sinovels Chapter 839 The Fox Buys Rice
Chapter 839 The Fox Buys Rice
Chapter 839 The Fox Buys Rice
"Self-respect, self-confidence, self-reliance, and self-improvement."
Recalling what Gong Mengbi had said that night at the grave of the Fox Prince in Haozhou, An Wenli still felt a chill run down his spine, as if something had grown from his heart, seeped into his bones, filled his flesh, and finally erupted from his pores. He couldn't even remember how the scene ended or how he got back to the Fox Prince's Courtyard.
"Dean! Dean!"
The old fox called to him twice, and when he still didn't respond, it tugged at his sleeve, which brought him back to his senses.
"Dean, why are you acting like you're possessed?"
He was indeed bewitched. If he hadn't been skilled in illusion magic, he probably would have thought he was bewitched by Gong Mengbi and completely lost his mind.
"what happened?"
The old fox said, "The little fox who went out to buy things said that martial law has been declared in the city. When I was playing chess with the old Taoist priest at the Sanqing Palace in the south of the mountain, he let slip that there was a risk of war. I have seen many high-ranking officials and nobles going to the Sanqing Palace to burn incense and pray for blessings recently. I am afraid that what the old Taoist priest said is true."
An Wenli's expression turned serious, and he said, "Is that really so?"
The old fox said, "How would I know if it's true or not?"
An Wenli took two steps and said, "This is truly a disaster."
Old Fox said, "I also think it's going to be a disaster. Dean, you should make preparations as soon as possible."
An Wenli nodded and said, "Go and buy more grain these next few days. Don't be stingy with gold and silver. If a war really breaks out, no amount of gold and silver can buy grain."
"I'll call a few clever ones to go down the mountain together."
An Wenli paced back and forth a couple of steps and said, “No, I’ll take them myself. You tell Hu Zi to go out and gather more medicinal herbs, and go check on the medicinal herb fields. Harvest what needs to be harvested, and plant what needs to be planted. No, open up more medicinal herb fields. If a war really breaks out, I’m afraid we won’t have enough.”
Martial law was declared in Yizhou City, and the city's defenses were much tighter. Fortunately, when An Wenli took the little fox there, he found that it was only martial law in the human sense and had not yet developed to the point of gods and ghosts ruling together.
With him personally leading the team, sneaking into the city was naturally not difficult. Once inside the city, it was confirmed that what the old Taoist priest from Sanqing Palace had said was true.
The news first came down from above, and the first to know were the high-ranking officials and nobles. They went to the Sanqing Palace to offer incense, and thus the news was passed on to the Fox Temple of Wenfeng Mountain through the old Taoist priest.
Secondly, the movement of troops naturally spread through well-informed people, and the addition of local military households and militia made it even more difficult to speculate.
As soon as An Wenli entered the city, he discovered that grain prices had risen significantly, and those with inside information had already been secretly buying grain. Little Fox was no exception.
Just as Xiaohu bought the rice, the price of rice rose by another 30%.
The fox was so angry that it glared and puffed out its beard, but the shop assistants in the rice shop were strong and burly. Even though the shopkeeper squinted and said, "This is the price, take it or leave it," the little fox had no choice but to obediently pay the extra money to buy the rice.
I tried several rice shops and they were all the same, with almost no difference in price.
An Wenli knew the news couldn't be kept secret any longer, and once the scramble started, the price would likely rise even further.
Several little foxes pushed a cart loaded with rice toward the city gates, while An Wenli followed behind, casting a spell to conceal the cart's movement and ensuring its safe passage out of the city.
As they left Yizhou City, several soldiers rode swiftly along the official road. Just as they were about to meet the cart, the leader pulled on the reins, slowing the horse down.
The little fox pulling the cart stopped immediately to avoid bumping into the soldiers. An Wenli transformed into an old man, and the little foxes transformed into teenagers. They all stopped, bowed, and made way for him.
As the horses slowly passed by, An Wenli suddenly sensed something and looked up at the leading soldier.
This was a young man with a somewhat scholarly appearance, tall stature, bright eyes, and an imposing presence even without anger.
The soldier happened to turn around and look at them. Their eyes met, and An Wenli's heart skipped a beat. Fearing he might cause trouble, he quickly lowered his head. A hint of doubt flashed in the soldier's eyes, but he made no other move.
Another soldier behind him turned around and asked, "Shen Yan, what are you looking at?"
Shen Yan quickly looked away and said, "It's nothing. I thought I ran into an acquaintance. Let's go, don't delay our business."
He shook the reins, and the horse beneath him galloped off again, and the group quickly ran to the city gate.
An Wenli breathed a sigh of relief and urged the little foxes to hurry up. Turning onto a side path and seeing no one, they used the wind for leverage. The little foxes pulled and pushed each other, running very fast, no slower than a fast horse.
One of the little foxes breathed a sigh of relief and said, "That was terrifying! I thought those riders had seen through me."
"With the dean there, we won't be discovered," another little fox chimed in with a flattery.
An Wenli chuckled and said, "Be careful not to choke while using magic. In the future, it's best to avoid these soldiers. Those few are physically strong and mentally resilient, clearly skilled in martial arts. If your illusion techniques aren't up to par, they'll easily see through your disguise."
"Yes!" The little fox kept it in mind.
However, An Wenli had some doubts in his heart because the military officer named Shen Yan had a "fox scent." This was just a feeling, not an actual odor. An Wenli could smell it because he was quite skilled in divination and could occasionally be triggered by things related to his own fate. Others might not have been able to smell it.
Even though he sensed it, An Wenli had no intention of going up to try. At this time of year, Shen Yan was a soldier, and he was strong and powerful, so he was not easily fooled. All of this was enough to dispel An Wenli's curiosity.
Shen Yan, however, was thinking even more. He recognized that the person was a relative of Uncle Gong. In an instant, many past memories surged in his mind, making him somewhat unsettled.
After the Wansong Academy was destroyed, he and Shen Qiao followed Yan Chixia and the others northward, only to be separated in Chenzhou. Later, by chance, he joined the army and was transferred to Yizhou, having long since lost track of his brother's whereabouts.
He led his horse through Yizhou City, his other hand rubbing against his chest, where a protective amulet lay. He could only silently pray in his heart: "Uncle Gong, please protect Shenqiao and your family."
Uncle Gong, who was far away in Wuning, was giving Kang Wen his guidance when he suddenly paused.
Kang Wen looked up at Gong Mengbi and asked, "Master, what's wrong?"
Gong Mengbi lowered his eyes and said, "It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of some old things. Let's continue."
Kang Wen's eyes were filled with uncontrollable worry, which she forcefully suppressed.
Gong Mengbi doesn't usually give them special instruction. If they encounter problems in their cultivation and come to him for guidance, Gong Mengbi will answer them to the best of his ability. However, he won't feed them things they haven't experienced yet, or pave the way for them directly.
Kang Wen understood his good intentions, because his extraordinary abilities made him so reliable that people could follow him without thinking or verifying. While this would certainly prevent them from going astray at the beginning of their cultivation, it was precisely because of this smooth sailing that they would inevitably lose their way after leaving him.
The palace master had such good intentions, yet now he was giving her special instruction; it was impossible not to let her overthink things. With her intelligence, she had almost guessed the reason, but she just wouldn't admit it.