Chapter Thirty-Four

Baozhu listened to the woman's singing and slowly waded across the river.

Here, for some reason, Baozhu was no longer in fox form, but had become human.

The river water was slightly cool, which made her feel extremely comfortable. Baozhu couldn't help but stop and look down at her reflection on the river. She smiled, and her shadow smiled too. She pouted, and her shadow pouted too.

They all look the same, except their shadows are always a minute late.

Miss Fox Fairy couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The river was shallow and clear. As Baozhu walked, small, clumsy fish would swim around her from time to time. Her shoes and socks were soaked through in the cool river water and felt uncomfortable sticking to her feet.

Baozhu simply took off her shoes and socks, just like the woman sitting on the bank, and stepped barefoot on the pebbles scattered in the riverbed.

The pebbles were stacked one on top of another. When she stepped on one, it would scramble to hide, which amused Baozhu even more.

Seeing her so carefree and happy, the woman on the shore couldn't sit still any longer. She stood up and looked at Baozhu, scolding, "You fox demon, where did you come from? You have no manners at all, coming into someone else's house and causing such a ruckus."

"Then why did you call me to your house for no reason, and won't let me go back easily? Where are your rules?" Baozhu answered while chasing pebbles in the river.

"You!" The woman angrily tugged at the handkerchief embroidered with mandarin ducks entwined in her hand. With a flick of her wrist, all the pebbles in the river suddenly went berserk, no longer avoiding the pearl, and began to hurl at her one by one.

"Ouch!" Baozhu didn't dare to linger in the river and hurriedly ran ashore, protecting her head.

Once she stepped barefoot ashore, the pebbles that had been chasing her slowly retreated.

Baozhu pursed her lips tightly, looked at the woman on the shore who was finally all smiles, and said loudly, "You female ghost are really strange. You invited me over, and instead of speaking nicely to me, you threw pebbles at me!"

The slowly flowing river twisted for a moment upon hearing this.

"Ah, you're saying I'm a ghost."

The beautiful woman swayed, and said in a panic, "So I'm already dead?"

“Yes, you’re already dead,” Baozhu said with dissatisfaction. “Did you call me here because you want me to do something? Let me make this clear first, if you’re not nice to me, I’m not going to help you.”

The beautiful woman stared at Baozhu's face, stood there blankly for a moment, and finally said in a low voice, "Yes, I am already dead. Please help me, Miss..."

In this world, there are not only demons, but also ghosts.

When people talk about demons, they all know that they are flesh and blood, but they are born with intelligence, live longer than humans, and possess many supernatural powers.

But when it comes to ghosts, people know far less.

Ghosts are usually people who have unfulfilled wishes after death. Their resentment is so strong that they are unwilling to be reborn and wander in the world.

The places one lingers in are often those related to the obsessions one held in life.

Baozhu had encountered many ghosts in the mountains and fields before.

Some were so weak that they didn't even know they were dead, and their obsessions were weak, so Baozhu could easily break free from their "home".

Some are incredibly powerful; not only are they intensely fixated on their desires, but they can also cling to fox spirits, insisting that they help them fulfill their wishes.

But in the end, no matter how evil or fierce a ghost is, it was a pitiful person in life. It had no power, no influence, and no one to love it, which is why it died so tragically. If we can help them fulfill their obsessions and send them to a better life, it can be considered a good thing.

Looking at the woman with a pitiful expression, Baozhu generously said, "Tell me first, what do you want me to do?"

The woman let out a long sigh, as if she were performing an opera.

The scenery along the river changed instantly.

A girl of about eight or nine years old, dressed in brightly colored clothes, with several bowls balanced on her shaved head and wearing embroidered shoes, walked back and forth on a path paved with cobblestones.

She walked along with a smile.

Behind her stood a stern-faced old woman, holding a bamboo stick, ready to strike her at any moment.

The first few times, the girl remained remarkably steady when she was whipped.

The old woman became wary and slapped the girl hard as she turned around.

"Ai."

The blow startled the girl, causing her to lose her footing and fall onto the pebbles. The bowl on her head was about to shatter on the stones.

Just then, another small hand reached out from the side and caught the bowl just before it hit the ground.

The girl turned her head to look, while the other girl who had reached out her hand looked away.

Seeing this, the old woman sneered and scolded, "I didn't realize that Yuanyuan and Lianxin were such good sisters. You two are so close. Since that's the case, then you'll both be punished."

Lianxin, who was kneeling on the ground in fear, became anxious when she saw that Yuanyuan was also going to be punished. She defended her, saying, "Yuanyuan did not drop the bowl today."

"If you talk back, then you'll be punished severely."

The old woman's fleshy face sagged down her cheeks, and she glared fiercely at Lianxin like a vicious dog, which frightened Lianxin so much that she trembled and dared not utter another word.

The girls watching from the sidelines remained quiet, and none of them uttered a sound.

After everyone dispersed that day, Lianxin and Yuanyuan knelt together in the courtyard, their backs straight, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

"Yuanyuan, are you still angry with me?" Lianxin asked quietly when no one was around.

"I'm not having any more children." Although Yuanyuan didn't look at her, her tone was already very gentle.

Lianxin breathed a sigh of relief.

They had been arguing about the fine cloth that the old woman had brought.

Yuanyuan has a somewhat aloof appearance, and the cloth given to her was a clear, bright blue, which made her look even more ethereal.

Lianxin watched Yuanyuan holding a cloth up to her face, and she was incredibly envious.

She herself has a smiling face and crescent-shaped eyes, and she can never imitate Yuanyuan's appearance.

Lianxin wanted Yuanyuan's cloth, so she offered to exchange her own for it. Yuanyuan refused, and the two started arguing.

They only made up now.

The sisters lived in an extremely luxurious mansion.

Red lanterns hung at the entrance of the house, and inside were pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and flowing water, every part of which was exquisite.

However, Lianxin and Yuanyuan were still too young, so the old woman kept them confined to the backyard and didn't allow them to easily go to the front yard.

The front yard is the sisters' territory.

Lianxin secretly went to take a look.

The women, dressed in dazzlingly beautiful clothes, leaned against the guests, smiling charmingly.

She didn't let the old woman see her. She went back to the back and, before going to bed that night, quietly said to Yuanyuan, "Why are we growing so slowly? I wish we could grow up faster. I also want to wear pretty clothes."

Yuanyuan didn't say anything, and Lianxin assumed she was asleep, so she had to suppress her excitement and prepare to go to sleep as well.

Only then did Yuanyuan coldly say, "I don't want to grow up."

After saying that, she turned away from Lianxin, unwilling to say anything more.

Lianxin stared blankly at Yuanyuan's retreating figure, wondering to herself.

Why? Growing up is so great! When you grow up, you can walk out of the backyard.

Lianxin thought Yuanyuan was just making things up, but unexpectedly, from that day on, Yuanyuan ate less and less. Several months later, the old woman took a tape measure and measured each girl one by one, and Yuanyuan turned out to be the shortest one.

This made the old woman very angry. She took a bamboo stick and whipped Yuanyuan severely, then stuffed a bowl of rice into Yuanyuan's mouth.

"If you don't want to eat, fine, I'll feed you."

Yuanyuan vomited all over the floor, and the old woman forced a bowl of rice on her. Yuanyuan vomited again, and the old woman forced another bowl on her until Yuanyuan swallowed it and dared not vomit anymore.

Lianxin watched from the side, her eyes brimming with tears.

Yuanyuan will starve to death if she doesn't eat like this. Getting a beating from the old woman is better than losing her life.

She was afraid that Yuanyuan would die in front of her.

Lianxin had seen many girls disappear silently from the courtyard before they could grow up properly.

In the middle of the night, Yuanyuan finally returned to her room from the yard.

Lianxin propped herself up on the communal bed to go see her.

But Yuanyuan didn't meet her gaze and curled up in the place furthest away from her.

Lianxin understood that Yuanyuan no longer wanted to talk to her.

Later, when Lianxin was thirteen, she came out of the backyard openly for the first time. With her eyes crinkling and her expression shy and timid, she looked at the middle-aged man sitting in the middle of the banquet.

At that time, she and Yuanyuan had not spoken for several years. Yuanyuan was too disobedient and was treated like a servant by the old woman. It was rare for her to see the increasingly beautiful Lianxin again.

As Lianxin grew up and learned more, she no longer envied the older sisters in the front yard who wore beautiful clothes. She knew that if the middle-aged man did not take her away, she would end up like her sisters.

Fortunately, Ji Ren had a fondness for young women, a fact well-known in Jiangbei Prefecture. Lianxin caught his eye, and the next day she was carried into Ji Ren's outer residence in a sedan chair.

Ji Ren saved her; this unassuming man, old enough to be her grandfather, was a compassionate hero.

What reason would Lianxin have not to love or respect him?

No one had ever held her in their arms before and affectionately called her Xiao Lianxin; Ji Ren was the first.

Lianxin felt that he was the last one, and he was the only one in her heart.

In Lianxin's "home," the scene changed and stopped here. Baozhu, who was watching from the side, asked in surprise: "Since Ji Ren was so good to you, how come you became a ghost and are wandering around Xiaoquan Village, which is so far away from him?"

Baozhu's question left Lianxin bewildered. The scene kept distorting and changing, with Ji Ren's face appearing larger and smaller in front of them. He would laugh one moment and be angry the next. Finally, the last image of him was one with a ferocious expression.

Lianxin was stunned.

"Did he kill me?" Lianxin looked at Ji Ren with teary eyes.

“It seems so,” Baozhu nodded.

"Why..."

"Have you forgotten?" Baozhu looked at the girl beside her, who was no more than a teenager until her death. She had painted her lips bright red, trying to make herself look older. "The favor you asked me to do was to find out the cause of your death?"

"No, since they're all dead, what's the point of knowing why they died?" Lianxin took a few graceful steps, wiped away her tears, and said, "I just really want to see someone, but I don't know who I want to see. Please help me find him."

Baozhu was startled and waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "You don't want to see Ji Ren, do you? Where am I supposed to find Ji Ren for you? Don't joke around, I'm afraid I'll be taken in by him first."

"If you don't agree, don't even think about leaving here." Lianxin lowered her hand, looking at Baozhu with resentment. "Then you'll stay here forever, stay here with me!"

The things in front of Baozhu kept changing, and everything around her was stretched extremely long and compressed extremely short.

The enraged female ghost's eyes turned bloodshot, and her fingernails became sharp.

Lianxin rushed forward and grabbed Baozhu by the throat, letting out a roar: "Will you agree or not!"

"Yes, yes!"

"A wise man knows when to yield. Why fight with Lianxin in her home?" Baozhu pleaded.

Upon hearing Baozhu's agreement, Lianxin instantly reverted to her gentle demeanor.

She released the pearl and returned to the shimmering riverbank.

The girl's bare feet touched the surface of the river, and a sorrowful song flew from her lips.

Baozhu rubbed her neck, walked to her side, looked at the tranquil river in front of her, raised her chin and said, "You showed me so much about yourself, but in the end you came back here. Is this place so important to you?"

“This is where I came from.” Lianxin pointed to the upper reaches of the river. “I came into this world by following this river.”

"Why does this sound so mystical?" Baozhu tilted her head in confusion.

Seeing this, Lianxin giggled.

Her figure gradually became ethereal along with the laughter.

The illusion vanished before Baozhu's eyes, and a sun that seemed to never set hung above her head. She looked at the dry, bottomless riverbed before her, a stark contrast to the illusion in Lianxin's heart.

Baozhu asked doubtfully, "It's just this river, how could it possibly give birth to a person?"

Lianxin wasn't a particularly powerful female ghost, but Baozhu didn't want to break her promise. Since she had promised the ghost, she had to do her best to fulfill it.

If she were to break her promise and wait until she died, what if she were to meet Lianxin again and Lianxin pointed her finger at her and called her a liar? That would be terrible.

Baozhu strolled leisurely upstream along the dry riverbed, heading in the direction Lianxin had pointed.

However, she had only taken a few steps when she saw traces of Koizumi Village.

I could also faintly hear Zhang He shouting.

Like being trapped in a maze, Baozhu clearly walked from Xiaoquan Village to the riverbank where she met Lianxin, but just now it seemed that Lianxin had sent her back the way she came.

The village of Xiaoquan was no longer as quiet as it had been when they first arrived. Zhang He's shouts, the children's screams, and Pei Xuanji's soothing voices mingled together, making Baozhu's ears tremble from a distance.

"Why is it so lively?" Baozhu rushed over in a hurry.

Upon entering Xiaoquan Village, Baozhu leaped onto the rooftop and stealthily made her way to the bustling center—the house that looked to be the best in the village.

Zhang He was pulling one mud-covered child after another out of the cellar, like pulling up radishes.

The children, like carrot spirits, each had a yellow and red face. As soon as they emerged from the ground, they punched and kicked, yelling at the top of their lungs.

Pei Xuanji, standing by the cellar, had a round, white face covered in sweat. She was soothing one person after another, running around anxiously. When she wiped her sweat, she smeared yellow mud all over her face, making her look like a white radish.

Baozhu was secretly delighted. She looked around the yard and found Li Zhi standing awkwardly in a corner, looking helplessly at the yard full of radishes.

This was a rare occasion where Li Zhi lost his composure. Baozhu looked at his speechless expression and couldn't help but chuckle, almost rolling off the roof.

Fortunately, the children in the yard were too loud, and no one noticed the jewel on the roof.

Zhang He finally pulled all seven children out of the cellar.

He picked at his ear and sighed at the scarred beggar who was already on the ground, "Where did you pick up so many little devils and actually raise them?"

As soon as the children were unearthed, they all looked at him, clearly indicating that he was the center of this little group.

The scarred beggar sneered, "The Celestial Master isn't thinking about selling us out, but is actually concerned about this."

Pei Xuanji was frantically pulling her feet out of the children's hands to stop them from chewing on her boots when she heard this and asked in surprise, "Even the most powerful Taoist priests don't sell children."

Scarface glanced at her and gave a sarcastic smirk.

The scarred beggar at the head of the group was unyielding, exuding the roguish air of someone who had struggled to make a living. He was also thin and small, so you couldn't hit him. If you scolded him, he would scold you even more fiercely. Zhang He and Pei Xuanji argued with him under the sun for half an hour, but they didn't know anything about Xiaoquan Village or the children. Instead, they were so hot that they felt like they were about to catch a fire.

At this moment, Li Zhi, who was standing to the side, waved to Zhang He.

Zhang He walked over with a long face and asked, "What's wrong?"

"You and Master Pei pick two of the larger ones, separate and go out to ask them. I'll keep watch," Li Zhi said.

"We're all so hot we're dizzy, why didn't you say so sooner!" Zhang He complained.

Li Zhi remained silent.

Zhang He turned around and walked away with Pei Xuanji, each carrying a large child.

The remaining children in the courtyard had no target, and seven or eight pairs of eyes all turned to Li Zhi, who remained silent.

Their mouths were already open, and a visible cacophony was about to assault Li Zhi.

Li Zhi hesitated for only a moment before pulling out a handful of talismans he had drawn overnight from his satchel before they could speak.

With a series of snapping sounds, he stuck a talisman on each of the children, and they all fell into a daze and quieted down.

Li Zhi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Not far away, Zhang He and Pei Xuanji were interrogating an older child.

Zhang He's face darkened, and he said to the wary-looking boy in front of him, "Your boss stole my things and even tried to attack the Celestial Master. Do you know what crime he committed?"

The boy, who looked to be about ten years old, grinned and said dismissively, "We don't intend to attack you."

He lowered his voice and whispered in Zhang He's ear, "We want to kill you."

His eyes were filled with hostility as he looked at Zhang He, which sent chills down Zhang He's spine.

The child, barely reaching Zhang He's chest, had murderous intent in his eyes and calmly said he wanted to kill several Celestial Masters.

Zhang He didn't know if what he said was true or false.

He had no idea whether it was the damned sun that had corrupted these brats, or whether they were just a bunch of children who had gone astray to begin with.

Zhang He stared intently into the child's eyes.

After a moment, he smiled and said, "So what if you're a petty thief? Don't pretend. People who have seen blood don't have eyes like yours."

As he spoke, he leaned down, bringing his face very close to the child's, and said softly, "That's me."

The child's eyes changed instantly.

He lowered his gaze and forced a smile, saying, "It's perfectly normal for a Taoist priest to kill people."

Zhang He sneered and said sarcastically, "A little brat who's just been weaned, spouting nonsense about Taoist priests killing people. Did you see it in your past life?"

The child was indignant and about to retort when Zhang He said impatiently, "I'll ask you a question, and you answer it, or the Celestial Master will kill someone right now."

The child trembled upon hearing this and lowered his head.

Zhang He breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Where have the people from Xiaoquan Village gone?"

The child lifted his eyelids and glanced at him, then spoke suspiciously.

From the child, Zhang He heard another side of the story about the drought in Jiangbei Prefecture.

About a month ago, people from the villages surrounding Jiangbei Prefecture began to leave their homes and flee to the south and north.

At first, it was just a matter of villagers waking up one day to find that the entire family next door had disappeared. As the weather got hotter and hotter, and there was still no rain, the wave of refugees gradually developed into a group of people fleeing together, a village fleeing together, and then people from several villages fleeing together.

There was really no other way. If it weren't for the fact that there was no food at home and the officials were only willing to stingily give a dog's food, no one would give up the land and ancestral home passed down from their ancestors, leave their hometown, and flee to a distant place to become a displaced person without status.

The child looked up and sneered, "Our family was destroyed and we fled south, but the lords in the city still eat and drink well every day. Water carts and grain carts pass by us every day. Why can't we get a single bite to eat?"

Among the refugees, some began to have such thoughts.

Someone gathered dozens of strong men, robbed and killed the escorting soldiers, and seized the carts carrying countless grains and water that were being transported to Jiangbei Prefecture, which were decorated with magic arrays.

They looted the food, scattered and fled, delighted that they had finally had a full meal.

But none of these poor families had ever seen a magic array before, and they didn't know how it worked.

The soldiers came to avenge their comrades. They set off from the city in a grand procession. The Taoist priest in the procession sat on horseback, holding a compass in his hand, and dragged out the refugees who had tried to rob the carriage one by one from the ravines and deep forests.

The soldiers cut off the heads of these refugees and piled them into a mound, which was erected on the only road for people traveling north and south.

The refugees were terrified.

They dared not have any more crooked ideas, and just buried their heads and desperately fled south and north.

The further away from Jiangbei Prefecture you go, the more humid the air becomes, and the more food you can find to fill your stomach.

The refugees felt they had finally survived.

But it didn't happen.

Soldiers were dispatched from the prefectural and county towns bordering Jiangbei Prefecture to drive away the refugees who had finally managed to escape from Jiangbei Prefecture.

Since the imperial court did not issue an edict to allow surrounding prefectures and counties to take in the refugees, how could these refugees, whose household registration was clearly in Jiangbei Prefecture, move to Xiandu, Wanping, and Lingnan?

That's against the rules.

The surrounding prefectures and counties had no extra food to spare for the refugees. Every extra day they stayed outside, they would devour everything edible, whether it was on the ground or flying in the sky, like locusts.

These are all the private property of the local officials in the surrounding prefectures and counties. How can they allow these lowly people to squander them?

These refugees, who had finally managed to escape Jiangbei Prefecture, were being driven back by the soldiers.

Along the way, the refugees sold their children and even ate each other's offspring. By the time they returned to Jiangbei, less than one in ten remained.

Tears welled in the child's eyes, and he said fiercely to Zhang He, "Since you are a Celestial Master, your hands are stained with our blood. You ask where the villagers of Xiaoquan Village are? What are you pretending to ask? They're dead! All of them are dead!"

Zhang He stood frozen in place, speechless at the child's questioning.

Yes, this morning the order was suddenly given to close the city gates and prohibit entry and exit because the refugees who had been driven back had finally returned to the city. The officials were afraid that the refugees would storm the city gates, so they gave the order.

After a long pause, he said softly, "How did you children manage to gather together and not starve to death?"

They hadn't been eaten by the starving refugees yet.

Speaking of this, a different emotion finally appeared in the child's eyes. He said proudly, "It's because of our leader, Scarface. He has a way. He leads us together... In short, we can support ourselves."

"Did you travel north or south with the refugees?"

The child's eyes darted around as he said, "I've been following the leader the whole time. He told me from the beginning not to go. All the stories about the refugees were told to me by Xiao Liu, whom we picked up."

Zhang He sighed deeply, knowing that this was all he could ask.

He wanted to explain to the child that today was his first day in office in Jiangbei Prefecture, and that what he was talking about had nothing to do with him, Zhang He.

But what good is this explanation? It sounds more like sophistry.

When Zhang He carried the child back, he exchanged a glance with Pei Xuanji, who had also finished asking her questions.

They both saw helplessness in each other's eyes.

They still don't know if there are any strange things happening in Koizumi Village, but they have already gotten involved in a big problem in Koizumi Village.

Back in the courtyard where the nine children had hidden, Zhang He sighed repeatedly to Li Zhi, remaining silent for a long time. He simply took out all the food he had and handed it to Scarface, who had already removed the talisman and was now moving freely.

Seeing this, Li Zhi and Pei Xuanji also emptied their backpacks and took out the prepared dry food and water.

"Eat sparingly, I'll bring you more next time we go out."

Zhang He sighed and gave his instructions.

Scarface took the item with suspicion, lowered his head to smell it carefully, and then stuck out his tongue to lick it.

"I just took it with me when I went out this morning," Pei Xuanji explained.

"What exactly do you want?" Scarface asked, looking puzzled.

"We don't want to do anything to you. We were just sent here on a mission to patrol and look for any unusual events that might be related to the drought," Pei Xuanji said softly. "If the drought is indeed caused by demons and ghosts, then there's a solution, which would be good for you. If you know anything, could you tell us?"

Daohen looked calmly at Pei Xuanji and nodded, saying, "If there is, we will tell you."

"Alright, we'll bring food to you next time."

It wasn't entirely insignificant; after this inspection, the three Celestial Masters returned to the city with heavy hearts.

After they left, Scarface went to the highest point of Koizumi Village and stood motionless, watching their departing figures with a sinister look.

Only after the figure disappeared from his sight did Scarface turn around and stare blankly at the dried-up river in front of him.

On the way back to the city, Zhang He told his companion everything he had learned from the child.

Pei Xuanji added a few more points.

The two children corroborated each other's accounts, saying almost the same thing.

After listening, Li Zhi pondered for a long time before letting out a soft sigh.

All three wore somber expressions. Even if they weren't the ones who started this, their shared identity was enough to make them feel guilty.

Therefore, when they passed by the group of emaciated and listless refugees on their way back to the city, they carefully looked away.

The three of them returned to the Ji residence in silence.

After being out all day, the servants at the Ji residence saw the three men return looking pale and unwell. They greeted them warmly and asked, "Would you like some water sent to your courtyards?"

If it were before today, Pei Xuanji would naturally call for water and take a good soak after returning from outside covered in sweat.

She smiled at the servant and declined, saying, "There's no need to bring water. I'll just have some porridge tonight."

The attendant was taken aback and was about to speak when he heard Li Zhi and Zhang He say the same thing.

"Very well, we'll do as our distinguished guests suggest." The attendant smiled awkwardly.

When Li Zhi entered the house, the first thing he did was put down the precious pearl on his back.

The fox jumped out of the cage, stretched out its two front paws, stretched its body and yawned, and then shook its head violently.

After completing the entire set of movements, Baozhu turned to look at Li Zhi and saw that he was still somewhat downcast.

Along the way, Baozhu overheard Zhang He and Pei Xuanji's conversation and realized the reason for Li Zhi's sullen mood.

She thought for a moment and comforted her, "Don't be sad. Actually, think about it. Even if you don't use the water these days, it's still in the house. If you don't use it, the servants will, and it won't reach the mouths of those people outside. It's better for you to use it."

The fox demon, who never wanted to use her brain, actually said something so reasonable. Li Zhi chuckled and exclaimed, "Baozhu is right. I was being too attached to appearances."

After finishing speaking, he composed himself and asked, "What did Baozhu gain today?"

Upon hearing this, Baozhu excitedly described in great detail all the things that happened when she met Lianxin. She then moved the cabinet and pried out the small notebook that Lianxin had written on the wall.

“I was targeted by Lianxin because I came into contact with this,” Baozhu concluded.

Li Zhi frowned, flipping through the sentimental poem written by Lianxin in his hand. Just as he was about to speak, Baozhu stopped him.

"Don't tell me anything. I promised that female ghost, so I'll do it myself. If it doesn't work, I'll fight her." Baozhu bounced around the room, looking ready to pounce.

Li Zhi had never seen her like this before, and he was stunned. He asked, "Even when you encounter such troubles, do you still feel happy?"

Baozhu turned around and approached Li Zhi step by step, transforming into a woman.

The pretty Miss Baozhu sat down next to Li Zhi and began to tell him vividly about her encounter with a ghost in the mountains.

The woodcutter, who had been devoured by a wolf, was unaware of his own death and waited in vain in the mountains for his wife to bring him food.

There was a young lady who went to visit relatives with her servants. She was murdered by the servants, who had evil intentions, in the mountains. She wept every night.

How did the clever and resourceful fox spirit resolve such a situation?

Sometimes the ghosts are unreasonable, so she fights with them; sometimes the ghosts are pitiful, so Baozhu helps them fulfill their obsessions from their previous lives and sends them to the afterlife.

There are more than just ghosts in the mountains.

She became interested and, as she spoke, she mentioned the wind blowing through the bamboo forest in the mountain mist and the dew that condensed on the leaves under the moon.

The story tells of a fox spirit who grew up in the mountains, leaping onto the highest rock every full moon night to overlook her tranquil and carefree paradise.

She has a twin sister who is her only family and they grew up together.

Her sisters have fiery red fur that glitters in the sunlight like the finest rubies; she is the most beautiful fox in the mountains.

Baozhu was talking animatedly when she inadvertently caught a glimpse of Li Zhi's expression.

He was smiling, but his eyes seemed to be crying, with sorrow and guilt constantly welling up in them.

Baozhu was startled and immediately fell silent. She carefully approached Li Zhi, staring intently at his face, and softly asked, "What's wrong?"

Li Zhi remained silent for a long time; he was speechless.

After a long time, so long that Baozhu was extremely anxious, he finally said in a trembling voice, "Baozhu must be having a great time outsmarting the ghosts in the mountains."

Baozhu nodded: "Of course."

Li Zhi reached out and gently touched her cheek, then smiled and said, "This time, you must defeat Lianxin."

Baozhu proudly raised her head and said loudly, "Just you wait and see."