"Pain... pain..." My ankle throbbed as if caught in a hunter's trap. I looked down to see the fox kits I had just killed gnawing ferociously at my ankle, like young wolfdogs tearing at flesh.
The pain made me tremble uncontrollably. I wanted to cry out for help, but found myself utterly voiceless. The piercing agony spread not just from my ankle, but also from my wrists and thighs.
Every part of my body, except my eyeballs, was paralyzed. I could only watch as the old woman smiled, letting the little fox kits devour my flesh, like a wolf preying on a helpless lamb.
I tried to mobilize the Xuan Yang True Qi within me, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea. No matter how I willed it, there was no response. It was as if the Qi had vanished from my body.
"Am I really going to be eaten alive by these fox kits?"
The kits were fast. Though I couldn't see my thighs, I could feel the pain spreading from my ankle to my knee. The helplessness made me want to pass out.
Just as I thought I was about to die, Huang San's somewhat lewd face suddenly appeared before me. Before I could even ask for help, he turned his backside towards me and a stream of yellow gas erupted.
A pungent, spicy smell shot straight to my head, making my eyes water and my nose run. I was about to curse Huang San for "farting on me" when my body suddenly shivered as if electrocuted. Then, I saw several pairs of eyes emitting a faint green glow before me.
Only then did I notice Huang San slumped at my feet. My ankle, which had been half-eaten, revealing bone, was now intact. Only a large section of my pants had been torn away, and the cold wind made me shiver.
"Young Master Song, can you handle it? Cough, cough..." Huang San said weakly, coughing.
"What was that just now..." Suppressing my joy, I quickly asked Huang San what had happened.
I had thought my leg was gone and my arm too, but to find it was all fake filled me with surprise and delight.
"That was the old fox's illusion technique. You were fooled," Huang San explained.
Following Huang San's gaze, I saw the fox kits that had appeared earlier still standing by the wall. There was no blood on the wall, and they were not dead. Among them, a new fox with dull grey fur had appeared.
The old fox had lost most of its fur, revealing scarlet flesh. It looked like a mangy dog, but its eyes were exceptionally bright, and I could see a look of regret in them.
"Fooled? It felt like the old fox's illusion technique?" I asked Huang San, my heart suddenly cold with a sweat.
This old fox was too powerful. I hadn't felt anything when I was ensnared. If Huang San hadn't suddenly woken me, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"Huang San, your injuries haven't healed. Rest for a while. Let me deal with this old fox."
Having been tricked by the old fox, my anger surged. What bothered me most was not knowing how I had fallen for the illusion.
"Young Master Song, be careful. This old fox has considerable cultivation!" Huang San said with concern, limping to the side.
"Don't worry! I was careless just now. I didn't see the old fox lurking in the shadows, otherwise, how could I have been fooled?" I boasted shamelessly.
"I hope so..."
My face flushed slightly at Huang San's teasing, but I exerted force with my feet. The Yin Ironwood ruler in my hand, infused with Xuan Yang True Qi, emitted a dark red glow as I charged towards the old fox.
Seeing its illusion technique broken, the old fox let out a fox cry. The seven or eight wolf-dog-sized foxes hidden in the shadows then rushed out one after another.
Bang, bang—
I swung the Yin Ironwood ruler, creating a whistling wind, but the foxes before me were as slippery as loaches. I couldn't hit them, and with one careless moment, I was almost bitten.
"Damn old fox, you really think I'm a sick cat when I don't show my true strength."
After several failed attempts and nearly getting injured, my temper flared. Especially with Huang San watching, I couldn't let him see me make a fool of myself.
With a twist of my wrist, I placed the Yin Ironwood ruler behind me, took out two pre-prepared peach wood nails, mentally recited the Heavenly Speed Seal, and then struck at the two closest foxes.
The two peach wood nails, empowered by the Heavenly Speed Seal, shot forward like meteors, reaching the two fox kits in an instant and piercing directly into their heads.
The expected spray of blood did not appear. The peach wood nails passed straight through their bodies and embedded in the ground. They then transformed into a cloud of grey smoke and dissipated into the air.
"Another illusion? This old fox is truly cunning."
Yow—
The old fox let out a piercing cry. The sparse grey fur on its body suddenly puffed up and then transformed into a wisp of grey smoke. Instantly, countless wolf-dog-sized foxes appeared before me.
"Again?"
I completely ignored the fox kits rushing towards me and took out the peach wood nails again, striking at the old fox with the Heavenly Speed Seal.
Seeing this, the old fox twisted its body and darted behind the wall into the shadows, causing my two peach wood nails to hit the wall.
At that moment, I felt a sharp pain in my ankle. I looked down to see a fox kit biting down hard, desperately trying to widen the wound.
I drew out the Yin Ironwood ruler and struck its head with a single blow.
Bang—
A spray of blood mixed with white brain matter erupted.
"What... what is going on?" I was somewhat stunned.
It was clearly fake just moments ago, so how did it become real in the blink of an eye?
"Young Master Song, be careful of other foxes. Don't be fooled by the old fox's illusion technique."
Huang San said this while dodging the attacks of two fox kits, clearly busy.
They say foxes are cunning, and now I truly understood. They even knew how to mix the real with the fake.
The peach wood nails in my hand could no longer be used; they were treasures reserved for dealing with the old fox. I could only use the Yin Yang Ironwood ruler to hack at the fox kits. After killing three in a row, no more real fox kits appeared.
Seeing this, I charged into the building, intending to deal with the old fox.
But as I entered the dark building, I was instantly dumbfounded. The scene before me changed, and suddenly I found myself in a bamboo forest with a small pavilion.
A woman was sitting inside the pavilion, leisurely drinking tea, leaving a beautiful silhouette for me.
"You've come? I just brewed some Pu'er. Would you like to have some tea?"
Her gentle voice was like sweet dew, making me forget why I was there. I only wanted to step forward, have a sip of tea, and see what she looked like.