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Chapter 8: The Thousand-Year White Fox

 

To say he didn’t want to go in and take a look would be a lie. After much hesitation, Yue Qianchou still dismissed the thought. The atmosphere around here felt wrong! The dangerous preludes in movies and TV shows seemed just like this, with those two blood-red characters beside him particularly conspicuous.

 

From within the cave, the sound of a qin suddenly drifted out, mixed with the rushing sound of water. Though he couldn’t hear it clearly, he could confirm it was indeed qin music. Yue Qianchou, who had resolutely turned to leave, stopped and listened intently.

 

“Damn it, what the hell is this? Isn’t this just trying to seduce me? Whatever, I’m going in to take a look.” Yue Qianchou made up his mind and walked toward the cave. As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat—this should apply to people too. Whether this would be an example of that remained to be seen.

 

Standing at the cave entrance, a cold air rushed toward him, making Yue Qianchou shiver. Inside was pitch black, so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. Behind him, the waterfall roared deafeningly, drowning out any sounds from within.

 

Already soaked halfway through, Yue Qianchou gritted his teeth and steeled himself to walk in. After turning a corner, he couldn‘t see anything ahead. Feeling along the moss-covered stone walls with his hands, he slowly groped his way forward. After walking for a while, though he couldn’t see anything, he could feel the ground continuously sloping downward.

 

“Damn! Where does this lead?” Yue Qianchou, trapped in darkness, was getting frustrated. The qin music in his ears grew clearer, and suddenly there seemed to be a glimmer of light ahead in the pitch blackness. Slightly stunned, he immediately used both hands and feet to quicken his pace forward.

 

The light grew brighter and brighter. When he got close, he discovered he had reached the end of the passage. A vast underground space lay before him, surrounded by glowing fluorite stones. A pool of water lay perfectly still in the center of the entire stone chamber. The pool contained many small islands, and on the central island stood a pavilion with a figure sitting inside—it appeared to be a woman. The qin music was drifting mournfully from there. At Yue Qianchou’s feet was a stone bridge leading directly to the pavilion on the small island.

 

“Holy shit! What kind of forbidden area is this? There’s actually a woman hidden inside! Scared the hell out of me!” Yue Qianchou muttered, walking across the stone bridge with his hands clasped behind his back.

 

When Yue Qianchou reached the pavilion, his eyes instantly widened and his mouth fell open—he was practically drooling. The woman before him wore plain white robes without any adornments. A simple silk ribbon held up her beautiful hair. Her bright eyes carried a hint of melancholy as she stared fixedly at the ancient qin on the stone table, her slender white hands gently caressing the strings. She seemed completely unaware of Yue Qianchou standing right in front of her.

 

Though this woman wore no makeup or decorations, to say she was devastatingly beautiful would not be an exaggeration. Even terms like “heavenly beauty” and “peerless elegance” would be insufficient to describe her loveliness.

 

She sat there quietly playing the qin, her eyes unable to hide their melancholy, making one‘s heart ache. The qin music was mournful, as if telling of the pain of longing for a lover. Yue Qianchou suddenly felt that this dim stone chamber wasn’t illuminated by the fluorite stones covering it—it was her…

 

Only now did Yue Qianchou realize that the fairy sister who had been wandering through his dreams was nothing compared to this! Though she appeared slightly younger than the one before him, when compared, she could only serve as green leaves to set off this red flower.

 

“This humble scholar greets the young lady!” After a long time not knowing how to speak, Yue Qianchou bowed and finally managed to squeeze out a sentence, his heart pounding wildly. When he raised his head, he discovered that in the beautiful woman‘s eyes, he was completely invisible—she didn’t even bother to glance at him, let alone acknowledge him.

 

Like a child who had done something wrong, Yue Qianchou smiled awkwardly, completely unbothered by her rudeness. He thought to himself, ‘The beauty is probably lost in her music and didn’t hear me at all. No problem! Although I can‘t understand what she’s playing, isn‘t there a saying about high mountains and flowing water meeting a kindred spirit? Today I’ll pretend to be Ziqi listening to Boya play the qin! Meeting a beautiful kindred spirit isn‘t bad at all!’ With this thought, he lifted his foot to enter the pavilion.

 

Just as his body was about to step into the pavilion, he felt an invisible wall blocking his way. Zhao Wuchou tried harder but simply couldn‘t enter. With a beauty before him, he got a bit heated and couldn’t help but charge forward forcefully.

 

“Bang!” A purple light screen flashed, accompanied by tremendous repulsive force that immediately bounced Yue Qianchou several meters away, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. When he got up, he saw purple light flashing from four carved talismans on the four pillars supporting the pavilion. When the purple light disappeared, the talismans faded away, and the purple light screen vanished without a trace.

 

“Damn! Which bastard did this?” Yue Qianchou was furious. He couldn’t maintain his scholarly facade anymore and began cursing angrily. After cursing, he came to his senses and wanted to slap himself twice—how could he use such crude language in front of such a beautiful woman? He felt he had completely lost face.

 

But looking at the beauty, she remained completely unmoved, as if he were just a clown jumping around. After blushing, he straightened his expression, walked over, and asked seriously, “Did those old fossils from the Azure Light Sect imprison you here?”

 

The beauty still ignored him, continuing to play her qin. Subsequently, he tried various other questions, but she remained the same. Finally, with his self-esteem wounded, Yue Qianchou left empty-handed, walking dejectedly toward the cave exit…

 

Shortly after he left, a white graceful figure flew in—a beautiful young girl. She walked to the outside of the pavilion and sat down on the ground, supporting her lovely face with her legs, quietly listening to the woman in the pavilion play the qin. If Yue Qianchou had seen this girl, he would have been shocked—wasn’t this exactly the fairy sister of his dreams!

 

“Master! I want to ask you something!”

 

Hao Sansi, holding his wine jug, looked up and saw his disciple looking dejected, couldn’t help but laugh, “What is it?”

 

“Do you know about the stone cave in the forbidden area of the back mountain?” Yue Qianchou asked.

 

“What? You went there?” Hao Sansi was startled. Seeing his disciple nod, he immediately said, “That used to be a place for imprisoning criminals. Many disciples of extraordinary ability once guarded it, so it was listed as a forbidden area. The cultivation world has been relatively peaceful now, and it hasn’t been used for several hundred years. Otherwise, how could you have possibly entered?”

 

“That’s not right,” Yue Qianchou said doubtfully. “How did I see an imprisoned woman inside?”

 

“Oh! You mean that white fox spirit! She was imprisoned by the previous sect leader two hundred years ago. Originally, she was confined for a hundred years to let her repent and reform. When the time limit was up, she herself didn’t want to come out, so she’s been staying there ever since.”

 

“White fox spirit?” Yue Qianchou asked in astonishment. “Master, you’re saying she’s a fox demon?”

 

“What’s so strange about that? A fox spirit who has cultivated for a thousand years can naturally transform into human form. Uh…” Hao Sansi suddenly stopped, looked his disciple up and down, and smiled strangely. “Disciple! You didn’t fall for her because she’s beautiful, did you?”

 

“Tch!” Yue Qianchou felt guilty and dismissively made a sound, changing the subject. “Master! Tell me quickly, why was she imprisoned by the previous sect leader?”

 

“I’m warning you—humans and demons are different. Don’t get any ideas about her, or she’ll drain your vital essence dry. Don’t say your master didn’t warn you.” Hao Sansi seemed to see through his disciple‘s thoughts. After giving this solemn warning, he took a gulp of wine and sighed, “She’s a demon trapped by love…”

 

After listening to his master‘s account, Yue Qianchou felt it was truly the most clichéd story possible, yet he couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

 

It turned out that the woman in the pavilion really was a white fox spirit who had cultivated for a thousand years. Before she had achieved human form, she was wounded by a hunter. While fleeing for her life, she was fortunately saved by a scholar. A thousand years later, the white fox spirit achieved human form and sought out her savior to repay his kindness. She found a handsome young man and determined that his previous life was her savior. The young man didn‘t know the girl’s true identity. Amazed by her beauty, he eventually fell in love, and the human and demon became husband and wife.

 

In the days that followed, the two were indeed loving. The young man, hoping to pass the imperial examinations and bring honor to his family, continued studying diligently. The girl washed away all her finery, wearing simple cloth and wooden hairpins, caring for him devotedly. Hard work pays off—after ten years of diligent study, the young man truly succeeded in one attempt, achieving the top position as the number one scholar. The only regret was that after several years, the two had not been able to have a child of their own, possibly due to the union between human and demon.

 

When the young man became the top scholar, he became a student of the emperor, and his status immediately became extraordinary. The current prime minister of the Huaxia Empire took a liking to him and wanted to recruit him as a son-in-law, but he already had a wife at home, so this wouldn‘t work. The prime minister became angry and hinted that if he still wanted to achieve great things, he should divorce his wife at home, or his future would be bleak. The top scholar was caught in a dilemma—on one side was his virtuous wife, on the other was the prime minister’s precious daughter. It was truly difficult to choose.

 

But he ultimately couldn‘t resist the prime minister’s pressure. Using the excuse that she couldn‘t bear children and couldn’t continue the family line, he divorced his wife. The white fox was heartbroken. Knowing she was a demon and truly couldn‘t bear children for her husband’s family, she silently accepted her husband’s divorce papers. Though divorced, the girl still deeply loved the young man and continued to secretly watch over him.

 

Unexpected misfortune struck—shortly after the prime minister‘s daughter married the top scholar, she suddenly fell ill and died. Listening to slanderous words, the prime minister became furious, mistakenly believing the top scholar was dissatisfied with his daughter and had caused her death. With the prime minister’s power, dealing with a newcomer to officialdom had a predictable outcome. It happened that during this time, the white fox had left on some business. When she returned, her beloved had already been executed. The white fox was devastated with grief. In her fury, she slaughtered all several hundred people in the prime minister’s household.

 

This incident shocked the entire capital. The court‘s national teacher was no match for the white fox, so they invited the Azure Light Sect leader. This led to the white fox’s imprisonment.

 

Men easily bow to power, women easily suffer for love—it has always been thus. Yue Qianchou sighed, finally understanding the reason for the beauty‘s melancholy and sorrow. Though he knew the beauty was a fox spirit, that peerless face lingered in his mind. For the next several days, he couldn’t calm his mind for cultivation.

 

The forbidden stone cave remained dim. Despite his master‘s warnings, Yue Qianchou couldn’t help but come again. He took out the glowing fluorite he had pried from the stone chamber last time…

 

On the other side of the bridge, the person remained, the qin remained, and the qin music remained. Yue Qianchou slowly walked over, standing in front of the pavilion, quietly gazing at that face that could make all men in the world submit. Who could tell from her appearance that such a beautiful woman was actually a fox spirit?

 

The qin music was mournful. After learning the white fox‘s story, Yue Qianchou actually felt this qin music was somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it in his previous life. Moved by the emotion, his lips parted slightly, and he couldn’t help but sing along with the qin music: “I am a fox who has cultivated for a thousand years, a thousand years of cultivation, a thousand years of loneliness. In the deep of night, does anyone hear me crying? In the dim lamplight, does anyone see me dancing? I am a fox who has waited a thousand years, a thousand years of waiting, a thousand years of loneliness. In the rolling red dust, who planted the curse of love? In the vast sea of people, who drank the poison of love? I loved you when you were poor and studying by cold windows, I left you when you achieved fame and entered the bridal chamber. Can I dance one more time for you? I am the white fox you released a thousand years ago. You see my sleeves fluttering, sleeves fluttering, all vows of eternal love have turned to nothing…”

 

Yue Qianchou was immersed in the white fox‘s story, his emotions sorrowful, singing with particular feeling. Where his voice grew hoarse, it was deeply moving. He didn’t know that when he sang the line “I loved you when you were poor and studying by cold windows,” the qin music in the pavilion had already stopped abruptly.

 

When he reached the line “I am the white fox you released a thousand years ago,” that peerless face that had only been for that one person, not for others, had quietly lifted, staring at Yue Qianchou in a daze. From her beautiful eyes, two crystal tears slid down her cheeks and dripped onto the qin strings, shattering into pieces.

 

When the song ended and the person awakened, Yue Qianchou finished singing and came to his senses, surprised to discover those two heartbreaking tear tracks. Their eyes met, and the two gazed at each other for a long time. Yue Qianchou immediately understood and secretly felt pleased: ‘Holy shit! I found a kindred spirit. So one song can do the trick—it’s that simple! If I‘d known earlier, I wouldn’t have made such a fool of myself that day. Damn! Now I understand why those little pop stars in my previous life could get hordes of fans just by opening their mouths! And they‘re all die-hard fans too. Looks like my voice isn’t bad either! Although I only have this one fan, one is worth ten thousand. Not bad, not bad. Now let‘s see me continue the performance—whether she’s a die-hard fan depends on this round.’

 

Yue Qianchou‘s heart was anxious. He resolutely turned around and walked toward the cave exit with determined steps, thinking to himself: ‘One step, two steps, three steps… Damn! Why isn‘t she calling me back? Once I walk out, even if you call me, I won’t be able to hear you.’

 

The white fox’s eyes were misty with tears. Suddenly realizing the person before her was gone, she came to her senses and saw the figure walking away. She hurriedly called out, “Young master, please wait!”

 

‘Thank goodness, thank goodness. Big sister who’s over a thousand years old, I thought you were mute. This young scholar was scared! My little heart was going thump-thump! Tsk tsk! But when a beauty speaks, it‘s different—even “young master, please wait” sounds so pleasant. I’m melting. Hehe, my die-hard fan has arrived.’ His little scheme having succeeded, Yue Qianchou was extremely pleased. He struck what he thought was a handsome pose, slowly turned around, and said calmly, “Miss! Are you calling me?”

 

The white fox stood up and gracefully bowed to him. “May I ask, young master, where did that song you just sang come from?”

 

‘Great figure—every movement is soul-stirring! No wonder the shrews in my previous life called women who seduced other people’s husbands fox spirits.‘ Yue Qianchou was somewhat entranced. Forcibly restraining his wandering soul, he sighed, “I am a disciple of the Azure Light Sect. A few days ago, I heard your story and came to see you once. Seeing how devoted you are to love, I was moved and specially harmonized with your qin music to compose a song for you, to express my admiration.” In his heart, he prayed: ‘Sister Chen Rui from Earth, I‘m borrowing your golden song to pick up girls—please don’t hold it against this young scholar. Amitabha, forgive me, forgive me!’

 

“You flatter me, young master!” After the white fox spoke, her face showed hesitation, and she said somewhat uneasily, “I have an unreasonable request—I hope you can agree to it.”

 

Yue Qianchou frowned slightly, thinking: ‘What unreasonable request? Does she want to drain me dry? I won’t do that.‘ Seeing his hesitation, the white fox feared he wouldn’t agree and quickly added, “Could you teach me this song? Once I learn it, I will surely reward you generously.”

 

‘How will you reward me generously? With your body? No way—Master warned me I’d be drained dry.‘ Yue Qianchou indulged in a little fantasy, but knowing what her request actually was, he immediately walked to the front of the pavilion and said magnanimously, “Such a small matter should naturally be my pleasure. Meeting is fate—let’s not talk about rewards or anything like that. From today on, we’re friends. Just visit often in the future.” This shameless fellow had already defined their relationship.

 

“Could you sing it once more? I was distracted when you sang earlier,” the white fox said somewhat shyly, seeming to feel her request was a bit excessive.

 

Yue Qianchou‘s heart stirred. He really couldn’t believe that the shy beauty before him was the legendary fox spirit who had killed several hundred people in one breath years ago. Without further hesitation, he prepared his emotions slightly and slowly sang the melancholy song: “I am a fox who has cultivated for a thousand years…”

 

When the song ended, the white fox bowed. “Thank you, young master! I have learned much and ask for your guidance.” After speaking, she sat down, her slender jade hands caressing the qin strings. Ethereal qin music arose, and her vermillion lips parted slightly, her pearly teeth barely visible as she sang a version even more authentic than Yue Qianchou’s. The qin music accompanied her singing, echoing throughout the stone chamber.

 

“Young master, how do you think I sang?” the white fox asked, standing up.

 

‘Damn! This girl is a singing genius. After hearing the pirated version once, she can actually sing the original. I’m sweating!’ Yue Qianchou felt ashamed and quickly applauded. “Excellent, excellent! Heavenly music!”

 

“You flatter me! May I ask what this song is called?” the white fox bowed.

 

Yue Qianchou smiled. “I composed it for you, so let’s call it ‘White Fox’!”

 

“Young master composed music upon hearing my story—you are truly my kindred spirit. With this song as companion, my life has not been in vain.” After speaking, she walked out of the qin platform and bowed to Yue Qianchou.

 

Yue Qianchou felt a bit guilty and waved his hand embarrassedly. Looking around, he frowned. “Miss, do you really intend to spend your entire life here?”

 

The white fox in the pavilion moved with lotus steps, saying sadly, “Years in the mountains pass like light, worldly prosperity lasts a thousand years—for me, what difference does it make where I am? The Azure Light Sect is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. You don’t seem like a cultivator, young master—why are you also on Azure Light Mountain?”

 

This question hit Yue Qianchou‘s sore spot. Shaking his head with a bitter smile, he told her in detail how he had come to Azure Light Mountain and how he had become the Azure Light Sect’s waste.

 

“I see!” The white fox nodded and said, “Kindred spirits are hard to find. Meeting you is fate—let me do what little I can to help!” After speaking, she struck her chest with one palm. Her vermillion lips opened, spitting out a golden pearl that floated in the air. The white fox pointed with two fingers, and the golden pearl flew toward the outside of the pavilion. Immediately, a purple light screen appeared around the pavilion, blocking the pearl. The white fox’s jade fingers formed hand seals, sending a finger technique toward the golden pearl. The pearl vibrated, and the purple light screen immediately rippled. The golden pearl slowly squeezed through the light screen and floated before Yue Qianchou.

 

“This is for me?” Yue Qianchou caught it and asked in astonishment.

 

The white fox nodded. “It was precisely because of this object that I delayed my husband’s life, causing me endless regret. Since obtaining it, I have never used it. But this object’s effectiveness is beyond doubt. When I was imprisoned, my cultivation had just reached the late Nascent Soul stage. I haven’t cultivated for two hundred years, yet now I’ve already reached the late Tribulation Crossing stage—I believe this is entirely due to this pearl’s effects. As for this object’s other functions, I have never studied them and don’t know. However, it will definitely have miraculous effects on changing your constitution—I have deep experience with this. You can take it directly, young master.”

 

“Ah…” Yue Qianchou was greatly shocked. Without cultivation, advancing from late Nascent Soul to late Tribulation Crossing in two hundred years—that was a full three major levels! Being in the Azure Light Sect, even if he hadn’t eaten pork, he had seen pigs run. Even ordinary cultivators who devoted themselves to cultivation rarely managed to advance smoothly from late Nascent Soul to late Tribulation Crossing in two hundred years. This could be seen from the fact that Azure Light Sect Leader Liu Changqing was nearly two hundred years old and only at mid Nascent Soul stage.

 

“What a treasure!” Yue Qianchou exclaimed. The white fox raised her hand to indicate. “Young master!” He nodded, his gaze sweeping over those vermillion lips, thinking: ‘Coming from her mouth and going into mine—I wonder if this counts as an indirect kiss.’ Smelling the faint fragrance on the pearl, like musk and orchid, he tilted his head back and swallowed it. Only then did he realize this egg-sized object was very difficult to swallow. He saw the white fox send a finger technique toward him. Yue Qianchou felt his throat in tremendous pain, as if it were being torn apart, and the golden pearl had already burrowed into his body.