Young Master Is Being Jealous Again!
Chapter 1054: Who among you knows Aruan of the Fox Clan? (Seeking monthly votes)

Chapter 1054: Chapter 1054: Who among you knows Aruan of the Fox Clan? (Seeking monthly votes)

As the villagers continuously cursed Qin Ruan and the others, Village Chief Zhao and his family leisurely walked out from their home.

Village Chief Zhao raised his hand to the clamoring crowd, and they instantly fell silent.

This showed that his authority as the village chief in Peach Blossom Town was not to be underestimated.

Village Chief Zhao tilted his chin upward, looked down at Qin Ruan from a superior position, and said earnestly, "You have seen for yourself the power of unity in Peach Blossom Town. Even if you are nobles from Capital City, all the villagers of Peach Blossom Town will not allow you to disrespect or harbor any filthy thoughts towards our fairy."

Qin Ruan glared coldly at Village Chief Zhao, her voice chilling and sharp, "Your words sound as if you are very selfless. What you are protecting is nothing but a fierce beast. How many times must I repeat it before you believe me?!"

An elderly man in the crowd shouted angrily with a booming voice, "It’s clear that you outsiders cannot stand seeing a fairy in Peach Blossom Town and plot to destroy her!"

Village Chief Zhao also displayed disdain, staring at Qin Ruan with a look of contempt, "This is just your excuse to destroy Peach Blossom Town!"

Qin Ruan pointed towards the peach blossom forest spread across the mountains, "Do you know that the soil nutrients at the top of that mountain have almost depleted?

If the powerful ancient beast stays here a few more years, this land will not be able to grow any plants for the next hundred years. Have you not noticed that in recent years, while the peach blossoms are lush, the fruits produced are fewer, and even the weeds on the ground struggle to survive?!"

Her words instantly made the crowd fall silent.

Even Cai Yongliang stared at Qin Ruan with a surprised look.

He had indeed misjudged Qin Ruan; in such a short time, she had identified that the chaos was caused by the ancient fierce beast and even noticed the unusual soil condition in Peach Blossom Town.

One of the elderly villagers retorted, "Nonsense! The mountain forest is where the fairy cultivates. To avoid disturbing the fairy, we have never pruned the peach branches up there; that’s why the yield is low. The peach trees at the foot of the mountain produce a large amount of fruit every year, which are exported!"

Qin Ruan was treading on thin ice, her bone-chilling gaze fixed on the old woman who spoke, "Deceiving yourself as well as others, the soil degradation has already started to spread downhill. Since last year, the yield of peaches at the foot of the mountain has also begun to decrease!"

The ancient beast carried Evil Qi that tainted this land, already affecting the crops.

Upon hearing this, the villagers of Peach Blossom Town started to discuss among themselves; some had expressions of sudden realization, while others eyed Qin Ruan with suspicion.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Village Chief Zhao, as if a sore spot had been poked, coldly addressed Qin Ruan and her companions with an eviction order, "Please leave Peach Blossom Town; we do not welcome you here!"

Qin Ruan, fully assertive, retorted sternly, "Once I have captured the beast and found my missing friend, there’s no need for your courtesy to see us off!"

Her gaze did not fall on Village Chief Zhao but was fixated on the distant mountain peak; her solemn and authoritative presence made everyone nearby uneasy.

Qin Ruan’s innate aloofness and the solemn expression emerging on her icy face began to unnerve some people.

Village Chief Zhao gave a signal with his eyes to his eldest son standing among the crowd, who, upon catching his father’s cues, started shouting loudly, "We can’t let this young lady deceive us!"

He stepped to the front of the crowd and yelled, "The villagers previously taken away by the fairy haven’t returned yet. If this young lady angers the fairy, and those missing villagers don’t return, who will be responsible for this? We must drive these outsiders out of the village and not allow them to come half a step nearer to our Peach Blossom Town!"

"Yes! Drive them out!"

"Vile lowlifes! Get out!"

"We do not welcome them in Peach Blossom Town!"

"My son was chosen by the fairy this time; if he doesn’t come back, I could die because of you!"

The villagers whose family members had been taken by the beast were the first to express their stance, banding together to expel Qin Ruan and the others.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd threw something in Qin Ruan’s direction.

Before Qin Ruan could see what it was, Huo Zhi and Lin Hao both made a move.

Huo Zhi was the first to grasp the clod of earth; Lin Hao, in an instant, firmly grasped her hand. Their gazes collided in mid-air, and the next second they both let go.

The clod aimed at Qin Ruan smacked down on the ground.

"Ouch!"

Cai Yongliang was not so fortunate, the clod hitting just left of his head.

At that moment, he was covering his head with one hand, coldly watching the ignorant villagers before him, observing their fierce and ugly expressions closely.

He no longer bore the gentle demeanor of a kind-hearted person, but instead, his eyes full of Evil Qi stared at the villagers before him as if they were not living beings but foolish creatures.

Cai Yongliang’s facial muscles trembled, his voice bloodthirsty, "Continue this commotion, and I will contact the local authorities. You will have to comply just the same. This is a task assigned by the higher-ups, and even the high-ranking officials of Yan City have no right to interfere. What right do a bunch of ignorant and fearless villagers have to point fingers and make remarks!"

This matter wasn’t only about the Tianxing Team members who had been kidnapped but also about members involved in an extremely important mission going missing, affecting various forces, causing enormous losses due to not finding the people.

Cai Yongliang pulled out credentials and a cold weapon from the black bag he carried.

His tone icy, he said, "Here are my credentials, which authorize me to undertake any form of absolute action anywhere. If you keep causing trouble, I have the right to have all villagers of Peach Blossom Town evacuate until our mission is complete, and only then can you return!"

Huo Zhi also signaled to the Hidden Guards of the Huo Family coming from not far, who then rushed forward carrying the latest weapons developed by the HEA Group.

The Hidden Guards shielded Qin Ruan and Cai Yongliang within a protective circle, their weapons aimed at the surrounding people.

Upon seeing the devices in their hands, not just Village Chief Zhao’s family started to feel their legs go weak.

Not to mention the inner fear of the other villagers; everyone turned and fled desperately, even leaving behind the hoes and shovels they had brought.

Watching the figures scattering in all directions, Qin Ruan rubbed her temples.

She knew she should have suppressed them with force from the beginning, rather than wasting words futilely on them.

Some people’s belief is false, a fraud, a mere figment of imagination, yet they believe in it as if it’s the undeniable truth.

If they don’t see the Qiouqi with their own eyes, these people simply won’t believe that Peach Blossom Town has no peach blossom fairy.

Qin Ruan turned back to look for Village Chief Zhao, only to find that his family had already vanished.

Her gaze settled on a firmly closed gate, and she could hear Village Chief Zhao yelling inside, "Move the stump over to block it!"

"Understood, Dad!"

The village chief’s eldest son responded in a hushed voice.

Qin Ruan’s lips twitched slightly, speaking to Cai Yongliang, "It must have been tough talking to them for so long."

This referred to the earlier conversation Cai Yongliang had with Village Chief Zhao’s family when she had gone up the mountain.

Cai Yongliang resumed his gentle and agreeable facade, repacking his credentials and weapon into the black bag.

Waving his hand at Qin Ruan, he said, "Hey, don’t mention it! This family is stubborn, adamantly claiming there’s a peach blossom fairy and saying we mustn’t disturb her.

The villagers here worship the peach blossom fairy every year. It’s unfortunate timing for us, as they are planning to hold the ritual tonight. Why else do you think they’re so eager to drive us away?"

"A ritual?"

Upon hearing these two words, Qin Ruan felt a bad premonition.

Cai Yongliang sighed lightly, "Sacrificing a young woman, in this day and age, still so superstitious."

Qin Ruan had been silent at Village Chief Zhao’s place, just because she gleaned some startling information that upended her opinions.

At his latter words, Qin Ruan couldn’t help but laugh, "Cai Chu says they’re superstitious, but then what are we doing making things difficult here?"

Cai Yongliang asserted assuredly, "It’s not the same. Tianxing Team belongs to the Non-Natural Event Management Bureau, and we are responsible for maintaining the normal order of the Mortal World, absolutely not allowing any supernatural phenomena to occur, nor permitting demonic entities to harm humans.

A Puppet Monster is fundamentally different from humanity; they coexist without interfering in each other’s realms. It is our duty in the Tianxing Team to guard the Mortal World and our mission to eradicate both at the root."

"Applause—"

Qin Ruan clapped for him, her tone shifting as she asked, "Well said, but does Cai Chu truly believe that Puppet Monsters and humans can be completely separated from the root?"

Cai Yongliang appeared stunned, not understanding the meaning of her words.

As he pondered, Qin Ruan looked toward the direction the villagers had fled and her brow furrowed in confusion, as though something troubled her.

Cai Yongliang thought for a long time but couldn’t understand, so he took the initiative to ask, "What does Madam Huo mean?"

Qin Ruan answered off-topic, "Cai Chu, have you noticed that those villagers all seem to be of old age, with very few young people?

Cai Yongliang began to recall the appearance of the villagers he had seen earlier.

His expression changed slightly, "It seems to be true, eight out of ten are elderly."

Qin Ruan frowned and said, "Moreover, they move very swiftly on their feet, running no slower than the youths."

Cai Yongliang took a bold guess, "Could this also be related to the poor creature?"

Qin Ruan gently shook her head, "It’s still unclear, but there’s not only something odd about the peach blossoms in Peach Blossom Town, the villagers are also suspicious, not to mention the creature that kidnapped so many people."

Then she asked Cai Yongliang, "Do you know when the villagers hold their sacrifices?"

"At dawn, right on time for the sacrifice."

"That late?"

Cai Yongliang showed his disdain, "It’s all so strange, who knows how they decided on the time."

A mischievous smile curved at the corners of Qin Ruan’s lips.

"Then let’s wait for the evening, when I’ll meet the poor creature again."

...

The poor creature, fleeing on Peach Blossom Mountain, wildly ran back to its cave.

It stood in front of the cave, stomping its front claws furiously and growling down the mountain to vent its anger.

The nearly hundred people laboring inside the cave couldn’t help but tremble with fear at the roar.

In the cave, as big as a basketball court, there were hundreds of peach trees, thicker than those in the Peach Blossom Forest, and their branches were full of gorgeous blossoms.

Ling Xiaoxuan, seeing the peach blossoms fall to the ground startled by the beast’s roar, resignedly bent down to start picking them up with a dustpan.

The other members of the Tianxing Team saw this and hurried over to help, fearing the creature outside would notice and become furious.

Zhong Zuo, while picking up the blossoms, leaned close to Ling Xiaoxuan and asked, "The creature is so angry, do you think our people have arrived?"

Ling Xiaoxuan, having improved her physique with the Tianxing Team, not only had the ability to see puppets but also a slight prescience.

Though this ability was weak and often unreliable, it was better than nothing.

Hearing Zhong Zuo’s question, Ling Xiaoxuan lifted her hand to tuck the hair blocking her cheek behind her ear.

She gently closed her eyes, emptying her mind to begin the precognition.

In the blank expanse of her mind, a familiar figure suddenly flashed before her.

Ling Xiaoxuan’s eyelids twitched violently. Before she could advance through the fog to see who the figure in the mist was, heavy footsteps sounded behind her.

As danger approached, Ling Xiaoxuan quickly opened her eyes.

She maintained a composed demeanor as if nothing had happened and took a dustpan full of peach blossoms from another team member.

The poor creature, with heavy steps, slowly entered the cave, attracted by the rich, sweet smell of peach blossoms. It flicked out its tongue, large as a washbasin, licking its sharp fangs.

Everyone inside the cave trembled as they busied themselves.

The creature’s giant eyes scanned the weak humans inside the cave, focusing particularly on the members of the Tianxing Team brought in the last two batches.

The sudden appearance of the Fox Clan’s Aruan definitely had nothing to do with the local villagers.

So, it could only be someone from the humans he had captured.

The creature’s massive jaws opened slightly, its voice human-like, "Among you, who knows Aruan?"

Ling Xiaoxuan, holding the dustpan, walked toward the central pool in the cave, hearing the poor creature mention Aruan. She shivered with excitement, as if electrified.

She knew who the familiar figure that appeared in her mind was.

It was Qin Ruan!

It must be her who had arrived.

Otherwise, why would the poor creature specifically mention Aruan?

Ling Xiaoxuan’s hand holding the dustpan trembled, not from fear, but from excitement.

She tried her best to suppress her excitement and continued walking with the dustpan.

Unfortunately, it was too late. The creature’s sharp giant eyes had already noticed the subtle changes in her.

It exhaled thick breaths from its nostrils and moved its limbs toward Ling Xiaoxuan.

"Xiaoxuan, be careful!"

The members of the Tianxing Team warned her, seeing the situation worsen.

Realizing the danger, Ling Xiaoxuan swung the dustpan she was holding behind her and ran toward the pool.

"Human, stop!"

The creature’s eyes flashed with a vicious, murderous light, and it roared furiously.

Ling Xiaoxuan had reached the pool, covered with a thick layer of peach petals. She stepped on the jade-edged edge of the twenty square meter pool and feigned a jump.

Her enchanting eyes coldly stared at the poor creature, hiding the fear deep in her eyes, and calmly said, "If you dare come closer, I’ll jump in!"

This was an undeniable threat.

Previously, a villager from Peach Blossom Town accidentally fell into the pool while pouring peach blossoms into it.

The poor creature, upon learning this, flew into a rage, tossing the accidental villager in the air until he was half-dead with fright.

The pool, polluted by painstakingly plucked peach blossoms and an unknown sweet liquor, meant that the laboring humans had to start their labor anew.

First was cleaning the pool and then picking peach blossoms afresh to continue sending them in batches into the pool filled with sweet liquor.

The threatened creature furiously pawed the ground.

It fumed, "If you dare jump in, I will tear you to pieces!"

Ling Xiaoxuan knew how much it cared about the pool, and her foot extended toward the water as if about to step in.

The creature saw that a weak human like Ling Xiaoxuan actually had the courage to defy it.

Its giant eyes slightly narrowed, its tone firm, "You know the Fox Clan’s Aruan!"

Ling Xiaoxuan’s lips remained tightly pressed together, silent.

She wasn’t sure if Qin Ruan had arrived, nor did she know what this fierce beast intended to do.

All she could do now was to speak less and avoid any mistakes, never giving this creature any opportunity to harm Qin Ruan.