The first thing she saw was Jiu Baiyun’s profile, close at hand, and his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
Following the gleam of the cold, short blade, she saw a grotesquely twisted creature, impaled by that short sword and nailed firmly to the trunk of an old tree beside her.
The thing vaguely retained the outline of a sparrow, but its body had swollen several times over. Its feathers were rotten and falling out, revealing the grey, festering flesh beneath.
The impaled body was still twitching slightly, emitting a dying gasp of “heh… heh…”
What had splashed on her earlier was this strange, filthy blood. She stood frozen in place, lips pale, her small body trembling uncontrollably, unable to utter a single word.
With a flick of his wrist, Jiu Baiyun cleanly pulled out the short sword. The twisted sparrow creature slid limply to the ground, completely lifeless.
Shaking the black blood from the blade, Jiu Baiyun wiped it on the corner of his clothes, then swiftly tucked it back at his waist. He offered the girl an apologetic smile.
“Sorry about that…”
“I was just so hungry… I thought since no one was eating the offering…”
Jiu Baiyun’s sincere attitude made the girl’s tense body relax somewhat.
Her eyes swept between the sparrow corpse on the ground and Jiu Baiyun’s face. Finally, she let out a long sigh of relief, her legs feeling weak as she staggered back two steps.
“Thank you…”
The girl thanked him in a very small voice, but then quickly noticed the wine pot in Jiu Baiyun’s hand and immediately added.
“Even though you saved me, you still have to return these offerings!”
“These are offerings for the Fox Immortal. You can’t just steal and eat them!”
Hearing the girl’s words, Jiu Baiyun sighed helplessly, rubbing his forehead. Offerings… if he ate them, wasn’t that the same as the Fox Immortal eating them? Did she have to be so particular?
But when it came down to it, it was indeed his fault…
“Alright, alright… I’ll prepare a new set of offerings…”
Having said that, Jiu Baiyun didn’t plan to linger. He intended to turn and leave. The sky was already darkening, and he had no desire to wander outside at night. He hurriedly started walking towards the forest path.
The girl stood in place, watching Jiu Baiyun’s retreating back, her heart in turmoil.
She remembered the moment the twisted sparrow creature had lunged at her. It was this person before her who had saved her life with one sword stroke. Although stealing the offerings was indeed detestable… someone willing to save a life couldn’t be that bad of a person, right?
Had her words just now been too harsh?
After wrestling with her thoughts for a while, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, she finally lifted her head and called out loudly to Jiu Baiyun.
“Hey, you! Come back!”
Jiu Baiyun paused, stopping in his tracks and turning around in confusion.
He then frowned slightly and asked, “What is it?”
The girl took a deep breath, quickly walking a few steps closer. Her voice was no longer as tense as before.
“My name is A Ran.”
She paused, her cheeks slightly flushed, her voice becoming a bit lighter.
“Forget it. You don’t need to prepare the offerings. From now on, if you’re hungry, just come find me directly. Don’t go stealing the offerings anymore. I’ll handle the matter of the Fox Immortal.”
Hearing this, Jiu Baiyun was momentarily taken aback, then a genuine smile spread across his face. Honestly, even after traveling so many places, people like A Ran were still rare.
“Then I thank you, Miss A Ran. My name is Jiu Baiyun.”
“But is there anything Miss needs help with? It shouldn’t be just because I saved you this one time, right?”
A Ran blinked, clearly not expecting Jiu Baiyun to offer help proactively. She tilted her head, thinking seriously for a moment, her gaze subconsciously sweeping over Jiu Baiyun.
When her eyes landed on the small knife at Jiu Baiyun’s waist—the one that had so cleanly dispatched the strange sparrow—they suddenly lit up.
“Hmm… help, you say…”
A Ran’s voice carried a hint of hesitation, but she soon raised her hand and pointed at Jiu Baiyun’s waist.
“I see you carry a knife, and you seem quite skilled?”
She paused, as if weighing her words, then asked with a touch of small expectation and caution.
“Then… then during the day, could you come help guard the ancestral hall?”
A Ran’s request surprised Jiu Baiyun.
Guard the ancestral hall?
He truly hadn’t expected A Ran to make such a request.
Seeing the surprise and confusion on Jiu Baiyun’s face, A Ran immediately explained.
“Sometimes… it’s strange things like the one just now, sneaking in. They don’t know reverence, and might even damage the hall…”
A Ran’s voice held a trace of lingering fear; the sparrow creature’s attack clearly still haunted her. As she spoke, she subconsciously touched the not-yet-fully-dried filth on her cheek.
“But more often… it’s passing merchant caravans, or… bandits.”
Hearing A Ran say this, Jiu Baiyun roughly understood what had happened. Perhaps A Ran had moved here… because of this.
But… he had stolen and eaten the offerings so many times, wouldn’t he also be…
No, he and the Yao Fox Demon Venerable were the Fox Immortal. It wasn’t stealing!
If these people destroyed the Fox Immortal’s hall, in a way, wouldn’t that be slapping their own faces?
Thinking this, Jiu Baiyun’s expression darkened. He then nodded to A Ran.
“I’ll come. It’s getting late, you should go rest. Whatever you do, don’t come out at night.”
Hearing Jiu Baiyun readily agree to guard the hall, A Ran’s face immediately blossomed into a happy smile.
Seeing A Ran enter her house, Jiu Baiyun didn’t linger any longer. He quickly headed towards the location of his own courtyard.
Jiu Baiyun’s figure moved swiftly along the forest path. The sky had completely darkened, the last trace of daylight swallowed by the thick darkness.
The surroundings were reduced to blurry outlines. The night wind whistled through the withered branches, emitting a mournful howl.
Even now, Jiu Baiyun didn’t forget to take another swig of rice wine.
After smacking his lips, the Yao Fox Demon Venerable’s voice sounded in his head, tinged with fatigue and displeasure.
“Hmph, eaten and drunk your fill, picked up a new job. Satisfied now?”
Jiu Baiyun wiped his mouth with lingering satisfaction, then replied carelessly.
“It is, after all, a hall dedicated to us. It wouldn’t be good to let others ruin it.”
Hearing this, the Yao Fox Demon Venerable immediately rolled its eyes.
“Fox Immortal indeed! I see you more as a muggle! With the little strength we have now, you have the nerve to accept the title of Fox Immortal!”
Jiu Baiyun scratched his head, then chuckled dismissively.
“It’s just to make myself feel a bit more justified…”
With that, ignoring the Yao Fox Demon Venerable’s grumbling in his head, Jiu Baiyun made his own way back to the front of the courtyard.
The courtyard gate was tightly shut. The surroundings were utterly silent, save for the rustling of wind through dry grass.
Jiu Baiyun looked at the high courtyard wall and frowned.
He had no intention of going back to the spot he’d crawled out from earlier. Who knew if Yun Yao was still lying in wait there?
The entire village had extinguished its lights by now, enveloped in darkness. Standing in the dark, he could clearly feel goosebumps rising on his arms.
He couldn’t stay long… or else the things in the dark would start to notice him.
Without further hesitation, Jiu Baiyun directly leaped up and vaulted over the wall into the courtyard.