Replacing Her

Turning his attention back to the points of light representing believers, Yin Yunze noticed that the flickering ones were noticeably larger than the steady ones. Looking closely, they also seemed a tiny bit brighter.

After comparing them, Yin Yunze figured that, if he was right, the size and brightness of the points represented the depth of their believers' faith.

Only believers whose faith ran deep enough to give them large points of light could trigger request notifications on the radar map.

The believers with small points of light lacked sufficient faith and couldn't trigger Yin Yunze's notifications at all, which was why they seemed so lifeless and inactive.

Yunze didn't believe that the silent majority were all saints without a greedy bone in their bodies.

Among these points of light, two stood out as the brightest.

If the difference between the other points was like that between a pinhole and a sesame seed, these two were as big as soybeans.

And now, both of these noticeably larger points were flashing rapidly.

Yin Yunze already had an answer in mind as to whom they represented.

With a brief attempt to sense them, he confirmed his guess. Their positions on the map were right at Yin Yunze's shabby fox immortal temple.

There was no need to touch the points belonging to Sun Qin and Zhao Wan. As Yin Yunze exited the radar map, his gaze naturally returned to the dilapidated temple.

But the sight before him left Yin Yunze stunned for a moment before anger rose within him.

The four people who had been talking earlier were now tangled in a fight.

A young man with a scabby head whom Yin Yunze had never met was grabbing Sun Qin by the hair and pressing her down on the offering table in the temple.

Though Sun Qin struggled constantly, the difference in their physiques was plain to see. Pinned down, she couldn't get up.

Right beside them, Zhao Wan was clinging tightly to Spirit Medium Wang's leg. Spirit Medium Wang held something against her chest with one hand, while her free hand struck Zhao Wan's head with tremendous force.

Judging by Zhao Wan's pitiful, tearful appearance, Spirit Medium Wang was clearly hitting her with all her might.

"What are you doing?!"

Yin Yunze hadn't expected a fight to break out while he briefly distracted himself studying the new function.

After all, apart from the scabby-headed man he didn't know, Spirit Medium Wang could be considered to be on Yin Yunze's side.

"Boo-hoo, Lord Fox Immortal, this damned old woman is trying to steal your money!"

Hearing Yin Yunze's voice, Zhao Wan hurriedly cried out.

"What? She dares steal my money?!"

Yin Yunze grew even angrier at her words.

Only then did he see clearly that the object Spirit Medium Wang was clutching to her chest was a bundle containing a pile of copper coins and bits of silver.

It was precisely because she needed one hand to hold on to the money that Spirit Medium Wang couldn't break free of Zhao Wan's grip on her leg.

"Lord Fox Immortal, this is the... sincerity everyone offered you!"

Sun Qin, whose head was being held down, also explained where the money had come from.

The villagers had pooled it together to thank Yin Yunze and show their "sincerity."

In other words, this was the reward Yin Yunze had earned after working his tail off all day yesterday!

"That's my freaking money! The money I need to recoup my costs!"

The moment he understood that, Yin Yunze's eyes turned red.

However, although Yin Yunze's system had improved, he still couldn't physically touch this world.

At the thought of this damned old woman stealing his money right in front of him, Yin Yunze felt so angry he could breathe fire!

As if sensing Yin Yunze's anger, the faith incense offerings in his mind surged with a whoosh, and then a large portion vanished into thin air!

The next moment, a sudden understanding arose in Yin Yunze's mind, bringing him some information.

Once he had sorted through what he had come to understand, much of Yin Yunze's anger over the attempted theft vanished in an instant.

If Yin Yunze had a system, the message would probably have read:

"Fox immortal level increased. Skills acquired: Illusion Technique, Fox Fire, Dream Entry, Blessing."

After all his hard work these past few days, Yin Yunze had finally advanced from a fox immortal without a single skill, who couldn't even be called half-baked, to a half-baked fox immortal with skills!

"Lord Fox Immortal, please don't listen to her nonsense!"

When Spirit Medium Wang noticed Yin Yunze's appearance and heard Zhao Wan and Sun Qin's accusations, her expression changed, and she hurriedly explained, "It's clearly this mother and daughter who have ill intentions. They wanted to take the offerings the villagers gave you! I couldn't stand by and watch, so my son and I stopped their wicked deed!"

"I wanted to keep it safe for you first! Please don't forget, I'm the one who's always been utterly loyal to you! I'm even the one who arranged for those villagers and this little girl to come to you..."

"So I should thank you, then?"

Hearing Spirit Medium Wang's words, Yin Yunze, whose mood had only just improved after gaining his skills, was so angry he laughed.

Utterly loyal? She was freaking lying through her teeth!

As a fox immortal, Yin Yunze hadn't seen a trace of faith incense offerings from Spirit Medium Wang or the scabby-headed fellow.

"What did I ever do to make you disrespect me so much that you won't even give me a shred of faith?!"

After silently making that complaint, Yin Yunze recalled that he'd originally thought Spirit Medium Wang's point of faith had been hidden behind Sun Qin and Zhao Wan's because theirs were so large, which was why he had only seen the two of them on the radar map.

Now that he'd taken a closer look, good grief!

The old woman's point of faith hadn't been hidden at all. She didn't have even the slightest bit of faith.

And she still had the nerve to boast so shamelessly about being utterly loyal!

On one side was an old swindler without a shred of faith, spouting one lie after another.

On the other were his two most devout believers, who had just helped Yin Yunze put on a fine show.

Did Yin Yunze really need to think about whom to believe?!

Since Spirit Medium Wang had given him a push, Yin Yunze hadn't originally planned to stoop to her level.

Now it seemed some kindness really was better left unshown.

"No need to thank me, no need!" Whether Spirit Medium Wang truly hadn't understood him or was simply blinded by money, she said, "Lord Fox Immortal, you don't have anywhere to keep these copper coins and silver. How about I find a good place to keep them for you..."

"Where exactly are you planning to keep them?" Spirit Medium Wang's shamelessness made Yin Yunze laugh in anger again. "At your house, right?"

Seemingly taking Yin Yunze for a stupid fox, Spirit Medium Wang immediately seized the opening. "Of course! My house is absolutely..."

"Shut up!" Yin Yunze snorted coldly. She was freaking stealing his silver, beating his believers, and taking him for a fool, was she? "Put that money down and let Sun Qin and Wan'er go! Then take that filthy thing beside you and get out! If you do, I won't stoop to your level!"

"Fox Seventh Aunt! You're going to tear down the bridge after crossing it, are you?!"

Hearing Yin Yunze speak so bluntly, Spirit Medium Wang's old face darkened, and she dropped the act at once. "When I'm being polite, I call you a fox immortal. When I'm not, don't I know exactly what you are? You're nothing but a wild fox that can mimic human speech! Who are you trying to fool in front of me?!"

Spirit Medium Wang naturally knew exactly what Fox Seventh Aunt was.

Hadn't Fox Seventh Aunt's reputation been built by Spirit Medium Wang spreading word of her over the years?

Though she didn't know how Yin Yunze had done what he did yesterday, Spirit Medium Wang still assumed out of habit that he was the same Fox Seventh Aunt, of little real use.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone green-eyed at the sight of money and brought her son to the fox immortal temple to snatch it outright.

To put it bluntly, Spirit Medium Wang knew full well that the so-called fox immortal, Fox Seventh Aunt, was all show.

But Spirit Medium Wang didn't know that the one wearing the fox immortal's skin was no longer the wild fox Fox Seventh Aunt.

Of course, Spirit Medium Wang's thinking would actually have been correct even yesterday.

If the two of them had openly tried to rob him yesterday, Yin Yunze could only have raged helplessly, with no way to fight back.

Unfortunately for them, Yin Yunze had just gained two reasonably useful little skills by advancing in rank.

"Why do you think I'm the wild fox you know?" And so, faced with Spirit Medium Wang's change of attitude, Yin Yunze smiled with great confidence. "I've never admitted to being that Fox Seventh Aunt you keep talking about, have I?"

Now that he had the say in matters and the strength to back it up, Yin Yunze no longer needed Fox Seventh Aunt's painted skin.

"Since this is our first meeting, I am Green Hill Yi Yun, a nine-tailed fox of the Qingqiu Kingdom!"

Right in front of Spirit Medium Wang, the person who knew Fox Seventh Aunt best, Yin Yunze intended to make his fabricated identity real and then take her place!