Chapter 382: I Request Your Help for the Journey Back

This fox demon was truly extraordinary!

She possessed an incredibly potent ability to conceal herself. Even among the gods in the heavens, few would be able to see through her disguise—and even those would need to carefully examine her to uncover the truth.

Despite Song You’s mastery of the Four Seasons Rotation Method and the ability to reveal all hidden forms using the clarity of Qingming spiritual power, he had still been unable to discern her true nature without the precise timing of Qingming[1].

Throughout the lineage of Hidden Dragon Temple successors, only a handful might have been able to see through her.

And yet, she didn’t rely solely on her natural talents for concealment; she had layered herself in multiple identities.

For dealing with mortals, she had the princess act as her shield. If anyone from the cultivation world—like the State Preceptor—suspected she wasn’t human, she could claim to be an immortal of the

qin

. If even that failed to convince, she could fall back on being the rabbit demon saved by the princess.

Even when Song You managed to pierce her disguise and see her true form as a fox, that moment in Changjing should have been her most dangerous. She was on the verge of exposure. Yet, she remained unflustered, continuing to live in Changjing with composure. She even went so far as to seek out the Daoist herself to establish a connection, all while cleverly ensuring that the princess never met Song You.

If she wasn’t that rabbit from years ago...

Her ten years in Changjing, gathering intelligence for the princess, clearly weren’t about repaying a debt of gratitude.

So then, her purpose, her grand scheme...

“Mount Ye...”

Her plot, it seemed, was tied to the State Preceptor’s designs.

Song You had learned of the State Preceptor’s intentions the previous night. He had also suspected the fox demon’s involvement, which was why he had decided early this morning to return to Mount Ye. His unexpected encounter with the princess had merely confirmed that the fox had been lurking in the shadows all along.

Song You’s expression grew somber as he raised a single hand. Spiritual power coursed through his palm—one strand shimmering a pale blue-white, two others radiating the chill of frost and snow, and yet another glowing with the brilliant golden light of the sun.

Without a word, a swallow appeared, understanding his intent, and flew toward him.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

“On the journey back, there will certainly be many minor demons and ghosts watching us from near and far. I must ask for your help in dealing with them,” Song You said to the swallow. Then he turned to the calico cat, addressing her with respect.

He added, “I also ask for your assistance, Lady Calico. Use your divine powers and magical abilities to coordinate with the swallow and eliminate these hidden sentries among the demons and ghosts, ensuring they cannot report back.”

“I will do my utmost!” the swallow chirped confidently.

“I will also do my best!” the calico cat replied resolutely.

“However,” Song You added, “we do not yet know if these demons and ghosts have harmed or killed anyone. Simply render them unconscious; do not take their lives.”

“We need to move quickly,” he concluded.

Finally, Song You turned to the jujube-red horse, gently stroking its neck as he spoke. “I’ve never ridden on your back before, but now I must ask for your help as well.”

The horse gave a snort in response, its breath puffing out visibly.

Moments later—

In the mountains, a forest of straight cedar trees stretched high into the sky. An official road wound its way through the forest. On this road, a lean jujube-red horse carried a Daoist priest on its back, galloping like the wind. The priest’s robes and hair streamed behind him, fluttering wildly in the breeze.

Overhead, the swallow flapped its wings and soared into the sky. Suddenly, it folded its wings and spun in midair, releasing a great plume of black smoke mixed with shimmering golden light, as if sunlight were flickering through the haze.

“

Chirp chirp chirp

!”

From the smoke, hundreds—thousands—of swallows burst forth. Just like the first swallow, they flapped their wings and shot into the clouds like arrows piercing through them. They then scattered in all directions.

Meanwhile, in the cedar forest flanking the road, over a hundred large wolves were sprinting and weaving through the trees. A small girl sat astride a massive striped tiger, one hand holding a flag and the other gripping the tiger’s neck as it ran at full speed. Her clothes and hair billowed in the fierce wind, and her serious expression, combined with her commanding demeanor, gave her an air of heroic elegance.

A magpie perched lazily on a tree branch, preening its feathers. Occasionally, it glanced downward, confident that it wouldn’t be discovered.

Suddenly, the sound of rushing wind came from above.

The magpie, now on alert, quickly pulled its head out from under its feathers and looked up.

It saw a swallow diving down, its wings curved inward in the most aerodynamic position for a rapid descent. Its sharp, pointed beak resembled an arrow, aimed straight at the magpie.

Startled, the magpie let out a cry.

“

Caw

!”

But it was a feisty creature by nature. Without hesitation, it flapped its wings and charged upward to meet the attack.

“

Thud...”

The two collided in midair.

Yet how could an ordinary bird, even one that had gained some sentience, compare to a swallow empowered by nearly a millennium of the Anqing lineage?

This swallow wasn’t even real.

The moment they collided, the swallow dissolved into a plume of black smoke. Within the smoke, brilliant golden light flared, burning like intense flames. The magpie, as if flying directly into a fire, immediately lost consciousness and plummeted from the sky.

Another swallow promptly arrived, carrying the energy of Winter Hibernation, sealing the magpie in place and ensuring it could cause no further trouble.

In a nearby forest, a rabbit was leisurely munching on grass, occasionally glancing around. Suddenly sensing danger, it darted into a nearby burrow in an instant.

“

Roar...

”

But within seconds, a pack of wolves came charging toward the spot.

Unfortunately for the rabbit, its burrow wasn’t deep enough, and these were prairie wolves—experienced diggers accustomed to hunting burrowing animals like marmots.

Countless wolf claws began frantically scratching at the hole, furiously widening and tearing it apart. In mere moments, a wolf’s head forced its way inside. Using its long snout to its advantage, it immediately clamped down on the rabbit and dragged it out.

The rabbit was so terrified it felt its heart would burst, thinking its life was surely over. But before it could even process its doom, a swallow swooped down from above and swiftly sealed the rabbit with a burst of spiritual energy.

Farther away, nearly dozens of kilometers distant, a deer was sprinting frantically through the forest.

A pack of wolves was hot on its trail, surrounding it and cutting off every escape route.

However, the deer was incredibly agile, weaving left and right with rapid precision. Even when the wolves cornered it, the deer always managed to find a gap to break through. When it had no other option, it would lower its head and, relying on its now-spiritually enhanced body, slam into the wolves. It could send them flying or even kill them outright, using the opportunity to escape.

But as the deer changed direction once again, narrowly evading a wolf's pounce and forcing the pursuing pack into chaos—some skidding to a halt, gouging furrows in the dirt, while others tumbled head over heels—it suddenly heard a deafening roar from ahead, a sound that seemed to shake its very soul.

It turned its head in terror.

Standing before it was the king of the mountain: a mighty striped tiger. On its back rode a small girl.

The tiger surged forward with incredible speed, racing directly at the deer. When they were still a mere ten zhang apart, the tiger bared its sharp, yellowed fangs. Its eyes gleamed coldly, its black-and-yellow-striped fur bunching into folds as its mouth stretched wide. At the same time, its right paw opened fully, muscles coiled, ready to deliver a devastating blow.

The majestic aura of the king of the mountains was fully displayed in that moment.

The deer demon was overwhelmed with fear. Though it wasn’t paralyzed by terror, it lacked the defiance it had shown against the wolf pack.

The remaining distance of ten zhang was covered in an instant. In an instant, the fierce tiger was right in front of him. The tiger pounced, its massive paw slamming down.

“

Boom

!”

A muffled thud echoed as the deer's head hit the ground, its body crumpling sideways right after. It fell unconscious in a single strike.

Above, a swallow flew down once more...

Along this road, the number of demons was countless.

Most were minor demons with shallow cultivation. Not only had they failed to take human form, but many were incapable of transformation altogether. These half-demon, half-wild creatures were the hardest to detect. They hid in great numbers, deeply buried, keeping watch to see if Song You would return.

The fox demon was clearly wary of a counterattack.

Even for a Daoist, clearing out these minor demons would require considerable effort.

However, the cooperation between the swallows and the calico cat was seamless—one in the air, one on the ground. Any demon or ghost along the road, regardless of their hiding place, was swiftly and efficiently eliminated.

Meanwhile, Song You remained seated on the jujube-red horse, riding it for the first time, galloping wildly with the wind.

The wind roared beside him, close enough to touch.

Yet the Daoist’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly contemplated.

What was Mount Ye? Perhaps he already knew.

The sinister method Song You had encountered at Jingyu in Hezhou could only extend one’s lifespan by a mere century or two. For someone like the State Preceptor, it was unnecessary. Even if he couldn’t find another way to prolong his life, the Ghost City had already taken shape, and the underworld was on the verge of fully materializing.

The State Preceptor could secure a prominent position there. While the longevity of the ghosts and deities was fundamentally different from human longevity, they were still comparable in terms of their respective durations.

Indeed, the so-called longevity of the ghosts and deities was neither carefree nor truly eternal. Even the term “longevity” must be taken with a grain of salt. Once someone chose this path, they would lose control over their own existence, handing their fate over to the common people and those in power. Still, a thousand years of longevity of the ghosts or deities might seem preferable to a mere century or two of human life.

However, the sinister method from Jingyu of Hezhou didn’t require nearly as many resources, nor the sheer number of spirits, as what the State Preceptor had amassed.

Song You could only surmise that the two methods might share some underlying principles or that one was an incomplete or improved version of the other.

The State Preceptor’s goal clearly wasn’t tied to the underworld itself.

Someone like him, who served as the State Preceptor in the mortal court without indulging in worldly power for even a moment, wouldn’t covet a mere position among the gods of the underworld.

What he sought was human longevity.

He desired to live as a free, unrestrained human being—able to savor the joys and sorrows of life, eat the grains of the earth, bask in the sun, and enjoy tea. He didn’t want to exist as a god or ghost, shackled by duty and incense offerings, stripped of physical form, existing solely as a spirit, resembling humanity but never truly human.

He wasn’t punishing or burning ghosts. He was refining them—refining ghosts into medicine. A medicine for eternal life!

In the heretical practices of Immortal Yongyang, such a medicine was called the Yin-Yang Longevity Pill, divided into “yin lifespan” and “yang lifespan.”

At this stage, with the underworld not yet fully formed, yin lifespan didn’t refer to the lifespan of spirits in the underworld.

Similarly, yang lifespan didn’t simply refer to a person’s lifespan in the mortal world. Instead, it referred to the soul and body. Many rare herbs were used to extend yang lifespan, enhancing the lifespan of the physical body. Ghost refinement provided yin lifespan, extending the lifespan of the soul.

The two components—yin lifespan and yang lifespan—must function together; neither could be neglected.

If yang lifespan was exhausted but yin lifespan remained, the body would decay, trapping the soul within the corpse. Conversely, if yin lifespan was depleted while yang lifespan remained, the person would lose their soul, becoming a mindless, walking corpse.

It was unclear what the State Preceptor’s method was called or what specific principles it followed.

As for the fox, she had remained hidden in Changjing all this time. Perhaps, like Heroine Wu, she pretended to gather intelligence for the princess but was actually using the princess's influence and power to conduct her own covert investigation while waiting for the right moment.

She had no desire to follow the path of the marsh dragons, who allied with the State Preceptor only to become guardians bound to the underworld.

What she sought was demonic longevity.

From here to the banks of the Yin River, the distance was still over a hundred li. It had taken two days to travel that distance earlier, but now the jujube-red horse galloped like the wind, and the tiger and wolves showed no signs of fatigue. Remarkably, the return journey took less than two hours.

1. Qīngmíng is the name of the 5th solar term of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. ☜