Early morning sunlight shone upon Ju'an Pavilion. The jujube tree in the courtyard was covered in yellow-green jujube blossoms, their faint fragrance filling the small courtyard and drifting out from Ju'an Pavilion to permeate half of Tianniu Quarter.
To the common folk living in Tianniu Quarter, this faint jujube flower fragrance unlike that of previous years, along with Ju'an Pavilion's new resident, was a small diversion of the year.
Though few still dared approach Ju'an Pavilion, it no longer seemed as terrifying as it once had. After all, someone had lived inside for two months safe and sound, and Master Yin from the academy often ran over to Ju'an Pavilion without anything happening to him.
Ji Yuan pulled open the main hall doors and stepped out. He stretched lazily and comfortably. Only an unemployed idler like him, who was not short of money for the time being, could freely sleep until this hour. In ordinary households, everyone was already up at the first glimmer of dawn.
"Sun high in the sky, I alone sleep on; what a pity I am no immortal!"
After muttering that clumsy doggerel verse, Ji Yuan strolled into the courtyard. He picked up a thin willow twig he had plucked yesterday beside the kitchen, curled a finger, and a water thread rose from the water vat on its own.
With a flick of his fingertips, the willow twig, infused with a trace of spiritual Qi through an internal cultivation method, stiffened straight. Together with the flowing water, it shifted through his mouth, and within a dozen seconds, he had brushed his teeth.
"Urgh, blub blub~~ ptooey~"
He spit out the murky rinse water and immediately felt even more refreshed!
Ji Yuan brushed his teeth far more efficiently now than before. Moreover, he could clearly feel that the grime on his teeth after waking every day was growing less and less. Perhaps one day, he would no longer need to brush them at all.
Ji Yuan would be delighted if there came a day when he no longer needed to bathe or brush his teeth. But even if there came a day when he no longer felt hunger, he would absolutely never give up eating.
The world was already this bored. If he could not enjoy fine food, how dull would that be?
Bringing the bamboo slip of the Chess Sutra with him and shutting the courtyard gate, Ji Yuan headed out at an unhurried pace. Recently, he felt that his "strength had greatly increased," and had begun considering when to go outside and see the world.
The best proof was that Ji Yuan had thoroughly mastered the two cultivation books, and had practiced the two Martial Arts Manuals quite well. However, he didn't know how to define his current state according to the seven realms of True Qi described in the Iron Punishment Battle Post. After all, he had started with "Innate True Qi."
And now, without the Cultivation Qi Refining Technique, Ji Yuan was temporarily using the True Qi circulation method from the Iron Punishment Battle Post in its place, using it to circulate spiritual Qi while completely discarding True Qi.
Though it felt as if he were slighting spiritual Qi somewhat, it was still better than having nothing, and it greatly improved his Martial Arts.
No matter what, while he was not qualified to swagger before demons, immortals, and cultivators, he should at least be capable of protecting himself before the common masses of society.
As he felt his way through the Chess Sutra, he wandered through the alleys and small lanes of Tianniu Quarter. Whenever he encountered residents of Tianniu Quarter on the road, they respectfully greeted him with, "Good morning, Mister Ji," and Ji Yuan answered with a smile.
With ears as sharp as Ji Yuan's, there was another advantage: he could identify anyone whose voice he had heard of, so he never had to fear greeting the wrong person.
"Woof woof woof... woof woof woof woof... awoo... woof woof woof..."
From the street at the entrance to the quarter in the distance came waves of fierce barking. It seemed more than one dog was chasing something.
Soon afterward, Ji Yuan heard the commotion of a crowd on the street.
"Oi, whose dogs are these? They're so fierce!"
"Hey, hey, a fox!"
"It really is a fox! Hahaha, it's about to be bitten to death by dogs!"
"What a pity about that coat of fur!"
"Move aside, move aside! Where's the fox? Where's the fox? Catch it and that's a fine pelt!"
"It went over there, the dogs are chasing it! The fur's already been bitten through!"
"Woof woof woof..."
"Bang, clang~~"
"Whimper whimper whimper..."
"There it is, catch it! Catch it! There seems to be something in the fur on its back! Hurry and drive the dogs away! You dead mutts, let go! Let go!"
"Awoo... woof woof woof..."
Ji Yuan frowned and, for no apparent reason, quickened his pace. After leaving Tianniu Quarter, he headed toward the nearest spot filled with the greatest noise and bustle. Circulating spiritual Qi and employing a Martial Arts Movement Technique, his entire body seemed like a Green Shadow gliding across the street. He appeared to be walking, yet was actually moving at tremendous speed.
Had Ji Yuan not used an Illusion Technique, the street would likely have erupted into utter chaos, with chickens flying and dogs leaping.
A ring of onlookers had gathered at one corner of the street.
"You dead mutts, let go! Let go!"
"Bang!"
"Whimper whimper whimper..."
Two fierce-looking men struck the two Big Yellow Dogs that refused to release the fox with wooden sticks, making the Yellow Dogs whimper in pain as they dodged the blows.
More than twenty townspeople stood watching as the red fox lay at death's door in the street corner, bleeding heavily.
"Hahaha, this fox is ours!!"
One of the men was about to reach out and grab the fox tail, but the dying fox suddenly sprang up and darted out of the crowd.
"Wow, it was pretending to be dead!"
"This fox is so intelligent!"
Someone in the crowd cried out in surprise.
"Don't let it get away!"
"It can't run far!"
The red fox limped along, fleeing in utter despair, while the Big Yellow Dogs that had been lingering nearby gave chase once more.
Suddenly, a Green Shadow in a long robe crossed from afar to right before it in a few strides.
Carrying a slip, he drifted over; seeing him was like bathing in the spring breeze!
The red fox was stunned on the spot. Then it reacted and immediately curled up its forelegs, repeatedly waving them toward Ji Yuan in kowtow after kowtow.
"Whimper whimper whimper... whimper whimper whimper..."
The fox's miserable cries were like weeping. Its body was covered in wounds that were still bleeding, yet it did not dare stop kowtowing.
The Big Yellow Dogs circled nearby, barking "woof woof woof" without end, yet none stepped forward. Among the surrounding crowd, some were frightened while others clicked their tongues in wonder.
"Hiss... could this fox have become a spirit? It's actually bowing to a person and begging?"
"Mother... it really is!"
"That's rather frightening! Why not just beat it to death?"
"Who is that man?"
"Mister Ji from Tianniu Quarter, Master Yin's friend!"
"Right, right! The people of Tianniu Quarter all say he's an extraordinary person. He's lived in Ju'an Pavilion for months already."
"Hiss..."
The crowd murmured with curiosity. Seeing this bizarre sight before them, the two men holding wooden sticks and intending to catch the fox did not dare step out directly either.
Ji Yuan paid no attention to anyone else. He merely stared at this red fox that gave him a sense of déjà vu, and also saw the Tiger Fur hidden beneath the soft fur on the fox's back.
This red fox had definitely gained intelligence, yet it had nearly been bitten to death by dogs. It probably was not some formidable demon, and it carried none of that baleful aura.
Seeing how miserable the fox looked as it continuously kowtowed and begged him, Ji Yuan's compassion surged. Besides, the fox had clearly come looking for him, so it had been injured because of him as well.
Ji Yuan raised his head and swept his gaze over the indistinct crowd. Within two seconds, he found the main parties.
"Would you two be willing to part with it and give this red fox to Ji? Its pelt has already been torn apart by the Yellow Dogs and is not worth much money. Ji is willing to pay one hundred coins. Consider it giving me some face, how about it?"
Ji Yuan slightly cupped his hands as he spoke toward the two stick-wielding men in the crowd. His calm pale eyes were unfocused, yet more expressive than eyes with sight.
"Er... it's still fox fur, after all. One hundred coins is a little... Hiss, what are you doing?"
One of them had intended to bargain, but his companion beside him pinched him. Ignoring his companion's complaint, the latter chuckled and nodded at Ji Yuan.
"Fine, fine. Since Mister Ji wants it, take it. One hundred coins it is."
"Thank you!"
Ji Yuan took out a money pouch from his sleeve, removed twenty Dangwu Tongbao coins, and handed them to the two men. Then he looked toward the Big Yellow Dogs baring their fangs and grinning viciously, feeling rather troubled.
People could be dealt with using money, but what about dogs? Meat bones? Who carried such things when going out!
"Er, how about you all disperse too?"
Ji Yuan swore that he only wanted to try. Yet the Big Yellow Dogs actually hesitated a few times before truly walking away, turning their heads back every few steps. Ji Yuan was stunned, and the surrounding crowd widened their eyes as well.
This time, many people in the crowd were so astonished that they could not speak.
Seeing that the crowd showed signs of gathering in ever greater numbers, Ji Yuan sighed. He reached out and lifted the red fox, which had little strength left after its excitement, into his arms.
"Everyone, disperse!"
Leaving those words behind, before anyone could react, Ji Yuan shifted through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd and stepped out, passing through the other spectators who had come to see the excitement without knowing what had happened, before vanishing into an alleyway to one side.
When the others turned to look, they saw only the curious onlookers who had arrived, not the Green Shadow.
I hope everyone can spare a moment to like the characters too. There's only one protagonist right now; once a day is enough, and it won't take much effort!