Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Late at night, Xia Fan leaned against his bed and surveyed the metal object he found from the side of the track.
It looked like a bronze product, almost a finger long and two fingers wide. After wiping off the green patina, you could still vaguely see the words engraved on it — only the shape of the words was illegible and seemed to be quite different from the current writing of the Qi Country.
And the track…
Wooden tracks weren’t rare. People came up with the idea of using flat and straight wood to replace the bumpy road surface a long time ago — just match some rolling wood and trains could travel on them. The problem was that the strength of wooden squares was always limited, plus it was easy for them to be damaged by insects. So, such a special road could never become mainstream. No one was willing to spend a lot of money and material resources to build a road that needed to be repaired and rotated every few months unless forced to do so, or there was an urgent need to build one.
So, wooden tracks were generally found in the mountains. After all, if there was no quarry nearby, building a smooth and durable stone road on the hillside wasn’t very realistic.
Was Qing Shan Town just a town built halfway up the mountain in the middle of nowhere?
No, those two things were enough to prove that Qing Shan Town wasn’t a deserted place and that many people had come and gone here previously.
The examiner obviously concealed the key information.
What exactly was the reason that had turned Qing Shan Town into what it was today?
“Creak.”
A soft sound came from the window overhead.
Xia Fan put away the bronze piece and looked at the black shadow at the window. “I thought you wouldn’t come today.”
The one who appeared was none other than the fox demon. The pale moonlight spilled in from behind her, reflecting her pointed ears.
“I ate the beef.”
“I know.”
“Then, you should understand that I accepted your plea.” She changed from a crouching stance to a sitting position and crossed her legs. “You may be used to having no integrity, but I’m not.”
Uh… is that actually a plea? Also, the moonlight needs to be a little brighter.
“But it’s almost past 1 AM. You’re not trying to stay up until I fall asleep so you can get a free midnight snack, are you?”
“Get a free meal?” The fox demon frowned in confusion. Although she looked unable to understand, she seemed to know that wasn’t anything nice. “I’m free to come whenever I please. You didn’t specify the time beforehand. Besides, I’m also very busy. If not for the cattle…” She suddenly stopped. “Anyway, you can’t blame me if you fall asleep. I fulfilled the agreement, anyway.”
“That makes sense.” Xia Fan also didn’t want to bother with these minor details. After all, time was precious. As for the other party’s claim of being busy, it wasn’t necessarily a lie. She obviously hadn’t forgotten her original reason for coming to Qing Shan Town. “You gave quite a few people nightmares again today, didn’t you? Of course, if you think that counts as helping me with the exam, you can pretend I didn’t ask.”
“Less than yesterday.” The fox demon said bluntly, “If people have other emotions, the dreams will be less infectious. And tonight, they’re increasing in emotion.”
“What kind of emotions?”
“Anxiety and hatred.”
Xia Fan’s heart jumped slightly. Were they affected by the circumstances of the exam? The money and silver that must be finely calculated, the spirit fire that was never enough for the candidates to share, and the sequential order set by their lineage… Discontent spreading out seemed to be something that would naturally happen.
“By the way…” he thought about it and took out the bronze piece he found on the back of the mountain. “Do you know what this is?”
The fox demon glanced at the object uninterestedly. “No idea. Why do you think a fox demon would know more about human stuff than you do?”
“Probably because you guys live for hundreds and thousands of years?” Xia Fan organized his words. “The phrase ‘Seeing a great deal and having extensive knowledge’ can never be wrong…”
“Hehe…” She first grinned, then laughed out loud. “Hahahahaha…” The laughter was obviously not related to kindness and had nothing to do with it, but full of sarcasm. “If demons could live that long, do you think you would still be the ones dominating the world?”
“Uh, am I wrong?”
“Although Qi can extend the lifespan, it only brings demons and ordinary people to the same level. We can’t even compare to mystics, only ignorant people in the countryside will spread rumors that demons live long.”
This answer greatly surprised Xia Fan. It meant that the average life expectancy of demons was only 50 or 60 years. Cultivating a hundred years to develop spiritual wisdom, cultivating a thousand years to finally turn into a human or something were probably also rumors, right?
“Then, how exactly do you… come into being?” he asked the question he most wanted to know.
“What do you mean?”
“It means, when did you find out that you became a demon?”
“From the beginning, of course.” She twitched her ears in dissatisfaction. “You don’t think that I was just an ordinary fox when I was born, do you? First, there is Qi. Then, there is spirit. This applies to humans as well. Didn’t your master teach you that?”
“He did… but, is there any connection between these two things?”
“Foolish!” The fox demon showed a look of disdain and felt that he couldn’t be taught. “First there is Qi, then there is the spirit means that the spirit someone is born with depends on what kind of Qi they gather, understand! The reason why you can feel Qi has been decided since your fetus was formed. And all other things are the same. In the place of conception, the Qi will be attached, some normal, some extraordinary. The ordinary ones are all living beings, while the extraordinary ones are like you and me. This process cannot be predicted and cannot be changed, this is ‘nature’!”
Xia Fan’s mouth opened wide.
He suddenly realized that the marinated beef worth a few pieces of silver was really worth it.
That cheap master also mentioned the “Qi-Spirit Theorem”, but it was far less detailed and specific.
He now knew that demons didn’t need to cultivate, nor did they need chance, the reason she was a demon was that she was born so.
“So… can demons have offspring with humans?” Xia Fan asked the second question he wanted to know.
The other party’s eyes clearly changed.
“Ahem! I just want to delve into it, in no way do I mean anything else,” he added hastily.
The fox demon stared at him for a while before saying irritably, “That’s a folk rumor of yours that’s actually correct. Although rare, occasional exceptions still appear…”
That means… it’s possible? Xia Fan pursued the question. “Why is it rare?”
“Nonsense! If they’re not perverted or have psychological problems, who would be willing to marry a demon?” She was furious. “Demons cannot completely hide their own characteristics. They either have scales or tails. In your eyes, aren’t they as ugly as beasts?! Of course, don’t think that humans are so good. You’re so bald and look awkward no matter how I look at you!”
Uh… is this the generation gap of the times?
Xia Fan subconsciously touched his chin. Would he look better if he grew out his beard in the future?
“Enough. You said we were just going to chat, but I see that you’re deliberately looking for trouble. Anyway, I’ve already come, it’s not a missed appointment. That’s all. Goodbye!”
After saying that, she stood up and turned to leave.
“Wait!” Xia Fan repeated his old trick.
The demon fox’s body froze again, and the gaze she cast him seemed to contain anger.
“I haven’t given you today’s payment yet.”
Xia Fan took out the cloth bag wrapped with beef and reached out to hand it over. “I’m not sure what you imagine the chat to be like, but I’m just learning more about you guys. So, I hope you’ll forgive me if I’ve offended you.”
The other party didn’t take it but stared at him for a moment before speaking, “… Why do you want to know about demons?”
“Don’t you always say that there are many prejudices between humans and demons? The root of prejudice is precisely the lack of understanding, I think as long as contact continues, it may not be impossible to eliminate this layer of prejudice.”
“There are many kinds of demons, including human-eating demons, do you think you can make people stop being afraid of demons? Can you make the mystics stop killing demons?”
“I can’t, but at least I can make them stop being afraid of demons that don’t eat people. As for the mystics… aren’t I one myself?”
“Hmph.” The other party coldly laughed, but the anger in her eyes lessened. “You haven’t passed the mystic examination yet.”
“So, do you want to help me out?”
“Dream on.” She decisively refused. “It’s the first time I’ve seen someone like you.”
“Even demons are divided into many kinds, and there will only be more people than demons, so what’s so strange about that?”
For some reason, after hearing these words, the fox demon’s movements suddenly slowed down, and her golden pupils seemed to lose focus as if she was caught in some kind of memory.
After a moment, she leaned down and took the cloth bag as soon as she could. “So, you can also say one or two sensible things.”
“More than that.” Xia Fan spread his hands. “You tried to weaken your enemy by reducing the number of mystics. That’s feasible but inefficient. And if I eliminate the prejudice through understanding and then popularize it to the group of mystics, wouldn’t that fundamentally solve the problem? In other words, we’re kind of on the same page in some ways.”
“Who’s on the same page as you? I’m not going to be on the same side as the mystics. Besides, what kind of place do you think the Privy Council is? And you want to change it with your own power?” The fox demon showed the sharp teeth at the corner of her mouth as if she was both mocking and warning. “If you’re playing with this idea, I suggest you quit the exam now. The Privy Council is far more frightening than you think. Once you harbor any unrealistic illusions, you’ll only be left dead there!”
Listening to her tone… why does she seem to know quite a lot about the Privy Council? Xia Fan keenly perceived a hint of something different. As a demon, this didn’t make sense at all. Even for the people from the Qi Country, not many knew the inner workings of the Privy Council.
“By the way, who is your master? I don’t think the average person can teach a demon to become as reasonable, righteous, and polite as you are.”
She went silent for a while before saying, “I don’t have a master.”
“No master? Then, who taught you this?”
“Nothing to do with you.” The fox demon suddenly became impatient. She waved her tail and jumped off the ledge. “I’ll take the reward, but there won’t be a next time. You’d better focus on the mystic examination.”
“Eh, wait.” Xia Fan leaped onto the table and probed out, but no shadow could be seen on the other side anymore.
How could she be so fast? He had to lower his voice and shout, “Tomorrow, I will also prepare marinated beef. If you aren’t busy, remember to come!”
But Xia Fan had a vague feeling in his heart that this time, the other party was serious.
She wouldn’t come back to chat.