Chapter 2 — The Fox Spirit of Qingshan

This time, instead of hastily searching for Tu Tranh, I spent a long while earnestly observing the mortal world. I soon discovered that the vast majority of mortal men possessed a truly heroic spirit.

Therefore, the delicate, fluttering daughters of a wealthy household were hardly the true ambition of a great man; perhaps what Tu Tranh desired all along was the chance to fully unfold his grand visions and achieve his deepest aspirations.

Guided by this brilliant theory, I transformed myself into a man and swore a sacred oath of sworn brotherhood with Tu Tranh.

"From this day forth, you are my very own flesh-and-blood elder brother," Tu Tranh declared with absolute conviction, his words as firm as driven nails.

I accompanied him across the length and breadth of the realm, helping him ascend to the pinnacle of power and prestige. Considering that I was merely a fox spirit taking mortal lives, I was bound to accumulate a certain amount of karmic retribution. Yet, seeing the radiant smile blooming across Tu Tranh's face, I felt that every single burden was entirely worth it. Though we had been husband and wife in our previous incarnation, Tu Tranh had always remained impeccably courteous and reserved, conducting himself with a solemn and cautious demeanor. Never once had he displayed such an unfettered and carefree spirit. I foolishly believed that this lifetime would finally bear sweet fruit. Who could have foreseen that when he reached the age of forty, Tu Tranh would leave behind a single suicide note:

"This fool has always harbored someone in his heart whom he could never possess, living each day in overwhelming agitation and dread."

With that, he plunged straight off a sheer cliff and died. He threw himself downward with such breathless haste that, in the end, death claimed him anyway. I had cultivated my immortal arts for a thousand years, my father had watched over me for a thousand years, and I had endured absolute solitude for a thousand years. Even though he could not directly interfere with my karmic trials, my father certainly could not bear to watch me fail repeatedly.

"Well then, in that very first lifetime, who on earth did he claim was the object of his affections?"

I desperately wrung my memory, unable to summon the answer, and could only shake my head in helpless defeat.

"He drank deadly poison, yet he babbled on endlessly, so by the end, I simply could not hear his words clearly anymore."

"And what about the second lifetime?"

The second lifetime? Let me collect my thoughts. I had always believed everything was progressing splendidly, making it all the more baffling when he suddenly chose to perish. My father plucked out half of his own beard in frustration and finally suggested that I try altering my perspective entirely. This time, we decided to divide and conquer. My father used his connections down in the nether underworld to pull strings, just in case I might need another chance at reincarnation later on. As for myself, I descended the mortal mountain for the third time. On this occasion, I did not adopt a human disguise; instead, I retained my true spiritual form and shadowed Tu Tranh silently from the unseen shadows, intending to step in and save his life the exact moment he attempted to take it. I refused to believe that he could manage to die faster than I could rescue him. No matter what, I could not afford to let my guard down and give him an opening to throw his life away. Yet this time, I discovered that Tu Tranh was living an intensely desolate existence. The ancestral Tu estate had once been a prominent and flourishing household, but by Tu Tranh's generation, the family branches had withered, leaving him as the sole surviving heir. Maintaining such a vast and formidable family estate entirely on his own was a crushing burden. Tu Tranh spent his days single-handedly exhausting himself to keep the household afloat, steadily eroding his own health in the process. By the time he finally succeeded in restoring the Tu estate to a position of unbreakable stability within the capital, his body was already riddled with chronic ailments. Whenever the seasons shifted, illness would inevitably strike him down, and coughing spells lasting a hundred days were practically a regular occurrence. Every single time that happened, I lived in constant terror that he would literally cough his lungs out and die. During this particular episode, Tu Tranh had been swallowing bitter medicinal decoctions for ten solid days without regaining consciousness. I remained constantly stationed behind the young servant tasked with brewing his medicine, terrified that some malicious hand might slip poison into the bowl and murder Tu Tranh. Yet I watched closely for ten full days, and the medicine was undeniably pure and untainted; why, then, did he still refuse to wake up? The young servant continued to faithfully and painstakingly spoon the bitter draught past his lips.

"Cough, cough-cough!"

Tu Tranh emitted a weak, rattling cough before slowly drifting back to consciousness.

"Master! You have finally opened your eyes! This time, you have slept soundly for ten whole days and nights!"

The young servant cried out in overwhelming relief, collapsing to his knees beside the bed. Tu Tranh gazed at him dazedly, seemed to cast a fleeting glance in my direction, and then instructed the boy to help him sit up. Still, I quickly decided I must have imagined it; after all, he was merely a mortal man, how could he possibly perceive my spiritual presence? I remained standing right beside the bed, watching the servant assist him with his garments.

"And who might this young lady be...?"

Tu Tranh murmured, turning his gaze toward the servant. At that exact moment, both the servant and I froze in sheer, unadulterated shock, staring blankly at one another. Could they actually see me? Had my divine concealment spells suddenly lost their efficacy?

"M-Master? What young lady are you talking about?" the servant stammered, trembling in confusion.

Ah, so he still could not see me after all.

"Right there, she is standing right in front of us, plain as day."

As Tu Tranh spoke, he raised a trembling hand to point directly at me, while I pointed a bewildered finger straight at my own chest. Tu Tranh nodded firmly—he genuinely, unmistakably could see me!

"Master, look, there is truly no one standing there! Please, do not try to frighten your servant like this."

The servant whipped his head around to look toward my spot repeatedly, still insisting that the space was completely empty.

"Little Fu, you—you truly do not see her? She is standing right..."

Before Tu Tranh could finish his sentence, his eyes rolled backward into his head, and he fainted dead away once more. Heavens above, had I actually frightened him to death?! And to think I had not even managed to exchange a single word with him yet!

When Tu Tranh finally regained consciousness for the second time, he appeared significantly more composed. Having already confirmed that his personal servant was completely blind to my presence, he spoke up directly.

"Just who are you, young lady?"

I retreated a few steps in sheer panic. I was profoundly relieved that he was still alive, yet utterly terrified by the fact that he could see me. When I backed all the way to the bedroom door, I found myself paralyzed with hesitation, primarily because the poor servant looked ready to lose his soul from fright at any second. Making a swift decision, I scrambled away and hid beneath the valance at the foot of the bed. Tu Tranh instructed his servant to support him as he walked over.

"Oh, Master, it is just a cat!"

Little Fu exclaimed as he reached down and scooped me up into his arms. As he carried me, he even murmured praises about how exceptionally sleek and glossy my fur was. I detested having strangers lay their hands on me so familiarly. With a sharp twist of my body, I wrenched myself free from his grasp and leaped directly into Tu Tranh's arms. The sudden impact caused Tu Tranh to stumble backward a few paces. Fortunately, Little Fu possessed quick reflexes and rushed forward to steady him, before glaring at me with a face full of indignant fury.

"You wretched, good-for-nothing cat! If you had injured the master, I would have skinned you alive!"