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The Taihang Mountains rose steeply, their heights soaring and depths plunging, stretching across four provinces in an endless expanse. Days later, our small party of three arrived at the foot of the Taihang Mountains, carrying only a few basic necessities. Faced with the towering, layered peaks shrouded in mist, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety as I glanced at Mingyue. I had initially intended to bring more provisions, considering the vastness of the Taihang Mountains and the difficulty of locating what Gu Chen had mentioned within such a colossal range. I knew it would take considerable time, but Mingyue dismissed my concerns. According to her, the rugged mountain paths made carrying too much gear a burden. Mu Yan and I agreed with her perspective, yet we were still worried about running out of food due to prolonged delays.
Noticing my gaze, Mingyue said calmly, "The mountains are rich in resources; there will naturally be food available. We won't starve." I forced a smile, while Mu Yan remained silent beside me, holding my hand. Mingyue scanned our surroundings and pointed out a narrow path that seemed to have been worn down by frequent travelers. "Let's check ahead; perhaps there are still people living nearby. That way, we won't have to worry about food," she suggested. My spirits lifted at her words, and I nodded eagerly. Mingyue took the lead without waiting for us and I exchanged a glance with Mu Yan before saying, "Let's go."
We followed her into the underbrush at the base of the Taihang Mountains, where wild grass flourished and dense trees obscured our view of what lay within. After walking for about ten minutes, a small village came into view. It wasn't large—perhaps a dozen households scattered haphazardly—but it filled me with hope. "There really is a village! We can search the mountains during the day and return here at night to find a place to stay," I remarked excitedly. However, Mingyue seemed unfazed by my enthusiasm.
I noticed Mu Yan's brow furrowed in concern. "What's wrong?" I asked curiously. She shook her head and replied, "Something feels off." Just then, Mingyue suddenly interjected, "Indeed, something is not right."
"What do you mean?" Confusion washed over me as I looked at her. Mingyue halted her steps; I approached her closely as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as if trying to catch a scent in the air before speaking gravely: "The smell of blood."
"Blood? Is there a scent in the air?" I frowned in disbelief. She turned to me and said, "There's no scent in the air; this smell of blood is coming from the village ahead." Her words made me frown again as I asked anxiously, "What’s going on?" She shook her head lightly and replied, "We'll find out when we get there." With that, she resumed walking toward the village.
Mu Yan and I exchanged puzzled glances before following her. Upon reaching the village, an unsettling atmosphere enveloped us. A strong stench filled the air—it was indeed the smell of blood—and dried blood splattered on nearby walls and the ground confirmed our fears. What was even more alarming was that aside from us three, there wasn't a single living soul in sight; all doors were tightly shut, creating an eerie silence.
"What happened? Did something occur in this village?" I asked darkly as I looked at Mingyue. She remained silent and walked toward one of the houses, knocking on the door several times without receiving any response. "Is anyone home?" I questioned.
Without answering me, Mingyue kicked open the wooden door with force. The houses were simple structures made from wood like those from ancient times; though heavy, how could they withstand Mingyue's strength? With a loud crash, the door flew open to reveal two figures huddled in a corner—an adult woman in her thirties and a young girl around seven or eight years old—trembling in fear as they stared at us.
I rushed inside and asked them anxiously, "Why didn't you open the door when we knocked?" The woman looked terrified as she clutched the girl tightly and stammered back at me: "Y-you... are you human?"
"What do you mean?" My brow furrowed further as I replied incredulously, "What else would we be? Are we monsters or something?"
"Are you really human?" she asked again with uncertainty.
Before I could respond, Mingyue's cold voice cut through: "What happened in this village?"
"There are monsters—monsters that come to eat people," the woman replied shakily as her daughter quivered in her arms.
"Monsters..." My face paled at her words as I turned to look at the woman again and asked urgently: "Are there really monsters?"
Mingyue's tone grew serious as she said: "This village is located down from Taihang; it's not surprising for monsters to appear."
"Are you saying these monsters came down from the mountains?" Mingyue nodded slightly—most likely.
She then turned back to the woman and asked: "Do you know what these monsters look like?"
"They're foxes—man-eating foxes..." The woman's face was etched with terror.
"Foxes! Nine-Tailed Fox Blood..." Her words struck me like lightning as they connected with what we needed to find on this journey. I quickly pressed on: "How many tails does this fox have?"
The woman shook her head in confusion; she only knew that some villagers had seen it devouring people—several had already died.
"If I'm not mistaken," Mingyue interjected again, "the villagers aren't missing; they're likely hiding just like you."
The woman nodded slowly: "Yes... no one dares to go outside anymore."
"What should we do?" I turned my gaze toward Mingyue for guidance.
She glanced at me before shifting her attention back to the woman and said calmly: "Don't be afraid; he knows Mao Shan Technique and can help you subdue that Fox Demon." She pointed at me unexpectedly.
I stared blankly at Mingyue; how could I possibly know any Mao Shan Technique? All I'd done was skim through Lark Volume Three during my free time over these past few days! However, upon hearing Mingyue's words, it seemed like hope ignited within the woman as she suddenly fell to her knees before me pleading desperately for help—to save herself and everyone in the village.
Feeling helplessly caught between duty and fear while glancing back at Mingyue's expectant expression made me sigh inwardly. Given that she mentioned it was a Fox Demon—a connection to Gu Chen's Nine-Tailed Fox Blood—I reluctantly nodded my agreement while helping the woman up: “Don’t worry; we will do our best to help you.”
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