After Transmigrating into an Evil God - Chapter 25.2

The red fox ignored him, grooming the fur on its body. After ensuring its appearance was neat, it assumed a solemn expression, stood upright, and knocked on the door.

A small monkey sitting on the courtyard wall watched him, its eyes turning. Before long, it jumped into the mountain forest and disappeared.

The red fox paid no attention to this wild monkey that hadn’t yet entered the path of cultivation. His heart was filled with nervousness.

Just arriving outside the Li Manor gate, he had already sensed that mysterious and extraordinary spiritual essence.

Spirit mist dense and nourishing to all spirits, spiritual essence profound and transforming heaven and earth.

It wouldn’t be long before this small blessed land would, due to the deity within it, transform into a rare spiritual cave!

Moreover… The red fox closed his eyes to sense that transformative, profound spiritual essence. If he could comprehend it, never mind taking human form—even becoming a demon king would be absolutely no problem.

Jin Yan’s previous words to him were not exaggerated at all. But could he truly grasp this opportunity?

The red fox’s heart filled with trepidation. Following Ding Qin into the courtyard, though he had been invited by Jin Yan to be a teacher, he couldn’t help being extremely nervous. His spiritually wise fox heart was in turmoil, fearing he would miss this opportunity before him.

The Great Way was hard to find; cultivation was a path to heaven—how steep and difficult! Like seeking flowers in fog, building pavilions in the air.

How many beings cultivated their entire lives yet never saw clearly the ultimate goal? And how many beings saw that pavilion in the sky but, lacking the method to ascend, sought the Way everywhere only to end in regret?

He was born a spirit fox. His clan had complete cultivation methods to teach, and his predecessors selflessly displayed and taught the path they had walked step by step.

Yet even so, that ladder to heaven was covered with thorns and fine as a hair. Beyond the righteous path, countless dangers and temptations caused cultivators to stop and wander, or even fall into the abyss.

The red fox had a heart seeking the Way. Having encountered today this opportunity that might take countless lifetimes to cultivate, how could he not be extremely excited?

His mind raced with countless thoughts. At one moment he wondered if assuming human form would be more respectful, at another he hesitated whether displaying his meager illusion arts would be showing off before an expert and backfire instead.

While still wavering, the red fox had already followed Ding Qin into Li Chi’s courtyard.

The deity wore flowing wide-sleeved robes, sitting casually on the blue stone with one leg hanging down, radiating endless ease. His sleeve cuffs were dampened by sweet dew, his robe hem draped over the stone’s edge. His ink-black pupils were like clear pools of water, and when he looked over, it was like light from heaven suddenly falling upon him alone.

The red fox looked up in admiration, speechless.

“Are you stunned?” Jin Yan suddenly alighted on a nearby stone table, tilting his head to mock him, then looked toward Li Chi. “High God, don’t let this fellow’s current dazed state fool you. He’s usually very clever, and his learning is excellent. He once studied under a great Confucian scholar. If not for lacking a human body, passing the imperial examination as top scholar would be no problem for him.”

The red fox suddenly came to his senses and solemnly bowed. “Li Feng pays respects to the High God. This small fox comes from the Li clan of Qingqiu, twelfth in my family. My elders often call me LiShi’er Lang.”

Li Feng raised his head, his eyes bright with hope. “This one wishes to serve the High God and begs the High God to teach me.”

Li Chi was silent for a moment, his eyes distant as he looked at the karmic threads on Li Feng’s body.

“Do you want me to teach you cultivation, or do you want me to teach you how to take human form?”

Li Feng froze.

Jin Yan asked curiously, “High God, what is the difference between the two?” Wasn’t taking human form just one step on the cultivation path for most demons?

Li Chi shook his head and said to Li Feng, “You know the distinction yourself.”

Jin Yan looked toward Li Feng and saw the fox’s face change expression. He suddenly remembered that on the journey here, Li Feng had indeed specifically asked him only about transformation. Could there be some special reason?

After Li Feng’s expression changed for a moment, he bowed again. “I wish to take human form.”

After speaking these words, a karmic thread on Li Feng’s body gently rippled.

That karmic thread was very special. It was tinged with a layer of pink, delicate as newly opened peach blossom petals, soft and light, requiring careful protection, its meaning lingering like silk carefully wrapped around the tip of a tail finger.

But around this pink-tinged karmic thread were several other karmic threads. When it moved, they all trembled together, and those threads were stained with ominous gray-black.

Li Chi lowered his eyes, looking at the red fox with youthful eyes. “When the heart and mind move, the spirit pool can no longer remain clear. You saw the lingering affection and sought to fly together, but did you also see that honey has bee stingers guarding it, and fragrant flowers bloom on dangerous cliffs?”

Li Feng’s body trembled. The deity’s gaze was penetrating and perceptive, as if he had seen through all his thoughts.

“I…” Li Feng’s expression struggled greatly, yet he still harbored hope, wavering and unable to speak.

Li Chi quietly watched the bowing red fox.

Those gray-black karmic threads were ominous, not like those he had seen before in his dreams, born from one’s own sins.

But these gray-black karmic threads already revealed murderous intent.

Yet that pink-tinged karmic thread was also truly real, its meaning sincere. No wonder this red fox struggled so much, unable to make a decision.

Unfortunately, these several karmic threads shared the same origin. When the pink meaning solidified, the murderous intent solidified; when the pink meaning dissolved, the killing tribulation also dissolved.

“The disaster cannot be avoided. Consider it yourself. Come ask me again after you’ve made your decision.” Li Chi shook his head.

Li Feng left the courtyard in a daze, his spirit lost.

Jin Yan couldn’t help showing worry and asked Li Chi, “High God, why would he have a disaster? Can it truly not be avoided?”

“He knows how to avoid it himself,” Li Chi said. “It’s just a matter of whether he wants to or not.”

Jin Yan was extremely worried. What had Li Feng provoked? Since the High God was unwilling to say more, he couldn’t ask further. He could only spread his wings and follow Li Feng.

“Hey!” Jin Yan stopped before him. “What kind of trouble did you get into? Since you have a way to avoid the disaster, just use it. What’s there to hesitate about? If the disaster unfolds, it’ll be too late for everything.”

Li Feng stopped before him, both fox ears beginning to droop, his clear young voice full of confusion. “I haven’t done anything wrong, nor do I feel I made a mistake, but… the elders in my clan said I would have a disaster. But I don’t want to give up. I thought there must be a way to resolve it.”

Jin Yan, seeing his vague and evasive manner, grew anxious. “What are you thinking? Your clan elders said so, the High God said so—what can’t you decide? What exactly is it? Just explain clearly!”

Li Feng only shook his head and said nothing.

Seeing he couldn’t force it out of him, Jin Yan huffed angrily. “If you won’t say, fine. Stay here these few days and don’t forget why I invited you here.” With that, he spread his wings and flew away again.

At least by the High God’s side, Li Feng’s disaster wouldn’t find him for a while. He had many things to keep him busy. In his absence, many changes had occurred at the Li Manor.

The High God now had a qin, the long-dead old pine at the gate had sprouted new shoots—these weren’t much. The key question was: How did that group of monkeys get in?!

Monkeys were clever by nature. If they captured the High God’s attention, wouldn’t he be overlooked? Jin Yan felt very threatened and prepared to find Mister Hou Li to ask clearly.

……

Mister Hou Li was currently at the Li Manor gate.

A small monkey with two tufts of white whiskers on its cheeks stood outside the main gate, holding a small gourd in its arms. The gourd mouth was plugged with a rolled-up large leaf, exuding a rich wine fragrance.

The small monkey imitated the red fox’s manner, standing upright to knock on the door.

Mister Hou Li swept his hand and opened the gate.

Mister Hou Li looked down at it. The small monkey stood properly outside the door, squeaking twice, while raising its paw to offer the wine gourd and carefully glancing up at him.

“You’re quite clever,” Mister Hou Li said. “Come in, but don’t cause trouble, or I’ll throw you out again.”

The small monkey nodded obediently.

Mister Hou Li had no intention of arguing with this little monkey that wasn’t even a demon yet. Seeing it knew to follow etiquette, his form dispersed and vanished.

The small monkey scratched its head and joyfully ran into the courtyard to play.

Jin Yan had just flown over when he came up empty. He huffed angrily and landed on the wall top, knowing that Mister Hou Li found him too wordy and didn’t want to see him.

He had no way to call Mister Hou Li out, so he could only stare hard several times at that small monkey with white whiskers on its cheeks.

Hmm… It hadn’t become a demon yet, even less than that gray mouse, just relatively intelligent. That old monkey with white eyebrows and whiskers who was its great-grandfather was more competitive.

While Jin Yan was staring at the monkeys and pondering, the purple-gray mouse Wen Qianzi was also staring at him.

Jin Yan caught the little mouse’s gaze unexpectedly and instinctively asked, “What are you looking at?”

After asking, he smacked his beak. This gray mouse had barely awakened its spiritual intelligence and couldn’t speak—what was he asking for?

Jin Yan turned his head back, but suddenly heard a child’s voice. “Relatives and old friends.”

Jin Yan was so startled he whipped around, looked all around, then stared at the little mouse and asked, “Are you talking?”

The little mouse nodded, then said again, “Relatives and old friends!”

“Who’s your relative! I can fly!” Jin Yan stared at him.

The little mouse curled its long tail beside itself. Jin Yan inexplicably detected some grievance from this. He clacked his sharp beak once and continued, “Old friends is barely acceptable.”

The little mouse’s eyes brightened, and it said ingratiatingly, “Phoenix singing in the tree!”

Jin Yan was amused by him and flew down beside it. “How come you can suddenly talk?”

The little mouse thought hard for a long time but couldn’t find words to use. Helplessly, it pointed at itself with its tail tip. “Wen Qianzi! ‘Thousand Character Classic’!”

“What?” Jin Yan asked blankly.

After gesturing back and forth and asking several times, he finally understood. This gray mouse hadn’t transformed its hyoid bone and could only speak words from the “Thousand Character Classic,” having gained the name Wen Qianzi.

Such an opportunity… Jin Yan couldn’t help feeling envious. During his absence, how much had he missed?

While feeling envious, Wen Qianzi squeaked at him again, ran a few steps toward a corner of the courtyard, then turned to look at him.

Jin Yan, curious about what he wanted to do, followed along and was led by the little mouse all the way to the wall.

Along the wall was arranged a row of gourds. The gourd mouths were sealed with divine arts, not revealing the slightest trace of aura.

“What is this?” Jin Yan asked curiously.

The little mouse didn’t answer, only gestured for him to open them.

The divine arts on the gourd mouths were set by High God Li Chi. Without the High God’s permission, he couldn’t open them… Jin Yan watched his gestures, pondering the meaning.

“Did the High God leave this for me?” Jin Yan asked.

The little mouse nodded.

Jin Yan pecked twice at the gourd mouth, and the divine arts on it indeed dispersed. A wine fragrance rich with spiritual energy wafted from the gourd mouth.

Jin Yan’s eyes lit up, and he cackled with laughter.

The High God indeed remembered him!

His neck stretched, his sharp beak opened wide. Jin Yan poured all the spirit wine from the gourd into his belly.

Clang.

A drunk collared dove.

Wen Qianzi looked at him sorrowfully, thought for a while, then dragged over two large tree leaves to cover him.

……

Ding Qin had long since observed this scene and was covering her mouth to stifle her laughter.

A smile appeared on Li Chi’s face.

This morning’s cultivation had already ended. He said to Ding Qin, “Go on your own. If that Li Feng is unwilling, find another teacher. In the meantime, you’ll continue learning calligraphy with me.”

The red fox Li Feng had been shaken by the deity and was wholly preoccupied with contemplating his own path, completely forgetting the purpose for which Jin Yan had invited him. Coming and going, he paid no attention whatsoever to Ding Qin.

Though Li Feng had ignored her, Ding Qin wasn’t upset. As the High God said, if this teacher was unwilling to teach her, she would simply find another teacher. Following the High God to practice calligraphy was also something she enjoyed.

Seeing Ding Qin leave, the small monkey with white whiskers on its cheeks rolled its eyes and followed out as well.

Ding Qin, following her usual routine, returned to her own courtyard to tend to that small patch of lush green vegetable garden.

The small monkey squatted nearby to watch for a while, then found half a split bamboo section somewhere and used it as a ladle, imitating Ding Qin by scooping water to irrigate the ground.