Becoming a Fox Spirit from Under One Person.

They bowed and burned the offerings, throwing in items prepared as part of the dowry. Black smoke billowed, clung to the branches and leaves of the forest, and drifted leisurely into the mountains and fields.

Along with the smoke and dust, the sobs and sighs of two elderly people also spread.

"Worshiping the mountain god or something?"

Chen Ruoan thought for a moment, then transformed into human form and walked towards the cave entrance.

Appearing in human form, far removed from the eerie and uncanny nature of a fox spirit, the sudden appearance of a young man holding an umbrella in this desolate mountain wilderness still startled the elderly couple, leaving them momentarily stunned.

Chen Ruo stood quietly in the dappled shadows of the forest, her gaze meeting the two elders from a distance.

"May I ask you two, is there any unique rural belief here? I see no shrines or tombstones here, and I am quite puzzled."

To cover his fox ears, Chen Ruoan pulled the umbrella very low, so the old man couldn't see his face and could only weep:

"Yes, there is a God. The God has chosen my granddaughter and wants to take her away..."

"Is there any illicit worship?"

"No, we wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare..." the two old men muttered in a low voice, using branches to turn over the things in the fire so that the flames would burn more fiercely.

"Hi~"

Chen Ruoan sighed. In the old days, when there were no gods or ghosts, feudal superstitions would have truly harmed people. In this world with ghosts and spirits, when calamities befall ordinary people, they are simply not something they can withstand.

"Girl sacrifice."

Some mountain spirits and monsters, disregarding the proper path of cultivation, act recklessly and truly reap all the benefits.

The fox seeks the true path and naturally has no reason to envy these unorthodox methods.

But if Chen Ruoan actually meets him, he will find that the situation has completely changed.

It's like a fitness enthusiast aiming to lose fat and sculpt their body, who is on the path of controlling their diet and exercising diligently, when suddenly a cheeky fellow appears in front of them carrying a huge pile of fried chicken and ice cream, licking it while doing something provocative.

"Did anyone act as a pimp for that god?"

The first thing to look at in such lewd rituals is whether there is any "sacrifice" that is used to make money or sexual favors.

The two old people shook their heads in fear.

If no one is interfering, then it must be the work of the spirits.

"If you have spare money for ancestral worship, why not go home and prepare a meal for me? I'll take care of your granddaughter's affairs."

"Where is the cave of that god?"

Seeing that Chen Ruoan did not appear to be a hermit master, but rather exuded an eerie aura, the two old men tremblingly raised their hands and pointed in the direction where they were bowing in worship.

Chen Ruoan held up an umbrella and walked along the mountain path.

After walking along the rugged mountain path for a while, they indeed came across a cave. Unfortunately, the cave had no door; otherwise, Chen Ruoan could have kicked it open and roared:

"Where did this evil spirit come from? I haven't even had a chance to enjoy it, yet you've already started to!"

Swish!

Chen Ruoan jumped into the cave.

The cave was empty; there was nothing there.

Not to mention the scent of elves, there wasn't even a trace of wild beast.

It seems a little different from what I imagined.

Chapter 97 A Tragedy Equal to Beauty

Chen Ruoan used his golden eyes to observe the subtle energy in the mountains and fields, which slowly opened up. This place was beautiful with clear waters and lush mountains, but there were no spirits that could achieve any real power.

After circling back to the mountainside, the elderly couple changed their burning method to burning paper money. When they saw Chen Ruoan return, they did not show any expectation on their faces and simply nodded.

"Young man, if you're hungry, come to our house for lunch today. It's just some ordinary food, please don't mind."

The fox wasn't initially too disappointed, but the old couple's kindness stirred up a deep sense of frustration.

The smoke from the sacrificial ceremony dissipated, and the embers turned into fine ashes. Chen Ruoan followed behind the two elders, shamelessly returning home together.

The old man's house was next to a clear stream. Before the fox even stepped into the house, he saw a beautiful figure by the stream.

She was a girl of seventeen or eighteen, with bright eyes and a quiet demeanor like a flower just beginning to bloom in the mountains.

She held a wooden comb, carefully tidying her long, flowing hair. Her gaze was fixed on the babbling brook, and a faint, dreamy smile played on her lips. She was pure and gentle.

This scene felt strangely familiar.

As Chen Ruoan approached with the two elders, the young woman slowly raised her head and gave them a sweet and charming smile.

The dappled shadows cast by the branches and leaves along the stream gently covered her cheeks, and a layer of unyielding sadness spread across her sweet smile.

Chen Ruoan lowered her head and asked softly, "The girl in your family seems quite happy."

"Yes...she fell in love with the cave god."

"The god of the cave?"

A strange name.

Chen Ruoan asked, "What would it be like to love God?"

"They will die inside the cave, and then all the flowers outside will wither and die." The old woman sobbed uncontrollably.

The fox was certain that there was nothing unusual in the mountains, and the story of fallen flowers outside the cave was probably embellished in the legend.

But why?

"Is there anything wrong with the girl herself?" Chen Ruoan asked again.

"I don't know."

Deep down, the two elderly people hoped their granddaughter would get well soon. Illness can be treated, but loving God is a one-way street.

In fact, there was also a woman in a neighboring village who was favored by the cave god. Her parents thought it was a man-made disaster, so they went to Qinghe Miao Village to invite a great sorcerer, but more than three days have passed and they still haven't received a reply.

After listening to the village's story, Chen Ruoan tilted his head in confusion and took out the demon core from his stomach.

The demon core glowed and shone, carrying a cluster of clear foxfire that was gently sent forward. This foxfire could burn away filth and cleanse hidden poisons, but it was powerless against the girl's abnormality.

That's really strange.

Chen Ruoan ate something simple and returned to the mountains to reorganize his thoughts. After noon, Liu Zhixing woke up and was eating a yellow pancake under a tree.

The fox remembered that he was from western Hunan and was familiar with the landscape, so it casually asked him another question.

"You mean the woman from the Fallen Flower Cave?" Liu Zhixing chewed on something, his words muffled. "Come to think of it, she has indeed arrived in a place where this belief exists."

"Is it a very rare and unusual school of thought?"

"Let's not get off topic. It's definitely not that. It's more like a disease." Liu Zhixing admitted that he was somewhat unorthodox and had no respect for the local beliefs.

However, after listening to the corpse driver's account, Chen Ruoan felt there was no need to be in awe, because the Falling Flower Cave Woman was simply a feudal superstition.

In some local customs, the extreme suppression of women's sexuality by feudal ethics is regarded as the highest morality. Some beautiful, clean, literate, and emotionally intelligent women suffer even greater persecution under the suppression of their emotions, and are more prone to becoming pathological.

Alongside this custom is the belief in animism.

Trees, caves, rocks—everywhere is imbued with spirit.

Foxes, tigers, snakes, turtles—there's nothing that isn't strange.

The caves in the mountains are the dwelling places of the gods.

When a young girl's love for a human clashes with moral constraints, she turns to love gods and monsters. In her fantasies, the gods who love them are either statues in temples or snakes, tigers, and foxes in the mountains and fields...

Chen Ruoan looked up and gazed at the mountains and fields.

I inexplicably feel a sense of empathy...

Thinking back to my past life, even those "legendary pilots" and "gold miners" could suppress their emotions when they had a way to cope, let alone the moral persecution in this confined environment.

Chen Ruoan, Liu Zhixing, and Zhang Huaiyi returned to the clear stream in front of the old couple's house, where the young girl was still doing her hair by the stream.

Chen Ruoan could imagine that she was calm and collected, fantasizing about love. Perhaps one day, she would accidentally pass by a cave and believe that the gods in the cave would catch a glimpse of her and fall in love with her at first sight.

Therefore, she loved being alone even more, loved sitting quietly, and loved keeping herself clean and flawless, always believing that the cave god would ride the clouds and rainbows, crossing mountains and fields to see her.

In her mind, it didn't matter whether the deity was human or a strange beast.

She felt a mixture of shyness and fear, as well as intense excitement; she experienced a distorted form of self-desecration—

Just like when a fox opens its mouth to eat a rabbit, the rabbit will willingly crawl into its mouth.

"Wait, what am I thinking?"

Chen Ruoan was slightly distracted when he heard a soft hum:

"Her upper body is adorned with a red silk robe, and her waist is adorned with a water-silk skirt, making her look like a fairy descending to earth."

The fox turned to look at Liu Zhixing: "This song is very famous in western Hunan. Do all the women know how to sing it?"

"What song is it?"

"The song this girl is singing."

“She didn’t open her mouth or make a sound, Brother Fox, are you sure you heard correctly?” Liu Zhixing looked forward.

Didn't sing?

Weird.

The girl slowly got up and walked towards the cave in the mountain.

Chen Ruoan followed behind, heading there together.

Liu Zhixing continued, "I've heard that these women who have fallen into the cave fantasize that the cave god will send someone to greet them, or that he will personally change into new clothes and ride a white horse across the mountain."

"It is said that they heard the sound of flutes and drums playing in their ears, their eyes shone, their cheeks flushed, and then a strange fragrance wafted from their bodies before they left with a smile."

They died with clear minds and radiant beauty.

Chen Ruoan listened while frowning.

Why do some people always like to drape tragedy in a beautiful guise?

That person has found release through death, how could he not be "clear-headed and refreshed"?

Chen Ruoan and the other two stood outside the cave, discussing their next move, but it was always too difficult for three bachelors to find the right way to rescue them.