The male supporting character was actually myself.

Niu Da was dragged away by his wife and hid behind the earthen wall to avoid showing himself.

Seeing that the cowherd was getting further and further away and was almost out of the village, the two of them followed him furtively.

Last night, the couple discussed a plan that consisted of two parts—since the Cowherd was going to go into the mountains to find his female demon wife, the two of them would secretly follow him to find out what was going on.

If they could successfully reunite with the female demon, they would secretly note down the place where the Cowherd had stayed and return to the village. When the village chief invited the Taoist priest to capture the demon, they would take advantage of the presence of the whole village to settle accounts with the Cowherd and demand a sum of money.

With a Taoist priest guarding the area, that female demon wouldn't dare to do anything.

According to the Cowherd himself, the female demon was injured by a hunter and fled to the vicinity of Peach Blossom Mountain where he encountered her, which shows that the female demon was not invulnerable to swords and spears.

If the Cowherd fails to find the female demon and takes so much wealth into the deep mountains and forests, it would be good if they could take advantage of the situation and divide up some of the gold and silver treasures while no one is threatening him; if the Cowherd refuses, then don't blame the two for being ruthless and killing and robbing him.

There are spirits and monsters in the deep mountains; who would dare to venture in rashly?

The villagers all assumed that the Cowherd had found a fairy wife and was living happily ever after with her. Even the Taoist priest they invited in the afternoon was there for the fairy's sake, and no one cared about the Cowherd's true nature.

Since ancient times, wealth has been a powerful motivator. With enough profit to tempt them, a greedy rural couple had long been blinded by greed and no longer cared about anything else.

"Brother Lao Niu! Brother Lao Niu!" Mu Jiuxiu didn't notice that two people were following him from a distance. He was eagerly hoping to join forces and start a business so that he could have another night of passion with the voluptuous and charming Zhu'er. So he started calling out as soon as he entered the mountains.

The only remaining mess after the wildfire was the area where people had trodden the ground the night before, with a few birds occasionally flying by and dropping a feather or two.

It remained completely silent, with no trace of the old ox returning around the cave.

Mu Jiuxiu held his breath and rushed to the mountain spring where he had once met the boy fetching water, but it was still empty.

"Strange, where could they hide?" After carrying a huge pile of things for half a day along the mountain path, he was already panting heavily. The key was that he still hadn't found the old ox and the Weaver Girl, and Mu Jiuxiu was starting to panic.

Niu Da and his wife were also exhausted and drenched in sweat. If they stayed too close, they were afraid of being discovered and giving themselves away; if they stayed too far away, they were afraid of losing track of them. The two of them were hiding and making a mess of their situation.

"It seems he can't find the vixen woman. What should we do? Should we take action?" Old Mrs. Niu asked, panting heavily and trying to keep her voice down.

Niu Da was also wondering to himself, having made a great plan before setting off.

But as he walked along, the thought of being stabbed in the back still gave him a chill. What's more, he didn't know what was going on between the cowherd and the female demon. What if he stabbed him to death and the female demon found out and chased after him?

Moreover, killing the cowherd now would only get him that package of things. If he found the female demon and waited for the Taoist priest to come and settle accounts in front of the whole village, which would be more worthwhile?

The head of the household hesitated, and his wife, a mere woman, dared not step forward to commit the crime.

"Damn it! Did that old ox kidnap my Weaver Girl? Or... did they run into that water-fetching fairy they met before and get tricked?" It was almost noon, and Mu Jiuxiu had searched all the places he remembered going with the old ox but found no trace of her. He wiped his sweat with his sleeve and wandered aimlessly through the deep mountains where there were no paths.

Jiang Chen happened to be carrying wild Ganoderma lucidum to deliver to him when the two unexpectedly met in a river valley.

There was still some distance between them, and Mu Jiuxiu, who was wandering aimlessly, did not see him. The moment he sensed him, he immediately became invisible and quietly observed him.

"Wow, no wonder he has the protagonist's halo, he even managed to find his way here!" He looked into the distance. The small bridge, stream and houses, which were hidden by the fairy's magic, could not be seen with the naked eye. Even if Mu Jiuxiu got closer, he could only see a lush locust tree.

However, the halo effect had to be guarded against. To prevent the other party from finding his hometown, Jiang Chen frowned, a plan came to mind, and a wicked smile appeared on his lips. He decided to scare the kid.

His figure vanished into the jungle in an instant, transforming into a ferocious wolf that let out a howl, "Awooo~"

Just as Mu Jiuxiu was about to find a place to sit down, rest for a while, and eat something to fill his stomach, he was so frightened that he jumped up. His face turned pale and when he looked in the direction from which the wolf howling came, his legs went weak. Wild wolves!

Damn it, how come I never noticed this before when I brought the old ox to graze... Oh no, he immediately realized that the cowherd had been so stupid before that he thought the villagers were just exaggerating and that there was nothing scary about the deep mountains and forests.

Now, from God's perspective, Mu Jiuxiu understood—it turns out that in the past, he relied entirely on the aura of the old ox to keep the cowherd in check, and no wild beasts dared to attack him!

Having neither bodyguards nor weapons, I couldn't possibly defeat the wolves. If I didn't run now, when would I ever get another chance?

"Ow~"

Jiang Chen, now transformed into a wolf, howled even more fiercely, leaped out of the bushes, and charged forward with a gust of wind.

"Help!" Mu Jiuxiu cried out almost out of his mouth, then, ignoring his exhaustion, he took off running as fast as he could, drawing strength from who-knows-where.

Niu Da and his wife were even more timid. The moment they heard the wolf howl, they almost wet themselves. They didn't care about being discovered or not, and turned around and ran away. They wished their parents had two more legs so they could run faster and avoid being caught by the wolves and turned into wolf droppings.

The villagers of Taoyuan Village also heard the howling of wolves.

Whether it was men working in the fields or women at home taking care of children, spinning thread, weaving cloth, or doing housework, they all looked towards Taoyuan Mountain.

"The wolf king!" The old hunter was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) preparing to eat when he heard the powerful wolf howl. He immediately got off the kang, grabbed the bow and arrows hanging on the wall, and went out into the yard to look around. "Judging from the noise, it's definitely a big one! There shouldn't be a shortage of food in the mountains at this time of year. Why is the wolf king on the edge of the forest?"

The old lady also set up a sunshade and went up the mountain to look, guessing, "The Cowherd went into the mountains early this morning. Could his wife be a wolf spirit?"

"It would be good if he made a commotion, otherwise, with the wolf king so close by, if he comes to the village at night and causes trouble, everyone will be in trouble!"

"I wonder how the Cowherd is doing in the mountains. What if he doesn't find his wife and runs into wolves? Wouldn't that be terrible?"

“Everyone has their own destiny and fate. Maybe he will not only be fine but also benefit from it.” The old hunter shrugged and, having heard no more wolf howls, relaxed a little. He reminded the wolf, “This afternoon, find all the chickens and ducks that are running around outside, put them in cages in the side room, and lock the door. One wolf can’t make a difference.”

The villagers were startled by the two sudden wolf howls. Those who needed to go home went home, and those who needed to look for their poultry went looking for their poultry, fearing that wild wolves might come down the mountain and snatch them away.

After Jiang Chen scared Mu Jiuxiu, he didn't make a sound. He followed him at a distance, heading out until they reached the edge of the forest. Then he concealed himself and quietly followed him into the village.

The locust tree spirit's magic was weak, and its invisibility wouldn't last long; the soul artifact was still monitoring Taurus Star Lord and couldn't be used, so he didn't linger and found an opportunity to stuff the wild Ganoderma into the pack Mu Jiuxiu was carrying before quietly leaving.

The magpie spirit has another scene to perform, personally directed by the Taurus Star Lord, so he has to go back to the set.

Mu Jiuxiu, nearly exhausted from running all the way, finally escaped back to the old hunter's house, the safest place in the village. He collapsed in the yard, panting heavily, "There were wolves in the mountains! They were huge! They almost scared me to death..."

"Luckily you're young and agile, running fast. My old man said that judging from the noise, it should be a wolf king!" The old lady secretly winked at the old man, it seems that the cowherd's wife is not a wolf that has cultivated into a spirit.

He probably didn't find the female demon on his trip into the mountains.

With both a wolf king and a spirit involved, the village is likely to be filled with fear again.

A group of people were asking Niulang, Niu Da, and his wife, who had narrowly escaped death, all sorts of questions. Meanwhile, the sound of hurried hooves could be heard at the village entrance. The village chief was driving his horse-drawn carriage back from Nanlang Mountain!

"Hmm? There's an eerie aura here!"

The Taoist priest, who had been sitting in the carriage with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. His sharp gaze and bewildered expression, combined with his Taoist robe and neatly trimmed beard that fluttered in the wind, gave him an air of superiority that made people feel at ease.

"Taoist Master, where is the demonic aura?" The village chief was startled. The expert had only just entered the village and he had already sensed the demonic aura. Didn't that mean that the monsters in the mountains were very likely near Peach Blossom Village?

This Taoist priest from Chiling was highly skilled in Taoist magic and could predict the future. As soon as I arrived at the Nanlang Mountain Taoist temple and explained my purpose, he calculated with his fingers that he would not accept any money and would come to subdue demons and monsters and act on behalf of Heaven.

Sure enough, Master Chiling was quite skilled. Without hesitation, he pointed to a street in the village and said, "Go this way. The demonic energy is too strong. I'm afraid the monsters have left the deep mountains and are hiding in the village."

The village chief dared not delay and immediately followed instructions, driving the carriage to the old hunter's house.

Just then, the courtyard was surrounded by a large crowd listening to Mu Jiuxiu's exaggerated description of how he cleverly and bravely outwitted the wolves to escape down the mountain.

"Make way! Make way, let the Taoist priest take a look!" The village chief shouted twice, and the crowd parted to make way.

Some villagers were marveling at the cowherd's good fortune; others were worried that wolves would come down the mountain and disturb the village; still others were discussing whether the cowherd's failure to find the female demon would bring trouble to the village.

Seeing that the village chief had brought back a Taoist priest with an air of righteousness and a dignified bearing, who looked to be about forty years old and had a great appearance with long arms and a slender waist, everyone's hopes were ignited and they all looked over.

"You have demonic energy about you." Master Chiling jumped off the carriage and went straight to the cowherd. His face was solemn. "The other party's cultivation is not deep. He has just cultivated into a spirit and cannot become a great force. Quickly think carefully about where you encountered the stranger in the mountains. I will go and subdue the demon!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Jiuxiu couldn't help but roll his eyes, thinking to himself that this was definitely a scam.

How could I possibly have demonic energy on me?

The Weaver Girl is a celestial being; the old ox also came down from the Heavenly Court, they are not demons, so how could they have been tainted by demonic energy?

That stupid village chief must have been tricked by the fake Taoist priest into saying anything. Aren't all fortune tellers and demon hunters the same? They can easily make a fortune by using rhetoric to deceive people. I'm not falling for that!

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Illusion?

However, Mu Jiuxiu remained silent, but the enthusiastic villagers chimed in to speak for him.

"Master, he found a female demon in the mountains to be his wife. That female demon is very powerful; she can set the mountains on fire!"

"Yes, yes, we saw it with our own eyes. She just waved her sleeve and a huge fire started up. It was terrifying!"

"Taoist Master, is this person a human or a demon? If a human gets tainted by demonic energy, will they die?"

"Is it true that there are demons who transform into beautiful women and suck the vital essence of men?"

"Can you tell what kind of demonic aura the Cowherd possesses that has cultivated itself into a spirit?"

…………

Master Chiling stroked his beard and frowned slightly as he listened to the villagers' commotion, while observing the cowherd with a somewhat strange expression.

His expression seemed to be a mixture of defiance and contempt, and his eyes were full of arrogance and disdain when he glanced at me. That kind of look was not something that the simple and honest country folk that the village chief had mentioned could have.

"Please calm down, everyone. I will make sure that the monster that is causing trouble in this area has nowhere to hide!" He reached out and pressed down on the air to reassure the villagers. "There is something strange about the Cowherd. I need to examine him carefully before I can figure out how to subdue the demon."

The disheveled old woman finally couldn't take it anymore. She had been up early this morning, working herself to the bone until noon, starving and exhausted, and even scared half to death by the wild wolf that the cowherd had provoked. If she didn't get any benefit from it, wouldn't it be a waste?

She stepped forward and asked, "Taoist priest, let's get this straight. My second son made it clear that he saved the female demon's life and even married her. Although the female demon set fires to scare people, she was only scare them and didn't actually hurt anyone. What if she and my second son fell in love and decided to live their own quiet life without harming the neighbors?"

“If the demon is harmless and only wants to repay a debt of gratitude, I will naturally not interfere with the couple.” Master Chiling explained earnestly: “A good demon who has not done anything immoral can be considered a half-cultivator. We each have our own path and will not disturb each other.”

I fear that the demon has ulterior motives, perhaps even…

He glanced cautiously at the cowherd whose eyes were darting around, and said with an even more serious expression, "Some demons and monsters covet human bodies, kill people, possess them, pretend to be human, and mingle in the streets. They do things entirely according to their whims and moods, so we must be on guard!"

Mu Jiuxiu snorted coldly, thinking to himself that no matter what era a swindler is from, they are all good at talking.

Ironically, the sweeter and more eloquent a person is, the more likely they are to win a woman's favor and make money off her. An honest person like myself doesn't know how to use sweet talk to deceive girls or flatter my boss, which is why I'm still single and not valued at work.

The image of the gentle, considerate, and smiling Pearl flashed through his mind again, filling him with resentment. It was a pity she was a courtesan, ridden by thousands and still impure. Damn it, we honest people are always the ones who suffer and end up being the ones left holding the bag—it's so unfair!

"Taoist priest, please take a look! Our Peach Blossom Village has been poor for many years, but it has always been peaceful. But too many things have happened in the last few days!" The village chief felt a headache coming on after hearing the old hunter mention the wolf king.

In the sweltering summer, wolves roam the edge of the forest; what will it be like in winter?

Living in the vast, sparsely populated mountains is not good. Wild animals can roam freely, and it's impossible to guard against them. Especially in years of famine, wild wolves and boars in the mountains, when they are starving, will come to the village to cause trouble and may even snatch children!

Master Chiling walked up to the cowherd and bowed. "Amitabha, please extend your left hand, young man. I need to examine the source of your demonic aura."

Mu Jiuxiu was reluctant, but the villagers surrounded him tightly, and they all trusted the Taoist priest invited by the village chief. He couldn't help but sigh.

Ignorant villagers, don't blame me if you get swindled out of your money.

Why did the village chief bring in such a useless person who only knows how to talk nonsense?

"What are you standing there for? The Taoist priest is here to help solve your problem out of kindness, hurry up and lend a hand!" Li Erge, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore. He could tell that the cowherd's attitude was very disrespectful.

Especially the way he looked at the Taoist priest, tsk tsk, I can't describe it!

The villagers initially thought that the cowherd had suddenly become a different person, but he still had the same voice and appearance, so they assumed that he had suddenly become rich and then revealed his true colors.

But Master Chiling explained it clearly: some people who still look the same are very likely demons disguised in human skin! Thinking about it, it is quite similar to the transformation of the Cowherd.

He frequents the deep mountains and forests every day; who knows, he might be targeted by monsters who could steal his skin, disguise him as a human, and infiltrate the village to do evil deeds.

"Cowherd, what are you dawdling for? Let the Taoist priest take a look. You have nothing to be afraid of." Li Erge, having become suspicious, stepped forward and pulled out the cowherd's left hand, handing it to the Taoist priest.

Seeing this, the others also realized what was happening and involuntarily took a step back, whispering among themselves to discuss the matter.