Chapter 1, Enemies on a Narrow Path

I am a fox spirit of the mortal realm, wandering amidst the fleeting smoke and fire, my path should be one of detachment

In the morning, I hear the apricot blossoms marrying the spring rain, in the evening, I sit in the thatched cottage, transforming into a human form.

With a smile as delicate as ice and jade, her beauty sways like the flickering shadows of the lanterns

Drinking wine under the moonlight, accompanying you; the fleeting years flow like water, and songs resonate like the vastness.

I intend to pledge this heart until we grow old, as white hair blows dreams that remain as they were.

How can one endure when all of life follows a path, while the fates of immortals and mortals are fundamentally different journeys

Heaven grants a life, and the winds and thunder arise; ten years of joys and sorrows exchange for calamity and ash

The sixth senior brother swung his long sword, and immediately a gray crack appeared in the open space ahead.

... ...

Hello

It is an old matter from eight hundred years ago, truly a case of bringing up the wrong topic. I could hardly contain my urge to rush out and give Second Senior Brother a good beating, yet I merely downplayed it, saying: "Just a scoundrel, Sixth Senior Brother need not pay any attention to him."

The surroundings were enveloped in complete silence

Just when they were trembling uncontrollably, a disciple of the Xuanmen shouted: "No—"

... ...

I really want to hand over the bamboo pillow in my arms and tell Sixth Senior Brother that if he hasn't woken up yet, he should continue to sleep, as coming out during the day to speak nonsense can lead to misunderstandings

As the cold wind blew, I seemed to see the expressions of everyone in the courtyard crack.

Thus, the howling and wailing turned into a cry of howling and wailing

Puff--

Once again, there is a cacophony of ghostly wails and wolfish howls of laughter

"Senior brother, are you going in the wrong direction? The main gate is to the east," I said, rubbing my eyes and kindly reminding him.

I breathed a sigh of relief; it turns out he is going home to visit family. It is rare for him to feel homesick.

The master gently patted the second senior brother's head: "Alright, alright, I understand it is not easy for you. However, a vixen is not just an ordinary little demon; she is a hundred times more cunning than your master and will not be easily deceived. If we send Lao Liu, he would scare them away before the fight even begins. How then can we handle the situation?"

As if shaken by the resonating sounds from the strings of a zither, Xiang Liu was momentarily taken aback

Disturbing my peaceful dreams, I could no longer endure it! I grabbed a bamboo pillow and jumped out of bed, intending to give him a good lesson. However, as soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw him sobbing uncontrollably in his master's arms, who was gently patting his back and saying, "Be good, it won't help even if you cry your throat raw."

A suffocating miasma rushed towards us, and the ground began to sink. I let go, and together with my sixth senior brother, we rolled to the other end of the ghostly path

I thought it was someone else, just two little kids, calling me grandpa, let them pass.

Fox demon

The young man brushed aside the bangs on his forehead, revealing a faint scar above his left eye. He smiled gently at me, his voice melodious as if he were singing: "Long time no see, Little Pear."

Is it innocent

Who will explain why it appears in the ghost path? Old man of the land, come out!

I shivered: "Senior brother, isn't it wrong to indiscriminately kill the innocent..."

Second Master interjected, saying: "Qing Ning intends to open the ghost path, you can just follow along."

He was a young man dressed in splendid attire, with seven soul-catching bells of gold and silver hanging from his waist, and an ancient-style zither resting on his arm. With a wave of his hand, the guqin flew out, and a zither attendant, around thirteen or fourteen years old, caught it in her arms and stood respectfully behind him: "Master, you look so handsome!" The little girl's sweet and tender voice was enough to melt anyone's heart

The sixth senior brother raised an eyebrow and smiled, the hint of color at the corner of his mouth reminded me of the spring flowers in March. When the flowers wither, the uncle across from me, who seemed to want to die from desire, collapsed, clutching the wound in his chest.

The senior brother stepped forward and said shyly, "Mizong Qu Qingning, please enlighten me."

What if that fox is a male?

I jumped up three feet as if I had been electrocuted

As soon as the words left my mouth, a cacophony of ghastly laughter erupted from the other side—pardon my use of the term "ghastly laughter," but it was indeed unbearable. The source of this laughter was a group of seven or eight disciples of the Daoist sect, dressed in robes. Seeing the malicious twitching of their faces, I knew that this bunch of ruffians intended to seize the path.

By the way, I have recently been practicing the art of fasting, which has depleted my vital energy. It would be beneficial to catch a tender fox spirit to replenish it.

"Old Nan, do not be blind to the greatness of Mount Tai; they are clearly two beauties," corrected the other, who was rather unattractive.

I lowered my head to look at my own disheveled appearance after falling to the ground, in stark contrast to their flamboyant attire

In the realm of spirit mediums, there exists an unwritten rule: one must burn incense, bathe, and observe fasting before venturing out. Coincidentally, the esoteric sect also has an unwritten rule: it is imperative to hold a grand feast and indulge in a hearty meal before departing. When the customs of the profession clash with the rules of the sect, I unhesitatingly choose—"meat and wine pass through the intestines, while the ancestral master resides in the heart"

useless person

"Come back!" He stood up and recited the incantation. In a moment, the bright Seven Star Array surrounded the nine heads of Xiang Liu. The blinding light enraged Xiang Liu, which came gliding over, clutching the Guanhong Lock.

Second Brother turned his face towards Fourth Sister with great hope

I am about to ascend to the battle, when a sound of a zither resonates from the dim sky, and with a clear note, I hold my breath.

When the Sixth Senior Brother drew his sword, I had not yet recovered from my hangover

A narrow path extends ahead, with the scenery on both sides changing rapidly, an inexplicable sensation that makes one feel nauseous... The sixth senior brother walks faster and faster ahead, and just as I am about to be unable to keep up due to dizziness, he suddenly stops, and I bump into his back...

I glanced at my sixth senior brother, who was impervious to all evils, as he sat under the tree, intently carving a wooden figure with a small knife

Indeed a tragedy

Accompanied by someone's piercing scream, the fissure closed up

In an instant, a bolt of heavenly thunder struck down

I frowned and said unhappily, "Senior Brother!"

Playing so intensely early in the morning, I couldn't help but twitch my lips and ask the third senior sister beside me, "What is it this time?"

"It's not that serious." Knowing that I was extremely unwilling, the master shot a glare at the second senior brother and pulled me aside to comfort me in a low voice, "Let your senior brother act as bait and lead the charge. You can just stay back and throw some talismans. If you can't handle it, just leave him behind and run back by yourself. That little brat is so useless!"

It is fortunate to encounter kind and lovely flower spirits, but what if it is a tiger spirit with two thousand years of cultivation...

Weak and incompetent, what a disgrace to be a practitioner of the Esoteric Buddhism! Second Senior Brother is so pathetic that the Master cannot bear to watch any longer. He kicked him aside and turned his gaze towards me, who was reveling in his misfortune. "Xiao Yao, you go with him. He is seducing a vixen, so you must protect his chastity and take care of the aftermath!"

This cannot be entirely blamed on him; among the seven disciples of the Esoteric School, the second senior brother possesses the most distinctive trait of attracting strange entities. When the others descend the mountain to carry out their tasks, even the malevolent spirits and demons show a degree of respect and avoidance. Only the second senior brother, when he goes out, is greeted by a group of female beings waving their handkerchiefs and giggling in front: "Come on... deathly appearance..."

Then, with another sound, the music from the zither flowed out, transitioning from slow to rapid, each note resonating with a distinct rhythm, penetrating the ears through the spiritual energy of the strings, striking the heartstrings directly. This was a piece I had never heard before, mournful yet not painful, sorrowful yet not tragic; even when the climax arrived, the overwhelming aura of dominance was so composed that it made one willingly accept death

... ...

"A Li," the master raised his voice and said sternly, "last month you broke my Soul Hooking Jade..."

My master and I took a sharp breath of cold air

He raised his calm and unruffled eyes and said, "I will go with Junior Sister Seven."

Early in the morning, I heard the Second Master crying out loudly

Second Master must work harder: "No, I don't want to! Last time when we fought the tiger spirit, that tigress dragged me to her lair and forced me to marry her, forced me to marry her! For a whole year, I dreamed of her furry paws pulling down my pants! Fox spirits and the like, I would be drained of all my essence..."

The old man of the land cannot perform the art of body duplication; only one path can be opened in a given place. Generally speaking, the one who requests the path first is the one who can proceed first. If the directions differ, one must wait for the one who arrived first to finish before proceeding. The sixth senior brother has already accelerated his pace as a courtesy to these people, yet they unexpectedly insisted on tearing off the facade.

I came just to watch the excitement, so how did the fire end up on me

While dodging the saliva attacks from Xiang Liu, I used the Guanhong Lock to hook the ground. However, after a long time, there was no response at all. Seeing that Xiang Liu's three heads were about to bite Sixth Senior Brother, I threw the Guanhong Lock to restrain its three heads.

The disciples of the Xuanmen hurriedly summoned their magical artifacts in an attempt to break through and escape, but just as the rift opened, a monstrous creature with nine serpent heads blocked the exit. Its massive form featured nine human heads with green faces and sharp fangs, and dark blood continuously oozed from its scales, turning the area into a foul, swampy mire.

Hahaha, that's true. A beauty should obediently stay at home and embroider! If you ask me, there's no need to compete for this dish. Just go back with grandpa, and I guarantee you will be longing for immortality!

It seems that the Sixth Brother also thinks the Second Brother is quite foolish. He turned his face away and said, even more casually than I did: "Let's go, if you hear someone calling your name on the way, make sure not to look back"

tender

Throughout the journey, no one called my name

It is likely that the title of the Sixth Senior Brother holds significant power in the realm of demons and monsters.

I swiftly dodged to the side, avoiding the spittle splattered by the demon beast, and shouted along with everyone else: "What the hell! Who dug this creature out from underground!"

I curse, "You old man!" The howling wind swept past my ears as I desperately covered my aching backside and swore. However, I saw my second senior brother poking his head out from above, shouting, "You two should cultivate your feelings well. I, your senior brother, am waiting for you to come back and hold a wedding banquet, hehe..."

A vague attitude, an ascetic appearance, and precise knife skills—Second Senior Brother, are you sure you want to drag him into this?

I spat out a mouthful of blood

Facing me, who was retching by the roadside, Senior Brother Liu made the above comment. Then, he said loudly: "Since we can't walk, let's fight!"

Recalling the scene from last year when the second master pig climbed back while holding up his belt, I couldn't help but laugh

However, the members of the Xuanmen have the backing of the royal family, so killing a person and setting a fire is nothing to them; robbing a path is simply a trivial matter.

Yes, it is a demon beast

They trembled as they huddled together, wanting to say a few polite words before retreating, but upon seeing my senior brother's expression, they dared not speak. Their pitiable state made it difficult for me to look directly at them

Well

Keep up

It's done, the old man wants to settle old scores with me

Brother Qu is not a shy person, but when he does get shy, he becomes quite unrecognizable. In the blink of an eye, yet another disciple of the Xuanmen is rolling on the ground, clutching his arm. Hmm, he just said that my senior brother and I are beauties...

The other head of the Xiangliu missed its target and then bit down on my Guan Hong lock without letting go

Before I had a chance to hesitate, the Second Senior Brother pushed me into the crack, saying: "Quick, quick, quick! While Master hasn't noticed!"

Although morality and kindness are not related to us practitioners of the Esoteric Buddhism, the fact that such a tasteless method of killing has reached Master’s ears means that I will certainly be punished alongside it

At this moment, Xiang Liu was defeated and fled, the sound of the zither abruptly ceased, replaced by the tinkling of bells, eerie and enchanting. I looked up towards the horizon, where a white apparition gradually became clearer

A Li

The practitioners of the Xuanmen sect were close to it, and were sprayed in the face with saliva, crying out in anguish. Before long, the ground beneath their feet rapidly sank, and their bodies below the waist were submerged into the earth

Gradually, my mind was filled with a deafening roar, my heart was about to leap out, yet I earnestly hoped that the sound would not cease, that it would never cease...

In the darkness, the atmosphere is unbearably awkward

It is the ancient demon beast, Xiang Liu

... ...

The eardrum is pulsating, and I can hear the sound of my own heartbeat

Without a word, the sixth senior brother picked up a palm-sized stone from the ghostly path and threw it over.

However ... ...

I was about to haggle when Sixth Brother suddenly sheathed his knife and stood up

Be careful! The Sixth Senior Brother teleported to my side and pulled me back several zhang.

Indeed, in the next moment, the Second Brother flew out like a kite with a broken string, hanging precariously from a tree branch before crashing to the ground. The entire process was smooth and exhilarating, truly reflective of the Sixth Brother's style—he detests physical contact with others. Ignoring the Second Brother, who had created a pit in the ground upon landing, the Sixth Brother calmly explained: "I am from Jinling"

Second Senior Brother shivered: "What about Third Senior Sister? Third Senior Sister is as beautiful as a celestial being, charming and graceful, with strong spiritual power and intelligence. She would certainly not bring shame to the master's command"

It is truly outrageous, as even men are not spared

The fourth senior sister said: "What are you looking at? My period has come."

Unexpectedly, the sixth senior brother looked at the sword in his hand and said in confusion, "It wasn't me who acted."

It is the sixth senior brother

Elder Brother Wu embraced her shoulders, filled with infinite affection: "I will never part with Xiao Xi."

In the midst of darkness, someone forcefully patted my back

Therefore, I drank too much

The third senior sister smiled gently and said, "I’m sorry, but I have to go to Qilin Cave to pick fruits with the fifth junior brother tomorrow"

Indeed, in the eyes of an old man who, when others bear the blame and trouble falls upon his disciples, merely stands behind waving a flag and shouting encouragement, the virtue of compassion, such a trivial quality, is hardly worth a few coins

However, the Second Brother was moved, and he rushed in front of the Sixth Brother with tears in his eyes: "Junior Brother..."

Without any warning, his head has disappeared

Catching ghosts and taking care of small animals on weekdays is one thing, but a fox spirit? Are you joking? Those creatures are not only cunning and crafty, but their cultivation levels are also over five hundred years. If I were to encounter a formidable one, let alone the half-baked skills of my second senior brother, my chastity would also be at stake.

So it turns out to be the disciple of the one who is not intoxicated by flowers! The disparity in strength is vast, and the expression on the opponent's face is extraordinarily vivid

The so-called opening of the ghost path refers to the ability to shrink the earth to a mere inch, traveling a thousand miles in a day, with the lands in all directions obeying the command. One uses their body to build roads and bridges, but if one is not careful, the practitioner may have their soul captured by the demons lurking by the path, who would devour them alive. Such a sinister spell is something even the master dares not use frequently, yet unexpectedly, the sixth senior brother has acted so recklessly.

The third senior sister shrugged and said, "I have heard that there is a fox demon causing trouble in Jinling."