Chapter 6 — The Nine-Tailed Fox Who Loved Sweet Potatoes

Look at them, twisting right and wrong with just a few words. But this exact moment was all I had been waiting for.

Sacrifice? I let out a cold laugh, stepping forward to look the Chieftain dead in the eye. I only want to ask one question: by what right is the one who must always sacrifice myself?

My voice echoed throughout the solemn ancestral hall.

Just because I am a three-tailed fox, while she is a six-tailed prodigy? Just because she is born gifted, and I am deemed worthless?

I rolled up my sleeves, exposing the dense constellation of needle marks and scars covering my arms.

Over all these years, how much of my vitality, my very essence, was drained to sustain her? Have any of you ever bothered to keep count? Why my cultivation has remained stagnant and broken all this time, has anyone here ever stopped to think?

Right here and right now, I am laying down my terms.

I pointed straight at the girl known as Crimson Charm, and then swept my finger across all the elders present.

From this day onward, my blood, my body, and my life belong solely to me. Anyone who still dares to harbor the slightest greed for my lifeblood will forfeit their own life in return.

And another thing, I paused momentarily, letting my gaze drift toward the unassuming stone pedestal standing in the corner of the ancestral hall, the corners of my lips curling into a cryptic smile that no one could decipher.

The hidden treasures of Green Hill are vast and numerous. Instead of obsessing endlessly over this miserable, bloodless husk of mine, you would all be much better off casting your eyes elsewhere.

Who knows, you might just stumble upon some thoroughly delightful surprises.

My words struck like a boulder thrown into the surface of a stagnant lake. The entire ancestral hall plunged into absolute silence. Everyone present was utterly stunned by such an unfilial and rebellious declaration. A mere good-for-nothing outcast actually dared to threaten the entire council of elders? The Third Elder grew so furious his face turned the color of a bruised liver. You... do you wish to commit treason and be banished from Green Hill forever!

Treason or not, that is entirely up to you. I shrugged with a feigned air of innocence. If you truly believe that Green Hill cannot survive without this bowl of my blood, and if you are determined to push me to my death, then so be it—I will gladly leave.

My utterly unbothered attitude, showing no fear of consequences, forced them into a game of throwing a rat around a vase, afraid of breaking the precious vessel. After all, forcing a fellow clansman to their death was not a reputation that would look good if word got out, especially given that Crimson Charm had been caught lying first. The Chieftain fell into a prolonged silence before finally speaking up, his voice heavy with profound exhaustion.

Enough, all of you, cease this squawking.

He glanced at Crimson Charm, his eyes carrying a sliver of deep disappointment, before turning his gaze back to me, complex and unreadable.

Fox You You, considering that you have indeed suffered greatly over the years, today's incident will simply end here. For wounding an attendant and defying the elders, your punishment is to continue your confinement for self-reflection inside the Glacial Cavern for one month. Without my direct command, you are forbidden to step outside.

And as for Charm, the Chieftain hesitated slightly, remain confined to your own courtyard and copy the clan regulations one hundred times to properly reflect upon your words and actions.

This punishment was transparently a compromise to appease both sides and keep the peace. Crimson Charm received only confinement and book-copying, while I was locked away for a full month. But I did not care in the slightest. As I had already mentioned, the Glacial Cavern happened to be located right next to the ancestral hall. It suited my plans entirely.

I am grateful, Chieftain. I couldn't even be bothered to bow, turning on my heel to leave.

Halt! The Third Elder barked, stopping me in my tracks. Your punishment begins today! Furthermore, the cost of the medicinal herbs required to treat the attendant you injured will be directly deducted from your monthly allowance.

Whatever you like. I walked out of the ancestral hall without ever looking back.

I knew very well that the grievances of today had now turned into a deeply rooted enmity. Crimson Charm and the Third Elder would certainly never let this matter rest. Upon returning to the Glacial Cavern, the very first thing I did was use several massive blocks of ice to thoroughly seal the cave entrance, preventing any other blind fools from wandering in to disturb me. After that, I sat down cross-legged, devoting my mind entirely to a single task.

That was to fully absorb the medicinal potency packed inside the Origin Gathering Pill.

Earlier, when facing the crowd, I had forcefully suppressed all the medicinal energy within my body, which was why I still appeared frail and sickly. Now that there was no one left to bother me, it was time to properly nourish myself. The medicinal power of the Origin Gathering Pill was far purer than I had ever imagined. A warm current flowed steadily through every meridian in my limbs and bones, repairing the channels that had suffered years of damage from blood loss. I could clearly feel my spiritual energy recovering and surging forward at a terrifying speed. Three tails... four tails... five tails... Behind my back, one fluffy tail after another continuously grew out and stretched forth. Their colors gradually shifted from a dull, mottled mix of yellow and white into a pure, immaculate snow-white, every single hair radiating a glossy, translucent sheen. When the ninth tail finally stretched out to its full length, the entire Glacial Cavern was instantly enveloped by a formidable and oppressive aura. A delicate layer of white frost even condensed along the icy walls. I opened my eyes and gently exhaled a breath of stale air. This expelled breath condensed into an infinitesimal ice arrow mid-air, piercing straight into the opposite stone wall and leaving behind a deep, dark pit. I stretched my limbs, feeling my entire body surging with immense power. It was a sensation I had not experienced in a very long time. I stood up, nine gigantic, snow-white fox tails swaying slowly behind me like the magnificent train of an albino peacock. I looked back down and felt deeply satisfied. Hmm, with this level of strength, forcing open that stone pedestal should finally be possible. Just at that moment, my ears twitched slightly. A faint vibration traveled through the massive ice blocks I had used to barricade the entrance. Someone outside was attempting to forcefully break through my barrier, and what was more, there was more than one person. A cold smile tugged at my lips. It seemed some people simply refused to learn their lesson. I walked toward the cave entrance, pressing my ear against the icy wall, and caught the muffled voice of the Third Elder filtering through from outside.

Put your backs into it and shove! The Chieftain only ordered her to reflect, he didn't say we weren't allowed to come in and 'visit'! Today, we are taking her blood by force! Charm's cultivation cannot afford to be delayed by even a single day!

But Third Elder, what if the Chieftain blames us for this later...

What is there to fear! Even if the sky falls, I am here to hold it up! She is nothing more than a useless piece of trash, what can she possibly do? Smash it open!

Accompanied by this fierce command, a formidable wave of spiritual energy crashed brutally against the ice wall I had erected.

Crash!