It was snowing.
The entire Welcoming Moon Mountain was covered in silver.
Starting from this winter, Shifu required us to go into the mountains to practice because he wanted to choose the next mountain god from among his many disciples.
As a young and energetic person, I was excited about the title "god."
Shifu said that every land must be guarded by a competent mountain god. He was getting old, and his spiritual energy was gradually dissipating. In order to avoid the disaster of heaven and earth falling apart, he wanted us to study and practice even harder, in the hope of selecting the most suitable successor to guard this land.
That winter, I made a promise with Bu Yu. When the next mountain deity is born, regardless of whether I obtain that title or not, we will get married.
My fellow disciples, like me, all dreamt transforming from insignificant little demons to mountain gods guarding a region. Our lives were no longer as carefree and leisurely as before; instead, we were engrossed in our individual cultivation. And the ultimate goal of our cultivation was to perfect our own inner cores. As different types of demons, our entire essence resided in those inner cores. The more perfect the inner core is, the stronger our power will be.
My fish senior brothers, wolf senior brothers, and cat senior brothers had perfected their inner cores in quick succession. Inner cores of the fox clan are the most challenging to cultivate, and while my senior brothers had already achieved great success, my inner core was still in the critical period of coming into being.
During that time, Bu Yu often brought my favorite roast chicken to the cave where I practiced, rewarding me with food and drink. She just sat to meditate and practice cultivation symbolically each day, with absolutely no intention of competing for the title of some mountain god. All she wanted was to be my wife.
The happiest memories were when we huddled in the cave, lighting a bonfire, enjoying the delicious roast chicken while watching the snowfall outside.
That peacefully serene time was truly precious.
During that winter, Shifu rarely appeared before us. We knew he was tending to his only son who had contracted a strange illness. Shifu's son couldn't speak and had no awareness since birth, just like a living dead. Over the years, despite trying many methods, Shifu couldn't cure him, which saddened us disciples a lot.
However, gradually, the atmosphere in the mountains became weird—
One by one, my senior brothers who had refined their inner cores went missing. There was no trace of them in the vast forest. Shifu aged a lot overnight. While brewing medicine for his son, he sighed in secret: "Never mind, never mind, they shall venture forth once their wings are strong. Welcoming Moon Mountain is too small for them..."
My relationship with my senior brothers had always been good, and I couldn't fathom their reasons for leaving without a word. Could it be that, in their hearts, the happiness of living with Shifu and everyone else couldn't compare to the inexplicable "venture forth" they sought? Moreover, weren't they previously so determined to compete for the position of mountain god?
Although I had many doubts, I couldn't afford to be too distracted by this matter. In seven more days, my inner core would likely be perfected. If my mind wasn't at peace at this time, I could easily lose control and fall into the devil path.
Bu Yu came to see me the next day, and all she brought was good news. She said that everything was fine with Shifu, the younger apprentice brothers were being obedient, and the missing fish senior brother had sent word, saying he had arrived in a bustling city and had even met a beautiful woman.
I knew that Bu Yu never lied, and I finally felt at ease.
However, at the moment when I clearly saw Bu Yu turn and leave, her slightly furrowed brow didn't escape my notice.
White foxes are the aristocrats among foxes and also the cleverest. We're always adept at reading a person.
As I watched her disappearing silhouette in the twilight, a series of shallow and deep footprints remained in the snow, just like imperfections on a beautiful face. Suddenly, I remembered that Bu Yu's footsteps were always light as clouds, leaving no trace, and she often said that a landscape covered in pristine snow was incredibly beautiful, and leaving footprints would mar it. Therefore, she never left any marks in the snow when she walked.
As I stood at the cave's entrance, my already at ease heart skipped a beat owing to some weird power.
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