Chapter 517: 妖类

The Li family's troops were moving through the mountains. Li Xijun, dressed in flowing white robes with a sword at his waist, oversaw the formation from a mountaintop. Kong Heng, flying nearby, had his eyes closed, muttering incantations, seemingly performing rites for the deceased.

Li Xijun took a careful look, ensuring Li Wushao was with Li Zhouwei, then withdrew his gaze. He slowly approached through the wind and snow, his ears twitching slightly as he suddenly turned his head to the side.

A cold gleam appeared in Li Xijun's eyes beneath his sword-like brows. Several wisps of white energy drifted from them, fixing on an empty spot nearby. After a few moments, he frowned and said in a cold voice:

"May I ask which fellow Daoist is here? I am Li Xijun of the Li family. Please show yourself!"

His voice was stern and carried far, reaching Kong Heng in the distance clearly. The narrow-eyed monk's eyes snapped open. He pulled an ancient teal-colored monk's staff from his sleeve and quickly flew over.

After Li Xijun spoke, he was secretly astonished in his heart:

"What a profound invisibility technique!"

He had been cultivating eye techniques since childhood, and the Ming Shuang Song Ling talismanic energy he received also enhanced his vision, allowing him to discern illusions and even see through many formations. Yet, despite observing for several seconds, he still couldn't clearly see the person's figure. He only sensed a faint presence in that spot, which instantly alarmed him and made him ready to flee.

Suddenly, a flash of white appeared in that spot in the air, revealing an inch of cloud-white fabric. A smiling youth slowly materialized.

The youth had slightly narrow brows, bright, watery gray eyes, and delicate, smooth skin. Dark hair on both sides of his face was braided into two sections, tied with silver-white bells, making him appear remarkably agile and lively.

He was barefoot, wearing a long-sleeved, lapelled robe of blue and green, unusually styled with the left lapel over the right. The collar was small, but the sleeves were quite wide. A string of silver beads adorned his neck, with a lustrous white quartz stone attached at the end.

Li Xijun paused slightly and cautiously took a step back. The youth's face was full of smiles, even with a hint of playful teasing, as he simply asked:

"Which junior are you? Where is Li Yuanjiao? Tell him to come out at once!"

Hearing this, Li Xijun's wariness lessened somewhat, but he remained cautious. He cupped his hands and replied:

"May I ask who senior is? To answer senior, my uncle passed away many years ago."

"Ah!"

The youth's smile instantly vanished, replaced by a look of distress, as if pounding his chest and stamping his feet. Li Xijun took the opportunity to observe him, finding the person vaguely familiar, with gray eyes and long brows, and a noticeably lively demeanor. Upon closer inspection, he realized the person had white fur, sharp teeth, and was enveloped in purple mist—revealing him to be a demonic creature.

The youth paused, appearing somewhat dispirited. He waved his hand, and his earlier lively demeanor completely vanished. He lowered his gaze and said:

"Let me tell you, I am Bai Rong, a cultivator from the Demon Cave of Dali Mountain. I once made a mistake and resided on the outskirts of Dali Mountain, cultivating peacefully under a tree..."

"Who knew someone would come to my door and beat me? It was your ancestor, Li Tongya. Human lifespans are short; I don't know how many generations have passed since then... Do you still remember?"

Li Xijun was stunned and mumbled:

"Senior Bai Rong Fox?!"

Hearing his name called, Bai Rong instantly smiled and exclaimed:

"That's right!"

Li Xijun was somewhat speechless. He stood in the air for a moment, about to step forward, when he suddenly lowered his brows and narrowed his eyes. A doubt arose in his mind. He kept his hand on his sword, not drawing it, and said softly:

"Senior uses a good name... but my clan records state that Senior Bai Rong Fox was a red fox. My eyes see clearly that you are clearly a white fox!"

Bai Rong froze, then suddenly burst into laughter, as if he had heard something extremely amusing. He laughed for several seconds before stopping and asked:

"So you're saying... your clan recorded me in such detail? Very good, very good... Li Tongya truly was a good person."

Seeing that he didn't seem to be feigning, Li Xijun nodded slightly, cupped his hands, and replied:

"Please, senior, give me an explanation."

"Ah!"

Speaking of this, Bai Rong perked up his head. A fluffy white tail also rose from beneath his large blue and green robe, and he chuckled:

"My origin wasn't noble. I spent so much time cultivating my foundation over the years precisely to refine my blood and seek my true nature in the demon pond within the Demon Cave. Now that I have succeeded, I have long since shed my red fur and mundane teeth, transforming into a spirit fox!"

This explanation was novel. Li Xijun considered it for a moment and asked:

"Senior, do you know which sword Old Ancestor Tongya wielded?"

Bai Rong, barefoot, stepped lightly in the air and answered without thinking:

"First, it was the Coiling Dragon Pillar, then the Azure Ruler Sword."

Li Xijun asked a series of secret questions. Seeing that Bai Rong answered them fluently and his demeanor seemed genuine, he cupped his hands, bowed respectfully, and said:

"This junior, Li Xijun, great-grandson of the Old Ancestor, greets Old Ancestor Bai Rong and congratulates Old Ancestor on your grand achievement!"

Bai Rong chuckled and sighed, saying:

"Your cautious nature is just like your great-grandfather's. That flood dragon, too, was always cunningly lurking, careful and watchful."

Dressed in his large blue and green robe, he paradoxically looked much younger than Li Xijun. He smiled and glanced at Li Xijun, saying:

"You're handsome, with the bearing of Li Tongya in his later years."

Li Tongya held a very high position in the hearts of juniors like Li Xijun. Unable to bear such praise, Li Xijun said with humility:

"Compared to our ancestor's divine bearing, Xijun dare not even claim a tiny fraction."

Bai Rong turned his head, looking at the sounds of killing cries below. He sniffed vigorously, inhaling deeply, and his lips became very rosy. Li Xijun observed him briefly and said softly:

"It's rather inconvenient, but this junior has family matters to attend to. Please, senior, wait a little. Once these matters are resolved, I invite you to enter the mountain for tea."

Bai Rong smiled slightly and chuckled:

"No matter, no matter. It is my good fortune that I have just emerged from seclusion after my breakthrough and can legitimately encounter so much vital energy. I should thank you."

Li Xijun felt embarrassed, unsure how to reply, and could only silently swallow his words. Bai Rong glanced down casually and said somewhat unintentionally:

"Li Yuanping is also dead... I had told him long ago to gather blood offerings and come to find me, but he stubbornly refused to listen."

"You few... are truly stubborn."

He grumbled for a couple of sentences, and the pristine white quartz stone, strung with silver beads and hanging on his chest, gently swayed. Li Xijun didn't know why he wore a common piece of quartz on his chest and could only reply:

"Senior is correct."

Bai Rong's blue and green robe slowly billowed. The vital energy from below his feet surged. He smiled, seemingly understanding something, and thought to himself:

'Alas... Li Tongya never liked this path in his lifetime, but his descendants are quite obedient. Although absorbing vital energy here cannot compare to cannibalism and rarely incurs resentment, it's inevitably disliked by others.'

He flicked his sleeves and took two deep breaths. Only then did he turn around, still feeling a hint of reluctance in his heart. He simply replied in a low voice:

"I won't stay here much longer. I'll go to Lijing Mountain and wait for you."