Chapter 43: Am I a Fox Spirit?

The fourteenth day of the first lunar month, the sky was clear and bright.

After Ding Suian finished his morning exercises, he returned to his room, took a huaju pill, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began Qi Circulation to assimilate the pill.

This was the fifth Medicinal Pill he had taken. He could clearly feel that his Qi Sea at the Zhongji Acupoint was wider and deeper, his body was becoming lighter, and his jumping distance and reaction speed far surpassed the past.

It seemed he had already reached Minor Achievement in the Manifesting Elemental State.

Being a pay-to-win player is truly satisfying!

Five imperial huaju pills cost at least five hundred taels, equivalent to eight or nine years of salary for Ding Suian and his grandfather.

Such excellent results stemmed partly from the purity of the Medicinal Pills sponsored by Lin Hansu, and partly because his current Realm was shallow.

It was like a large tree in its sapling stage; one scoop of water was enough for a satisfying drink.

But as the sapling grows taller and larger, the required nourishment will increase exponentially, and at that point, the effect of the Medicinal Pills will not be so pronounced.

At two quarters past the hour of Si (9:30 AM), Chest Hair, who was usually laid-back, ran over, drenched in sweat, to report, “The Immortal Master of the State Religion suddenly brought people to block the estate gates. I don’t know what they want, but they look uneasy.”

“Oh?”

Compared to Chest Hair’s anxiety, Ding Suian felt a sense of relief, like the other shoe had finally dropped.

What must come, always comes.

Ding Suian opened the drawer, picked up the relic bead bracelet, and went out. He passed through the halls and courtyards to the second courtyard’s guest room and knocked on the door.

“AZhi, time to go out and receive guests.”

No meal eaten at the Prince’s Estate is ever free.

The two walked one after the other toward the estate gates.

Below the stone steps, the Vermilion Robe Patriarch stood centrally, his eyes slightly closed, his shriveled lips pressed tightly together. His thin, small body was wrapped in scarlet religious robes, radiating a chilling, divine pressure.

Several robust Protectors of the Faith in black robes guarded him from behind.

Li Fengrao, the Prefect of Lanyang, stood shoulder-to-shoulder beside the Patriarch. He was feeling a bit glum.

Today, the Patriarch had personally visited the Yamen to observe a lawsuit. Halfway through, he suddenly dropped the cryptic phrase, “There is Demonic Qi,” and came straight to the entrance of the neighboring Prince Lanyangs Estate.

If this were before, Li Fengrao, who believed in avoiding trouble whenever possible, would definitely not have joined the excitement.

However, a few days ago, the Princess Consort had privately settled an matter with him: the Lanyang Prefecture Yamen would help the Princess Consort recover occupied land, and afterward, the Princess Consort would contribute ten thousand acres of fertile land to be used as official land for the Yamen.

In Li Fengrao’s eyes, The Du Family was already a broken drum that everyone could beat, so he was naturally happy to cooperate.

Now, it seemed there were new variables at play.

“Immortal Master, your esteemed presence graces us. May I ask what brings you here?”

Ding Suian stood on the stone steps, cupped his fist, and bowed in greeting.

The Vermilion Robe Patriarch closed his eyes and remained silent, acting as if he hadn’t heard anything.

He exuded a kind of innate, superior arrogance.

On the bustling and busy Front Estate Street, pedestrians were numerous as weaving threads. Seeing the Immortal Master and the Prefect gathered in front of the Prince’s Estate gates, their inherent curiosity led them to gradually gather and watch from a distance.

Earlier this year, due to Ding Suian ‘joining forces’ with the Yamen to eliminate The Third Place Scholar Li’s bandits, Squad Leader Ding of the Dragon Guard Army gained a modest reputation.

Some of the onlookers recognized him and proudly introduced him to others as the young hero who had personally slain the bandit leader.

It must be said that Ding Suian had excellent looks: his face was like jade, he was tall and heroic, humble yet not servile.

“Squad Leader Ding, good fortune! Truly worthy of the Imperial Army’s elite!”

“Greetings, Squad Leader Ding! Since the criminals were executed and the trade routes were pacified, we merchants no longer have to worry!”

Some bolder individuals below bowed from afar, and cheers rose one after another.

Since the Patriarch Lord refused to acknowledge him, Ding Suian began interacting with the neighbors, flashing what he considered his handsomest smile—one he had practiced countless times in front of a mirror—and performed a full, four-directional bow.

This scene displeased the Patriarch Lord. He suddenly opened his eyes, his sharp gaze fixed directly on Ding Suian. “Vile beast! Facing death, you still dare to stand here bewitching people and flaunting your charm!”

It was unclear what Divine Ability he used, but the Vermilion Robe Patriarch did not shout, yet the volume of his voice managed to spread in all four directions every time he spoke.

The surrounding noise instantly fell silent.

Everyone now realized that the Vermilion Robe Patriarch was here today to subdue a demon.

On the steps, Ding Suian looked left and right in confusion, finally turning to Zhisheng and asking uncertainly, “AZhi, did the Immortal Master call you a vile beast? And say you were flaunting your charm?”

“Amitabha, the Immortal Master seems to be referring to you, Benefactor Ding.”

“Me? Am I charming?”

“Amitabha, whether Benefactor Ding is charming or not, only you yourself know. This poor monk does not.”

“Oh, well, then I’m not charming!”

This highly serious dialogue caused the originally solemn’Subdue a Demon’ scene to trend toward farce.

The onlookers, who had just quieted down, began to titter, followed by a renewed clamor.

Everyone had witnessed the execution of the dog demon on Yanhe Street earlier this year.

Demons are either mad and deranged, or they act erratically and have terrifying appearances.

Yet Squad Leader Ding had just rid City of a scourge, and he was born with red lips and white teeth, handsome and outstanding. He looked nothing like a demonic entity.

Beauty is justification!

Could the Immortal Master have made a mistake?

Just then, footsteps shuffled in the distance. Ding Suian, standing high on the steps, looked toward the sound and saw Second Brother Du and Third Brother Du leading a group of female relatives hastily running toward them.

A moment later, Second Master Du rushed to the Patriarch’s side and said excitedly, “We heard just now that the Immortal Master discovered a demon hidden in the Prince’s Estate, so we hurried over!”

The Vermilion Robe Patriarch asked, “In recent months, has anything unusual happened at the Prince’s Estate?”

Second Master Du frowned in thought for a moment, then replied respectfully, “Replying to the Immortal Master, since mid-October last year, several strange incidents have indeed occurred in the estate. We didn’t pay much attention then, but shortly afterward, my royal brother and mother passed away one after the other—”

Reaching this point, Second Master Du wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “Immortal Master, could it be that my royal brother and mother died due to the mischief of a demon?”

The Vermilion Robe Patriarch looked up at the Prince’s Estate plaque and let out a long, sorrowful sigh of compassion. “The Three Sages above! This Seat realized it too late.”

A female relative nearby immediately shrieked in response, “Last October… Oh dear! Last October was exactly when this batch of Dragon Guard Army soldiers entered the estate!”

“Could a demon have infiltrated the Dragon Guard Army?”

“Sister-in-law, keep your voice down. The Dragon Guard Army is the Emperor’s personal army.” The woman telling others to be quiet was not quiet herself.

The’sister-in-law’ also did not lower her voice. Instead, she spoke in an even higher pitch, loud enough for all the surrounding common people to hear: “Then we should definitely find the monster and beat it to death right here! Otherwise, what if the Dragon Guard Army returns to the capital and he harms the Imperial Heir or alarms the Sacred Carriage?”

“Sister-in-law is right!”

Through their back-and-forth, the speculation that a demon had infiltrated the Dragon Guard Army quickly spread.

With the Immortal Master present, this speculation seemed infinitely close to ‘fact’.

Li Fengrao, standing nearby, thought to himself: The matter of the official land is probably going to fall through!

Seeing that the time was ripe, Second Master Du pleaded sorrowfully, “Immortal Master, this demon has harmed both my elder brother and mother! Please, Immortal Master, take action and subdue the demon!”

The Vermilion Robe Patriarch nodded slightly, glanced at Ding Suian, and said in a low voice, “Vile beast, are you still unwilling to surrender and reveal your true form?”

I’ll reveal your mother’s true form!

Should I invite your daughter over to watch me take off my pants and perform the Divine Ability of changing size?

“Immortal Master, is he the demon hidden in the Prince’s Estate?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of demon?”

“A Fox Demon!”

Ding Suian burst into laughter. Oh my, Dad, your son has made something of himself—I’ve even become a Fox Spirit!

The onlookers on the periphery also shifted from outright disbelief to being half-convinced.

In fictional stories, female Fox Spirits are all beautiful and enchanting; presumably, male Fox Spirits must also possess good looks.

Squad Leader Ding is so handsome, could he really be a Fox Demon who has taken human form?

Second Master Du suddenly paled in shock, slapping his thigh as he exclaimed, “Oh no! My royal brother and mother have passed away, but the Princess Consort is still in the estate! After so many days, she must have been bewitched by this Fox Demon!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the sound of chatter erupted everywhere.

Compared to the deaths of the Prince of Lanyang and Madam Wu, the onlookers were far more interested in hearing the scandalous stories between the Fox Spirit and the widowed Princess Consort.

What does a Fox Spirit do?

Their greatest skill is seducing people, isn’t it?

Ding Suian quietly watched their performance, having now discerned The Du Family’s entire plan: Lin Hansu had the protection of her Imperial Edict, making it difficult to target her directly.

By labeling Ding Suian as a Fox Demon, they could not only take his life but also incidentally slander Lin Hansu.

At that point, under the guise of ‘propriety and law,’ they could confine Lin Hansu to the ancestral hall under house arrest, and no one would be able to object.

Killing two birds with one stone, The Du Brothers could then seize the opportunity to regain control of the Prince’s Estate.

The best part was that this action would also save the Emperor’s face, as Lin Hansu would be seen as having been seduced by a Fox Demon, not acting out of her own subjective will.

How could a Mortal possibly resist a Demonic Technique?

The blame should fall entirely on Ding Suian, this Fox Spirit!

Young Master Du Er, you’ve improved.

“Subduing demons and defending the Dao is the duty of our State Religion. You all need not worry.”

The Vermilion Robe Patriarch looked calmly at Ding Suian as if he were looking at a dead object. His withered, knobby hand formed a magical seal. Then, his robes slowly billowed, and the Demon-Detecting True Incantation shook the street: “Ignorance conceals the heart, let the skeletal form appear! Fox Demon, Reveal True Form!”

Ding Suian flipped his wrist and grasped the relic prayer beads in his hand.

Zhisheng, standing nearby, sighed in relief upon seeing this.

Holding the Magical Artifact in hand, Ding Suian stood upright with a solemn expression. Even the rhythm of his silently moving lips was forceful and resounding: ‘White Dragon Horse! Head facing west! Riding Tang Sanzang, holding Junior Brother Sha, Wukong saw it and was displeased, insisting that Sha Seng belonged to him! To him! To him!’