Chapter Five: The Enchanted Fox

The young man by the fire finished gnawing on a large chunk of tiger meat, tossed a few more thick logs onto the blaze, and poked at the glowing embers. The temperature around the fire immediately climbed, pushing back the chill of the night.

Cross-legged, Zhou Yu stretched lazily, gave a great yawn, and rubbed his eyes, already sore and tired. A faint, elusive fragrance drifted through the forest, growing stronger as time passed. Zhou Yu sniffed the air and murmured, “What a lovely floral scent… is it osmanthus?” His eyes grew hazy and unfocused.

“Brother, I’m so cold.” A soft, bewitching voice floated out from the darkness of the woods, sometimes seeming distant, sometimes as if it were right beside him.

Turning his head, Zhou Yu saw a young maiden in sheer gauze leaning against a tree. Her dewy, almond-shaped eyes gazed straight at him.

The moment their eyes met, Zhou Yu’s mind clouded over, and he stood transfixed.

“Brother, I’m cold. Won’t you come hold me?” The gauze slipped from her shoulders, revealing a swath of flawless white skin as the maiden slowly approached.

Zhou Yu, dazed, stood and walked toward her, step by step.

When she reached him, she nestled into his arms, her breath fragrant as orchids in a secluded valley, her chest rising and falling softly.

He held her close, his hands caressing the silk-smooth skin of her back, his lips brushing gently against her scented shoulder.

“Mmm… Brother…” she whispered, arms encircling his waist, her body pressing and rubbing against his.

Zhou Yu turned, seeking her lips, trailing kisses from her fragrant shoulder upward, leaving a faint glistening path. When he found her lips, his tongue slipped inside.

The maiden closed her eyes, then opened them again, her gaze now veiled in mist, seductive and enchanting. Yet behind the mist, a fiery light burned in her eyes. Her rosy lips parted, revealing pearly teeth, and her soft pink tongue welcomed his bold intrusion.

Lifting her easily, Zhou Yu laid her gently on the ground, following the cascade of her raven hair with his lips—eyes, nose, mouth, neck, scented shoulder…

With his mouth, he untied the knot of her undergarment; with a tug of his left hand, he flung the red garment aside. Burying his face in the softness of her chest, his restless right hand ventured into the garden, discovering a flowing stream.

Her breathing quickened, her chest heaving violently. “Brother…”

He withdrew his right hand, gently stroked her cheek, brushed a sweat-soaked lock of hair from her brow down to her snowy neck, and began to caress the tender skin of her throat.

Suddenly, her eyes flew open, terror and shock flooding her gaze. Her mouth opened, but only muffled cries escaped. She tried to push him away, but both her delicate hands were pinned by Zhou Yu’s left hand, unable to move.

With his right hand, Zhou Yu gripped her neck tightly, all confusion and lust vanishing from his eyes. “You fox demon—who knows how many you’ve harmed. Rest in peace.” He squeezed hard. With a sharp crack, her neck broke. Her head lolled to the side, her eyes darkening.

Wary of any trickery, Zhou Yu kept his hold for a while longer. The girl’s body began to change, shrinking as white fur sprouted from her skin, until eventually she became a white fox.

Grabbing the fox by the neck, Zhou Yu strode to the fire. With a glowing stick, he pressed and rolled it against the fox’s tail. Seeing no reaction, he finally relaxed, tossed the fox aside, and flexed his wrist.

Hidden in the darkness, the old man had witnessed everything in astonishment. The fox demon had little power but her charm was formidable; only those of profound cultivation or saintly will could resist her bewitchment. Knowing he himself could not withstand her allure nor approach her, he’d used Zhou Yu as bait to draw her out, planning to ambush her from behind. Yet Zhou Yu had remained unaffected and simply strangled her.

Rubbing his wrist, Zhou Yu glanced at his watch and muttered, “Damn you, Baidu Assistant! I told you to give me just enough stimulation to keep me awake, not to crank the current so high! My hand’s killing me!”

Baidu Assistant protested, aggrieved, “Honored King, that fox demon’s charm was exceptionally strong, and your own willpower is weak. I had to use the highest setting. Also, that old man is watching from the distance.”

“I know. The old geezer’s definitely out there spying, so I dragged out the foreplay with the fox demon just to lure him. But he’s got some patience—never made a move. I couldn’t take it any longer and had to act myself.” Zhou Yu stood and approached the fox’s corpse.

He picked up the white fox, examining it from all angles. There was nothing unusual about it, except that it truly was beautiful, with sleek, snowy fur.

As Zhou Yu stroked the fox’s fur, he thought, Old man, how much longer will you hide? Don’t blame me for being ruthless! Suddenly, he tossed the fox toward the fire. “Tonight I’ll roast a crispy fox for a midnight snack.”

The old man was quick as lightning; with a flash, he snatched the fox from the flames, holding it tenderly, squeezing and admiring it. “What fine fur! So smooth, so shiny!”

Seeing the light glow on the old man’s withered face, Zhou Yu felt as if youth itself radiated from him. For a moment, he wondered if he was seeing things—especially when he saw the old man fondling the fox’s chest, which left Zhou Yu on the verge of collapse.

“Master, when did you get back?” Zhou Yu asked.

“Ha! Just now, boy! Why were you about to toss this white fox in the fire?” The old man drew closer to the fire, grabbing a chunk of leftover tiger meat and tearing into it.

“I’ve been eating tiger meat for days. Today I caught a fox, thought I’d try something new,” Zhou Yu replied, returning to the fire.

“Ha! Fox meat’s no good, but this white fox is valuable!” After a few sips of wine, the old man grew talkative. “This is a fox demon with a demon core. With the demon core of a snow mountain white fox, we can ascend the snow mountain!”

“The snow mountain?” Zhou Yu looked up at the invisible slopes and summit lost in the night. “You mean climb to the top of Misty Mountain?”

The old man tossed a gnawed tiger bone into the fire. “Ha! You caught this white fox today—well done! I’ll tell you: after decades of study, I’ve finally determined that the best place for our Iron Sword Sect to train is atop the snow mountain. Because it’s so cold up there!”

“Is it because of the atmospheric pressure?” Zhou Yu realized, as soon as he spoke, that the old man would not know what atmospheric pressure was.

“What bird? At-mos-fer-ic duck? Never heard of it.” The old man shook his head and continued, “When you master the Iron Sword Sect’s technique, you obtain the power of fire. If you can cultivate fire atop the snow mountain, you’ll be invincible when you descend!”

Zhou Yu couldn’t tell if the old man was speaking the truth, so he shifted the conversation to something that interested him more. “Master, what is the world outside Misty Mountain like?”

The old man chuckled. “Let me tell you all about it!”