The Tale Never Ends Chapter 121

The truth struck me to the core like the deafening toll of a bell. “The one snowy-white fox who has, for centuries, never left Father's side? And the person who has been with Father for so long? That could only be Mother!”

“How is this even possible! It was a fox who has been Father's companions through centuries and it has now been replaced by Mother! Could it be, that the white fox was Mother! Impossible!?” Everyone was gaping with disbelief at the revelation about the truth about Mother. Lin Feng's and Chongxi's jaws were hanging in a bewildered stupor. They saw the change in my expression as the very same thought that I had flashed through their minds.

Then I remembered about Father's tale about his decimation of the Creed of the Eight Trigrams in his time, when he spared the weasel demon only because of its distant kinship to Mother. I was puzzled then because I was left wondering, what kinship could Mother be sharing with such an animal? Another memory then came to me: whenever I referred to foxes as ‘rabid dogs', Mother would immediately chastise me or even punish me for saying such things.

I began to remember even more instances where should had long have directed me to line all the dots together. But such a possibility had never once crossed my mind! There was also my Third Uncle, who, despite my mother's insistence that she was his distant relative, could hardly remember that he had such a cousin like Mother!

This was a truth so shocking that everything felt like a hypnagogic hallucination. I reflected on the talk I had with Mother when we were sitting atop the roof at Aunt Ulan's camp. I was quite upset about what Mother had said then. However, no amount of words would be able to fully describe my emotions now.

Then again, I was hardly a person who would get into a blind alley. Even after knowing that Father and Mother were not my biological parents, I hardly felt anything after a few days. What mattered to me, was that I was not the one preventing Father from ascending into Heaven. So was the fact about Mother's true form, as long as they both loved me! I began to feel better. Everyone noticed my expression softened and my face warmed up and Lin Feng quickly changed the subject. “So, Senior,” he asked Godmother, “Do you know about the people who had tried to attack us?”

Godmother nodded. “I know the location of their lair,” she replied, “I'll lead you there tomorrow. But I know little about them. We are beyond the circle of influence of the zoomorphic deities, the Wudaxians of the Liaoning Region. Most of the other animals here that have learned magic actually belong to the same faction as my elder sister's when she was alive, or what's left of them. But the Mentor of the organization and most of the stronger students have all been slain, leaving only the weak and helpless. It was only because they have begun operating in the prairies of Mongolia, that I began to take notice of them.”

My head nodded grimly. So many of these demons were still begrudging Father for his act of slaying their mentor. This would explain the woman's attempt to try to abduct me years ago.

Godmother began telling us more about what happened in the last three centuries. For hundreds of years, she had been wandering about China, trying vainly to search for Father. But I know my father. No one would be able to find him, especially when he wished it so. He had the means and powers to keep himself hidden. Hence, for decades and centuries, Godmother had journeyed around China for naught, until one day, she received word from Mongolia that a person was seen flying in the air on a sword like the immortals from Chinese folklore. Realizing that it could be my father Murong Hai, Godmother began renewing her search in Mongolia once again. Little did she realize that that was me, not Father, who remained at Wu Zhong.

For decades she stayed there, searching through every stubble of grass for Father that she became no stranger to the endless Mongolian steppes. She became aware of the activities of the demons at Mongolia, although she did not know that the purpose of their coming into Mongolia was to set an ambush for me.

At her invitation, we went back to her lair that evening. We left the horses outside and prepared to overnight inside.

To our amazement, there was more to Godmother's cave than meets the eye. Edelweiss and I had ventured only at the outermost chamber of the cave, without knowing that the cave actually honeycombed deep into the mountain! There were more chambers in the cave system, all fully furnished with beds intricately hewn from stone. Unbeknownst to us earlier, we were not alone all along! There were many more girls inside the cave, all of them were younger fox demons who were still novices in the arts of magic. Despite being able to assume human form, many of them still had their tails hanging at their rear.

She led us into the cavern full of girls and said to them, “This is my son,” she pronounced loudly, motioning at me. The girls immediately scrambled to their feet and curtseyed, greeting me as “Young Master.” Although they did their best to behave like humans, they could not resist sniffing at me like little puppies. Godmother gently tugged at Edelweiss' arm and said to them again, “And this is my daughter-in-law!” Quick to the catch, the lot of them quickly uttered, “Young Mistress,” sending Edelweiss into a fit of embarrassment.

Then again, I brooded, we were no nearer to regaining Aunt Ulan's soul. The very crisis concerning her survival vexed me that I hardly slept that night. Beside me, Edelweiss too tossed about restlessly like one in the grip of a fever. I patted her lightly and whispered to her, asking her to rest early. A long journey awaited us tomorrow, I said to her. There might even be a fight too. Nevertheless, I myself found it hard to sleep with troubled thoughts of Aunt Ulan's safety swimming in my mind.

Still, fatigue took me some time in the wee hours of the morning. I woke up at noon and discovered everyone, Yuan Chongxi included, was already waiting for me. Some of the girls from our company were struggling to stifle their giggles to the knowledge that Edelweiss and I had spent the night together in a room, much to my chagrin.

We made ready for our pursuit. With Godmother sharing a horse with Edelweiss, she rode at the head, leading us ahead. Riding just behind, I mused at how they looked really like a woman who doted on her daughter-in-law. For more than ten kilometers we galloped and reached the foot of a hill. It was only when we came near to the hill, we realized that the trees around the hill had all been felled to make space for a large open space enclosed by palisades of wood from the fallen trees. With the absence of a forest to obscure its entrance, the cave was visible now. Fences made of branches girdled the mouth of the cave with a pair of sentries guarding at each side.

Edelweiss yanked at the reins of her horse and compelled it to come closer. “It's too bad that there are trees in the way. Otherwise, I could have led some of my sisters with me to creep near the entrance from the sides while you take out both sentries with your silenced pistol! We can immediately storm the cave quickly!” Yuan Chongxi overheard us and jabbed at my ribs. “You brought a gun? Why did you not tell us! Let me have a look!” Yuan Chongxi was an avid gun enthusiast. He studied firearm with ardent fervor and passion that bordered on fanaticism. Anything about guns; be they the design and structure of guns, the speed of the projectiles, and the strengths and weaknesses of different models, Yuan Chongxi knew them all! That was why he could easily disassemble the guns when we first encountered Aunt Ulan's girls when they tried to steal our baggage! I extracted my Spirit Gourd, and much to his annoyance, I teased him, “This is it! Have a look! I'm sure this is something very new even to you!” I turned back to Edelweiss, getting back to business. “The trees will not obstruct me. Just take your sisters with you. Send me a signal once you're ready to rush in!”

With a gesture to her girls, Edelweiss led the girls with her. They fitted bayonets at the muzzle of their rifles and moved stealthily towards the mouth of the cave. When they were ready, Edelweiss flashed me a V-sign from her hiding spot and I uncorked my Gourd. I aimed the mouth of my Gourd at the two guards watching the entrance and they quickly collapse! Immediately, with the speed of lightning, Edelweiss and her band of sisters charged into the cave!

Chapter end