Chapter 2: Foxes Harm People
During Lan Sizhui's recuperation, the atmosphere in the quiet room remained somewhat solemn. Though the burn on his left arm was gradually healing under the nourishment of the elixir, the pain of the cane's fall that day seemed etched into his bones, and every time he caught a glimpse of his father's serene profile, he would subconsciously tense his spine.
That afternoon, he was reviewing his lessons at his desk as usual, but his mind kept wandering. The wisteria outside the window was in full bloom, its blossoms drooping like purple mist, reminding him of the tuft of white fox fur he had secretly hidden in his sleeve three days ago.
That day he was punished to copy the house rules until late at night. When he returned to his room, he ran into a little snow-white fox curled up in the corner of the corridor. Its hind legs were injured by the iron traps set by hunters and were bloody. Its pair of amber eyes looked at him wetly, just like those homeless wild cats in the mass grave.
"Don't be afraid." He subconsciously squatted down and carefully pried open the iron clamp. The little fox whimpered in pain, but did not bite him. Instead, it rubbed his wrist lightly with its head.
He took the fox back to his side yard, stole some medicine to bandage its wounds, and found some dried meat to feed it. He waited until the sky was just beginning to turn pale, and then took advantage of the morning light to bring the fox to a hidden cave in the back mountain.
For the past three days, he had taken a detour every day to deliver food, and watching the fox's wounds gradually scab over, he felt a secret joy in his heart. But when he went there today, the cave was empty, leaving only a pool of dark red blood and a few fox hairs covered in mud.
"Si Zhui."
A cold voice sounded from behind him, and Lan Sizhui snapped back to his senses. He hurriedly gathered the fox fur on the desk into his sleeves, then stood up and saluted, "Father."
Lan Wangji's gaze fell on his trembling fingertips, and he said calmly, "How's your sword technique diagram copying going today?"
"...It's not finished yet." He lowered his eyelids and lowered his voice a little.
“Why the delay?”
"My child... my child is feeling a little unwell." He regretted the moment he said it. Lying to Han Guangjun was like walking into a trap.
As expected, Lan Wangji took a step forward and reached out to touch his forehead. Si Zhui hurriedly stepped back, the fox fur from his sleeves rustling and falling, fluttering on the bluestone slabs, making it particularly conspicuous.
The air froze instantly.
Lan Wangji bent down and picked up the tuft of white hair, twisting it with his fingertips, his eyes darkening. "Did you save the fox in the back mountain?"
Sizhui's face paled. He knew he couldn't hide it, so he bit his lip and nodded, "Yes."
"When did it happen?"
"...Three days ago."
"Why not report it?"
"I..." He clutched the corner of his clothes, his voice tinged with tears, "It's very well behaved and won't hurt anyone. I'm afraid if my father finds out, he'll..."
"What will happen?" Lan Wangji's voice was as cold as ice. "Will you kill it like you did those monsters that hurt people?"
Si Zhui looked up suddenly, his eyes full of pleading: "It didn't hurt anyone! It was just injured by the hunter!"
"Did you know that yesterday the child of Hunter Zhang at the foot of the mountain was injured by a fox demon and his right leg was broken?" Lan Wangji's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting Si Zhui's heart hard.
He was stunned, his lips moving: "No...it can't be its...it's so small..."
"That fox is a fox demon who has cultivated for a hundred years. He pretended to be injured to lure you to help him, but in reality, he wanted to use your blood to break the demon-binding formation at the foot of the mountain." Lan Wangji slammed a piece of yellow paper with runes on it onto the table. On the paper was a portrait of the white fox. "If Brother Xichen hadn't arrived in time, that fox demon would have already wreaked havoc in Liyang."
Si Zhui stumbled back half a step, bumping into the bookshelf. All that he'd thought of as docile and obedient had turned out to be a carefully crafted disguise. He remembered the softness of the little fox nuzzling his wrist, and the medicine he'd secretly hidden away. His throat tightened, and he couldn't breathe.
"Do you realize your mistake?" Lan Wangji's voice was emotionless.
"...I know I was wrong." He lowered his head, tears falling on the cold stone slabs. "I shouldn't have hidden the monster, I shouldn't have concealed it, and I shouldn't have... almost caused such a disaster."
"You've secretly kept a strange beast, deceived your elders, and nearly endangered the people." Lan Wangji walked to the rack and removed the cane that had frightened Si Zhui to death. "What do you think the punishment should be?"
Sizhui's body trembled like a leaf in the autumn wind. He knew his mistake was worse than hunting at night without permission. But the thought of the sharp pain of the vine falling on him filled him with fear.
"Father..." He choked with sobs, his knees gave way and he knelt down, "Please... give me another chance..."
This was the scene Wei Wuxian saw when he walked in. Si Zhui was kneeling on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, while Lan Wangji stood nearby, holding a cane, his face as cold as ice.
"What happened?" He hurried forward to help Si Zhui, but was stopped by Lan Wangji's eyes.
After hearing the whole story, Wei Wuxian's brow furrowed. He squatted down and wiped the tears from Sizhui's face. "Silly child, what you think is kindness may be an opportunity for evil spirits to exploit. Your father taught you to distinguish between good and evil, and to know when to advance and retreat. He didn't want you to be heartless, but because he worried that you would be deceived by appearances and hurt yourself and others."
Si Zhui nodded while crying: "I know... I just... I just felt so sorry for it..."
“Pitiable?” Wei Wuxian sighed. “There’s so much evil in this world disguised as pity. If you can’t learn to distinguish, you’ll suffer greatly sooner or later.”
Lan Wangji placed the cane on the table with a dull thud. “Go lie down on the couch.”
Si Zhui bit his lip and inched towards the couch. Wei Wuxian wanted to plead for him, but Lan Wangji held his hand.
"You can't do it for him this time." Lan Wangji's voice was soft, but filled with unquestionable determination. "He has to remember this lesson himself."
When the cane fell, Sizhui didn't cry out like he had last time. He bit the pillowcase tightly, letting the pain wash over him like a tide. Each blow seemed to remind him of the danger of indiscriminate kindness.
After ten blows, he lay there, his clothes on his back soaked with sweat. Lan Wangji put down the cane, and his voice finally had a hint of warmth: "Remember the pain of today. In the future, you must not only have good intentions, but also be sharp."
"...Yes." Si Zhui's voice was hoarse.
When Wei Wuxian applied medicine to Sizhui, he found that the child's tears had dried up and he was just staring at the ceiling with his eyes open, his eyes frighteningly red.
"Does it still hurt?" he asked softly.
Si Zhui shook his head, then nodded: "Daddy, am I stupid?"
“Not stupid.” Wei WuXian patted his head. “You just haven’t learned how to hide your edge behind your kindness. Your father was even more stubborn than you back then.”
Sizhui was stunned.
“When your father was young, he was willing to go against the entire Immortal Sect to protect me.” Wei Wuxian smiled, a gentle light flashing in his eyes. “But he knew when to retreat and when to advance. You should learn from him.”
Si Zhui looked at the cloud patterns on the tent ceiling and suddenly understood something. His father's strictness and his father's gentleness were both meant to help him maintain his integrity and protect himself in this complex world.
The wisteria outside the window was still swaying gently, like the tenderness hidden in his father's sleeve. Sizhui closed his eyes, engraving today's pain and teachings into his heart.
The road to growth is never smooth, but as long as he has his father's strict guidance behind him and his father's protection in front of him, he thinks he will eventually learn how to forge his own path between kindness and sharpness.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
