Cyan Hill Mountain was not merely a single peak, but a continuous expanse of the Qingqiu Mountain Range.
The peaks of this mountain range were neither high nor perilous. They simply stretched on endlessly like a series of earthen hills nestled upon the earth—except these hills were blanketed in lush vegetation, boasting pines, cypresses, maples, and parasol trees that remained evergreen throughout the four seasons.
Hence the name, Qingqiu.
A wide variety of animals lived within this expanse of Qingqiu. Because the terrain was relatively gentle and surrounded by rivers, quite a few mortal commoners made their home here as well.
Of course, its most famous inhabitants were the foxes.
These included the Celestial Fox, Moon Gazing Fox, Red Fox, Cyan Fox, and the Highland Fox, which was rumored to have a rather distinctive appearance.
A White Cloud flew straight toward a hill at the very center of the Qingqiu Mountain Range.
From towns on the plains, villages in the valleys, bamboo houses nestled in the mountains, and small courtyards by the lakes, men and women of all ages and appearances looked up at the sky, watching the White Cloud.
An old man dressed in a moon-white robe stroked his beard and clicked his tongue, muttering to himself, "Which faction’s experts are these? To think eight or nine of them would venture out all at once."
A beautiful woman holding a little girl’s hand helped the child wash her hands in a stream. She smiled gently and said, "That is the aura of the Celestial Fox. Could it be that a girl from the Bai Family has found her ideal husband and they are coming to propose marriage?"
A handsome, elegant young man held a book in his hands, surrounded by three or five young, pretty girls. He was startled at first, but then he let out a sigh of relief. Scratching his head with his book, he mused, "They harbor no ill will, so I won’t head back."
Aside from them, some others felt uneasy. With leaping strides, they rushed toward Cyan Hill Mountain.
"Central Plains Daluo Palace Master Gu Zhao has come to pay a visit." Gu Zhao projected his voice from afar into Cyan Hill Mountain.
Bai Yiqi, Bai Yixuan, and Bai Ke stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the cloud. Since they did not conceal their auras, the experts in the mountains could naturally sense them.
Two streaks of white light shot out from Cyan Hill Mountain and arrived in front of the cloud. They revealed their figures—one was a beautiful woman wearing a moon-white cloud-silk skirt embroidered with simple bamboo patterns, and the other was a middle-aged man donning a cyan robe and a black hat, holding a feather fan.
"Le Lanxin and Qin Hui pay our respects to Elder Gu!" The two of them bowed in unison.
"Thank you for saving Yiqi and her sister Yixuan, Elder. The Bai Mountain Master invites you in!" The man turned respectfully and extended a hand to guide the way.
Gu Zhao slightly raised an eyebrow and nodded.
It had been almost a month since the Mo He Divine Monarch captured Bai Yiqi and her sister. Back then, he had also killed an elderly fox grandmother.
Although Cyan Hill Mountain lacked the Daluo Palace’s method of transmitting messages via the Thunder Seed, they must have certainly noticed something amiss—or perhaps they had already discovered that the elderly fox grandmother had met with disaster.
Seeing the two experts of Cyan Hill Mountain escorting the White Cloud back to the mountain, the group of people rushing toward Cyan Hill Mountain were no longer in a hurry.
Gu Zhao steered the White Cloud all the way to the midpoint of Qingqiu.
A sprawling complex of buildings appeared before everyone’s eyes. These structures were neither grand nor magnificent, but they exuded elegance and refinement, showcasing the builders’ meticulous care.
Waist-high bamboo fences were dotted with fresh flowers. Whenever a gentle breeze blew past, it brought a waft of floral fragrance.
Copper Bottles were hung beneath the sloped eaves, ready to play a melodious tune on rainy days.
Brick-and-tile houses, bamboo cottages, stone pavilions, wooden corridors, and small bridges were scattered across the mountain. However, they did not look cluttered in the slightest; instead, they emanated a well-proportioned, artistic beauty.
At first glance, Cyan Hill Mountain did not seem like the headquarters of a faction, but rather a hidden utopia.
However, Gu Zhao naturally would not underestimate Cyan Hill Mountain.
A lineage of kind and intelligent Celestial Foxes had managed to establish a foothold in the Southern Border Mountains, a place teeming with Demons and Ghosts and rival powers. Furthermore, they had produced a Celestial Fox Ancestor with Ten Thousand Years of Dao Practice to shelter other fox spirits and the local mortals.
They undeniably possessed the ability to protect themselves and even deter others.
Le Lanxin and Qin Hui led Gu Zhao’s group to land on a sun-facing hill on the southern side of Qingqiu.
In the middle of the hill was a flower nursery. A stream, no wider than two people standing side by side, flowed down from the mountain and split the nursery in two.
Near the hill and around the flower nursery, bamboo houses were scattered in twos and threes. They reflected a warm, mellow glow under the sunlight, looking like small boats sailing through a sea of flowers.
Inside a pavilion, four or five women dressed in mountain-dweller attire were keeping an old man and two young men company while they brewed tea.
On a recliner, an old woman dressed in simple hemp garments was leisurely basking in the sun.
In the flower nursery, over a dozen young men and women were picking fresh flowers and making flower crowns.
On the lawn, five or six middle-aged men and women were relaxing and chatting.
By the stream, a teenage girl was washing her feet, while some teenage boys and girls were playing and roughhousing nearby.
As the cloud descended, all of these people focused their gazes on Gu Zhao’s group.
Taoist Yan Ling stroked his beard and smiled, offering continuous praise. "What a wonderful place, wonderful scenery, wonderful freedom, and a wonderful Mental Realm!"
Taoist Yu Zhang, Taoist Qingwei, and Taoist Yuan He nodded in unison.
The Taoist Family loved nature the most. This Cyan Hill Mountain practically blended perfectly into nature, boasting scenery even better than that of Cuiluo Mountain, which naturally struck a chord with their aesthetic tastes.
On the other hand, Ye Ruyan preferred gloomy valleys, Miaoyun Princess liked serene cliffs, and Hou Hao and Yuan Lin were fond of forests and rivers. They did not feel much toward this gentle slope and flower nursery.
At that moment, the old woman dressed in simple clothes grabbed the armrests of her chair and sat up. The old man brewing tea stepped out of the pavilion with the young men, and the few middle-aged men and women also stood up and walked toward them.
Then, the teenage girl who had just been sitting on a rock by the stream washing her feet came walking over the water. Her delicate, fair little feet stepped onto the lawn without being tainted by the slightest speck of dirt or grass.
A pair of fair, delicate, and exquisite feet presented themselves before Gu Zhao.
Even though Gu Zhao firmly believed his utmost preference lay in a gorgeous face with Shuo Guo, a slender waist, and long legs, he could not help but want to add another item to his whitelist at this moment.
"Bai Qianzhu of Cyan Hill Mountain greets the Daluo Palace Master," the young girl said with a charming smile.
Everyone fell silent in speechlessness.
The Qingqiu Mountain Master was actually this teenage girl?
"Gu Zhao of the Daluo Palace greets the Bai Mountain Master." Gu Zhao cupped his hands in a polite salute.
"Great-grandmother!" Bai Yiqi and Bai Yixuan each grabbed one of the young girl’s hands from either side.
Everyone was left speechless again.
The visual image was not strange, but paired with that form of address, it truly felt rather abnormal.
A young man nearby said with a smile, "You’ve addressed her wrong. It should be Great-great-grandmother."
Bai Yiqi rolled her eyes. "That sounds too awful!"
Bai Qianzhu patted her hand and grumbled, "Great-grandmother doesn’t sound much better. It just makes me sound old."
Bai Yixuan giggled. "Then we’ll call you Sister Zhu!"
Bai Qianzhu raised an eyebrow and smiled. "That’s a good one!"
The crowd nearby was at a loss for words. The old woman furthest away slowly approached and reminded them, "We have guests present."
Several teenage boys and girls nearby cupped their hands together and greeted in unison, "Great-great-great-grandmother!"
The old woman could not help but sigh. "You should all just call me Great-grandmother."
While everyone chuckled, they listened to Bai Yiqi and her sister recount their experiences.
Afterward, the gazes they directed at Gu Zhao’s group became increasingly amiable.
"Gu Palace Master’s slaying of the Mo He Divine Monarch did not merely save Yiqi and her sister. More importantly, it avenged the blood feud of dozens of our Cyan Hill Mountain’s Fox Race. Please accept a bow from Qianzhu."