Snow Fox

"No, the Chopping Knife is still too useless. Being able to chop firewood won't fill my stomach for now."

Just as Lu Chuan was pondering what weapon to record, the door suddenly burst open.

"Chuanzi! Look what I caught!"

A weather-beaten middle-aged man rushed in, a snow-white fox dangling from his hand.

The man before him was Lu Chuan's biological father, Lu Danian.

Coming home in such high spirits, he must have bagged something big.

Having fully inherited his predecessor's memories, Lu Chuan felt no awkwardness toward Lu Danian.

He noticed Lu Danian's hands trembling from the cold and quickly said:

"Dad, it's freezing out there. Come warm yourself by the fire first..."

Lu Danian shut the door, pointed at the fox, and grinned wide:

"Look, your old man got lucky today—caught a Snow Fox!"

Lu Chuan helped him change out of his snow-covered clothes:

"This... is it worth a lot?"

In his predecessor's memories, Lu Danian had never caught a fox with such pristine white fur, so he only had a vague idea of its price.

"Worth a lot! A real fortune!"

Seeing his son's interest, Lu Danian perked up.

"This pelt alone should fetch at least five taels of silver. Enough for a warm winter, maybe even some left over. I'll save it up, and later find you a wife..."

At the thought of his son's marriage, a spark lit in Lu Danian's eyes.

Though Lu Chuan had no interest in marrying a village girl, hearing they could have a warm winter and enough to eat put him at ease.

At least the biggest crisis was solved for now.

He smiled: "That's great, Dad. Tomorrow, let's head into town together and sell this fox for a good price!"

"Deal!"

Just then, a frantic pounding on the door cut off their conversation.

"Big brother! You home? Open up, it's me!"

The smile froze on Lu Chuan's face.

That voice... it was his grandfather, Old Master Lu.

They say parents favor the youngest child.

That saying held true for the old man.

His father, Lu Danian, had never been as favored as Second Uncle since childhood. No matter what trouble Second Uncle stirred up, the old man always cleaned up after him.

When the family split, it was even worse. The old man claimed the capable should get less, giving Lu Danian only two acres of thin land.

Second Uncle got the rest of the family property—fifteen acres of fields, several houses, and livestock.

How could two acres of thin land feed a family of three?

Forced into it, Lu Danian had to prepare a hunting bow and venture into the deep mountains just to put food on the table.

Because of this, the two families were on bad terms.

Over the years, aside from unavoidable visits during festivals, they barely interacted.

Why show up today? And at this hour?

The door swung open, and sure enough, Old Master Lu stood outside.

His face was etched with deep wrinkles, but his eyes were sharp. Beside him stood a sturdy lad—Second Uncle's eldest son, Lu Tao.

Lu Tao wore a thick cotton coat, his expression impatient.

Without waiting for Lu Danian to speak, Old Master Lu stepped straight inside.

Lu Danian said flatly:

"Dad, what brings you here? It's cold inside, and there's nothing good to offer..."

Old Master Lu acted as if he hadn't heard. His eyes locked onto the fox, gleaming with greed:

"Big brother, the villagers weren't wrong—you really did get your hands on something good!"

Lu Tao followed him in, his eyes lighting up at the fox:

"Grandpa! This pelt is so white! Perfect—Instructor Liu at the martial arts school said he likes good pelts, right? Give it to him, and he'll be thrilled!"

Hearing this, Lu Chuan's heart sank.

In the memories he'd inherited, he had a deep understanding of the word "Martial Artist."

They were true elites—men who could split stone and shatter tablets, whose blood and qi surged like a tide. Even the county magistrate treated them with respect.

The county martial arts school was the common man's gateway into the Martial Way.

However, Lu Tao's training or lack thereof didn't concern him—what worried him was his own grandfather!

That old man's favoritism was notorious throughout the village.

Now that they'd set their sights on the Snow Fox, they'd surely find some excuse to claim a share.

Sure enough, Old Master Lu spoke up:

"Eldest, you heard that. Your nephew's made something of himself—a city martial arts school has taken a liking to him. This is a huge blessing! It brings glory to our ancestors!"

"But to take a master, you need a gift. Instructor Liu has a taste for fine furs, and this Snow Fox of yours is just right."

He paused, softening his tone:

"Your father knows it hasn't been easy for you, but this is for your own nephew's future! As his uncle, shouldn't you support him?"

Hearing this, Lu Chuan's eyes turned cold.

At the old man's blatant favoritism, Lu Danian felt a chill run through him. His voice trembled:

"Father... this fox... our family was counting on it to get through the winter. And Chuanzi's not getting any younger—we need to save up for him to find a wife..."

Old Master Lu cut him off, brow furrowed, his gaze sweeping over Lu Chuan.

There was no trace of concern for his grandson in those eyes—only cold indifference.

"Get through the winter? Will you starve to death missing a few meals? Your nephew is about to test into a martial arts school!"

"When he brings glory to the family, won't you share in it? You're so short-sighted, only thinking about the next few bites of food!"

With that, he reached out directly to grab the Snow Fox.

Lu Danian watched helplessly as his father moved to take it. He wanted to stop him, but that was his father.

Decades of filial piety and fear locked his limbs in place; he couldn't utter a single word.

Just as Old Master Lu was about to touch the fur, a hand pressed down on the fox first.

The old man froze, following the hand up to meet a pair of eyes.

Lu Chuan's eyes.

"Grandfather,"

Lu Chuan said, his voice low, "This fox belongs to my father."

"How dare you!"

Old Master Lu erupted in fury, yanking hard, but couldn't break free.

He hadn't expected his usually meek and cowardly grandson to resist. He raised his other hand, as if to strike.

But Lu Chuan didn't yield an inch. He pushed back with force, his resolute gaze unwavering.

The two faced off in a standoff.

"Father, stop! Chuanzi is still your grandson!"

Seeing his son's actions, Lu Danian was stunned for a moment before snapping back to reality and rushing to stop the old man.

He pulled Lu Chuan behind him and retrieved the Snow Fox.

This only enraged Old Master Lu further.

"Let go! You unfilial wretch! For a useless waste, you'd throw away your own father and nephew's future?!"

"Uncle! How dare you lay a hand on Grandfather!" Lu Tao shouted from the side, putting on a show.

But faced with Old Master Lu's tirade, Lu Danian said nothing, only clutching the Snow Fox in silence.

This Snow Fox was too important. Without it, the three of them wouldn't even make it through the winter.

Even his usually timid son had started to fight back—if he kept cowering, what kind of father would he be?

"Father, this is our family's lifeline!"

The standoff lasted only a moment.

Old Master Lu wasn't intimidated by Lu Danian's words. A cruel glint flashed in his eyes as he shoved Lu Danian hard in the chest!

Lu Danian had been lying in the snow for three days and nights, half his body numb from the cold. Caught off guard, he was slammed into the earthen wall and couldn't even stand.

His grip loosened, and the white fox flew from his hands.

Lu Tao darted forward, snatching the fox into his arms, a smug grin spreading across his face.

"My... Snow Fox..."

Lu Danian leaned against the wall, watching his nephew cradling the fox and his ruthless father. A wave of crushing helplessness washed over him.

The pillar of this family, in that moment, had completely collapsed.

"You bastard! Put it down!"

Lu Chuan clenched his fists, his eyes turning icy, and lunged toward Lu Tao.

"Chuanzi, no!"

Lu Danian's voice trembled, but he gripped Lu Chuan's hand tightly.

Lu Tao was young but tall and sturdy, a full half-head taller than Lu Chuan—no wonder the town's martial arts school had taken a liking to him.

And with his own body not feeling right, if the two of them fought, Lu Chuan would probably come out the worse.

"Leave this to me. Don't you make a move..."

Old Master Lu stared coldly at Lu Chuan's defiant face, showing no sign of relenting.

"You've gone too far! No sense of decency!"

Those words thoroughly enraged Lu Danian. He jerked his head up.

Old Master Lu felt a little unnerved under his gaze, but still forced an air of authority:

"What? You think you can—"

"Father."

Lu Danian cut him off, his voice calm.

"Take this fox. Consider it... your son's last act of filial piety."

A flicker of smugness crossed Old Master Lu's face. So the eldest had caved after all.

But his son's next words made his expression shift sharply.

"From now on,"

Lu Danian said slowly, each word deliberate, "whether this branch lives or dies, whether we feast or beg, it has nothing to do with you or the Lu family's old house. Life and death, each to his own fate."

After saying this, Lu Danian seemed drained of all vitality, slumping straight against Lu Chuan.

"Father! Don't get worked up!"

Seeing this, Lu Chuan, though still bitter inside, understood what Lu Danian meant.

Then he helped Lu Danian up and said coldly to Old Master Lu:

"You've got your fox. Now get the hell out."

If he hadn't gotten the system, Lu Chuan would never have let those two take the fox away. But now that his father had spoken, and he had the equipment slot as a fallback, though furious, he ultimately backed down.

Old Master Lu opened his mouth as if to curse, but looking at his eldest son's retreating back, he only let out a heavy snort.

"Let's go!"

With that, the two didn't linger and strode straight out the door.

Lu Chuan helped Lu Danian to the inner room and onto the bed. Once he lay down, Lu Danian said weakly:

"Chuanzi, don't worry. It's just a Snow Fox. I have other ways. I won't... let you and your mother starve..."

"Father, I believe you. I believe you can hunt something better."

Lu Chuan held Lu Danian's big hand, his voice steady.

"Don't think about anything now. Rest first. Are you starving? There's some gruel left in the pot. I'll heat it up for you..."

Lu Danian's lips moved a few more times, as if he wanted to say something else, but couldn't get the words out.

Before Lu Chuan could speak, his head lolled to the side, and his whole body went limp.

"Father!"