I am a swordsman in a strange city

Chapter 115 Fox Transformation, Hu An'an
"Hahaha!" Ming Zai Lou suddenly burst into laughter, laughing so hard he was doubled over, as if he had heard something particularly exciting.

Pei Ju sat there without moving, just looking at him, without any further emotional fluctuations in his eyes, as if his previous words were simply stating a fact.

"Your Pei family's thinking is truly consistent. Do you know that your grandfather once said: 'If you kill someone, as long as you are not caught with evidence, you have not killed anyone.'"

"And now you're asking this question again, which shows that the core of your Pei family hasn't changed at all. Whether you're flamboyant or silent, whether you're scheming or domineering, in the end, the core of you is still the same as that of the people of Xijiang."

"What is it?" Pei Ju replied.

“Ao Lie!” Ming Zai Lou pointed at Pei Ju and said, “Xijiang is mountainous, and the people in the mountains have always been self-reliant. To put it nicely, they will try their best to solve the problems when they encounter difficulties. To put it bluntly, they are not obedient to the king’s rule and do not submit to control. But I want to tell you that in Luoshahai City, which is a big city, politics must be considered and struggles must be carried out in a tactful way. They cannot be too naked and cold.”

"What do you suggest we do?" Pei Ju asked.

"Find a middleman to relay the message, ask about each other's conditions. It's better to resolve conflicts than to let them fester. Everyone needs to agree on a solution. If you don't communicate with the other party, it's normal to be harassed by some underhanded tactics."

"Actually, his letter to the underworld has another meaning, which is that you can take this letter to see their people." Ming Zai Lou looked at Pei Ju and earnestly taught Pei Ju how to handle the conflicts in Luosha Sea City.

"Take this evidence to the Huang family? Will they accept it?" Pei Ju asked.

His question amused Ming Zai Lou, who replied, "What evidence? We know he comes from the Huang family, but that's not evidence that they plotted against you, because it comes from the Nether Cave."

Pei Ju frowned, somewhat puzzled by his thinking. Since everyone knew it belonged to the Huang family, yet it couldn't be used as evidence, how could he take it to the Huang family to discuss the matter?

What is the logic?

“Listen, if you want to resolve this matter, you have to listen to me. The environment in Haishi is not like the mountains in your Xijiang countryside. You can’t have such direct thoughts of fighting and killing. You are holding this letter from the underworld. It’s an invitation for you to enter the Five Immortals Cave. After you enter, you will meet the Huang family and then you can talk to them about your matter.”

"Take this and look for the Huang family in this mirage. The Huang family won't pay any attention to you. You have to go to the Five Immortals Demon Cave."

Pei Ju reached out and took back the black paper covered with strange and grotesque patterns, remaining silent.

After a while, he asked, "What if I can't get in?"

“That means you’re not qualified to talk to them,” Ming Zailou said seriously.

Pei Ju folded the letter from the underworld and put it back in his pocket, but his right hand touched the Thunderfire Ghost-Slaying Sword Token that was also in his pocket.

The sword token spun between his fingers. Over the past few days, this sword token had been shedding the gloom that had been clinging to it, just as Pei Ju had also shed his melancholy and was no longer so negative.

"At that time, you can find a middleman to act as a guarantor, such as someone from the Taoist Association, who can guarantee that you won't be harmed inside the Five Immortals Cave."

"The purpose of letting you into the Five Immortals Cave is to see what strength you have, what strength you have behind you, and who is willing to act as a mediator for you. If all of these are met, then they will talk to you and help you resolve the conflict between the two families."

Ming Zai Lou clearly saw that Pei Ju did not understand the logic behind it, so he explained it to him.

"In this way, we can avoid the irreparable losses that result from a head-on collision due to a lack of understanding of each other's strength."

“Okay, I will go,” Pei Ju said.

"So who do you want to be the middleman?" Ming asked from the building.

He hesitated, a hint of impulse flickering in his eyes. He had considered having the Ming family act as guarantors, but then he remembered that although the Ming family was powerful, it had many factions within it, and one of them harbored strong hostility towards Pei Jieyang.

That faction believed that the Ming Pei family had insulted the Ming family. While the others sympathized with Pei Jieyang, they would not judge or break with their own people for the sake of outsiders.

Pei Ju's first thought was of Senior Sister Yu.

However, he also knew very well that Senior Sister Yu would never act as a mediator.

He didn't want any middlemen; he wanted to find the Huang family and then settle things with his sword.

"I don't know, we'll see later. I need to ask my senior sister," Pei Ju said.

Ming Zai Lou thought of the Taoist Association faintly visible behind Pei Ju. He also knew that Pei Jieyang had a sworn brother and in-law, but his in-law seemed to have some problems. He hadn't set foot in Haishi much, and even when he did come once, he left in a hurry.

This is why the Huang family has never openly targeted Pei Ju.

After that, they didn't talk about the Huang family anymore, but only about the Five Immortals Cave.

“An’an is the person here who knows the most about the Five Immortals Cave. An’an, why don’t you introduce the Five Immortals Cave to him?”

An'an is the girl next to me with long black hair and white downy hair on her face.

He himself walked up the spiral staircase once again and left.

Inside the underground well, only the two of them remained, and the darkness could not be dispelled by the three lamps.

Pei Ju could hear her heartbeat quickening again.

"Well, it's like this. The Five Immortals Cave wasn't originally called the Five Immortals Cave. It's because someone kept sending the immortals they worshipped into the depths of the cave, and they sent them to the same place, so everyone started calling it the Five Immortals Cave."

"And because more immortals were sent in, the relationship between that secluded cave and us became closer."

"Are there only five immortals in that cave?" Pei Ju asked.

"No, there are many strange people who constantly combine with the spirits, so we, the families that worship the spirits, also need to be very careful not to be corrupted by the spirits we worship."

"Are these caves of varying depths?" Pei Ju asked.

"We don't use deep or shallow to describe it, because there is no direction in the darkness, and our world cannot be determined whether it is above or below, so we only use near and far to describe it."

"Because we always send immortals in, this dark cave has become closer to our world, and we've developed a strong connection with it, which is why we've gradually grown closer," An'an said.

"Are there any other caves besides the Five Immortals Cave?" Pei Ju asked.

"You're asking if there are any other secluded caves similar to the Five Immortals Cave, right? Yes, the most typical is the Taoist Ascension Cave, there's also the Immortal Cave that's said to grant immortality, and the Kunlun Caves developed under the leadership of our country. Of course, there are also some secret, undisclosed secluded caves unknown to others. We've always been exploring, searching for, and locating these secluded caves." "So, does that mean all the spirits and monsters in the world originate from secluded caves?" Pei Ju suddenly asked.

"According to our research, even two seemingly unrelated spiritual realms can be connected to the Nether Cave. Some of us believe that the Nether Cave is actually the main theme of this world, and our world is also a Nether Cave, but we just don't realize it."

After answering Pei Ju's question, she seemed to relax a lot, and when it came to professional matters, she seemed to no longer be afraid.

Upon hearing this theory, Pei Ju felt as if ice water had entered his heart. This was something he had never heard before, and it sent a shiver down his spine. If it were true, then what was the meaning of scientific knowledge in this world?
"However, many people disagree, believing that the darkness is yin, is nihilistic, and is nothingness, while our world is radiant, yang, and real."

"Some people believe that the world is full of contradictions, that there is yin and yang, and that yin and yang attract and entangle each other."

Pei Ju thought it made sense.

Then, An'an continued, "But some people say that our world should be the point where Yin and Yang meet."

"So we can connect with the darkness; we have night and day, yet we are not truly swallowed by the darkness."

"But here, the alternation of day and night comes from the sun and the Earth's rotation, doesn't it?" Pei Ju asked.

"Yes, but this is a real celestial phenomenon. Some people believe that it corresponds to the virtual part. From the perspective of phenomena, this also makes some sense. External phenomena are all external manifestations of the Dao. The deepest part of the Dao is chaos, or rather, contradiction."

Pei Ju understood. There were probably still many people debating the relationship between darkness and the world they lived in. Debate would inevitably be accompanied by exploration, with each side presenting evidence to prove their point.

However, Pei Ju didn't care about any theory. He just wanted to clear things up with the Huang family. He didn't like being bothered or remembered.

Just like in a bustling place, he prefers to be alone in peace and quiet. In a quiet place, he can enjoy the view from afar and doesn't like being constantly disturbed.

Now he is frequently disturbed and feels like he will never be able to stop.

"What is your family's connection with the Five Immortals Cave?" Pei Ju asked.

An'an was silent for a moment, then said, "My name is Hu An'an, and my family worships a fox spirit."

"Then what's with the white down on your face?" Pei Ju asked.

Hu An'an lowered her head and never turned it back. Before, although she didn't turn her head, she would turn her face to the side when she spoke.

"Because I invited Grandma Qi over several times in a row, I was influenced by her," Hu An'an said in a low voice.

"Is it that serious?" Pei Ju asked in surprise.

Although Pei Ju knew that people could be infected by having too much contact with spirits, this was the first time he had ever seen someone infected like this by the spirit she worshipped.

“Actually, we met a long time ago,” Hu An’an said.

"Hmm?" Pei Ju couldn't remember knowing a girl named Hu An'an.

“Five years ago, we all studied under Master Han at Qingdai Tower,” Hu An’an said.

Pei Ju immediately thought of the situation at that time. However, among the other six people, he was only most familiar with Ye Youruo. He didn't have the opportunity to get to know the others. After each meeting, they were picked up by their families.

"You're one of those three girls?" Pei Ju felt a surge of surprise and delight.

Being able to meet people from the past is a delightful surprise in itself.

Some say that meeting an old friend in a foreign land is one of the four great surprises in life. But now there is no need to go to a foreign land. In a city, you can turn around and never meet someone again in your whole life.

"Yes, is there no way to help you like this?" Pei Ju asked. He knew that when a person's body changes along with their 'spirit,' it often indicates a serious problem.

“Unless I sever the connection with the Five Immortals Cave, my body’s condition is irreversible.” Hu An’an’s voice was soft. Pei Ju could hear her heartbeat, and at this moment, he found Hu An’an’s heartbeat surprisingly calm, as still as water.

"Then why don't you stop cutting it?" Pei Ju asked seriously.

Before, he was just asking out of curiosity, but now he is genuinely thinking about her.

"Because my family needs me to contact the Five Immortals Cave, and I cannot let it be interrupted until someone in my family can replace me."

"So, when will someone be able to replace you and re-establish contact with the Five Immortals Cave?" Pei Ju asked again.

“Until I die and become a complete fox, someone will come after me, take my fox-transformed body into the Five Immortals Cave, and then become the new worshipper of the Hu family,” Hu An’an said.

"You can transform into a fox?" Pei Ju asked again.

"Mmm." Hu An'an responded softly, as if she had completely resigned herself to her fate.

Pei Ju suddenly didn't know what to say.

Some people have families, but while they are protected within their families, they can also be devoured.

I don't belong to myself, but to this family.

Pei Ju suddenly realized that being alone wasn't so bad after all.

"Then why can't you cut it off yourself? You belong to yourself. If you don't want to be transformed into a fox and sent to the Five Immortals Cave, then you can decide for yourself." Pei Ju finished speaking and did not hear Hu An'an's reply.

But Pei Ju could hear her heart pounding violently, faster than ever before.

However, Pei Ju saw her with her head down, shaking her head repeatedly. She was trembling all over and began to mutter, "No, no, I can't."

Pei Ju sat behind her, watching, then slowly stood up and came to her side. Just as he was about to speak, she raised her head, her facial hair standing on end, no longer as docile as before, and her eyes were bloodshot, revealing a wildness.

(End of this chapter)