Chapter 6: The Fox of Qingqiu Mountain, A Paradise on Earth

  At this time, the sound of rapid footsteps was already coming from outside the door. With a "creak", the door was pushed open and Lin Meng'er and Bai Zhu Ye rushed in. Their hair was slightly disheveled and their clothes were wrinkled, apparently they had been sleeping in their clothes, not daring to truly rest, waiting for a call from this side at any moment. The two girls, having gone through such a great calamity together, now seemed to have no secrets between them after spending the previous day and today together.

  That was the name of the eldest senior brother Shen Que, the name of the Supreme Mysterious Skill "Xuanyang Tianjian Jue" of the Diancang Sect, and the name of Lin Ming'er's younger junior brother Chujiu. All were told to Bai Zhuye and Xiaoqing by Lin Ming'er yesterday, of course, including Lian Tian's name. The three had already become extremely familiar with each other! Bai Zhuye was two years older, while Xiaoqing and Lin Ming'er were about the same age, so they naturally called Lin Ming'er "sister", and Lin Ming'er also called Bai Zhuye "Sister Bai".

  "Chu Jiu, you're awake, it's really great! Thank the heavens and Bodhisattva!" Lin Meng'er rushed in and sat by Chu Jiu's bedside, not even calling out to her brother. Chu Jiu saw that her eyes were red and there was a streak of blood in them, apparently she had been worried and scared for the past two days, and had cried!

  "It's all thanks to Meng'er sister making a wish and praying in front of Guanyin Bodhisattva last night and yesterday, it really worked! The Ninth Master woke up today. How are you feeling now?" Bai Zhuye asked with concern, smiling as she saw that the Ninth Master's face was still pale after his recovery from yesterday's exhaustion.

  "Thank you, Bamboo Leaf Maiden and Shifu's sister, for your concern. I'm much better now! Now my hands and feet should be able to move!" On the ninth day, how could Lin Meng'er know about his true injuries? He comforted her in a soft voice, and intentionally stretched out his hands, which indeed could move, although his internal energy was completely gone, he could still move around, only his heart pulse was damaged, unable to engage in intense activities.

  Lin Meng'er saw that Chu Qi was indeed like this on the ninth day, and it was rare for her to smile. Her swollen eyes were almost invisible, and she only said: "It's great that you woke up, thank you so much to Mr. Chu Qi and Auntie! They spent a whole night cultivating and healing your injuries two days ago, even longer than Wu Gou and Yan Dao spent in the Heavenly Pit! Yesterday morning when Mr. Chu Qi left the valley, he was exhausted, and last night he must have been very anxious! These two days, Auntie has been brewing medicine for you with 100-year-old Fuling roots, shaped into blocks of sacred medicine that only grow on Mount Emei, showing how much she cares about you!"

  In fact, she didn't say that she herself, Mr. Chu Qi and Fairy Maiden were guarding the night of the ninth day to heal wounds, and she and Bai Zhuye also kept watch all night without sleep!

  As soon as Wu Gou Chang Lao was mentioned, Wan Dao Furen, on the ninth day of the month, felt a faint pain in her heart and hastily asked: "Where is the body of Uncle Wu Gou and Auntie Wan Dao?" Bai Zhu Ye replied gloomily: "What's the use of being concerned about a stinking corpse? It has already been buried on the spot outside the mountain valley!"

  The four of them were relatively silent, a moment of silence.

  "Who is this Fairy Maiden Aunt?" Chu Jiu asked after hearing Lin Ming'er and Xiao Qing mention the "Fairy Maiden Aunt" who had been running around to save him, breaking the awkward silence.

  Lin Meng'er heard this and smiled, saying: "This fairy maiden is probably Seventh Uncle's old friend. As soon as she saw Seventh Uncle bring you into the valley, without saying a word, she helped Seventh Uncle treat your injuries and decoct medicine!"

  On the ninth day, seeing that it was already sunny outside, he said: "Today's weather is really good, a rare sunny day in Shu, Master sister, Zhu Ye, Xiao Qing, let's go out and sit for a while. I also want to thank this fairy maiden. We met her for the first time, but she took care of us with all her heart and soul, not sparing any internal energy. Now, she even gave us such precious medicine without hesitation. Hearing you guys say that, I'm eager to see her immediately to express my gratitude!"

  He knew that Bai Zhu Ye and Xiao Qing were actually like sisters, although they were supposed to be master and servant. He was also increasingly polite to Xiao Qing!

  Although he had almost completely lost his internal energy, thanks to Master Chu Qi's preservation of his heart meridian, he could temporarily move about as usual, albeit much more slowly, and with a lot of soreness in his body. Moreover, he really wanted to get some exercise!

  "Alright, alright! I just came over and Auntie was playing the piano over there! Walking is also good for physical recovery, let's go!" Lin Meng'er said with a smile. As she spoke, she helped Chu Jiu put on his clothes, Xiao Qing helped him put on his shoes, and supported him as he got dressed. Chu Jiu's face turned red, and now that he had no internal energy left, he could only rely on Lin Meng'er to help him get dressed. Fortunately, although his movements were slow, he was still able to move around, but there was no sign of improvement in his injured meridians.

  He saw that the bloodstains on his green shirt had been washed clean, and now it smelled of sunlight from the sky, fresh and natural. It was probably washed and dried yesterday. The five or six places on the back and shoulders of the green shirt that were torn by the people of Emei and Qingcheng schools the day before yesterday had been completely mended to their original state. The needlework was so fine and delicate that it was unknown how many times better than Lin Xiaoyu's. When he saw his master sister's white clothes again, the torn place on the left shoulder had also been mended. Now, two butterflies with spread wings were embroidered on the torn place, and there was no sign of any repair marks on the clothes. The person's needlework skills and clever ideas were truly unprecedented!

  Is it the needlework of Bai Zhuye and Xiao Qing?

  But the blue shirt on his body was made by Er Shibo's mother, Ye Niang. Now that he saw this clothes, he naturally thought of his second senior brother and his master. I wonder if the people of Diancang are doing well now!

  He thought to himself that he had suffered such severe injuries, and was afraid that in this life, he would never have the chance to see his master and others again. At this thought, his eyes turned red, and if not for considering Lin Ming'er's feelings, those tears would have fallen!

  "Our clothes, they were all mended by Auntie. Look, brother, these two butterflies on my sleeve, others would think they were sewn on when the clothes were made, not that they were mended!" Lin Meng'er had grown up with Chu Jiu since childhood, and seeing him staring at the patches on his clothes in a daze, she naturally knew what he was thinking. Not wanting him to become overly sentimental, she changed the subject, and Chu Jiu hastily nodded in agreement.

  Everyone slowly came out of the house, and indeed it was a rare deep autumn sun shining on Chuyi's body, feeling extremely comfortable!

  The sound of the qin became even more distinct, slowly coming from the left. Lin Meng'er smiled and said: "Let's go over!" The crowd slowly walked over again, and now Chu Jiu could see the surrounding environment for the first time. They were in a mountain valley, with a peak towering above that was impossible to climb. From halfway up the mountain, it seemed like everything was covered in white snow, but down in the valley where they were standing, everything was lush and green. In the distance, there were layers of bamboo forests, but closer by, chrysanthemums were blooming everywhere, filling the valley with their fragrance. In the middle of the valley stood three or four thatched cottages, and occasionally, the sound of birdsong could be heard, adding to the tranquility.

  After turning around two corners, behind the thatched hut there is a square pond. In the middle of the pond there is a small isolated island, surrounded by water on three sides, with only one side connected to the land below by a small wooden bridge. The isolated island in the center of the pond is only about ten square meters in size, and it is covered with large and small stones that appear to be naturally formed, not artificially piled up. At this moment, there is a woman in white clothes playing the zither with her back to everyone.

  There were two small things playing and rolling on the ground beside her, one red and one white, with a soft rustling sound under their feet, like the sound of chicken feathers rubbing against the surface of a purple sandalwood table. They made soft "wu wu" sounds in their mouths, which everyone could hear clearly. Chū Jiǔ took a closer look and saw that they were two extremely lively little foxes, including the red spirit fox that had been on her bed earlier. It seemed that what Xiǎo Qīng had said earlier about "Xiǎo Bái" was actually the name of the other white fox! Chū Jiǔ now saw that both foxes had rolling eyes and constantly moving tails, each with three fluffy tufts, which made her like them even more. She couldn't help but praise: "What adorable little guys!"

  Lin Meng'er, well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge, lightly replied: "According to the 'Shan Hai Jing', it is said that 'On Qingqiu Mountain, there is a beast, its shape like a fox with nine tails, its sound like an infant, able to eat people, those who eat it will not be poisoned.' This refers to the nine-tailed fox species. Today, we are fortunate enough to see these two three-tailed foxes, which is also a rare sight!"

  Bai Zhu Ye, Xiao Qing had seen the two little foxes the day before yesterday, so she wasn't surprised now. They saw that Chu Jiu was staring at the red and white little fox, and Bai Zhu Ye smiled: "Ming Er sister, is this nine-tailed fox good or evil?"

  Lin Meng'er smiled and said, "Sister Bai is testing me! Foxes and raccoons are actually two different animals, but in ancient times people got used to calling them together as 'fox-raccoon', and this name was passed down. In myths and legends, only foxes have a divine aura, while raccoons seem to be ordinary creatures. But who really knows the truth? In ancient times, especially after the Han dynasty, stone carvings and brick paintings often depicted nine-tailed foxes alongside white rabbits, three-legged crows, and other auspicious animals next to the throne of the Queen Mother of the West, symbolizing good fortune. The nine-tailed fox represents prosperity and many descendants, so it's not an evil creature!"

  Xiao Qing smiled and said, "I had only heard that the nine-tailed fox spirit Daji cut off the Jiangshan of Shang Zhou, and I thought all nine-tailed foxes were like that, but it turns out they are actually like this."

  Lin Meng'er said seriously: "Little Qing, this statement is wrong! In the earliest legend, Da Yu came to Tu Shan and met a nine-tailed white fox. He heard the people of Tu Shan singing a song that went 'Softly comes the white fox, with nine tails so fine'. They also said that if Da Yu were to 'set up house' here, his descendants would prosper and own the world. So Da Yu married the daughter of the Tu Shan clan and indeed had children, gaining the kingdom. And this Tu Shan was precisely the nine-tailed fox! In the Shang and Zhou dynasties, there is also the legend of King Wen of Zhou asking the fox on Mount Qi. It can be seen that the nine-tailed fox was not originally a seductive creature, but only became so in later legends."

  On the ninth, Bai Zhuye and Xiao Qing were both nodding in agreement. Suddenly, Chujiu felt that the two three-tailed spirit foxes with white and red fur had stopped playing and were looking at Lin Meng'er with gratitude in their eyes. Chujiu couldn't help but praise: "Indeed, they are spiritual creatures!"

  And yet this lovely and clever fox spirit is content to stay by the side of the woman in white, it can be seen that this woman is no ordinary person.

  On the ninth day, I carefully looked at her back, and saw that the woman was wearing a white dress, clean and simple, with long hair down to her waist. She had no ornaments on her body, only a white belt around her waist and a light-colored silk ribbon tied behind her head, slightly bundling up her hair. She was sitting casually on a natural stone, yet she had an inexplicable charm that blended perfectly with the surrounding scenery, as if the clear pool water, the distant green bamboo forest, and the nearby chrysanthemum tea trees were all born for her!

  The zither's sound was slow and clear, with a rustic and elegant tone that touched people's hearts. Although it was only the ninth day of the lunar month and they didn't fully understand the music, they all felt their worries slowly disappearing, their minds clearing up, and their spirits refreshing!

  Who is this woman?

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  Note: The nine-tailed fox, a legendary creature in ancient Chinese mythology. According to legend, the nine-tailed fox is a four-legged monster with fiery red fur all over its body. It is skilled at transformation and deception. It delights in eating humans and often uses the sound of an infant's crying to lure people into coming closer. The appearance of the nine-tailed fox is also said to be an omen of great chaos in the world.

  The description of the nine-tailed fox, referring to "Shan Hai Jing. Nan Shan Jing": "[Qing Qiu mountain] has a beast, its shape like a fox with nine tails, its sound like an infant, can eat people, those who eat it will not be poisoned." (Later Jin Guo Pu annotated: "That is the nine-tailed fox.") ; "Da Huang Dong Jing" "has Qing Qiu country, has fox nine tails" then says: "When there is peace, it comes out and becomes auspicious", also a propitious omen.

  Whether the nine-tailed fox is auspicious or ominous depends on one's perspective.

  The nine-tailed fox in "Shan Hai Jing" is a demon beast that can "eat people".

  In the "Bai Hu Tong De Lun · Feng Chan Pian", in later Han dynasty stone carvings and brick paintings, there are often nine-tailed foxes with white rabbits, toads, and three-legged crows listed next to the Queen Mother of the West, indicating auspiciousness. The nine-tailed fox symbolizes the prosperity of descendants, "eating people" gradually becomes obscure, and "auspiciousness" gradually appears.

  However, in the Eastern Han Dynasty's "Shuowen Jiezi", the fox is explained as "a divine beast, a mount for ghosts". It can be seen that the fox has spiritual energy (or demonic energy), and thousands of years ago, it was already widely recognized.