Becoming a Fox Spirit from Under One Person

"Why are you cursing at me for no reason? What else can you call this but an animal? I've checked the junction between humans and animals, there are no signs of stitching, it's just grown together."

"The West is full of centaurs and other creatures, and there are also devils with ram horns who tempt people to fall. Here we have amorous and seductive ghosts and fox spirits, while they are just cattle and sheep, pretty much the same thing."

Qin Fu carried the little monkey into the tent. He couldn't see anyone. Four corpses, covered in blood, lay quietly between two benches.

"The forces behind foreigners are deeply entrenched and most of them are not simple. People like us who are just out there in the underworld, no matter how tough we are with words, we still have to avoid their sharp edges in the end. Brother, you..."

Chen Ruoan scoffed, "If I had a gun squad of foreigners under my command, I might actually be cautious. But this guy has only colluded with two low-level superhumans, yet he wants to bully and harm the people. Do I need to avoid him?"

Qin Fu nodded with admiration, but unfortunately his skills were too meager to act as freely as this wandering spirit.

"What should we do about the exotic beasts outside?"

Chen Ruoan did not reply and walked straight to the iron cage surrounded by the fence. Qin Fu felt a cold wind brush past him and followed the yin energy to see the "rare and exotic beasts" being imprisoned.

An Fox raised his hand to signal, and the five ghosts dispersed, unlocked the iron cage chains, and led the group of "rare beasts" to the center of the camp.

Qin Fu waited quietly, then opened his small eyes and saw three eerie blue flames burning in the dark night, exactly the same as the will-o'-the-wisps he had seen on graves when he was sleeping in the wilderness.

"My goodness, are you a ghost?"

That was not will-o'-the-wisp, but the foxfire used by Chen Ruoan.

The art of creating animals is actually a kind of witchcraft and evil magic. It cannot withstand the fire that the fox uses to exorcise evil spirits and dispel turbidity. With just one burn, the fish scales, horse skin, and the seams of the flesh and blood fall off one by one, revealing the pale skin underneath.

The "mermaid" struggled a few times, her legs extending from her long, scale-covered tail. After a moment of movement, she could only wriggle like a fish swimming in deep water.

"This is... creating livestock!" Qin Fu exclaimed in surprise.

In the secular world, "creating animals" is a vicious method of maiming children for use in performing arts and acrobatics. However, the animal-creating technique practiced by the extraordinary person is far more vicious than that of some ordinary human traffickers.

"She's human, no wonder we can't communicate with her."

Chen Ruoan dispelled the evil spell and saw that the victims were making incoherent noises but could not utter a single word. He then pinched the corner of the "mermaid's" mouth to examine her tongue.

A moment later, Qin Fu saw a slender object floating in the air. By the light of the tent fire, he could tell it was a silver needle.

"The silver needle can be used to suppress a person's natural ability to speak over time, making it impossible for them to call for help."

"Beast!" Qin Fu sighed, feeling a mix of emotions as he saw the rare and exotic beast he had once longed for become a human.

Chen Ruoan continued, "I will ask the Taoist priests at Bixia Temple to contact the police station or local government at the foot of the mountain to find a way to settle the people. As for this place, I'll leave it to you to handle."

"You can rest assured when I do things; I guarantee they'll be done cleanly and thoroughly."

Qin Fu shrugged his shoulders, and the monkey squeaked a few times in response.

"Little Saint, a dark and windy night is the perfect time for murder and arson. Let's take advantage of the darkness and pull off a big heist!"

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

In the middle of the night, a fire broke through the camp.

The next day, when the crowds who had come to watch the performance arrived early, all that remained was ashes and chaos. A few charred and curled "GG" signs stood in the same spot, the "rare and exotic beasts" in the iron cage were nowhere to be seen, and even the foreign boss had vanished without a trace.

The crowd looked at each other, whispering amongst themselves, their hopes dashed.

Just as everyone was getting bored, a gong rang out, drawing everyone's attention.

Qin Fu, dressed in a neat short-sleeved outfit, led a little monkey wearing a red cloth hat and colorful ribbons, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

He raised his hand and struck the gong again, proclaiming loudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, don't be impatient! So what if the foreigners' prized possessions have run away? Our own place will still be just as lively!"

Boom!

···

At Bixia Temple, Fang Dongtian and the fox sat side by side in front of the platform. Occasionally, a few pilgrims would pass by. After all, the pilgrimage season was over, and the mountain was much quieter than in the summer.

The young Taoist priest sighed, "The people you brought back have suffered persecution for a long time, and their physical and mental health have deteriorated. The current situation is turbulent, with frequent changes in leadership; even the police station and local government are too lazy to handle troublesome matters."

The fox tilted its head and asked, "What will they do?"

"The Quanzhen School believes that everything within the soul can be restored through gentle nurturing. We can only assist with relevant methods and temporarily allow these individuals to recuperate in the temple."

Everyone has innate Qi within their body; the only difference is whether or not one can obtain and use it. Quanzhen martial arts can also be used on ordinary people, but the effectiveness may be greatly reduced.

"The Taoist priests are truly righteous," the fox flattered.

"Why is even a fox trying to flatter and fawn?" Fang Dongtian chuckled, propping up his slightly flat head. "It's just a matter of course for cultivators."

"How is the method of cultivating both body and mind that I taught you? Now that you've attained human form as a fox, can you resonate with heaven and earth just like a human?"

Chen Ruoan covered his abdomen with his paw, wanting to share some insights into cultivation, but before he could speak, several shouts came from below the stone steps.

"Brother Ghost! Are you in the mountains? I'm about to go on a journey and attend a market, so I wanted to say goodbye!"

Chen Ruoan bid farewell to Fang Dongtian, still using the paper umbrella as a cover, choosing to say goodbye to Qin Fu as a wandering spirit.

Before leaving, he gave Qin Fu a fox pendant woven from dried grass.

"We met by chance, but it's rare for us to work together. Here's a small gift for you as a keepsake."

The little fox pendant, woven from light green grass, is about half the size of a palm and looks adorably naive.

A thin red rope is tied around the fox's neck, from which hangs a small, polished peach wood amulet. The amulet has a neatly written character "安" (ān) in cinnabar, which means "peace" for the fox. In the eyes of some believers, it also means "peace" or "safety".

"That reminds me," Qin Fu said, picking up the pendant with a heavy heart.

"Brother Ghost, to be honest, I came to Mount Tai, the blessed land, for a second reason."

"What is it?"

"I'm looking for a black fox. People at the market say there's a fox in these mountains with glossy black fur, a rare variant. If I could befriend it and perform tricks for money with it, wouldn't I make a fortune?"

Chen Ruoan, who was concealing himself, frowned. So they were looking for me?

"Hey bro, do you have any leads?"

"no."

"What a pity, we could have made a fortune!"

Chen Ruoan pinched his cheek with his fingers in deep thought, and then said:

"Your journey through life is not easy, so I will teach you a health-preserving posture from Tai Chi. Begin in a bow stance, extend your right hand horizontally and raise it high, while twisting your left hand with your body, facing the downhill path..."

An Fox taught him a move called "Divine Deer Turns Back".

"Is this Tai Chi? His big butt sticks out like he's about to get kicked, haha."

Qin Fu smiled, but before he could finish his laugh, he felt a real jolt on his buttocks. He staggered down the mountain, completely unable to stop his momentum.

"Hey bro, you're not playing by the rules!"

"Alright, have a safe journey!" Chen Ruoan said, seeing the guest off without any politeness.

I've already built my immortal abode and am preparing for the immortal class entrance exam in peace. Why do you still want to drag me out to be a miserable laborer?

After seeing Qin Fu off, An Huli returned to Yaoyue Tower, entered meditation before the shrine of the Goddess of Mount Tai, and checked the condition of the wishing tree.

Another piece of the treasure scroll hanging from the branches and leaves lit up, and colorful ribbons fluttered, sometimes connecting two completely different treasure scrolls.

"This is···"

"Will anyone I've formed a bond with, or anyone I meet in the future who becomes involved with me, also appear in the tree?"

It's just like collecting cards; you just need to be able to create synergies with different cards.

Chen Ruoan looked up and saw that the treasure certificate engraved with Qin Fu's name was a deep blue color. A reddish-black ribbon hung on another treasure certificate, on which the name was—

Li Muxuan.

Light gray trim lines connect to the fox's tail, sometimes visible and sometimes hidden.

"It seems we'll meet again someday. Since it's not a friendly encounter, the meeting probably won't be pleasant."