Chapter 91: The Elders at Home (Fourth Update)

Xu Yuan also wanted to do something refined, like reading by lamplight at night, but the shop had always been run by coarse people, and upstairs and downstairs there was nothing but ledgers—no scraps of paper anywhere.

So Xu Yuan could only begin practicing the Five Cauldrons Boiling Scripture.

The little fox had always been cautious, a supple rope tied around its hind leg—loose enough, yet no matter how many times it tried secretly, it could not untie or break free.

Suddenly, it felt a faint warmth emanating from Xu Yuan.

The little fox instinctively shifted closer toward him.

The warmth grew stronger, more comfortable; the little fox moved closer again, and again, and again…

Without realizing it, it had pressed up against Xu Yuan’s foot.

Its tiny body felt warm and cozy.

The little fox sighed inwardly: No wonder aunts always liked sleeping curled up with humans—it really is comfortable.

But before it could enjoy it long, suddenly its neck was clamped by a hard, flat board.

The little fox squealed in panic; Da Fu flicked its head and tossed the fox back against the wall.

The little fox was angry, ready to scratch!

But seeing it was this goose, it shrank its neck, teared up pitifully, and dared not challenge Da Fu—even though it hadn’t yet taken human form, it already carried that air of heartbreaking vulnerability.

Xu Yuan fully refined the hide he’d obtained from Lao Ba.

The hide core now covered his entire body.

Xu Yuan opened his eyes, trimmed the wick longer, and the oil lamp’s glow brightened slightly.

Outside the door, heavy breathing sounded—a massive creature passing by.

Immediately after, faint whispers rose, as if something was conspiring beneath the wall!

After that, the night fell silent for a while—then the ground trembled suddenly.

Again, something strange had slithered beneath the earth…

Xu Yuan sat by the window, his lamplight clearly visible through the paper.

Xu Yuan suddenly felt clearly that he was being watched.

This sensation came from his “Nothing Forbidden” destiny, his resistance to occult arts.

Xu Yuan turned sideways, peered out through the window slit—and his eyelids twitched violently!

On the road outside, dozens of zhang away, dark water rolled silently into a wave over a zhang tall, atop which stood the ghost infant!

The ghost infant was staring coldly at his lamplight shadow on the window paper!

Xu Yuan thought inwardly: This malevolent spirit really does hold a grudge—after I left, hasn’t it come every night to check on Zhao’s Hide Shop?

Xu Yuan was right.

Not every night, but every two or three nights, it came.

Xu Yuan slowly drew out his matchlock, loaded gunpowder, then inserted a “Golden Pill.”

If this malevolence draws closer, I’ll blast it first.

Suddenly, the ghost infant seemed startled by something, standing atop the wave, turning its gaze toward the mountains.

The dark water wave dissolved soundlessly; the ghost infant vanished with it.

Two yellow-furred foxes hopped out from the mountains, laughing and playing, tossing a bleached, bare thigh bone like a club back and forth.

Their lithe, supple bodies twisted into impossible postures among rocks and trees.

“Gek gek gek…”

Fox laughter in the night sent chills up the spine and prickled the scalp.

The two foxes entered the town, avoiding the gaze of the door gods painted on gates.

Thus they took an S-shaped path, strolling slowly along the main road until they reached Zhao’s Hide Shop—then one fox stood upright and said to the shadow on the window paper: “Boy, we’ve come. Open the door quickly and let us in.”

Xu Yuan’s shadow on the window shifted; his voice came out: “I don’t recognize foxes’ appearances. What if some malevolent spirit is pretending to be you in the middle of the night?”

The fox stood on its hind legs, curled its front paws beneath its chin, and adopted a bashful posture: “Oh, it’s so late—how could I let you see me naked?”

Xu Yuan paused inside: “Oh, right—you sisters are always naked during the day…”

“Oh, hush! My niece is right here…”

Xu Yuan fell silent, but the two foxes bounced twice, sighed wistfully, and said: “Fine, if you want to see, we’ll transform for you.”

Their tone brimmed with the tender resentment of a betrayed lover.

Xu Yuan heard faint movement upstairs—someone, perhaps a captain, still awake, drawn by the conversation, eager to feast his eyes.

But the two foxes sensed it too, and began to show off—giggling, suddenly the street outside lit up with red candlelight, like a wedding chamber on the bridal night.

A mist swirled around the light, thinning and thickening.

Two girls’ figures flickered in and out of the candlelight and mist.

A porcelain arm emerged, slipping into a sleeve; a jade leg flashed, then vanished beneath a skirt; a pair of eyes smiled with affection—then dissolved again into the thin mist…

Xu Yuan glanced a few times and recognized them as those two flirtatious foxes.

But those upstairs, never having seen such a spectacle, breathed heavily.

Xu Yuan coughed: “Enough, stop this nonsense.”

The two girls lost interest, waved their hands—and the candles and mist vanished.

Two lovely girls stood outside the door, fully dressed.

“See clearly now? Open the door!”

But Xu Yuan still refused: “I dare not.”

The elder fox grew angry: “You dragged us here by capturing our niece, and now that we’ve come, you dare not even meet us?”

Xu Yuan said: “I’m not afraid of you—I’m afraid of the one behind you!”

The two girls paled, gritted their teeth, and whispered: “This brat is truly cunning!”

Xu Yuan added: “If I open the door and the one behind you storms in, I fear not a single soul will survive upstairs or down!”

The two girls dared not decide, glancing warily behind them—without daring to look long.

On the dark street, shadows shifted, slowly forming a colossal figure.

This street was the main road cutting through town, so it was wide—about three zhang.

Paved with blue stone slabs.

The figure nearly filled the entire street; even a slight movement would scrape against the houses on either side.

“Grandfather,” the two foxes called softly.

It was a massive black fox, its eyes emerald green, glowing like twin ghostly fires as it looked down upon Xu Yuan from above.

The black fox sat cross-legged on the street, towering over five zhang tall!

A huge tail cushioned its rump; its claws twitched slightly, easily capable of crushing a cow.

Xu Yuan had never seen a fox this large.

Clearly, not just the captain upstairs was awake—the sudden appearance of the giant black fox stirred murmurs throughout the building.

Xu Yuan remembered how the two foxes had cooperated with him, barely managing to oppose Shenggu and her group.

Meaning the two foxes certainly hadn’t reached the Seventh Rank.

Someone at that level couldn’t claim territory in Ghost Witch Mountain, nor could they make the ghost infant flee.

So Xu Yuan stayed alert—when the two foxes happily arrived, he used “Wang Ming” to take a look.

Sure enough, someone was hiding behind them.

After the giant black fox appeared, Xu Yuan dared not open the door—he stood up behind the window, showing solemnity: “Old Master, why have you come?”

(End of Chapter)