Master of Ten Thousand Foxes

After the Miyamoto family’s Ancestral Court declares to the world, and everyone knows about it, I’ll take this craftsman to have a good chat with Miyamoto Rokuzo and discuss the confidentiality fee.

When the reporters receive the documents from Miyamoto and have filmed Miyamoto’s tearful face on the verge of returning to his roots, the conversation essentially concludes.

Miyamoto, after wiping his tears, raises his head again, revealing a snow-white, slender neck, regaining his elegant posture.

He waves a hand, and an attendant immediately presents a tray.

"In any case, Jiuzhou is suffering at the hands of the Ancient Immortals.

"We are willing to lend a hand at any time to help Jiuzhou.

"This tray contains gifts from our delegation to Expert Bai Mo.

"There’s a shuriken, a shuriken, an Invisibility Talisman, a Detonator Charm, a blank Summoning Scroll, and a sachet from a witch.

"We hope you can accept this gift.

"We are ready to respond to your assistance requests at any time."

The atmosphere on site becomes peculiar again.

Some journalists sense the explosive air, raising their cameras to capture the moment, "clicking" away!

Yet, Bai Mo smiles and gently waves a hand.

Whoosh!

A chubby little fox in a suit, Grape Cake, jumps onto the table, holding a framed picture up for Miyamoto Rokuzo and all the reporters to see.

"Awooo!"

Bai Mo explains.

"This is the gift we are returning to Mr. Miyamoto."

The entire venue falls into silence.

Including Miyamoto and his attendants, their eyes are glued to the frame, unable to speak or make a sound.

Because, shockingly, inside that frame is a petal.

This type of petal once fell from the sky, covering the West State.

Many people collected them, many took them to make specimens for sale.

The larger the petal, the more collectible it is.

The greener it is, the higher the price it can fetch.

And the one Bai Mo gave to Miyamoto is the most exquisite.

Because it is the largest peony petal, pale green, with a patch of black-red bloodstain!

...

In the evening, the West University canteen is bustling with people, noisy and lively.

Bai Mo and his apprentice Grape Cake sit by a dining table, devouring food heartily.

Grape Cake gnaws on a fried chicken leg, oil smeared at the corners of his mouth, eyes squinting in total bliss.

"Yum yum!"

Lunch was dull; to appear prestigious, it didn’t eat to its fill, only getting about sixty percent full!

The canteen is much more comfortable, where it can eat freely!

Next to them, Fang Xiaoyu and Wu Qingyun eat while watching the fox, quite surprised.

This creature ate a third of the table alone at lunch, yet still can eat so much at dinner; truly a big eater!

Yang Zhan and Wan Bocheng sit nearby with Chu Mian.

Both are visibly excited.

"Expert Bai Mo, your final gift was absolutely brilliant, hahaha!

"It totally stunned that guy, Miyamoto.

"Jiuzhou may have Ancient Immortals, so what? We have the West State boss, and Great Immortal Technique!

"Just ask him if he’s scared now! Hahaha!"

The conversation gradually turns to Chu Mian.

"What’s Miyamoto Rokuzo up to, anyway?

"Coming all the way to recognize ancestors, what’s that about? What’s the point?"

Chu Mian, seated quietly, explains in slightly awkward Chinese.

"To raise their profile, perhaps.

"In the Sakura Region, Yin Yang Master sects, Ninja sects, and various Divine Temples are recruiting disciples en masse.

"The more powerful and renowned a sect is, the more and better disciples they can recruit."

Wan Bocheng and the others suddenly have a realization.

"So it’s all about recruitment, huh."

Chu Mian suddenly covers her mouth, bursting into laughter.

"Haha... Wan Bocheng, your... haha... your way of putting it is quite vivid."

Wan Bocheng is taken aback for a moment, unsure if he was genuinely that funny.

He blushes, chuckling foolishly.

"Heh heh, it does seem like it."

Chu Mian gives him a deep look with her big eyes, muttering softly, "Kawaii..."

Then she lowers her head, blushing, and eats quietly, saying no more.

The atmosphere at the table becomes a bit unusual.

Bai Mo gives Chu Mian a meaningful glance.

Is it possible that she is into Wan Bocheng?

Could it be? What’s the reason?

Is it because Wan Bocheng was once the top scorer in the college entrance exam? Because Wan Bocheng is the top student in the Immortal Grass Experimental Class? Or because Wan Bocheng is a future great scientist?

Hmm?

Bai Mo’s expression was strange.

Usually, he felt Wan Bocheng was quite silly, but on thinking about it, Wan Bocheng seemed rather outstanding and indeed worthy of girls’ affection?

Yang Zhan, beside him, tilted his head back and downed a bowl of seaweed egg soup, his face full of bitterness.

Bai Mo was about to reach out and pat his shoulder when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He took it out and saw it was Committee Member Gu Lin, who had sent a comprehensive investigation report on the Sakura Region!

Covering the screen slightly with his hand, he opened the report.

[... After multiple clandestine checks, it has been basically confirmed that Miyamoto Rokuzo is a Sequence Seven Immortal Mage. Among his group, there are fifteen Sequence Eight and fifteen Sequence Nine, the rest are all ordinary people, not involved in immortality...]

[... Locally in Sakura, the number of Ancient Immortals is extremely scarce, and the number of Immortal Seekers is equally rare. However, those Immortal Technique Masters do not acknowledge themselves as involved in immortality, but instead, flaunted their extraordinary abilities under the guise of ninjas, Yin Yang Masters, witches, etc., recruiting a large number of ordinary people as disciples...]

Oh?

Is it really a scam?

A scam maintained by all the Immortal Seekers and Immortal Technique Masters in Sakura, working in silent harmony?

[... The ordinary ninja and wandering samurai among the visiting group also have terrifying physical fitness, equivalent in strength to Immortal Martial Sequence Nine...]

[...Their bodies appear to have undergone very bizarre surgical modifications, trading bodily balance and life expectancy for temporary power...]

Surgical modifications?

Which path specializes in surgical modifications?

Immortal Beast Path!

Bai Mo indeed knew this.

Beast Masters often need to perform surgery on Immortal Beasts.

Su Yaoyao, whom he frequently contacts, is not skilled in surgery... but that’s not a problem with the Immortal Beast Path, it’s an issue of Su Yaoyao being too mediocre.

[... The ordinary witches and Yin Yang Masters in the visiting group can also perform some small-scale immortal techniques, with strength akin to Sequence Nine Talisman Masters...]

[... Special Human Skin Talismans have been implanted inside their cranial cavities, affecting the cerebral cortex...]

Bai Mo smacked his lips, feeling quite amazed.

The group led by Miyamoto had been thoroughly investigated inside out by the Immortal Committee before dark.

Even their cranial cavities had been examined.

He grinned... the Immortal Committee really has some skills.

"Why would they modify ordinary people and give them power? What’s the truth behind this scam...

"Could it be that during the process of modifying ordinary people, they are stripping away something from them?"

Bai Mo scoffed at the prospect of pondering further.

The world is so vast that he can’t manage it all.

At this moment, recalling Miyamoto Rokuzo’s fair, clean face, two words came to mind... Lies!

Layer upon layer, one scheme after another, even so false as to be dizzying, bewildering lies!

...

In the dream.

Miyamoto Rokuzo respectfully bent forward and presented the petal Bai Mo had given him to the Ancient Immortal Master.

In the dilapidated palace, his Ancient Immortal Master was wearing a mysterious black robe, a tall crown, his beard neatly arranged into elegant long strands.

Yet, being small in stature and having a face like a monkey, donning such a grand outfit seemed quite unseemly.

The Ancient Immortal held one hand behind his back, took the petal with the other, and scrutinized it for a moment.

"Oh... This is a petal left behind after Qinghua Rain was performed.

"Nothing much to look at.

"The bloodstains on it are also worthless.

"You may take it back and keep it yourself."

Miyamoto Rokuzo quickly nodded, taking back the petal.

The Ancient Immortal waved his hand.

"Here, help me wipe the hem of the robe.

"It’s gotten dusty again, truly annoying!"

Miyamoto Rokuzo quickly knelt down, pulled out a handkerchief, and began cleansing the robe’s hem for his master.

Standing there, the Ancient Immortal watched his disciple clean while frowning.

"Be careful while you wipe!

"This robe is quite precious.

"When I went to the White Scale Holy Land to make offerings, a Prince bestowed it upon me.

"Really it’s both beautiful and dignified!

"Since acquiring this robe, I’ve never been willing to take it off.

"Even later when I personally destroyed the White Scale Holy Land, killing the Prince, I couldn’t bear to let this robe get a drop of blood on it.

"You must be cautious!

"Hey! You clumsy fool, you’ve wrinkled my robe!"

The Ancient Immortal, in a fury, with a snap, whipped a snake-tailed whip covered in white scales from beneath the robe’s hem, striking Miyamoto Rokuzo’s chest with a sound like a crack. Amidst spurting blood and muffled screams, Miyamoto Rokuzo was sent flying, hurled several meters away, tumbling like a rolling gourd until he stopped in a corner.