Based on the descriptions from the frightened tourists, the bureau suspected a mountain spirit (shānxiāo) and sent me to investigate.
If it were just an ordinary, albeit tall, monkey, that would be fine. If it truly were a mountain spirit, I would have to find a way to drive it deeper into the mountains.
However, the territories in the mountains are already claimed, and I wasn't sure what I might disturb by forcing it further in.
Lin Yan parked her car at the foot of the mountain and proceeded into the woods on foot.
Wei Wanru was currently delivering some talismans back to the Lin family for her, so Lin Yan had to ascend the mountain alone.
In fact, after Lin Yan’s spiritual power upgraded, Wei Wanru rarely accompanied her on missions anymore, focusing more on staying by Manman’s side.
Those who had paid attention to Manman when she was young seemed to have gone into hiding in recent years, their whereabouts undetected for a long time.
This did not mean Manman was safe; perhaps they believed their work was done now that Manman had entered the Xuanxue world.
After all, in the original novel, Manman only began to study Xuanxue knowledge at the age of seventeen, implying those individuals wouldn't make a move before then.
But Manman was also connected to the Ghost King, so this deduction wasn't entirely accurate. The Ghost King was not yet sealed, and anything could happen.
Hence, Wei Wanru remained by Manman's side, protecting her in Lin Yan's absence.
Lin Yan walked slowly through the mountains. She sensed no ghostly or yin energy. Instead, the spiritual energy was abundant, making it a good place for cultivation.
It seemed those people had disturbed something cultivating in the mountains, which is why they were frightened away.
Nevertheless, Lin Yan still had to investigate what had happened and what this so-called "mountain spirit" was.
Lin Yan walked along the mountain path, breathing in the spiritually charged air. The sun had completely set, and the forest was shrouded in shadow.
Lin Yan took out her flashlight from her bag and turned it on. The beam only illuminated a small area ahead.
"Host, is this really a shānxiāo?" the system's voice was tinged with feigned calm and fear.
"There's a possibility," Lin Yan replied, following the mountain path deeper into the woods.
"Then why isn't this shānxiāo hurting anyone? Aren't shānxiāo supposed to be fierce?" its voice trembled, betraying its undisguised fear.
Lin Yan didn't answer. She noticed the path beneath her feet had changed, becoming more difficult to traverse, as if it hadn't been walked in a long time. The grass by the roadside was also deeper.
She raised her flashlight to scan her surroundings, seeing only indistinct shadows, nothing else clearly visible.
A large silhouette flashed by. Lin Yan quickly moved the flashlight beam in that direction.
But there was nothing there. Lin Yan frowned. She still couldn't detect any yin or resentful energy.
Why was that?
Lin Yan turned to head in the direction where the shadow had moved.
"Crack." The sound of stepping on a dry twig came from behind Lin Yan. She quickly turned her head in that direction.
A furry head appeared within the beam of Lin Yan's flashlight.
Seeing the light shining on it, it immediately stood on its hind legs and took a few steps. A smile appeared on its foxy face.
Yes, it was a fox, a red fox.
As Lin Yan met its gaze, the human-like smile on its face widened. It also extended its front paws, waving at Lin Yan.
Its long, narrow eyes, fixed on Lin Yan, were full of longing.
"You are the reason for the shānxiāo appearing in these woods," Lin Yan stated with certainty.
It froze, seemingly not understanding what Lin Yan was saying, or perhaps it hadn't anticipated such a reaction from Lin Yan.
"Foxes are skilled in illusions, so everything that happened here was your doing, wasn't it? You scared those tourists away?"
It looked at Lin Yan blankly, then waved its front paws again, a smile returning to its face.
"Since that's the case, my task is complete, and I can return to report." Saying this, Lin Yan prepared to turn and leave.
"Host, is this a fox spirit?" the system asked, curious about the seemingly intelligent fox.
As Lin Yan turned, the red fox darted back into the flashlight's beam, stood on its hind legs again, and waved like a human.
"It's a fox that has gained sentience, only one step away from taking human form."
Looking at the red fox earnestly performing for the light, Lin Yan could no longer tease it.
"Hello," Lin Yan waved back. "You look so much like a person."
The moment Lin Yan finished speaking, the fox that was standing on its hind legs rolled on the ground and transformed into a girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old.
Upon realizing she had transformed into a human, the girl excitedly jumped around in place for a long time.
"Ahem!"
Hearing Lin Yan's cough, the girl suddenly remembered there was still a person in the woods.
"Hu Shiqi expresses her gratitude to Benefactor!" She quickly adjusted her clothes and bowed to Lin Yan.
"Thanks to Benefactor, this humble fox was able to take human form. Should Benefactor ever require anything, this fox will not utter a single word of refusal, even if it means perishing."
"I don't need you to do anything. The tourists were disturbing your cultivation in the first place. However, since you have already taken human form, it would be best not to frighten others again next time."
It was difficult for mountain spirits to cultivate, and with the development of the mountains, there were fewer and fewer places left for them.
It was truly commendable for this fox to have cultivated to such a level. It would be good to help if possible.
"This humble fox did not wish to, but they came right to my doorstep and picked the fruits I had grown. Since I could not harm them, I could only use some illusions to make them leave."
Fox Shiqi said this with a hint of grievance.
"Alright. I will report this to the local bureau, and they will ensure no one bothers you again. You can continue cultivating here."
"But..." Hu Shiqi's eyes darted around.
"What is it?" Lin Yan placed her flashlight on the ground and sat down on a nearby large rock, preparing to hear what she wanted to say.
"Benefactor, I have already taken human form, and further cultivation requires more human essence. So..." she hesitated, glancing at Lin Yan before lowering her head.
Hu Shiqi felt someone enter the woods today and had set up an illusion to scare them away.
But when she actually came over and saw the person entering the mountain, she realized this was no ordinary person, but a walking embodiment of merit and golden light.
This was a benefactor, her benefactor. So she dispelled the illusion, tidied her exceptionally well-maintained fur, and approached Lin Yan to seek formal recognition of her transformation.
As Lin Yan continued to tell her she had frightened the tourists, she had already lost hope of success. Who would have thought the situation would turn around, and she would actually receive acknowledgment!