Chapter 277: Dispute

Such spirit—not only did Xiao Hong stare in awe, but the feigning-comatose three-tailed fox also lifted its head to look at Pan Xiaohei, frowning involuntarily.

Although it sensed faint demonic energy on it, could such meager demonic energy grant this level of sentience?

Master Xuanmiao tossed the three-tailed fox into the midst of them and asked Pan Yun, "Did you scold Xiaohei?"

Pan Yun remained silent.

Master Xuanmiao: "It's a cat, not a person. If one lesson doesn't stick, teach it twice. When we taught you, did you beat or yell at you when you couldn't learn?"

Pan Xiaohei turned back with tear-filled eyes and softly mewed at Master Xuanmiao.

Master Xuanmiao gave Pan Xiaohei a slight nod and said to Pan Yun, "It understands human nature even better than this fox."

The three-tailed fox, hearing this, bristled with indignation and could no longer pretend—it lifted its head and spoke in human speech, "I can speak human language. Can it?"

Pan Xiaohei mewed indignantly; only Pan Yun could understand: "Who says I can't? I've spoken—it's just that they can't understand. Is that my fault?"

"I understand five thousand years of human history. Do you? I also understand..."

Pan Yun dug her fingers into her ear and said to Pan Xiaohei, "Shut up! Keep facing the deity in meditation."

Pan Xiaohei stifled its voice, turned, and resumed facing the Land God.

But it was truly envious of the three-tailed fox's body.

This three-tailed fox had pure white fur only on its forehead and the tips of its three tails; the rest was fiery red.

This fox clearly had pure bloodline—if it found a place rich in spiritual energy to cultivate, combined with its cultivation method, becoming a nine-tailed fox was within reach.

Pan Yun was domineering and cruel; the spiritual realm was clearly its body, yet she refused to relinquish it.

In the future, it would always be under her control. Previously, it thought using the black cat's body as a fallback wasn't bad—but after seeing the three-tailed fox, it realized it could choose something far better.

Unfortunately, Pan Yun wouldn't allow it.

Pan Xiaohei grumbled inwardly: Why won't she agree? It would be better for her if I took the three-tailed fox's body.

Pan Yun was also watching the three-tailed fox.

She too thought the three-tailed fox was beautiful; three little girls crowded before it, their eyes filled with wonder.

Miao He cautiously reached out to touch its tail, but before making contact, she whispered, "May I touch you?"

Hong Yan tilted her head, glanced at the three bright-eyed girls, then flicked all three tails at once, letting them land gently in the girls' arms.

Pan Yun hugged one fluffy, soft fox tail and, together with Miao Zhen and Miao He, let out a startled "Wow!" in delight.

Master Xuanmiao:...

She looked again and again, yet still didn't approach; instead, she strode with a grim face to Tao Ji's side, frowning at the kneeling female ghost, "Where did this one come from?"

Tao Ji: "She hid beneath the Land God's shrine, so no one noticed."

Master Xuanmiao blinked in surprise, carefully studying Xiao Hong, "Dead so long, yet untouched by karmic ties—how can she still wander the mortal realm?"

Tao Ji whispered, "You find it strange too, don't you?"

Pan Yun finally snapped back to attention and explained to Master Xuanmiao, "She was once kept by Zhang Weiliang. Sister, when a spirit kept by someone breaks free, can it wander the mortal realm?"

"Impossible," Master Xuanmiao said. "Unless it's an inanimate object like Jin Guang, anything existing within heaven and earth must have energy flowing in and out—only the balance differs. If she has no source to replenish energy, a yin soul can last at most half a month in heaven and earth."

"The yin souls you recently chanted over by the sea—they retained only lingering resentment. Even the more intact yin souls devoured each other, surviving by consuming Offerings. How could this lone wandering ghost endure so long without energy replenishment?"

Pan Yun said, "She has a method to cultivate as a ghost."

Master Xuanmiao raised an eyebrow. "Was she a cultivator in life?"

Pan Yun, hugging the fox tail, said, "The fox gave it to her."

Master Xuanmiao's gaze immediately fell upon the red fox.

Pan Yun beamed. "Sister, she's never harmed anyone. Since we can't kill her anyway, why not buy this cultivation method from her?"

Hong Yan immediately perked up, blinking. "You can't kill me?"

Pan Yun smiled sweetly. "That's right—you've never harmed anyone, carry no karmic ties. We won't kill you."

Hong Yan flicked her tail lightly and asked bluntly, "If you won't kill me, why capture me?"

"Who told you to bump into my sister's Dharma bell?"

Hong Yan: "This Land Temple was first ours!"

"When we arrived, you weren't here. In the middle of nowhere, whoever arrives first claims it," Pan Yun said firmly. "My sister hung a Dharma bell outside as a warning to all demons and spirits: this temple is occupied tonight. You barged in anyway—wasn't that provocation?"

"Luckily you met my sister—she's beautiful and kind, so she won't hold a grudge. At most, she'll scold you. If you'd met another cultivator, you'd already be a fox pelt."

Hong Yan seethed, yanked her tail back from Pan Yun's arms, and glared. "You wear a halo of merit-gold, yet you're a bad person."

She turned to Miao Zhen and Miao He, swiftly retracted her other two tails, "Even though you two also glow with golden light, you might be bad people too."

Pan Yun: "How am I a bad person?"

"A bad person is someone whose words are sharp and I can't argue back—but I know what you say is wrong," Hong Yan had her own standard: since she believed Pan Yun was wrong, Pan Yun was bad.

Pan Yun turned to Xiao Hong.

Xiao Hong immediately crouched beside Hong Yan's ear and whispered, "Sister Hong Yan, she really isn't good—but she's powerful. When she fights ghosts, it hurts terribly."

Hong Yan exploded: "She hit you?"

Xiao Hong's eyes reddened. "Even together, we can't beat her. Now she has such a powerful sister helping her—we're even less able. So let's just obey her and sell her the method." Xiao Hong whispered, "We don't fight them head-on. Didn't you say we must live, and live as long as possible?"

Hong Yan: "But I don't want to live like this—so humiliated."

Xiao Hong: "It's fine—I can. You hide behind me. I'll beg them. My begging has nothing to do with you."

Hong Yan thought this made sense. "Fine. You beg. I'll still be the boss later."

After whispering their plan, Xiao Hong stepped in front of Hong Yan, meekly saying, "Master Pan, I'm willing to sell you our cultivation method. But after we sell it, will you let my sister and me go?"

Pan Yun nodded, about to say yes—when Master Xuanmiao already said, "No."

Pan Yun's nodding head nearly twisted.

She slid beside Master Xuanmiao and pulled her aside. "Sister, why not?"

Master Xuanmiao: "The fox can be released back into the wild—but she's a ghost. She must be chanted over."

Pan Yun: "But she doesn't want to be liberated."

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Master Xuanmiao frowned at her.

Pan Yun spread her hands and said, "Sister, she's kind-hearted. Even when kept as a pet and controlled by cultivation techniques, she only did things to frighten people—never took a life. Now she's free from Zhang Weiliang, a free ghost. Why must she be liberated?"

Master Xuanmiao: "Spirits belong in the Underworld—that is the order of heaven and earth."

Pan Yun: "When the time comes, she'll go on her own."

Master Xuanmiao: "What if she doesn't?"

Pan Yun: "Then let her not!"

Pan Yun said solemnly, "Sister, since she harms no one, we have neither right nor duty to forcibly liberate her."

Master Xuanmiao pressed her lips. "Sister, you give spirits too much freedom. If you keep this up, you'll stray from the Dao."

Pan Yun: "What if one day I become a ghost? Will you forcibly liberate me too?"

"If you become a ghost and linger in the mortal world, it must be because you died unjustly. I'll avenge you and fulfill your final wish."

Pan Yun: "My wish isn't vengeance—it's immortality. I intend to cultivate as a spirit and endure forever. Will you still forcibly liberate me then?"

"You!" Master Xuanmiao was furious, yet could not bring herself to say she must forcibly liberate her.

Pan Yun said, "Sister, you're showing favoritism."

Master Xuanmiao stayed silent.

"If you show favoritism toward me, why not show it once toward her?"

Master Xuanmiao said solemnly, "Do you know? If you fail to guide a spirit and she later harms mortals, the sin will be counted on both of us?"

Pan Yun said solemnly, "I know. But I also refuse to force her."

Master Xuanmiao: "You don't fully trust her."

Pan Yun: "But I'm willing to bear that risk."

Master Xuanmiao fell silent.

Pan Yun whispered, "Sister, if you'd only respected and trusted me a little more back then, our journey back to Huishan wouldn't have been so full of turmoil."

Master Xuanmiao gazed at her quietly, then turned and walked out: "Do as you wish."

Tao Ji watched nervously from the side, his heart in his throat. As soon as his sister left, he hurried after her, lifting his robe. Passing Pan Yun, he whispered, "You, you—hurry up and settle this. Your sister hasn't eaten yet."

Tao Ji chased after her. "Sister, wait for me! I—I'll join you to admire the moon."

Pan Yun turned to look at the ghost and the fox.

The ghost and the fox remained silent.

Seeing Miao Zhen was the first to react. She grabbed the fox's tail. "What are you waiting for? Quickly make your deal with my little auntie! Miss this chance, and you won't find it again."

Xiao Hong swallowed hard, then raised a finger to swear: "Master Pan, I swear—I'll never harm anyone again."

Pan Yun added for her: "Not harm the innocent."

Xiao Hong nodded quickly. "Yes, yes! I still need to find the one who killed me and get revenge."

She said, "It's not that I don't want to be reborn—I just can't remember anything. I don't recall who I was, or how I died. So I don't want to be reborn."

"I understand, I understand," Pan Yun crouched before her and asked, "How do you want to sell this technique?"

Xiao Hong glanced at Hong Yan, then said, "We want money—and pills."

"Pills?" All three spoke at once, then turned their gazes to the fox. "Ohhh~~" they said in unison. "We get it—you're asking for her, aren't you?"

Xiao Hong whispered, "I want pills that help Hong Yan cultivate—or awaken her intellect. You're Daoist Priests—you must have some."

Pan Yun didn't have any. She looked at Miao He and asked softly, "Do you have any in your pill formulas?"

Miao He looked troubled. "My formulas don't include pills to awaken or cultivate animals—only humans."

Pan Yun: "Then refine pills for human awakening. If you can open a human's mind, surely you can open a fox's. Humans are animals too—the same principle applies."

See you tomorrow

(End of Chapter)