From slave trader to the Immortal Lord of Ten Thousand Laws

Ok?

"What's wrong with your young lady?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang She blurted it out.

He had been watching Xu Qingyue every day, how could he not know that she had suffered an undeserved disaster?

Just as he was pondering this, he heard Qiao'er say:

"In reply to the Immortal, it is the Zhao family! The Zhao family promised Miss that they would cure Master's illness, but took the opportunity to repay the favor by forcing Miss to hold a martial arts contest to find a husband. But who doesn't know that Zhao Jiaren has his own selfish motives? If he wins the contest, wouldn't Miss be handing over the family business that she has protected for so long?"

So that's what it was about.

Jiang She listened without saying a word.

He already knew about this, so there was no need for Qiao'er to bring it up again.

Just as he was frowning, he saw Qiao'er's knees buckle, and she was about to kneel down again, saying earnestly:

"Please, sir, save my young lady!"

Jiang She raised his hand to help Qiao'er up, shook his head, and said:

"I'm not some kind of immortal."

Qiao'er was lifted up by an invisible force and stood up again. Her face was stunned for a moment, and she hurriedly said:

"Why should an immortal be modest?"

"The mountain god of Jade Mountain just now personally stated that you are a celestial being. If you are not, then who are?"

...

...

The old mountain god left the mountain path and went to a bamboo forest, where he sat down and talked with a white fox.

That white fox was a mountain spirit, not yet enlightened, and of humble origin, so it didn't dare to approach and pay its respects earlier.

"Mountain God, have you seen that immortal?"

"I saw him."

"Alas! A single stick of incense has mended the tattered golden statue—what level of cultivation is that? Could anyone possibly see through it?"

The white fox spoke human language.

The old mountain god was still shaken: "That person's cultivation was too shallow, but his Taoist skills... were unfathomable."

"Um?"

The white fox looked surprised, almost like a human, paused for a moment, and then asked:

Why is that?

The old mountain god stroked his beard and sighed, "The vast expanse within that Qi Sea acupoint is a sign of an ancient immortal official being reincarnated."

"Otherwise, how could a single stick of incense have mended my body, which had remained unhealed for centuries?"

"He is truly my savior..."

The incense and golden statues of the gods are indeed the foundation of life, so it is understandable that the old mountain god was extremely grateful to Jiang She.

"So they were ancient immortals!"

The white fox looked horrified.

He then sat up straight, glanced in the direction of the imperial city, and said, "The dragon aura on the throne of the Great Qian Dynasty is weak, while the phoenix aura is abundant, which has given many powerful mountain beasts and wild spirits the opportunity to attain enlightenment. Otherwise... how could I be allowed to take human form under the emperor's feet?"

As they spoke, the white fox transformed.

The furry fox body faded, gradually transforming from bottom to top into bare jade feet, long legs, and breasts...

Her swan-like neck was snow-white and smooth.

In the blink of an eye, the woman appeared before them, completely naked.

A mist swirled around her, obscuring several private areas.

"Phew~"

She gently blew out a fragrant breath.

The mist around her instantly gathered, transforming into a long, almost transparent dress that covered her snow-white body.

She then broke off a thin bamboo twig and pinned it to her hair bun.

Then the woman's black hair was combed together automatically, her cloud-like hair was loosely tied up, and a jade hairpin peeked out from the side of her bun.

Her bare feet touched the ground lightly, yet remained untouched by dust.

At that moment, the moonlight shone down from the edge of the clouds, making her skin glow, as if it were carved from fine jade, or like freshly frozen cream, white with a rosy tint, delicate and fragile.

The old mountain god was stunned.

He nearly dropped his staff, his white eyebrows furrowed, and he angrily rebuked, "You fox, why have you transformed into such a form? Are you perhaps trying to seduce that reincarnated immortal?"

"Hehehe, you jest, Mountain God."

The woman in the white dress covered her mouth and chuckled softly. Her laughter was extremely alluring, a natural advantage of her race, clear and melodious with a hint of seduction. She shook her head and said, "I am but a humble cultivator, how dare I offend an immortal? This appearance is that of the peasant girl who saved my life many years ago. I have transformed into her appearance simply because I cannot bear to see my old friend die."

As she spoke, she raised her jade-like arm and gently smoothed her hair with her delicate hand.

As she moved, her sleeve slipped down, revealing a section of her arm, her skin snow-white and smooth as satin.

She looked down at her own figure, then turned around gently.

Her skirt fluttered, like a white lotus blooming.

She chuckled again, "Look at you, is this appearance still worthy of the immortal's discerning eye?"

The old mountain god shook his head and sighed softly:

"Physical appearance is all external. Although it is not certain, that person is most likely a reincarnation of an immortal. He is calm and composed and does not value external things. Even when I offered him spiritual fruits, he did not accept them. Do not try to be clever and make things worse by provoking his annoyance."

Then he added, "I am certain that you are honest and upright, and I am sure I have not misjudged you. Even if you were to strip naked and stand in front of me, you would not be tempted."

The woman, however, refused.

Her head was tilted slightly, revealing her swan-like neck.

She said angrily:

"The Mountain God is utterly boring."

"Even ordinary men would find it hard to look twice at a beautiful woman, let alone this young lady whose transformation is out of sincere respect, and moreover..."

She paused, her eyes lowered, and said, "The gods have their own way, and I have my own concerns."

The old mountain god frowned.

"Are you afraid of people from the upper sect coming?"

"..."

The woman paused for a moment.

The old mountain god's words struck a chord with her.

"Indeed, that's exactly what I fear."

"Those immortals from the upper sects only come here once every hundred years. If we mountain spirits and monsters develop intelligence and become powerful, but have no cultivation of the Great Dao, they will all be captured and taken as spirit pets or mounts."

"I gained wisdom during the Tang Dynasty and escaped the shackles of society, only to watch helplessly as my parents, just as they were beginning to achieve something, were struck down and captured by a divine spell. Now... it's my turn..."

The woman's eyes were downcast, and she was on the verge of tears.

She did consider escaping the world.

Immortals can ascend to the imperial palace once every hundred years. A hundred years ago, this place was the Tang Dynasty; now...

But it should be called the Great Qian Dynasty.

With the eyes of an immortal, how could she possibly escape?

Unless... you climb the social ladder by marrying another immortal.

As long as she wasn't made a spirit pet or a mount, she was willing to be used as a cannon for venting her anger.

After listening, the old mountain god remained silent for a while.

The white fox family had a long-standing relationship with Him, and naturally, they did not want their only junior to be captured and lose his freedom due to a spell.

He stroked his beard, pondered, and said:

"What I am about to say, you must remember well, and do not tell any outsiders."

"Um?"

The woman's expression hardened upon hearing this, and she quickly abandoned her joking demeanor, leaning closer to listen:

"Please enlighten me, Mountain God."

The old mountain god nodded, his gaze fixed intently on her, and said:

"When an immortal reincarnates and cultivates again, they must bring something with them, whether it be talent or physique, all of which are manifested by spiritual light. Normally, it is not clear, but when I took a look just now, I saw that the immortal's spiritual light gathered under his body. If you... could obtain some of the immortal's root essence, lick it with your tongue, and swallow it slowly, it would surely be of great benefit to your cultivation."

The woman was taken aback: "Is that really true?"

"How would I know? I'll have to bring that up another day."

The old mountain god shook his head.

The woman, however, was eager to try.

Upon hearing this, her face lit up with joy, as if she had grasped a lifeline in turbulent water. Wiping away her tears, she smiled and said:

"Thank you, Mountain God."

"This humble servant...will devour the root of the immortal tonight."

...

...

It's getting dark.

On the mountain path, the muddy road was slippery, and Jiang She looked up at the moon.

Qiao'er followed behind, neither too close nor too far.

She gazed at the deepening night ahead, her brows furrowing slightly. Her steps slowed involuntarily, and she murmured:

"Alas, it's all my fault. I was in such a hurry when I went up the mountain, only thinking about sweeping and adding incense. I didn't expect it to take so long to get dark. Now I don't have a lantern with me, so I can only rely on the moonlight to light the way. The mountain path is slippery after the rain and not easy to walk on, which only adds to the danger."

There was a hint of worry in her voice.

The old woodcutter standing nearby listened, put down the rope binding his bundle of firewood, took a breath, and said:

"Don't worry, Miss Qiao'er. It is indeed difficult to travel at night, but this old man has an idea."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao'er turned to look at the old woodcutter:

"Please speak, sir."

The old woodcutter smiled and said, "It's dark now and difficult to travel. Since we're going down the mountain anyway, why don't we rest at my house first, then light a lamp and head back? What do you say?"

Qiao'er blinked: "Where does your father-in-law live? Is it far from here?"

The old woodcutter pointed to the dark foothills.

"It's at the foot of the mountain, not far. Just follow these stone steps down, and it'll be there in about half an hour."

"The old man goes up the mountain to gather firewood every day. He knows this road very well; he could find his way back with his eyes closed."

Qiao'er turned her head and glanced at Jiang She, who had been walking silently ahead, as if waiting for his permission.

But Jiang She did not turn back; he simply continued walking.

Qiao'er had no choice but to agree first, nodding and saying:

"Then I'll trouble you to lead the way, sir."

The old woodcutter repeatedly said he dared not, then shouldered his bundle of firewood again and led the way.

"Tap tap tap—"

The moon was setting in the west, and the mountain path was deserted, with only the crisp squelching sound of footsteps hitting the puddles on the stone steps.

Qiao'er lifted her skirt and carefully avoided the slippery moss. After walking for about fifteen minutes, she felt her legs were sore and her smooth forehead was covered in a fine sweat.

She turned her head and looked around.

The scenery along the mountain path, under the hazy moonlight, always seemed almost identical.

A thick trunk, gnarled branches, and gnarled roots stretching to the ground...

Huh?

Why does this place seem familiar?

A strange feeling gradually arose in Qiao'er's heart.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and couldn't help but ask, "Old man, how long have we been walking?"

"Why are there still no houses at the foot of the mountain?"

The old woodcutter, walking silently ahead, paused upon hearing this, but without turning his head, he simply said:

"Almost there, almost there, we'll be at the foot of the mountain in about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

Qiao'er pursed her lips.

She didn't say anything more, and silently continued down the mountain.

But the uneasy feeling in my heart spread quietly like vines.

They traveled for a while longer.

Suddenly, the stone steps disappeared from sight, replaced by a muddy, narrow path.

Because the path up the mountain is a combination of muddy road, stone steps, and more muddy road, there will also be a muddy path down the mountain.

But this muddy road looked strangely familiar.

It's like... the last stretch of mountain road in front of the mountain temple!

The trees on both sides of the road seemed to grow even denser and more sinister. The night wind whistled through the trees, creating a mournful sound, like a woman's longing, like weeping and lamenting.

"hiss...."

Qiao'er couldn't help but shiver.

She hugged her arms tightly, feeling uneasy.

Just then, the old woodcutter who was walking in front suddenly cried out in surprise and stopped abruptly.

The bundle of firewood on his back wobbled, and several pieces of firewood fell to the ground with a thud.

Qiao'er was startled and quickly asked:

"Old man, what's wrong with you?"

The old woodcutter tremblingly extended a finger, pointing to a dark grove of pine and cypress trees not far away, his voice hoarse:

"This...here..."

"Didn't we... just come here?"

"!"

Upon hearing this, Qiao'er's heart skipped a beat.

Her face was tense. She looked in the direction the old woodcutter was pointing and saw a grove of pine and cypress trees with strong branches and canopies that cast large, dark shadows in the moonlight.

That large patch of pine and cypress trees was indeed found on the narrow path outside the mountain temple!

hiss......

What's going on?

We were clearly going downhill, we'd already passed that section of stone steps, so how... how did we end up back here?!

Qiao'er felt a chill run down her spine as she listened, a coldness rising from the soles of her feet and spreading throughout her body like an electric current.

She hurriedly turned her head, her gaze involuntarily falling on Jiang She, her voice trembling:

"Jiang...Young Master Jiang..."

Jiang She did not require her to address him as an immortal, so the young woman continued to call him Jiang Langjun.

Jiang She, however, did not respond.

He showed little surprise, only a slight darkening in his eyes, as he strode toward the pine and cypress forest the old woodcutter had pointed out.

The cool moonlight shone on his blue robe.

Qiao'er was at a loss, so she could only follow Jiang She to see what was going on.

Jiang She walked to a thick pine tree, stopped, raised his hand, and gently stroked the rough, cracked bark with his slender fingers. His fingertips moved slowly and finally stopped at a certain spot.

There, there is a fresh engraving.

The mark is shallow; it's a simple cross.

Jiang She had just passed by this place when he suddenly felt something was amiss, so he left this mark.

Now, the appearance of this mark has confirmed Qiao'er's guess.

They... kept going in circles.

I've never left the mountainside!

"What... what's going on?"

"Young Master Jiang, what... what should we do?" Qiao'er's voice trembled, and she looked at Jiang She with a sob in her voice.

Jiang She frowned slightly upon hearing this.

To be honest, this was the first time he had encountered this situation. Was he being led astray by ghosts?

Or was the old mountain god playing a joke on him?

No, that can't be.

The old mountain god spoke respectfully and was very earnest, clearly regarding me as a reincarnated celestial official and my savior.

How could they have played such a despicable joke in the blink of an eye, trapping me in the mountains?

Jiang She thought to himself.

His gaze swept across the dark woods around him, the moonlight flickering and the shadows of the trees swaying like countless peering eyes.

The old woodcutter was ashen-faced, trembling violently, muttering incantations—whether prayer or incantation was unclear.

"Could it be...could we have offended some mountain spirit?"

"I've been chopping firewood my whole life, and I've never... encountered anything so strange..."

Hearing him say this, Qiao'er was even more frightened and moved closer to Jiang She's side, but she didn't dare to get too close. She just looked at him with a pair of anxious eyes, waiting for his decision.

Jiang She composed himself.

He looked around. The mountain path wound its way into the darkness, and the path down seemed to have been quietly erased by an invisible force, leaving only a repetitive cycle.

"In that case...we might as well go up the mountain and stay in the mountain god's temple for a while."

Upon hearing this, Qiao'er's eyes lit up.

She nodded repeatedly, as if grasping at a straw, and said urgently:

"Yes! Yes! Let's go up the mountain!"

"Mountain God, you will surely protect us!"

At this moment, she was flustered and confused, completely forgetting what she had just seen and heard about "Jiang She being an immortal." She only instinctively sought out the most familiar and reliable place of protection in her heart.

That old temple where a clay sculpture of the mountain god was enshrined.

The old woodcutter, as if grasping the key to his cause, hurriedly echoed, "Yes, yes, the mountain god is merciful and will surely take us in."

"Let's go up the mountain then."

After a brief pause, the group continued up the mountain on their own.

The three of them walked up the slippery mountain path, and this time, the journey seemed much smoother.

The moonlight remained hazy, and the forest wind continued to howl.

However, the pine and cypress forest that had appeared repeatedly like a ghost did not reappear. Although the scenery on both sides was still dark, there were some subtle differences.

After walking for about a quarter of an hour, the trees ahead began to thin out.

A faint outline emerged from behind the dark shadows of the trees.

A corner of the eaves silently points to the night sky.

It was the old temple on Jade Mountain.

Upon seeing the temple, Qiao'er's tense nerves finally relaxed slightly. She secretly let out a long breath, patted her chest, and whispered with lingering fear:

"call...."

"We're here, we've finally arrived."

"Thank God, the mountain god protected us..."

She and the old woodcutter were overjoyed.

However, Jiang She, who was walking ahead, paused slightly.

He gazed at the temple silhouette lying silently in the night, but instead of feeling relieved, a sense of doubt arose in his heart.

Everything went too smoothly.

The descent was winding and labyrinthine.

But once you turn to climb the mountain, the illusion seems to vanish into thin air, and the temple is right in front of you.

It was as if... something was deliberately leading him towards this mountain god temple.

Is it the Old Mountain God?

Or is it something else in the mountains?

Jiang She pondered for a moment, then raised his eyes.

He looked up at the mountain god temple, his divine sense already probing there.

Suddenly, a beautiful figure appeared in his eyes. Her long dress trailed on the ground, white and transparent, revealing her naked body like white jade in the moonlight.

Immediately afterwards, a line of small print appeared before his eyes:

"Today you have encountered the Jade Mountain Fox Girl—Hu Xiaoqing. You can spend 10,000 coins to control this vixen."