In the latter half of the night, the moon had shifted westward.
Bai Heng lay at the entrance of her rock cave, eyes half-closed, caught between sleep and wakefulness. The village below had long since gone dark. Only the occasional bark of a dog drifted on the night wind.
Suddenly, her ears twitched slightly.
From the direction of the woods behind the village came a very faint sound.
Bai Heng opened her eyes and quietly extended her divine sense.
It was Granny Jiang.
The hunched figure was slowly making her way along the forest path toward the mountain god temple.
Bai Heng stood up, shook out her fur, and leaped down from the rock in complete silence.
Under the moonlight, a white shadow swept along the mountain ridge and quickly vanished into the woods.
The mountain god temple remained dilapidated, its door ajar.
When Bai Heng pushed the door open and entered, Granny Jiang was already seated on the stone steps beneath the deity statue.
“You’re here?”
Granny Jiang’s voice was calm, as if she had been waiting for her.
Bai Heng nodded and crouched in front of her.
Granny Jiang raised her hand. A very faint glow overflowed from her fingertips and instantly enveloped the entire mountain god temple. The light flashed once and vanished, returning the interior to dimness.
“The restriction is activated.”
She looked at Bai Heng.
“Speak freely. No one below late-stage Golden Core can hear us.”
Bai Heng nodded slightly and said nothing more.
Granny Jiang looked at her and was silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
“Qingxi Village will soon lose its peace.”
Bai Heng’s ears perked up slightly.
Granny Jiang continued.
“My old acquaintances have sent me some news.”
She paused.
“Someone discovered Yun Qing’s grave in the deep mountains north of Lan Province.”
Bai Heng’s pupils contracted slightly.
Granny Jiang looked at her, her gaze carrying a complex emotion.
“The tombstone is engraved with: ‘Tomb of Esteemed Teacher Yun Qing and Teacher’s Wife Lin Wan.’”
She spoke the words slowly.
Bai Heng said nothing.
Granny Jiang did not need her to.
“Those people have confirmed that Yun Qing is dead. They have also confirmed that the belongings he left behind were taken by someone.”
She looked at Bai Heng.
“Yun Qing’s four personal disciples are now all under suspicion. They are pointing fingers at one another. None of them can produce evidence to prove their complete innocence, but at the same time, some of the doubts surrounding them have been cleared.”
“Thus, more people now believe that Yun Qing may have taken on a new disciple.”
Bai Heng remained silent.
Granny Jiang continued.
“And they all speculate that this new disciple will come looking for Yun Zhuo.”
Moonlight poured through the broken roof, falling between the human and the fox.
Bai Heng spoke, her voice very soft.
“What about the secret realm?”
Granny Jiang nodded.
“You’ve hit the key point.”
She paused.
“That ancient secret realm is now under the control of the major sects and noble families. Qingxu Sect, the Feng Clan, and several other powers have jointly sealed the entrance.”
“But after they went inside, they discovered that the core area of the secret realm cannot be opened.”
Bai Heng listened quietly.
Granny Jiang continued.
“They searched the entire outer region of the secret realm, turning it upside down, but found no method to open the core area.”
She looked at Bai Heng, her gaze profound.
“Thus, they have concluded that the key artifacts and method were taken by Yun Qing.”
“Compared to Yun Qing’s meager belongings, those major sects and noble families care far more about the method to open the secret realm’s core.”
Bai Heng understood.
“They believe Yun Qing passed the items to that new disciple.”
Granny Jiang nodded.
“Exactly.”
She stood up, walked to the temple entrance, and looked out at the moonlight.
“So in the coming days, more people will come to Qingxi Village.”
“Qingxu Sect will come. The Feng Clan will come. Other noble families who have received the news will come as well.”
She turned around and looked at Bai Heng.
“The spies you saw before were merely the appetizers.”
Bai Heng was silent for a moment.
“What will they do once they arrive?”
Granny Jiang shook her head.
“I don’t know. But one thing is certain.”
She paused.
“They will keep watch over Yun Zhuo and wait for the appearance of this speculated ‘new disciple.’”
Bai Heng said nothing.
Granny Jiang looked at her and suddenly smiled.
“But you don’t need to worry too much.”
She walked back to the stone steps and sat down again.
“Those major sects and noble families are still concealing the news. They want to monopolize the benefits of the secret realm, so they naturally won’t spread it around.”
She looked at Bai Heng.
“But they won’t be able to hide it for long.”
Bai Heng’s heart stirred.
“What did you do?”
Granny Jiang raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of approval in her eyes.
“Little fox, you really are clever.”
She said unhurriedly.
“My demonic path acquaintances aren’t useless. They have already begun spreading the news in secret.”
“Soon, cultivators from all sides will catch wind of it.”
She paused.
“Rogue cultivators, small sects and factions, people from the demonic path, and even demon clans will come to join the excitement.”
Bai Heng listened, and things gradually became clear in her mind.
“The more people there are, the more chaotic the situation will become.”
Granny Jiang nodded.
“Exactly.”
She looked at Bai Heng, her gaze carrying deeper meaning.
“Only when the situation is chaotic will we have a chance.”
Bai Heng was silent for a moment.
“When do you plan to make your move?”
Granny Jiang shook her head.
“There’s no rush. Acting now would be throwing ourselves onto the spear tips.”
She gazed at the moonlight spilling outside the temple.
“Wait until those people arrive. Wait until they restrain one another. Wait until the situation is completely chaotic.”
She withdrew her gaze and looked at Bai Heng.
“Only then will we act according to the circumstances.”
Bai Heng nodded, committing the words to memory.
Granny Jiang looked at her and suddenly asked.
“By the way, that Liang family boy came looking for you today?”
Bai Heng paused slightly.
Granny Jiang smiled.
“I saw it. He stayed in the woods for quite a while. When he came out, he looked relaxed, as if he had seen someone he wanted to see.”
She looked at Bai Heng.
“What did he say to you?”
Bai Heng was silent for a moment.
“He told me to leave this place.”
Granny Jiang raised an eyebrow.
“That’s all?”
Bai Heng nodded.
“That’s all.”
She paused.
“I’ve met him two or three times before. He said he considers himself half an acquaintance of mine, so he came to give me a reminder.”
Granny Jiang suddenly laughed upon hearing this.
The laughter echoed in the quiet mountain god temple, carrying a hint of teasing.
“Half an acquaintance?”
She looked at Bai Heng, amusement in her eyes.
“That boy truly lives up to being from the Liang family.”
Bai Heng tilted her head slightly.
“What about the Liang family?”
Granny Jiang looked at her, her gaze meaningful.
“You don’t know the Liang family’s origins?”
Bai Heng shook her head.
Granny Jiang sighed.
“That’s true. You’re a wild fox demon. It’s normal that you wouldn’t know these things.”
She sat up straight again and spoke slowly.
“The Liang family rose to power thanks to a fox demon.”
Bai Heng’s ears twitched slightly.
Granny Jiang continued.
“Several thousand years ago, the conflict between humans and demons wasn’t as intense as it is now. Back then, humans and demons cultivated on the same land. Although there were occasional clashes, things hadn’t reached the point of irreconcilable hostility.”
“The Liang family’s ancestor was someone who received gratitude from a fox immortal.”
She paused.
“That fox immortal helped him embark on the path of immortality and helped him establish his family’s foundation. From then on, the Liang family prospered and passed down through the generations.”
“The Liang family’s ancestor reciprocated the favor and showed considerable care toward the fox clan. They even—”
She looked at Bai Heng with a teasing glint in her eyes.
“Occasionally intermarried.”
Bai Heng blinked, her expression neutral, as if she hadn’t caught the teasing in Granny Jiang’s eyes.
Granny Jiang smiled.
“Later, as the divide between humans and demons deepened, although the Liang family did not completely sever ties with the fox clan, they began forming marriage alliances with the Lu family. The Lu family is a proper human noble clan. Marrying into the Lu family was also a way to show their stance.”
She paused.
“But some things cannot be erased by marriage alliances.”
“About seven hundred years ago, several noble families used the Liang family’s past friendship with fox demons as an excuse to target them at every turn.”
Granny Jiang’s voice grew heavier.
“And at that time, the head of the Liang family had married a fox demon.”
Bai Heng blinked again, a look of understanding appearing on her face.
Granny Jiang continued.
“The outcome after that, you can probably guess.”
“It was a tragedy.”
“The Liang family declined from then on, growing weaker with each generation. To this day, although they still hold the title of a noble family, they are far from their former glory.”
The temple fell silent.
After a long while, Bai Heng spoke.
“Are you saying that Liang Lu has fox clan blood in him?”
Granny Jiang nodded.
“It’s very diluted now. After several hundred years, it has faded to the point of being almost undetectable. But to say there is none at all would not be entirely accurate.”
She looked at Bai Heng, her gaze meaningful.
“So it’s not strange that the boy shows special care toward a fox demon like you.”
Bai Heng remained silent.
Granny Jiang smiled.
“What? You don’t believe it?”
Bai Heng shook her head.
“I just didn’t expect it.”
Granny Jiang stood up and brushed the dust from her clothes.
“There are many unexpected things in this world.”
She walked to the temple entrance and looked out at the moonlight.
“That Liang family boy is actually quite an honest person. Knowing the situation is turning bad, he came to warn you to leave.”
She turned back to look at Bai Heng.
“What do you think?”
Bai Heng was silent for a moment.
“He told me to leave, but he didn’t say why he himself is staying.”
Granny Jiang raised an eyebrow.
“You mean?”
Bai Heng shook her head.
“I don’t know. I just feel like he didn’t say everything.”
Granny Jiang nodded.
“It’s good to be cautious.”
She paused.
“However, his reminder was correct. This place will indeed become chaotic very soon.”
Bai Heng looked at her.
“What about you? When do you plan to leave?”
Upon hearing this, Granny Jiang suddenly laughed.
The smile carried an indescribable meaning.
“Little fox, are you concerned about me?”
Bai Heng did not reply.
Granny Jiang did not mind. She simply shook her head.
“I can’t leave. Yun Zhuo is here. I can’t go anywhere.”
She gazed at the moonlight, her voice very soft.
“I have waited this long precisely for that day.”
Bai Heng nodded slightly and said nothing.
Moonlight flowed quietly, illuminating the human and the fox.
After a long while, Granny Jiang withdrew her gaze and looked at Bai Heng.
“Alright, we’ve talked enough for tonight. You should head back.”
Bai Heng nodded and stood up.
When she reached the doorway, she suddenly stopped.
“Granny Jiang.”
A voice came from behind.
“Hm?”
Bai Heng did not turn around.
“What happened to that fox demon from the Liang family afterward?”
Granny Jiang was silent for a moment.
“She died.”
Her voice was calm.
“She died together with the head of the Liang family.”
Bai Heng asked no more questions.
She stepped out of the mountain god temple. Her white figure quickly merged into the moonlight.
Granny Jiang stood at the temple entrance, watching the direction she had disappeared. She remained motionless for a long time.
Moonlight bathed her hunched figure, stretching her shadow long.
She let out a soft sigh and turned back into the temple.
The temple door slowly closed.