Becoming a Fox Spirit from Under One Person

"I was just on my way to visit an old friend at Sanyi Gate, so we went together."

Chen Ruoan didn't know the location of the Trinity Gate, but fortunately, the fox's tail was tied to the red and black intertwined thread of fate with Lu Jin, so he followed the direction of the thread and searched all the way there.

Sanyi Gate is located deep within a precipitous peak in southwestern Fujian, surrounded by towering mountains covered with evergreen pines and cypresses.

Summer sunlight filters through the leaves, and a stream meanders around the bluestone. In this remote place, such a beautiful and serene scene is hidden.

Once the fox entered the mountains, it felt even more at home than when it returned to its hometown. It immediately started running around wildly, leaping over streams and stepping on green stones, its shadow constantly darting through the forest.

Just as Chen Ruoan was about to climb the cliff to find the entrance to Sanyi Mountain, he suddenly saw a white shadow in the stream below.

Zuo Ruotong stood barefoot in the water, her hands hanging naturally in front of her knees, gazing quietly at the surface of the water.

The Great Immortal was either sixty or seventy years old, yet his appearance was as youthful as ever, showing no signs of aging. His plain white robe clung lightly to his shoulders, damp with a few specks of moisture, blending seamlessly with the surrounding green mountains and clear waters, exuding an ethereal and otherworldly aura.

Beside the stream rock where Zuo Ruotong sat, there was a bundle wrapped in plain cloth, suggesting that he had returned from out of town and had not yet returned to the Sanyi Gate.

The fox disliked water, so it stepped on wisps of cloud and lowered its altitude slightly.

Zuo Ruotong snapped out of her reverie, glanced at the black fox by the stream, and asked, "How old is this fox that has gained sentience?"

"A little over two and a half years old."

"Are you here to see Xiao Jin?"

"Does the Left Gatekeeper know me?"

Zuo Ruotong slowly stood up. "Black foxes are rare to begin with, let alone black foxes that have obtained Qi. In the territory of the Sanyi Sect, not a single one has appeared for hundreds of years. We can only think about it from afar."

"A few months ago, you and Xiao Jin discussed the Dao at Mount Tai and mentioned the matter of 'reverse life'. You had a lot of insightful views, which made me think about them carefully. I've been quite confused about them these past few months."

Chen Ruoan replied, "To achieve a certain state by consuming 'Qi' is putting the cart before the horse."

"Hmm..." Zuo Ruotong nodded gently. "I went to the martial arts training area in Henan a few days ago and had a conversation with the leader of Qingzhuyuan. I heard that Quanxing has produced a demon who can use innate methods to dismantle techniques using 'Qi'. What do you think, little fox, if he were to run into the 'Triple Reversal of Life'?"

"If that demon's methods are truly as mysterious as the legends say, then the 'reverse life' technique naturally cannot withstand it."

Zuo Ruotong smiled upon hearing this: "It is said in the martial arts world that the Sanyi Sect is the number one Xuan Sect in the world, but that is nothing but praise from the world. I never thought that so far, apart from the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, only a fox has been willing to tell me the truth."

"You should treat me as a distinguished guest of Sany. This way, please."

Zuo Ruotong raised her hand to indicate the dangerous path leading up the mountain, and Chen Ruoan stepped on the clouds and leaped straight up.

Before they even reached the mountain gate, the disciples guarding the front courtyard spread the news that the sect leader had returned from visiting a friend, bringing with him a black fox with glossy fur.

"fox!?"

Lu Jin, mingling among his fellow disciples, secretly lamented that something terrible was about to happen and hurriedly returned to his room, tearing several bolts of cloth to shreds.

When Chen Ruoan and Zuo Ruotong arrived in the courtyard, every single one of their disciples who came to greet them stuffed their nostrils with strips of cloth.

"What are you doing?" Zuo Ruotong asked, puzzled.

"It was Junior Brother Lu who wanted to do it this way," one of the disciples replied.

Among all the fellow disciples, Lu Jin was particularly upright and never made careless jokes. As soon as he spoke, the others did exactly as he said.

Seeing the comical state of the disciples inside, Zuo Ruotong sighed, "Xiao Jin, why is this?"

Lu Jin blushed crimson, her toes gripping the ground: "Master, please don't ask anymore. I have my own plans."

"Is there something you're having trouble saying?"

"N-no!" Lu Jin stammered.

There were still some junior disciples who had just joined the sect and were not yet settled in their ways. He really didn't want to see any awkward situations happen.

Seeing this, Chen Ruoan tried to smooth things over: "It's alright today, I'll only appear in fox form."

"Phew—" Lu Jin breathed a sigh of relief, but his master's gaze toward him became increasingly strange.

Zuo Ruotong returned from her long journey and had no interest in dealing with matters within the sect, so she asked Lu Jin to take care of entertaining the fox who came to her door.

"Brother An, I didn't expect you to actually come to see me!"

Lu Jin didn't remove the cloth strip from his nostrils, letting it hang on his face like snot, showing absolutely no demeanor befitting a scion of a noble family.

Chen Ruoan replied, "I have come today for two reasons: first, to reminisce about old times, and second, to help the ghost within my belly fulfill a wish. I wonder if there is a disciple named Zhong Yang within the San Yi Sect?"

"Senior Brother Zhong?"

Lu Jin looked worried and gestured, pointing to another backyard outside the mountain gate.

In the courtyard, a group of people with mobility issues gathered, and some were even described as disabled.

The path of "reversing the cycle of life" is inherently fraught with difficulties and dangers, and is full of thorns. If one is not careful, there is a risk of falling into a useless state.

When a practitioner breaks through a certain level, they must abandon any path of retreat and not hesitate, otherwise they are very likely to suffer a backlash.

Even Zuo Ruotong himself suffered a chronic illness due to an injury sustained during his attempt to break through to the second level in middle age. Now, apart from the path of reversing his fate, he has no way out.

"Senior Brother Zhong, someone's looking for you!"

Lu Jin called out to the inner room, and a middle-aged man staggered out, carrying a winnowing basket filled with some unidentifiable medicinal herbs.

The fox called out to its belly, and Zhongyi, who was hiding, lost the confidence to see her son.

"Why are you still shy?"

"Just because he hasn't mastered his profound skills and has a hidden ailment, does that mean he's no longer your son?"

Zhong Yi shook his head frantically inside his stomach. In this turbulent world, being alive was already a great blessing, let alone daring to hope for some kind of profound skill.

However, he was preoccupied with the rumors in the village and did not know what his son's attitude was towards his departure. Now that he appeared to him in the form of a ghost, who knew what kind of trouble it would cause.

Chen Ruoan understood Zhong Lao Er's feelings and replied, "Then stay a few more days, and we'll talk about it when you find a suitable opportunity."

"Hehehe..." Lu Jin awkwardly scratched the back of his head and said to his senior brother, "It's alright, Senior Brother Zhong."

"Are you kidding me?" Zhong Yang, carrying a winnowing basket, limped back into the inner room. His gaze, seen through the window, was fixed on the strange black fox.

······

In a dark and damp cave on the outskirts of Suzhou, several members of the Quanxing sect respectfully made way for a man dressed in leather shoes to enter the cave.

"Oh, what's going on?"

"Wrapped inside and out, it's like a giant rice dumpling." Wugensheng chuckled, patting Li Muxuan, who was covered in bandages. With the help of the Quanxing physicians, he was barely clinging to life.

"Wait, who are you?"

Yuan Jingui replied, "Li Muxuan."

"Always causing trouble and creating chaos for prestigious families, which sect or group dealt you such a severe blow?"

"Hiss... hiss..."

A faint panting came from Li Muxuan's mouth, and a few indistinct sounds slowly drifted out. Wugensheng tilted his head and put his ear close to it.

"Sect Leader... Sect Leader, can you still listen to me... say a few more words? I... am not reconciled."

"Speak plainly, which department?"

"Dragon Tiger Mountain".

"This one won't do, move on to the next one."