Several days passed in the blink of an eye as Jiang Liu'er and his two companions journeyed through mountains and rivers. After crossing three great peaks, fording two rivers, and trudging through marshlands, they finally arrived at Fierce Tiger Mountain.
"Why is this called Fierce Tiger Mountain, Hu Yuyu?" Jiang Liu'er asked, puzzled.
This was where Hu Yuyu resided, alongside her mother and sister, all cultivating their spiritual paths. It was here that she had been abducted by Wolf Wuji years ago.
Hu Yuyu explained, "Benefactor, the mountain is full of fox spirits. If we don’t give it a fearsome name, greedy humans would swarm here to hunt us!" She giggled, "We also spread rumors that hundreds of man-eating tigers roam these hills, devouring over a thousand people yearly. In truth, there are no tigers—only foxes."
Jiang Liu'er realized this was a classic case of "foxes borrowing a tiger’s might." Unfortunately, the ruse hadn’t deterred Wolf Wuji.
As the trio climbed the mist-shrouded, rugged slopes, Jiang Liu'er remarked, "This terrain is easily defensible. With five hundred soldiers stationed here, even ten thousand invaders could be repelled."
Shou Qing chimed in excitedly, "I’d position troops at the valley’s narrow pass!"
Delighted, Jiang Liu'er added, "Exactly! Ambush units could sabotage enemy supply lines."
"Rolling logs would work wonders too!" Shou Qing nodded.
The two teenagers, their combined age barely twenty-five, enthusiastically strategized despite their complete ignorance of military tactics. Their shared cluelessness made the conversation flow freely.
"If I ever raise an army like the Great Sage did five centuries ago," Jiang Liu'er declared, "you’ll be my Zhuge Kongming!"
Shou Qing vowed, "I’d abandon my Taoist robes to serve you unto death!"
"Let’s skip the rebellion—I’m on good terms with the Tang Emperor!"
Their "oath-swearing" was interrupted by Hu Yuyu: "Benefactors, my home’s just ahead."
Before them stood no house, but a tree hollow. "Foxes aren’t like humans," Hu Yuyu said. "We keep our ways despite learning your customs." She called out, "Sister! Mother! I’m back!"
A listless red fox emerged from the hollow, transforming into a woman with vulpine ears, tail, and whisker-like markings. Her scanty attire—mere wisps of silk—made Shou Qing blush and avert his eyes. Jiang Liu'er, however, found this far tamer than the "bodhisattva" images Piggy often shared in their group chat.
"Yuyu!" The fox-woman embraced her sister tearfully. "That vile wolf—did he...?"
"I was rescued!" Hu Yuyu quickly explained, introducing Jiang Liu'er and Shou Qing.
The sister, Hu Baibai, tearfully thanked them. Jiang Liu'er learned their mother remained bedridden from Wolf Wuji’s attack. Reaching out to his mystical network, he received healing pills from [Altar Cleansing Envoy], though the latter’s crude jokes about "foxes repaying debts with their bodies" earned stern rebukes from [Great Sage Equaling Heaven].
The "Origin-Restoring Elixir" worked instantly. As the recovered matriarch emerged, the entire fox clan gathered, bearing humble gifts—wild fruits, pheasants, stolen lotus roots, even hoarded copper coins. Jiang Liu'er discovered male foxes existed too, their appearances varying by species.
When a square-faced, comical vixen introduced herself as the clan’s leader—a desert fox unlike the red-furred locals—Jiang Liu'er finally grasped the community’s diversity. Playfully clicking his tongue, he attracted curious kits who circled him with bushy tails wagging.
"All thirty-six remaining members of Fierce Tiger Mountain’s fox lineage thank the immortal," the leader declared solemnly.
Hu Yuyu whispered, "Our leader looks different because she’s a sand fox, not red like us."
...
(The narrative continues with the foxes’ gratitude and Jiang Liu'er’s growing connection to the spirit world, punctuated by humorous asides from the irreverent deities in his mystical chat group.)
