The Little Fox's Immortal Cultivation Encyclopedia

Chapter 113 Human-Fox Love

As Young Master Shen walked back along the river, his gaze fell on the water, where he saw his reflection being shattered by passing boats.

He gently waved his folding fan and walked for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, when he suddenly saw a stage set up in the open space ahead. A large crowd had gathered below the stage, mostly ordinary people from the city.

The platform looked like a temporary setup. A round-faced man was holding a child and had him write something on the platform pillar. Young Master Shen was too far away to see clearly.

As the sound of gongs and drums rang out, a beautifully dressed woman in white lifted the curtain and stepped out.

"The wind and moon are heartless, but people are sentimental~ People are sentimental~ Ee-yo-la-zi-ya-he~"

"Don't say that outsiders have no true feelings."

Although the woman wore heavy makeup, her natural beauty was still evident. She had a graceful figure and a clear voice, which drew cheers from the audience as soon as she opened her mouth.

Young Master Shen's heart stirred, and he stopped to watch.

"Cultivating in the mountains for a thousand years, lying among the green hills listening to the cranes sleep~"

"The other day, my little sister got caught in a hunter's snare while playing and her life hung by a thread."

"Fortunately, the kind-hearted scholar from the humble temple untied my rope, gave me medicine, and allowed me to return to the mountains."

Upon hearing this, Young Master Shen understood that it must be a play about a romance between a human and a demon. Intrigued, he walked to the front row seat, took out a silver ingot, and said, "Brother, would you mind giving me this seat? The price is negotiable."

The man suddenly stood up, respectfully wiped the chair with the inside of his sleeve, and invited Young Master Shen to sit down.

Watching him secretly studying by the window stirs up my emotions and makes me uneasy.

The scene on stage changes, and a young scholar appears, singing: "Ten years of hard study in solitude, I live here to learn from the sages~"

Young Master Shen had seen many plays and had some guesses about what would happen next, but he still patiently watched on.

The spirit transformed into a beautiful young woman, bringing the scholar meals and washing his clothes day and night. At first, the scholar refused to see her, but under the spirit's persistent and devoted love, his cold heart eventually softened.

"May our meeting in this life be a precious缘分 (fate/destiny), and may our bond be blessed for countless lifetimes to come."

Young Master Shen became increasingly engrossed in the performance, secretly resolving that once the play ended, he would definitely return to the building to find Miss Hu.

Just then, a figure wearing a Taoist robe and carrying a wooden sword at his waist stepped forward, looking fierce: "We have cultivated Taoism in our temple for decades, slaying demons and protecting humanity!"

"Suddenly, a demonic aura is detected here; a thousand-year-old fox spirit is lurking within."

The crowd gasped in shock. Young Master Shen watched as the Taoist priest separated the lovers, his heart churning with turmoil. This love between a human and a demon was forbidden by heaven and earth, but wasn't he and that Miss Hu also separated by a vast distance?

The Taoist priest brandished his wooden sword, striking the fox-woman. The woman fell backward, landing in the scholar's arms, trembling all over.

The woman must have put in a lot of effort; her performance was so convincing that even makeup couldn't hide the paleness on her face.

The audience fell silent, and the river began to gurgle precisely at that moment. The scholar cried out in anguish, "My wife, do not weep. I do not care whether you are human or fox, I only know that your affection for me is genuine."

"You have never committed murder or evil deeds, and your heart is more virtuous than that of ordinary people. Even demons can be kind in the human world."

"What a stubborn and foolish man! Bewitched by this enchantress, he's gone mad. Don't blame me for being merciless with my sword!"

The sounds of gongs and drums resounded, and the emotions of the audience rose and fell with every move on stage.

The Taoist priest drew his sword, intending to slay the demon once more. The scholar shielded him with his body, but the fox spirit broke free. The three became entangled in a struggle, and after several twists and turns, the fox spirit and the scholar's deep affection finally moved the Taoist priest.

"So the way of Heaven is nurtured by emotions, why then distinguish between humans and demons?"

The Taoist priest turned and left the stage, and the sound of gongs and drums gradually subsided. Young Master Shen nodded. Whether it was written in stories, told by storytellers, or performed on the stage, most human-demon and human-ghost relationships in this world ended like this. Even if most of them were fabricated, there must be many true stories among them, right?

No matter what I say to Miss Hu, the gap between us is smaller than that between a transvestite and a ladyboy, right?

Young Master Shen's heart was filled with turmoil, but then he thought of his father. The Shen family had only one son for three generations; his father had long paved the way for him: marry a lady of equal social standing, and take over the family business. If his father found out about his ambiguous relationship with a courtesan, then—

An old woman appeared on the stage at some unknown time, speaking in a trembling voice: "Seeing my son's infatuated expression, I know you have a pure heart yearning for the mortal world. Human love is like a sword; do not let mortals ruin your thousand years of cultivation."

This play seemed to read Shen Gongzi's mind, every line resonating deep within his heart.

The scholar and the fox girl returned to the mountain and met the fox mother. What should have been a reunion was marred by further turmoil. The fox girl knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, her voice trembling. The scholar also kowtowed to the fox mother.

Young Master Shen was engrossed in watching when he suddenly felt a familiar figure walk up to his side.

"Young master, we've finally found you!"

He turned around and saw it was the servant who had accompanied him on this trip: "A-Fu? What brings you here?"

"Young master, the master has sent a letter asking you to return to the manor immediately. There has been an accident with the fleet, and half of the ships heading south have been lost."

The master is extremely anxious and wants you to return to discuss this matter.

Young Master Shen frowned: "What's the reason? Did you encounter bandits? Which fleet was it?"

"The master didn't elaborate, and I don't know either. But judging from the meaning of the letter, there's probably something fishy about this."

Young Master Shen nodded. The Shen family had been in the water transport business for nearly a century and were familiar with all the ways in which it worked. His father was always reliable and never made any mistakes in handling matters. Although the south had become increasingly chaotic recently, they had put a lot of effort into security, so nothing should have happened.

"Alright, I understand. We'll set off today—" He hesitated slightly before continuing, "You go to Zhenhe Tower first and look for Miss Hu. If Miss Hu isn't there, then pass on a message to Huan'er."

Ah Fu had followed the young master for a long time and had long since figured out his thoughts. He nodded in understanding and then asked, "If Miss Hu asks, what should I say?"

"Tell her that if she's still interested in Southern Xinjiang, whatever new and interesting things she finds, I'll bring them to her next time I come."

"Yes."

After speaking, Young Master Shen continued watching the play, but in the time it took to talk, the fox spirit and the scholar and his wife bowed to each other, while the fox mother watched with a smile.

Oh no, I missed the part about how to persuade my mother.

The drums and gongs sounded in unison, mingling with applause. Young Master Shen saw the fox-woman standing in the center of the stage, her smile somewhat stiff, as she was helped backstage. He glanced back and, seeing that Afu hadn't returned yet, got up and walked towards the backstage area.

"Hey, young master—" A short, stout man came forward to greet him.

Young Master Shen took out some silver coins to clear the way: "There were some parts I missed earlier, and I'd like to hear them again."

"Which part would you like to hear, young master? I'll have the troupe sing it for you again." He said eagerly.

"There's no need to make a big fuss. I'll just meet the woman who plays the fox spirit and ask her a few questions about the play."

"Alright, young master, please follow me."

The two lifted the curtain, and the woman in white was leaning against the wall, her eyes glazed over.

"This girl—"

'

Young Master Shen stepped forward, but before he could finish speaking, the woman suddenly rolled her eyes and collapsed to the ground.

Her makeup was ruined, revealing her pale, paper-white face underneath.

>