Fox in the Forest
Let’s go back a few minutes.
"Hmm?"
After looking back and making sure that no one was following, the little fox ran towards a tree with a clear goal.
Then, the two black front paws began to dig the ground.
When the audience was still wondering what the fox was trying to do, a hole appeared in the seemingly hard ground. Then, the fox stuck its entire head into the hole, rummaging around, and then pulled out seven or eight fox tails in a row.
Click.
Although it was covered with some mud because it was buried in the hole, it became clean again after the little fox took it out and shook it. It looked no different from a real fox's tail, and the color was even brighter.
Audience: …
[Oh! Why does this place look so familiar? Didn’t the little fox sleep here before? ]
[So many tails, did the little fox go out of town to get a pillow? ]
[Maybe the new rockery is not comfortable to sleep on? After all, the rockery in the new courtyard is not as good as the one in the palace...]
[Hahahaha, is it because of this? ? It’s connected again! Sure enough, the logic of the Dihua flow is smooth. ]
Foxes sleep with their tails hugged.
The weather has been getting colder recently. Compared with the rockery in the palace, the little fox's new home is leaky everywhere. At night, there will always be a slight chill seeping into the nest. Every night, it has to curl up a little tighter to fall asleep peacefully.
Perhaps it was because of the bad sleeping environment over the past few days that the little fox remembered the many tails he had picked up before.
In addition, some people happened to be leaving the city, and it wanted to get some food on the way, so it followed the group.
As a result, I didn't get to eat and wasted the whole night.
Big loss!
The fox wrinkled his nose and tried to calm down.
Forget it. Never mind.
Let’s go now, there are still a lot of people outside the woods.
"Woo?"
Biting one tail, the fox looked at the other scattered tails at the entrance of the cave, tilted his head, and fell into deep thought.
Uh-huh?
It seems I can’t take it away.
So, it could only pick out each tail, place them unevenly on the ground, and choose them hesitantly.
(Picks it up) Do you want to bring this?
(Lick) This one is a little softer...
(Gestures) But this one seems a little bigger!
The tails were tangled and scattered on the ground.
In the end, the little fox chose a big tail that was closest to its own color, held it in its mouth and walked out.
Behind it, strands of fox tails with soft fur lay quietly on the ground. The faint moonlight shone through the branches and leaves onto the fur, and each strand of fur reflected the moonlight, appearing inexplicably holy.
At this moment, the moonlight suddenly became brighter, shining on the little fox walking slowly in front, casting its faint shadow.
It's a fluffy ball, as if it's glowing by itself.
Audience: …
They looked at the scene in deep thought.
[I feel like this scene is perfect for imagination! ! ]
[Hmm... Fox with a broken tail? Nine-tailed fox?]
[Voluntarily cutting off the tail feels like saving someone, just like a fox fairy who is dedicated to doing good, sacrificing his tail to save someone, one tail for one life...! ]
[Ahhh, is there anyone here? Someone, come quickly! I really want to see the little fox being imagined like this! It's so suitable! Although it has always been feared and misunderstood, the little fox has actually been silently intervening in the fate of mankind and saving people! ]
[Although, weren’t they all thrown away by the little fox? How could anyone come here... Shit! ]
rustle.
Like a slap in the face, at this moment, a voice suddenly came from the forest.
A face familiar to the audience - the little prince walked out of the forest step by step.
When he first saw the fox tails scattered on the ground, his pupils shrank noticeably and his steps stopped instantly.
This is--!
The audience was excited.
【Wow wow wow, mention the devil and he will appear! 】
[What a coincidence, what a coincidence, you are indeed a European little fox! No scene will be wasted! ]
[Tsk tsk, after seeing this, no one can still say that the little fox is a monster, right? The nine-tailed fox is a lucky animal! ]
[The lighting engineer gave me a big thumbs up. I was confused by the little fox's back view. It's so fairy, baby.]
[So this time it’s not the blame that’s on the person, but Dihua that was suppressed first and then promoted?! ]
“Woo…”
The little fox obviously heard the noise behind him.
It held its big tail in its mouth, looked back with a tired expression.
What are you doing!
Just grab a pillow.
Is it necessary to chase and kill the fox like this? !
There was a small hill ahead, and jumping down rashly might get hurt, so the fox did not run away in a hurry. Instead, it sat there quietly, staring at the people in the forest, trying to figure out a suitable escape route.
In order not to anger the other party, it did not try to provoke, but looked at the person obediently.
Okay.
How about living in peace?
But this scene looked extremely strange in the eyes of the little prince.
The fox's attitude was totally different from its usual arrogant style in the city. It was a little too gentle and tolerant.
At this time, the red fox bathed in the moonlight was glowing with a faint light all over its body, and its expression was extremely gentle. At first glance, he thought he saw the legendary auspicious beast.
It seemed that the fox always behaved like this when he was alone.
Such a contrast left him speechless.
“You, you are…”
It was at this moment that he suddenly realized something - all the discomfort in his body had disappeared!
He looked at the fox in disbelief.
Did you do this?
But why would you...
"Your Majesty...ah!"
At this time, the servants finally came out of the forest.
They originally wanted to say something, but as soon as they came out of the forest, they saw this overly fairy-like scene at a glance.
They even thought they had glimpsed some kind of ascension scene, and they held their breath for a moment, not daring to speak at all.
The group could only stare at the fox in amazement.
Red Fox:......
Scratching the ground secretly.
In nature, the stare of a large animal is not a good sign.
In the eyes of the fox, this was a scene where the hunters had gathered and were staring at it with eager eyes, and the risk factor was extremely high.
In fact, the fox already felt something was wrong when it heard the footsteps, but it insisted on staying where it was because it couldn't let go of the tail in its mouth.
As a result, so many people really came, and they were all staring at its tail!
The fox was shocked.
No way?
Why are you all watching?
Do these people want to steal its tail?
“Woo…”
The fox felt very aggrieved, but there was nothing it could do about it because it could not compete with them in terms of size or numbers, and the escape route behind it was not easy either, so it could only lower its eyes, slowly spit out the tail in its mouth and put it on the ground, hoping to use its tail to buy a way out.
"ah--!"
But the human on the opposite side suddenly made a loud cry, which scared the fox so much that it immediately lowered its body and raised its tail.
Several screams from the other side were stuck in the throat.
This is an astonishing scene in the eyes of humans.
Because of the fox's posture just now, with their limited vision, they could not tell that what the fox was holding in its mouth was not its own tail.
——After all, the color of the tail matches its hair so well.
Although the tails scattered on the field made them imagine a lot, after all, they did not see it with their own eyes, so they still had a faint idea that perhaps those were not fox tails.
But now, under their gaze, the fox personally put down the tail in its mouth.
The next second, another tail rose up behind it.
Nine-nine-nine tails...
Everyone almost fainted.
Nine-tailed fox!
This is actually a nine-tailed fox!!
When virtue reaches birds and beasts, even the fox will have nine tails.
This is the most holy and noble nine-tailed fox in the legend!
Is it this?
Is it this?
Everyone's breathing became disordered almost instantly. They looked at the fox tails scattered on the ground in panic. Even though they were separated from the bodies, they were still bright and soft, and they sparkled brightly under the moonlight. They were already 80% convinced.
A fox with multiple tails, who else could it be if not a nine-tailed fox?
Can……
Everyone's eyes shifted to the red fox under the moon.
But the nine-tailed fox should be a white fox.
Only the fox with fur as white as snow is considered a auspicious animal in people's minds.
But the fox in front of him was a red fox!
It was a red fox with a strange voice and appearance, strange whereabouts, unstable mood, and did not look like a fairy beast at all!
What on earth is it?!
"well."
Under the astonished and doubtful gazes of the crowd, the red fox not far away seemed to sigh softly.
It walked slowly towards people.
Everyone was shocked, but due to some psychological reasons, they dared not move at all. They just held their breath and tensed their bodies.
But the fox did nothing to them.
It just calmly walked through the gap between them, and after walking a few meters, it looked back at them, and then sped up to run out.
Did the fox see them?
…it must be trying to tell them something!
This idea came to everyone's mind, and everyone followed suit without hesitation.
The fox didn't get far.
The crowd was led by it deep into the forest, where they watched it bite off a certain medicinal herb.
Holding the grass in its mouth, the fox looked back at everyone, curled its eyes and smiled, then disappeared into the forest.
This is……?
The young prince was a little dazed, but he still asked people to come forward and pick all the similar herbs nearby.
There was no other movement in the forest, and everything was quiet.
The fox really left.
“Your Majesty…”
The attendant who picked the herbs was so excited that his cheeks turned red and his voice trembled: "Momo, is this the magic herb...?"
The young prince was also a little dazed, but he calmed himself down and decided to return with everyone else.
The caravan that had originally camped far away hurriedly followed with their carriages and horses as the young prince entered the forest alone, and now they all stopped near the woods.
For some reason, they all felt much more comfortable after they got closer to the forest.
After finally welcoming the young prince, they all looked dazed. They were confused and worried: "Prince, are you okay? The fox didn't do anything to you..."
"presumptuous!"
Before the young prince could even open his mouth, someone shouted at him, "Don't be disrespectful to that master, he's the Nine-tailed Fox!"
Everyone who stayed behind:?!
Nine-tailed fox?
What nine tails?
After learning what had just happened, the people who stayed behind also fell into a trance.
Compared to the strange and bizarre fox demon in the rumors, the nine-tailed fox is a recognized auspicious animal among them, a pure and kind auspicious animal, whose birth means peace in the world.
Now that they were talking about it, they all felt that they were breathing much more smoothly after getting closer to the woods. Could it be that it was providing them with protection?
But it is clearly a red fox!
"Is this the medicine that the master recommended?"
The doctor took the herbs collected by the group in a daze, squinted his eyes to identify them for a long time, and even tasted the poison himself by taking a bite. Finally, he confirmed that this was an herb with the effect of clearing away heat and detoxifying.
This herb is not uncommon. Can it really cure this strange disease?
The doctor simply processed it, crushed it, boiled it on the spot, and fed it to the servants who had been unwell recently. They then vomited a lot of things, and their conditions improved a lot afterwards.
"Master Fox, are you telling us to use this to cure the villagers' illnesses?"
The accompanying official frowned, puzzled: "But, isn't this the punishment it imposes?"
The young prince opened his eyes and looked at him: "Don't jump to conclusions like that."
There are many doubts nowadays.
Originally, after investigating and visiting the village, everyone knew the cause and effect and had determined that it must be a curse cast by the fox; but now, after learning that the fox was suspected to be a nine-tailed fox, they were no longer sure.
Is it really a curse?
Everyone was confused and said nothing on the way back.
In the live broadcast room, the audience was eating melon seeds and watching the fun.
[Hahahahaha, as expected! You are questioning your life!]
【To be honest, after such things happened one after another, I also doubted my life. 】
[The little fox was probably just scared of people, so it wanted to take the opportunity to run away... Maybe these people were covered in poison gas, so it subconsciously ran to find herbs to eat, and ended up being seen by people again. In short, it was all coincidence ()]
[Hiss, but I did find a loophole! According to their imagination, the fox cursed the whole village because its treasure was stolen, and now it cuts off its tail to save people and points out the herbs that can save lives. I feel that the image is a bit strange...]
[Now that you put it that way, it's a bit contradictory, but since the little fox is a demon in their eyes, it doesn't matter if it does whatever it wants, right? ]
[But the scene yesterday was about a nine-tailed fox!! I don’t know what stage their fox legend has reached, but most of the time, the nine-tailed fox is a lucky animal! ]
[By the way, aren’t all nine-tailed foxes white? (Scratching his head) Red foxes are generally considered monsters, and cannot be considered auspicious animals.]
After this discussion, the audience suddenly became confused. They didn’t know what the fox had become in these people’s minds. They could only continue to watch the subsequent developments.
"Nine-tailed fox..."
The young prince leaned back in the carriage, supporting his forehead with his hand in deep thought.
Although he hadn't had a good sleep for two days, his spirit was still extremely clear and excited.
Foxes seem to be full of mysteries.
At this point, it is indeed impossible to explain it with the principles he previously knew. He can only try to believe in the events that once made him disdainful.
If all of them are true, can they be linked together to explain...
First, in the dilapidated temple.
The scholars had been harboring grudges against each other for a long time and became enemies. The only scholar Wu who had not been involved was possessed by a fox and was rescued twice in a row.
The whole village was shocked, and people from the far suburbs no longer dared to approach the ruined temple because of the fox demon's reputation.
Later, the fox came into the city.
First, he helped the Liu family eliminate the hidden danger, and then wandered around the city. In one case after another, he saved innocent women and children and punished those who deserved the crime.
Giving birth to children and promoting marriage are things that only auspicious animals and fairy beasts can do.
Until today——
When they go out of town because of a strange disease in the village, a fox suddenly appears, not only providing clues for their investigation, but also providing herbs that may be the antidote.
Everyone also testified that the discomfort faded away when they got closer to the forest where the fox was.
From beginning to end, the fox did not seem to have done anything bad, and everything it did had good results. It was only because of its weird appearance that most people called it a monster and feared it.
Speaking of which...
Is it the fox that is dangerous, or the place where it originally resides?
Is the source of the disaster really the fox’s treasure?
The young prince frowned and asked the carriage to change direction and head towards the village where the strange disease was lingering again.
Originally, the doctor only needed to deliver the herbs, but now that he thought of this, he needed more details.
After asking, he actually learned some special points.
Before the fox appeared, no one avoided that place. People often went there when entering or leaving the city, and occasionally felt a little uncomfortable when they came back.
But no one cares.
When the fox appeared and became famous, they naturally began to avoid that place and never felt uncomfortable again.
Little Prince: ...
"Prince, have you seen Lord Fox?" Seeing that the young prince remained silent, Elder Qi asked cautiously, with hope in his eyes, "Can you, can you give us a way out?"
Tsk.
What good is there in it to let you live?
The young prince had no expression on his face and left with a flick of his sleeves.
The one who curses you and hurts you is not a fox at all.
on the contrary--
He came to a conclusion that made him a little confused.
Maybe it has been protecting you.
Narrator:
“Ahhh——”
"He will probably be blamed again."
"This incident happened by coincidence, and it was linked to him again. I guess in other people's minds, his image has become even more terrifying."
[Alas, poor little fox.]
[Damn it, he obviously didn't do anything bad! Judging by his actions, not his heart, everything he did was obviously good for others! ]
[No way, the fox that is used to appearing at night and has a scary smile can't escape being demonized ()]
Amid the melancholy in the comments, the narrator suddenly changed the subject:
"But that person doesn't think so."
"In this matter, he was clearly helping throughout the whole process. How could he have done this?"
“That person thought, perhaps, the world has a deep misunderstanding of him.”
"Thinking from another perspective, from all these events, he pieced together another more incredible TA."
Audience:?!
【What? Who? 】
[Ah? Can you change the angle of Dihua? What other angle can you use? ]
[Hiss…Who is that person? An official?]
[Misunderstanding? So he wants to help the little fox to redress his wrongdoing? But the image of the little fox has already been deeply rooted in people's hearts! ]
What followed shocked audiences for the entire year.
The person who vindicated the fox was not the official who believed in foxes before, nor the servant who became pious when he saw the fox, but the young prince who was the least superstitious at the beginning.
After returning to the city, he called all the officials together, told them what happened that night, and then made a shocking statement amid the discussion and debate:
"All the troubles have nothing to do with foxes."
"On the contrary, it is precisely suffering on behalf of others."
Amid the shocked gazes of the crowd, he remained expressionless and continued to explain his views.
First of all, this fox is a nine-tailed fox. Everyone saw it with their own eyes that night. It is not fake.
In the eyes of the world, the nine-tailed fox is a pure white auspicious animal, but today we only saw dark red foxes. Why is that?
There are strange rocks and curses in the suburbs, but most people avoid them because they are afraid of the fox's reputation. So who was responsible for the previous disasters?
The fox is very skilled in finding medicine. Is it a gifted talent or is it just experience?
Everyone found relief when they approached the forest. Who was protecting them?
Everyone was so shocked by the implicit meaning in the sentence that they were speechless.
After a while, some people started to speak:
"Then, then, then the various strange things that happened after it entered the city..."
"Regardless of appearances, only the results are considered. In each case, is it handled fairly?"
"Uh, uh, but if it really means well, why is it always scary?"
"Are those actions really from its heart? I have met with it alone many times. At that time, it was calm and gentle, not at all like what you said... Maybe it couldn't control itself."
"Ah, hiss, ah...what do you mean?"
"The auspicious beast bears the pain and disaster for people, almost losing its original intention. In the end, no matter how it causes misunderstanding, it is still saving people..."
When the young prince did not believe in the fox, he could argue with the scholars;
When the young prince believed the fox, he fought even more fiercely.
The point is, it makes damn sense.
The officials, who had been preconceived about the image of a fox demon causing trouble and believed in their hearts that the fox was at least a big demon, fell into deep thought.
Think about it carefully——
Hiss, that seems reasonable.
The fox, to be honest, hasn’t done anything bad.
After all, why are they so afraid?
So many people have seen the fox’s broken tail, and there are seven or eight tails in the woods. If this isn’t a nine-tailed fox, then what could it be?
The only thing that was different from the nine-tailed fox was its color and behavior, which could be explained by the young prince's words.
Indeed, the fox has arranged everything very well.
The villagers were afraid of it, so they would not go to that dangerous place and would not encounter the curse. Then, during this period of time, it would go into the city to rescue people. When it found that something happened in the village, it would follow the prince and others to help...
Hiss, the timeline is connected.
So this is actually the case?!
Narrator:
"Yes, under that person's reasoning, he successfully transformed from a big boss behind the scenes to a decent character who had his own difficulties and was struggling in the darkness but still wanted to help others."
"Well, I have to say that some of what he said was correct, for example, he is not a bad guy."
"…But, it feels like it has gone beyond another unreasonable level!!"
"You, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, have also become a Dihua?!"
The audience was amazed.
【……Wow. 】
[Awesome, little prince, you are awesome. ]
[Ah? ? Can we actually start from this angle? ! Damn, this is awesome. If the little prince doesn't transform, it's fine, but when he does, it's amazing! ]
[But it does seem to make sense. In fact, the logic behind it is quite smooth. Plus, the scene with the Nine-Tailed Fox was really shocking. It seems that there is nothing wrong with thinking this way (scratching my head)]
[But the premise is wrong! ! It's not the Nine-Tailed Fox at all! ]
But everyone in the camera was shocked by the successive blockbuster news and was silently convinced.
Otherwise, what other explanation is there?
So many people saw it, even the most noble young prince in the city thought so. What could they have to refute?
...Besides, admitting that there is a mutant nine-tailed fox in the city is more enjoyable than admitting that there is a fox demon in the city.
That is a lucky beast!
According to the young prince, it is even a lucky animal that is willing to help people even after suffering!
Oh my god…
Everyone was eagerly waiting and preparing to build altars everywhere, looking forward to the fox's first appearance after returning to the city.
The little prince in the previous chapters: Don't worry, I will clear your name.
The little prince in this chapter: Is he white enough?
As soon as the little fox returned to the city:?! (suspicious)
Huh? Something's wrong!
The "Book of Filial Piety" states: "The fox is the most virtuous bird or beast, and the fox has nine tails. (The nine-tailed fox is the bird or beast with the highest virtue)"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
