84 - The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

The powerful ogre had been defeated. Rin had absorbed the nine-tailed fox's essence, becoming a formidable six-tailed fox in the process. Their business in White Cloud Valley was entirely concluded. The last step was just to head back. But first, the matter of the fox elder needed to be resolved. "What should we do, Master? Shall we kill him since he seems useless now?" Rin's words, chilling as ever, flowed as nonchalantly as a gentle stream. Her claws were poised, ready to strike at any given order. The elder, resigned to his fate, was calm in the face of impending doom. However, I had a different perspective. "Let him live." "Why?" The elder looked up in astonishment. Don’t worry. It’s not for your sake. "When Rin fully becomes a nine-tailed fox, shouldn't we allow him to experience firsthand how foolish his choices were?" One of the best ways to torture someone is to make them regret their past decisions to the point of madness. No one else’s choice but his own. The catastrophic outcome that stemmed from that. The objective is to have him watch his unreversible past with a sense of futility and gradually wither away. Frankly, after all the time spent tormenting Rin, killing him would feel too anticlimactic. "Yeah. I understand what you mean. I’ll do as you say, Master." Rin nodded in agreement. The elder drooped his head powerlessly. "Aaaahm...." Rin stretched her arms wide, letting out a big yawn. Her slow-blinking eyes made her seem very tired, which was understandable given the ordeal of capturing the ogre and undergoing trials. She must be quite exhausted, both physically and mentally. "Would you like to rest?" "Yes. Just for a bit…." With a sprightly leap, Rin transformed mid-air into a small fox and landed gently in my hands before burrowing into my clothes. Being small is apparently comfortable, maybe it conserves energy. Indeed, a small frame is easier to manage than a giant one. I gently stroked the spot on my belly where she settled inside my clothes. "We’ll be off now. Whether you continue living in the fox den or leave White Cloud Valley is up to you, but you must survive until Rin ascends to be a nine-tailed fox." I didn’t forget to send good wishes towards the elder's future as we departed. *** - Wow, is this for real? They returned to Bestia. The nine-tailed fox gazed at the city with curious eyes. "Horses naturally speak, you know?" - Back in my day, horses didn’t speak. In times when beastfolk were seen as mere beasts. Only a rare few among them developed intelligence to be reclassified from beast to beastfolk. Notably, the crowned cat tribe, and aside from the famously wise turtle beastfolk, there weren't many. But now, even passing dog beastfolk could speak, and cow beastfolk could talk. It seemed that every dog and cow now had a voice. "It's troublesome to hear them yammer. Just stay inside." - You’re so particular. The nine-tailed fox didn’t need to venture out as everything was visible through Rin's eyes anyway, so she obediently withdrew her spirit back inside. As she watched the changing world with fascination, a question suddenly sprang to mind. - Why hide your tails? Because Rin, the six-tailed fox, was walking around displaying only a single tail. Karami answered on her behalf. "It’s troublesome if it becomes known that a nine-tailed fox has appeared." - Is that so? Back in my time, everyone, humans and spirits alike, would bow their heads in reverence when I showed myself. "That’s why Rin is living like this now." The nine-tailed fox tilted her head, as if not fully comprehending. What she sensed next was the people’s wary glances. "Another red fox." "I thought it might have left when I didn’t see it recently, but it appears not." "It’s grown quite a bit since I first saw it. Do they usually grow so fast?" People were cautious of Rin. Just like the parting of the Red Sea, they cleared the path. Rin was accustomed to such reactions, but for the nine-tailed fox, it was unfamiliar. - Why are they doing that? "Red foxes are believed to bring misfortune. So, they avoid Rin." - And you let that slide? Mere beasts treating you, a fox deity, as if you’re a plague? In my days, I would have torn them apart in a heartbeat. "That’s why Rin is living this way. You were sealed before you could become a fox deity, remember?" - I was just one step away! If only I hadn't been betrayed, I would have triumphed. "I'm sure you would have." Karami brushed her off lightly. "Seira, we’re back~" Having returned to the city, the first stop for the duo was home. Seira, seemingly caught in the middle of dishwashing, appeared drying her wet hands on her apron. "This took longer than usual. Any particular… well." On spotting Rin, now a six-tailed fox, Seira let out a deep sigh. This recurring situation had made even voicing her objections seem redundant. She just accepted it. "Grown again, huh? You could now pass as a fine young lady." "Right? Rin’s so much prettier, huh?" "Yes. Soon, you’ll be ready for marriage." She had grown taller, and with her chubby cheeks slimming down, her jawline had become more refined. Rin was shedding her girlish looks, exuding a budding feminine charm. Male instincts, being as irrational as they are, could drive them to pursue even forgetting that she was a red fox known for bringing misfortune. "But Rin plans to marry the master. Isn't that right, Master?" "Slaves can’t marry their masters." "Huh? Really?" "Marriage happens between equals. That’s why I always tell you, being a slave isn’t good. What’s better?" "Freedom!" "Correct. So let’s strive for that. It’s not far now." Karami patted her head affectionately, making Rin giggle joyfully. "So, what do you want to do now? Rest?" "No. I need to visit the Celestial Pavilion, there's something I need to show." *** Since amalgamating with Rin's body, the nine-tailed fox had maintained an impish expression, which now displayed an unfamiliar change for the first time. - Here…. It was the Celestial Pavilion. The closer they drew to the Celestial Pavilion, the more the nine-tailed fox’s lips turned rigid, and her expression eventually faded into stoicism. The aura emanating from within resonated with her soul. The group entered the Celestial Pavilion. By now, their presence there was a common occurrence, and even the clerks welcomed them with cheerful smiles. Moving gracefully, Karami and Rin acknowledged the greetings and made their way up to the executive's office, a restricted area. A room that had once been concealed like a maze was now unerringly accessible upon climbing the stairs, thanks to Yuhwa's design. Upon opening the door, the vast sky was the first thing that greeted them. Above the clouds, a fox conducted her affairs. The nine-tailed fox widened her eyes in disbelief. -The celestial fox…? "So, you’ve actually brought the nine-tailed one here." Yuhwa sighed with a mix of emotions. Her clairvoyant eyes could naturally see the spiritual state of the nine-tailed fox. -Why is the celestial fox here? "She is Rin’s magic instructor. There's no one else qualified to teach Rin the arts but the celestial fox." -The celestial fox teaching a nine-tailed fox magic? That's absurd. Heaven’s hound would never do such a thing. Long ago, among the fox clan, a white fox with azure eyes was born, and these foxes called her the White Fox (백호). She had such an extraordinary talent for magic that none could rival her, and being wiser than other foxes, her foresight soon became prophecy. Heaven took notice of her, extended a hand, and the White Fox ascended to the skies. She became the Celestial Fox, entrusted with clairvoyance to serve as heaven’s envoy, ensuring the world flowed like clouds. It was the ultimate rise for her, but to the crowned cat tribe, she was a traitor. If only she hadn’t existed, foxes might rule the world by now. "I understand your feelings too. Even heaven perhaps didn’t foresee the day I’d aid the nine-tailed fox." -Don’t lie! You might deceive those naive fools, but not my eyes! "Indeed. Your eyes cannot be deceived. So don't try to deceive yourself either." The nine-tailed fox understood precisely what that meant. Yuhwa’s power as a celestial fox was significantly diminished. Even maintaining this space was unstable. By aiding the nine-tailed fox, her strength was waning. Much like how a deity’s power diminishes if the followers lose faith. -Why…? Why would the celestial fox help the nine-tailed one? It wasn't like this in the past. No one stood by me then. "It’s thanks to a good master," Karami interjected with a cheeky self-compliment, eliciting a rueful chuckle from Yuhwa, while Rin clung to her master, never missing her chance to sniff around. The nine-tailed fox remained as an isolated outsider, unable to join in the camaraderie. -…What is all this? With a frown, the nine-tailed fox was overwhelmed by a sense of discomfort and withdrew into Rin, retreating from sight. Yuhwa, with her narrowed clairvoyant gaze, observed the nine-tailed fox nestled inside Rin. ‘It must be complicated.’ Many things had changed from the past. It would stir considerable agitation. Even Yuhwa occasionally found it hard to believe. The only difference from the past was the addition of one human, yet the situation had changed so drastically. Perhaps, as he suggested, he might be able to liberate the nine-tailed fox from celestial mandates…. "……." Yuhwa glanced up at the sky. A significant presence was converging upon Bestia where the nine-tailed fox was. Now that the nine-tailed one had grown six tails, heaven would no longer remain a bystander. A storm was brewing. *** Deep within the forest, at the edge of a steep cliff. A shrine stood in an eerie space where even moonlight barely seeped through. Fox statues stood symmetrically, while black and white foxfires flickered about; the place was the Hidden Moon Shrine (음월사). A figure strolled leisurely through the shrine. Clad in a fusion of black and white eastern attire, with a black tail, her eye sockets were covered by a blindfold. She was a Ho-yo. She was a Yo-fox. One of the three Yo-foxes in existence, she was Dark Fox Blackfly— a fox that could reverse fate. A small light flickered within her dark fox bead. "So, the time has come once more." A destiny acquired through a pact with the heavens. It was time to hunt the nine-tailed fox.