Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 328: Chapter 328. New Home

Five-tailed foxes were extremely rare spirit beasts. They were hunted almost to extinction in the past due to the many benefits their organs provided for cultivators. They were not strong enough to retreat deep into the wilderness. The spirit beasts there would devour them because they were also excellent nourishment for other spirit beasts. Hence, the few surviving ones had learned to stay near human habitat while remaining in hiding.

For Lin Li to find someone like Madam Lin, who willingly sheltered her, was something she considered a miracle.

She met Madam Lin due to a coincidence. She was running from a group of cultivators who hunted her after hearing about the rumor of her existence. She was wounded by them. She entered Hei Mansion to hide during her flight.

She fell asleep inside the mansion because she was too tired. Before she did, she transformed into her human form, just in case someone wandered in.

When she woke up, she was surprised to find herself sleeping on a human bed. Madam Lin was beside her bed, tending to her wounds.

Madam Lin was there because she visited this mansion regularly since Amon left. She bought the mansion but left it unattended, except for Amon’s room. She cleaned this room herself. It was the same room she used to take care of Lin Li.

Lin Li was terrified of being so close to a human cultivator but kept her disguise up. She pretended to be a normal human child. Madam Lin never asked how she came to this place and why she was wounded. She took care of her for days and told her not to worry.

When Lin Li was healthy enough, Madam Lin revealed she knew about Lin Li’s real identity. She told Lin Li she meant no harm and Lin Li could stay in this mansion if she wanted. She guaranteed that no one would disturb her here.

She left after saying that. Lin Li was suspicious at first. She also left the mansion just in case, but she stayed in the vicinity. She watched Madam Lin come to the mansion regularly. One day, she decided to visit her inside the mansion.

Since then, they interacted often until Lin Li was sure Madam Lin meant her words. She stayed in the mansion since, and they became close to one another.

It had been years since she started living in this mansion. She had grown used to the safety and comfort of staying in one place. She wasn’t eager to return to her old life when she had to hide and fear for herself all the time. Hence, when she heard that Madam Lin was gone, she was very distraught.

Amon’s offer gave her a ray of hope. She was delighted to hear it.

However, that delight was soon replaced by doubt. She didn’t know this man. She only heard about him from Madam Lin. Could she truly trust him? What if he only tricked her so he could get an advantage of her?

Amon didn’t push her. There was a time for pushing, and there was a time for patience. In the current situation, he believed the latter delivered the best outcome. He stood there and waited.

Lin Li pondered her options. She had been on the run most of her life. She never thought a peaceful life was possible. The last few years she spent with Madam Lin had been like a dream for her. She wasn’t willing to return to her old life, where she feared for her life every single day.

She looked at Amon, who returned the look with a firm gaze. She admitted she was rather scared of this man. There was something about him that unsettled her. If she didn’t know he was Madam Lin’s son, she would have bolted already.

After a long consideration, she decided to take the bet. She believed Madam Lin. She might as well believe in her son, too. Additionally, if Amon wanted to capture her by force, he could. She could sense Amon was more powerful than her.

Amon’s cultivation might appear to be only at the Intermediate Strength Stage because of his Concealed Ghost Body, but a five-tailed fox also had a unique ability to detect the presence of others and determine their true cultivation despite their concealing ability. This was an ability the five-tailed foxes developed after being hunted for millennia. This was also how Lin Li knew when Amon entered the Lin Mansion.

Since Amon didn’t use force even if he could, this gave Lin Li the confidence to trust him.

She nodded and asked, ”Where is your place? It will be safer if I go there by myself. Is your place also abandoned like this mansion? I prefer not to meet more people than I need to.”

Amon smiled. ”I have a safe place where you will not be bothered by anyone. Only I, and the people I allow can enter this place. At that place, we can remain together no matter where I go. I can bring you there now.”

Lin Li was puzzled by Amon’s statement.

Instead of explaining, Amon chose to show her. ”Give me your hand,” he said.

She hesitated at first but put her hand on Amon’s extended hand. Once she did, she felt herself losing balance. She experienced vertigo as the scene around her changed rapidly. She was aware that she was getting sucked by something. She couldn’t fight it.

She panicked. Did Amon show his true color? Perhaps he had nefarious intentions, after all, and this was her falling into his trap.

The sensation of being transported against her will ended as abruptly as it happened. She was down on her knees. She looked around and found herself in a vast land filled with various spirit plants and trees. She looked up and saw a sun, or at least something she thought to be a sun. It was smaller, and although it was bright, it was not as bright as the real sun.

There seemed to be a ceiling instead of a sky. It was blank, though. She could not discern any feature from this ceiling. In the far distance, she imagined she saw walls with the same blank feature.

”Do not be afraid.”

She turned and saw Amon there, except he looked like an apparition. He was half see-through.

”Where... Where am I?” She asked.

”You are inside my space ring,” Amon answered.

”Space ring...? How...?” Though spirit beasts couldn’t use a space ring, they knew about it. ”I thought the space inside a space ring is much smaller... I also thought living things cannot enter space rings?”

”It is, and they can’t. Mine is a bit special,” Amon answered.

”Are you... Are you locking me up in here?” Lin Li asked with worry.

”I can’t lock you up even if I want to. You can leave this place anytime you want. Go ahead and try.”

Lin Li was slightly confused about how to try it. She didn’t see any door. As she thought about searching for a way to leave, she suddenly found herself back in the courtyard where she and Amon were several moments ago. Amon was still standing at the same spot.

”See?” He said. He showed the black space ring on his finger. ”You were inside this ring. There is no one inside but you. No one can enter unless I let them. If you stay inside, no one will disturb you. You will be safe for as long as I am alive and in control of this ring. Are you willing to live inside?”

”I... I am willing,” Lin Li answered.

”Great,” Amon said. ”This will be your new home. Grab your stuff. You can move in, then we will leave this place.”

Hearing Amon mention leaving the place made her look around the place. She was sad. Although she only stayed here for a few years, there were more fond memories in this mansion than the decades she spent outside.

”We can bring these flowers if you want,” Amon offered.

”We can?” She was happy to hear the offer. She loved these flowers. They were raised by Madam Lin and her.

”Sure,” Amon said. He bent down and started scooping out the soil. He made sure not to ruin the roots. He had done this plenty of times when he built his plantation, so it was not a difficult chore. She moved the flowers one by one and placed them in a spot at the edge of his plantation. The flowers were not spirit plants. They had no value, but if they helped him gain Lin Li’s trust, he didn’t mind providing a tiny land for them.

As he moved the flowers into his black space ring, he saw Lin Li go to one corner. Several cosmetic tools were there. He watched her grab those items. A spatial distortion appeared around her hands. The items vanished then.

”You can use Spatial ability?” Amon asked when Lin Li returned to him.