Chapter 40: The Fox Princess

Chapter 40: The Fox Queen (Part Two)

The first snowfall of the year had arrived. Within a single day, it had turned the entire northern region of the Demon Realm into a vast, blinding expanse of white. Across the boundless, snow-covered plains, a grey shadow sprinted at high speed, flashing forward with such agility that it covered great distances in the blink of an eye.

The mute wild boar soldier carried a large sack of fruits, carefully selected by A-Fei, and headed toward a distant canyon. Although the Fox Clan was not far from Flower Fruit Mountain, the northern Demon Realm was sparsely populated and vast. Even with the strength of a Demon General, the boar soldier had to run for an entire day before reaching the territory of the foxes.

The soldier stopped at a small mound and let out a few muffled, guttural grunts from its throat. The mound was covered in snow, save for a cluster of wild grass at the peak that poked through the white, revealing a touch of green that looked remarkably striking. Before long, the boar soldier ceased its grunting. The snow atop the mound shifted, revealing a hole the size of a bucket, from which a fox with fiery red fur emerged.

The boar soldier pulled a perfectly ripe, red apple from the sack and placed it before the fox. The red fox, initially sleepy and disgruntled, saw the apple and its eyes lit up. It sniffed with its pointed nose and then looked up at the mute boar soldier.

"That big fat pig seems to be doing quite well for himself this year," the red fox said, cradling the large apple in its paws, clearly reluctant to part with it.

The boar soldier grunted a few times.

"Forget it. Though your strength is decent, I can’t understand your grunting. Move along." With that, the red fox clutched the apple and ducked back into the hole.

The boar soldier waited for a moment. The barren, snowy landscape of the canyon ahead suddenly blurred and distorted, revealing a cluster of wooden houses hidden within. After grunting a few more times toward the mound, the boar soldier shouldered the sack and walked into the canyon.

Inside the canyon, many foxes were at play. Though they had not taken human form, their behaviors were remarkably similar to humans. Apart from the very young ones, they walked upright and even bowed to one another in greeting—a testament to the Fox Clan’s reverence for human culture. The boar soldier, however, remained indifferent to these eccentric demons wearing human clothes and walked straight toward a larger wooden building.

In the human world, such a structure would be considered a modest government office, but among the demon tribes, it was a remarkable feat of architecture. A few young maidens were playing in front of the house, building snow piles and engaging in a snowball fight.

"Look out, Xiao Si!" a girl in a goose-yellow ancient-style dress molded a snowball and hurled it at another. The second girl, busy building a snowman, was struck off-guard. She pouted in mock anger, scooped up a handful of snow, and retaliated. Their silvery, bell-like laughter filled the air.

Suddenly, a girl in a purple gown spotted the mute boar soldier. Pointing, she called out to the others, "Sisters, look! That boar is here to pay tribute to the Mother Queen again!"

The girls immediately surrounded the boar soldier, chirping incessantly as they speculated about the contents of the tribute. In truth, the Fox Clan was relatively resource-rich compared to other tribes, as they practiced agriculture and animal husbandry. However, these girls were royalty and were simply bored after a day of snow, so they saw the visitor as a novelty. They tugged at the boar’s tail and plucked at his bristles, causing him to roar in frustration.

"Princesses, go play elsewhere. The Queen already knows he is here and has summoned him," a snow-white fox appeared at the doorway. He wore a green robe and a sword at his waist, possessing the distinct air of a human wandering swordsman. The girls pouted, let the boar soldier go, and ran off to play. The boar soldier grunted his thanks to the white fox.

The white fox in green nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing into slits as he looked the boar soldier up and down. "A year has passed, and your strength has increased again. I truly wish to have a spar with you."

The boar soldier waved his hands frantically and pointed at the sack, signaling that he was here to deliver tribute. The white fox sighed in a human manner and said, "I know, I know. You never want to spar. I don't know how you attained such strength. Follow me inside."

As the white fox led the way, the boar soldier followed into the wooden building. The interior was surprisingly vast, featuring a long, vaulted corridor. After several minutes of walking and turning a corner, they reached a grand hall. The white fox vanished into the shadows.

The hall was warmed by burning charcoal, and the floor was covered in layers of animal pelts. Dozens of charcoal lamps hung from the ceiling, crackling and illuminating the hall brightly. The boar soldier stepped forward, set down the large sack, and bowed deeply. After knocking his head against the floor three times, he remained kneeling, not daring to look up.

Suddenly, a demonic wind swept through the hall. Wisps of black energy swirled around the boar soldier, lifting the sack of fruit and depositing it onto a wide dais in the center of the hall. The energy swirled and transformed into a woman with revealing clothing and an alluring expression, though her eyes remained pure—this was the Fox Queen, Fox Ji.

Fox Ji picked up a green fruit and sniffed it. A trembling voice echoed through the hall, seemingly coming from all directions: "A-Fei is quite bold! To dare and pluck fruit from Flower Fruit Mountain?"

The boar soldier grunted. Fox Ji listened intently, her brow furrowing. "The Wild Boar clan has taken over Flower Fruit Mountain?"

The boar soldier nodded, then continued to grunt for a while. Fox Ji’s expression grew increasingly grave, her long, white fingers tapping against the fruit. "The Boar King was killed by a golden-furred monkey, and that little black pig was killed as well... And how is A-Fei now?"

The boar soldier looked up, meeting Fox Ji’s gaze with absolute calm and not a trace of fear. He grunted again. Fox Ji sighed, "Very well, stand up. You seem incapable of fear. It is a credit to A-Fei that he has trained you so well. It is only natural that he has become the commander of the Wild Boar clan now. But what of this monkey and the royal youth you spoke of?"

The boar soldier stood, his shadow cast long and distorted by the firelight. He was a mute—his tongue long since cut out by the black pig—but both A-Fei and Fox Ji understood him perfectly. He was their primary conduit of information.

As the boar soldier finished, Fox Ji listened in silence. Suddenly, a flash of panic and shock crossed her face, though she quickly composed herself. However, the way her right hand tightly gripped the fruit betrayed her immense anxiety.

When the boar soldier fell silent, he stood motionless, like a black tower. Fox Ji opened her mouth to speak, then swallowed her words. She raised a slender hand and pointed toward the boar soldier from afar. A red mist of demonic energy shot from her fingertip and entered his body.

"Nothing is wrong; you may return. I will continue to look after A-Fei as I always have. Tell him not to worry." Fox Ji leaned back on her bed, resting her head on her hand as the silk curtains slowly descended.

The boar soldier bowed low and turned to leave. As he departed, the hall grew cold and desolate. The lamps flickered, and Fox Ji let out a heavy sigh.

"My Queen, why do you sigh?" The white fox in the green robe emerged from the shadows and stood respectfully to the side.

"How is my daughter?" Fox Ji asked.

"There is still no word of the little princess," the white fox replied, lowering his head.

*Crash!* A deafening sound erupted as the side of the hall shattered, wood chips flying everywhere. Wind and snow poured in, extinguishing several lamps and blowing the red curtains of Fox Ji’s bed into a frantic dance.

"Audacious!" The white fox moved instantly to the front of the bed, drawing his sword and pointing it at the figure who had broken into the hall.

"Audacious!" the intruder roared. The sheer force of the shout struck the white fox like a physical blow, sending him flying across the room, where he spat out a mouthful of blood. Just as he was about to collide with a red wooden pillar, Fox Ji flicked her hand, conjuring a gust of wind to catch him.

"Xuan Qing, why this?" Fox Ji asked, turning to the figure who now stood before her bed.

Snow continued to swirl through the gaping hole, the temperature dropping rapidly. The lamps flickered, and the decorations hanging from the rafters clattered against each other. The man addressed as Xuan Qing stood a full ten feet tall. He had a pair of deer antlers on his forehead, a broad back, and a slender waist. He was bare-chested, his skin covered in green scales. He stood with his hands behind his back, exuding the aura of an peerless powerhouse.

"Fox Ji, I truly do not understand why you act this way."

"Brother Xuan Qing, what do you mean by this?"

"Humph! It is a blessing for your Fox Clan that I, Xuan Qing, have taken a liking to your daughter! Yet you still refuse to hand her over!"

"My wayward little daughter has run off to parts unknown. You have seen it yourself these past days; I have sent out every Silver Fox tracker in my clan to search for her."

"A fox who has yet to reach adulthood—how far could she have gone? Fox Ji, I warn you! If you do not hand her over within seven days, do not blame me for taking your entire royal lineage into my harem!"

The white fox in green, hearing this, was overcome with shame and rage. He picked up his sword and lunged at Xuan Qing. Sensing the murderous intent, Xuan Qing turned and cast a cold glance at him. The white fox immediately collapsed, blood streaming from his nose and mouth, his sword clattering to the floor.

"Show mercy," Fox Ji said, her voice tinged with helplessness.

"Humph! Ignorant fool! I have already shown mercy; otherwise, he would have been reduced to dust by now!" Xuan Qing sneered. He extended a clawed hand, pulled back the curtains, and lifted Fox Ji’s chin, leering at her.

"What a pity, what a pity. A peerless beauty, yet no longer a maiden. Otherwise, you would certainly have a place in my harem. As it stands, your daughter shall take that position." Sighing, he retracted his clawed hand, turned, and strode out through the hole in the wall.

"Remember, you have only seven days."

A flash of green light illuminated the snow outside, and Xuan Qing vanished.