Chapter 149: The First Match Begins (Part 2)
The champions of Hogwarts School were the first to enter, which was exactly what Su Yu had expected.
"Remember the precautions I gave you, stay safe, and good luck!" Professor McGonagall was still saying her reluctant goodbyes.
Once all members of the first team had arrived, they lined up and walked inside. Only Su Yu kept muttering something under his breath, lifted a finger, and then walked in.
Then came the other schools. Once all the students from the eight schools had entered, the massive scroll began to display eight separate images, showing the situation of the champions from each school.
"Is this the world from the classic of mountains and seas?"
When Cassandra opened her eyes, she was greeted by endless, towering, and steep mountain ranges, with cliffs so straight they looked as if they had been carved by hand.
The mountains were covered in gnarled, ancient pines, and as the wind blew through them, it created the sound of rolling waves.
A stream flowed slowly along the valley, with smooth, warm jade scattered across the riverbed, glowing softly in the sunlight.
The forest was overgrown with vegetation, and strange beasts darted through it from time to time. The entire wilderness was vast and desolate, exuding an ancient, primitive aura everywhere.
"Oh my god, isn't this just too beautiful?" Pansy walked to the edge of the stream, picked up a piece of jade, and held it in her hand, unable to put it down.
"Do you have any idea where we are, Su Yu?" Cassandraturned back and asked Su Yu, who was looking around.
"Don't worry, I'm confirming it now. Just wait for the message. If I'm not mistaken." Su Yu had actually already done everything that needed to be done; now, he was just waiting for the final confirmation.
Before long, a piece of paper fell from the sky. Kuramaleaped up, caught it in her mouth, and placed it in Su Yu's hand. Once Su Yu unfolded it and saw the contents, he smiled. It worked!
"My father did tell me a lot about the map of mountains and seas last night. That's why, before coming in today, I changed the randomly generated destination to a specific one. This is why I had to wait—I was waiting for the task assignment. Look!"
As he spoke, Su Yu handed the paper with the tasks written on it to the others.
"I chose the Nanshan Classic from the first chapter of the classic of mountains and seas. It's not dangerous, and the resources here are quite abundant, which is perfect for us. Our task this time is to obtain the scales of the Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity, so it fits perfectly—the Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity is recorded in the Nanshan Classic."
"What about those people? Don't tell me you didn't do something to them; I won't believe it." Farley felt those people were too disgusting, so she kept thinking about them.
"Don't worry, if nothing went wrong on our end, they should be in the Classic of Regions Within the Seas: North, near the Ghost Country. Their task should be to retrieve the fur of the Taoquan. Great Demons cannot be used as task targets, so I chose the Taoquan."
"Uh... Chief, could you explain? What is all this? We don't understand a word of it..." Malfoy felt his head spinning; he couldn't understand a single word.
"Oh, simply put, the classic of mountains and seas is divided into the five volumes of the Classic of Mountains and the thirteen volumes of the Classic of Seas," Su Yubegan to explain the contents of the classic of mountains and seas to everyone. "The Classic of Mountains is the central region of this secret realm, while the Classic of Seas consists of places overseas. We are currently in the southern part of the central area. According to the records in the book, there are forty mountains here, 23 kinds of strange beasts and divine objects, and 3 mountain gods. The rarest and strongest among them are the Phoenix and the Nine-tailed Fox."
"Phoenix and Nine-tailed Fox? Are they like Fawkes and Kurama?" When Harry heard the word Phoenix, the first thing he thought of was Principal Dumbledore's Fawkes.
"It's not like that. Eastern mythology is different from Western mythology. The Eastern Phoenix is said to have the head of a chicken, the neck of a snake, the chin of a swallow, the back of a tortoise, and the tail of a fish. It has five-colored feathers, only perches on Paulownia trees, and only eats bamboo seeds. It is extremely picky and hard to see, but when it appears, it either signals peace under heaven or the birth of a sage."
"The Western Phoenix is known in the East as the Immortal Bird, which is reborn from fire every 500 years, has tears that can cure incurable diseases, and a song that gives people courage."
"This is the fundamental difference, and they are not on the same level. The same goes for the Nine-tailed Fox. The Nine-tailed Fox in the classic of mountains and seas lives in the Kingdom of Qingqiu, excels at bewitchment, and can transform into a beautiful woman. In the Han Dynasty, it was recorded as an auspicious omen, but in the Song Dynasty, it was changed to an evil spirit. Within the Nine-tailed Fox clan, it is said that the royal family can potentially become a Nine-tailed Celestial Fox, with power that reaches the heavens and the earth, boundless magic—equivalent to a god. Kurama, by logic, leans more towards the eight million gods of those people."
"Since you brought up those people, what is the situation over there?" Farley couldn't stand hearing about those people; she got triggered just by hearing the name. Su Yuhad to pull her into his arms and continue the explanation. "Their situation is a bit complicated. The classic of mountains and seas, in the Classic of Regions Within the Seas: North, records that to the north of the 'Corpse of Erfu,' the people there have human faces but only one eye. The surroundings are full of gloomy wilderness, withered bones, and black fog. It never sees good weather all year round; it's like a living hell."
"That's already gloomy enough, but their task target is even more dangerous: the Taoquan, which is located near the Ghost Country. Although they look like ordinary dogs and are blue all over, don't underestimate them. They often move in packs, have extremely strong attack power, and love to eat people—and when they eat people, they like to start from the head and work their way down."
"Ew... that's disgusting..." Callis shook her head. "There are such terrifying places in this secret realm?"
"This is actually considered mild. Near the Ghost Country, there are also the Huangou and the Tafei, both of which like to eat people and are considered Great Evils. Fortunately, there's no way to go to the Great Demon's side. Further north of the Ghost Country is the territory of Qiongqi, to the east is the Corpse of Erfu, and to the northeast is the Jiao. Compared to these, even if Principal Dumbledore came, he would end up as food..."
Everyone collectively gasped, silently praying for those people, hoping that they could all survive and go back. After all, if they were all eaten here, who would they kill when they returned? This was only the first match!
"Alright, let's pack up and set off. While it's still early, let's find a place to rest. Although there isn't much danger in the Nanshan Classic, we still need to be careful. In case we run into a Zhi or a Gudiao, they sometimes eat people too."
Su Yu was the first to pick up Kurama, took out his compass, and set off towards the south. To find the Dragon-bodied Human-faced Deity located in the Third Nanshan Classic, heading south was the right way!
"I'll explain here, since none of you offered any suggestions, I didn't know how to choose. Just so happened that while watching videos, I saw the three rebellious characters from Yang Jian travel to the classic of mountains and seas, and since I have the classic of mountains and seas at home, I decided to write about the classic of mountains and seas. I've set the first and third levels in the classic of mountains and seas; the first level is a challenge, the third level is a battle royale, and I haven't thought about the second level yet, so I'll decide later. It's just that the classic of mountains and seas is too big. If I were to write it mountain by mountain according to the book, it would take until next year. So, I'm shortening the journey and reducing the mountains and rivers, so that while everyone can see various 'magical animals' from the classic of mountains and seas, they can also see various fun things. I won't write about the excitement, because honestly, anyone who has read the classic of mountains and seas wouldn't go to the dangerous places inside. Moreover, for the various strange beasts and mountain gods, the book also contains countermeasures—what happens if you eat them, how to offer sacrifices, how to raise affinity. Besides, the creatures in the Nanshan Classic aren't anything too evil. If you really get into a fight with a mountain god, that would truly be lowering your intelligence. The manual is right in your face, so isn't it all about how you want to play? Unless you go to the side of those people, then I really can't help you. That place is truly a Great Evil. Even if I tore the classic of mountains and seas to pieces, I couldn't save you. I can only say, take care, and have a safe journey..."
Chapter 150: Zhaoyao Mountain
The mountain range of the Southern Classic begins at Zhaoyao Mountain, extending south for 2,950 li, totaling ten mountains. The mountain path is rugged and difficult to traverse, with thick fallen leaves underfoot. Stepping on them feels soft and squishy; one doesn't know if it's soil or something else beneath.
Crabbe stepped on a slippery tree root and pitched forward. Goyle immediately grabbed his robes from behind. Crabbe suddenly felt as if the air around him had been taken away, his face turning bright red from the robe's strings tightening. He struggled to steady himself and glared back at Goyle. Goyle, with a Fizzing Whizbee still in his mouth, mumbled indistinctly, "Say thank you."
Crabbe didn't speak; he just punched Goyle, almost knocking the Fizzing Whizbee out of him. He turned back around and continued walking, though his pace slowed down.
"There seems to be something ahead." Theodore suddenly stopped. His Ancient Magic, "Mana Disruption," lit up with blue light at his fingertips, signaling everyone to be careful.
Su Yu followed his gaze and saw a monkey squatting on a tree branch ahead.
"I've seen this in a book! White ears, looks like a macaque, it's a Xingxing, right?" Cassandra flipped open a book. "A specialty of Zhaoyao Mountain. Su Yu mentioned before that eating its meat allows you to run incredibly fast and enhances physical strength."
The Xingxing rolled its eyes at them, scratched its ears, then wiggled its butt at them, emitting a "squeak-squeak" sound as if saying it could understand them, before vanishing into the depths of the forest in a few leaps.
"It seems like it understood, though it sure ran fast," Daphne whispered.
"Even if it didn't run, you wouldn't necessarily get to eat it," Su Yu glanced at her. "We're live-streaming. Although there's no sound, if others see you, you'll still be reported to the Magical Creatures Protection Association."
"Then, about all that gold and jade I just took, they won't make me hand it over when we get back, will they?" Kurama covered her longevity lock. "I don't want to hand it over! Worst case, I'll just bite them to death!"
Good grief, life is fine, but money is a no-go.
"Come quickly, look what I've found!" Pansy shouted to everyone. "I actually found wild chives! Oh my god!"
"Those aren't chives, Pansy, that's Zhuyu grass. Eating it keeps you from getting hungry for days. You can try some." Su Yu helplessly acted as the little science popularizer, constantly explaining things to these students whose energy was never-ending.
"Can keep you from being hungry for days? Is it that potent? Let me try some first!" Fred was the first to step forward, grabbing a handful and stuffing it into his mouth, muttering, "Is this stuff really that magical?"
"I meant that eating one stalk lasts for days. With that whole handful, I reckon you won't need to eat again until you leave the secret realm..." Su Yu held his head in his hands. He was just a second too late. Congratulations to Fred; he wouldn't need to eat for dozens of days.
"Really? How do you feel, Fred?" George asked, somewhat excited.
"I feel so full... it really works."
"Quick, quick, grab me a handful too, I want to try!" Fine, both of them treated Su Yu's words as wind passing by their ears, and even felt that not eating for dozens of days was a reward!
Everyone then picked some more Zhuyu grass just in case; it was good stuff, after all.
By the time the sun was about to set, the group finally stopped. It was halfway up the mountain, with a large open space perfect for setting up tents. Furthermore, there were no signs of wild beasts nearby, and it wasn't a windy spot; it was perfect, so Su Yu spoke up first.
"Alright, how about we rest here tonight? We're not in a hurry anyway, we can just take our time."
"Finally, we can rest..." Harry had been walking all afternoon and felt his feet were aching terribly. But since his teammates hadn't said anything, he had held back from complaining. Hearing that they could finally rest, he plopped down on the ground.
"How do you think those Slytherin ladies manage to hike in high heels? And they're not even tired?" Summers, who had sat down with the others, whispered to Cedric.
Su Yu stomped on the ground, then placed both palms on the earth to sense it using Chakra.
"Excellent. It seems we won't need to set up tents tonight."
"No tents? Then where will we sleep?" Cho Chang couldn't help but ask from the side.
Su Yu suddenly channeled Chakra into the ground. With a Wood Style: Twenty-Room, Two-Living-Room, One-Kitchen Jutsu, a tall and spacious villa rose from the ground.
"Wow... if the Chief went into construction, he'd definitely make a lot of money..." Olivia's mouth was so wide open it could fit a duck egg; Theodore had to help her close it.
"Wow! Every bedroom has an en-suite bathroom!" Pansyand Callis rushed in immediately. "I'm picking this one!" "Then I'm picking this one!"
After everyone had picked their rooms and put their things away, the girls took out the ingredients. Regardless of whether they knew how to cook, they all swarmed into the kitchen.
"Watch me perform Snail Stewed with Potatoes for you!" Callis said happily, holding a pot and waving it like a female warrior goddess.
"Are you sure what you're talking about is even edible?" Cho Chang and Olivia were somewhat dumbfounded. Who brings snails when going out?
"Whatever, if it doesn't taste good, we'll just make Blaiseeat it all!"
"Hey, I can hear you! Don't joke about my life, hey!" Blaiseand Theodore had just come downstairs and heard Callis's shocking statement.
"Tch, fine, if you won't do it, then don't. Daphne, you do it, and I'll help you out, how about that?"
"Just try not to get in the way..."
"Fine, Blaise, take this spatula!"
Daphne looked on with a headache as the group turned the kitchen into a mess. She simply drove them all out, picked up her wand, and commanded the pots and pans by herself, happily preparing tonight's feast while humming a tune.
Unlike the others, Su Yu was in a room, rubbing the feet of Cassandra and Farley. He had long noticed that the two women had been wearing high heels, so as soon as they entered the room, he started massaging them, fearing their feet would ache from walking.
The two women exchanged glances and instantly pretended to be very tired, just to let Su Yu have a good meal. In reality, they were used to it and didn't feel tired at all. Plus, having spent the longest time with Su Yu, their stamina had increased significantly; after all, they had eaten plenty of good things.
At night, young Master Malfoy took out the red wine his father had treasured for a long time. It was something he had obtained with great difficulty and had been reluctant to bring out for ages.
Lucius watched this scene from outside, heartbroken, clutching his chest. That was passed down from his grandfather! And it was just being wasted by Draco like that. He knew it; he had broken a mirror this morning, so bad luck was bound to come. Narcissa stood by, supporting her husband. She was only happy that her little dragon had made so many good friends. It was just a bottle of wine; if they needed more, she could just go back to the House of Black and get some.
A large black dog watching the Quidditch match suddenly shivered and hugged the wine in his arms tighter. The big gray wolf uncle next to him glanced at him and let out an unsatisfied snort through his nose.
Chapter 151: Living in a Villa in the Wild
"Sirius, why did you have to make us look like this, sneaking over to watch the match?"
"I'm just afraid that if Harry sees us, he'll feel pressured. Besides, if we sneak into Hogwarts without notifying anyone, Headmaster Dumbledore will definitely punish us! Just bear with it for now; I'll treat you to some Red Caps later."
Pansy also brought out the beer she had secretly bought during the break, setting it all on the table. Goyle and Crabbe were tearing into the roast chicken in front of them, their mouths greasy from eating. Olivia was already a bit tipsy, leaning on Theodore's shoulder, giggling as she watched the scene before her.
The Weasley Twins were fighting over the last fried chicken leg. Although they had eaten Zhuyu grass in the afternoon and weren't hungry at all, they loved the atmosphere of competing. They really wouldn't give an inch and were almost about to fight. Su Yu was chatting with the girls, whispering various strange little stories to them, which made the girls frequently make exaggerated expressions and scream repeatedly.
Harry looked at the scene before him, which reminded him of the time at The Burrow with the Weasley family—it was just as warm and wonderful. However, he was missing a brother to talk to now. Still, he absolutely, absolutely would not be the first to lower his head and apologize to Ron. Just listening to the laughter around him, he simply missed his brother a little right now.
Neville and Cedric were discussing various methods of making Potion. Blaise and his partner had long since disappeared—they were probably hiding in some corner, secretly kissing, hugging, and lifting each other up. Su Yucouldn't be bothered to manage them, as long as they didn't wander off. In the evening, Cho Chang and Su Yuhad set up a large number of rune barriers around the villa and summoned several stone soldier statues to guard the gates and windows, so that even if no one was on night watch, everyone could sleep until dawn.
However, compared to them, the other schools were visibly miserable. Beauxbatons Academy was assigned near Mount Buzhou in the Western Classic of the Great Wilderness. The sun was scorching during the day, and gales blew at night. Fleur felt that she had aged quite a bit in just one afternoon. Outside, the strong winds howled, as if they would blow the tents away at any moment. Fleurand the others huddled together in the tent, carefully eating cold canned food, each looking like a wilted eggplant. Sigh, when would this ever end?
Durmstrang Institute was sent to the Corpse of Nüchou in the Overseas Western Classic. They had already thrown away their prized bear-skin coats, complaining incessantly about what kind of hellhole this was—scorching sun, drought with no water source, and completely desolate. They felt like they were just here to survive. A group of them gathered around a campfire, calculating how much longer their supplies would last, praying to leave this hellhole soon.
The students from Uagadou were also assigned to the Overseas Western Classic, but they arrived in the Kingdom of Wuxian, surrounded by poisonous snakes and toxic curses. They had to guard against the natives during the day and poisonous snakes at night. In just one afternoon, several of their companions had already been hit. Fortunately, they carried some antidotes; otherwise, they would have lost quite a few people on the first day.
Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was relatively lucky. After opening their eyes, they saw that the paper marking their mission target stated they were near the Kingdom of Shenmu in the Overseas Northern Classic. There wasn't much danger, but the people here were quite strange. They all had one large eye—yes, just one—and they were a bit xenophobic, occasionally sneaking up to throw stones at them and secretly burning their tents at night.
"Oh, God, I really want to catch them and make them grow cotton! Being hit by these is just too painful!" one of the young Wizards couldn't help but say.
Castelo Bruxo, located in Brazil, was teleported to the Land of the Black Snake in the Great Wilderness Southern Classic. The area was filled with miasma as far as the eye could see. They had already encountered several giant black snakes, even in the water, which would suddenly appear from the side, opening their bloody mouths. It was like a scene from Anaconda. Fortunately, they often dealt with magical creatures and understood some of the habits and body language of snakes, so they were able to cope.
Koldovstoretz School from Russia arrived in a place called the Kingdom of Husbands, located in the Overseas Western Classic. It was full of men, and everyone carried a sword, ready to duel them at the slightest provocation. A contest of fighting? These Russian men were not afraid at all. One by one, they pulled up the large trees beside them and started fighting with the locals. A contest of bad tempers? The fighting nation didn't fear them.
The students at the Quidditch venue were stunned. Were Su Yu and his group cheating? Was this really a competition? Those who didn't know would think they were on vacation. They had even brought out a large villa and were eating so deliciously. The Principals of the seven schools all glared fiercely at Dumbledore. They also felt this was unfair. If they didn't know that the East side disdained playing such tricks, they would have already started protesting.
As for the Mahoutokoro School of Magic from Japan, as soon as they arrived near the Ghost Kingdom, several of them were eaten by some mysterious creatures. They didn't even discover what it was. All they heard were the screams and wails of their teammates. Watching their teammates being dragged away and even brutally killed right beside them, their mental state shattered. Right now, they were hiding together, shivering.
Headmaster Mochizuki Seigen's face, with one blind eye, was full of viciousness. His fingers were pinched until they bled, and he secretly vowed that he would take revenge. Damn Su Yu, damn Dumbledore, damn Hogwarts!
"Hey! Come and take a look, everyone! What is that? It's glowing!" After finishing dinner, Cho Chang had intended to sit on the balcony to drink a cup of coffee. But unexpectedly, just as she walked onto the balcony with the coffee, she saw a tree not far away emitting a bright light, illuminating the surroundings brightly.
Su Yu and the others also walked out of the Great Hall and saw several trees around them that looked like street lamps.
"This is a Migu tree. It seems our luck is very good. Legend has it that if you wear its flower branches on you, you will never get lost."
"Doesn't that mean we don't have to walk around aimlessly? If we carry its flower branches, we can automatically find the right direction?"
"That's right. You've made a great contribution this time, Cho Chang." Su Yu smiled and walked towards the Migu tree, jumped onto the tree, picked a few branches, and handed them to everyone.
Early the next morning, everyone packed their things. Su Yuturned the villa back into a large tree and led everyone to continue on their journey. On the way down the mountain, he specially used the Tenseigan and discovered a Xingxing that was surrounded and hunted by other exotic beasts and was about to die. He rescued it from danger, but it was too late, and the Xingxing eventually died of its injuries. Everyone had to tearfully eat a barbecue buffet that evening, and everyone's physical stamina limit increased quite a bit.
During this time, Kurama was constantly collecting treasures. She even discovered a few pieces of Yupei. Su Yuexplained to everyone that if you carry this thing on you, you won't get parasitic diseases, nor will you get abdominal lumps or stomach stones.
However, Kurama was not interested in this. She wouldn't get these diseases anyway, so she took the Yupei and traded them with the Weasley Twins for a few large fireworks. For a moment, it was unclear who lost and who gained, but Kurama was quite happy anyway. As soon as night fell, she would pester Su Yu to set off fireworks for her, but she was refused by Su Yu, who said that setting off fireworks in the mountains was easy to cause a fire.
Chapter 152: Tangting Mountain
By evening, they had successfully arrived at the second mountain, Tangting Mountain.
They found an open area and rested for the night just like the day before. Everyone had been in high spirits these past few days. Su Yu even specially created a "hot spring" for Malfoy and the others to bathe in. With a single Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu from Su Yu, the water in the tank boiled instantly. The girls in the team were especially thrilled; who wouldn't want a nice soak while surviving in the wild?
The students watching from outside the screen were feeling quite sour; they had never lived so comfortably even at school...
Tangting Mountain was covered in white apes with white fur and long arms. When Kurama grew large and let out a roar, the Monkey King was terrified, obediently lining up to deliver fruit to Su Yu and the others, fearing they would be eaten by this terrifying fox.
Farley and the other girls were each holding a small white ape. Su Yu took out his camera and kept taking pictures of them. The adorable appearance of the small white apes melted their hearts. Only Callis kept feeding small tomatoes to the small white ape in her hands, constantly saying, "Swallow, swallow, swallow."
The small white ape's cheeks were puffed up from eating; it didn't even have time to chew or swallow and kept struggling, trying to escape its misery. Theodore and Su Yuturned their heads to look at Blaise with a smile; it really was hard on him to have survived this long in Callis's hands.
"No, why are you two looking at me like that? I'm really not that rabbit..."
"We understand, we understand, no need to say more." The only response to Blaise was the laughter of Su Yu and Theodore.
Young Master Malfoy and Kurama were drooling at the sight of the water jade (crystals) in the mountains and rushed up excitedly. Goyle and Crabbe followed behind with chisels, hammering away constantly. If Su Yu hadn't stopped them in time, Kurama would have used a Tailed Beast Ball.
"Don't stop me! Today, all these crystals are mine!" Kurama, held in Su Yu's arms, had red eyes. Those who didn't know better would think she had been possessed, but she was just a bit greedy for money and couldn't stand seeing such shiny things buried underground.
The students of Hogwarts School in front of the screen were so jealous they were almost crying. This wasn't a competition; this was clearly a shopping spree. If they had known, they would have signed up too. Ron's eyes were also red as he watched from below; he had seen with his own eyes his two brothers grabbing handfuls of gold and plenty of crystals. The two of them were even discussing not leaving and just living in the secret realm from now on!
"Watch out for vipers! They have triangular heads and are highly venomous!" Su Yu had to remind them from the side. They were already intoxicated by the joy of mining, so he had to make them pay attention to the local venomous snakes to prevent having to save them later.
Under strong protests from Kurama and the others, the group had to rest there for another day. Su Yu even gave Kurama a few storage rings. Free labor, right? Would you believe that Kurama would turn around and forget how many crystals she had dug up? It was a classic case of losing the watermelon to pick up the sesame seeds; in the end, wouldn't it all fall into Su Yu's pocket anyway?
The girls had also played crazily these past two days, holding the small white apes and refusing to let go. They didn't even hug Su Yu when sleeping at night, letting him sleep alone. Finally, in the early morning of the third day, the group set off again.
According to the description in the classic of mountains and seas, the group bypassed Yuanyi Mountain because there was nothing there—only strange fish and monsters. It wasn't fun, and it was full of cliffs and precipices, filled with danger.
Continuing south, they reached Niuyang Mountain. From afar, they heard a chirping sound like a folk song, resonating throughout the valley.
"That must be the Mythical Beast." Cho Chang pointed to a grassy slope on the mountainside. She had been cramming knowledge about the classic of mountains and seas these past two days. Not far away, the exotic beast looked like a white horse with a white head and a red tail, its body covered in mottled tiger stripes. It was singing with its head held high, the sound like a human's clear singing, echoing in the valley several times.
Daphne held up a parasol, wearing sunglasses, pursed her red lips, and spoke.
"It's a pity we can't process the fur now, but according to what is written in the book, wearing its fur can make a family's descendants prosperous. I don't know how it's supposed to be worn—always wearing it? Or cutting a piece and hanging it around the neck?"
Farley laughed from the side. "Do you want to have children with Su Yu quickly too? Asking so specifically?"
"It's clearly what the classic of mountains and seas says... I don't have that kind of thought at all..." Daphne's face was already blushing, and Su Yu felt that Daphne looked exceptionally beautiful like this.
"Chief, how about we catch a few and ride them? I'm really so tired..." Young Master Malfoy, who had never walked such a long distance, couldn't take it anymore. Moreover, he really wanted to eat ice cream now, but in this wilderness, where would there be any...
"Chief, I also think we need a means of transport. After all, there is still a long way to go, and walking on our legs all the time isn't a solution. According to my calculations, their stamina won't last much longer." Theodore pushed the glasses on his nose and gave a rational analysis.
"Kurama, it's up to you then, go!"
Before long, rows of Mythical Beasts lined up waiting for the Hogwarts School team to choose. After everyone had made their selection, Su Yu used Wood Style to create many saddles and stirrups. The girls wrapped them with cloth and beast hides. Now everyone was comfortable, riding the horses, strolling through the primeval forest, looking at the beautiful scenery around them—it was indescribably pleasant.
Crossing Niuyang Mountain, the river rushed eastward. The water was turbulent, and the banks were rugged with strange rocks. On the river beach not far away, groups of black Xuan turtles were lying on the bank leisurely basking in the sun.
They had the heads of birds and the tails of snakes. Their calls sounded like chopping wood. When Callis first heard it, she thought there were savages chopping trees here.
"Xuan turtles." Su Yu squatted down and picked up one of the larger ones. "Their shells can cure deafness and calluses. I think we should take some back and give them to Headmaster Dumbledore, just in case. I hope he won't need them in the future."
"I think we'll definitely make a fortune on this trip back!" George and Fred had gotten quite a few good things these past few days and were discussing every day how to start splitting the loot after they returned.
"Kurama! Why did you flip them all over?" In the time it took Su Yu to turn his head, Kurama had already run down and started teasing that group of Xuan turtles. The girls picked up some turtle shells on the bank and then continued to set off forward.
Sure enough, riding the Mythical Beasts was fast. Just at dusk, before the sun had fully set, they had already crossed Di Mountain and even caught a fish called a Lu. Catching fish shouldn't be against the law, right?
It's just that this Lu looked like a cow, would hibernate in winter, had a snake tail, and a pair of wings. Its call was also like a cow's, and it tasted very much like beef. Moreover, eating it prevents lumps and carbuncles. Su Yucomplained that if he had known, he would have brought a House-elf; he wanted to eat braised beef right now.
However, for tonight's feast, Malfoy and the others specially used Ancient Magic to make some ice, crushed it to make shaved ice, snatched some Fizzing Whizzbees from Goyle, and added jam made from fruits picked on the road. Portions of fresh fruit shaved ice were placed on the table, paired with roasted Lu meat—it was so satisfying to eat.
Chapter 153: The Qingqiu Fox King
Early in the morning, the mountain mist had yet to disperse. A vast expanse of white wrapped Mount Danyu in a thin veil. The air was damp, and taking a breath sent a cool chill into one's lungs.
George and Fred were the first to wake up, washing their faces by the stream. George scooped up water and splashed it all over Fred's face, and Fred splashed it right back. The two went back and forth until their clothes were mostly soaked. Eventually, they gave up on just washing their faces and decided to take a bath instead, jumping straight into the river to frolic and play.
Harry was awakened by their commotion and decided on a whim to join the fray. Neville was still a bit socially anxious and didn't join in, but Cedric and Summers heard the news and jumped in too. Their eight-pack abs glistened in the sunlight, giving the many female students who had come to watch early a real treat. Who could refuse watching abs while eating breakfast in the morning?
Crabbe and Goyle sat at the entrance of the villa. Crabbewas counting ants, while Goyle was counting the gravel in his pockets—pebbles he had picked up along the way, saying he wanted to take them back to his mother.
"Ta-da! Look what I've brought back!" Callis had gone out for a stroll with Blaise early in the morning and had carried back a wild cat.
"Wow, where did that wild cat come from? It's a bit ugly, though, and it's so long..." Cassandra was the first to turn around upon hearing this, but seeing that it was a bit ugly, she lost interest.
"This should be a Lei, right?" Su Yu was a bit unsure. He walked over, parted the wild cat's hind legs, and examined it carefully. "It really is a Lei. It's hermaphroditic, having both, and can even reproduce with itself."
"Ew..." Callis shuddered and hurriedly dropped the Lei. "Suddenly I feel a bit nauseous. I'm going to go wash my hands..."
"It is said that eating its meat can prevent jealousy and envy..." Su Yu continued, finishing what he hadn't said before.
"Then again... I think it's actually quite cute..." Callisimmediately turned around and picked the Lei back up. It was perfect for Blaise to eat; then he wouldn't get jealous when she talked to other boys!
"What is this, a walking 'love potion'? It can actually stop jealousy and envy?" Malfoy found it interesting. "Callis, I'll offer five hundred Galleons! How about you give it to me?"
"No, I'm not selling! I'm saving it for Blaise!"
"1,000 Galleons!"
"Don't even think about it! I feel like Blaise is still more important!"
"2,000 Galleons!"
"Deal! Young Master Malfoy!" Callis happily handed the Lei to Malfoy.
"I'm only worth 2,000 Galleons?" Blaise wailed.
"No, I just think 2,000 Galleons can buy a lot of painkillers."
"What are you buying painkillers for?" Blaise was somewhat confused.
"That way, when I beat you up, you won't feel any pain..."
After the commotion, the group continued their journey. While passing Mount Jishan, Malfoy caught a Bo Yi beast. It looked a bit like a sheep, with nine tails and four ears, but its eyes were on its back.
Malfoy thought using it as a mount would definitely be much more impressive than a Mythical Beast, but after putting a saddle on it, it couldn't see anything and threw Malfoy into a big tumble, so he honestly switched back to his Mythical Beast...
However, he eventually gave it to the Weasley Twins, because they had heard from Su Yu that draping the fur of this animal over one's back could increase courage and make one fearless. Both of them felt their own courage wasn't quite enough, so this was perfect for them.
Oh please, there's no one here with more courage than you two...
Time flew by, and soon they arrived at Mount Qingqiu. Along the way, everyone had grown tired of picking up jade; the mountains here were covered in it everywhere. By now, they were unfazed when they saw jade, which made the people outside incredibly envious.
Kurama was at the very front, chasing the Guan Guan birds in the sky because she felt their calls sounded like they were scolding her. Before long, she returned to Su Yu's shoulder with a Guan Guan bird feather in her mouth. Su Yu collected the feather and gave it to the Weasley Twins, telling them they could make it into a necklace to wear back home to refresh their minds and resist illusions.
Harry was riding a small Mythical Beast, leisurely observing his surroundings. He really liked this little Mythical Beast and was wondering if he could talk to Su Yu when it was time to go back about taking it home. He didn't know if Sirius would be willing to keep another "horse"...
Su Yu's gaze suddenly turned sharp, staring intently at the forest ahead. Kurama jumped down from Su Yu's shoulder and stood at the very front of the group, her body slightly crouched, her nine tails all flared out, and her amber pupils narrowed into vertical slits.
Seeing Su Yu and Kurama like this, Farley already had her wand in her hand. Cassandra hurriedly warned everyone to be careful and pay attention to the situation around them, and she also picked up her wand to stand guard.
"Guests from afar, please do not be nervous."
A fox appeared on a tree trunk not far away. Its golden-red fur glowed with a warm luster in the green light. Its nine tails were spread out behind it, covering most of the rock. Its build was much larger than Kurama's, but it was more slender.
The fox tilted its head, observing Kurama curiously, and blinked its golden eyes.
It jumped down from the tree trunk, its nine tails swaying gently behind it, every step it took was composed and unhurried.
It wasn't until it walked closer that Su Yu could clearly see the intricate patterns on its fur. This was no ordinary Nine-tailed Fox; its fur was gold with hints of red, like solidified magma slowly flowing.
A Nine-tailed Celestial Fox, the royal bloodline of the Qingqiu Fox Clan.
The Golden-eyed Fox King stopped in front of Kurama, lowered its head, and gently touched Kurama's forehead with its nose.
"I was wondering why there was such a familiar scent. Little girl, where do you come from?"
Kurama's body stiffened for a moment. "I don't understand what you mean."
"How is it that you have the bloodline of our Nine-tailed Celestial Fox in your body? Although it is very thin." The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox looked up and glanced at Su Yuagain. "I also feel a strange connection between you and that young man, as if some strange thing has bound the two of you together. A red thread? No, a Mandarin Duck Knot? That's not it either."
"Should we make a move?" Farley quietly walked to Su Yu's side. They were already prepared to strike at any moment, even though they could feel that the creature in front of them was very powerful.
"Wait a moment. I don't think it has any malicious intent. Kurama can sense it; otherwise, she would have already attacked." Su Yu stopped those who were eager to make a move.
"Hello, er... beautiful lady? You appeared before us so suddenly; is there something you need?" Su Yu said, maintaining courtesy before potentially resorting to force.
"Nothing at all. I was just curious and came over to take a look. It's been a long time since I've seen such an interesting member of my own kind. Which clan are you from, little one? Tushan? Or Yousu?" The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox's voice was affectionate. After answering Su Yu's question, she turned to stroke Kurama's head, asking her.
"Su Yu, which clan am I from? Do you know?" After sensing that the fox before her had no malicious intent, Kuramaslowly relaxed and turned to ask Su Yu. How was she supposed to know which clan she was from...
Chapter 154: The Second Classic of the Southern Mountains
Su Yu was now in a dilemma; he had no idea which clan Kurama belonged to. "Is there a possibility that she might be from the Fusang side... belonging to the wild foxes?"
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox looked a bit surprised and lowered her head, though it was unclear what she was thinking about.
"You're the wild fox! I'm going to bite you!" Kurama didn't see the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox's strange expression; she launched a beastly charge and slammed into Su Yu's arms. Su Yu picked her up and smoothed her fur, while her four short little legs kicked frantically.
Watching the two of them playing around, the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox's eyes held a hint of amusement. Seeming to have made a decision, she coughed to interrupt them. "Little girl, come here. I want to ask you a few questions."
"Me?" Kurama looked bewildered. What was going on with this Nine-tailed Celestial Fox? Why did she keep asking her questions when she didn't know anything? Still, she jumped out of Su Yu's arms and walked over to the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox.
"Do you want to take human form? I feel that the bloodline within you is very thin. If things continue like this, you won't be able to take human form for another few hundred years."
"Human form? Oh! I don't need that at all! If I turn into a human, I won't be able to eat more delicious food because I'll get fat! I'm fine just as I am, and even if I get fat, it doesn't show! Plus, being small makes eating more satisfying!" Kurama was not willing to take human form at all. Wasn't she fine like this? She ate and slept all day. If she hadn't taken human form, Su Yu was already "exploiting" her; if she really turned into a human, wouldn't she be worked to death? Hmph! She was super smart and wouldn't be fooled!
"However, a very, very long time ago—I've forgotten just how long—an old acquaintance asked me to pass something on if I ever met a little fox that was outside the Three Realms, not within the Five Elements, and possessed a trace of the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox bloodline. I just calculated it again, and it is indeed you. Are you really sure you don't want it?" The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox still wore that benevolent expression. This little one was truly unique; the silly girls in the clan were always hoping to take human form quickly, but this girl had absolutely no interest in it.
"Your old acquaintance? What is the item?" Su Yu was a bit curious. An old acquaintance from a very, very long time ago—how long? He knew that some ancient powerful beings could calculate everything, but Kurama had been summoned by his system. Could that even be calculated?
"I cannot say his specific identity, nor can I disclose it. I estimate you will meet him in the future, but not now. Rest assured, he has no ill intent; he simply wanted to give this child a gift of power—a power of the ancient fox clan. This power has been with me for a long time, but your little fox doesn't seem to want it." The Nine-tailed Celestial Foxchuckled and gently tapped Kurama on the forehead.
"What? I'll be able to meet him?" Su Yu was incredibly shocked. What was all this? An ancient old monster, living until now—just how powerful was he?
"You should have said it was power earlier! Then I want it. Although I feel like I'm already invincible, if I can get stronger, I want it all!" Since obtaining the power of the Ten-Tails, Kurama felt she was invincible. But with her personality of always wanting to take advantage and never suffer a loss, whenever she encountered free power, of course, she wanted it all!
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox looked at the little girl in front of her who had absolutely no integrity with a sense of helplessness. She sighed, slowly walked up to Kurama, lowered her head, and gently touched her forehead against Kurama's.
A golden light suddenly erupted from the point of contact, exploding outwards.
The group from the Hogwarts School hurriedly covered their eyes to block the intense golden light. Only Su Yu saw that those golden light patterns were taking root in the center of Kurama's forehead like tree roots, then spreading beneath her fur.
Kurama's body slowly levitated. Her nine tails stood up simultaneously, and she tilted her head back to let out a long howl, startling the birds in the forest into scattering.
When the light slowly faded, Su Yu reached out and caught the slowly drifting Kurama. The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox stepped back a few paces, the corners of her mouth seemingly curving, and she whispered.
"Don't rush. That child will naturally know in the future. This power is not something that can be achieved overnight, but at least from now on, she has her own path."
Kurama's figure was a size larger than before. Her fur was golden with a tint of red, and the tips of her nine tails were stained with a layer of faint golden-red.
When she opened her eyes again, she lowered her head to look at her tails.
"Wow, look, Kurama's tails have become even prettier!" Callis was the first to speak. She looked at Kurama with a bit of envy; she really was becoming more and more beautiful.
Everyone looked at Kurama. Daphne and Cho Chang even reached out to touch Kurama's newly acquired beautiful fur. Kurama was not shy about it; she smugly swung her longevity lock in Su Yu's arms, showing herself off, looking extremely proud.
The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox turned around and walked step by step back into the depths of the mountain mist. Her nine tails flickered in and out of view within the fog, eventually disappearing into the layered mountain shadows.
Kurama jumped down from Su Yu's arms, her tails swaying back and forth.
"How do you feel?" Su Yu squatted down and placed his hand on top of Kurama's head.
"It's different." Kurama's voice was muffled. Her amber eyes looked at the sea of mist where the golden-eyed fox king had disappeared. "I can't say where it's different, but it just is."
"Then Kurama, will you really be able to take human form in the future?" Cassandra stroked Kurama's head and asked her.
"I don't know. I feel like there's suddenly a lot of stuff in my head. I'll have to find time to organize it and see; it seems there's a way to take human form."
Daphne walked up from behind, clutching a clean handkerchief in her hand, and wiped Kurama's four little feet clean. This child had just been showing off and jumped into a patch of muddy ground, getting her paws dirty. If she jumped into her arms later, her clothes would be ruined.
As for Kurama's newly enhanced power, Su Yu didn't pay much attention to it; he could just test it next time he had a chance. What he was concerned about was the old acquaintance mentioned by the Nine-tailed Celestial Foxthat he would be able to see in the future. Who could it possibly be? Thinking about an old monster targeting him made him feel a bit panicked.
The group crossed Mount Qingqiu and arrived at the last mountain of the First Classic of the Southern Mountains, Mount Jiwei.
The Mountain God who governed all the great mountains of the First Classic of the Southern Mountains, a deity with a bird's body and a dragon's head, lived here.
After Su Yu paid his respects using the fine jade Kuramahad picked up on the road along with some rice, he led the group toward Mount Gui.
After entering the Second Classic of the Southern Mountains, the terrain became steeper, and the further south they went, the more rugged the mountains became.
On the cliffs on both sides, one could occasionally see some strange chisel marks, as if they had been forcefully excavated by something.
Chapter 155: Ron Becomes Famous
The first mountain of the Southern Mountains, Second Series is called Mount Gui.
When Su Yu turned southeast from Mount Jiwei, his first feeling was not fatigue, but stuffiness. The trees on both sides of the mountain path grew denser and denser, their crowns overlapping to block the sky completely, not even allowing sunlight to leak through.
The fallen leaves underfoot were extremely thick, feeling soft and fluffy when stepped on, like walking on cotton.
There were a few flat open spaces by the stream under the mountain ridge. Su Yu stopped and signaled for everyone to set up camp there for the night.
The night wind blew up from the stream valley, carrying moisture and the scent of unknown flowers from afar. Inside the villa, Theodore added a few more logs to the fireplace. The flames flickered twice, illuminating the entire room. Outside, the vague silhouettes of the Mythical Beasts could still be seen; they were in the horse paddock Su Yu had enclosed for them, quietly grazing in the moonlight, looking relaxed and content.
"Mr. Draco Malfoy, could you explain why your eyeballs were about to pop out when you saw that Nine-tailed Celestial Fox today? And why were you drooling at the time?"
Taking advantage of the fact that everyone had finished eating and was chatting, Pansy seized the opportunity to sneak up to Malfoy, grab his waist, and stare at him fiercely, finally saying what she had been holding back all day.
"Oh! Pansy, could you be a little gentler! Ouch, ouch, ouch, aren't you making me sound too pathetic? Am I that sleazy?" Malfoy winced in pain, not daring to cry out, and whispered an explanation to Pansy while baring his teeth.
Harry had been watching Malfoy from the side. Hearing what Pansy said, Harry shrank his neck. He hadn't been much better than Malfoy today. If George hadn't stuffed the feathers of a Guan-Guan bird into his hand in time, he probably would have rushed over to hug that Nine-tailed Celestial Fox himself.
Harry felt that the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox was far more alluring than a Veela. As a boy, how could he fall for a female fox? The key was that he really had fallen for her, wanting from the bottom of his heart to spend his whole life with her. Just thinking about it made him feel ashamed. This was just her unintentionally radiating temptation; if she had specifically tried to seduce him, Harry estimated that even if he wore the pendant made of Guan-Guan bird feathers, it wouldn't have been any use.
But Harry thought of Ron again. That rascal must have been watching the live stream at that time too. He wondered what kind of embarrassing scene he would make.
Harry actually guessed right. Ron really "distinguished" himself today. The moment he saw the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox in the audience, he climbed onto the railing, took off his top, held it in his hand and spun it around, shouting, "I want to marry you!" "I don't even mind if I take your last name!" "My dad can change his last name too!" "Please, just look at me..."
Then he cried his eyes out, snot and tears running down his face, until Ginny dragged him back to the Gryffindorcommon room. The charm hadn't worn off even until now, and he was still sighing and groaning in the dormitory late into the night, complaining that Ginny had ruined his love life, keeping Seamus and Dean from getting a good night's sleep all night.
So, early the next morning, Ron happily received two new nicknames. The Ravenclaw students called him "The Beauty-Struck Pushover," the Hufflepuff students called him "The Love-Struck Fool," and Slytherin was more direct. They stayed up all night making a banner and hung it on the audience stands of the Quidditch pitch, with big words written on it: "The Horny Gryffindor Lion," "Willing to let his father change his last name for love." This was also snapped by Rita Skeeter of The Daily Prophet and published in the newspaper.
For a while, Ron didn't even dare to step outside. He never expected to become famous in the wizarding world overnight, but this wasn't the kind of fame he wanted! Merlin's beard, could someone come and save him...
Soon, Molly's Howler arrived. In the letter, she berated Ron, saying he had completely disgraced the Weasleyfamily by asking his father to change his last name for a fox! His father was now being called "Arthur White" at the Ministry of Magic, because some smart aleck said he had checked ancient books and found that the Qingqiu Fox clan's surname was White, so no one called him Weasleyanymore; they just called him White...
Ron was scolded by Molly for a full half hour before the Howler made a face, stuck out its tongue, and exploded into fine red confetti and red dust that drifted away.
Ron clutched his hair, wishing he could turn into the rat Scabbers so he could crawl away into a dark corner. He never wanted to appear in any place with people or sunlight again. His heart was already dead, socially dead...
On the other hand, Pansy didn't believe Malfoy's words at all, and the strength in her hand increased a little more. Malfoy could truly win an Oscar for his performance; even though he was hurting like this, his face grimacing, he still stubbornly kept saying:
"I'm not... I didn't... Don't talk nonsense... Ah, it doesn't hurt... Didn't you eat?... Hiss..."
Harry suddenly felt that he had no expectations for love at all. Being single was pretty good, really pretty good...
Kurama had now become the new group pet. One moment she ran into Cho Chang's arms to drink some butterbeer, the next she jumped to Daphne's side to have her feed her a small cookie, and then she came to Cassandra's shoulder to rub against her face, feeling extremely happy. Only on Farley's side—humph, she wouldn't go there! She had just gone over for a moment and was held and mauled by Farley for ages! That pervert Farley insisted on "getting a whiff," and almost suffocated her! She didn't know how Su Yu managed to survive every day.
The Weasley Twins were at another table, which was piled high with various materials they had obtained over the past few days. They were busy having a great time, testing their uses and abilities one by one. Neville was also sitting in a corner next to them, brewing some kind of potion. Cedricsaid Neville was brewing poison because he and Summershad leaned over to sniff it, and said it smelled like... and before they could finish the sentence, both of them were lying on the ground. Neville hurriedly explained that this stuff was fine as long as you didn't lean over and sniff it, but it was already too late.
Early the next morning, everyone was awakened by earth-shaking tremors. When they rushed out to check the situation, they saw a creature the size of a piglet. Its grayish-brown fur was coarse and short, its limbs were thick and sturdy, and its feet were not ordinary animal claws, but chicken claws, sharp and curved.
It was a Li-Li. Because Su Yu had happened to build the house not far from its home last night, and this creature's nature was to dig soil, when it woke up and found a piece of architecture suddenly appearing at its doorstep, its first thought was definitely to tear it down.
That Li-Li was frantically digging next to the villa, its two chicken claws digging alternately into the ground, soil splashing everywhere, moving at an astonishing speed.
In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, it had already dug a trench more than half a person deep into the hard yellow earth.
"Oh, Merlin's beard, I wish I had as much energy as it does, being able to work as soon as I get up in the morning..." Malfoy had been "disciplined" by Pansy all night last night, and now he was truly aching all over. Just when the earth was shaking earlier, he had even gotten a cramp in his calf from the fright.