Becoming a Fox Spirit from Under One Person

Chapter 94 You Might Make Me Who I Am

"Wouldn't setting another fire be a bit unnecessary?"

Chen Ruoan inadvertently saw the account book on the table, which recorded the specific income from the Peace Donation under the guise of warding off evil and disaster.

In addition to the planned zombie incident, there were also schemes involving falsely reporting banditry and forcibly pushing taxes to obtain funds.

After deducting the money spent on bribing the provincial government and the garrison, he had more than five thousand silver dollars in his pocket, enough to buy several more houses in this small town and support three or four concubines.

"The city is in a state of panic, the atmosphere is just right. Why not use the zombie incident to solve the scam as well? We don't need to destroy the evidence, and we can even be bolder. Let's stage a play ourselves," Chen Ruoan pondered.

Zhang Huaiyi replied, "Then wouldn't I have wasted my lightning magic attack on him?"

"But he didn't die in vain."

"Do you know how to play zombies?"

"No." Chen Ruoan flicked her tail, sending out several wisps of azure energy that diffused out the window. "If it's just manipulating corpses, you don't need corpse energy."

Swish!

A strange crawling sound came from the window. Some thin, dark gray roots crawled over the window, wrapped around the woman, and burrowed into her seven orifices. The tiny roots clung to her bones and meridians. Zhang Huaiyi got goosebumps all over his body: "Senior Brother Chen, if you go astray, you will definitely become a demonic master."

"I have no interest in being besieged by the righteous."

After searching through the accounts, the fox went to the desk to look for correspondence. Apart from the most recent letters, everything useful had been destroyed.

Fortunately, the only person who conspired with the county magistrate was the rumored Mr. Liu from western Hunan.

"Your acting isn't too exaggerated, is it?"

Chen Ruoan asked Zhang Huaiyi beside him, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the fox immediately realized that it was a redundant question.

A guy who's been playing the coward and acting innocent in Longhu Mountain for years, how could he not be a good actor?

"I can act, I can act." Zhang Huaiyi nodded as expected.

Chen Ruoan made a plan and went to the kitchen to treat the soldiers of the security team, giving them the opportunity to witness the events alongside the people.

As the sun began to set and darkness fell, an eerie atmosphere once again enveloped the small town.

For the city's residents, the daytime exorcism yielded no results, and they had no idea where the all-powerful Taoist priest had gone; for the defense team, the day was even more frustrating.

The communal meals in the kitchen consisted of radishes, greens, and pickled vegetables, which was enough to make my stomach upset, my legs go numb from squatting, and my body feel weak.

The thought of having to fight zombies for such a meager monthly salary makes me even more uncomfortable.

The leader clutched his stomach, his legs trembling, and looked back at his brothers: "We've suffered this calamity for no reason; it must be the work of evil spirits. Fortunately, the lord doesn't have anything important scheduled for today. I think that Taoist priest is just a name without substance; we're the ones who have to exorcise zombies and ghosts."

"Will the bullets work?"

"But they're all covered in black dog blood."

The head of the militia patted his waist and led a group of pale-faced brothers toward the county magistrate's house. Halfway there, a series of chilling thumping sounds made everyone's hearts leap into their throats.

"Get your weapons!"

Some old-fashioned rifles were pointed at the alley entrance, but what emerged from the shadows was not the old Qing Dynasty zombie that the locals talked about, but a female corpse. The way she jumped around was also different, with her limbs swinging wildly and going their own way. The degree of incoordination was simply beyond description.

boom! boom! boom!

Several gunshots shattered the roots inside the woman's left arm. She staggered a few steps, swinging her left elbow, and limped forward.

Just then, another zombie appeared at the other end of the street, its body charred black and its hair curled up.

The leader was dumbfounded: "Could it be the legendary black zombie!?"

He drew his gun and fired behind him, but the black dog blood from the bullet stuck to the sand and dust, making the bullet and the barrel feel rough and causing it to jam.

Snap, snap... "Oh no!"

The militia leader was already weak, and now he was flustered and confused. He pulled a few brothers to look back, and the brothers' two old rifles were pointed at the alley entrance.

Before the shots were fired, someone did several somersaults in the air, flew over the heads of the guards, and stood in the middle of the street.

The bandit leader and his men recognized the newcomer and exclaimed with delight, "Master, are you alright? We heard from the people in the east of the city that you were killed by a ghost that drained your life force!"

Rumors spread especially quickly in small places. Zhang Huaiyi ignored them, made a talisman with his fingers, first pointed it at the female corpse, then unleashed a palm strike of lightning at the county magistrate's mutilated body.

"Brothers, a strong player's here, get on board!"

Bang bang bang!

A gunshot rang out, the female corpse fell to the ground, and the walking corpse in front of Zhang Huaiyi also lay down.

"Taoist Master, are you alright?" The leader of the group stepped forward to check on them.

Zhang Huaiyi flicked his Taoist robe and replied, "I'm fine. It took me a lot of effort to get rid of the ghosts during the day, and I almost didn't have a chance to deal with these two ghosts infected with corpse poison."

"Corpse poison, were they bitten by zombies?" The leader mustered his courage to examine them. The clothes on the two corpses were indeed not Qing Dynasty official robes, and they looked somewhat familiar... Hmm!

The leader covered his mouth, looking the corpse up and down. How could it be the governor's lover?

However, the initial rumors of zombie sightings circulated near the county magistrate's house... "Master, are those two things truly dead? Are there no risks of them coming back to life?"

Zhang Huaiyi replied, "Just in case, it's best to take it to the outskirts of the city and burn it. But the Prefect is, after all, appointed by the provincial government, and there are some things you might need to handle."

"Huh?" The leader was a little embarrassed. The guys from the provincial government had never seen a zombie with their own eyes, so how could they believe such nonsense? It would be better to discuss it with the clerk and make up an excuse that the person died suddenly.

"I'll report back to my superiors," the group leader replied, tossing over a money pouch.

"Master, what is this?"

"Here's your money back for the exorcism fee."

During the day, Fox checked the private accounts and household registers. This county magistrate not only oppressed the people, but also showed no compassion for his subordinates. The members of the militia paid their due taxes without fail.

"Daoist Master, you did your part, you deserve it," the leader of the group said with a smile.

Zhang Huaiyi snorted coldly, turned around and left: "When have I, a cultivator, ever cared about material possessions?"

"Huh?" The leader of the militia stood there dumbfounded, glancing at Zhang Huaiyi's back and then at the charred corpse that had been struck by lightning twice. He gradually lost his composure.

The next day, news of the exorcism and the elimination of the demon spread like wildfire throughout the city. What made the people even happier was that the Taoist priest who exorcised the demon was kind-hearted and decided to return all the money used to suppress the evil.

For a time, the city square was bustling with people. With the help of the guards, Zhang Huaiyi returned the money to each person according to the register and accounts. Many of the people coming and going had their children with them. Sometimes, there were cute little kids who would awkwardly bow and clasp their hands to express their gratitude.

Zhang Huaiyi smiled and nodded in return.

Strangely enough, my master has always said that he has a thief in his heart, like a rat that likes to hide, to hoard, and to accumulate. He's used to hoarding money, and this is the first time in his life that he's acted as a money-giving child, and he feels surprisingly good about it.

When the senior brother and the fox encountered such a warm and lively scene while traveling, what must their feelings have been?

They probably still maintain a calm and indifferent demeanor, as if nothing bothers them.

Thinking of this, Zhang Huaiyi couldn't help but chuckle.

After finishing their business, the man and the fox set off. Zhang Huaiyi was deeply puzzled. He had clearly planned to be cautious before the operation, but in the end, he still acted openly and flamboyantly.

In particular, by being the first to return the money to the defense force, they were essentially gambling with people's hearts.

The human heart is the most vulnerable to temptation.

Zhang Huaiyi smiled wryly, "Heh heh heh, is everything really alright? Knowing the way these local leaders operate, if we're exposed, they'll label us 'red bandits' and try to wipe us out."

"A red hat is much better than a green hat," the fox replied.

Thinking back to her past life, Chen Ruoan's heart and spirit were also red, but unfortunately she failed English, so her identity was not stained red.

After leaving the unknown small town, Chen Ruoan headed south, while Zhang Huaiyi's path led to Shaanxi and Gansu. Their paths were different, yet they traveled together for several days.

One day, the fox lightly touched the clouds with its toes, flew up to a branch, lowered its eyes, and asked, "Zhang Huaiyi, you have deviated from the original route."

After a moment of silence, the big-eared thief said earnestly, "Senior Brother Chen, I have a feeling that you might be able to help me succeed."

Chen Ruoan stood on the branch, looking down at the view.

Why are you saying the same things as when you relied on Wugensheng?

To achieve self-realization, Zhang Huaiyi must eliminate his insecurity, which is an invisible constraint he, as a "rat," has set for himself.

But Zhang Huaiyi's insecurity stems from Zhang Zhiwei. How will this fox achieve his goal?

Could it be that you're foolishly leading the way to the Twenty-Four Heavenly Valley, claiming it contains relics left by immortals? You should try to figure it out.

Furthermore, even if one possesses the "Qi Body Source Flow," which claims to be the ultimate technique, can one truly eliminate insecurity?

According to the fox, that's not necessarily true.

Chen Ruoan narrowed his eyes slightly and saw the edge of the boundary line. He also saw the precious document hanging on the branch. Its color had changed from a warm white to a slightly bluish tinge.

"The fact that fate is moving so slowly means you haven't been sincere with the fox. Sincerity must be reciprocated; only then can the ocean embrace all rivers."

Swish!

Chen Ruoan took a leap and continued southward, facing the gradually clearing summer breeze.

Zhang Huaiyi changed his original itinerary, activating his acupoints with lightning, and chased after the fox shadow that was entwined with yin energy.

The fox was incredibly agile and quickly disappeared from sight. He then stood atop a low hill and gazed at the horizon.

"Why did you run away?"

"How about I go into Hunan first, and then circle back through Sichuan, Chongqing, Shaanxi and Gansu?"