Under the moonlit night, in a rarely traveled dark alley on the side of the street in Tian’an City’s East City, sounds of mechanisms interlocking gears suddenly erupted.
Boom boom—
Ten inconspicuous, old stone bricks on the alley floor suddenly sank into the ground, revealing stone steps leading straight down.
Ye Anping, wearing a blue-green robe and with his face covered by a hood, slowly emerged from the stairs. Seeing that no other demons were passing through the alley, he felt somewhat relieved. He relocked the entrance to the secret passage and then, using the walls on both sides of the alley, leaped onto the roof of a three-story residential building nearby.
To capture Xue Tianqiao, the first step was to find her.
However, looking at the dazzling array of demons on the streets of East City, Ye Anping couldn’t help but feel a little weary.
When he had entered the secret passage beneath Tian’an City, the late Nascent Soul stage Gu cultivator from the Ghost Spirit Sect had also entered the city with gifts. He figured she would be presenting them to Hu Mu soon.
If he didn’t capture Xue Tianqiao before the demon cultivator and Hu Mu finished their conversation, all his efforts would be in vain.
In other words, he probably only had about an hour—to set a trap, catch the fox, and escape.
“If Xuanji the Great Hero also attached a bell to her, or if I happened to encounter her on the street, that would be great…”
Ye Anping sighed, but for something so important, how could he plan based on luck or uncertainty?
After stretching his shoulders slightly, he moved along the tiled roofs of the buildings, heading towards the highest tower within his sight. Stepping onto the tip of the eaves, he softly called out:
“Xiao…”
Before he could even say “Tian,” Xiao Tian, as if sensing his thoughts, poked half of her body out of his soul realm:
“Anping, did you call me?”
“…”
Seeing Xiao Tian’s eager expression, wanting to help him, Ye Anping froze for a long time. He frowned and asked, “Why are you so excited?”
Xiao Tian flew to Ye Anping’s shoulder and perched there, grabbing his face and blinking:
“Anping, you rarely call me. It feels bad to live here for free. Please give me more things to do in the future. So, what can I help with? Do you want the Heavenly Scroll of the Dao? Or do you want me to help you deliver a message? Or perhaps steal a look into someone’s Storage Bag?”
“I basically know everything in the Heavenly Scroll of the Dao; you can only deliver messages to Feng Yu Die, which is no better than raising a carrier pigeon; peeking into someone’s Storage Bag is somewhat useful… Anything else?”
“Ah… there’s more, there’s more…”
Ye Anping looked at her coldly. “Hm?”
Xiao Tian lowered her eyes in thought, realizing she was probably useless. Two large tears suddenly welled up in her golden eyes:
“Anping, I… *sob*… I…”
Ye Anping was genuinely surprised that Xiao Tian would be so wronged as to cry. He became worried that she would make him have a headache crying inside his head, so he quickly changed the subject:
“Xiao Tian, I asked you to come out because…”
However, just as Ye Anping was assigning her a task.
A clear bell chime echoed in his Spiritual Sense.
Ding, ling, ling~~
The ethereal sound of the Returning Star Bell lacked direction, but it gave him a precise location down to the millimeter.
Ye Anping frowned slightly and turned his head towards the source of the sound.
To his east, about a hundred feet away on Tian’an City’s East Long Street, a white spiritual fox was leaping and bounding with agile movements, as if the entire street was its playground. It used the heads and shoulders of passing demons as stepping stones.
Several crimson and silver-black spiritual foxes were chasing after it, but they were tricked by its clever schemes, causing them to collide with pedestrians or crash into buildings through windows.
“…”
Did the old woman really attach a bell to this seductive fox too?
Ye Anping hadn’t expected this, but it made things much easier for him.
Since Xue Tianqiao could smell the scent of the Heavenly Scroll of the Dao, he had originally planned to have Xiao Tian spread his spiritual energy. That way, Xue Tianqiao would naturally come to him upon smelling it…
But now, it seemed that Xuanji the Great Hero had snatched Xiao Tian’s job.
“Anping…”
Ye Anping came back to his senses and looked at the wronged Xiao Tian. After pondering for a moment, he smiled:
“I missed you. I haven’t seen you come out for a few days, so I called you out to take a look. Is that not allowed?”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Tian’s wronged expression vanished instantly. Instead, her face turned surprised, and then, blushing shyly, she moved to the front of Ye Anping’s shoulder:
“Anping, you’re naughty~~”
“…”
Ye Anping shivered and ignored Xiao Tian.
He watched as Xue Tianqiao suddenly stopped and started chasing her own tail, spinning in circles. He was stunned for a moment but quickly regained his composure. He pulled his hood down slightly, took out several small Gu worms he had cultivated on the way, and transformed into a shadow under the night sky, leaping towards Xue Tianqiao.
Seeing this, Xiao Tian quickly followed, grabbed the long hair tied at the back of his head, and trailed behind him:
“Hey? Anping, where are you going? Wait for me…”
…
————
Ding, ling, ling~~
Ding, ling, ling~~
The noisy bell sounds came from an unknown source. Xue Tianqiao twitched her eyebrows slightly. Having gained some weight, she buried her head in her tail and looked, scanning through the magical artifacts, pills, and strange items stored in her tail.
She discovered that the felt fox made by Si Xuanji from her master’s tail fur was now vibrating slightly.
She twitched her eyebrows, took out the felt fox with her mouth, and stared at it suspiciously for a while:
“Yip?”
As she stopped to find the source of the bell, the fox maids who had been left far behind by her had now caught up and surrounded her.
A slightly larger silver-black fox nodded slightly, with a pleading expression:
“Miss, we’ve caught you, you lost… It’s getting dark, please come back with us. If the Sovereign comes to check on you later, you’ll get scolded again…”
Xue Tianqiao paused. She hadn’t had enough fun yet. If not for the sudden ringing of the bell, how could these fox demons have caught her?
“This doesn’t count!”
Saying so, she grabbed the felt fox with her mouth and tried to break through.
But the leading silver-black spiritual fox quickly pounced on her:
“Miss! Come back with us. Tomorrow, we’ll play with you in the Imperial Palace…”
However, at this very moment, a whiff of stinky spiritual energy entered the noses of several foxes.
All the foxes, including Xue Tianqiao, immediately smelled the scent of Gu worms. But amidst the stench of the Gu worms, Xue Tianqiao also detected a hint of sweetness, like roasted chicken.
“Yip?”
Just as they were wondering about the origin of the Gu worm smell, a dark shadow suddenly smashed onto the roof where they were, blowing away all the tiles.
Boom—
Ye Anping grabbed Xue Tianqiao by the nape of her neck and, pushing her through the roof and into the room below, startled several low-level tiger demons who were drinking and feasting in a private room in the restaurant below.
He broke through two layers of ceiling and landed on a banquet table in the main hall. Ye Anping’s sharp eyes scanned the area. He pressed Xue Tianqiao against his chest, propped his right elbow in front of him, and smashed through the window facing the backyard.
CRASH—
The wooden bed shattered, but as he burst out, he glimpsed three cold glints attacking him from the front, back, and sides.
Among the fox maids who had been thrown away, four were now biting the hilt of a snake-like spirit sword with their mouths, unleashing several spiritual lights in unison, crisscrossing towards his neck.
“Huo…”
The foxes cooperated with almost flawless precision, blocking all his escape routes with a single move.
If he hadn’t been a Sword Cultivator, he might not have been able to dodge them all.
“Anping, there are two behind you!”
Clang—
Ye Anping twisted his body and raised an arm, blocking one sword with his sleeve. He then used Xue Tianqiao in his left hand as a shield against the swords of the other two demon foxes. Simultaneously, he used the force to twist his body, kicking away one of the spiritual foxes biting and swinging a sword from behind him with his knee. Finally, he threw out the Gu盅 he had prepared earlier.
These actions took less than a breath.
The fox maids, some terrified, others confused…
And as Ye Anping’s Gu盅 collided with the spirit sword in the mouth of the last spiritual fox.
The blade light directly broke open a finger-length gap on the Gu盅. The dark purple Gu spirit energy surged out, instantly engulfing Ye Anping and all the spiritual foxes.
Ye Anping seized the opportunity to pull Xue Tianqiao, whom he had thrown, back into his hands. He burst out of the purple mist and landed on the street, exhaling lightly as he calmly watched the spreading Gu spirit mist.
Xue Tianqiao, whom he was holding by the nape of her neck and using as a shield, also tilted her head up, looking at the face beneath the hood.
Her watery green eyes blinked, showing no sign of danger:
“Oh~ you’re the one who sold my master’s tail fur… Yip—”
Ye Anping’s eyes turned towards her, and he immediately pinched her mouth shut, wrapping her several times with a demon-binding rope.
At this moment, the demon maidservants also leaped out of the purple Gu spirit mist, but they had transformed into fox fairies wearing immortal robes.
The leader looked at Ye Anping, her pupils narrowing into slits, displaying the might of the fox tribe:
“Yip! How dare you, a bold human cultivator…”
Before she could finish speaking, Ye Anping quickly raised his right hand and placed a spirit sword at Xue Tianqiao’s neck.
Instantly, all the demon maidservants recoiled in fear.
Upon seeing this, Ye Anping deliberately lowered his voice, feigning disdain, and mocked:
“It seems you’re sensible after all. I thought demons were just unintelligent beasts.”
Seeing that Ye Anping seemed willing to talk, the leading maidservant understood that he wanted something in exchange. Biting her lip, she let out a fierce hiss:
“Hiss—Yip… What do you want?”
“Nothing more than a hostage… Tell that stinky fox that his precious disciple has been taken by the Ghost Spirit Sect. If he doesn’t want to receive a scarf made from his beloved disciple’s skin, then hand over the Three Cities of Donghuang to the Ghost Spirit Sect and surrender the Nine Dragon Celestial Seal…”
“…”
“Oh, and my master, Elder Xu of the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Spirit Summoning Hall, is already on his way to the Imperial Palace. I’m sure the Fox Sovereign knows what to do… Hehehe… Hahahahaha—”
After a burst of wild laughter, Ye Anping glanced towards the alley not far from his side.
Tian’an City was, after all, the capital city of the Imperial Sect. When it was built, countless secret passages connecting to various parts of the city were established. He had obtained the map of these secret passages from Tong Zilan long ago. He had originally thought he would never return to Tian’an City, but unexpectedly, it had come in handy.
Ye Anping chuckled as he retreated into the dark alley, carrying Xue Tianqiao, whose mouth was tightly bound and whose tail was curled up to cover her belly.
“Don’t chase me~”
The maidservant leader frowned slightly and did not choose to pursue. She stopped at the entrance of the alley and waited until Ye Anping’s figure gradually disappeared into the shadows of the alley. She immediately ordered the others to contact the city guards of Tian’an City and seal all entrances and exits to the dark alley Ye Anping had entered, as well as the airspace above it, gradually tightening the encirclement from all directions.
However, when all the demons finally gathered in the center of the dark alley, they finally understood.
—The Sovereign’s dearly beloved disciple had been abducted by a Gu cultivator from the Ghost Spirit Sect in full view of everyone…
The fox tribe’s maidservant leader was so scared her tail tucked between her legs, while the other fox maidservants, and the bull and roc demons who were later summoned, looked at her dumbfoundedly.
The demons looked at each other for a long time before the maidservant leader finally came to her senses. Trembling, she let out a yip:
“Yip… Hurry… Yip… Report to the Sovereign.”
…
————
At the same time, in front of the main hall of the Tian’an City Imperial Palace.
Dozens of Core Formation stage demonic cultivators, carrying large and small jade chests with golden string borders, dressed in the uniform sect attire of the Ghost Spirit Sect and wearing masks with Chi Mei Wang Liang totems, lined up neatly in the plaza below the main hall stairs.
At the very front of these Ghost Spirit Sect disciples, an elder with white hair and beard and a compound eye, with his hands hidden in his sleeves, bowed towards the main hall door, awaiting.
The elder was Xu Chi from the Ghost Spirit Sect’s Spirit Summoning Hall, with cultivation at the late Nascent Soul stage. He was ordered by the Ghost Spirit Sect Master to come and discuss matters related to the Three Cities of Donghuang.
According to his Sect Master, no matter what Hu Mu wanted, it could be given to him in exchange for the three Immortal Cities in the Central Domain’s Eastern Frontier. He could even offer his own life or head.
In other words, in this negotiation, Gui Muqi had given Xu Chi a very high bottom line.
With almost unlimited trump cards in his hands, the Demon Emperor had no reason to refuse.
Although his Sect Master’s life was not worth much.
As one of the few cultivators who had achieved Void Breaking Realm in the Demonic Path over thousands of years, Gui Muqi viewed a life or his own head like a wrestling injury.
Xu Chi never believed he would fail the negotiation. As long as he remained respectful and humble, the task assigned by his Sect Master would be accomplished.
He clasped his hands within his cloud sleeves and gently clenched them. Seeing the main hall door slowly open, he immediately knelt on both knees outside the threshold:
“Junior Xu Chi pays respects to the Demon Emperor Sovereign.”
Dong dong—
The Core Formation stage demonic cultivators who had been instructed earlier also knelt down after him, collectively kowtowing twice.
Hu Mu, seated on the Golden Dragon throne, propped one cheek with his fist, and his dark vertical pupils exuded waves of might, staring directly at Xu Chi, who was bowing and not rising. Seeing that he truly did not look up, Hu Mu understood that the demonic cultivators’ gifts were likely quite substantial.
Perhaps they didn’t even give him a reason to refuse.
“You are here for the matter of Donghuang?”
Xu Chi still did not look up:
“Your Highness’s foresight is unparalleled. The Ghost Spirit Sect wishes to borrow three Immortal Cities from the Demon Emperor Sovereign, and for this purpose, has specially sent this junior to personally visit Tian’an and pay respects to the Demon Emperor Sovereign.”
“Borrow?”
“Yes… The Ghost Spirit Sect knows that the Central Domain is now under the Demon Emperor’s control, and naturally understands proper etiquette. Rather than buying them from the Demon Emperor Sovereign, the Ghost Spirit Sect is more willing to pay a high price to borrow the three Immortal Cities for a hundred years…”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then this junior will leave these gifts and depart from Tian’an City. However… I would still like to mention, if the Demon Emperor Sovereign is willing to lend the Three Cities of Donghuang, the Ghost Spirit Sect will fulfill all your conditions…”
Hu Mu frowned slightly. Just as he had anticipated, the Ghost Spirit Sect had come with great sincerity, leaving him no reason to refuse…
Even the ministers in scholarly robes beside him suggested that it would be better to let the Ghost Spirit Sect buy the three Immortal Cities with a large amount of resources, as those cities were of little use to the demon race.
Hu Mu pondered for a moment and was about to invite him into the hall to continue their discussion.
Suddenly, a crimson spiritual fox ran quickly from the direction of the Imperial Palace’s Meridian Gate, stumbling on the stairs.
“Yip yip…”
Hu Mu saw that the person arriving was a fox maidservant he had assigned to Xue Tianqiao. Seeing her anxious expression, he signaled her to come before him.
“Sovereign… Miss she… something’s happened!”
…
————
