CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43: FELLOW DAOIST, TELL ME—DO I LOOK HUMAN TO YOU?

Shengyu Square, beside a small stall.

Chen Xu remotely controlled the Mud Ball Daoist Soldier, transforming the anger in his heart into flames.

The heart fire burned fiercely, killing the black shadow about to turn into a fierce ghost in the Lin Mansion’s backyard.

When the ghostly shadow dissipated, Chen Xu felt his heart racing.

Over several miles, he transmitted his heart fire to the Mud Ball Daoist Soldier, successfully killing the ghost and suppressing evil spirits. He had done it!

At the moment of successfully vanquishing the ghost, countless mystical information seemed to feed back into his heart and soul.

For an instant, he seemed to glimpse some of the world’s secrets.

Between humans and the heavens and the earth, myriad energies exchange through each breath.

It seems distant, yet who’s to say there isn’t a complete channel between them?

Born from the mother’s body, humans naturally possess a strand of Innate Qi. However, after birth, it is gradually tainted by the world’s filth, causing the Innate Qi to gradually dissipate, transforming into Acquired Essence.

Those with strong Innate Talent have abundant essence and often live longer.

While some are born weak, even with postnatal nurturing, their lifespan is short, which is what doctors often refer to as "Innate deficiency."

Chen Xu’s mind was a jumble; everything he had learned and heard before resurfaced at this moment.

Amidst the dazzling Spiritual Light, he finally comprehended what Innate Qi meant.

It turns out the greatest function of this strand of Innate Qi is not to prolong his lifespan but to allow one in the mortal state to connect with heaven and earth through it!

A human’s strength is limited, but if they can anchor themselves and wield the Power of Heaven and Earth, then their power becomes inexhaustible and overwhelming.

Chen Xu’s heart was pounding, the sound of his heartbeat clear and strong.

[Food God Cultivation Technique Scroll (Level 1: 5/100)]

[Food God Cultivation Technique Scroll (Level 1: 7/100)]

...

[Food God Cultivation Technique Scroll (Level 1: 15/100)]

On the Celestial Book Plate, the experience prompt for the Food God Cultivation Technique Scroll leapt forward rapidly, surging to 15 points in just a few breaths.

[You killed the ghost and vanquished evil, gaining clarity of mind, earning one coin of Ghost Spirit Incense, and a reward of 100 Fireworks Value points.]

There were other mystical materials to receive from slaying the ghost, along with a Fireworks Value reward.

But Chen Xu no longer cared about these; what mattered more to him was that he had comprehended a higher-level usage of Innate Qi.

Even though the tiny strand of Innate Qi in his body had been exhausted from the earlier exertion.

Yet in his Dantian, a distinct and magical force seemed to be slowly burgeoning.

Like a spring of living water, even if the water is drawn completely at one time, as long as the source remains, new water will continuously flow out.

In an endless cycle, this is called Zhou Tian!

Beside the stall, Chen Xu held an evil ghost mask, his heart racing and breath slightly heavy.

He felt a true sense of having made a significant breakthrough, filling all his senses clearly at this moment.

The emotion was difficult to describe simply as joy.

More like a seed buried for a long time in dark, sunless soil, finally absorbing enough nutrients when the spring snow melted, stretching its sprout and breaking through the earth.

Suddenly he heard a voice: "Esteemed guest, are you still buying the mask?"

It was the stall owner who had finally finished praising his masks, now eagerly urging Chen Xu to decide.

Chen Xu snapped out of it, realizing he hadn’t been standing there in vain, decided to buy two different evil ghost masks.

One with a blue face and fangs, the other a blank white face.

He casually placed the blank white mask on his face, the long street under lamplight casting shadows on the pale mask, making Chen Xu suddenly feel a strange aura flowing like moonlight down the street.

He turned abruptly, lifting his eyes to see a slender figure emerging slowly through the night.

Under the glow of the mortal world’s lights, the figure had a white face, red eyes, and a pink and white lotus flower pinned to his sideburns. It was distinctly a young man dressed as a scholar, yet with floral adornments and painted cheeks.

The flower-pinned scholar thus walked, bathed in the lamplight and night, a slight smile on his ghostly pale face, making his way unhurriedly towards Chen Xu.

For some reason, though the long street was bustling, as Chen Xu locked eyes with the newcomer, all around him seemed deathly silent, as if the entire world had fallen into a dreamy illusion.

Only his Qi Blood surged, reminding Chen Xu not to be deceived.

The newcomer was not human.

It was a demon!

A Fox Demon.

In Chen Xu’s Dantian, the strand of Innate Qi that had been slowly regenerating suddenly seemed intensely stimulated, gushing forth swiftly as if the floodgates had opened.

Chen Xu wore the mask, staring at the Fox Demon.

The Fox Demon scholar suddenly spoke: "Do I look human to you, fellow Daoist?"

In his Dantian, Chen Xu’s Innate Qi rapidly circulated, keenly perceiving the strange fluctuations in the air when the Fox Demon asked the question.

Does he look human?

How should this question be answered?

Chen Xu replied, "Whether or not you look human, sir, is it not better for you to ask yourself? Truth and illusion reside in one’s heart, asking others is a lesser way."

As he spoke, the Fox Demon tilted his head, his expression momentarily blank.

Chen Xu stared back, unwavering, his Innate Qi leaping about, his heart fire poised within him, ready for action.

He was already prepared to face off against the Fox Demon if need be.

Chen Xu understood well that this Fox Demon should be the one at the Lin Mansion.

Only he didn’t know why the Fox Demon didn’t appear earlier when the Mud Ball Daoist Soldier killed Lin Yuan, yet now crossed paths with him on the long street!

Suddenly, the Fox Demon chuckled.

"What’s this?" he said, tilting his head again, the flower by his temples swaying gently with the motion, his face an inexplicable mix of sinister beauty and humor.

The Fox Demon laughed, "Do you really think I’m here to avenge that child of the Lin family?"

Is that not it?

Chen Xu immediately cupped his hands, saying, "May I inquire as to your purpose here, Mr. Hu?"

"You call me ’fellow Daoist’?" the Fox Demon laughed again, "You’re smarter than that Lin brat. Why have I come? To befriend a fellow Daoist, of course."

He looked at Chen Xu, head tilted, "Mr. Chen, you meet me without even showing your true face, will you only meet fellow Daoists wearing a mask?"

Chen Xu did not remove his mask, only asking, "May I inquire into your connection with the Lin family, Mr. Hu?"

"You don’t trust me," the Fox Demon sighed, "Well, that’s human nature. In that case, let me tell you the story."

"As you wish, I’m all ears," responded Chen Xu.

And so, on this long street, Chen Xu heard a story about a fox and an old acquaintance.

A hundred years ago, when the Fox Demon first developed spiritual awareness, it was caught by a tenant farmer under the former Lin family due to a momentary carelessness.

The tenant farmer presented the little fox to the Lin Mansion to claim credit. At that time, the Fox Demon had a fiery red coat, dazzling and beautiful.

The ancestor of the Lin family was delighted upon seeing it and wanted to skin the Fox Demon alive to present its fur to the governor of Yunjiang Prefecture.

With spiritual awareness, the Fox Demon did all it could to save its life, moving a young daughter of the Lin family to mercy.

Afterward, when the girl had an opportunity, she secretly released the Fox Demon. Before leaving, the Fox Demon plucked three tail hairs and gifted them to the young girl, promising her three wishes.

When the story reached this point, the Fox Demon asked Chen Xu, "Do you understand now why I care not about the death of that Lin family child?"