Fox in the Forest
"Ah? Catch, catch a fox?"
Not long after, the group walked into the city in a leisurely manner.
At the welcoming banquet, the young prince openly told everyone about his plan to catch a fox.
I thought the officials who were entertaining him would be very excited, but what the young prince never expected was that the officials hesitated to speak, looked at each other for a long time, and then hesitated to persuade:
"Actually, there's no need to..."
"The fox doesn't destroy anything except eating food from a few households. We, ahem, other families in the city can't even ask for it..."
"Your Majesty, why don't you reconsider this?"
"That person really has some skills, so we should not make enemies with him."
Little Prince:? ?
He frowned and looked at them as if they were fools.
Huh? What are you all afraid of?
They are indeed a bunch of fools!
I can’t tell right from wrong anymore!
He never believed in anything like ghosts or gods.
The senior brothers he met when he was young had already demonstrated many things to him, such as will-o'-the-wisp, wind movement, and shaking ground, but none of them could fool him.
It was his incompatible character in the court that made him too lazy to use those means to make friends with others and expand his power, nor did he want to go against his own wishes and make a fuss about an understandable phenomenon and give it meaning. As a result, he deviated from the center of power and became an idle prince, wandering around everywhere. If his brother felt that he had been away for too long and was dissatisfied, he would return to his fiefdom and live in peace for a few years.
That's the case this time.
But who would have thought that when I came back this time, I would encounter such a ridiculous thing again.
Fox fairy? Fox demon?
He said it so seriously that everyone in the city believed it.
Tsk, I’m back late after all.
He felt like he was the only one sober among all the drunk, so he sneered impatiently and waved his hand at the officials who wanted to advise him: "Forget it, I didn't expect you to do anything in the first place."
The personal guard understood his expression and stepped forward. He whispered a few words and then looked up at the officials below with an arrogant look: "If that's the case, then let this king handle it himself."
Officials: ...!
No! What are you dealing with?
My Lord, you don't want to anger the fox fairy and end up extinct, right?
If anything happens to you, we will definitely be held accountable!
It is better to believe it exists than to believe it does not!
But they had also heard early on that the young prince had a notoriously bad temper. Not only did he often say shocking things, he was also reckless and did not believe in ghosts and gods. Obviously, he now believed that they were all fools who had been deceived by the fox.
well.
But that's all true!
Taking the young prince's mood into consideration, they did not dare to speak directly to avoid making him unhappy. They could only take the opportunity of reporting their work to carefully summarize the fox's magical behavior during this period and try their best to hint at it.
"It is said that in that dilapidated temple, the fox was even able to possess a human in order to tell the truth..."
The young prince was unmoved: "Humph, just two liars. The Taoist priest must have colluded with the scholar to make up the lie of fox possession. One wanted to get the reward from the Li family, and the other wanted to use it to escape punishment. That's all."
"Then, the Liu family, a wealthy merchant in the city, was almost about to be seized by those two..."
The young prince had a blank expression on his face: "If you think about it carefully, it's all coincidence. The fox happened to run into the thieves while trying to steal food. The two thieves were guilty and revealed their flaws. Only you would believe that this was its magical power!"
"Uh, uh, but everyone saw the fox fairy delivering a child..."
The young prince was very clear-headed: "How many families has it visited? All of them got pregnant? Oh, only the women who got pregnant as they wished would speak out, while those who didn't get pregnant would keep silent. In your opinion, this is its credit?"
The officials almost wore out their lips by explaining every detail of the fox to the young prince, but it was all in vain, as the young prince refuted each of their arguments in an orderly manner.
In short, I totally don't believe it.
The officials were speechless for a moment. Seeing that they could not persuade him no matter what, they just smiled awkwardly, toasted, and then ate their food in silence, sighing in their hearts.
I can’t persuade you.
Alas, I can only watch more carefully.
Seeing that these people no longer talked about the fox, the young prince felt victorious. He raised his eyebrows complacently and then started to eat.
The camera in the live broadcast room moved to the little prince after he entered the city, and naturally recorded his sober speech just now.
Narration pops up:
"Among the people who were convinced by all the coincidences happening to him, there suddenly appeared a person who didn't believe in it at all."
"He was very clear-headed and thought that it was all just a coincidence. He had no ability at all and was just scaring himself."
"For this reason, he even risked everyone's opposition and planned to provoke TA."
"He will prove how strong he is."
The audience instantly perked up.
Here we come!
New Dihua object!
[Oh oh oh, is it coming? Finally I meet someone who doesn’t believe in evil! ]
[Slap in the face! You know nothing about the metaphysics of the European Emperor Little Fox! ]
[It's so funny. The last person who didn't believe it was the Taoist priest. He gave in in a second in the forest. I want to see how long this little prince can hold on.]
[…Wait, little prince? Oh! I remember, did I give an extra shot on the first day in the courtyard where the little fox rested during the day? Someone was saying "prince" or something? It can't be such a coincidence, right? The courtyard chosen by the little fox is the prince's palace? ? ]
[Fuck! What kind of luck is this? Hahahaha, I am dying of laughter. So the plot of conquering the prince was already laid out at that time? ]
[Hiss… In my memory, before exploring other courtyards, the little fox explored the Prince’s Mansion inside and out, and even went into the master bedroom (snickering)]
[Hehe, this prince also seems to be a materialist. I want to see how he gets scared - don't ask if it will happen, no one survives in the Dihua River! ]
In the picture, the camera shook, suddenly zoomed in, stayed on the dishes on the table for a few seconds, and then moved up to capture the little prince's frown with a slight look of disgust.
“The food in this place tastes terrible.”
He spoke in a low voice, hastily picked at the plate with his chopsticks, lost interest after just a few bites, and just leaned back in his chair, waiting for someone to toast him.
The same shot was also given to the servants who were eating in another small house.
But unlike the young prince, they didn't dislike him at all.
After working hard as servants for several months, they finally had a rich and juicy meal. They were so happy that they licked the bowls clean.
The comparison between these two shots made the audience feel that something was wrong.
[I won’t give you random shots, so this dish…? ]
[Did someone poison me? ? ]
[This is a welcoming banquet for the prince! How could it be poisoned? And the officials are eating, so the food itself should be fine.]
[Why does the camera stop here? I'm curious. ]
[Hmm... I think I have an idea, but I'm not sure if it's right.]
While the audience was still full of doubts, the screen suddenly went black. When it came back on, it showed the young prince and his entourage moving into the mansion.
The young prince was assigned to this fiefdom a long time ago, so the prince's mansion was built early. Even during the months when he returned to the capital, there were people cleaning it every day. Now he can move in directly.
They entered the city in the morning, had a welcoming banquet, and symbolically visited the local government office. By the time they returned home, it was already evening.
The sky was glowing orange-red, fighting against the gradually deepening night.
"It's already this late..." The young prince looked up at the sky, then turned around and ordered, "Foxes like to come out at night. The rest of you, go out and guard those places. Capture them alive first. I want to open the eyes of these fools and let them see what kind of stuff the fox fairy they are chasing after is, humph."
"yes!"
The guard responded respectfully.
But for some reason, when the prince walked into the mansion, the guards behind him suddenly lost the coolness with which they had just responded. They all looked embarrassed, and pressed their abdomens with slightly trembling hands.
strangeness……
Why does it hurt?
The young prince knew nothing about this and he had great confidence in the guards he brought back from the capital.
His guards could easily capture even the most vicious wanted criminals, and a mere fox that came into the city from the suburbs would be easily captured.
Those fools were frightened without even trying to catch the fox. How weak!
Feeling relaxed, he went straight to the backyard, planning to wash up and rest early and wait for good news.
Swoosh——
But as soon as he entered the backyard, a red shadow flashed past him.
Little Prince:? ?
He opened his eyes wide and immediately turned to ask the others: "What did you see just now?"
For some reason, the people around him were not as considerate as usual. They all seemed a little absent-minded. Some even came back to their senses after he called them and spoke hurriedly:
"No, I didn't see anything."
“I didn’t see it either…”
"Is it, is there something that doesn't meet the prince's wishes?"
Tsk.
Are you all blind?
Looking at the dark red sky, the young prince felt inexplicably irritated. He stopped and motioned for the guards in the mansion to come over. He said to them coldly, "The fox was here just now."
Guards: Huh? ?
Unlike the young prince, they don't have any materialistic ideas.
The entourage heard a lot of stories about the fox's appearance. Although their master didn't believe it, they believed it a little bit. Especially at this moment, they felt unbearable pain in their stomachs. When they heard the news that the fox had come, they suddenly felt uneasy.
Hiss, could it be...
What did the fox do to them?
The young prince was completely unaware of the anxiety of his subordinates. He just stared at the rockery where the fox had just appeared and gritted his teeth in hatred: "Oh, you dare to come and provoke me, you are really smart."
"It seems that he noticed that there are new people in the city, so he came here to take a look."
"Are you trying to make some noise and scare away me, the only sober person?"
"Somewhat scheming... but so what? Can a fox still defeat a human?"
He snorted coldly and ordered his subordinates to seal all the entrances to the rockery. He also left seven or eight guards to keep a close eye on the backyard, while the rest checked the nearby houses.
"Tsk, move more quickly, there's nothing to be afraid of."
Seeing that his subordinates were not acting as quickly and decisively as usual, the young prince shook his head in disappointment, thinking that they were just afraid. After scolding them, he entered the main house surrounded by other servants.
At this time, it had already darkened.
Hey——
Click——
The guards had just blocked the entrance with the rockery made of Dashi when their peripheral vision was suddenly pierced by something flashing.
When I turned around, I saw a fire fox that was bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Under the setting sun, every hair on its body was glowing. Standing at the junction of light and darkness, it was mysterious and strange. It was not an exaggeration to say that it was a demon beast or fairy beast from a storybook.
At this moment, the red fox sat on the wall, looking at them with cold eyes, and suddenly revealed its sharp canine teeth.
“Ouch!”
The person who comes has bad intentions——!!
Everyone was about to be on guard, but at the same moment when they looked into the amber beast's eyes, the abdominal pain that had subsided for a long time suddenly became intense, as if someone was chopping their stomachs with an axe. They groaned almost at the same time and bent over unconsciously.
When they found out that their companions did the same, they were shocked.
The fighting spirit that had just been mustered was crushed by this series of coincidences and the gloomy atmosphere, making them almost tremble.
you also?
How come you...
Does it hurt everywhere?
After exchanging some information, they looked up at the wall again. Even though the fox had disappeared, there was a hint of awe and relief in their eyes.
I was in awe of the fox's cunning tactics and was glad that the fox had left.
They didn't dare to chase after him at all.
This fox could seriously injure seven or eight of them from a distance. If they really angered it, wouldn't they die right on the spot? !
So...the stories we heard were all true?!
After a while, they said in dry voices:
"Do you want to continue?"
"Just pretend first..."
"Do you want to chase?"
"It hurts, uh ah, I, I won't go anymore!"
at the same time--
The young prince who entered the house also encountered something wrong.
Because the fox suddenly flashed by when he entered the hospital just now, he was now alert. He did not rush in, but asked someone to check the room carefully first.
result--
"My Lord, there is fox fur here!"
"Your Majesty, it seems someone has touched your painting..."
"Your Majesty, this porcelain suddenly broke!"
All the strange things happening in the house pointed to the fox as the cause.
But in just a short moment, how could the fox do so many things?
The attendants looked panicked, and the young prince was silent for a while, then scolded, "It just came here earlier! What a bunch of fuss! Clean it up quickly!"
After saying this, he walked to the door and checked everywhere for possible paths for the fox to pass through.
Inside the house, a group of people were in great pain.
Bending down to pick up things always puts pressure on the abdomen, which makes the already painful area even more unbearable.
The servants were cleaning and breathing weakly. They found that others were in the same situation as them. Finally, they could not help but discuss in a low voice with tears in their voices:
"Fox, is the fox real? My stomach hurts so much, am I going to die..."
"Is Cuicui in pain too? I'm in pain too. Is it because I touched the fox fur?"
"Don't attack me, I have no ill will towards you, Master Fox Fairy!!"
"It's the fox that's eating us! It must be the fox that's eating us!"
"Wuwu, don't bite me, please, Master Fox..."
The young prince just stood at the door and waited for a while. When he came in, he heard the weird discussions inside and was completely dumbfounded.
ah? ?
What's going on?
Why were you scared like this?
He was so shocked that he began to doubt himself and could only turn around and walk into the yard to look for other normal people.
When the young prince met a few guards with tall backs guarding the rockery, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He stepped forward, patted one of the guards on the shoulder, and ordered:
"Go, go to the house and see what's going on. They're all crying and shouting, saying foxes are eating them. How dare they be scared by picking up fox fur? How cowardly!"
But before he could finish his words, the shoulders of his men began to tremble slightly.
Turning around, the guard who was always resolute and cold-blooded in his impression looked pale, his eyes were broken, and he spoke almost in a whisper: "Your Highness, I am actually feeling a little unwell... Just now, the fox came here and saw us... It was indeed it who did it..."
Little Prince: ...
Tsk? ?
What's going on, huh?
He raised his eyebrows: "What's wrong? You guys are not feeling well too? Your stomach hurts too?"
Several big men who looked as strong as armor nodded silently.
The young prince was in disbelief. He walked back and forth for several steps, and finally recovered from the absurdity. He took a deep breath and analyzed rationally:
"Calm down, don't scare yourself, show the momentum that a guard of Prince Ning's Mansion should have!"
"Who knows? Maybe it was those fools who saw that I was sober and didn't believe in the fox demon, so they designed to make you suffer in order to convince me and pave the way for those ridiculous suggestions."
"Hmph... There must be something wrong with the food at today's welcoming banquet. If you all have problems, then the prefect's attendants must be having a hard time too."
"Just ask and you'll know!"
He hurriedly sent someone to ask, and the result was that everyone else in the official's house was fine, except for the people accompanying the prince who had inexplicable abdominal pain.
It was already late at night when we got this result.
The guards were feeling the cold wind, enduring the physical pain and mental torture. After hearing the news, their hearts suddenly became even colder.
The food and drinks are all the same, so what else could it be?
It must be that their master offended the fox.
Ah...it's over, it's over.
Feeling dead.
Little Prince: ...
Tsk.
This touches upon his blind spot in knowledge.
"It's okay, just bear with it for now." He pretended to be calm, "As long as they catch the fox outside, everything will be revealed."
He still believed that everything in the mansion was just a coincidence.
Although, he really had no evidence, and everything was too coincidental.
...But it doesn't matter. As long as we catch the fox, all the fear will be gone.
If a monster can be caught by humans, what kind of monster is it?
"I will wait here for their good news."
Since the main house had not been cleaned up yet and he was not sleepy yet, the young prince sat in the main hall and waited for reports from his subordinates.
He had never considered the possibility that his subordinates would not be able to catch the fox.
after all--
Even if the guards have stomachaches because of the unknown, it should be okay to catch a fox, right? ?
In particular, through the officials' description, we can know that the fox has been living a good life in the city and has no longer any vigilance. At night, it will take the initiative to approach people because they are afraid of it.
Not only that, among the guards sent out, there were also former hunters. Wouldn't it be easy to catch a fox?
Thinking this way, the young prince waited all night but received no good news.
The fox seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth overnight and did not go anywhere.
On the contrary, several guards who went out to wait for it last night fainted or collapsed. They were all in great pain and suspected that someone had poisoned them.
Little Prince: ...
Tsk.
What's going on?
He no longer cared about the fox. He first asked people to examine the illnesses and prescribe medicine for his subordinates. Then he stormed into the residence of the officials who had held the welcoming banquet yesterday and demanded to know whether they had done anything wrong.
But after a careful inspection, I found that there was indeed nothing wrong with it.
The dishes served yesterday were all specially made by the big restaurant. Even the servants' meal was much more sumptuous than normal. There was no problem at all and the etiquette was extremely thoughtful.
When the officials who had hurried over heard what had happened in the Prince's Mansion last night, their faces immediately changed and they whispered:
"My Lord, it is better to be careful..."
"My Lord, please stop..."
"Your Majesty, the fox fairy is very vindictive..."
"Your Majesty, you must not offend it..."
Seeing this, the narrator also started to speak in the live broadcast room, but every sentence was from the fox's perspective:
"Someone wanted to provoke him, so he was a little angry."
"But, that series of coincidences that seemed like a mass poisoning really had nothing to do with him."
"That group of people were not used to the local climate. They were exhausted from the long journey and had a big meal as soon as they landed. It would be strange if their stomachs could handle it."
"Hmm... Is it also his fault that this is a normal human reaction?"
"He woke up and found that his house was destroyed. He was still angry. He spent the whole night looking for a new place to live. He didn't do anything, but he was blamed. It's so unfair."
The audience laughed their ass off.
【Hahahahahahahahahaha, is that so? ? No one would be confused if this happened to them.】
[A perfect meal, a perfect introduction to the fox, a perfect meeting in the courtyard... It would be strange if I didn't guess it was the fox! ]
[I am dying of laughter. Give up, little prince. Although your previous analysis makes sense, you are facing the European emperor Fox. If you don’t stop, your faith will probably collapse ()]
[I was wondering why the guards' expressions all changed after seeing the little fox. I thought they were just timid, but I didn't expect that they were suffering both physically and mentally, hahaha.]
[Tsk tsk, what a coincidence. Seeing so many people in the yard, the little fox immediately started looking for a new nest to learn from overnight. He didn't go to a familiar spot. No wonder the guards couldn't find it, haha.]
[We just met once, and you guys are so scared. How shameful!]
The audience had a bird's eye view and didn't feel strange or scared at all. They just found it funny.
The officials had just heard the young prince provoking the fox yesterday, and saw that the people around the prince had been retaliated against within the evening. They were instantly frightened and kept advising the young prince not to disrespect the fox.
As he listened, an inexplicable rebellious feeling began to grow in the little prince's heart.
What fox?
It's all just a coincidence!
If you have the guts, just take revenge on him next time!
He ignored everyone's advice and walked away in anger: "You are a bunch of fools who have been kept in the dark! I have nothing to say to you! I am right!"
Every word he said was like a declaration of war.
"That fox, I have definitely caught!"
The stubborn little prince VS the European little fox
In the first game, the prince was defeated miserably and left in anger.
The little fox huddled in its beautiful new den, hugged its tail and slept, preparing to take revenge on the outsiders who dared to destroy its old den at night.
Fox: The opponent is defeated before they even start, um... I'd advise him to practice more (smiling)
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