Chapter Sixty-Four
They had only been apart for ten days, but Baozhu felt as if they were reunited after a long separation. The fox king snuggled into Li Zhi's arms for a long time, but was still not satisfied. So she simply climbed onto Li Zhi's back and, as if she had no legs, made the person beneath her carry her around.
Li Zhi was young and strong at the time, tall and robust enough that he could continue cooking while the pearl hung on his body.
Even after all the home-cooked dishes were prepared, Baozhu still refused to get off Li Zhi's back.
"What's wrong?" Li Zhi asked worriedly, noticing something was off about her.
Baozhu wrapped her arms around Li Zhi from behind, pressed her face against his back, and mumbled, "It's nothing, I'm just feeling a little unhappy."
"What's bothering you?" Li Zhi took her hand and, with a little force, Baozhu, who had finally grown a pair of legs but had lost her bones, fell into his arms.
Baozhu kept her head down, her body swaying and she refused to stand up straight or look directly at Li Zhi.
Li Zhi cupped her face in his hands, leaned down to look into Baozhu's eyes, and said softly, "Is there anything you can't tell me?"
Baozhu's face was flushed. She reached out and hugged Li Zhi's neck, muttering, "When I was in the cave, I was worried that Lord Mountain Lord would keep me there for a long time. I thought, if I stayed for many years, a hundred years, and then came out to find you again, would you have already forgotten me?"
Even just imagining it made Baozhu extremely upset. She looked at Li Zhi sullenly and whispered, "If I disappear for a long time, will you marry a mortal woman and have children, and forget about me?"
Li Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "I am the king's man in life and in death, and I will never forget him."
Upon hearing this, Baozhu smiled foolishly, then forced herself to purse her lips and said, "I see that mortal men have many children after marriage. You and I won't have any children. Won't you be disappointed?"
When she visited Xiaoman in the millet garden, she did not see Granny Mouse. She heard that Bai Yutuan and Shi Gongzi had confessed that mortals and demons could not have children, which created a rift between the couple. Granny Mouse went to persuade them.
After Baozhu finished speaking, she looked at Li Zhi expectantly, and sure enough, she heard him say seriously, "I'm not disappointed. Being able to be with you is already a blessing from heaven. Nothing else can compare to this."
Baozhu couldn't help but laugh out loud. With her eyes crinkling and her face full of pride, she exclaimed, "I knew it! I knew it all along! My Li Zhi is better than any other man in the world!"
"Since you know this in your heart, why are you still so unhappy?" Li Zhi chuckled and gently tapped Baozhu's nose.
"I just want to hear you say it. You'd better tell me once a day. I love to hear it." Baozhu smiled and hugged Li Zhi's waist, then tried to sit on his lap.
After the Queen returned home, she became several times more clingy than before. One moment she wanted Li Zhi to feed her, and the next she said she didn't want to eat anymore and wanted a hug. She used all sorts of tricks to make Li Zhi smile. He happily humbly served Baozhu.
As they were serving each other, for some reason the king suddenly became aggressive, causing Li Zhi's legs to give way and they both fell onto the bed. They rolled around on the bed for a while, and suddenly, they were hit by a terrifying evil wind. The wind didn't even turn a single page of Li Zhi's book, but it blew away their clothes. What a vile evil wind! It forced them to expose themselves completely.
This fox king is so tyrannical that he wouldn't even let poor Li Zhi raise his hand to block him, but instead looked him up and down with his eyes and even questioned whether the honest Li Zhi was lying.
Fearing that Li Zhi might cheat, the Queen personally tested him and found that what she saw was exactly what she expected, which pleased her greatly. She declared, "I've become so strong. I wonder if you've been diligently cultivating lately. We really need to have a spar to see who is working harder."
After saying that, Baozhu regretted it and gasped, "No, no, this won't do."
Li Zhi naturally studied and practiced diligently every day without the slightest slack. However, Baozhu had recently obtained the Demon King's inheritance, and her cultivation was advancing by leaps and bounds, making him extremely hesitant and timid.
Seeing that the king was going to let him go again, Li Zhi felt extremely wronged. He had long wanted to prove his innocence, and now that he was on the verge of it, he was unwilling to let the king let him go.
In terms of cunning, how could the Fox King compare to him? Li Zhi feigned a slightly aggrieved posture, grasped one of the pearl's fingers, and whispered, "Your Majesty, my cultivation has made great progress recently. Please have mercy on me."
Li Zhi's eyes were red at the corners, and her already beautiful eyes rippled like spring water. Her face showed a coy and reluctant expression, which was truly endearing.
As expected, this provoked the king to go berserk.
Baozhu's voice trembled: "Enough, enough. If anything happens to you, I'll sacrifice my soul to save you. I'll give you my life."
After saying that, she bent down and kissed Li Zhi.
After much painstaking preparation, Li Zhi finally gained the king's approval and was able to present his innocence.
Then, in a daze, Baozhu sensed her own soul within Li Zhi's body, which was about to merge with him.
This soul was originally separated from the pearl in the previous life to save him. Since it was originally a part of the pearl, it could no longer harm Li Zhi.
Li Zhi's essence, carrying the demonic power of the scattered pearls, returned to his body whole. They were intertwined, one from the beginning, and would never be separated again.
"You are very capable and have cultivated your skills very well. Not bad, not bad. You should continue to work harder and exchange skills with others."
Baozhu smiled contentedly, mumbling as if drunk.
"Yes, ma'am." Li Zhi kissed the corner of her mouth and pulled her into his arms.
Springtime returned to the little house in a single day, leaving the stray cats and dogs outside utterly baffled.
The next morning, Li Zhi opened his eyes on time.
The precious pearl in his arms held him tightly, sleeping like a child, making him unable to resist lowering his head to gently kiss her sleeping face.
She was so adorable that Li Zhi couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
But Li Zhi also knew that Baozhu was more than just a cute fox spirit.
She has become stronger.
He had keenly sensed this when she appeared before him yesterday.
Li Zhi was genuinely happy for Baozhu.
In her previous life, Baozhu's cause of death was unknown. Li Zhi was always worried that she might have been harmed by a powerful celestial master or an extremely powerful demon, and that in this life, that being might still threaten Baozhu's safety.
The more powerful the jewel, the better it can protect itself.
She is a free spirit; to move freely in the world, she needs to have enough power.
Now, nothing could easily take Baozhu's life, which eased Li Zhi's faint anxiety and put him at ease.
But Li Zhi also began to have many doubts about himself.
Throughout this life, he always wanted to take a path that would better protect the precious pearl.
But it was only at this moment that he realized that Baozhu was a demon, she could become extremely powerful, and she did not need anyone's protection.
What use is he then? What else can he do for Baozhu?
After frowning and thinking for a while, Li Zhi suddenly smiled.
When he passed the imperial examinations, rose through the ranks of officialdom, and made great achievements in the mortal world, Baozhu, as the wife of the mortal Li Zhi, always waited silently in the inner quarters and accompanied him. Did the Grand Scholar Li Zhi at that time ever need Baozhu to do anything for him?
Just as he was thinking about this, Baozhu in Li Zhi's arms slowly woke up.
She blinked, and seeing that Li Zhi's attention didn't seem to be on her, she immediately felt dissatisfied, spread her hands, and pouted, saying, "Hug."
Li Zhi snapped out of his daze, smiled slightly, and gave Baozhu a reassuring hug.
Baozhu let out a satisfied sigh, rested her head on Li Zhi's chest, and began to ramble on about the important matters that she hadn't had time to discuss yesterday.
She recounted from beginning to end how she met the Mountain Lord, how she received the inheritance, learned that she was a Pure Yuan Demon, and how she developed new ideals. As she spoke, her voice gradually softened, and Baozhu slowly hesitated, asking, "Can I succeed?"
Li Zhi laughed.
Just now, he was thinking about how Baozhu accompanied him when he made great achievements in his previous life. Now, in this life, it should be his turn.
Li Zhi lovingly pressed his face against Baozhu's cheek and said firmly, "You can definitely do it. Just do it. This time, I'll accompany you."
Having received affirmation from the most important person in her life, Baozhu's confidence soared. She smiled and said, "Hearing you say that makes me feel much more at ease."
She hugged Li Zhi and cuddled him for a while before suddenly saying, "By the way, you haven't talked to Xiaoman yet, have you? I visited him yesterday, and he told me a few things."
Before she left yesterday, Xiaoman secretly pulled her aside and told her about the conversation she had overheard between the boy and Nightshade. At that time, Baozhu was thinking that if she saw Li Zhi, she would tell him immediately.
Unexpectedly, Li Zhi seemed to have given her a love potion; as soon as she saw him, she forgot all the thoughts in her mind and her head was filled with strange ideas.
Upon hearing this, Li Zhi frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Today, Protector Pei asked me to go to her to write a petition..."
"Ten days have passed, and it's still not finished!" Baozhu exclaimed.
Li Zhi gave a wry smile and sighed, "Protector Pei has so many petitions to write."
Previously, Protector Pei only said that Li Zhi should write down the matter of Tiger Roar Mountain, and she would submit the petition to the Minister of the Temple of Strange People.
Later, Li Zhi, Pei Xuanji, and Zhang He discussed the Gejiabao case involving tree flies and the Shennv Temple case involving Ji Ren with Protector Pei in detail.
Upon hearing this, Protector Pei was furious. She rebuked Pei Xuanji for not telling her the details earlier, and then ordered Li Zhi to write down the two cases so that she could discuss them thoroughly with her superiors.
Li Zhi naturally had no choice but to obey orders. Now he went to Protector Pei's place every day to report, flipping through case files and writing petitions, while making revisions according to Protector Pei's requirements.
How he felt could be known simply by looking at how those two heartless people, Pei Xuanji and Zhang He, hadn't come to visit him even once in a long time.
Baozhu felt great sympathy for Li Zhi after hearing this. She hugged him for a while longer before letting him wash up and get dressed. With a stern expression, she went to the yamen.
Li Zhi arrived at the yamen, took a long breath, and mentally prepared himself before stepping inside.
He came every day, and the servants were used to it. They would just nod at him and let Li Zhi go to the small courtyard where Protector Pei worked.
He didn't arrive early today; Protector Pei had already been there for a while.
"You're late," Protector Pei said, displeased.
"I'm sorry, something came up and I was delayed," Li Zhi apologized.
After exchanging a few words, the two sat down in their respective seats and began to work on their own.
Today, Li Zhi is reviewing the case of Gejiabao.
Gejiabao is a place shrouded in mystery, unlike the Shennvmiao area which is naturally exposed to the public eye.
Although it was buried deep underground, it appeared in the court's archives a century ago, and there are many details that can be explored in depth.
Li Zhi held the dossier from the Temple of Strange People from a hundred years ago. After glancing at only a few lines, he heard Protector Pei behind him call out, "Li Zhi, I have something to ask you."
"Please speak," Li Zhi said respectfully, putting down the dossier.
“I’ve worked with you these past few days and found that you are indeed a promising talent. So far, I have learned a lot about magic arrays and talismans. I want to teach you. Are you willing to learn?” Protector Pei said casually, as if he was not teaching Li Zhi any skills, but asking him what he wanted to eat for lunch.
Li Zhi was taken aback, then, thinking of Pei Xuanji, cautiously said, "The protector is Pei Xuanji's elder, and Master Pei is also a talented one..."
"Don't beat around the bush with me. If Pei Qi could learn it, I would have taught her long ago. Who knew she was all brawn and no brains? She's alright at swordsmanship, but I don't think she's as good as you at this." Protector Pei interrupted Li Zhi impatiently and asked him directly, "Just tell me if you're willing or not. If you are, then learn; if you're not, then forget it."
Li Zhi immediately replied, "I am willing."
Protector Pei's perpetually furrowed brows relaxed, revealing a smile. She said, "I can see that you are also a man, and I'm afraid you also yearn for the swordsmanship of fighting and killing. But don't underestimate us who study magic arrays and talismans. If you delve into them and learn them well, you can do whatever you want, even extend your lifespan or live as long as you want."
Li Zhi's heart stirred, and he tentatively asked, "I didn't know there was such a method before."
Protector Pei smiled mysteriously and said in a low voice, "Outsiders may not know, but once your cultivation level rises, you can probably turn the world upside down."
In a flash, Li Zhi recalled the words Baozhu had spoken, the words she had heard before her death in her previous life. He paused, carefully choosing his words, and whispered, "If that's the case, could those mindless demons on Tiger Roar Mountain, kept in tree cages, be something someone used to..."
“That’s possible.” Protector Pei frowned again. “I’ve been studying those evil curses that involve sacrificing flesh and blood carefully these past few days, and I think only an extremely powerful celestial master could do it.”
"Don't you suspect that it's the work of a monster?"
"Monsters are like Pei Qi; they can manage with brute force and fighting." Protector Pei curled his lip, speaking ill of his niece without any mercy. "It's really asking too much of them to cast such complicated spells."
Protector Pei sighed and said, "Actually, among all the people I know, the one most skilled in magic arrays and talismans is the Grand Preceptor."
With something on his mind, Li Zhi casually asked, "Even more capable than you?"
“Of course.” Protector Pei sighed again, “It’s just that his seclusion this time has been too long. He hasn’t seen anyone since the end of June. He hasn’t appeared once in the entire month of July and August. Even when the Emperor presided over the sacrificial ceremony for the imperial examination, he didn’t show up.”
Pei Hu's tone was relaxed, but to Li Zhi, it was like a bolt from the blue.
"You're saying that the Imperial Preceptor hasn't appeared since June?"
Li Zhi spoke slowly, a thin layer of cold sweat seeping from his back.
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