The Little Fox's Immortal Cultivation Encyclopedia

Chen Atang burst into laughter, turned around, and was about to share his joy when he saw the strange looks on everyone's faces.

Zhu the butcher stared at him with wide eyes, He Ying covered her mouth, and even the usually composed Lu Zhi was stunned for a moment.

He paused, then unconsciously continued to touch his face with both hands.

"Are there still goose feathers left to remove?"

Touching her forehead, it was smooth; touching her eyebrows, it was smooth; touching…

He finally realized that he didn't need to be touched anymore.

"My hair!"

"So, what's going on here?" He Ying was somewhat stunned.

After a short while, Chen Atang finally recovered from his grief and anger, and obediently wrapped the black cloth around himself again. Butcher Zhu and the black pig were also untied.

"You really encountered a fox spirit?" He Ying asked incredulously.

Chen Atang gave a muffled "hmm".

"What did the fox spirit say?" Lu Zhi asked calmly.

"He said Brother Pig is actually a human, and asked me to take care of Brother Pig. By the way, I still don't know your name, Brother Pig?" Butcher Zhu replied, barely suppressing a laugh, seeing Chen Atang's unfortunate appearance.

"Sigh, the fox spirit said that the long hair wasn't his fault, and even told me to find someone." Chen Atang ignored Zhu the butcher and continued talking to himself.

"Who is it?"

"An old man," Chen Atang gestured, "with half-white hair, bright eyes, and simply dressed."

Lu Zhi's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Have you seen it?

Chen Atang shook his head: "I've never seen it. I was so nervous that day, I only had eyes for that big goose, I didn't pay any attention to my surroundings."

Lu Zhi and Shen Guan exchanged a glance, then slowly asked, "Are you nearing sixty?"

"Pretty much, but he looks quite energetic and has a good posture, not hunched over."

Lu Zhi silently took out a scroll from his robes and handed it to Chen Atang: "Take a look, is this him?"

"Hey, it really is him. The fox spirit also came looking for you?" Chen Atang looked up in surprise, meeting that complicated gaze. Lu Zhi's usually calm face showed a somewhat indescribable expression.

"You two know each other?"

Lu Zhi nodded slowly: "Seven years ago, I saw him die with my own eyes."

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

"Brother Lu?" He Ying stepped forward and placed her hand on Lu Zhi's shoulder.

Lu Zhi took a deep breath and regained his usual demeanor: "I'm sorry, I couldn't find an opportunity before and didn't tell you the truth. This matter has nothing to do with you, and you don't need to get involved."

He Ying was accepted as a disciple by Lu Zhi on behalf of his master, and she was unaware of the past of her two senior brothers. She wanted to comfort them, but she was really not good at such things. After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke: "It's alright, Brother Lu. Although I don't know the inside story, they are just ghosts. I've only been in Tao County for half a day, and I've already met almost a handful of ghosts and gods."

Chen Atang was startled. Upon reflection, he realized that Tao County had indeed been quite unsettled lately; ghosts could be encountered not only at night but also in broad daylight. He quietly began to consider moving.

Lu Zhi remained silent for a moment, then suddenly cupped his hands towards the courtyard wall and said loudly, "I am Lu Zhi, and I, along with my fellow disciples, have been investigating this person for a year. If the fox spirit knows his whereabouts, I humbly request that you appear before me."

A night breeze swept by, leaving only a few withered leaves on the wall.

No one spoke. Lu Zhi regretfully withdrew his hand, and his ears suddenly twitched as he heard a buzzing sound coming from afar.

In the backyard of the honey shop, all the beehives shook at the same time, and countless bees filed out, gathering into a dark cloud and flying into the night sky.

They circled around the queen bee's head a few times, then scattered in all directions, transforming into hundreds of figures that blended into the night, permeating every street and alley of Taoxian County.

The night market in Beicheng, Taoxian County, is in full swing.

A small swarm of bees arrived first, the lead bee landing on the wine flag, overlooking the entire street. It gazed for a few moments, then flapped its wings. The bees behind it scattered simultaneously, landing at specific intervals; some landed on the tea stalls, while others, without any regard for people, landed directly on the tables.

Passing diners glanced at them but didn't pay them any mind or disturb them. A notice had been posted in the city a few days earlier, saying that the Peach God had decreed that because the bees had done a good job of pollinating the plants, all believers must not harm them.

The Peach God was at the height of his prestige, and everyone naturally obeyed him. There were also those who did not believe in the superstition and insisted on trying, but often they had just picked a lone bee and were about to make their move when they were caught by the arriving constables. Without saying a word, they were taken away, punished, and then released.

Over time, even the most unruly criminals were impressed by the speed and precision of the constables' arrests. From then on, everyone treated bees as if they didn't exist, and no one dared to provoke them.

The bees on the wine flag stared for a while, then took flight, circling in the air. The bees on the table below also fluttered their wings, leaving a few to keep watch while the rest continued to sneak into each house, checking each one.

On the third floor of Peach Blossom Pavilion, several bees crawled in through the window cracks and landed on the roof beams. They did not act immediately, but lay quietly for three breaths, listening to the voices inside before crawling up the beams to the private rooms on both sides.

The guests chattered, and bees landed on the table, listening attentively.

"Have you heard? The daughter of the wealthy Wu family is getting engaged again."

"Which young master is it this time?"

"Who else could it be but Scholar Xu?"

"Scholar Xu passed the imperial examination this year, so his status is quite different now. Master Wu is trying to climb the social ladder."

"You don't understand. I heard they were betrothed since they were still children..."

After listening for a while, the bee flew into other private rooms.

"The incense offerings to the Peach God have been incredibly plentiful lately. I went to check on the Water God yesterday, and the Water God's statue has been moved to the very bottom."

"What's that? My neighbor doesn't even worship the ancestral household gods anymore; he's replaced them all with tablets for fox spirits."

"Ah, he's not afraid of ancestral punishment."

"It's like a son selling his father's land."

The bee continued to sneak into the next room.

"The Li family in the east of the city has been infested with rats recently."

"How could his granary not be teeming with rats?"

"That's right. I heard it from his servants; the rats are swarming around, even during the day they dare to run right in front of people. We've hired several rat catchers, but it's no use."

"If you ask me, it would be better to invite a cat spirit."

"Pshaw, why bother with a cat spirit? If you ask me, I'd be better off with a fox spirit."

"Can foxes catch mice?"

Taoxi Inn, front hall.

Several customers were gathered around the counter, talking to the shopkeeper.

"Shopkeeper, is that girl in the east wing of the backyard here today?"

The shopkeeper glanced at him and asked, "Are you looking for him?"

"Yes, I want to ask him to tell my fortune."

The bee that was secretly watching fluttered its wings, and three feet away, another bee that was perched on the windowsill flew out of the window and fluttered its wings in response.

They spread their wings and relayed the message, one after another.

In the honeycomb, a bee landed on the queen bee's hand, its antennae swaying gently. The queen bee remained unmoved, relaying her message once again through the swarm.

After a moment, she turned and looked at the fox.

"Found it."

The fox's ears perked up.

"Peach Creek Inn, the east wing of the back courtyard." The Queen Bee frowned. "But the person isn't there."