Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 36 Saving the Fox Clan

The two traveled at a brisk pace and arrived at the abandoned manor outside Qingshan Town in less than half an hour.

The manor was very large, covering more than ten acres, with high walls and tightly closed gates.

It was completely quiet inside; you couldn't hear a sound.

Zhou Ning and Xin Shisi Niang scaled the wall and cautiously approached the main building in the center of the manor.

The main building was lit up, and several figures could be vaguely seen moving around.

Zhou Ning pulled out an "evil-repelling talisman" from his waist and held it in his hand, while holding the Qingfeng sword in his other hand, and quietly approached the window.

Through the crack in the window, he could see what was happening inside.

Three men in black robes were sitting at a table, drinking and eating meat.

Beside them lay a dozen or so unconscious young women, all of whom resembled foxes.

He had delicate features and a faint aura of demonic power.

"Brother, should we still look for that fox spirit who escaped?" asked a black-robed man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face.

The leader, a burly man in black robes, with a face full of scars, sneered:

"What's the point of searching? She's badly injured and can't have gone far. Let's finish our drinks first, then we can search the mountains. Anyway, nobody around here dares to interfere with our business."

Another man in black robes said, "I've heard there's a Lanruo Temple on this mountain, where a sword immortal named Yan Chixia lives. Should we be careful?"

"Yan Chixia?" The burly man scoffed.

"That old man is long gone. Even if he were still alive, he wouldn't dare to interfere in our Black Mountain affairs."

Zhou Ning was furious upon hearing this.

Without further hesitation, he pushed open the window and leaped into the room.

"Who is it?"

The three men in black robes stood up at the same time and drew their weapons.

Without wasting words, Zhou Ning threw the "Exorcism Talisman" in his hand at the nearest man in black robes with a pointed beak.

"disease!"

The talisman transformed into a golden light, striking the black-robed man squarely in the chest.

"what!"

The man in the black robe with the pointed beak let out a scream, his body bursting into golden flames. He rolled on the ground a few times and then fell silent.

The other two men in black robes were terrified and quickly cast spells.

The burly man raised his hand, and a black beam of light shot towards Zhou Ning.

Zhou Ning was prepared and dodged the attack with a quick movement.

The beam of light struck the wall behind them, blasting a large hole in it.

He seized the opportunity to rush forward, and with a swing of his Qingfeng sword, a streak of azure sword energy slashed towards another man in black robes.

The man in black robes hurriedly dodged, but the sword energy was too fast and still grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep wound.

"Kid, you're asking for it."

The burly man was enraged. He formed a hand seal and began chanting incantations.

The ground began to tremble, and countless black tentacles surged from the ground, coiling towards Zhou Ning.

It's that same trick again.

This wasn't the first time Zhou Ning had faced this kind of magic.

He used his lightness technique to weave and dodge among the tentacles, while simultaneously pulling out three "evil-repelling talismans" from his waist and throwing them at the burly man.

Three golden rays of light, arranged in a triangular shape, shot straight toward the burly man.

The burly man dared not take the blow head-on and quickly dodged. But the golden light was too fast, and one of it still struck his left arm.

"what!"

The burly man let out a scream as a charred wound appeared on his left arm, emitting wisps of black smoke.

He clutched his wound, glaring venomously at Zhou Ning:

"Who...who exactly are you?"

Zhou Ning gripped his Qingfeng sword tightly and said coldly, "Yan Chixia's disciple."

The burly man's expression changed drastically.

"Yan...Yan Chixia?"

He suddenly pulled a black token from his pocket, intending to crush it and escape.

Zhou Ning was prepared. He shot forward like an arrow, and with a wave of his Qingfeng sword, he knocked the token out of Zhou Ning's hand.

"Trying to run away?"

The burly man gritted his teeth and slapped Zhou Ning with his palm.

The palm strike carried a thick, black aura with a pungent, fishy stench.

Instead of retreating, Zhou Ning advanced, condensing his inner energy at the tip of his sword and unleashing the "Demon-Slaying Slash".

A dazzling cyan sword aura shot out from the tip of the sword and collided with the burly man's palm strike.

"boom!"

The two forces collided, producing a deafening explosion.

The burly man was struck by the sword energy, sent flying backward, crashing into the wall, and spitting out a mouthful of black blood.

He struggled to stand up, only to find that the internal energy within him had been shattered by the sword energy and could not be reconstituted at all.

Zhou Ning walked up to him and looked down at him.

"Tell me, what exactly do you Black Mountain people want with these foxes?"

The burly man grinned maliciously: "You...you won't get anything out of me!"

He suddenly bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of black blood.

The black blood transformed into a cloud of black mist in the air and rushed towards Zhou Ning.

Zhou Ning quickly dodged, the black mist brushed past his shoulder, and his clothes were instantly corroded, leaving a large hole.

When he looked again, the burly man was lying on the ground, bleeding from all seven orifices, and had no breath.

He committed suicide by poisoning himself.

Zhou Ning sighed and walked to Xin Shisi Niang's side.

"Miss Xin, your people are all here. See if anyone is injured?"

Xin Shisi Niang walked to the unconscious women and examined them one by one, her eyes reddening.

"They...they're all still alive. They've just been drugged and won't wake up for the time being."

Zhou Ning nodded: "That's good. I'll help them recover from the effects of the drug first."

He took out several "Qingxin Pills" from his bag and had Xin Shisi Niang give them to the women.

Before long, the women woke up one after another, and when they saw Xin Shisi Niang, they all started to cry.

"Fourteenth Sister, you...you escaped?"

Xin Shisi Niang nodded and pointed at Zhou Ning, saying, "It was this young master Zhou who saved us."

The women all bowed down to Zhou Ning.

Zhou Ning quickly helped them up, saying, "No need for such formalities. You should leave here and return to Qingqiu."

Xin Shisi Niang said, "Young Master Zhou, the people of Black Mountain will not let this go. We, the Qingqiu Fox Clan, are afraid there is nowhere safe anymore."

Zhou Ning thought for a moment and said, "Then you should come back to Lanruo Temple with me first. My master, Yan Chixia, is there; he will protect you."

Xin Shisi Niang was overjoyed and quickly thanked her.

Zhou Ning, along with Xin Shisi Niang and the fox clan women, left the abandoned manor and returned to Lanruo Temple.

It was already afternoon when we returned to the temple.

Yan Chixia was meditating in the main hall when he saw Zhou Ning return with a group of fox clan women, and he frowned slightly.

"Why did you bring back so many?"

Zhou Ning recounted the entire incident.

Yan Chixia was silent for a moment, then said:

"Very well, since we've already saved them, let's see it through. Let them stay at the temple for now, and we'll make further plans once they've recovered."

He looked at Xin Shisi Niang: "Are you from the Qingqiu Fox Clan? Do you know a woman in white named Liu Niang?"

Xin Shisi Niang was taken aback: "Liu Niang? That's my sister."

Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat.

It turns out that Xin Shisi Niang is the younger sister of the woman in white.

"Your sister...she's at Lanruo Temple in Guobei County right now," Zhou Ning said.

"She's been looking for you."

Xin Shisi Niang's eyes reddened:

"Sister...is she still alive?"

Zhou Ning nodded: "She's alive. She also saved several women in distress."

Xin Shisi Niang wept uncontrollably and bowed deeply to Zhou Ning:

"Young Master Zhou, thank you, thank you for saving me, and thank you for telling me about my sister."

Zhou Ning helped her up, saying, "There's no need for such formalities, young lady. Your reunion is the best outcome."

He looked at Yan Chixia: "Master, I wish to go to Guobei County and send Miss Xin to her sister."

Yan Chixia thought for a moment and nodded:

"Go ahead. Come back soon."

Zhou Ning nodded and left Lanruo Temple with Xin Shisi Niang.