Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village
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The Xuan Zhong Chronicles states: "A fox that lives over fifty years can transform into a woman, and at a hundred years, into a beauty or a mystical shaman. It may even become a man and consort with women. It can perceive events a thousand li away, command venomous insects and ghosts, and beguile humans. At a thousand years, it communes with the heavens and becomes a Heavenly Fox."
Foxes belong to the yin category, active mainly at night, and even ordinary foxes without cultivation are regarded as special beasts with intelligence rivaling humans. There's also the tale that Daji, the infamous temptress from the Investiture of the Gods, was a fox. Known as a vile beast that absorbs the purifying essence of sun and moon and steals the spiritual qi of heaven and earth to easily manipulate people. Additionally, in folklore, the Fox Immortal is worshipped as one of the Five Great Immortals, the God of Wealth.
But what surprised me wasn't such trivia. According to the Daoist texts I studied under Master Mangnyang, a fox with nine tails could only be a Gumiho—and that was precisely a Heavenly Fox.
A Heavenly Fox is a fox that has lived a thousand years. This spirit beast, with golden fur and nine tails, represents the pinnacle of a fox's cultivation. It is said to serve in the Sun Palace and Moon Palace of the heavenly realm. Dwelling in the celestial halls, it poses no threat to humans, but if it does, it wields at least the power of a lesser god, spelling disaster. Moreover, the Fox Ancestor Master among them is the first fox to achieve enlightenment and ascension, possessing strength comparable to a superior deity.
If the being before me was a Heavenly Fox Gumiho—then with my current power, even fighting with all my might, I could never defeat such a divine entity!
As I swallowed hard, the Gumiho gazed at me calmly and spoke.
[Regrettably, while I am a Gumiho, I am not a Heavenly Fox. My fur is silver, not gold.]
"What? Can that even happen?"
[I did not ascend to the heavens. I am still in the midst of cultivation.]
Sss...
But regardless of her words, the chilling power emanating from the Gumiho grew ever stronger, eventually making my body shiver uncontrollably. This was because the demonic energy pouring from her body was overwhelmingly superior to any怪異I had faced before.
Even my internal energy struggled to withstand her presence. Truly a grand yokai.
The Gumiho seemed to smile.
[Ahaha, strange human. Why have you come here? What is your reason for subjugating me?]
I sensed I had to answer this question carefully. Cursing Monk Ji-yul madly in my mind, I composed my expression and replied.
"I came to Goryeo in search of the Sea Seal. Ji-yul said he could give me what I want, so I agreed to help him."
My choice was honesty. In this situation, pretending to protect the Twelve Laws with some hollow talk of "upholding justice" would be pointless. Facing the Gumiho one-on-one, with my life hanging in the balance—why bother with such pretexts? Better to be straightforward.
The Gumiho flinched.
[Sea Seal? Where did you hear that?]
"Master Mangnyang told me there was a Sea Seal in the East, so I came believing him."
The Gumiho's demeanor shifted. No longer playful, she now regarded me with a mix of wariness and curiosity. She sprawled leisurely on the floor nearby and said,
[What is your connection to Master Mangnyang? He despises humans even more than I do—it's hard to imagine him having human acquaintances.]
"His direct disciple is my companion."
[Ahaha, I see~]
She chuckled softly. I answered sincerely, but the eerie atmosphere made me uneasy. This fox was clearly a target for extermination—why were we exchanging questions like this? Moments later, the Gumiho spoke.
[If I told you I know the Sea Seal's location, would you become my subordinate?]
"Is that true?"
[Uhuhu... Answer first. Will you serve me?]
I imagined saying yes. What if she ordered me to fight the Twelve Laws below? That would be a real dilemma, making me hesitant to respond.
But after sorting my thoughts, I answered.
"If your information is true, then yes."
A glint flashed in the Gumiho's eyes.
[Indeed... What a unique human. Your way of thinking is entirely different from others. You even resemble us ghost foxes and immortals.]
Shururuk!
In the next instant, the Gumiho transformed back into a voluptuous, breathtaking beauty. Utterly naked, her ample breasts swayed mesmerizingly. Her intense seductive allure made my face flush involuntarily. Her flawless white skin and delicate hands were striking.
Seated naked on the chair, the Gumiho said,
"I like you. Being with you won't be boring."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly as I said. I'll help you find the Sea Seal, but until then, I want to travel with you."
"......?"
My expression twisted.
What kind of nonsense was this? Stunned, I raised my sword forward and said,
"Ji-yul and the subjugation squad will barge in any moment—what's your plan? If you want to talk like that, abandon your scheme to absorb the evil spirit first!"
"Hoo... Don't you want the Sea Seal's information?"
"I said only if your info is true. No proof, and you expect me to betray the subjugation squad?"
"Uhuhuhu!!"
Letting out a melodious laugh, the Gumiho stepped forward.
As the naked beauty approached, my heart suddenly pounded. My lower body heated up and stiffened, my heart thumped wildly, and my mind filled with lewd thoughts. I wanted to ravish the woman before me right then. Having never properly been with a woman, the temptation was overwhelming.
'Damn it... Snap out of it! This is her seduction technique!'
If I fell for it, I was done!
Gritting my teeth, I circulated the Hyeoncheon Divine Art to resist. The Wudang Sect's divine art had an effect like piercing illusions, making it easier to endure such enchantments than with Thunder God Style techniques. Though my erection didn't subside, I maintained my reason. As if provoking me, the Gumiho turned, wiggling her peach-like buttocks, and said,
"Ji-yul took the subjugation squad back to the second floor. What do you think his reason was?"
"......"
"He must have sensed something off upon seeing my guardian spells, Forward Ghost and Rear Ghost, which are far too powerful. Even the greatest yin-yang sorcerer in Dongyeong couldn't produce that level of might. He intuited I'm a grand yokai, a yokai immortal."
The Gumiho sat back in the chair and sipped from her cup. The sway of her full breasts forcibly drew my gaze. As I stared blankly, she took a sip and continued.
"By now, he's gauged my demonic power and figured out my true nature. And right now, they're breaking through the Gate of Life and Death."
I was shocked by her words and shouted,
"That can't be!"
If true, it meant Ji-yul had abandoned me to escape with the squad. I'd been thoroughly backstabbed. The Gumiho giggled and said,
"Why not? Isn't it a cold, rational judgment? With your current power, defeating me is impossible. He sent you to buy time while the rest escape and fetch a horde of Twelve Laws sect masters. That would endanger me too, so I'd flee this ruin."
"......"
"Want to confirm with your own eyes?"
She casually tilted her cup toward the railing, as if inviting me to look below. Wary she might lunge, I approached the railing anyway. Enhancing my vision, sure enough, far off I saw the Gate of Life and Death, with Twelve Laws warriors nearby sparking flames to dispel it.
At a loss for words, the Gumiho chuckled from her chair.
"It's only natural. My power is ten times greater than Forward and Rear Ghost. Ji-yul realized that."
"......"
"Run now if you want. I'll let you go. Do as you please."
"Uhmm..."
I was gripped by intense betrayal toward Monk Ji-yul.
'If that's the case, why didn't he listen when I suggested we bail earlier?'
But I could guess why. Back then, retreating on my word would bruise the squad's pride and shatter morale. After tasting the sting of Forward and Rear Ghost, however, his thinking changed. He quietly sacrificed me as a decoy to buy escape time.
Pushing down my resentment, I turned to the Gumiho and said,
"I don't get it. You don't seem interested in wiping us out. What do you want?"
"Ahaha... You've seen through my intentions?"
Giggling, she continued.
"Right. I came here out of boredom. Hearing there was a powerful evil spirit in this western capital land, I wondered if it could bolster my strength. But I'm already living leisurely as the empress in the Dongyeong imperial palace—no pressing need."
"The evil spirit really exists?"
"It's in the basement of this building. But its power is so immense even I hesitated to touch it. An evil spirit of a mighty dharma monk bearing a fallen kingdom's grudge—devouring that would give me indigestion."
"Indigestion..."
"I tried with the Classic of Mountains and Seas forbidden art, but I'm still wavering."
Since she admitted it herself, it seemed true. In this situation, with no one left to interfere and the subjugation squad fleeing in terror, no reason to lie.
Chwaruk
Unfurling her fan while naked, the Gumiho crossed her legs. Every gesture was a seductive dance to tempt men. Unable to avert my eyes from her plump thighs, I listened as she said,
"Right now, I'm more interested in you."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly that. I'll teach you about the Sea Seal. In return, travel with me."
"That's the problem. How can I believe you know where it is?"
I pressed because I'd roughly gauged the Gumiho's nature. Capable of crushing me by force, she chose dialogue and toying instead. She preferred wits, schemes, and brainwashing over raw power. Continuing the talk meant low risk of sudden attack.
"Uhuhu... Do you know about the phoenix that appeared in this western capital land two years ago?"
"I've heard of it."
"That was a spell by the King of the Tantra to eliminate the evil god that manifested in Goryeo lands. With the Sea God's power rampant and humanity on the brink of corruption, the clan's top sorcerers reinforced the barrier across all Goryeo."
Sudden information. Lacking context, much was lost on me, but I questioned what I grasped.
"What? Sea God?"
"A colossal evil god even heavenly gods and great immortals dare not touch has taken root in the Yellow Sea. Its followers are the Sea God's kin, who recently negotiated with the western capital's rulers to come ashore. The guardian clan protecting the peninsula couldn't stand it and cast the barrier spell."
"Uhmm..."
Something clicked.
Before coming to Goryeo, I'd encountered the pirate Blood Path Group—their leaders looked like fish-human hybrids, unmistakably inhuman. The Western Escort Agency chief said they were linked to the Sea God's kin. So this evil god was what they worshipped?
"Hoo... You know about the evil god, then."
"That's not important. Get to the point."
"The Sea Seal you seek is an incomparably mighty dharma treasure. It serves as a crucial wedge in the barrier safeguarding Goryeo lands. Searching normally, you'd spend a lifetime without finding it."
"Can't Haein Temple reveal its location?"
The Gumiho said incredulously,
"Haein Temple has the Sea Seal? I envy your simple thinking. Haein Temple is merely a place it passed through— utterly unrelated to its current location."
"So... What proof do I have to believe you? You might just be spinning tales to toy with me."
"How sad. I'm not trusted at all."
Pretending to wipe tears, she smiled brightly.
"Really can't trust me?"
"......"
"Allow me to accompany you, and I promise the best help. I won't corrupt you, and I'll spare the Twelve Laws outside once. I want a fun journey with you."
Her voice was earnest.
I truly couldn't trust the Gumiho. I'd died countless times from rash actions in past lives. Resolved to live long this time, and fresh off Ji-yul's betrayal, my caution peaked.
But if I didn't trust her here, what then?
'Fighting the Gumiho is absurd.'
Even Ji-yul fled after glimpsing a fraction of her power. Likely one of the top grand yokai across Zhongyuan, Goryeo, and Dongyeong. If she willed it, she'd annihilate me and the entire Twelve Laws squad. Opting for rational judgment, I sighed deeply and said,
"...Fine, got it."
"Uhuhu. Smart choice."
Delighted, the Gumiho bounced over and grabbed my hand. Her true feelings slipped out.
"I was about to devour you all if you kept talking nonsense."
"......"
It felt like I'd just survived a brush with death. Suddenly, she flipped in midair and transformed.
Poof!
From a mature, voluptuous woman, she became a girl my age. Her signature transformation art allowed free shape-shifting—impressive. Staring blankly at the Goryeo-dressed girl, she smiled brightly.
"My human name will be Miho. Nice to meet you."
Thus, an absurd companion joined my quest for the Sea Seal.