As Chen Xu strolled briskly, he chatted casually with the little hedgehog.

Wei Yuan asked him if he would return to the Prefecture City.

After pondering for a moment, Chen Xu said, "I have two companions at home..."

He actually intended to invite the little hedgehog to travel with him, therefore he first mentioned his two companions at home.

However, before he could finish his sentence, Chen Xu suddenly felt something was amiss.

He slightly paused, then abruptly turned his head to look by the roadside.

At first glance, he saw nothing.

Casting his gaze downward, Chen Xu finally noticed, albeit vaguely, a small figure no more than four inches tall emerging from under a large tree by the roadside.

This little fellow was only four inches tall, shorter than the little hedgehog.

Covered in gray fur with faint golden stripes, it stared with eyes resembling black grapes, looking timidly and aggrievedly at Chen Xu.

As soon as it met Chen Xu's gaze, it quickly ducked its head back behind the tree.

Chen Xu, for a moment, didn't react.

Only because, in his subconscious, the other party should not have appeared before him at this moment.

But soon, a peculiar Qi Mechanism Sensing made Chen Xu understand that the little fellow hiding behind that tree was indeed one of his companions from home.

Little Mouse Ashi!

How did this little fellow come to be outside Yunjiang City?

Wasn't it and Master Jiu supposed to be hiding in the Shrine Market to avoid their enemies, unable to come out?

Though filled with countless questions, Chen Xu couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

He quickly stepped forward and said, "Ashi, how did you get here? And Master Jiu?"

Ashi just ducked its head behind the tree. As Chen Xu approached, it circled the tree to hide, and after a few quick rounds, it unexpectedly bumped into Chen Xu's pant leg.

The little guy fell to the ground, quickly picked itself up, and then scurried up the tree.

Chen Xu stood by the tree, facing the little mouse clutching a branch.

Ashi couldn't hold back any longer, blinked its eyes, and two tear-sized drops fell.

It only shed tears, stubbornly refraining from crying out loud, and said in a defiant tone, "This morning, Master Jiu divined a reading and said you are in grave danger, so he used a Secret Technique to send me here to find a way to save you.

You're fine now, but I, I..."

Its nose turned sour, and without knowing why, it suddenly couldn't speak any further.

Chen Xu was both surprised and moved, but upon hearing the unfinished sentiment in the little mouse's tone, a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart.

He exclaimed, "Where's Master Jiu? How is he doing now?"

Ashi remained silent, its gaze cautiously focused in front of Chen Xu.

Chen Xu was still holding the little hedgehog demon Wei Yuan. Now, as the two little demons exchanged glances, for some reason, the usually composed Chen Xu felt a bit at a loss.

He suddenly felt his hands getting uncomfortably warm.

Wei Yuan was polite; it put its hands together on Chen Xu's hand, made a salute to Ashi, and said, "I am Wei Yuan, nice to meet you, friend."

"Ah..." The little mouse straightened up, hanging onto the branch, stammering, "I, I am Ashi, also, also pleased to meet you, friend."

It hurriedly placed its paws in front and returned the salute.

Wei Yuan said, "Friend, you must have urgent matters to discuss with Mr. Chen. I also have some personal matters to attend to, so I won't bother you two any longer.

Mr. Chen, I'll come to find you for reading tomorrow. You won't be leaving the Prefecture City tomorrow, right?"

Chen Xu replied, "Naturally."

Even though the exam results were out, he still needed to pay respects to the examiners and go to the Prefecture Government to receive the Scholar's Seal; he couldn't just return home immediately.

Wei Yuan then leaped back to the ground, carrying its ancient-looking book bag, waved to Chen Xu and the little mouse, and said:

"Farewell, until we meet again."

He spoke with a light tone, then turned and burrowed into the ground, disappearing with an earth escape.

Endearing as it came, it departed with a touch of scholarly elegance.

The little mouse initially harbored some vague hostility towards it, but seeing it so gracious and courteous, its demeanor humble and respectful, its animosity vanished instantly, replaced by an inexplicable sense of shame.

"Scholar, I..." The little mouse lowered its head, its fluffy fur trembling slightly in the sunset, reflecting a faint golden hue.

Chen Xu noticed that its belly was round and plump, identical to how Master Jiu used to be!

Chen Xu couldn't help but feel a slight weight in his heart and immediately asked again, "Ashi, where's Master Jiu?"

The little mouse, head hung low, said, "After Master Jiu used the Secret Technique, he turned into a grain of Shrine Sand, which I swallowed.

He said that you, Scholar, have been a great help to us, and now that you're in danger, we can't just stand by."

Finishing the sentence, it reached out its paw and gently pointed to the void before it, where suddenly a round object fell, landing in Chen Xu's palm.

Chen Xu felt the object was cool to the touch. Before he could say anything, he saw the little mouse on the tree swaying a bit.

It lifted its head, its eyes moist, speaking in a weakening voice, "Scholar, this bead is called the Life Substitution Pearl, burning it can avert one catastrophe.

Only you can use this; the mouse, the mouse can't.

I, I've no strength left, but I won't die, and neither will Master Jiu. You, don't worry..."

Before finishing the sentence, it closed its eyes, its tiny body falling forward.

Chen Xu quickly caught and held it in his palm, finding the Life Substitution Pearl a bit obstructive; through a thought, he instantaneously transferred it to the Fire and Smoke Kitchen.

His hands now held only the tiny Ashi, his heart shaken for a moment.

Recalling the first encounter with the monster ghosts, in a humble kitchen, listening to the faint conversation of two mouse demons.

Back then, there was mutual suspicion, but the mouse demons' etiquette gradually alleviated Chen Xu's wariness.

Subsequent interactions deeply intertwined, and it's hard to say who owed more to whom.

Yet, Chen Xu thought, even if he had saved the two mouse demons once, the little mouse gave him Golden Jade Spirit Blood, awakening his Netherworld's Unbreakable Divine Power.

With this, what life-saving grace could not be repaid?

Nevertheless, upon calculating the danger to him, they courageously came to his rescue at a tremendous cost.

The righteousness of the mouse demons surpasses most mediocrities in the world. Even the mortal world's heroes might find comparing themselves challenging.

He cradled the little mouse in his left palm, extending his right to gently stroke its soft fur, recalling past first meetings, feeling almost like it was a lifetime ago.

Originally, with the extraordinary spiritual food in hand, he resolved the crisis of the Ghost King of Pufeng Mountain, not achieving great satisfaction, yet gaining much confidence in his capabilities.

But thinking at this moment, he realizes he is still somewhat weak.

On one hand, the vastness of the world leaves him with many mysteries yet unresolved.

On the other hand, despite significant growth in his strength, until he reaches the ultimate peak, it remains insufficient!

Chen Xu held the little mouse in his palm, placing his hand against his chest.

Once more, he walked into the wind, pondering not the satisfaction of today's revenge, but the grandeur of the mortal world and the immensity of the universe.

To control the undulations of fate, one must possess unmatched prowess in the world.

With power unto oneself, the heavens and earth will heed my command.

The Food Cauldron Celestial Book unfolded, revealing the specific effects of the newly acquired bizarre spiritual materials.

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