Starting with a blind date with a female constable, you acquire the Nine Swords of Dugu.

Chapter 188 Fox Demon Dragon King

In the evening, a torrential downpour began.

Large raindrops pounded on the muddy ground by the roadside, splashing water that then gathered into thin streams in low-lying areas, flowing under the eaves and into the mud in front of the door.

In an inn by the roadside, a few oil lamps were lit, casting a dim light.

There were very few people in the inn, only one table of guests, three men and one woman.

All four were carrying weapons, clearly indicating they were all members of the martial arts world.

Among the four, an elderly man with gray hair took a sip of tea and said, "There are two great legends in Qinghe County: one is the Dragon King, and the other is the Fox Fairy."

This Dragon King is the River God, a righteous deity worshipped by the people of Qinghe County, who blesses the land of Qinghe with favorable weather and abundant harvests.

This fox spirit is actually a wild deity who disguises herself as a beautiful woman to seduce men, kill them, and eat them!

A young man quickly asked, "Vice Sect Leader, how does the fox spirit deceive people?"

The old man chuckled, pointed at the young man, and said, "For example, a strong young man like you is exactly what the fox spirit likes the most. It will transform into a very beautiful woman, knock on your door at night, and then use its beauty to seduce you. When you're not paying attention, it will kill and eat you."

The young man quickly said, "This is too fake, Vice Sect Leader. A strange woman coming to seduce you in the middle of the night is obviously suspicious. Who would fall for that?"

The old man laughed and said, "I already said you were captivated by beauty!"

The young man said, "How beautiful must it be to be able to captivate someone at first glance?"

The old man laughed and said, "Then she's naturally as beautiful as a celestial being!"

Just then, the woman sitting opposite suddenly spoke up: "Vice Sect Leader, do fox spirits only transform into beautiful women to seduce men? Can they also transform into handsome men to seduce women?"

"This—" The old man paused slightly, then said, "There are both men and women, but mostly women. Why would you ask that?"

The woman swallowed hard, pointed to the inn's entrance, and whispered, "I—I think I saw a fox spirit—"

The three of them turned their heads in unison, following her gaze, and looked towards the main entrance of the inn.

The door was half-closed, and the gaps at the bottom were wet with rainwater. Water droplets on the eaves formed a white ribbon, splashing onto the ground with a pattering sound.

And through the wind and rain outside the door, a person was walking in.

The man was dressed in white, with a tall and slender figure, and his clothes fluttered slightly in the wind.

He came through the rain with a calm and composed gait, as if the storm itself was avoiding him.

The most outrageous thing was that he walked all the way from the torrential rain to the entrance of the inn, and his moon-white robe was still dry as usual, without even the hem getting wet.

As he entered the inn, the firelight shone on his face.

At that moment, even the flickering flames seemed to quiet down for a split second.

This person had exquisite features and an aura that transcended the mundane world. He seemed to have stepped out of a painting or fallen from the moon palace, making him appear somewhat unreal.

A young man whispered, "Could it really be a fox spirit?"

"You know what—" another young man interjected in a low voice, "Could it be that the fox spirit has really taken a liking to our junior sister today?"

The woman blinked and said, "If a fox spirit really looked like this and tried to seduce me—I'd be willing to be eaten!"

At this moment, the old man looked excited and hurriedly said, "You lot, stop talking nonsense and come with me to pay your respects."

The three young men were all filled with doubt.

But the old man had already stood up, and the three of them immediately followed suit.

Immediately, the old man strode to the door, stopped three steps away from the person, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed respectfully: "Pan Lin of the Mechanism Gate greets Alliance Leader Gu."

The man in white slightly raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the old man's face. He cupped his hands in return, saying, "Vice Sect Leader Pan, it's been a long time."

Immediately, the old man beckoned to the three young men behind him, saying, "Hurry up and pay your respects! This is none other than Alliance Leader Gu, the leader of the Yunzhou martial arts alliance!"

The man in white was Gu Guanqi, who had come to Qizhou from the capital.

He has been in Qizhou for several days and is on his way to Qiongcang Academy.

I never expected to run into someone I knew.

This old man was none other than Pan Lin, the deputy head of the Yunzhou government office.

Upon hearing Pan Lin's introduction, the young men became extremely excited and repeatedly stepped forward to bow.

Gu Guanqi waved his hand slightly, looked at Pan Lin, and said, "Vice Sect Leader Pan, I didn't expect such a coincidence. I was passing by when I was caught in a downpour, so I came in to take shelter. I didn't expect to run into an acquaintance. This can be considered meeting an old friend in a foreign land!"

Pan Lin quickly replied, "Yes, I never expected to meet Alliance Leader Gu here. What a coincidence! Come, Alliance Leader Gu, please have a seat!"

"it is good."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly, slowly sat down, and asked, "Vice Sect Leader Pan, what brings you here?"

Pan Lin poured Gu Guanqi a cup of tea and then said, "There's a gang in Qizhou called the Golden Crown Gang. They've been cooperating with our organization for a long time. Some time ago, they ordered a batch of weapons from us. Recently, things have been a bit unsettled in Qizhou, and we were worried about something going wrong, so I personally escorted them."

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "I see."

Pan Lin added, "Fourth Young Master also came, but I stayed a few more days to instruct the Golden Crown Gang on weapon usage, so he led the main force back first and didn't get to meet Alliance Leader Gu. If he knew, he would be extremely annoyed!"

Gu Guanqi was somewhat surprised.

During the incident where the Vermilion Bird of the Four Extremes Palace impersonated the White Snake Immortal, he met Tang Batian, the fourth young master of the Mechanical Gate. That guy was a typical playboy. Although he didn't do evil things like bullying men and women, he never did anything proper. Unexpectedly, he is now running all over the country for the sake of the sect.

"I haven't seen the Fourth Young Master for a long time either. I didn't know he'd started doing something more serious now!" Gu Guanqi said with a light laugh.

Pan Lin said, "Back in Snake Mountain Town, the sect leader was injured, and then encountered a zombie incident after the martial arts alliance leader election, which aggravated his injuries. He couldn't do anything for a short time. The Fourth Young Master felt sorry for the sect leader, so he took the initiative to take over some tasks."

Gu Guanqi nodded and said, "Fourth Young Master is actually very smart and capable. Now that he is willing to work, it won't be long before he can stand on his own."

Pan Lin said, "It is the Fourth Young Master's good fortune to receive praise from Alliance Leader Gu."

As the two chatted, several other disciples from the Mechanical Gate went to instruct the waiter to bring out another table of food and wine.

Gu Guanqi didn't stand on ceremony and immediately started eating.

Just as they were finishing their meal, a rapid sound of horses' hooves suddenly rang out outside the inn, breaking through the rain curtain outside the eaves, and then came to a stop at the inn's entrance.

Immediately afterwards, a young and anxious voice rang out: "Waiter! Bring the horse!"

The waiter quickly put down the rag he was holding and ran out the door.

A moment later, a figure appeared at the door.

A young man was carrying a woman as he strode across the threshold. His robes were soaked through, water droplets trickling down the hem and leaving a trail of wet footprints on the blue brick floor.

As soon as the young man entered, his gaze fell on the figures in the inn's lobby. He stopped abruptly, frozen in place, and stared at Pan Lin, exclaiming, "Uncle Lin?! What are you all still here for?"

Pan Lin was also stunned, and quickly said, "Fourth Young Master?! Didn't you go back to Yunzhou?"

The young man was none other than Tang Batian, the fourth young master of the Mechanical Gate.

As they were talking, Pan Lin noticed the woman in Tang Batian's arms, his face immediately darkening. He said, "What have you done?"

Upon seeing Pan Lin's expression, Tang Batian immediately realized he had misunderstood and quickly explained, "Uncle Lin, don't overthink it. I didn't forcibly take any woman—"

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Gu Guanqi beside him. Gu Guanqi happened to turn his head, and Tang Batian's eyes lit up with surprise. He exclaimed, "Brother Gu? You're here too?"

Gu Guanqi put down his teacup and smiled slightly: "Fourth Young Master, it's been a long time."

Tang Batian rushed over and said urgently, "Brother Gu, it's so good to see you here! Quick, quick, your medical skills are superb, please take a look at her! She's unconscious!!"

As he spoke, he strode over to the table.

Gu Guanqi stood up and glanced at the woman in Tang Batian's arms.

The woman was about eighteen or nineteen years old, with an oval face, delicate features, and a very serene demeanor.

Gu Guanqi reached out and gently placed his hand on the girl's wrist.

After a moment, Gu Guanqi withdrew his hand: "He choked on water, water got into his lungs, which caused some lung problems and led to a persistent high fever."

As he spoke, his right hand was already on the girl's shoulder, and a warm and mellow true energy slowly flowed from his palm, seeping into her lungs along her meridians.

A moment later, the girl's brows suddenly furrowed, her upper body hunched slightly, and with a cough, a mouthful of water spurted from her mouth and slid down the corner of her lips.

Her breathing became much easier, and her furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

Gu Guanqi then took out a white porcelain bottle from his sleeve, poured out a pill that emitted a faint fragrance, and gently placed it into the girl's mouth. He then gently lifted her chin with his fingertips to help her swallow it: "It's alright now. She'll wake up once the fever subsides."

After taking the pill, the girl's breathing gradually calmed down, and her originally ashen complexion visibly regained some color.

Gu Guanqi gently tapped the girl's shoulder again, and in a moment, wisps of white steam rose from the girl's soaked clothes, and the water vapor quickly dried.

Tang Batian breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the girl's complexion had improved. He then chuckled, stepped forward, and said shamelessly, "Brother Gu, I'm soaked to the bone and freezing. Could you help me dry off?"

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly and casually patted Tang Batian's shoulder, sending out a gentle stream of true energy. In just a few breaths, the moisture in Tang Batian's soaked brocade robe dissipated.

Tang Batian looked down at himself, chuckled twice, then wiped the rain from his face and said, "Thank you, Brother Gu!"

At this moment, Pan Lin asked in a deep voice, "Fourth Young Master, what exactly is going on? Where did these people come from?"

Tang Batian slowly sat down with the girl in his arms and said, "Two days ago, on my way back, I passed through a place called Qinghe County. I saw that they were holding some kind of Dragon King Festival. The local people took it very seriously and made it a grand affair, so I went to join in the fun."

At this point, Tang Batian slammed his fist on the table and said, "And guess what I saw? They actually tied this girl up, saying they were going to send her to the Dragon King as his wife so that Qinghe County could have good weather and abundant harvests! It's utterly outrageous!"

Upon hearing Tang Batian's words, everyone guessed that it must be a story of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress.

Pan Lin then asked, "So, you went to rescue this girl?"

"No, not at all," Tang Batian waved his hand and said, "Although I sympathize with this girl, the Dragon King Festival is hosted by the Qinghe County government and the Tianhe Gang, one of the three major gangs in Qizhou. I wouldn't dare to undermine them in public. This is Qizhou, and the reputation of the Mechanical Gate can't protect me. So I was a little angry at the time!"

Pan Lin: "————"

Gu Guanqi: "

I thought it was a story of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress, but it turns out the hero is a bit too rational.

"So how did this girl end up with you?" Pan Lin asked.

Tang Batian said, "I was angry at the time, and then I had no choice but to leave. But what I didn't expect was that the girl actually broke free of the rope in the river and swam for more than ten miles. I happened to be passing by with my men at the time and ran into the girl again."

Tang Batian looked down at the girl in his arms and said, "The moment she emerged from the river, I felt it might be fate's arrangement for me to save her!"

Pan Lin pursed his lips and said, "Are you sure it wasn't because you were standing close by and saw how pretty the girl was, that you got lustful at first sight?"

Tang Batian scratched his head awkwardly, chuckled, and said, "Uncle Lin, don't be so blunt. This is love at first sight. Besides, think about it, a weak woman who doesn't know martial arts was tied up and thrown into a raging river, yet she managed to save herself and swim for over ten miles to escape. That perseverance is truly admirable. It's understandable that I fell for her at first sight!"

Pan Lin rolled his eyes and said, "Continue."

Tang Batian continued, "However, at that time I saw pursuers behind me, who were from the Tianhe Gang. I was worried about getting into trouble, so I immediately broke away from the group and rescued the girl by myself. I made an appointment with Chang Feng and the others, and they would take a detour to Gukou County to meet me."

However, I didn't expect the Tianhe Gang to be so persistent, chasing me relentlessly. I was hiding and fleeing with this girl, completely disoriented, and had no way to reach Gukou County. Honestly, I don't even know where I am now.

Pan Lin sighed and said, "Lust is a dangerous thing. Do you even know what level of power the Tianhe Gang is? If they capture you, even if the sect leader intervenes, they might not give you any face."

Tang Batian scratched his head and said, "I was a bit impulsive at the time, but after I learned what happened, I felt that I didn't do anything wrong. I just hate that I'm not strong enough. Otherwise, I would have wiped out the Tianhe Gang. They are just too despicable."

Gu Guanqi asked疑惑地问道：“What did they do?”

Gu Guanqi had heard of the Tianhe Gang.

Qizhou, among the thirteen states and five regions of the Qian Kingdom, has a prominent presence and a thriving martial arts culture. It is home to the Divine Temple, one of the eight major sects, and under the Divine Temple are one temple, one monastery, and three major gangs. Of course, now there is also the Qizhou Martial Arts Alliance. So, under the Divine Temple are the Alliance, the Temple, the Monastery, and the Three Major Gangs.

The Tianhe Gang is one of the three major gangs.

Tang Batian took a sip of tea and said indignantly, "In Qinghe County, there have always been two legends: one is the Fox Fairy, and the other is the Dragon King. The Fox Fairy is a wild god, while the Dragon King is a righteous god who enjoys incense offerings."

This custom prevailed throughout Qizhou, and the local people were extremely superstitious, with various temples dedicated to different gods in different places. Originally, although the Qinghe County area did worship the Dragon King, it was mainly used by unscrupulous individuals to make money. Dragon King temples were built sporadically in various places, primarily through deception.

Deception means that ordinary people still have choices and can still get by. However, three years ago, a new leader named Situ Jian came to the Tianhe Gang. The month he took office as leader, a flood occurred in Qinghe County.

Afterwards, a rumor began to circulate among the people that the Dragon King had punished someone for disrespecting him. I strongly suspect that this was a rumor secretly spread by Situ Jian.

Then, the Tianhe Gang mobilized its entire force, using the pretext of investigating the disrespect for the Dragon King, and swept through all the martial arts forces in Qinghe County, taking over all the Dragon King temples in the area. Afterwards, they embarked on a massive construction project, rebuilding Dragon King temples everywhere.

The money to build the Dragon King Temple naturally came from the martial arts forces in various regions, and where did these forces get their money? Naturally, from exploiting the people. Unfortunately, the local government also supported this project, leading to widespread resentment.

The people in various places had already suffered from floods and starvation, and were now being plundered. But the matter was not over yet. Starting from the following year, a Dragon King Festival was established in Qinghe County. Every year in March and September, various places would hold a Dragon King Festival.

The Dragon King Festival was an extremely grand affair, requiring contributions from people throughout the region. Furthermore, the temple keeper of each Dragon King temple claimed to have received instructions from the Dragon King to select a Dragon Mother; that is, a young woman from each town would be chosen by the so-called Dragon King to serve him in the Dragon Palace.

Pan Lin exclaimed in surprise, "Every single town? How many towns are there in Qinghe Prefecture?"

Tang Batian shook his head and said, "I don't know. Qinghe Prefecture has fourteen counties, and each county must have at least ten towns!"

Pan Lin said in a deep voice, "Doesn't that mean that no fewer than three hundred women are sent to the river every year?"

Tang Batian nodded and said, "Theoretically, that's how it is. However, if the women chosen are from wealthy families, they will naturally spend money to avoid disaster. In any case, who the Dragon King chooses is determined by the temple priests' words, and in the end, they will all end up in poor families."

As he spoke, Tang Batian looked at the girl in his arms and said, "This girl is called Xu Rongrong. Her family are just ordinary people. She told me that after she was chosen, the temple keeper sent someone to her house to hint that if she could come up with three hundred taels of incense money, the temple keeper would use magic to communicate with the Dragon King and deceive him into replacing her with someone else."

Three hundred taels of silver—how could an ordinary farming family possibly come up with that? Naturally, she became the unfortunate one, bound and taken to the Dragon King Temple as a sacrifice to the Dragon King.

Pan Lin slammed his fist on the table, roaring, "This is utterly outrageous! To amass wealth to such an appalling degree is simply appalling! Where are the government officials? Where are the temples?"

Tang Batian waved his hand and said, "This matter was approved by the government from the start, so there must be some secret business dealings between the Tianhe Gang and the government. As for the Temple, Situ Jian is a disciple of the Temple. Do you think he paid any offerings to the Temple?"

Pan Lin frowned and said, "The higher-ups are colluding with the government, and the Tianhe Gang is acting like skinning monsters. The people of Qinghe County truly have nowhere to turn for help!"

"That's right," Tang Batian said, "Let alone ordinary people, even I, with my decent martial arts skills, was hunted down relentlessly by the Tianhe Gang. Where can ordinary people seek justice? They'd probably be the first to make a move before the Tianhe Gang showed up at their door!"

Pan Lin sighed and said, "Unfortunately, our Mechanical Gate is far away in Yunzhou, beyond our reach!"

Gu Guanqi said, "If this had happened in Yunzhou, it would be as if someone had slapped me in the face." After saying that, Gu Guanqi waved his hand again, looked at Tang Batian, and said, "Let's not worry about that for now. Since you saved this Miss Xu, and I happened to be there, I'll help you to the end. I'll escort you out of Qinghe County."

Tang Batian quickly said, "Thank you, Brother Gu. With your words, I can finally get a good night's sleep tonight."

"Thank you, Alliance Leader Gu." Pan Lin also bowed and expressed his gratitude. "Now it seems that compared to the harm caused by the so-called fox spirit, this wild god, the Dragon King is nothing at all."

Tang Batian said, "I heard from Rongrong that these fox spirits are quite dangerous. In the past two years, even many officials in the prefectural government have been killed by these so-called fox spirits!"

Pan Lin said, "There can't really be fox spirits in the world. Most of them are just people with ulterior motives using the idea of fox spirits to cover up their evil deeds."

Just then, a "ding-a-ling" sound came from the doorway.

The sound was like the tinkling of a wind chime, clear and delicate, and particularly distinct amidst the pattering rain.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

The inn's door was half-open, and rainwater poured down from the eaves, forming a silvery-white curtain of water.

And just outside that curtain of water, in the darkness of the night, a figure was slowly walking towards them.

It was a woman dressed in white.

She held up an oil-paper umbrella, its surface plain white and without any decoration. But hanging from the eaves were a ring of tiny copper bells, about twenty or thirty in total. With each step she took, the bells jingled and tinkled with the slight sway of the umbrella.

The sound wasn't noisy; instead, it carried a strange rhythm and was very crisp.

She walked to the entrance of the inn and closed her umbrella.

The tip of the umbrella tapped lightly on the ground, and rainwater slid down the ribs, forming a small puddle. She gently shook the umbrella, then stepped over the threshold.

The firelight reflected off her face, and only then could everyone truly see what she looked like.

Her skin was extremely white, almost transparent, even her lips had a faint frosty hue. Her features were quite delicate, with slender eyebrows and eyes, a straight nose, and slightly pursed lips, her expression revealing a detached indifference.

Her gaze swept over everyone in the inn, lingering for a moment longer on Gu Guanqi's face before casually looking away.

Then, she went straight to the table in the far corner of the lobby.

The waiter rushed over, bowing and asking, "Miss, are you here for a bite or to stay the night?"

"A bowl of vegetarian noodles, a guest room." The woman in white's voice was cold and clear.

The waiter nodded repeatedly and turned to go to the kitchen.

A brief silence returned to the inn, broken only by the sound of the rain pouring outside.

Tang Batian's brows slowly furrowed. He turned his head slightly, sniffed hard, and then lowered his voice, saying, "Can you smell a fragrance?"

Pan Lin, who was holding a teacup, paused slightly upon hearing this, sniffed, and shook his head: "No. Where did that fragrance come from?"

"It really is," Tang Batian said. "Smell it carefully!"

Pan Lin frowned.

At this moment, the female disciple of the Mechanical Gate sitting opposite Tang Batian also said, "It really does! I smelled it too, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is—"

Tang Batian hesitated for a moment, looked at Gu Guanqi, and whispered, "Brother Gu, can you smell it?"

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly: "I can smell it, it's medicine."

Almost simultaneously, the group looked at Gu Guanqi.

"Medicine?" Tang Batian asked, "What medicine?"

Gu Guanqi said softly, "It's an aphrodisiac."

Tang Batian's expression changed slightly, and he quickly asked, "How was the effect?"

"It has no effect," Gu Guanqi said, "unless it's under specific circumstances. Generally speaking, many women use this drug to enhance their personal charm."

"This—" Tang Batian asked, "Can you smell where it's coming from?"

Gu Guanqi glanced quietly at the woman in white in the corner.

Tang Batian also looked over.

The woman remained seated, seemingly lost in thought.

Tang Batian withdrew his gaze and lowered his voice even further: "Brother Gu, could she be—the legendary fox spirit?"

He swallowed hard and continued, "In this desolate mountain inn, in the dark of night and with heavy rain, a beautiful stranger suddenly appeared, carrying aphrodisiacs—it's exactly the same as those legendary fox spirit seduction stories."

Pan Lin frowned but remained silent.

Gu Guanqi smiled slightly, his tone remaining calm: "Let's wait and see how things develop!"

As he spoke, he glanced at the doorway and said, "It's really lively tonight; more people have arrived."

Tang Batian and Pan Lin turned to look at the doorway almost simultaneously.

A moment later, the sound of footsteps came from behind the rain.

The footsteps were light and steady, neither hurried nor slow. Each step landed on the puddles, yet there was no sense of muddy dragging. Clearly, it belonged to a master of light-body skills.

Immediately afterwards, a white figure appeared at the entrance of the inn through the rain.

It was a tall, slender man in white, holding an oil-paper umbrella. The umbrella was plain blue, with a few ink-colored bamboo branches faintly visible, spreading out in the rain like a traditional Chinese ink painting.

He closed his umbrella and stepped over the threshold.

Only then did everyone get a clear look at his appearance. The man was about twenty years old, with a handsome face, gentle features, and a refined, scholarly air.

His steps were unhurried, and his eyes held a serene indifference to worldly affairs.

He walked into the inn, his gaze first sweeping over the people in the lobby, and then he saw Gu Guanqi.

In that instant, his steps abruptly stopped.

His grip on the umbrella handle tightened slightly, and his gaze fell on Gu Guanqi's face. He stood frozen in place, as if he had been immobilized by something invisible, his expression extremely complex, a mixture of surprise and doubt.

However, he only glanced at her for a short while before quickly turning his gaze to the woman in white in the corner. A gentle smile appeared on his face, and he walked straight over, cupping his hands in greeting, "Miss, what a coincidence! We meet again!"

The woman in white raised her head, looked at the man, and then nodded slightly without saying a word.

The man then asked, "Miss, may I sit here?"

The woman in white nodded slightly.

"Thank you," the man said, sitting down quickly. "I am Liu Qingning, from Changmen County, Qinghe. I had the pleasure of sharing a boat with you today, and I wanted to ask your name, but I felt it would be presumptuous and did not dare to ask."

All along the way, I've been filled with regret and remorse for my cowardice. I never imagined such fate would bring me back to this place. This time, I cannot miss this opportunity again. May I ask your name and where you are from?

The woman in white calmly replied, "My name is Bai Xu, and I am from Hejian County."

"So it's Miss Bai," Liu Qingning said hesitantly, her cheeks slightly flushed. "May I be so bold as to ask—are you—are you married?"

Bai Xu said calmly, "You are indeed being quite presumptuous."

Liu Qingning scratched his head awkwardly and said, "I know I was being presumptuous, but from the moment I saw Miss Bai on the boat today, I was deeply attracted to her."

Now that we meet again, it must be fate. If I had missed this opportunity, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. So, so—if I may be so bold, I would like to express my feelings.

Bai Xu looked at Liu Qingning expressionlessly, remained silent for a moment, then suddenly pointed at Gu Guanqi and the others, asking, "Are you with them?"

Liu Qingning was slightly taken aback, then shook her head and said, "No, I don't know any of them."

Bai Xu nodded slightly, then pointed at Gu Guanqi and said, "He is more suitable to be a fox spirit than you."

Liu Qingning asked suspiciously, "Miss Bai, what do you mean by that?"

Bai Xu continued, "There's a man right next to you who looks even more like a fox spirit than you. Your appearance is made to look quite ordinary by comparison. In this situation, if you come closer, it just makes you seem a bit unaware of your own limitations."

Liu Qingning's lips twitched slightly, and she said, "Miss Bai, I don't know what you're talking about—"

Bai Xu pointed at Liu Qingning's hand and said, "Before you say that, put away the hallucinogenic drugs in your hand."

Liu Qingning's face stiffened.

Just then, Bai Xu suddenly thrust out the oil-paper umbrella in her hand, its tip aimed straight for Liu Qingning's throat.

Liu Qingning took a slight step back, and in an instant, she flew backward in a backward-leaning posture before regaining her footing. She chuckled and said, "I wonder when Miss Bai saw through your plan?"

Bai Xu stood up and said, "When I got off the ship today, I felt that someone had put an aphrodisiac on me. However, there were many people on the ship at the time, so I couldn't be sure who it was. Now that I've seen you, I naturally know it's you."

Liu Qingning said, "As expected of the youngest elder in the Martial Arts Alliance, Miss Bai is truly skilled and daring. Knowing there are tigers in the mountains, she still dares to go into the tiger's den."

Bai Xu shook her head slightly and said, "If we don't use a counter-strategy, how can we lure you, the fox spirit, out of your cave, and how can we find out who's behind you?"

Liu Qingning laughed and said, "Miss Bai is far too confident—"

Just then, Bai Xu opened the oil-paper umbrella in her hand, turned it gently, and the bells jingled, releasing a series of peculiar sound waves.

Liu Qingning's mind went blank for a moment.

The white fluff suddenly closed its umbrella, flew out quickly, and the tip of the umbrella touched Liu Qingning's heart.

Liu Qingning's body stiffened, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. She instantly became weak and collapsed to her knees.

Just then, a series of hurried and chaotic footsteps sounded outside the inn, followed by a loud shout: "Quickly, surround the inn! Don't let that brat get away again! He dares to rob the Dragon Mother; he's utterly audacious!"