Red Umbrella, White Stem

Zhu Bo wasn't feeling well, and with a constipated look on his face early in the morning, Lu Bei didn't want to delay him. He opened the small gate in the backyard and headed towards the woods behind the mountain.

According to the deed, Sanqing Peak belonged to the Feather Transformation Sect, so today he wasn't just catching a thief, he was also collecting rent.

After searching the woods for about half an hour, Lu Bei found a fox den by a small hill.

He hadn't seen a fox den before, but seeing three little foxes playing at the entrance, he figured it must be one.

They weren't exactly small either; after three months, they had grown bigger and their fur was shinier.

"Only three? Where did the other two go?" Lu Bei squatted in the grass. He remembered clearly that the oldest little fox demon had already gained sentience and could use magic to scare people.

As he was thinking, another little fox emerged from the bushes, shaking its head and wiggling its way to its companions. It proudly placed a mushroom it was carrying in its mouth.

The wild mushroom had bright colors, a red cap on a white stem, which left Lu Bei speechless.

As the saying goes: Red umbrella, white stem, after eating, lie on the board.

Although wild delicacies are delicious and have health benefits, their toxicity is extremely deceptive. Before identifying them clearly, one must not casually take a bite.

Lu Bei couldn't guarantee that the little red mushroom was poisonous, nor could he guarantee it wasn't. He casually took out a Qi Ling Pill and threw it towards the four little foxes that were cheering and jumping around the red mushroom.

The Qi Ling Pill fell from the sky. The little foxes were startled at first, then their gazes flickered between the red mushroom and the Qi Ling Pill. Finally, they all pounced towards the Qi Ling Pill.

In the grass, Lu Bei's lips curved slightly. Just as he expected, when faced with a choice between a Qi Ling Pill and a poisonous mushroom, even wild animals knew how to choose.

However, the little foxes didn't know this was a multiple-choice question; they decided to have it all.

While Lu Bei was secretly pleased, the little foxes took the Qi Ling Pill and, before returning to their den, casually carried the red mushroom in with them.

"What the...

Lu Bei scratched his head and stood up, quickly walking towards the fox den. "It's not necessarily a bad thing. At least their problem-solving approach is clear. They're smarter than I imagined."

At the entrance of the den, a slightly larger fox rushed out. The little fox demon, whom he hadn't seen in a while, recognized his old acquaintance Lu Bei and was so scared that it turned and darted back inside.

"Hey, you! I know you can understand human speech. Your other family member just ate a poisonous mushroom. Saving the fox is urgent, quickly bring it out."

"Hurry up and come out! I just want to save it, I have no other intentions."

"I'm a good person!!"

"If you don't come out now, I'm going to start digging!"

Lu Bei yelled at the den entrance for a good while. Seeing that the little fox demon remained silent, he suddenly had an epiphany. Right, the other party couldn't speak, so it chose to remain silent.

Understanding the reason, Lu Bei secretly regretted wasting so much time when the hint was so obvious. Without another word, he took out a shovel from his Qiankun Bag.

He had bought it yesterday and it hadn't even touched dirt yet!

With the first swing of the shovel, a squabble erupted inside the den. Lu Bei held his breath and looked around, guarding against the possibility of a cunning fox having multiple burrows.

With the second swing, a fiery red shadow emerged from the den. The little fox demon was carrying a small fox, staring at Lu Bei in a defensive posture.

Lu Bei raised an eyebrow. Seeing the little fox twitching its limbs, he threw down the shovel and pretended to scare it. "See? I told you it ate a poisonous mushroom, but you wouldn't listen. Now it's too late, the best treatment time has passed. Even if it recovers, it'll be disabled."

The little fox demon's eyes were wary. Judging by its defensive stance, it was highly likely suspecting Lu Bei of poisoning it.

"What are you waiting for? Put it down, I'll detoxify it."

"..."

The little fox demon understood human speech. It put down the poisoned little fox, took two steps back, and bowed, begging for help.

Lu Bei stepped forward, squatted down, took out a Detoxification Pill, dissolved it in clean water, and slowly dripped it into the little fox's mouth.

The medicine was effective. While the Detoxification Pill couldn't deal with She Xuan's unique poison, it was more than enough for the wild red mushroom. In less than a moment, the little fox's breathing became steady, and it fell asleep with soft snores.

After finishing, Lu Bei politely stepped back, raised his hand, and gestured for the little fox demon to carry it back into the den.

The little fox demon's wariness lessened at this gesture. It repeatedly bowed to express its gratitude.

However, just as it picked up the little fox, a porcelain bottle fell from Lu Bei's embrace. After shattering, about a dozen fragrant Qi Ling Pills rolled out. The closest one stopped right at the little fox demon's feet.

It could eat it just by lowering its head.

"My apologies. I've been refining pills lately, and I have so many of these I don't know where to put them. I'd get tired of eating them even if I had them for every meal. If you're thirsty, just take some to quench it."

Lu Bei waved his hand, sighing, "Speaking of which, these little guys are really troublesome. They eat poisonous grass today, fall into traps tomorrow, and who knows what will happen the day after. If they gained sentience earlier, they probably would have grown up safely."

The little fox demon's body trembled. It looked at Lu Bei's kind face, then at the Qi Ling Pills at its feet, and couldn't move for a long time, falling into a deep silence.

"You don't know how to choose, right?"

Lu Bei chuckled, "Deciding how to choose is indeed a difficult problem, but neither sacrifice nor crisis is absolute. You don't know how to choose, so I'll help you choose. As for whether it's right or wrong, I won't judge. You can judge for yourself in a few years."

With that, he activated the skill 'Blood Rage'. Under the powerful deterrence, the little fox demon let out a mournful cry and collapsed. When it came to its senses, Lu Bei had already grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and lifted it up.

"Come with me. I can't promise much else, but I guarantee food, lodging, and job placement. From now on, you'll be living the good life, and every one of you will be a little princess." As Lu Bei spoke, he glanced at the fox's tail.

"Oh ho, it really is a little princess. Hmm, this one is too."

He didn't know much about foxes, but he figured mammals were all the same. He could tell the gender by looking at the "little bells."

Amazing!

Lu Bei's eyes lit up. While cute boys were precious, cuteness was worthless in the face of sexiness. Female fox demons were better.

He had revealed his true intentions within three sentences. The little fox demon struggled fiercely, but Lu Bei was unfazed. Holding one fox in each hand, he tempted them as he walked, "Stop struggling. As long as you behave, I'll guarantee your whole family gains full sentience. Not only that, but I'll also cover your transformation and cultivation in the future."

The little fox demon struggled less fiercely than before, but it still resisted.

"Think about those four. Ignorant and foolish, they'll eventually die by the jaws of wild beasts. Even if you could care for them your entire life, they'd still be unintelligent creatures eating raw flesh and blood. Ten years of lifespan will pass in the blink of an eye, how tragic."

Sensing the little fox demon's struggles weakening, Lu Bei continued, "If you could transform into a human, everything would be different. The outside world is vast and beautiful. If you don't want to see it, that's fine, but if they have to live their entire lives in dark, damp caves, fighting over bloody rats and stinky bugs, then that's your fault."

The little fox demon let out a mournful cry, lowered its head and tail, and completely ceased its resistance.

Lu Bei's lips curved into a smile, thinking to himself, Success. He scooped up a little fox in each hand and strode towards the Feather Transformation Sect.

Behind him, three more little foxes followed closely, unwilling to leave the little fox demon.

Trading a bottle of Qi Ling Pills for five little foxes. This was a profitable deal.

In the backyard, Zhu Bo saw Lu Bei bring back a litter of foxes and keep them next to the Sect Master's bedroom. He shook his head repeatedly, unsure of what to say.

After Lu Bei finished his tasks, Zhu Bo stepped forward, cupped his fist, and gave a light cough.

"Brother Bo, what guidance do you have for me?"

"Brother Lu, what is this..."

Zhu Bo pointed at the little fox demon, which was looking around warily, "If I'm not mistaken, this fox has already awakened its intelligence. If it continues to absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth, it can transform into a human, correct?"

"That's right, but Sanqing Peak's spiritual energy is scarce. For them to transform, I'll have to spend a lot on pills."

Lu Bei counted on his fingers. "Once they become human, not to mention the expenses for cultivation, just daily necessities like food, clothing, housing, and transportation will be another large expense. If you add in the cost of makeup and cosmetics..."

"Hold on, I wasn't talking about that."

Zhu Bo interrupted directly and got to the point. "Brother Lu, don't say I didn't warn you. Keeping demon pets for amusement is illegal. According to Wu Zhou law, the heaviest penalty is exile to the frontier."

Wu Zhou law stipulated that any demon, once it awakened its intelligence and transformed into a human, could be registered in the Wu Zhou household, with all rights and obligations equivalent to those of the Human Race in Wu Zhou.

The reason for this was a historical issue. Thousands upon thousands of years ago, the laws of human nations did not protect the Demon Race. Newly transformed young demons were quite miserable; not only were they stripped of their cultivation qualifications, but they were also sold as commodities, their social status equivalent to that of livestock.

At that time, humans and demons were hostile towards each other. The status of human Dao Cultivators and Monster Cultivators was not high, ranking at the bottom of the cultivation world. They could barely band together for warmth, unable to change the overall situation.

Until a mighty figure descended, and a generation of Demon Emperors rose to power, establishing the Myriad Demon Kingdom in the area where the Buzhou Mountain spiritual veins extended. They expanded their territory and laid down a foundation for eternity. Their method of persuasion was irrefutable by force, and only then did human nations acknowledge the status of newly born demons within their borders.

As time passed, the Monster Cultivator lineage gradually rose. Human nations reaped the benefits brought by the Demon Race, and they gradually paid more attention to the demons and Monster Cultivators within their borders. The status of newly born demons fundamentally changed.

From another perspective, the closer a human nation was to the Myriad Demon Kingdom, the higher the status of demons and Monster Cultivators. Wu Zhou was neither particularly close nor particularly far. Its foundation was built on Dao Cultivators. It was impossible for the Demon Race to enter the upper echelons of society here based solely on their bloodline. They would be given equal status, but to climb higher, they would have to see how much effort they put in.

To put it bluntly, strength determined one's standing in the world.

Lu Bei knew about this clause in Wu Zhou law and looked at Zhu Bo with a strange expression. "Brother Bo, what kind of person do you think I am? Am I that kind of lecherous scoundrel?"

"What, you're not?"

Zhu Bo was greatly surprised. After thinking about it, it seemed he really wasn't.

Back at Dasheng Pass, Zhu Kui had tried several times to lure Lu Bei to Yunshui Tower for business talks, but Lu Bei had always fended him off with various excuses.

The evidence was conclusive: although this person was a bit troublesome and thick-skinned, he could still control himself when it came to women.

"Brother Lu, forgive my curiosity, but if you don't like them, why are you spending money to keep these fox spirits? It's thankless and meaningless."

I don't like them, but players do!

Perhaps a perverted player could refuse the sales pitch of one fox spirit, but it would be impossible to refuse the sales pitch of a group of fox spirits. Add in a snake spirit, and it was a surefire path to riches.

Lu Bei muttered to himself, his expression unchanged. "As I said before, your humble brother is planning to enter the business world and start a small venture. I'll keep a few beautiful fox spirits as a facade to attract customers."

"It's not that Yunshui Tower kind of business, is it?" Zhu Bo was overjoyed. The Zhu brothers loved doing business. He decided that he would not only invest but also take a stake in the venture.

"Brother, you're overthinking it. I'm just selling pills, raw materials for artifact refining, that sort of thing. It's a legitimate business."

"Is that so..."

Zhu Bo pouted. If you're going to talk about that, he felt sleepy.