Chapter - 24
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Outside the water mirror, Lu Zhui looked at Xiao Jiuci in astonishment and asked, “What the hell is going on? How did Qiao Han end up riding a giant panda? Is he really that fierce?”
Xiao Jiuci was also surprised by the sudden situation. A faint smile appeared on his face—this was truly an unexpected move.
After a moment, he explained to Lu Zhui, “Although the iron-eating beast is ferocious, it is also gluttonous. Everyone knows it loves eating Purple Spirit Bamboo, but few realize it actually prefers Red Immortal Sap even more.”
“Really?” Lu Zhui genuinely didn’t know that.
“Yes. The problem is that Red Immortal Trees attack iron-eating beasts, so they can’t get close, which is why they rarely get to eat it. However, if someone delivers it directly to their mouths and takes advantage of their greed, it’s possible to temporarily control a hungry iron-eating beast.” Xiao Jiuci continued, “Qiao Han had researched the spiritual plants and beasts in the Qinglian Realm beforehand. He must have noticed that there were both Red Immortal Sap and Purple Spirit Bamboo missions listed on the jade tablet, so he came up with this plan.”
“So, all that Red Immortal Sap he collected earlier—it wasn’t actually needed for the mission? He was just preparing to use an iron-eating beast to help gather Purple Spirit Bamboo?” Lu Zhui was dumbfounded by the explanation. Most people struggled to survive in the secret realm, but Qiao Han had figured out a way to work smarter, not harder. Who else would think of using a beast that wasn’t even their contracted spirit beast to do their work? His courage and confidence were truly something else.
“No matter what, I still have to thank your Qiao Han for saving my little sister.” Lu Zhui was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he suddenly realized something was off.
Wait a minute… He really didn’t want those two to meet! What if Xiang made things difficult for Qiao Han? That would be way too awkward.
At that moment, the image in the water mirror had returned to calm.
“You… You’re Daoist Qiao?” The four-spiritual-root young man was the first to speak, though he looked a little embarrassed after saying it, unsure if this young master even remembered him.
Qiao Han blinked. “Ah, you were at the registration last time. What’s your name again?”
The young man’s face immediately lit up with joy. “My name is Sheng Jue.”
“Qiao Han.” Qiao Han cupped his hands in greeting before turning to Lu Xiang with a playful smile. “Little Sister Lu.”
Lu Xiang had still been in shock, but upon hearing this, she instantly exploded. “Who are you calling that? Do I even know you?”
Qiao Han shamelessly made up a story. “Huh? We might not have formally greeted each other before, but your brother told me to call you that. He even asked me to protect you in the secret realm.”
“Who needs your protection? Your cultivation level isn’t even as high as mine!” Lu Xiang huffed in exasperation.
“Oh? Is that so?” Qiao Han raised an eyebrow meaningfully, making Lu Xiang bristle.
“I never asked you to step in! I didn’t need you to save me!” Lu Xiang immediately denied it, her face flushing red as she stubbornly refused to acknowledge the favor.
Qiao Han found her reaction amusing and glanced at Sheng Jue. Sheng Jue, being quick-witted, immediately stood up and cupped his hands toward Qiao Han. “Thank you, Daoist Qiao, for your assistance.”
Lu Xiang turned to him in disbelief. “Why are you thanking him? I saved you too!”
Sheng Jue seemed to sense something in the air and awkwardly replied, “Lu Daoist saved my life earlier, and Daoist Qiao helped me just now. There’s no conflict in acknowledging both.”
Qiao Han smirked and raised an eyebrow at Lu Xiang.
Lu Xiang fumed. Sheng Jue was her companion, and if he admitted he had been helped, that meant she was also indirectly acknowledging it! How infuriating!
“Hmph! It wasn’t even him who saved us—it was the iron-eating beast!” Lu Xiang grumbled stubbornly.
Just then, several other cultivators, who had previously been ensnared by vines, staggered out of the forest. Thanks to the iron-eating beast’s rampage, they had been freed. Seeing Qiao Han, their expressions were a mix of emotions—the earlier chaos had been mind-blowing—but most still cupped their hands in gratitude.
None of them dared to covet the Purple Spirit Bamboo scattered around and instead hurried away to find a place to heal.
With their gratitude piling up, Lu Xiang’s expression grew even more sour.
Sensing the growing awkwardness, Sheng Jue quickly changed the subject. “Daoist Qiao, what exactly happened? That was… an iron-eating beast, right?”
Qiao Han chuckled and gave a brief explanation.
Having done his research before the test, Qiao Han had noted that the Qinglian Realm contained iron-eating beasts. Based on book illustrations, he was fairly certain that the “iron-eating beast” in the original novel was just a giant panda. The original author had been too lazy to rename it, simply using its ancient name.
In his previous life, he had only been able to admire pandas from afar, but here, he could actually touch one! Plus, Qiao Han was a sucker for fluffy creatures.
Even if it wasn’t for the mission, he would have collected Red Immortal Sap just for the chance to lure in a giant panda and give it a good cuddle.
As luck would have it, he encountered a foraging iron-eating beast on the way.
The moment Qiao Han saw the giant black-and-white creature, his eyes lit up. He wasted no time in scratching its ears and coaxing it toward the Purple Spirit Bamboo forest.
And just like that, he had conveniently stumbled upon Lu Xiang. Talk about effortless success.
Sheng Jue was thoroughly amazed by Qiao Han’s out-of-the-box thinking, while Lu Xiang was so dumbfounded that she could only judge him in her heart—this man was too unserious!
Qiao Han shrugged and turned his attention to another person who had been present the whole time.
There was still a young boy standing there. He had been completely overlooked until now.
He looked about fifteen or sixteen, with a delicate and fair appearance. Two small locks of hair were tied with red strings at his temples. His large, round eyes made his petite features seem even more delicate. Covered in wounds, he appeared weak and pitiful, gazing up at everyone with a dazed expression.
His appearance was pleasing to the eye, quite likable even, but Qiao Han found it odd that he had been staring at him the whole time. Had he been scared senseless by everything that had happened? He really did seem fragile.
“Who is he?” Qiao Han asked Sheng Jue.
Sheng Jue briefly explained what they had seen upon arrival, then added sympathetically, “He’s a rogue cultivator who wanted to register for the Yuxu Sect’s entrance test, but he was taken advantage of by some outer disciples.”
Hearing this, Qiao Han gave Lu Xiang—who was preparing to heal—a knowing glance.
So far, both Sheng Jue and this boy had been rescued by her. Yet, instead of saving them, she had ended up getting herself into trouble.
With this kind of personality—constantly attracting trouble—it wasn’t surprising that, in the original novel, a cultivator corrupted by demonic energy had infiltrated Lu Xiang’s circle.
Unfortunately, the novel never mentioned who that person was. If it had, Qiao Han could have taken precautions right now.
His eyes flickered with thought before he looked at the young boy again. “What’s your name?”
The boy...
However, following Lu Xiang afterward would be a bit troublesome.
After thinking for a moment, Qiao Han squatted down to collect the Purple Spirit Bamboo, completing the second task, and then said, “Don’t you have this in your mission? If you do, pick some up. There’s plenty here.”
Sheng Jue hesitated for a moment before clasping his hands in gratitude. “If you ever need my help in the future, feel free to ask, Daoist Qiao.”
“No problem at all.” Qiao Han smiled and then looked at Lu Xiang.
Lu Xiang, however, just let out a cold snort, turned her head away, and refused to look—acting like a proper young lady who wouldn’t accept charity. How stubborn.
Qiao Han then turned to Bai Rong, who barely had any presence, and said, “You should pick some too. Don’t be shy.”
Bai Rong looked at Qiao Han in surprise. “Can I?”
“You’re just lucky to have run into me.” Qiao Han chuckled. There were too many bamboo stalks knocked down by the Iron-Eating Beast, so he had no intention of hoarding them all.
Bai Rong was simple-minded—his happiness was immediately written all over his face. He stood up and was about to walk farther away.
“Where are you going? There’s plenty right here.” Seeing that Bai Rong was heading deeper into the area, Qiao Han reminded him.
Bai Rong awkwardly replied, “It’s okay, I’ll just pick some from farther away.” The ones over there were probably unwanted by others. Leaving the nearby ones for them would save them some effort.
Qiao Han was a bit surprised. How could someone be this pure? No wonder he got bullied like that.
Bai Rong happily picked up stalks one by one, but just as he gathered a few, several dark figures suddenly blocked his way.
Bai Rong froze and looked up at the newcomers—it was the three cultivators who had bullied him before.
They had been caught in the Iron-Eating Beast’s rampage and were seriously injured, though not entangled by the vines, so they could still move. However, their mission wasn’t complete, and they couldn’t just start picking up the bamboo. Technically, all of it belonged to Qiao Han. If they took any, it could lead to conflict, and in their current state, they weren’t a match for anyone.
But if Bai Rong was the one picking them up, that was a different story. They could just take them from him before anyone noticed.
And if someone did notice? They’d just say Bai Rong gave them the bamboo.
“We’re in the same team. What’s yours is ours. Hand it over.”
Seeing that Bai Rong refused to obey and clung tightly to the bamboo, they became furious, their previous frustration from getting caught up in the beast’s rampage surfacing as well.
“No!” Even though Bai Rong was timid, he couldn’t let others take something that was given to him out of goodwill.
Seeing that he wouldn’t let go, the three of them prepared to attack him. In his panic, Bai Rong instinctively jumped and kicked out, sending one of them flying.
The remaining two were shocked. They never expected this weak-looking boy to have such strength in his legs and immediately prepared to fight for real.
The commotion naturally attracted attention from the other side.
Qiao Han saw it from a distance and was about to shout a warning.
But before he could, a strong gust of wind rushed past him, and Lu Xiang had already charged forward. With a sweep of wind blades, she forced the remaining two attackers back a few steps.
“You bunch of trash! The fact that the Yuxu Sect has outer disciples like you is a disgrace! Get lost!”
The three of them knew who Lu Xiang was. Seeing her standing up for Bai Rong, they had no choice but to accept their loss and leave in embarrassment.
“Thank you, Miss Lu,” Bai Rong said, still holding his bamboo tightly.
Lu Xiang was about to respond when she suddenly heard voices calling for her.
Looking up, she saw their previous companions still hanging from the bamboo grove deeper inside.
“Miss Lu, save us!”
“Daoist Lu, I can’t hold on much longer. Please get me down!”
A strange look flashed across Lu Xiang’s face, and she felt a little uncomfortable. But after thinking for a moment, she prepared to step forward and help.
Those who were still hanging immediately showed expressions of relief, waiting for their rescue.
But just as Lu Xiang was about to act, Qiao Han stopped her.
“What are you doing?” Lu Xiang immediately questioned.
Qiao Han raised an eyebrow and said, “As I recall, when you were trapped earlier, they didn’t seem to have any intention of saving you.”
Lu Xiang’s eyes flickered.
The cultivators up above became anxious and quickly shouted, “It’s not that we didn’t want to! We just didn’t have the ability! We knew we couldn’t do anything, so why would we go in and make things harder for Miss Lu?”
“Yeah! And we even tried to persuade Miss Lu not to get involved! She went in on her own!”
“Miss Lu is the young lady of the Yuxu Sect. She has lots of magical artifacts. How could we compare? If even she couldn’t do it, we definitely couldn’t!”
“You, Daoist, we haven’t even blamed you for getting us into this mess! Who are you to be talking so much?”
At this moment, Sheng Jue also walked over, his expression somewhat displeased, but he refrained from saying anything.
Lu Xiang was still young. Though she was visibly annoyed, she was really planning to step forward and help.
But the next second, Qiao Han blocked her again.
“What do you want? Are you just going to leave them to die? They came here with me—I have to take responsibility! How can you be so heartless? And to think you’re Senior Brother Xiao’s… Get out of my way!” Already frustrated, Lu Xiang snapped at Qiao Han.
Qiao Han simply smiled and said, “I never said I wouldn’t save them. Since this is my mess, I’ll handle it.”
Lu Xiang was stunned.
Without another word, Qiao Han took out a bottle of Red Immortal Sap, opened the lid, and waved it around. A sweet fragrance wafted into the air.
Instantly, the forest became restless. Bai Rong, who had been standing behind them, instinctively shrank back.
The people hanging up above turned pale with horror as they saw the Iron-Eating Beast sniffing out the scent and heading toward them.
“What… what did you do?!”
“Nothing. If we intervene, we risk getting attacked by the Purple Spirit Bamboo. It’s safer to let the Iron-Eating Beast help rescue you.” Qiao Han said slowly, “Don’t worry, nothing unexpected should happen.”
After that, he gave them a sinister smile, making everyone shudder.
That was an Iron-Eating Beast! It had just rampaged through the area! If it got drawn over and started attacking randomly, who could guarantee their safety? They didn’t have that many protective artifacts!
As the ground began to tremble, the cultivators’ fear grew, and one of them quickly shouted, “No need! No need! We don’t need saving! We’ll be released soon anyway! Really, don’t bother! Just… just get rid of the Iron-Eating Beast!”
Immediately, the group burst into wails of terror, desperately refusing Qiao Han’s "help."
Qiao Han sighed helplessly and turned to Lu Xiang. “Looks like they don’t need saving after all.”
Qiao Han was momentarily stunned before suddenly curling his lips into a smile and saying, "Wow, this fellow Daoist is quite impressive. You just arrived, yet you already know that I rode in on an Iron-Eating Beast. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you had been lurking here all along."
Meng Wan’s face instantly changed.
Lu Xiang looked over in confusion. Had she mentioned that he was riding on an Iron-Eating Beast?
"Oh, I just happened to run into some people earlier and heard them talking about it," Meng Wan said, sweating.
Qiao Han’s smile remained unchanged, but his bright eyes gave off an unsettling sharpness, making Meng Wan extremely uncomfortable. He quickly changed the subject.
"So, you still haven’t gotten the Purple Spirit Bamboo? Let me help you. We can do it together."
"Sure!" Lu Xiang immediately agreed happily.
After all, everyone else had already obtained their Purple Spirit Bamboo. She had no choice but to team up with him.
Since the two were well-prepared, working together to cut the Purple Spirit Bamboo wasn’t too difficult.
The other three naturally withdrew from the bamboo forest to rest outside.
"Later, does Daoist Qiao plan to travel alone, or…?" Sheng Jue asked tentatively.
Qiao Han was already feeling troubled. He initially thought that since Lu Xiang was alone, he could find a reason to tag along with her. But now another person had appeared—someone she knew. It was highly likely that the two would travel together, making it difficult for him to follow them.
Hearing Sheng Jue’s question, Qiao Han’s eyes flickered, and he immediately said, "Ah, well, Lu Xiaomei’s brother asked me to look after her. But she really dislikes me, so it’s a bit awkward. Wouldn’t it be better if the few of us who are fated to meet all traveled together?"
Sheng Jue’s expression immediately brightened as he began to consider the idea.
Meanwhile, Bai Rong hesitated before suddenly speaking, "Young Master Qiao, are you… really the rumored Dao companion of Xiao Jiuci?"
Qiao Han’s mouth twitched as he narrowed his eyes at Bai Rong. "Is there a problem?"
Bai Rong instinctively shrank back and looked away guiltily. "N-no… nothing. Can I travel with you all later?"
Qiao Han replied, "If Lu Xiang agrees."
With that, both Bai Rong and Sheng Jue knew who they needed to convince. Sheng Jue, being the smarter one, directly asked about their next task.
Qiao Han answered, "The Black Profound Rabbit’s bones."
Bai Rong shuddered for some reason but quickly added, "I… I need them too."
Before long, the battle inside the bamboo forest ended, and Lu Xiang and Meng Wan returned with their spoils. Seeing that the other three were still waiting outside, Meng Wan tried to persuade Lu Xiang to part ways with them.
However, before Meng Wan could finish, Sheng Jue immediately interrupted, "We’ve all rested enough. The Black Profound Rabbit’s territory is quite far from here, so we should hurry before we miss our chance. Since we’re all heading to the same place, it’s safer to travel together."
Lu Xiang was taken aback and was about to speak when Bai Rong carefully asked, "Miss Lu, can I come with you all? I’ll help and won’t be a burden."
Meng Wan frowned, about to refuse, but with Sheng Jue and Bai Rong pressuring from both sides and flattering Lu Xiang, things quickly spiraled out of control, and they all ended up traveling together.
The way they traveled was quite something—Qiao Han directly summoned the Iron-Eating Beast as their mount again.
This time, five people rode on the Iron-Eating Beast. Along the way, everyone they encountered looked at them with fear.
As for the people who were originally terrified of riding the beast, they had now grown numb and had even started discussing the feasibility of contracting an Iron-Eating Beast as a spirit beast—except for Meng Wan, who seemed very displeased with the group traveling together.
By the time they crossed the Qinglian Realm and arrived at the Black Profound Rabbit’s territory, not a single rabbit was in sight—only a hillside full of burrows.
"What’s going on?" Lu Xiang asked in surprise.
Sheng Jue explained, "Looks like we arrived too late. Once night falls, the Black Profound Rabbits retreat into their burrows. If they’re attacked during the day, they hide earlier than usual and won’t come out again until the next day."
As he spoke, he pointed to the sky. The sun was setting—it had been a long day, and they indeed needed to rest.
"So, we’ll have to stay here overnight?" Lu Xiang asked.
"I’ll find a place for us to rest. I’m great at locating caves," Bai Rong volunteered eagerly, wanting to prove his usefulness.
As everyone spoke, they dismounted from the Iron-Eating Beast one after another. Meng Wan was the last to get off. Seeing that Qiao Han was about to lead the Iron-Eating Beast away, he suddenly recalled how Qiao Han had targeted him earlier and came up with an idea.
He intentionally bumped into Qiao Han.
Qiao Han had been focused on feeding the Iron-Eating Beast with Red Immortal Sap and was caught off guard. The sap spilled onto his hand.
The Iron-Eating Beast, instantly stimulated, let out a furious roar. After all, it was still an untamed spirit beast and immediately charged toward Qiao Han.
The commotion caught the others’ attention, and they rushed to help.
But they were clearly too slow to keep up with the Iron-Eating Beast’s speed. Just as Qiao Han was about to take a direct hit, he flung the Red Immortal Sap away at the last moment. Otherwise, the impact wouldn’t have been as simple as just a collision.
Qiao Han was sent flying but was caught by Sheng Jue—only to immediately pass out.
Meng Wan put on a fake expression of shock and concern as he approached.
Meanwhile, outside the water mirror, Xiao Jiuci had already become expressionless while watching everything unfold.
Lu Zhui glanced at Xiao Jiuci. "Judging by the others' reactions, it looks like he just fainted. It shouldn’t be serious."
Xiao Jiuci gave a brief hum in response. "He’s wearing the Black Silver Waist Seal—he’ll be fine."
Xiao Jiuci knew very well that the impact had only knocked Qiao Han unconscious, not injured him. However, his gaze remained locked onto Meng Wan, filled with cold intent.
The water mirror displayed random scenes. Although there was a fixed mirror set on the Black Profound Rabbit’s territory, it wouldn’t always show Qiao Han and his group.
Before long, they moved out of the mirror’s range, likely looking for a place to rest. After waiting for a while, Xiao Jiuci finally saw Qiao Han again through the water mirror.
At that moment, Qiao Han was inside a cave, still asleep, with only the newly acquainted young man watching over him.
Outside the cave, Sheng Jue stood guard, while Meng Wan seemed to have taken Lu Xiang out in search of something—likely an excuse for a romantic moment alone.
Xiao Jiuci didn’t sense any malice from the young boy beside Qiao Han, so he remained at ease, quietly observing. But the more he watched, the more something felt off.
Lu Zhui, who had just returned from wandering elsewhere, glanced at the water mirror projection showing their group. He was about to check on Qiao Han’s condition when he froze at the scene.
“What the hell? Someone’s got their eye on Qiao Han?”
In the water mirror, the seemingly innocent and pure-looking boy reached out to Qiao Han’s waistband, appearing to undo his pants.
And Qiao Han? He was lying there, completely unaware.
The scene was so unexpected that Lu Zhui’s jaw nearly hit the floor. He immediately turned to his companion. “Th-this—!”
Xiao Jiuci was equally stunned, unable to comprehend what was happening. A strange sense of unease crept up from deep within him.
The waist sash loosened, the belt fell away, and the boy’s hands were already at the edge of Qiao Han’s pants.
Xiao Jiuci held his breath. Why wasn’t he waking up?
Lu Zhui exclaimed, “Shit! Jiuci, your wife’s chastity is in danger! That kid looks weak and easy to bully, but damn, he’s going all out! Is he after Qiao Han’s physique? What do we do, Jiuci?” Who would have thought that even in a closed-off examination setting, someone would have such indecent thoughts—and it was man-on-man, no less.
Meanwhile, inside the cave, Bai Rong hesitated. His movements were slow, his hands lingering, but the pants remained in place.
His inner conflict was unbearable. What was he supposed to do? Why was he given such a difficult task? Qiao Gongzi seemed like a decent person—he really didn’t want to…
Far away in the Demon Clan’s Spirit Monkey Tribe, Young Master Yin Lou sneezed violently.
“Damn it, someone’s talking about me!” He clutched his wine jar, howling in misery. “They’re definitely mocking me. Boohoo, I’m a disgrace! No female monkey will ever want me now. My reputation is ruined. I’m the laughingstock of the demon clan! Damn, those despicable, shameless humans! I’ll never forgive them!”
“Don’t drink anymore, Young Master. Don’t worry, we’ve already sent our informant to take revenge for you.”
“Hey, I’m just saying—our guy is pretty weak. He might be fine gathering intel in the sect, but getting close to Xiao Jiuci and his partner for revenge? That’s a tall order.”
“So what? We can’t just let this go! They humiliated our Young Master—there must be consequences.”
Yin Lou sobered up instantly. “Yes! They must pay! We’ll strip them both naked and hang them up for all the humans to see! Hahaha!”
…
Bai Rong struggled internally for a while before deciding—he would just pull down the pants. He wouldn’t string Qiao Han up for public humiliation. That way, he could still be considered as having completed the task… sort of. After all, Qiao Han had saved his life before. He couldn’t repay kindness with betrayal.
Having made up his mind, Bai Rong gathered all his courage and was about to take action.
Suddenly, his wrist was grabbed.
He looked up and was immediately terrified, his eyes turning red. “Q-Qiao Gongzi…”
“What… are you doing?”
Qiao Han was equally dumbfounded. He had been in a deep sleep, vaguely feeling a tickling sensation at his waist, which eventually woke him up. And the moment he opened his eyes—damn it—someone was trying to pull his pants down.
And it was a little boy.
What kind of horror story was this?
Even someone as worldly as Qiao Han was utterly bewildered.
“I… I… I was afraid you were uncomfortable, so I was loosening your clothes to help you sleep better,” Bai Rong stammered, his red eyes full of panic as he desperately searched for an excuse.
The explanation was so absurd that Qiao Han didn’t even know how to respond.
What’s more, Bai Rong’s eyes were peculiar—not red from emotion, but like the gleaming color of pomegranate gemstones, bright and vivid.
In an instant, an image of a small animal popped into Qiao Han’s mind.
A spark of realization struck him—he suddenly remembered what this kid was.
A rabbit demon from the Demon Clan.
And indeed, he had been mentioned in the original story.
Meanwhile, outside the water mirror, Lu Zhui let out a huge sigh of relief and turned to Xiao Jiuci, grinning.
Xiao Jiuci snapped out of his daze and looked at him.
Lu Zhui teased, “Your expression was so tense—were you actually panicking?”
Xiao Jiuci’s brows relaxed slightly. He shook his head and turned his gaze back to the water mirror.
They couldn’t hear anything from the projection, so the situation was still unclear. But at least Qiao Han was awake now. If he had been taken advantage of in his sleep, where would they even seek justice? More importantly, Qiao Han had made it clear before—he didn’t like men, and he definitely didn’t want to cultivate dual practices with one.
Lu Zhui slung an arm around Xiao Jiuci’s shoulder, still laughing. “That kid looked terrified—he must’ve been feeling guilty. Look at him, all curled up like a scared little rabbit. Don’t worry, if he passes the examination and joins our Yuxu Sect, I’ll help you settle the score.”
Xiao Jiuci remained silent, his eyes fixed on Qiao Han, curious about how he would handle the situation.
But Qiao Han wasn’t particularly shaken. Now that he recalled who Bai Rong was, he realized the boy had nothing to do with Xiao Jiuci.
Instead, Bai Rong was connected to the Lu siblings.
He had entered the Yuxu Sect as well, sent by the Demon Clan as a spy. But he was probably too stupid to be of any use, as he had spent most of his time following the Lu siblings around like a loyal puppy. His identity had remained undiscovered simply because he was so unremarkable.
In the original novel, Bai Rong was already dead the first time he was mentioned.
Lu Zhui had personally taken his rabbit-shaped corpse to the Demon Clan, claiming to return him to his roots. However, the Spirit Rabbit Tribe had outright refused. According to the original story, demons without a demon core weren’t considered true demons, so Bai Rong wasn’t allowed to be buried there.
If not for the fact that Lu Zhui encountered Xiao Jiuci—who had by then become a half-demon with some influence in the Demon Clan—Bai Rong wouldn’t have been able to rest in peace at all.
That was also when Lu Zhui and Xiao Jiuci reunited as brothers and discovered an impending war between the Demon and Human Clans.
Bai Rong’s name only comes up once in the entire novel—when Lu Zhui, drinking with Xiao Jiuci, offhandedly mentions, “That was the dumbest rabbit in the world.”
By then, Lu Zhui was no longer the carefree flirt he used to be. He had been through countless hardships, weary and solemn. Sitting with the equally fallen Xiao Jiuci, he had been the one drinking the hardest, as if trying to drown himself in alcohol.
The novel had described it vividly…
After all, the demon race had strong internal ties. It was highly likely that after suffering a loss, that crazy monkey, using whatever intelligence he had, came up with a way to take revenge—having another demon infiltrator pull down his pants to humiliate him in return?
Damn! The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
Qiao Han narrowed his eyes slightly at Bai Rong before suddenly speaking. "Oh, I see. I just had a dream... about a crazy monkey pulling down my pants. It scared me awake."
The moment Qiao Han said that, the tufts of hair on either side of Bai Rong’s head twitched.
Those strands of hair… were starting to take shape…
Wait, was it ever mentioned before? Bai Rong was a lop-eared rabbit?
Qiao Han watched as Bai Rong, looking guilty, instinctively grabbed the sides of his hair, his voice trembling. "R-Really? I'm sorry… Young Master Qiao, I didn't mean to. Please forgive me."
Qiao Han curled his lips into a sinister smile. "It's fine. I know you didn’t mean it."
Then, he called out toward the cave entrance. "Fellow Daoist Sheng, are you outside?"
"Qiao Daoist, you’re awake?"
Qiao Han raised his voice. "Mm, awake and hungry. Do we have anything to eat? I remember… seeing a lot of wild rabbits on the way here."
As soon as he said that, Bai Rong shuddered and looked at Qiao Han with fear. The Black Rabbit was a spiritual beast, and naturally, some wild rabbits could be found around its territory.
"Oh, you want a rabbit? I’ll go find some," Sheng Jue’s voice responded.
Qiao Han glanced at Bai Rong with a smile. "I've been craving rabbit lately. Perfect timing. Maybe some hand-torn roasted rabbit… or spicy rabbit head..."
Bai Rong stared at Qiao Han in shock, his fur standing on end.
Ahhh! He’s going to eat me!
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