The Perilous Fox Hunt

Anyone in the Great Gan Dynasty who knew horses would have recognized these steeds as Fire Cloud Horses from the distant Huoluo Kingdom. Their coats were dark red, and when they galloped, they looked like clouds of fire—that was how they got their name. After spending a few days in the valley, Hong Yi had learned that the foxes had completely left behind the lives of beasts who ate raw flesh and drank blood. They not only read and wrote, but also learned human speech and how to plant crops and cook. They ate food seasoned with oil and salt, slept on beds laid out inside the caves, and cleaned up and bathed every day, keeping everything spotless. Over the past three days, Hong Yi had pored over the classics and learned quite a bit about the spirits and gods that scholars "left unexamined beyond the six directions." Nearby, Xiao Shu, Xiao Sang, and Xiao Fei, three little white foxes, were gathered around a large clay pot. The aroma of chicken drifted from within. Before this, cultivators had to rely on their fists and feet to protect themselves. West Mountain. Woof, woof, woof... Over the past few days, Hong Yi had stayed in this valley deep in West Mountain, poring over tens of thousands of books. He felt as if he could forget every worry in the world. Hong Yi also realized that many passages in the Great Gan Dynasty's Martial Classic were probably unreliable. Clearly, these people were elite guards kept by the mansions of princes and nobles. But wandering by day was far more dangerous than roaming at night. Hong Yi was sitting outside the stone chamber, studying and pondering the Martial Classic. Elder Tu, the old fox, was inside the chamber, motionless. Clearly, his soul had left his body to roam. These foxes couldn't practice martial arts. Martial arts were meant to train human bodies; with their fox forms, they couldn't cultivate them. "The palace eunuchs say the Emperor once asked his consorts what was the greatest thing in the world. None of them gave an answer he liked. Then Consort Yuan said that reason was the greatest, and the Emperor was so delighted that he elevated her to Noble Consort."...The sunlight was fierce. Ordinary souls couldn't withstand its baptism; they'd be dead the moment they saw the light. These people were clearly princes and nobles of great standing and wealth. That was also why ghosts and spirits rarely appeared in broad daylight. Once a soul grew strong enough to roam by day, it could grow stronger still and manipulate objects. At that level, a cultivator could control a sword to kill, like shooting a crossbow bolt. That was enough to protect oneself... The room was warm because several large copper basins had been filled with burning charcoal. As Hong Yi read, he closed the Martial Classic, a wave of disappointment rising in his heart. On either side of the stone chamber were several openings the size of fists, as if they had been carved by hand. They were skillfully cut, letting in light and air without letting in the wind. The woman was the daughter of Prince Rong of Yujing. The Emperor had bestowed the title Princess Yongchun upon her. "Princess, news came from the palace the day before yesterday. For some reason, Consort Yuan has been made Noble Consort." Amid the heavy snowfall, a party of horsemen entered the mountains with hunting dogs and bows, dressed in luxurious fur coats and capes. After several days of reading and study, Hong Yi had grasped some of the basic principles of martial arts. "I'll take the imperial examinations, earn a name for myself, distinguish myself in battle, and win a title of nobility. Those are all things I have to do, one step at a time. First, I need to strengthen my body and stop being so weak I couldn't even catch a chicken." "Was the Great Zen Temple's Library emptied out by you? How did you manage to bring out so many books?" The snow fell in an immense, sweeping blanket, like goose feathers or tufts of cotton, piling up in clumps and slabs. Outside, the cold was so bitter that water froze the instant it dripped. Yet inside the stone chambers where the valley's foxes lived, it was warm and cozy. Four couples had come out to hunt, bringing more than ten mastiffs. They clearly meant to claim their prey. These were mastiffs; three or four could tear apart a tiger! At the Marquis Mansion, he'd never had a chance to practice martial arts. At last, here he had the opportunity. Hong Yi made up his mind: he would start training. The Great Gan Dynasty had established itself through martial prowess and governed through civil administration. The learned could become officials, while the martial could earn noble titles. Both were essential to Hong Yi, who meant to win his mother the status she deserved. Yang Tong, heir to Prince Cheng, reached toward his horse and took up a longbow. The books and classics stored in the valley's stone chambers were more extensive than the collections of any wealthy household. Aside from the imperial palace Library, hardly any could compare. Poor Hong Yi had spent more than ten years reading, borrowing and copying books whenever he could. When had he ever encountered anything like this, with a whole roomful of books at his disposal? After three days reading the Daoist Classic, Hong Yi had learned about cultivating immortality only as far as Object Manipulation. The later stages—Manifestation, Possession, Body Snatching, Tribulation, and Yang God—weren't recorded in the Daoist Classic. The first great snowfall of the Great Gan Dynasty's sixtieth year had finally swept down from the sky. Another man and woman looked even more distinguished and dignified. Both wore lavish capes of pure-white fox fur. Snow settled on the capes, but a gentle shake sent it rolling right off, as if they were lotus leaves impervious to water. "Pure Foxes are intelligent creatures. They might even have a few tricks up their sleeves. But they still won't escape our grasp this time. These mastiffs can see through ghosts and spirits." Hong Yi had spent three days reading the Daoist Classic and had learned that the hand seals and movements performed before a soul left the body weren't useless. They were complicated exercises for the body and breathing. They were also meant to strengthen the body. "Heaven gave foxes their luxurious fur, but not the means to protect themselves. Still, Xiao Sang, Xiao Shu, and Xiao Fei at least have some way of protecting themselves. I'm not even strong enough to catch a chicken. I need to practice martial arts. Leaving the body as a soul and training to the point where I can manipulate objects isn't something I can accomplish overnight. According to the Daoist Classic, cultivators with shallow foundations or no advanced methods for strengthening their souls might spend their whole lives without reaching the realm of Object Manipulation." Just then, the dozen or so hunting dogs running ahead began barking furiously. As they barked, they arched their backs and their fur stood on end, making them look like porcupines. Xiao Shu grew sad when she spoke of her parents. The three little white foxes—Xiao Sang, Xiao Shu, and Xiao Fei—were delighted to chat with Hong Yi. They called him "big brother" this and "big brother" that every day, acting even closer to him than real siblings. The foxes' simple, innocent nature moved Hong Yi deeply. Once a soul could roam by day without fearing the sunlight, it had grown strong indeed. "There are a few basic methods for exercising the muscles in the Martial Classic. I should find time to practice them. If I can make my body stronger, my soul will be able to remain outside it longer." Practicing martial arts wasn't easy. To begin with, there were many rules about diet. So it went, with the complicated, delicate structure of the human body: the slightest mistake could lead to trouble. The first stage, muscle training, alone had over a hundred methods and dozens of martial arts recorded in the Martial Classic. Hong Yi had no idea which were better or whether practicing them might leave him deformed. The stone chambers were stocked with grain, and all the essentials—oil, salt, firewood, rice, soy sauce, vinegar, and more—were on hand. They needn't fear being snowed in. This was the heir to Prince Cheng, Yang Tong. But though this horse was incredibly swift, it was also exceptionally enduring. It could carry its rider a thousand li in a day, and it was intelligent and unfailingly loyal to its master. Wealthy families of princes, marquises, and earls would spend thousands of gold pieces to obtain one. The horse needed no fodder; every meal had to be mixed with eggs and soybeans, and it required painstaking care. In the Great Gan Dynasty, each one needed three or four grooms to tend it day and night. Ordinary people could never afford to keep one. It was stewing chicken. The chicken was a fine pheasant that had fed on pine nuts in the mountains. The stew's fragrance carried the fresh scent of pine nuts. Moreover, cultivating the Dao and practicing martial arts were closely related. After three days of reading the Daoist Classic, Hong Yi had learned that the hand seals performed before a soul left the body were not useless. They were complicated exercises for the body and breathing, meant to strengthen the body. This was Princess Yongchun answering Jing Yuxing's question. These hounds were each as big as a calf, with sharp teeth and fierce expressions. They looked almost like lions. After three days of reading, Hong Yi had managed to sort out roughly half the books. Taking a break in his spare time, he let his soul leave his body and chatted with the three little white foxes. The chicken was a fine pheasant that had fed on pine nuts in the mountains. The stew's fragrance carried the fresh scent of pine nuts. The four people who had entered the mountains were two men and two women on horseback. Several more people followed behind them, dressed lightly but unbothered by the cold. Their eyes were haughty, and they moved like the wind, never falling behind the horses. He figured that moving a whole den of foxes all the way from Central Province to Yujing had involved no end of danger, especially for Xiao Sang, Xiao Shu, and Xiao Fei. Their fur was pure white, without a single spot of another color. Even their pelts were worth a hundred gold pieces. The stone chamber's other end held several smaller rooms. Some foxes were sprawled lazily on the ground, sleeping. Though the chambers housed a whole den of foxes, there wasn't the slightest trace of a rank smell, so they didn't disturb Hong Yi as he read. Cotton curtains hung over the stone chamber's entrance, blocking the cold wind. Practicing the soul had ten stages: Settling the Soul, Leaving the Body, Night Roaming, Day Wanderer, Object Manipulation, Manifestation, Possession, Body Snatching, Tribulation, and Yang God. Hong Yi had grasped some of the basic principles. This was one of the foxes they'd caught in the mountains while the snow was falling, and they said it was to give Hong Yi an extra dish. The snow was so heavy that West Mountain, outside Yujing, was swept by a "white-haired wind," and the cold was frightening. To wander at night came with many restrictions. At first, a soul could only go out on dark, windless nights. Only after it grew stronger, step by step, could it gradually roam beneath the moon and in the wind. The old fox had already reached the stage of Day Wanderer. The snow fell heavily, yet the deep forests and secluded valleys had a special kind of quiet. They were perfect for reading, writing, and studying. "Pure Foxes are intelligent creatures. They might even have a few tricks up their sleeves. But they still won't escape our grasp this time. These mastiffs can see through ghosts and spirits." Hong Yi knew well enough. Though practicing martial arts wasn't simple, he wasn't trying to learn advanced techniques. He merely wanted to make his body stronger and take it slowly, step by step. A snowstorm like this made the secluded valley unusually quiet, the perfect place to read and study. The room was warm because several large copper basins had been filled with burning charcoal. The stone chamber had several openings the size of fists on either side, seemingly carved by hand. They were cut with such skill that light and air could enter without letting in the wind. The woman was the daughter of Prince Rong of Yujing. The Emperor had bestowed the title Princess Yongchun upon her. This woman was Hong Xuejiao. The man, on the other hand, was extremely tall, with a high nose bridge and hawklike eyes. Though he had none of Jing Yuxing's easy grace, there was something imposing about him. These horses were each more than a zhang long and eight chi tall. In the blizzard, they blew out clouds of white breath and kept their eyes open against the snow, showing no fear or cold. Their strong, powerful bodies, long legs, flawless coats, and glossy fur all showed that they were no ordinary breed. But in weather like this, the secluded valley in the deep mountains had a special kind of quiet. It was the perfect place to read, write, and immerse oneself in scholarship. ...The sunlight was fierce. Ordinary souls couldn't withstand its baptism; they'd be dead the moment they saw the light. Clearly, these people were princes and nobles of great standing and wealth. That was also why ghosts and spirits rarely appeared in broad daylight. The dogs' barking and the descriptions of the hunt filled the valley with unease.