He Yuzhu returns in Siheyuan

Chapter 828 Ye Family Disciples

Xiao Li's mother staggered to the side, her chest still heaving from the fight, her dark skirt stained with bits of grass and dirt. She looked up at the human cultivator in black robes before her, recognizing him as the one who had just repelled the pursuers. She quickly cupped her hands in thanks, her voice filled with relief at surviving the ordeal: "He Yuzhu, thank you so much for your help this time. Those people were ruthless; if you hadn't appeared in time, I fear I would not have escaped danger today, and the consequences would have been unimaginable."

She gazed in the direction where the pursuers had disappeared, her eyes still gleaming with fear, her fingertips trembling slightly—the magical artifacts of those cultivators had carried a sharp, murderous aura, clearly having slain many demons. She had already made up her mind: upon returning, she must explain to the ancestor that the humans outside had long lost their former peace with the demons, killing them on sight without even giving them a chance to explain. Given this situation, it was best for the younger generation of the clan to avoid venturing out, lest they needlessly throw their lives away.

On the other side, He Yuzhu sheathed his magical artifact, the short blade gleaming faintly, silently returning to its sheath. He turned to look at his fourth brother beside him, his brows furrowing slightly, and said in a deep voice, "Alright, let's keep this matter to ourselves and not mention it to anyone. The world is not peaceful right now, and the relationship between humans and demons is already tense. We should just guard our own territory, honestly do our business, and avoid getting involved in these conflicts to prevent getting burned."

He Yuzhu watched Xiaoli's mother's retreating figure and then said nothing more.

Although the fourth brother didn't understand why He Yuzhu was taking this matter so seriously—he wasn't usually flamboyant, but he wasn't afraid of trouble either—his caution today suggested he had some unspeakable secret. Seeing his serious expression and unwavering focus in his eyes, the fourth brother didn't dare ask further. He simply nodded emphatically and patted his chest, assuring him, "Don't worry, Brother Zhu, I'm very tight-lipped. This matter will remain a secret to me. I guarantee not a single word will leak out, not even to my wife."

He Yuzhu grunted in response, said nothing more, and turned to walk back. The fallen leaves in the forest rustled under his feet. He knew in his heart that this was purely a coincidence—if he hadn't gone to the back mountain to pick some rare mushrooms today, happened to pass by that forest, and happened to hear the fighting and paid extra attention, Xiao Li's mother would probably have been captured by those cultivators.

Little Fox will be heartbroken when she hears the news. That girl always follows him around with a smile, calling him "Brother Yuzhu" all the time, her eyes shining like stars in the forest. He really can't bear to see her sad for her mother, and he doesn't want her to hold a grudge against humans because of this, ruining that pure trust.

The forest breeze carried a chill, swirling fallen leaves around his feet. He Yuzhu quickened his pace, his clothes fluttering gently in the wind, hoping the matter would subside and not cause any further trouble or disturbance, so that everyone could live in peace.

Deep within the cave, Long Si lay curled up against the smooth stone wall, recovering from his injuries. Several deep, bone-revealing wounds on his body, covered in bluish-gold scales, had scabbed over but still retained a dark red hue, like congealed blood, faintly tinged with the murky color of demonic energy. He occasionally glanced towards the cave entrance, his gaze heavy—after all, he had only taken Xiao Shuai as his disciple a few days ago, and the entanglements between humans and demons were complex and intertwined; one could never truly know what the future held.

Although Long Si was a member of the Jiaolong clan, not a true dragon, he possessed a dragon pearl formed over a thousand years of cultivation. The pearl floated quietly in his dantian, emitting a warm white light. The flowing spiritual energy within it was a highly sought-after tonic for any demon race; if it fell into the hands of someone with malicious intent, the consequences would be unimaginable. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt: if he were to focus on deep cultivation and fully recover from his injuries, and if Xiao Shuai were to become greedy and take advantage of his weakened state, he feared he wouldn't even have the strength to resist.

Therefore, these Heavenly Dragons only dared to use half of their energy to circulate spiritual power to repair their damaged meridians, while keeping the other half of their minds constantly on edge, like a taut string, secretly watching the movements at the cave entrance. They could even clearly catch the sound of Xiao Shuai crushing fallen leaves when he changed shifts.

But he gradually realized that he might have been overthinking things. The apprentice he had only known for two days remained behind the boulder at the cave entrance, motionless like a statue, staring intently at the winding mountain path outside. When hungry, he would nibble on some dry rations; when thirsty, he would drink some mountain stream water. His eyes never left his field of vision; even the slightest rustle of the wind through the grass would instantly make him tense. That focus and vigilance didn't seem feigned; it was as if he were guarding something extremely precious. Long Si observed all of this, and his guard subtly loosened—perhaps, this child was truly reliable.

Without further hesitation, he decided to devote himself entirely to recovery. After all, this was human territory, and every extra day he stayed increased the risk. If he delayed any longer and his injuries developed lasting damage, he might not even be able to protect himself, let alone return to the East Sea. Long Si slowly closed his eyes and fully activated the Dragon Pearl in his dantian. In an instant, the spiritual energy within the cave suddenly became denser, enveloping his body like a rising tide, and the cyan-gold scales shimmered with a flowing luster.

Outside the cave entrance, Xiao Shuai huddled in the shadow of a boulder, his ears perked up warily, his nerves taut as he stared intently at the end of the mountain path. He knew his master was severely injured and at his weakest point. He couldn't help with healing, so the only thing he could do was guard this place and not let anyone get close. Even the slightest rustle of wind would make him hold his breath and listen carefully, afraid of missing the slightest unusual aura.

Just then, light footsteps came from the end of the mountain path, rustling softly on the withered branches and leaves. Xiao Shuai's heart tightened, and he immediately held his breath, peeking out cautiously through a crack in the rocks—two young cultivators dressed in blue Taoist robes were walking this way, their cuffs embroidered with the same cloud patterns, and their waists adorned with identical peach wood magic tools; it was clear at a glance that they were from the same sect.

The two men also spotted Xiao Shuai behind the boulder. They exchanged a glance and quickened their pace. Although they could tell that Xiao Shuai was in human form, they could clearly smell the rich demonic aura emanating from him, as mellow as a fine wine sealed for a hundred years—this was clearly a demon with considerable cultivation!

"Brother, look." Ye He, who was walking ahead, stopped, a hint of undisguised greed flashing in his eyes. He lowered his voice and said to Ye Xue behind him, "That kid in front is a fox demon. Judging from the demonic aura on him, he has cultivated for at least five hundred years. If we capture him and present him to the clan, it will not only show off our abilities, but we might also get a lot of cultivation resources in return. This is our chance."