Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

"Who knew that the word 'affection' would blossom unexpectedly from daily interactions? I watched her anxious heart and couldn't help but smile. I had known for a long time she was a fox because one day she accidentally revealed her tail."

"But I was not afraid. Since my parents passed away, I've been exposed to scorn and knew well the wickedness of human hearts. Sometimes, I felt that Yan Niang, naive about the worldly ways, was far more endearing than those who seemed virtuous but were actually thieves and prostitutes."

"I still remember her surprise when she heard me say this; she covered her little mouth, looking ever so adorable. Later, we married and supported each other. Though we lived in poverty, our days were incredibly harmonious and beautiful."

"Who would have known that one day Yan Niang's relatives would come, claiming to offer her to a Demon King as a concubine? How could I agree? But they were all Spiritual Beasts, and how could I stand against them? I was quickly struck down, and it was only Yan Niang threatening to take her own life that saved mine."

"Feeling utterly disheartened, I was ready to hang myself, but the rope was not sturdy and broke. Overcome by grief, I couldn't hold back my tears; I'm so sorry for having disturbed you, brother."

Lu Yu listened quietly to Xiao Ke's story, full of sympathy for the tragic couple. He said, "Perhaps this was divine protection that you didn't die, for how could you face Yan Niang's deep sacrifice? She risked her life to save yours; dying would have betrayed her."

Moved to tears once more, Xiao Ke said, "Indeed, I must live well and think of a way to rescue Yan Niang."

"Have your relatives left yet?" Lu Yu asked, changing the subject.

"Yan Niang said she wanted to stay one more night at home to break off the relationship; she should still be there!" After finishing, he looked at Lu Yu in surprise, wondering about the meaning behind his question.

"Then lead the way. I'm hardly a skilled warrior, but I have defeated some demons and will try to rescue your wife."

"Brother Lu, think it over. Those Spiritual Beasts are immensely powerful; don't risk your life for our sake!"

Lu Yu boldly declared, "When injustice is done, I must intervene. Lead the way!"

Upon arriving at Xiao Ke's house, they found the Fox Spirits gathered, drinking riotously and dressed indecently.

"Xiao Lang, who asked you to come? Leave immediately!" Yan Niang spotted Lu Yu and Xiao Ke at once and hurriedly spoke up.

Lu Yu then began to scrutinize Yan Niang, realizing she was not as beautiful as Xiao Ke had described, certainly not compared to He Yinglian and Su Xiuniang. However, as the saying goes, 'Beauty lies in the lover's eyes'; looking at Xiao Ke, it was evident that to him, Yan Niang surpassed all others.

Gently, he pulled a tree from outside the yard, weighing it in his hand, feeling it was quite suitable for sweeping people out the door.

While the Fox Spirits were still drinking heavily, they suddenly found a large tree appear before them and were swept out before they could react; only then did they see Xiao Ke standing in the yard with a Scholar.

"Fine, for my little sister's sake, I spare your life, Xiao. Ungrateful man, daring to return!" The Foxes' eyes gleamed fiercely.

They were met with the tree trunk in Lu Yu's hand; only then did they realize that the Scholar in front of them treated the large tree like a toy. Watching them draw their bows and Arrows toward Lu Yu, who effortlessly swept them to the ground with a single swing of the tree, not allowing them to get within a yard of him.

Upon closer inspection, those arrows on the ground were clearly just reed poles.

"Stop embarrassing yourself with such trivial illusions, and get out of here!" Lu Yu burst out with a commanding aura, immediately causing the fox spirits to scamper away in terror, and soon they disappeared without a trace.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Brother Lu, you're incredibly strong; that tree looked like a mere straw in your hands." Xiao Ke couldn't help but exclaim.

Lu Yu put the tree down and dusted off his hands, "This is nothing. I have a friend who is truly strong!"

"This concubine thanks the gentleman for the rescue, but I have family members whose master is a Demon King. If he learns of this, he might come looking for trouble. We should leave this place quickly," Yan Niang advised.

"No worries, even if the Emperor of Heaven himself were to come today, I would keep you all safe," Lu Yu thought to himself, considering that he had fought against the Demon Race's Great Saint, what was there to fear from a mere Demon King.

Three hundred miles away from their residence, within a large mountain, lay the gathering place of the Su Clan Fox Tribe. The tribe leader was an old fox at the Realm of the Yin God, who called himself Elder Master Su.

At this moment, Elder Master Su, slightly corpulent, was lying on a rattan chair wearing a brocade robe, his face benevolent but his small eyes gleaming with shrewdness. He was half-listening to the youths recounting the recent events.

"Oh! So, this Scholar is extraordinarily skilled. But that shouldn't be the case, though Su San and the others are worthless, they still possess some cultivation. How could they not stand against a mere Scholar?"

"Elder Master, you may not know, but this Scholar, I don't know what kind of connections he has. The moment he exerted his presence, my calves started trembling involuntarily, and I was so frightened that I forgot all about the Mystic Spell Scripture," one explained.

Listening to this, Elder Master Su slowly opened his eyes. He had lived a long life and naturally knew some things that the younger generation was unaware of. Such phenomena were clear warnings from the True Spirit, indicating that the opponent indeed had the strength to kill them.

"Elder Master, it's bad news! The Iron-back Wolf King has arrived and is demanding that we hand over the person!" someone exclaimed.

"Elder Fox, I advise you to hand over the person immediately. Don't force me to start ripping apart this fox den!" The Iron-back Wolf King was clearly not a patient man, as he had already barged into their lair.

The Iron-back Wolf King, clad in iron armor and wielding a steel sword, had a wolf's head on a human body, his large fangs protruding and his crimson eyes filled with cruelty.

"Great King, let's talk this over, please don't start a fight, it wasn't easy for this old man to fix up this house, and I'd hate to see it get destroyed. It's not that I refuse to hand over the person, but my junior is being protected by someone, and I really can't fetch him!"

The old fox's eyes whirled around as he spoke, planning to let this brute test the Scholar's depth. If the Scholar truly was a high-level being playing among mortals, he might give this rude creature a run for his money.

"What? You mean to say you all couldn't handle a single Scholar? Such a bunch of pussies. Take me to him and watch how I deal with that ignorant fool!" the Wolf Demon burst into laughter after hearing the old fox's words.

"Great King, you might not know, but the Scholar's strength is not small. It would be better for you not to go," the old fox provocatively said to the Wolf Demon.

"Hmph! You think I am like you cowards! Let me tell you, I just came from Huaguo Mountain, the gathering place of many Demon Kings, and I have even seen those legendary seven Great Saints of the Demon Race. A mere Scholar won't stand a chance!"