Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox (Part One)

“Sigh… Second Sister is truly pitiful. Why did that man abandon her?” The little girl rubbed her head, unable to figure it out, while the Ghost Doctor beside her fanned himself and sighed, “Flowers in the mirror, moon in the water, like morning bells and evening drums…” He kept shaking his head.

“That Ghost Doctor is always like this, mysterious and cryptic. Who knows what he’s talking about? Let’s keep him around; maybe we’ll need him later. If not, we can always find him when we go back.” Ling Mei spoke with an air of indifference, as if the matter didn’t concern her.

Wu Ming had no choice but to nod. “That’s all we can do. Let’s go look for the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox first.” His words were barely out before Music burst out laughing.

“Oh, my dear Sect Leader, this is Qingqiu! Most of the inhabitants here are Nine-Tailed Spirit Foxes. Don’t you know the saying, ‘The country of Qingqiu lies to the north, where foxes have four legs and nine tails’? Which book did that come from?” Music tried to show off, but forgot the source and ended up embarrassed, her face flushed as she shook her head. “Anyway, it’s written in the books.”

Wu Ming chuckled warmly. “Music, let me tell you, that story is recorded in the ‘Classic of Mountains and Seas,’ specifically in the ‘Overseas Eastern Classic’: ‘There is a country called Qingqiu, where foxes have nine tails.’ In the ‘Great Wilderness Eastern Classic,’ it says that the Nine-Tailed Fox brought together our Great Yu and Lady Tu Shan. Legend has it that Great Yu missed the age for marriage while managing the floods. Someone told Emperor Yao that the Tu Shan family had a daughter named Nu Jiao, renowned for her beauty and elegance. Great Yu thought it was the perfect match and married her, thus forming an alliance with the Eastern Yi and Tu Shan. Later, Yu passed his home three times without entering, while Lady Tu Shan waited at the doorway, gazing after her husband. It became a celebrated story.”

“But, but what does this have to do with the Nine-Tailed Fox?” Music tilted her head in confusion.

Wu Ming smiled and continued, “In the ‘Annals of Lü Buwei,’ it recounts that while Great Yu was managing the floods, he came to Tu Shan—where, according to the ‘Classic of Mountains and Seas,’ there is a beast with nine tails that looks like a fox—and heard the people singing: ‘Soft, soft white fox, nine tails grand and long. A thousand years pass in silence, awaiting only you. Soft, soft white fox, nine tails grand and long. To embrace you, for eternity. Soft, soft white fox, nine tails grand and long. To found a family, and prosper the land.’ From then on, the Nine-Tailed Fox became linked to the Tu Shan family. As a divine beast symbolizing good fortune, it became a tale of auspiciousness.” The group nodded in agreement, except Ling Mei, whose eyes sparkled with thought.

Music was still puzzled. “Wasn’t it said they eat people? Like in ‘Investiture of the Gods,’ the Nine-Tailed Fox Daji was a monster!”

“Don’t believe everything you hear. That’s a later invention. The ‘Thousand Character Classic’ from the Northern and Southern Dynasties records that the Nine-Tailed Fox eating people meant they could intimidate enemies and protect their home, not that they literally ate people. On the contrary, legends say eating their flesh enables one to resist evil and poisons. The Nine-Tailed Fox appears three times in the ‘Classic of Mountains and Seas,’ later becoming a symbol of good fortune and prosperity.” Ling Mei corrected Music’s misunderstanding and the group’s perceptions.

Wu Ming’s eyes brightened. “Ling Mei, you really are knowledgeable!”

“Hmph… You think your sister got to be your senior without some skill?” Ling Mei declared with pride, the glint in her eyes gone.

“Xiao Mei? Look, we’ve arrived—there’s an inn ahead. Let’s get something to eat; my stomach’s empty!” Bao Long hadn’t listened to anyone, focused solely on food, reminding Wu Ming of Pigsy from ‘Journey to the West,’ so he played along as the Monk.

“Oh, I’m hungry too. Shall we go eat? Please?” Wu Ming gave Ling Mei a pleading look, making her uneasy.

“Eat, eat, eat! Every time you come to the Spirit Realm, you spend fifty spirit coins; I’ve spent that much in hundreds of years! Hmph…” Ling Mei was clearly unwilling. When she came to Qingqiu with Ying Long before, Ying Long always treated. Now she had to host everyone herself—it truly felt like times had changed.

“Ling Mei, can we sell this mirror for some money?” Music barely got the words out before Ling Mei’s glare made her fall silent, her eyes darting to Xiao Mei.

“Music, don’t look at me. I’m the secretary, not the accountant—I have no money…” Xiao Mei swallowed, unwilling to speak further.

“What do you think of this?” Bao Long took a jade pendant from his pocket and showed it to everyone. It wasn’t particularly valuable, just an old trinket.

Wu Ming looked at the pendant in confusion. “How did you get this, Senior Brother?” The others were equally puzzled.

“Well, it’s like this… heh heh heh,” Bao Long muttered to Wu Ming.

“This will do! This will do! Not bad… truly a brother!” I hugged Bao Long, the two of us seeming inseparable. Later, when Wu Ming learned the true origin of the pendant, he almost wanted to beat Bao Long.

Xiao Mei, Ling Mei, and Music watched in confusion. “Hey, what’s going on?”

Wu Ming, now in full Sect Leader mode, simply said, “Eat!” He pointed to the inn, and Bao Long, acting like a loyal follower, made a “please” gesture, shouting, “Let’s go, my Sect Leader!” The others exchanged puzzled looks, but since the Sect Leader said to eat and they didn’t have to pay, they joined in. After all, they’d been busy all day and had already digested their last feast.

The inn…

The inn was actually a restaurant, three stories tall, decorated in an ancient and elegant style, filled with a variety of “people”—though Wu Ming and his group saw them as demons, spirits, ghosts, monsters, and underworld beings. As humans, they attracted attention, but as soon as the others saw Ling Mei, their gazes shifted to her—not for her alluring figure, but for the aura she projected.

“Keep staring and I’ll gouge out your eyes!” Ling Mei snapped, frightening everyone into lowering their heads and eating quietly. The attendant at the counter hurried over to serve the lady.

A man of similar height to Wu Ming approached and asked, “Oh, guests, are you here to dine or for a private room? We offer rooms for ghosts, gods, spirits, and monsters! How many do you need? We have crispy duck, black chicken soup, steamed whole lamb…” He rattled off a list of dishes.

“We have no money…” Music’s mouth should have been sewn shut.

But the attendant smiled. “Our guests come from above or below; to say there’s no money would be a joke.”

“We have this…” Wu Ming handed the jade pendant Bao Long had given him to the attendant. “See how much it’s worth?”

The attendant took the pendant carefully, examined it, and, unable to decide, asked Wu Ming and his group to wait in a private room. “Honored guests, please enjoy some tea. I’ll be back soon.”

“Oh no… what if it gets lost?” Wu Ming fretted.

Ling Mei spoke calmly, “Do you know what kind of place Qingqiu is? Don’t worry.” Wu Ming, reassured by her words, stopped worrying.

A short while later, two attendants came in carrying trays of food, filling the table: crispy duck, appetizing cold dishes, stewed ribs, braised rabbit, steamed lamb, and most importantly, a pot of lotus wine.

Once the dishes were set, a middle-aged man in a long cloak respectfully handed the jade pendant back to Wu Ming. “We did not know distinguished guests were visiting. Please accept our apologies. The divine suite is ready for you. After your meal, you may retire there.”

“What’s this?” Wu Ming was bewildered by the scene.

The man humbly replied, “Young master, no need to ask further. This meal is on me. If there’s anything you need, please call on me.” With that, he withdrew from the room.

While Wu Ming was still puzzled, Bao Long was already devouring the food. Ling Mei, Music, and Xiao Mei ignored Wu Ming, reenacting their behavior from the five-star hotel. Starving, Wu Ming abandoned his dignified demeanor, tore off half the crispy duck, and ate heartily, leaving the others astonished.

“Looks like the Sect Leader was truly famished…” Music said, giggling as she ate the steamed lamb.

Qingqiu Fox Immortal Valley…

“Second Sister, his words deceived you for so many years… Why do you still long for that heartless man? Look at what you’ve become these years.” A woman in a white long dress spoke to a nearby woman, who seemed mad. Both possessed peerless beauty, but the first was clearly rational, while the second appeared dull and lifeless.