The fox shadow

Dad hadn't appeared at the gate alone. He was leading a large black dog.

As he appeared at the gate, the Corpse Demon that Ma Laosan's wife had become was heading straight toward him. The sight of her horrifying appearance made his legs tremble, and he stood rooted to the spot.

"Get out of the way!" Grandpa shouted when he saw Dad standing there in a daze.

But Dad's legs had gone weak with terror. He wanted to run, yet they refused to obey him.

At that critical moment, the large black dog he was leading suddenly barked furiously and lunged straight at the Corpse Demon. It leaped more than two meters into the air and landed against her body, but failed to knock her down.

Seizing the opportunity, the Yellow Weasels and foxes swarmed her again, tearing and biting.

But the Corpse Demon's body was incredibly hard, as though her skin were bronze and her bones iron. The animals couldn't bite through it at all and could only hang from her body.

Only the unusually large Yellow Weasel made much of a difference. It suddenly seized the Corpse Demon's legs and flipped her onto the ground.

"Get inside! Everyone hide!" Granny Liu shouted again. She raised her pipe high and brought its bowl crashing down on the Corpse Demon's head, making Ma Laosan's wife let out a piercing howl.

Dad finally snapped out of his daze and hurriedly turned away from the courtyard gate.

Grandpa also hurried into the house and entered the bedroom.

Mom and I had already been woken by the commotion outside. She held me tightly the whole time, trembling all over as she listened to the terrifying wails and howls.

Back then, I understood nothing. I could only hear the sounds coming from outside—the cries of Yellow Weasels and foxes, the Corpse Demon's furious roars, and the occasional crowing of roosters and barking of a dog, all mixed into a chaotic din.

When Grandpa came in carrying the broadsword with its slightly rolled edge, Mom cried out in fright.

"Xiao Juan, don't be scared. Hurry and put the Funeral Shroud on the child. Granny Liu told us to," Grandpa reminded her.

The noises outside had frightened Mom out of her wits. Only then did she remember the Funeral Shroud, and she hurriedly fumbled with my clothes.

The whole plan had fallen apart.

Dad had appeared at the wrong moment.

The three large roosters Granny Liu had told Dad to find were mainly intended to scare the Corpse Demon away.

Roosters generally only crowed as dawn approached. Evil beings like Corpse Demons didn't dare face the light. Once day broke, they had to find somewhere dark to hide. If sunlight touched them, they would quickly dissolve into a puddle of pus and blood.

Hearing the roosters crow, the Corpse Demon had thought dawn was approaching, which was why she had turned and fled.

Granny Liu had realized that the Corpse Demon was far stronger than she had imagined, so she had told Grandpa to release the three roosters.

Sure enough, the crowing had scared the Corpse Demon into fleeing. But Dad had heard the commotion in the courtyard and blocked the gate with the large black dog.

The large black dog was meant to block the gate. Black dogs carried powerful yang energy, especially those whose coats were solid black. Even if they couldn't win a fight, they showed no fear.

Granny Liu had prepared for both possibilities.

If she couldn't defeat the Corpse Demon, she would release the roosters to scare her away, then find another way to deal with her. If she could defeat her, she would release the large black dog to block her escape.

Instead, it had led to the situation that was now spiraling out of control.

Granny Liu was partly to blame for that. She hadn't clearly told Dad exactly when to release the large black dog.

Mom had just finished putting the Funeral Shroud on me when a muffled grunt suddenly came from the courtyard. It sounded like Granny Liu.

Hearing it, Grandpa sensed something was wrong. He turned with the sword in his hand to go out and check, but just then, a huge dark shape appeared beside the window. Before anyone could tell what was happening, there was a crack, and a pair of hands tipped with sharp nails burst through the window and reached inside.

Then the huge, hideous face of Ma Laosan's wife came through as well.

She pushed off with both legs and leaped straight into the room.

Mom had always been timid. At the sight of the fang-filled mouth of Ma Laosan's wife, she nearly fainted on the spot and let out a hysterical scream.

Grandpa was terrified too, but he still raised his sword and slashed at the Corpse Demon.

The Corpse Demon was ready for his blade. She reached out and suddenly grabbed it, then lashed out with a kick that sent Grandpa flying.

Grandpa let out a muffled groan. Pain darkened his vision, and he couldn't get back up.

"Wu Jie... Wu Jie... I've come for you." Ma Laosan's wife gave a sinister chuckle, her nostrils twitching slightly. A moment later, a trace of confusion appeared on her face.

She couldn't find me.

Corpse Demons couldn't see, but they could sense the vital energy of the living. She was particularly sensitive to mine.

Granny Liu had told Mom to put the Funeral Shroud on me because only the dead wore burial clothes, and this shroud could conceal a living person's vital energy.

Before I put on the Funeral Shroud, she could still sense me. But by the time she entered the room, she could no longer find me.

"Sister-in-law... please spare my son. He's my only son..." Tears streamed down Mom's face in terror, but she still held me tightly, shielding me in her arms.

The Corpse Demon's nostrils twitched for a long time, but she couldn't detect my presence. Furious, she turned her ghastly white eyes toward Mom and gave a chilling smile. "Wu Jie, come out... If you don't come out, I'll kill your mother."

As she spoke, the Corpse Demon suddenly reached for Mom's neck with both hands, her nails a dark blue-black.

At three years old, I was still too young to understand anything. Even faced with such a terrifying Corpse Demon, I didn't know enough to be afraid.

But just as those hands were about to seize Mom's neck, something utterly bizarre happened.

In the dim lamplight, a huge shadow suddenly appeared in the room. It was shaped like a fox with eight tails.

At that moment, a buzzing erupted in my head, and I lost all awareness.

"Get out!" A voice burst from my mouth like a thunderclap. It was a woman's voice.

As those words rang out, a streak of golden light shot from my body and struck the Corpse Demon square in the face.

The Corpse Demon let out an agonized shriek and flew out through the window.

After uttering those words, my eyes rolled back and my whole body convulsed. I fell stiffly into Mom's arms.

The sudden turn of events terrified Mom. She had no idea what had happened.