Demon Fox

Lu Yan opened his eyes and watched Chen Yulou's retreating figure with a headache; this wasn't how one delivered a meal to the table.

"Mr. Lu, what should we do?"

Hua Maguai was anxious. As a trusted aide to the elder Chen, he had accompanied Chen Yulou to Bottle Mountain specifically to keep an eye on him and ensure his safety.

However, Old Bear Ridge was a place of towering mountains and dense forests, crawling with venomous insects and wild beasts. It was even harder to traverse after dark. Without Chen Yulou's "night eyes," they feared that if they ventured out into the night, they would not only fail to find the Chief of Xieling, but would also be unable to find their own way back.

"Don't worry, I'll go bring him back."

Lu Yan was speechless, but since he had decided to rely on Chen Yulou to achieve his goals, he could not simply stand by and watch him die.

If the plot were to deviate and Zhegushao and the others failed to appear, Chen Yulou would likely wash himself clean and deliver himself straight into the mouths of those two civets.

The heavy rain had subsided, and the moonlight was faint. It was pitch black, but it posed no obstacle to Lu Yan. He followed the tracks Chen Yulou had left behind and soon caught up to him.

Standing on the branch of a large tree, Lu Yan watched Chen Yulou struggling to chase the lame cat ahead. He shook his head, knowing that Chen Yulou had always been arrogant; even if he caught up to him, the man wouldn't return unless he suffered a bit, so he simply followed behind him.

Although the three-legged cat was agile, it lacked a limb and could not maintain high speed. Relying on his night eyes, Chen Yulou managed to keep it in sight for the time being.

Because of the recent rain, the ground was muddy and slippery, and the mountain forest was dense and rugged. Chen Yulou's pursuit was a sorry sight, and when the lame cat darted into a thicket, he lost its trail entirely.

Chen Yulou looked at the tall trees and dense grass, fearing that if he continued, he would lose his way, so he stopped. He cursed inwardly, "You thieving cat, don't let me run into you again, or I'll cut off one of your legs and see how you run then."

Lu Yan, following behind, saw that Chen Yulou intended to turn back and jumped down from the tree.

"Who's there?"

Chen Yulou gripped his Little Divine Blade and took a wary step back.

"It's me, Lu Yan."

Lu Yan curled his lips helplessly, looking at the muddy and disheveled Chen Yulou.

"So it's Brother Lu."

Chen Yulou realized immediately that Lu Yan must have been worried and had come to support him, and he couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed.

Just then, a shrill, mournful cat cry echoed through the woods, carrying a sense of bone-chilling terror.

Lu Yan and Chen Yulou stopped in their tracks, exchanged a glance, and crept into the forest together.

Through the gaps in the trees, the moonlight revealed a graveyard behind an old tree, filled with broken steles, scattered stones, and overgrown weeds.

The old cat was huddled in front of a broken tombstone, its entire body trembling uncontrollably as it wailed in supplication.

Lu Yan had seen the film adaptation and knew that two demon civets were haunting the graveyard, but seeing it with his own eyes was still quite astonishing.

As the leader of Xieling, Chen Yulou had explored many great tombs and seen his fair share of strange occurrences, but he still found the scene before him exceptionally bizarre.

The two held their breath and observed for a moment until a pair of darting, beady eyes flashed from behind the tombstone. A furry face gradually emerged—large head, small mouth, and yellowish fur—it was a small civet.

The civet's demeanor was strange. As soon as it approached the lame cat, the cat's cries changed, shifting from desperate terror to a discordant, low hum.

The sound was maddening. Chen Yulou felt his heart race and his eyes turn slightly red. Lu Yan noticed the change, frowned, and pressed a finger to Chen Yulou's brow, channeling a stream of magic into him.

A warm current seemed to wash over him from head to toe. Chen Yulou felt his mind clear and his heartbeat stabilize. He turned to Lu Yan and nodded in gratitude.

After wailing for a while, the three-legged cat moved stiffly and slowly toward the water with the civet, drinking greedily as if it were a starving ghost reincarnated.

Only when its nose and mouth were overflowing with water did the cat stop. As if under a spell, it collapsed backward, squeezing its bloated belly to force the water back out.

Once it finished vomiting, it drank again. This cycle repeated, making Lu Yan and Chen Yulou's scalps tingle.

When the old cat had vomited up its bile and dark red blood, lying on the ground numb and lifeless, staring at the full moon with desperate, vacant eyes, the civet approached it with a sinister grin.

The civet circled the cat, then pressed a claw against the cat's soft belly, emitting a laugh like a night owl.

The cat lay on the ground, its muscles completely rigid, forced to endure the torment. Its vacant eyes welled with tears of misery, despair, and supplication.

Lu Yan's eyes narrowed. He leaped into the air, drew his Ebony, and fired a shot at the civet.

In a flash, the civet let out a painful shriek as its entire body burst into flames.

Just as the charred civet collapsed, a shrill, angry howl erupted from the tombstones.

A gray-white, mangy old civet, riding a massive white rabbit, flashed out from behind a grave.

The old civet was skin and bones, its fur nearly gone, leaving only dry, gray-white skin. It glared at Lu Yan with eyes burning with deep-seated hatred.

With Lu Yan present, the old civet's illusions were like wielding a broadsword before the Uchiha Clan; they failed instantly. Chen Yulou, unaffected this time, took the initiative and charged at the old civet.

The old civet grunted, clearly injured by the broken illusion. Seeing that Chen Yulou was a formidable opponent, it spurred the rabbit beneath it, preparing to flee.

The rabbit moved with lightning speed, darting through the grass. Chen Yulou's vision blurred, and he cursed, "Don't let that old demon escape!"

Lu Yan shook his head and looked toward the nearby grass. A figure leaped out, executing a mid-air kick that struck the old civet like a falling star.

The old civet and the rabbit were sent flying, crashing into a broken tombstone with the dull thud of shattering bone.

The old civet was left broken and limp in the grass, motionless.

The rabbit, though it had broken a leg and was spitting blood, tried to crawl away. Lu Yan drew his Ivory and fired a shot; the rabbit's mid-air form was instantly encased in ice and rolled to the ground.

"Such a big rabbit—dinner is sorted."

Lu Yan walked forward, picked up the frozen rabbit, and looked at the man dressed in Miao attire, smiling, "I am Lu Yan. And you are?"