Wild Fox's Homesickness

The peace of daily life was not broken by the addition of an injured fox. Within the confines of Ju'an Pavilion, the red fox recovered quickly.

The only thing that gave Ji Yuan some trouble was brewing medicine, and after the fox's injuries had largely healed, it demanded a chicken or a duck every day.

At first, Ji Yuan would cook them for it, but considering that it would eventually be released back into the wild, he couldn't let the fox lose its wild nature. So later, he simply bought live chickens and ducks and put them in the backyard for the fox to catch on its own.

Every afternoon in the backyard of Ju'an Pavilion, there was a commotion of chickens flying and foxes leaping. Sometimes, when the academy was on break, Little Yin Qing would joyfully join in.

Unfortunately, as the saying goes, all feasts must come to an end. Ji Yuan had never thought of keeping the red fox as a pet.

After all, it was a spirit fox, not an ordinary house dog. Many times, both day and night, Ji Yuan saw the red fox gazing at the faintly visible Niu Kui Mountain.

A fox accustomed to the freedom of the great mountains, no matter how nice Ju'an Pavilion was, with all of Ji Yuan's various rules and restrictions, would surely prefer the vast Niu Kui Mountain in its heart.

On the twenty-third day of the fourth month, in the dead of night, the red fox walked out of the side room and into the small courtyard.

The night sky was bright. The fox walked up to the jujube tree, made a dash, and used the momentum to climb up, reaching a branch. Then it trotted along the branch for a bit, made a leap, and with practiced ease jumped onto the roof of the side room.

It sat quietly on the rooftop, gazing into the distance at the outline of the great mountains to the northwest, its tail swaying back and forth. It sat there for nearly an hour without moving.

"Want to go back, don't you?"

A faint voice sounded, startling the fox so much it jumped up. Only then did it realize that, at some unknown time, Ji Yuan was already standing on the roof.

"The moon is bright, the stars are sparse, and the magpies fly south! You are a creature of the great mountains by nature. There's no need to lock yourself within the city walls. Tomorrow, I will send you home!"

"Woo..."

The red fox now felt a sense of reluctance, not only for the people but also for the cultivation environment of Ju'an Pavilion. Every day when Ji Yuan performed the Heaven and Earth Transformation, spiritual qi would gather for a short time, much stronger than what it had in the mountains.

Seeing the fox shrink back, Ji Yuan seemed to sense its thoughts and smiled.

"One cannot be too greedy. The same goes for being a fox or a demon. My freedom, Ji Yuan's freedom, is very different from yours, little fox. Compared to being here, I imagine you still yearn more for the carefree life among the mountains and wilds."

Ji Yuan had long noticed that, unlike Lord Lu, a demon with considerable cultivation, this red fox had only recently awakened its intelligence. Its wild nature outweighed its demonic and human nature; it was not something a small courtyard could contain.

"To gain something, you must lose something. Even I cannot have everything go my way, let alone you?"

After saying this, Ji Yuan drifted down from the roof like a willow leaf and went inside to sleep.

The next day, around noon, the sun was bright.

Ji Yuan strolled through the city and arrived at Ning'an Academy, not far from the county magistrate's office.

The academy occupied about an acre of land, surrounded by a wall. Inside the courtyard was a two-story building with white walls and black tiles, bamboo groves, and pleasant scenery. It was a very nice environment, showing the importance the Ning'an County Magistrate's Office and the local gentry placed on the academy.

He had come this time only to pick up Little Yin Qing. The child really liked the red fox, even though the latter was quite disdainful of him. But Ji Yuan felt that sending the fox back to the mountains should include Little Yin Qing. If Yin Zhaoxian agreed, it would be like taking Little Yin Qing on an outing.

"Filial piety and brotherly love come first, caution and trustworthiness come second. When parents call, do not be slow or lazy. When parents teach and scold, listen respectfully and obey..."

Even from a distance, the sound of the students reciting in unison reached Ji Yuan's ears amidst the various noises.

This place was not the ancient China Ji Yuan knew from his previous life, but the cultural background was very similar. Even if some literary works were different, the essence of education was still rooted in Chinese thought, with much in common.

There were already many people waiting outside the academy, mostly servants from wealthy families, ready to pick up their young masters for lunch when classes ended. Other students either went home on their own or brought their own lunches.

The children who could attend this academy generally came from families that were not too poor, but there were still differences.

Ji Yuan timed his arrival perfectly. As he approached, the sound of reading from inside the academy had already stopped. Students were filing out, brushing past Ji Yuan as he walked toward the academy. Some of them whispered about Ji Yuan's unusual eyes.

"Mister Ji!"

Yin Qing, who was walking out with Yin Zhaoxian, called out as soon as he saw Ji Yuan. Yin Zhaoxian and Ji Yuan cupped their hands in greeting to each other.

"Master Yin, Ji intends to release the healed red fox back into the great mountains. I would like to have Little Yin Qing accompany me. We will return in half a day. What does Master Yin think?"

Release it?

Yin Zhaoxian had also seen the fox. It was incredibly intelligent, and sometimes he really thought it had become a spirit. He wasn't worried about his son going out with Ji Yuan. In the nearly three months of their acquaintance, he had come to trust Ji Yuan's character and unfathomable abilities. But he himself was a bit curious.

Unfortunately, as a teacher at the academy, Yin Zhaoxian couldn't just abandon his students and go out.

"Since Mister Ji has asked, of course there's no problem!"

"Great!"

Hearing Yin Zhaoxian's agreement, Yin Qing was so happy he almost jumped for joy.

Although Yin Qing was extremely excited when he heard Ji Yuan's words, he forced himself to behave and not be too reckless, afraid that if his daddy said "no," it would all be over.

Seeing his son like this, Yin Zhaoxian shook his head with a smile. In the past, he always thought Yin Qing was too reckless and not steady enough. But since hearing Ji Yuan say several times that Little Yin Qing was full of spirit, he had become much more tolerant of his son's innocent and lively nature.

Outside the county magistrate's office next to the academy, the County Vice Magistrate of Ning'an County was leading three people out from one side of the yamen. A carriage was parked at the entrance.

The County Vice Magistrate was a thin, middle-aged man with a short beard. He wasn't wearing his official robes today, just a long gown and a scholar's cap. Behind him were two men in silk outfits, one slightly plump and the other in a wide robe.

"I have ordered wine and dishes to be prepared at the Temple Outbuilding. Please, get into the carriage!"

"Good, we are in your debt, Vice Magistrate!"

"Not at all, not at all!"

While the County Vice Magistrate and the slightly plump man were exchanging pleasantries, they happened to see Ji Yuan in the distance, cupping his hands to Yin Zhaoxian.

As the main party involved in the recent county marvel, the County Vice Magistrate also recognized Ji Yuan. Coupled with the fact that the other had stayed at Ju'an Pavilion for quite some time, his impression was even deeper, and he couldn't help but take a few extra glances.

"What is the County Vice Magistrate looking at? Who are those two?"

The slightly plump, wide-robed man followed the County Vice Magistrate's gaze and saw the scene outside the nearby academy.

"Oh, nothing much. The one in the white robe and scholar's cap is Master Yin of our county's academy, a man of considerable learning. The one in blue is an extraordinary person and cultivated scholar of this county."

The slightly plump man turned his head toward the County Vice Magistrate.

"Extraordinary person?"

The County Vice Magistrate nodded.

"Extraordinary person!"

Then, stroking his beard with a smile, the County Vice Magistrate briefly described the matter of the Red Fox Bowing to a Person to the wide-robed man, and the three of them found it quite amusing.

"A red fox bowing to a person to beg for help, and a fierce dog retreating at the sound? Such a thing actually happened!"

"Haha, mere street rumors. Truth mixed with falsehood, surely exaggerated. However, the County Magistrate himself once said that Ji Yuan is by no means an ordinary man."

As the two were speaking, they suddenly saw Ji Yuan turn his head toward them from the academy entrance. But it was only a glance before he looked away and led Yin Qing away.

The County Vice Magistrate was stunned for about a breath's time before remembering there was still business at hand.

"Patriarch Wei, please, let us go to the Temple Outbuilding!"

"Ah, yes. The County Vice Magistrate first, please!"

Seeking collections, seeking recommendation tickets, seeking character support, seeking new book investments, and also those lucky bags and such. With so many monster-level books out there, we can't compete, but we still want the numbers to look good!