The village chief looked at Hua Tingxuan, then at Chu Danfeng, and sighed: "The young master looks like he is not even twenty years old, I didn't expect his son to be this big already."
Chu Danfeng just smiled and said nothing.
Mortals who don't cultivate immortality generally marry early, and some even marry at the age of fourteen or fifteen. Nothing else, this little ungrateful wolf bullied him so much later, and Chu Danfeng couldn't bear to retaliate against this soft and weak baby - after all, he had never done anything in his life - it was good to take advantage of him verbally.
However, it was indeed the easiest way to win sympathy by bringing up the child, so the village chief finally agreed, but he still repeatedly reminded him: "After the sun goes down, you must stay in your room and never go out."
Chu Danfeng agreed readily.
That night, the village chief arranged for a family to entertain the "two fathers and sons". The farmers only had simple meals, but after Chu Danfeng had eaten, he casually took out a piece of silver and generously "rewarded" the family. The villagers worked hard for a year and might not be able to save many copper coins. Although the silver was small, it was a huge sum for them. The family thanked them profusely. Chu Danfeng waved his folding fan and asked excitedly: "Your village chief said that there is an evil spirit in the village that specializes in eating young men. This is quite new. Can you tell me about it?"
The family had just received a reward and told everything they knew, including the details of several strange things that had happened recently.
"In the past two months, three young men have disappeared one after another. A few days ago, the bodies of two of them were found by hunters in the mountains. You wouldn't know, they were mummies! It was scary! Only Wang Dengniang's man disappeared alive and dead. However, the village chief has sent someone to report the matter to the immortal of Shuangji Sect, asking the immortal to catch the monster."
"So you'd better leave early tomorrow morning. I heard that the fairy likes young men with signs like you and wants to absorb your yang energy!"
However, Chu Danfeng did not listen to the advice. Sometimes he said that supernatural powers were not credible, and sometimes he was eager to see what an immortal looked like. Finally, he decided to stay in Taohua Village for a few more days.
He is a typical dandy boy who has no idea of his own limitations and is ready to commit suicide.
But even though the villagers sighed, they were reluctant to let the God of Wealth go, and they were not very resolute in driving him away.
That night, Chu Danfeng still slept in the same bed with Hua Tingxuan. The little guy climbed onto the wooden bed and said worriedly like a little adult: "Brother, are we out of money?"
Spiritual stones and worldly money can be exchanged at a certain ratio. That piece of silver can barely be exchanged for a low-grade spiritual stone. It is indeed Chu Danfeng's last savings.
Chu Danfeng didn't care much, "We may have to stay here until the full moon night. It's better to spend this money early so that we can live comfortably for a few more days."
As early as outside Taohua Village, Chu Danfeng had seen that thing from a distance and smelled its evil aura. He had a rough idea in his mind. Seeing that his junior brother was still frowning, Chu Danfeng pinched his little face and said, "Don't worry, I'm here, you won't starve."
The child's chubby face was pinched into various shapes, and his pronunciation was unclear: "Brother Chi, don't you keep the Ming (Spirit) Stone for cultivation?"
The so-called "spiritual stones" can be used as hard currency in the world of cultivation mainly because they can replenish spiritual energy for cultivation. In his previous life, Chu Danfeng regarded cultivation as his top priority, and he carefully saved up the spiritual stones he earned and never spent money like this.
Senior brother has really changed a lot.
"What's the point of practicing?" Chu Danfeng said nonchalantly. Looking at the child's worried look, he found it funny and cute, and couldn't help but want to tease him, "Come on, call daddy and let me hear it."
Hua Tingxuan: “???”
Chu Danfeng took advantage of it seriously: "We have to stay here for several days, so let's get used to it in advance and don't let anyone show their weakness."
Hua Tingxuan: “… …Don’t scream!”
Thanks to his generous reward that day and his bold statement of wanting to see the immortal and catch the monster, Chu Danfeng successfully established his image as a simple-minded rich young man. Even though the village chief was extremely unhappy, he still stayed there shamelessly. The villager who let him stay also took the opportunity to express his attitude: as long as the young man does not mind the simple hut, he is free to stay there.
Chu Danfeng was living a prosperous life in Taohua Village, but Hua Tingxuan was living a miserable life. Not only was he forced by his own senior brother to call him "Daddy", but he also had to watch helplessly as the young girls and wives in the village found all kinds of excuses to send Chu Danfeng some fresh fruits or dried sweet potatoes from their own homes.
But Chu Danfeng had no resistance to these treats, and because he was a pretending rich man, he had no money to use as a thank you gift. He could only smile and bow to express his gratitude, which made them even more delighted.
It’s not that they have any improper thoughts, it’s just that these village women rarely see such a gentle, noble and handsome man, and they want to get closer to him.
Day after day, Hua Tingxuan finally couldn't bear it anymore, and one afternoon when there was no farming work, he rushed up and called out "Daddy" in a crisp voice.
Chu Danfeng paused while peeling lotus seeds. Wasn't this naughty kid refusing to call him daddy? Why was he so obedient today? Just as he was about to respond calmly, Hua Tingxuan said in a baby voice, "Didn't mom forbid you to talk to other women?"
Chu Danfeng: “?”
Hua Tingxuan glanced at the peasant women who pricked up their ears instantly, and continued to accuse: "You never change. Have you forgotten how mother ran away?!"
Chu Danfeng almost choked on a mouthful of fresh lotus seeds and coughed like crazy. He was thinking, WTF? Where the hell did he learn this
When Hua Tingxuan saw his senior brother choking, he quickly went over to pat him on the back. It was an almost instinctive action, but in the eyes of others it had an extra meaning: this is such a filial child, so sensible that it makes people feel distressed.
Some people even whispered: "No wonder the child rarely calls him dad. It turns out that his wife was mad and ran away. This is too outrageous."
"The more handsome a man is, the less reliable he is."
"I think this young man is a bit silly and only cares about playing. He heard that our village is not safe, but he still wants to stay here. The full moon night will come in a few days..."
"… "
People who practice Taoism have sharp ears and sharp eyes. Chu Danfeng could hear these whispers clearly, and his eyes twitched.
"...Where did you learn these nonsense words from?" Chu Danfeng rubbed his eyebrows and asked the child in a low voice.
Hua Tingxuan puffed out his chest and said innocently, "I learned it from Aunt Wang next door. Senior brother, does it sound similar to me? Didn't you tell me to learn to be a real father and son? Xuan'er learned it very seriously!"
… So you are quite proud
Chu Danfeng was powerless to complain, but the little guy was only five years old, and he couldn't blame him for his ignorance and words. He could only tell the child not to imitate others' speech. In the end, the two of them, one big and one small, sat cross-legged under the peach tree, peeling lotus seeds one by one and eating them, spending the whole afternoon quietly.
Thanks to Hua Tingxuan's "childish talk", Mr. Chu's image as a "playboy and ungrateful man" has been deeply rooted in people's hearts. No one feeds him or disturbs him anymore. Chu Danfeng can't get any snacks, his mouth is lonely, but his ears are not quiet.
As time drew closer to the full moon, the complaints in the village could no longer be suppressed.
"Is the immortal from Shuangji Sect coming or not?"
"She eats our offerings every year, but when we really need help, she doesn't respond. The most pitiful one is Wang Deng's mother, who cries at home every day. The village owner is also panicking... After so long, her husband's corpse must have rotted!"
Chu Danfeng would stand up and defend himself at this time: "Exorcising evil spirits is not as simple as you think. For example, fox demons are best at hiding their evil spirits. There is no point in being anxious. We can only wait for the right time. Besides, that thing only commits crimes once a month. Before the right time, Wang Sheng may not be in danger..."
But before he could finish, the villagers would turn around and leave, as if to say, "I won't reason with fools." This was still considered good. If they met a young man, he might even say, "Don't you believe in ghosts and gods? Save your pretentious words for the girls. We don't want you, a pretty boy!"
… I can’t help it. The image of a simple-minded rich boy that I established before is too deeply rooted in people’s minds. Besides, the young men seem to hold a grudge after eating a few snacks from the girls…
Fortunately, after another four or five days, it was the full moon night that Chu Danfeng had been looking forward to for a long time.
That night, Chu Danfeng restrained his breath and blew out the lights early, but he did not fall asleep for a long time, always paying attention to the movements outside.
When the moon was at its zenith, the familiar fishy evil aura finally reappeared, and Chu Danfeng's heart was finally relieved - it was just as he expected.
However, the monster's cultivation level was still unknown, so he did not dare to be careless. He told the child to stay in the room and not move, and set up a barrier before quietly leaving the room. But Chu Danfeng didn't know that the child who had promised not to move disappeared in an instant shortly after he left the room, while his barrier was still intact.
Taohua Village was exceptionally quiet that night, as if every household was fast asleep. Chu Danfeng gathered all his inner energy, took out his disciple sword from the mustard seed bag, and followed the path of the evil spirit.
Sure enough, next to a dry well in the village, a bright snow-blue light was seen. From a distance, it looked like a lilac flower illuminated by the moonlight, indescribably beautiful and enchanting.
But if you look closely, you will get goose bumps all over your body. How can that be a harmless lilac? It is clearly a skull with a faint glow!
A purple-haired fox was holding a skull. It put its front paws together and kowtowed to the full moon like a human. The strange thing was that despite such big movements, the skull on top of its head did not move at all, as if it was growing on its furry head.
Chu Danfeng looked at this bizarre scene and felt more confident: Purple Fox Worshiping the Moon is a basic operation and shouldn't be a big problem.