Becoming a Fox Spirit from Under One Person

Having learned from his previous experience with painting, Lin Zifeng pondered deeply. Foxes always think things through more, so Chen Ruoan hurriedly said goodbye and, relying on the unfamiliar sword control technique he had just acquired, soared straight into the sky.

···

Outside Longhu Mountain, a Taoist priest with large ears sat down to rest on the steps after carrying water, occasionally looking up at the snow-like clouds in the sky.

"Sigh—" Zhang Huaiyi pondered for a long time, and a sense of melancholy spread with the breath he exhaled.

Several years ago, his master secretly taught him for three years, but he was easily defeated by his senior brother.

Now, my senior brother has spent a year traveling and another year meditating in the mountains, and I feel that the gap between us is becoming more and more obvious.

"Insecurity is acting up like crazy..."

Swish!

As I sighed inwardly, something strange flew overhead.

"Um?"

Zhang Huaiyi stared intently, and fortunately the thing wasn't flying very fast, so he could barely make out its shape.

It was a long, dark yellow object, probably a sword?

However, there were no disciples of the Sword Immortal Sect on the "sword," but instead, a black, fluffy thing was lying on it.

"What the hell?"

The fox obediently sat on the spine of the sword, its pointed ears standing straight up and its tail slowly sweeping. Even though its skills were rusty and its soft body made the longsword sway slightly, it was not afraid at all.

Suddenly seized by a playful impulse, Chen Ruoan straightened his back leg and stood up on the sword.

The fox's hind legs were taut, and its front paws were outstretched to maintain its balance, gradually finding its center of gravity.

As we flew, the outline of Jinxi Village gradually came into view.

It is autumn harvest season.

The local autumn harvest centers on double-cropping rice, with late rice mostly harvested between the Cold Dew and Frost's Descent solar terms. Soybeans, sweet potatoes, and jute are also harvested at the same time. Farming relies entirely on human and animal labor, and the period after the autumn harvest is also the time for landlords to collect rent and seize grain.

The fox arrived at just the right time. In the fields, the late-season rice ears were wilted and not very full, but compared to the neighboring village, it was already a bumper harvest.

Chen Ruoan landed. The sun was setting, and footsteps echoed from the field ridges.

"Old folks, the rent from the autumn harvest should be settled in a few days." An old man glanced sideways at the rice stalks, a smirk on his face. "Same old rule, 70% rent, not a single grain less."

Several tenant farmers gathered around.

When the farmers' associations were still in operation in the first half of the year, they said they would reduce rents. But afterwards, the farmers' associations were disbanded, cadres went into hiding or were arrested, and the landlords turned their backs on them, demanding rents even more fiercely than in previous years.

"Master Zhou, this year's drought has reduced the late rice harvest by 30%. Our whole family depends on this little bit of rice to survive. We've already paid 70% of the rent, and we'll starve to death!" An old man's voice trembled as he gritted his teeth and refused to back down.

"Starving to death is your problem, rent is the rule of our ancestors!" The servant swung a wooden stick and tapped the stone mill in the threshing ground.

"You worthless bastards, I'm telling you, you're talking nonsense! Jinxi is the only place in the surrounding villages with a decent harvest, and you still dare to spout such rubbish?"

A young tenant, indignant, took a step forward: "You promised a rent reduction in the first half of the year, how can you go back on your word!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a servant swept a stick across his arm, causing the young man to groan in pain.

"This year's harvest is a gift from heaven, a blessing from the fox spirit, and the result of our hard work. We only need to pay 30% rent, not a single grain more! No one can steal our grain!"

As soon as the old man finished speaking, dozens of tenant farmers emerged from behind the bamboo grove and the field ridges, some carrying sickles, some holding hammers, and some carrying shoulder poles, all neatly arranged to surround him.

Seeing the overwhelming number of people, Master Zhou's expression changed, and his servants also stopped in their tracks. The autumn wind blew across the fields, rustling the rice stalks. On one side were the fierce-looking landlord's servants, and on the other side were the tenants clutching their farm tools, risking their lives to protect their grain. They were locked in a stalemate in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Times have changed; now is a critical period for the farmers' resistance.

"A bunch of ingrates! Don't they know who gave them their food? They call it God or fox spirits? I'll tear down your dilapidated ancestral hall sooner or later," the old man cursed under his breath.

Chen Ruoan witnessed everything that happened beside the rice paddy.

My fox ancestors from Dazexiang stepped forward to help unite the people because of the farmers' spirit of resistance. How can I, the younger generation of foxes, abandon the fine traditions of the fox family?

"You want to demolish my temple?"

A faint, ethereal voice came from the clouds.

"Huh? Who's speaking?" Master Zhou was startled and looked in the direction of the voice. He saw a malevolent aura gathering in the twilight, which was reddened by the setting sun. A fox's head appeared in the mist, its eyes gleaming with an eerie light.

"It's a fox spirit! The fox spirit has appeared again!"

The villagers of Jinxi shouted in unison and waved their farm tools with joy.

"You want to demolish my temple?"

"Are you deaf?!"

Seeing the old man's dazed and foolish appearance, Chen Ruoan spoke more harshly.

"No, I wouldn't dare!"

"I didn't mean it," Master Zhou and his servant knelt down and kowtowed.

"What about this year's rent?"

"Thirty percent it is!"

"Um?"

"Twenty percent! Twenty percent is fine!"

Master Zhou felt the fox's panting breath was about to land on his head.

"Ten percent is fine, Fox Fairy. You can't expect me to make no profit at all. Even the richest family doesn't have surplus grain."

Seeing that the fox remained unmoved, Master Zhou hurriedly said a few words, "Never mind, never mind," and fled the scene in fear.

The farmers won.

In this situation, the fox must be lifted high, but the villagers cannot reach the fox in the air, so they all raise their hands and cheer. Tonight, the incense in the Fox Fairy Temple is especially abundant.

Chen Ruoan got high on drugs.

The fox lay before the memorial tablet, enjoying the peace and leisure after its long journey. This way of getting along between the fox spirit and the devout believer was the most comfortable.

A few days later, Chen Ruoan had a full rest and, with the help of the incense and faith absorbed by the memorial tablet, he brought life to the late rice crop in Jinxi Village.

A large crowd gathered at the village entrance, and people from neighboring villages also came over.

People used to say that the fox spirits in Jinxi were very powerful, but it was just a word-of-mouth story and not many people believed in them. After the rent resistance incident, now people from all around want to invite the spirits to their altars and add more incense offerings for the fox spirits.

"Your career is getting better and better."

As Chen Ruoan was feeling sentimental, he heard cursing coming from outside the crowd.

"Still making a fuss? You're nothing but an animal. I've got someone to deal with you!" Master Zhou strode over arrogantly, pushing his way through the crowd.

Chen Ruoan asked, "Which powerful figure did you invite?"

"Longhu Mountain, Zhang Jingqing, Zhang Tianshi!"

"Which one?" The fox could hardly believe its ears, but a Taoist priest in a dark blue robe strode closer.

If Zhang Zhiwei was a sleepy, foolish lion, then the Taoist priest in front of them truly possessed a terrifying aura like a majestic lion.

If there were a fox in the Animal Chess game, it would definitely be ranked below the lion.

Why?

Master Zhou pointed and said, "It's this beast that's hurting people! Celestial Master, please take action!"

Upon hearing this, the villagers of Jinxi rushed forward, forming a human wall to protect Chen Ruoan.

The fox was somewhat moved, but the Taoist priest on the other side seemed to have no regard for the lives of the common people.

Zhang Jingqing turned her head and said, "I've told you all the details of the prayers to the gods and immortals. It's normal that the manifestation might not be entirely satisfactory and some unexpected things might happen."

"It's alright, just ask your superiors to handle it."

"good!"

Zhang Jingqing used the Five Elements to manipulate the celestial phenomena, and in an instant, thunder roared.

boom!

"You bastard, just wait to die, you beast!" Old Master Zhou cursed as he saw the strange phenomenon in the sky.

boom!

A bolt of lightning struck, and in the blinding flash, a charred corpse lay down.

Zhang Jingqing glanced at him coldly and said, "The higher-ups said that the perpetrators have already been dealt with."

The scene remained tense for a long time. One of the lackeys, terrified, blurted out in a daze, "You...you killed my master?"

"You damned bastard, what does it have to do with me if you get struck by lightning?"