Becoming a Fox Spirit from Under One Person.

"Fox, you've been away from home for so long, don't you miss home at all? The incense and memorial tablets haven't been touched for a long time. I thought you had an accident during your travels and would never hear the prayers sent through the incense again."

"Feel sorry."

This is what they call "a mother's heart is always with her son, no matter how far he travels"—the fox, having eaten the egg, was thinking in this way.

"I'm going home."

"I'm waiting for you."

Chen Ruoan treads on the clouds and mist, heading towards the countryside. Autumn has permeated the mountains, and the forests are tinged with light gold and ochre.

The fox had lived through all four seasons of Qinghe, but it had never felt so saddened by autumn as it did now.

In the past two years, I haven't formed any deep connections with anyone; I've only been able to nurture my life using two fox cultivation techniques.

If the fox's remaining life is long enough, these two years, when reflected upon in the passage of time, will probably only be summed up in four words—"neglecting his duties."

As Chen Ruoan flew forward, he saw a figure carrying a bamboo basket in the autumn grass, and called out from the clouds, "Shufen'er, I'm going home."

"I told you, don't call my name with the 'er' suffix!"

Wei Shufen turned her head, the hem of her indigo dress swaying gently in the autumn wind. She gripped the rope of the bamboo basket tightly with both hands and asked in confusion, "Going home? So suddenly?"

"Then I'll hurry home and pack my bags."

Chen Ruoan was slightly taken aback, her voice slightly hoarse with a hint of dazedness: "Why are you packing your luggage?"

Looking at the fox carried by the clouds and smoke, Wei Shufen spoke with the unbridled courage of a seventeen-year-old, as if it were a matter of course.

"I'll go back with you."

The fox shook its head and refused.

The situation in Tai'an is a hundred times more complex than in Qinghe. Although every village in western Hunan is infested with bandits, Qinghe is protected by a group of Gu masters, making it isolated yet peaceful.

The fox's eyes reflected the autumn light of the mountains and fields, and as it opened its mouth, the wind carried its words down.

"Whether I have a home when I go back is another matter, but as long as you stay in Qinghe, I will at least have a place to return to."

Wei Shufen had never heard Chen Ruoan say such a thing before. She bit her fingertip and pondered: Did it mean what the book said, "Men are boats, women are harbors"?

The fox thought to itself that it hadn't actually traversed the area under fire and didn't know the level of danger. If there really was nowhere left to stay in Mount Tai, the mountains and fields of Qinghe would certainly be nice. Of course, the Sanyi Sect, Liangshan, Longhu Mountain... were all auspicious places suitable for cultivation.

Wei Shufen cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and shouted, "If you have nowhere else to go, go back to Qinghe."

"it is good."

"I'll be eighteen next year."

"I know."

"Are you leaving? Don't you have anything important to say to me?" the woman with the basket called out again.

Chen Ruoan recalled that there were indeed a few things he needed to explain.

"You experienced sleep paralysis a while ago, and you put up talismans at the door and by your bed, but they didn't work at all. That's because there were no ghosts at all. As the weather gets colder, I'm curled up in your blankets..."

"Oh."

"The bamboo bees and water centipedes you reserved for making Gu were small and weak. I felt sorry for them, so I secretly fried them and ate them with sauce."

Tell me something I don't know!

“In the surrounding villages, several groups of people came to propose marriage. I checked their horoscopes and found that none of them were a good match. So I secretly used my methods to stop the matchmakers from coming.”

As soon as Chen Ruoan finished speaking, he spun around and soared into the clouds. With a sweep of his black fox tail, he dispersed the last wisp of cloud and smoke clinging to his side, and the fox's figure disappeared along with the mist.

···

After autumn arrives, the wind will gradually shift to the north. Unable to go against the wind, Chen Ruoan uses green plants to weave a sword and flies along on it.

When the fox returned to the foot of Mount Tai, a heavy snowfall unexpectedly arrived.

The majestic Five Sacred Mountains were completely shrouded in pure white, with thousands of peaks and valleys covered in silver frost, ancient pines hanging with snowflakes, and cliffs shrouded in cold mist. As far as the eye could see, it was a crystal world of pristine purity.

The shell craters, the smoke of war, the ruins... all the horrific and chaotic traces were silently buried by this thick snow.

Chen Ruoan returned to Aolai Peak, where Little Phoenix had been waiting for a long time.

The woman she conjured was much taller than the one the fox had seen when she descended upon the divine will. She was dressed in luxurious clothes and her appearance matched the gentle and elegant characteristics of a noblewoman, yet she also possessed the majesty of an empress.

"You're back, around the time I expected. I've left you some hot soup."

For Little Phoenix, repairing the house is difficult, but cooking is easy—first figure out how to cook the food, and then it's just a matter of seasoning.

Inside, there was a bowl of hot egg drop soup, with oil and chopped greens floating on the surface.

After the fox finished drinking and warmed up, it thought about going to the mountains to take a look.

However, after the Central Plains War ended, Mount Tai immediately entered the post-war recovery and local governance phase. There were even special agencies to clean up battlefield relics and repair the trails and temples.

everything is over.

"Sigh, there's nowhere to vent my anger."

···

Standing beside the Bixia Temple, Chen Ruoan looked at the bullet-riddled stone wall and asked the craftsman in charge of the reconstruction, "Aren't you going to repair the bullet holes?"

"We're not repairing it anymore. The higher-ups said that in the future, these bullet holes will be historical witnesses, and they'll be very meaningful!"

"You guys are the smartest."

The fox thought, "Why not just leave the Inviting Moon Pavilion as a historical landmark? When the scenic area is planned and developed in the future, we can build a few walls around it and set up a ticket booth—it'll definitely be a popular spot for social media check-ins."

"Tsk!"

Chen Ruoan left with her umbrella.

I may think about it, but how can I really not repair it? If Yaoyue Tower really becomes a tourist attraction in the future, and I have to pay an entrance fee just to go home, how frustrating would that be?

With a sense of helplessness towards the chaotic world in his heart, Chen Ruoan shattered the snow-covered mountains and returned to Aolai Peak to rebuild his immortal abode.

The fox is no longer the naive and weak little fox that first climbed Mount Tai. It now possesses a wealth of refined wood-based magic, capable of revitalizing withered trees, reinforcing beams and pillars, and repairing buildings. It is perfectly suited for repairs.

Dead trees sprout new buds, decaying pillars are revitalized, and broken eaves are restored to their original neatness...

In just a few days, the dilapidated Yaoyue Tower was rebuilt amidst the snow-capped mountains. The building was elegant and dignified, even more so than before.

After the immortal abode was repaired, Chen Ruoan sent a message of peace to Wei Shufen through incense. More than two months later, the woman sitting in front of the altar was still pondering the words the fox had spoken before it left.

"Are you hiding something?" Wei Shufen asked.

"No."

"It would be better if you liked me sooner rather than later."

"I will try my best." The fox head in the blue smoke left a meaningful smile before dissipating with the wind.

As time passed, the ice and snow in the mountains eventually melted, and the rugged cliffs of Mount Tai were adorned with delicate, timid wildflowers.

The land ravaged by war slowly awakens in the spring breeze. Grass and trees sprout, streams thaw, and even the human habitation at the foot of the mountain awakens along with the wilderness.

Pilgrims who came to Mount Tai to pray returned, incense burners in temples and monasteries were lit again, markets reopened, and temple fairs were bustling with activity. At first glance, it was a scene of thriving prosperity after surviving a disaster.

The flames of war are long gone, and peace will prevail over our land.

This year is 1931.

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 flock to the fair, and stalls stretch for miles.

Yuanbao Street is lined with shops specializing in incense, candles, paper money, and other offerings for the deceased. At the T-junction in front of Yaocan Pavilion, there are restaurants, pharmacies, fabric shops, and vendors selling local produce…

Besides offerings, there are also snacks such as zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), liangfen (cold mung bean noodles), and huangmi gangao (steamed millet cake), daily necessities, and even acrobatic performances—everything you could want.

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 pulled millstones to make sesame oil, and nearby were vendors selling flowers, silk threads, sugar figurines, snake charmers, and monkey trainers...

Chen Ruoan walked around, stopping and looking at all sorts of stalls, before finally stopping in front of a pastry stall that smelled of soft, sweet glutinous rice.

The stall, bearing the sign "Fushunzhai," was a large business. Despite the owner's disability in his left leg, he 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 cooking skills had improved again, or perhaps they hadn't. Snacks from memory always taste better when they're made more delicious by nostalgia.

"good to eat."

"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 is your name?"

"An'an," Wanzhen explained shyly, "I also got the name from my benefactor. I don't know if it's presumptuous or not, 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.