Becoming a Fox Spirit from Under One Person.

The area around Chen Ruoan was scorched earth, with embers of the fire still lingering. Only a few buildings, such as the mountain gate and the Damo Pavilion, survived.

The monks in the temple took refuge in the remaining buildings or temporarily lived in the surrounding mountains and forests, while some of the more timid ones simply returned to secular life and fled.

Of the hundreds of monks, only a dozen or so remain.

The fox looked at the ragged monk, who was thin and bony, and seemed to have not eaten properly in a long time.

"Thank you for your understanding, Master. Here, take this."

Chen Ruoan's only provisions for the journey were boiled eggs, so he placed three of them in front of the monk.

On the scorched black mountain soil, the three eggs were so white they looked like pearls.

After finishing his business, Chen Ruoan strolled through the mountains. At this time, Songshan Mountain was in the lush state of early summer, with pine and oak trees covering the slopes and wildflowers in bloom. However, the remnants of the burning of Shaolin Temple had not yet disappeared, and the smell of burnt wood still lingered in the Shaoshi Mountain area, with ruins hidden among the trees.

The sound of fighting reached the fox's ears.

Following the sound, they found a monk in his twenties fighting two defeated bandits in the thicket of the forest.

boom!

Gunshots rang out in the forest, and a bullet struck the monk squarely in the chest. The soldier and bandit grinned maliciously, "Heh heh, serves you right."

"Amitabha~" The monk patted his shoulder, tore open his robe, and took a twisted bullet from the skin covered by the Buddha's light. "Two benefactors, you can't do anything to this humble monk with just two guns."

"Since we've already been defeated, why not withdraw from the battlefield sooner rather than later?"

The soldier spat and said, "Go to hell! If you're so capable, why don't you go after the guy who burned down your temple?"

The monk sighed, "In these chaotic times, there are many things I am powerless to do. All I can do is temporarily guard the ruined temple and, incidentally, clear away the bandits and demons around here."

"You pretentious bald monk!"

Bang, bang!

The two fired a few more shots, and as the monk had said, two guns were not enough to break through the Buddhist Vajra Kung Fu for the time being.

The monk, who was originally compassionate, saw the soldiers and bandits closing in step by step, so he lightly extended his right palm and used the "Great Compassion Hand".

A gentle palm strike, yet concealing powerful internal force, sent two soldiers and bandits flying through the air with a muffled thud. They crashed heavily to the ground, spitting blood, and remained motionless.

"Oh no, he's dead."

The monk's eyes were filled with pity and self-reproach. He hurriedly clasped his hands together, bowed his head, and shook his head gently at the corpse. He sighed deeply, "I accidentally caused a life. Amitabha Buddha—I have sinned, I have sinned."

He chanted Buddhist mantras and recited sutras to help the two bandits pass on to the afterlife. Then he heard two coughs. The two soldiers and bandits were not dead. They struggled to support themselves on the tree trunk and sat up with difficulty.

The monk was taken aback, then his brows relaxed, revealing genuine joy. He nodded repeatedly, clasped his hands together, and laughed loudly, "He's not dead! That's wonderful! Amitabha! Buddha is merciful! Well done, well done!"

Chen Ruoan sat high on a branch, taking in the entire forest.

What a master who is free and unhindered in his heart! He is the most shrewd monk. If he kills someone, he shouts "Forgive me, forgive me"; if he doesn't kill them, he shouts "Well done, well done".

The monk subdued the two bandits and shattered their guns with a flick of his finger, preventing them from causing further trouble in the mountains.

After he finished, he sensed a faint aura emanating from the branch. His gaze sharpened suddenly as he fixed his eyes on the fox, his expression fierce and wrathful.

"May I ask, sir fox, is the cannibalistic monster infestation that has been causing widespread panic in the mountains these past few days related to you?"

Chen Ruoan's ears twitched, and she replied, "Don't jump to conclusions. I just arrived in this area today and haven't even gotten familiar with the mountain roads yet."

The monk stared intently, examining the fox closely. He saw that the fox was surrounded by the innate Yin energy of an elf, a pure Yin energy, without any of the foul and filthy aura of a man-eating demon. He realized that he had been presumptuous.

His expression softened, his fierce demeanor vanished, replaced by a compassionate look. He clasped his hands together and bowed in apology.

"It was my fault, please forgive me. My Buddhist name is Jiekong, and I am a monk from Shaolin Temple. May I ask who you are, benefactor?"

The future leader of Buddhism, the abbot of Lingyin Temple, Master Jiekong, one of the "Ten Elders"?

No wonder, with such a well-rounded and insightful mind, it would be strange if he remained an unknown figure in the future.

The fox leaped down from the branch, transformed into human form, and bowed: "Chen Ruoan, Taishan Inviting the Moon Pavilion."

"You are Benefactor Chen?"

"Master Jiekong knows me?"

“That’s natural. Your reputation is widespread, and you are well-known in the martial arts world. I heard that you went to Longhu Mountain last year to discuss Taoism and spar with the high-ranking Taoist priests of the Celestial Master’s Mansion. Taoist Priest Zhang Zhiwei was slightly outmatched by you.”

Becoming famous is a series of interconnected steps.

Zhang Zhiwei once became famous for slapping Lu Jin until she cried; now it's the fox's turn to use Zhang Zhiwei to gain fame.

The content being disseminated is somewhat inaccurate.

This is normal, because the Taoist priests of Longhu Mountain, along with those from outside the area, don't care about the truth at all; they just want Zhang Zhiwei to suffer, even if it's just a rumor.

The pressure is now on the fox.

Monks do not lie, and it would seem inappropriate for them to speak falsely or deceive Master Jiekong.

"That is indeed true."

"On that day, I revealed my true form and fought him, shaking him so much that he was embedded in the ground. I was lucky to win."

"I see."

The monk Jiekong bowed and performed a Buddhist salute: "It seems that Benefactor Fox possesses profound skills, and that the divine has been transmitted through man."

"To be honest, I once had a sparring session with Master Zhang, but unfortunately I am far inferior to him. Victory and defeat are all illusory. Even setting aside methods, Master Zhang is extraordinary in terms of his clear mind and profound virtue, and is truly worthy of respect and admiration. Now it seems that Benefactor Fox is the same kind of person."

The fox's paws gripped the ground tightly.

Why did I suddenly feel ashamed?

However, Master Jiekong's words were an overstatement. Zhang Zhiwei, who was known for his arrogance, rarely praised anyone highly, but he described Master Jiekong as an extremely powerful martial monk.

Seeing that Jie Kongxin was sincere and earnest, Chen Ruoan couldn't continue to follow his empty words and immediately changed the subject, inquiring about the demonic trouble in the mountains.

Jie Kong lowered his eyes and sighed softly, then clasped his hands together and said slowly, "A sinister and wicked beast lurks in the mountains and forests, seemingly both a spirit and a ghost, its whereabouts mysterious and unpredictable. It preys on passersby and soldiers stationed in the mountains, and even monks who seek refuge in the mountains have fallen victim to its venom. This thing is treacherous and cunning, and its movements are as swift as the wind. Not to mention eliminating it, very few people have even seen its true form."

"Since that's the case, then let me also get involved." The fox has the ability to find spirits, and being a beast, it won't be viewed with too much suspicion.

"Thank you, sir."

Chen Ruoan and Jie Kong ventured deeper into the mountains together.

The mountain breeze rustles through the forest, brushing against the branches and leaves. All around, there are only the chirping of insects and the warbling of birds, a scene of quiet and ordinary mountain scenery.

Forget about spirits that have attained Qi; even large wild beasts are extremely rare.

Chen Ruoan moved nimbly through the woods, her sharp ears picking up the faint gnawing sounds coming from the bushes.

Looking up, I saw a group of grayish-brown macaques climbing among the branches, but they showed no signs of having attained Qi; they were just ordinary monkeys, not spirits.

"There's nothing strange about it."

Chen Ruoan glanced at the monkey troop again. The monkeys were huddled together eating, their cheeks bulging, and their mouths and chins were covered with thick, scarlet juice.

The fruit of Mount Song ripens in August, and its juice is by no means the bright, sweet color of the fruit.

"Hey buddy, eating?" the fox greeted him.

Chapter 87: He accepted the feeding, so he's my big son now!

The monkeys gathered in the tree, squeaking and gesturing wildly. Chen Ruoan, with his advanced "communicative language" and body language, could roughly guess what they were saying.

Snapped!

A bloody mess was thrown in front of the fox, and the lead monkey raised its hands in response, indicating that it was time to entertain the uninvited guest.

Chen Ruoan sniffed with the tip of his nose and smelled a strong, sweet, and fishy scent. This smell was fatally attractive to the newly enlightened spirit, as it came from human blood.

Of course, foxes nowadays are able to calmly accept food.

Chen Ruoan licked his lips and asked, "How long have you been eating this stuff?"

"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"

"There are no wild fruits in the mountains, and they dare not touch living people, so they attacked corpses and gnawed on their flesh?"

"Squeak."

"I see."

The flesh in front of Chen Ruoan's paws was fresh and bloody, and could not have come from a corpse. These monkeys are lying.

Are there no native populations in the Songshan area? It's already strange enough that a group of monkeys would take over the mountain as their king, but now it seems that something must have gathered the monkeys together to train them to do things.

To make a bolder guess, the Monkey King is about to accomplish a grand undertaking of establishing his own school of thought.

The elf taught the ordinary monkeys how to cultivate themselves, and the monkeys thought it would become a wise king, but the method of cultivation was completely wrong.

Those who eat people have impure qi, and in the end, these monkeys will degenerate into cruel and inhuman beasts.

Chen Ruoan opened his mouth, releasing his Qi, attempting to communicate more deeply with the monkey using Qi.

After some questioning, it was learned that the Monkey King was cautious and cunning, and rarely showed himself except when he came down the mountain to hunt lost people.

Its activity area is limited to the "Yuhuangou" on the east side of Shaoshi Mountain. The valley is dark and winding, with crisscrossing mountain paths and fog that never dissipates. It is a forbidden primeval forest that no strangers are allowed to enter.

“It’s not the speed of a good escape sprite that’s the problem, but the ability to escape that it has awakened.”

If you can't kill it the first time, it will be difficult the next time.

Chen Ruoan thought to himself that after eating the egg that made the fox "call for its mother," he seemed to have developed a sense of awe towards the supernatural powers of some elves.

After realizing that they are being fed, they will deeply feel maternal love; this ability is truly amazing.

"Your power is just beginning, and it's time to make use of monkeys. Why don't you go and inform them that a fox wants to cooperate in a plot?"

Chen Ruoan said to the two men who showed signs of obtaining Qi.

"Squeak!"

Two monkeys leaped and bounded among the branches, running towards the east side of the mountain.

Half an hour later, the Monkey King's order came back, and the fox was granted permission to enter Jade Emperor Valley.

Turning east, the forest was shrouded in mist, and as they ventured deeper, the soil beneath the fox's paws became increasingly sticky and damp.

A strange stench of sourness and blood filled the ditch, and piles of leftover bones lay scattered among the bushes.

The Monkey King did not appear; his hoarse voice faded from the mist.

"Which mountain fox are you from?"