The Little Fox's Immortal Cultivation Encyclopedia

The following day was the Autumn Equinox.

Before the morning mist had even dissipated, two yamen runners were already standing at the city gate.

The lead constable tore down an old notice from the wall and stuffed it haphazardly into his pocket. The constable behind him took a notice with the ink still wet, pasted it on the wall, carefully smoothing it out, and then picked up the gong next to him and struck it three times.

The surrounding people gathered around upon hearing the noise, whispering and discussing among themselves.

"Why are there notices posted all of a sudden today?"

"Yes, yes, has something happened?"

The constable cleared his throat, raised his hand to quell the commotion, and announced loudly, "By order of the magistrate, the Autumn Festival is moved to tomorrow. The entire city will be granted a three-day holiday, and everyone must participate in the worship of the Peach Fox God!"

"Three-day holiday!"

"The Peach Fox God?" someone muttered under their breath, as if suddenly realizing something. "Oh, yes, it's time to worship the Peach Fox God."

"Furthermore," the constable added, "for this autumn festival, we must prepare plenty of meat and few vegetarian dishes. Even if we do prepare vegetarian dishes, there must be no green leafy vegetables!"

"Oh dear, that's too much money. I still need to buy fabric to make clothes for my grandson."

"There was never this requirement for worship in the past. Why are there more rules now that Magistrate Zhang has arrived?"

The murmurs from the crowd grew louder and louder, forcing the bailiffs to strike the gong again.

"Silence! Silence! The magistrate has already made arrangements; all expenses related to the worship of the gods will be borne by Magistrate He!"

"Oh dear, oh dear, the magistrate is wise indeed!"

"I told you Magistrate He was a kind and honest man..."

As one group dispersed, new passersby gathered around. The constable showed no impatience, explaining to the onlookers again and again.

At this moment, whether in the north or south of the city, whether in Taoxinfang or Pingkangfang, yamen runners were beating gongs and announcing orders to ensure that every single citizen of the city participated.

The county government office was also bustling with activity.

Yesterday, after the fox severed the connection and returned to its physical form, it told everyone everything that had happened, including secrets that could be traced back to the previous dynasty. It all came out at once, leaving everyone dizzy and overwhelmed.

There was no time for sentimentality. In order to carry out the Peach God's plan, everyone had been working non-stop since last night. The county magistrate was in charge of the whole situation in the main hall. Duan Mianli had already gone out to lead his men to clean up the site and prepare for the festival tomorrow. He Guijian, who had just handed over a portion of his private wealth, clutched his chest and wrote the blessing text for tomorrow with great sorrow.

Master Yun and his young apprentice also rushed to Huaxinfang early in the morning, intending to capture Li Lang.

Li Lang was completely unaware that the secret that had caused him so much anxiety and fear had been revealed by the Peach Goddess and widely publicized by the Fox.

The fox also wanted to go. The connection between Peach Goddess and Li Lang was very mysterious, and the fox was very curious as to why Peach Goddess knew what Li Lang knew, but was unclear about the other way around. Unfortunately, it was just a product of chance, and even Peach Goddess herself didn't quite understand.

If possible, the fox would love to make its tail intelligent, so that it wouldn't have to do many things itself.

However, everyone agreed on the same story, saying all sorts of nice things, that the fox was the core of this festival and needed to be in the center. They also said that the fox spirit had great magical powers, and that it was unnecessary to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, so they managed to keep the fox at the county government office.

So, everyone in the huge county government office was so busy they barely had time to breathe, except for the fox, who lay on the ground basking in the sun.

But the fox was not idle.

"Life force is the primordial energy that gives rise to all things. It is the origin of energy, like a spring of water. It occurs after the winter solstice and before the rainy season. It is half yin and half yang, with yin energy descending and yang energy rising, and yang energy being generated while yin energy is stored. Hence it is called life force. Among the six energies, life force is the most precious."

This is the sound's explanation of vital energy, and it also taught the fox the method of breathing exercises. According to the fox's conjecture, this vital energy can nourish spirits and life, regenerate flesh and heal wounds. If one's Taoist magic is profound, it should be able to revive the dead and restore flesh to bones.

However, the Six Qi Method divides the year into six periods, and one must breathe in the corresponding spiritual energy at specific times.

Fortunately, the voice made no attempt to conceal its meaning, revealing the other five elements one by one.

"The gathering of Qi refers to the great Qi at which all things gather and converge. It occurs after the Autumnal Equinox and before the Frost's Descent. At this time, Yang is in the middle and Yin is in the middle, and the Qi is cool and solemn. Yang Qi declines while Yin Qi grows, and all things gather and converge at this time, hence the name 'gathering of Qi'."

To calm down, one must naturally calm down and focus one's mind and body. The fox lazily lay in the middle of the hall entrance, blocking the only way in and out, forcing every yamen runner who entered to go from walking with their heads held high and struts like tigers to walking stealthily and slithering like snakes and mice.

Upon seeing the deity for the first time, the constables froze, not daring to utter a sound.

The fox ignored them, lay still, and refused to move aside. It focused its mind on absorbing the power of their aspirations that arose from their turbulent emotions.

Because of the peach god's hint, the people of Tao County transferred their reverence for the peach god to the fox. The object of worship changed, but the complexity of people's hearts remained unchanged.

The Peach Goddess progressed gradually, increasing her supernatural powers step by step as the number of believers grew. Even so, she would still be swept away by the power of wishes due to the disharmony of her soul and lose control.

If the fox were to devour all the wishes of the people of Tao County without any preparation, it would probably cause more than just indigestion.

Fortunately, the fox could make a sound.

Gathering Qi is not only about gathering; in autumn, all things gather and the sky is high and clear. According to the fox's understanding, solemnity and purity are also characteristics of gathering Qi.

The wisps of incense enter the body, like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, cutting away greed and delusions, leaving only the purest and most simple prayers, which slowly gather at the base of the fox's tail.

There weren't many people in the county government office, and the fox's refining speed was also quite fast. Before long, it had refined all the surrounding power of wishes.

The fox looked up; the sun was shining brightly, warming its body. The fox yawned, its eyelids heavy, feeling drowsy. Its tail flicked lightly; the fox felt as if it had forgotten something.

"According to Peach Goddess's calculations, the demon should appear around the Mid-Autumn Festival. There's still time, no rush..."

No, with a formidable enemy at hand, how can we be so negligent? The fox shook its head sharply, roused itself, got up from the ground, stretched, and then leaped onto the table, watching He Guijian put down his pen.

He Guijian immediately stopped writing. It wasn't that he lacked literary talent; under the personal supervision of the deities he worshipped, even if he summoned the academy's teachers, he probably wouldn't be able to concentrate.

However, the congratulatory message was also of paramount importance. In order to ensure that the Autumn Festival celebrations would not go wrong tomorrow, He Guijian gritted his teeth and continued writing:

"Today, believers from Tao County and its surrounding villages, along with other devotees, have prepared a feast of simple food, pork, lamb, dried peaches, and seasonal fruits, and offer this sacrifice a hundred times..."

The fox looked displeased, moved its tail to get the tip dipped in ink, and then, aiming carefully, made a light stroke on the paper, leaving a deep ink mark.

He Guijian was stunned, then looked at the congratulatory text again:

"We have prepared fine wine and delicacies, abundant pork and lamb, and offered a hundred prostrations..."

The fox looked smugly at its masterpiece, gazing at the jet-black, snake-like ink stains, when suddenly it remembered something it had forgotten:

Why didn't Da Liu come to see the fox yesterday?