Chapter 164: The Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox Of The Kunlun Mountains (1)

The Kunlun Mountains have been depicted since the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Located in the southwest of the Central Plains, it is the source of the Yellow River.

The expanse of Kunlun Xu reaches eight hundred li, and its height is ten thousand chi.

It’s the earthly domain built by the Supreme Deity, where Queen Mother of the West resides in her palace.

Strange animals and mystical plants abound, with tailed divine beasts overseeing them.

It’s said to be a beautiful place just by hearing the stories.

However, Pahan, who was born and raised in Kunlun, knew that it was not entirely beautiful.

An auspicious aura enveloped this land. Monsters that were rarely seen in the Central Plains litter the ground.

Humans became the prey rather than the hunters in this place.

There’s a reason why ambitious emperors of the past didn’t meddle with the Kunlun Mountains.

The red-striped wild boars that approached the campfire were not ordinary either.

“Kweeeek!”

As they roared from all directions, a hot and nauseating breath spread.

It’s a dark night without the moon. The visibility was limited.

Pahan rushed towards the campfire.

Then, he kicked the burning logs with a thud, sending them flying.

The logs flew in all directions.

They illuminated the surroundings. The orange flames revealed the tusks of the wild boars.

Pahan gritted his teeth. He had suspected something was off, but these were no ordinary creatures.

Red-striped wild boars didn’t move in packs. Nor did they attack humans who have made a fire. They were animals that, relative to their size, were quite timid.

That these creatures had become so ferocious indicated there must be another factor at play.

Ha-jun murmured, “Those eyes…”

The small eyes of a wild boar should shine black.

But the eyes of these creatures had all turned a cloudy grayish-white. Greenish, sticky mucus dripped from their eyes and noses.

“Kweeeek—”

Above all, the spores scattered with their breath from their mouths.

And some of the more severely affected ones already had mushrooms sprouting on their backs.

They were like caterpillar fungus, a mushroom and herb commonly found in the warm regions of Yunnan.

At best, it was a mushroom that parasitizes insects, but here in Kunlun, it was different.

“Hold your breath!”

The mushrooms imbued with yokai energy spread spores of death.

It turned large beasts ferocious and made them fight to the death. As the animal began to decay and die, it thrived by feeding on the carcass.

It was known as the mountain’s terror by the name of “rotting stealth fungus.”

However, Pahan’s worries were somewhat exaggerated.

Swoosh—

Yi-gang and Ha-jun had experience with the Five Elements Tomb, and Dam Hyun was a disciple of the Grand Library Master.

“Kweeeeeeek!”

“These are interesting creatures.”

Dam Hyun didn’t bother to cover his mouth and plunged the short sword straight into the forehead of the biggest one.

He plucked out the creature’s eyeball with a pop and examined the fluid that coated it.

Meanwhile, Ha-jun and Yi-gang each took down a wild boar.

The four house-sized wild boars quickly became mere chunks of meat.

They were not slower than Pahan’s reaction speed.

Surely they were asleep, but could this be what was meant by the successors of a prestigious clan?

Pahan had no choice but to revise his assessment of them.

“…The spores are heavier than air and will settle. Let’s move the camp to higher ground.”

Pahan mentioned the parasitic mushrooms without showing any surprise.

After all, if they were to be surprised, they would have been long ago.

The red-striped wild boars infected with spores were terribly grotesque in appearance. They were attacked by those creatures while sleeping, but the group remained composed.

“Being scared of mushrooms when it’s not even a yokai is idiotic.”

“Senior Brother, please watch your language.”

“…Did I say something strange?”

Yi-gang and Dam Hyun were disciples of the Azure Forest.

Given that the Taoists of the Kunlun Sect were extraordinary, the Azure Forest might be the same.

Pahan looked back at Baek Ha-jun. The creature Ha-jun faced had mushrooms sprouting abundantly from its nose and mouth, a severe case.

“Aren’t you surprised, young master?”

“That creature?” Baek Ha-jun answered with an utterly calm voice, “I have a personality that doesn’t show much surprise.”

“…I see.”

There are often such people.

Pahan and the group moved to a place high enough to avoid the spread of spores.

It was halfway up the mountain, where the mountain range could be seen once the night’s curtain lifted and the dawn mist dispersed.

“I’ll take the night watch this time,” Yi-gang volunteered.

Pahan declined once, saying it was alright, but Yi-gang was not dissuaded.

The others lay down.

Pahan closed his eyes next to the newly kindled campfire.

Unlike him, accustomed to forced marches, it would be a challenging journey for the successors.

Yet, Yi-gang urged the journey on even more than Pahan.

The reason was still unknown, but it was clear that the journey’s goal was important to Yi-gang.

Among the many virtues of a soldier was the ability to fall asleep quickly in any situation.

Pahan, who could have been a general’s aide, was an excellent soldier and could fall asleep quickly this time too.

Just before closing his eyes, as consciousness was fading, Pahan saw Yi-gang beyond the campfire.

“…”

Yi-gang sat cross-legged, his face showing fatigue.

He was not practicing energy circulation.

He lifted his long fingers, as if stroking the air.

It seemed almost like an illusion.

It looked as though he was gently stroking someone’s fallen hair.

‘It must be my imagination.’

With that thought, Pahan fell asleep.

Only the crackling sound of a campfire echoed through the night in Kunlun Mountain.

Yi-gang was not silent.

He was conversing in his mind.

‘And then.’

「Yeah, the Kunlun Sect, I met those Kunlun Sect Taoists a few times. Have you heard of the Cloud Dragon’s Great Eight Forms? Their light footwork technique is the best among the Nine Sects One Gang…」

He made his fingers like claws and ran them through the hair of the Blue-Eyed Mad Demon.

Normally, it’s impossible for a human to touch a spirit.

But just as the young Yi-gang once touched the body of the Immortal Divine Sword, Yi-gang exhibited remarkable concentration to continue such an act.

It felt more like parting mist than touching hair.

As he stroked the black hair, the Blue-Eyed Mad Demon smiled with a pale face.

「There are hardly any who can truly change direction eight times in the air, but… don’t be distracted by the flashy movements. Since the body’s axis cannot move, aim for that moment…」

The body of the Blue-Eyed Mad Demon, having transferred most of its yokai energy, was half-transparent.

Usually, she would sleep as if dead in the Blue Eye Gem, but she insisted on coming out like this once a day.

She was determined to pass on the knowledge she had acquired in Jianghu to Yi-gang.

There wasn’t a single story that wasn’t precious.

Yi-gang had no choice but to listen silently.

「I also want to talk about the Demon Cult… but I’m too sleepy.」

‘Yeah, take a rest for a bit.’

「Mm…」

She closed her eyes as if falling asleep.

Her body gently dispersed like mist, then returned to the inside of a fox doll that was as silent as a mouse.

With each passing day, the time she remained awake decreased.

Dam Hyun said it seemed like she might never wake up again.

At that moment, Dam Hyun’s voice was more somber than it had ever been.

Then, complete silence settled.

Having had experience with the Immortal Divine Sword and the Blue-Eyed Mad Demon, Yi-gang had seldom spent the night in silence.

This felt particularly new to him.

As his turn for the night watch ended, Yi-gang sought sleep.

The accumulated fatigue on his ailing body made him dizzy.

But strangely, he couldn’t fall into a deep sleep.

It felt like he had his eyes closed for quite some time when Pahan woke him up.

“Wake up.”

“Yes.”

Yi-gang sprang up as if propelled. Forcing himself to ignore the fatigue that came with waking up.

Pahan gazed at him intently.

“…Are you okay?”

“Are you asking if I’m okay?”

“Your complexion… no, never mind.”

He didn’t need to look at himself to know. He was probably very pale.

Ha-jun, who would normally have looked at him with concern, was not by his side.

Ha-jun was looking down the mountain from outside the extinguished campfire.

“Young Master Yi-gang, you should see this for yourself.”

He didn’t ask what it was. Yi-gang stood next to Ha-jun, alongside Pahan.

And Yi-gang’s lips parted slightly.

The fog that obscured their view had already melted away under the sunlight.

“Over there, where the smoke is rising, that’s your destination. The village that worships the fox yokai.”

“…Can we arrive there today?”

“It would take another day and a half.”

“We can make it if we give up on sleep.”

“Mm.”

Pahan had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Looking into the distance, Yi-gang’s gaze suddenly stopped at a point in the mountain range.

Something like a red mirage was flickering.

“That is…”

“They’re called ‘blood moths.’ A swarm of them.”

Pahan explained that blood moths meant blood-drinking moths.

“Those red things are moths?”

“One of the things you must absolutely avoid in this mountain. It means a lot of blood has been spilled.”

Even the moths are dangerous in Kunlun Mountain?

“Not exactly. The gathering of blood moths means that at least one of the three dangers of Kunlun Mountain has congregated there. The truly dangerous trio of this place.”

“What are they?”

Pahan cautiously opened his mouth.

Having grown up here, even after becoming affiliated with West Sky Castle, he inwardly feared those three.

“Yokai, Demon Cultists, Kunlun Taoists.”

It’s natural for yokai to be dangerous, and the Demon Cultists beyond Kunlun Mountain were even more so.

The fact that they were found in the Kunlun Mountains meant they had either been expelled from the Demon Cult or were on a dispatch mission, making them all the more dangerous.

But the third was somewhat unexpected.

“Isn’t the Kunlun Sect part of the orthodox faction? Are they dangerous?”

“You are from the Central Plains, so you might not know. But I am aware. The Taoists of the Kunlun Sect are not ordinary. They should not be compared with Azure Forest or Wudang.”

Dam Hyun affirmed quietly. Yi-gang also briefly recalled Yu Jeong-shin’s attitude towards the Kunlun Sect.

It seemed like he avoided mentioning it. Respectful, yet seemingly not understanding.

“Let’s depart. Now is the best time to move.”

Pahan urged to leave as if he did not wish to discuss further.

Yi-gang did not resist and followed him.

The village was called Fox Spirit Village.

The elderly, who barely spoke the Central Plains language, called the village by an old name, but its official name was Fox Spirit Village.

Located deep within the Kunlun Mountains, beyond the reach of the local magistrate’s power, merchants visited once every few months. They considered this small village, which worshipped the fox deity, to be mystical.

However, devout merchants would click their tongues, asking why they worshipped some evil spirit.

Ha Yu, the village chief’s daughter, was greatly shocked by such reactions from the merchants.

Most people in the village did not have what could be called faith.

Yet, they did not deny the existence of the fox deity, worshipped since their ancestors’ ancestors.

As evidence, every full moon, they would offer sacrifices at the altar to the north of the village.

Though the sacrifices were modest—just a few handfuls of tree fruits and some roasted lamb placed on the altar.

In this cold and dry place, the lush Kunlun Mountain range was essentially the lifeline of Fox Spirit Village.

They hoped that no one would die from gathering and hunting.

‘…It’s clear that the fox deity has no interest in this place.’

It was forbidden to touch the offerings made to the deity.

Though it seemed like a waste of precious meat and food, when they returned after a full moon, the food had cleanly disappeared.

The elders who performed the rituals claimed the fox deity had accepted the offerings, but Ha Yu saw clearly.

‘All the animals have scavenged it.’

Birds, rats, and weasels were taking the offerings.

To say the fox deity consumed them was laughable.

After all, one of the merchants from the merchant groups had mentioned that the fox deity was not a deity at all but a yokai.

“Please forgive me.”

Ha Yu spoke as if making a vow, carefully walking up the stairs.

A flush of color returned to her face.

All the offerings made last night were still there.

It was a day particularly lacking in food on the mountain.

Not just for her, but her sick siblings were starving too. It was Ha Yu who stepped forward, resenting the elders’ insistence on making offerings at such a time.

Her stomach growled audibly.

She had intended to take only half, just half of it.

She swept the tree fruits into a leather pouch she had brought beforehand.

She was planning to take only this and claim she had gathered it, fearing taking the meat would get her caught.

Then, as Ha Yu was frantically tying the pouch’s opening, a voice sounded from behind her.

“Why don’t you take the meat?”

“Ahh!”

She immediately knelt down, covering the pouch with her body.

“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”

She was sure to be scolded severely.

As she begged for forgiveness with a trembling voice, to her great relief, a reply came back tinged with laughter.

“Haha, what does it matter? This offering is much more satisfactory than usual.”

“Ye-yes…?”

Turning around, Ha Yu froze in place.

It was an utterly surreal situation.

There was a fox as big as a house, its maw wide enough to swallow Ha Yu in one bite.

The white fox had eyes curved as if it were smiling like a human.

“Ah, ah-ah… ah.”

“An offering from the mountain. So, humans are finally taking care of us.”

Was the “mountain offering” referring to Ha Yu?

She tried to run, but her body wouldn’t move.

In front of Ha Yu, frozen stiff, the white fox opened its massive mouth wide.

Just as something bright red seemed to rush in, Ha Yu’s vision went completely dark.

Crunch—

There was a crunching sound, but her body wasn’t crushed.

“Ahh! Ahh!”

Ha Yu flailed around in the damp, pitch-black inside of the fox’s mouth.

A muffled voice could be heard.

“Stop playing around, Heuk-mu.”

And then—

The fox that had put Ha Yu in its mouth spit her out.

“Tch, just bones, no taste at all.”

Ha Yu, drenched in saliva, rolled on the ground in a soaked state.

Even with her eyes open, she couldn’t run away.

“Uh, uhh.”

The giant fox was not alone.

Three Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Foxes were surrounding her.

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