr. Ji, when you brew that excellent wine in the future, you must let me have a taste!"

"Rest assured, Mountain God Hong!"

Ji Yuan replied with a smile. After weighing the bamboo tube in his hand while on the cloud, he placed it into his sleeve.

Ordinary brewing doesn't require much water, but the water in his hand could turn decay into wonder. In a sense, it was indeed more valuable than wine.

Around the same time, a woman dressed in light peach-colored clothes arrived outside Ning'an County.

The woman carried an oil-paper umbrella and a gray satchel. Standing outside Ning'an County city, her face was filled with joy as she gazed at the familiar urban landscape. This was Sun Ya-Ya, whose cultivation foundation had now been consolidated.

Her hometown was still so peaceful and beautiful...

Upon arriving, Sun Ya-Ya suddenly grew a little nervous. Although she had corresponded with her family by letter, she hadn't returned in so many years. She wondered about their current circumstances and how much her family members might have changed from her memories.

With this sense of apprehension, Sun Ya-Ya stepped through the gates of Ning'an County.

Once inside the city, the lively calls of daily life grew increasingly distinct. Far from finding it noisy, Sun Ya-Ya felt an even greater sense of tranquility.

The current Sun Ya-Ya was naturally even more radiant and ethereal. However, upon entering the city, she made a conscious effort to "conceal her brilliance," so while many still looked her way, it didn't cause any significant commotion.

Instead of heading directly to her home in Tongshu Lane, Sun Ya-Ya turned towards Tianniu Lane. Before she even reached the entrance of the lane, she caught a familiar scent.

Standing at the distant street corner, Sun Ya-Ya watched with tear-filled eyes as a slightly hunched old man busied himself at the noodle stall outside Tianniu Lane, a place filled with memories and still so familiar.

Although Sun Fu was advanced in age, his legs were still agile, and his body robust. He consistently came to his old spot to set up his stall almost every day, faithfully adhering to the rules of the Sun family noodle stall. It had always been this way, and it was no different today.

It was just past mealtime. Only one customer at the noodle stall had ordered a bowl of soup. Sun Fu held a wooden tray in one hand and used a rag to wipe down the tables with the other, cleaning up surfaces soiled by previous diners.

At one point, Sun Fu seemed to sense something. He looked up and saw a woman in red standing before his stall, watching him.

Sun Fu's heart inexplicably skipped a beat. He shook his head and cautiously asked.

"Miss... what would you like?"

Hearing this question, Sun Ya-Ya, speechless with emotion, burst into tears.

"Grandpa! It's Ya-Ya, it's Ya-Ya!"

"Clatter..."

Sun Fu's lips trembled, and the tray in his hand clattered to the ground. Thousands of words converged in his throat, but only a simple phrase finally escaped.

"Ya-Ya... you're back... It's good you're back, it's good!"