Chapter 18: The Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox

I have to admit, my tolerance for alcohol is rather low. After a few cups of strong liquor, I was already sprawled limply on the ground. If Chen Yu hadn’t ‘dragged’ me back, I would likely be lying dead drunk on the tavern floor right now. The moonlight was hazy, and inside a small room in the backyard of Fenglan City Square, a dim candle flickered in the wind. I opened my eyes and let out a yawn.

“You’re awake? Just a couple of drinks and you’re already like this—at least you didn’t throw up on my bed,” Chen Yu said with a mischievous grin.

Rubbing my dry eyes, I yawned and asked, “What time is it now?”

“Oh, I forgot to wear my watch,” Chen Yu replied, a wicked smile playing on her lips.

“I meant, what hour is it?”

Propping her chin on her hand, Chen Yu said, “It should be three quarters past the fifth hour.”

“What? It’s already eight thirty? Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?” I said anxiously, hurriedly putting on my shoes.

“Brother Fei, don’t tell me you wet the bed?” she teased.

I had no time to deal with the little brat. I tied my laces—still the sneakers I was wearing when I first arrived in this world—and prepared to head out.

“Brother Fei, wait for me!” Chen Yu’s footsteps sounded behind me.

“Brother Fei, where are you going? Why are you running into the woods in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?” she complained, half-running to keep up. I turned around and shot her a cold look.

“What… what do you want?” she panted, her chest heaving with each breath. If not for more pressing matters, I might have been tempted by that sight.

“Nobody asked you to follow. I have something important to do. You’d better go back,” I said coldly.

For some reason, I was deeply worried about Doctor Murong at that moment. Earlier at the tavern, I’d heard that Ye Yun had hired a Martial God expert to deal with her. I didn’t know if she could handle it. Then again, what could I do if I went? With my current skills, I probably wouldn’t even get a chance to escape from a Martial God. Still, since I was already here, I might as well check things out. If nothing was wrong, all the better; if something was, perhaps I could help. Instinctively, my hand reached for a stone.

As soon as I entered the Misty Forest, my vision began to blur. Outside, I could barely make things out by moonlight, but inside, the dense trees blocked out the only light, and the thick fog reduced visibility to just a few meters. To avoid accidents, I grasped Chen Yu’s hand and carefully groped our way forward. I had no idea how long we walked when suddenly a sweet fragrance drifted by, and then everything went black as I collapsed to the ground.

My palm felt icy cold. Jolting awake, I blinked hard and saw Chen Yu lying nearby. I shook her gently, but she didn’t respond. Only then did I notice something strange in my hand—something sticky. Bringing it to my nose, I sniffed. It was fragrant, just like the scent from before. Before I could figure out what it was, I lost consciousness again.

When I woke, dawn was breaking. Chen Yu still lay on the ground, sound asleep, a trickle of drool at the corner of her mouth—a far cry from the elegant lady she appeared to be by day.

As I was about to get up and wake her, my hand accidentally pressed against something soft. Turning, I saw it was a fox—but not just any fox. This one had nine tails, though one tail was already severed from its body. Looking at my palm, it was clear the sticky stuff was the fox’s blood, already clotted. What puzzled me most was why the blood gave off a scent like rosemary. I checked the fox’s wounds: the cut was clean, as if made by a sharp blade. Whatever it was, it was none of my business. I needed to find Murong Xue. Struggling to my feet, my head spinning, a faint female voice reached my ears: “Sir, please save me…”

“Who’s there?” I looked around but saw no one.

“I’m right beside you,” the woman’s voice came again.

I looked around once more—still no one. Finally, my gaze settled on the nine-tailed fox. Could it be calling me? Impossible…

Wait, nine tails—could this be a thousand-year-old spirit fox? I bent closer to inspect it. The fox was clearly dead; it couldn’t be calling me. Just then, the woman’s voice sounded in my ear again: “Don’t bother looking. I am the nine-tailed fox before you. My soul is scattered; I can’t move my body. Please, sir, help hide my body somewhere safe. In three days, I will be able to gather my spirit and be reborn.”

“You… you’re not joking, are you?” Strange beasts I could just about accept, but now I’d run into the soul of a thousand-year-old fox spirit…

“Sir, I beg you. If my body is destroyed, I’ll never be able to cultivate again. My soul will slowly fade away,” the fox spirit pleaded.

I decided to help. After all, a thousand years of cultivation was no easy feat. I dragged its body into a tree hollow, and to prevent wild animals from eating it, I blocked the entrance with stones. Just then, Chen Yu woke up.

“Brother Fei, where are we? Why am I sleeping on the ground?”

“How do you feel? Can you walk? Come on, follow me,” I said, pulling her up.

“What happened to me? I have no strength at all,” she murmured weakly.

“Here, let me carry you.” I hoisted her onto my back and continued on. It wasn’t until sunlight filtered through the branches that I caught sight of a large estate ahead. In front of the courtyard rose a small hill, covered in brilliant flowers. Walking in, I was greeted by a stone statue. The longer I looked, the more familiar it seemed—wasn’t that me? I set Chen Yu down; she was so weak and pale that the moment I let go, she slumped to the ground. I quickly helped her up and supported her to the door, knocking, but no one answered. Had I come to the wrong place? Where was Doctor Murong now? I decided I had better search the woods.

The door wasn’t locked. I helped Chen Yu onto a small bed inside the house and was about to leave when I thought better of it. If the owner was a man—a perverted old man at that—our Chen Yu would be in danger. Just as I was leading her outside, a woman in purple entered the courtyard. If she wasn’t Doctor Murong, then who? Clearly, Murong Xue hadn’t expected me, let alone that I’d barge into her boudoir. Our eyes met in awkward silence. I was the first to break it, smiling slightly. “Doctor Murong, you’re back. I was just looking for you.”

“Yes? What is it?” Murong Xue replied coolly.

I stepped closer. “Please, take a look at this young lady. She seems to have fainted.”

Murong Xue’s gaze remained icy, making me feel a bit self-conscious. “Doctor Murong?”

She finally seemed to snap out of it. “Let’s bring her inside.”

I laid Chen Yu on the bed. Murong Xue checked her pulse and told me there was nothing serious—just temporary unconsciousness, and she’d be fine after some rest. It was then that I remembered what brought me here. “Doctor Murong, was everything all right last night?”

She looked at me with fathomless eyes. “Why do you ask?”

I gestured we step outside so Chen Yu could rest. In the courtyard, a modest pavilion stood, with a stone table and four stone stools.

“Doctor Murong, I heard that Ye Yun, the head of the Ye family, hired a Martial God-level expert to force you out of seclusion. Did you run into him?”

Her answer surprised me. She said calmly, “Just a so-called Martial God—a mere worthless opponent, not enough to threaten me.”

Did I hear that right? There were fewer than ten Martial Gods on the entire continent, yet in Murong Xue’s eyes, they were ‘worthless.’

“Doctor Murong, did you hear me? I said a Martial God-level expert.” I drew out the words for emphasis.

“I heard you. And by the way, stop calling me ‘Doctor Murong.’ Just call me Murong Xue.”

“All right, Miss Murong. If even Martial Gods are beneath your notice, could it be that you’re a Heaven’s Path cultivator?”

Murong Xue stood and said, “I am neither a Heaven’s Path cultivator nor someone of this world.”

Not of this world? I shot to my feet, studying her closely. She truly didn’t seem like someone from here—too beautiful for words. I believed any man who saw her would be captivated.

“Miss Murong, are you a transmigrant as well?” I asked in confusion.