Chapter 106: Joining Forces Again After a Millennium – The Rules

Chapter 106: Joining Forces Again After a Millennium – The Rules

The cave inside the mountain was stuffy and stank of filth.

Massive Spiritual Beasts bared their fangs and claws, casting crisscrossing shadows.

The villagers trapped in the middle had long since collapsed in terror.

A gray-haired old man stepped forward, trembling: "Honored... great immortals, we're all honest farmers who've never done anything wrong. Please, great immortals, see the truth!"

"I've never done anything wrong, great immortal, spare me! Spare me!"

A kid suddenly screamed: "Monsters! Monsters! The ones who eat people are the monsters!"

The leading Golden Crow King slowly blinked his heavy eyelids.

A glint flickered in the Golden Crow King's eyes: "We Spiritual Beasts have never harmed heaven or earth either. We stood shoulder to shoulder with humans to drive out the Evil Spirits. But how did humans treat us in return? Bullying our kind and calling us monsters?"

The Red Fox wrinkled her nose and let out a fake sob: "Why would I go after anyone else but them? Because the people in this village are really wicked! Our kind-hearted fox mother just went to their village to borrow a few chickens and ducks to save her starving babies, and they beat her dead!"

"You... you're lying!" a villager said bravely. "The fox killed our chickens, ducks, pigs, and cows, and even bit people!"

The Fox narrowed her vertical pupils, her claws twitching slightly.

The villager cowered back in fear.

The Fox turned around, instantly putting on an innocent, pitiful crying face: "Wah! The despicable, cunning humans, he's lying! Humans love lying the most!"

The Beast Kings nodded silently, their expressions disdainful: "We Spiritual Beasts never lie. The base human race is born to deceive."

The villagers got more frantic: "We're not lying! We really aren't! The one lying is the fox!"

The Beast Kings remained unconvinced.

The Fox raised a paw and waved it slowly, speaking calmly: "I know, I know. Everyone worships the strong, they like the Dao Ancestor and the Divine Shaman. But they're all dead now. The current Daoist Sect isn't what it used to be. Are those people still worth respecting? Better yet—"

Its voice suddenly rose sharply.

"Kill these evildoers who harm the weak! Eat them! Transform into human form! Achieve immortality and become immortals!"

The Beast Kings were stirred, their eyes turning bloodshot, their primal instincts overwhelming their minds.

"Kill 'em... kill 'em!"

The whole cave rumbled and shook.

The villagers' faces turned ashen, their bodies trembling like leaves as they shielded the kids behind them with shaking hands and feet.

Seeing this, the Golden Crow King couldn't help but soften a little.

The Red Fox immediately sneered: "Golden Crow King, you pity them, but who'll pity you? Think of your Golden Crow cubs, already refined into pills and eaten by cultivators! Imagine how pitiful those cubs were, being roasted alive in the alchemy cauldron!"

A kid shouted angrily: "Who says you don't lie! That fox is clearly lying! You monsters are all liars!"

Hearing this, the Beast Kings erupted in fury: "Spiritual Beasts never lie! You despicable humans! Do you think our thoughts are as filthy as yours?"

The Golden Crow King closed his eyelids heavily.

When he opened them again, his gaze was icy cold.

As the leader, the Golden Crow King finally made up his mind: "Kill fast, no cruelty."

The Red Fox bowed deeply: "Your Majesty is merciful!"

The Fox turned to face the villagers, her eyes and mouth curving into a sly smile—once you've killed and eaten a human, there's no going back.

Faced with such giant beasts, ordinary people had no way to fight back.

The Fox raised her sharp claws.

The shadow loomed over the villagers, and the claws came down with a sharp, whistling sound.

"Whoosh—"

Just as blood was about to fly.

"Slap."

A furry paw shot out from the side, grabbing the Fox's sharp claw.

The Monkey slowly leaned forward, squinting his vertical pupils, deep in thought: "...Something's off about you."

The Red Fox's eyes twitched: "What do you mean by that, Monkey King? You planning to betray all of us? To surrender to the humans?"

The Monkey stared at her, the corners of his mouth slowly drooping.

He spoke very, very slowly: "A Spiritual Beast that has eaten a human can never turn back."

The Fox's eyes flickered, and it screeched: "What's there to fear! As long as we destroy the Daoist Sect, who will care whether you eat people or not! Besides, we only eat the wicked, not the good!"

The Beast Kings nodded silently: "Right. We Spiritual Beasts can tell good from evil. Monkey King, let the Fox go."

The Monkey slowly lowered his head.

He suddenly spread his claws and released the Fox.

The Fox let out a long breath and was about to start the slaughter when a gust of wind swept past!

The Monkey, with lightning speed, swung the paw hanging by his side in a slanted arc—a crisp *crack* sound, and it cleanly tore off a large tuft of red fur from above the Fox's two eyes.

The beasts stared blankly.

On the Red Fox's forehead, a patch of fur half a foot wide was now bald, and on the pale animal skin, a blood-red mark was clearly imprinted.

The beasts were shocked: "A mark! It has a mark!"

"You've eaten people," the Monkey sneered. "Little trickster, trying to drag your grandpa into this?"

The cave fell silent, broken only by the heavy, ragged breaths of the beasts.

Until a kid's voice shattered the stillness.

"Wah... Big monkey, you're just like the Great Sage Monkey that my grandpa told us about!"

The Monkey casually shrugged his shoulders and moved his claws with a lazy air: "Hmph! Who cares!"

All the beasts fixed their gaze on the Fox.

The Golden Crow King snapped, "You'd better give me an explanation."

The Red Fox threw up his hands and looked at the sky, "But what's any of that got to do with whether I've eaten people?"

The Golden Crow King replied, "That affects whether I can trust you."

The Fox slapped his forehead and muttered under his breath, "Ugh, dumb beasts with no brains—such a pain."

The cave was at a standstill.

Suddenly, a breeze swept in, a flash of sword light lit up the walls, and as the sword landed, a figure stepped out slowly.

"Qingxiao Jun of the Daoist Sect, here to call on you."

The beasts turned at the sound.

A figure emerged from the shadows, looking like an immortal, with a high bun and flowing sleeves.

"Qingxiao Jun?" the Golden Crow King mused. "You're the Sect Master's top disciple?"

The Taoist nodded slightly, "That's right, it's me."

The Rhinoceros King laughed, "I've heard of this man. Last name Niu, same clan!"

The Taoist clasped his hands, "My given name is Niu Bao."

The beasts traded looks and perked up.

The Monkey frowned, that weird feeling creeping back in—something was off.

"Niu Bao," the Golden Crow King asked solemnly, "you here to tell us you found the real culprit who hurt our kind? Or that you found the missing Little Golden Crows?"

The Taoist gave a faint smile.

He leaned in, all mysterious, "Exactly! Golden Crow King, lean in, and I'll tell you."

The Golden Crow King's spirits perked up, and he eagerly bent his head closer.

Man and beast moved closer.

The Monkey's heart grew restless, a weird feeling clawing at him, like a live cat thrashing around in his chest.

A clear but jumbled thought flashed through his mind.

'No, no! This guy's not Niu Bao at all! Niu Bao doesn't look like that!'

But he couldn't remember how he knew that.

As the Golden Crow King stretched his neck further, stupidly leaving himself open to attack, the Monkey's eyes went wide as he shouted, "You old crook! Something's off about you!"

The Taoist's face shifted, and he shot a quick look at the Fox.

Just in time, the Fox screamed, "Watch out, sneak attack!"

Then, in a blur, he lunged forward, shoving the Golden Crow King out of the way.

The Taoist drew his sword with a clang, and a flash of light streaked past.

The beasts' eyes went wide as they watched the Fox get stabbed through the heart.

The Taoist pulled his sword out and leaped back, blood splattering as the Fox dropped.

A big pool of blood spread fast, and in it, the Fox struggled to lift a claw.

In his paw was a tuft of fluffy golden crow chick feathers.

Spitting blood, he gasped weakly to the Golden Crow King, "Found... on... him..."

Before he could finish, the Fox's head lolled, and he was gone.

The beasts glared at the Taoist, his robe torn by a claw mark from the Fox.

He looked down, yanked his collar, and pulled it closed.

The Golden Crow King exploded in fury, "You've got my young's fur on you! You took them!"

The Taoist looked up with a sinister grin, "So what? What're you gonna do about it, beast? You got lucky today—the Fox took the fall. Next time, you won't be so fortunate!"

He retreated swiftly and fled.

The Golden Crow King burst into flames, roaring as he chased out of the mountain with blazing fire, "Villain, die!"

The Monkey frowned and scratched his head, "He's not Niu Bao."

The beasts stomped and shouted, "The Daoist Sect is despicable and shameless!"

The Monkey repeated, "I'm telling you, this man is not Niu Bao."

But the beasts were beyond listening. The Fox's corpse and blood had ignited all their primal instincts, and they lunged at the terrified villagers, ready to slaughter.

The Monkey jumped forward, baring his teeth to block them.

The beasts roared, "The Fox is dead! Monkey King, if you side with humans again, don't blame us for being harsh!"

The Monkey hissed through his vertical pupils, "Hsss!"

A one-against-many battle erupted, with rolling rocks and shaking earth.

At the Daoist Sect. The Alchemy Hall.

Listening to the alchemist Ma Fuming's footsteps fade away, Fu Yu tilted her head and ordered a group of Three-legged Chickens to ram open the hall doors.

She elegantly waved her small claws, sauntered over to Jun Bu Du, and whispered to him with an air of wisdom, "Hey, you've almost forgotten what the Daoist Sect looks like, haven't you?"

He lowered his eyes and smiled faintly.

Fu Yu was shocked to discover that this Three-legged Chicken had long, thick eyelashes.

The way his eyelids drooped was just like before.

He said warmly, "I often recall it; I won't forget."

Fu Yu felt her face inexplicably heat up, then thought it was ridiculous.

He wasn't talking about her, just the Daoist Sect.

Why blush!

"Hmm," she calmly looked up at the Spirit Mirror hanging in the hall, changing the subject, "Back then, you hung mirrors in every hall—was it to make the disciples reflect on themselves daily?"

Jun Bu Du fell silent for a moment.

Instead of answering, he shot back with a question: "What kind of person am I, in your eyes?"

Fu Yu: "..."

How could she say that to his face? That would totally sound like a confession!

She wiggled her little claws, scratching at the floor tiles one by one, and said half-heartedly, "A gentleman. Uh, you know, someone who keeps his cool."

He chuckled.

His laugh made Fu Yu both embarrassed and annoyed.

That face of his had always been her weakness, easily clouding her mind with his good looks—even now that he was a chicken.

"I'm not like that," he said.

How could this guy make such a nice sound with a chicken beak?

Fu Yu was spaced out: "Oh."

"Not a gentleman, not someone who keeps his cool."

Fu Yu listened to him in a daze.

"And this hanging mirror," he nodded toward the Spirit Mirror above the hall, in a calm, gentle tone, "is for spying."

Fu Yu: "Oh..."

A moment later, Fu Yu was shocked: "Oh?!"

He reached out (his claw) and touched the back of her neck.

Fu Yu shivered, her whole body tingling, her emotions a mess.

"Bam!"

The hall door was finally forced open by a bunch of Three-legged Chickens working together.

Sunlight streamed in from outside, landing on her, and Fu Yu's expression suddenly froze: "Wait, if the mirror can spy, then our escape from the Alchemy Cauldron was already seen?"

If the one controlling the Spirit Mirror was a traitor...

Whoosh.

A shadow fell over them.

At the open doorway, Ma Fuming had come back, his triangular, slanted eyes with more white than black glaring at the group of Three-legged Chickens about to flee.

He grinned viciously: "That was close! A bunch of little bastards, almost ruined everything!"

The chickens flapped their wings in panic, bumping into each other in a chaotic heap.

Ma Fuming stepped into the hall, swung the doors shut with a "Boom"!

"I'll refine you all right now, see where you can run!"

Fu Yu and Jun Bu Du exchanged a glance.

She quietly backed away, and while Ma Fuming grabbed the terrified Scholar Chickens frozen in place, she flew into the inner hall, flapping her wings to knock over the medicine bottles on the alchemy shelf.

Clatter, clatter.

She pressed the bottle down with her claw, lowered her head, and pulled out the stopper with her beak.

Pills rolled out of the bottle.

She picked up a pill, flew to the outer hall, crushed it, and used the spirit-rich powder to set up one breaking formation after another.

She and Jun Bu Du had fought together in at least eight hundred battles, if not a thousand.

She just focused on setting up the formations; the rest was up to him.

"Slap!"

Ma Fuming, holding a Three-legged Chicken in each hand, suddenly got smacked in the face by a wing.

Little damage, but huge humiliation.

He glared up, tossed aside the Xie's Chicken in his right hand, and swung a blast of spiritual energy.

"Whoosh—"

The strike missed.

The Three-legged Golden Crow, covered in sleek black feathers, had anticipated his move, delivering the slap and swiftly retreating, making Ma Fuming's clumsy swing look like a joke.

"Little beast, so fast!"

He spat, narrowed his triangular eyes, and scanned the area viciously.

A flash of black in his peripheral vision.

He stepped forward, chasing toward the pillar.

One step after another, he kept stepping into the breaking formations.

The black Golden Crow was lightning-fast, ghostly, occasionally glancing down from above with an aloof, disdainful air.

Ma Fuming was furious.

Blasts of spiritual energy struck the pillars, walls, alchemy cauldron, and shelves, sending jade bottles flying and wood chips scattering.

Under the wall, the huddled Three-legged Chickens marveled: "So this is what a real chicken can do."

"This old man's first time being a chicken—how embarrassing!"

"Truly, you learn something new every day."

At first, Ma Fuming hadn't taken the little Golden Crow chick seriously, but as he began to pant, he finally came to his senses and spat hatefully: "Why am I playing hide-and-seek with a little beast!"

He clasped his hands together in a seal, ready to cast a spell to seal off the surrounding airflow, trapping the Three-legged Golden Crow with nowhere to run.

"Hum..."

The spiritual energy around him gathered only to dissipate.

Ma Fuming froze.

He hadn't practiced in ages, but he couldn't be... this bad, could he?

In that dazed moment, a flash of black light flickered in the corner of his eye.

"Swish!"

Pain flared across his face as a streak of blood splattered.

The Black Golden Crow struck and retreated, its robust body hovering briefly in midair, its gaze indifferent but dripping with provocation.

Ma Fuming got furious, raising a hand to touch the bloody cut on his face, then stepped forward to chase after it.

"Slap."

He stepped into the last layer of the spell-breaking formation.

Fu Yu gave a faint smile.

Jun Bu Du swept his wings sharply, flipped onto the palace roof, raised his talons and struck down!

"Clang—ring!"

The Spirit Mirror hanging high in the hall crashed down with a ringing clang, as keen as a treasured sword, slicing clean through Ma Fuming's head!

Ma Fuming had no time to react.

"Thud—splash!"

Head and body separated, his hot blood spurting out a beat too late.

With the spell-breaking power on him, he didn't even have a chance to escape via his primordial spirit.

Ma Fuming's eyes flew wide open as he died in disbelief.

"Dead... he's dead?"

"We're saved! We're saved!"

"Clap, clap, clap."

As the chickens trembled, tears of shock in their eyes, the Paper Effigy Boy came forward.

Its movements were stiff, its eyes twitching, desperately signaling to its own side: Hurry up and force a breakthrough!

It opened its mouth stiffly, speaking with great reluctance: "Rule number two: Spiritual Beasts must not harm humans; those who harm humans shall die."

Hurry up and break through!

It couldn't go easy on them!