Chapter 345: Poison Scholar Youth
The Fox God’s face turned pale, her eyelids twitched, and she stared intently at the two people in front of her.
One was a graceful young man in white, and the other was a child carved like jade, both appearing harmless to humans and animals alike.
However, in stark contrast to their appearances, their hearts were too black, too filthy!
"Encountering the two of you, I suppose it was destined that I face this calamity," the Fox God remained silent for a long time, then let out a sorrowful laugh, speaking in a voice full of heartbreak, "A Lingyin Willow, a Golden Core-grade Lingyin Willow!"
Sun Lingtong’s eyes widened.
Even Ning Zhuo’s expression betrayed his astonishment.
A Lingyin Willow!
And a Golden Core-grade Lingyin Willow at that?
"Did I hear that correctly?!" Sun and Ning exchanged glances.
"Hidden under the Lingyin Willow’s leaves lies the way to avoid calamities, and its shadow reveals the mysteries of the Dao."
The Lingyin Willow grew in auspicious lands where spiritual energy was abundant, possessing the ability to hide and conceal itself. This ability was even stronger than that of the Wanli Dragon.
The Wanli Dragon could only turn invisible but couldn't fully hide itself. Even if it couldn’t be seen, one could still touch it.
The Lingyin Willow, however, not only turned invisible but could also fully conceal itself. Even if someone walked right where its roots were, they would never be able to touch it.
The ability to hide was merely a survival tactic of the Lingyin Willow. Its true value lay in two key aspects.
The first was avoiding calamities.
It was said that it could change one's fortune and evade disasters.
The second was aiding in the comprehension of the Dao.
When cultivating beneath the Lingyin Willow, a cultivator’s comprehension would be significantly enhanced, making it easier to grasp cultivation techniques and practice the myriad arts of cultivation.
Even a Lingyin Willow at the Qi Refining stage would cause Golden Core cultivators to fight fiercely over it.
Yet the Fox God had produced a Golden Core-grade one!
This was truly shocking.
Even though Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong had intended to extort—no, out of goodwill, help the Fox God atone for her sins—they had never imagined they would receive a Golden Core-grade Lingyin Willow!
This was an unimaginable fortune.
Unexpectedly, it had really happened in reality, and to them, no less.
"We hit the jackpot! We really hit the jackpot!" Sun Lingtong shouted with joy in his heart.
The Fox God straightened her posture and fell silent.
Having produced a Golden Core-grade Lingyin Willow, she was certain the two would agree to her terms.
The price was simply too high, too significant!
The Fox God's face turned cold. "I have offered up so much; how can you assure me that you two can truly redeem me?"
Ning Zhuo reached into his robe and, right before the Fox God, pulled out an imperial edict.
He unfolded the edict and read aloud: "By the decree of the Heavenly King, it is declared: In the mountains of Wuyin resides a loyal and brave Fox God who has endured humiliation and borne great burdens, infiltrating the ranks of the evil demon and monster forces to gather intelligence and expose conspiracies."
"For this meritorious service, we bestow upon you the title of ‘True Mountain God of Wuyin Mountain,’ commanding you to cooperate actively with the royal family in eradicating bandits and ensuring the peace of the people. You shall forever enjoy the honor of incense offerings."
"By order of the king!"
The Fox God’s face became solemn, and she knelt to the ground: "Your servant receives the decree and thanks the Lord for His great grace!"
As soon as her words fell, the edict emitted a radiance that enveloped the Fox God, instantly sealing the contract.
The Fox God closed her eyes slightly, feeling the authenticity of the contract, and then looked at Ning Zhuo, her eyes filled with astonishment.
Ning Zhuo’s production of the imperial edict had taken her completely by surprise.
She had never imagined that this young man before her could reach the ears of the king and, in such a short period, accomplish so much—exposing a major case and even obtaining an imperial decree!
What she didn’t know was that this decree had come from Zhu Xuanji.
Zhu Xuanji was the Golden Core figurehead of the Zhu family, possessing several divine abilities and tremendous potential in reaching the Nascent Soul stage. He was deeply trusted by the king.
He often carried a blank imperial edict when investigating cases, filling in the details himself when necessary.
The blank edict bore the king’s seal of the Southern Dou Court. As long as the content was properly written, it would be effective!
The contract was formed, and the exchange between the two parties was completed.
The Fox God received the edict from Ning Zhuo, while Ning Zhuo acquired numerous cultivation treasures.
He wanted to examine them thoroughly, especially the Golden Core-grade Lingyin Willow. However, the timing wasn’t right, so he had no choice but to store them all inside the Wanli Dragon.
Seeing the Wanli Dragon manifest, the Fox God let out a light sigh. "A Wanli Dragon?"
She immediately recognized this classic Nascent Soul-level mechanical creation.
Two Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed such heavy treasures. This only further convinced her that Sun and Ning had deep, formidable backgrounds that she absolutely could not afford to offend.
Even the pain she felt from parting with her life’s savings slightly eased as a result.
The Fox God respectfully inquired about how she should cooperate with the upcoming operation.
Ning Zhuo told her to wait right there until the time came, and she would act on his command.
The Fox God suppressed her doubts and obediently complied.
After handling this matter, Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but recall his previous conversation with Zhu Xuanji.
Ning Zhuo had directly asked Zhu Xuanji, "How should we deal with that Fox God?"
Zhu Xuanji had thought for a moment and then sighed, "It is better to use merit than to dwell on faults."
Ning Zhuo immediately understood his meaning.
The True Mountain God of Wuyin Mountain was already likely doomed. If they also killed the vice mountain god, how would they manage and govern Wuyin Mountain afterward?
Rely on the local villagers?
Relying on human cultivators was far less effective than relying on the gods.
Though the Fox God had aligned herself with demons, she had still exposed the dark plots, proving her usefulness and merit.
Moreover, gods were far more adept than human cultivators at managing mountains, rivers, and lakes.
The Southern Dou royal family of the Zhu clan was short of talented people and struggling to govern Southern Dou. This was evident from their reliance on the Suspended Magnetic Governor.
The fact that the king cherished even outsiders like him showed how thin the royal family’s influence was at the local level.
The Fox God’s weakness had fallen into the Zhu family’s hands, and this was exactly what the royal family wanted most.
Zhu Xuanji's reaction was within Ning Zhuo’s expectations.
Back in Puppet Immortal City, Ning Zhuo had already learned much about Zhu Xuanji, knowing that the latter was deeply concerned for the kingdom, with the interests of the royal family being his primary focus.
Ning Zhuo had said, "Lord Zhu and the Governor must not act hastily, lest we alert the enemy. Let the two of us take action and force the Fox God to comply."
Zhu Xuanji had given Ning Zhuo a deep look. "If you take this task upon yourself, your share of the rewards will be reduced."
He had seen through Ning Zhuo’s plan with ease.
After all, he had seen too much during his investigations.
Ning Zhuo had thought for a moment, then agreed, asking for proof.
Zhu Xuanji had pondered for a moment before handing over the imperial edict. Under the astonished gazes of the three present, he personally wrote the edict’s contents.
At the foot of the mountain, a burst of light suddenly appeared, dazzling to the eyes.
Immediately, a large number of cultivators appeared out of thin air.
This scene immediately caught the Fox God’s attention.
"He actually summoned an army to deal with the Black Wind Tiger Demon?"
"Wait, this army isn’t of high quality."
The Fox God observed from a distance and gradually realized it was a local garrison.
"The Black Wind Tiger Demon practices the Blood-Swallowing Demon Art. No matter how many cannon fodder soldiers they send, they’ll just become its food or walking pills." The Fox God couldn’t help but warn them.
Sun Lingtong laughed, "Fox God, just keep watching."
The teleportation light continued to shine.
The next wave of cultivators that appeared were clearly more elite. Several Foundation Establishment leaders exuded an aura of strength and authority.
The Fox God evaluated, "If this army is skilled in battle formations, they might have a chance. But the larger the formation, the harder it is to coordinate. If the Tiger Demon finds a flaw and breaks through the formation, it will slaughter countless people."
Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo both remained silent.
Finally, the last wave of teleportation!
As the light faded, Meng
Zizhong appeared, holding a long-handled battle hammer, entering the Fox God’s line of sight.
The Fox God was stunned. "Meng Zizhong?!"
Her breath hitched, and her first thought was that Meng Zizhong had come with the army of cultivators to destroy her mountain and temple.
But the Fox God was sharp-minded, and after a moment, she suddenly understood.
At the foot of the mountain, the cultivator army began rapidly forming battle lines.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon received the battle report and knew it couldn’t allow the human cultivators to finish assembling their formation. It immediately led its forces down the mountain to attack.
It wanted to strike while the enemy’s lines were still unstable, crush them, and then retreat triumphantly!
"It’s starting!" Sun Lingtong laughed, eagerly watching the battle unfold.
The Fox God looked sharply at Ning Zhuo. "Did you specifically arrange for Meng Zizhong to eliminate the Black Wind Tiger Demon?"
Ning Zhuo glanced at her, then back at the battlefield at the mountain’s base, his voice indifferent. "Just spread a few rumors, that’s all."
The Fox God’s eyes narrowed. Ning Zhuo’s flat, monotone voice sent a chill through her heart.
"What a vicious plan!" the Fox God marveled inwardly, her wariness and vigilance toward Ning Zhuo increasing by several degrees.
The demons charged down the mountain!
The Black Wind Tiger Demon led the charge at the forefront, its eyes bloodshot, murderous intent radiating as it roared like thunder, "Meng Zizhong, I’m going to tear you apart and devour you alive!"
Meng Zizhong snorted coldly, brandishing his long-handled battle hammer, stepping forward to meet the demon.
Boom!
The two collided fiercely.
Meng Zizhong staggered back four steps, while the Black Wind Tiger Demon only retreated one step.
But Meng Zizhong had achieved his goal—he had successfully intercepted the Black Wind Tiger Demon.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon shook its tiger claws, dispelling the numbness in its limbs.
Meng Zizhong gripped his battle hammer more tightly.
He thought to himself, "This wicked tiger has great strength. I’m no match for it in power. I should use long-range techniques to weaken it first!"
With this thought, Meng Zizhong shouted, "Sand, blind its eyes!"
As soon as his words fell, his earth-aligned mana surged, transforming into countless grains of yellow sand that flew toward the Black Wind Tiger Demon.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon’s vision was obscured, and its hearing was disrupted.
Meng Zizhong shouted again, "Stones, strike its waist!"
The earth-aligned mana coalesced into several stone spheres that rolled rapidly, producing a rumbling sound as they crashed into the Black Wind Tiger Demon.
The demon closed its eyes and covered its ears, the stone spheres hitting it repeatedly, forcing it to retreat, its waist aching.
It let out a furious roar, casting a blood-based demonic technique—
A foul wind!
A fierce wind erupted, and the stench of blood quickly spread across the battlefield.
Clouds followed dragons, and wind followed tigers. The Black Wind Tiger Demon’s name included the character for wind, which reflected its prowess in wind-based techniques.
The fierce wind swept across the battlefield, blowing the yellow sand back and greatly slowing the rolling stones, with many almost coming to a complete stop.
Meng Zizhong snorted coldly. "It’s not over yet. Watch as I unleash my Flying Sand and Rolling Stones!"
Yellow sand and rolling stones were two distinct techniques, but under Meng Zizhong’s control, they combined into one, amplifying each other’s power.
In an instant, the sand whirled through the sky, and the stones rolled swiftly, breaking through the foul wind’s obstruction and crashing into the Black Wind Tiger Demon.
Bang, bang, bang...
The Black Wind Tiger Demon was knocked down.
The rolling stones quickly piled on top of each other, suppressing the demon beneath the ground.
(End of Chapter)