Half a month later, just as I was beginning to doubt whether I could find the Nine-Tailed Fox in Qingqiu Mountain because of the peaceful journey, a cry made us grab the horse's head.
Since we climbed Dan'ai Mountain and crossed Jishan Mountain, we have never seen a single household, not even a hermit or a savage. The crying is clearly from a child, yet we have not seen any houses along the way on Qingqiu Mountain.
Could it be that children from villages at the foot of the mountain wandered in?
I looked at Jimo; he was clearly hesitant about whether to go and investigate. After all, in these remote mountains where everyone avoids talking about it, hearing a child crying might not be a life-saving act. But if we just left it alone, the hesitant crying, full of grievance and confusion, seemed to compel us to stop.
He met my gaze, frowned, and still rode over.
It was indeed a timid, crying child, with his back to us, curled up in a ball, looking pitiful.
I raised my eyebrows at him—he really was just a child.
He pursed his lips, said nothing, and simply dismounted and slowly walked over.
"Little girl? What's wrong?" His voice sounded a little hoarse after not speaking for a long time.
The child just cried; he didn't move.
If an ordinary child feels wronged or scared, would they also be so indifferent when someone comforts them? I tried hard to recall, but I couldn't figure it out.
“Little girl, don’t be afraid, we’re not bad people. Where do you live? We’ll take you home,” he said patiently.
A gust of wind blew by, and the shadows of the clouds shifted, just enough to block out the blinding sunlight. In that instant, I suddenly felt that the small figure was somewhat familiar.
Suddenly, a sense of fear welled up inside me.
She's just a little girl. I told myself.
"Little girl." He was slightly displeased and reached out to pat the child's shoulder.
The instant his fingertips touched that small shoulder, the child suddenly turned his head, his eyes fixed on me with a sinister glare.
I understand now why I was afraid, and why I felt familiar with it.
This is the child I rescued at Wolongkou.
Fu Xi said she was gone, and I thought he meant I couldn't save her. So, he meant she ended up here? How did she, a child, manage to get here?
“Sister…” She pulled up the corners of her lips and gave a big smile, but in her eyes there was ruthlessness, resentment, and coldness, yet there was not a trace of a smile.
My hair stood on end, and I stared at her blankly.
Ji Mo swung his arm to grab her, but she stepped forward and dodged in front of the horse.
My long hair, which I had never tied up since leaving the military camp, now hung down in front of her.
She raised her hand and yanked my long hair hard. The pain instantly traveled to my scalp. She was small, but she was incredibly strong. My body swayed, and my injured leg couldn't bear the weight. I was too weak to hold onto the horse, so I fell heavily to the ground, my shoulder hitting the ground to cushion the impact.
I landed near the horse's hooves, startling it. The horse reared up recklessly, about to fall and pin me down. I didn't even have a chance to close my eyes and escape; I just watched as the horse went mad.
Suddenly, he rushed over, grabbed the reins, tightened the bridle, and pulled the horse to one side. Just as I was about to catch my breath and relax, I turned around and saw the child's ferocious smile, a triumphant smile, a smile that didn't belong to a child.
"Liao Yan!" Ji Mo reacted quickly, but I turned my head and saw him flying in mid-air, his back hitting a tree with a loud bang, blood splattering everywhere.
Turning my head again, I saw no longer a child, but a huge fox with bloodshot black eyes. It was breathing heavily, revealing a set of sharp fangs.
It swiftly swept past me and pounced on Jimo. In that instant, I saw its nine long tails, which swayed up and down as it ran and jumped, like a hairy giant snake, inspiring fear and chills.
Nine-tailed fox!
When it opens its mouth, its cry sounds like the wailing of a baby.
Even I, in my crude and shallow knowledge, know that the Nine-Tailed Fox is a man-eating beast.
It didn't look at me, but pounced on Jimo.
Many things flashed through my mind in an instant, but I couldn't even see them clearly.
He swiftly drew his sword, but the sword, which made no sound like a dragon's roar, seemed utterly vulnerable before this behemoth.
His back was covered in blood. I was terrified that he would just collapse like that, without warning.
But the fact that he stood so steadily made me even more worried. It made me wonder if he was just putting on a brave face.
Fu Xi said that we should bring him the Nine-Tailed Fox. Along the way, Ji Mo and I never talked much about this matter. After all, everyone had heard of the Nine-Tailed Fox, but no one had ever seen one.
"Just a fox."
That was his only comment. There was no arrogance or disdain; his tone was calm, as if he were simply stating something extremely ordinary.
At this moment, I wonder what he should say.
Indeed, it was just a fox, a nine-tailed fox, a huge fox big enough to eat people, a fox that could transform into human form.
I always carry a dagger and a short sword, along with a whole bunch of other small, concealed weapons. Ji Mo was always worried about me, and after I went to the capital alone once, he insisted that I pack a whole bunch of weapons for self-defense.
Looking at the enormous fox demon, these tiny things would likely be useless. But at least they'd attracted its attention. It's good that such a strange creature surrounds me and hates me; after all, I am such a strange creature too.
Before he could even steady himself, he raised his hand and threw the dagger out.
As expected, it wasn't hurt. As expected, it turned its head, its dark, bloodshot eyes looking at me. As expected, Ji Mo swayed, seemingly wanting to step forward, but was stopped by its injuries.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
