Jiyue

Of course, it's not human; to be precise, it's a jade-faced, white-haired, nine-tailed fox.

Yes, I'm sure everyone still remembers it vividly. It was Yan Liuyun, the fox spirit daughter of Brother Yan, who hid in Ink Bamboo Mountain to avoid trouble as 'Madam Yan'.

But she already has three fox cubs to raise, so I wonder if she'd be willing to come to Li Family Village to be a 'fox spirit cook'...

However, Li Fan thought it was worth asking. After all, raising three or a dozen was the same as raising a fox spirit. The Li Family Village was full of demons and monsters; at least they wouldn't discriminate against fox spirits. If Madam Yan was willing to come to the Li Family Village to grind tofu, then Kun wouldn't have to go out and eat random things. Cough cough, no offense intended, everyone, please don't get the wrong idea!

Since it was still a long time before the two fish transformed at nightfall, Li Fan took Kun and the others out to go shopping.

Li Fan teleported directly to Lou Guan Tower. He originally intended to entrust Jiang Ji with the goods, but unexpectedly, Kun had already thoroughly explored the area of Ink Bamboo Mountain. He told Li Fan that large trading companies like Jiang Ji only dealt in 'immortal goods' such as silk and magical Magic Treasure, and did not deal in immortal food ingredients, so he had to go to the vegetable market to buy seasonings.

For example, there's an old lady in a certain street, alley, or neighborhood whose seasoning is a family secret recipe. They buy it by the vat when they have barbecue; it's fragrant, spicy, salty, and savory—indescribably delicious. They won't eat anything without it. Or, there's the saying that the osmanthus duck from a certain place is exceptional, the beggar's chicken from a certain place is the best, and that so-and-so from a certain place used to be a top imperial chef in the north...

The leopard crouched beside him and nodded.

Li Tangyuan was drooling as she rode the leopard.

Li Fan could only sigh, instructing Kun not to release any more tofu tickets, and then let them run over and line up on their own.

Seeing that the people in the market were quite familiar with Kun, giving it things even without buying tofu, and asking why its little follower had changed, even Li Tangyuan received a lot of persimmons, chestnuts, and sesame candy as a gift, Li Fan felt relieved and tried to use his Divine Sense to search for the fox den.

You know what, true masters of seclusion are hard to find, even in the most bustling cities.

Ink Bamboo Mountain Lou Guan Dao was originally a few villages where the families of Ink Bamboo Mountain disciples lived together. Now, with so many refugees arriving, it's practically a county that could be upgraded to a prefecture. The population must be at least several hundred thousand, right? Li Fan simply couldn't possibly identify them all with his blind mind.

The last time the little fox's ornament fell, it revealed a trace of demonic energy, so they're probably hiding even more carefully now. Besides, the Si Nan isn't very useful anymore; there are just too many people and too many opportunities. There are probably too many tofu tickets now, and the spoon handle is spinning like crazy.

However, Li Fan was no longer the same as before. He directly took out the jade slip containing the "Guide to Ordinary True Qi Refining" that Madam Yan had given him years ago, along with a compass and bamboo slips. Then, he calculated with his fingers to see if he was destined to succeed. Soon, he had a telepathic connection with Madam Yan and took out a handful of coins to scatter on the compass.

Except for a small number of coins that fell out of the plate, most of the coins landed in the northwest, which is roughly the location of Madam Yan's family.

So Li Fan calculated the approximate location, flew there directly, and used his Divine Sense to search for the Divine Sense of Nascent Soul Stage and Golden Core cultivators nearby, or places with concealment formations, and then he found them in no time.

The houses in this area are all newly built, the place is relatively quiet, and it is adjacent to Lou Guan Tower, so there is no need to go to the deep mountains and forests to clear land. It is obviously intended to settle the wealthy gentry and merchants among the refugees who have some assets.

Li Fan immediately spotted a group of children playing in the street, kicking a ball and 'fighting' with wooden sticks—just children's games. They were probably disciples of exiled noble families living nearby. After playing for a while, an old scholar came out and coughed twice. The group of boys reluctantly sat down in a nearby private school and began reciting poems with swaying heads. It seemed these people were quite particular; even on their escape, they hadn't forgotten to maintain education.

Among this group, there were clearly two boys with jade pendants around their necks, Li Fan recognized at a glance.

They are two fox cubs!

Li Fan immediately cast an invisibility spell, stood at the entrance of the private school, and took a careful look.

These two fox cubs did not transform themselves, nor did they wear human skin. Rather, they were transformed by profound magic to create human illusions. It was obvious that Madam Yan used her magic to disguise these two cubs as humans so that they could come to study and attend school.

Li Fan noticed that the two cubs' bibs, underwear, and accessories all had incantations and talismans on them. It seemed that Madam Yan was really very careful. Ordinary cultivators at the Golden Core stage probably wouldn't be able to easily see through their disguise.

Moreover, this private school mostly houses children from impoverished families, but there are also many who Qi Refinement Stage since childhood, so it's unlikely anyone would suspect these two boys' disguise. However, it seems there was another one...

Li Fan used his Gu Guan Method to carefully search the vicinity and found it quickly.

Not far away was a secluded garden mansion, completely equipped with a magic array to conceal one's presence. So he sneaked into the array and took a look. Sure enough, there was a little girl, who was lying on the garden wall, watching outside the magic array as several girls played shuttlecock at the street corner.

She seemed eager to join, but perhaps her two brothers' transformations had consumed too much of Madam Yan's magic power, or perhaps the little fox herself lacked willpower. Not only did she have white eyes and red eyes, but she also had two pointed ears and a long tail, clearly making her a half-demon, so she couldn't go out freely. She could only stare longingly at the shuttlecock, secretly watching from the side.

Li Fan then had a plan. He would say, "Heh heh! Madam! Surely you don't want the children to be left unattended, do you? That should probably lure Madam Yan and her family to Li Family Village to work as nannies..."

Although we found the fox's den, the main culprit doesn't seem to be here? Hmm? Was there a teleportation technique? Has he returned?

Li Fan didn't want people to misunderstand him as sneaking into a private residence to spy, so he cast an invisibility spell, intending to hide for a while and then send a formal visiting card later.

Then he saw a woman dressed in red walk into the garden.

Li Fan, hidden in the shadows, took a closer look, and even with his vast experience, he couldn't help but feel a slight unease.

As the saying goes, her beauty surpasses even Wang Zhaojun, her face resembles that of a Chu maiden, her teeth are as white as silver, her lips as red as pepper, her eyes sparkle like stars, her hair is piled high in a cloud-like bun, she wears a gold-flecked red silk veil, and a red dress draped over her body. She is a captivating beauty, like a fierce wind sweeping in.

This was not 'Madam Yan', but rather 'Yan Liuyun' whom Li Fan had met in Lei Marsh and glimpsed from afar. They were eight or nine parts similar in appearance and figure, but their styles and auras were completely different.

If we say that Yanliuyun is like the clouds in the sky, white and soft, cough cough, light and gentle, content with whatever comes, visible yet untouchable.

This woman was like the blazing heat of July, scorching like the sun. She lacked the delicate charm of a young woman, but possessed a majestic and imposing presence.

She stood still in the garden, hands on her hips. Just by standing there, the sunlight shone through her bangs, like a warm breeze that touched people's hearts.

Wow... this girl is hot!

"Mother?" The little white fox recognized her, sniffed, then laughed and leaped down from the wall into the woman's arms. "Auntie!"

"Your little tail's showing, be careful those demons don't grab you and make you a scarf. Where's your mother?" The woman scooped up the little fox, tossed it around a few times, then hugged it to her arms, ruffling its fur and making it giggle.

"Mother went to the Bamboo Mountain to gather herbs, I'll call her." The little white fox scurried into the inner room, using both hands and feet. A moment later, it came bouncing back, carrying an ivory Buddha head. It wiped the Buddha head with its sleeve and whispered, "Mother, Mother, Auntie has come to see us."

The Buddha's head opened its mouth and exhaled a cloud of white mist. Then, a beam of light shot out from the mole between its eyebrows, projecting Madam Yan's face onto the white mist.

"What's wrong, Xiao Ling? Jiyue! What brings you here!"

The fox spirit in bright red smiled, took a small embroidered ball with bells and brocade from her sleeve, and handed it to the Xiao Bai fox. "Xiao Ling, go inside and play. Your aunt has something to say to your mother."

The little fox happily hugged the embroidered ball, "Mother, Mother, Auntie's here! Can I go out to play? She's right at the door!"

"Xiao Ling! What did I tell you!" Madam Yan didn't seem to welcome Jiyue very much, and was quite nervous for a moment, which frightened the little fox so much that she lowered her head and was about to shed tears.

"Sister, you're still so careful," Jiyue smiled, patted Xiao Ling's head, flipped her hand and took out a red pill, holding it between her thumb and ring finger. She parted her red lips slightly, blew a breath onto the pill, and a rich spiritual aura enveloped Xiao Ling's body, helping her retract her ears and tail, and turning her hair black. "See, is it better now? Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things for you."

"Mommy... please..." Xiao Ling pleaded pitifully, her big, teary eyes looking at her.

"... You silly child... don't go too far, stay right by the door..."

"Yay!"

It seemed that even Madam Yan couldn't resist this tactic, so she had no choice but to relent. The two large foxes watched with smiles as the little fox hopped and skipped out the door, carrying the embroidered ball. For a moment, no one spoke. Finally, Madam Yan asked the first question.

"Is Mother alright?"

Li Fan's eyes turned cold instantly. That old fox was still alive after all! The Grand Commandant was dead, Brother Yan was dead, and Zhang Dali was dead too...

Jiyue sneered, "Who cares about her? I've been looking for her in Sanyuan for so many years, and that woman has never shown her face. She probably thought we were dead long ago! What, you think I was sent by her?"

Madam Yan sighed softly, "Since that's the case, Jiyue, why don't you stay and live with us? General of the South promised to protect our Yan family..."

"Hmph, sister, you're too naive. They took you in just to lure that woman out and steal Father's Heavenly Book. Once they've achieved their goal, the Yan family will be gone, replaced by nothing but harmful vixens!"

Madam Yan pursed her lips, seemingly disagreeing, but she did not refute or argue.

Seeing her sister's expression, Jiyue knew that the other woman wouldn't listen to reason, so she turned her head and snorted coldly, "Whatever, I just happened to be passing by and came to remind you that something big is going to happen in Ink Bamboo Mountain soon. Keep a close eye on the three kids, and it would be best to find a place to hide."

Madam Yan was startled. "Jiyue, what have you gotten yourself into? Do you need my help?"

Jiyue pursed her lips. "What could possibly happen to me? It's the Three Realms. Someone from Ink Bamboo Mountain probably offended the Celestials, and they sent out the North Star Guard. Do you remember what that woman said about those things?"

"What! The North Star Guard!" Madam Yan exclaimed in shock. "But, but I heard that the Empress Dowager has passed away! Who in this world could possibly mobilize the North Star Guard! And Jiyue, how did you know such a secret! Are you alright?!"

"Would I lie to you!"

Jiyue seemed about to get angry again, but seeing her sister's anxious and worried expression, her heart softened, and she explained in a gentler tone.

"Don't worry, I'm working for Guardian General now. I came here with the North Star Guard to see what they're up to."

However, it's not just us who've come. People from Hengshan, the Divine Sect, and even Emei have arrived. I think there's likely to be a major battle at Ink Bamboo Mountain soon. You should take the three of them and stay far away, making sure they don't get involved."

Madam Yan said solemnly, "I know, Jiyue, you must be careful too! I have a zither left by my father in my room, take it for self-defense!"

Jiyue snorted coldly, "Father never taught me to play the zither, what use is it to me! Alright, I'm going to go and bring Xiao Ling back and then I'm leaving! I have extra Mirror Flower Cloud Mirage Pills, I'll leave them to you, come back as soon as possible to take care of them!"

So Jiyue left behind a gourd and went out of the garden. She saw the little fox and several little girls tossing embroidered balls, clapping, singing and dancing. She hid herself, crossed her arms, leaned against the wall, and smiled at them. She stayed for a while and didn't leave, no one knew what she remembered.

Li Fan followed behind, took out his Si Nan. Seeing that the Si Nan did not point to Yan Jiyue, he knew there was no more plot to follow. So he didn't linger and directly abandoned this den of foxes to go back to find Kun.

Li Fan was completely baffled after stumbling upon such a juicy piece of gossip.

North Star Guard? Are they thugs under the company's control? Could it be for that ship of immortal silk? The old fox from the Yan family isn't dead, and she even has Brother Yan's Heavenly Book? How much of what the Yan sisters said just now was true, and how much was false? I just didn't expect that after destroying a cruiser and dropping so many treasures, these people wouldn't bother picking them up, but instead, they've come all the way to Ink Bamboo Mountain? Are they just bored out of their minds? Do they have to kill a couple more batches before they'll stop??

However, Li Fan was caught off guard for a while, because the abbot was currently holed up underground cultivating the True Yang Divine Skill, Xiao Yao and Xuan Tian were forging swords in their cave, and Lao Liang was disciplining elementary school students in the mortuary. He also had to go back to his room at night to feed the fish and complete the main quest, and he also had to do cultivation tasks, so he couldn't patrol around Ink Bamboo Mountain all day long.

Most of the other cultivators are scattered in the north and south defending against the enemy. There are hundreds of thousands or even millions of people in Ink Bamboo Mountain. It is impossible for cultivators alone to manage them. They may not even have time to defend against this new wave of attacks.

Sigh, anyway, let's notify the abbot and the supervisor first.

So Li Fan went to Lou Guan Tower to leave a message, using Lou Guan's talisman to inform the deans on duty about the North Star Guard of the Three Enclosures coming to Ink Bamboo Mountain with the intention of committing treason. Fortunately, in this world, such information could be obtained simply by telling others that he had "a flash of inspiration, a sudden thought, and a quick calculation," which was quite convenient...

In short, this serves as a reminder so that the disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain nearby can immediately send out a Bright Light Talisman to call for help if anything happens, thus giving them some mental preparation.

Then, as soon as he stepped outside, he saw Manager Xu from the Heavenly Clothes across the street, smiling and waving at him.

Li Fan couldn't help but roll his eyes at him, then stepped aside and glanced at him, "Oh, the shopkeeper's back from visiting relatives. I'm sorry to have troubled you with taking care of my fish lately."

Shopkeeper Xu laughed and said, "It's alright, it's alright. I went to see some friends and gave them all the tickets for the immortals."

Li Fan was stunned. "What? My tickets? They've all been distributed! You gave them all to Luo... they?? You're doing this?"

Shopkeeper Xu nodded, "Yes, everyone was so Gao Xing. I even had a belated drink at the wedding."

"Attending a wedding?"

Shopkeeper Xu beamed and pulled a bundle from under the counter. "Yes, yes, perhaps you don't remember, but you once saved a village. There was a boy named A Guang who got married the year before last. I recently went to their village to deliver tickets and offer my congratulations. They also just had a healthy baby boy. Fortunately, you have plenty of tickets, and with your real name protecting them, I'm sure you can bless their family with peace and safety, warding off all disasters and keeping evil spirits away."

"This outfit was made by A Guang for you, please accept it. Of course, it's not the kind worth 1,500 strings of cash, it's just a small token of my appreciation."

Li Fan was taken aback for a moment. He opened the bundle and saw that it contained two sets of cloth clothes and a pair of cloth shoes. They weren't Magic Treasure artifacts or treasures, but they felt warm to the touch and were quite comfortable.

Li Fan opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

"That ticket... can it really guarantee their safety? This isn't an image of the Wusheng Laomu..."

Shopkeeper Xu smiled and nodded, "It's definitely possible. Because we all believe in you, so it's definitely possible."