Chapter 70

Chapter 70

What? This fox spirit thinks this is being presentable? Has it been watching too many TV dramas?

Wu Heng fell silent for a moment, accepting it. Spirits and humans think quite differently; they can be particularly obsessive about certain areas. Let it have its say.

The white fox, seeing Wu Heng's speechless look, shouted in discontent, "What do you mean? Don't you think my nails are beautiful? Zhang Dayong not being grateful is bad enough, but to ruin them like this, with no decency, he's a real jerk."

The plump fox, speaking from the heart, was so mad it was on the verge of tears. But remembering this was the human internet, with possibly many watching, it suddenly buried its head in the torn, cotton-filled bedding, leaving only its butt exposed.

Wu Heng let it fake cry in peace, taking the bamboo cup of warm honey water handed by Shi Xuan. It was likely boiled and then cooled before being served.

Wu Heng's dry throat finally got some relief. He avoided the camera, pointing to the diagonal wooden sofa, signaling Shi Xuan to sit.

Shi Xuan, however, sat opposite Wu Heng's desk, picking up some study materials Wu Heng had set aside.

A subtle look crossed Wu Heng's face. With him sitting opposite, how could Wu Heng focus on the live broadcast?

"This little fox is so cute and adorable. Every move is captivating, a classic case of using beauty for mischief."

"No wonder it's our very own Dr. Wu. Such a beautiful fox spirit on camera, yet he stays calm, sipping water. I wish I could jump in there to hug and kiss it."

"Maybe there's a fox spirit by Dr. Wu's side trying to seduce him, lol."

"At first, I thought tearing up the uncle's bedding was nasty, but it's so cute I can't blame it."

Wu Heng waited for the white fox's deliberate, attention-seeking fake crying performance to end and asked, "Are you refusing to communicate?"

The white fox, huffing and puffing, had performed so long with no reaction. It was like winking at a blind man.

The white fox glared at Wu Heng; he was also a troublemaker.

Zhang Dayong's bedroom was drenched in traditional Chinese medicinal water, even the corners. Thinking it was to block it, the fox turned its head and saw a gap in the window, where only a small piece of old ginger was placed.

Ginger has the effect of warding off evil spirits, but it only works against ordinary ghosts and demons. For a spirit that has become a demon, it's useless, so it easily broke in.

It came in fine, but couldn't leave, caught by Zhang Dayong. Fortunately, the family didn't harm it and even fed it some things, though it found the leftovers indecent and looked down on them.

The white fox thought for a moment and decided not to oppose Wu Heng anymore. As it jumped off the bed, it knocked over the water cup. Its furry paw dipped into the water and, on the cement floor of Zhang Dayong's house without tiles, it wrote three crooked words—

"Su Daji."

Clearly answering the question Wu Heng had asked earlier about its name.

The entire live stream audience was in an uproar, amazed.

"The fox wrote something! Oh my, it can write. Is this a fox that has received nine years of compulsory education?"

"Foxes are canines, right? I saw online that a Border Collie can understand hundreds of words; they're very smart."

"Did it write Su Daji? Oh my, is it the Su Daji from the time of King Zhou of Shang? This is the ancestor of foxes."

"Don't scare me, is it really the Su Daji from the 'Investiture of the Gods'? That was three thousand years ago... this world has become so fantastical. Help!"

"Those scholars studying the Shang and Zhou dynasties would be overjoyed. If this fox ancestor reveals a few words, wouldn't we know the secrets of the mysterious Shang dynasty?"

Zhang Dayong and his wife were also terrified. Although Wu Heng called Zhang Dayong 'Uncle Zhang,' he was an educated man born in the 80s. Seeing the crooked words on the ground, he was quite frightened.

The couple exchanged glances, wondering how they had managed to provoke the legendary fox spirit known for toppling the Shang dynasty.

Zhang Dayong stammered, "Should we bow to it?"

This was downright terrifying.

The white fox, seeing the fear in Zhang Dayong and his wife, curiously approached the phone and stared at the rapidly scrolling comments. Half the screen was filled with its fluffy white fur.

Hmm... it didn’t recognize most of the words, but occasionally it saw a few calling it Su Daiji or the legendary fox spirit, and even some saying it was the most beautiful creature ever.

Yes, yes, that’s exactly how they should talk about it!

The plump white fox was delighted again, its eyes squinting with joy, its furry ears pulled back, rolling around on the bed, laughing mischievously. The laughter was both enchanting and eerie.

Wu Heng said, "Su Dayi, stop laughing."

Everyone: "?"

...Huh? Wait a minute?

Listen up, it’s Su Daiji (ji), not Su Dayi (yi). It's like the difference between Master Kong and Shuai Fu.

Wu Heng was at a loss for words with this fox, feeling that it had deliberately given itself this name and written it crookedly on the ground, waiting for everyone to mistake it for the legendary fox spirit...

"Ah? It really does say Su Dayi, with the 'yi' character protruding. Isn’t this a blatant fake?"

"You scared me. I really thought Su Daiji had lived from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to modern times. My entire worldview almost shattered. So how old is this fox spirit?"

"Ahhh, a little bit of slyness makes this fox even cuter. What's wrong with being a fake Su Dayi? I'd be happy to be a fake Su Daiji."

"This fox has truly become a spirit; it’s so clever."

When Wu Heng called its name and exposed it as a fake, Su Dayi pouted and said, 'Yes, my name is Su Dayi, nickname Guanguan.'

It had a three-thousand-year-old idol, Su Daiji, so it named itself Su Dayi, hoping to be a stand-in.

Su Dayi complained, 'I haven’t done anything wrong. I gave Zhang Dayong nails for his own good.'

Wu Heng understood and turned to the confused Zhang Dayong, "Don't be afraid, this is a gift from it."

Zhang Dayong was both amused and frustrated. Was this really a gift from the fox?

He had once read online about someone feeding a stray cat, and the cat hunted a dead mouse to repay the favor. Was this the fox's way of repaying kindness? But Zhang Dayong couldn't recall ever helping the little fox.

And if it had just brought some discarded nails from a nail salon, that would be one thing. But it caused him to grow unnaturally long nails, as if he had a strange illness. This was clearly not something an ordinary creature could do; it was indeed a spirit.

In Zhang Dayong's village, there were many legends about the five great immortals, with the fox spirit being the most talked about.

Just like He Yunxiao’s snake guardian spirit, the fox spirit could also be a protector. Zhang Dayong dared not offend it.

"Wait, in the supernatural tales, foxes turn into beautiful women to repay kindness. Why give someone nails?"

"You’re really making things complicated. This guy has a wife. Are you suggesting the fox spirit become a mistress? Although mistresses are often called fox spirits..."

"Haha, let’s just chalk this up to a misunderstanding, an animal repaying a favor."

Zhang Dayong found the nails to be a nuisance and was considering asking Wu Heng how to build an incense altar to worship the fox spirit, then send it away and ask Wu Heng for some medicine.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Zhang Dayong and his wife rushed to the door and saw two or three curious villagers who had recognized Zhang Dayong from the live stream and couldn’t help but come to check it out.

It was already night outside, and their breath turned into mist, making the night exceptionally cold.

Zhang Dayong let them in, concerned, "Didn’t the village head recently warn about black bear sightings and told everyone to be careful? Why did you come?"

One of the old men kept peeking into the house, hunched over and indifferent, "What are the odds of bumping into a black bear? We came to see the little fox that ran into your house."

The villagers didn’t dare get too close to Su Dayi, so they just peeked through the window, all saying its fur was gorgeous.

"Still too scared to cut those weird nails?"

Zhang Dayong, still rattled by the fox spirit’s earlier rage, naturally didn’t dare to cut them and decided to wait until it left.

Thus, Zhang Dayong still had four long red nails on his hands.

"Dr. Wu, can you show me how to build the incense mountain?" Zhang Dayong asked, rubbing his hands.

Building the incense mountain is a local term in Nan Nuo Village, meaning to offer incense candles to the worshipped, stacking them into a triangular hill to make the incense scent more intense. Basically, it’s like a chef making the food tastier.

This white fox won’t eat leftovers, dog food, or fresh meat, yet it’s still so plump despite not wanting to eat anything.

Dr. Wu nodded along, while a little white snake watching the live stream through the internet curled its lips, "Fake! So fake!"

Foxes are natural enemies of snakes, and the fox spirit, being the leader of the five great spirits, overshadows the snake spirit. The little white snake got the creeps just looking at that fake fox spirit.

"Why act all high and mighty? What’s wrong with eating meat?!"

"Xi Xi, toss it some Orleans roast chicken, see if it’ll eat."

This fox spirit is so picky, it won’t even eat incense candles unless they’re stacked into a mountain, which is tasteless except for replenishing spiritual power.

Xi Xi was too swamped to bother with the little white snake, as she was already overwhelmed. Mr. and Mrs. He were over the moon when they found out she could transform, hugging their granddaughter, the house-protecting spirit, and taking countless photos.

On the live stream, Zhang Dayong was just about to check the storeroom for incense candles when Dr. Wu suddenly warned, "Be careful."

Zhang Dayong just caught a whiff of something foul before he heard a heart-wrenching scream from one of the onlookers in the courtyard.

Everyone turned to see a black bear sneaking in under the cover of darkness.

The black bear, gearing up for hibernation, needed to eat a ton to store energy. Black bears often appeared in their area, and the village had been warning about them recently. They never thought they’d actually run into one!

As the villagers screamed in pain, the air filled with the smell of blood.

"Holy crap! Is that a black bear? Get back inside!"

"The last time I saw a bear this close was on Animal Planet... these things really do eat people."

"Oh my god, run! We need to call the police, this could be fatal."

"??? My friend sent me a link to see a cute white fox, and now there’s a man-eating black bear? I’m freaking out!"

"Isn’t that fox spirit Su Dayi supposed to be a supernatural being? Can it do something?"

"My grandma once told me, the five great spirits are both good and evil. If it’s not your own house-protecting spirit, it won’t easily save unrelated people. Save yourself first!"

No one online expected to see something this intense in the middle of the night.

The plump white fox perched by the window also witnessed this scene, still curled up on the bedding licking its paws, clearly not planning to get involved.

It's just a fragile little fox that can barely fend for itself. How could it recklessly meddle in others' fate? It hasn't even eaten a single grain of rice from Zhang Dayong's house!

Besides, black bears have a varied diet, and foxes are definitely on the menu.

"Everyone, get back inside, quickly!" Zhang Dayong's wife instantly sprang into action, yelling at the top of her lungs.

These three villagers never expected such rotten luck. Despite all the warnings, they hadn't run into a black bear until tonight, when curiosity drove them to visit Zhang Dayong, only to face this deadly situation.

The group, in complete chaos, bolted towards the main room at breakneck speed, while the black bear roared behind them, clearly intending to continue its attack.

Zhang Dayong's heart sank. Tonight, someone was surely going to fall prey to this black bear, especially the injured villager, who was slowed down by severe pain.

Countless viewers figured it was just a matter of time before the live stream got shut down, with bloodshed and even the possibility of a bear eating a person. The web administrators would surely ban it.

Over the phone, Wu Heng barked sharply, "Zhang Dayong, quickly use your nails to scratch the black bear!"

Zhang Dayong was taken aback by Wu Heng's words, and beside his ear, he seemed to hear urgent barking, though he had no dog at home. It seemed he was hallucinating from fear.

In that split second of hesitation, the black bear, driven mad by the scent of blood, pounced. Zhang Dayong was instantly pinned under the several hundred pounds of the black bear, nearly breaking his bones, with the bear's foul-smelling saliva dripping onto his face, making him nauseous.

Driven by sheer survival instinct, Zhang Dayong thrashed wildly at the black bear with all his might, his right hand still adorned with four large red nails.

The nails were razor-sharp, slicing through the bear's thick fur like butter, instantly creating a terrifying gash.

Zhang Dayong seized the moment to scramble to his feet, seeing some black bear fur stuck to the red nails on his right hand.

The black bear never expected such a puny human to hurt it. Roaring in madness, it pounced on Zhang Dayong again.

Zhang Dayong's adrenaline spiked, his face turning beet red. Today, it's either you or me! Remembering Wu Heng's shout, he waved his red nails and actively attacked the bear, scratching fiercely.

Blood seeped through the thick fur of the black bear, staining the red nails eerily.

Everyone watching the live stream was completely stunned. Zhang Dayong was fighting the black bear bare-handed, and the bear was left with a half-meter-long gash!

"Holy crap, even TV shows wouldn't dare to script this! This is insane."

"Uncle Zhang seems so mild-mannered, yet he's a total beast. It's a pity they didn't invite him to play Wu Song fighting the tiger."

"Is it because of these nails... normal human nails are way too weak to rip through a bear's fur?"

"I've called the cops, they're on their way, hope they can hang in there."

As they spoke, Zhang Dayong fought more fiercely, using the four remaining red nails on his right hand to scratch fiercely at the bear's neck and heart.

Everywhere the nails struck, blood gushed.

The black bear, towering at two meters, was soon soaked in blood, with not a single spot left unscathed.

The black bear let out a howl, stumbled and fled, its crooked body crashing into the iron gate with a loud bang, leaving a huge dent.

Zhang Dayong dashed over, swiftly locking the gate again, and after doing all this, he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Dayong!" Seeing the danger outside had passed, his wife quickly opened the door and ran out, anxiously examining Zhang Dayong.

Zhang Dayong was still shell-shocked, speechless.

In just a few minutes, the police who had been patrolling received the news and rushed to Zhang Dayong's house, their hearts sinking at the sight of the dented gate, and immediately knocked.

Upon opening the door, they saw a wounded villager wailing in pain, though from experience, it didn’t seem to be a fatal injury. Only the middle-aged male homeowner, covered in blood and sitting on the ground, looked like a bloodied figure.

All the police officers felt a chill in their hearts, thinking this man might be...

But the next second, Zhang Dayong patted his buttocks and briskly stood up, asking with a mix of vigor and fear, "Officers, I got the black bear all bloody. Will I go to jail? Will it mess up my kids' government job exams?"

Their kids would probably rush home as soon as they heard.

The cops were baffled: "Huh?"

Wait, who got bloodied? Did we hear that right?

Zhang Dayong touched the sticky, foul-smelling blood on his body and said to the stunned police, "This is the bear’s blood, not mine."

Seriously? You’re not messing with us?

The cops glanced at their guns, then at Zhang’s bright red nails, puzzled.

Sure, people have fought off bears before, but those people usually had weapons like sickles, machetes, or axes. No one has ever won by scratching a bear with nails.

The leading officer, seeing Zhang Dayong’s concern, quickly reassured him, "Your safety comes first. You acted in self-defense, which is an emergency measure. Don’t worry. We’ve sent the K-9 unit after the bear."

We’ll handle the bear to keep the village safe.

Zhang Dayong sighed in relief, got up from the ground, and went with everyone to check on the first unlucky villager.

The ambulance was coming, but with no doc around, they turned to Wu Heng.

Wu Heng, looking through the camera, assessed the villager’s condition and said, "It’s not life-threatening. A hospital trip and a couple weeks’ rest should do it."

Zhang grabbed the hot towel from his wife, wiping off the blood to show his skin was fine.

Though bruised in several places, some medicinal wine would heal them.

"Uncle Zhang’s a legend—took on a bear bare-handed, looking all humble."

"Su Dayi: Hmph, still hate the nails I gave you now?"

"Listen up, buddy, you better bow to that chubby fox in your house."

"Did the fox spirit see this coming and hook him up with a weapon? The fox is a real MVP, just a little moody."

Zhang stared at his bright red nails, his mind racing.

He used to think his long nails were a curse, making work and life a hassle, but now they had saved his life.

After talking to Wu Heng, Zhang realized the nails were a gift from the white fox. He hurriedly led his wife inside.

The fox lounged in a fluffy quilt, grooming itself, chin up, eyeing the couple with pride.

Hmph, still hate the nails? Still calling it a demon? It’s a blessing, dummy!

The couple dropped to their knees, bowing three times to the fox, thanking it for saving them.

Su Dayi stood her ground, soaking up their thanks with pride.

After the villager was taken care of, the couple rushed to the kitchen to set up offerings. They laid out fresh produce, cooked meat, sweets, and pastries for the fox.

Seeing the situation, Wu Heng had no choice but to ask the couple's kids to grab some KFC on their way back.

Su Dayi glanced at it, snorted, and turned her head away. She refused to eat human food, claiming it makes you fat and is totally undignified.

The little white snake practically glued its face to the phone screen. All that tasty food, and she’s not even going to try it? If it were me, I’d have already jumped into this feast. What a stuck-up snob!

Wu Heng said, "She gains weight just from drinking water, so she's watching her diet."

The incense and candles that spiritual beasts and ghosts consume help boost their spiritual energy, but human food is way more satisfying, even if it packs on the pounds.

Following Wu Heng's instructions, Zhang Dayong quickly stacked up a pile of incense and tossed a lit piece of yellow paper into it. Soon, the incense and candles were burning.

The white fox leisurely absorbed the essence. It was low-grade stuff, but at least it filled her up without the risk of gaining weight.

Zhang Dayong carefully arranged the nail clippings from the past few days, allowing the white fox to sit high on the bed's quilt. The couple sat on small stools below, gazing at the white fox guiltily and saying:

"Great Fox Immortal, please tell us. We can't recall ever helping you."

They didn’t even have cats or dogs at home, much less help a fox. Could she be thanking the wrong people?

Just as Zhang Dayong finished speaking, he noticed a private message from Chengde Medical Hall, containing a complex and difficult-to-pronounce temporary incantation.

After silently repeating it three times in his head, Zhang Dayong suddenly heard a seductive voice say, 'You didn’t save me, and I’m not here to repay you.'

The fox’s mouth didn’t even move. What on earth did they just hear?!

Zhang Dayong looked incredulously at Wu Heng through the camera. Wu Heng sipped water from his bamboo cup and gave Zhang Dayong a faint smile.

Was it because of the spell Dr. Wu had sent him to recite?

Soon, the couple snapped out of their shock and looked at the white fox in utter amazement.

If it’s not about repaying kindness, then... is it charity?

These days, even philanthropists can quietly spend money to save lives, and now a fox immortal is doing charity for free?

Su Dayi continued to frown while absorbing the essence and casually said, 'I am repaying a friend's kindness.'

Ugh, this stuff tastes like cardboard! It’s like human rations—fills you up but tastes awful.

A friend?

Zhang Dayong and his wife were even more confused and could only turn their pleading eyes to Wu Heng.

Wu Heng explained, "Fox and dog pals."

Zhang Dayong's heart sank. The fox immortal must’ve gotten the wrong people; they don’t even have cats or dogs at home.

As Zhang Dayong's heart was in turmoil, he heard a noise at the door.

Their middle school daughter and high school son came running home, still in their school uniforms and backpacks, clutching a stuffed plastic bag.

Su Dayi’s eyes locked onto the KFC bag. Suddenly, she kicked the burning incense pile aside and lunged at the bag, ripping it open with her claws.

The grilled chicken fell to the floor, and Su Dayi’s eyes glowed green as she took a bite.

Zhang Dayong stared at Wu Heng in disbelief. Didn’t Dr. Wu say she was dieting?

Su Dayi paused, looked up, and said with a straight face, 'Aren’t I just helping this chicken slim down?'