Chapter 114: The Fox Spirit [Second Update]

"Master, you don't understand..."

The old man had just begun to speak when another man in his fifties, holding a smoking pipe, interrupted him. "Where do you come from, Master? Our village has been isolated for so many years; I never expected a guest to arrive. It would be best for you not to meddle in our village's affairs. Please leave early."

The man was the village chief. He spoke to Daokong while puffing on his pipe, then turned to walk away. "Keep moving. Don't fall behind."

"Old man, what kind of talk is that? I am determined to manage this matter. I know that young woman; she nearly took her own life by the creek earlier. If I hadn't saved her, she would have been dead long ago." Daokong spoke to them with great earnestness. "Just tell me what is going on!"

Although his words were slightly embellished, the whole situation was steeped in an eerie atmosphere. He felt he could not ignore it; he and the girl had met by chance, and he believed that fate had brought them together for a reason.

"You stubborn monk, you won't listen to reason, will you? Take him and drive him away!" The chief puffed twice on his pipe, his face turning fierce as he ordered his men to rush forward. Two burly men charged fiercely at Daokong.

"Sorry, monk, but you shouldn't have stuck your nose where it doesn't belong," one of the men said, shaking his head. He threw a punch at Daokong, while the other swung a palm toward him.

"Amitabha..."

Daokong let out a sudden, powerful shout of the Buddha's name. A brilliant golden light erupted from his body, and the two men were sent flying backward.

"Ah..." The two men cried out in agony as they hit the ground.

"A deity!" The villagers suddenly dropped to their knees, bowing in terror. "Spare us, oh deity!"

"Amitabha... Now, can you tell me what is going on? Perhaps I can help you." Daokong assumed the air of an enlightened master, speaking with great solemnity.

"You don't know, Deity. Our village used to worship a Mountain God, but it suddenly turned into a man-eating monster. It demands an eighteen-year-old virgin every three months. Everyone in the village lives in constant fear; if we do not offer one, it will slaughter the entire village. We have no choice! That girl is actually the village chief's granddaughter. The chief loves his people deeply, but he had to set an example... he had no choice..." The seventy-year-old man explained everything without holding anything back.

"Interesting. A Mountain God, is it? Could it be a monster in disguise?" Daokong paused, then said, "Don't go anywhere yet. I need to discuss the situation with two friends and have them help."

"The deity has two friends? Are they also deities?" The old man asked, trembling with excitement.

"Of course, they are even more formidable than I am." Daokong smiled and turned to walk toward where Luffy and the others were sleeping.

"Damn, it turns out they ran into some monster pretending to be a Mountain God, demanding a virgin every three months," Daokong said as he walked inside.

"Oh? And what if it's a real Mountain God who turned into a monster?" Zhao Wushuang sat up from the ground, looking at Daokong with a half-smile.

"Amitabha, I have yet to see a real Mountain God," Daokong replied earnestly.

"Hmm, this matter is quite strange. Let's go take a look," Luffy said, standing up. "Zhao Wushuang can trade places with the eighteen-year-old girl to see what this Mountain God really is!"

"That makes sense. Brother Long is truly brilliant," Daokong exclaimed, clapping in support.

"Uh... what if I die? What if I get eaten? What if I lose an arm or something? Will you marry me?" Zhao Wushuang was speechless; this idea of Long's was terrible.

"Nothing will happen. I will protect you," Luffy said seriously. "Besides, with your strength, you'll be fine."

"Exactly," Daokong agreed, deferring to Luffy's lead.

"Damn... alright, fine. I've never encountered such an exciting thing before," Zhao Wushuang admitted, his curiosity piqued.

"Good, then let's set off." Daokong smiled and led the way outside into the hazy night.

The moonlight was like gauze as Luffy and Zhao Wushuang followed behind Daokong. They arrived before the group of villagers.

"The deities are here! Thank you, three deities, for helping us." The villagers knelt down again.

"Get up. There's no need for kneeling. We intend to use a swap tactic: we will replace the girl with this friend of ours to uncover the monster's secrets." Daokong put on a sanctimonious front, making the villagers deeply respectful. Even Luffy was speechless; this guy was better at acting than he was.

"That... thank you so much, deities!" The village chief led his granddaughter from the bridge. The woman was the same one who had been bathing in the creek. Seeing Daokong, she was shocked. She hadn't realized he was a deity, and her face flushed red. She had hit him earlier—would he hold a grudge? Surely not; he was a deity and wouldn't be so petty. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

"Yuxin, hurry up and thank the three deities!" the chief said excitedly.

"Thank you, three deities!" Yuxin bowed to them, appearing very shy.

"It's nothing, it's nothing," Zhao Wushuang said, stepping into the sedan chair and sitting down without another word.

"Begin. We will follow nearby; don't act suspiciously," Daokong instructed the villagers gravely.

"Understood." The villagers continued their ritual, beating drums and gongs as they arrived at a Mountain God temple at the edge of the mountains. The temple was protected by a barrier and emanated a sacred aura, yet there was a faint trace of evil within—presumably from the so-called Mountain God.

The villagers placed the sedan chair in front of the temple and then hurried away.

Not a single soul remained nearby. Only Luffy and Daokong hid in the distance, watching.

"Hee hee... finally here. Fresh, tender human flesh." A strange, eerie male voice echoed. Suddenly, a black tentacle lashed out toward the sedan chair, fast as lightning.

"Boom!"

Zhao Wushuang burst out of the sedan, grabbing the black tentacle. It was, in fact, a black tail. "Heh... interesting. A fox demon?"

"Who... who are you? You are not the girl I asked for!" a surprised voice came from within.

"I am your grandmother," Zhao Wushuang said, pulling a blade with his other hand and slashing at the black tentacle.

"Boom!" Five more tails lashed out to pierce Zhao Wushuang.

"Pfft..." Zhao Wushuang ignored them, slicing the tail clean off. The other five tails struck toward his body like spears.

However, a cyan light swirled around Zhao Wushuang, blocking the five tails.

Zhao Wushuang stood firm. "Playing god, are you? A mere little fox demon dares to cause trouble here."

He struck out fiercely, grabbing another tail and yanking it outward.

"Ah..." The six-tailed fox demon shrieked as it was smashed outside the ruined temple. It tumbled over, a large bump rising on its head. "You foul woman, how dare you hit me! Just you wait, you will regret this!"

The six-tailed fox turned out to have the form of a half-meter-tall humanoid, looking like a seven- or eight-year-old child. It was truly a shocking sight.