Chapter 74: The First Stirring of the Heart

Prophet? Someone who can foresee any event that has yet to happen in the future?

No doubt, Su Daji was utterly shaken by Chu Xiaoyu’s elaborate deception. Despite being a fox spirit who had cultivated for a thousand years and mastered formidable sorcery, all her powers now seemed useless in this bizarre manor. The place exuded an eerie air from every corner, and that was what truly frightened and rendered Su Daji helpless.

Now, she was like a grasshopper—wanting to leap, yet unable to move.

“Sir, what do you intend to do with me? Will you kill me?” she mustered her courage and asked.

“Kill you? No, no, I have no such intentions,” Chu Xiaoyu raised his brows high, a sly smile playing at his lips. “I happen to be short of a scullery maid here at my farm—someone to tend the fire, serve tea and water. Ahem… Though I have Iron Fan, that girl is always clumsy. She can’t even serve tea properly, let alone cook a meal.”

“Well, now that you’re here, I’ll leave these chores to you. Of course, you can refuse, but the consequences… let’s just say they wouldn’t be too pleasant. You’d best think it over carefully.”

Taming a fox spirit?

Yes.

This would be great fun.

Presently, there was already a monkey, a hefty ox, a white dragon horse, and now, a fox spirit at the manor. With demons and beasts running rampant, days here were growing ever more interesting.

“I… I accept,” she replied.

A wise person bows to the circumstances.

Foxes have always been clever, cunning, and full of guile. She knew without needing to be told what choice to make.

“You’re very smart. From this day forward, you’ll be my errand girl at the farm. I hope we get along well.”

“Now, come with me. I’ll show you to your room.”

Heh.

This thousand-year-old fox spirit was quite sensible. Chu Xiaoyu had thought she would resist, maybe even fight back, refusing to yield. The taming game ahead would certainly be entertaining.

Pity it ended before it began.

There were about ten guest rooms in the manor. The monkey, the fat ox, and Iron Fan each occupied one, leaving about seven rooms vacant.

Chu Xiaoyu led her to the westernmost guest room, which would be Su Daji’s quarters in the days ahead.

***

“From now on, this is your room. Let me show you how the appliances work,” Chu Xiaoyu said, demonstrating everything from switching on the lights to using the furnishings, and even the bedding, toiletries, and toilet.

He recalled that Sun the Monkey, the Fat Ox, and Iron Fan had all been country bumpkins when they first arrived.

“Sir, all these things are so novel. I’ve never seen anything like them before,” Su Daji exclaimed with delight at each demonstration.

“Maidservant? You call yourself that? Ahem… How about you just refer to yourself as ‘I’ from now on. I’m not some tyrannical landlord, after all.”

It wasn’t as if they were acting in a play, and such archaic self-address felt odd and out of place.

“Understood, sir. I… I know now.”

“Sir, is this room really mine now? Can I do as I please in it?”

Having possessed Su Daji’s body, she was but a lowly fox spirit, expecting a miserable fate. Yet, contrary to her fears, she had suffered no punishment at all.

Su Daji was quietly overjoyed.

Chu Xiaoyu looked at her, tears of happiness in her eyes, and remarked, “You must have suffered a great deal before. Well, now you’ve taken over Miss Su’s body, which, after all, was born to a wealthy family. Still, I can guess that Su Hu always regarded his daughter with suspicion. Even though she was born into wealth, I suspect her days were worse than a servant’s.”

“Yes, I’ve read through Miss Su’s memories. Her life was full of hardship. Her father never cared for her; she was kept confined, no better than livestock. Truly, her days were miserable.”

“Heh, is that your way of expressing sympathy? Never mind. Without your possession, I doubt that poor Miss Su would have survived until now.”

“Well, it’s late. Rest now—I won’t disturb you further.”

Damn, no wonder the tales speak so highly of fox spirits refined over a thousand years—truly pitiful and bewitching. The way her brows and eyes expressed such emotion even stirred something in Chu Xiaoyu’s heart.

For the first time ever, he found himself moved by a thousand-year-old fox enchantress.

He found it unbelievable and hurriedly left the room.

***

Elsewhere, in a parallel timeline.

On the other side of the Immortal Gate, Huang Feihu waited anxiously. Suddenly, the strange portal trembled, and King Zhou and Su Hu stepped out.

Huang Feihu rushed forward, excitedly, “My lord, General Su, you’ve returned!”

King Zhou’s face was radiant. “Yes, we have. This time, ha… ha… I am in excellent spirits!”

“General Su, quickly, tell me—what did you see?” Huang Feihu pressed, impatient as a monkey.

Su Hu seemed lost in a dream. “Well… for now, I’m not sure what to say. I need to think it over.”

“Huang Feihu, heed my command!”

“Your servant is here!”

“Go at once to summon Grand Preceptor Wen, Shang Rong, Bi Gan, and all the ministers—bring them to the palace immediately. Tell them the king commands it; no delay is permitted.”

“Your servant obeys!” Huang Feihu dared not ask further, seeing the king so elated, and hurried off to carry out the order.

It was the hour of the Tiger, the dead of night. The ministers were all at home, warm in bed with their wives and children, when the sudden summons came, rousing much grumbling among them.

Yet, however much they complained, none dared disobey the king’s command.

And so, starting from Grand Preceptor Wen Zhong’s residence, one by one, the ministers’ doors were knocked on by soldiers…

About a quarter of an hour later.

In the great hall, the king’s elder brother Weiziqi, Prime Minister Shang Rong, Grand Preceptor Wen Zhong, Assistant Minister Bi Gan, Senior Minister Mei Bo, Zhao Qi, Yang Ren, Du Yuanxian, and other officials had all assembled, yawning incessantly.

It was the fourth watch of the night—the thick of sleep. No one knew what the king was plotting, keeping them from their rest at such an hour.

The king’s recent odd behavior was a complete mystery to the ministers.

“Brother Ziqi, do you know why the king has called us here in the middle of the night?” Wen Zhong asked, stifling two yawns.

As the king’s elder brother, Weiziqi was also baffled by his sibling’s strange actions. “Well… I don’t know either. Let’s wait and see; we’ll find out soon enough.”

All the ministers waited, anticipation written on their faces.