The peace of daily life was not broken by the addition of an injured fox. While recuperating within Ju'an Pavilion, the red fox recovered very quickly.
The only trouble Ji Yuan had was brewing medicine. And after the fox's injuries improved greatly, it needed to eat a chicken or duck every day.
At first, Ji Yuan cooked them for it. But considering that he might eventually release it back into the wild, and could not let the fox lose its wild nature, he later simply bought live chickens and ducks, placed them in the backyard, and let the fox catch them itself.
Every afternoon in Ju'an Pavilion's backyard became a flurry of chickens flying and foxes leaping. Sometimes, when the academy let out, Little Yin Qing would happily join in as well.
Unfortunately, as the saying goes, no feast lasts forever. Ji Yuan had never intended to keep the red fox as a pet.
It was, after all, a spirit fox rather than some ordinary house dog. Countless days and nights, Ji Yuan had seen the red fox gazing toward the faintly visible Niu Kui Mountain.
A fox accustomed to roaming freely through the mountains would surely find even Ju'an Pavilion, with all of Ji Yuan's various rules binding it, unable to compare with the vast Niu Kui Mountain in its heart.
On the night of April twenty-third, when all was quiet, the red fox left the side room and entered the small courtyard.
The sky was bright tonight. The fox reached the date tree, sprinted forward and used the momentum to climb up. Once it reached a branch, it trotted along it for a while before making another leap, nimbly jumping onto the side room's rooftop with practiced ease.
It sat quietly on the roof, gazing at the distant outline of the mountains to the northwest. Its tail swayed back and forth behind it. It remained there for over an hour without moving.
"Want to go back, don't you?"
A faint voice rang out, startling the red fox into jumping up. Only then did it discover that Ji Yuan had somehow appeared on the rooftop.
"Bright moon, sparse stars; black magpies fly south! You were born a creature of the mountains. There is no need for you to lock yourself within the city walls. Tomorrow, I'll send you home!"
"Whine..."
The red fox became reluctant again. It was attached not only to Ji Yuan, but also to Ju'an Pavilion's cultivation environment. Whenever Ji Yuan used Heaven and Earth Transformation, Spiritual Qi would inevitably gather for a short while, far stronger than what it could find in the mountains.
Watching the fox curl itself up, Ji Yuan seemed able to sense its thoughts, and he smiled.
"One cannot be too greedy in life. The same goes for foxes and demons. My freedom, Ji Yuan's freedom, is vastly different from the freedom of a little fox like you. Compared to staying here, you must still yearn more for the carefree life among the mountains and wilds."
Ji Yuan had long seen through it. Compared with a demon like Lord Lu, who possessed considerable cultivation, this red fox had clearly only recently gained intelligence. Its wild nature outweighed its demonic and human natures. No small courtyard could contain it.
"There is gain in loss and loss in gain. Even I cannot have every wish fulfilled, much less you."
After saying this, Ji Yuan drifted off the rooftop like a willow leaf and went inside to sleep.
Near noon the next day, the sun shone brightly.
Ji Yuan strolled through the city and arrived at Ning'an Academy, not far from the yamen.
The academy covered roughly an acre, enclosed by walls. Within the courtyard stood a two-story pavilion with white walls and black tiles, bamboo and pleasing scenery. The environment was excellent, clearly showing the importance Ning'an County Magistrate's Office and the county's local gentry placed on the academy.
He had come only to pick up Little Yin Qing. The child liked the red fox very much, though the latter rather disliked him. Still, Ji Yuan felt that Little Yin Qing ought to come along when they released the fox into the mountains. If Yin Zhaoxian agreed, they could consider it a trip to the countryside for Little Yin Qing.
"Filial piety and brotherly respect come first, cautious trustworthiness next. When your parents call, do not delay or be lazy. When your parents teach or reprimand, listen respectfully and obey..."
Though he was still some distance away, the sound of academy children reciting in unison had already reached Ji Yuan's ears through the surrounding clamor.
This was not the ancient China Ji Yuan knew from his previous life, yet its cultural background was extremely similar. Even if some literary works differed, the heart of its education still shared the same Chinese ideals, carrying a feeling of broad similarities amid minor differences.
Quite a few people were already waiting outside the academy, mostly servants from wealthy households, prepared to take their young masters home for lunch when classes ended at noon. The other students either went home by themselves or had brought lunch.
The children able to attend this academy did not come from poor families, but there were still differences among them.
Ji Yuan had timed it precisely. As he approached, the academy's resonant reading had already stopped. Students came out one after another, brushing past Ji Yuan as he walked toward the academy. Some whispered quietly about Ji Yuan's unusual eyes.
"Mister Ji!"
The moment Yin Qing, who was coming out together with Yin Zhaoxian, saw Ji Yuan, he cried out. Yin Zhaoxian and Ji Yuan also cupped their hands to each other.
"Master Yin, Ji wishes to return the healed red fox to the mountains. I would like Little Yin Qing to accompany us. We will return within half a day. What does Master Yin think?"
Release it?
Yin Zhaoxian had seen that fox as well. It was exceedingly spirited, sometimes seeming as though it had truly become a demon. He was not worried that his son would encounter trouble going out with Ji Yuan. Having known him for nearly three months, Yin Zhaoxian trusted Ji Yuan's character and unfathomable abilities. It was simply that Yin himself felt an itch in his heart as well.
But there was no helping it. As the academy's master, Yin Zhaoxian could not simply leave his students behind and go out at will.
"Since Mister Ji has asked, of course there is no problem!"
"Wonderful!"
Upon hearing Yin Zhaoxian agree, Yin Qing was so delighted he nearly jumped up.
Although Yin Qing had been extremely excited when he first heard Ji Yuan's words, he had forced himself to behave and dared not get too carried away. If his daddy said "no," it would all be over.
Seeing his son like this, Yin Zhaoxian smiled and shook his head. He had once always thought Yin Qing too lively and insufficiently steady. But ever since Ji Yuan had several times said that Little Yin Qing possessed abundant intelligence, he had become far more tolerant of his son's innocent liveliness.
Outside the yamen beside the academy, Ning'an County's County Vice Magistrate was leading three people out from one side of the yamen. A carriage was parked at the entrance.
The County Vice Magistrate was a lean, middle-aged man with a short beard. He was not wearing official robes at the moment, only a long gown and scholar's cap. Behind him were two people dressed in fitted silk outfits, while one slightly plump man wore a broad robe.
"I have ordered wine and dishes prepared at the Temple Outbuilding. Please board the carriage!"
"Good. Thank you for your trouble, County Vice Magistrate."
"Not at all, not at all!"
While the County Vice Magistrate exchanged courtesies with the slightly plump man, he happened to spot Ji Yuan in the distance, cupping his hands to Yin Zhaoxian.
As one of the main parties in the county's strange events some time ago, the County Vice Magistrate recognized Ji Yuan. Moreover, Ji Yuan had lived at Ju'an Pavilion for quite some time, leaving an even deeper impression. He could not help looking a few more times.
"What is County Vice Magistrate looking at? Who are those two?"
The slightly plump robed man followed the County Vice Magistrate's gaze and saw the scene outside the academy not far away.
"Oh, nothing. The one in white robes and a scholar's cap is Master Yin of this county's academy, a man of considerable learning. The blue-robed man is an extraordinary, cultivated scholar of our county."
The slightly plump man turned toward the County Vice Magistrate.
"An extraordinary person?"
The County Vice Magistrate nodded.
"An extraordinary person!"
Then the County Vice Magistrate smiled and stroked his beard, briefly recounting the tale of the red fox bowing to a person to the broad-robed man. The three listeners all found it rather interesting.
"A red fox bowed to someone for help, and fierce dogs retreated at sound? Such a thing actually happened?"
"Hahaha, they are merely street rumors. True or false, there must be exaggerations. Yet even the county magistrate has said that Ji Yuan is certainly no ordinary man."
As the two spoke, Ji Yuan suddenly turned his head and looked toward them from the academy entrance in the distance. But he only glanced at them before looking away and leaving with Yin Qing.
The County Vice Magistrate was stunned for about the span of a breath before remembering that there was still business to attend to.
"Patriarch Wei, please. Let us go to the Temple Outbuilding!"
"Uh, all right. County Vice Magistrate, please go first!"
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