Chapter 809: Not Wanting to Let Her Go

At the moment the fox was about to speak, Ji Yuan placed his right index finger on his lips.

“Shhh… follow me.”

After speaking, Ji Yuan glanced at the thoughtful old monk Foyin, then together they led the excited fox towards the other end of the alley.

They didn’t stop until the two men and one fox had passed the hay shed behind a house at the end of the alley. Ji Yuan and the old monk Foyin, with perfect understanding, found a bundle of hay and sat down.

The fox, still clutching the wine jar by its strap, also sprang onto a pile of hay. It then put down the jar and continuously bowed to Ji Yuan.

“It really is you, Master, it’s me! I’m Hu Lai! Thanks to you, we are now completely different from before; many elder foxes in our clan praise our good aptitude! Oh, Master, have you come to see us? How is Old Black? We fled in a hurry that night and don’t know if anything happened to him.”

“Yes, yes, I still remember you,” Ji Yuan replied.

Ji Yuan thought for a moment, recalling the large black dog that later drank with the foxes. It was because of that occasion that the dog seemed to have developed a direct addiction to alcohol. Before Ji Yuan left, he had even given it a cup of wine and a few encouraging words.

“That big black dog is fine; it was just badly smoked that night.”

The fox immediately burst into laughter, seemingly able to imagine the scene of the big black dog being badly smoked. Seeing Ji Yuan look at the wine jar beside him, the fox hastily explained.

“This wine wasn’t stolen; that inn has been making offerings to our Great Grandma for years. We have an agreement to pick up the wine every three days. I even transformed my appearance when I entered the shop.”

Ji Yuan smiled and nodded.

“You must have found the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven. How is your cultivation progressing there?”

Upon hearing this, the fox immediately grew even more excited, wagging its tail and gesturing with its arms, describing vividly.

“We found it, we found it! The grotto-heaven is so beautiful, it’s truly a wonderland! We’re cultivating so quickly. Because we studied the book you gave us, everyone says we have great aptitude. There’s just one downside: so many people want to borrow that book, so we have less and less time with it…”

“It’s good they haven’t outright seized it from you; at least it’s still nominally yours. Perhaps when your cultivation improves in the future, you’ll gain more say over ‘Wandering Dreams in the Clouds’.”

As Ji Yuan said this, the fox nodded repeatedly.

“Yes, Uncle Huli thinks so too.”

“Alright, let’s set that aside for now. Since you are already in the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven, I’d like to inquire about someone, a fox, that is.”

The fox on the hay bale sat up straight.

“Master, please just ask. We haven’t forgotten our agreement with you for a moment. Everyone knows that our current aptitude is all thanks to the visions we saw while reading that book and the time we spent comprehending it. It’s a pity, if we had known we wouldn’t get the book back, we should have entered the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven later.”

Ji Yuan and the old monk Foyin, standing nearby, realized that the fox easily digressed when speaking, often straying off-topic. Ji Yuan decided to get straight to the point without further ado.

“Among you, has anyone seen or known a fox demon named Tu Siyan?”

“Tu Siyan? I think I’ve heard the name, but I don’t have a strong impression…”

Hu Lai thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered.

“Oh right, I remember now! Great Grandma told me last time that ‘Wandering Dreams in the Clouds’ has now been lent to a great fox immortal named Tu Siyan.”

“Hmm? When was that?”

Ji Yuan instinctively sensed something amiss. Prompted by his question, Hu Lai recalled again and said,

“It must have been over half a year ago. Great Grandma also said that great fox immortal is very powerful and was extremely happy to see the heavenly book. She even promised us benefits, but there’s still no sign of them.”

Ji Yuan nodded knowingly.

“So that’s how it is…”

At this moment, Ji Yuan had a spiritual intuition. He seemed to faintly understand why Tu Siyan, who should have died under Daoist Master Yuan’s lightning magic, was still alive in the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven. It was likely that, besides the manipulations of the schemer behind the scenes, it also had some connection to ‘Wandering Dreams in the Clouds’ that he had left behind. In that sense, Ji Yuan had indirectly helped Tu Siyan.

However, on the other hand, since ‘Wandering Dreams in the Clouds’ was in Tu Siyan’s possession, even if the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven refused to disclose Tu Siyan’s whereabouts, Ji Yuan wasn’t worried about finding where she was hiding.

“Oh, by the way, if Master Foyin and I wish to visit the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven, would you be able to take us inside?”

The fox immediately showed a difficult expression, continuously scratching its head with its paw.

“Master Ji, it’s not that I don’t want to take you, but I don’t have the authority. How could a small fox like me just lead people into the grotto-heaven?”

“Hmm, you don’t need to lead us directly into the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven. You just need to deliver a message for us, saying that Ji Yuan and Foyin Mingwang have come to visit.”

“Foyin Mingwang?”

The fox froze for a moment, then looked at the old monk beside him, wide-eyed with shock.

“M-Master, are you a Buddhist Mingwang?”

In the hearts of those fifteen foxes back then, Master Ji was both a respected figure and a benefactor. From their current perspective, he was likely a highly cultivated immortal. But a Mingwang was extraordinary, no less powerful than a celestial nine-tailed fox demon; their level was so high it was beyond reach, like looking up at the sky and not seeing the top.

The old monk Foyin smiled.

“What, do I not look like one?”

The fox initially wanted to say that he indeed didn’t look like one, but he dared not speak the words. He just shook his head repeatedly, then remembered Ji Yuan’s earlier statement.

“Master Ji, who should we deliver the message to?”

“If it’s convenient, deliver the message to Tu Yi. If you can’t reach him, just find someone influential enough. Surely a Buddhist Mingwang still has some standing.”

Ji Yuan smiled as he looked at the old monk Foyin, who merely chanted a Buddhist name in a low voice.

“Old Ancestor Tu Yi? I… we might not even be able to see him, not even Uncle Huli… I can only try to speak to Great Grandma about it…”

“It’s fine, just go and tell them.”

Ji Yuan wasn’t worried about this at all. As long as the message reached the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven, he and the old monk Foyin would definitely be able to enter.

Their conversation behind the hay shed didn't last long, perhaps just enough time for a cup of tea. The two men and one fox then left the small town. Although there was a slight delay, their return to the mountain was at roughly the same time as usual.

Hu Lai evidently had his own special passage. At the halfway point of a mountain peak just outside Qingchang, there was a dog-hole-sized cave. Hu Lai, carrying the wine jar, squeezed directly into it, and his presence vanished shortly after. Ji Yuan and the old monk Foyin stood at the foot of the mountain peak, waiting.

“Master Ji, is that Tu Siyan the fox you mentioned before? Are you here to reclaim that heavenly book?”

The old monk Foyin asked, following his own deduction, but Ji Yuan shook his head.

“No, since that heavenly book was given to those young foxes, I will not reclaim it. If it were to be retrieved, it would be by the true author of that book. As for Tu Siyan, it’s not that simple. This time, I have come to eliminate her…”

Well, well, Ji Yuan stood outside someone’s grotto-heaven and declared his intention to kill the fox immortal inside. This greatly startled the old monk Foyin. However, Ji Yuan no longer held back and explained to the old monk the situation of the chaos in Tianyu Continent and Tu Siyan’s involvement, though he omitted the matter of the Heaven and Earth Chessboard.

After a long while, the old monk Foyin continuously chanted Buddhist names.

“May Buddha have mercy! I never imagined the chaos in Tianyu Continent would be far more severe than I thought, nor that this evil creature would be so rampant… But since Tu Siyan is already suspected to be a Nine-Tailed Fox, even if she has paid a huge price this time and has a notorious record, will the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven abandon her?”

Ji Yuan smiled.

“Probably not. Otherwise, I would have gone alone. This time, I don’t intend to let her off!”

The old monk Foyin nodded understandingly, clasped his hands together, and uttered a Buddhist name.

“Amitabha! In that case, I shall accompany Master Ji and risk my life to eliminate the demon!”

The Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven was certainly not small. Fortunately, Hu Lai was fetching wine for his Great Grandma, so the round trip couldn’t have been too far. After returning through the special passage, he reached his dwelling in less than half an hour. It was a beautiful flower garden with a charming small building in the middle. A languid woman lay on a lounge chair in front of the building, fanning herself and watching the path leading there.

Upon seeing a fox carrying a wine jar run back, she immediately perked up.

“Lai Lai, you’re back!”

“Great Grandma, Great Grandma!”

Hu Lai ran while calling out, and once he entered the flower garden, he transformed into a boy of fourteen or fifteen, carrying the wine pot and running inside.

The woman sat up from the lounge chair, took the wine jar, broke open the seal, and began to gulp it down. Wine overflowed from the corners of her mouth, trickling down her neck to her chest.

She almost drank the entire jar in one go. The woman let out a burp, then wiped her chest and neck with her fingers, and sucked on them, not letting a single drop of wine go to waste.

Seeing that the woman had finished the wine, Hu Lai quickly said,

“Great Grandma, on my way back, I met an immortal cultivator and a Buddhist cultivator. They said they wanted to visit our Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven and that they knew Old Ancestor Tu Yi. The monk claimed to be Foyin Mingwang.”

“What?!”

The woman exclaimed in astonishment, then scrutinized Hu Lai up and down with considerable doubt.

“You’ve been secretly drinking, haven’t you? You just happened to run into a Buddhist Mingwang?”

“No, Great Grandma, I also doubted if that monk was a Mingwang, but what if he is? I can’t just not deliver the message, can I? But I can’t see Old Ancestor Tu Yi either. Great Grandma, why don’t you go and tell them?”

The woman paused, then her face lit up with a smile. She stood up, adjusted her generous bosom, and nodded, saying,

“Yes, yes, yes, I should indeed go and tell Senior Tu Yi. Oh, right, the monk claimed to be Foyin Mingwang, but who is the immortal cultivator?”

“Uh, I heard him say his surname is Ji, but I don’t know his given name.”

“Alright, you did well. Watch the flower garden. I’m going to the Tree Pavilion.”

Before her words had even finished, the woman leaped into the sky, transforming into a streak of white light and flying away.

In a valley within the grotto-heaven, by a lake where a hundred spirits gathered, a towering ancient tree stood on the lush green grass. Although its branches and leaves were abundant, its interior seemed hollow, with windows, doors, and rooms, serving as Tu Yi’s residence.

The woman flew here with a slightly accelerated heartbeat and absently recounted Hu Lai’s observations to Tu Yi. To her surprise, Tu Yi, who had always maintained a stern expression, suddenly changed his demeanor upon hearing the surname “Ji.”

“Ji Yuan? What is he doing in the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven at this time? Is he looking for me?”

Tu Yi frowned and continuously performed divinations. Even though he couldn't discern a clear outcome, he understood that Ji Yuan wouldn't simply come to visit him specifically.

After much hesitation, Tu Yi gritted his teeth and said to the woman,

“Sisi, go inform that old woman and tell her to pay attention to Tu Siyan. Just say Ji Yuan has arrived.”

The woman, seeing Tu Yi’s expression, knew it was a serious matter. She composed herself and nodded gravely, but before leaving, she still asked,

“Senior Yi, don’t you dislike them?”

It sounded as if the outsiders were not friendly, but they were definitely not targeting Tu Yi.

Hearing the woman’s question, Tu Yi smiled.

“Since we are both in the Jade Fox Grotto-Heaven, it’s proper for me to inform her, but that’s as far as my benevolence goes. Now, go quickly. I’ll go to Qingchang Mountain to welcome Master Ji and Foyin Mingwang; I will delay them for a little while, but not for too long.”

“Understood.”

Two streaks of light flew up from the Tree Pavilion almost simultaneously, but their directions were completely opposite.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, Ji Yuan and the old monk Foyin saw several ancient trees glowing in the mountains. A halo of light appeared between the trees and transformed into a vermilion gate. When the gate opened, Tu Yi emerged alone from within and greeted the two men with a bow.