Zhu Xian

Chapter 1 Death of the Devil A

The heated wave filled the burning underground cave, the bright red lava rolling under the platform, often letted out poping sound.

Shaw Danon increasingly felt his breathing became more difficult. The air that was inhaled into his lungs is burning. Any step he took is like walking on fire. However, the six-tails before him, still quietly lying there, seemed like quite enjoying it.

He stood still, watching. Hesitated for a moment, then went forward, and subconsiously holding his fire stick tightly at the same time.

The platform was long and narrow, extend deep above the lava lake. As Shaw Danon was walking closer, the surrounding temperature was hotter, almost to the degree that no one can bear it.

Maybe because of the blazing heat or other reason, Shaw Danon’s throat was extremely dry. But he did not get distracted, the pair of eyes fixed on that fox.

He stopped when he was three steps away from the fox.

Since the distant is closer, he can see it clearly now. He realized it is indeed a beautiful fox. Pure white fur all over, especially in this burning hell place, it was white as snow. Not to mention about a single different fur, it does not even have any mark of burnt.

Only, its eyes were closer. They frowned as if there was a bit of pain hanging between its eyebrows.

Shaw Danon looking at it, countless of ideas passed through his brain like lighting. From Laguna Collective to now, all he heard of was the “three-tails fox spirit” being a threat. But the fox before him was clearly different than the three-tails fox spirit that he just battled earlier.

He could hazily remember, when he was young Xavion had told him, the world is so large that nothing there can not be. There are a lot of graceful mountains and rivers, and also many devils and monsters. There is a legend said, foxes are intelligent within the beasts. Many cultivated into devils. And within the race of fox, there is a branch that has the most spiritual power. And there is a special thing about them, the higher the cultivation, the more tails they get.

Seeing the six-tails fox before him, his heart was stunned.

Then at this moment, the six-tails fox before his eyes, it sudden awoke from deep sleep. Its tails and head moved.

After that, it opened its eyes.

In its dark and deep pupils, reflecting the figure of a nervous young man.

Shaw Danon was surprised and took a step back, putted the fire stick in front of his chest, prepared. But the six-tails white fox was only looking at him, his body still lay on that bluestone, have no intention to fight.

A person and a fox, facing each other like this. There was no sound around them, only the boiling sound thousands years old lava if there is any sound, but it seemed really far away.

The air was still blazing, floating between the human and the fox.

“Youngster.” Low, with some tireness sound, came out from the fox’s mouth, breaking the silent: “What are you doing here?”

Shaw Danon could figure that the fox is suffering from illness, that’s why its voice is so weak. But he did not let down his guard, he said: “You devils are harming the world. I, as a disciple of the side of good, am going to the rip of the harm for the sake of the people.”

The six-tails white fox looked at him, its eyes were shining, did not get mad nor did it sneer. It only looked at him lightly, after a moment, it removed its sight, said calmly: “Good ambition!”

Shaw Danon startled, then frowned and shouted: “Don’t give me this, stand up, I…..”

“You are going to kill me?” The six-tails white fox suddenly cut in, calmly asked.

Shaw Danon did not expect it will ask him directly. He was startled, then immediately realized, said: “You fox spirits are harming the world, causing people to suffer. I kill you is only to bring the divine justice!”

The six-tails white fox turned its head to the side, with a bit of disdain, also a bit of desolation, it said: “Youngster, I see that you are less than twenty right?”

Shaw Danon snorted: “So what, I am still going to slay the devils.”

The six-tails white fox lowered its head, suddenly with some exclamation, it said: “Yeah! You human beings are really gifted at cultivation. We fox’s thousand years of hard working cultivation, the good potential human only require several hundreds years to surpass us, like that Shangguan old man……” Then he suddenly stopped, gave a bitter smile, looking at Shaw Danon, it said slowly: “Youngster, your age is so young, how do you know we fox race is harming the world, causing people to suffer?”

Shaw Danon laughed coldly: “Your companion three-tails fox spirit harrassed the residents of Laguna Collective all days. Not only robbing countless of livestocks, but also takes people’s life. Isn’t that harming the world, causing the people to suffer?”

Six-tails white fox pondered for a moment, said: “Correct, I heard about this from her. Indeed like you said, three days ago she went to Laguna Collective. That father and son dared to resist. My illness was bad that day, she was in a bad mood, so she killed the two reckless foolish human.”

Shaw Danon said angrily: “Then what do you still want to say?”

The six-tails white fox said lightly: “You misunderstood. I am not arguing with you. If I was her that day, I will still kill them.”

Shaw Danon was furious, he pointed and said: “And you dare to say it is not harming the world, causing the people to suffer, die devil!” The green light of the fire stick brightened, was about to shoot through the air.

The six-tails white fox had no intention to move, still lying there. It said lightly: “The world you spoke of, what does that means?”

Shaw Danon was startled. His mind was racing. Suddenly, looking at the six-tails white fox, listening to its quiet words, he strangely recalled Wan Reng Wang.

Faintly, there was a sound calling from the depth of his heart.

The radiance of the fire stick was dimmed gradually. However, the voice of the six-tails white fox still continued: “In your eyes, the so-called world is the place where you human as the boss? Everything of this world is for you human to take. If there is any resistance, then that becomes harming the world, causing people to suffer; then that becomes unforgivable, deserve to die, right?”

Shaw Danon looked at the fox. He pondered and not speaking. He did not know why, why the three-tails fox spirit and that six-tails white fox appeared to like to talk to him. What he did not understand even more is that, why such words that are challenging his belief have such great impact in his mind?

“But, do you know how other races feel? Those beasts that were killed, eaten by you human, how do they feel? But in the end, it is just because you human are strong, beasts have no ability to resist, only left with being killed.” The white fox’s voice continued calmly: “Since that is the case, we foxes are a bit stronger than you human, killed some of you, what’s wrong with that? This world is the strong lives, and the weak dies anyway.” It smiled, watched Shaw Danon, said: “What do you say?”

Shaw Danon glared at it, bit his lips, not saying anything.

“Also, even within the human, isn’t it the same? You cultivators, still can’t acheive immortality even now, but already fighting each others. The so-called Good and Evil, actually is just what you say makes it that way. It is nothing more than just winners are the right, losers are the wrong.”

Then it smiled again, watched Shaw Danon, repeated: “What do you say?”

Shaw Danon closed his eyes, lifted its head, and took a deep breath. The white fox did not speak, seemed like it got tired after saying that much.

Long while.

“What do you want me to say?” Shaw Danon suddenly said.

Chapter 1 Death of the Devil B

The white fox looked at him, found that he has already opened his eyes. The young man’s complicated and yet bright eyes were looking at it.

“Every single one of you are telling me the same thing.” Shaw Danon said coldly: “It is like it is wrong that I am in the Righteous, and you killing people causing chaos are right. You evil heretics, beside poisoning people’s mind, what else can you do?”

White fox suddenly frowned, eyes shining, it said: “What, there are other people telling you the similar thing?”

Shaw Danon did not answer, but the mystic light of the fire stick has brightened up again, shone on his face. His voice issued: “Devil, come!”

The ghostly green light covered the blazing red light, like a mountain falling upon it.

The six-tails white fox was watching the surpressing green light. In such blazing lava place, there was a bit of chill, caused it to shiver.

At this moment, Shaw Danon suddenly heard a quick whistle of wind coming from behind, the tunnel where he fell.

The sound was like roaring of the beast, also like hoof of thousands cavarlies, with great momentum before he could see what it is. Shaw Danon was surprised, but not dare to lower his guard at the six-tails white fox, he retrieved the fire stick, putted it in front of his chest, getting ready.

And at the place a bit farther away, the six-tails white fox also frowned, looking at the tunnel.

Shortly after, Shaw Danon felt the blazing wave of heat coming from the tunnel. Beathing became even more difficult, giving him the feeling of being cooked in this lava cave.

As he was in the stat of confused and surprised, the noise was getting closer, the momentum was getting stronger. After a moment, the dark tunnel glared with radiance before his eyes. A giant fire dragon came out from the narrow tunnel. After it came out from the cave, the fire dragon roared, rose into the air, showing its fangs and claws. A white figure came down from the dragon’s head. It was the bewitching three-tails fox spirit.

She landed before the six-tails white fox, there was worry on her face. There were several places that were teared and dirty on her clean clothes. Seemed like she suffered some disadvantage in the battle.

Shaw Danon was startled, rooted on the ground, did not go forward. His attention was attracted by giant fire dragon in the air. The fire dragon was covered with burning flame, even its eyes were two balls of fire.

The fire dragon’s momentum became more fierce in this underground lava cave. After a dragon roar, the fire dragon charged down.

Shaw Danon was surprised, immediately stepped back, but the fire dragon only passed by him. Within the wave of heat, the fire dragon roared and drilled into the lava lake, disappeared. A moment later it came out, comfortably swimming in this hot terrifying lake.

The quiet voice of the three-tails fox spirit came: “Brother, are you all right?”

The six-tails white fox smiled, said lightly: “This young mister of the side of Good haven’t do anything to this dying fox yet!”

Shaw Danon flushed, then frowned. From what the six-tails white fox said, seemed like it was about to die from illness.

There was sadness on three-tails fox spirit’s face, she said quietly: “Brother, beside the two people who came with that young man, there are also two from Incense Valley.”

Six-tails white fox’s body shivered, turned to her, said: “Is it the Shangguan old man?”

The three-tails fox spirit shook her head: “No, it is the disciples from the younger generation, but their cultivation is quite deep. I-I am not their opponent……”

The six-tails white fox startled, sighed: “Alas! You are only three hundreds years of cultivation. Even with Inferno Mirror, how can you afford any resistance against the outstanding disciples of those famous factions. Let it be.”

On the bewitching face of the three-tails fox spirit, two lines of tear slipped off: “But, brother, now this ‘Dark Drake Cave’ has no other way out. The path above has sealed off by four of them. Now leaving with ‘Giant Black Leech’ to manage to hold them off. But their espers are too powerful, I am afraid they will be here within a stick of incense of time (Note 1). What should we-we do?”

The six-tails white fox looked at her, lifted its forelimb with difficulty, trying to grab her. But when it raised into mid-air, it dropped. He gasped for air, then said: “Can’t you see? Even if they did not come, I won’t last for long.”

The tear of the three-tails fox spirit dropped on the pure snow white fur of the white fox.

The white fox’s voice was very calm: “For three hundreds years, I flee from place to place, always living in the life of shadow, fearing the people of Incense Valley will hunt me down, and also need to suffer the ‘Lunar Ice Stinger”s ice poison. But now, I finally unable to escape.”

Three-tails fox spirit said sadly: “Brother, don’t say it. I am going to bring you out of here. We still have the Inferno Mirror. With your cultivation, we certainly can……”

The white fox slowly shook its head, said quietly: “My cultivation foundation of thousand years has been damaged little by little by the ice poison of the Lunar Ice Stinger for this three thousands years. Now my body is completely frozen, chill within the marrow, I already can’t.”

Three-tails fox spirit shivered, could not say anything.

The white fox lifted its head, hesitated for a moment, then said: “I really can’t, but you can not die. You have the Inferno Mirror with you. When they come into the tunnel, summon the fire dragon and charge against them. They will be surprised and probably unable to stop you. You-you will……”

It suddenly stopped talking. Three-tails fox spirit slowly stood up before it, putted her hand in her clothes and took out an esper with red threads on both sides. It was the Inferno Mirror.

In this burning lava cave, the Inferno Mirror shone with red. And the ancient fire totem at the center, was about to burn and surge out.

Three-tails fox spirit, the bewitching lady in Shaw Danon’s eyes, was staring at the Inferno Mirror in her hands. Soon after, a drop of tear quietly fell on the Inferno Mirror. After a moment, it turned into white smoke, evaporated into the air.

So, foxes also have tear?

So, devils also have love?

Shaw Danon was stunned and rooted.

“Three hundreds years, brother.” She said quietly, sorrowly: “Total of three hundreds years. When I had a little achieve in cultivation and met you at ‘Fox Hill’, from that time on, I followed you. To the edge of the world, to the dry wasteland, living in a dark life, living in a life that need to worry about being hunted by people.

But, I have never regret…….”

Shaw Danon slowly took a few steps, stood behind them. Confusion strangely rose in his heart. When he heard of the term Fox Hill, his heart moved, it sounds familiar, but he could not recall what that is.

The bewitching lady, her eyes was filled with tear: “But today, why-why are you telling me to leave?”

The white fox lowered its head. Shaw Danon noticed its body was trembling, maybe due to coldness, or its heart was moved.

“Brother!”

The bewitching lady suddenly shouted. The sound was so sad and shrill. The white fox lifted its head. Shaw Danon was also surprised by her.

The weird looking Inferno Mirror was placed softly by her on her gentle undulating breast, glowing with soft light.

The white fox’s entire body was trembling, with a sudden burst of unknown strength, it lifted half of its body up, screamed: “No…….”

“Bang!”

A bang, just like hitting on Shaw Danon’s heart. He stood behind that bewitching lady, watching light of the Inferno Mirror came out from her soft back.

A bit, a drop, formed into a blazing beam, tranfixed through her gentle body.

The surrounding world, all the sound, at that instant, has suddenly became far away.

…

All those rage, all those presistent, were slowly gone.

In that young man’s eyes, there was only the bright red blood that came out from the gentle beautiful body, dropped on the ground, turned into a bright red flower, then slowly penerated into the stones.

The blood red ground, will never lose its color!

Chapter 1 Death of the Devil C

She fell powerlessly, fell before the white fox. Hoarse cry came out from the white fox’s mouth. Shaw Danon could not understand what it is trying to say. The white fox screamed, with its body trembling, it struggled to climb forward, climb to the weak, dying body not far away from it. But its body was so weak that it could only achieve a little after struggling for long time.

Shaw Danon suddenly rushed forward.

He rushed forward, at this moment, he forgot everything.

He carefully carried the seriously injured body of the bewitching lady, putted her in front of the white fox. Then he quietly stepped back, standing before them.

And at this moment, whistle came out again from the tunnel at far. After a loud noise, a thing fell out from the tunnel. Black and dry. Shaw Danon recongized it was part of the tentacle that trapped him.

Then he turned around, watching the two fox spirits.

The white fox grabbed the bewitching lady, its body was shaking hard. Its once beautiful fur quickly withered in a noticable speed.

“You……” Its voice was hoarsed, seemed like saying every word is tearing its heart.

The bewitching lady, also the so-called three-tails fox spirit, her face was pale like paper, without single color of blood. However, it was still gentle, seemed like the fear of death, the pain of her chest could not interfere her.

Until now, she was still looking at the white fox gently.

“Brother, now, you can not tell me to go away!”

The white fox was choked that it could not speak.

She lifted her hand, tried to touch him. But when it dropped after extended half way. Her blood had dyed the white fox’s chest.

“Brother, you and I, will be……together……”

She closed her eyes, and will never be opened ever again.

The entire world has quiet down.

Note 1: Chinese people often use relative timing term such as a stick of incense, a pot of tea, a cup of wine for telling the time. It means the time that takes one stick of incense to burn out, or a pot of tea, cup of wine to cool down.