Early the next morning.
Liu Qi was already waiting in the inn's backyard. As the three of them walked over, his gaze lingered on Zhu Yinxi for a moment—this man in white clearly only had a cultivation at the late Foundation Establishment stage, yet he gave off an inexplicable sense of pressure.
"Is this Fellow Daoists Duan and Li’s senior brother?"
"My Second Senior Brother!" Duan Xianxing interjected ahead of the others. "Surnamed Zhu, he’s a... er..."
"A rogue cultivator," Zhu Yinxi followed up calmly, casually flicking a copper coin toward Liu Qi. "A meeting gift."
Liu Qi's pupils shrank slightly the moment he caught the coin. This seemingly ordinary copper coin was actually engraved with a concealment array.
"This is too precious; I cannot accept this as a meeting gift!" He spoke as he prepared to return the coin.
"If he gives it to you, just take it," Duan Xianxing said, acting like they were old buddies as he threw an arm around Liu Qi's shoulder. "This thing isn't anything precious to my Second Senior Brother."
"This..." Liu Qi hesitated for a moment before stowing it away. He said solemnly, "Then I shall thank this senior. I’ll humbly accept. In return, I’ll only take a twenty percent share of whatever we obtain in the Forest of Demonic Beasts."
Zhu Yinxi nodded slightly, and only then did Liu Qi breathe a sigh of relief.
As the four of them packed up and prepared to set off, Li Nanzhu intentionally lagged half a step behind and whispered to Zhu Yinxi, "Second Senior Brother, that copper coin..."
'Master gave them to me,' Zhu Yinxi sent a direct message via divine sense. 'Eighty of them, specifically for shutting the mouths of busybodies.'
Li Nanzhu almost burst out laughing. No wonder Duan Xianxing had that expression just now; he had likely been fooled the same way before.
Just as they reached the inn's entrance, they saw Qu Chen giving instructions to his fellow disciples.
Li Nanzhu looked over and happened to lock eyes with Cang Dongqing.
Cang Dongqing’s gaze flickered slightly before she looked away as if nothing had happened. She said softly to Qu Chen, "Third Senior Brother, it is time for us to depart as well."
Qu Chen nodded. "Let’s go."
As the Sword Heart Sect’s group left, Liu Qi seemed to notice something and couldn't help but frown.
"What is it, Liu Qi?" By this time, Duan Xianxing had already become familiar with Liu Qi through his naturally sociable personality, addressing him directly by name.
"In that group, there seemed to be a disciple from the Shenmu Sect. But why would someone from the Shenmu Sect be here? And alone?"
Li Nanzhu’s eyes flickered, but she didn't join the conversation. Was she truly the heroine? Even after losing Liu Qi as an assistant, she still managed to link up with the Shenmu Sect. Fortunately, there was only one person from that sect; they shouldn't be too difficult to deal with.
"Who knows? Anyone staying with Cang Dongqing can't be a good person anyway. Let’s get moving."
Liu Qi nodded and said no more.
The two teams moved toward the Forest of Demonic Beasts, one after the other.
On the way, Duan Xianxing asked Liu Qi curiously, "What are you going to the Forest of Demonic Beasts for? Is it also for training?"
Liu Qi hesitated for a moment. "I need to find a type of ore called star-patterned iron."
"Star-patterned iron?" Li Nanzhu was somewhat surprised. "That’s a good material for refining magic tools."
Liu Qi nodded but didn't elaborate.
Zhu Yinxi walked at the very front of the group. Though he appeared indifferent to their conversation, he was actually listening to everything.
Only when they reached the edge of the Forest of Demonic Beasts did Zhu Yinxi stop.
"Before we enter, I have a few things to say," Zhu Yinxi said coolly. "The Forest of Demonic Beasts is divided into three tiers. We will only be active in the outer perimeter. Since Fellow Daoist Liu is traveling with us, you must follow three rules: do not leave the team without permission, do not touch unknown restrictions, and do not hide dangerous items. If you encounter a life-or-death crisis, prioritize your life over treasures."
"That goes without saying." Liu Qi had a clear understanding of his own strength and naturally wouldn't do anything dangerous.
Seeing Liu Qi nod in agreement, the three of them stepped into the Forest of Demonic Beasts.
As they entered the forest, the surrounding light gradually dimmed. The branches and leaves of the towering ancient trees interlaced into a dense, airless canopy, only occasionally letting through a few stray flecks of light. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, seemingly mixed with a faint, lingering smell of blood.
In her previous life, Li Nanzhu had visited the Amazon rainforest, but compared to the Forest of Demonic Beasts, that was like comparing a small stream to the ocean. Even though she had already been to a secret realm, everything here was still novel and strange. However, out of safety concerns, she suppressed her curiosity and followed closely behind her second senior brother.
Many ordinary plants also grew in the forest. Duan Xianxing spotted a fruit tree ahead. Relying on the fact that cultivators weren't afraid of poisoning, he plucked a fruit and was about to shove it into his mouth.
"Seventh Senior Brother!" Li Nanzhu shouted hurriedly. "Don't eat that; that fruit is..."
Before she could finish, Duan Xianxing had already taken a bite of the red wild fruit. Immediately, his entire face crumpled into a frown.
"...very sour," Li Nanzhu finished the latter half of her sentence.
"Little Junior Sister, tell me earlier next time! Waaa, it’s sour enough to kill me!"
"Didn't I try to tell you? You ate it before I could finish," Li Nanzhu said, spreading her hands helplessly. Duan Xianxing had already tossed the fruit aside.
Liu Qi couldn't help but laugh. He pulled a small cloth bag from his sleeve and handed it over. "Try this. It’s plums I pickled with honey last night."
Duan Xianxing impatiently popped one into his mouth, and his eyes instantly lit up. "Delicious! Liu Qi, you've got some skills!"
Li Nanzhu also tasted one. The pleasant sweet and sour flavor made her squint her eyes. "It really is delicious! You know how to make these too, Fellow Daoist Liu?"
Liu Qi rubbed his nose sheepishly. "I learned it from an old servant at home when I was a kid. I brought some along to snack on during the journey."
Listening to the conversation of the three behind him, Zhu Yinxi shook his head helplessly. These two juniors really had no guard up at all, eating things given by others just like that. Fortunately, he was there, so nothing major should happen.
How could he know that Duan Xianxing had checked the candied fruit for issues before eating, while Li Nanzhu knew that Liu Qi wouldn't use any underhanded methods?
After walking for about an hour, the group finally stopped.
"We have truly entered the outer perimeter of the Forest of Demonic Beasts now." Zhu Yinxi took a map from his robes. "We will only stay in the outer area to look for spirit plants. If we encounter demonic beasts, we will kill them as well. Unless it’s a life-or-death crisis, I will not intervene."
"Brother Liu, we'll be counting on your compass next." Duan Xianxing poked Liu Qi, who had already pulled out his treasure-hunting compass to search for any good items nearby.
The four of them eventually chose a random direction. After walking for another fifteen minutes, the treasure-hunting compass suddenly reacted.
The needle on the compass spun rapidly before finally pointing southeast. Liu Qi’s eyes lit up. "There’s a spiritual energy reaction over there!"
Following the guidance, the four arrived at a small hillside. Sure enough, they found several stalks of Moonlight Grass emitting a faint glow among the rock crevices.
"Good luck!"
However, no one moved recklessly. After all, nobody knew if there were any demonic beasts lying in ambush nearby.
As soon as the words were spoken, a snow-white fox darted out from the bushes, baring its teeth as it blocked the way to the Moonlight Grass.
"It’s a Moonlight Fox!" Li Nanzhu said in a low voice. "These demonic beasts usually don't attack people proactively..."
The little fox stared warily at the four of them and suddenly let out a sharp cry. Following that, seven or eight larger Moonlight Foxes emerged from the surrounding bushes, surrounding the four of them.
Duan Xianxing scratched his head but wasn't too worried. "It looks like we've stumbled into their territory."
As the strongest combatant besides the second senior brother, he quietly took half a step forward to shield Li Nanzhu and Liu Qi. Toward these peaceful demonic beasts that wouldn't easily attack humans and sometimes even acted friendly, Duan Xianxing also maintained a sense of goodwill.
Li Nanzhu also really liked these fluffy foxes. According to the records in the book, the reason Moonlight Foxes lived in groups was that they were timid; they mostly relied on numbers to bluff. The current situation clearly matched what was written in the book.
Just as the other three intended to withdraw, Li Nanzhu suddenly poked Liu Qi. "Fellow Daoist Liu, do you have any more of those candied plums?"
Liu Qi nodded and pulled out a small cloth bag, handing it to Li Nanzhu. She took out a few plums and carefully walked two steps forward. Before the Moonlight Foxes could make a more dangerous move, she gently placed them on the ground and then slowly backed away.
The lead white fox sniffed warily. Ultimately unable to resist the temptation, it stepped forward and picked up a plum in its mouth. Seeing this, the other foxes also crowded around, quickly finishing off the plums.
Surprisingly, after eating the plums, the foxes' hostility significantly weakened. The small white fox even approached Li Nanzhu’s feet and affectionately rubbed against the hem of her skirt.
Duan Xianxing was dumbfounded. "That... that works too?"
Li Nanzhu smiled as she crouched down, gently stroking the small white fox’s head. "It’s also thanks to Fellow Daoist Liu. Moonlight Foxes love sweets the most, especially fruits containing spiritual energy. Otherwise, it wouldn't be this easy to get close to them."
Zhu Yinxi withdrew his defensive posture and gave Li Nanzhu an approving look.
Fortunately, the Moonlight Foxes also realized the others were with Li Nanzhu. When Duan Xianxing and Liu Qi wanted to get close, the foxes didn't resist, obediently letting Duan Xianxing pet them.
Zhu Yinxi seemed to be particularly liked by the Moonlight Foxes due to his superior appearance. Three or four of them kept circling his feet. Zhu Yinxi’s already cold face seemed to grow even stiffer from the foxes' affection, but eventually, he couldn't resist giving them a pat, after which things became quite uncontrollable.
Ultimately, the four of them not only got their fill of playing with the foxes, but the happy Moonlight Foxes also allowed them to take half of the Moonlight Grass. When they left, the small white fox even followed them for a stretch of the road, reluctant to part.
"Ah, if only all the demonic beasts we encountered were this friendly," Duan Xianxing lamented.
"If they were all this friendly, Seventh Senior Brother, you wouldn't be able to make money from their corpses and cores."
"True enough," Duan Xianxing sighed. "Then let's hope we run into some more ferocious ones."
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Qi, who was walking in the middle, suddenly tripped and nearly fell.
He looked down only to see a dark green vine silently emerging from the fallen leaves, coiling around his ankle.
"Seventh Senior Brother, you jinx!"
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