Becoming a Fox Spirit from Under One Person

Chapter 119 A token of love, a keepsake? What a heavy gift.

Due to the impact of the war, the Jidong Railway was suspended, and Wei Shufen urged the speeder to rush south.

The scenery along the way was hardly beautiful.

After leaving Qinghe Miao Village, Wei Shufen realized that the so-called beautiful scenery was perhaps just a preference for that remote little village in western Hunan.

She stood on a mountaintop, gazing into the distance.

Mountains upon mountains, one after another, stretch as far as the eye can see, a hazy, desolate expanse, as if the heavens and earth were covered by a dirty, old gray cloth.

The vitality of spring has vanished, and the desolation of winter has long since dissipated. The four seasons, shattered by the chaos of the world, are left with only a desolate emptiness.

She hadn't taken care of her hair in a long time; her long hair hung down to her waist, dry and split, with a few strands sticking up like hardened ox horns. Even when she tried to comb it carefully with a wooden comb, the sharp edges would be blocked by the tangled knots.

Wei Shufen squatted by the muddy river, gazing at the blurry reflection on the water's surface. The figure swayed in the turbid current, floating and indistinct like a wisp of cotton in the wind.

Having endured wind and rain all the way, my skin has changed appearance.

Her skin used to be as white as jade, but now it's dull and withered. This is probably what people mean by "yellow-faced woman".

She's only around twenty years old.

Wei Shufen dipped a wooden comb into the muddy river water and gently combed her tangled hair, a light and lyrical tune escaping her lips as she softly hummed, her gaze quietly fixed on the reflection in the river.

But the woman in the water suddenly turned cold and indifferent, her gentle smile vanishing in an instant.

With a "plop," the wooden comb slipped from my hand and fell into the river, splashing up a small, muddy wave that slowly spread outwards.

In just five days, the connection and communication between her and the three live Gu worms she had sent out were completely severed.

Why?

"Why did we have to use it so soon? You three idiots, we even cured your malaria, you could have lived a few more years if you had just behaved... But if something happens to you, it means the rest of the team..."

Wei Shufen clenched her teeth. The woman in the river's reflection stared intently at her, her eyes brimming with a chilling resentment.

She stood still with her eyes closed for a long time. When she opened her eyes again, she slowly exhaled a long, stagnant breath, then put the five fingers of her right hand together and, imitating the three people, awkwardly saluted towards the north.

"I've replied to you."

After crossing the river and climbing over an unassuming hill, a vast plain covered with wild grass finally appeared behind the hill. The glimpse of new green that entered my eyes was enough to alleviate my depressed mood.

At the end of the mountain road, several figures flashed by.

A man dressed in black is being chased by four Japanese supernatural beings wearing tengu masks.

Swish!

A kunai flew past and pierced the man's ankle. He screamed and fell to the ground, rolling into the thorny bushes.

The Tengu clan took out the assassination list and lightly traced it on the paper with a black stone. This man's name was in the last column.

At the same time, this man is the last remaining representative of Hebei Eagle Claw Boxing.

"The mission was surprisingly easy." Tengu drew his long sword from behind him, the blade aimed at the injured man.

With a whoosh, just as the Tengu were about to make their move, they heard the sound of grass rustling in the distance. They looked up and saw a woman, looking distracted and with a low aura, staggering across the plain.

She had disheveled hair, was holding a memorial tablet, and looked like a madwoman.

The lone inheritor of Eagle Claw Fist scrambled to his feet, raising his arm to block Wei Shufen, and shouted, "Girl, don't come any closer! They're facing a group of ruthless killers. I can hold them off, but you should run!"

Without replying, Wei Shufen pushed aside the man's protective arm and walked straight ahead without looking to the side until she brushed past the Tengu members wielding knives.

, 7

"How interesting." The leader of the Tengu chuckled, gripped his long sword, and raised his hand to slash down at Wei Shufen's nape!

"girl!"

The lone master of Eagle Claw Fist shouted loudly, but the expected scene of blood splattering and decapitation did not appear.

The four Tengu who had just been wielding their swords with such imposing manner suddenly collapsed to their knees. At first, they could still let out shrill and ear-piercing howls, but after a short while, all they could manage were painful, labored gasps.

Wei Shufen crossed the grassy plain. The lone master of Eagle Claw Fist went to check on the Tengu Clan. All four of them were in a miserable state, clutching their throats and with their faces twisted in a ferocious grimace. Thick, dark blood was flowing from between their fingers. They were already dead beyond any doubt.

The girl, burdened with her own worries, continued on her journey.

Along the way, we saw ordinary people fleeing from disaster and soldiers going against the tide.

When she encountered someone who was sick or injured, Wei Shufen would use her methods to help them heal. She didn't know why she would waste time doing such a thing on the road; she just felt that the fox would do it, so she learned to do it too.

She leaned against the edge of the broken wall, next to a dirty, thin boy with a still-childish face.

"Sister, you're not an ordinary person, are you? Can those strange insects of yours make me stronger? Stronger than those adults, those bad guys who shoot us?"

Wei Shufen stared at the boy, and for a moment, the boy's resolute face seemed to overlap with those three idiots.

"Why would you say the same thing and then rush forward to fight?"

"Sister, my parents were killed, my home is gone, I only have one life left, I have nothing left but my life to fight for." The boy smiled faintly, or perhaps he didn't smile at all.

Wei Shufen lowered her head and gave a bitter smile.

I thought I could cross mountains and seas to the fox's side, just like in the book, and have a romantic affair, or move the fox to tears. Now that I think about it, it was all wishful thinking. This trip was not romantic at all.

Splash!

Wei Shufen opened the "backpack her mother had packed" and found a series of silver ornaments and pendants inside.

"Take it."

"I don't want money. :."

"You wanted to risk your life, didn't you? I'll make sure you have the chance to do it!" Wei Shufen gently stroked a silver bracelet, glanced at the memorial tablet beside her, and murmured softly, "Speaking of which, this was a gift from him..."

"what?"

Memorial tablets and silver ornaments!

Could it be a keepsake?

The boy felt a deep sense of heaviness in his heart. He felt that he would rather have a few insects than accept something with such special meaning.

"It's alright, don't overthink it. If I had given you silver jewelry in the first place, perhaps none of this would have happened. You didn't get it, and you can't find the knack for activating the magic artifact, but that's okay. What's beyond human capability, let the living Gu solve it."

Wei Shufen examined the Qinghe Gu Gu and found that there were very few insects left from the ones she had found along the way.

"Does my sister mean I'm not even as good as these little bugs?"

"In a sense, yes. But insects won't risk their lives for their loved ones; they're not that brave and fearless." Wei Shufen smiled. "Insects can be forged again, but this silver ornament was a gift from him. I can't easily give it to you. One day, you'll have to return it to me personally."

"I'll return it to my sister when I get back from the Great Wall."

"Um."

In early June, Wei Shufen arrived in the Tianjin area and finally found a teahouse to rest in. But as soon as she sat down, she heard the heart-wrenching cries of many patriots. They heard that the Nationalist government had signed some kind of agreement with Japan, which tacitly acknowledged the legality of the occupation of land. The three northeastern provinces and Rehe were really going to be lost.

..

Wei Shufen stared at the tea stems floating in the teacup, watching the steam rise and then cool and dissipate.

Normally, she wouldn't feel bad about using up those living Gu that she had personally manipulated, but now... why?

"fraud."

"They're all liars."

There were very few silver ornaments left in the "Mom's Bag," and only three insects remained in the Qinghe Gu Gu. All the protective magic items had been given away, leaving only Wei Shufen's favorite anklet and earrings in the bag.

The atmosphere in the tavern was so oppressive that even the comedians who were performing on stage had gone to participate in the anti-Japanese protests.

Wei Shufen didn't drink tea; instead, she hitched a ride south along the way and continued her journey to Shandong.

It wasn't until the majestic silhouette of Mount Tai came into view, like an ancient painting rendered in bold and delicate ink under the night sky, that the pent-up frustration in Wei Shufen's heart, which had been building up for days, was finally swept away by the mountain wind and dissipated somewhat.

The ride she took along the way was not on time. The night was already deep, and the mountain breeze was cool, making her messy hair stick to her cheeks.

The fox had previously told her that the Inviting Moon Pavilion was hidden in the most secluded spot on Aolai Peak. Above, it could receive the moonlight from the sky, while below, there was a thick, impenetrable mist, layer upon layer, which would reject all uninvited guests.

The lingering fog, like shattered moonlight sinking into the mountains, made Wei Shufen shake her head as she looked at it, a self-deprecating smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

It turns out I was an uninvited guest.

Of course, perhaps the fox didn't notice.

She turned and started climbing the mountain.

Aolai Peak is inherently dangerous, with steep cliffs. Even with the help of a strange person, each step still requires a lot of effort.

Strangely enough, Wei Shufen was not afraid at all in this perilous situation.

In a daze, she remembered the days in Qinghe Miao Village. Back then, when she went up the mountain to collect herbs, she would occasionally slip and fall off a cliff. Then a warm, furry thing would appear and steadily support her falling body.

But let's skip this one.

Wei Shufen climbed up a precipitous cliff halfway up the mountain, and the Yaoyue Tower came into view.

"Is this Chen Ruoan's immortal abode?"

It was an elegant pavilion with upturned eaves reflecting the moonlight. Below, there were neat and orderly medicinal herb fields, where tender green herbs shimmered in the night dew. Beside the field stood a small stone ox, polished smooth and round, exuding a touch of naivety.

In front of the pavilion stood a beautiful woman dressed in luxurious clothes, with exquisite features and an elegant demeanor.

"That's really nice, with houses, fields, and beautiful women..."

"Wait, beauty!?"

Wei Shufen's gaze darkened, like ashes after a fire had burned out, a deep, dark stare fixed on the little phoenix, and even the aura around her seemed to grow colder.

But then she thought again, Chen Ruoan, with her personality, would never do something like keeping a mistress in a secluded place. So she suppressed the jealousy surging in her heart and stepped forward to ask softly, "May I ask who you are?"

The little phoenix simply replied, "The master here has gone out; please leave."

"Hmm?" Wei Shufen's heart tightened, and she quickly asked, "Chen Ruoan went out. Where did he go?"

The little phoenix retorted, "Who are you?"

Wei Shufen truthfully gave her name. Little Phoenix remembered the old story of the fox making love potions, so she told her the details: "He went to the Northeast."

"The Northeast!?" Wei Shufen raised her voice and pressed further, "How long have you been gone?"

"It's been a year and a half."

"It's been so long." Wei Shufen puffed out her cheeks and pouted, but she was helpless.

She looked up and surveyed the Inviting Moon Pavilion before her, tentatively asking, "May I go inside and take a look?"

"Okay," Little Phoenix replied casually.

Wei Shufen pushed open the door and entered. The building was elegant and quiet, but there were few signs of human life inside.

Here you'll find a stone platform for grinding medicine, a study, a viewing platform for gazing into the distance, and a statue of the Goddess of Mount Tai, which is devoutly worshipped by foxes.

Her gaze swept across the room and she saw several unopened incense sticks placed in a corner of the rooftop. A thought struck her, and she quickly went forward, hugged them to her chest, and turned to run outside.

Just as she reached the door, something occurred to her, and she asked the pheasant, "May I borrow a place to wash up?"

"The fox's dwelling has running water that is brought indoors."

"Thank you."

Wei Shufen found the large wooden tub that Chen Ruoan usually used, filled it with water, and quickly washed away the grime. She then took out a piece of clothing from her bundle and changed into it. She combed her hair in front of the bronze mirror and tied her messy long hair into a high ponytail.

After tidying up, she held the memorial tablet and incense in her arms, found a clean blue stone wall in the mountains, lit the incense, and began to pray devoutly.

Wisps of smoke rose and swirled around her figure. She bowed her head and prayed softly, over and over again.

After an unknown amount of time, when the incense had burned to more than half its full length, the swirling smoke suddenly condensed, and the outline of a fox head gradually appeared before her eyes.

"Chen Ruoan, where are you?"

The fox answered matter-of-factly, "I am on Mount Tai."

He noticed the bluish-green stone wall and asked, "Where are you?"

"I'm in Qinghe! Let's not talk about that. I've thought through what you said to me last time, and I can wait. Once you've dealt with the important matters at Mount Tai, we can talk about some minor things."

"It will take a long time."

"I can wait. Don't forget, you taught me my dual cultivation method of body and soul. I can live a very, very long time, maybe even longer than a fox. Okay, it's settled then, goodbye!"

Wei Shufen waved her hands, dispelling the fox head formed by the incense, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Before anyone knew it, the golden pheasant gracefully walked over and said, "I thought you would talk to the fox for a long time."

1

"That was true, but I'm afraid."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid of being rejected."

Little Phoenix recalled the scene before the fox left and continued, "The fox liked to sit on the edge of the cliff, staring blankly at the sky and the mountains. I don't know what he was thinking, but I know he had a lot on his mind."

Upon hearing this, Wei Shufen stepped forward and sat cross-legged on the edge of the cliff.

This is where foxes sit quietly and observe the mountains, and where they absorb the moonlight. Here, you can see the peaks under the moonlight, and a few scattered stars in the sky. When everything quiets down, you can also see into a person's heart.

Wei Shufen nodded as she recalled the hardships and experiences she had endured along the way.

"I know what's on his mind."

Perhaps, the fox truly harbors a "girl" in his heart, and in the presence of this "girl," everything else pales in comparison.

Wei Shufen felt she hadn't been wronged in losing to her.

"Thank you for telling me all this, I have to go now," Wei Shufen said to Little Phoenix as she turned around.

"Aren't you going to rest a bit more?"

"I'm in a hurry."

Just like the fox before it went down the mountain, the little phoenix guessed where Wei Shufen was going.

"Here's some dry food for you to take with you. Also, please take some things for the fox. I've stored up a lot of his favorite foods, which I was originally planning to give him when he comes back."

"Yes, I will come back with him."