The Little Fox's Immortal Cultivation Encyclopedia

The dirt road winds its way downhill, with a clear stream beside it, its pebbles clearly visible. A gentle breeze blows, and golden maple leaves fall onto people's shoes and stick to fox fur.

Duan Mianli and three constables walked ahead, while the fox hopped and skipped behind them at a distance.

After leaving the mountain god's temple and no longer near its den, the fox became much bolder and no longer afraid of being discovered. Since holding its tail up was also difficult, it simply dispelled the illusion and blended into the red leaves covering the mountain.

"Splash!" The fox stood by the stream, pushed a pebble into the water, and tilted its head to examine its reflection.

The fox seems to have grown a bit bigger, especially its tail, which has grown the fastest and is now as big as the fox itself.

The fox leaped forward a few steps, found a spot in deeper water, and plunged its head completely into it.

"Sound! Why did some of the incense the fox ate have a strong flavor while others had a weak one?"

"Incense is not merely the smoke from plants, but rather the embodiment of the devout hearts of ordinary people."

The fox retracted its head, shook it vigorously, and its red fur suddenly bristled, splashing water droplets everywhere.

"The intensity of the aura depends entirely on the sincerity of the supplicant; the deeper the sincerity, the stronger the aura; the shallower the sincerity, the weaker the aura..."

The fox, its fur trembling, wasn't paying any attention to what the sound was saying. In its mind, it was making a mental note: 'Sound can even speak underwater. Next time, should I try digging a really, really deep hole?'

Looking ahead, the figures had already disappeared from sight. The fox hurriedly quickened its pace, putting the game of hide-and-seek with the sounds behind it.

On the dirt road ahead, the constables exchanged glances. The older one walked up to Duan Mianli and said, "Lord Duan, the reason we declined earlier is because there has always been a legend in our Tao County."

Duan Mianli glanced sideways at the yamen runner but said nothing.

The constable, not daring to be presumptuous, replied, "Sir, do you know the origin of Tao County?"

"It is said that before the establishment of this dynasty, at the end of the previous dynasty, this place was a place of war and chaos because it was connected to the north and south. The people hid in this green mountain, where they could not get enough to eat or wear."

"Just then, an immortal passed by and, feeling sorry for the people's poverty, took out two peaches from his robes, peeled off the flesh and gave them to the people. He also planted two peach pits on Qingling Mountain, which created the fragrant peach blossoms that fill the mountain today. The other one was planted in Taoxian County, which is the sun-shading peach tree that the magistrate and the county magistrate saw in the city on the day they took office."

"Many people were saved by this peach grove. After the war subsided, the survivors built villages and cities based on the peach trees. But as time went on, the immortals did not return. The peach tree in the city was fine, as it was suppressed by the yang energy of the people. However, this mountain area had been uninhabited for a long time, and a peach tree actually developed consciousness and transformed into an old man in green robes."

"Perhaps it was the people's long-standing demands for peaches that displeased him, so he began to give peaches to those who were unaware of the truth."

"Those who eat this peach will die immediately and cannot be reincarnated. They can only be reborn by tricking others into eating this peach."

"To avoid the taboo, over time, everyone started calling these people 'escaped souls.' Most of these escaped souls would mysteriously disappear, yet they would appear to be ordinary people. Some would stay at home, deceiving their relatives. Others would go out and seduce passersby. Only after they were reincarnated would their true forms be revealed."

"Therefore, no one in our county would disappear without a trace, and everyone would inform their relatives and friends of their whereabouts before undertaking any business. This young man Pu has vanished without a trace, which is why we..."

Duan Mianli, expressionless, interrupted the yamen runner: "Chief Niu, you certainly have a silver tongue. I see you're getting on in years, why don't you set up a stall at the teahouse on East Street? I guarantee people will be scrambling to listen to your stories, and you'll earn far more money than you do as a yamen runner."

"No, I wouldn't dare."

"Hmph!" Duan Mianli snorted coldly.

"Hmph hmph hmph!" The fox echoed Duan Mianli's humming.

"Why is it that there are no bad things where there are people, but bad things appear where there are no people? The fox, and the fox's parents, and the fox's grandparents, and... in short, the fox has lived here for so many years and has never seen anything strange, but the moment it saw you humans, it immediately encountered one."

The fox muttered to itself, regretting that it couldn't speak human language.

Tao County.

The streets were bustling with people, filled with the lively atmosphere of everyday life. The county government office was closed, and the interior was completely silent.

Zhang Enhuai frowned, looking at the dossier in his hand. The tea on the table had long since gone cold. County Magistrate He Guijian stepped forward to refill the cup, when suddenly the County Magistrate spoke:

"Guijian, have you discovered any other missing persons cases today?"

"Reporting to the magistrate, all the officials in the yamen have been dispatched. However, the people here are very wary of disappearances, and these people cannot be kept in the dark any longer. Some neighbors have noticed something amiss and reported it to the authorities."

"The constables can only probe indirectly, and so far, apart from these four families, they have not found anything."

Magistrate Zhang looked at the file: Li Agui, age 58, from Taoxiang, stayed at his children's house in the city, and went missing in the city on July 14th. Shen Erlang, from Qinglinxiang, went missing on July 14th... Zhang Wulang, from Xipanxiang...

July 14th was the day I took office, and also the day I imprisoned that sorcerer.

The timing is so coincidental, and the fact that one person has gone missing in each of the four townships under Tao County's jurisdiction can no longer be considered a coincidence. Just as the sorceress said, someone behind this is openly demonstrating their power. But what is their purpose in doing this?

Zhang Enhuai frowned even deeper: "Guijian, have the constables questioned the missing person's family members and found any clues?"

He Guijian looked troubled and said in a low voice, "I've asked around, but I didn't get much out of it. However, Magistrate, I do have an idea."

"Why don't I send someone on horseback to summon Lord Duan and his constables back? The position of county lieutenant has been vacant for a long time, so I think we should let Lord Duan take it. Firstly, he's easier to manage, and secondly, Lord Duan is wise, brave, and highly skilled in martial arts. How about letting him lead his men to investigate the case?"

Zhang Enhuai closed the file, his face darkening: "Nonsense!"

He Guijian tried to persuade him further: "I dare not speak rashly about appointments or dismissals, but... but the situation is urgent right now, so this is only a temporary measure..."

"The county magistrate is an official appointed by the imperial court, and his appointment and dismissal are at the discretion of the court. How can you or I have any say in this?" Zhang Enhuai took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. "County Magistrate He, let's not talk about this. Please go to the prison and ask the jailers to leave. I need to go with the Taoist priest to interrogate the sorcerer."

He Guijian bowed and left.

Zhang Enhuai sighed and looked at the tall, slender man with clear features standing to the side, wearing a blue Taoist robe.

"We are grateful for Abbot Yun's assistance."

"It's alright. Since our temple has received the offerings of incense from the people of Tao County, we should naturally do something in return." Abbot Yun smiled gently. "Now that people in the county are going missing one after another, and the county magistrate is being plotted against by demons, my Qingling Temple has some Taoist skills. My disciples are all busy with their work, so how can I stand idly by?"