Chapter 15: The Family
"To the west is a peak called Ruyun Peak, where your relative lives. She is an old fox woman with great magical powers, much more powerful than me."
"To the southwest lies Beauty Ridge, within which lie three lonely souls, each one of them equal to me."
"There's a small holy temple in the northeast. It's guarded by a Yaksha ghost, and it's still very popular."
"Further northwest, there is a peak called Wuhuan Peak. It's extremely high, but there's a faceless demon inside. Anyone who enters the mountain without permission will never return, so we call it Wuhuan Peak."
Gong Mengbi followed Zhuque's words and verified them with what he saw from observing the qi, and confirmed that Wuhuan Peak was his target. He also located the locations of all the spiritual demons and ghosts around him.
Zhuque only heard him say, "I don't know many of them. There are only so many nearby, but I have heard of two from far away. One is General Zhao, and the other is the Lord of Feilong Cave. General Zhao was a defeated general of the previous dynasty. He has 800 Yin soldiers as guards and is the overlord of Longpan Mountain."
"The Lord of the Flying Dragon Cave is a great demon with dragon blood in his body. He occupies the source of the Qu River and is another overlord, but I have never seen him in person."
"I did see General Zhao from a distance once. The ghost soldiers passed through the border and the evil spirits summoned spirits. I almost scared the hell out of me."
"As for the depths of Longpan Mountain, I know nothing about it."
The deeper you go, the higher and more majestic the mountains become. To be able to occupy a place like that, one must be very powerful.
Zhuque grew up in Zhuling and seldom went to other places. There weren't many interactions between demons and ghosts, so this was all the information he could give.
Gong Mengbi glanced at Zhuque with some disdain: "You know too little."
The bamboo sparrow drooped. "I only beg you to spare my life. I am willing to serve you."
Gong Mengbi pondered for a moment and said, "Well, since you are willing to be commanded by me, I will keep you by my side."
The bamboo sparrow was troubled: "I was born in a bamboo forest and I don't know how to survive outside the bamboo forest."
Gong Mengbi smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, you are still in Zhuling, but if I summon you, you must come."
Zhuque replied gloomily, "Yes."
Zhuque is somewhat afraid of Gong Mengbi.
If he were a bird, his life and death would be in the hands of Gong Mengbi. He would just have to obey orders and not think about anything else.
But he is a spirit transformed from the energy of wood and bamboo. Even if he loses his bird form, as long as his true energy does not dissipate, he can reunite and revive. However, plant spirits often have magical uses in alchemy, making them easy to be spied on.
Zhuque didn't know whether he could escape from Gong Mengbi's clutches, which made him anxious and looked depressed.
But Gong Mengbi actually had no feelings for him.
Zhuling is a sea of bamboo, not a place a fox would want to live. And although bamboo sparrows are plant spirits, Gong Mengbi did not want to capture the intelligent monsters and let them refine elixirs, as it would be against the harmony of nature.
Perhaps people have a clear distinction between humans, demons, and ghosts, but foxes are a very ambiguous species. They can be humans, objects, demons, fairies, ghosts, or monsters.
The fox can't really tell the difference.
What humans consider strange is not strange in the eyes of foxes. Catching its own kind to make elixirs? Too scary.
Zhuque knew nothing about Wuhuan Peak, which was Gong Mengbi's mistake.
I originally thought that as a neighbor, Zhuque could provide some information, but the monster living in seclusion on Wuhuan Peak never shows up. He is a typical home-based monster with a strong desire to control his territory.
Wuhuan Peak is mostly shrouded in smoke and clouds, making it difficult to see through. Once you enter, you cannot get out, so it is considered a dangerous place.
Gong Mengbi changed his mind and asked, "Do you know anything about the old fox lady at Ruyun Peak?"
Zhuque perked up and said, "That old fox woman is a good person, isn't she? She knows how to tell fortunes. If the monsters around here need advice, they can ask her for advice. She can predict the weather and know good and bad luck. She has a very remarkable ability."
"The old fox woman is kind to people. I've even been to her house for a drink."
Gong Mengbi was a little surprised, but then revealed a look of joy: "So, you are truly cultivating the Dao?"
Zhuque said, "Yes, you might as well go visit the old fox lady. She has lived a long life and knows a lot. And you are her relative, so she will definitely not refuse your request."
Go quickly, go quickly, don’t make things difficult for a little bamboo bird like me.
Zhuque's feelings were almost written on his face. Gong Mengbi suppressed his mischievous desire to tease him and said, "Okay, then I'll go visit Ruyun Peak."
Gong Mengbi waved his sleeves, rode the dark wind and floated into the air, heading towards Ruyun Peak.
The bamboo sparrow cheered, "Finally, we've gotten rid of this evil star."
But Gong Mengbi's voice came from afar: "I'll be back soon, don't worry."
The bamboo sparrow was so angry that it scratched the bamboo with one claw, shaving off three strips of bamboo from the thick bamboo, revealing the hollow bamboo belly.
Gong Mengbi has already flown out of Zhuling and headed for Ruyun Peak.
Ruyun Peak is beautiful. Although it is called Ruyun, it is not steep. Instead, it has the beauty of a tall lady.
Gong Mengbi went into the mountains with the wind, and there was a natural weather. Although he was sheltered by an oil umbrella, he was afraid that he could not escape the eyes of the old fox woman.
However, since they were from the same family, Gong Mengbi did not think of sneaking in. Otherwise, if he was discovered, it would be so embarrassing.
After landing, Gong Mengbi put away his umbrella and walked among the ancient pines and cypresses.
A small, round-headed fox poked its head out from under a pine tree and asked, "Where are you from, Senior Gaohu?"
Gong Mengbi looked in the direction of the voice and saw the plump figure. He couldn't help but laugh. "I used to live in the county town, and this is my first time in Longpan Mountain. I heard that my family is in Ruyun Peak, so I came to pay a visit."
The plump little fox came out and said, "So you want to find your grandmother. I'll take you there."
The little fat fox led the way and asked, "You are from the city, what do you usually eat?"
Gong Mengbi said, "I'm used to eating wind and drinking dew, but occasionally I'll eat some of the offerings to satisfy my cravings."
The little fat fox asked in confusion, "What's so delicious about dew? What are the offerings?"
Gong Mengbi looked at his chubby figure and couldn't explain why he had to eat wind and drink dew, so he chose to answer the second question: "As for the offerings, they are chicken, duck, fish and meat. During festivals, there are also crispy cakes, fragrant cakes, sesame candies, crispy candies and the like."
The little fat fox could no longer walk and said, "I'm so envious. There are so many delicious foods. I wish I could go to the city, but my grandmother won't let me."
The little fat fox drooped his ears and said, "Last time I went to the cemetery and stole some of the offerings, I got scolded. No one saw me. What a waste!"
Gong Mengbi laughed and said, "Can you transform into a human? If not, I'm afraid you'll be arrested if you go to the city."
The little fat fox puffed up his cheeks and said, "Practicing is too difficult. My illusion skills are not that good."
Gong Mengbi threatened: "You can't be seen by others, or you will be killed and made into fur. Look at your smooth fur, someone will definitely pay a high price for it."
The little fat fox was so scared that he tucked his tail between his legs: "Are humans so scary?"
Gong Mengbi said, "There are good and bad people, but it's hard to say which one you'll meet."
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