Chương 24: Taming the Fire Fox

The Great Ridge Mountains. Waiting until everyone disappeared, Old Li finally woke up as if from a dream, unable to believe what had just happened. The village's top tyrant had his teeth knocked out by his own nephew. That alone was hard enough to accept. But his strongest enforcers? They were beaten so badly by that nephew in just three punches and two kicks that they couldn't even tell which way was up! It was simply too powerful.

In that case, doesn't that mean he—Lord Li—can walk sideways unhindered through the village from now on? I truly am just 'lying down and winning at life'! Who refuses to accept this? Who?! Close the doors and release the... cough, cough. With his ego expanding, Old Li directed and acted out his own little fantasy, letting his imagination run wild. Husky was also feeling depressed. It was still holding the Fire Fox in its mouth. Were these two-legged monsters really this weak?

Lord Husky hadn't even exerted any effort, and they all fell down! Ignoring the daydreaming man and dog, Song Que waved for Husky to bring the Blazing Fire Fox over. Observing this little fellow up close, Song Que still found it breathtakingly beautiful. Its fur was as soft and glossy as silk, purely crimson without a single impure stray hair. Under the sunlight, it sparkled brilliantly. No wonder they were almost extinct.

Possessing such a treasure without the strength to protect it simply doomed them to become nothing more than ornaments on other people's clothes. Furthermore, the national title of this country was "Great Yan" (Great Flame), carrying the meaning of fire. For this species to exist here, they could only blame their own rotten luck. Ruffling the soft fur on its head, Song Que retracted his Split Soul from the Mountain Sparrow and tried to attach it to the Blazing Fire Fox to establish communication.

Unexpectedly, a process that was usually smooth sailing was met with unprecedented resistance. His Split Soul could barely get close to the fox's soul. Frowning, and seeing the Fire Fox's face scrunch up as if it were about to wake, Song Que casually gave it a knock on the head. The little fellow gloriously fainted once again. Once the Fire Fox completely lost consciousness, its resistance finally began to weaken.

However, Song Que's Split Soul still couldn't fully attach and form a symbiosis; it could only hover around the edges, trying to interact. After a long while, seeing the results weren't very promising, Grandee Song decided to pause. Hitting the road was more important. He would have plenty of time to communicate with this little guy later. Waving his hand to summon the Mountain Sparrow and forming a symbiosis with it, he turned to Old Li and shouted:"Uncle, help me tie this little guy up tightly.

Don't let it run away. We're getting ready to move." At least five hundred taels of shining white silver! Even if the bird in my pants flies away, I absolutely cannot let this little guy escape! Old Li thought viciously, his hands showing no mercy. He bound the Blazing Fire Fox inside and out, wrapping it as tightly as a festive pork roll. He nearly suffocated it; by the time they got home, it would probably lose half its life.

Quickly packing their gear, the two men, one wolf, and one "pork roll" Fire Fox stuffed in the back of a basket continued heading in the direction Old Li pointed out, moving toward their destination. Not having returned in a long time, coupled with the scenery changing quite a bit over the years, Li Tie strained his eyes to search. After scratching out a handful of hair and searching until dusk, he finally managed to locate the old ravine.

"Here! It's here! This is it! Past this tree root, behind that boulder, there's a crevice. That ginseng plant grew right out of that crevice!" Finding their destination, Old Li was frantic with excitement, shouting and hollering. Yet, the closer he got, the more anxious he became about gaining and losing. Terrified that the treasure might have already been taken by someone else, his heart pounded nervously, and he actually grew completely silent. A moment later, the two stood before a narrow crevice.

It was only wide enough for one person to squeeze through, and looking into its pitch-black depths was quite eerie.

"A'niu, it's right in here. Go inside and see if that thing is still there," Old Li said, hesitating outside. Seeing his nervous demeanor, Song Que smiled to comfort him:"Uncle, if we get it, it's a gift from heaven. If it's gone, it's fine. We haven't lost anything on this trip anyway, right?" Thinking of the five-hundred-tael Fire Fox, Li Tie's mood indeed improved significantly. He nodded like a pounding garlic pestle, urging Song Que to hurry in and check.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. They completely ignored the Fire Fox in the basket, which was blinking furiously, hoping to catch their attention: Bosses, let me take a breath! The little fellow, Mengmeng, screamed internally.... Having come all this way, he naturally had to see it through to the end. Not wanting to wait any longer, he instructed Husky and Old Li to be careful outside, lit a torch, and strode into the rocky crevice.

The path was narrow but not too cramped or difficult to navigate. The ground was also quite flat and dry. Along the way, Song Que didn't actually encounter any venomous bugs or pythons. After walking over twenty meters and reaching a bend, a trace of excitement appeared on Song Que's face. Within the sensory range of his Domain, he had detected a dense, incredibly well-developed cluster of vegetation deep within the crevice.

Having trekked through the mountain forests for an entire day just for this, saying he didn't hold any hope in his heart would be pure self-deception. Thrilled, he quickened his pace until he stood before the plant. Reaching out to grasp a stem, he sent a mild electric current through the plant. Song Que could clearly 'see' that buried deep beneath the dirt and rocks was an aged wild ginseng, as thick as a wrist, with densely interwoven root hairs. He sighed in admiration at his own excellent luck today.

He didn't know which foot he stepped out with this morning, but the harvest was truly overwhelmingly bountiful. After admiring the old ginseng for a while longer, he turned around satisfied, wanting to report the good news to Old Li. But as he walked, a sudden doubt crept into his mind. Why the hell did Uncle Li and my old man, with full bellies and nothing better to do, squeeze into this narrow, obscure little crevice in the first place? Could there have been some illicit affair, or some secret I don't know about?

Grandee Song shivered inwardly, not daring to let his thoughts run any further down that path. He shook his head and walked out.... Waiting outside, Li Tie was beginning to show signs of anxiety, pacing back and forth. Right at that moment, Husky, who had been resting on the side, suddenly stood up and wagged its tail, looking expectantly toward the crevice entrance. Seeing this, Old Li stepped forward joyfully. Sure enough, a figure emerged shortly after.

Song Que nodded at him and smiled:"Uncle, it's perfectly intact. From what I can see, it has to be an old ginseng well over three hundred years old." Hearing this, Old Li's eyes crinkled into happy slits. Unable to wait a second longer, he pushed Song Que aside and charged in like a gust of wind to see the truth for himself. Song Que shook his head at the sight. Well, there wasn't any danger anyway, so let him go. Unhurriedly, he found an open patch of ground and began setting up camp.

They had to spend the night here today. Emptying the items from the basket, he finally noticed the "pork roll" Blazing Fire Fox. Seeing the little creature with glassy eyes and shallow breaths, he was startled and hurriedly untied the ropes. Looking at the little creature lying limp on the ground, radiating an aura of having nothing left to live for, Song Que secretly blamed himself. He placed a hand on its body and transmitted a stream of energy into it.

Instantly, the little creature, which had been gasping on the verge of death just a moment ago, perked up its head. It lay perfectly still, ears perked up, eyes squinted in utter enjoyment. So you know how to play dead? They say foxes are sly and deceitful, and it's absolutely true. He narrowed his eyes, gave it a flick on the forehead, and ignored the little rascal.... The Blazing Fire Fox, playing dead while secretly plotting an escape, rejoiced inwardly when it was untied.

Who could have expected the Great Demon King to suddenly grab it by the scruff of its neck, scaring its heart right up into its throat! Is this fox life, which I haven't even had the chance to enjoy, going to end with me being skinned and eaten right now?! The Fire Fox felt so tragic it wanted to cry. But its inherently suspicious nature made it endure, continuing to play dead and waiting to see if there was any chance to slip away.

To its surprise, a stream of incredibly pure energy suddenly flowed from the Great Demon King's hand. It made its fox body feel so warm and euphorically comfortable that it felt like ascending to immortality. Acting on pure instinct, it stretched its body, squinting its eyes in absolute bliss. But the moment it rolled over, the Blazing Fire Fox instantly regretted it. Crap, my cover is blown. Is he going to tie me up with ropes again? Sure enough, the energy stopped completely.

Its little head received a flick that hurt so much tears welled up. Thinking of its fox life—relentlessly hunted since birth, even nearly forced by its own kind into shameful acts. It had poured out every ounce of its strength just to escape, only to end up in the clutches of this Great Demon King. The Demon King probably thinks my meat isn't firm enough. He's going to tie me up tightly before skinning and roasting me, isn't he?! The tragic thoughts were too much to bear, and tears began to stream uncontrollably.

The Fire Fox whimpered and cried piteously, tears falling like rain.... Did I strike too hard? Song Que stared silently at the Blazing Fire Fox crying tragically in his hands. I just gave it a light tap. Is there a need to cry this much? Talk about being fragile. The corners of his mouth twitched. Seeing the little fellow looking like it had nothing left to live for, he couldn't bear it. He casually transmitted another pulse of energy into it.

As expected, the little guy gradually stopped crying, closed its eyes, and began to enjoy the sensation. Seeing this, Song Que shook his head. He attached his Split Soul to it, wanting to try communicating with the little guy again.... Experiencing the abundant energy flooding every cell once more, the Blazing Fire Fox thought to itself that dying in such euphoria was far better than suffocating to death tied up. Accepting its fate, it noticed a consciousness trying to enter its mind.

This time, it didn't resist, groggily establishing a mental connection. The initial communication was a bit clumsy, but it was considered a success. Sensing the Great Demon King's goodwill—he didn't want to kill it, but merely wanted to raise it as a pet—and having experienced a tragic fox life, the Fire Fox began to calculate inwardly. Following the Great Demon King guarantees safety, good food, and comfortable living. Plus, I get to leech some of this amazing energy from time to time.

No matter how you look at it, it's a huge profit! As for acting cute? Is that even a chore? That's this Fox's innate divine ability! Agree! Agree immediately! The Fire Fox instantly surrendered. It turned its head, used its tongue to gently lick Song Que's arm, and stared at him with big, watery, round eyes. It unleashed its ultimate divine ability: Acting Spoiled! The great Beast Tamer Song burst out laughing at the sight of the spineless little creature, vigorously ruffling its small head.

He fed it a bit more energy, making the little fellow go crazy with joy. Indeed, that is the smart way to do things.

"From now on, your name is Mengmeng." Saying that, he ignored it and stood up to get back to work. He wasn't worried in the slightest about it running away. Setting aside whether it was faster than a flying stone, Husky and he had already memorized its scent. If it dared to run, Song Que had a hundred ways to track it down and skin it within minutes.