Chapter 002: Devotion

Zhang Shan and Li Si left without looking back, while Li Mu put away twenty copper coins, standing in the courtyard, gazing at the setting sun in the west, his expression bewildered, his gaze wandering

Ten Continents and Three Islands, the Ghost Realm of the Underworld, the Nation of Ten Thousand Demons, the Aquatic Tribes of the Four Seas

Taoist principles, supernatural powers, demons, and spirits

The little fox with an injury on its leg lay on the grass, nodded slightly, and said: "He bandaged my wound and advised me to be careful in the future"

After a long while, he turned back to take a glance and realized that he had already run to the foot of the mountain

After thoroughly searching the room, Li Mu found not a single coin, and even the rice jar was empty

The middle-aged man, whose gaze had been fixed on Li Mu, slowly withdrew his sight, the faint light in his eyes gradually dissipating, and said: "The three souls are still present; it should only be a temporary separation from the body. However, further confirmation is still needed..."

The middle-aged man pointed at the young woman and asked, "Who is she?"

The short and stout one is named Zhang Shan, while the tall and thin one is named Li Si. Both of them, like Li Mu, are constables at the county office, and they are the ones who assisted in handling Li Mu's funeral arrangements

This is your home

He followed his memory and took a box from under the bed in the bedroom, but inside the box, apart from the property deed and land certificate, it was completely empty

If this is truly a dream, Li Mu hopes he will never wake up, for the real world is far more cruel to him

They are all colleagues, it is only right. "Zhang Shan waved his hand and then continued, "Earlier we mentioned the straw mat, one straw mat costs fifty wen..."

Li Muda: "Yangqiu County Yamen, Constable Li Muda"

Li Mu urged, "Why not stay for a meal before you leave..."

On the winding mountain path, a figure fleeing for their life kicked up a cloud of dust as they rushed forward

Li Mu gazed at the bronze mirror, in which a handsome face was reflected on the smooth surface of the bronze.

A fox jumped over and said with a smile: "Of course, it is to offer oneself in devotion..."

"You have fallen into the hunter's trap, and a young human noble has saved you..." Under an old tree by the stream, an old fox spoke human words.

Amidst the bustling crowd on the streets, Li Mu's expression appeared somewhat dazed

Zhouzhou, Zhou State, Beijun, Yangqiu County

The little fox raised its head and asked, "Grandmother, you often say that the fox spirit clan must repay kindness. How should I repay him?"

This residence is the ancestral home of the Li family, located in a bustling area of the county town. Although the area is not large, with only one courtyard, it is sufficient for Li Mu to live alone.

Li Mu shook his head: "I don't remember."

As if one were in a dream

As for this world, under Li Mu's indirect inquiries, those fragmented memories in my mind were gradually being confirmed

Another young man, holding a palm-sized compass, walked around Li Mu and exclaimed, "How is this possible? I checked this morning, and he was clearly dead..."

Although he was almost buried alive by the two, it was all a misunderstanding. Li Mu cupped his hands towards the two and said: "I appreciate your trouble..."

The short and stout constable displayed a look of disappointment on his face, "It is a shame that my brother and I went through the trouble of collecting your body, even buying a straw mat for you. We toiled and labored to carry you up the mountain. You have no idea how precious that straw mat is; it costs fifty wen each. Do you know how difficult it was for me to obtain that fifty wen yesterday..."

Reaching the pinnacle of cultivation, one can still move the stars and change the constellations, manipulating the forces of creation

Before Li Mu could recover from his shock, several figures were already hastening along the official road ahead, their voices arriving before their presence.

On the sea, there are Ten Continents and Three Islands, with the State of Zhou located on the Ancestral Continent, above the Ten Continents. In addition to the human nations, there are also the Ghost Realm of Youdu and the Nation of Ten Thousand Demons. Within the Four Seas lies the territory of the Water Tribe

The reason Li Mu allowed them to follow him was, on one hand, that repaying debts is a matter of course, and on the other hand, because he could not remember where home was at all

Is there none

Li Mu displayed a look of doubt, as the information in his memory did not align with any dynasty he was familiar with

As the memories continued to be organized, the expression on Li Mu's face gradually became blank

Zhang Shan pointed to a mansion by the street, and Li Mu took out a key from his waist and opened the main door of the house

After resting for a while, Li Mu sat under the tree and began to organize the memories in his mind

He looked at Li Mu and said again: "If the three souls are separated from the body for too long, a part of the memory will be lost. However, no matter what, it is good to be alive. For the time being, you should rest at home and do not need to come to the county office."

After confirming that Li Mu was not possessed by evil spirits, everyone's mood noticeably lightened. Two constables, one fat and one thin, walked beside Li Mu. The short and plump one placed a hand on Li Mu's shoulder and asked, "Li Mu, do you still remember us?"

Li Mu

Li Muzheng was just about to speak when a beam of white light suddenly shot out from the crowd and struck him.

Having spoken, he waved his hand at the group of officials and said: "It's all right, you may all return..."

In just a couple of days, it will be the day for the monthly salary distribution. Zhang Shan nodded and said, "Alright, then let's go patrol the streets first..."

... ...

Uncertain of how long he had been running, Li Mu stopped as he caught sight of a village in the distance. He leaned against a tree by the roadside, bending over and gasping for breath.

Although I still find this matter incredible, even if he had ten more lives, Li Mu would not dare to return and investigate it further

An hour ago, he was still in a hospital room filled with the smell of disinfectant, surrounded by modern equipment. Yet at this moment, what lay before him was nothing but ancient architecture, people in traditional costumes, and a bustling marketplace

Zhang Shan and Li Si followed closely behind Li Mu, as Li Mu was going home to return the money for the mat they had lent him

Li Si looked up at the setting sun in the west and said, "Well, it's just in time for a meal..."

The one speaking is the fat man who had just met Li Mu and wanted to bury him alive. He stood at a distance, watching Li Mu warily, but did not approach.

Of course, there is one most important reason: he needs to inquire about Li Mu and information regarding this world from the mouths of the two individuals.

At the same time that Li Mu was lost in confusion about the road ahead, in a secluded valley deep in the mountains outside Yangqiu County, where human footprints were rare.

Among all the people here, Li Mu only remembers this young woman. She is the direct superior of the original self and also the object of his long-standing secret admiration. Perhaps this is the reason why Li Mu uniquely remembers her

What about them?" The middle-aged man pointed to several other constables.

What are these things

Zhang Shan turned around and cupped his hands towards Li Mu, "I suddenly remembered that my wife is still at home waiting for me to have dinner..."

Startled by the fox, as he ran wildly, some fragmented memories resurfaced in his mind

... ...

On the way back, Li Mu learned the names of the two constables

Li Si continued, "I also have an important matter to attend to, farewell..."

This is a bizarre and extraordinary world, where cultivators pursue the path to immortality, capable of wielding divine arts and supernatural powers, while demons and spirits roam freely, employing their own magical and ghostly techniques

As the two individuals walked towards the inner room, Li Mu smiled and said, "It seems that we are out of rice at home; why don't you lend me some money again..."

Zhang Shan and Li Si stood in the courtyard, and Li Mu said: "Please wait a moment, I will go get the money"

Having just heard the fox speak, and now witnessing this bizarre scene, Li Mu was taken aback, instinctively taking a few steps back. He lowered his head to look at the spot on his chest that had been struck by the white light, but found nothing unusual.

Could it be that someone is playing a prank

"Go away, go away..." The old fox drove it away and then sighed: "The fox spirit clan, if one wishes to become a nine-tailed celestial fox, must repay all the karmic debts of this world. The grace of life is the greatest karmic debt, and it must not go unacknowledged. However, your current cultivation is too shallow; it is better for you to focus on your training in the mountains for now. As for repaying kindness, that can be discussed in the future..."

Li Mu shook his head

The footsteps of the two suddenly came to a halt

This is troublesome... The old fox revealed a worried expression on his face and said: "The grace of saving a life, this is a great cause and effect..."

He walked into the courtyard and said apologetically to the two people: "I am sorry, I forgot where I put the money. How about I pay you back in a couple of days when I receive my monthly salary?"

Li Mu's background is quite simple. His mother passed away when he was young, and his father was a constable in the county office. Two years ago, he died in the line of duty. Following in his father's footsteps, Li Mu became a constable a year ago and became colleagues with Zhang Shan and Li Si.

The middle-aged man continued to ask: "What is your identity?"

Those highly skilled demons and spirits are also extremely formidable, even practitioners of cultivation are no match for them

Was there a mention of straw mats just now

In a short period of time, he experienced a series of incredible events, including death. He needs sufficient time to adjust his mindset to face the new life that is about to come

The middle-aged man glanced at Li Mu and finally asked, "Do you remember what happened last night?"

I don't remember either

A tall young woman in a green dress stepped out from the crowd, her expression slightly tense. She looked Li Mu up and down before letting out a sigh of relief and shaking her head, saying: "It is not possessed by a demon."

Farewell

Li Muda: "Li Qing, boss ... ... "

Several foxes are frolicking and playing in the grass by the stream, emitting cheerful sounds of "yip yip" from their mouths

What, you actually forgot about us!

Did he just experience auditory hallucinations? How could a fox possibly speak?

Then he fell into a deep self-doubt

The middle-aged man took a bronze mirror from his bosom and said to Li Mu: "Look at it"

Bold and wicked creature, how dare you invade the county office and desecrate the body of the official? Depart at once!

... ...

The alluring spirits and monsters may sound somewhat frightening, but as someone who has been immersed in the culture of Chinese mythology since childhood, these entities of demons, ghosts, and deities not only fail to instill fear in Li Mu, but rather evoke a sense of excitement in him

He still has not figured out why he, who is already dead, would appear here; compared to this, a talking fox is nothing remarkable.

The middle-aged man raised his hand, and a beam of white light struck the bronze mirror. He then fixed his gaze on the mirror, and after observing it for a long time without any change, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, put away the mirror, and said: "Although the separation of the three souls from the body is not common, it does occasionally occur. There is no presence of demonic energy on the body, and the magical artifact did not react. The ability to recall past events indicates that the body is not possessed by demons, nor has it undergone a rebirth through soul snatching..."

... ...

A practitioner of cultivation can pray for clear skies and rain, borrowing the wind to disperse the fog

Having finished speaking, he looked at Li Mu again and asked, "What is your name?"