I Am Your Natural Enemy

Not long after Wen Yan and the others left, a mountain vehicle stopped on this open ground. The newcomer tried to head towards the White Fox Clan’s territory.

But as soon as he took three steps along the right path, the way ahead turned into countless drifting fragments of void, scaring him into a quick retreat.

Then, the newcomer hurriedly made a phone call.

”The White Fox Clan’s territory is finished, the road has shattered.

Literally shattered! Shattered, you get it?

Who the hell knows who they’ve pissed off, even the road is broken now.”

...

Inside the White Fox Clan territory, the atmosphere was still heavy— all three elderly clan members who stayed at home had died in one breath.

Even the fox demons second in rank only to the elders, more than half of them had died as well.

All that remained were a bunch of useless little foxes, or unreliable young fox demons.

Now, the only ones left who could actually take charge were the great foxes who walked the beast form path.

Less than half an hour had passed when a fox demon came to report: some fox demons were sneaking toward the entrance.

When they arrived at the spot, the great fox took a step forward, and his expression instantly changed.

The road had been shattered.

”Back up.” The great fox shouted, making all the fox demons retreat.

But there was still a little white fox, cluelessly sniffing around, leaping between those broken fragments, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

”Come back right now! Chicken for dinner.”

The great fox shouted once, then saw the little fox appear again on a fragment. The little fox hopped back and forth joyfully, returning, leaving the great fox’s heart pounding.

In that twisted, chaotic space, even he didn’t dare to go, but the little fox seemed completely unfazed by danger, playing hopscotch like it was a game, having a blast.

The great fox grabbed the little fox by the scruff and threw it onto his back, then took another look forward.

Only now did he understand what Wen Yan meant by ”don’t go out for the next few years” before leaving.

He turned and glanced at the silly white fox on his back, his gaze complicated.

He didn’t believe that this little white fox, born with a deficient soul, could jump around freely in such a chaotic space and not get lost.

He remembered, when Wen Yan left, he had especially patted the little white fox and bestowed some kind of power on it.

Wen Yan broke the road, cutting off their way out, but also blocking anyone from outside from coming in.

It cut away the Patriarch’s hope of returning, but also ensured that, while the White Fox Clan was so empty inside, there would be no foreign invaders.

But Wen Yan just had to give the only way out to a little white fox with a deficient soul.

If they accidentally let the little white fox die young, they’d never even realize this had happened.

Maybe they’d never get out for the rest of their lives.

Now that they’d discovered this, all they could do was be good to the little white fox, let it live happily.

The great fox was filled with conflicted feelings, finally letting out a long sigh.

Now, he truly couldn’t feel any resentment, nor hatred at all.

He couldn’t understand what the Patriarch and the others had done to drive someone to the point of storming in and doing this.

The great fox, carrying the little white fox, returned to the clan. The little white fox, carefree as ever, chirped and squeaked, seeming very happy.

The great fox felt a pang of bitterness inside. He was on the beast form path, which also made him an outlier— maybe that’s why he felt closer to the little white fox.

But as for the other fox demons, not necessarily. They probably saw the little white fox as just an ordinary animal, never even considering it as one of their own.

”Come on, I’ll take you to eat chicken, give you a chicken leg.”

The great fox carried the little white fox along, and a young fox demon blurted out, ”Little idiot.”

The little white fox immediately turned its head and replied, clearly knowing it was being called. Obviously this wasn’t the first or second time.

The great fox had already been feeling conflicted, and after Wen Yan’s actions, he had no temper left.

Hearing that ”little idiot” now, he finally cracked.

He couldn’t accept that the one who had shown the most kindness to this little fox with a deficient soul was an outsider who had just barged in and killed several elders.

All his repressed negative feelings, held in for so long, were finally pierced by that casually hurled ’little idiot’, and now he had an outlet.

His eyes turned red at once, his thick tail swept out, knocking the young fox demon flying.

His huge paw pressed down on the young fox demon’s chest.

”What kind of demon are you practicing to be?

In your first lesson, the teacher taught to cultivate humanity.

Is this what your teacher taught you? Bullying your own disabled kin?

You aren’t even as good as an outsider!”

The great fox’s paw pressed on the other one’s chest, as if a flame was burning there.

Amid shrill screams, the young fox demon was forced back into its original form, turning into a terrified white fox.

”When you figure things out for yourself, then set yourself free.”

In his fury, the great fox forced all the young fox demons present back into their original forms, making them experience how it felt, making them retake the very first lesson of being admitted into the clan.

...

Wen Yan, with Tong Si and Feng Wei, walked along the Nether Path. When they passed the big intersection, that faint, elusive sound of flowing water appeared again.

”See anything?” Wen Yan asked Tong Si.

”Didn’t see anything. There should still be a distance, I can’t see through it.”

”Then forget it for now, let’s take care of business first. Did Lord Zhu assign you two any unofficial posts?”

”I didn’t take it, that’s something the front-line brothers risked their lives for. I can’t take it.” Feng Wei shook his head, and Tong Si shook her head too.

”Then I’ll put it under my name. You two help me every day, so it’s like you’re working for the Scorching Sun Department anyway. It’s dangerous work, no point making you do it for nothing. I’ll talk to the Scorching Sun Department, and you’re not allowed to refuse.”