Becoming a Fox Spirit from Under One Person

"You've never seen a fox with its hands in its pockets?" Chen Ruoan asked.

Zhang Zhiwei replied, "No."

"Now you've seen it."

Chen Ruoan didn't want to delve into meaningless matters. After all, if there was a first person in the world who dared to try something new, it would be normal for a fox to appear with its hands in its pockets.

The waiting of a cultivator is never boring. After waiting for a day, Chen Ruoan and Zhang Zhiwei stayed outside the village to continue their cultivation.

Nothing happened on the first night, but Wanzhen and the man got into an argument at the dinner table. The man banged on the bowls and smashed the pots, and Wanzhen didn't dare to reply.

The next day, the argument escalated into a shouting match, with the man demanding, "Are you missing? Did you fight back fiercely? You really didn't let those bastards get away with it?"

On the third day, the old woman in charge of the delivery arrived. Inside the house, Wanzhen cried out in pain. The fox, peeking through the window, witnessed a scene that was enough to shatter its worldview.

The old woman and the man took off Wanzhen's pants, spread her legs, and applied a bowl of strange talisman water to her body. The water, of unknown origin, quickly caused Wanzhen's skin to fester, causing her unbearable pain.

The old woman sighed. The man had also given Wanzhen a death sentence, cursing her as a "worthless piece of trash," and was about to drive her out the door.

That evening, Wanzhen hung a thick hemp rope on an old locust tree outside the courtyard.

"Taoist priest, do it. She's about to be hanged by the shackles of feudal ethics and the suspicion and indifference of people."

Zhang Zhiwei condensed golden light into a flying blade, which severed the hemp rope hanging from the branch.

The rope barely tightened around her neck. With that slash, Wanzhen fell to the ground, her body limp, a shocking red mark on her neck.

Chen Ruoan walked slowly closer, and Wanzhen, disregarding some of the offense, rushed over and hugged it in her arms.

"He didn't believe me, he called me dirty... those bandits clearly didn't touch me..."

Chen Ruoan's tail gently brushed against the back of her hand as a gesture of comfort: "You and he were never meant to have a good outcome. He was not a good match. The old woman used an old-fashioned, unorthodox method to test a woman's chastity, which was completely ineffective."

Wanzhen's sobs stopped abruptly. She stared blankly at the shadow of the old locust tree and murmured, "But I don't know where to go. I'm a woman, without a home, where can I go?"

"Your first concern is the future, not dragging me back into the house to explain to him." Chen Ruoan looked up. "That means there's still hope. In any case, it's better than dying and ending it all. It's not worth it."

"You can go to the towns ahead and find another way to make a living, or go home."

With Chen Ruoan's supernatural ability to foresee good fortune, finding a business run by a virtuous person was not difficult. If he wanted to go home, he could use the "Divine Travel Talisman" to travel a short distance, which would only take a short while.

"I'm too ashamed to go home right now, I'll go with you..." Wanzhen said timidly.

"Alright then."

I wiped away my tears, then hugged you...

"Hmm—that's fine too."

······

Chen Ruoan spent the night in an abandoned house in the village. Wanzhen had just gone through this mess, so Zhang Zhiwei naturally wanted to avoid suspicion and slept far away from her, leaving the fox den next to the girl.

The next morning, the group headed towards the town.

Chen Ruoan noticed that there was someone outside the entertainment circle nearby, which meant she didn't have to listen to Zhang Zhiwei's incessant chatter, and her ears were finally able to have some peace and quiet.

To keep Wanzhen away from the rumors, the fox didn't mind going a bit further away, and gradually, he ended up in a business district.

The business community of Jining County is located on the long street east of the canal wharf.

The dirt road was rutted with tire tracks of varying depths. Shops lined both sides of the road, with blue cloth banners fluttering and copper bells jingling from general stores. The most enticing thing was the sweet aroma wafting along the street—the crispness of fried dough and the richness of sweet candy, mixed with the canal vapors carried on the wind.

Wanzhen carried Chen Ruoan as they walked along the street.

She adjusted her blouse, her gaze sweeping over the shop signs: "Ruifuxiang Cloth Shop," "Deshunyuan Grocery Store," "Fushunzhai Pastry Workshop," and so on.

Finally, my gaze fell on the yellowed job posting at the entrance of Fu Shun Zhai. The red paper with black characters read, "Hiring one helper, quick-witted and hardworking."

She stopped and looked inside.

The workshop had a small storefront, with golden twisted dough sticks and shiny sesame cakes displayed through the wooden lattice windows, and dough piled on the cutting board.

The innkeeper was a man with a weak left leg. He had a solid build and a kind face, and he always wore a sincere smile when greeting customers.

Are you looking to buy cakes?

The man saw the fox and was a little puzzled.

Only noblewomen would keep exotic animals like foxes, but the woman in front of me was dressed simply, her hair was tied up with only an old wooden hairpin, and her brows and eyes showed a hint of weariness from her travels. She looked nothing like a wealthy person.

"I'm not buying cakes, I see you're hiring."

Upon hearing this, the man looked her up and down again: "Hmm, what do you want to do?"

"think."

"What can you do?"

"I can endure hardship."

The man grinned: "It's not too hard here. On weekdays, I just knead dough, fill dumplings, and watch the oven. It might get a lot busier on holidays."

"It's okay."

"Then you can give it a try, but foxes can't come in. I'm afraid they'll shed their fur, which would affect the shop's business."

Chen Ruoan's body went limp, and she slipped away from Wanzhen's embrace like flowing water.

No matter how lovable a fox may be, it is still a formidable enemy to food stalls and shops.

"As the saying goes, you can know a person's face but not their heart. Let me take another look at you."

Chen Ruoan's eyes narrowed slightly, and two bright red lines were clearly reflected in her pupils—connecting the two of them, fiery and full of color.

Such a pure and benevolent connection is unprecedented; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a romantic relationship.

True destiny doesn't need a fox to pull the strings; it just happens to happen on its own.

Since we've already run into them, let's get another assist.

"Boss, do you provide meals and accommodation? What are the benefits like?"

"My goodness, the fox is talking!"

The shopkeeper froze, the rolling pin in his hand clattering onto the cutting board, looking like he was about to surrender in a comical manner.

Wanzhen was amused and explained, "Don't be afraid, this is a mountain god and fox spirit from the Xishan region. I encountered bandits, and it was this fox spirit and a Taoist priest who saved my life."

"Then you are truly blessed, Fox Fairy! Please bless me to become rich!" The man clasped his hands together, raised them above his head, and bowed.

Chen Ruoan said, "Hey, why are you bowing? You haven't answered the question yet."

"Oh! As for the money, it depends on how business is at different times of the day. During peak season, the monthly pay can be higher, and during the off-season, it will be lower."

"I can't provide for the food. I'm the only one working in the workshop, and I just make do with what I have on weekdays. As for accommodation, there's a storage room outside the shop with some odds and ends piled up. I can tidy it up and lay out some straw bedding. If the young lady doesn't mind, she can stay there. It's just that fetching water to wash her face will be a bit of a walk."

Chen Ruoan tilted her head and looked at Wanzhen: "What do you think?"

"I'm fine, I can do it."

"Then you stay."

"Where is the Mountain God going?"

Chen Ruoan looked towards Mount Tai in the northeast and sighed, "As the saying goes, there is always a higher mountain. I am not satisfied with just Dongshan. In the future, I will most likely go to Mount Tai to establish my immortal abode."

"Mount Tai? Mount Tai is great! During the pilgrimage season, the pastry workshops at the foot of the mountain sell out quickly. If I had the chance, I'd like to move my business there." The man was focused on his business.

"With the current chaos and turmoil, you should refrain from making any moves. It's better to wait until things are more stable before considering it."

"Hehe, just imagine, if my skills can be sold all the way to Mount Tai in the future, and you successfully establish your immortal abode, maybe the pastries on the offering table will be made by me. Then you can certainly try my cooking!"

The man, proud and ambitious, suddenly remembered something and slapped his forehead.

"Oh my goodness, I'll let you have a taste right now!" He found some sugar cakes, fried dough twists, and a soft, glutinous mung bean cake.

Chen Ruoan laughed and said, "You're quite perceptive. What's your name?"

"Hu Erxi, just call me Xizi."

Wanzhen took the pastry and fed it to the fox. The fox laughed and said, "Good, I've remembered your name and the taste of the pastry. When I establish my immortal abode and your shop opens at the foot of Mount Tai, I'll definitely try your cooking again and see if it's improved."

"It's a deal!"

Xi Zi's frankness pleased Hu, Chen Ruoan chatted happily, and another piece of the wishing tree's treasure book lit up.

This time, the names of two people are engraved.