Chapter 10 — The Nine-Tailed Fox Who Loved Sweet Potatoes

Her words instantly stirred up the ambitions of several elders who had long harbored secret grievances against me. Indeed, how could a good-for-nothing outcast suddenly transform into a legendary Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox? There must be some sinister deception at play!

Mi Co makes complete sense! The Third Elder was the very first to chime in, loudly backing her claim. This must be thoroughly investigated at once!

I gazed at their wretched, scheming faces, finding even the mere act of feeling angry to be an absolute waste of my energy. I gently set aside the lazy Rodent Spirit, who was still in the middle of a massive yawn, resting right against my chest. Then, I slowly stood up. Step by deliberate step, I walked right up to Ho Mi Co. Intimidated by the overwhelming pressure radiating from my presence, she instinctively took two steps back, yet stubbornly put up a brave front, shrieking in a voice that betrayed her utter terror, You... what do you think you are doing! Everything I said is the absolute truth! Are you feeling guilty because you have been exposed?

Guilty? I let out a light, mocking laugh. Ho Mi Co, let me ask you this: do you truly believe that those six pathetic tails of yours make you some kind of supreme being?

She puffed out her chest defiantly, her arrogance flaring up once more. I am a once-in-a-century genius, the very future of Qing Qiu!

A genius?

The nine majestic tails behind me suddenly unfurled like nine pristine white dragons stretching their limbs. A fierce, howling tempest of primordial spiritual wind swept through the hall, instantly destabilizing her footing and sending her staggering.

Then today, I shall graciously grant you a glimpse of true enlightenment, allowing you to witness firsthand what a real genius looks like, and what constitutes an insurmountable abyss between heaven and earth.

Before the last syllable had even faded from my lips, my figure vanished entirely from where I stood. Ho Mi Co’s pupils violently contracted, her mind utterly failing to process my speed. In a flash, a single hand clamped firmly around her delicate throat. With effortless grace, I lifted her entire body right off the ground. The protective barrier of spiritual energy that she so proudly relied on as a six-tailed prodigy was, before my absolute might, nothing more than fragile parchment, tearing apart at the slightest touch.

Let... let me go... She began to thrash and flailing frantically, her complexion turning a dangerous, suffocating shade of crimson from the severe lack of air.

The entire hall fell into a profound, suffocating silence. Not a single soul dared to step forward. Everyone present was utterly paralyzed and mentally shattered by this terrifying disparity in sheer power.

Tell me, how do you suppose I should deal with you? I tilted my head slightly, observing her features distorted by sheer panic. Should I drain every last drop of your blood? Should I shatter your cultivation base entirely? Or perhaps... should I pluck out those six tails you are so immensely proud of, one by one, right down to their very roots?

My voice was soft and gentle, yet echoing in her ears, it sounded precisely like a dreadful curse summoned from the deepest depths of hell.

No... please, no... She wept bitterly, her entire body trembling so violently that she scarcely resembled a human being anymore.

At that very moment, all of her haughtiness, all of her elaborate pretense, was utterly shredded to pieces by my hands. I looked down at her, and suddenly, I felt an overwhelming sense of boredom. Stooping to quarrel with such a petty, worthless creature was truly an insult to my own standing. With a flick of my wrist, I let go. She collapsed onto the cold stone floor like a heap of melting mud, gasping desperately for air, her face smeared with a miserable mixture of tears and snot. I looked down at her from my lofty vantage point, then swept my gaze across every single person gathered in the room.

Listen closely to every word.

From this day forward, Qing Qiu answers to me.

Does anyone agree, and does anyone oppose?

Wherever my piercing gaze landed, every single elder, the Patriarch included, instinctively lowered their heads in submission, not daring to meet my eyes even for a fraction of a second. This was the undeniable reality of absolute power commanding absolute authority.

Very good. I nodded in satisfaction.

Afterward, I turned around and strolled leisurely back to where the plump Rodent Spirit was resting.

Hey there, you oversized potato, you have slept quite enough by now, don't you think it is about time you paid some rent?

The Rodent Spirit blinked sleepily, looking utterly bewildered. Rent? What kind of rent are you talking about? I gestured lazily toward the crowd of terrified foxes surrounding us.

You have occupied our sacred ancestral grounds, sleeping soundly for tens of thousands of years while forcing generations of our people to kowtow and worship you. Surely, you can spare a little compensation for our mental distress, can you not?

The Rodent Spirit pondered this for a moment, deciding that my logic was surprisingly sound. He scratched his furry head, reached into his own body, and casually snapped off a small piece of flesh. The moment that chunk of flesh separated from his form, it instantly transformed into a dazzling, golden pill that radiated pure spiritual light.

Here, take this. This is the absolute purest essence of my being. Swallowing just a single pill will instantly increase one's cultivation by a thousand years.

He tossed the spiritual pill toward me, then lazily collapsed back onto the ground, preparing to resume his interrupted slumber. I caught the pill effortlessly, tossing it up and down in my hand a few times. Then, right in front of everyone present, I tossed it directly toward Grandpa, who was still standing quietly in a far corner of the room.

Grandpa, this is for you. Take it and treat it like a piece of candy.

The entire hall was once again instantly petrified into stone. A divine treasure capable of increasing one's cultivation by a thousand years... was being casually handed over... to be eaten like candy?

Grandpa caught the golden pill, his weathered hands trembling uncontrollably. He looked at me, then down at the miraculous pill resting in his palm, his lips moving soundlessly as he struggled to find his voice. I smiled warmly at him: Take it, you more than earned it. Throughout all these long years here in Qing Qiu, you were the only soul who ever treated me like a living human being. A simple bowl of hot soup, a humble chicken leg—such kindness weighs heavier than anything else in this world. Grandpa’s eye sockets turned crimson, and refusing no longer, he carefully tucked the golden pill away inside his robes. As for the others, the looks they cast toward Grandpa instantly shifted from their previous haughty indifference to a fierce, undisguised surge of envy and admiration. Especially the younger generation of clansmen, who toiled bitterly in cultivation for centuries yet might never achieve such a massive breakthrough. Yet now, this monumental opportunity had been casually gifted by me to an elderly groundskeeper. I deliberately wanted to make it crystal clear to all of them: under my rule, what mattered was not noble bloodlines, nor innate talent, but the human heart.

Very well, let us now hold a proper meeting. I clapped my hands lightly, effortlessly reclaiming the attention of the entire audience.

I walked steadily to the absolute center of the ancestral hall, claiming the exact spot that previously belonged exclusively to the Patriarch.

From this day forward, Qing Qiu shall establish several new rules.

My tone was not overly loud, but it carried an undeniable, resonant majesty.

First, abolish the so-called bloodline caste system. Regardless of whether one is a Nine-Tailed or a Single-Tailed fox, whether your fur is mixed or pure, as long as you are a citizen of Qing Qiu, rations, resources, and treatment shall be entirely equal.

Second, strictly prohibit all forms of internal strife and bullying. Anyone who dares to rely on superior cultivation to oppress the weak shall, upon discovery, have their cultivation completely shattered and be permanently banished from Qing Qiu, never to be readmitted under any circumstances.

Third, I paused momentarily, casting a sidelong glance at Ho Mi Co sprawled limply on the ground and the Third Elder whose face had turned ghostly pale, those old debts of bullying the weak and twisting the truth, I will settle with you all in due time. Do not be impatient, not a single one of you shall escape.

The moment my words fell, a deathly hush blanketed the ancestral hall. Everyone was utterly stunned by these revolutionary new decrees. This was nothing less than a complete and total overthrow of the traditions Qing Qiu had maintained for tens of thousands of years!

I refuse to accept this! An elder stepped forward, his face flushed dark red with anger and indignation. The rules of Qing Qiu were established by our founding ancestors! By what right do you alter them on a whim? Such blatant disregard makes you a rebellious traitor to our kind!

Indeed! We do not submit to this!

Immediately, several cronies from the old faction echoed his protests, raising a chaotic ruckus. I looked at them and burst into laughter.

You refuse to accept?

The nine tails behind me suddenly whipped through the air with ferocious speed, slamming violently against the massive stone pillar supporting the ancestral hall.

Boom!

The thick stone pillar, which required several men to encircle, was instantly shattered into a million pieces. The very roof of the ancestral hall trembled violently three times over. I withdrew my tails, fixing my gaze on the lead elder who had been shouting the loudest.

Well then? What about now? Do you accept it yet?

The elder's face instantly drained of every last trace of color, his lips trembling uncontrollably without managing to squeeze out even half a syllable.

As a person, I have never been particularly fond of reasoning with fools, I swept my gaze across the crowd as my voice turned freezing cold. My words are the law. You may choose to obey them, or you may choose to...

I raised a single finger, pointing directly toward the exit leading outside of Qing Qiu.

Scram.

No one dared to utter another sound. They finally understood that the era had truly changed. Having settled these matters, I felt a mild wave of fatigue washing over me—mostly mental exhaustion. In truth, I had not the slightest shred of interest in managing the daily affairs of Qing Qiu. I strolled over to where the plump Rodent Spirit lay and nudged him with the tip of my shoe.

Hey, stop sleeping already, time to get to work.

The Rodent Spirit rubbed his eyes and sat up sluggishly. What kind of work?

You, I pointed directly at him, are from this moment onward the acting Patriarch of Qing Qiu. I am retiring from management entirely. Whenever there is a problem, you handle it, and whenever there is nothing going on, do not come bothering me.

The Rodent Spirit stared at me in disbelief: ...What?

What do you mean, what? You have been freeloading off our incense and offerings for tens of thousands of years, it is high time you contributed some labor in return! As luck would have it, you possess immense longevity and vast worldly knowledge, so bamboozling—er, managing this bunch of little foxes should present absolutely no problem for you whatsoever. The Rodent Spirit pondered this for a moment. It seemed reasonable enough, certainly much better than sleeping eternally in the dirt.

So... what do I get out of being Patriarch?

Benefits? I thought about it. Free meals. Whatever flavor of mud or soil you desire, I will have them dig it up for you.

It's a deal!

Thus, on the most absurd day in the entire history of the Qing Qiu Fox Clan, they not only welcomed a legendary ancestor who had been napping inside a giant sweet potato, but they also gained a sweet potato spirit as their acting Patriarch. As for me, the mastermind behind this entire upheaval, I hugged the remaining half of a roasted sweet potato and strolled leisurely toward the mountain slope behind the ancestral hall. Finding the sunniest, most comfortable patch of grass, I lay down and stretched out in a wonderfully lazy yawn. As for the future of Qing Qiu? Let it take care of itself. In any case, no one was ever going to disturb my peace again, leaving me entirely free to enjoy my delicious food in absolute tranquility. Mmm, this sweet potato is still remarkably tasty even after cooling down. The End.