Becoming a Fox Spirit from Under One Person

Chapter 105 The Bond with the Fox

In Mount Tai, the temple fair is at its largest scale, lasting from the 28th day of the third lunar month (the birthday of the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak) until the 8th day of the fourth lunar month. Pilgrims gather in droves, and stalls stretch for miles.

Yuanbao Street is lined with shops specializing in incense, candles, paper money, and other sacrificial offerings. At the T-junction in front of Yaocan Pavilion, there are restaurants, pharmacies, cloth shops, and mountain produce stores. In addition to sacrificial offerings, there are also snacks such as zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), cold rice noodles, and yellow millet cakes, as well as daily necessities and acrobatic performances. Everything you could want is available.

Chen Ruoan had not been immersed in such vibrant liveliness for a long time.

With his bamboo-ribbed, oil-paper umbrella tilted slightly, its edge dappled with the soft, dappled sunlight of spring, he strolled slowly through the bustling crowd, enveloped in a warm, joyful aura.

The market was bustling yet peaceful, full of life.

Slices of pork hung from iron hooks, donkeys were grinding grain to make sesame oil, and there were flower vendors, silk thread vendors, sugar figurine makers, snake charmers, monkey charmers... Chen Ruoan walked around, stopping and looking at the various stalls, and finally stopped in front of a pastry stall with a soft and sweet aroma.

The stall, bearing the sign "Fu Shun Zhai," was a large business. Despite his disability in his left leg, the owner was still busy at the stall, accompanied by two capable assistants.

A woman holding a baby waited quietly beside her.

The snacks at the stall had fox patterns drawn with black sesame powder.

"Is this... a trademark?"

The girl was startled when a boy appeared out of nowhere.

"Ah...yes, it was designed by my husband. It seems a bit rough, but you can barely tell it's a fox."

"Why a fox?"

"You won't believe it, but I once met a mountain god named Fox. He saved me and led me to my current husband. My husband and I are very grateful, so we wanted to use Fox as a decoration for our desserts."

Chen Ruoan nodded and asked, "May I try a piece?"

"Those over there are fine," Wanzhen said, pointing to some scattered sample snacks.

Chen Ruoan tasted it. Hu Erxi's skills had improved again, or perhaps they hadn't. Snacks from memory always taste better when they're made more appealing by nostalgia.

"tasty."

"You can buy some. Our pastries are made with high-quality ingredients and taste excellent. They are also famous in Jining County."

The fox didn't follow through on what was said, but instead glanced at the baby girl in Wanzhen's arms.

"How old is the little girl?"

"She's almost four years old."

"What's your name?"

"An'an," Wanzhen explained shyly, "I also got the name from my benefactor. I don't know if it's presumptuous of me, but I hope he won't mind."

"Little An'an..." Chen Ruo'an looked at the little girl, raised her hand to cover her mouth, took out a delicate little bracelet from her abdomen, and placed it in front of the little girl.

"Um, I can't..." Wanzhen was about to return it, but Chen Ruoan stopped her.

"I haven't paid for the pastries yet."

"But the customers were eating samples..."

"Then I'll take another one." Chen Ruoan picked up the wooden clips and took a piece of mung bean cake in her palm.

Just as they were about to leave, Wanzhen asked again, "Are you a local? Do you know where the Fox Fairy Temple is in the mountains? I've heard that some temples have been demolished, but I don't think yours will be. We haven't gone to make offerings yet; my husband has made an appointment with the Fox Fairy."

"You have already made offerings." Chen Ruoan activated his magical artifact, concealing his figure as if he had vanished into thin air.

Wanzhen got up to look for it, but her eyes were blurry. Her daughter clapped her hands happily and reached out to grab at something in front of her. Something furry had disappeared there.

As Chen Ruoan ate the sweet mung bean cake, she walked slowly forward, when a series of loud and lively gong and drum sounds drifted towards her.

Looking up, a very impressive stage had been erected not far away.

The blue cloth curtains hung neatly, the vermilion lacquered pillars were carved with delicate patterns, and strings of red lanterns hung from the eaves, swaying gently in the wind. The red velvet-covered table was grand and orderly, exuding a sense of weight and importance.

As soon as the play began, the sounds of gongs, drums, and strings erupted, instantly igniting a cacophony of cheers and exclamations from the audience.

Chen Ruoan turned slightly to the side, gently patted the shoulder of a spectator who was engrossed in the performance, and asked in a soft voice, "Excuse me, what kind of opera is being performed, and who are the actors on stage?"

The man wasn't annoyed at being photographed; instead, he was overjoyed, his eyes sparkling as he loudly replied, "It's Xia Liuqing! The famous actress who's become a household name across the country in recent years!"

"Today we're playing Erlang Shen in 'An Tian Hui'! We're so lucky! You know, tickets for this actor's shows in Beijing and Shanghai are always incredibly hard to come by; you can't even get a glimpse of him even if you're scrambling to get one."

Chen Ruoan remembered a promise he made with Xia Liuqing.

This somewhat temperamental rascal once boasted that he had become a famous actor and would perform a play for the fox.

The precious scroll bearing the inscription "Summer Willow Green" on the wishing tree has a winding and crooked edge, and Chen Ruoan has yet to dare to use it.

Chen Ruoan gently folded up her oil-paper umbrella and stood alone on the outside of the crowd to watch the performance.

As the drums and gongs beat at their loudest, the play reached its climax, and the most exciting scene came to a close. He then joined the crowd in clapping and cheering.

But the next second, the strange thing on stage pierced through the noise of the entire audience.

The valiant Erlang Shen, who was supposed to be fighting Sun Wukong alongside his dog, suddenly abandoned his opponent. He lightly somersaulted several times on the red velvet table, his figure soaring through the air like a startled swan, directly over the crowd of onlookers in the front row, and landed steadily in front of Chen Ruoan.

The gold patterns on the costume fluttered in the wind, and the feathers on the crown trembled slightly.

Erlang Shen looked up at the fox, his voice piercing the crowd, each word spoken in a theatrical tone: "Finally~ I've seen you again~"

"Are you crazy? It's your show, you should put on a show first!" Chen Ruoan said.

Xia Liuqing stubbornly shook her head: "I'll listen to you. I'll curb my ferocity and never cause trouble since we parted ways in Suzhou. Apart from self-defense, I've never hurt anyone..."

"Fox spirit, aren't you in charge of marriage? I have a favor to ask of you. I'm in love with a woman; in my eyes, she's a celestial being!"

The onlookers looked at each other in disbelief, and Sun Wukong and his hound on the stage were also stunned.

"Is this part of the play?"

Look at that boy, his clothes are decent, but he doesn't have much of a costume. Was there such a person when he made a scene in the Heavenly Palace?

"Erlang Shen has fallen in love with mortals; isn't that a violation of heavenly law? Could it be an adaptation?"

"Adaptation doesn't mean making things up randomly."

Chen Ruoan gripped Xia Liuqing's shoulders and lifted her up: "Stop fooling around, get up first."

"I don't care, I want Jin Feng."

"Let's discuss this slowly."

"I want the Golden Phoenix."

"Still acting? Don't you care about your reputation and dignity?"

"I want the Golden Phoenix!"

Xia Liuqing channeled all the tantrums and unruly behavior she had as a child into Chen Ruoan.

Unfortunately, the fox didn't have a mop handle or a feather duster.

"A good man should prioritize his career, get back here!" Chen Ruoan kicked Xia Liuqing back onto the stage with a flying kick, and then used the Golden Touch spell to create the Flowing Light Illusion.

All the onlookers saw on the stage was a hungry eagle swooping down on a sparrow, a sea crane chasing a cormorant, an osprey catching a fish, and a gray crane carrying away a water snake... only then did they realize that this was an incredibly exquisite illusion.

Erlang Shen and Sun Wukong are having a magical battle!

"good!"

"Amazing! Absolutely brilliant!" Thunderous applause erupted from the audience, with everyone cheering and applauding.

Chen Ruoan helped the actors on stage to make a hasty recovery, barely managing to save face for the Taishan troupe.

After the audience dispersed, behind the stage, Xia Liuqing, still in makeup, knelt down again with a "thump" and gripped Chen Ruoan's right hind leg.

"I've never asked anyone for anything in my life, just this once, just this once."

The fox struggled to pull its hind legs out and kicked Xia Liuqing in the face several times, successfully escaping.

"I think I can understand why the thread of good karma is so winding now..."

Xia Liuqing's faith in the fox spirit "Red Thread Fairy" was pure, but her shamelessness caused the fox great trouble.