The Crow and the Badger

Could this new Chanyu also be a figurehead created by Asiba to cause trouble? No way, he can travel all the way from the East Sea to the North Pole? His mobility is incredible, running all over the map? Or maybe it's just homesickness? But surely he wouldn't call himself the "Xiba Chanyu"...

Li Fan shook his head, too lazy to think about it anymore. The Central Plains were in complete chaos, and the Hebei border region's fighting against the Yinshan Hu Barbarians was even less relevant to him. Moreover, after asking around, it turned out that there really weren't any demons or monsters near Dizhou. After all, it bordered the Gen River to the south and was adjacent to the Sanyuan, with people coming and going. It was impossible to hide anything, so it was already considered a 'peaceful area'.

Overall, the monsters on this map are too low-level to level up properly, so I need to head further north.

Li Fan asked the shopkeeper for a simple map of the north and roughly inquired about the spheres of influence of the various military Jiedushi and their troops. Only then did he have a better understanding of the area. If he got lost, he could take a look at the nearby military governorships to know his approximate location and which way to go.

Just as Li Fan left the restaurant, he looked up and saw Li Wugou still hanging in the sky like a kite. Ugh... so annoying...

Li Fan gave up and beckoned to her. Li Wugou immediately floated down like a ghost. "What!"

Ha, you got me in one move. Were you just waiting for me to make the first move and seduce you...?

So Li Fan teased her on purpose, "Fellow Daoist, why are you floating around like that? Do you think the ground is dirty? Then why are you wearing all white?"

Li Wugou rolled her eyes, turned her face away, and tossed her hair, "None of your business! I do what I want!"

Ugh, that personality is really annoying.

Li Fan shrugged and walked ahead, with Li Wugou following him like a ghost. She even unleashed her full power to intimidate the villains. The local people, seeing this plague-like figure drifting over from afar, avoided her like the plague, which made things much quieter.

"Li Er, what are you still doing here? Asking all sorts of questions, looking for someone?" Li Wugou followed, still clutching his golden sword and iron whisk.

"Then what brings you to Hebei, fellow Daoist?" Li Fan asked casually.

Li Wugou sneered, "Who said I'm from out of town? I'm a local!"

Li Fan glanced at her sideways and said, "Aren't you from Emei...?"

Li Wugou said, "Does being from Emei mean you have to live in Emei? Does being from Emei mean you have to come from Emei? Can't I have grown up in Gen Province?"

Li Fan was curious, "Could you be a disciple from the outer sect of Emei? Gen Province?"

Li Wugou turned her head away, "I... I won't tell you."

Li Fan didn't mind. His favorability rating was practically zero; it would be a miracle if his character could even have a personal storyline. Besides, he was used to it. That's how this world is: the strong are respected, groups stick together, and classes are in opposition. He initially thought Profound Heaven Sword Intent was crazy, but actually, everyone in the Xuanmen is like that. Only when you enter that circle and are respected will they talk to you properly and confide in you.

Those like Lou Guan, Mo Shan, Yan Xingyun, who didn't care about social status or background and could drink with peasants, were extremely rare exceptions in this society bound by feudal ethics and etiquette; they were probably even more marginalized than Demon Path.

Li Wugou's symptoms were quite obvious; she could only repeatedly yell, "What are you looking at! Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out!" But she never actually went and gouged out anyone's eyes, so it shouldn't be a congenital mental illness. It should be that she was influenced by what she saw and heard from someone badly from a young age.

If what she said was true, perhaps this person's lineage was indeed orthodox in the Xuanmen school. But for some unknown reason, he ended up in Gen Province and didn't become a disciple of the main sect.

Of course, Li Fan was just guessing. He didn't want to come along like a bulldozer, one after another. Besides, he had just made three confidantes. Even a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow. What if Li Wugou really was from Emei? If he met Qin Nanxin later and said, "I casually pushed your fellow disciple's uncle," wouldn't that be incredibly awkward?

So Li Fan found a clothing store and bought a yellow robe to wear. After thinking for a moment, he grabbed another one and looked up to ask, "Fellow Daoist, may I have this one?"

Li Wugou seemed taken aback. "You... bought clothes for me?"

Li Fan smiled and said, "I see you cherish your Daoist robe and don't want to get it dirty, but there are always inconveniences when you're out and about. What if it rains or gets windy? I'll give you this robe to protect you from the wind and dust."

Li Wugou was stunned for a moment, but surprisingly, she didn't burst into curses. Instead, she actually went into the shop, took the yellow robe, and said, "... Thank you."

Okay! I've been infected!

Li Fan was overjoyed. This was perfect! Huang Yellow Heaven Dao had such a bad reputation in the north; the Ten Jiedu would kill anyone wearing yellow. So, if the two of them, cultivators, were to openly fly north in yellow robes, they would be so arrogant that they would surely attract a group of people to ambush and attack them! That way, once a fight broke out, he could take the opportunity to shake off Li Wugou and escape! This plan was absolutely perfect!

Seeing that Li Wugou had indeed draped the yellow robe over his body, Li Fan was immediately in a good mood and praised, "This outfit really suits you. Li Daoyou, I'm new to Hebei and unfamiliar with the place. Since you're a local, do you know if there are any blessed lands, ruins, or sacred sites nearby that you could try your luck at?

"...There is one place." Li Wugou stared at Li Fan for a while. "Then come with me."

With a strange howl, Li Wugou soared into the sky and flew straight into the horizon.

Li Fan also used the Ice River Escape, creating a shower of ice flowers to follow. This time, he turned the tables and chased after them. Li Fan had figured out a bit of the trick.

When Li Wugou flew through the air, not only was her cry sharp and terrifying, but her Dao Breath was also extremely fierce, forming sharp cone-shaped air masses around her. When launched, they were like supersonic cruise missiles, even creating noticeable ripples and wind paths as they passed through the clouds. Rather than using Daoist magic to escape, it was more like she was breaking through the air with her physical body. However, Li Fan had also glanced at her when she put on her clothes earlier, and her waist was quite slender, not like the typical King Kong Barbie doll...

In short, this strange move is something I've never seen before, and I don't know if it's really a secret technique from Emei.

After flying swiftly northwest for a while, Li Fan followed Li Wugou down from the clouds and arrived at a rather treacherous, barren mountain. The mountain was covered with strange rocks, withered trees, shrubs, and needle-like thickets. It was a desolate and dangerous place, sparsely populated and devoid of birds. It was a place so dangerous that you didn't even need to think about it to know it was dangerous just by looking at it.

Li Wugou glanced at Li Fan, "You actually followed me. You're not running away this time."

"I've got nothing better to do," Li Fan said casually, peering around. "What kind of demons or monsters are here?"

Li Wugou explained, "This place was originally the site of a heretical demonic sect. It was wiped out by the Xuanmen sect for its numerous evil deeds. The coffin of the sect's demonic founder is suppressed in the restrictions below. I have recently had a feeling that a celestial zombie might break free of its seal and be born in the future. Do you dare to come down with me to exorcise the demon?"

"What's there to be afraid of?"

But what about immortal zombies...?

Li Fan thought for a moment, then rummaged through his Storage Jade, finally finding a seal hidden in a corner. He deliberately showed it to Li Wugou, saying, "Fellow Daoist, you have received the true teachings of Emei, how could you recognize this?"

Li Wugou looked at the golden seal, initially not recognizing it. He turned it over and examined the engraved talisman before recognizing it. "It's a thunder spell talisman?"

They claim to be true disciples of Emei, but is this all the true disciples of Emei know?

Li Fan smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist has a keen eye. This is a Bing Fire Yang Extreme Thunder God Seal, a magic weapon for the Nascent Soul Realm. It's best used to fight Immortal Zombies."

Actually, he'd be best at fighting bare-handed, but it's better to keep a secret.

Li Wugou nodded, a hint of envy even appearing on her face. She tightened her grip on the golden sword and whisk she was holding. "Nascent Soul Stage magic weapon, using Yang Lightning to counter Immortal Zombies is indeed the best."

Would the 'True Lineage of Emei' even covet Nascent Soul Stage magic weapons?

Li Fan felt increasingly uneasy about Li Wugou. Sure enough, when the two entered the desolate forest, broke the barrier, and entered a dilapidated palace ruin, they didn't see a single immortal zombie. Li Fan didn't detect any malevolent aura, nor did he find any trace of a demon breaking free from its seal.

On the contrary, Li Wugou was leading the way, constantly calculating with her hands forming hand seals and stepping left and right, clearly trying to break the formation.

Li Fan actually figured out what she was up to, but he didn't point it out. He just followed Li Wugou all the way to the center of the ruins, to the front of the ancestral hall of the ancient sect.

The plaques of the ancestral hall had all been removed, and the memorial tablets on the shrine had all been taken away. Only three spirit coffins were placed in the hall, each sealed with a treasure to suppress the remains of three immortals.

Upon reaching this point, Li Wugou fell silent.

Li Fan thought for a moment and then asked, "Fellow Daoist, are you here to retrieve a treasure?"

Li Wugou glanced at him. "That's right. These things belong to the capable. I got here by my own merit, so why can't I take them?"

Li Fan then asked, "What about the immortal zombie inside this coffin?"

Li Wugou also said, "Since I took the magic weapon, I naturally have to bear the consequences and kill the immortal zombie."

Li Fan confirmed again, "Fellow Daoist, you should know that there's a reason why others have sealed these immortal zombies here with magical treasures instead of killing them, right?"

Li Wugou nodded again, "Of course I know. Slaughtering a family has a great karmic consequence. Digging up graves to steal treasures is very unlucky. It is not only useless for cultivation, but also inevitably leads to death."

Why did you come? Are you that poor?

As if hearing Li Fan's thoughts, Li Wugou turned her head and asked, "Is Li Erlang a legitimate successor of the Three Great Sects, and did he come across the river on orders from his master?"

Li Fan nodded. "You could say that."

Seeing that Li Wugou readily admitted it, Li Wugou 'Li Fan tone softened, and she frankly said, "I, Wugou, was once enlightened by an immortal and even entered the immortal sect. Unfortunately, I was young and ignorant, and I did something wrong, which angered my master. As a result, my connection to immortality was severed, and I was expelled from the sect!"

Li Fan understood immediately. "Oh, then you're finished. This is the most fatal kind; you have no chance."

Li Fan had become familiar with the Xuanmen sect and knew that it had the highest entry requirements, rarely even giving them a chance to be looked at. For ordinary people, there was hardly any chance anyway, so it didn't really matter.

The truly unfortunate ones are those who clearly have the talent and potential, perhaps even reaching the upper ranks, being chosen by their masters, and almost embarking on the path to immortality, only to be inexplicably subjected to some trial and expelled from their sect due to some unseen and intangible reason such as 'fate,' 'character,' or 'destiny.'

Even independent cultivators have the opportunity to work in the Outer Sect, but those who are expelled from their sects, when asked why they were expelled, probably can't even give a clear answer themselves. They might have committed some taboo of betraying their master and ancestors. The Nine Great Xuan Sects are all connected, and it would be good enough if they didn't wipe you out. What sect would dare to take you in?

"What did you do that's so serious? Did you perhaps associate with demonic forces?"

Li Wugou seemed to be recalling the past, her anger and resentment surging into her heart. For a moment, a fierce glint appeared in her eyes, and she clenched her hands so tightly she almost bit her lip until it bled, but she held back, gritting her teeth as she said...

"I am the daughter of a minor official in Gen Province. I was favored by my master and had the opportunity to be taken to the Xuanmen sect for cultivation. How could I have associated with the demonic path? It's just that my status is lowly, but my talent and seniority are high, which aroused the jealousy of petty people. I was ambushed by the sons of those powerful generals and noble families. In a moment of anger, I couldn't bear it and accidentally killed someone. My master said that I was too impulsive, too ruthless, too shallow, and vindictive. He said I would cause trouble sooner or later and expelled me from the sect. How could I accept that!"

Li Fan was taken aback. "Is Emei really this unfair?"

Li Wugou shook his head. "My master is not from Emei. Although she is also one of the Nine Great Xuan Sects, she was just passing through in search of cultivation resources. But I harmed the family of the Heavenly Soldiers Army Jiedushi. The Heavenly Soldiers Army is renowned in Hedong and has repeatedly defeated the Three Realms. I am already grateful that my master was able to save my life. I don't want to cause her any trouble. I won't mention her name. I'll just ask you first, Li Erlang, which family are you from?"

Li Fan thought for a moment and realized he had never heard of any collusion between the Heavenly Soldiers Army and the Nine Truth Sect, so he took out the jade pendant from Penglai and showed it to Li Wugou.

Li Wugou was relieved after seeing this, and her expression softened. "Good, it's good that you're not that enemy's backer."

After I was expelled from my sect, my master didn't destroy my meridians. He even taught me some life-saving techniques. Although being a rogue cultivator was tough, there's always a way out. Later, while being hunted down, I unexpectedly found the remains of Real Immortal of Emei and received his inheritance. As a result, I suffered some karmic consequences, achieved the True Person realm, and called myself a disciple of Emei. I think the disciples of Emei know that someone is impersonating me and will definitely come to capture me. At that time, I can take advantage of this opportunity to become a disciple of the inner mountain."

"Wait, wait a minute." Li Fan couldn't help but interrupt, "Dao... Fellow Daoist Wugou, you know about the exam to join Emei, right?"

Li Wugou laughed and said, "I knew you were skilled in escape techniques and had profound and unfathomable cultivation. Although you deliberately dressed strangely, you must be a disciple of the orthodox Xuanmen sect. You really do know the secrets of the Xuanmen sect!"

My master once told me about the Five Arts Examination, and I still remember it. Otherwise, why would I be chasing after you? I know that with my current level, I'm definitely not qualified to enter the inner mountain of Emei. Li Erlang, you are a disciple of a prestigious lineage, so your academic performance must be quite good, right? Why don't you teach me? That way, once I pass the Five Arts Examination, with this level of cultivation and opportunity, there's a chance I might be able to enter the inner mountain!"

Damn, I thought she had a crush on him, but it turns out she's just a female college student who failed her courses and is looking for tutoring!

Li Fan couldn't help but feel embarrassed, "You've misunderstood, I'm really not good at this..."

He's had no time to practice coding problems lately! He's been too busy grinding monsters!

Li Wugou took it as an excuse and said with dissatisfaction, "Second Brother, there's no need to say anything yet. You've been searching Fourth Department, aren't you? You're looking for some opportunities to break through to the Dao. But there really aren't any Heavenly Treasure around here. There are only three in this tomb. I've seen them before. They're all Nascent Soul Stage level magic treasures. Although they will cost you some luck, I only recently passed my tribulation, so I don't need to worry about my lifespan. Which one do you want? I'll get it for you. As long as I can join the Xuanmen sect and prove myself, I'll do anything!"

Li Fan shook his head repeatedly, "Really, there's no need. I have plenty of magical treasures; I don't need these things..."

Li Wugou's expression stiffened. "Do you expect me to repay you with my body?! Hmph, I knew this would happen sooner or later just by looking at your eyes! Li Erlang! I thought you knew your limits! I didn't expect you to reveal your true colors so quickly! Indeed, all crows are black! Men are all birds of a feather!"

Although Li Fan didn't want to cut himself off from the crow and the raccoon, he was utterly wronged this time. "I never said I wanted you to repay me with your body! I have no feelings for you!"

Li Wugou immediately flew into a rage upon hearing this, "What! You actually have no feelings for me! Just because I'm prettier, I've suffered so much all these years! I can't believe that at this crucial moment, you still look down on me!"

Li Fan was speechless, so he could only shrug and rummage through his pockets, throwing out a pile of textbooks.

Upon seeing this, Li Wugou indeed stopped making a fuss and immediately grabbed the book to read it.

"These are arithmetic manuals; they're all available at Yuntai Peak. The textbooks for the Five Arts exams are all interchangeable within the Xuanmen school. Since you're so motivated, I'll give you this set to study. It's not really guidance; let's all improve together and pass the exams as soon as possible."

Li Fan glanced at Li Wugou, who was reading in the dark, and felt a headache coming on. After his trip to Penglai Mountain, he realized that the Xuanmen was definitely not a place for simple bookworms to get into. They were really selecting elites, and the intrigue and scheming within were not something ordinary people could handle. One wrong move and you wouldn't even know how you died.

Even someone with a clean background like Zhou Chengxue was abandoned by the sect after becoming an apprentice. If his classmates hadn't all died overnight, he probably would never have been given any important position in his life. As for Li Wugou, with her background, she grew up in a place like Gen Province, offended a warlord, and was expelled from her sect. It's unclear what kind of lineage she came from. It would be a miracle if she could even join the Xuanmen circle.

Her path to immortality in the esoteric arts was likely severed completely the day she was expelled from her sect, though she herself may not be aware of it. Or perhaps she simply doesn't want to realize it?

Li Fan didn't know how to persuade her. It seemed that Li Wugou had suffered repeated setbacks and was becoming somewhat neurotic, with her Dao heart on the verge of collapse. It would be cruel to let her pass the exam only to be rejected again. He was afraid that she wouldn't listen to his advice now.

Just as Li Fan was lost in thought, he suddenly felt a jolt on his back and instinctively lunged forward, picking up Li Wugou and pulling her aside.

Turning his head, he saw that behind him was a crater created by a meteor hammer the size of a pill furnace. A group of people in yellow robes emerged from the thick fog that had appeared out of nowhere.

Huh? Yellow Heaven Dao? When did they appear? Why didn't we detect them with our Divine Sense?

Just as Li Fan was about to throw the Daoist nun in his arms like a meteor hammer to retaliate, a figure suddenly darted out from among the yellow-robed men opposite him. Upon closer inspection, it was indeed the middle-aged yellow-robed cultivator whom Li Fan had fed half a Golden Core and who had later scurried away. He blocked Li Fan's path, turned around, and shouted...

"Hold your fire! They're all on our side! These two are my men, Xiao Fang's! They were scattered by the Heng Hai Army before us, but they arrived first! Give Liu Zhuo some face! Everyone, stop fighting!!"