They say foxes are naturally cunning, and I always thought it was a law of survival in nature. But facing an old fox whose cultivation level was unfathomable, I realized the saying was more than just that.
They possessed an innate caution. Even at the level of an old fox, capable of completely overpowering Zhang Dabiao and me, it showed no contempt. Instead, it even increased its protective measures.
When I broke free from its "fox charm" technique, it immediately ordered the foxes surrounding it to attack. Their target was the Yin Tie Mu Chi in my hand. The attack ceased only after a fox, significantly larger than a wolfdog, snatched the Yin Tie Mu Chi away.
The old fox looked at the Yin Tie Mu Chi placed at its feet, nudging it twice with confusion. Seeing no reaction from the dark Yin Tie Mu Chi, it turned its gaze to me and said, "Kid, how did you break free from my Fox Charm Coal technique? My cultivation is such that not only someone your age, but even the Heavenly Master of Longhu Mountain would find it incredibly difficult to escape. How did you manage to break free in an instant?"
I glanced sideways. Zhang Dabiao, who lived and died by his saber, had already thrown his mountain-cleaving saber far away. He was now kneeling on the ground, kowtowing, then stood up and hugged a nearby air root, weeping inconsolably. His voice was filled with immense grievance, and he kept calling out "Father..."
"Brother Zhang, you..."
"It's no use. Unless I willingly release them, or they break free from the enchantment themselves, they can't hear anything from the outside," the old fox said, its fox eyes deep and wise, as if it could see through my thoughts. Su Dan Novel Network.
"Old fox, how can you be so despicable? If anything happens to Brother Zhang, I will never forgive you."
A mocking glint appeared in the old fox's eyes, and its lips curled upwards. "You won't forgive me? What can you do to me?" With that, it opened its mouth and spat out a stream of white ice crystals. They landed half a meter in front of me, creating a deep, frost-covered pit half a meter deep and a meter in diameter.
This was a warning. If I didn't tell the truth, the next blast of fox fire wouldn't land in front of me, but directly on me.
Looking at the old fox before me, a sense of powerlessness washed over me. It was far beyond my ability to handle. I had thought that by guessing its intentions, Zhang Dabiao and I still had some value. If I could find Zhang's father, or perhaps utilize that special location, there might still be a chance to deal with it.
But now, it seemed I had been too naive. Forget dealing with it; whether I could survive had become an unknown.
"What exactly do you want?" Looking at Zhang Dabiao, who had been weeping moments ago, now laughing like a fool and babbling to a wolfdog-sized fox, its mouth agape and its tongue occasionally flicking out to lick its lips, I could only concede.
In just one encounter, the two of us were completely subdued by the old fox. And this was without it even using its disciples and grandchildren, and with Zhang Dabiao, our top fighter, incapacitated. I, a mere speck of dust, had no ability to resist.
"Find the whereabouts of Zhang Pingliang's physical body and retrieve the item for me. I can spare your lives," the old fox said, its eyes narrowed and its mouth splitting into a smug smile, as if it had me cornered.
"Why do you think I can find it?" I asked the old fox, confused.
My previous analysis was that Zhang Dabiao could find his father's location, and then we would find a way to deal with the old fox on the way. But in the blink of an eye, the old fox had changed its mind. Even though foxes were suspicious and fickle, this was an extreme change.
"Kid, why so many questions? Either you find Zhang Pingliang's physical body and bring the item back to me, or I'll have my disciples and grandchildren bite this kid to death right now. You decide."
Perhaps Zhang Dabiao was tired from crying. He lay limply on the ground, curled into a ball. The large fox he had been holding now placed its gaping maw at his neck, ready to spill blood at the old fox's command.
"Alright... alright... Don't do anything. I promise, okay?"
"That's more like it." The old fox displayed an expression of approval, as if I were a teachable child. "You must bring the item back before nightfall. Otherwise, I don't need to tell you the consequences, do I?"
"Nightfall? That won't do. This place is winding and complex, and I don't know what dangers lurk here. How can I possibly find it so quickly by myself? Why don't you let Zhang Dabiao come with me? It might speed things up."
"Heh heh... Kid, drop that act. I've seen it all before." The old fox glanced at Zhang Dabiao lying on the ground and continued, "It's likely your credit that he found this place so quickly. You broke free from my technique just now, so I'm certain you can find Zhang Pingliang. Therefore, I advise you to set off quickly. The longer you delay, the more disadvantageous it will be for you. Oh, and I forgot to mention, the longer one is under the Fox Charm technique, the greater the damage to the body. Consider yourself."
The old fox was truly despicable, shameless, and vulgar. I cursed its ancestors for a thousand years in my heart before saying in a deep voice, "Since you won't agree to Zhang Dabiao accompanying me, fine. How about you let that larger fox protect me?"
When the fox heard me mention it, it first glared at me fiercely, then its eyes showed a pleading look like a puppy's as it looked at the old fox, emitting whimpering sounds. Although I couldn't understand what it was saying, it was likely pleading for mercy from the old fox.
"Do you really think I'm senile?" the old fox roared, causing the surrounding foxes to tremble like startled rabbits, cowering on the ground.
"Kid, you can only go alone. If you're not back by nightfall, I'll kill this kid, and everyone related to him. Don't think I won't."
This wouldn't work, and that wouldn't work either. I was helpless against the old fox. I could only grit my teeth and propose one last condition: return the Yin Tie Mu Chi to me.
The old fox hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement and had a small fox nearby hand the wooden ruler back to me. Afterward, it had several larger foxes drag Zhang Dabiao out, leaving only the words, "You're running out of time."
Leaving the vicinity of the ghost vines, the old fox was carried into the forest. The other foxes quickly dispersed, with one lying down every ten meters or so. It was clear the old fox feared I would escape and had its disciples and grandchildren surround this area of ghost vines.
"Cunning old fox, if I get the chance, I'll definitely skin you," I muttered inwardly, then picked up the Yin Tie Mu Chi from the ground and walked deeper into the ghost vines.