nashuaworldcup Chapter 165: The Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox Of The Kunlun Mountains (2)
Chapter 165: The Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox Of The Kunlun Mountains (2)
Chapter 165: The Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox Of The Kunlun Mountains (2)
There’s a smell of beasts in the air.
Ha Yu sniffed at her damp clothes.
Still, it felt unreal.
A giant fox had swallowed her whole.
And then released her without chewing. When she looked around, there were two more foxes like that nearby.
“Humans get so easily frightened. You might have played too hard, Heuk-mu.”
“Hahahaha.”
They spoke like humans.
They must be the fox spirits.
“I’m sorry! Please don’t kill me!”
Ha Yu immediately knelt down and bowed deeply.
She knew that what was referred to as fox spirits outside were called yokai.
Even if they weren’t, they were terrifying beings.
The reason villages offered tributes was partly to wish for prosperity, but also to ask not to be eaten by them.
Laughter reached Ha Yu’s ears as she buried her face in the ground.
“Hehe. Now that I look at you again, you seem quite appetizing.”
“I thought I told you to stop playing around.”
It seems they were not truly angry after all.
Then, a phrase that scared her even more, as she trembled, was uttered.
“Humans still have no shame.”
It was a statement filled with disdain. However, the tone was more problematic than the content itself.
“To steal offerings and then beg for your life. While always asking for help...”
The voice mixed with contempt and cynicism frightened Ha Yu.
“What’s wrong with killing her, Sister Seo-mi? That way, order will be maintained, and humans will remember our existence.”
“Stop it, Cheok-yo.”
“Stop?”
“If you’re going to blame this human, you should start with the birds that pecked on the fruits long ago.”
“...”
Fortunately, the fox referred to as Seo-mi intervened.
“Lift your head, child.”
Ha Yu cautiously raised her head.
And she was startled once again by the changed surroundings.
“Are you... the fox spirits?”
“That we are.”
There were clearly giant foxes before, but now in front of her stood three men and women.Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com
They were not ordinary people, however. Each of them was dressed in ancient clothing and possessed a mystical appearance.
Their white hair also made them seem not of this world.
Due to their hair color, it was hard to guess their ages, but among them, the eldest-looking person seemed to have helped Ha Yu.
Ha Yu staggered backwards and then collapsed.
“Ah.”
“Your legs have given out, it seems. Rest a while before you leave.”
She wanted to crawl away if necessary, but how could she refuse that command?
A person behind her, with the tips of his eyebrows tinged red, was glaring at Ha Yu. Instinctively, she felt that this was Cheok-yo, the fox who had spoken of killing earlier.
Apparently, the foxes transformed into humans, not paying any attention to Ha Yu as they conversed.
“Don’t scold Cheok-yo too harshly, big sister. It’s because the humans from Namgung have been causing trouble all day.”
“When have I ever fussed!”
“You did fuss. Besides, we don’t know when those humans will come.”
“Mother said she would come, so it should be soon.”
The foxes gathered here seemed to be siblings. The one who helped Ha Yu up was the eldest sister named Seo-mi. The one who had swallowed Ha Yu was named Heuk-mu.
And the one with the sharpest personality was Cheok-yo.
“Let’s see what they talk about when we meet...”
Cheok-yo bared his fangs and growled like a beast.
“I’ll kill them right there.”
His sharp teeth looked quite ferocious.
They did not harbor any goodwill towards the Namgung Noble Clan. Heuk-mu and Seo-mi, who had been gentle towards Ha Yu, also showed displeasure.
“It’s fine that they borrowed the power of lightning due to a connection from a previous generation. But they don’t even know where that power comes from...”
“Mother took back the power decades ago.”
“Yes, they’ve been breeding their own kind like livestock all this time to continue wielding our power. Of course, that’s what they should do.”
Even from afar, they seemed to know about the Namgung Noble Clan’s wickedness to some extent.
Heuk-mu, sitting on a rock and resting his chin in his hand, asked, “So, why have they come to us again?”
“It’s obvious. They’ll ask to borrow our power again, citing the old connection.”
“Then they’ll really die.”
If someone from the Namgung Clan came to ask for the power that was taken back, they were indeed planning to kill them. Even Heuk-mu and Seo-mi, who were friendly towards humans, felt the same.
However, the one referred to as big sister, Seo-mi, muttered quietly, “It might not be for that reason. They might have come to return the token of the power we lent them.”
“Human greed is endless. Rather than believing that...”
“Wait.”
As everyone fell silent, only the eerie sound of the wind could be heard.
Ssssssss—
It was unclear where the white and giant Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox that appeared in the Blue-Eyed Mad Demon’s dream had gone, leaving only these individuals.
Cheok-yo scoffed and looked straight into Yi-gang’s eyes.
“Watch my mouth? Insolent human. Let me put it plainly.”
And then spoke clearly and distinctly.
“That human woman. A thief who doesn’t know her place...”
Cheok-yo poked Yi-gang’s chest with a finger.
Yi-gang did not stay still. He grabbed that finger and pushed Cheok-yo back using a grappling technique.
Cheok-yo, as if he had been waiting for this, bared his fangs.
“Yes, this is what I wanted!”
It’s clear that the bodies of humans and yokai must differ.
Not bothered by being caught in a grip, Cheok-yo pulled his hand free.
Crack—
As expected, his finger snapped.
The problem was that it regenerated immediately after breaking and lunged at Yi-gang.
But Yi-gang was not flustered.
“Blabbering with that hole in your face.”
Even as Cheok-yo charged, Yi-gang’s low voice made him feel uneasy.
He was a young fox. He had never properly fought against either Kunlun Taoists or humans.
He suppressed his anxiety with his wild instinct.
How dare a mere human challenge a great yokai.
“Aaaah!”
But then, Yi-gang’s eyes glowed blue, and he used a power Cheok-yo hadn’t expected.
Cheok-yo’s hand, capable of breaking rocks, futilely sliced through the air.
A gust of wind tousled Yi-gang’s hair, but Yi-gang successfully grasped Cheok-yo’s arm as it passed by him.
The principle of “using softness to overcome hardness.”
Cheok-yo felt his body being forcefully flung forward.
Yi-gang used his opponent’s force against him, successfully slamming Cheok-yo’s forehead into the ground.
Crash—!
The impact on the ground made Cheok-yo snap back to reality.
Yi-gang did not draw his sword. It was a choice made considering his own stance, but to Cheok-yo, it felt even more humiliating.
“Growl—”
A beastly roar came from his mouth, and his teeth grew even sharper.
White fur sprouted from his ears, and the muscles in the arms and legs that Yi-gang was holding down twitched.
“Stop—!”
The ringing rebuke was from Seo-mi.
Yi-gang let go of Cheok-yo.
Cheok-yo’s body returned to human form.
With a face full of shame, he went back between Seo-mi and Heuk-mu.
Seo-mi opened her mouth with a stern expression, “It seems it’s not for us to decide. We will take you and this spirit to our mother.”
“Your mother?”
Dam Hyun was the one who interjected.
Seo-mi slightly frowned and responded, “Yes.”
“Could it be that your mother’s name is...”
To Dam Hyun’s question, Seo-mi answered in a very cautious tone, “She is called Gumiho. the Nine-Tailed Fox.”
Having said that, Seo-mi turned around.
Yi-gang and his companions followed her.
Dam Hyun shivered once and patted Yi-gang’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry too much. At least, she will have the power to heal Cheongho.”
“Do you think so?”
“Don’t you know Gumiho?”
Of course, he knew. It was a name well-known from his previous life and also taught in the Azure Forest, the great yokai serving Queen Mother of the West.
Although the legends and reality seemed quite different.
Yi-gang kept his mouth shut.
The Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Foxes walked ahead of Yi-gang’s group.
Heuk-mu had his hand on Cheok-yo’s shoulder.
“Hehe, bickering with a human.”
“Let go.”
“Quite stubborn, aren’t you? You shouldn’t recklessly fight with martial artists in a transformed state.”
“...I knew that.”
“But what if you revert from your transformation? What if you accidentally kill Mother’s guest?”
Cheok-yo twisted his body and escaped from Heuk-mu’s grasp.
He didn’t want his expression to be seen.
Embarrassment and surprise. Discomfort.
“Accidentally kill...?”
Could such a thing happen, accidentally killing someone?
For a moment, Yi-gang’s spirit seemed unordinary.
Cheok-yo growled, baring his fangs.