69novels Chapter 814 The Old Fox Will Handle It
Chapter 814 The Old Fox Will Handle It
The old fox slowly walked to the barrier of the demon realm. The transparent barrier shimmered with a faint spiritual light, a protective barrier set up by their ancestors. From afar, he could see the wolf, bear, and snake chieftains already waiting there, each with a tense expression. The wolf chieftain's tail nervously swished behind him, while the bear chieftain's fists were clenched, his knuckles white. Seeing the old fox arrive, they all turned their heads, their eyes filled with obvious reliance. Since the last battle against the demons, the old fox had single-handedly turned the tide, saving many members of their respective tribes. In recent years, the tribes had implicitly regarded him as their leader.
"Brother Old Fox, look at this..." The Bear Clan Chief began in a muffled voice, his voice filled with anxiety, but before he could finish speaking, the Old Fox raised his hand to interrupt him.
The old fox said nothing, a pale golden foxfire gathering at his fingertips. The flame danced on his fingertips, radiating a gentle yet formidable spiritual power. With a light touch, the transparent barrier that enveloped the entire demon territory rippled open like water after a pebble was thrown in, just enough for one person to pass through. He straightened the wrinkles in his clothes and strode out, his posture upright and showing no sign of panic. The clan leaders behind him dared not move—none of them were sure of the human's intentions, and going out rashly at this moment would likely lead to trouble.
The old fox stood on the open ground outside the barrier, the grass beneath his feet slightly bowed by his spiritual energy. His gaze fell on Wang Ran, who was at the head of the group, noticing the cloud patterns on the man's black brocade robe and the style of the jade pendant at his waist. His tone was neither humble nor arrogant: "I wonder what brings this esteemed person here with so many people? This mountain forest is where our demon race has lived for generations. We have a long-standing agreement with the human race to demarcate boundaries and not to intrude on each other's territory. Such a large-scale intrusion by the human race is probably against the rules, isn't it?"
Wang Ran stepped forward, the cloud patterns on his dark brocade robe gleaming coldly in the sunlight. He looked at the old fox, his eyes sharp as knives, as if trying to see right through him: "I should be asking you that. Why did your fox clan leave the mountain without permission, and even fight with humans on human territory, injuring my clan's cultivators and causing quite a commotion? Shouldn't you give the human race an explanation for this?" As soon as he finished speaking, the cultivators behind him stepped forward in unison, the clanging of armor echoing once more, carrying an overwhelming sense of oppression.
The old fox's fur bristled as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over its head. Its amber eyes, which always held a hint of cunning, widened in disbelief, its face practically overflowing with astonishment. Clearly, it hadn't expected Wang Ran to suddenly utter such a statement. It stood there stunned for a moment before reacting, its tail irritably sweeping across the fallen leaves, its tone laced with the anger of someone wrongly accused: "My lord, your words are biased! Although you are a high-ranking human in charge of punishments, holding the power of life and death over our demon race, you cannot slander someone's innocence without cause!"
It took half a step forward, its bushy tail flailing nervously behind it, kicking up a cloud of fine dust: "Ask every demon in this valley, in all these years, which of us foxes, along with the other imprisoned demons, has dared to step out of the valley? The barrier drawn by the human race back then still glows with a blue light. Even if we had the greatest courage in the world, we wouldn't dare to cross that line! How could you say we're colluding with the dragon race?"
Wang Ran's lips curled into a cold smile as he lightly tapped the black jade pendant at his waist. The pendant, nurtured by him over many years, gleamed with a faint spiritual light, and one could vaguely see the runes flowing within—it was a magical artifact capable of suppressing high-level demons. "So, you think I'm slandering you?" His voice wasn't loud, but it was as sharp as an ice pick.
The old fox's ears drooped, his voice filled with suppressed grievance, as if he had suffered a great injustice: "My lord, please see the truth! We demons have been imprisoned in this small valley by you humans, and we have long lost the freedom to roam the mountains and forests as we once did. We live in fear every day, afraid that we might say or do something wrong and offend you, thus bringing about our death."
It paused, raised its head, and its amber eyes seemed to be veiled with moisture: "Now you want to accuse us of 'colluding with the dragons' with just a few words? Do you think this valley is too small and want us to give up our last bit of shelter to make room for you humans? This is far too much of an insult to demons!"
Wang Ran's eyes darkened, and a faint pressure emanated from his body—the aura unique to high-level cultivators, like an invisible mountain pressing down, causing the surrounding fox demons to involuntarily shrink back and even lower their breath. "Stop beating around the bush." His voice was as cold as ice. "It was you fox demons who secretly colluded with the dragon clan, passing on messages and stirring up trouble for them. Now, honestly tell me where the dragon clan is hiding, including their next plans and movements, explain everything clearly, otherwise…"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the few little fox demons cowering behind the old fox, his tone chilling to the point of freezing: "You should know the methods of our human race. There's no need to force us to take drastic measures. When the barrier tightens and the spiritual veins in the valley are severed, you demons will probably find it difficult to even transform into human form."
The old fox's back hunched slightly under the oppressive aura, but its mind raced. Although it hadn't directly heard of any demons colluding with the dragons, it vaguely guessed the truth—most likely, Lord Long Si and the boy named Xiao Shuai had been discovered by the humans while hiding in the valley. But judging from the humans' demeanor, their imposing presence was ferocious, yet they offered no concrete evidence, clearly indicating they hadn't caught them red-handed.
Since Lord Long Si and the boy have already run away, why should I play the hero? Admitting it would only drag the entire fox clan into a fire pit. It calmed itself down, suppressed the panic in its heart, and forced a helpless smile: "If you say that, my lord, you are really wronging us. You know that although this valley is a gathering place for demons, not all foxes are here."
It wagged its tail, its tone sounding quite earnest: "There are still some wandering demons outside who are unwilling to be bound by the barrier. They roam the mountains and forests year-round, and are very wild, without any rules or scruples. It's possible that they are ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth and have gotten involved with the dragon clan. Isn't it a bit too hasty for you to come and question us without even knowing the facts?"
Wang Ran stared at the old fox's slick face, his mind clear as day—this old fox was deliberately playing coy, trying to shift the blame onto the scattered demons. The fox clan was always cunning; without solid evidence, they would never give in. He changed his tone, softening it slightly, as if throwing out bait: "I won't beat around the bush anymore. I'm here with only one condition: tell me where the dragon clan is and what their next move is. If you tell me, the past will be forgiven, and I might even secure some benefits for your fox clan, such as easing the restrictions within the valley and allowing you to fetch water from the spiritual spring outside the valley once a month. How about it?"