Chapter 307: Choice (Part 1)

When Li Yuanping arrived, the entire alley had been sealed off. Both ends were empty, the street was deserted, and two rows of clan soldiers were lined up. Qi-refining demons possess demonic energy; a touch from them can cause mild illness in mortals, or even death in severe cases. Consequently, no townspeople lingered.

The fox was sitting cross-legged on a street vendor's stall, waiting eagerly. This had originally been a wonton noodle stall, but its owner had long since fled, leaving behind a mess. Chen Donghe stood beside the fox, silently gripping his sword, his face solemn as he kept guard. He had already reached the fourth layer of Qi refining and was among the top cultivators in his family. An Zheyan, meanwhile, sat casually opposite the fox, slurping a bowl of wontons. Though nearly a hundred years old, he still indulged in such simple pleasures, eating with a greasy, fragrant mouth that made the fox constantly gulp.

"Yuanping greets you, Elder!" Li Yuanping recognized the fox; it was indeed much like the rumors described. He quickly stepped forward and bowed. The fox squeaked, "Where is Li Tongya?"

Seeing Li Yuanping arrive, An Zheyan beside him dropped his bowl and stood, while Chen Donghe also nodded in acknowledgment. They both spoke in unison, "Young Master!"

Li Yuanping replied, then respectfully told the fox, "Elder, the Old Ancestor is cultivating in the cave dwelling. Please come up the mountain to speak with him!"

The fox's muzzle twitched, and its slender eyes surveyed the surroundings, glancing at the pale golden formation on Lijing Mountain. It hesitated, then said in a muffled voice, "Let's be clear first... I am a close friend of your Old Ancestor, and my name is even recorded in the Demon Cave. If you trick me into that formation and kill me, Great Li Mountain will not let it rest!"

"Nonsense, Elder," Li Yuanping said with a forced smile. He waved away the clan soldiers and An Zheyan who had followed, then led the fox for a while, passing through the golden barrier into the mountains. The fox then remarked gloomily, "Is he that seriously injured... that he can't even come down the mountain to show his face?"

Li Yuanping knew that half of the information about Old Ancestor Li Tongya had come from this fox, and that the fox most likely knew the hidden details. He could only inwardly smile wryly, thinking, "It is, after all, a fox spirit—cunning and calculative." He replied, "Please wait a moment, Elder. You'll understand once you see him yourself. I only saw the Old Ancestor a few months ago when I delivered healing and restorative medicine up the mountain. I don't know his current condition."

The winding mountain path led them along until the Meichi Mountain cave dwelling appeared before their eyes. Li Yuanping looked at the tightly shut stone door, then stopped with some hesitation and said respectfully, "Please wait a moment, Elder... My elder brother will be here immediately to open the cave dwelling."

Although the White Banyan Fox and Li Tongya had been close friends for many years, it was still a demon. Li Yuanping couldn't help but worry; Li Tongya was severely injured, and if the demon harbored malicious intent, there would be no way to restrain it. Li Yuanjiao was in the middle stage of Qi refining and possessed a Foundation Establishment talisman, so Li Yuanping still preferred his elder brother, Li Yuanjiao, to escort them inside. The fox nodded somewhat confusedly, but then an ear-piercing grinding sound was heard as the stone door before them creaked open.

"Let it in," Li Tongya's voice rasped. Li Yuanping had no choice but to nod and gesture for the fox to enter. Suspecting nothing, the fox hurried into the cave dwelling.

The cave dwelling was filled with abundant spiritual energy, and the magic lamps on the walls emitted a soft white glow. Inside, Li Tongya sat cross-legged on a stone bed, smiling as he watched the fox. On the stone table before him lay various spiritual items and elixirs, emitting a faint glow. Most of them had not been touched and remained undisturbed.

"Li Tongya!" The fox squeaked. It then saw Li Tongya, his hair completely white and his face gaunt, his eyes looking at it gently. Greatly alarmed, the fox leaped forward a few steps, grabbing his hand to examine it, buzzing its nose as it cried, "This... this..."

Li Tongya chuckled and replied, "Thanks to you for gathering information, I was able to save my life from that Wrathful Maha!"

"What in blazes are you laughing at?" The fox, having no idea where it learned such a phrase, cursed with a scowl. It squeaked, "Your path is broken."

"More than that," Li Tongya said. He pulled up his sleeve, revealing his arm, which was covered with cracks, and drops of pale blue water oozed from them. He touched the water, then said gently, "My cultivation has deteriorated." He pointed to the spiritual items on the stone table, then shook his head helplessly. "I originally told them not to send these things, but the juniors were so earnest. Unfortunately, most of them are useless, just a waste."

The fox silently swallowed its saliva and squeaked, "If you ask me... this is easy! Your five organs are shattered, a sign of unbalanced qi. I have a spell that can create artificial hearts, spleens, stomachs, lungs, and livers from people, and insert them into your chest and abdomen. Then, your disciples and grand-disciples can gather qi for you for a few months, infusing it into your five organs, and within three years, you'll be as good as new!" The fox grew more excited as it spoke, squeaking continuously. It gestured animatedly, saying, "As for your broken path, we can find a horned dragon. With six thousand six hundred people as offerings, we can create a blood pool. Once every three years, you'll be able to continue..."

At this point, the fox stopped talking as if waking from a dream. Li Tongya shook his head and replied, "That spell to create artificial hearts, spleens, stomachs, lungs, and livers, I presume it uses living people, doesn't it? As for collecting qi from the five organs, that also uses blood sacrifice... and that 'continuing your path' spell is even more of a dark art." He raised an eyebrow and smiled, "I, Li Tongya, come from a farming family; I was born with a humble life. Though I've killed many in this life, most were villains and cultivators, or it was truly a matter of life and death. I've never harbored the thought of slaughtering common people... All I seek is to cling to life. These are the family rules left by my father... and our family's bottom line." As Li Tongya uttered the words "bottom line," he suddenly recalled the gleaming mirror in his mind. He paused, then continued, "My Li family might not be good people, but we have no need for such 'divine' sorcery... Let's just drop it."

"You!" The fox was momentarily stunned, then said aggrievedly, "It's just eating people! Hasn't it always been like this? If you don't eat them, plenty of others will!" Seeing Li Tongya remain silent, the fox became enraged. It stood up from the stone bed, baring its teeth and shouting, "Stubborn old fool! You don't know a good demon's heart!" No matter what the fox said, Li Tongya merely sat upright, smiling as he watched it. The fox grumbled and whimpered for a long time, then burst into wails, crying, "I still have over a hundred years of life left! How am I supposed to endure this?!"

The fox wallowed in self-pity, finally stopping after a long time. It opened its mouth, its gaping maw as wide as a large basin, and with a 'plop,' it spat out a fruit. Smooth as a jade bead, the fruit emitted a cool, clear glow. The fox nudged it twice with its paw before declaring, "This is my precious fruit, called the Huashang Fruit. Among you cultivators, it's considered a treasure medicine; it can enhance spiritual power and vitality. If you ingest it, you might still cling to life for a few more years and even manage to fight a few times."

Li Tongya was immediately startled but didn't know how to refuse. The fox had already closed its ears, jumped off the bed, wagging its tail, and cursed, "This is a huge loss... We agreed to save our own lives, but you're just great, about to kick the bucket in a few years." Without waiting for Li Tongya to speak, the White Banyan Fox fluttered and leaped out of the cave dwelling.

Li Tongya was left speechless in the cave dwelling, gazing at the Huashang Fruit in his palm. It glowed with a soft white light, like a luminous pearl, and his thousand emotions condensed into a single sigh.