CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 60: AH SHI IS A LITTLE LIAR

Little Mouse Ashi suddenly stopped speaking.

It was because it remembered the words Master Jiu had repeatedly instructed: "Ashi, your spirit blood is the greatest secret of your life, you must never let any living creature know about it.

No matter if they are human or demon, close or distant, remember, you must never leak it.

Otherwise, it will bring about a great disaster!"

Ashi naturally remembered Master Jiu’s words, especially when he mentioned "great disaster", the heavy, abyss-like aura left a deep impression on Ashi’s heart.

It didn’t dare to forget, but it didn’t want Master Jiu to die even more.

Therefore, at the critical moment, it wanted to bite its own paw, extract the spirit blood to save Master Jiu.

And that’s why, breaking through the throat barrier just now, as soon as it could speak, Ashi blurted out wanting Master Jiu to let it go, it wanted to save Master Jiu.

Master Jiu turned furious and his furry mouse face showed surprise, anger, and pain.

Meanwhile, the scholar in green clothes, who had his back to them, suddenly stood up and walked towards them.

Chen Xu smiled, and Ashi’s heart was pounding wildly.

Master Jiu had once frightened Ashi: "Ashi, if you talk recklessly about the spirit blood, not only the Daoists will come to capture you, but everyone in the world - humans, spirits, demons, and ghosts - will come after you.

They will peel your skin, break your bones, and boil your blood.

They won’t even leave a bit of scrap for you, see if you’re afraid!"

Ashi was extremely frightened and couldn’t help but open its mouth.

Out of extreme fear, for a moment it couldn’t make any sound at all.

It could only watch as the scholar in green clothes walked up to Master Jiu, then produced a handful of powder from somewhere and fed it to Master Jiu.

The big white mouse couldn’t escape, its glassy eyes closed, it swallowed the strange-smelling powder in one gulp.

Then, Ashi watched with wide eyes as Master Jiu suddenly began to cough violently.

As it coughed, black and blue rust-colored blood sprayed from the big white mouse’s throat.

Ashi finally gathered its courage and shouted, "Master Jiu! Scholar, let go of Master Jiu, don’t harm Master Jiu, eat me instead, I’m tasty, wuwuwu..."

Chen Xu: "..."

He really didn’t expect that in trying to heal the big white mouse, he’d become the villain.

Thus, Ashi is indeed a little trickster.

A short while ago, this little mouse had earnestly said, "The scholar is a good person."

"Ashi!" Master Jiu spat out the black water, then suddenly flipped over and sat up, exhaling a long breath, "Do not be rude, do not wrongly accuse a good person."

Ashi’s crying stopped abruptly.

It wasn’t really stupid, just a bit simple-minded.

This sudden flip and speech from Master Jiu already made Ashi realize that the scholar was indeed saving them.

Yes, the scholar always was saving them.

Providing them food, allowing them to stay together, even helping them fight against evil demons.

The scholar was so good, yet Ashi still doubted him.

The little mouse with gray-golden fur immediately drooped its ears, displaying a look of deep shame on its mouse face.

"I’m sorry, scholar... it was my fault."

Chen Xu glanced at it sideways, and with a smile said, "Since it was a mistake, is there any compensation?"

Ashi gazed up blankly: "What, what compensation? Oh right, I should compensate. Sorry, what compensation would you like?"

It was a bit timid again, its lively round eyes cautiously turned, looking like two black grapes soaked in a pool of water, glistening as they gazed at Chen Xu.

Even if Chen Xu was truly angry before, looking at such eyes, he couldn’t hold onto that feeling.

Furthermore, Chen Xu was never truly angry, it was just a casual remark to tease the little mouse.

He laughed saying, "Just remember it for now, I’ll tell you when I figure out what later. You wouldn’t renege on it, would you?"

Ashi immediately puffed up its chest: "Of course, I am not a reneging mouse!"

"Pff..." Chen Xu laughed again.

Ashi couldn’t help but puff out its mouse cheeks, glaring at Chen Xu.

Chen Xu lightly coughed, then turned to look at Master Jiu.

Only to see Master Jiu stretching out its nimble mouse paws, gently brushing over its own body.

A magical scene unfolded.

The red, black, and various blood stains and filth that were originally on its body suddenly vanished without a trace.

Master Jiu returned to being a clean big mouse, its snow-white fur fluffy and soft, resembling a kindly elder with neat whiskers and elegant attire.

"Thank you for the rescue, Daoist friend." The white-haired big mouse stood up like a human, clasping its hands in gratitude towards Chen Xu.

Chen Xu slightly sidestepped to return the courtesy, asking, "How is Master Jiu feeling now? Those bone powders earlier should only temporarily ease your wounds, they cannot save you completely?"

As he spoke, Chen Xu’s hand seemed eager, itching to reach out and feel Master Jiu’s belly again.

The sight of this big mouse’s round belly was adorable at first glance.

But on closer thought, it wasn’t that Master Jiu had eaten itself fat, but because it concealed some strange furnace within its abdomen.

The white-haired big mouse seemed to understand Chen Xu’s intent, stepping back slightly.

Chen Xu looked at the big mouse, the big mouse looked back at Chen Xu.

Master Jiu finally sighed and said, "Daoist friend, you must be curious as to why there is something strange hidden in my belly?"

Chen Xu sincerely replied, "To say I’m not curious at all would be somewhat dishonest. But if Master Jiu does not wish to speak, I should not force it."

Pausing, he continued, "Master Jiu, now that your wounds are alleviated, you surely don’t harbor thoughts of death anymore, correct?"

"Of course, I am reluctant after all. If there really was no way..."

The white-haired big mouse said, extending a paw, and then surprisingly curled a few fingers, as if an enlightened Daoist, pinching fingers to calculate.

The sight of a mouse pinching fingers was still marvelous for Chen Xu, who had grown accustomed to strange things now.

Chen Xu watched as this big mouse pinched its fingers, then frowned and said, "Those Daoists, they must have scattered countless demon puppets across the Seven Prefectures of the South, just to capture the aura of me and Ashi.

Although you killed that demon puppet just now and I severed their sensing, to prevent any strange techniques on their part, I must ask Daoist friend to wait a moment."

While speaking, Master Jiu intertwined its paws, surprisingly forming dozens of finger techniques in an instant.

Its actions were so fast that Chen Xu couldn’t see the details clearly at all.

Thereafter, Chen Xu keenly sensed a strange shift in the surrounding space.

What once seemed like a vast, bottomless cave was remarkably displaying signs of contraction.

Rumbling—

The cave began to shake gradually, Chen Xu quickly performed a key move from the Firewood Splitting Knife Technique to stabilize his stance.

Moments later, the seemingly endless passages on either side of the cave, in Chen Xu’s view, started to close up.

And in front of Chen Xu, the cave wall behind the white-haired big mouse naturally recessed inward.

Gradually, the recession formed into a large stone chamber.

Inside the stone chamber, a stone bed, stone shelves, and furniture appeared vividly.

A room within the cave appeared right before Chen Xu’s eyes.