Chapter 028: The Fox Spirit

Be wary of the fox.

Trapped inside the coffin, countless thoughts flickered through Su Cheng’s mind. Suddenly, the coffin tilted forty-five degrees. The pallbearers outside seemed to be ascending steps, each stride jolting the coffin violently.

With every tremor, the woman with the fox-like face lying inside the coffin moved up and down over Su Cheng, stopping and shifting with the coffin's motion.

It was a sensation far more thrilling than any car ride.

Fortunately, the fox-faced woman remained asleep and did not awaken immediately—otherwise, Su Cheng might have been so frightened as to lose all hope of fatherhood.

The main quest of this game was to infiltrate the Ghost King's wedding banquet, and this coffin appeared to be headed straight for the ceremony. Yet Su Cheng realized that once they arrived and the coffin lid was lifted, he would be surrounded by countless monsters and demons, making escape nearly impossible.

A grave problem remained: if the fox-faced woman inside the coffin were to awaken, she might devour him alive.

Just then, Su Cheng noticed her alluring almond eyes half-open, half-closed, as if she were about to wake.

A terrifying aura of demonic energy spread within the coffin, and before he knew it, Su Cheng’s underclothes were soaked in cold sweat—this fox was nothing ordinary.

Escape.

He had to get out of the coffin, and fast.

Steeling himself, Su Cheng took a deep breath and kicked the coffin lid with all his might.

The heavy lid flew off with a bang, and Su Cheng dove out, gulping air desperately.

The icy air flooding his lungs snapped him into alertness.

Once outside, Su Cheng saw that the coffin was being carried by eight Tengu imps dressed as warriors of the Heian era, swords at their waists.

These Tengu imps were short and hunched, with two horns protruding from their heads. They wore paper masks depicting fierce, demonic faces—hideous and terrifying.

The Tengu pallbearers had no eyes, but their noses were exceptionally keen; instantly, they caught the scent of a living human on Su Cheng.

“A human? How dare you disrespect Lady Fox Immortal!”

The Tengu imps, as if injected with adrenaline, drew their swords and surrounded Su Cheng with wild cries.

“They’re coming!”

Nimble as a cat, Su Cheng dodged back, drew a sniper crossbow from his inventory, loaded a bolt, and aimed at the foremost imp.

Whizz!

The bolt flew like a shooting star, piercing the Tengu's skull.

Ordinary physical attacks were useless against ghosts, so Su Cheng had affixed a lethal talisman to the bolt.

The arrow exploded the imp’s head; his body dissipated into a puff of smoke, vanishing in the thick night.

“These talismans really work. But I don’t have many left—I need to use them sparingly.” Su Cheng licked his lips, stowed the crossbow, and drew his katana, charging the remaining imps.

These Tengu had been seasoned warriors in life, with rich combat experience. Though they’d been dead for centuries, fragments of their memories lingered. They were mere minions, but not so easily dispatched.

Fortunately, Su Cheng possessed skills uniquely suited to countering spirits, and he moved with ease against the Tengu.

The cold gleam of his blade sliced through a Tengu’s neck, the ghostly power imbued in the steel gnawing at the imp’s spirit like a bone-eating infection.

Flashes of steel swept through the air; in less than thirty seconds, the Tengu who had charged Su Cheng lay slain in succession.

For these spirits of weak power, the ghostly energy on his blade was like a fatal poison—once touched, annihilation was inevitable.

Having dealt with the imps, Su Cheng pulled out a map of Asakusa Temple and studied it closely.

“It seems the others were transported here just as I was. My current position is at the entrance, the Thunder Gate. Ahead lies Nakamise shopping street.”

The trouble was, before entering the instance, no one had expected the team to be scattered, each teleported to a different corner of Asakusa Temple. If he tried to find the others first, he might run out of time—and encounter more monsters along the way.

Thus, Su Cheng resolved to head directly to the banquet hall, where he would meet Night God Wei and the others.

As he prepared to move forward, a familiar, cool fragrance wafted from behind. The instant he smelled it, Su Cheng broke out in a cold sweat.

He spun around abruptly—only to find an exquisitely beautiful fox face almost pressed against his own.

“Fox Immortal!”

Unlike when he’d met her in the coffin, this time the Fox Immortal had her eyes open.

Her gaze shimmered with mysterious power, as if it could draw a human soul inside.

Su Cheng snapped back to his senses and leapt away, putting distance between himself and this eerie fox.

“Just now you were so bold in the coffin, but out here you’re quick to deny any wrongdoing? Men—none are worth trusting.”

The fox’s voice flowed from her lips, honeyed and seductive, stirring something deep within Su Cheng’s heart.

Any man hearing that voice would lose himself, following this fox-faced woman to the land of bliss.

Su Cheng bit his tongue hard, the taste of blood filling his mouth and nose; it cleared his mind, saving him from falling under her spell.

“Close call—almost fell for her tricks.”

Taking a deep breath, Su Cheng decided it was best to stay well clear of this dangerous fox, lest something unspeakable happen.

He had to admit, her charm was unrivaled—without even using her powers, every gesture and smile could entrance a man beyond hope.

The Chronicles of the Mysterious mention: At fifty, a fox can become a woman; at a hundred, a beauty, able to sense events a thousand miles away. Skilled in enchantment, it confuses the mind. At a thousand years, it connects with the heavens, becoming a Celestial Fox.

Though this fox’s figure was lovely and she appeared young, her age was certainly over a hundred. Whether she was a millennium-old Celestial Fox was unclear.

“Lady Fox Immortal, it was just a misunderstanding. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

As he spoke, Su Cheng slapped a Binding Mantra talisman behind him, and without waiting to see if it worked, darted away at speed.

A flash of spiritual light erupted; four pillars of energy formed a barrier around the fox-faced woman, trapping her within.

“How amusing, little one.”

She smiled seductively, tapped her slender finger, and the spiritual barrier shattered like brittle glass, unable to hold for even a second.

Hearing the sound of the barrier breaking, Su Cheng’s heart sank—he fled even faster.

This fox’s power was unfathomable; even the entire Night God team would be no match for her. If he didn’t escape now, she would devour him, bones and all.

Yet the fox-faced woman did not pursue Su Cheng; instead, she sashayed back to the coffin and lay down once more.

Dark smoke coalesced into humanoid forms; the Tengu imps resumed carrying the coffin onward.

Beyond the Thunder Gate lay Nakamise shopping street, which should have been closed at this hour. But as Su Cheng arrived, he saw many shops brightly lit, with attendants inviting customers in.

The bizarre scene made Su Cheng wary.

This was the oldest shopping street in Japan; during the day, one could sample treats like doll-shaped cakes and Thunder Gate pastries.

But shops selling snacks after midnight—surely something was amiss.

“Fried buns, delicious fried buns! Sir, would you like a serving of fried buns?”

Inside a shop, Su Cheng saw a kindly old woman beckoning customers.

This fried bun shop was well-known in Asakusa Temple, offering sixteen flavors from sweet to spicy, all with a crisp texture like tempura.

Had it been daytime, Su Cheng would certainly have bought a fried bun to taste, but the atmosphere now was unsettling.

“Grandma, one fried bun, please.”

Just then, a little boy in straw sandals appeared out of nowhere, politely handing over a paper bill.

Su Cheng noticed—the boy’s money was spirit money.

“Here’s your fried bun—careful, it’s hot,” the old woman said with a smile, handing the bun to the boy.

The boy cheered and took a big bite, delighted.

Su Cheng saw a smear of red liquid at the boy’s mouth.

Looking closer, the filling inside the bun was fresh human blood.

Damn! It was a bun of human blood.

The boy ate happily, his expression growing stranger with every bite.

Su Cheng’s scalp tingled; he quickly left the shop.

Midnight bells rang, and the shopping street grew lively.

Japanese pancakes made with centipedes and stinkbugs, doll cakes stuffed with human meat, sticky rice balls and bean cakes filled with poisonous scorpions—an endless parade of “delicacies” emerged.

Only then did Su Cheng realize: these foods were never meant for the living, but for the dead.

All manner of bizarre monsters and spirits filled the street, like the legendary Hyakki Yagyō.

Standing among ghosts and vengeful spirits, Su Cheng’s human aura shone like a firefly in the dark—impossible to hide and drawing every ghost’s attention.

Suddenly, a soft, mournful sobbing sounded.

Not far away, a girl in white stood with her back to Su Cheng, quietly weeping, her sorrowful cries stirring sympathy in the heart.