Chapter 624: Fox Immortal Lady of Qingqiu! Rain of Spiritual Qi! Great Magical Power! Departure! A Beauty’s Gift!
“Now that the Three Corpses have been severed, what do you plan to do next?”
After a moment of silence, Li Yanchu asked.
“I’ve been trapped by the Three Corpses Severing Art all these years, unable to truly grasp my divine abilities. With matters here concluded, I’ll return to Qingqiu. There are some old affairs that need to be dealt with,” Lady Hu replied.
“Qingqiu?” Minghe suddenly spoke up.
“Indeed. I can sense the aura of Qingqiu fox clan techniques on you as well, young friend. You and Qingqiu are surely connected by some karmic tie,” Lady Hu said with a faint, knowing smile.
Her eyes were bright and perceptive, as though she could see through everything.
The corner of Minghe’s mouth twitched slightly. Where did her Qingqiu fox techniques come from? Naturally, she hadn’t learned them by taking a Qingqiu fox as her master, she had learned them by killing a Qingqiu fox.
Now, standing before the very ancestor of Qingqiu, it was only natural for her to feel a bit awkward.
“With a single sentence you want to wash your hands off everything, aren’t you thinking a bit too simply?” Li Yanchu suddenly spoke, his tone icy cold.
“Doesn’t this young friend possess a Heart-Questioning Method that can clearly discern lies? Fellow Daoist, why not ask her whether I’ve lied or not?” Lady Hu, or more precisely the Qingqiu Fox Immortal, said with a smile.
Li Yanchu glanced at Minghe. Minghe shook her head. Yet uncertainty lingered in her heart. Could her Heart-Questioning Method really test the intent of a Land Immortal?!
Li Yanchu frowned and said, “Let’s set that aside for now. Since you were within this Fox Immortal Lady Temple, where were the humans traded to the demon race sold off to?”
The Qingqiu Fox Immortal shook her head. “Although I resided within this Fox Immortal Lady Temple, the restrictions placed upon me were extremely severe, and I have far less freedom than the Three Corpses I severed. As such, I don’t know much about the things they did.”
Li Yanchu looked at the Qingqiu Fox Immortal.
People always say foxes were sly. The fox clan was the best at lying! And this one was a Qingqiu Fox Immortal, the very ancestor of liars!
“Fellow Daoist, you’re young, yet your physical body rivals that of the third realm. You were able to slay the Three Corpses, which means your killing divine abilities are truly admirable. And yet right now, you are deliberately suppressing your aura. There’s not the slightest trace of surging blood qi or magical power to be seen.
“Ordinary people would think you’re merely putting on a brave front, concealing the fact that you’re weakened after the battle. But I believe that you have already harbored killing intent toward me, intending to rely on the pure yang treasures on you to strike me down the moment I make a move. Am I wrong?”
The Qingqiu Fox Immortal smiled faintly. Though she had never heard of the concept of ‘entrapment[1],’ she understood Li Yanchu’s approach perfectly well.
Minghe froze, staring at Li Yanchu in shock. In a situation like this, he was still thinking about killing the Qingqiu Fox Immortal?!
This Fox Immortal Lady could see through people’s hearts...
Li Yanchu’s expression remained cold as he said calmly, “I’m merely a minor Yin Spirit cultivator. I don’t deserve such regard from a Land Immortal. You can try if you like.”
The Fox Immortal Lady shook her head and said gently, “Every word I’ve spoken is true. I can also see your killing intent, but you truly have misjudged me. Your lightning arts are indeed domineering, but they cannot kill an innocent person like me.”
Li Yanchu’s brows knit tightly, a flash of surprise passing through his heart.
Before he came here, that Five-Lightning Talisman enhanced with two hundred thousand merit points on his person had just regained its spiritual resonance.
The talisman’s runes had been reactivated. That was precisely the confidence with which he had dared to come to this Fox Immortal Lady Temple. He hadn’t expected the Fox Immortal Lady to see through it so clearly.
“Fellow Daoist, you helped me sever the Three Corpses and free myself from my bonds. Such great kindness, I will surely repay it in the future!” the Qingqiu Fox Immortal said.
As her words fell, her figure vanished in an instant! It was as though she had never appeared at all.
At the same time, a heavy rain descended from the heavens. This rainwater was transformed from pure spiritual qi.
As it fell, the people of Gaoling County immediately felt their minds clear and their spirits invigorated, all illness within their bodies dissipating. Even the shattered ground and collapsed houses began to slowly restore themselves.
The Fox Immortal Lady Temple itself was forcibly erased, transformed into an ordinary stretch of street.
At this moment, Li Yanchu and Minghe stood upon that very street. Rain fell from the heavens, capable of curing all ailments.
“This Fox Immortal Lady actually possesses such heaven-defying power?” Minghe said in astonishment.
In her heart, she also felt that what the Fox Immortal Lady had said was probably true. After all, with such vast magical power and divine abilities, why would she need to lie to two juniors like them?
Li Yanchu said nothing. This rain of spiritual qi truly brought nothing but benefits to people.
To restore the entire state of Gaoling County with a mere wave of the hand... is this what a Land Immortal is capable of? Li Yanchu murmured inwardly.
And then his thoughts suddenly turned to those vanished and destroyed Blissful Lands.
“If a Land Immortal who has only just recovered their strength already wields such great power, then how terrifyingly powerful must the immortals of those Blissful Lands have been? What exactly happened back then, for so many immortals to have fallen?”
Li Yanchu’s desire to raise his own cultivation grew even stronger.
The beautiful woman among the Three Corpses had gone to Linjiang County’s Zhou family to trade and traffic in people. What forces lay behind that matter?
Neither Li Yanchu nor Minghe had investigated it thoroughly.
Li Yanchu believed that this matter was certainly connected to the forces of the demon nations. It likely had a great deal to do with the White Marsh Demon Kingdom!
“Qingqiu Fox Immortal...”
Li Yanchu had a premonition that he would likely have many dealings with the Qingqiu Fox Immortal in the future.
With the world in such chaos now, all kinds of hidden old monsters were beginning to emerge.
***
Li Yanchu took Minghe aboard the Heaven-Earth Demonbane Godshuttle and returned to the prefectural capital of Donglin Commandery. He met with the four Yang Spirit experts and recounted the events.
“The Three Corpses Severing Art is also recorded in the archives of Mount Longhu. What the Qingqiu Fox Immortal said should be true,” Celestial Master Zhao said.
The others all nodded.
On this matter, the Celestial Master of Mount Longhu naturally had the greatest authority to speak.
Still, Celestial Master Zhao looked at Li Yanchu and exhorted him earnestly, “This is an era of great contention. Immortals hidden away in the flow of time are beginning to surface again. If you encounter such matters in the future, you must not act so recklessly.”
Celestial Master Zhao had not expected Li Yanchu to be this headstrong. He had slain three Lady Hus in succession, and had even gone to confront the Qingqiu Fox Immortal directly!
“Understood. Thank you for your concern, Celestial Master,” Li Yanchu replied.
After Li Yanchu left, Celestial Master Zhao, Xu Tiannan, Master Baoshu, and Master Wuse were still somewhat shaken.
“With a Land Immortal emerging into the world, who knows where this world will head?” Celestial Master Zhao said with deep worry.
“Celestial Master need not be overly concerned. As long as the national fortune of Kingdom of Qian remains prosperous, even immortals won’t be able to stir up too much trouble,” Xu Tiannan said. As a high-ranking official of the Court of Judicial Review, he knew certain hidden secrets of the Qian dynasty and thus was not overly alarmed.
Celestial Master Zhao nodded slightly. “This trip down the mountain has given this old Daoist much to reflect on. Once things conclude, I’ll return to Mount Longhu and enter secluded cultivation.”
Xu Tiannan’s mouth twitched. This old Daoist isn’t planning to hide away, is he?!
On this journey, Minghe had lost two old servants by her side. She had also witnessed terrifying existences such as the Golden-Winged Roc of the Shituo Kingdom and the Qingqiu Fox Immortal.
As a result, she developed an extremely urgent sense of crisis about improving her strength. Thus, she was unwilling to linger in Donglin Commandery and directly chose to depart for the capital.
The only regret was that she could not continue discussing the Dao with Li Yanchu.
Her family’s rules were too strict, and she had already been out for far too long; she had to return.
“Take care, fellow Daoist. If fate allows, we’ll meet again someday,” Minghe said softly.
“Alright,” Li Yanchu replied with a faint smile.
Minghe possessed many skills, had inherited a very ancient lineage, and her temperament was also commendable. Forming a team with her would be perfectly fine.
“This bottle is for you, just as a keepsake.” Minghe glanced at Li Yanchu, then took out an unadorned, antique bottle over two chi tall and handed it to him.
1. Entrapment is a practice in which a law enforcement agent or an agent of the state induces a person to commit a crime that the person would have otherwise been unlikely or unwilling to commit. ☜
