Chapter 637 - 636: Xiaoyao Zi of Nixipi

Something that could destroy the world?

Li Jing paused, slightly frowned.

Someone from the Upper Three Realms had snuck down here and was looking for something.

This was not unexpected.

However...

If nothing went wrong.

The thing Kong Zhi mentioned that the people from the Upper Three Realms were looking for was the Primordial Heavenly Treasure that Xiaoyao Zi had revealed to him, which could affect the environment and cultivate the Immortal Medicine.

When Xiaoyao Zi spoke about this treasure, didn’t he emphasize its potential to destroy the world?

Damn it.

It’s annoying when someone tells you half the story and hides the rest.

Wouldn’t it be better if they were upfront and clear?

Though he said this,

Li Jing understood.

Considering the object that the powerhouses of the Upper Three Realms were desperately seeking, something that could ruin the Ancient Fairyland and the Big World, Xiaoyao Zi would not dare to say it outright even if he had a thousand lives to spare.

Too many people and powers were involved.

What upset Li Jing was that.

From Kong Zhi’s words, he realized one thing.

Xiaoyao Zi’s request for his help in persuading those facing the catastrophe was genuine, but more than that, he was also subtly luring him into the game.

The thing that the people from the Upper Three Realms were seeking was accompanied by the Immortal Medicine that could heal the wounds of Human Taoist Saints.

Was this a coincidence?

Probably not.

The Zhenlong Divine Medicine might be accidental.

Li Jing didn’t know the details about why the Human Saint, despite knowing she’d face a Taoist backlash and possible death, risked breaking the Ascending Path that connected the Ancient Fairyland and the Upper Three Realms.

But he had his suspicions.

It was related to what the people in the Upper Three Realms wanted.

Now, he was utterly convinced.

One thing was clear.

The Saint wasn’t a fool.

Knowing full well the backlash from Taoist would lead to near-death, why would she plunge in recklessly?

She.

Had a back-up plan.

And this back-up plan was the Immortal Medicine born in the environment influenced by the Primordial Heavenly Treasure.

Connect the dots.

The Human Saint, for some reason, didn’t want the people from the Upper Three Realms to succeed. So, she destroyed the Ascending Path linking the Upper Three Realms and the Ancient Fairyland, with the world-destroying Primordial Heavenly Treasure as her back-up.

Thinking further.

The object the people from the Upper Three Realms were looking for somehow ended up somewhere in the Fairyland, unnoticed to this day.

The Human Saint had made great efforts to catch Xiaoyao Zi.

Li Jing’s encounter with Xiaoyao Zi in the Fairyland not only awakened her from a near-death state but also surprised her to find him in the Fairyland.

Connecting the dots again.

A detail became clear.

The world-destroying object, although regarded as the Human Saint’s backup, was in Xiaoyao Zi’s hands.

At least that was the case initially.

The Human Saint wanted to capture him back then, not to have him extrapolate something.

But to ensure that the world-destroying object remained intact, or perhaps she wanted to claim it as her own.

Comparatively.

The former is more likely.

Although Li Jing couldn’t say he had a proper encounter with the Human Saint and didn’t know her character,

Anyone who can become the Taoist Saint must not be of poor character or selfish, as such people would never become saints.

Even though not all those who achieve sainthood need to care for all beings, noble character is fundamental.

Thinking deeper.

Xiaoyao Zi obviously didn’t carry the object with him, but hid it somewhere, and it had been there for a long time.

Even the Immortal Medicine, which could cure the wounds of a Taoist Saint, had been born. It must have been there for quite a while.

That should have been fine, but recently...

It seemed that something had gone wrong.

Understanding Xiaoyao Zi’s intention to gradually lure him into the game, Li Jing had reason to suspect that the upcoming catastrophe in the Fairyland was directly linked to that object.

Apart from anything else.

That object was the world-destroying Primordial Heavenly Treasure.

Two world destructions, it’s easy to connect them together, isn’t it?

So.

Xiaoyao Zi’s supposed fear that the Fairyland, where he’d become accustomed to living, might be destroyed, was a lie. He was trying to make amends for causing the source of all problems in the first place and didn’t wish to take the blame for the destruction.

Li Jing had felt something was wrong before.

How could this greedy, lustful, and alcoholic old Taoist suddenly start caring about others?

For the sake of saving the Fairyland from calamity, he was even willing to risk his life to reveal the heavenly secrets.

He was carefully coaxing step by step, worrying that without a good bargaining chip, Li Jing wouldn’t be willing to enter the game!

Understanding everything, Li Jing swore silently, feeling both helpless and irritated.

Once this is all over, if he ever runs into that old charlatan again, he’ll be sure to teach him a lesson.

While he was silently fuming, Kong Zhi noticed his prolonged silence and changing expressions, and felt puzzled, so he asked:

"Master Jiu?"

"Hm?"

Li Jing’s thoughts were interrupted and he responded subconsciously, then waved his hand.

"Nothing, I just recalled a little something."

With that, he continued to move forward and asked,

"How come you know so much about what the people from the Upper Three Realms are looking for?"

In response to that question, Kong Zhi gave a bitter smile.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

Li Jing fell silent. He wanted to respond that Kong Zhi had nothing to do with a cat, but he ended up holding it back.

Kong Zhi was a widely discriminated half-demon.

To the conservative folks of the Fairyland.

The birth of a child from a human and a demon was indeed a taboo that went against the norms of humankind.

Bringing up his "bloodline" might hit a sore spot, it’s better not to mention it if it could be avoided.

From Kong Zhi’s evasive reply, Li Jing guessed why he had been so cautious and sneaky – it turned out that out of curiosity, he had infiltrated the "enemy’s territory."

And then, Li Jing figured, he had probably been exposed.

Now, the people from the Upper Three Realms who he had encountered were likely hunting him down.

With this, things started to make sense.

Kong Zhi wasn’t his friend.

They only had a one-time acquaintance.

It isn’t like anyone would come running to inform him about any news from the Upper Three Realms.

Their goal was to use him for their own benefit.

Li Jing let out a sigh, feeling somewhat mentally drained.

There really were no good people left in this world.

Everyone he met was full of tricks.

Thank goodness he was astute. Otherwise, he might be sold off and still counting the money for the buyer.

Looking at Kong Zhi, Li Jing spoke.

"I remember you said that if I spared you that day, you would help me if I encountered any difficulties in the future. And before I even asked, you are asking for my help to clean up your mess?"

Caught off guard by this reminder, Kong Zhi said awkwardly.

"If I had known that you, Master Jiu, had such far-reaching capabilities that could extend to the Upper Three Realms, I wouldn’t have made such a promise."

Then, his face turned serious.

"My dear mother once said: a real man should be true to his word. I made a promise back then, and today, if you, Master Jiu, need any help, Kong Zhi will certainly not decline."

After delivering this solemn declaration, his face fell.

"But as for the current problem, I am really in need of your help, Master Jiu. Otherwise, I might not even be alive to help you."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing smirked.

He could see it clearly now.

This guy was no better than the others.

At most, he was a bit better than the four monkeys brought in by Shang Yiqing.

Without much thought, Li Jing voiced his contemplation.

"In this Immortal Realm, no matter how capable those from the Upper Three Realms are, they are still trapped within the half-step Return to Origin. Everyone is on the same starting line. As a half-demon cultivator, you naturally have an advantage in the current Immortal Realm environment. How powerful is this person that makes you so apprehensive?"

Facing Li Jing’s question, Kong Zhi sighed lightly.

"In the current Immortal Realm, it’s indeed hard to find an opponent for me, a half-demon cultivator. But as it turns out, the other party is also a physical cultivator and, what’s worse, from Divine Beast lineage."

Divine Beast?

Li Jing’s eyes lit up instantly, grasping the key point.

Just mention this and he’s wide awake!

On the other hand, Kong Zhi continued.

"Both of us are physical cultivators. At full strength, he is a strong one in the Immortal King Realm, while I am only at the late stage of Return to Origin. At best, I can be considered half-step Immortal King, but I have never been able to cross that half step. Even in the Immortal Realm, where everyone is restricted, I stand no chance against a similarly constrained Immortal King Realm physical cultivator. Not to mention that he has the Divine Beast’s bloodline, which naturally overshadows me, who is from the ordinary Beast Class..."

Before he could finish, Li Jing interrupted him.

"Enough, you don’t need to say anymore. I will help you with this."

???

Kong Zhi was baffled.

Li Jing had suddenly agreed to help, which left him somewhat confused.

Li Jing had clearly shown some reluctance just a moment ago, so why did he suddenly become so resolute?

Although Li Jing’s face showed no sign of change, he was quite excited deep down.

Damn it!

It’s been a hundred years!

He hadn’t obtained a single drop of Essence Source.

It wasn’t that he didn’t have any opportunities to acquire Essence Source.

The key was that the Alien Species in the Immortal Realm had very little Essence Source, and he simply did not rate them highly enough to bother taking action.

Divine Beast.

Immortal King Realm.

How could this be weaker than the mount resembling the Listener that Banruo has!

Banruo’s mount had nearly four hundred million Essence Source.

The one descending to the Lower World this time shouldn’t be too different, right?

If he managed to take it down..

He could level up two levels right on the spot.

Two levels!

How rare would that be for him now?

Not to mention he hadn’t leveled up in a hundred years...

Faced with Li Jing’s eager gaze, Kong Zhi said, looking baffled and shaking his head.

"I don’t know where he is now, but I’m sure he’s looking for me. After all, not only did I know too much, but I also slept with the woman he fancies."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing exclaimed.

This brother really knows how to live life.

Not only did he go deep into enemy territory out of curiosity, he even slept with the woman the enemy had an eye for.

Well...

Even if he hadn’t found out something he should not, the enemy would not rest until he was dead.

Impressed by Kong Zhi, Li Jing muttered.

"Shouldn’t the woman who you’re in love with have fled with you?"

"Of course."

Kong Zhi answered, saying indignantly.

"I, Kong Zhi, am not some heartless person. I am genuinely in love with Yangxue. Even if she belongs to me now, the Divine Beast abductor only lusts for her body. If I were to escape alone and he took out his anger on her, he would surely kill her."

Then, he let out a sigh.

"To ensure our safety, Yangxue and I are hiding separately. She is currently staying in the Ascending Path brothel."

?

Li Jing was confused.

This guy...

Let his woman stay in a brothel?

But after reconsidering, he realized he was simply misunderstanding.

If the woman who was with Kong Zhi wasn’t an insider, she probably wouldn’t be too far off.

At that level...

Unless she was into some yin-yang combination cultivation and looking to make an extra buck, there was no way she would be working in a brothel.

She was probably at the brothel because it wasn’t a place people would suspect, and it was also a good place to gather information.

After thinking about it, Li Jing realized something wasn’t quite right.

Kong Zhi was the one looking for him.

Xiaoyao Zi had mentioned that the person looking for him had a connection with the person destined to cause catastrophe.

So that meant...

The person destined to cause catastrophe would certainly have a connection with him, or perhaps, already has a connection with him.

What a coincidence.

Yangxue, who Kong Zhi mentioned, was staying in the Ascending Path brothel.

And Xiaoyao Zi was also at the Ascending Path brothel in recent times...

Ah...

Could it be?

It can’t be that coincidental, can it?

After much deliberation, Li Jing finally dismissed this guess.

Obviously, Yangxue had been at the Ascending Path for a while, and Xiaoyao Zi didn’t need to spend so much time lurking there. He could have just made contact directly.

Even if this old lecher wanted to have a good time with the girls, he should at least handle his business first.

So...

The person destined to cause the catastrophe probably hadn’t arrived at Haoran City yet.

Instead of saying Yangxue, who was staying at the Ascending Path brothel, might be the person to cause the catastrophe, it was better to say that she might be the key or the trigger to make Kong Zhi get in touch with that person.

After figuring all this out, Li Jing looked at Kong Zhi.

"Alright, I understand the situation more or less. I don’t have much time. You need to find a way to lure out the Divine Beast that is trying to kill you, and I will take care of it."

Upon hearing this, Kong Zhi’s face lit up with joy.

Just as he was about to speak, Li Jing said,

"Before that, I hope I can see Miss Yangxue you mentioned."

Kong Zhi was slightly taken aback.

Li Jing agreed, but why did he want to see Yangxue?

Yangxue was his woman, what was there to see?

Considering that Li Jing wouldn’t have some strange fetish, Kong Zhi replied,

"Meeting Yangxue can be arranged. I’ll send her a message later and ask her to come over..."

Before he could finish, Li Jing waved his hand.

"There is no need for that, let’s just go directly to the Ascending Path Tavern."

Hearing these words, Kong Zhi furrowed his brow.

"Master Jiu, you’ve just stirred up quite a commotion at the Ascending Path Tavern. I’m afraid it’s crowded and chaotic over there right now."

"The more crowded and chaotic, the better."

With an indifferent smile, Li Jing said,

"Who knows, the one after you might be among them. Or even your Yangxue, could be under their surveillance already."

Upon hearing this, Kong Zhi slightly changed color, waved his hand and the straw hat on his head transformed into a handsome young man.

"Time is of the essence, Master Jiu, let’s go to the Ascending Path Tavern now."

While nodding, Li Jing asked curiously,

"Is this your human form, or just a transformation?"

"This is my human form after completing my transformation."

Kong Zhi informed, adding,

"I usually don’t like to use this appearance, but Yangxue likes it. It’s better to blend in with the crowd than to appear half-demon."

Li Jing uttered an "Oh" with a strange expression on his face.

He understood the reason.

So...

The key point is that Yangxue likes it?

This guy...

It’s a little hard to tell!

...

Not long after,

Li Jing and Kong Zhi returned to the Ascending Path Tavern.

The Tavern was back to normal.

Those fearless viewers who wished to see the beauty of Empress Master Jiu had all dispersed.

The only difference was that there were more customers than usual inside; otherwise, there was nothing remarkable.

At least on the surface.

Whether there were some strange people mingling among them, well, that was another story.

Li Jing was just stepping inside when Kong Zhi pulled him back,

"Master Jiu, let’s take the back door."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing paused before nodding.

Following Kong Zhi through the alley to the back of the Ascending Path Tavern, Li Jing realized that the back door led to the kitchen.

It dawned on him that Yangxue was hiding in the kitchen of Ascending Path Tavern under the guise of a kitchen maid or worker.

It was dusk, and night was falling.

But Kong Zhi was still very cautious.

Even under the influence of the Silent Shadow, he stopped to look around, confirming that no one was paying attention before opening the kitchen door.

Seeing this, Li Jing followed suit.

As soon as they entered,

They saw a fat man with a fleshy face scolding a shabby, dirty-faced girl.

"You dead girl! How do you even work!? Can’t even deliver dishes properly!"

The fat man spat out, coldly saying,

"The customer only wanted to touch you and you slapped the food on his face! Do you think this is a respectable tavern? This is a brothel! Are you trying to act pure?! Do you still want this job? If you don’t, take your wages and get lost!"

The girl being scolded had a timid look on her face and dared not make a sound.

The moment Kong Zhi witnessed this scene, his face turned heavy.

Seeing the change in his color, Li Jing immediately realized that the girl being scolded was Yangxue.

Looking at Yangxue,

Despite her attempt to make herself look dirty, her inherent beauty couldn’t be hidden. She looked delicate and weak.

Her submissive demeanor now inexplicably provoked a desire in others to protect her.

Even at this moment, Li Jing felt the urge to step in and help her.

This was slightly peculiar.

Narrowing his eyes, a golden glow flashed in Li Jing’s eyes.

Fox demon.

Receiving this feedback, Li Jing understood.

Damn it!

Why does this girl still have such a strong attraction, even in this condition? Is it because she is a fox demon?

Looking at her health bar above her head, Li Jing thought:

The health bar displayed 19499.

She was clearly under some restriction.

Being under restriction means she’s at least at the Return to Origin level or higher.

No wonder the visitors from the Upper Three Realms are interested in her...

The customers at Ascending Path Tavern still wanted to molest her even though she looked dirty.

She’s a bona fide Fox demon of Return to Origin realm...

Li Jing could transform into a fox demon too.

And his transformation was equally alluring.

But after all, he was not genuine, and there was a significant difference with a genuine fox demon. It was only hard to distinguish.

Glancing at the surprisingly calm Kong Zhi standing next to him with a gloomy face, Li Jing said,

"Don’t you intend to step in?"

Just as he finished speaking, the extremely fierce chef from a moment ago heaved a heavy sigh, waved his hand tiredly and said,

"Enough, don’t get in my way. You girl, causing me trouble every day. I’m already tired from work. Now I also have to take care of you every day. What did I do to deserve this?"

After saying that, he walked away leaving one sentence behind,

"I warned you beforehand, if you want to keep yourself pure, don’t think about working at a brothel. This place has never been a good one, you can’t avoid certain things by just saying you won’t sell your body. This is already the third time since you came here. Today, I’m telling you, if you can’t adapt, it’s better to leave early."

Yangxue watched the chef walk away, her expression extremely aggrieved.

However, it seemed that the chef had developed a knack for dealing with her and didn’t even turn his head to look at her.

Obviously,

He knew that this girl was very tricky.

If you look at her,

You’ll not have the heart to refuse her.

Seeing the chef giving her a final warning and leaving without turning back, Yangxue didn’t give up. She took small steps following behind him.

"Uncle Qi, I know I was wrong... Can you... not kick me out, please?"

Her pitiful plea made the chef’s fat body tremble uncontrollably, but he still clenched his teeth and didn’t turn around to look.

"Miss, can you please spare me? I’m just an ordinary person trying to earn a living in a brothel. Although I don’t know what kind of magic you understand, at least don’t always use it on me!"

Upon hearing this, Yangxue looked even more aggrieved.

"Uncle Qi, that’s really unfair. I never used any magic on you. This... is all natural..."

Upon hearing this, the chef turned around wide-eyed.

"So what you have is a natural charm?"

At that question, Yangxue nodded quickly.

It’s not a problem to say she naturally has the charm trait.

There’s nothing wrong.

Fox demons inherently possess this characteristic.

However, not everyone with a natural charm is necessarily a fox demon.

Some individuals possess unique physiologies that also possess similar traits.

Getting an affirmative response, the cook looks drained.

"My great-aunt! Why didn’t you say you have this trait earlier, isn’t this tricking me?"

Just when he was about to say something else, Li Jing ended his enchantment and Kong Zhi’s Silent Shadow on himself.

Suddenly, two additional people appeared in the kitchen. The cook and Yangxue noticed them immediately.

Upon seeing the two who appeared out of nowhere, the cook’s face changed. He instinctively turned to shield Yangxue behind him and reached for a kitchen knife.

"Who... who are you?"

Seeing Kong Zhi, Yangxue paused for a moment and then assured the cook.

"It’s okay, Uncle Qi. These are people I know."

As she spoke, she tiptoed and exhaled a puff of pink smoke behind the cook.

The cook stiffened, his eyes blank.

Having bewitched the cook, Yangxue again looked at Li Jing, who now looked like a Taoist, and then turned to Kong Zhi.

"Elder Kong, why did you come all of a sudden? And who is this...?"

"Master Jiu," Kong Zhi clarified.

Yangxue froze, looking at them with astonishment again.

Seeing her focused gaze, Li Jing smiled faintly.

"Do I not look like the person described in rumors?"

Subconsciously, Yangxue nodded and then bowed deeply.

"Yangxue, the green fox, pays respect to the elder of the Fox Clan."

"You don’t have to be so formal."

Li Jing cast a spell of Chaos Qi to help her up and smiled.

"By the way, I’m not really a fox demon. That’s just one of my identities."

At his words, Yangxue was taken aback.

For her, this was explosive news.

For a century now...

The name ’Fox Demon Jiuli’, to those involved, was undoubtedly a ghost-like existence.

That day...

Because of Fox Demon Jiuli, their longstanding ambition in the Immortal Realm, after hiding for countless years, became impossible to achieve.

And then...

They didn’t even dare to trouble the culprit.

Not daring at all...

They were also worried that this person, who had a "thing" with the will of the Big World, would come and settle accounts after autumn and take someone’s life.

Who could have imagined...

The Fox demon Jiuli, who once caused many people in the game to lose sleep, turned out to be just an alias!?

While she was stupefied, Li Jing glanced at the bewitched cook.

"He’s dying."

Yangxue stiffened.

Li Jing then added

"He’s run out of spiritual energy, and his time’s up. As a fox demon, you should easily be able to see that, right?"

At these words, Yangxue grunted in agreement and murmured.

"I didn’t do it."

Li Jing laughed at that, saying,

"If you did, my friend here would be upset."

Kong Zhi smirked at these words.

Just as he was about to speak, Li Jing cast his eyes on Yangxue.

"Do you want to save him?"

At his words, Yangxue looked up immediately.

"Master Jiu, do you have a way to save his life!?"

Li Jing nodded.

Receiving this response, Yangxue quickly replied.

"Uncle Qi has been kind to me. If you can save his life, I will grant you one favor."

"No need for any favors. It’s no trouble at all."

Li Jing smiled, then took out a Hundred Year Fruit and passed it over.

"This fruit is called the ’Hundred Year’. It can extend an ordinary person’s life by one hundred years. It only works once. Later on, give it to him and let him eat it. But this won’t solve the root issue. He needs to leave the person causing his energy depletion in order to prolong his life."

As she accepted the Hundred Year Fruit, she took his words seriously and said

"I will discreetly take care of the six-realm fox demon in his house."

Li Jing nodded and said

"To be frank, I’m rather surprised that someone of the Return to Origin like you would care for a mortal’s life."

Yangxue was momentarily taken aback, then smiled sweetly.

"After all, in all these years, no one has ever truly been kind to me."

With that, she glanced at Kong Zhi.

"Including him."

???

Kong Zhi.

How had this gun shot at him, despite his innocence?

How exactly had he been unkind to Yangxue?

Never mind anything else...

If it weren’t for his hard work and using his own life essence to feed you, Yangxue, would you be in such good condition today?

That... of course, couldn’t be said out loud.

Especially in front of Li Jing.

After clearing his throat, Kong Zhi broached the subject.

"Master Jiu, now that you have met Yangxue, what should we do next?"

"You don’t have to do anything. Leave the rest to me."

Li Jing smiled.

?

Kong Zhi.

?

Yangxue.

Just as the two stood confused, Li Jing turned towards the corner in the west of the kitchen.

"Hearing my name - Master Jiu, and still daring to hide here - kid, aren’t you quite brave?"

Before he finished his sentence, the corner suddenly distorted, and like a rumbling sound, it broke the wall, rushing out.

Seeing this, Kong Zhi and Yangxue were taken by surprise.

There was a fifth person in the kitchen, and they had no idea.

To keep up, Li Jing stepped out and morphed into the dashing Master Jiu, chuckling.

"Don’t run away so soon! Come and enjoy! It’s been over a hundred years since I’ve had a bit of fun~"