The five little urchins exchanged glances.
Finally, a boy with brittle, sallow hair stepped forward, speaking timidly, "Bad people did this to Gouzi.
"The wealthy families in the city all keep these kinds of human-hounds.
"Human-hounds are more obedient, smarter, and stronger than regular dogs. So they're very popular.
"Turning into a human-hound requires one to be transformed by an immortal technique. It's a very painful process. If you can't endure it, you lose your mind and go mad. Then you get abandoned and left to fend for yourself."
Though young, the boy spoke with clear logic.
Immortal technique... Li Fan snorted coldly in his heart.
He couldn't detect the slightest trace of spiritual power at work on this “Gouzi.” It was just the crude stitching of a dog's limbs onto a human torso.
This so-called "immortal technique" was nothing but a lie to deceive common folk.
If Senior Brother Zhang saw such methods, he would surely roar in fury, "Demons and heretics—it is the right of all to exterminate them!"
"Gouzi was a defective product that got discarded. If not for Little Bai..."
The blond-haired boy was speaking when someone kicked him hard from behind.
He rubbed his backside, looking somewhat embarrassed.
The boy quickly corrected himself, "If not for Mister Bai treating him, Gouzi would probably be dead already."
Li Fan's expression shifted slightly.
Mister Bai?
He seemed to have heard that name before in this Fallen Immortal Realm.
The blue crystal in his sea of consciousness shimmered, instantly retrieving the relevant memory from its depths.
Right before he had obtained the Purple Firmament Soul Observation Art, after Zhang Qianmo and Song Hesong had finished their great battle and turned Ningyuan City into a field of ruins, some young beggar children around ten years old had suddenly appeared. Amidst the despair of the survivors, they raised their voices in a call to action.
They roused the people's will to survive and organized rescue efforts in an orderly manner.
And they were acting on the orders of this... Mister Bai.
Li Fan's interest was piqued. He asked immediately, "Who is Mister Bai?"
At the mention of Mister Bai, the blond-haired boy grew animated.
The floodgates opened, and words poured out: "Mister Bai is the best, kindest person in the whole world! He's also the most skilled doctor in the world! And the best-looking person in the world!"
The other children behind him chimed in eagerly: "Mister Bai has the gentlest voice in the world!"
"He's also the smartest person in the world!"
Listening to the children's effusive praise, Li Fan couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.
In these children's eyes, this small Ningyuan City was probably their entire world. Still, it was clear that this Mister Bai did possess remarkable qualities and treated the children exceptionally well.
Could such a person be the master of this spacetime of lingering obsession?
Li Fan's interest grew.
"This Mister Bai sounds truly remarkable! Could you introduce me to him?" Li Fan asked with a smile.
Instantly, all five children fell silent. They subconsciously took a step back, eyeing Li Fan with wary suspicion, as if Li Fan were some villain with ill intentions.
Li Fan gave a light laugh. "Don't be afraid of me.
"I'm a good person, just like your Mister Bai," Li Fan said with a smile. "I only wish to meet him."
The children exchanged glances once more, and finally, the blond-haired boy spoke up. "Actually, we don't know where Mister Bai lives either.
"We live in a small temple in the east of the city. Mister Bai comes to see us often.
"If you want to meet him, you can wait at the temple."
Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. Eventually, he judged that the blond boy wasn't lying.
He tossed the still-sleeping Gouzi to the group and spoke in a low voice, "Lead the way!"
The blond boy took Gouzi and looked it over. Seeing that it was just unconscious, he let out a sigh of relief.
Having confirmed that Li Fan wasn't some great villain, he could finally truly relax.
Thus, under their guidance, Li Fan arrived at a small temple in the eastern part of Ningyuan City.
It seemed to be abandoned.
The stone statue once enshrined there was now badly damaged, and only a small remnant remained.
Inside the temple were more than ten other children. There was a mix of boys and girls, all dressed in tattered clothes.
Though they were all rather thin and frail, each was full of spirit, and their eyes gleamed with light.
Seeing the blond boy and the other four return, they all crowded around and chattered all at once:
"Lu Ya, who's this uncle?”
"Why'd you come back empty-handed? Didn't get any food this time?"
"Gouzi! What's wrong with Gouzi?"
The blond Lu Ya then explained everything to the group.
Li Fan also understood why Lu Ya and the other four had followed him earlier: it was simply because he looked unfamiliar, and they had hoped to pick some silver coins off him to buy food.
There was more than one group like Lu Ya's. It was just that some hadn't returned yet.
The children in the temple all looked at Li Fan with wary and curious gazes. But none came forward to speak to him.
Li Fan couldn't be bothered to deal with a bunch of kids. He simply stood to the side, waiting for this Mister Bai.
If he wasn't mistaken, once Senior Brother Zhang made his move and Ningyuan City was reduced to rubble during the fight between the two sides, Mister Bai would show himself.
After a good part of the day had passed, Li Fan felt that the time was about right and sent a message to Senior Brother Zhang. "Be careful of Manager Song..."
Then he waited quietly.
Sure enough, not long after, Senior Brother Zhang's furious roar echoed over Ningyuan City like a clap of thunder.
"Demons and heretics! You court death!"
Purple lightning, representing the majestic might of heaven, flashed across the sky.
"Fellow Daoists, act swiftly!" That was Chu Liang's voice.
The battle had begun again.
Knowing Senior Brother Zhang's strength, Li Fan didn't pay it excessive attention this time. Instead, he watched the reactions of the children in the temple with interest.
"Quick! Quick! Get into the cellar!" Seeing the strange spectacle in the sky, Lu Ya's face paled slightly as he urgently directed them in.
The children seemed extremely practiced at taking shelter. They pushed aside the small remnant of the stone statue, revealing a hole. Without panicking, they filed inside one after another.
When only Lu Ya remained in the open, he turned back and said to Li Fan, "Mister, you should take shelter too! Immortals are fighting outside. It's far too dangerous!"
Li Fan offered a faint smile. "Don't worry about me. You go ahead and take shelter."
Lu Ya hesitated for a moment, then nodded. His small frame vanished into the hole. The stone statue slowly slid back into place, sealing the entrance once more.
Only then did Li Fan step forward to stand before the statue, a peculiar expression settling on his features.
When the children had pushed the statue aside to reveal the hidden chamber beneath, even Li Fan had been momentarily startled.
"Interesting," he murmured. "This seemingly ordinary statue can actually block my divine sense?"
He ran his hand slowly over the aged stone. Within him, his spiritual power surged forth.