12 Ling Xiaoyue Under The Moonlight.

Wang Fulai bowed to Master Ji and said, "I have been preoccupied with my affairs and have kept Master Ji waiting for a long time."

Master Ji looked at Wang Fulai, suddenly waved her whisk, and a cool breeze blew through the side hall. Wang Fulai felt invigorated by the wind, and her recent fatigue and anxiety were instantly swept away.

She looked surprised and asked, "What is this..."

Master Ji smiled and replied, "Madam Wang, there's no need to worry. The intruder in your house is a red fox that has cultivated into a spirit. I have been tracking it for several months. Unexpectedly, it came to Qingde City to harm the people."

Wang Fulai was both shocked and delighted. Everyone knew that her home was being disturbed by a demon, but they didn't know it was a fox demon. Master Ji's arrival revealed this, clearly indicating her genuine skills.

Wang Fulai hurriedly bowed deeply to Master Ji and said, "Please save my family, Master."

Master Ji, still seated, accepted Wang Fulai's bow, then stood up to help her. "Madam Wang, please be at ease," she said. "As cultivators wander through the mortal world, besides refining our hearts and minds, we should also exorcise demons to benefit humanity. My visit this time is to eliminate the demon."

Fang Zhou thought these words sounded familiar. He turned to look at Ling Xiaoyue, only to find her looking back at him, her eyes clearly saying—see, I didn't lie to you.

Bah, they are all the same, he thought.

Originally, Fang Zhou believed that Master Ji, with her exceptional demeanor, must be a true expert. He didn't expect her to be a freeloader as well.

However, Wang Fulai was delighted, "I will have to trouble you then, Master Ji. Please come to the main hall, and I will have a feast prepared to welcome you."

As she spoke, she cast a hesitant glance at Ling Xiaoyue and Fang Zhou. These two freeloaders, seeing the homeowner arrive, remained seated, which was quite impolite.

Wang Fulai was on the verge of driving them away, but reconsidered. She wanted to display her generosity in front of Master Ji, and the Wang family was not lacking in food and drink.

The crucial point was that these two youngsters were very good-looking, especially the young man. Although his features weren't particularly gentle and he was somewhat tall, he was truly handsome. If possible, keeping him as a second husband wouldn't be a bad idea.

Fang Zhou, unaware of Wang Fulai's considerations, noticed that the cult leader, dressed as a woman, was gazing at him with significantly softened eyes.

A pang of fear struck him. Could this older woman be craving a younger man?

Why was it that everywhere he went, people seemed to lust after his body?

Wang Fulai instructed her steward to look after Fang Zhou and Ling Xiaoyue, then escorted Master Ji out of the side hall.

The Daoist apprentice swaggered past Fang Zhou, snorting continuously like a piglet.

..

The steward arranged rooms for Fang Zhou and Ling Xiaoyue, apparently planning to have them stay at the Wang residence for the night.

At this point, Fang Zhou had grown accustomed to freeloading, so he calmly took a bath, cleaning all the dirt from his body.

After the bath, he stayed in his room and began to meditate and cultivate. He learned from the steward that Master Ji was going to perform a ritual to expel the demon after nightfall, and there would certainly be an interesting scene tonight. He needed to be fully rested.

During this period of time, the system's mission had not been triggered. Perhaps it had something to do with his comfortable living environment. Although Ling Xiaoyue seemed unconcerned and constantly cursed, it was indeed safe with her around.

Fang Zhou wouldn't intentionally put himself in danger just to trigger a mission, so in order to become stronger, he had to rely on his consistent and diligent cultivation.

Laziness was incurable; hardworking people were the most handsome.

And he wasn't being modest; that saying applied to himself.

He cultivated until nightfall and then stopped, feeling refreshed, with all the fatigue from days of travel gone.

He stepped out of the room and found the moonlight outside as bright as water, with a clear moon hanging in the sky.

In front of the room was a courtyard with artificial mountains and water features. Ling Xiaoyue was lying on an artificial mountain, with her small wine jug, under the crescent moon, taking a sip of wine.

Fang Zhou stared at her, and under the moonlight, Ling Xiaoyue's figure was graceful and elegant, much like an ethereal fairy.

She was the most beautiful woman he had seen in his two lifetimes.

Ling Xiaoyue lowered her head and said to Fang Zhou, "Apprentice, do you know why the moon shines?"

Fang Zhou, of course, knew, but this wasn't knowledge that he was supposed to have, so he shook his head.

"In that case, let your master tell you," she continued.

The corners of Ling Xiaoyue's mouth curled up slightly as she revealed, "The reason why the moon shines is because... it comes from the sun! Hahaha!!"

Unable to contain herself, she burst into hearty laughter.

Fang Zhou stared at her, and under the moonlight, Ling Xiaoyue laughed like an idiot.

This was the most foolish woman he had seen in his two lifetimes.

….

Under the guidance of Master Ji, the servants of the Wang family were busy coming and going. Finally, after nightfall, they set up a ritual altar in the open space of the large courtyard.

When Fang Zhou and Ling Xiaoyue arrived, Master Ji was already on the altar. She was wearing a black and yellow Daoist robe, holding a whisk in her hand, and was beginning the ritual.

Wang Fulai, the head of the Wang family, stood to one side with her steward and a group of servants, watching nervously.

The Daoist apprentice stood beneath the altar, casting a concealed and jealous glance at Fang Zhou.

Before Fang Zhou arrived, the attention of the people of the Wang family was focused on him and his master. With so many women looking at him with awe, the Daoist apprentice felt secretly delighted.

But after Fang Zhou arrived, these women seemed to forget the Daoist apprentice. Their eyes seemed to be glued to Fang Zhou, including Wang Fulai. 

Humph, a bunch of fickle women, blind fools! The Daoist apprentice was gritting his teeth in annoyance.

Noticing the envious and resentful gaze from the apprentice, Fang Zhou let out a small sigh.

Alas, being handsome wasn't his fault, nor was it his fault that his looks drew so much attention. This must be his fate.

If possible, Fang Zhou would rather be more ordinary and not so handsome.

But such is fate, he sighed.

Fortunately, the women were just simply looking, not causing any disturbance. Most of the attention was still on Master Ji, who was performing the ritual. This was related to whether the demon could be exorcised tonight and the future peace of the Wang family.

Recently, the fox demon had been acting more and more recklessly. Especially after the Wang family had hired exorcists. It would appear almost every night. Tonight would surely be no exception.

As night fell like water, the entire Wang household was quiet, save for the faint sounds of the night wind rustling through the trees.

At this moment, a cold wind blew suddenly from an unknown direction, mingled with a faint, eerie laughter.

"It's here!"

"The fox demon is here!"

The servants of the Wang family were on the brink of chaos. If not for the firm intervention of the steward and a few guards, who strictly ordered them to remain calm, the servants would have succumbed to their panic and scattered in all directions.

They didn't want to stay there either, but Master Ji had said to keep as many people as possible to amplify the ritual's energy. That's why Wang Fula asked them to stay.

Wang Fulai was somewhat alarmed, but she did not lose her composure. After all, she had seen this many times over the past month. Unfortunately, every time the fox demon appeared, the various experts she invited would be defeated and flee.

Thinking of this, Wang Fulai looked expectantly at Master Ji on the altar. This was, after all, a Daoist expert from Qinghua Mountain. Surely, she wouldn't be defeated so easily?

On the altar, Master Ji's face was stern as she shouted loudly, "Enough with your petty tricks, show yourself now!"

As she spoke, she grabbed a handful of incense ash. While chanting, she waved her hand forward. The ash she scattered immediately turned into a ball of flame, floating in all directions. It then exploded suddenly, illuminating the entire courtyard brightly.

"Excellent!"

Wang Fula couldn't help but cheer. This kind of authority was something the other experts had never demonstrated.

Fang Zhou was also somewhat surprised, and couldn't help but ask Ling Xiaoyue, "Can you do this?"

Ling Xiaoyue pinched his ear: "How dare you compare your master to a street performer, showing no respect for your teacher."

Your actions are no better than those of a street performer.

But if Ling Xiaoyue was saying this, did that mean this Master Ji was a mere performer?

After Master Ji showed her skills, the fox demon did not reveal itself. Instead, the laughter in the cold wind became more and more apparent, carrying a mocking tone.

Seeing the doubtful look on Wang Fulai's face, Master Ji snorted coldly and said, "Damned beast! Since you refuse to show yourself, I will force you to appear. Apprentice, protect me while I perform the ritual!"

The Daoist apprentice responded and drew his long sword, standing firmly in front of the ritual altar.

Master Ji made several flashy movements with her duster, held her palms together in front of her body, and began chanting under her breath, though she was feeling slightly panicked inside.

Without the appearance of the fox demon, her specially prepared fox-exterminating potion would be useless.

The cold wind grew stronger, and the laughter became more and more piercing, causing the flowers and trees in the courtyard to rustle.

The people of the Wang family were also being blown about, struggling to stand firm. Wang Fulai hurriedly called out to Master Ji, "Master!"

Master Ji replied, "Don't panic. I am using my magic to force the fox demon to reveal itself!"

The cold wind quickly turned into a gale, blowing the people in the courtyard haphazardly. Fang Zhou managed to stand his ground, thanks to his exceptional physique and strength.

Beside him, Ling Xiaoyue seemed completely unaffected, her clothes not moving an inch, as if the wind could not touch her at all.

At that moment, a ball of red light suddenly leaped out of the darkness. Its form was unclear, and it instantly flew into the crowd, knocking several guards into the air and causing their bodies to split open as they flew.

At this, the servants finally lost their nerve. One after another, they scattered and fled in a panic, as if wishing they had been born with extra legs.

The entire courtyard instantly descended into chaos, with the red light wreaking havoc among the people.

"Master Ji!"

Wang Fulai, who was knocked to the ground, cried out for help towards the ritual altar.

Master Ji fixed her eyes intently on the red light, saying: "Don't panic. I am adjusting the spell power. I will kill this fox demon immediately."

Seemingly hearing Master Ji's voice, the red light turned and flew straight toward the ritual altar.

Facing the red light, the Daoist apprentice bravely shouted and charged forward with his sword. However, he stumbled, tripping over his own feet and falling flat. He fainted instantly—a sequence of actions executed so smoothly it was as if he was a master of the performing arts.

The red light skimmed over the unconscious young apprentice and continued to fly straight towards Master Ji on the altar. Seizing the opportunity, Master Ji quickly pulled out the fox-exterminating potion she had brought with her and threw it forward.

This potion, purchased at a great cost, was proven effective even against fox demons that had cultivated into spirits, especially female foxes. She had tested it on many foxes before coming here.

The fox-exterminating potion hit the red light, and a large amount of white powder sprayed out. When the powder was sprinkled on the red light, the anticipated scream did not occur. The red light simply shivered a little and then continued to fly towards Master Ji on the altar.

Master Ji, caught off guard, blurted out in panic, "Don't... Don't come any closer!"