I don't know if the sky in southern Xinjiang is always so overcast during this season. After leaving that small hill, under Xiaobai's guidance, the two humans and one monkey headed west towards Fengxiang Valley.

  That night, the Xuanhuo altar in Fengxiang Valley erupted with a volcanic eruption, causing a great change in the sky and earth, with an extremely powerful force that could be felt within a hundred miles. Several days later, in the gloomy sky of the southern border, although the huge hole opened up by the scorching hot magma had disappeared, there was still a large cloud of reddish-yellow color hanging high in the direction of Fengxiang Valley, looking very eerie.

  This earth-shaking change, originally attention-grabbing, now occurs in the low-key mysterious Burning Incense Valley, and with Burning Incense Valley's status in Orthodox Cultivation, it has attracted people's attention.

  For a time, rumors spread throughout the land, and everyone was guessing what had happened in Xiangxi Valley.

  In just a few days, the once peaceful southern frontier has seen an influx of unfamiliar faces, as numerous overt and covert forces begin to probe what exactly happened.

  This situation is naturally not what the Valley of Incense Burning would like to see. On the contrary, due to some unknown secrets, the Valley of Incense Burning is extremely annoyed about this.

  On the one hand, Huo Xiang Gu treated the disciples who came to ask questions from orthodox sects such as Qing Yun Men and Tian Yin Temple with a smile, serving them good tea and water, and finally brushing off the disaster with a casual tone. On the other hand, for the spies of the three major factions of the demonic cult, Huo Xiang Gu was absolutely merciless within his own sphere of influence, and for a time, on the vast lands centered around Huo Xiang Gu in the southern border, sword lights and shadows flashed from time to time.

  Whether it's the Orthodox or the Devil's sect, people can't help but feel that there is something unusual under the mysterious atmosphere of Fengxiang Valley. This time, Fengxiang Valley seems to have been greatly stimulated, and almost all the disciples in the valley have been mobilized to search day and night in various parts of Nanjiang, but what they are searching for is unclear and cannot be told to others.

  In the past few days, the gloomy sky of Nanyang has become much more lively. Often, many dazzling and beautiful rays of light can be seen flashing across the sky, all of which are excellent disciples from Fengxiang Valley chasing after something.

  Rumors also sprang up one after another.

  What kind of monster is born, or a mysterious treasure bursts out of the volcanic mouth, all kinds of rumors are endless.

  What's even more absurd is that there are people spreading rumors about internal conflicts in the Valley of Incense, claiming that a rebellious disciple killed the master, Yun Yiluan. And to make matters worse, Master Yun Yiluan hasn't shown his face for several days. As this rumor spread, it became increasingly vicious and even alarmed Daoxuan Zhenren of Qingyun Gate and Puhong Dashi of Tianyin Temple, who jointly sent their disciples to the Valley of Incense to investigate. The Valley of Incense was at a loss for words, and could only explain that Master Yun Yiluan was in seclusion and unable to meet with anyone.

  Reliable news came back, Qingyunmen and Tianyinsi finally put their minds at ease. However, the leaders of these two major sects were extraordinary figures, so how could they not guess that there must be some hidden scheme in between? They secretly ordered their disciples to investigate quietly on the spot without hurrying back to the mountain.

  Today, the rain is chaotic, and the demons are dancing wildly. The incense valley is once again shrouded in mystery. During the war of the blue clouds, it just so happened that someone was missing from the formation, making people wonder what had happened. As a result, this one move by Gui Li, who unintentionally rescued the nine-tailed heavenly fox that had been suppressed for three hundred years, triggered a massive wave of changes in the world's situation, and the winds and clouds gathered in the southern border region.

  Because the Burning Incense Valley sent out countless disciples to track and investigate, with Gui Li and Xiao Bai's cultivation level, they naturally wouldn't be afraid of these disciples. However, thinking about the possibility of exposing their tracks, it would be troublesome, and if they were to alarm the big shots in the Burning Incense Valley, leading them to chase after, it would be difficult to resist. After all, the Burning Incense Valley is a thousand-year-old sect with immeasurable potential.

  The top priority now is still to investigate the Black Sorcerer's clan that can save Bi Yao.

  After coming down from the small mountain, on Xiaobai's suggestion, Gui Li found a remote village and bought two sets of local clothes with money, one for men and one for women, and changed into them with Xiaobai.

  In the distant southern border, customs and clothing are naturally different from those in mainland China. Even ordinary clothes worn on the body have a unique flavor compared to the clothes of the common people in mainland China.

  Because they were bought from a remote village, the rough craftsmanship on the clothes was to be expected. Wearing them on the body, these clothes are most different from those in Middle-earth, apart from their differing styles, in that their colors are relatively bright and vibrant. Men's clothing is based on deep blue, while women's clothing is complex and multicolored.

  Because they had to avoid the Huixiang Valley, Gui Li and others could not fly through the air. Although Gui Li was anxious in his heart, after Xiaobai's persuasion, he said that he had waited for ten years, why couldn't he wait a few more days when things were about to happen? If it was because of a moment of impatience that brought the pursuit of Huixiang Valley, I'm afraid that by then the situation would be chaotic and it would be even harder to know how long they would have to wait.

  Although Gui Li was anxious, he couldn't deny what Xiao Bai said was reasonable, so they proceeded slowly.

  They wore Nanjiang attire, walking slowly along the way. They encountered several batches of Fengxiang Valley disciples on the way, but they didn't recognize them either. At most, it was because Xiaohui's appearance was peculiar, and they took a few more glances at him.

  The most crucial point was that on that night, Gui Li and Xiao Hui did not reveal their figures, so the people in Fengxiang Valley did not know what they looked like, but instead suspected the strange behavior of strangers and overlooked them.

  At this moment, Gui Li and Xiao Bai were walking on an ancient path three hundred miles away from Fengxiang Valley. It was a desolate wilderness with no one in sight. Just half a time ago, they had walked past a group of Fengxiang Valley disciples with great fanfare.

  The sky was overcast with dark clouds, and the wind was blowing gently. The ghost's face was slightly furrowed as he walked forward. In contrast, the little white face beside him had a perpetual smile on it, full of enthusiasm, looking around in all directions, taking in the scenery of the southern border. Even the desolate and barren ancient roads seemed to be the most beautiful scenery in her eyes.

  The demon king glanced at his side, and the little monkey Xiao Hui was sitting on Xiao Bai's shoulder, calm and composed. It's not clear whether it's because they are both rare spirits in the world, but Xiao Hui is extremely affectionate towards Xiao Bai, who has transformed into a nine-tailed heavenly fox, and these days he seems to be stuck together with Xiao Bai more often.

  Watching Xiaohui and Xiaobai playing and laughing from time to time, Gui Li suddenly thought that if his old friend Zeng Shu saw this scene, he must be very envious!

  Xiaobai was wearing the ordinary clothes of a woman from southern Xinjiang, with no difference in style from ordinary people. However, this ordinary dress, paired with her stunning looks, instantly made her shine like a radiant light, revealing an unprecedented elegance that seemed to be born for her to wear such clothes, exuding the unique charm and flavor of women from southern Xinjiang everywhere.

  Xiaobai seemed to notice Gui Li's gaze and turned around with a smile: "How, do I look good in this outfit?"

  He smiled faintly, not wanting to answer such a frivolous question, and instead asked: "I see you're extremely familiar with the customs and environment of this southern border region. Not to mention other things, but even that ancient and secluded little village deep in the mountains near Fengxiang Valley - how did you manage to find it? Have you been here before?"

  Xiaobai pursed her lips, gazing forward, and saw that the distant mountains were connected, endless, a unique landscape of the southern border. In front of her, an ancient road wound its way forward, with strange rocks and hills rising on either side, some near, some far. The distant mountain peaks stretched across the sky, connected in the distance, with dark clouds hanging from the tops of the high mountains, drifting with the wind.

  She walked slowly and sighed softly after a while, saying: "I didn't just come here..."

  "What's wrong?"

  Xiao Bai let out a sigh, smiled and shook his head, as if wanting to lightly shake off the past years. He said: "You don't know, do you? Our Fox Demon clan originated from this place in Nanjiang, and I grew up in these poor mountains and evil waters since childhood."

  The demon's expression changed slightly, and he said, "Then why is it that for this thousand years, the folk legends of the Central Plains have always had your fox demons' shadow?"

  "That's because a thousand years ago, I led our fox demon clan to leave here and head to the Central Plains, finally settling in the Fox Qi Mountain in the southwest."

  Gui Li was shocked and couldn't speak for a moment. After a while, he spoke in a hoarse voice: "What, you..."

  Xiao Bai looked at him with interest, smiled slightly, and a hint of brightness flashed in his eyes, as if it was ambiguous, yet also seemed to be vicissitudes: "Unexpectedly, this is where the current head of your Gui Wang Zong is located."

  It seems that the name Fox Qishan is probably because of our fox demon clan!

  The demon's voice was low and solemn after a long silence, "So, do you have any connection with the Gui Wang Sect..."

  Xiao Bai didn't wait for him to finish, directly shaking his head and saying: "You can rest assured of this. Our Fox Demon clan has been neighbors with the Ghost King Sect for hundreds of years, living in peace without incident. Moreover, during these hundreds of years, there have been several instances of romance between humans and demons. So, apart from repaying you for rescuing me from the Xuanhuo Altar, knowing that you are a disciple of the Ghost King Sect is also one of the reasons I am willing to help you."

  Guili finally put his mind at ease, but then he thought of something else and said: "After this matter is settled, are you going to go back to Fox Hill Mountain to visit your clansmen?"

  "Clansmen?" Xiao Bai's face slowly darkened, looked up at the sky, and after a while, said softly: "My clansmen, they were all killed by me."

  Gui Li was taken aback again, Xiao Bai let out a bitter laugh, his expression grew even more desolate, but he didn't want to say anything else.

  The ghost was silent for a moment, then changed the subject and said: "We have been walking for three days now, how far is it from the 'Seven Mile Fort' you mentioned?"

  Xiaobai glanced at him, her eyes rippling like water as she swept them across his face. "Qili Dang is the largest settlement of the Miao people in southern Xinjiang," she said. "According to my impression, twenty miles from here used to be a bustling place where various ethnic groups lived together, called 'Tianshui Village'. From there, heading south, there was a treacherous small path that led to the Qili Dang of the Miao people." She followed with a soft, bitter smile. "However, I don't know if there have been any other changes in the situation here in southern Xinjiang over the past three hundred years."

  The ghost nodded silently and unconsciously quickened his pace.

  Xiao Bai followed behind him, his eyes lingering on him for a few moments before looking ahead at the mountains that stretched out in a continuous chain, towering and majestic, with steep cliffs that seemed to be gazing out at the sky and earth. On this ancient road, these small figures...

  Guilian had come to Nanjiang several times in the past decade for Biyao, so he knew a bit about the local customs and people.

  The southern border is vast and sparsely populated, with the exception of the extreme south where the ten thousand great mountains are home to the barbarous and alien tribes. The people who have lived for generations in the southern border areas can be roughly divided into five main ethnic groups: Miao, Tujia, Zhuang, Li, and Gaoshan.

  In terms of population, the Zhuang people are the most numerous, accounting for about 40% of the total population in southern Xinjiang. In terms of territory, the Miao people have the strongest influence and occupy the largest area of fertile land. As for folk customs, the highland ethnic group with the smallest population is the most valiant.

  These five major tribes have lived in the southern border for generations. Each of the five ethnic groups has its own language, but generally speaking, when communicating with each other, they use a common language similar to that of Central Plains, only with some local "characteristics".

  For many years, there have been times of mutual communication and cooperation, but also times of mutual struggle and conflict. Over the long years, the five major tribes have gradually formed a situation where each occupies one side, with their territories intersecting and overlapping deeply.

  In the places where the territories of various tribes adjoin, there are often villages and towns inhabited by people from multiple tribes, with as many as five tribes living together in one place.

  The Tian Shui Village in Xiao Bai's mouth is located at the junction of Miao, Zhuang, Tu and Gaoshan ethnic groups, and it is also a famous place on the southern border.

  As the sky gradually darkened and approached dusk, Gui Li, Xiao Bai, and Xiao Hui, two men and a monkey, finally entered Tian Shui Village.

  Although the name of this place has a word "stockade", it is completely different from the mountain stockades commonly built on the top of mountains in southern Xinjiang. Tianshui Stockade was built on a spacious flat ground, with one road leading out of the stockade in each direction - east, south, west and north. According to Xiao Bai's explanation on the way, this place was originally built by the Tu people, and the original site was not here but on a mountain not far to the west, because there is a clear spring on the top of the mountain, so it is called Tianshui Stockade.

  Later on, as the four tribes bordered each other and the population grew, this place became a mixed residential area.

  As merchants and travelers increased, living in the mountains became less convenient due to the limited space and difficulty of commuting. Even though the people of South Border were generally stronger and healthier than those from Central Plains, no one would be willing to climb mountains every day for exercise.

  As a result, people gradually began to move down the mountain to live, from few to many, and after a long time, all the people in the village moved down, with the prosperity of trade among the four ethnic groups, merchants came and went more frequently, and the scale expanded day by day. As for the original village on the top of the mountain, it gradually became deserted, but the name "Tian Shui Village" was retained.

  The sky had just darkened, and there were still many pedestrians on the street, coming and going, with a cacophony of sounds all around. The languages of various ethnic groups could be heard from time to time, which was quite different from the quietness of the ancient road when we came here earlier. Little Gray, sitting on Xiao Bai's shoulder, found it very interesting, turning its head back and forth, looking around in all directions, chattering non-stop.

  Three-eyed monkey, after all, is different from the others, and soon attracted the attention of pedestrians on the street. Several children wearing southern ethnic costumes followed behind the two, making faces at Xiaohui and teasing him.

  The little grey raccoon was originally playful, and suddenly became excited, wagging its tail back and forth, wanting to jump down and play. Fortunately, the ghost let out a loud hum and pulled it over, grabbing it in his hand. The little grey raccoon had no choice but to climb onto the ghost's shoulder, making faces at the children behind him and shouting loudly. This made the children even more excited, chattering away and laughing uncontrollably, seemingly having a great time.

  The ghost's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and his heart felt a little stifled, but it wasn't because of Xiao Hui's mischief, rather he was vaguely thinking of some other concerns.

  He turned his head to the side and took a stealthy look, only to see Xiao Bai with a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, intently watching the group of children and Xiao Hui frolicking, her coarse linen shirt unable to conceal her enchantingly beautiful appearance.

  Not to mention in this southern border, the wind and frost are severe, and most women have ordinary looks and dark skin; even if they walk into the central plains, with Xiao Bai's thousands of years of cultivation transformed into a human form, under the delicate and beautiful appearance, the gentle and charming meaning is faintly emitted, a frown and a smile, all have a intoxicating charm.

  Sure, here is the translation:

  As expected, after a moment, amidst the sounds of children's laughter and playful scolding, more and more people turned to look over, and those adults' gazes naturally and quickly shifted from the monkey's body to that woman whose beauty was hard to conceal even under her coarse linen clothes.

  In an instant, the sound waves spread out like a formless thing, and everyone looked at her with surprise. But under the gaze of countless eyes, the woman didn't have a single hint of shyness, looking at her smiling face, she seemed to quite enjoy this feeling.

  Gui Lie felt a great headache, such an eye-catching scene was not his intention. He was thinking about whether to remind the woman beside him to find a place to stay and set out early tomorrow to do business in Qili Dang.

  It was as if his thoughts were doomed to be unfulfilled, and the role that inevitably appears in countless stories passed down through the ages had also appeared at this moment.

  The legendary hooligan, it turns out that in the southern border of Xinjiang, among ethnic minorities, also exists.

  Three men walked out of the crowd, all almost identical in appearance, tall and sturdy, rough and burly, with a tiger's back and bear's waist, speaking a half-familiar, locally flavored common language, starting to flirt with Xiaobai.

  Rogue A: "Huh, black... this woman is really beautiful!"

  Xiaobai smiled slightly and gently stroked her face with her hand, exuding an indescribable soft charm, saying: "Really?"

  The crowd around suddenly burst into an uproar.

  The three hooligans were overjoyed, and one of them, Hooligan B, opened his shirt to reveal a well-built physique: "Little sister, come with me! I'll let you eat spicy food... and drink fragrant wine!"

  Many people in the crowd burst out laughing, and Xiao Bai glanced at Gui Li standing beside him, his smile undiminished.

  Rogue A sneered at Rogue B: "Do you know what it means to eat spicy and drink fragrant? That's eating fragrant and drinking spicy!" Then he turned his head to Xiaobai and said: "Little sister, my family has ten thousand hectares of good fields. Follow me and I'll...

  He spoke halfway, but suddenly couldn't continue, only to see Xiao Bai's face with a more intense smile, as if it was emanating from her inner heart, her bright eyes sparkling like water, as if they were about to flow out.

  She took a step back, however, and stood beside Gui Li, saying softly, "I'm already someone's wife."

  The crowd around was in an uproar again. The little monkey Xiao Hui, who had originally climbed onto Gui Li's shoulders, fell to the ground with a "whoosh" sound from Gui Li's head.

  After a moment, for some reason, Xiao Hui suddenly fell to the ground, using his paws to frantically pound on the ground, grinning from ear to ear and laughing loudly.

  The ghost's face was gloomy and silent, standing there quietly, feeling the three thugs in front of him with six fierce eyes full of hostility staring at him.

  After a moment, the thugs rushed up, and it seems that the old saying "the fist comes out of the wife" is still thriving after thousands of years, and is being followed by the people of Nanyang.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  Three loud crashes, three figures flew out, crashed into the wall by the roadside, and fell heavily to the ground with loud groans.

  The crowd watched in stunned silence as the ghost calmly said, "Let's find a place to stay for now and leave early tomorrow." He then walked forward, with Xiao Hui quickly catching up and jumping onto his shoulder, giggling non-stop. Turning back, he also made a face at Xiao Bai.

  Xiaobai smiled slightly and followed, walking to Gui Li's side, suddenly saying in a low voice: "You see I was locked up for 300 years, it seems I'm not old yet?"

  The ghost didn't say a word, but quickened his pace instead.