The three people in the room each harbored their own thoughts.
Yuan Wu’s eyes darted around. After clearing her throat, she asked, “Fellow Cultivator Gu, is your sect the Violet Heaven Sect, one of the four great sects?”
Gu Qingxuan did not understand why Yuan Wu was asking this. He foolishly nodded. That blank look was utterly inconsistent with the aloof image of the male protagonist in the original story.
“I heard the Violet Heaven Sect is the wealthiest sect. Is that true, Fellow Cultivator Gu?” Yuan Wu asked curiously, blinking her eyes repeatedly.
“They are merely rumors. The Violet Heaven Sect has six branches: sword, alchemy, talisman, artifact, spell, and formation. The wealthy ones should be the alchemy, talisman, artifact, spell, and formation branches. I am a sword cultivator from the poorest branch.” Gu Qingxuan seemed to have guessed Yuan Wu’s intentions, so he loudly emphasized that he was a sword cultivator from the poorest branch.
Yuan Wu and Bai Yuehan: “........So your Sword Sect is the only poor one, huh?”
Damn, why was this male protagonist such a shameless schemer? He was nothing like the refined gentleman of extraordinary talent described in the book. Could she have mistaken him for someone else? Was this guy merely someone who shared the male protagonist’s name?
Yuan Wu lowered her head, repeatedly stealing glances at Gu Qingxuan from the corner of her eye.
At that moment, Pu Buyi’s arrival interrupted them. Seeing that Gu Qingxuan was in good condition, he said smugly, “I wasn’t boasting, was I? This fellow cultivator’s injuries were so severe, yet I was able to cure him. Calling myself the number one physician in Azure Dragon Town is not an exaggeration.”
Yuan Wu immediately played along. “That’s right, that’s right. Big Brother Pu’s medical skills are superb. You truly are the number one physician in Azure Dragon Town.”
Although she was bursting with complaints inside, she could not say them aloud. They did not even know how much the medical fee would be. Hopefully, seeing how cooperative she was, he would not charge too much.
“Hmph. I usually do not make a move. It is only because the three of you are fated to meet me that I reluctantly agreed to help.”
When Yuan Wu heard this, she inwardly cried out that something was wrong. It seemed the price would be very high. If they truly could not pay, they could only leave Gu Qingxuan here as collateral. After all, Pu Buyi had treated Gu Qingxuan’s injuries. What did it have to do with Yuan Wu or Bai Yuehan?
“May I ask, how much is the medical fee...?” Yuan Wu rubbed her fingers together and looked toward Pu Buyi.
Pu Buyi smiled faintly, slowly raised one finger, and then fell silent.
“One thousand spirit stones?” Yuan Wu’s expression changed.
It was over, it was over. They could only leave Gu Qingxuan here now.
Pu Buyi shook his head.
“Ten thousand spirit stones?!” Yuan Wu cried out in alarm.
Even Gu Qingxuan’s expression changed. He silently looked toward his own pocket. Damn, it was cleaner than his face.
“No. One condition.” Pu Buyi said with a smile.
“One condition?” Yuan Wu did not relax merely because he did not want spirit stones. Spirit stones were easy to repay, but favors were difficult.
“That’s right, just one condition.” Pu Buyi’s expression turned solemn as he stared seriously at the three of them.
The atmosphere grew tense.
“What condition?” Yuan Wu asked.
“Help me save a fox.” Pu Buyi raised his eyes.
“A fox?” Bai Yuehan and Gu Qingxuan, standing nearby, were confused.
Yuan Wu, however, knew a little about it.
She spoke up. “Is it like the two little foxes I saw just now?”
“Yes.” Pu Buyi nodded. “They are spirit beasts I raised. One of the white foxes was abducted. I would like to ask the three of you to rescue it.”
“Why us? Two Foundation Establishment cultivators and one cripple—no matter how you look at it, we do not seem capable.” Yuan Wu crossed her arms and scrutinized Pu Buyi from head to toe. “Besides, you must be hiding something, right? Why was your fox abducted? And who exactly are you, to be raising three demon foxes? Big Brother Pu, you are not simple.”
Pu Buyi looked at Yuan Wu for a long while before chuckling. “The three of you have extraordinary bearing and do not seem like ordinary people. Besides, this cripple is no ordinary cripple. He is Gu Qingxuan, the Sky Vault Sword Lord, one of the Twin Swords of the Violet Heaven Sect.”
Gu Qingxuan: “Cripple...”
In truth, Pu Buyi had not told them the truth. He had not chosen Yuan Wu and the others for that reason. Rather, he had calculated it. He had accurately predicted Yuan Wu’s group would appear.
Pu Buyi was not only a Third-Rank Alchemy Cultivator; he was also from our clan, the Qingqiu. Qingqiu Foxes were born divine calculators, capable of glimpsing a trace of the future. However, his Cultivation was too low, and he had no interest in this path, devoting himself wholeheartedly to medicine instead. Thus, there was not much he could calculate.
“Why should I believe that? Just because he is Gu Qingxuan, you decided we could help you? Aren’t you being a little too casual?” Yuan Wu pouted. Pu Buyi was clearly lying. He was not sincere at all.
Besides, when she had captured those two little foxes earlier, she had already heard some things from them.
Pu Buyi had no idea that his secret identity had already been exposed.
Yuan Wu continued, “Your Cultivation is far above ours. Why don’t you rescue it yourself?”
“I... In any case, this is my only request. Will you help or not? If you refuse, then pay me the medical fee—thirty thousand spirit stones, not one less. Otherwise, I will not let you leave.” Pu Buyi began acting shamelessly, revealing his Golden Core cultivation.
Yuan Wu paid no attention to the second half of his statement. She was deeply frightened only by the words, “If you refuse, pay the medical fee.”
Thirty thousand spirit stones—that was an enormous sum!
They had to save it. Was it not just one little fox? She would rescue ten of them for him.
Yuan Wu’s eyes blazed as she agreed at once. “Isn’t it because you are a demon fox and cannot enter the Moon-Seeking Gang? It is a small matter. Talking about money hurts feelings.”
One sentence left three people stunned.
“You are a demon fox!”
“You are a demon fox!”
These were Bai Yuehan and Gu Qingxuan’s voices. They were shocked by Pu Buyi’s identity.
“How did you know I am a demon fox?”
This was Pu Buyi. His jaw nearly dropped in shock. He had not revealed his identity at all, so how had his secret identity fallen apart so easily? How had Yuan Wu discovered it?
Strange. Too strange!
Yuan Wu: “Is it really that strange? I heard it through gossip.”
Gossip contributors: the red and black little foxes.
The room fell into an eerie silence.
“Ahem. Let us discuss this fox-rescue operation in detail.” Yuan Wu coughed and broke the silence.
Bai Yuehan, Pu Buyi, and Yuan Wu sat around the table, while the disabled Gu Qingxuan lay on the bed and listened.
Pu Buyi said, “The white fox was captured by the Moon-Seeking Gang while I was not paying attention. Recently, they have been constantly capturing Demon Beast Cubs, though I do not know why. My identity must not be exposed, and I also have to protect the two little foxes that remain.
“The Moon-Seeking Gang has only two Golden Core cultivators stationed there, along with ten Foundation Establishment cultivators and more than a hundred Qi Refinement cultivators. In truth, I could rescue it by myself, but they have a demon-subduing array. Once I enter, my strength will be greatly weakened.”
“A demon-subduing array? Could it be that they have a formation master?” Yuan Wu asked, propping up her chin.
Pu Buyi shook his head. “No. The Moon-Seeking Gang locks all the Demon Beast Cubs they capture beneath the Crescent Moon Tower. A demon-subduing array has existed within the Crescent Moon Tower for more than a hundred years. No one knows where it came from.”
“Wait, I have a question,” Bai Yuehan said.
“What question?” Yuan Wu looked toward her.
“Do the people from the Moon-Seeking Gang wear black masks and black clothes, and frequently go to Maple Forest Mountain to capture Demon Beasts?” Bai Yuehan immediately thought of what Yuan Wu had mentioned earlier.
“They do indeed wear black masks year-round. That matches what you described.” Pu Buyi nodded.
Then it had to be them!
Yuan Wu and Bai Yuehan exchanged glances, excitement shining in their eyes. There was news of the White Jade Rhinoceros Calf now. They had very likely been captured by the Moon-Seeking Gang and imprisoned beneath the Crescent Moon Tower.
It seemed they had no choice but to visit the Crescent Moon Tower.
The problem was how to get inside and bring them back out.
“Um, I have something to say.” Gu Qingxuan, lying on the bed, spoke quietly.
The three of them all turned to look at him.
“Getting into the Crescent Moon Tower should not be difficult. The main problem is the Moon-Seeking Gang’s two Golden Core cultivators. Buyi’s Cultivation should be at the mid Golden Core stage. In addition, as a Qingqiu Fox, he should have no trouble holding off those two Golden Core cultivators. As long as they are absent, we can use a diversion tactic. There should be a way to deal with the situation.” Gu Qingxuan finished in one breath.
The plan was feasible, but it also had many problems.
Yuan Wu scratched the back of her head and asked, “Buyi, can you hold them off?”
Pu Buyi scratched his head as well. “I don’t know. I’m an alchemy cultivator.”
“........Right, he is an alchemy cultivator.” Yuan Wu pressed a hand to her forehead. Then, after thinking of something, she asked again, “All alchemy cultivators have spirit fire and an alchemy furnace, right?”
“Qingqiu Foxes are born with fox fire. An alchemy furnace needs to be suitable, and I have yet to encounter one with which I am fated. However, I have an Iron Cauldron with which I am extremely well matched, so I have always used an Iron Cauldron to refine pills,” Pu Buyi said.
“What the heck??? What did you say? I recognize every single word, but I cannot understand them once they are put together.” Yuan Wu clutched her head in disbelief.
Bai Yuehan and Gu Qingxuan were already completely stunned.
Every one of Pu Buyi’s sentences was astonishingly outrageous, even by the standards of the outrageous world.
The three of them could not understand why anyone would use a cauldron to refine pills. And furthermore... what did he mean by saying that they were his first customers after he opened his shop? How terrifying.
“What is wrong? Why have you stopped talking? Would you like to see my cauldron? I take very good care of it.” After speaking, Pu Buyi pulled out a gleaming golden Iron Cauldron... no... it should be called a rice cooker.
The cauldron looked exactly like the rice cooker Yuan Wu had seen before!
“I want some peace and quiet. Everything I encountered today has been thoroughly mind-boggling.” Yuan Wu lay facedown on the table. She should never have casually grabbed someone to ask questions. If she had known, she would never have bothered with Gu Qingxuan’s life or death.........
“Brother Buyi, you... this Iron Cauldron is truly distinctive.” Bai Yuehan forced out.
“Of course it is.” Pu Buyi proudly lifted his head and stroked the rice cooker in his hands.....
“By the way, Yuan Wu, why did you ask about my Iron Cauldron?” Pu Buyi nudged Yuan Wu, who was lying on the table, with his elbow.
Yuan Wu’s gaze was unfocused. Coming back to herself, she said, “I was thinking that an alchemy furnace is also a type of magical artifact. Although you are an alchemy cultivator and not very strong physically, you can use an alchemy furnace to smash them. A normal alchemy furnace weighs around four or five hundred pounds. Smashing someone with it would be enough to make them stumble. But you do not have an alchemy furnace... Still, the Iron Cauldron should have roughly the same effect, right?”
“That’s right! I have never smashed anyone with an Iron Cauldron before!” After hearing Yuan Wu’s words, Pu Buyi became extremely excited.
Bai Yuehan looked as though she had learned something new, while Gu Qingxuan was left completely dumbfounded.
Gu Qingxuan: “None of you are normal!”