"Fan Fox Demon, oh Fan Fox Demon, why couldn't you cultivate properly in the mountains? You had to go out and harm people. What good does that do you?"
The Old Heavenly Master looked at the fox demon Fan Sien, kneeling before him, with an expression of disappointment, saying, "Harming human lives goes against the Heavenly Dao. Is this worthy of your centuries of diligent cultivation?"
"Heavenly Master's teachings are wise."
The fox demon Fan Sien lowered his head, trembling like a child who had made a mistake, and said, "But I haven't harmed any human lives. I only absorbed some of their vital essence..."
"That is also not allowed."
The Old Heavenly Master put on a stern face and said, "While absorbing human vital essence might lead to rapid improvement, it goes against the Heavenly Dao, and you will never achieve the Great Dao in the future."
"Yes, Heavenly Master, I was wrong. I will never dare to do it again." Fan Sien nodded repeatedly, seemingly genuinely repentant.
"Wrongdoing must be punished."
However, the Old Heavenly Master was impartial. With a wave of his hand, he said, "I will seal you in the Demon Locking Cave for self-reflection. You may come out when you have truly understood."
"No..."
Fan Sien looked up, his face full of terror, shaking his head and pleading, "Heavenly Master, I don't want to go into the Demon Locking Cave. Please spare me this once, Grandma Xian'er, please speak up for me..."
"I can't say anything."
Zhang Xian'er, standing nearby, spread her hands and pouted, "It's your own fault for being restless and running out. You'd better listen to the old man and obediently go to the Demon Locking Cave."
"I don't want to. The Demon Locking Cave is too lonely..."
Fan Sien still wanted to beg for mercy, but the Old Heavenly Master waved his hand again, sealing the fox demon in a cloth bag, and handed it to Zhang Xian'er, saying, "Take her to the Demon Locking Cave tomorrow."
"Got it."
Zhang Xian'er tied the mouth of the cloth bag and set it aside. Then she went to check the fish creel at the Old Heavenly Master's feet. "Let me see how much you've caught. Old man, you're not good enough. How can you only catch a few small fish? It's not even enough for me to eat..."
"You impudent girl, all you think about is eating, eating, eating. I've only been fishing for a little while."
The Old Heavenly Master playfully hit Zhang Xian'er on the head. Immediately, the reed float of the fishing rod moved a few times. The Old Heavenly Master quickly grabbed the rod and lifted it. A large grass carp had taken the bait...
"Oh no, hurry up and reel it in! With this fish, we'll have enough to eat..."
Zhang Xian'er shouted excitedly. As the Old Heavenly Master reeled in the rod, he said impatiently, "Don't shout so loudly, you'll scare away all the fish in the water..."
Wan Yunting, standing nearby, watched this playful scene between the master and disciple. It was no wonder Zhang Xian'er was so naturally innocent and lively; it turned out the Old Heavenly Master was also a playful child.
"I'm going to roast the fish..."
After putting the large grass carp into the fish creel, Zhang Xian'er happily ran back with it.
The Old Heavenly Master continued his night fishing. Seeing Wan Yunting standing beside him, looking a bit restrained, he smiled and said, "Kid, don't be so nervous, sit down."
Wan Yunting smiled and nodded, then sat directly on a wooden plank on the simple bridge, asking, "May I ask why the Old Heavenly Master summoned me? Do you have anything to instruct?"
The Old Heavenly Master continued to stare at the fish float on the water, smiling and saying, "I summoned you to ask a favor!"
Wan Yunting's expression stiffened. He looked at him with confusion and asked, "What is it?"
The Old Heavenly Master turned his head, looking at him with gentle eyes, and smiled, "I would like to ask you to take care of Xian'er in the future!"
Wan Yunting's expression became confused. He asked, "Old Heavenly Master, I don't understand what you mean."
The Old Heavenly Master shifted his gaze back and smiled, "I don't have much time left. That's why I specifically asked you to come and see me, for this very matter."
These words made Wan Yunting's heart tremble. He quickly said, "Why would the Old Heavenly Master say that? Could it be that your last encounter with the Main God..."
"Heh heh, more or less."
The Old Heavenly Master waved his hand and smiled, "That old immortal Main God is indeed powerful. He injured me quite badly back then, but that's not the point. The point is that I have already sensed my great limit, and I don't have much time left."
Wan Yunting's heart was shaken. He stared blankly at the Old Heavenly Master, not expecting him to say such things when he had summoned him specifically.
"Old Heavenly Master, but I still don't understand. Even if you ascend, there are still people from the Heavenly Master's Mansion to take care of Xian'er. Why would you specifically tell me?" After a moment, he still couldn't quite grasp it.
The Old Heavenly Master smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Zhang Xuanliang of the Heavenly Master's Mansion is a good person. The current state of the Heavenly Master's Mansion is all thanks to him. But he cannot take care of Xian'er his entire life!"
These words made Wan Yunting's expression freeze. He looked at the Old Heavenly Master with confusion and said, "But Old Heavenly Master, even I cannot take care of Xian'er!"
"No, you can."
The Old Heavenly Master turned to look at him and smiled, "You are a person of great fortune. I once divined for you, and in the future, you will reach a very high realm and live longer than I!"
Wan Yunting was stunned. After a moment, he reacted and shook his head, laughing, "Old Heavenly Master, you think Xian'er will live longer?"
"Yes, she lives longer than us humans..." The Old Heavenly Master nodded and smiled.
"Wait!"
Instantly catching the problem in the Old Heavenly Master's words, Wan Yunting's eyes widened as he asked, "Old Heavenly Master, do you mean to say that Xian'er is not...?"
"Yes."
The Old Heavenly Master looked at him, nodded, and smiled, "Xian'er is indeed not human!"
"How is that possible...?"
Wan Yunting was dumbfounded, looking at the Old Heavenly Master in disbelief. Everything was instantly subverted.
How could Zhang Xian'er not be human? Then what was she? A demon?
But he had never felt any demonic aura from Zhang Xian'er!
"Do you know why this place is called Longhu Mountain?" the Old Heavenly Master asked with a smile.
Wan Yunting, having recovered his senses, said, "Legend has it that Zhang Daoling refined elixirs here. When the elixir was formed, dragons and tigers appeared, and the mountain was thus named!"
"Mm."
The Old Heavenly Master nodded and smiled, "Longhu Mountain is a place where the essence of heaven and earth converges. Many divine beings have been born here, and many transformed demonic beings have also attained enlightenment and ascended here, including a white tiger demon!"
"White tiger demon?"
Wan Yunting's expression was astonished, and he immediately asked, "Could it be Xian'er?"
The Old Heavenly Master nodded and smiled, "Before she became a demon, Xian'er was a white tiger living in Longhu Mountain. She encountered an ancestor of our Heavenly Master's Mansion, Zhang Weidao, who was the twenty-second Heavenly Master!"
Wan Yunting nodded. Those who had delved into the history of the Longhu Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion knew that Zhang Weidao was an enlightened divine being. Legend had it that his martial arts reached the realm of seeing the divine without being harmed, and he lived for over three hundred years!
"Ancestor Zhang Weidao encountered a white tiger in the mountains and discovered its innate spiritual intelligence. He subdued it and kept it by his side, accompanying him in his daily cultivation and lectures. Over time, the white tiger's spiritual aperture opened, it learned the methods of demonic cultivation, and gradually cultivated to the realm of transforming into human form."
The Old Heavenly Master recounted Xian'er's past life, saying, "Later, a catastrophe occurred in our Longhu Mountain. The white tiger demon Xian'er, in order to protect Ancestor Zhang Weidao, was severely injured and lost all her cultivation."
"If Ancestor Zhang Weidao had not used a heaven-defying method, she would have perished."
"What happened next?" Wan Yunting continued to ask.
The Old Heavenly Master said, "Ancestor Zhang Weidao gave Xian'er her first chance at rebirth and released her back into the mountains. Not long after, Ancestor Zhang Weidao ascended."
"I don't know how many years passed until my master appeared. He encountered a white tiger in the mountains and recognized her as the white tiger Xian'er who had followed Ancestor Zhang Weidao!"
"And after several hundred years, Xian'er, through her diligent cultivation, opened her spiritual aperture and gained intelligence again. However, she had forgotten her past memories. It was only after my master also ascended that Xian'er was handed over to me to look after."
"Finally, she slowly cultivated to transform into human form. In the beginning, she looked like a little girl. That was when your father and grandfather happened to pass by and see her!"
Hearing this, Wan Yunting nodded, understanding.
The Old Heavenly Master turned his head and saw Zhang Xian'er by the reservoir bank skillfully setting up a fire and roasting the fish...
"Nowadays, the country does not permit beings to transform into spirits, so I used a secret method to seal the demonic energy within Xian'er, making her appear human. However, this seal only seals her temporarily, not forever!" the Old Heavenly Master sighed.
"I see."
After hearing the Old Heavenly Master's words, Wan Yunting was deeply shocked. He turned to look at the lively and adorable Zhang Xian'er by the reservoir bank, who was roasting fish. He found it hard to imagine that her true form was a tiger demon!
"Kid, let Xian'er stay by your side from now on," the Old Heavenly Master said with a smile.