Young Master Bai — Chapter 34
Chapter 34: The Fox Sheds Its Fur
The young people of the Elderly Village had long since left the mountain. Of the thirteen households in the village, all were elderly living alone. The old folks went to bed early, and once night fell, the whole village became silent. Only the courtyard where the Hidden Wisdom Sect and Bai Chen were staying still had lights on. In such a remote and quiet place deep in the mountains, it would almost be a waste if nothing strange were to happen.
Naturally, this was not the right time to consummate their relationship. Just as Bai Chen expected, Li Wuming paid no mind to his seduction. He merely flicked the little fox's nose and went about tidying up the room.
Li Wuming, worthy of being a man who had been on the run, was remarkably skilled at cleaning abandoned houses. After his touch, the decrepit place that resembled a haunted house turned quite tidy. Knowing that fox yaos had sensitive noses and couldn’t stand bad smells, he even lit insect-repelling incense. The dampness in the room dissipated considerably.
Bai Chen originally thought he'd just clean casually. Who would've guessed the man would truly tidy up the entire house? If it weren't already late, he might've even dug up the courtyard ground. With such a self-satisfied look, Bai Chen could only marvel, "You're really suited to rural life."
"Being on the run and in exile, one has to do everything by oneself. Naturally, I've learned a bit of everything."
As he spoke, Li Wuming sliced bamboo slats with sword energy and casually found some scrap paper to paste together a lantern. Lighting a candle inside and hanging it by the window, the room brightened up significantly. After finishing everything, he sat by the bed, picked up the little fox — who was bored enough to play with the tip of his own tail — and grabbed Bai Chen’s paw to knead it himself, chuckling, "I can even sew clothes. One of these days, I’ll make you a little coat for foxes. You’ll look ridiculous in it."
"How virtuous of you."
This person really could survive anywhere. Bai Chen tucked his paw under his belly, making it clear he didn’t want to be the first fox to wear clothes.
This tantrum amused Li Wuming. He helplessly squeezed the little fox’s thigh and asked the real question, "You told me to retrieve the imperial edict of succession, yet you won’t go to Chang’an to hold the enthronement ceremony. What are you really planning?"
When Bai Chen was in his human form, this Dao companion was a celibate and aloof Sword Immortal, but when in his original form, the man touched everywhere and with surprising technique. Bai Chen couldn’t help but silently grumble — what exactly had he been up to all these years after his death…
Still, facing the man he meant to seduce, Bai Chen lazily replied, "Keep that scrap paper well. I’ve got big plans for it."
This time, Li Wuming truly couldn’t tell what he was scheming, but since he always loved a good show, he replied offhandedly, "Fine, if you want me to be emperor, I’ll be emperor. If you want me to be a Sword Immortal, I’ll be a Sword Immortal. You’ve got the most useful chess piece in the world — I hope you won’t lose."
To say Li Wuming was heartless wasn’t quite right, for he was willing to stake everything he had on Bai Chen’s sincerity. But to say he was affectionate was also false, for he kept dangling the bait, never reeling in, clearly intent on driving Bai Chen mad with longing. Bai Chen both loved and hated him for it. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to cruelly bite this Dao companion, so he just flicked his tail against Li Wuming and said gloomily, "Chess piece, help this young master groom his fur."
Li Wuming naturally didn’t refuse. He immediately took a jade comb and started grooming the little fox’s fur. Seeing the white fluff that came off, he laughed, "I’ll have to get a full set of white clothes when we reach Yuncheng. Every time winter comes, you start shedding, and every hug leaves me covered in fur."
Only then did Bai Chen notice that the man’s black robe was indeed covered in white fuzz. He reached out a paw to pat it off, but it wouldn’t come off. Helplessly, he said, "Yao of the Great Snow Mountain all shed rapidly when summer or winter comes. This isn’t even the worst of it. Once my tail starts shedding, the house will be filled with white fluff like snowflakes. You kept making me turn back into a fox, and now you find it troublesome, don’t you?"
But Li Wuming wasn’t afraid of trouble. Hearing this, he even circled the little fox’s waist with his hand and pressed down a big patch of fluff, pretending to realize something, "No wonder your original form looks fluffier after resurrection. Turns out it’s just unshed hair."
This man rarely spoke seriously. Bai Chen ignored the joke, just lowered his head and said:
"If it bothers you, I’ll sleep in human form these next few days. It’ll only take seven days, and shedding hair in human form isn’t as noticeable."
"Lie down properly. You won’t feel comfortable unless the old fur is combed out." The little fox didn’t want his beloved to feel any aversion, but Li Wuming pressed him onto the bed and continued grooming. His action was gentle but brooked no refusal.
To this, Bai Chen had only one thought — damn man, why can’t you be this forceful when it’s my human form?
Seeing Bai Chen silent, Li Wuming thought he had taken his teasing to heart and quickly softened his tone, "Isn’t it just like changing clothes? Light garments in summer, heavier ones in winter. Besides, your new winter coat is quite soft — it feels really nice."
He really seemed to be enjoying himself. Bai Chen had read countless human tales and strange records. In stories of human-yao romances, some were scared to death by the yao’s true form, others forced the yao to abandon cultivation to fully become human for a happy ending. But never had he seen someone like Li Wuming. It was as if he loved even Bai Chen’s fox form.
The little fox didn’t know how to describe the complex feelings in his heart. He could only rest in the man’s arms and murmur, "Your hair is full of my fur — makes you look like you’ve gone gray."
Li Wuming touched his temples and indeed found them covered in snowy white fox fur. He wasn’t bothered in the slightest. Instead, he teased, "Binding hair together and growing old in harmony — an auspicious sign."
Bai Chen himself got annoyed every year during this time and would roll in the snow in frustration, yet this man wasn’t even the least bit impatient. The little fox licked Li Wuming’s palm and sighed softly, "You truly are the strangest man in the world."
Yao had no reincarnation. To keep Bai Chen’s soul, Li Wuming had to first preserve his body. For five hundred years, Bai Chen’s soul had been stored in a magical artifact, and his unconscious body cared for by Li Wuming. Each day, he sustained the fox body with his own blood. Through summers and winters, it was also he who tended to the shedding. He had long since become intimately familiar with the habits of this body.
Li Wuming had once disliked the cunning of foxes, but over time, he came to understand. The little fox was just so small and light. Out in the wild, not to mention fierce beasts like tigers and wolves, even larger deer were out of his league. Just like the earliest humans, if he didn’t learn to leverage outside help, he wouldn’t survive.
After five hundred years of care, compared to the shrewd and unfathomable Young Master Bai, Li Wuming found more comfort in the fox form. At least, the little fox belonged entirely to him.
"My master and I are alike, yet not. We both treated our little fox as our only family. But he killed his beloved fox, while I just want you to live well."
Perhaps the atmosphere had grown too tender, making Li Wuming accidentally say something he shouldn’t have. Just as Bai Chen looked up, ready to question him, a knock came from the courtyard.
There were no visitors in this place. The sudden noise made Li Wuming alert. He patted the little fox and went to check. "Be careful. I’ll take a look."
The visitor was a plainly dressed elder leaning on a cane. Li Wuming recognized the face and asked, "What brings you here, Village Chief Luo?"
Though the Sword Immortal’s disciple seemed casual, he had clearly memorized everyone who came and went. Even the chief’s surname had been learned in idle chat with Hidden Wisdom Sect disciples. Now he stood in the doorway, blocking the man from seeing Bai Chen.
Such vigilance was instinct — honed over years walking the line between life and death. Yet the old chief seemed unaware, merely handed over a basket of black charcoal, "There aren’t many in the village strong enough to chop firewood anymore. I was worried you noble guests might get cold, so I brought some charcoal."
There were still cane marks on the road — proof the old man had just delivered charcoal to the Hidden Wisdom Sect’s courtyard before knocking here. Though well-intentioned, Li Wuming wouldn’t accept goods from strangers in such a place. He refused politely, "We cultivators aren’t afraid of the cold. Charcoal’s not easy to get up here — take it back for yourself."
While they spoke, Bai Chen and Chenzui came out as well. Bai Chen glanced at the elder but sensed nothing off, though he did ask curiously, "Why do I hear crying outside?"
The sound came from some distance away, but a fox yao’s ears couldn’t be fooled. Though puzzled they could hear it, the village chief sighed and explained, "Old Zhao at the village entrance passed away. Everyone’s cleaning him up and dressing him in burial robes."
Hearing this, Chenzui listened closely to pinpoint the source. Once he recognized it, he hurriedly tugged Bai Chen’s sleeve, "Ancestor, that’s the house that was watching us earlier today. How did someone die so soon…"
It was Chenzui’s first encounter with death, and he looked uneasy. Seeing him like that, the chief quickly reassured, "Don’t be scared, young lad. At our age, it’s common to fall asleep and never wake up. Better to pass early and avoid suffering."
For the elderly, dying in their sleep wasn’t unusual. But happening now made Bai Chen wary. With the chief present, he asked a question that had bothered him all day, "I heard Heaven’s Way Alliance spent heavily to renovate towns and villages. Why is yours so rundown?"
"There’s nothing here — unsuitable for people to live in. The young all left, and only old folks with no children remained. Once we pass, no one will come again. The authorities already show great kindness by sending relief grain — why waste money rebuilding this place?"
Indeed, there was little reason to repair this place. Once the elderly passed, it would be abandoned. The chief sighed at the reality, then, realizing he shouldn't say too much to outsiders, forced a smile and took his leave, "Enough talk. The noble one next door is kindly handling Old Zhao’s funeral — I must go help. You two should rest early."
This chief truly seemed to be a regular old man, but Bai Chen couldn’t shake a sense of unease. Seeing the basket of charcoal still at the door — perhaps the elder forgot it — he told Chenzui, "Bring it in for now, but don’t use it yet."
This sudden incident left Li Wuming deep in thought. He turned to meet Bai Chen’s eyes and said gravely, "There are only cane marks on the ground — no footprints."
This village had stood for years, with roads of stone and dirt. Walking only on stone might leave no trace, so Li Wuming’s tone wasn’t entirely certain. Bai Chen glanced at the shadowy road in the night and simply closed the door, softly instructing, "Places deep in the mountains are prone to all sorts of evil. No matter how high your cultivation, don’t let your guard down. Don’t fall too deeply asleep, and don’t use anything carelessly."
~ Chapter End ~
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