Chapter 114

The nine-tailed fox was truly afraid of having its tail pulled out by Ke Xingzhou. It clung to its own tail and cried heartbrokenly, no longer willing to fight.

The stunned Daoists standing nearby finally reacted and hurriedly stepped forward to separate the person and the fox.

Ke Xingzhou was caught up in the fight and, like a wild horse running free, lost some control. Only when the golden light of his merits began to vibrate madly, signaling that it might leave him, did he regain some of his sanity.

The nine-tailed fox returned to the size of an ordinary fox, hugging its fluffy big tail as it shrank into the Daoists' embrace, crying as if it were dying: "I’m bald! He pulled all my fur out!! I’m going to become a bald fox, I’ll never be cute again... Wah!!"

Everyone: "......"

Ke Xingzhou looked down at his palm. During the fight, he had indeed pulled out quite a bit of the nine-tailed fox's fur, which was now stuck to him everywhere.

However, to say he had pulled out the nine-tailed fox's entire tail, that wasn’t quite true.

It was probably just because of the changing season, and it had shed a bit more fur than usual.

But the nine-tailed fox was genuinely crying, making An Heguang and the others feel embarrassed and stop eating sunflower seeds, looking awkwardly at the still fluffy tail.

The Daoists in the room didn’t know what to say, so they could only offer dry comfort: "No, no, your tail is fine."

The nine-tailed fox, one second crying in someone's arms, immediately snapped back in a fierce manner: "You're not a fox! Do you know how serious it is for a fox to lose a patch of tail fur?!"

Daoist: "......"

They really didn't know.

The Daoists, since this was a Daoist god beast, couldn’t say much, but Zhu Chu, with no such reservations, bluntly asked: "What does that mean?"

"It means I won’t be able to find a mate!!!" The nine-tailed fox shouted.

It was truly very aggrieved, but the people in the room fell silent for a moment, looking at it with speechless expressions.

It's a nine-tailed fox, and it's still worrying about this?

The Daoists were embarrassed, their faces red, unsure of what to say. Zhu Chu, however, didn't think this was anything shameful. He just looked at the nine-tailed fox with disdain and said, "You wanted to fight my master, but now you’re the one complaining first?"

The nine-tailed fox, feeling unjust, retorted loudly: "He shouldn’t have pulled out my fur! He’s deprived me of my entire quarter's worth of mating rights!"

Zhu Chu looked at him with disdain and pointed to the Daoists nearby: "You scratched their faces, and you're not talking about depriving them of their mating rights?"

The Daoists were startled, their faces turning bright red, and quickly waved their hands: "Little Daoist, you shouldn’t say that. We're all of a certain age, how could we be... be looking for... looking for that? It's not appropriate."

Zhu Chu, however, didn't understand what was inappropriate: "Daoists, don’t be shy. This age is perfect for late-life romance. Besides, how old are you really? How old is this old fox? My master said it takes a thousand years to cultivate a tail, so at least he's over 8,000 years old! If he can find a mate, what’s stopping you? I support you—love is free!"Daoists: "......"

Free love is fine, but that doesn’t mean you should freely become a pervert!

They were of an age where courting was an odd thing to be doing!

The nine-tailed fox also felt very wronged: "Who says I'm over 8,000 years old? I'm only over 400! By the age of a nine-tailed fox, I'm still not even an adult! What's wrong with me seeking a mate?!"

As he spoke, his dark, gleaming eyes kept darting towards Yan Xingwei, looking quite shy, clearly indicating who he was interested in.

Daoists: "......"

Yan Xingwei: "........"

To be honest, at first, Yan Xingwei was too shocked by the fact that the figurine came to life and turned into a real, living nine-tailed fox. He hadn’t even connected this well-groomed and fluffy beast to the pervert who helped him wash his underwear.

It wasn’t until their eyes met that he suddenly remembered something important, and his face immediately changed.

Zhu Chu, however, was focused on another matter: "Underage... Speaking of which, does the nine-tailed fox fall under the juvenile protection laws?"

Everyone: "......"

The Daoists were thrown off by the question. After a moment of thought, they seemed to feel it was necessary to answer, hesitating before speaking: "It... it should apply. But it depends on how 'underage' is defined, like how old it would be in human years..."

Ke Xingzhou answered seriously: "A nine-tailed fox becomes an adult at a thousand years old, so at over 400 years old, it’s like a human being less than 10 years old."

"Wow." Zhu Chu sighed, "Director Yan, you're in trouble."

Everyone: "......"

The alarm bells in Yan Xingwei’s mind were ringing more and more urgently. He could almost see himself being shackled in prison, performing at New Year's shows. His gaze towards the nine-tailed fox became more and more vigilant, almost wanting to draw a line in the sand to sever any connection between them.

The nine-tailed fox was hurt by his gaze and burst into tears again: "You heartless man! I gave you so many gifts, I even washed your underwear, cooked and did your housework, and even transformed into an object to protect you. And now you want to sell me for money, and now you pretend you don’t know me!"

It was a heart-wrenching accusation, as if its heart had truly been broken.

The people in the room couldn’t help but question their previous judgments, their suspicious gazes now focused on Yan Xingwei.

Yan Xingwei: "… I’m not, I didn’t! I don’t even know you!"

However, with the nine-tailed fox’s previous words as a setup, his response now sounded like that of a scumbag who abandoned someone after using them.

Yan Xingwei had no choice but to argue fiercely: "Washing clothes is fine, I’ll admit you washed my underwear, but cooking and doing housework? What’s that about? My kitchen has never been used, I always order takeout, and I do all the housework myself, okay?"

Talking about this, Yan Xingwei couldn’t help but feel bitter.

Back then, he became rich overnight through a weird comedy, quickly achieving his goal of buying a house and a car, becoming a millionaire. He hired professionals to handle all the trivial tasks and focused on creating.

Who would have thought that in the following years, his creative work repeatedly hit obstacles, and his accumulated wealth inexplicably disappeared. In just ten years, he had fallen to the point where he needed to sell his house to fund a movie.

Looking back on the last ten years was incredibly unlucky, with strange and suspicious objects sent to him, as well as creepy voyeurism and unwanted attention...

If Yan Xingwei had been a little weaker, he probably wouldn't be here anymore.

And now, he had to deal with a voyeur calling him a heartless man. Why on earth?Who would have thought the nine-tailed fox would speak so confidently: "I’ve already given you all the prey I hunted, and the contract with my handprint... As long as you put your handprint too, we would be a couple recognized by the heavens, sharing lifespan and health. I’ve given you so much, isn’t that enough?"

"Contract?" Yan Xingwei asked, confused. "What contract?"

Was this fox talking about the same thing?

The Daoists, however, had already realized something, their expressions becoming very complicated.

The nine-tailed fox struggled to roll off the ground, wagging its nine tails, and pounced on the box Ke Xingzhou had dragged out from under the bed. After rummaging through it, it carefully pulled out a dry leaf with a handprint on it.

The fox's bite was surprisingly strong, and logically speaking, no matter how carefully it handled it, the leaf should have been damaged in the process.

But in reality, the leaf was perfectly intact, with only a layer of dust on the handprint, and the nine-tailed fox brought it before everyone.

This made its previous words seem very credible, and everyone couldn’t help but fall silent.

While the nine-tailed fox’s actions were somewhat terrifying, its intentions were clearly good. As outsiders, they couldn’t really criticize a divine beast.

However, Zhu Chu felt something was off: "You gave him prey? Aren’t we all working on civilizing our cities now? They’re practically renovating sewers, so where did you find prey?"

The nine-tailed fox was quite proud when it said this.

"I naturally have my own sources."

After a pause, under everyone’s curious gazes, it couldn’t resist its vanity and proudly said, "I see him bring food to the same person every day, so he must really like that person’s cooking. So I found an opportunity and followed him. Sure enough, this human I’ve set my eyes on is excellent! The place was swarming with mice, and I was starving for days, but I finally had a hearty meal there... Since he likes eating mice from that place, I naturally brought him some."

After saying this, the nine-tailed fox puffed out its chest, thinking it was being a considerate and caring creature.

In the animal world, most male beasts win over females through hunting, and showing off its hunting ability would surely make Yan Xingwei view it in a new light, clearing up any misunderstandings and winning his affection.

It was confident, but it didn’t notice that when it mentioned the number of mice, Yan Xingwei’s expression changed.

His skin, which had been tanned by the sun, immediately drained of color. Before the nine-tailed fox could boast further, Yan Xingwei had already covered his mouth and rushed to the bathroom, vomiting into the toilet.

The nine-tailed fox froze. "What’s wrong with him? Doesn’t he like the prey I brought?"

Everyone: "......"

The Daoists didn’t know what to say anymore.

They had finally witnessed a divine beast, the legendary nine-tailed fox, only to discover that it had been surviving by eating mice...

The Daoists felt a deep sorrow in their hearts, and their eyes were filled with tears, as if they were about to cry out loud.

Zhu Chu, however, wasn’t moved by their sympathy and continued asking, "Why is the handprint on the leaf a human hand?"

The nine-tailed fox blushed, "Well, I wanted to use the form he liked to contact him. Plus, if we end up together, I’ll have to live in human society, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to show a contract with a fox paw print on it!"

This reasoning actually made some sense.

Zhu Chu, with a complex expression, stared at it. "You’re a reverse marriage, but you’ve thought about a lot."

Daoists: "......"The Daoist with the most tears could no longer hold back his sobs. Their divine beast turned out to be a reverse marriage...

Zhu Chu then picked up the small wooden stick again. "And what's this?"

It seemed to have been snapped off from a tree, with the bark still intact, only a tooth mark on it, and a rather large empty space beside it.

Based on the nine-tailed fox’s behavior, it was probably reserved for Yan Xingwei.

Sure enough, the nine-tailed fox’s ears turned red, and it awkwardly said, "This is my tooth-grinding stick. Every day when he goes out for exercise, I have to grind my teeth on it. He’s touched it too."

Zhu Chu’s expression could no longer be summed up by disdain. He looked the nine-tailed fox up and down, unable to imagine that such a beautiful creature could do such a filthy thing.

He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Isn’t this just a bastard’s meal? You even secretly snuck into someone’s room pretending to be a decoration... Wow, you really are a pervert."

Everyone: "……"

They were speechless, yet it somehow felt expected.

Raising a pet usually involves preparing these little items, but unlike others who buy these things for their pets, this nine-tailed fox not only brought everything itself but even prepared its own living supplies.

How could the term "reverse marriage" even cover this?

The Daoists were momentarily at a loss for what expression to make, their old faces looking confused.

At this point, Yan Xingwei had finished vomiting and staggered out.

Having washed his face, his messy hair was tied up with a headband, revealing his smooth and full forehead. His amber eyes made the nine-tailed fox’s eyes light up, instantly forgetting that it had just called him a scumbag. It happily wagged its tail and moved closer.

In front of Yan Xingwei, its temper was exceptionally good. Seeing him looking weak, it kindly asked if he needed something to eat.

"I’ll go get you some wild food. The squirrels here are delicious!" The nine-tailed fox eagerly volunteered, but just as it was about to leap out of the window to fetch food, its body froze.

Ke Xingzhou had grabbed its tail from behind, his expression unreadable.

The Daoists were immediately startled and carefully stepped forward to ask, "Ke, Ke Daoist, can we talk? What do you want to do?"

Ke Xingzhou ignored them, his frown deepening as he looked at the nine-tailed fox, which had started to cry out for sympathy again. "What did you just say you were going to catch?"

With so many old Daoists supporting it, the nine-tailed fox’s back strangely straightened, and it lifted its chin, speaking arrogantly: "Squirrels! Do you want one too? That’s not happening. I only hunt for my beloved. If you want one, let your man go catch it."

Before it could finish speaking, Ke Xingzhou’s face darkened, and he moved closer.

The nine-tailed fox was lifted and tossed back into the room, feeling a little afraid.

This human was strange, his every move able to suppress its divine beast bloodline. Even the nine-tailed fox, with its lack of brains, knew not to provoke him.

Shivering under Ke Xingzhou’s gaze, and not wanting to lose face in front of so many people, it could only force itself to speak: "If you want one, it’s not impossible. I’ll bring one to you next time I pass by the squirrel den..."

Who would have thought that Ke Xingzhou’s expression became even more serious, and he turned to Daoist Qian from Changsheng Temple and said, "Did you hear that? He’s going to kill squirrels."

The Daoists: "……?"

Although that’s what was happening, what did Ke Daoist mean by bringing it up?

As the Daoists were confused, they heard Ke Xingzhou continue, "Can the Wild Animal Protection Law punish him?"Nine-tailed Fox: "?"

The Daoists: "…………"

Daoist Qian became even more confused, almost forgetting whether he had come today to perform rituals or to give legal advice.

Faced with Ke Xingzhou’s determined gaze, he swallowed and uncertainly spoke, "I guess... it could?"

Ke Xingzhou nodded, "So his trespassing into private residences, voyeurism, and intimidation can also be criminal offenses."

The Daoists: "?!"

Daoist Qian suddenly realized what Ke Xingzhou was implying and hurriedly spoke up, "Ke Daoist, that’s not appropriate!"

But his words were interrupted by Zhu Chu.

He clapped his hands and gave the nine-tailed fox a thumbs up. "You’re quite the criminal too."

Nine-tailed Fox: "???"

The nine-tailed fox shared with everyone the troubles it caused for Yan Xingwei, telling its version of a love story, but it couldn’t explain why it had fallen for Yan Xingwei in the first place.

Yan Xingwei could only conclude that he was just unlucky. He was angry but had nowhere to vent, feeling a sense of helplessness.

In the end, he could only ask, "Whatever problems you have with me, fine, but why did you cause trouble in my film set and delay our shooting schedule?"

The nine-tailed fox froze for a moment, then became displeased. "Who are you slandering? I’ve been helping you; why would I slow down your shooting?"

Yan Xingwei frowned and looked at him. "Not you? Then what about the supernatural incidents my crew members have experienced recently, and the leaf at Xixi’s door? It’s identical to the one you gave me!"

The nine-tailed fox didn’t hear the rest. All it caught was the mention of a leaf.

It immediately became enraged. "Who else gave you a contract? Who is Xixi? Is she the woman who watches you all the time? Damn it, how dare she try to take my person! I’m going to teach her a lesson!"

It started charging out to confront the female lead, but luckily, with Ke Xingzhou present as the steady force, he grabbed the nine-tailed fox’s tail before it could take a step outside.

At this moment, the nine-tailed fox didn’t even care about the pain in its tail, its eyes red with anger. "I came first! That damn woman, I’ve been suspicious of her from the start. How dare she make a move on my person!"

Yan Xingwei: "…"

Everyone: "…"

Given this intelligence level, it was clear that the nine-tailed fox was far from involved in any conspiracies.

They all silently ruled out the possibility of the nine-tailed fox being the cause of the disturbances. But if it wasn’t the nine-tailed fox, and there were no signs of evil spirits in the inn, could it really just be strange sounds due to the aging of the building?

Although the nine-tailed fox’s logic was questionable, it was clear that it wasn’t lying. With just a few words from the Daoists, it was obvious that it was just a true romantic at heart.

Since taking human form, it hadn’t even considered becoming an immortal or contacting any organizations or individuals. It just followed Yan Xingwei around, doing things it thought were good for him.

However, the strange noises in the other rooms were indeed not caused by it.Nine-tailed Fox disdainfully turned its head: "What would I be doing running to someone else's room in the middle of the night? Yan Xingwei's warmth and softness are right here with me. How foolish would I be to leave my beloved and go cause trouble in the room of someone I don’t even like?"

The unexpected confession left Yan Xingwei speechless.

He was silent for a moment, but still couldn’t accept this kind of suitor. He could only politely reject the fox: "We’re from different worlds. You should give up on me and find someone else to love."

But the nine-tailed fox didn’t listen at all. Upon hearing this, it thought Yan Xingwei didn’t like how it looked.

It nodded: "This is easy to fix."

Without missing a beat, in front of everyone, the fox's tail wrapped around its body and, in the blink of an eye, it transformed into an adult male form.

When magical beings take human form, they usually take on the most beautiful appearance, and this was a nine-tailed fox that was halfway to becoming an immortal. The man retained his pure white fox ears and nine tails, with skin as smooth and pale as milk, fleeting before the crowd, dazzling them with his beauty.

Fortunately, Yan Xingwei was quick on his feet. In the midst of the shock, he grabbed the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around the figure to avoid making the scene even more awkward.

The nine-tailed fox didn’t notice anything amiss. Wrapped in the blanket that smelled like its beloved, the fox radiated with pink love bubbles, looking even more like a love-struck fool.

With a face that could make both gods and men angry, the fox’s eyes were clear as it gazed at Yan Xingwei, sparkling with affection: "Your scent surrounds me. I am yours now. You have to take responsibility for me!"

Yan Xingwei: "…???"

The Daoists: "…"

They couldn’t bear to watch.

The Daoists struggled to accept that their sect’s divine beast was nothing but a love-struck fool. They shifted their gazes away from the grinning nine-tailed fox, trying hard to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand: "The lead has gone cold again."

Daoist Qian nodded, sighing inwardly. This issue was indeed not easy to solve.

Now that it was getting late, they wouldn’t be able to make any progress by brainstorming. After some discussion, they decided that since Yan Xingwei couldn’t leave his room at night, they would wait until nightfall to investigate further.

With a bit of time still before night, and having already gone through such a tense and stimulating ordeal, everyone was feeling a bit fatigued. They each returned to their rooms to rest.

Yan Xingwei didn’t have much money, but fortunately, the inn wasn’t just a place to stay, it was also the location they were using to film. The entire place had been rented out, so there were enough rooms.

However, two people would have to share a room.

Ke Xingzhou had brought four people, and there weren’t enough rooms, so they had to split into two rooms: three people in one and two in the other.

When he returned to his room, his disciple was already inside. There were traces of a struggle on his face and clothes, but when he saw Ke Xingzhou, he immediately smiled widely: "Master! Hehehe, it’s finally my turn to serve you!"

Ke Xingzhou’s steps froze.

Serve…

The familiar phrase and the strange term made Ke Xingzhou remember what had happened earlier, when he and Nie Chen had been in full view of everyone. The memory made him so embarrassed that he couldn’t bring himself to step into the room.

He quickly turned around: "I’ll go ask if there are any other rooms available."

After working hard to secure a room with his master, Zhu Chu had even prepared disposable bed linens, ensuring everything was clean and hygienic, afraid he hadn’t taken good care of his master and that his master would think him useless.

But his master actually left as soon as he reached the door?

"Hey, wait! Master…" Zhu Chu reached out, wanting to stop Ke Xingzhou, but after speaking, he saw Ke Xingzhou quicken his pace, almost fleeing the scene in panic.Zhu Chu was momentarily stunned.

Then, a wave of sorrow washed over him—his master had already been charmed to this extent by his junior disciple, even when the junior disciple wasn’t around, his master was this wary!

Damn it, how did his junior disciple use his looks to win over the master?

He wanted to learn it now!