The old woman before me, with her strange appearance and large clawed feet, advanced step by step.
She kept asking if she looked human.
A shiver of terror ran through me. What person was this?
She was clearly an old fox from the mountains, transformed.
My heart pounded with apprehension. My instincts screamed at me: she was nothing more than an old fox.
But I remembered the story of "asking for a blessing" from when I was a child.
Thinking of that tale now, I knew I couldn't answer truthfully.
If I did, this old fox's cultivation would be ruined, and she would surely seek revenge.
One ghost had already made me a nervous wreck and threatened my life.
If I were to offend an old fox as well, how could I possibly survive?
I clutched my small cloth bag tightly, my heart filled with tension and fear, and instinctively took two steps back.
My eyes widened, I swallowed hard, and prepared to answer.
But this fox-woman seemed impatient:
"Little brother, hurry up and speak! Do I look like a person?"
Her voice was sharp and her expression was suspicious.
She smiled slightly, and I could even see her sharp fangs.
As she moved, a large yellow tail could be faintly seen swaying behind her.
My throat was dry with nervousness, and as I was about to reply that she looked human.
I faintly heard a strange woman's voice in my ear:
"Don't say she looks like one, say, say she does..."
The voice was faint, barely perceptible.
I managed to glance left and right.
In the dark surroundings, there was no sign of any woman, only weeds.
It was just me and this fox-old woman.
I even wondered if I was hallucinating.
Seeing that I hadn't spoken yet, the fox-old woman grew flustered.
Her body began to tremble, and the hand holding her walking stick began to sprout yellow fur at a visible speed.
Each strand looked terrifying.
The fox-old woman appeared anxious and urged me on:
"Young man, hurry up and speak! Do I look like a person?"
I watched her approach, her hand continuing to grow fur.
Feeling a bit flustered, I replied:
"Old, old lady, you, you, you are already a person, a person..."
Although I fought to control my fear, my words still came out in a stutter.
A chill ran down my spine, and cold sweat poured from me uncontrollably.
But as soon as I finished speaking.
A strange gust of wind suddenly swept up the mountainside.
It blew from behind me, "Whoosh, whoosh," towards the fox-old woman in front of me.
The surrounding weeds and trees swayed along with it.
Making crisp rustling sounds, "Shua, shua, shua."
And the fox-old woman trembled all over.
Suddenly, she spread her arms, dropped her walking stick, and.
Leaned into the strange wind, taking a deep breath.
Her tense expression suddenly gave way to relief and comfort.
She let out a long sigh...
The fox-old woman blocked my path, and I dared not move.
There was no way around her, and I couldn't bypass her.
So I stood there, face to face, with the old woman.
But looking at her again, I saw that her features were not as compressed as before; they seemed to have relaxed.
Although she still had a foxy face, it was much better than before.
The fur on the back of her hand had also disappeared.
Her large, clawed feet, which had been exposed earlier, now looked like human feet, standing on the small stone slab.
After the fox-old woman took nine deep breaths, the strange wind subsided.
She also calmed down.
At this moment, she picked up her walking stick from the ground, smiling at me.
Her eyes narrowed into slits, her small red mouth curved into a happy smile, and she said:
"Little brother, you are a good person. You helped your grandma today, so grandma will naturally repay you!"
Looking at this creature, I was filled with fear. How could I possibly want any repayment now?
I waved my hands repeatedly, saying:
"No, no, thank, thank you!"
But the fox-old woman continued to smile:
"We of the Hu family always repay grudges and debts of gratitude.
You showed me kindness today, so I will give you a gift!"
After saying that, she held her right hand to her left middle finger.
In front of me, she bent it upwards and snapped it off, holding it in her hand.
With a "crack," it broke.
Seeing this, my heart lurched.
This fox-old woman had broken her own middle finger?
I stared at her, dumbfounded, but the fox-old woman acted as if nothing had happened.
"Little brother, take this."
She said, extending her left hand, palm open.
A bloody finger appeared in her palm.
I looked at the bloody finger with surprise, hesitant to reach for it.
Seeing that I didn't move, the fox-old woman chuckled again:
"Hehehe! Don't be afraid! Grandma won't harm you!"
She said, and then clenched her hand.
When the fox-old woman opened her hand again.
The bloody finger had transformed into a curved fox claw.
"Take this. Put it in your mouth tonight. When you go to sell eggs, those things won't dare to touch you."
Hearing this, my heart skipped a beat, and I was somewhat astonished.
How did this fox-old woman know I was going to sell eggs?
Although I was wary of her regarding the eggs, since she had gone this far.
I didn't hesitate any longer and mustered my courage:
"Thank, thank you, Grandma!"
After saying that, I reached out and took the fox claw from the fox-old woman's hand...