Bai Qianzhu came to invite Gu Zhao to go with her.
"The Ancestor has come out of seclusion and invited her friends over. Those guys naturally couldn’t rest easy," Bai Qianzhu said with a smile.
Gu Zhao’s eyes flickered with anticipation. "Those people..."
"There is no need for Brother Gu to worry. Now that the Ancestor is out of seclusion, those people are nothing more than trifling clowns; they wouldn’t dare make a reckless move," Bai Qianzhu said. "Yiqi also conveyed Brother Gu’s thoughts to the Ancestor. She strongly agreed, saying you are the most protective person of the common people she has ever met.
"Once this matter is resolved, she will personally lead people to clear the roads and improve the lives of the commoners in the Southern Border. If there is any obstruction along the way, she will take full responsibility for it."
"Actually, there’s no need for the Ancestor to rush. After all, Cyan Hill Mountain is also in the Southern Border, so we constantly cross paths." Gu Zhao smacked his lips. "In a few days, the Daluo Palace Elders will also be traveling through the Southern Border. They can handle a few trifling clowns; there’s no need to trouble the Ancestor to take action herself."
"Ah!" Bai Qianzhu waved her hand with feigned boldness, though her fair, tender arm only made the gesture look adorable. "Brother Gu has helped our Cyan Hill Mountain countless times. If we still needed Daluo Palace to step in for such a trivial matter, wouldn’t it seem like there is no one capable left in Cyan Hill Mountain?"
Gu Zhao was speechless. He felt as if vast amounts of Evil Qi were slipping right through his fingers.
Afterward, Bai Qianzhu led him to a small valley in the back mountains.
The valley was not large, but it was evergreen all year round. Short trees and emerald bamboo were planted throughout, while stone tables and stools rested on the lawn. Pastries and alcohol were set out on the tables. Gu Zhao sniffed the air, immediately catching the distinct scent of Wuliangye.
Glancing around, he noticed that aside from the few people he had seen earlier, three new figures had appeared in the valley: a muscular man, a young girl, and a beautiful woman.
The middle-aged man who had previously been sitting in the carriage held a White Jade Cup and took a light sip of fragrant tea. He looked at Gu Zhao beside Bai Qianzhu and raised an eyebrow. "You look unfamiliar, brother. To think you managed to win the Mountain Master’s heart—you have my admiration."
Before Gu Zhao or Bai Qianzhu could reply, the Child wearing a bellyband furrowed his brows and hopped onto the table. "No, no! I’m going to marry Sister Bamboo!"
The old woman leaning on a dragon-head cane thumped it against the ground. "You’re just a little Demon born from a white radish spirit. How could you marry a fox?"
The Child planted his hands on his hips and glared at the old woman. "I’ve already cultivated a human form! I can marry and have kids! Besides, if I don’t marry Sister Bamboo, am I supposed to marry an old crone like you?"
The old woman rolled her eyes at him. "I took on this appearance precisely because I didn’t want to get tangled up with brats like you. Even if you wanted to, I wouldn’t be willing!"
Watching the old woman and the Child bicker, the couple dressed in red sitting nearby couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Sister Yu Qing, why don’t you restore your true appearance and see if that little radish gets tempted?" the woman said with a smile.
The old woman shifted her posture, suddenly exuding a rather alluring charm despite her disguise. "Aren’t you afraid I’ll steal your husband away?"
The woman giggled. "I’d actually like to see if he gets tempted."
The man hurriedly waved his hands. "You two are just joking around; don’t drag me into this."
"Women just love to be jealous! Brother Zhu, come over here and let’s drink!"
The muscular man called out to him with a hearty laugh. "Bai Mountain Master really has serious business today. She even brought out alcohol that’s been aged in Cyan Hill Mountain’s cellars for hundreds of years! Since we’ll have to put in some effort later, we might as well drink our fill first."
The beautiful woman and the young girl sat together at the end. They simply watched everyone with a smile, then carefully examined Gu Zhao without saying a word.
Bai Qianzhu snorted, grabbed Gu Zhao’s hand, and led him past the crowd to a stone table deeper inside the valley.
This scene left everyone dumbfounded.
The middle-aged man held his cup to his lips but forgot to drink. The Child turned pale, while the old woman looked on with keen interest. Even the couple and the muscular man stared at Gu Zhao in surprise.
"We do have serious business today, but I am not the main character here." Bai Qianzhu pointed at the wine cup in the muscular man’s hand. "That alcohol is also a specialty of Daluo Palace that Brother Gu brought from the Central Plains."
"Daluo Palace, and his surname is Gu... Could this be Gu Palace Master of the Jiangzhou Daluo Palace?" the woman in red asked, looking at Gu Zhao.
Everyone looked at Gu Zhao, then back at the woman in red.
However, it was the man in red who offered an explanation. "My wife and I love to travel around. We took a trip to the Central Plains a few days ago and heard that a new Daluo Palace had emerged in Jiangzhou, dedicating itself to doing good, punishing evil, and Exorcising Demons and Evil Spirits."
The muscular man beside them muttered, "We are Demons too."
The woman in red chimed in, "The ones committing evil, of course."
"Daluo Palace rose to prominence in just two or three years, yet it completely purified the atmosphere in Jiangzhou. It’s said that those evil entities who murder and harm others can hardly find a foothold in Jiangzhou anymore," the man in red continued.
The crowd’s gazes toward Gu Zhao were filled with inquiry and curiosity, though they were generally amicable.
"Could it be that Gu Palace Master has encountered a tough bone to chew?" the middle-aged man in brocade robes asked.
"It is not a tough bone to chew. It is a Celestial Demon from ten thousand years ago."
The faint voice rang out as the Celestial Fox Ancestor suddenly appeared in the valley, startling everyone.
"You’ve come out of seclusion?" The beautiful woman in the distance stood up in surprise, and the young girl beside her followed suit.
Seeing everyone rise in unison, the Celestial Fox Ancestor pressed her hands downward, signaling for them to sit.
"We are all friends of Cyan Hill Mountain; there’s no need to stand on ceremony." The Celestial Fox Ancestor took a seat at the same table as Bai Qianzhu and Gu Zhao. "I summoned you all today because there is a grave matter concerning the survival of this world."
The muscular man stared blankly and downed the Wuliangye in his cup in one gulp. "This is even more serious than I thought!"
The Celestial Fox Ancestor smiled faintly. "There is no need to worry. If the Celestial Demon truly descends upon the world, you won’t be the ones going into battle."
The muscular man asked, "Then why did you gather us here?"
"To deal with those who cultivate Demon Techniques," the Celestial Fox Ancestor said. "The Celestial Demon has awakened. It can use Divine Thought to contact Demon Cultivators all over the world, helping them cultivate Demon Techniques and open up Demon Realms."
The Celestial Fox Ancestor explained how the Celestial Demon descended ten thousand years ago, awakened again after ten millennia, and was now manipulating pawns to open up Demon Realms in preparation to reshape the world.
Astonishment washed over everyone in the valley. A few of them were even hearing the name Great Sun Profound Light Celestial Demon Ancestor for the very first time.
But regardless of whether they had heard the legends of the Celestial Demon descending to the mortal realm, this was the first time they realized their world was in imminent danger. The Celestial Demon from ten thousand years ago had awakened, intending to reshape heaven and earth and transform their world into a Demon Realm.
"Good lord!" The muscular man widened his bull-like eyes. "I really underestimated the situation."
The Child shrank his neck. "I won’t be demonized, will I?"
The old woman shot him a sideways glance. "You’d better do less earth-traveling from now on. If you accidentally run into that Demon Ancestor, I bet you wouldn’t last three breaths."
The Child curled his lips in disdain but stayed silent.
The couple dressed in red cupped their hands together. "My wife and I love traveling the most. Leave this matter to us."
The middle-aged man in brocade robes took a leisurely sip of his fragrant tea. "I don’t have the guts to go toe-to-toe with the Demon Ancestor, but dealing with mere pawns? That’s right in the palm of my hand."
The others nodded in agreement.
Gu Zhao finally found an opportunity to speak. "The Elders of my Daluo Palace will also be entering the Southern Border. They are highly sensitive to Demonic Qi and can help you all track down demonic traces."