Chapter 101: Fire and Water Cannot Coexist, Harmony Yet Differences (Part 1) This immortal who had brought them...

the red-covered, white-robed figure was like a gentle breeze, coming and going at will, uncontrollable.

"Immortal!"

He had clearly intervened in human affairs in the illusion, yet now, his words were double-dealing, leaving behind countless questions and simply departing.

Ye Qingzhan observed Dr. Fox's actions, then glanced in the direction of the Apocalypse Immortal's departure. He truly didn't care, leaving without a second thought.

After muttering inwardly, Ye Qingzhan returned his gaze to the Taoist white fox who had emerged from the tiger-head shoes.

Grandma Chuntao had always worn the tiger-head shoes around her neck, never questioning them. Even after returning from the illusion, when the ghost visitors had resolved their concerns, Grandma Chuntao still held the shoes with a blank gaze, vacant and infatuated. No one was allowed to approach, let alone touch them, not even Chuntao, to remove them from her neck.

Thinking back, it was likely Dr. Fox's manipulation, fearing that others would discover his hiding place if they approached.

But when exactly did Dr. Fox go into hiding?

Ye Qingzhan remembered Grandma Chuntao's passing. She had actually heard of her before she entered the afterlife. Back

then, Li Ying had returned from his rounds, had erased his memory from Ye Qingzhan's mind, and left alone.

One rainy day, Ye Qingzhan, his eyesight sharper than ever, spotted a hunched old woman beneath the locust tree in front of his door. A pair of tiger-head shoes hung around her neck. It was the woman the villagers had been talking about, the woman who had gone mad looking for her granddaughter. Dark

clouds were swirling, and a downpour was about to fall. Ye Qingzhan glanced at Li Ying lying on the bed, remembering her usual advice: help those you can. With this in mind, Ye Qingzhan grabbed the umbrella at the door, intending to invite the old woman inside to rest and shelter from the rain. But before she could move, she saw another person emerge from behind the tree.

Nonsense, Hu Banxian.

She took a step back and watched Hu Banxian lead her to her residence.

At that time, she didn't know that the blind Banxian who often talked nonsense in Camellia Village was the Smiling Fox Taoist who could revive the dead. If she knew, she would never let Grandma Chuntao go with him.

Although Hu Shuo often told lies at that time, he was well-known for his good heart and helped others from time to time. Ye Qingzhan didn't think much about it and watched the two leave under the eaves.

Who knew that not long after, people in Camellia Village spread the rumor that someone had died in the back mountain. The dead woman was an old woman. When she was hanging on the tree, a pair of tiger-head shoes were tied around her neck. The villagers said that she missed her grandson so much that she had searched for him for many years without success. She committed suicide after she was discouraged. After lamenting, people worked together to bury her.

These were what Ye Qingzhan heard from others. When Grandma Chuntao died, she was on her way to Tianqi Mountain to pray to the gods and Buddha.

Now that I think about it, Grandma Chuntao's death must be related to the Taoist fox in front of him. How could an old man who always believed that his granddaughter was alive suddenly choose to hang himself?

Ye Qingzhan's gaze was heavily cast on the smiling fox in a white robe standing in the wind not far away.

The cautious "half-immortal" took Grandma Chuntao away right under her nose that day. He probably didn't expect that she could see at that time.

Dr. Fox wore a smiling fox mask, and his crescent eyes swept over the people and ghosts here.

Qinghuai hugged Zhao Jinfan with one hand, hatred rampant in his eyes, and his hand behind his back tightly grasped a dagger. Zhao Jinfan in his arms babbled with difficulty, his eyes full of worry and anger. The embroiderers surrounded Chu Mozhi in the center, using needles and thread as weapons, ready to take the life of this fox dog. Tian Jin and Tian Xue of Wuya Academy looked at him with complicated and cold eyes. Ming Che, who was standing behind them, had a look of bewilderment instead of hatred on his face.

The remaining ghost guests on the second floor of the Red Dust Inn leaned over and slapped the railings with increasing force, causing cracks in the wooden railings. The look they gave him was like a knife forged in fire, wanting to devour him.

Dr. Fox slowly retracted his gaze and looked at the ghosts in front of the stage.

Shan Niang held Xin Xin and Wang Jingshan in her arms, without a trace of fear in her eyes, but with disgust. Chun Tao embraced the grandmother he had treated as a chess piece, patiently comforting the frightened old woman, and looking at him with eyes wrapped in arsenic. The others who had been leisurely watching the show, drinking and listening to stories stood up, looking at him as if they were looking at something dirty.

Hu Shuo let out a light click of his tongue.

He was too familiar with this look.

In the past, when his fellow monks looked at him practicing, they always showed such contempt and disgust.

He also hated such looks the most.

Thinking of the past, Hu Shuo tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed on Wen Gu, and something fell out of his sleeve.

After coming out of the boundless strange domain, all the evil in Wen Gu's body was stripped away, and he was left in that dark place. At this time, the gloom on Wen Gu's face had also faded a lot, except for his pair of eyes, which were terrifyingly red, staring at the golden brocade bag floating next to Dr. Fox.

Ye Qingzhan's eyes also fell on this golden brocade bag. The brocade bag was like a spell, following Taoist Fox closely, moving with him, and never leaving his side, more like a guardian angel guarding him.

"Born in filth and raised in an evil place, why are you still standing here?" Dr. Fox pointed his whisk at Wen Gu, still with a smile that indicated he would not cause any trouble, but his voice was getting louder and louder, and he was filled with anger, "Why aren't they afraid of you and don't want to kill you!"

"Because he did nothing wrong!" Ye Qingzhan got out from the side of Wen Gu and stood in front of him, "Wen Gu could have grown up safely and healthily, it's all your fault, you stinky fox, why did you throw him into the boundless and strange domain!"

The man under the mask suddenly chuckled and looked at her, "Blame me? What did I do wrong? Wasn't it my senior brothers and sisters who went back on their word first? They agreed to be family members for life, but they gave birth to such a beast that attracted all their attention? How could they still remember me, their junior brother," his voice became heavier, "the junior brother who regarded them as everything."

"You..." Ye Qingzhan was shocked by the man's shamelessness. What kind of experience did a person have to be so eager for the attention of others, and after getting it, he became greedy and wanted to have it all to himself.

"Speaking of which, you should thank me," Dr. Fox's gaze returned to Wen Gu, "If it weren't for me, you, this evil beast, and those two people would not have met once."

How could this person have such a good heart? Ye Qingzhan curled his lips: "What nonsense are you talking about? You are the evil beast!"

As if he had not heard the girl's curse back, Dr. Fox said to himself: "I don't need your thanks, this evil beast. The bonds between people are more painful and more unforgettable when they are cut off."

Just as she thought, this person really had no good intentions. Fortunately, she had thought for a moment that this person still had a trace of humanity. Thinking of the kindness of Wen Gu's parents to him, he felt guilty and reunited the three of them for a while. Now it seems that she thought too much.

Ye Qingzhan glanced at Wen Gu. The hatred in his eyes was obvious and almost overflowed. She pulled the corner of his clothes, trying to regain his sanity.

"What a pity," Dr. Fox sighed. "I should have been kind. I should have let you kill each other. After one of you died, I would have told the survivors the truth." As he spoke, he suddenly laughed out loud a few times, then suddenly looked at the ghost guests. "What do you think, wouldn't this be more fun? Those who survived would either choose to deceive themselves and not believe the truth I told them, or live with self-blame for the rest of their lives. The strong-willed might even end their lives on the spot. Hahaha, it's a pleasure to think about it."

Standing in mid-air, overlooking the Taoists, his ghostly laughter mingled with the cool breeze, like a scimitar cutting his body. Li Zhixing, who was supporting Hu Tangqing and standing behind a pillar, could no longer endure it and shouted, "Shut up! You're like a sick man, thinking about causing trouble for others all day long. If other people's parents don't love their own children, do they love you? Why do parents have to stay with their children all the time, and relatives don't have to do the same? What the hell is in your head!"

The exiled immortal's scolding was always loud and unrestrained. Now it broke into the night, and everyone wanted to applaud and curse, saying what was in their hearts.

Dr. Fox seemed to be stunned by the scolding. He lowered his head and whispered, "Do parents love their children?" The question was soft and thin, as thin as a mosquito, more like a self-mumbling than a question, and soon dissipated in the night wind.

No one heard his words.

But in a moment, the Taoist fox suddenly raised his head, and his smiling eyes focused on Wen Gu again, "You little beast, you are so lucky. In order to give birth to you, your parents can give up their glory and betray their master. They have also been running around in the mortal world for decades for you!" The brocade bag following closely beside him kept growing silently, and the light it emitted made his face shine. The smile formed by his curved eyes became more and more weird, "The place you casually threw away turned out to be a strange place that so many people want to set foot in. How can a little beast like you survive in such a place? And..."

His words were interrupted again. Hei Batian, who was happily chasing and biting his tail, had heard enough of what the Taoist fox said. He rushed to him without warning, and in the blink of an eye he turned into a giant dragon with a flame burning on his head: "You dead fox, you talk too much nonsense!" As soon as the words fell, the dragon's tail suddenly rose up, and came through the wind from top to bottom, chopping directly at the Taoist fox's head.

Ye Qingzhan and the others were hoping that Hei Batian would strike with one strike, but the golden brocade sac, like an iron shield, appeared before the Fox Taoist, firmly protecting him. It then grew even larger in an instant, like a giant shield and net, leaving Dragon Tail no chance to strike.

Seeing Dragon Tail's sweeping attack ineffective, Hei Batian opened his mouth and spurted out a blazing fire, but the brocade sac, which served as both shield and cage, showed no signs of burning. Protected by the brocade sac, the Fox Taoist spoke slowly, "The brocade sac won't burn, but the two inside will be angry if it burns again."

He controlled his voice perfectly, just loud enough for those closest to him to hear. Ye Qingzhan exchanged a glance with Wen Gu, then met the gaze of the exiled immortal behind the pillar under the eaves. He nodded slightly, holding the ginkgo leaf between his fingers, ready to strike.

Under the scorching flames, the seal of the brocade sac slowly opened, and two figures appeared before the crowd.

After seeing who was coming, Ye Qingzhan dropped the ginkgo in his hand to the ground.