Under the moonlight, in a dark alley on the side of the street in the *Eastern District*, there was a sudden sound of gear meshing.
*Boom boom---*
Ten unremarkable old stone bricks on the alley floor suddenly caved into the ground, and stone stairs leading down appeared one after another.
Ye Anping, wearing a blue robe and a hood covering his face, stepped slowly from the bottom of the stairs. Seeing that no one was passing by in the alley, he felt relieved and closed the entrance of the secret passage again. Then, he stepped on the walls on both sides of the alley and jumped onto the roof of a three-story residential building next to him.
To catch Xue Tianqiao, the first thing to do was to find her.However, looking at the wide array of beasts on the streets of the *Eastern District*, Ye Anping felt a little demoralized.
When he had just entered the secret passage below **Heavenly Gate City**, that late-stage *Nascent Soul* cultivator of the ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect had also entered the city with his gifts, and he was probably about to go to Hu Mu to deliver them.
If he missed Xue Tianqiao before the demonic cultivator and Hu Mu finished talking, then all his efforts would be in vain.
In other words, he only had about two hours to set up a trap, catch the fox, and escape.
"How great would it be if Xuanji also gave her a bell, or if we could meet on the street..."
Ye Anping sighed. Of course, how could he plan such an important matter based on luck or uncertainty?
After stretching his shoulders a little, he followed the tiled roofs of the buildings and headed for the top of the tallest tower within sight. He stepped on the tip of the eaves and then called softly, "Xiao..."Before he could say the word "Tian", Xiao Tian seemed to have anticipated it as half of her body came out of his soul realm.
*"Anping, did you call me?"*
"..."
Seeing Xiao Tian's eager look, Ye Anping was taken aback. He frowned, asking, "Why are you so excited?"
Xiao Tian flew to sit on Ye Anping's shoulder, grabbed his face, and blinked. *"Anping, it's so rare for you to call me for help. I feel bad staying here for free, so please give me some more things to do in the future. So what do you want me to do? Do you want to borrow the ***Heavenly Dao Scroll***? Or do you want me to send a message for you? Or do you want me to peek into someone else's storage bag?"*
"I basically know everything in the *Heavenly Dao Scroll*, and you can only send messages to Feng Yu Die, so I might as well raise a messenger eagle. Peeking into other people's storage bags is barely useful... Is there anything else?"
*"Ah... it's, it's..."*
Ye Anping looked indifferent. "Well?"
Xiao Tian lowered her head to think, and probably concluding that she was quite useless, two bean-sized tears suddenly fell from her golden eyes. *"Anping, I... Woo-- I..."*
Ye Anping really didn't expect Xiao Tian to be so aggrieved that she started crying. He was worried that she would cry in his head later, giving him a headache, so he quickly found an excuse. "Xiaotian, I asked you to come out..."
However, just as Ye Anping wanted to assign her a task...
A crisp bell rang in his consciousness.
*Jing-ling-ling~~*
The ethereal sound of the *Star Returning Bell* did not have any sense of direction, but it gave him an accurate position.
Ye Anping frowned slightly and turned to look at the bell.
To his east, on *East Long Street*, which was about a hundred feet away, a white fox jumped up and down on both sides of the road with its nimble body. As if the entire street was its fox trestle, it was using the heads and shoulders of the pedestrian beasts as stepping stones for its leaps.
Several red and silver-black foxes chased after it but were lured by its tricks to bump into pedestrians or smash into the houses' windows.
"..."
The old woman really put a bell on this naughty fox, huh?
Ye Anping hadn't expected this, but it was very convenient for him.
Because Xue Tianqiao could smell the *Heavenly Dao Scroll*, he originally wanted Xiao Tian to spread her spiritual energy out. This way, Xue Tianqiao would naturally come to him after smelling it...
But now, it seemed that 'Hero Xuanji' had stolen Xiao Tian's job.
*"Anping..."*
Ye Anping came back to his senses and looked at the aggrieved Xiao Tian with a smile. "I've missed you. I haven't seen you out for the last few days, so I asked you to come out to see how you were doing. Isn't that okay?"
At this, Xiao Tian's aggrieved look instantly disappeared and changed to a surprised expression. However, she immediately blushed again and landed flustered on Ye Anping's shoulder.
*"Anping, you're annoying~~"*
"..."
Ye Anping shuddered and ignored her.
Looking at Xue Tianqiao suddenly stopping in place and chasing after its own tail in circles, he was flabbergasted for a moment.
However, he quickly regained his senses, pulled his hood lower, then took out a few small parasites that he had nurtured along the way before turning into a black shadow under the night sky, and leaping toward Xue Tianqiao.
Seeing this, Xiao Tian quickly chased after him, grabbing his long hair tied up behind his head and letting herself be dragged in his wake. *"Eh? Anping, where are you going? Wait for me..."*
...
*Jingle-ling-ling~~*
*Jingle-ling-ling~~*
Xue Tianqiao frowned slightly and stopped circling. She buried her head in her tail and glanced at the magic tools, pills, and other strange things stored in it.
What she discovered was that the fox felt Si Xuanji had made from her master's tail fur was slightly vibrating at this moment.
She took the fox felt in her mouth with a suspicious look, tilted her head, and stared at it for a while. "Huh?"
While she stopped to look for the bell, the fox maids who had been far behind her had caught up and surrounded her.
A slightly larger silver-black fox nodded slightly, pleading. "Miss, we've caught you. You lost... It's getting dark now, please go back with us. If His Excellency comes to check on you later, you will be scolded again..."
Xue Tianqiao paused. She hadn't had enough fun yet. If it weren't for the sudden sound of the bell, how could she be caught by these fox demons?
"It doesn't count!"
Saying that, she picked up the fox felt in her mouth and wanted to make a break for it.
However, the silver-black fox in the lead quickly pounced on her.
"Miss! Go back with us. Tomorrow morning, we will play with you in the palace..."
Right at this moment, a spiritual energy with a particular stench suddenly reached the foxes' noses.
All the foxes, including Xue Tianqiao, smelled the scent of poisonous insects in an instant, but Xue Tianqiao also smelled a hint of a sweet smell, like roasted chicken, through the stench.
"Hmm?"
Just as they were wondering where the smell of the poisonous insects came from, a black shadow suddenly slammed into the roof where they were, simply blowing away all the roof tiles.
*Boom---*
Ye Anping reached out to grab Xue Tianqiao's nape before jumping down from the roof into the room below, frightening several low-level tiger demons who were drinking and chatting leisurely in the restaurant.
He crashed through two layers of ceilings and landed on a table in the lobby. Ye Anping's sharp eyes swept around, pressing Xue Tianqiao against his chest. Putting his right elbow in front of his body, he crashed into the window facing the backyard in the lobby.
*Crash---*
The window shattered into pieces, but the moment he rushed out, he caught sight of three cold lights coming from three directions.
Four of the fox maids who were sent flying were biting on the hilts of snake-like spirit swords with their fox mouths. Together, they released several crossing spiritual lights and attacked his neck.
"Hooo..."
The foxes worked together almost seamlessly. With just one move, they sealed off all of his ways of advance and retreat.
If he hadn't been a Sword cultivator, he might not have been able to dodge them at all.
*"Anping, there are two behind you!"*
*Ding---*
Ye Anping twisted his body and raised his arm, blocking one of the swords with the one hidden in his sleeve. Then, he stopped the sword path of the other two foxes with Xue Tianqiao, which he held in his left hand. Immediately, he twisted back with force and knocked away one of the foxes behind him with his knee. Finally, he threw the insect jar that he had prepared long ago.
These actions only lasted one breath.
The fox maids were terrified and confused as Ye Anping's insect jar met the sword in the mouth of the last fox.
The blade broke a finger-long gap in the jar, and dark purple spirit gas gushed out, instantly enveloping Ye Anping and the maid foxes.
Ye Anping took the opportunity to catch Xue Tianqiao back and emerged from the purple mist, landing on the street. He exhaled lightly and looked at the spreading poisonous mist indifferently.
Xue Tianqiao, who had been grabbed by the back of her neck and used as a shield, looked up at the face under his hood.
Her watery green eyes blinked, but there was no sense of crisis in them at all. "Oh~~ You sold me my master's tail fur..."
At this time, the fox maids also jumped out of the purple poisonous mist, but they had now turned into fox demons wearing human clothes.
The one in the lead looked at Ye Anping, her eyes erected into a line, displaying the might of the fox clan. "You--! You bold human cultivator, how dare you..."
Before she finished speaking, Ye Anping raised his right hand and placed a sword against Xue Tianqiao's neck.
All the fox maids were so frightened that they took a step back.
Ye Anping deliberately lowered his voice and mocked in a disdainful voice. "Looks like you're still sensible. I thought that the ***Demon Clan*** were all beasts with no brain."
Seeing that Ye Anping seemed to be interested in talking, the head maid understood that he probably wanted to exchange something. She bit her lips and said fiercely, "Hiss... What do you want?"
"It's nothing more than a hostage... Tell that stinky fox that ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect will graciously host his precious disciple. If he doesn't want to receive the scarf made of his precious disciple's skin, then give the three cities of Eastern Great Wall to the ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect and hand over the *Nine Dragons Heavenly Seal*..."
"..."
"By the way, my master, Elder Xu of the ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect's *Summoning Hall* is on his way to the palace. I'm sure your Fox Excellency should know what to do... hehe... hehe hahahaha---"
Laughing wildly, Ye Anping turned his head to look at the alley not far away.
As the capital city of the former ***Imperial*** Sect, when the **Heavenly Gate City** was first built, there were countless secret passages leading to all parts of the city. He had obtained the secret passage map from Tong Zilan a long time ago. He originally thought that he would not go to **Heavenly Gate City** again, but he did not expect it to really come in handy.
Ye Anping smiled as he retreated into the dark alley with Xue Tianqiao, whose mouth was tightly tied and whose tail was raised to cover her belly.
"Don't chase me~~"
The maid leader frowned but did not chase after Ye Anping. She stopped at the entrance of the alley and waited for his figure to gradually disappear into the shadows, then immediately ordered the others to contact the city guards to seal off all the entrances and exits of the dark alley Ye Anping had entered as well as the sky above, gradually tightening the encirclement net from all directions.
However, when all the demonic beasts finally gathered in the center of the dark alley, they understood.
His Excellency's most beloved disciple had been kidnapped by a ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect parasite cultivator in front of everyone...
The leading fox maid was so frightened that her tail was tucked up. The rest of the fox maids, as well as some bull and roc demons who were called over, also looked at her blankly.
They looked at each other for a long time before the maid finally recovered. Her voice trembled as she whispered, "Hic... Go quickly... Hic... Report to His Majesty."
...
Meanwhile, in front of the main hall of the **Heavenly Gate City** Palace.
Dozens of *Core Formation* stage demonic cultivators carrying large and small jade boxes with golden hooks lined up neatly in front of the square at the bottom of the main hall. They wore the uniforms of the ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect and masks with demonic totem patterns.
At the front of these ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect disciples was an old man with compound eyes and a beard. With his hands hidden in his sleeves, he bowed toward the main hall's door.
The old man was Xu Chi of the ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect's *Summoning Hall*. He was in the late *Nascent Soul* stage and had been tasked by the ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect's Leader to discuss matters related to the three cities of the Eastern Great Wall.
According to his sect leader, no matter what Hu Mu wanted, he could give it to him in exchange for the three immortal cities at the eastern border of the **Central Region**. Even his own life or head if needed.
In other words, in this negotiation, Seven Ghost Tomb gave Xu Chi a very high bottom line.
With so many trump cards in his hand, the Demon King had no reason to refuse.
For his sect leader, his life wasn't worth much.
As one of the few cultivators who had broken through to the *Void Returning* stage and practiced Ghost cultivation for thousands of years, to Seven Ghost Tomb, a life or his head was like a wound from a fall.
Xu Chi never thought that he would fail in negotiations. As long as he remained respectful and politely suppressed his position to the lowest level, the matter entrusted to him by the sect leader would be completed.
He clenched his fists in his sleeves, and seeing that the doors of the hall were slowly opening, he immediately knelt outside the threshold.
"Disciple Xu Chi pays respect to the Demon King."
*Thud---*
The *Core Formation* demonic cultivators, who had been instructed previously, knelt down abruptly after him and kowtowed twice.
Seated on the golden dragon throne, Hu Mu propped one of his cheeks with his fist. His ebony vertical pupils inspired a sense of awe as he looked straight at Xu Chi, who was lowering his head. Seeing that Xu Chi did not raise his head for a moment, he understood that the gifts given to him by the demonic cultivators were probably quite valuable.
He certainly wouldn't give him a reason not to accept it.
"Are you here for the Eastern Wall matter?"
Xu Chi still didn't look up. "Your Excellency is wise. ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect wants to ask you to let them borrow three immortal cities. For this reason, they specially sent me to pay my respects to Your Excellency, the Demon King."
"Borrow?"
"Yes... ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect knows that the **Central Region** belongs to the ***Demon Clan*** now, so we naturally know the etiquette. Compared to buying it from you, ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect is willing to borrow three immortal cities for a hundred years at a high price..."
"What if I don't agree?"
"Then, I will leave **Heavenly Gate City** after offering these gifts. However... I still want to mention that if you are willing to lend the three cities, ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect is willing to fulfill all your conditions..."
Hu Mu frowned slightly. Just as he had expected, the ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect had come this time with full sincerity and they did not give him any reason to refuse...
Even the few demon foxes in scholar robes beside him suggested that it would be better to let the ***Ghost Spirit*** Sect spend their resources to buy the three immortal cities at the Eastern Wall. Those three cities were of no use to the ***Demon Clan*** anyway.
Hu Mu pondered for a while, and he was about to let him enter the hall to continue speaking.
However, suddenly, a red fox came running from the direction of the palace's southern gate. It even accidentally tripped over the stairs when climbing.
"Hu~huh..."
Hu Mu saw that the person who came was a fox maid who accompanied Xue Tianqiao. Seeing her anxious expression, he gestured for her to come closer.
"Your Excellency... Young Miss... Something happened to her!"
