The little fox was dizzy and disoriented from the fall. There were several scrapes on her body, and as she moved, a sharp pain shot through her injured leg. She reached out with her paw and pressed it against her wounded leg, but nothing changed. After a moment of silence, she quietly activated her spiritual power, attempting to transform into human form. However... nothing happened.
"Yip—!" The little fox squeaked, and her large purple eyes quickly filled with tears.
She sighed deeply. "Heaven, how could you be so cruel to me? I’ve spent so many years diligently cultivating to grow nine tails. I finally reached the punishment of heaven, and I thought maybe, because I saved people, the final strike would be gentler. Even if I couldn’t survive, I thought I could at least be injured. But why did you strike me into this godforsaken place? I want to go back. White Ting, I miss you so much!"
If someone had been there at that moment, they would have seen a silver little fox, ears drooping, eyes full of tears, flailing about in frustration.
The little fox pouted for a while, but then something felt off. Why does everything sound like "yip, yip"?
She lifted her little head, looking around, and noticed a small pond in front of her. Slowly, dragging her injured leg, she made her way towards it. After nearly an incense's time, she finally reached the pond.
Out of breath, the little fox felt more exhausted than she had in many years.
She stretched her little head toward the water, and the reflection stunned her.
What is that?
The water reflected the image of her appearance from many years ago.
The little fox stared in shock at the reflection. After a long while, she suddenly covered her eyes with both paws, rolling on the ground, squealing, "I was struck back to my infancy! Damn heavenly thunder, just wait! One day, I’ll fight back against you."
The little fox felt a pang of sorrow. Everything had gone back to square one. She would have to start all over again.
What really worried her, however, was not the prospect of starting her cultivation from scratch. For a beast like her, cultivation was never difficult. What troubled her was how a wounded little fox like herself would survive in this desolate, uninhabited place.
She suddenly longed for her days on White Spirit Mountain, where, aside from cultivation, everything was handled by White Ting. She didn’t have to worry about anything, and she had no troubles.
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But White Ting wasn’t here, and she didn’t even know if she’d ever see him again.
Exhausted, the little fox knew she needed to find a quiet and safe place to heal.
Dragging her injured body, she finally found a cave before nightfall. Inside the cave was a neatly arranged bed of soft grass, and beside it were fruits and what appeared to be spiritual herbs.
The little fox felt dazed. It was as if everything she needed had been prepared for her.
Just as the little fox hesitated about whether to stay in the cave, there was a faint rustling sound at the entrance. It was a small deer.
The deer saw the little fox’s injured leg and a knowing look crossed its eyes.
Instead of chasing the fox away, the deer would leave every day and return with food for her. The little fox was deeply grateful.
After more than ten days of rest and care from the deer, the little fox’s leg had healed about 80%. She began to feel restless and wandered around the forest.
While walking, she came to a tree, looked up, and then climbed up using all four paws. She stood on a thick branch, looking in a particular direction.
Suddenly, there was movement in the bushes. She vaguely saw a small deer running for its life. The little fox fixed her eyes on it. It was the same deer that had been keeping her company for the past few days!
Without hesitation, the little fox jumped from the branch and ran after it.
Just as she was about to reach the deer, an arrow suddenly shot out and struck the deer in the neck. With a loud thud, the deer fell in front of the little fox.
The little fox cautiously stretched out a paw to touch it. "Yip, yip." But the deer didn’t respond.
"Haha, Brother, it was my arrow that hit it! You can’t deny it," a playful voice suddenly echoed.
The little fox was startled and quickly leaped into a nearby bush. In her rush, her injured leg slipped, and she ended up with a mouthful of dirt.
"Spit, spit, spit." As the little fox was trying to clear her mouth, she heard a man’s voice, "Sister, you’re cheating."
The little fox peeked through the grass and saw a man and a woman riding horses, stopping next to the dead deer.
The woman spoke with a hint of flirtation, "Brother, all’s fair in war. Just give it to me."
The man, however, was reluctant. "You’re a princess; you don’t need to do it yourself. If you can convince me, I’ll let you take it."
The woman bit her lip, her face flushed. "I’ve already told you, Brother, you mustn’t laugh."
"Mm."
The little fox, stretching her neck and perking her ears, waited for the woman’s next words. What could make her so embarrassed?
"I want to use this deer to make a cloak and give it to the National Teacher," the woman said.
"What?" The man was surprised. "You want to… give it to the National Teacher?"
"Mm." The woman nodded shyly. "You already promised, no backing out."
The man sighed deeply, speaking earnestly. "Sister, you know the National Teacher’s temperament. Everyone in the court knows it. You’re a woman; if he… what will become of your dignity?"
Upon hearing this, the woman’s face, which had been flushed with embarrassment, paled. She suddenly snapped at the man, "Jing Rui, why don’t you think about whether the National Teacher would accept it from me?"
The man, Jing Rui, helplessly responded, "Sister, I’m doing this for your own good."
The woman turned away, not looking at him. "No need to say more. Let’s take the prey and go back."
The little fox was confused. The National Teacher? Is he really that important?
Suddenly, there was a sharp sound. Jing Rui and his sister immediately tensed, "Who’s there?"