Bringing a Fox Cub Home

After walking for a while down the mountain, he suddenly heard a cry:

"Aah~"

Lin Jue was startled and instinctively tightened his grip on the cleaver.

He then saw a cloud leopard leap out from the woods and land in front of him.

"!"

Lin Jue became wary, yet also confused.

This cloud leopard looked somewhat familiar.

At the same time, he looked down at the small thing in his hand.

It didn't seem to be of the same species.

As he was thinking, two people walked out from behind the cloud leopard.

One was the Senior Brother from the Daoist temple, and the other was the Fourth Senior Brother, the one skilled in the Method of Gathering and Taming Beasts.

"Little Junior Brother, why did you climb so high just to chop firewood? And why are you still not down the mountain so late?"

"Two Senior Brothers."

Lin Jue then put away his cleaver and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Because there aren't many dead branches this season, and the firewood down the mountain has been mostly chopped, so I had to go further up. Also, I saw the scenery at the peak was good, and I was captivated by it, so I climbed up to sit for a while." Lin Jue paused here and then brought up the cub in his hand, "But I happened to see a cub that had lost its parents on the mountain. I don't know what happened, but I waited for a long time from a distance, and its parents never came. I thought I should bring it back to the Daoist temple. Otherwise, at the summit, even if it wasn't eaten by other beasts, it would probably freeze to death from the wind."

"A cub?"

The Fourth Senior Brother looked at his hand and immediately concluded, "It's a fox cub."

"A fox cub?"

"There are no foxes on this mountain, only deeper within. I don't know how it ended up here." The Fourth Senior Brother, who practiced the Method of Gathering and Taming Beasts, clearly knew a lot about these creatures and was very kind-hearted. "It's fate that you met it. Bring it back to the Daoist temple. I'll ask my friends in the mountains tonight to inquire everywhere if anyone has lost a cub. If there is, we'll return it tomorrow morning."

"That would be great."

Lin Jue wasn't surprised by this—

Since practicing Wood Escape required harmony with plants, it was understandable that practicing the Method of Gathering and Taming Beasts would require kindness towards birds and beasts. Moreover, there had always been legends of wild animals having spirits and being able to sense people's goodwill or ill intentions. In fact, these legends were more believable than those about plants.

"Let's go, down the mountain."

"Okay."

Lin Jue couldn't help but pick up the little fox cub and examine it closely. So this was what fox cubs looked like when they were young.

He then followed them down the mountain.

"We thought you got lost on the mountain, or were bewitched by Spirits and Monsters."

"Getting lost isn't quite true, but I was worried if this little fox cub was a trick by the Spirits and Monsters in the mountain to fool me."

"If there are Spirits and Monsters on this mountain that deceive people this way, we will definitely find a way to deal with them!"

"Are you two not fake either?"

"Haha..."

The little thing stayed obediently in Lin Jue's hand.

The cloud leopard, with its tail held high, walked alongside them. If people down the mountain saw this scene, they would probably think of them as extraordinary hermits.

As they walked, the Fourth Senior Brother's cloud leopard seemed to discover something, stopped, and turned its head to look into the distance.

"Aah~"

A cry.

The Fourth Senior Brother also stopped and looked in the direction it was looking.

"Brother Yun, what's wrong?"

"Aah~"

One person and one leopard were actually exchanging questions and answers.

Lin Jue watched curiously from the side.

This large, colorful cat looked quite majestic, but its cry was unexpectedly peculiar.

"What's wrong, Senior Brother?"

"It must be a wild beast in the mountain."

The Fourth Senior Brother smiled slightly and continued down the mountain.

With the firewood gathered, they soon returned to the temple.

Several cats were still lying on the stone steps at the entrance, lazily enjoying the afterglow of the sunset. A black, slender dog sat upright, looking somewhat imposing. The cloud leopard walked past them without fear, implying they were already familiar with each other. However, Lin Jue's arrival with the little fox cub made them curious for a while.

Most of the Senior Brothers were waiting in the outer courtyard. The old Daoist also placed a meditation cushion under a pine tree in the outer courtyard and sat cross-legged. For some reason, after only one day back at the temple, he seemed to have aged considerably.

Only when the three of them returned did he open his eyes:

"Why did you take so long to come back?"

"Master, because the mountain scenery was too beautiful, and I happened to encounter a fox cub, I ended up sitting on the mountain for a while longer, enjoying the view."

"You certainly have a refined taste."

"It's just that I've never seen such beautiful mountains."

"There's still plenty of time, just don't get tired of looking at them... But when did Floating Hill Peak get foxes?"

The old Daoist raised his eyelids and looked at his hand.

He saw the small, dusty-grey creature tucking its tail to cover its vital parts, held in Lin Jue's hand. It wore an honest expression and looked back at him, evoking a sense of pity.

"I don't know. Fourth Senior Brother said he'd ask some friends in the mountains tonight. If he finds out, we'll send it back tomorrow."

"It's fine. Meeting it is fate, and the monastery doesn't lack food for it. Even if we can't find its home, we can raise it until it's grown and then release it back into the mountains." The old Daoist glanced at it once more, then withdrew his gaze. He stood up, carrying his cushion towards the inner courtyard. "It's time to eat."

This little fox cub was too small. Lin Jue was afraid the cats in the courtyard would mistake it for a mouse and eat it, so he brought it into the dining hall.

"Don't run around. Wait until I'm done eating."

Strangely enough, after hearing his words, the little creature stayed put obediently. It was unclear if it was well-behaved or timid, but it kept its dark, glistening eyes fixed on him, following his movements without a sound or a stray step.

It looked like a tiny thing that could be crushed with a single stomp.

"This little thing is quite pitiful. Go get a tile for it to use as a bowl and give it something to eat first," the old Daoist said slowly.

"What does it eat?"

"Foxes eat everything."

"Okay."

Lin Jue went to the eaves of the outer courtyard to find a clean tile. There was a pile there, likely leftovers from when the house was built. When he returned, the table was already set with food.

It was exactly the same as last night, not only the dishes but even the sticky consistency of the rice.

It was nutritious enough, but lacked flavor.

Why else would they call the mountain austere?

"It's cooler outside. I'll eat outside. You all do as you please." The old Daoist served himself rice and a bit of food, then slowly walked outside with his bowl, like an ordinary old man from a village.

"I'll eat outside too!"

"Me too!"

The two senior brothers followed suit, taking their bowls outside.

Lin Jue thought for a moment, then scooped some rice and served himself a little of each dish. He picked up his bowl and the tile and walked outside.

The little fox actually followed him, its movements incredibly clumsy as it ran.

Crossing the threshold, however, proved difficult for it.

The threshold was even higher than it was.

As Lin Jue walked out of the dining hall, he saw the sun setting, the sky ablaze with colorful clouds. The courtyard was inevitably a bit dark. The two senior brothers were chatting under a pine tree with their bowls, while the old Daoist gazed into the distance alone, watching the ink-like layers of mountains where the sun was setting. He chewed his food, lost in thought.

Glancing back, he saw the little fox cub struggling to climb the threshold, only to fall back down solidly.

It immediately got up, as if it felt no pain, and hurried towards him.

"Sitting here all afternoon, you've gotten to know me."

Lin Jue couldn't help but smile. He found a step to sit on, placed the tile beside him, and put a little rice, greens, and egg on it.

"See what you like to eat."

This little thing was truly too small, as if it had never eaten solid food before. It stared at the food with its round eyes, a look of utter confusion in its gaze. Then, it turned its head to look at Lin Jue, silent and helpless.

Lin Jue didn't look at it, but at the stunning sunset mountain view in the distance. Holding his bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other, he also lowered his head to eat.

Swallows flew overhead, chasing and playing. Bats flapped their wings, creating dull, hollow sounds. A few cats in the courtyard playfully tussled with each other, while others stood on high, staring intently at the birds in the sky. The slender black dog followed the two senior brothers, looking up hopefully for food.

The evening here was just like the summer in Shu Village, and also much like Lin Jue's childhood memories.

There was a sense of simple tranquility that calmed the heart.

It would be even better if the food tasted better.

Lin Jue glanced at the fox and suddenly froze—

The little fox cub beside him was no longer looking at him. Instead, it extended a paw and, turning its hand over, began to scratch at the edge of the tile, as if imitating him, trying to lift it.

When it realized it couldn't lift it, it clearly froze, stunned for a moment. Then, it turned its head to look at Lin Jue, its eyes filled with even greater confusion.

"?"

Lin Jue suddenly realized.

This little thing seemed a bit different.

At the very least, it was exceptionally intelligent.

At this moment, the little thing was still observing him, shifting its gaze from his left hand holding the bowl to his right hand holding the chopsticks. So, it lowered its head and looked at its other paw.

Seeing nothing on its paw, it even searched around the tile. When it looked up at Lin Jue again, its eyes held not only confusion but also a sense of not knowing what to do.

"?"

Lin Jue felt surprised and confused.

He spent a lot of time finally teaching it how to eat with its head down, yet he couldn't tell what it liked to eat.

This little thing seemed completely clueless about the food. Whatever Lin Jue gave it, it ate. It ate everything in the order it was given, without any preferences of its own.

Still, interacting with it was interesting. When used as an accompaniment to meals, he'd unconsciously finish a bowl of rice.

After the meal, Lin Jue intended to help his Sixth Senior Brother wash the dishes. Being diligent wasn't a bad thing. However, his Junior Sister, who was even more diligent, beat him to it. That was fine too; it saved him some effort. He then went to the courtyard to sit in meditation and practice the Qi Nourishing Method.

Dusk was the time for cultivation.

Compared to various spiritual techniques, the Qi Nourishing Method, though basic and simple, still involved the Five Qi of heaven and earth during inhalation and exhalation. Closing his eyes and sensing it was still the Spiritual Charm of the world. The absorption and comprehension weren't fundamentally different, just less pure and efficient than various spiritual techniques.

The little fox still followed him closely, lying beside him, watching him while timidly glancing at the cats and dogs nearby.

The next morning, in the Mountain Moving Hall.

It was time for morning class.

"Without yang, nothing can exist; without yin, nothing can be born. Yin and yang interact, and all things grow and thrive endlessly..."

Lin Jue sat on his meditation cushion, reciting the Yin Yang Scripture, which explained the Great Way of Yin Yang. The Junior Sister, wearing the same clothes she arrived in—the fabric looked good and was quite pretty—sat on a cushion beside him, listening attentively. She was just a bit closer to Lin Jue's position than she had been yesterday morning.

Cats were still strolling leisurely on the altar, occasionally swatting at the statue of the sect's founder if they felt like it.

The biggest difference from yesterday was outside the Mountain Moving Hall. A little fox cub leaned against the doorframe, which was taller than it, sitting obediently as if waiting for the people inside to come out. It occasionally lowered its head and dozed off.

"This is the Way of Yin Yang."

Lin Jue finally finished reciting and closed the book.

The Junior Sister seemed to understand but not understand, staring blankly at him.

"Thank you, Senior Brother..."

"It's my duty."

Just then, the Fourth Senior Brother happened to walk by the door.

"Junior Brother, you're having morning class here."

"Fourth Senior Brother."

"Good morning, Fourth Senior Brother!"

"How is it? Can you recognize all the characters?"

"I can recognize them all."

The Junior Sister, however, meekly lowered her head and remained silent.

"It's good that you can recognize them all. Read a book a hundred times, and its meaning will become clear. Cultivation cannot be rushed; in fact, impatience is the greatest taboo. As you recite the Yin Yang Scripture every day, you will eventually gain some insight. Even if you don't, commit it to memory, and a sentence from it will eventually become your true understanding at some point. The words of the sages are just like that."

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

"Thank you, Senior Brother..."

"Coincidentally, I wanted to tell you that last night I asked some friends from the vicinity to help look around, but we couldn't find any newly relocated foxes within several miles of Floating Hill Peak. This little fox, I don't know where it came from, but judging by its appearance, it might be quite unusual. You can raise it for now. If you want to learn the Method of Gathering and Taming Beasts, this is a good start. It's fine if you don't want to raise it either; I can raise it myself. I get plenty of random prey from friends every day, and many friends come to me for food, so it won't make much difference."

"It has a connection with me, so I will raise it," Lin Jue said, pausing for a moment before asking, "May I ask, Fourth Senior Brother, what are the wonders of the Method of Gathering and Taming Beasts, and how should one cultivate it?"

"As the name suggests, the Method of Gathering and Taming Beasts is a way to gather and tame the flying beasts and wild animals of the world and communicate with them," the Fourth Senior Brother said, stopping at the doorway. "There are tricks to it, but the most important essence is to make them feel your goodwill and to approach them with a benevolent heart."

"I see."

No wonder the Fourth Senior Brother cared so much about this little fox cub and called all the wild beasts in the mountains his friends.

It was as Lin Jue expected.

"You should know that gathering and taming beasts isn't just for wild animals. When practiced to a high level, you can gather and tame any beast or monster whose intelligence hasn't reached the level of 'demon spirit.' Furthermore, even if you encounter a demon, as long as they know you've studied the Method of Gathering and Taming Beasts, they will be able to gauge what kind of person you are based on your proficiency. Naturally, they will feel a bit more favorably towards you."

The Fourth Senior Brother bragged a little:

"Think about whether you want to learn it slowly. However, you should also know that in worldly techniques, quality is more important than quantity. Everyone's time and energy are limited, so choose carefully and don't be too greedy."

"I have learned much."

"Since you've finished reciting the scripture, come and eat. I was just about to go ring the bell for the Seventh Junior Brother."

"Okay."

Lin Jue stood up and walked with him.

The Junior Sister also quickly followed.