Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 122 Everyone loves beauty and dislikes ugliness
"This Lord Hutuo is quite a man of character."

On the way back, Miss Bai spoke slowly.

“How come you see?”

"Isn't it enough that you promised your brother-in-law based on just one meeting with him?"

"A graceful lady is sought after by a gentleman, but I never imagined that a handsome young man would also be sought after by a beautiful woman."

Miss Bai teased.

"Miss Bai, please don't mention this matter again."

Chen Ji blushed, unsure of what to say.

That is indeed the case, but when spoken by Miss Bai, it sounds somewhat distorted.

So he shook his head.

"Not to mention that I have never met the Dragon Queen and her sister, and do not know their beauty or ugliness, how can I hastily decide on my life partner?"

"Oh? Does judging someone's appearance by their looks mean they'll be set for life? Does sir perhaps care about physical beauty?"

Chen Ji was pondering how to answer when Miss Bai spoke up again.

"Let alone the dragon girl, even we demon cultivators can change our faces at will if we want to. If you really intend to find a female demon, sir, don't be attached to appearances."

“You… Miss Bai… Never mind, let’s not talk about this.”

Chen Ji sighed.

He realized that, regardless of whether they were human or demon, women would never get along well if they got involved in this topic.

It's better to say nothing than to say anything more.

So he looked down at the mudfish demon.

"Why didn't you take the opportunity to ask the Dragon Lord to name you? Such an opportunity will be lost forever."

The mudfish demon was taken aback upon hearing this and poked its head out of the basin.

"Weren't you talking to Miss Bai? Why are you suddenly asking me about this?"

"..."

Miss Bai covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

Chen Ji sighed.

Whether the mudfish demon was genuinely ignorant or feigning stupidity, this one sentence exposed his attempt to change the subject.

Fortunately, this matter concerned the mudfish demon itself, so Chen Ji didn't need to explain much.

"Speaking of cultivation, I just remembered it and decided to ask."

"That's it."

The mudfish demon suddenly realized what was going on and explained the reason to Chen Ji.

"It's not that we don't follow the trend, but that we dare not."

"Why?"

"The Hutuo Dragon Lord is a descendant of the Northern River. The Northern River is declining and may run dry."

"Ok?"

Not to mention Chen Ji, even Miss Bai looked at him with some hesitation.

"Are you afraid that if you join the Beidu sect, it will be difficult to switch sects if something happens to Beidu in the future?"

"In your eyes, sir, am I such a creature of the water?"

The mudfish demon glared angrily.

"Of course not. Fellow Daoist is a man of his word and a good demon. But why did you make such a choice?"

After hesitating for a long time, the mudfish demon slowly opened its mouth.

"This matter is also a secret of the aquatic tribe. If I had not obtained the Dragon Blood Coral and fused with the Dragon Soul, I would probably not have known about it either."

"However, since you and Miss Bai have been kind to Beidu, it is not appropriate to keep it from you now."

The wind and clouds surged, making even the mudfish demon's voice sound somewhat torn and indistinct.

Chen Ji and his companion simply controlled the wind to stop on the clouds, waiting for the mudfish demon to finish speaking.

"Are you two familiar with Longmen?"

"Of course, the story of the carp leaping over the dragon gate is recorded in human legends."

"good."

The mudfish demon responded.

"Outsiders know this about the Dragon Gate, but they don't know that any aquatic creature that can cross the Dragon Gate has the ability to transform into a dragon."

"Then why is there only the legend of the carp leaping over the dragon gate?"

"It's probably because carp are good-looking and were once a special aquarium for the royal family."

"Besides, the phrase 'carp leaping over the dragon gate' sounds good, but if you change it to 'loach, turtle, or crab,' it just doesn't sound the same."

As the mudfish demon finished speaking, it spat out a string of bubbles, its face still showing displeasure.

Chen Ji couldn't help but laugh out loud.

It's quite funny that the mudfish demon came up with this idea; the mudfish leaping over the dragon gate is indeed a bit ridiculous.

"Look, sir, you find it funny too, don't you? That's how people are—they love beauty and hate ugliness!"

"..."

Chen Ji was taken aback.

How did we end up talking about Longmen again? We've circled back to this point. Without even looking at Miss Bai, he hurriedly asked what the connection was between Longmen and the Mudfish Demon's choice.

"Ordinary people only know about the Dragon Gate, but they don't know that there are Dragon Gates in the four rivers and four seas. These eight Dragon Gates are the foundation of various aquatic creatures."

"There is a saying that there are dragon veins in the human world. The four rivers and four seas are the dragon veins themselves. The aquatic creatures that transform into dragons draw on the dragon energy from the four rivers and four seas."

"Beidu is declining, and there is not much dragon energy left. If we continue to extract dragon energy to help aquatic creatures transform into dragons, I'm afraid it will deplete even faster."

"You can't even leap over the dragon gate, yet you can still name things?"

Chen Ji asked.

The mudfish demon shook its head.

“Sir, you have been kind to Beidu. What the Dragon Lord has given you is not enough to repay your kindness. I really dare not covet the Dragon Lord’s reward.”

"If we were to bestow a name with the power of the Northern River, it would likely deplete the dragon energy of the Northern River."

The mudfish demon finished speaking, and Chen Ji realized what was going on.

The mudfish demon was worried that the Dragon Lord of Hutuo would use the power of the Northern River to repay him.

That would be underestimating him.

So he stood still, cupped his hands, and solemnly bowed.

"Fellow Daoist is very righteous. I was impure-minded before and misunderstood you."

"It's alright. Fellow Daoist is unaware of this matter, so it's normal for you to have this thought."

He sighed as he spoke.

"I was born in the Northern River and have received benefits from the Dragon Lord. Even if I wanted to transform into a dragon and cultivate to give back to the Northern River, I cannot consume the dragon energy of the Northern River at this crucial moment..."

"Why do you say that?"

“You are not aquatic, so you don’t know the current situation in Beidu.”

"I really don't know."

The mudfish demon remained silent for a few breaths, then used water to propel itself half a zhang high, looked around, and pointed its tail in one direction.

"Please, both of you, look out over this direction."

The mountains stretch into the distance, interspersed with white ribbons of water churning the waves. A small boat drifts by, and fishermen sing their evening songs. This is the upper reaches of the Hutuo River, in some unknown water system.

Further away, one can vaguely see the mountains turning from verdant green to covered in yellow earth, and the white ribbon blends into the yellow earth, slowly disappearing into the mountains. The wind is calm and the water is still, and the number of people on both banks gradually decreases.

Further away, you can see what appears to be another river on this loess land, its entire body muddy yellow, without even a ripple, only the feeling of mud slowly flowing down.

That is Xidu.

"It's a mudfish demon," the demon said slowly.

"How could this be?"

Chen Ji was very surprised.

He knew that Xidu was the Yellow River.

But the Yellow River in the distance was completely different from the Yellow River he remembered.

It's so sandy you can't even tell what a river looks like.

"Of course."

"It's a mudfish demon," the demon said slowly.

"The Xidu River passes through yellow soil, and the river carries silt and sand, making it a turbid flow."

"Back when the Dragon King of the Western River was still alive, he joined forces with the Dragon King of the Northern River to clear away the silt and fertilize the fields every year, which ensured the smooth flow of the Western River."

"But ever since the West River Dragon King passed away, the new River God has not thought about how to govern the West River. Instead, he has been focused on studying incense and sacrifice, and has allowed silt to encroach on the North River system, which is why it has become like this."

Chen Ji had many questions in his mind, and for a moment he didn't know which one to ask first.

After a moment's pause, I asked about the most important things first.

What happened to the passing of the Dragon Lord of Xidu?

"This happened a hundred years ago, and I don't know the specifics. I only know that this new river god was not benevolent, and many aquatic creatures from the western river fled to the northern river. I heard about it from them."

"What's this about the new River God? Don't the River Gods of the Four Rivers need to be appointed by the gods and mortals?" "I know even less about that. How could a lowly demon like me know about matters between mortals and gods?"

The mudfish demon fell back into the water and slowly opened its mouth.

"The Northern River's encroachment on the Western River was for... Oh, I see!"

The mudfish demon didn't need to answer; Chen Ji figured out the reason himself after thinking about it.

Of the four rivers, the Eastern and Southern rivers have little influence. However, the Western River originates from Kunlun, and the Northern River originates from Wangwu. Although their sources are different, they both flow into the Bohai Sea.

The West River has accumulated water for a longer period and has a stronger current. It also converges here, so even without a water god, the power of nature alone can influence the North River system.

Now, the river god of Xidu is not someone to be trifled with. In addition, expanding the water system can bring him greater power, so he will naturally try to seize Xidu.

Now it's understandable why Hutuo Dragon Lord was so excited after obtaining the "Records of the Four Rivers".

"The world is truly in chaos!"

Chen Ji sighed.

If the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Great Rivers could be like this, it's no wonder that the City God of the Waters experienced such a change; it makes much more sense now.

but……

This is still far from my own situation, so I should just focus on doing what's in front of me first.

At this moment, the Five Sacred Mountains Emperors have prepared two sets of the dirty things. The remaining two items are not difficult to handle, and the Mountain God and Daoist Xiyun can naturally take care of them.

Is it just the Ghost King of Fenshan Town?

Chen Ji looked at Miss Bai with a questioning gaze.

"There's no rush. It's Qingming Festival now, and the ghostly aura is strong, so it's not a good time to catch the Ghost King. Let's wait a while."

"It just so happens that you have other matters to attend to, sir, don't you?"

"Indeed."

The Iron Pot Demon has never met the old abbot before, so it's a good opportunity to go up the mountain and take a look.

So he rode the wind again and returned to the medicine hall.

"Fellow Daoist has returned?"

"Miss Bai? Sir! You're back?"

Inside the courtyard, fox spirits were sitting on either side discussing the Dao. Upon seeing them descend from the clouds, they hurriedly rose to greet them.

Bai Ba then took two cups of hot tea out of his mouth and placed them on the table.

"You!"

Miss Bai looked at the tea, then picked up Bai Ba by the neck and brought him to her, scolding him gently.

"It's one thing to be lazy normally, but now you even have to prepare tea for me and my husband in advance?"

"certainly not!"

Bai Ba lowered its brows, pouted, and its fox-like face was full of grievance.

"This is the Lingwu tea that you brewed the other day. I only drank it twice, but I felt it would be a waste to throw it away, so I brewed it a few more times to keep it for drinking."

“We’re so reluctant to drink during our discussions; we’re saving it especially for you and your husband.”

"You!"

Miss Bai shook her head, put him down, and gently tapped Bai Ba's forehead with a finger.

“My husband and I are far more advanced in cultivation than you, so we don’t need this cup of Spirit Mist Tea. You should focus on your cultivation.”

"And these fellow Daoists, it's not like I didn't give you tea, why are you being so stingy?"

"When your stomach is empty, you feel a void and it's uncomfortable."

Bai Ba whispered.

Miss Bai shook her head helplessly.

"Your technique is only similar to the Pot Heaven. It doesn't make any difference whether you eat a lot or a little. How can it be as gluttonous as the Taotie?"

"If you ever enter the Fox School, I'm afraid the teachers will be worried that you'll eat them out of house and home."

"Then I'll eat more now, eat my fill, so I can eat less later, so they won't think we Sendai foxes are all big eaters."

Bai Ba chuckled.

"Does this mean they already believe they're qualified to study foxes?"

"Hehe, with the extra lessons from the teacher these past few days, my knowledge and skills have improved. Only my transformation is still lacking, but with all three skills at their best, I should be fine."

"Is it?"

Miss Bai spoke softly, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"It just so happens that I haven't tested your studies these past few days, and I've heard that no one else has come to see a doctor. Let them all come over here so I can see how your cultivation level is now."

"..."

Despite the bright, shimmering sunlight, Bai Ba suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. He turned around but found nothing unusual.

He then gestured with his lips.

"Please wait a moment, Miss Bai, I'll call them over right away."

Bai Ba jogged forward, but seemed to have forgotten how to run, with his hands in front of him as he jogged away.

Sounds soon came from the front yard.

"Miss Bai is back?"

"Why is your cultivation being tested as soon as you return? Bai Ba, did you say something again?"

"What did I say? I was just telling the truth. As long as you excel in magic, knowledge, and virtue, it doesn't matter if your human form is a little weak. You'll be fine as long as you pass the Fox Studies exam."

"You rascal, don't ever say you know us again. Ugh, you're really going to get us killed!"

"Didn't you practice?"

"Of course not."

"Then what are you worried about?"

"You fool, do you really not know? You're saying this in front of Miss Bai, doesn't that mean Miss Bai's teaching is not as good as the teachers'?"

"Miss Bai must be angry and wants to teach us a lesson!"

"This……"

Bai Ba fell silent, yet still refused to believe it.

The hustle and bustle rushed into the courtyard, but fell silent the moment they saw Miss Bai and Chen Ji, becoming as quiet as mosquitoes, and then spoke hesitantly.

"Hello, Miss Bai."

“We…didn’t mean that.”

"I know."

Miss Bai looked at them with a smile.

"I didn't mean it the way you think. I just wanted to test my transformation skills to avoid any problems later."

"Yes……"

The four foxes exchanged glances, stood obediently, took off their ghost-skin sachets, and then used their transformation magic.

"Bai Qi, you go first."

Miss Bai gave the instructions.

Then Bai Qi walked forward, his body growing larger with each step. After a few steps, a burly man appeared in the courtyard, his muscles bulging and stretching his short clothes.

He no longer aspires to be a chivalrous hero, but instead appears as a child.

The humanoid figures are passable, but the rest are unbearable to look at.

You can see the fox's whiskers and ears on its head, and there's also a protruding mouth. Looking at its hands, there are only four fingers, and there's a tail swaying under its robe.

"It's better than before, but still not good; below average."

Bai Qi breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the other three.

"It's your turn."

Bai Ba sighed, took a step forward, and muttered to himself.

"Life and death are preordained, wealth and honor are determined by fate, change!"

A short, fat man appeared in the courtyard. His round body supported his distorted features, and apart from his tail and ears, it was hard to tell whether he had a human face or a fox face.

Miss Bai sighed, unsure how to comment.

He paused for a moment before speaking.

"This kind of image is not very pleasing to the eye. Although cultivation is unrelated to appearance, it is too easy for people to remember you if you walk in the world like this. It would be inconvenient if you went to the human world, and it would also be easy to cause trouble."

"Zhongzhong, you still need to keep working hard."

"Thank you for your guidance, Miss Bai!"

Bai Ba smiled and stepped aside.

The remaining White Sixteen and White Twenty-Three transformed.

They were better than Bai Qi and the others, but only by a small margin. They looked like ordinary people, and you couldn't even see their fox tails, but they were still considered above average.

"Shouldn't an above-average level be enough to get into Fox Academy?"

The two foxes asked cautiously.

Miss Bai looked at them, nodded slightly, then shook her head, but did not answer their questions. Instead, she asked a question in return.

Do you know why I made you prioritize taking human form?

(End of this chapter)