Food gives me an entry, I will be invincible if I stay alive

Chapter 454 A Nighttime Adventure, The Fox Repays a Kindness

As night fell, Chen Xu had flown more than halfway through the flight.

We will soon cross the Jingheng Road and step back into the northern frontier.

But a crescent moon hung obliquely in the sky, thin like a hook, emitting a cool light.

The vast Hengling Mountains resemble a crouching dragon, silently winding across the expansive land.

The vast mountains are mostly desolate, consisting of rocks and dry land.

Only between two opposing mountain peaks, a great river flows through.

The mighty river flows on and on, and under the moonlight, the great river splashes up waves, white waves pile up, like broken jade and fine wine.

This magnificent river is the Grand Canal between North and South that Chen Xu and Wen Daoyuan jointly oversaw the construction of not long ago!
With the canal completed, north and south were connected.

Where the river flows, the once barren land is now covered with lush greenery.

Tonight, Chen Xu flew over this great river again, just as he was about to cross the Hengling Mountains completely along the canal.

Suddenly, they saw a solitary figure kneeling in the moonlight and water.

Chen Xu could have ignored the figure under the moon and flown away.

But his hearing was so sharp that he overheard the figure praying:
"May the Heavenly Venerable protect us! We beg Chen Jieyuan not to go north any further. Going north is fraught with danger. We must not go! We must not go!"

Chen Xu was slightly startled.

The other person's prayers not only seemed to be directed at him, but the other person's voice also sounded strangely familiar.

Since that's the case, Chen Xu had no choice but to ride the wind down to the surface of the canal and see who was praying there.

At the same time, his thoughts drifted downwards without leaving a trace.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the person offering the prayers was indeed an "old friend."

They are "old friends," yet the other party is not truly a "person."

It turned out to be Hu Xi, the fox spirit that Chen Xu had encountered on the streets of Jichuan County!
However, Hu Xi at this moment was noticeably different from the Hu Xi that Chen Xu had met before.

Although Hu Xi used to have a human form, his shoulders, back, and limbs always revealed the shape of a fox.

Especially his face, with its upturned fox eyes and pointed cheeks, exudes a wild and demonic aura even when he doesn't speak.

At first glance, one cannot help but think of one word: demon!

Now, Hu Xi kneels alone on a small boat in the water. Although he is still dressed in a scholar's robe with a red flower in his hair, his demeanor has changed drastically compared to before.

The demonic aura seemed to have faded away, and he knelt under the moon, his shoulders and back ramrod straight.

He seems more like a person now!
No, if they weren't old acquaintances, Chen Xu would probably have mistaken Hu Xi for a human being the first time he saw him.

This fox is truly becoming more and more like a human the more it tries to imitate him.

Hu Xi knelt on the small boat, when suddenly he felt something and abruptly raised his head.

Then, Hu Xi's face lit up with surprise and delight: "Fellow Daoist Chen, it really is you!"

Chen Xu began to sense that something was amiss, and he asked calmly, "Why would Fellow Daoist Hu say such a thing?"

Hu Xi did not answer Chen Xu's question, but instead bowed three times to the moon.

As the fox worshipped the moon, Chen Xu naturally and quickly stepped aside.

After he finished worshipping the moon, he said:

"I say this because I foresaw that you, Fellow Daoist Chen, would pass through here, so I will wait for you here to repay your kindness."

what?
This fox demon is actually proficient in divination?
But that's not right. Chen Xu possesses the "Celestial Illumination" divine power, which means that even experts a level higher than him might not be able to predict his fate.

As for Hu Xi's cultivation level...

Chen Xu sensed something subtly; he hadn't directly used the Tide-Watching Technique, but he still had a gut feeling—

Hu Xi's cultivation level poses absolutely no threat to Chen Xu in his current state.

Even if he could transform into a complete human form, how could he possibly predict Chen Xu's fate if his cultivation level did not exceed that of Chen Xu?

Chen Xu countered, "You divined my fate and are now repaying a debt of gratitude to me. What is the meaning of this?"

The fox demon said, "I did not actually divine for Fellow Daoist Chen. Fellow Daoist Chen resolved the severe drought in the northern frontier and oversaw the implementation of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project."

With merits bestowed upon him, he shines with unparalleled brilliance.

Although I have mastered some divination skills, I have absolutely no way of directly predicting the merits of a person.

The divination I performed determined how I should act to repay the debt of gratitude.

The divination concluded that I should wait here.

My divination was indeed correct. For the past ten days, I have been worshipping the moon every night here, and now I have truly awaited Fellow Daoist Chen.

Hu Xi sat cross-legged on the small boat, a clear look of joy on his face.

It's clear that he was quite satisfied with his divination skills.

It turned out to be the case.

Only after hearing this did Chen Xu understand the cause and effect.

But the cause and effect of this story is indeed too bizarre.

He only wanted to fly into the Jade Capital, but instead encountered a fox repaying a debt of gratitude halfway there.

Is it that Hu Xi's divination skills are truly extraordinary, or is the luck boost brought to him by his "meritorious body" now taking effect?
Chen Xu felt it was quite amazing, but he still had to say:
"Fellow Daoist Hu, if you say that the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is a great merit, then that is certainly true."

But if you say I have done you a favor, I dare not claim any credit.

This is the truth; Chen Xu couldn't even recall where he had done Hu Xi any favors.

But Hu Xi said, "How can the kindness of preaching not be a kindness?"

As he spoke, he stood up from the small boat.

As soon as he stood up, Chen Xu suddenly noticed three large, fluffy tails sticking out from behind him!
Hu Xi was dressed as a scholar, slender and tall.

Judging from his physique alone, he already has a completely human physique.

Except for the three big tails behind him!

The three fox tails swayed gently behind Hu Xi, then disappeared into his robes like shadows.

A smile immediately appeared on his face, and the corners of his pointed mouth turned up to both sides.

Hmm, this appearance has taken on a third of a fox form.

Hu Xi seemed to sense something and quickly reached out to press the corners of her mouth, forcibly adjusting her smile back to a "human" appearance.

Then he said, "Fellow Daoist Chen, look, I now have three tails."

As he spoke, he couldn't hide a hint of pride.

It was only at this moment that Chen Xu finally lowered his guard slightly.

A fox spirit who secretly takes pride in having three tails, when he says he wants to repay a debt of gratitude, probably really means it.

But Chen Xu remained suspended on the water, saying, "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Hu, on your breakthrough in cultivation and further progress on your path."

He added, "But there's no need to repay the debt of gratitude..."

Before he could finish speaking, the fox shook its head repeatedly and said:
No, no, that won't work.

Fellow Daoist Chen, do you know? Since our last parting, I have often recalled our discussions on the Dao, from which I have learned many principles of life.

You once said that a secret letter could destroy a nation.

However, what truly destroyed the nation was not that letter that never arrived.

Rather, it was the corrupt regime, incompetent officials, and greedy people.

I pondered again, what exactly is human nature?
Greed is one aspect, but it cannot be just greed.

Like Miss Lin from Jichuan County, who begged me to spare her family and protect them before she died; this was her greed.

But she once offered to save me; though she was greedy, she was also kind.

I believe that to be a truly good person, one must have a benevolent side.

Only by being grateful and repaying kindness can one's moral heart be enlightened.

Otherwise, even if one becomes a human being, one will still be troubled by the evil in human nature and unable to escape it. I do have greed, but I cannot be greedy without restraint.

I will never forget the kindness of Fellow Daoist Chen in preaching the Dao that day. I even waited for Fellow Daoist Chen to burn his fox fur so that he would ask me for a favor.

But I waited for a long time, and the fox fur didn't budge an inch.

I was so uneasy that I decided to take the initiative.

Fortunately, I finally met Fellow Daoist Chen tonight.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, since you've chosen this path, are you heading to the Jade Capital?"

Hu Xi is very intelligent and has her own set of logic.

His words were clear and logical, and his reasoning was so sound that Chen Xu was unable to refute them.

A moment later, a soft sigh drifted out on the wind.

Chen Xu said, "I am indeed going to Yujing."

The words had barely left his mouth when Hu Xi's face showed anxiety: "You can't go!"

He stood on the small boat, pacing back and forth.

Chen Xu vaguely saw a fox walking upright, pacing anxiously in circles on the boat.

But in an instant, the image of the fox vanished, and Hu Xi returned to human form, unable to help but sigh:

"Fellow Daoist Chen, do you know what the Jade Capital has become now?"

Chen Xu's brow twitched slightly, and he asked, "What has become?"

Hu Xi finally gritted his teeth and uttered the words he had been holding back for so long:
"Above the Jade Capital, dragons and snakes converged, and the Dao and demons clashed. The black energy was so dense that even a hundred rain showers couldn't wash it away."

That wasn't a city at all, it was a graveyard with open pockets!

A graveyard with its sacks open—

This is how Hu Xi described Yujing.

People have always said that Yujing was as prosperous as a heavenly market, hence the name Tiandu (Heavenly Capital)!
But the fox that had cultivated itself into human form said that Jade Capital was a graveyard.

Since it's a graveyard, how can a living person go there?
He was determined to stop Chen Xu from going any further north, but Chen Xu shook his head and said:

"The capital has become a graveyard. As a citizen of this country, shouldn't I step into this graveyard and repair it?"

It seemed that Hu Xi was about to continue speaking out to stop them.

Chen Xu immediately said, "Since Fellow Daoist Hu has the heart to repay the kindness and has already put it into action, the kindness has already been repaid."

Whether I listen or not, whether I go or not, that is my personal choice and has nothing to do with Fellow Daoist Hu.”

Hu Xi immediately stopped talking, her face showing anxiety and confusion.

But Chen Xu smiled and clasped his hands in greeting:
"Friend Hu's kindness will be remembered."

Farewell tonight, until we meet again.

A gentle breeze suddenly rose around him, carrying him upwards.

Hu Xi wanted to say something more on the small boat, but how could she keep up with Chen Xu's speed?

In the blink of an eye, the breeze and the person were gone under the waning moon.

Only under the long night sky, the sound of rushing water could be heard.

Hu Xi stood on the small boat, and the three tails behind her anxiously poked out again.

He quickly pressed the three tails back under his robe.

But once the tail is extended, it becomes a solid, fluffy, large ball. How could it possibly fit inside a thin garment?
Hu Xi tried repeatedly but failed, and finally could only let out a soft sigh:
"So be it. If he can go to that cemetery, why can't I?"
No matter how dangerous it is, could it be a heavenly tribulation?

I fear not even the heavenly tribulation…

With a sigh, Hu Xi suddenly darted forward.

But as the robe fell away, a three-tailed fire fox, as large as a human, sprang out.

The fire fox's three long tails swayed behind it, its body moving like an arrow released from a bow.

Beautiful light and shadow flickered on the surface of the long river; it was the red glow of a fire fox.

Like a startled swan, like a swimming dragon.

As we traveled upstream, lightning flashed across the river.

It was truly agile and swift, beyond description.

However, a moment later, the rapid flashes of light returned to the small boat.

A fiery red fox figure reappeared, its fur slightly disheveled, and a red flower still adorned its temple.

It was making soft panting sounds; was it regretting it?

Yes, the fox spoke in human language:

"Oh no, I must bring these clothes with me, otherwise when I get to Yujing, won't I be naked?"

As they spoke, the fox picked up the clothes that had fallen on the boat and tossed them onto its back.

But the red flower at his temple shimmered slightly, and the clothes that had fallen on his back disappeared.

The fox chuckled and breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Even though I'm a creature covered in fur, I can still wear clothes..."

The red light flashed again, and it swept away across the water.

Fifteen minutes later, Chen Xu flew over the Hengling Mountains on the wind.

Then, this time in the sky, he encountered another "person" blocking his way.

The newcomer appeared silently, treading on clouds as if walking on flat ground, seemingly deliberately or by chance, appearing directly in front of him.

He was dressed simply, wearing a straw hat and a goose-feather knife at his waist.

If it wasn't the Wild Goose Ghost King, then who was it?
Chen Xu was about to stop when he heard the Wild Goose Ghost King say:

"Brother Chen, don't stop! Let's fly north together and see how fast we can go!"

As he spoke, he turned around and, as expected, flew north with Chen Xu.

Chen Xu exclaimed with delight, "Brother Ghost King, it's been a long time! Are you going to travel with me?"

The face beneath the Wild Goose Feather Ghost King's bamboo hat was indifferent, and his voice carried a matter-of-fact composure as he spoke:

"If you are going to Yujing, I will naturally travel with you."

Chen Xu laughed: "What if I don't go to Yujing?"

The Wild Goose Ghost King said with certainty, "No, you must be going to the Jade Capital."

As they spoke, both the human and the ghost rode the wind, and under the waning moon, the mountains and rivers flashed by like flowing light.

They did indeed start competing in speed.

But no matter how fast Chen Xu was, the Wild Goose Ghost King could always keep up.

Similarly, no matter how fast the Wild Goose Ghost King was, Chen Xu never lagged behind.

The human and the ghost flew side by side, conversing as they spoke: "Brother Yanling, how did you know my purpose?"

The Wild Goose Ghost King said, "I didn't know that at first, but I intended to go to Yujing and met you on this road."

Then I knew that you were also going there.

Chen Xu asked, "Brother Yanling, what brings you to Yujing?"

The Wild Goose Ghost King said, "I have heard that resentment gathers in the sky above Jade Capital, which is like a living hell."

"Since I am a ghost, and there is a purgatory on earth, how can I not go and see it?"

These words are even more exaggerated and terrifying than Hu Xi's statement that "Yujing is a graveyard".

On Chen Xu's shoulder, Wei Yuan and A Shi first saw the fox repaying its kindness, and now they saw the Ghost King traveling together.

The two little demons stood close together, both showing surprise in their eyes.

Is Yujing a graveyard, a purgatory?
Just how terrifying is that place?

(End of this chapter)