Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

The black cat eventually succumbed to the temptation of the fish, but it ate it very carefully, a stark contrast to its previous savage and aggressive behavior in the forest.

If the black cat back then was a rugged man, then the black cat now is like a delicate young lady. It eats slowly and deliberately, taking small bites, while watching the expressions of the Taoist and the panda.

It became bolder as it ate more, and its movements became slightly larger.

An ordinary kitten can't finish one fish, but this cat demon was better than two fish, and it was barely full.

I haven't eaten this much in a long time. The last time I ate this much was before.

It has forgotten how long ago it was, but these past few years it has been starving every winter. The river is frozen over, so it can't catch fish, and the mouse holes are covered by snow, so it can't catch mice.

Hunger had become the norm, so this rare treat made its depressed and uneasy mood much better.

Seeing that the cat demon had relaxed, Zhuang Xingcai sat down cross-legged, facing the cat demon, and explained his purpose.

"I heard that there is a group of demons in the mountains who want to steal people's food, so I came from afar."

"Immortal...Immortal, have you come to exorcise demons?"

“No.” Zhuang Xing shook his head and then patted the panda beside him. “I know that the demon race has been living in seclusion for many years and has not wanted to show their faces. This time, there has been a change, and I suppose they have some unspeakable reasons.”

"I believe that humans and demons can coexist peacefully. I have come here to talk with you demons and find a way to achieve peace without fighting and killing each other."

"This... Immortal, you see, I am just a little demon, this matter... I can't make the decision..." The black cat's tail coiled around itself.

"I would like to ask Brother Heiwei to introduce me to someone," Zhuang Xing said. "Just express my goodwill. To be honest, I just saw the situation in the monster gathering through the Eye of the Guardian. I think you are not evil demons and there is still room for negotiation. You are fighting for food in order to survive. I may have a way to solve your worries about food and clothing."

“This…” The black cat looked at the fish bones it had gnawed on the plate.

"Please go back, Brother Blacktail, and tell Commander Fox about our acquaintance," Zhuang Xing said. "Tell him that I came here on the recommendation of Mr. Bai from Longmen Temple, and wish to pay him a visit. Please, Commander Fox, do not shut out guests."

Chapter 323 Don't Provoke the Taoist Priest

In the forest, the monsters gathered together.

Scattered locust and toon trees provide shade from the scorching summer sun, and beneath them are makeshift shelters they've built using gathered branches and vines.

Unlike deep in the forest, the sky here is not obscured by the dense canopy of trees.

Looking up, you can see clouds dyed red by the setting sun. The mountain birds that went out to forage are flapping their wings and returning to their nests. The sun is about to set. Looking into the distance, you can vaguely see half of the red sun slowly setting. The sun and moon are about to take turns.

The dog demons who went out to find food returned to their post. It was dark and the dog demons should have gone to sleep, leaving the sentry duty to the cat demons. But at this moment, the cats and dogs formed a circle around the simple wooden shed in the middle.

The old fox rose from the shed, its slightly dry fur trembling in the breeze. The white fur in front of its eyes obscured them, but this did not prevent it from looking at the black cat in front of it.

The monsters were chattering away, and the yellow raccoon over there yawned. It was supposed to be daytime for it to sleep and rest, but it was suddenly woken up and was quite annoyed. It had no intention of participating in such a small gathering, but when it heard its fellow monsters say that someone had come to the vicinity, and that it was a highly skilled Taoist priest who could also control a sword, it immediately perked up and became alert.

The yellow tabby cat squeezed forward, and at the same time, a yellow dog came up to it.

The yellow dog walked up to the black cat under the wooden shed and sniffed the cat with its wet nose.

It closed its eyes, as if savoring the moment.

"Quiet down for a while, don't disturb Big Yellow," the old fox said.

But the old fox's words didn't have much effect, and several cat and dog demons were still whispering among themselves.

The old fox shook his head helplessly and could only blow out a breath. The little demons who were still talking over there found that they could no longer make a sound.

"Quiet down, everyone," the old fox said again.

The monsters fell silent instantly.

The yellow dog's nose brushed against the black cat's fur. The black cat stretched out its paw and pushed the yellow dog's face away, but it was no use. The black cat was much weaker than the yellow dog. The yellow dog's nose swept over its entire body very carefully, sniffing it thoroughly.

The black cat was helpless, but it had no choice but to let the yellow dog nuzzle against it.

After a moment, the yellow dog finally stopped and raised its head.

"How is it?" the old fox asked.

“There’s a human scent,” Huang Gou said seriously. “There’s also the scent of fish and horse. That person probably ate radishes and chicken for lunch. He used dried bamboo shoot husks and dry bamboo pieces to start a fire. He also drank wine, probably medicinal wine, because it has a herbal smell.”

The old fox asked, "Was that person really a Taoist priest?"

"I don't know," said the yellow dog.

"Can't you smell it either?" the old fox said.

“I don’t know what a Taoist priest smells like,” said the yellow dog.

"Taoist priests usually burn incense and candles, set up an altar, and offer fruits. They carry talismans drawn with cinnabar and ink, and often have exorcising items like peach wood swords and glutinous rice," the old fox said. "Can you smell these scents?"

"Woof..." The yellow dog closed its eyes and pondered, its nose twitching. "If that's the case, I smelled paper and ink. That person must be a Taoist priest."

"So he really is a Taoist priest..." the old fox said slowly. "I didn't expect that before we even made a move, we'd already attracted a Taoist priest... Black Tail, after that Taoist priest captured you, did he really just release you so easily? Think about it carefully, before he released you, didn't he do anything to you?"

"Hands and feet?" the black cat asked, puzzled.

“You’ve never seen many people, let alone Taoists, so it’s normal that you don’t know their methods. I’ve repeatedly told you not to provoke Taoists because they are too terrifying,” the old fox said. “Those warriors who carry swords and longbows are actually far less terrifying than Taoists. When swords come at us, at least we can see them, but Taoists are a different story.”

The old fox paused for a moment: "Taoists can use magic. For example, they can put curses in food to lure demons into eating their bait. Then, they can cast spells where the demons can't see, causing the demons to rot all over and turn into a puddle of pus."

"They can also summon lightning with fire, refine elixirs and affix talismans. For little demons like us, a Taoist priest can easily make us wish we were dead with a few tricks. Black Tail, think carefully, has he done anything to you?"

"Does eating the fish that the Taoist priest gave us count...?" the black cat asked timidly.

"You ate the Taoist priest's fish?" the old fox exclaimed in surprise. "Quick, everyone stay away from it!"

The old fox hurriedly said, and the cats and dogs were immediately frightened away by the old fox's shout. The cleverer cats climbed up trees, while the dog demon hid behind the trees.

The black cat was on the verge of tears and said, "Fox Commander, am I going to die? Why do I feel so itchy all over? Am I about to turn into pus?"

"Don't move, where does it itch?" the old fox asked.

"My back is itchy, Fox Commander, please take a look." The black cat dared not do anything rash.

The old fox strolled closer to the black cat, circled it once, and then stretched out its paw to scratch the cat's back.

"Is it still itchy?" the old fox asked.

"Much better," said the black cat. "Fox Commander, did you save me?"

The old fox spread its paws and caught a flea.

"They look like lice on the rhubarb."

The black cat was silent for a moment, then asked, "Then...how do I eat the Taoist's fish...?"

"Didn't that Taoist priest ask you to come back and deliver a message? What did he ask you to deliver?" the old fox asked. "Tell me first."

“Oh right, I need to deliver a message,” said the black cat.

"So what did he say?" the old fox asked.

"He said he came to visit us," the black cat said after recalling for a moment. "He also said that he was introduced by Mr. Bai from Longmen Temple, and wanted to find a way to coexist with Yao Xun... to solve our worries about food and clothing... and hoped that we would not close our doors to avoid guests."

The old fox was taken aback and asked, "Did he really say that?"

"Yes, that's what they say." The black cat nodded.

It didn't know why it remembered so clearly. In the past, it was very forgetful. Even after becoming a demon, the cat's little brain was far less intelligent than a human's and couldn't hold too much information.

All it remembered was that when it left, the Taoist priest seemed to have poured it a cup of sake to taste. The sake tasted quite good. After drinking it, it became clear-headed immediately, and it also remembered much more clearly what the Taoist priest had said.

“Longmen Temple…” The old fox paced back and forth after hearing the black cat’s words.

"Fox Commander, what should we do? Should we invite that Taoist priest over?" the black cat asked.

The old fox hesitated for a moment, and after thinking for a while, it finally spoke.

"No, we can't trust people. We can't stay here. We need to run away and shake off that Taoist priest. That's the most important thing right now."

As the old fox was speaking, a voice came from outside.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait."

The Taoist priest, dressed in Taoist robes and leading a magnificent horse, was walking towards us.

Upon hearing this voice, the monsters suddenly realized that the Taoist priest had gotten so close without them noticing.

Chapter 324 Night and Demons Sitting Together

It was getting late, and a blurry silhouette of the moon could be seen on the horizon; night was about to envelop the forest.

But at this moment, the forest was not as dark and impenetrable as usual.

The old fox looked up and saw that the horse was jet black with snow-white hooves, and a lantern with a faint glow was hanging on its left side.

The lantern was square and not made of paper; it was made of transparent stone, which people called glass. But the monsters had never seen or heard of such a stone. They only saw a pale white fluorescence, like moonlight, emanating from the "stone lantern."

Unlike the flickering light of a fire, the fluorescent light was like a small moon, gently illuminating the Taoist's surroundings.

The old fox saw the panda spirit from earlier that day, which was following behind the Taoist priest.

The Taoist priest arrived uninvited, leading his horse in a very natural and unpretentious manner.

As the oldest fox spirit here, the old fox's cultivation level may not be considered very high, but it is at least much better than that of the younger ones.

Only when the Taoist priest arrived did the old fox realize how profound his aura was.

The cat demons on the Chinese toon tree withdrew their protruding heads, tucked their paws and bodies into the canopy, and huddled under the tree, not daring to breathe loudly.

The dog demons gathered together, baring their teeth at the Taoist priest and letting out a faint, menacing roar.

Despite their howling, not a single dog dared to move forward; they simply retreated slowly, making way for the Taoist priest.

The old fox felt uneasy, and all it could hear was the rushing sound of the stream washing over the pebbles. It felt as if a torrent was rushing through its heart.

The only one that behaved normally was the black cat, which had already been tormented by the Taoist priest during the day.

Its initial shock subsided, and for a short time afterward, it was treated to a great deal of hospitality by the Taoist priest. Its fear had largely dissipated, and it was no longer as flustered as it had been at the first meeting.

However, given the terrifying nature of the Taoist priest that the old fox had described to it, it maintained its distance and remained quiet, taking two light steps to the fox's side to show its stance.

Demons and humans are ultimately not of the same kind, so the black cat naturally trusts the old fox spirit more.

The old fox heard about the Taoist's abilities from the black cat, and when it actually met him, it knew that what the black cat had said was true.

If the Taoist priest were to actually draw his sword to stop them, it's uncertain how many of the lesser demons in this place would survive, and even the priest himself might not be able to live.

The sword at the Taoist's waist was no mere decoration. If he truly knew how to control a sword, he could enter silently and just as silently behead the monsters. A flash of light from his blade would likely leave a pool of blood.

Fortunately, it seems the Taoist priest really wasn't there to exorcise demons.