Chapter 10: The Wolf Attacks, the White Fox Comes to the Rescue
I do not agree! Who knows where this group of beasts is taking us? Listening to you has led us to such an outcome; we certainly cannot trust you now. We should head south, as this mountain is the Northern Mountain, and the village must be to the south!" The dog shouted at me.
"I have been saved? Saved by the white fox?" I stood there in a daze, contemplating. Regardless, being alive and able to see my mother again is certainly a good thing. The battle before me had reached a fever pitch; the jackal was indeed the most ferocious and brutal of animals. Unfazed by the white fox's onslaught, it relied on its size advantage and was not at a disadvantage, but rather seemed to have the upper hand over the white fox.
The white fox, seeing that we were not heading in its direction, anxiously began to call out. Finally, it ran over and directly bit my pant leg, tugging me towards that way. I crouched down and whispered a few words, and ultimately bid farewell to them as I headed south. The white fox, realizing it could not persuade us, had no choice but to give up. With its four little paws, it slowly walked towards the northeast, occasionally looking back at us, its gaze revealing a sense of reluctance, which astonished us all; we had not expected the white fox to possess such human-like emotions.
Little did I expect that this fellow would get anxious first, shouting at me: "How would I know! If it weren't for you insisting on coming to this graveyard, would we have ended up in this cursed place? We almost got eaten by a jackal!"
As we watched the jackal run far away, the three of us collapsed onto the ground like deflated balloons, our hearts filled with tension and fear, and our physical strength completely drained, leaving us, at the age of eight or nine, feeling as if we had lost all our energy. We truly felt as if we had been given a second chance at life! I couldn't help but wonder why the white fox had saved us. Was it because humans had once rescued them, and they were repaying a debt of gratitude? But then I thought again, that didn't seem right; the fur of the white fox is valuable, and we had certainly harmed them while hunting in the mountains.
After digging the pit, I carefully placed the white fox into it. All the other foxes sniffed its body before leaving. After burying the deceased white fox, I bowed deeply three times with Brother Lu. I did not understand why I felt compelled to bow; at that moment, I felt as if I had lost a friend or family member, filled with sorrow.
Just as I was thinking, I heard the low, mournful howls of the white foxes, resembling cries of sorrow. I looked over and saw them forming a small circle, continuously lamenting towards the center. As I approached, I noticed a tiny white fox lying motionless within the circle, blood trickling down from its throat onto the ground, clearly on the brink of death
"Who knows what madness this group of foxes is up to? In any case, as long as we are not dead, that's what matters!" The dog said nonchalantly.
Hearing him say that, I became furious and retorted, "We agreed to run together just a moment ago, yet you climbed the tree first, leaving me and Lu Ge almost eaten by those beasts!"
As the wolf with sharp claws and fangs lunged at me, Lu Ge desperately stood in front of me, wielding the stick in his hand, determined to protect me even at the cost of his life. I closed my eyes in despair, having heard that before death, a person’s life experiences flash through their mind. However, I had barely lived for a little over eight years, so there were not many memories to recall. My mother’s gentle smile slowly emerged before my eyes, reminiscent of her calling me home for dinner or watching me do my homework, her smile warm and tender. "I suppose I will never see my mother’s smile again? I just hope she won’t be sad for me," I thought sorrowfully.
Grandfather Daoist, please come and teach us!
After finishing everything, the three of us prepared to return to the village, but after searching for a long time, we could not find the way back or the map. Just now, while being chased by the jackals, we had fled in a panic, wandering into a densely forested area. Now, it is quite difficult to find our way back to the village.
After resting for quite a while, we stood up, brushed off the dust from our clothes, and continued walking south. After about half an hour, we spotted a large tree in the distance, approximately over thirty meters tall, which would require six or seven people to embrace it. We thought about walking up to the tree to climb it and see if we could catch a glimpse of the village. Looking back now, I can only say that our thoughts at the time were too simple and naive. The mountains are densely forested, and if we got lost, how could we climb a tree to see the village?
If you don't come down, if we lose the fight, this jackal will eat us. Even if it circles the tree and doesn't leave, it can starve you to death! Think about what to do!
The group of white foxes called softly to me as they moved northeast, occasionally glancing back at me, as if signaling me to follow. A sudden realization struck me: since this white fox had saved us, it surely meant us no harm. Could its current actions be an indication that it was leading us back to the village? The thought filled me with excitement. I quickly shared this idea with Lu Ge and Gou Zi. Lu Ge appeared to be attentive to everything I said, while Gou Zi began to shout loudly.
It was only later, when I joined the Daoist sect, that I asked my master about the origin of the white fox and learned the reason behind its act of saving lives. It turns out that animals can also cultivate, absorbing the essence of the weather, which allows them to become as intelligent as humans. According to legend, creatures that live for a long time will have their fur turn white; the longer they live, the more white fur they will have. If one encounters an animal with entirely white fur, it is best not to provoke it, as it is said to be no different from an ordinary person. The white fox is born with white fur, indicating that heaven has a special favor for this lineage. Furthermore, creatures that live for a long time possess wisdom far beyond that of ordinary animals, almost akin to that of a four or five-year-old child. Ancient texts often cite examples of white foxes cultivating to become human, highlighting the extraordinary intelligence and understanding of this lineage. However, there is another reason for the white fox saving me, which I cannot conveniently disclose.
If that Taoist is really here, let us call him out and ask him to teach us the methods for capturing ghosts and subduing demons
The dog cried out loudly, repeatedly saying that he wouldn't fight anymore, and Lu Ge then let him go. The three of us lay on the ground, panting heavily. Even now, being trapped here with no way out, I couldn't help but feel guilty, realizing that today's events were indeed caused by my insistence on taking the two of them to the graveyard. I felt deep remorse and silently regretted having beaten the dog earlier.
After shouting for a whole pack of cigarettes, we three became parched, also in search of the traces of a master. The only response we received was our own echo and the sound of wings as the birds were startled into flight. We couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened; our dream of being accepted as disciples had been shattered. "It seems that Taoist has long since left. Sigh, let's head back to the village; otherwise, if we get caught out here at midnight, my dad will surely kill me!" Dogzi said dejectedly
I wouldn't do that; what if these foxes can't be defeated! The dog remains completely still in the tree
If the white fox loses, several of us will also meet our end in the belly of the jackal. Thinking of this, I quickly called out to Lu Ge and we picked up the stones from the ground to throw at the jackals. This time, the white fox was relieved from its predicament, and they gradually reached a stalemate. However, the jackals were fierce and unafraid of injury, making the outcome uncertain. "Dogzi, you coward, come down and throw stones!" I shouted loudly at the dog in the tree.
The three of us walked while discussing the reason why the white fox saved us earlier. "Perhaps the white fox possesses human-like qualities and cannot bear to see us and the books being devoured by the jackals. I remember my mother mentioning that three years ago, when we encountered a Taoist, it was also the white fox that helped us. Do you think this time it was also that Taoist who saved us?" I said to the two of them.
Several seconds passed, and I did not feel the tearing pain of claws piercing my skin. I opened my eyes in confusion, only to be stunned by the sight before me. Foxes! More than ten white foxes and seven or eight jackals were fighting fiercely, blood flowing down their necks and bodies.
I feel extremely low, and I do not know why seeing the dead white fox evokes a deep sense of sorrow that makes me want to cry. It feels as if I have lost a family member, and this feeling is utterly perplexing. "Let's wait a moment before we leave; the white fox saved us, and we at least owe it a burial for the one that has passed," I said softly. After saying this, I began to dig into the ground with a stick in my hand, and Lu Ge also came over to help me dig the hole, while only Gouzi walked back and forth nearby, constantly urging us on.
The more we argued, the more anxious we became, and Lu Ge could not persuade us. Suddenly, the dog stood up and punched me in the face, which infuriated me to no end. Unwilling to back down, I started fighting back. Since I had never been physically strong, it wasn't long before I was pinned to the ground. Seeing that I was at a disadvantage, Lu Ge joined the fray. He was robust and towered over us, easily a head taller than other kids our age, and within a few moves, he had left the dog with a bruised face.
Great Master, please come out and accept us as your disciples, and teach us your skills
I tried every possible way to persuade him for a long time, but the dog just wouldn't agree, insisting that the white fox would harm us and that we could return to the village by continuing south. I was at a loss for what to do; I couldn't just leave the dog here, after all, I had brought him along. In the end, I had no choice but to follow the dog's suggestion to head south, taking a leap of faith.
Indeed, how could I not think of www.hetushu.com! I slapped my forehead and jumped up. Upon realizing this, the three of us children were all excited. If we could learn some great skills from that Taoist master, we would be impressive when we returned to the village! "Let's hurry and call out before that Taoist leaves," I said.
The three of us had been walking south for about half an hour without seeing any sign of the village. We hadn't eaten properly in the evening, and after a night of turmoil, we were simply both thirsty and hungry. We sat down under a large tree to take a short rest. The wind blowing through the mountain forest at night brought a chill, and we felt a shiver run through our bodies
Lu Ge and Gou Zi heard the sound and came over, marveling at the scene before them, saying they did not expect the white fox to be so understanding. "Since everything is fine now, let's hurry back to the village; otherwise, we might encounter some strange creatures later!" Dong Zi exclaimed, and Lu Ge nodded in agreement.
As we found ourselves unable to locate the way back to the village, the dog suddenly began to cry loudly. He directly blamed me for this incident, stating that now the three of us could not return. I remained silent, not wanting to provoke him further with my words. After all, it was I who had suggested the idea of going to the graveyard in the middle of the night.
Ah, Dog, you said to head south, but how come we've walked so far and still haven't seen the village! You've gotten us into trouble!
Upon hearing my words, the dog slowly slid down the tree. It picked up stones and joined us in throwing them at the jackal. Although the rocks hitting its body were not fatal, the pain significantly hindered the agility of these beasts. It is said that wolves have a tough head and tail but a fragile body, with the waist being the most vulnerable area. The jackal is not much different from the wolf. The three of us relentlessly targeted its waist with stones, which might have been the last straw that broke the camel's back. Since the dog's involvement, the jackal began to retreat step by step, and before long, it was driven away by the white fox.