Chapter 67: The Little Fox Spirit

That girl moved with remarkable speed, clearly not an ordinary person. At this moment, Xu Cheng, now dressed in a blue robe, hurriedly parted the townsfolk surrounding him and followed the trail left by that brown shadow. Yan Mengdie noticed Xu Cheng had vanished and quickly led Chrysanthemum and the others away using a magical escape technique.

Seeing their "immortals" had disappeared, the townsfolk blamed each other, certain that someone among them had frightened the deities away.

Meanwhile, Xu Cheng hovered midair, having tracked down the girl, though he did not apprehend her, choosing instead to follow her cautiously from behind.

Soon, the small brown figure darted straight into a teahouse. That teahouse belonged to Tu Shan Ba and Tang Gumu—could this little one be a relative of theirs?

Just as Xu Cheng landed, Yan Mengdie, Chrysanthemum, and Cen Ningyue appeared behind him.

Inside, the teahouse was unusually quiet; the townsfolk were all outside searching for Xu Cheng, and none would have imagined their "immortals" would come here.

They had not waited long at the entrance before someone came out—it was Tang Gumu himself. With a folding fan in hand, he said slowly, "Why have you come? Have you already dealt with those four?"

"Indeed, those four have been eliminated," Xu Cheng replied with a hint of pride. If not for the Great Xia Dynasty employing some mysterious means to produce so many experts at the Spirit Core level, his own Spirit Core would still command quite a deterrent.

At that moment, a head cautiously peeked out from the door leading to the back courtyard—it was the same girl from before.

Xu Cheng pointed at her, saying, "She—"

But before he could finish, the girl recoiled, pulling her head back as if startled.

"Oh, you mean Qiqi! She’s Old Ba’s granddaughter. She just escaped here a few days ago. If you hadn’t taken care of those four, we’d probably have had to move by now!" Tang Gumu called toward the back, "Qiqi, don’t hide! This uncle isn’t a bad person!"

So, the girl was from the Tu Shan clan.

Timidly, the little one emerged, dressed in a brown vest and pale yellow clothes—truly looking like a mischievous little fox spirit.

"Tell me, was it you who pilfered food from the townsfolk’s homes?" Xu Cheng looked at Qiqi, a smile curling on his lips.

"I didn’t! It wasn’t me!" Qiqi denied at once.

"Be honest. Disobedient children get sent to the Underworld!" Xu Cheng conjured a chain in his hand, radiating an intimidating aura.

Frightened, the girl’s eyes turned to vertical slits, two sharp fangs emerged, furry fox ears sprouted atop her head, and a bushy tail unfurled behind her.

"Waaah! Uncle Gumu, he’s bullying me!"

Qiqi flung herself at Tang Gumu’s leg, tears and snot streaming down her face as if she had suffered a great injustice.

"But even your Uncle Gumu can’t beat him. And besides, you little rascal, it’s not as if there’s no food at home—why keep stealing? Last time you nearly got caught by those four Spirit Core experts!" Tang Gumu crouched down, patting her head, clearly familiar with her ways.

"I’m practicing my survival skills! What if you all die, how will I live?" Qiqi sniffled, baring her fangs.

"You little scamp, is that any way to curse your family?" Tang Gumu replied, exasperated.

"Bleh! If you won’t help me, I’ll go find Grandpa!" Qiqi stuck out her tongue at Xu Cheng and his companions before running into the back courtyard.

Tang Gumu looked slightly embarrassed, then turned to Xu Cheng. "Forgive her antics. She’s always like this! Please, come inside."

Xu Cheng nodded. He had intended as much; with the townsfolk still searching for the "immortals," it was only a matter of time before they came here. Lingering at the door would bring trouble.

The group filed inside, though Yan Mengdie’s size made entering somewhat awkward.

But that was hardly a problem—if the door wouldn’t accommodate her, could she not simply descend from above?

With a thud, Yan Mengdie landed from above, making the whole teahouse tremble. Truly, she lived up to her nickname, "Little Elephant" Yan Mengdie.

"Ah! So it’s our benefactor!" Tu Shan Ba, who had been wearing a slight frown, rushed out to greet them.

"Grandpa!" Qiqi clung to Tu Shan Ba’s sleeve, acting spoiled. She had hoped her grandfather would defend her, but at the first meeting, he greeted their benefactor with more warmth than he ever showed her.

"You little rascal! Enough—whatever the benefactor says, you must remember. No more stealing! Understood?" Tu Shan Ba’s tone was gentle, even when admonishing his only granddaughter.

This reminded Xu Cheng of his own past, before he took up cultivation—those days spent thieving. If not for the demonic marks, he would never have begun his spiritual path.

His thoughts wandered further, recalling the old Daoist Lingxu, Liao Zhen, and the others. He wondered how they were faring now in Gunzhou City.

"I understand," Qiqi pouted, her face full of reluctance.

"Old Ba, what are your plans now?" Xu Cheng changed the subject.

"Since you’ve all dealt with the Spirit Core experts of the Xia Dynasty here, it’s best we stay put. Running about would only draw more attention," Tu Shan Ba answered after a moment’s thought.

"Very well. Here are some pills for your cultivation, and this jade token bears my Spirit Core imprint. If you break it, I will sense it and come to your aid," Xu Cheng said, leaving behind several pills and the jade token. Among the pills, the majority were Underworld Essence Pellets, with a few Ghostforge and Spirit Replenishing Pills.

"Benefactor, I cannot accept this! You already saved my life; to accept these as well would weigh heavily on my heart!" Tu Shan Ba immediately tried to refuse, about to kneel in gratitude, but several plants from the floor gently lifted him up—the subtle art of the Little Five Elements Transformation.

"Old Ba, there’s no need for all that. Even if not for your own sake, think of her," Xu Cheng said, nodding toward Qiqi.

Tu Shan Ba glanced down at his young granddaughter. Qiqi’s eyes were full of hope; she instinctively believed those pills were precious.

"Yes, Old Ba, just accept them! If you don’t, I’ll take them myself!" Chrysanthemum feigned reaching for them, though it was only a pretense—it worked wonderfully.

Hesitating, Old Ba finally relented, pulling Qiqi forward. "Qiqi, thank your uncle!"

"Thank you, Uncle!" Qiqi said politely, her eyes shining as she stared unblinkingly at the Underworld Essence Pellets.

"Old Ba, we still need to deal with the remaining Spirit Core experts of the Xia Dynasty in nearby towns. Otherwise, you’ll never be truly safe here," Xu Cheng said, clasping his fists.

"Be careful. The Spirit Core cultivators of the Xia Dynasty all know a powerful combined attack technique—the best counter is to defeat them one by one," Tu Shan Ba advised, worry in his voice.

"Just so. Until we meet again," Xu Cheng replied, Tu Shan Ba’s words having given him clarity. He had been wondering how to deal with more Xia Dynasty experts using that technique; now the answer was clear—defeat them in turn.

"Until we meet again," Tu Shan Ba responded. Qiqi, imitating the adults, cupped her fists in farewell as well.