Becoming a Fox Spirit from Under One Person

What does it mean to be "bound by incense and offerings"?

Chen Ruoan asked in confusion, and the white fox, its eyes filled with sorrow, leaped and disappeared into the moonlit night.

The next day, Chen Ruoan arrived at the Fox Fairy Hall on Longhu Mountain.

Here, the green tiles are covered with moss, the vermilion doors are half-closed, and the steps are swept clean and spotless by the Taoist priests.

Inside the shrine stood two fox spirit statues, one yellow and one white. The lamplight flickered before the altar, and a lingering incense smoke drifted in. Autumn was already in full swing outside the mountains, and occasionally distant sounds could be heard, but within the ancient hall, only tranquility and the lingering fragrance of dust remained.

As new intellectual trends emerged, many people broke free from feudal theology. Even the Fox Fairy Hall on Longhu Mountain could not escape the fate of becoming deserted.

This Fox Fairy Hall can't compare to Chen Ruoan's small village temple.

"What are you doing here?" Zhang Jingqing walked in from outside. "Are you interested in the fox spirit being worshipped?"

Chen Ruoan replied, "Last night I met a little white fox. She said she was the little white fairy on the stage, but also said she wasn't before. I didn't understand what she meant, so I wanted to take a look."

Zhang Jingqing found a cushion and sat cross-legged. Seeing that the fox was interested, she began to tell some legends about fox spirits.

The two fox spirits, yellow and white, enshrined in the Fox Fairy Hall of Longhu Mountain can be traced back to the Northern Song Dynasty.

Legend has it that when the Celestial Master Xujing was cultivating in the mountains, he saw a pregnant yellow fox suffering from a heavenly tribulation. He felt compassion and used his Taoist magic to plead for her to be saved from the tribulation.

The yellow fox survived the ordeal, and out of gratitude, she vowed to convert to Taoism and dedicate herself to good deeds. The beautiful white fox she gave birth to was Little White Fairy.

The mother and daughter fox spirits were devoted to protecting the Dao, often secretly helping the Celestial Master's Mansion to pray for rain, relieve drought, and ensure the safety of the area. Their miraculous deeds were repeatedly fulfilled. The Daoist community and the villagers were grateful for their virtue, so they built the Fox Fairy Hall in Longhu Mountain and enshrined the statues of the yellow and white fox spirits. The incense has burned for hundreds of years.

···

"The story is just that—a story. It's bound to be embellished by later generations as it's passed down. Adding a touch of legend makes it seem more convincing during its dissemination. It's an old trick, haha," Zhang Jingqing said without any hesitation.

Chen Ruoan glanced to the side.

Why does it feel so strange to hear these words coming from the mouth of a Celestial Master?

"What happened to the little white fairy yesterday?"

Zhang Jingqing stared at the ashes in the incense burner and explained, "Incense has an irresistible attraction for you small beasts who cultivate. That white fox was originally a wild fox that had attained Qi, but it was attracted by the incense and stayed in the mountains."

"In our view, incense offerings are the sincere wishes of people to worship the gods, and are orthodox merits recognized by Heaven and Earth. They should only be enjoyed by the officially appointed gods and protectors. This white fox has no title given by Heaven, and has no merits to help the world, yet it has privately stolen incense offerings and robbed people of their blessings, thus committing the crime of theft and usurpation."

"I originally intended to deal with it, but this little fox was corrupted by the White Immortal's faith and occasionally came down the mountain to do good deeds. Over time, I stopped caring so much about it."

"Did the forced occupation of the memorial tablet backfire?" Chen Ruoan sorted out the situation based on Zhang Jingqing's words.

In this world, the offerings of legitimate deities are not so easily stolen; this is very similar to the "mask of divinity."

The deeper the faith and will that a deity embodies, the greater its power, but at the same time, the greater the risk that the person playing the role will suffer from the corruption of their divine status.

If they cannot find a connection with reality, some shamans are prone to cognitive impairment and become completely lost in their role as deities.

The little white fox was stealing incense offerings and got caught up in people's faith in the "Little White Fairy." It's estimated that with the recent rise of new ideas and the decline in incense offerings, it was able to escape for a short while and catch its breath.

"Incense and faith, they really are strange things," Chen Ruoan remarked.

"Who says otherwise? Incense brings you joy and pleasure, making you crave that kind of happiness, which means it can't guide you onto the right path. Once you can face it calmly, you won't need to worry about the drawbacks that incense brings to your spiritual practice."

"Mm," Chen Ruoan replied, but he knew he wasn't after any excessive "joy."

He has a sweet tooth, and the incense is delicious, that's all.

In the fox's view, it was strange for a cultivator to eat the clouds and drink the dew, and those who drank the northwest wind were even more pitiful.

Zhang Jingqing added that the abilities obtained from incense offerings must be based on the wishes and power of the people. Almost all "divine masks" and fox-like supernatural powers follow this principle.

Playing the role of the Monkey King, his abilities are limited to the Seventy-Two Transformations for escaping the Three Calamities; playing the role of Qin Qiong, his ability is "vector thrust," derived from the concept of "door gods," intended to keep all calamities and persecutions at bay; the people of Liangshan believe that foxes are "spring gods," so Chen Ruoan can cultivate some wood-element magic.

According to this theory, if someone were to perform an illicit ritual for a fox and develop it into a belief, some misfortunes would also befall the fox.

Elves must be extremely careful in choosing their partners.

Chen Ruoan nodded. He had earned his memorial tablet through hard work and solid achievements, without much involvement. Fortunately, he hadn't chosen a famous mountain to usurp his place.

Zhang Jingqing calculated the time and remembered a date.

"Speaking of which, Little White Fairy is about to undergo a tribulation of lightning."

The fox was taken aback: "Judging from Bai Xian'er's cultivation level, it doesn't seem too profound. Why is she about to undergo a tribulation of lightning?"

"The tribulation of lightning isn't that mysterious; it depends on what you're doing. The tribulation of lightning you're thinking of stems from the act of seizing creation during cultivation, so the 'Dao' has to filter it. But Little White Immortal is just using the tribulation of lightning to cleanse her fox body and make amends for her mistakes."

"Then why don't you just symbolically chop a few times?"

"Hehe, this humble Taoist only acts on behalf of Heaven, not on its behalf to punish. However, based on the good deeds Little White Immortal has done over the years, I will write a few talismans to help pray to Heaven."

Zhang Jingqing stood up with a smile and said to the fox, "Don't worry, the tribulation you and Little White Fairy want are completely different things."

The tribulation of lightning you are about to encounter will be more ferocious and violent.

···

Chen Ruoan had always lamented that there was no fox ahead, but fate had to arrange for this white fox to scout the way.

On the day the white fox underwent its tribulation, dark clouds hung extremely low, rolling thunder swept across the sky, and purple-blue lightning flashed between the clouds.

The little white fairy dog ​​sat atop the mountain, its snow-white fur fluttering slightly in the wind, its head held high, facing the roaring sound in the sky.

Grateful for their past friendship, Zhang Jingqing raised her hand and wrote several talismans, sincerely praying.

boom!

A thick bolt of purple lightning crashed down, and Little White Fairy ascended towards it.

A white shadow weaved through the lightning. The Taoist priests on the mountaintop could no longer see the scene in the sky. With the help of his golden eyes, Chen Ruoan watched as the little white fairy bravely clashed with the lightning.

Soon, the white fox let out a mournful cry and fell heavily to the ground.

Its brow was filled with the foul air of indiscriminately consumed incense, yet its cultivation dissipated like smoke into the mountain breeze.

When the thunderclouds dispersed, the white fox was still the same white fox, but it no longer possessed any intelligence or signs of drawing upon Qi to awaken its wisdom. It had completely transformed back into an ordinary little fox in the mountains and forests.

"Is it over, or did it succeed?"

Animals don't easily obtain Qi, and Little White Immortal's cultivation dissipated in an instant.

Chen Ruoan watched quietly, and perhaps it was a case of "feeling the pain of seeing the same kind of thing," but the scene evoked a cool and shallow sadness in him. The feeling was very faint, like the lingering smoke from an incense burner after it had burned out. Once the smoke dissipated, it would leave behind a faint sense of melancholy.

Zhang Zhiwei tucked his hands into his sleeves and said, "Fox, the military calamity hasn't arrived yet, it's too early to be thinking about the lightning calamity."

"In this world, who is not facing war and calamity? Can a fox remain unscathed?"

The war will be over soon.

"When your tribulation is about to begin, I will help you pray to the heavens."

"It seems that Master Jingqing's prayer was not successful."

Chen Ruoan recalled the previous scene. What level of cultivation was required to avoid disasters, pass the selection process, and successfully seize the creation of heaven and earth?

As the fox planned its path of cultivation, Zhang Zhiwei began to speak arrogantly.

"Why don't you delay for a few years? Maybe by then my cultivation level will far surpass my master's. It's just a little plea, nothing much. Heaven will definitely be more willing to give me face."

Zhang Zhiwei crossed his arms and spoke eloquently, his tone exuding a carefree and unrestrained spirit.

But before he could finish speaking, the strange celestial phenomenon that had just dissipated suddenly returned, with clouds churning and thunder rumbling.

"Why is there another tribulation of lightning? Who is undergoing this tribulation?"

Zhang Zhiwei was filled with doubt. His fellow disciples had already slipped away to a great distance. Chen Ruoan leaped into the air a hundred meters away, keeping a safe distance.

Oh no, this is bad!

Zhang Zhiwei sensed something was wrong and looked at his master, Zhang Jingqing, who was surging with energy, clearly doing something.

Zhang Zhiwei remained expressionless and raised his hand, indicating, "Master, I request to retract what I said earlier."

Zhang Jingqing smiled, but her tone concealed anger: "Why take it back? You're absolutely right. In a few years, I really won't be able to fight anymore. While I can still deal with you properly now, I have to go all out."

Eat this thunderbolt from your master!

On this day, before Anhu's tribulation arrived, Zhang Zhiwei's tribulation came first.