203: The embarrassment of the little green mouse spirit

His speech was grand and passionate, finally managing to intimidate the three Tiger Clan Elders and send Hu Jiutian, that old fox spirit, on her way.

Once he had some peace, Lin Hu suddenly felt as if he had forgotten something.

Never mind.

Time was short, and the enemy was too powerful; it was better to quickly report the situation to the main Divine Soul.

* * *

The Little Green Snake and Rat Spirit, forgotten by Lin Hu, shivered daily amidst a group of powerful White Tiger Clan demons.

“Squeak~”

“Little Green, how much longer do we have to stay here?”

The Rat Spirit huddled in a rock crevice, her paws tightly clasped around her knees. “I feel like if I stay any longer, my courage will be completely shattered…”

“Coward!”

The Little Green Snake poked the Rat Spirit’s forehead with the tip of his tail. “Look at you, the dignified King of Black Rat Mountain, now acting like a startled mouse—oh right, you are a mouse.”

The Rat Spirit rubbed her reddened forehead, feeling wronged.

“But this is the Tiger Clan’s Holy Land! Yesterday, when that White Tiger Clan guard walked past me, I almost reverted to my original form!”

Animals are most sensitive to scent, and those who have cultivated into spirits are no different.

Even if the Tiger Clan had no ill will towards them, the innate Bloodline suppression still made them physiologically afraid.

Especially whenever a White Tiger Clan member passed by, that strong beastly aura always made the Rat Spirit feel as if Mount Tai was pressing down on her.

Wuwuwu, how could she have been so foolish, just out of the wolf’s den and into the tiger’s lair.

And she even followed along herself; who could she complain to?

But it was also strange; when she was with Lord Lin Hu, she didn’t feel this way.

“Look at how timid you are!”

The Little Green Snake raised his head, deliberately raising his voice. “We are distinguished guests personally brought by Lord Lin Hu!”

Then he lowered his voice. “Although that heartless one seems to have forgotten us…”

“I said we should go back to Black Rat Mountain!”

The Rat Spirit suddenly became agitated, then immediately shrank her neck. “Although that place is dirt poor, it’s still my territory…”

“Bah! Your broken mountain doesn’t even have a decent Spiritual Plant!”

The Little Green Snake suddenly darted onto the Rat Spirit’s shoulder, pressing his cold snake body against her flushed ear. “Look here, the Spiritual Qi is so abundant it’s almost solidifying into water! Do you know what that means?”

The Rat Spirit shook her head blankly.

“It means—”

The Little Green Snake mysteriously flicked his tongue. “We can just pick up some scraps the Tiger Clan doesn’t want, and they’ll sell for a fortune when we go back!”

“But, but…”

But I’m afraid I’ll have the life to get it but not the life to spend it.

“But what but!”

The Little Green Snake slapped the ground with his tail.

“Did you forget last time, when you almost lost your life trying to find Spirit Medicine to extend the life of your beloved? Now the opportunity is right in front of you!”

Hearing the words “your beloved,” the Rat Spirit subconsciously clutched the soul stabilizing pearl on her chest, her eyes suddenly firm. “You’re right… but we can’t keep hiding here…”

“Stupid!”

The Little Green Snake’s eyes suddenly lit up. “I just saw a few young Tiger Clan cubs running down the mountain; they must be going to the market to play. Let’s sneak out with them!”

“This… will this work?”

“Remove the ‘will this’!”

The Little Green Snake had already slithered to the cave entrance. “Remember, hold your head high, puff out your chest, and act like ‘I am a distinguished guest’! If anyone asks, just say… just say we are here on Lord Lin Hu’s orders to observe the common people!”

The Rat Spirit took a deep breath, then suddenly grabbed the Little Green Snake’s tail. “Wait! What if we run into a real tiger? I… my legs are weak…”

“No backbone!”

The Little Green Snake rolled his eyes, then suddenly shook a few white tiger hairs from beneath his scales. “Look! I’ve already prepared. Pin these on your body, and I guarantee those little demons will be scared witless!”

“When did you…”

“Less talk! Are you coming or not?”

“Coming!”

* * *

The market down the mountain was bustling, with various small demons shouting their wares one after another.

“Top-grade Spirit Ganoderma! Three hundred years old!”

“Freshly made shapeshifting pills, buy two get one free!”

“Ancestral secret recipe, specially treats internal injuries from Lightning Tribulation—”

The Rat Spirit carefully protected the soul stabilizing pearl hanging on her chest with her paws, steadily following behind the proudly striding Little Green Snake.

“Little Green,”

The Rat Spirit suddenly stopped, her ears perked up alertly. “The third stall to the front right, that weasel spirit in the brown short tunic, has been staring at us for half an incense stick’s time.”

“What are you afraid of?”

The Little Green Snake deliberately flicked his tail, and a few wisps of Tiger Clan aura drifted with the wind. “Let him stare! He can stare his eyes out and still wouldn’t dare—ouch!”

“Bang!”

An old field rat spirit in a patched robe fell in front of them, the “Healer for the World” wooden sign hanging from his waist almost hitting the Rat Spirit’s nose.

The old fellow reeked of strong herbs mixed with a musty, aged smell.

“Please wait, madam!”

The old field rat spirit scrambled up, his beady eyes fixed on the soul stabilizing pearl. “This old man observes that the Divine Soul in your arms is unstable!”

The Rat Spirit immediately retreated three steps, her paw pressing on the medicine pouch. “No need to trouble yourself.”

“Not so, not so!”

The old field rat spirit pulled out a handful of rusty silver needles from a tattered cloth bag. “This old man has practiced medicine for eighty years, specializing in Divine Soul damage. Just needs…”

“Old Man Tian Qi!”

A loud reprimand interrupted him.

A gray-furred donkey demon strode over, his medicine chest clanging on his shoulder. “Last month, the ‘Soul-Returning Soup’ you sold to the goat spirit caused him three days of diarrhea, have you forgotten?”

The old field rat spirit immediately shrunk into a ball. “D-Doctor A Lei…”

The donkey demon named A Lei picked up the old field rat spirit, then turned to the Rat Spirit and her companion with an apologetic smile. “You two have been startled. This old swindler specifically targets new faces.”

The Rat Spirit was about to thank him, but the Little Green Snake spoke first.

“Hmph! At least you’re sensible. But we’re not that easily fooled!”

As he spoke, he deliberately wiggled the tiger hairs tucked between his scales.

A Lei’s nose twitched a few times, his gaze falling on the soul stabilizing pearl. “Oh? This method of nourishing the Divine Soul…”

The Rat Spirit trembled, immediately guarding the pearl vigilantly. “Does the Doctor have any advice?”

She was afraid of encountering evil demons who would kill for treasure.

Having followed Lord Lin Hu this time, she had seen a bit of the world, and this soul stabilizing pearl should be a very precious item.

At least, in all this time, she had only seen this one.

“My apologies.”

A Lei put down the old field rat spirit, took a celadon bottle from his medicine chest. “This calming powder might be helpful to you. Dissolve it in warm water before bed and dab it on your glabella and Dantian.”

The Little Green Snake immediately darted forward. “How much?”

“It’s free.”

A Lei’s donkey ears twitched happily. “However…”

He suddenly lowered his voice. “The White Tiger Clan aura on you two…”

The Rat Spirit calmly took over. “We are on business for Lord Lin Hu.”

A Lei’s eyes lit up. “Is it that Holy Lord’s envoy?”

He looked left and right, then lowered his voice further. “When I was collecting medicine in Black Wind Ravine, I found some… things that weren’t quite right.”

The Little Green Snake immediately flicked his tongue. “What things? Let’s be clear, no money!”

“Little Green!”

The Rat Spirit tugged at him, then turned to A Lei. “Please tell us, Doctor.”