Chen Fugui's threats were like a thorn in my heart. Walking through the village during the day, I always felt like I was being watched from the shadows. I knew I couldn't just sit and wait to die; I had to take the initiative, at least to find out what this old fox was really up to, what he had to rely on besides threats, and how deeply he was involved in this whole affair.
A direct confrontation was definitely out of the question. I remembered a rumor Aunt Wang had heard: Chen Fugui, besides his official connections in town, seemed to be involved in some shady businesses. I didn't know the specifics, but it was said to be lucrative. His newly acquired motorcycle, color TV, and the gold bracelet his wife, Wu Jinfeng, occasionally showed all seemed suspicious.
Perhaps, this was a good starting point. If I could find some financial or other leverage against him, at least it would make him hesitate and not dare to easily harm me and the "Mutual Aid Association."
I shared this idea with the core members of the "Mutual Aid Society"—Aunt Wang and Zhang Cai'e (Aunt Liu and Zhao Xiaomei were too timid to tell them much yet). Zhang Cai'e's husband used to have connections in town, and she promised to secretly ask someone to inquire.
I wasn't idle either. Taking advantage of a trip to town to buy cinnabar and yellow paper, I consciously began wandering around the old street, the bus station, and the vicinity of some small teahouses, observing the various characters and people, hoping to hear something about Chen Fugui.
After a few days, I had little success. Chen Fugui seemed quite cautious in town, or perhaps his involvement was at a higher level than I could possibly reach by simply wandering the streets.
Just when I was starting to lose heart, a turning point appeared, in an extremely unexpected way.
That evening, I returned from town, taking a secluded path instead of the main road, closer to the back mountain, hoping to get a feel for the weather there (I'd been paying extra attention ever since I learned Li Xiulian frequented the area).
The path wound its way through a dense bamboo forest. The setting sun cast dappled shadows on the bamboo, making the light somewhat dim. Lost in thought, I suddenly heard a suppressed, painful whimper ahead, like some small animal had been injured.
I stopped and listened intently. The sound came from deep within the bamboo forest, intermittent, carrying an indescribable sorrow.
Could it be a trap? I became alert, gripping my short peachwood stick, and cautiously approached the source of the sound.
Parting the layers of bamboo leaves, the sight before me made me freeze.
Under a clump of thick bamboo, crouched… a person? Or rather, a humanoid creature.
It was a young woman dressed in tattered, old-fashioned clothing, lying on her side, her long hair disheveled, obscuring most of her face. Beneath her lay a pool of dark red blood, staining her dress crimson as well. Most strikingly, behind her dangled a large, furry, fiery red…tail?!
A fox…a fox spirit?!
My heart pounded, and I almost cried out. My grandfather's notes mentioned that spirits and monsters did indeed exist in the mountains and fields, and fox spirits were a common type, some benevolent, some malevolent, their cultivation varying. Judging from the situation, this fox spirit was severely injured, revealing part of its true form.
The "woman" seemed to sense my approach, struggling to lift her head, revealing a pale face that still revealed her exquisite beauty. Her eyes, a rare amber color, were now filled with pain and wariness. She looked at me, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"You…who are you? How did you get here?" I asked, keeping my distance. The peach wood staff in my hand was pointed at her; this thing had a certain deterrent effect even on demons.
"Cough cough... Little... little Taoist priest..." Her voice was weak and hoarse, yet it carried a natural allure that even her severe injuries couldn't conceal. "I... I was injured by an enemy... I fled here... I had no intention of harming anyone... Please... don't tell anyone..."
I carefully sensed her; her demonic aura was indeed very strong, but there wasn't much malevolence mixed in; it was mostly weakness and pain. Seeing how badly she was injured, her tail was even showing, she certainly didn't seem capable of attacking.
"Who is your enemy? How did you get injured like this?" I asked, pondering. To save her? Or not to save her? If I save her, what if she's an evil demon who will turn on me after recovering? If I don't save her, judging from her condition, she probably won't last long. Grandpa said that all things have spirits, and good and evil reside in the hearts of humans (and demons); one cannot generalize.
"It was…it was a wolf demon in the mountains who had acquired evil magic…coveting my inner core…ambushing me while I was weakened during my tribulation…" the fox spirit stammered, her eyes filled with pleading and despair. "Little Taoist…if you can help me…I…I will repay you handsomely…I know many secrets of this mountain, this village…"
The last sentence stirred something within me. She knew the village's secrets? Could it include Chen Fugui, Li Xiulian, or even the things that happened in the river?
"How do I know if you're telling the truth? What if I save you, and you turn around and harm me?" I said in a deep voice.
The fox spirit gave a bitter smile, struggling to raise her hand. Her fingers formed a strange hand seal, and a faint, fragrant demonic aura emanated from her, condensing into a small, complex rune at her fingertips. "I…I can swear a 'soul oath'…If I harm you, or do evil…I will be struck by heavenly lightning, my soul scattered…This oath…is witnessed by heaven and earth…"
Grandpa's notes mentioned that some powerful spirits and demons could make such extremely strict oaths, bound by the rules of heaven and earth, with violators suffering terrible consequences. It seemed she was truly desperate.
I hesitated for a moment. Saving her carried both risk and opportunity. But my current situation was precarious; having another "ally" who might know the truth, even temporarily, might change the situation.
"Alright, I'll believe you for now. But you must remember your oath." I put away the peach wood staff and went to check her injuries. The wound was on her abdomen, deep, as if torn open by sharp claws, the edges tinged with black smoke—clearly, the wolf demon's claws were poisoned or imbued with evil magic.
I rummaged through my bag for hemostatic herbal powder (something I always carried when going into the mountains), then took out cinnabar and an exorcism talisman. First, I cleared the black aura around the wound, then sprinkled the powder on and bandaged it. Her body was icy cold, yet strangely smooth and soft to the touch, carrying an alluring fragrance that stirred my desires. I quickly composed myself.
By the time I finished treating the wound, it was almost dark. We couldn't stay here any longer.
"Can you move? We need to find a safe place for you to heal," I asked.
The fox spirit shook her head weakly, saying, "For now… I can't move… my demonic power is exhausted… although this place is secluded… I fear the wolf demon might come looking for me…"
I thought for a moment, then gritted my teeth: "I'll carry you back! My home may be simple, but it has some basic protective formations; ordinary evil spirits won't dare approach easily. You should hide for a while."
The fox spirit looked at me deeply with her amber eyes and whispered, "Thank you… my benefactor. My surname is Hu, and my name is Hu Xiaoyue."
I gave her my name as well, then carefully carried her on my back. She was light, her body supple and boneless, nestled on my back, her large, fluffy tail drooping limply, brushing against my calves and sending a strange, tingling sensation through me. Her alluring fragrance wafted into my nostrils.
I steadied myself, carried her on my back, and under the cover of night, took the most secluded path home. I was on edge the whole way, terrified of being seen. Thankfully, I arrived home safely.
I settled her on the bed in my inner room (I had to sleep in the main room for the time being), and reinforced the room with a simple warding-off-evil formation. I gave her some water, and she quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Looking at the sleeping fox spirit Hu Xiaoyue on the bed, my feelings were complex. I had rescued a spirit of unknown origin; I didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse. But her mention of "secrets in the mountain village," and the clues she might bring about regarding Chen Fugui, gave me a glimmer of hope.
For the next two days, Hu Xiaoyue spent most of her time in a deep sleep, occasionally waking to drink some water and eat a little of the thin porridge I cooked (she said she needed the warmth of human life to heal her injuries). Her recovery was faster than I had expected; her wounds began to heal, her complexion became rosier, and although her large tail still couldn't be retracted, it could wag slightly. Her unique fragrance became increasingly pronounced, filling my room with an alluring scent that made me somewhat uneasy.
She also kept her promise and didn't do anything out of line. When she woke up, she would quietly lean against the bed, looking at me and the simple room with her amber eyes, her gaze filled with curiosity and a hint of emotion I couldn't decipher.
By the third night, she was much better and could sit up. I was studying Grandpa's notes by the light of an oil lamp in the main room when she, wearing my oversized old clothes (her own clothes were too worn out), slowly moved out, supporting herself on the doorframe.
"My benefactor," she called softly.
I looked up. In the dim light of the oil lamp, her long hair was loose, and her face was still somewhat pale, but her captivating beauty was more alluring than any other woman in the village. I quickly looked away. "Miss Hu... Miss Hu, are you feeling better?"
"Much better, thanks to your help, benefactor." She sat down on the stool opposite me, her movements elegant and natural. "You seem troubled these past few days, benefactor?"
I sighed and didn't hide anything, briefly recounting the recent strange events in the village: the experiences of Liu Yan and Xiao Fen, Li Xiulian's odd behavior, Wu Jinfeng's warning, and the threats from the village secretary, Chen Fugui. Of course, I omitted the specific details about the "Mutual Aid Association."
Hu Xiaoyue listened quietly, her amber eyes gleaming thoughtfully in the lamplight.
"Chen Fugui..." she murmured the name, a faint, slightly sarcastic smile playing on her lips. "I might know something about the person you're talking about, benefactor."
"You know him?" I perked up. "I've been cultivating in these mountains for a hundred years. Though I don't often venture into the mortal realm, I've heard of this village at the foot of the mountain and some of the people around," Hu Xiaoyue said slowly. "This Chen Fugui, in your mortal eyes, is a village official, but to us, those with a little spiritual awareness, he… is shrouded in a considerable aura of wealth and filth."
"Wealth and filth? Filth?" I pressed.
"Wealth and filth refer to his illicit methods of accumulating wealth, tainted with greed, fraud, and even bloodshed. Filth… refers to his frequent contact with sinister and unclean places or things," Hu Xiaoyue explained. "If I'm not mistaken, besides his shady dealings in town, he's probably… also involved in some dealings related to sorcery and dealing with ghosts."
My heart sank. Sure enough! Chen Fugui wasn't just a local bully; he was also connected to evil and crooked ways! Could the "he" Wu Jinfeng was referring to really be Chen Fugui? And what about the things in the river? Were they related to him too? "Miss Hu, do you know exactly what he does? Or where he usually goes?" I asked eagerly.
Hu Xiaoyue hesitated for a moment: "I don't know the specifics. But when I was healing in the mountains, I sensed something unusual. Every new moon night (the last moonless night of the month), an unusual aura of yin and wealth would gather in the abandoned factory area northwest of the town, near the mass grave. And…it seemed to contain the aura of this Chen Fugui. The area is chaotic, with a heavy presence of demons and ghosts; it's not a good place."
The abandoned factory area near the mass grave? New moon night?
"When is the next new moon night?" I asked.
"It's tomorrow night." Hu Xiaoyue looked at me. "Does my benefactor intend to investigate?"
I nodded. "I must go. I can't sleep or eat in peace until I find out his true strength. Besides, it might be related to the source of all the evil things happening in the village."
Hu Xiaoyue was silent for a moment, then said, "My benefactor saved my life; I must repay this kindness. Tomorrow night, I can accompany you. Although my injuries haven't fully healed, I can still conceal my presence and investigate. However… the place is teeming with all sorts of people; my benefactor must be extremely careful."
I hadn't expected her to volunteer. Offering help, I was filled with gratitude: "Miss Hu, your injury..."
"It's nothing, just a reconnaissance from a distance, no fighting required." She smiled slightly, her eyes sparkling. "Besides, I'm also quite curious about the 'things' gathered there."
Looking at her stunning smile, my heart skipped a beat for no reason, and I quickly nodded: "Then thank you very much, Miss Hu! We'll set off tomorrow night."
With Hu Xiaoyue, this unexpected "helper" and information, I felt much more confident in dealing with Chen Fugui. Tomorrow night's reconnaissance was crucial.
However, looking at Hu Xiaoyue's alluring face and the slightly swaying fiery red tail behind her, I felt a little apprehensive. Taking a fox spirit to investigate the village secretary's den of iniquity... this combination just seemed a bit surreal.