Chapter Sixty-Six: Tiger and Fox

By the lakeside, Chen Xuan stood near the water in a long black robe. His tall and well-proportioned figure did not appear slender, and his handsome face carried a hint of heroic vigor.

"What good news?"

The little red fox looked naive and innocent, her vibrant eyes brimming with an untainted clarity. She stretched out her slender arms and told Chen Xuan, "A vast orchard of miraculous pear trees! The reddish glow emitted by the trees has dyed the sky crimson, and the snow-white immortal pears on the branches are fully ripe. The sweet fragrance of the pears can be smelled across several mountains, and everyone is drooling."

Deep within the Great Southern Wilderness, the fruits of a celestial treasure tree had recently ripened, creating a supernatural phenomenon that frightened even ghosts and monsters.

"Yes, yes, Little Sparrow saw it too! The immortal pears are so tempting!"

A small sparrow with multicolored feathers cried out brightly, its eyes gleaming. It was the very same little sparrow that had reported the pursuers' location back in Taohuayuan. Flying across the sky of the Southern Wilderness, it had spotted Chen Xuan by the lake and made a special trip to tell the little red fox.

In the distance, there were also a small yellow dog whose fur was as glossy and smooth as satin, a little sika deer with azure coral horns, and a small elephant with four ivory-white tusks...

"We saw it too." A few little ghosts and monsters stood slightly reserved, looking at Chen Xuan with foolishly blank expressions, their mouths watering uncontrollably with greed, wiping away the drool that they simply couldn't keep from spilling.

"I need to cultivate; you should find other helpers."

Chen Xuan shook his head in refusal, feeling that the endeavor was unwise. The miraculous treasure trees in the mountains all had owners, and as an outsider, it was best for him to mind his own business and avoid courting trouble.

Although the pear orchard contained abundant medicinal herbs, it was hardly a benevolent place. If the owner were merely a monster in the Dao-Consummation realm, that would be one thing, but if it turned out to be a supreme, monstrous entity akin to the old giant turtle, a sudden burst of rage from such a being would be something no one could withstand.

"The pear orchard has been seized by a group of mountain ghouls. There is an old mountain ghoul at the Dao-Consummation realm, but it's too old to walk! We can just steal a few fruits and run away. It'll be fine!"

The little red fox repeatedly guaranteed there was no danger, telling Chen Xuan that the pear orchard did not belong to the old mountain ghoul in the first place; they had forcibly occupied it and refused to let other ghosts and monsters enter, which was utterly despicable.

Furthermore, she had also invited the saber-bearing tiger demon. The tiger demon was the leader of their little group of ghosts and monsters, possessing considerable strength and a very powerful background. With Chen Xuan and the tiger demon helping out, nothing could possibly go wrong.

"What are the benefits of the treasure pears?" Chen Xuan asked, somewhat swayed.

The saber-bearing tiger demon should be the descendant of a supreme powerhouse, capable of weathering any disaster no matter how big the trouble they stirred up. Moreover, the backgrounds of the other little ghosts and monsters were not shabby either; the little red fox had once relied on the legacy left by her predecessors to catch a glimpse of the longevity-species Willow Dragon.

"The treasure pears are named Heart-Dazzling Pears. Eating them can purify the mind and spirit, render one immune to illusions, and effectively strengthen the soul's three intents," the little red fox continued to persuade.

Foxes were naturally adept at bewitching human hearts. In the era of mountains and seas, a nine-tailed fox howling atop a mountain could entrance all living things in the world with its voice... The little red fox had zero resistance against a spiritual treasure like the Heart-Dazzling Pears.

Purify the mind and spirit? Yan Yushu happened to need precisely this thing, and the effects would surely be wonderful!

Chen Xuan's eyes lit up as he said, "Very well, I will go with you to take a look."

He was finally persuaded. Feathered Ascension, Dao-Consummation, Cauldron-Crucible... the first three major realms were all about tempering the physical body. Aside from Scarlet-Qi cultivators, only high-level cultivators could train the soul's three intents. The Heart-Dazzling Pears could enhance soul strength, making such spiritual treasures even rarer than ordinary land-based treasure trees!

However, Chen Xuan made his stance clear beforehand: if the situation at the pear orchard differed from what the little red fox claimed, he would not lift a finger.

The little red fox hurriedly declared that she was not lying, insisting that the pear orchard did not belong to the mountain ghouls anyway, and seizing their belongings would have no consequences at all!

"Little Sparrow, Little Dog, Little Deer, Little Snout..."

Along the way, the little red fox introduced her companions to Chen Xuan, and solemnly instructed the little ghosts and monsters, "This is my benefactor, incomparably powerful, even mightier than Big Tiger. You must show proper manners. From now on, he is your Second Brother. Hurry up and call him Second Brother!"

"Second Brother!"

Several little ghosts and monsters hastily bowed to Chen Xuan in salute. The little red fox seemed to hold a high status, and these little ghosts and monsters all obeyed her.

The four-tusked little elephant pointed his elongated trunk and secretly told Chen Xuan that his name wasn't Little Snout—the little red fox just made up random nicknames—and that his name was Dishan. Benefactor Second Brother could simply call him Little Elephant.

"Alright, Little Elephant."

Chen Xuan replied helplessly. These five little monsters were generally around two or three years old, innocent and carefree.

However, the age calculations for the twenty-four ghosts and monsters differed from those of humans. Some spirits and ghouls grew at an extremely fast rate, maturing within just a few years to become robust adult monsters.

"My name is Queyu. We got married last month and gave birth to a nest of little sparrows. Benefactor Second Brother can come to my house to visit."

The two-year-old little sparrow declared that he was very mature, the head of a household, and enthusiastically invited Chen Xuan to be a guest at his home.

"Alright, I'll definitely go when I have time."

Chen Xuan twitched the corner of his mouth. The group of little ghosts and monsters chattered away incessantly, revolving around the little red fox's benefactor and Second Brother, their bodies seeming to possess an endless reservoir of energy.

The little red fox, the little yellow dog, the little elephant, and the little deer were all carrying bamboo-woven baskets on their backs, looking extremely cute. Even the little sparrow had a palm-sized bamboo basket strapped to its back, looking dead serious as if embarking on a momentous mission.

In the afternoon.

Chen Xuan arrived at the foot of the mountain where the pear orchard was located, only to see a red rosy glow blooming across the firmament, accompanied by the sweet fragrance of pears drifting on the wind.

A striped giant tiger standing roughly a zhang tall positioned itself along the mountain path. With a large saber strapped to its back and a broad chest rippling with explosive muscles, its fur emitted a faint golden glow, radiating a majestic, formidable, and tyrannical aura.

"Hmph, Second Brother has arrived..."

A pair of tiger eyes swept toward Chen Xuan, carrying a scrutinizing look that exuded intense pressure.

"Mm."

Chen Xuan nodded and walked over. Mediated by the little red fox, he had inexplicably become the second-in-command of this ghostly little group.

He sensed an extremely formidable momentum emanating from Big Tiger. This demon's cultivation had reached the peak of the Feathered Ascension realm, and its aura was robust... falling only a fraction short of Elder Cui and the elderly man surnamed Lu.

"Brother Tiger, how old are you this year?" he asked, weighing his tone.

"This tiger is six years old..."

The voice of the saber-bearing tiger demon was rich and magnetic, full of dignity. Tigers were kings in the mountains, and such bloodlines had since ancient times been the leading figures among ghosts and monsters.

"Six years old?"

Chen Xuan was startled upon hearing this, because the saber-bearing tiger demon didn't look like he was six years old at all. His appearance was exceedingly mature, indistinguishable from a human youth in his prime, entirely devoid of any youthful innocence.

At the same time, he praised with admiration, "I am impressed. At only six years old, your realm is already so profound. Truly a talent of exceptional caliber."

One had to bear in mind that the new year had only just begun; how long had this saber-bearing tiger demon even been cultivating? Even if it had started cultivating the very moment it touched the ground, it could at most have been cultivating for slightly over five years, yet it was already on the verge of becoming a Dao-Consummation great cultivator. Truly astonishing.

The saber-bearing tiger demon nodded in acknowledgment, crossing his arms over his chest. The steel-brush-like whiskers on his face trembled slightly as he dragged out his tone:

"Second Brother, you aren't bad either. This tiger knows a thing or two—you possess the qualifications to join our ranks..."

The syllables of the words "Second Brother" were heavily accented, as if the speaker was deliberately laying stress on them.

The little red fox stared suspiciously at the tiger demon, suddenly leaping onto his shoulder and forcefully tugged at his whiskers, demanding:

"Big Tiger, your tone of voice sounds so strange today. It's just like your tiger elders. Why are you imitating them? Why are you talking to my benefactor like that?"

With his whiskers being tugged and his skin bulging painfully—making it look excruciatingly painful—a flash of agony crossed the saber-bearing tiger demon's eyes, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. He forcibly suppressed the discomfort, maintaining a majestic and dignified expression on his face throughout, and said in a deep voice:

"Little Fox Baizi, what a ridiculous thing to say. This tiger's demeanor has always been thus..."

The other four little ghosts and monsters also wore puzzled expressions, simply feeling that Big Tiger was even more solemn than usual... Could it be that he was worried the human Second Brother joining their small group would threaten his position as the eldest?

Indeed, the saber-bearing tiger demon harbored a sense of crisis in his heart, for he could acutely sense that Chen Xuan was slightly stronger than him... In this world, there was no such thing as a Second Brother being stronger than the Big Brother, but a tiger could certainly not afford to be the second-in-command in any group!

Chen Xuan was gazing toward the pear orchard deep within the mountain, where he could faintly make out a vast expanse of crimson glow dyeing that region a brilliant red.

"Big Tiger, what shall we do? Should we just storm up the mountain and grab them? It's best to proceed with caution and make sure we aren't discovered by any Dao-Consummation great demons."

Chen Xuan turned his head and spoke, extremely cautious, as he could already faintly spot several single-legged mountain ghouls moving about in the mountains.

"Second Brother's words make sense, but this tiger had the exact same thought in mind; you merely voiced it first—"

The saber-bearing tiger demon nodded in agreement, his voice still robust and powerful. The little red fox looked shocked upon hearing this, leaning her upper body backward with a blank gaze as she stared at the tiger demon putting on such adult airs.

Soon, one human and six ghosts and monsters set into motion, sneaking stealthily toward the direction of the pear orchard.

The primitive mountains were densely wooded, and the ground was littered with the skeletal remains of large wild beasts, exuding a pungent, ghostly stench that was stark and startling—undoubtedly the remnants left behind by the feasting mountain ghoul pack.

"I've been observing for several days and know where their defenses are weakest."

The little sparrow took the lead up front, guiding Chen Xuan and the others through the mountains via hidden paths.

Before long, they drew close to the region shrouded in the crimson glow. The pear orchard was immensely vast, enveloping an entire mountaintop with dozens of pear trees distributed evenly across it.

"Look, a treasure pear tree!"

"Two mountain ghouls are guarding it!"

Several little ghosts and monsters gasped in low whispers, seven gleaming eyes peering past the dense foliage to survey the clearing ahead.

"Splendid! Benefactor and Big Tiger can go subdue the mountain ghouls while the five of us pick the immortal pears. Let the operation begin!" The little red fox whispered, both excited and nervous, issuing the directive to attack.

In the clearing, a pear tree more than a dozen meters tall was completely crimson, resembling a blazing tree of fire. However, the fruits it bore were spotless and pure white, glistening with a pale, misty luster just like snow molded by hand.

Four snow-white immortal pears hung from the treetops, their contrasting colors starkly prominent and instantly drawing every gaze.