Chapter 27 The Little Girl Has Grown Up

Everyone looked over and saw a pearl lying within the hidden compartment.

It was as if a bright moon were imprisoned inside it, surrounded by swirling mist and clouds; faintly, the sound of surging tides could be heard.

"This..."

As a Half-step Tribulation Transcendence powerhouse, Su Zhentian recognized the extraordinary nature of this object at a glance. "It contains the Law of Taiyin and the power of tides... Could this be?"

"The canghai moon-bright pearl?!"

Su Youwei cried out in surprise, "How... how could this thing appear here?"

Wasn't this the very betrothal gift that the Old Dragon Emperor from earlier was crying and shouting about, saying he had searched for it for eighteen hundred years, leading to his broken engagement?

Su Zhentian turned to look at Su Youwei. "Dear granddaughter, didn't you... throw it into the water like a stone?"

Su Youwei was also completely bewildered. "Yeah... I remember throwing it away when I was little. Could it be... I happened to throw it right into the Shadow Moon Leopard Clan's territory? And then it was picked up by these leopards?"

"..."

The corners of Su Zhentian's mouth twitched.

This was too much of a coincidence.

If that Old Dragon Emperor knew that the supreme treasure he had painstakingly sought for eighteen hundred years was gathering dust in these leopards' den, he might be angry enough to come back to life.

"That's not right."

Lin Qingyue suddenly spoke up, her brow furrowing as she scanned the surroundings. "Senior Su, although this pearl is precious... it is not the item my Revered Master left in your care."

Hearing this, Su Changhe hurriedly fumbled around in the hidden compartment for a while longer before finally pulling his hand out.

"Emp... empty. Aside from this pearl, there's nothing else inside! The item Fairy Lin is looking for... is gone!"

"What?!"

Su Zhentian was furious. "Those Shadow Moon Leopard beasts actually dared to embezzle my things?!"

Lin Qingyue's brow furrowed even tighter.

From the moment she stepped into this Treasure Pavilion, she had felt a faint, lingering sense of incongruity.

This Shadow Moon Leopard Clan was merely a second-rate Yao Race, and their strongest was only at the Body Integration Stage. How could they possibly possess such a sophisticated concealment Formation? And why would they have a Dragon Clan supreme treasure like the canghai moon-bright pearl?

"This place... is eerie in every way," Lin Qingyue whispered.

"Eerie?"

Su Zhentian sneered, a flash of violence in his eyes. "In the face of absolute strength, any eeriness is just playing tricks!"

Since the item wasn't out in the open, it must be hidden in the shadows!

"Come out... for me!"

Su Zhentian gave a cold snort, abruptly lifted his right foot, and stomped heavily on the ground.

Rumble—

The Treasure Pavilion shook violently.

Spiritual energy conducted through the ground, and with that one stomp, the Formation patterns beneath the floorboards shattered inch by inch like a spiderweb.

Crack!

Accompanied by the sound of the Formation breaking, the floor collapsed, revealing a deep, dark tunnel entrance.

A bloody stench rushed out from the opening.

"As expected, there's something fishy."

A cold light flashed in Su Zhentian's eyes as he reached out casually.

Whoosh!

A Shadow Moon Leopard guard, who had been shivering in a corner, flew over and was caught by the skull in Su Zhentian's grip.

"Soul Search!"

Without any nonsense, Su Zhentian directly activated a secret technique of the demon sects.

The guard didn't even have time to scream; his eyes instantly rolled back, and his whole body convulsed.

A moment later,

Su Zhentian tossed the guard aside, clapped his hands, and a cold smile appeared on his face.

"What a Shadow Moon Leopard Clan, quite the guts they have. To think they'd dare carry out such business underground."

"Come, follow me down to see what kind of shameful things are hidden down here!"

With that,

Su Zhentian took the lead and jumped into the pitch-black opening.

Gu Heng raised an eyebrow and followed as well.

He was actually a bit curious about what kind of trouble this small Shadow Moon Leopard Clan could stir up.

The group headed all the way down.

The further down they went, the heavier the smell of blood became, and the air was thick with a heart-palpitating Demonic Qi.

Finally,

they stepped out.

The group arrived at a hidden underground area.

The scene before them left everyone stunned.

It was a massive underground karst cave, its rocky walls hung with various torture implements and dried bloodstains that were shocking to behold.

In the center of the cave stood several Yao-Locking Pillars.

On the pillars,

several white figures were pinned firmly, their auras weakened to the extreme.

"This is..."

Gu Heng's Divine Sense swept over them, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Those figures weren't Shadow Moon Leopards, but... foxes?

And they weren't ordinary foxes.

They were snow-white all over, and though their fur was stained with blood and filth, their original noble and holy nature could still be seen.

Especially the one in the very center; it was the smallest in size, but the tails behind it...

"One, two, three... nine?"

Gu Heng thought to himself, "Nine-Tailed White Fox? This is the royal Bloodline of the Qingqiu Fox Clan. Why would they appear in a hellhole like this?"

The Nine-Tailed White Fox's head drooped, its limbs pierced by chains, as fresh blood dripped down its fur.

It was at its last gasp, like a candle flickering in the wind.

"Nine-Tailed White Fox?!"

Su Zhentian was startled. "Why? Why would a Nine-Tailed White Fox appear here?"

One must know that the Nine-Tailed White Fox was the sovereign of the fox race; each one was incredibly precious. How could they be imprisoned and tortured like this by a pack of Shadow Moon Leopards?

"Grandfather, look at the surroundings."

Su Youwei pointed around the Yao-Locking Pillars.

On the ground, a complex and eerie Formation's patterns were a dark red, seemingly nourished by fresh blood.

The Formation continuously extracted the essence blood and demonic power from these white foxes, gathering it toward a blood pool deep within the cave.

"This is... a Blood Refining Grand Array?"

Su Zhentian's face darkened. "These leopards actually want to forcibly upgrade their own Bloodline Rank by extracting the Bloodline of the Nine-Tailed Foxes? Simply delusional!"

No wonder that Shadow Moon Leopard Ancestor could touch the threshold of Half-step Mahayana; it turned out he relied on such insidious methods!

"What a pity."

Su Zhentian shook his head, looking at the Nine-Tailed White Fox that was about to expire. "With so much essence blood extracted, its Origin is damaged. Fortunately, you met me."

He casually took out a Medicinal Pill, transformed it into spiritual energy, and struck it into the bodies of the white foxes.

The pill's entry took effect immediately.

The wounds on the white foxes, who already had one foot in the grave, began to heal, and their auras gradually stabilized.

Su Youwei watched from the side, dumbfounded.

"Grandfather..."

She poked Su Zhentian's arm and whispered, "When did you become so kind-hearted? This doesn't seem like your style at all."

In the past, if he encountered something like this, her grandfather would be doing well if he didn't step up to deliver a few finishing blows and loot the bodies. He was actually saving Yao?

"Ahem!"

Su Changhe couldn't listen anymore and scolded with a stern face, "Youwei! How can you talk to your grandfather like that? An outsider like Fairy Lin is still here; you're simply a rebellious daughter!"

Su Zhentian waved his hand, looking completely unbothered.

He looked at the white foxes who were gradually regaining their vitality, his eyes sparkling with light.

"Ai, Wei'er, you don't understand."

Su Zhentian educated her earnestly, "It would be such a waste for these Nine-Tailed White Foxes to die. This is a rare breed, and their whole bodies are treasures! Their fur can be made into coats, their blood can be used for Alchemy, and their Yao cores are priceless treasures."

"If they're saved and sold at an auction house, or sold to those old monsters with special tastes as spirit pets... they could definitely fetch an astronomical price!"

Su Youwei rolled her eyes hard, the corners of her mouth twitching. "Tch, I knew it. You old miser."

"This is called being good at managing the household!" Su Zhentian said righteously.

Lin Qingyue's gaze had been fixed tightly on that Nine-Tailed White Fox.

"This adult white fox at the Body Integration Stage seems to have been placed under an extremely sophisticated Restriction, limiting its cultivation."

Lin Qingyue murmured softly, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes. "If not for that, with the Nine-Tailed Sky Fox's innate Divine Ability, how could a mere Shadow Moon Leopard Clan possibly imprison it?"

Just then,

a soft moan sounded.

The largest Nine-Tailed White Fox's long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and it finally slowly woke up.

It opened its eyes, which were as brilliant as rubies, full of vicissitudes and exhaustion.

When it saw the humans around it, it instinctively wanted to struggle, only to find that the demonic power within its body was completely gone.

"Don't move."

Su Zhentian spoke indifferently. "I just pulled you back from the gates of hell; moving recklessly could kill you."

The white fox's movements paused.

It felt the gentle medicinal power circulating within its body, as well as the shattered Formation around it.

It understood that these humans before it had saved them.

"Thank you..."

The white fox spoke human words with difficulty. "I am of the Qingqiu Bai clan... I thank you all for your life-saving grace. No matter what your purpose is, at least... we won't die for now."

"Hehe, no need for thanks."

Su Zhentian stood with his hands behind his back and approached with a smile. "After all, you still have a tiny bit of value. If you died, you wouldn't be worth anything."

The white fox: "..."

Lin Qingyue took a step forward, her eyes burning as she stared at the white fox.

"You..."

She hesitated, as if confirming something.

The white fox also noticed Lin Qingyue's gaze; it was slightly stunned, and a hint of confusion flashed in its eyes.

Su Zhentian sensed the subtle atmosphere and asked curiously, "Fairy Lin, what's wrong? Have you taken a liking to this fox?"

"It's nothing."

Lin Qingyue shook her head. "I just remembered some things."

Gu Heng took all of this in.

He couldn't help but complain wildly in his mind.

"Man, this plot direction..."

Gu Heng rubbed his chin. "Looking at it, this white fox should be the parent... or mother of that Little White Fox that Wan Shou Valley gave to Lin Qingyue?"

"I didn't expect to run into them here; the world really is small."

Gu Heng laughed inwardly. "But... these are walking Spirit Stones! I wonder if Lin Qingyue will owe the Su Clan a favor for this fox?"

The atmosphere became a bit subtle for a moment.

The several white foxes huddled together, looking warily at this group of humans with terrifying strength.

Su Zhentian was still calculating how much these foxes could be sold for, muttering things like "Nine-Tailed Fox fur scarf" and "Celestial Fox essence blood tonic soup," which made the little foxes shiver.

"Alright, Grandfather."

Su Youwei really couldn't watch any longer. Although she was a demon sect girl, she still had some resistance to these fluffy creatures.

"Our Paradise Demon Sect is considered a top-tier power in the Northern Province with vast assets; are we really short on this little bit of fox-selling money?"

Su Youwei curled her lip, looking at her grandfather with disdain. "Although these white foxes are rare, our demon sect doesn't practice charm techniques, so taking them back would just be for show. Since Sister Lin seems interested in them..."

She turned to look at Lin Qingyue and waved her hand generously. "Sister Lin, if you want them, just take them! Consider it a meeting gift from our Su Clan!"

Hearing this, Su Zhentian was first stunned, then he slapped his thigh hard.

Brilliant!

He looked at Su Youwei with approval, feeling moved in his heart.

"Sensible! This girl has grown up!"

"She actually knows how to use things that aren't very useful to the Family to build good relations with other powers! Although these foxes are valuable, if they can be exchanged for a favor from the Saintess of Piaomiao Palace, that is definitely a deal where we gain much more than we lose!"

Thinking of this, Su Zhentian was about to speak when his gaze couldn't help but glance at Gu Heng, who was casually standing with his arms crossed nearby.

He thought to himself: This lord has shown no interest in these white foxes from the start, acting as if it has nothing to do with him.

With his unfathomable cultivation, he even killed an Ice Dragon in an instant, so he wouldn't care about a few foxes. But... this person is someone who can insta-kill a Void Refining Ice Dragon after all; if I make the decision without asking him, it would seem too arrogant.

What if this lord just isn't saying it, but has other ideas in his heart?

Su Zhentian's eyes rolled as he put on a smile, first cupping his hands to Gu Heng and asking tentatively, "Young Master Gu, regarding these white foxes... how do you think they should be handled?"

Gu Heng waved his hand casually, his tone indifferent. "Just a few foxes, Senior Su can decide."

Only then did Su Zhentian feel completely at ease, and his smile became a bit more genuine.

He turned around and waved his hand grandly to Lin Qingyue, saying heartily, "Fairy Lin, since you have a fate with these white foxes and Young Master Gu is also being so courteous, then I shall make the decision to give them to you! Not a single cent will be charged!"

Lin Qingyue watched the grandfather and granddaughter duo act in concert, her heart as clear as a mirror.

Wasn't this just wanting her to owe them Karma?

Those who Cultivate immortality avoid Karma most of all.

Especially for a Sword Cultivator like her, if she owed a favor to a demon sect, it might become a Heart Demon in the future.

Lin Qingyue shook her head, her expression calm.

"Senior Su, Miss Su, I appreciate the kind offer."

"But I don't need them. Accepting them would be Karma, and there is a price. I came here only to reclaim my sect's old item and do not wish to cause further complications."

"This..."

Su Zhentian's smile froze.

This Lin Qingyue was truly difficult to persuade.

"Besides..."

Lin Qingyue glanced at the Nine-Tailed White Fox. "They are of the Qingqiu royal Family and have their own place to go; they don't need me to take them in."

After saying that,

Lin Qingyue turned around and looked at Su Changhe, her tone becoming sharp.

"Deputy Sect Master Su, now that the canghai moon-bright pearl has appeared, the item my Revered Master left in your care is still nowhere to be seen. Shouldn't you give me an explanation?"

Cold sweat dripped down Su Changhe's face.

How was he supposed to know where the item went?

This Treasure Pavilion had been turned upside down, and even the basement had been found; aside from these foxes and that dragon pearl, there wasn't even a single hair of it left!

"This... Fairy Lin, I... I really don't know!"

Su Changhe looked to Su Zhentian for help. "Big brother, help me out here!"

Su Zhentian also looked troubled.

The Su Clan was indeed in the wrong here.

The item was lost while in Su Changhe's hands, and now it couldn't be found; this was a genuine breach of trust.

If not handled well, it would not only offend Piaomiao Palace but also the power backing it, and could even trigger a war between several sects.

Su Zhentian's eyes rolled and landed on the canghai moon-bright pearl in Su Changhe's hand.

Got it!

"Ahem."

Su Zhentian cleared his throat. "Fairy Lin, how about this?"

"Since the item you're looking for has been lost by these Shadow Moon Leopard beasts, our Su Clan is willing to compensate you!"

"This canghai moon-bright pearl is a Dragon Clan supreme treasure, an Innate Spirit Treasure Rank! In terms of value, it is definitely not inferior to the item your Revered Master left, and might even surpass it!"

"How about... this pearl goes to you? And we let bygones be bygones?"

Su Zhentian said with a look of pain as if losing his own flesh, "This was my granddaughter's... ahem, anyway, this sincerity should be enough, right?"

Su Youwei opened her mouth to speak but hesitated.

Lin Qingyue looked at the canghai moon-bright pearl and fell into silence.

The canghai moon-bright pearl was indeed a rare treasure.

For a Cultivator who practiced water-based or yin-based techniques, it was a divine object they would dream of.

But...

The item she was looking for held extraordinary meaning for her Revered Master, which could not be measured by value.

While Lin Qingyue was hesitating,

a slightly weak voice sounded from the side.

"Are you... from Piaomiao Palace?"