Chapter 5 — The Nine-Tailed Fox Who Loved Sweet Potatoes

Old Man A of the Green Hills was a person who practically lacked any sense of presence. His cultivation was modest, his bloodline utterly ordinary, and he had spent his entire life quietly tending to the ancestral hall without ever seeking renown. Therefore, when he suddenly stepped forward, everyone present was utterly taken aback. The Third Elder waved a dismissive hand, his patience wearing thin. "Go on, go away. There is nothing for you to concern yourself with here."

"Third Elder, what this old man has to say pertains precisely to the events of last night." Old Man A remained neither humble nor pushy, his voice aged yet remarkably clear.

The Patriarch raised his hand, gesturing for the Third Elder to remain silent.

"Speak," the Patriarch commanded.

Old Man A’s cloudy, aged eyes shifted toward Little Fox Mi, and then he spoke at a slow, deliberate pace.

"Last night, this old man woke up to relieve himself and inadvertently caught sight of Lady Mi walking alone and stealthily in the direction of the Frozen Cavern deep within the back mountains."

As soon as these words fell, an uproar swept through the hall. Little Fox Mi’s complexion turned instantly as pale as bleached paper. The image she had painstakingly cultivated over the years was that of a benevolent soul who visited with utmost openness and righteousness, yet here she was supposedly experiencing ingratitude. But those four damning words—walking stealthily—shattered her pristine façade in a single breath.

"You... you are spouting nonsense!" Little Fox Mi shrieked in immediate denial. "I was simply worried for my younger sister, so I..."

"If you were merely worried for someone, would there be any need to meticulously erase your own footprints and aura?" Old Man A calmly delivered his second blow.

Little Fox Mi’s mouth parted, but not a single syllable managed to escape. Erasing all traces of her presence was the undeniable hallmark of a guilty conscience. The Third Elder’s face turned an ugly shade of livid. "Utter nonsense! A senile old codger like you—your eyes are failing, you probably just saw things wrong!"

"My eyes may be dim, but I am not blind," Old Man A retorted, turning to face the Patriarch. He reached into his robe, drew out a small object, and held it high. "This is an item this old man picked up right at the entrance of the Frozen Cavern. I ask the Patriarch to inspect it."

It was a delicate jade pendant, inscribed with the character "Mi" and attached to a frayed length of red silk thread. It was precisely the pendant that Little Fox Mi habitually wore at her waist. This time, the evidence was as unshakeable as a mountain. All remaining color completely drained from Little Fox Mi’s face. In her wildest dreams, she never would have imagined that despite a hundred precautions, a single oversight would cause her boat to capsize in a mere puddle.

The atmosphere inside the ancestral hall turned momentarily bizarre. The gazes that the clansmen cast toward me shifted from undisguised contempt to heavy suspicion. Turning their eyes toward Little Fox Mi, their looks carried a sharp, probing edge. If everything Little Fox U had claimed was true, did that not mean Little Fox Mi had been lying? And why would she lie? Why would a six-tailed genius sneak around in the dead of night to visit a three-tailed good-for-nothing, only to frame her for stealing medicinal pills? No matter how one looked at it, this entire scenario reeked of hidden problems.

Inside, I nearly broke out in applause to cheer for Old Man A. This venerable elder was truly reliable; usually so silent, yet fiercely dependable at the most critical juncture. In truth, the jade pendant had been intentionally torn off by me and discarded right then and there. I had wagered that Little Fox Mi, frightened out of her wits by me, would be far too flustered to check what she had dropped. As for Old Man A, I had merely given him a heads-up beforehand and asked him to "pick it up" for me. Now, the burden of explanation fell squarely upon Little Fox Mi.

"Mi," the Patriarch’s voice now carried a sharp edge of frost, "what is the meaning of all this?"

Little Fox Mi collapsed onto her knees, her entire frame trembling like a withered leaf caught in an autumn gale. She knew that any further sophistry would only expose more flaws in her story. Thus, she resorted to her ultimate trump card. With a resounding thud, she kowtowed in supplication before the Patriarch, her tears streaming down with redoubled fury.

"Patriarch, it was all my fault... I should never have lied..."

She was actually confessing!

"I only... I only wanted so desperately to contribute to the clan! I was too impatient to break through to the seventh tail, which is why I wanted to give U U the Origin-Gathering Pill so she could recover swiftly, and only then... only then could she continue to help me..."

As she spoke these words, her tears fell like rain, transforming herself into a tragic hero who stopped at nothing for the sake of the clan, even willing to stoop to falsehoods out of noble desperation.

"I was simply afraid everyone would misunderstand, thinking I was bullying my younger sister, and so... sob, sob... I truly harbored no malicious intentions!"

What a brilliant retreat used as an advance, with the villain accusing the victim first! As expected, the expressions of several elders softened perceptibly.

"Ah, well, Mi was merely burdened by difficult circumstances."

"Indeed, when all is said and forth, the child did it for the sake of the entire Green Hills."

The Third Elder immediately seized upon this convenient exit. "So that was it! Little Mi, this child is simply too kind-hearted and too honest for her own good! In a matter like this, why shoulder everything by yourself?" He abruptly shifted the focus of his speech, turning his sharp spearhead back toward me.

"On the contrary, it is you, Little Fox U! Even if Mi was at fault, you have no right to be so utterly devoid of the bigger picture! To sacrifice oneself a little for the clan, is that not expected of you? Not only that, but you dared to openly talk back to your elders and injure an official. Do you know the extent of your crimes?!"