Chapter 502: Big Opportunity Gift Pack

Ye Wenxin found herself in a rather embarrassing predicament. She never expected to be treated like a lowlife for the first time due to being a cultivator. She leaped and hid behind a nearby tree, melding with the shadows.

The angry mob continued to search the area. They seemed to harbor an irreconcilable grudge against cultivators.

Ye Wenxin couldn’t understand the history of this hostility in Liu City, nor the deep hatred between these common folk and cultivators.

She began muttering to herself, “This doesn’t make sense. Cosmos Academy gathers elites from all over. No matter how remote Liu City is, these people shouldn’t be this ignorant.”

The foul odor she had noticed earlier came back to her mind. Perhaps a kitsune was stirring up trouble in the city, causing such a drastic change.

Immortal sects had a law forbidding the harm of mortals. Could the kitsune be bewitching the citizens to secure a dwelling, which led to this disorder? As Ye Wenxin pondered the situation, she suddenly sensed a shadow dropping beside her. Without thinking, she moved to strike first, knocking the dark figure to the ground.

The dark figure struggled briefly, and Ye Wenxin realized she had pinned down a frail girl. She appeared to be around fifteen years old, and looked at Ye Wenxin with some fear for what she did.

The girl kept staring at her, trying to convey something.

“Don’t scream, and I’ll let you go.”

The girl’s eyes lacked the malice the others had shown, so Ye Wenxin revealed her kind intentions. The girl meekly nodded, and Ye Wenxin cautiously loosened her grip.

She didn’t want to stir up trouble before even entering the city. Having a guide could help her better understand what was happening here. Oddly, since inheriting Celestial Master Zhong’s memories, a stronger sense of justice had grown within her.

Ye Wenxin couldn’t seem to stand the idea of demons causing harm to mortals. Besides, she wanted to see how beautiful this so-called kitsune could be, to the point of causing such chaos.

However, when she began questioning the girl about the situation, the girl pointed to her mouth, indicating she was mute. Ye Wenxin found this development exasperating.

But since the other person was mute, Ye Wenxin didn’t worry about her causing trouble. So, she waited in the tree for a while longer.

The mob searching for them gradually dispersed. From her vantage point, Ye Wenxin saw Fairy Fengya leisurely walking toward them. An auntie was even exchanging pleasantries with her, reminding her to be cautious of cultivators and to stay safe.

Fairy Fengya nodded in acknowledgment and pressed onward, circling the area where Ye Wenxin was hiding. Occasionally, a few persistent common folk could still be seen, fearing the cultivator’s return.

Ye Wenxin thought for a moment, then casually pulled out a new outfit to change into.

Compared to the black attire, the dark blue outfit highlighted Ye Wenxin’s imposing presence even more. She adjusted her hairstyle slightly, arranging it into a matronly bun.

Once done, Ye Wenxin quietly picked up the mute girl and descended from the tree.

Ye Wenxin thought her appearance might be a little conspicuous, so she had no choice but to act natural. She pretended to search around for a bit before finally pulling Fairy Fengya aside and leaving with the mute girl.

Originally, Ye Wenxin had only planned to bring Fairy Fengya. But she felt that this mute girl might come in handy, and decided to take her along as well.

The mute girl didn’t disappoint and led them to a village over a hundred miles away. However, the village appeared desolate, its villagers looking malnourished and sickly. Yet they didn’t show any hostility toward Ye Wenxin and Fairy Fengya.

The stark contrast in attitude left Ye Wenxin with a nagging sense that something deeper was at play.

They waited a while, and soon, a matron emerged from one of the houses.

“Excuse me, are you cultivators?”

The matron looked utterly haggard, as if she had one foot in the grave, and her soul ready to fly away at any moment. Her face was full of excitement. The sight of Ye Wenxin and Fairy Fengya seemed to bring her great joy.

After the hell she had just gone through, Ye Wenxin was more cautious. She announced her affiliation with the Azure Wings Sect.

Ye Wenxin didn’t think much of the Azure Wings Sect, but to mortals, they might as well be gods. On top of being the number one sect, they also housed Fairy Fengya.

The matron’s eyes lit up, and she immediately dropped to her knees with a thud. The surrounding villagers followed suit, all kneeling on the ground.

The grand display made Ye Wenxin feel like she was being forced into doing something beyond her abilities. Due to the influence of Celestial Master Zhong’s memories, Ye Wenxin couldn’t bear seeing these people kneeling and in tears. She quickly helped the matron up and listened to Liu City’s story.

It all started three years ago. One day, a woman, as beautiful as a celestial, arrived at one of the brothels. Her beauty enchanted the men of Liu City, and soon, they all became infatuated with her.

The woman was rumored to be a demon in disguise. Men became obsessed with her, willingly spending vast sums to win her favor.

In those days, Liu City was thrown into chaos. Even the city lord fell for her charms. He went as far as to relinquish his position to the kitsune in a moment of foolishness.

As the kitsune escalated, she began plotting to make Liu City hers. However, fearing the arrival of cultivators, she orchestrated a scheme, convincing the city folk that cultivators were the true evil.

They initially didn’t believe the kitsune’s lies. However, repeated performances completely brainwashed the city folk, and they became extremely hostile towards cultivators.

Furthermore, the immortal sects prohibit harming ordinary people. So, every time the cultivators attempted to enter the city, they were driven out before they could even get inside.

Even if some managed to slip in, they couldn’t resist the kitsune’s charm. The number of victims only grew from there.

In the end, the entire population of Liu City went mad. They openly defied the government and even learned evil practices to uphold what they believed was justice.

While such situations were not uncommon in this realm, they had never been as severe as in this city.

These villagers were among those who didn’t believe the kitsune’s lies. Although they escaped the worst, their lives were still miserable, and they continued to wait desperately for cultivators to come and slay this scourge.

“And what about Cosmos Academy?”

“Cosmos Academy has also fallen under control. The students there no longer study what they used to…”

The matron sighed, looking tired. Ye Wenxin frowned slightly. She had thought this trip would go smoothly, that she could get the information she needed and leave. But unexpectedly, reality had handed her a big gift pack.

She wasn’t sure if it was due to Fairy Fengya’s presence or sheer coincidence. Ye Wenxin couldn’t help but feel frustrated. She didn’t want to get involved, but seeing that Ye Wenxin wanted to run, the matron grabbed her leg, pleading for help.

At that moment, a sharp pain shot through Ye Wenxin’s back, and she hissed. She had no idea why this peach blossom demon was suddenly acting up again.