Jiang City, noon.

A young man, about twenty years old, wearing a white shirt and jeans, but with a pair of black cloth shoes on his feet, looked out of place. He had a black package slung over one shoulder, a sprig of dogtail grass dangling from his mouth, as he walked under the scorching sun in the old lanes of the suburbs.

He seemed to be utterly indifferent to the scorching sun overhead and the stifling heat of over thirty-five degrees outside, humming an unknown tune as he strolled along.

Occasionally, passersby would brush past him, most of them giving him a curious glance. Some even whispered comments to their companions and burst into laughter.

As for the pointing and gossiping of the crowd, Nian seemed oblivious, continuing to walk happily on.

As I rounded a corner on the street, I was suddenly struck by a bright light ahead. I walked straight towards a two-story shop on the west side of the intersection.

Above the old shop, on a signboard hung five characters: "Chen's Coffin Shop".

Several wreaths made of artificial flowers and grass were placed at the entrance of the shop.

"Well done."

"Hmm, impressive," he muttered in admiration. Then, he walked up the stairs and peered into the shop. The interior was crammed with a dazzling array of funeral supplies: wreaths, paper effigies, and more. He saw a child, about six or seven years old, kneeling on a stool and hunched over a desk, diligently doing his homework. With a mischievous grin, he said, "Hey kid, is anyone home?"

"Here!"

The little child giggled at his ghostly face, his two pigtails swaying back and forth. He laughed for a good while before turning his head and shouting upstairs: "Aunt, we have guests!"

Here it comes!

A young man's voice came down from the second floor, and his voice was quite pleasant.

Leaning against the shop door, he was beaming as a woman in her twenties carefully descended the stairs from the second floor. “Are you here to buy a coffin or a wreath? We offer express delivery,” he said cheerfully.

"Sorry, I was just passing by and my throat is dry. I wondered if I could ask you for a drink of water. Would that be alright?" he said sheepishly, bowing his head.

"Oh, alright... little brother, wait a moment."

After finishing her words, the woman turned and entered the room downstairs. However, the man seemed impatient and, after saying "thank you," followed right in after her without moving an inch.

A woman walked into the kitchen, took a thermos and poured a cup of hot tea, handing it to Nian and reminding him, "Be careful, it's hot."

He bid farewell with a year's worth of goodbyes. It seemed broken, but he merely blew on the tea leaves and drank it in one gulp, then went back to tending his wife.

"What else do you want?" the woman asked.

Nian nodded, and as the woman turned again to fall, she suddenly said: "Miss, your cultivation is not easy, why do you have to transform into a human form and struggle to stay in this bustling city?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the woman's figure trembled suddenly, and the teacup in her hand fell to the ground with a crash.

A monstrous aura suddenly filled the entire kitchen.

Nian smiled and looked at the woman's neck, which had suddenly grown white and from her fingers sprouted sharp claws. He remained calm and said faintly, "Perhaps it's best not to use your hands? You're only a fox demon less than three hundred years old. Maintaining your human form in broad daylight is already difficult. If you were to kill someone and draw the attention of the world, there would be plenty of people eager to capture you."

“Who are you? What do you want?” The woman, upon hearing this, hurriedly took a step forward, turning to glare at the man with menacing eyes, her fangs bared.

"Me?" Nian was startled, and then remembered something. He didn't bother defending himself against the woman, instead rummaging in his backpack for a long time before pulling out a square token over ten centimeters long. The front of the token was engraved with strange-looking ancient script, and its edge had nine small holes, seven of which were each fitted with an ancient bronze dagger.

"The Seven Stars Sword of Maoshan?!"

Seeing the token, the woman was instantly terrified. She quickly regained her human form and suddenly knelt down with a "thump," saying, "Great Celestial Master, please spare me! I beg your forgiveness, little demon, for having eyes but not seeing, unable to recognize your divine presence!"

"Um... ahem... why don't you answer my initial question first!"

The man stood awkwardly with his hands clasped behind him, mimicking the posture of his master: “You bear no resentment, which indicates you have never harmed anyone. Then why would you transform into a human and linger in this bustling city full of energy?”

"Master, the grandfather of this family saved my life thirty years ago. Last year, the benefactor suddenly died, leaving only this six-year-old child, Zhou Zhi, with no one to care for him. As his parents both passed away when he was young, I have taken on a human form and pretended to be a relative to care for him. Please spare my life!"

Humans are the supreme beings among all spirits. Demons mostly prefer to quickly enhance their cultivation by consuming humans, so there are countless demon slayers in the world. If a young Taoist priest who can wield the Seven Star Sword of Mount Maoshan is determined to eliminate a demon, I'm afraid it wouldn't even be able to escape within ten meters.

When he heard this, Nian fell silent. After a while, he sighed and said, "I didn't say I was going to take you in. I was just on my way when I suddenly sensed demonic energy nearby, so I came to investigate. Although you are only repaying a kindness and haven't done anything wrong, there will be people who want to capture you and refine you into a demon pill. So... I suggest you return to the mountains as soon as possible and don't delay your cultivation."

"The woman's face softened, and she said, "But... Zhi'er has no one to look after her. The little demon doesn't want to send her to an orphanage."

“Your cultivation is not enough. This little girl has been with you for a long time and has been tainted by demonic energy. She will fall ill sooner or later. This is not a long-term solution. So, I think she has a spirit and is suitable for cultivation. You take her to Maoshan and let my master accept her as a disciple. Her future will be limitless.” Nian suggested.

Her face lit up with joy, but she then hesitated and said, "There are many accomplished Taoist priests who wander around Mount Mao..."

"Don't worry, I'll give you a talisman and a letter. With the talisman, even if a five-coin master comes face to face with you in a month, he'll be unable to recognize you! Take your child and quickly send him to my master's Yuchen Guan at Maoshan Mountain where the Immortal of Dust Fate resides. Then, stay on the back mountain of Maoshan and practice quietly. I promise you can meet once a month."

When she heard this, the woman was overjoyed and kowtowed three times to the master. "Thank you, great master, for guiding me. This little demon, Hu Xian'er, is beyond words..." This was naturally a good thing. Mount Maoshan was full of spiritual energy and was a sacred land for cultivation, which made all demons jealous. If it weren't for the numerous masters on Mount Maoshan, with experts emerging one after another, the demons would have taken over long ago. Now that she had received the master's decree, her cultivation would surely progress by leaps and bounds.

Nian waved his hand and turned out of the kitchen, “Get it organized and then we can start!”

"May I ask for the Dharma name of my benefactor? Fairy, words cannot express my gratitude..." Then came Hu Xian'er's voice.

"My name is Ge Wu, Zhi'er, from now on, you should say a few good words for your senior brother in front of the old man!" That year, he smiled and whispered to Zhou Zhi's face.

Having said that, he vanished into thin air before the child's bewildered eyes.

(Editor in charge：we fell apart: a we were liars novel)