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RM 56: The Tailless Fox (IV)
🕑 Added 2025-05-09 11:17:07 +0000 UTCThree days passed since the incident with Wang Yang and the Sect trial proceeded without other issues. The Peak Masters, Elders, and senior disciples watched the promising candidates in the Heaven Rending valley so that nothing out of order transpires.
However, a storm brewed up on the higher platform of Sky Garden.
“She’s so cute~!” Hua Mei cuddled the doll-sized tailless fox in her small arms.
The feeling of the soft, white fur felt heavenly against her face. Even the usual drunk Liu Zhi partook in the petting session with sparkling eyes. There weren’t many things aside from booze that could catch her eye.
“Brother, where did you get this kid?” Huang Bai, the only other Peak Master with pets, asked.
Muchen ignored the accusing red eyes of the fox and answered. “I found her in the valley the other day.”
“And you just took her in?” Xianquan tilted his head.
“Well, this one is kind of special.” Muchen smiled.
Xianquan’s eyes peered at the fox and spied no tail on her. A smile spread to his lips, too. “I suppose she is.”
“I think it is in her behaviour. Normal fox beasts are cunning beasts.” Liu Zhi said. “They cozy up to cultivators, especially the female ones, cause they don’t have strong fighting power. But this one’s averse to touch.”
Save me, you damned human brat! I don’t wanna be treated like a house cat! The fox roared in Muchen’s head.
“Probably because she wasn’t with others of her kind.” Muchen smiled through the bombardment of curses ringing in his head. “There are no packs of fox beasts in the valley, so she must’ve been born from nature.”
“It’s always fascinating how closely you have studied Qi beasts.” Huang Bai said.
“Know the enemy and yourself, and you needn’t worry about a thousand battles.” Muchen quoted a line from the famous general. Before fighting cultivators, he fought beasts. But he wasn’t strong enough to end things in one go, so he studied them the best he could.
“Uncle, what is her name?” Hua Mei asked, pointing at the fox.
“Yae. That’s her name.” Muchen said.
“I don’t recognize that word. Is it from a language of the lost continent?” Xianquan asked.
“Something like that.” Muchen used a language from Earth. It meant multi-layered, a name fitting his and fox’s current situation.
“First disciples and now a pet… Brother is becoming a bit too normal these days.” Liu Zhi said, her eyes squinted.
“Things just lined up, I suppose.” Muchen shrugged at the gazes of suspicion and focused on the screens before him.
It displayed the current top ten of the trial. Seven disciples belonged to Lotus Peak and Tiger Peak. The specialization in formations for the former and the focus on combat for the latter helped their disciples stand firmly against the beasts and the concealing mechanisms for the treasures.
Using their strengths, these young cultivators found good Earth rank low to mid-level treasures left by the elders of the peaks and secured their place on the rankings. However, things changed in the top three.
“Lie Feng found Peak Master Zhao’s training sword. His formation-breaking skills are well practiced too.” Xianquan said.
“His combat skills are also a step above most disciples. But there is a bit of aggression in his steps; I suppose that comes with his young age.” Huang Bai pointed at the moment the young boy stabbed through a Foundation Establishment realm sparrow, the size of a cherry, with accuracy.
“Still, it feels like a funeral down there.” Liu Zhi pointed at the table for Sky Peak’s elders and chuckled. “Especially Elder Ling. You can hear his teeth grinding from here.”
“If it were any other year, Lie Feng would’ve placed first.” Huang Bai said, her eyes at the first two on the list. “But he met two people who outclassed him. One in skill and the other in luck.”
Sun Lingling cut through a herd of mid-rank Foundation Establishment realm wolves like taking a walk. The helping team that came out, thinking that she’d need protection, ended up standing there like statues on red sand in the wake of a massacre.
“Her sword skills are sharper than I expected. And to think she can already use sword qi.” Xianquan said as Sun Lingling killed a beast at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm.
“That’s the level of growth I’d expect from someone learning from Senior Brother Li. It’s not just talent; her hard work also shines through in every strike she lands.” Huang Bai added.
“It’s like I am watching Brother Li hunt.” Liu Zhi turned to Muchen, “You sure she isn’t your secret daughter or something? I think many elders will entertain that thought,” and pointed at the whispers going around the table.
“Stop the bad guesses, smooth brain.” Muchen pulled his smug junior sister’s ear.
“Aiya, I was just joking.” Liu Zhi slipped and hid behind Huang Bai.
“The bigger surprise is the kid Wang Yang,” Huang Bai said.
Without a word, they all looked at the young kid engaging with a giant snake beast with his group. However, their eyes only followed the silver sword in the boy’s hand.
“To think he found the sword we failed to.” Xianquan sighed.
“I still remember how many days we wasted trying to look for that thing.” Huang Bai smiled.
“We turned the outer and inner area of the Heaven Rending Valley on its head and still didn’t get it. I think Brother Hua still uses it as a motivation for the disciples of his peak, so they’d learn about formations.” Liu Zhi chuckled. “Now, the sword has finally found its new owner.”
That sword had a lot of meaning for each of them. Their Master’s first and favorite sword. A sword symbolic of their master’s presence. And it meant the most to Li Muchen, but he couldn’t get it either. His Master didn’t want to leave it behind for him, and he finally understood what purpose it served.
“I suppose he was destined to get it.” Muchen had long accepted that he couldn’t fill his master’s shoes. It wasn’t his place.
“The first place is decided. Not even a miracle can overturn it.” Li Xianquan looked at the calm Muchen. “You’ve won, Brother.”
The list represented the distance well. It floated in front of every elder’s face, staring them down and reminding them of the words that almost made them laugh on the first day.
4th Zhang Jun, Lotus Peak. Treasure found: Myriad Mirror (Earth Grade, High Rank)
3rd. Lie Feng, Sky Peak. Treasure found: Miric Steel Sword (Heaven Grade, Low Rank)
2nd. Sun Lingling, Plum Peak. Treasure found: Volcanic Blood Saber (Heaven Grade, High Rank)
1st. Wang Yang, Plum Peak. Treasure found: Serenity (Divine Grade, High Rank)
They had to accept the sudden turn of events. Not one could raise a complaint, since Muchen never left the place to help his disciple when the problem happened. Everything the young boy achieved was his merit. No one could deny that. So, no one could deny the confidence Muchen had in his disciples.
“I’ll be doing closed-door cultivation for the week, so have Elder Ling give out the prizes for the disciples,” Muchen said.
“You don’t hold your punches once they fly, huh?” Liu Zhi chuckled.
“It’ll be foolish to only show the blade and not use it, right, brother?” Xianquan understood his senior brother the best out of the junior disciples.
“Indeed.” Muchen took Yae from Hua Mei and smiled. “You don’t take out the weapon to scare people, after all.”
Bidding them farewell, Muchen left the Sky Garden and headed for his residence on Plum Peak. The usual cold didn’t feel as gloomy as it once did to him. Before, he couldn’t do a lot during winter because of his constitution, but he didn’t have that problem now. His body rejected the chilling yin qi and maintained a healthy balance.
“You should’ve helped me sooner, damn it!” Yae growled.
“You could’ve just jumped out of her hands.” He shrugged.
“So I blow my cover? Real genius advice.” She scowled.
“Just bear with it then,” Muchen said, moving the bed in a small guest room of the eastern wing.
“Are we finally starting it?” Yae asked, a pinch of irritation in her voice. He didn’t tell her what he was doing the past few days.
“It takes time to set things up.” Muchen opened a trap door under the bed. “But the pay-off is worth it.”
He walked down the dark stairs as the bed covered the trapdoor with the concealing mechanism. After a quick descent, he pushed the double iron doors, as heavy as a herd of elephants, open. The hinges creaked to reveal a well-lit, cube-like space with white tiles that covered the floor, walls, and ceiling.
One could build an entire pagoda here, but the place didn’t have a speck of dust. The white tiles had nexuses of inscriptions. They spread across the floor like snakes and climbed the walls like vines, leaving no corner untouched. With the ceiling covered in ancient language and mathematical structures, the entire formation came together around the two circles on the ceiling. The first was big enough to fit a bull, and the other twice as big.
“Stone Monkey tribe’s Heaven and Earth Formation…” Yae muttered, mesmerized by the sight but also unnerved. “How come a human knows the secret they guarded till the end of their lives?”
“The heavens love me too much.” Muchen smiled.
“Fine, don’t answer me.” Yae rolled her eyes.
Muchen didn’t feel like it was a lie. As an earthling reincarnated into this world and then allowed to regress once. It raised many questions in his head. But the most important one was…
Why me? Muchen knew he wouldn’t get a direct answer, and he still didn’t get one. The heavens must have a reason for giving him these chances. But it didn’t matter anymore.
No matter what the heavens want from me. I know what I have to do.
“Come on, it’s about time we get started for real,” Muchen said.
He jumped to the ceiling and planted his feet in the bigger circle. With qi running through his shoes, he could stick to the ceiling without worry. Yae landed in the smaller circle, facing Muchen.
Why is he using the Heaven and Earth Formation? Yae thought, unable to get a read on Muchen. He may have pushed her into the corner to make a contract, but she did it with the benefits in mind.
Li Muchen, even if annoying, had his uses for her. His position in a major, righteous sect was the perfect cover for her revenge. His talents weren’t bad either, an average Joe she could use. That’s what made the use of Heaven and Earth formation this way a weird move.
Stone monkeys, as named, were born from stones and were one of the first lifeforms formed by nature’s will. However, their unnatural way of birth created limitations. Unlike the creatures created by Goddess Nuwa, they didn’t have a spiritual root. They were born stronger than usual, but others could surpass them over time with cultivation. Thus, they faced enslavement and almost went extinct.
However, a monkey was born in their midst with the heaven’s blessing. A monkey much stronger than his peers. He broke the chains of slavery and saved his people, ruling over them. But he wasn’t satisfied with that. So, he left on a journey to get a spiritual root and find a way to cultivate. That’s how the Heaven and Earth formation came to be.
A formation that linked Heaven (Nuwa’s creation) to Earth (Nature’s creations/stone monkeys). Using this formation, stone monkeys would link with other beings who had a spiritual root and cultivate by mutual consent. A very simple, yet complex structure.
That’s exactly why Yae couldn’t understand standing in the Earth circle. Why would he want her to connect to his spiritual root? She expected the opposite to happen since her spiritual root should be of a higher grade between theirs, but Muchen had other plans.
“The divine root in heaven conceives and the spring breaks forth.” Muchen started the incantation. The words left his mouth and materialized in the air. “As the heart’s nature is cultivated, the Great Way arises…”
A red light pulsed through the inscriptions and gathered around the two circles. The qi moved in massive quantities. Like a torrential wave aiming to swallow the world. Yae’s heart beat rose as red light surrounded her.
Consumed. Overwhelmed. Distraught.
She trembled in place, facing a shadow in that red world. A shadow that roped her in. However, it vanished like smoke soon after.
Yae stood in the middle of a well-kept garden full of spirit cherry trees with a lone plum tree. The wind ruffled her white fur with the crimson petals. However, she focused on Muchen.
Dressed in pure white, he stood before the pond, waiting for her. She walked over, her small paws feeling the heat with each step. After a few more steps, she came face to face with the lotus. A lotus darker than darkness itself. The red mist hanging over the pond was familiar to the one that surrounded her before.
A chill washed over her body. “What do you want from me?” she asked.
“Finally dropping the act?” He said.
“…” The normally irritable and easily angered Yae held her tongue.
“You just have to do what you do best.” Muchen met the eyes of the tailless fox and demanded. “Deception.”
...
Hello everyone.
I had a big problem with digestion, couldn't eat a thing, and kept throwing up. Had to rest for a week. I am off the hook now, according to doc.
So, imma continue the one chapter a day schedule again.
Thank you for your patience.
And if you haven't, leave an advanced review on Royalroad. It'll help the book and me. I'd really appreciate it.
Bye.
Comments
андрей ткач
thanks for the chapter!
