"This taste—"
A faint, fishy smell caught the tip of its nose. The smell was very familiar, like a small hook that stirred up long-forgotten memories deep in the little fox's mind.
Or rather, it's a memory of "Ah Xian" from the past—
In the beginning of the creation of the Three Realms, gods and demons fought each other, stirring up a pool of muddy waters. After the Heavenly Dao awoke, it sent down punishment, allowing the Three Realms to return to peace.
Afterwards, blessings descended upon the world, and some "lucky ones" chosen by the Heavenly Dao became guardian spirits representing Him in maintaining peace in the Three Realms.
The human realm is the most vast, with twelve guardian spirits in all directions. Among them, the one guarding the eastern part of China is a one-tailed red fox.
After the red fox cultivated into human form, she was named Ah Xian. She was a twenty-year-old girl who liked to wear red clothes and move through the forest.
It is said that unlike other guardian spirits who are elusive and rarely seen, she often disguises herself as a mortal and travels among humans, doing good deeds and giving alms. Those who have received her blessings will have a smooth life from now on. Therefore, she has many followers, and temples with statues of red foxes can often be seen in the folk areas of eastern China.
In some unofficial histories, Ah Xian had a mortal lover whose life was full of hardships and whose lifespan was short. Ah Xian used her merits to change his fate.
This act of defying fate angered the Heavenly Dao, so He sent down heavenly lightning to sever this bond completely.
Ah Xian endured the tribulation alone, eventually exhausting her cultivation and transforming back into a red fox, falling into eternal slumber.
With the loss of their guardian spirit, the demons and monsters lurking in the shadows suddenly burst forth, plunging half of the human world into chaos. Millions of people, suffering terribly, prayed day and night for their guardian spirit to awaken.
Half a month later, a general surnamed He, who was under the command of the Human Emperor and had been killed by the Demon King, led 30,000 iron cavalry into the Demon Clan's territory. After several days of fierce fighting, he personally took the Demon King's head.
At that time, only one or two out of ten of the thirty thousand cavalry remained, and General He was on his last breath.
When he fell from the horse, his face was covered in tears, his eyes filled with sorrow as he gazed at the sky, his pale lips silently uttering two words—"Ah Xian".
Later, the soldiers who were clearing the battlefield discovered that General He's body had disappeared, and beside his dead warhorse, only a jade pendant shaped like a fox was left.
The people also placed the jade pendant in front of the red fox statue. Soon after, a small soul bead condensed from the jade pendant. The soul bead absorbed the power of wishes and gave birth to a little fox with the aura of the red fox.
It replaced Ah Xian and became the new guardian spirit of East China.
The little fox was stunned for a moment. It didn't know why it suddenly remembered these things. However, before it could try to recall the source of the fishy smell, it suddenly felt its body become extremely weak, as if all its strength had been drained in an instant.
It cried out in panic, "Mother! Mother, help me!" but what came out was not human speech, but the squeaking of a fox.
Nan Xian and He Mingxiao were exchanging bewildered glances when they suddenly heard the urgent squeaking sound. Looking down, they were also greatly alarmed—
"Little guy, why have you become transparent?"
The little fox held its tail, which had already disappeared halfway, with tears in its eyes: "Mother, the energy of the marriage thread is too weak. I have been detected by the Heavenly Dao and am about to dissipate... You must reconcile with Father so that I can return to your side!"
After saying this, it reluctantly licked Nan Xian's palm one last time, then turned into a wisp of smoke and disappeared into the air.
Nan Xian was at a loss. She examined her hands over and over, but there was no trace of them left.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
