At that moment, the thatched hut was dim and gloomy, making the old Daoist resting against the straw couch seem like some sinister ghost or malevolent specter, unsettling to behold.
"I never expected a mere spirit creature to know how to sow discord and frame others."
Mo Chuan sneered. "If I truly meant to harm you, poisoning or stabbing you in the back would both work just fine. Would I need you to remind me?"
"You old bastard, what do you mean by that? We agreed the inside of the house was yours and the outside was mine. Now you want to swallow all the prey for yourself?"
An enraged curse came from outside.
Mo Chuan was dumbfounded at the words, unable to tell whether the old Daoist had colluded with the spirit creature, or whether the creature was simply far too cunning.
After pondering briefly, he said nothing more.
The more he tried to explain, the murkier things would become. Better to keep his mouth shut.
As for how these people chose? What did it have to do with him?
Pan Xingsi and the others, cowering fearfully on the western side of the hut, were both shocked and terrified, utterly at a loss.
"Daoist Master, please show mercy. Young Master Qiao is the son of the County Lieutenant of Qingshui County. Having gotten lost in these desolate mountains today, the County Lieutenant will surely send people to search for him. I beg you, Daoist Master, to raise your hand in mercy!"
Pan Xingsi spoke his plea for survival in a trembling voice, though his words carried a veiled threat.
Mo Chuan glanced at him. "As one of the Daoist path, how could I go hand in hand with a spirit creature? Believe it or not as you please. Leave if you wish to leave; stay if you wish to stay."
Upon hearing this, the creature outside immediately shrieked, "You old bastard, so you really do intend to devour all the prey! Watch me eat you too!"
Having had its savage nature stirred by the scent of blood and flesh, the spirit creature swept up wind and rain with a crash and charged into the thatched hut.
It lunged straight at Mo Chuan.
In that fleeting glimpse, it was a white-furred fox with a mouth full of scarlet blood, riding a surging gust of yin wind into the room.
It had already made its calculations. Once it killed the old Daoist, this group would surely scatter and flee in all directions.
Then its gluttonous feast would begin.
Whoosh!
Unexpectedly, the old Daoist seemed prepared. With a flick of his hand, a Five Thunder Token shot forth!
Crackle—
The Nine Heavens Divine Thunder contained within it burst out, like clouds following a dragon, flashing brilliantly throughout the hut and frightening the white-furred fox into trying to halt in midair.
But once a fox was in the air, where could it find footing?
Even though it violently twisted its waist to change direction, it could not escape that swift thunderbolt.
In an instant, lightning entered its body. The white fox let out shrill squeals, its entire body going rigid.
Carried by inertia, it continued flying toward Mo Chuan.
Mo Chuan's eyes lit up. He grasped at empty air and drew the Fine Steel Seven-Star Sword from the Sacrificial Dao Furnace, thrusting it straight into the white fox spirit that had delivered itself right to his blade!
Pfft!
The long sword pierced its throat. Blood burst forth in torrents, splattering across his face as a foul stench assailed his nostrils.
It sounded slow in the telling, but it had happened in a flash.
In Pan Xingsi and the others' eyes, they had only seen the spirit creature sweep in on a strange gale, followed by a cold flash that lit up the nine heavens.
When the sword light faded, they saw the old Daoist sitting cross-legged on the straw couch, sword raised in a thrust!
From its tip hung a huge white-furred fox, limp and lifeless.
As the crowd watched, they could faintly see a fox-shaped soul struggling out from the white fox's corpse.
"You vile beast, how dare you commune with spirits and walk the yin path before this Daoist?"
Mo Chuan roared, shooting out a Ghost Subduing Talisman. The white fox immediately screamed as its soul and spirit were utterly extinguished.
Once he had finished all this, Mo Chuan immediately felt darkness swimming before his eyes.
He no longer had the strength to hold up the Seven Star Sword embedded in the white fox. With a clatter, it fell to the ground.
A layer of cold sweat emerged over his aged body, while every muscle ached fiercely.
Clearly, that blow had exhausted all the old Daoist's strength.
Only after quite some time did Mo Chuan recover, panting heavily. He picked up the fragrant tea Pan Xingsi had just brought him and gulped down a large mouthful, feeling so refreshed that his spirit soared.
"Little one—"
"Young Master Pan—"
At that moment, faint cries suddenly drifted in from outside the thatched hut. Pan Xingsi and the others, who had long since been frightened into quails, froze upon hearing them and listened closely.
"My father has come looking for me!"
Young Master Qiao was overjoyed. Before they could even go outside to greet him, wailing suddenly erupted from beyond the hut.
From the sound of it, someone was crying over the Qiao family's female relative who had died.
It seemed that, for the moment, the fox spirit had not entirely eaten her clean, bones and all.
Rustle, rustle...
A burst of footsteps approached. Looking over, they saw several broad-shouldered, brawny household guards escorting a middle-aged man as they rushed inside.
"Father—"
The moment Young Master Qiao saw him, he cried out in excitement.
"Little one, are you all right? Huh? Are you all right?"
The middle-aged man hurried over, looking his precious son up and down. Clearly, the mutilated corpses outside had frightened him badly.
"Father, I... I'm fine! I'm fine!"
Young Master Qiao finally let out a sigh of relief.
"You wretch, what happened here? How did Shu... how did she die such a violent death outside?"
Seeing that his son was unharmed, Qiao Mingyuan's fury flared up at once.
"Father, we encountered a spirit creature!"
"What?"
Qiao Mingyuan turned pale in shock.
The Magistrate of Qingshui County had just been beheaded to death by a ghostly evil, and now his own son had encountered a spirit creature. How could he not panic?
Young Master Qiao hurriedly recounted the entire sequence of events from beginning to end, laying everything out clearly for fear that Qiao Shu's death would be pinned on him.
"I am Qiao Mingyuan, County Lieutenant of Qingshui County. Thank you, Daoist Master, for saving my son's life!"
After hearing it all, Qiao Mingyuan quickly clasped his hands and bowed to Mo Chuan.
His gaze could not help lingering on the white fox spirit lying on the ground, pierced by the Seven Star Sword.
"To save the world and deliver its people is my duty." Mo Chuan returned the salute.
"Where is that monster? Where is it!?"
Suddenly, someone stumbled in through the doorway. He was over forty, richly dressed, and his bloodshot eyes swept wildly around the room.
"You damned fox demon! Why did you harm my daughter? Why?"
Upon seeing the white fox corpse on the ground, he rushed over like a madman and began trampling it beneath his feet.
"Brother Yuhong, restrain your grief! Restrain your grief!"
Qiao Mingyuan hurriedly stopped him and tried to console him.
"My daughter is dead! She died without even a whole corpse left behind! How can you tell me to restrain my grief? How?"
The man wailed loudly, crying and cursing all at once.
Each sob and curse was enough to break the hearts of those who heard them and bring tears to the eyes of those who saw them.
Unfortunately, my cultivation is limited, and I came here as a soul. There was nothing I could do.
Mo Chuan shook his head, his heart filled with sorrow.
Who could endure such a blow after raising an unmarried daughter for more than ten years, only to lose her like this?
"Brother Yuhong, restrain your grief. Do not speak nonsense any further."
Qiao Mingyuan offered a word of comfort.
Then he signaled to the household servants, telling them to carry Qiao Yuhong outside.
Qiao Yuhong was clearly in no state to reason with anyone. Leaving him here would only make matters more troublesome.
"Please forgive him, Daoist Master. My cousin had this young daughter in his middle years and cherished her beyond measure. Now that calamity has suddenly befallen her, grief has clouded his mind, which is why he spoke such nonsense!"
"It is nothing!"
Mo Chuan waved his hand, then thought for a moment and said,
"It is a pity that this old Daoist's cultivation was shallow. I had never been able to do anything about this beast, and could only build a hut here and cultivate in bitter seclusion until now. Today, I finally slew this great thorn in my heart! Yet I never expected to incur a debt of life all the same!"
Qiao Mingyuan hurriedly waved his hands. "Daoist Master, you must not say that! You must not! If anyone owes a debt of life, it is our Qiao Lineage that owes you one. How could it be that you owe our Qiao Lineage?"
As the head of the Qiao Lineage, Qiao Mingyuan was not overstepping by speaking for Qiao Yuhong in this world where clans ruled above all.
Pan Xingsi, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly clasped his hands and asked,
"Did Daoist Master build this hut and establish a temple here in order to guard against this wicked beast?"
The moment those words were spoken, everyone's expressions changed as they looked at Mo Chuan.
"I merely struggled to survive in these barren mountains." Mo Chuan waved his hand.
Young Master Qiao, still shaken by lingering fear, heard those familiar words and an embarrassed look immediately appeared on his face.
Before you continue