Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

Xiaoyu smiled sweetly and said, "Of course, my grandma also said that you shouldn't go out and hurt people in the future. Even if others hurt you, you should be more tolerant, right?"

Li Xiuyuan reluctantly said yes.

Finally, Li Xiuyuan declined Xiaoyu's invitation and left again. Xiaoyu looked in the direction Li Xiuyuan left for a long time, then got up to leave. But before she could stand up, her leg trembled and she fell to the ground again.

It turns out that this little fox was seriously injured during its capture, and its magical power was weak and it did not have the ability to heal itself.

Upon hearing the sound behind him, Li Xiuyuan hurriedly turned around and saw Xiaoyu lying on the ground, pale-faced and weak.

"what happened to you?"

Li Xiuyuan anxiously reached out his hand, as if to take Xiaoyu's hand, but then stopped in mid-air.

The atmosphere became awkward for a moment. He scratched his head and stared at Xiaoyu's reddened eyes: "Where are you from? It's normal for there to be hunters in these mountains, but it's a bit dangerous for you to come out alone. You're lucky to have run into me."

Xiaoyu felt a little wronged; why were these words being said so sweetly now?

Despite the pain in her leg, Xiaoyu tilted her head back, pouted, and said, "My home is Thousand Fox Cave. Are you going to take me home? That's so cliché." But she liked it, though of course, Xiaoyu wouldn't say it outright.

“It’s old-fashioned, but it works.” Li Xiuyuan shook his head and quietly put his hand on Xiaoyu’s shoulder. Seeing that Xiaoyu didn’t react for a moment, he pulled her along to walk beside him and said, “But how do we get there? Look, I don’t know the way. Miss, you’ll have to lead the way.”

"Oh, you really have a lot of influence." Xiaoyu smiled and said, "Your savior."

"Mmm." Li Xiuyuan nodded without batting an eye. "So, let's get back to the question itself, Miss, how do I get to your house?"

Chapter 1165 Thousand Fox Cave

As Li Xiuyuan spoke, he cast a spell to heal Xiaoyu's injuries. Soon, a soft white light flashed, and Xiaoyu's leg no longer felt pain.

Xiaoyu felt it was amazing and admired her savior from the bottom of her heart, but she always restrained herself and could only try her best not to show her emotions too much.

Seeing that Xiaoyu pursed her lips as if she was considering something, he coughed twice and said, "It's getting late. Ah, where am I going to stay tonight?"

"In that case, never mind, come with me." Xiaoyu tugged at Li Xiuyuan's clothes and took a few quick steps. The place was lush and green with flowers. Li Xiuyuan looked at everything happily, and of course, he also enjoyed the wonderful feeling of those little hands tugging at his clothes.

"Pah, that's such a vulgar thought." Li Xiuyuan raised his head, just as a few birds happened to pass by.

But once Xiaoyu's initial excitement wore off, she suddenly realized that she had been holding onto the other person's clothes, which, while seemingly intimate, also appeared somewhat impolite.

Xiaoyu hesitated, then slowed down, gently letting go of his hand, and continued walking ahead. Turning back, Li Xiuyuan was still looking at the surrounding scenery in amazement. "Very good, very good, just like that."

On the way, the two chatted about this and that.

Li Xiuyuan, having seen much, simply embellished the stories he had heard. Even now, Xiaoyu had hardly left this area and had no ability to discern the truth in Li Xiuyuan's tales, though she listened with great interest.

Before long, a cave dwelling came into view. Li Xiuyuan looked around. There were several peach trees nearby, and some soil had been scraped away by time, revealing some stones that gave off a solid feeling.

Above the cave dwelling was a wooden plaque, tattered and worn, bearing the three characters "Thousand Fox Cave" in what appeared to be regular script, though somewhat loosely written. Mo Tianwen frowned, feeling he still couldn't see it very clearly, so he shifted his gaze.

Beside the bushes on the right, there is another stone tablet with the same words written on it. It looks much newer, so it seems they are not planning to find someone to make another plaque.

Xiaoyu tugged at Li Xiuyuan's clothes, and Li Xiuyuan gave an awkward laugh twice before quickly walking inside with Xiaoyu.

This place was originally a natural cave, which was probably expanded by Xiaoyu's ancestors. Although Li Xiuyuan didn't know much about architecture, he guessed it correctly by looking at the bluestone slabs under his feet and the stones that served as the walls in the cave.

This kind of construction is actually a huge undertaking, which cannot be accomplished in one generation. It requires the efforts and perseverance of several generations. Therefore, it is necessary to live up to the expectations of such a long period of time.

After walking about ten meters, Li Xiuyuan felt a light up before his eyes; this was the main hall.

The stone benches and chairs were all neatly placed with cushions. The teacups were made of wood with bamboo coasters. There were lampstands all around, each with a lit candle, which made him feel refreshed.

When Li Xiuyuan remembered Xiaoyu and turned his head, Xiaoyu tilted her head, looking speechless: "Huh? You're normal now? Then sit down. I'll go call my grandma; she's probably still resting." After saying that, she took two steps and suddenly turned back: "Hey, my savior, you can look around, but don't rummage around and jump around!"

Li Xiuyuan quickly looked away, stammering, "What kind of person do you take me for?"

"Oh, so I must have misread it?" Xiaoyu asked, then went into the inner room. The door was made of wood and looked quite old.

Li Xiuyuan carefully searched through his memory and finally confirmed that it should be pear wood. However, he had not seen any pear trees nearby and did not know where it came from.

"We are sorry for not being able to greet you properly when a guest arrives." Before seeing the person, he heard her voice. Li Xiuyuan saw the wooden door being slowly pushed open, revealing a cane. Then, as if to add, Xiaoyu's grandmother continued, "I'm an old woman, and I'm not very presentable. Please don't laugh at me."

"What are you saying!" Li Xiuyuan quickly replied. Just then, an old woman came out, seemingly unaffected by ordinary people, except that she walked rather slowly. This puzzled Li Xiuyuan, so he asked if she had caught a cold.

"What are you saying? I'm just old and my bones are falling apart." The old lady smiled and sat down, then smiled again, turned around and asked Xiaoyu, "Oh right, who is this? You haven't introduced her to me yet, you've only said that we have a guest."

"This guest happened to save my life; he's my savior!" Xiaoyu didn't seem uncomfortable at all, and even cracked a joke.

"Really? Then we really have to thank them!" The old lady quickly spoke to Xiaoyu, then turned around, took Li Xiuyuan's hand, licked her lips and said, "The child doesn't know how big or small things are. It's all thanks to you. Otherwise, if anything had happened to Xiaoyu, I, I wouldn't have been able to live my life."

"I just did it on a whim, no need to thank me." Although Li Xiuyuan was somewhat prepared, he had rarely seen anything like this before, and was momentarily at a loss for words, not knowing how to express himself.

But the old lady was already in tears. She stroked Li Xiuyuan's hand and said with great tenderness, "You saved my granddaughter's life, which is to say you saved my life. Oh, by the way, do you know where my benefactor lives?"

Li Xiuyuan was stunned, completely forgetting that he was supposed to withdraw his hand. Not only his hand, but his entire body remained motionless. After a long while, he finally figured out how to answer, but so much time had passed that anything he said now would feel incredibly awkward.

Seeing Li Xiuyuan's state, the old lady realized she was probably wrong about 70-80%. Thinking he might have made some mistake, she said, "If my benefactor doesn't want to talk about it, that's fine. Speaking of which, what do you think of the Thousand Fox Cave? I'll be frank. Although I have some skills, I am still a demon. I haven't cultivated to become an immortal and don't have the ability to live forever. One day I will... So, benefactor, would you like to stay?"

Looking at the fox den, Li Xiuyuan was filled with mixed emotions.

In the previous world, he had watched hundreds of foxes being burned to death by Bigan. Now, by sheer coincidence, he had encountered the descendants of those foxes.

Chapter 1166 The Old Fox's Instructions

While Li Xiuyuan was still wondering whether he should stay in the fox den, Xiaoyu took his hand and led him to tour the den. She was very happy for her savior and hoped he could stay, so she hurriedly showed him around.

"Look!" Xiaoyu said to Li Xiuyuan, holding up a precious sword.

As soon as Li Xiuyuan touched the sword, he knew it was a treasured heirloom of the fox clan. He said, "This sword is very valuable."

"Yes, this is my mother's precious sword. My grandmother said that my mother left this sword to me after she died."

After Xiaoyu finished speaking, she took out another piece of clothing from her box. The clothing seemed to have been sealed away for a long time, and it was covered in dust when she took it out, but you could still see the former glory of the clothing. Xiaoyu folded it neatly, which showed that she cherished this piece of clothing very much.

Li Xiuyuan found it strange and asked, "What is this?"

“These are the clothes my father wore before he died. My grandmother told me that they are also the things my father left me,” Xiaoyu said with a hint of sadness on her innocent face. Just as Li Xiuyuan was thinking about how to comfort her, Xiaoyu took his arm and whispered, “Brother Xiuyuan, you are the only friend I’ve ever known. Can you help me put on these clothes?”

Li Xiuyuan glanced at Xiaoyu, knowing what she was thinking. He made a hand gesture, and in the blink of an eye, the clothes were put on Li Xiuyuan from Xiaoyu's hands.

"Wow, Brother Xiuyuan, you're so amazing!" Xiaoyu clapped her hands excitedly, but then her eyes reddened as she looked at Li Xiuyuan without saying a word.

"What's wrong with you?" Li Xiuyuan asked, noticing Xiaoyu staring blankly at him.

"It's nothing," Xiaoyu smiled gently. "I just felt that when you were wearing my father's clothes and holding my mother's sword, it was like seeing my parents back then, and I was a little stunned."

Li Xiuyuan felt a pang of sympathy for Xiaoyu. "Have you never seen your parents?"

Xiaoyu walked to a tree stump and sat down, saying, "Yes, my father and mother died when I was born, and my grandmother has taken care of me since I was a child."

"Don't you miss them?" Li Xiuyuan walked to Xiaoyu's side. He was exceptionally talented and had traveled to various realms, constantly improving his cultivation. Naturally, he didn't quite understand the feelings between parents and children, but facing the innocent and pure Xiaoyu, he asked without any hesitation.

"I want to, but they often appear in my dreams. Now that I've seen Brother Li Xiuyuan wearing my father's clothes, I feel very satisfied," Xiaoyu said, looking into Li Xiuyuan's eyes. Li Xiuyuan affectionately patted Xiaoyu's head.

"You can stay in our fox den," the old fox demon said kindly, leaning on her cane as she entered. Her eyes lit up when she first saw Li Xiuyuan.

At the same time, there was an invisible pressure around him, as if a powerful circle had formed, making others feel awe. This was the cultivation level that only a born king could possess. The old fox demon was shocked. When he looked closely at Li Xiuyuan, he saw that his forehead was full and his eyebrows had a faint dragon aura. Such a person must have the ability to cover the sky and the sun.

She already had a plan in mind, but when she invited Li Xiuyuan to stay in the fox den for a few more days, he clearly hesitated. Now it seems that he likes Xiaoyu quite a bit, and the old fox demon took this opportunity to suggest that Li Xiuyuan stay again.

“Yes, Brother Xiuyuan, why don’t you stay in our cave for a few more days?” Xiaoyu stood up and said. Li Xiuyuan looked at Xiaoyu’s expectant face and nodded.

The old fox demon walked in leaning on her cane. Xiao Yu went to help her, but the old fox demon reached out and asked Li Xiuyuan to help her instead.

Without hesitation, Li Xiuyuan walked over and took the old fox demon's arm. As soon as he touched the old fox demon's arm, he felt an invisible force rushing into his pulse. Li Xiuyuan smiled slightly. He knew that the old fox demon was testing his cultivation level, but with her abilities, she probably couldn't detect anything.

Sure enough, after a short while, the old fox demon looked at Li Xiuyuan in shock. She knew in her heart that she and Li Xiuyuan were not at the same level at all, so much so that she was pushed out of the realm as soon as she sensed him. It seemed that this person's cultivation was unfathomable. This made her even more determined to entrust Xiaoyu to him.

"Alas, I'm getting old." The old fox demon sighed as he sat on the wooden stake. "These past few days, I've often dreamt of things from the past. When I wake up, I feel that my magic has dissipated. I've lived for several hundred years now, and it seems my days are numbered."

"Grandma..." Upon hearing the old fox demon say this, Xiaoyu was extremely saddened. She called out, her voice trembling with the sound of tears.

Seeing this, Li Xiuyuan quickly comforted her, "Grandma, don't say that. As an elder of the fox clan, as long as you focus on cultivation and improve your cultivation level, you will definitely be able to achieve enlightenment and become a fox immortal. At that time, you can live to be a hundred years old and accompany Xiaoyu."

"No more," the old fox demon smiled and shook his head, reaching out to pull Xiaoyu to sit beside him, saying, "Life and death are determined by fate. We demons, having lived to this age, naturally know our destiny. Xiaoyu, don't be sad. Whether you are a demon or a god, your fate is predetermined. Birth, aging, sickness, and death, the cycle of reincarnation and cause and effect, are all natural laws. Grandma will die; this is the way of heaven. You don't need to be sad."

After the old fox demon finished speaking, he turned to Li Xiuyuan and said, "You don't need to lie to me. I know my own fate. I am already exhausted and nearing the end of my life. It's just that Xiaoyu is all alone. She has never had parents since she was a child. I really can't rest easy about her."

When Xiaoyu heard the old fox demon say this, she buried her head in the old fox demon's arms and cried, "Grandma."

The old fox demon patted Xiaoyu's head, then looked at Li Xiuyuan and said, "I know you are a good child. When I probed your cultivation just now, I realized that you are no ordinary person. Although I don't know your background, my judgment is not wrong. I dare to ask you for a favor. Could you take care of Xiaoyu for me? She is too young and inexperienced in the world. I am really worried about her."

Seeing the old fox demon's honesty and Xiaoyu's genuine purity and cuteness, Li Xiuyuan nodded and said, "Don't worry, Grandma, I promise you I will take care of Xiaoyu."

Chapter 1167 Cultivating with Two Disciples

The old fox demon nodded and smiled. "Alright, but in this vast world, demons, gods, and Buddhas have always been at odds. I know you are not a fish in a pond, and you will have many things to do in the future. It will be difficult to take care of Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu cannot rely on you all the time. Do you think you can take her as your disciple so that she can have a way to protect herself?"

"This..." Li Xiuyuan hesitated. He had just arrived in the world of the Lotus Lantern and didn't know what would happen. Moreover, he would eventually have to leave this world. What would happen to Xiaoyu then? "I beg you here." Unexpectedly, the old fox demon saw Li Xiuyuan's hesitation and made a move to kneel down.

Li Xiuyuan quickly helped the old fox demon up, saying, "Grandma, please don't be like this. I promise you, I will take Xiaoyu as my disciple."

The old fox demon was overjoyed and quickly turned to Xiaoyu, saying, "Xiaoyu, why don't you pay your respects to your master?"

Xiaoyu immediately knelt down and said, "Xiaoyu greets Master."

Li Xiuyuan helped Xiaoyu up. "Although I am your master, you don't need to bow so formally to me in the future. Just call me brother." Xiaoyu nodded happily. The old fox demon was also very gratified and said to Li Xiuyuan, "These clothes and this sword are the heirlooms of Xiaoyu's parents. Now I'm giving them to you, my master, as a gift. Please don't find them offensive."

Li Xiuyuan smiled and nodded. Although the two items were insignificant, they were, after all, a token of their goodwill, so Li Xiuyuan had no choice but to accept them.

Then, Li Xiuyuan gathered a power in his fingers and transmitted it to Xiaoyu. Instantly, Xiaoyu's cultivation level improved by several levels, and she felt refreshed and clear-headed. "This is also a gift from your master to you," Li Xiuyuan said with a smile.

From then on, Chenxiang had another companion on his path of cultivation, namely Xiaoyu, who was also Li Xiuyuan's disciple.

Once Chenxiang left Liu Yanchang, he was like a wild horse. Ever since the fox demon Xiaoyu joined them, Chenxiang had truly become a loner, watching them show off their affection all day long. That girl Xiaoyu was constantly calling him "Master, Master," and later on, she even only prepared meals for Li Xiuyuan. Fortunately, Chenxiang was still young, so he only had a slight complaint about it and didn't have too many thoughts about it. He just felt that Xiaoyu was always trying to steal his master from him.

"Master, Master, come and chase me!"

"Xiaoyu, slow down."