After Cultivating To Immortality, I Became the Demon Venerable's White Moonlight - Chapter 1

The night was as black as ink, the wind howled, and within the dark woods, Yi Qinglan was in hot pursuit.

This was the tenth day since she and her junior sisters had descended the mountain for their experiential mission. The task wasn’t particularly difficult, a secular bounty accepted by the sect to capture a demon that had been frequently causing trouble in the mortal realm over the past month. The reward was quite handsome.

The target was a fox demon. Generally, fox demons dislike harming people, instead, they excel at transformation and wanton “harvesting” to enhance their cultivation, preferring to set traps to deceive others.

With the three of them averaging the strength of the early Golden Core stage, this ordinary demon was far from their match, completing the mission should have been more than easy. Thus, when the sect posted the task, Yi Qinglan had stepped forward and taken the scroll in front of the other disciples, her two junior sisters in tow.

Yi Qinglan had originally thought it wouldn’t take ten days, three days at most, to succeed and return to the mountain. Beyond the promised secular bounty, they would also receive extra spirit stones and pills as internal rewards from the sect.

She and her sisters had almost succeeded several times. However, to her surprise, despite its low cultivation, the fox demon was incredibly cunning and swift. Like a “crafty rabbit with three burrows” and as slippery as an eel, it managed to escape in unexpected ways every time they were about to seize it, causing their efforts to fall through at the last moment.

The mission itself wasn’t hard, so the time limit was short. With the ten days deadline fast approaching, Yi Qinglan, who, as the eldest Senior Sister, usually possessed a carefree and open-minded temperament, couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Moreover, today was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Yi Qinglan thought that if they could successfully capture the demon and return to the mountain, they might still make it back in time for the Mid-Autumn banquet with their Master.

Fortunately, the fox demon soon slipped up again, revealing its tracks.

Learning from their previous failures, Yi Qinglan was extremely confident this time. She had specifically borrowed a Dharma treasure, the Vajra Binding Net, from a rogue cultivator friend. As long as she threw it within one chang (approx. 3.3 meters) of the creature, no matter how fast the demon’s movement technique was, it wouldn’t be able to escape even if it grew wings.

The wild fox quickly sensed the hunters behind it and began to flee for its life. There was a small mountain nearby, the fox sped up the slope and soon disappeared into a moderately sized grove halfway up.

Night had fallen, and the fox was clearly familiar with the area. It leaped left and right, vanishing into the shadows. The forest terrain naturally favored the beast’s movements, and its sheer speed made it difficult for cultivators to track.

The demon’s scent hadn’t dissipated yet, and the rustling sounds of its flight could still be heard.

Yi Qinglan cursed under her breath, determined not to lose the trail this time.

Since she couldn’t fly her sword in the dense forest, Yi Qinglan sheathed her celestial blade and used her light-body technique (qinggong) to give chase.

Among the three disciples on this mission, only Yi Qinglan had recently broken through to the middle stage of the Golden Core. Her junior sisters had practiced for a shorter time and lacked her stamina, gradually falling behind.

The forest was pitch black. Yi Qinglan used her spiritual power to condense points of starlight that hovered around her, illuminating her path.

Close. The demon’s aura is just ahead.

The woods weren’t as large as she imagined. After a quarter hour of running, a line of light appeared ahead, the edge of the forest. Yi Qinglan pursued relentlessly, gripping the Vajra Binding Net. The moment the fox exited the woods, she would immediately mount her sword; no matter how fast the fox ran, it couldn’t outpace a flying sword.

Seeing the mission near completion, Yi Qinglan relaxed slightly, a faint smile touching her lips.

The view opened up. Upon exiting the trees, the slope grew steep. The wild fox didn’t slow down at all, darting down a nearly vertical path toward the foot of the mountain.

Yi Qinglan emerged from the trees moments later. Looking down toward the base of the hill, she thought, Oh no.

Below the slope, the horizon expanded into a vast, boundless plain where dots of colored starlight interlaced into a brilliant, flowing “Silver River” of light.

It was the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, the Mid-Autumn Festival, a night of the full moon and the mortal Lantern Festival.

The demon dove straight toward that brilliant light, disappearing into the bustling crowds on the streets.

The Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival in Guanyun Town was always exceptionally grand and lively.

The streets were packed with people, filled with laughter and chatter. Yi Qinglan slowed her pace, carefully sensing for the fox demon’s aura amidst the crowd.

Passersby noticed the young woman carrying a precious sword and possessing an extraordinary aura. Guessing she was a cultivator from the nearby Jingyun Sect down for an experiential mission, they couldn’t help but steal extra glances at her, though none dared to disturb her.

Lantern walls lined the streets, hung with hundreds of lanterns of various shapes and colors. They were densely inscribed with riddles, the crowd’s favorite activity. If someone guessed a riddle correctly, they could take the lantern.

“A general with a round belly, green face, and red heart. Name a fruit.”

“Watermelon!” someone nearby immediately guessed, happily taking a lantern from the wall.

Surrounded by the crowd of revelers, Yi Qinglan watched the fox demon’s aura grow fainter, yet she could hardly move. Her heart burned with urgency.

Just as she was struggling to push forward, a sudden roll of drums echoed through the street, accompanied by soft, elegant music from string and wind instruments. The crowd parted like a tide, making way.

In the Guanyun Town Lantern Festival, besides viewing lanterns and solving riddles, there was the tradition of the “Goddess Parade,” where a woman dressed as a goddess would travel along the street on a floral float.

On the float adorned with lanterns, the woman playing the goddess was strikingly beautiful, dressed in soft, colorful robes. She held a snow-white jade rabbit in her arms, dancing to the music with a grace that seemed as if she might fly to the moon. Golden osmanthus flowers drifted down, filling the air with fragrance. Occasionally, the “Goddess” would cast a glance at the crowd, her eyes shimmering with a flirtatious charm.

The pedestrians were captivated, breaking into cheers and applause as they followed the float’s progress.

Yi Qinglan was caught in the middle, forced forward by the throng until the float stopped in front of an exquisite tavern. Three large characters hung above. “Bright Moon Tower.” It seemed the tavern was using the Goddess Parade tradition to attract customers during the festival.

Amidst the noisy crowd, a familiar scent suddenly wafted by.

The fox demon!

Yi Qinglan’s gaze sharpened, immediately searching for the source.

Through the gaps in the shifting heads of the crowd, she suddenly spotted a short woman wearing a hat. She had a sharp, pointed head and used the brim of her hat to tightly conceal most of her face. She walked with a strange, hunched posture, her steps light and airy.

The fox demon’s aura was coming exactly from there.

From under the hat’s brim, a narrow eye peered out. Meeting Yi Qinglan’s gaze, the creature didn’t flinch. Instead, its mouth curled into a thin, long line, giving her a creepy, mocking sneer.

The Jingyun Sect had rules, cultivators could not easily use magic in front of mortals. Yi Qinglan had no choice but to forcefully push through the crowd and charge toward the demon, causing a chorus of startled cries.

In a blink, the fox demon’s figure vanished.

Yi Qinglan thought she had lost the trail, but after running forward a few steps, she saw the dark, peculiar, stunted figure flash by again. A moment later, it actually leaped through a small window into the tavern.

Yi Qinglan hesitated for a moment. The demon was cunning; it would be disastrous if it had set a trap inside. It would be safer to wait for her two sisters.

But this was likely the final opportunity before the mission deadline.

Gritting her teeth, Yi Qinglan gave chase.

The tavern was even more spacious and beautiful than she had imagined. The interior was brightly lit, and amidst the songs and dances, guests were clinking glasses and offering toasts.

The fox demon, looking like a hunched old woman, revealed two tiny animal paws beneath its trouser legs. It traveled specifically through the shadows, scurrying forward with its feet clicking against the floorboards, disappearing around a staircase in an instant.

Yi Qinglan avoided notice and followed closely, unknowingly reaching the highest floor.

While the outside was bright and loud with music, the interior here was dim and deep. Strangely, this top floor seemed to contain only one room.

Yi Qinglan sparked a small flame in her palm, searching carefully.

The further she went, the stronger the fox demon’s scent became.

Suddenly, two points of green light flickered in the distance, illuminating a blurry silhouette.

The fox demon stood at the end of the hallway, facing Yi Qinglan in its grotesque humanoid form, baring its white teeth and grinning at her.

Yi Qinglan decisively drew her sword. She practiced fire based cultivation, as she channeled her spiritual power, the blade immediately erupted with a fiery glow.

Beasts generally fear fire. Seeing this, the fox demon indeed flinched, yet it showed no sign of true terror.

The Flame Ignition Incantation was Yi Qinglan’s specialty, against an ordinary demon, one strike would suffice. Just as she was about to move, she remembered that the building was made of wood. If she caused damage, it would be difficult to explain to the sect.

She gripped the Vajra Binding Net, intending to throw it and trap the fox first. However, that slight hesitation cost her the initiative.

She caught a whiff of a thick, strange fragrance coming from behind her.

This scent was highly unusual, one breath made her limbs feel weak and her head spin. Hidden within the fragrance was the faint, musky odor of a fox.

Yi Qinglan immediately covered her nose and mouth, but it was too late. Within moments, she could no longer hold her sword. Struggling to stay upright, she looked back and caught a glimpse of another fox in human form, its mouth wide open, grinning at her in a silent, eerie laugh.

So… there’s more than one?

The miasma spread through her body. As her consciousness faded into a blur, Yi Qinglan used her final ounce of strength to hurl her shoulder against the door beside her. She tumbled inside, her body slumped heavily against the door to keep it shut.

The two foxes, their four green eyes glowing, slowly approached the door with greedy expressions.

Foxes are naturally lewd and prefer “dual cultivation” methods to boost their power. These two had been cultivating on the mountains near Guanyun Town, frequently descending to harass residents. With one acting as a lure and the other closing the net, they had succeeded many times, ruining the innocence of countless women.

They had heard that the bodies of cultivators were pure and contained little impurity, making them the best vessels for harvesting. Some, after being “refined,” could even become excellent “cauldrons” for dual cultivation.

The beauty was unconscious on the ground, separated only by a door. The two foxes could hardly keep the drool from leaking from their mouths.

They only had to open the door to slowly enjoy the fresh taste.

Two long, thin fox shadows were cast upon the door, reflecting twisted and grotesque shapes.

The door was slowly pushed open a crack.

Before the fox demons could see the situation inside, the pitch-black room was suddenly struck by a flash of blinding light. For a split second, a terrifying, blood-red glow reflected from the window, followed immediately by a return to abyss like silence.

The green glows vanished into ash, as if nothing had ever happened.