Snow Shadow Spirit Fox?

Shi Meng's eyes rolled, and a look of sudden enlightenment appeared on his face as he flattered Wang Lang:

"Still, Young Master Wang, you are farsighted and deeply calculating. You must have thought that if that demon truly came to punish evildoers,

then Shi Jun would very likely be its next target! We're sure to find something if we go nearby!"

The corner of Wang Lang's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly as he thought to himself:

Isn't that an obvious connection? Shi Meng's cultivation at the first level of body tempering is considered decent in the village,

but why does it feel like his head is a little... slow?

Yet he showed none of it on his face and merely gave a faint hum.

The young, able-bodied men behind him naturally dared not object. They gripped their hoes, woodcutting blades, and hunting forks tighter,

both nervous and expectant as they followed Wang Lang and Shi Meng onto the path leading to the village chief's home.

The village chief's home stood at the eastern end of the village, somewhat apart from the others. Behind it lay a dense bamboo grove, and beyond that stretched the rolling hills of the Back Mountain.

Just as the group arrived outside the village chief's courtyard wall, a sudden change occurred!

A white shadow shot out from the edge of the bamboo grove on the Back Mountain!

Wang Lang barked, "Stay on guard here. I'll pursue it!"

Before his words had even faded, he had already shot forward, moving so swiftly that a faint afterimage remained where he had stood.

Rather than charging directly into the village chief's courtyard, he anticipated the white shadow's escape route. After a few leaps, he took a shortcut and cut off its path.

The white shadow clearly had not expected anyone to be so fast, much less to block its retreat with such precision. Panicking, it tried to change direction, but it was already too late.

Wang Lang reached out with one hand. An invisible force descended, pinching the white shadow by the scruff of its neck like iron tongs and lifting it into the air.

That white shadow was, astonishingly, a snow-white fox whose sleek fur gleamed with a glossy sheen!

Even more astonishingly, caught by Wang Lang at the scruff of fate, its limbs flailed wildly in midair as it actually spoke in human words:

"Argh! What boorish brute is this?! Let me go! Do you know who I am?!"

Wang Lang had initially thought the white fox rather spirited and quite adorable, but the moment it called him a boorish brute, he was displeased.

He considered himself somewhat sturdier in build, perhaps, but inwardly he was a cultured man who had read countless books!

Raising a brow, he deliberately put on a stern expression. "Hah! You demon, cease your nonsense! Wang is a proper scholar! How dare you slander me! Take this!"

As he spoke, he raised his other hand as though to flick its forehead.

Suspended in the air and unable to break free, the white fox heard those words and actually showed an extremely human-like twitch at the corner of its mouth.

Only now did it clearly sense that the aura it had noticed from far away earlier—one that had felt inexplicably intimate,

yet also carried a suppressive force—came from the hulking, utterly unreasonable boor... scholar before it!

It wailed inwardly, What scholar looks like this?! His muscles are practically bursting through that blue robe! Woe is me!

It tried to mobilize the Demon Power within its body, intending to cast some illusion or escape technique, but a pure, calm Righteous Qi radiated from him.

That aura possessed an innate suppressive effect on demons like it, making its Demon Power sluggish and unable to release any effective spell at all.

Wang Lang naturally had no intention of killing it. He merely flicked it lightly.

He could tell that the little fox's demonic aura was not weak, roughly equivalent to the seventh level of the Qi Induction Realm for humans,

but its aura was relatively pure, lacking the heavy stench of blood and resentful Baleful Intent accumulated from slaughtering innocents.

This white fox might have been able to defeat Shi Meng and Patrolman Li with ease, but before Wang Lang, it truly was not worth mentioning.

Holding the continually flailing white fox in one hand, he asked in a deep voice:

"Were you responsible for the dozen or so hooligans in the village whose internal organs were gnawed away?"

Unable to struggle free, the Little White Fox simply gave up and admitted it with its neck held high:

"So what if I did it? I was carrying out justice on Heaven's behalf! Every last one of them deserved to die!"

Wang Lang froze. In these times, even demons were shouting such slogans?

At that moment, Shi Meng and the other young villagers caught up, panting, and formed a circle around them.

When they saw that Wang Lang was holding such an intelligent-looking white fox that could even speak, they all exclaimed in amazement.

Then, hearing the white fox personally admit to murder and claim that it had been carrying out justice on Heaven's behalf, the crowd immediately stirred and began whispering among themselves.

The villagers' feelings were complicated.

The dozen or so people the white fox had killed had indeed been the village's festering sores. They had done no shortage of evil over the years, and many people secretly felt that they had brought it upon themselves.

Yet on the other hand, faced with a demon that could speak human words and had truly killed people—even if those people had been villains—their instinctive fear still prevailed.

Wang Lang looked at the Little White Fox, which was still stubbornly talking tough in his hand, then swept his gaze across the villagers' varied expressions. After a brief consideration, he decided:

"This matter has far-reaching implications and should not be dealt with here. We'll take it to meet with Patrolman Li and Daoist Xuan Cheng first, then make further plans."

The moment the Little White Fox heard that it still had to meet people from the Demon Subduing Division, it twisted even more desperately, trying to wrench open that hand, which gripped it like an iron hoop.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard it struggled, it could not move it in the slightest.

Carrying the white fox, Wang Lang sprang into motion and followed the prearranged method of contact.

Before long, he found Patrolman Li, who was patrolling near the ancestral hall in the center of the village, as well as Daoist Xuan Cheng, who had appeared from who knew where.

When Patrolman Li saw the white fox in Wang Lang's hand, he was first taken aback. Once he recognized its unusual nature, confusion and wariness appeared on his face.

"Young Master Wang, could this be... the demon causing trouble?"

Before Wang Lang could answer, Daoist Xuan Cheng beside him gave a soft cry of surprise.

He then stepped closer and scrutinized the white fox, a flash of astonishment crossing his eyes.

"Boundless Heavenly Worthy! Fellow Daoist Wang, what skill! You actually managed to capture this creature!

If this humble Daoist is not mistaken, this is no ordinary wild fox that has gained sentience, but a descendant of the rather rare Snow Shadow Spirit Fox lineage!"

"Snow Shadow Spirit Fox?" Everyone present, including Wang Lang and Patrolman Li, wore puzzled expressions.

Even the white fox stopped struggling and pricked up its ears, seeming eager to hear what this Daoist could say.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Shi Meng asked, "Daoist, what is so special about this Snow Shadow Spirit Fox?"

Xuan Cheng stroked his beard and explained, "According to ancient records, the Snow Shadow Spirit Fox is an ancient and unusual species, born with exceptionally high intelligence. It excels at concealment and transformation.

Its nature is not savage or cruel. On the contrary... well, it is rather inclined to hate evil as though it were an enemy, and to pursue cleanliness in the world.

Their clan will sometimes take the initiative to remove what they deem filthy or sinful.

In some records, their actions are practically... like carrying out justice on Heaven's behalf in storybooks."

At these words, everyone was greatly shocked.

Some villagers, especially those whose family members had been killed by the white fox,

had been barely suppressing their fear and rage. But when they heard the Daoist actually say that this man-eating demon had been carrying out justice on Heaven's behalf, the crowd instantly erupted!

A haggard old woman suddenly rushed out of the crowd, clutching a stone. Weeping and screaming, she hurled it at the white fox Wang Lang held.

"Bullshit! What justice on Heaven's behalf?! It's a man-eating demon! Give me back my son's life! You damned beast who deserves a thousand cuts!"

Wang Lang frowned. Grand Righteous Qi naturally surged from within him, and an invisible wave of air gently pushed the woman back several steps. The stone also fell to the ground.

Seeing that revenge was impossible, the woman immediately turned her rage toward Wang Lang. Pointing at his nose, she began cursing him viciously.

"You! Why didn't you let me kill that man-eating demon?!

You're in league with that demon!

You people think that just because you have a little ability, the lives of common folk don't count!

You're protecting this monster. You'll die a terrible death! You..."

Wang Lang had initially intended to explain patiently. After all, the pain of losing a son was understandable.

But when he heard her curses growing increasingly vile, until she was even cursing him, could his temper endure that?

Of course not.

Wang Lang acted with a clear conscience, but that did not mean he would endure someone pointing at his nose, insulting him, and calmly wipe away the spit from his face.

Thus, beneath everyone's astonished gazes, Wang Lang continued holding the white fox in his left hand while his right hand rose with lightning speed.

Slap! A crisp, ringing blow landed squarely on that shrew's face!

The force behind the slap was controlled perfectly. It did not damage her bones or sinews, but it was enough to shut her up instantly and swell half her face high.

The world fell silent in an instant.