Chapter 8: Was Mother Actually Saved by the White Fox?

Upon arriving at the graveyard, my father stumbled about like a headless fly. Someone suggested checking the area where the old scholar had been buried. In truth, everyone had already lost hope for my mother's survival, but due to my father's expression, no one dared to voice it. Just over ten meters away from the old scholar's grave, my father finally spotted the long-awaited figure in white; my mother had collapsed not far from the grave. He hurried over, and upon seeing that she was not seriously harmed, he felt relieved. He quickly shook her awake. As my mother slowly regained consciousness and had yet to speak, my father anxiously asked, "How are you? Are you hurt? How did you end up here?"

The seven individuals injured this time have all been purged of the corpse poison. The most severely injured among them is Wang Er, who has lost an arm, yet fortunately managed to retain his life. The empty sleeve flutters in the wind, revealing to us, those inside the temple, the brutality and ferocity of the monster.

No matter how troubled I was in the past, life must continue to be lived slowly; it is most important to live well in the present. Three years have passed in such a dull manner, until a significant event concerning myself occurred when I was eight years old, an event of far-reaching impact.

Father hurriedly ran out with others, completely disregarding his injuries. He circled outside the mountain god temple, calling out for Mother’s name, but received no response. Fortunately, no blood was found nearby, which relieved Father somewhat. Unable to find her, he led the group up the mountain, and by the time it was nearly dawn, there was still no sign of Mother. Father was anxious and restless, while Grandfather inside the temple sighed in sorrow. Most people thought that Mother must have met with misfortune, otherwise she would not have been gone for two hours without returning. Mother had a very good reputation in the village over the past two years and was well-liked by the people. Now that something had happened, everyone was filled with sadness; many older students and elderly women were secretly wiping away their tears. I waited for a long time but still did not see Mother return, crying until my voice was hoarse, while Grandfather held me tightly beside me, offering comfort.

In the past three years, I have already studied more than half of the books left by the old scholar. My mother is very pleased with me, and my grandfather, though aging, remains vigorous. However, he has entrusted the responsibility of leading the villagers in hunting to my father. The villagers all say that my father is a perfect replica of my grandfather in his youth: strong in build, charismatic, and loyal to his friends. Our family's status in the village has risen significantly, and no one dares to bully me anymore. It can be said that everything about this family is enviable and satisfying. The only thing that weighs on my grandfather's mind is that I still remain small and thin. Although I am no longer as sickly as I was in childhood, I still do not possess the robust physique of my grandfather and father. Even my current health, which is not frail, is attributed to the wild game that my grandfather has brought home. My neighbor, Lu Ge, who is half a year older than me, has a very close relationship with me. At just eight years old, he looks like a thirteen or fourteen-year-old child, strong and sturdy, while I barely reach my father's waist, and he is almost at my chest. My grandfather is also very fond of him.

Upon hearing that the white beast had been slain, my grandfather was momentarily taken aback, causing unrest in the village. How could it be that the helpless zombie had died just like that? When I learned that my mother had been found, I finally broke into a smile. The villagers, upon hearing that the monster had been killed, rushed to see the corpse. Thus, a group of people set off in grand fashion towards the cemetery in the back mountain.

By the time it was late at night, everyone in the temple had fallen into a deep sleep. My father, exhausted from the day's work and his injury, was already snoring. I felt my mother sitting up beside me; she carefully put on her shoes and quietly walked outside. Just as I was about to speak, my mother turned back and gestured for me to be silent. I vaguely heard the villagers on guard outside asking my mother questions, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I turned over and fell back into a deep sleep.

Upon reaching the back mountain and seeing my mother, I ran and threw myself into her embrace, unwilling to rise. The crowd surrounded the motionless white fox, murmuring in astonishment. For safety reasons, they constructed a pyre of wood and burned the white fox to prevent it from continuing to harm others. In the fierce flames, the white fox was reduced to ashes. My mother personally buried the deceased white fox, weeping like a sorrowful figure, saying that if it were not for these foxes, they would have ended up in the belly of a zombie. The crowd praised her for her compassion and loyalty, acknowledging her gratitude towards animals. My mother personally buried the deceased white fox, weeping like a sorrowful figure, saying that if it were not for these foxes, they would have ended up in the belly of a zombie. The crowd praised her for her compassion and loyalty, acknowledging her gratitude towards animals.

The white beast that had troubled the village for over a month has finally been eradicated, allowing the villagers to return home and enjoy a peaceful night's sleep. My grandfather called upon everyone to gather in the evening, celebrating as if it were the New Year, drinking to mark the beginning of the village's new life. That night, everyone was intoxicated, except for my mother, who sat staring at the moon, secretly wiping away her tears. Although the Taoist priest was not found this time and there were still some lingering uncertainties, the ordeal has finally passed. This incident gradually faded from the villagers' minds, with only the tragic death of Chen San, the dazed expression of Chen Mazi, and the empty sleeves of Wang Er serving as reminders of the white beast's brutal ferocity. The haunting presence of the supernatural beings left a significant shadow on my young heart, one that has yet to dissipate.

Five meters away from Bai Xiong, the father stopped in his tracks. Bai Xiong lay motionless on the ground, its back facing up. The father slowly raised his hunting rifle and aimed at it, while the two of them used a pitchfork to turn it over. Only then did they see the countless bite marks on its body, leaving it unrecognizable. Everyone couldn't help but wonder how Bai Xiong, which even bullets couldn't penetrate, had been so mangled by a pack of foxes. Could it be that foxes are more formidable than zombies?

"Why are you crying! Your mother is fine!" my father scolded me loudly. "Hurry and send someone out to find her, bring her back before she encounters the monster! Yelling at the child is of no use," my grandfather said. The villagers all wanted to help find my mother, not only because of my grandfather's high reputation, but also because my mother devoted herself to teaching the children knowledge, which the villagers recognized and remembered. Now that they heard she was in danger, they were all willing to risk everything to help. For safety reasons, my grandfather dispatched dozens of men armed with weapons to search for my mother's whereabouts. I cried and shouted, wanting to go along, but I was too small and was left behind, waiting alone in the temple for my mother to return

Seeing that the danger had passed, the father returned to the mother and asked, "Did you see where that Taoist went? He saved you and the village; we must express our gratitude properly." The mother raised her hand and pointed to the east, where there were only dense forests, and it was unclear where they led. The father led a group into the woods to search for a while, but they found no trace of the Taoist, and the matter of expressing thanks had to be abandoned. The father sent someone to inform the grandfather and villagers in the village about the situation, that the mother and the white beast had already been killed.

After waking up, my father looked at the two of us with regret and said, "I was not strong enough and got hurt, causing you both to worry." My mother placed her finger over my father's mouth, signaling him to be quiet, and said, "As long as you are fine, what do you want to eat? I will make it for you." I saw that my father had finally stopped crying, and I walked closer to him, gazing at his resolute face. He raised his hand to touch my head, then embraced both me and my mother, saying, "It is truly wonderful to see you both again!" My mother said nothing, only holding on tighter.

After sleeping for about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, I was abruptly awakened by someone. When I opened my eyes, I saw my father's anxious face. "Where has your mother gone?" my father asked loudly. "She got up and went outside," I replied. At that moment, I noticed that the villagers in the temple had also woken up, their expressions filled with worry and anxiety

After contemplating for a full tea time, the grandfather ordered everyone not to go out alone in the future, stating that someone must patrol and stand guard at the temple entrance at night. He temporarily suspended hunting in the mountains and strictly prohibited anyone from going out alone to prevent potential harm. Everyone nodded in agreement, mindful of the danger posed by the white beast. The entire village was at a loss, left with no choice but to passively defend themselves while waiting for capable individuals to be summoned to deal with the white beast. No one knew when the monster would strike again or who would be the next victim. The atmosphere in the village grew increasingly tense, and some individuals were already showing signs of mental instability. If this continued, it was only a matter of time before disaster struck. The entire village was at a loss, left with no choice but to passively defend themselves while waiting for capable individuals to be summoned to deal with the white beast. No one knew when the monster would strike again or who would be the next victim. The atmosphere in the village grew increasingly tense, and some individuals were already showing signs of mental instability. If this continued, it was only a matter of time before disaster struck

The attack at night made us realize that human strength is ultimately limited. Faced with the relentless monsters armed with knives and guns, our few hunting rifles were insufficient to resolve the issue, and even self-defense was a struggle. My grandfather fell into deep thought, while the villagers huddled closely together, as if this could drive away the fear in their hearts. It seemed that the methods used to deal with wild beasts were ineffective against the White Fiend; we could only seek out professionals skilled in exorcism and ghost-catching. Several groups of young men, carrying money, went to the capital in search of wise hermits, as staying in the mountain god's temple every night was not a viable solution.

After I got up in the middle of the night, I saw the figure of a monster with a face full of white hair at https://wwwhetushu.com. As I watched it pounce towards me, I fainted. When I woke up, I found myself in this cursed place. Upon waking, I saw a Taoist priest battling the monster, summoning numerous white foxes to fight against it. Many of the foxes perished, and it was thanks to them that I escaped with my life. As I spoke, my mother shed tears. Only then did everyone notice the many torn and dismembered bodies of white foxes on the ground, and not far away, Bai Xiong lay motionless on the ground. My father hurriedly stood in front of my mother, holding a shotgun as he approached Bai Xiong, with everyone following closely behind.

After searching for two hours without finding any trace, everyone began to relax a bit. However, seeing my father’s fierce expression, no one dared to suggest going back. "Brother Dachun, we have searched the nearby areas and found no sign of sister-in-law. Shall we check the graveyard? She might have gotten lost in there, right?" My father turned his head and stared intensely at the man who spoke for a moment, then quickly ran towards the graveyard with his hunting rifle.

Father turned and asked a man holding a shotgun: "How long has your sister-in-law been gone? How could you let this happen?" "Brother Dachun, when sister-in-law went out, she said she was just going to take care of some business, and we thought it wouldn't be appropriate to follow her. After a stick of incense's time, she still hadn't returned, so I felt it was wrong and came to call you." At that moment, I realized that my mother had not returned from her earlier outing. Thinking of the monster rumored to be rampaging outside, I cried out loudly.

Three years have passed, healing the wounds left by the last white wolf attack on the villagers. Walking through the village, one often sees a woman in her forties pulling along a man who only knows how to laugh foolishly; that is Chen Mazi after his transformation. Her daughter has married a young man from the village, and the two families get along very well. Both the daughter and son-in-law are very filial, which can be considered a blessing in disguise.