The Fox Immortal Who Made Loofah Soup - Chapter 2

I snatched the roast chicken from him and flicked his forehead.

“For you to drink? If I let you drink the medicine I worked so hard to brew, what would I use?”

I flung it into the sky. Every mosquito on the mountain died instantly.

I looked at Yungui. “There. Now that’s satisfying.” Then I turned to make him some human food.

His face twitched. Suddenly he let out a relieved breath and trotted eagerly after me.

“Master, you don’t need me to test your medicine?”

“What would I need you for? Our sect has a medicine-testing stone.”

“Aren’t you afraid of my poison, Master?”

“What could that little bit of poison do?”

“Not that I’m saying your poison isn’t impressive.”

“Master, are you cooking for me?”

I poured soup into his mouth. The world was finally quiet.

So much chatter. Have some loofah soup.

But when a child goes quiet, mischief must be brewing.

I turned around. Yungui was crouched on the ground, questioning his entire existence.

What was wrong with the soup?

I took a little taste.

A moment later, two people were crouched on the ground, questioning their entire existence.

My cooking was so bad that I was banned from the kitchen.

Yungui wasn’t much of a cook either, but at least what he made was food fit for humans.

We did run into a slight problem with his cultivation, though.

Celestial foxes chiefly cultivated merit, usually earning it by repaying kindnesses, healing the sick, and so on.

Yungui tried accompanying me on my medical rounds.

But his poisonous vapor either withered the trees or knocked the animals unconscious.

I only went to fetch two doses of medicine. When I turned back, Yungui was gone.

Following the noise, I found mortal children throwing stones at him.

“You jinx! Stay away from our village! Get lost!”

Poison spread around Yungui. His eyes were cold.

They reminded me of myself, leaving the cave where my mother no longer was to seek someone who would grant me a form.

I stepped forward and tapped a child.

“Why are you hitting him?”

“Because he’s a freak! A monster! He should get out of our village!”

The fur on my head bristled at once, and I became a fox, deep orange as flame.

“Hey, kid. What do you think I am, then?”

The child’s eyes rolled back. He fainted.

I took Yungui’s hand, but he flung mine off.

“Don’t touch me.”

Ignoring his struggles, I grasped his hand. A cloud of purplish-red poison erupted.

Gold flashed, and it all vanished.

Yungui stopped protesting and followed quietly at my side.

“Come on. We’re going back to the sect.”

“No more medical rounds today?”

“No.”

“What about the villagers?”

“They can do whatever they like. Nothing matters more than my precious disciple.”

After we’d walked in silence for a while, Yungui tugged me to a stop.

“Master, let’s go treat people.”

“You’re sure you’re all right?”

“I’m sure.”

I stepped forward and hugged him, patting his back softly. “Tell me if anything happens. Your master won’t just stand by.”

He trembled for a while. His voice caught a little.

“Mm.”

I would not resume my rounds unless they apologized.

The villagers marched the unwilling child over to say sorry.

For once, a hint of bewilderment appeared on Yungui’s usually indifferent little face.

“Sorry.”

The boy’s attitude said, There, I’ve apologized. What more do you want?

“Please, Immortal, look, Xiaoniu has apologized. There are so many sick people in the village. Do forgive him.”

Yungui was about to speak. I interrupted him.

“Why should he?”

The village head stared. “But Xiaoniu has said sorry.”

“You call that grudging display an apology?”

“You’re bad! A bad immortal! If you won’t treat my ma, you’re a murderer!”

“Master, never mind. I forgive him. Don’t let this affect your merit.”

I looked the child in the eye and spoke in earnest.

“You have only yourselves to blame for accepting an immortal’s healing while insulting her disciple. Unless Yungui feels that you’re sorry, I won’t treat anyone else.”

“Then, if anyone in your village dies of illness, it will be your fault. You’ll be the one who killed them.”

The villagers fell silent. Their accusing gazes turned on Xiaoniu.

Sniffling, the child said, “I’m sorry, Immortal. I shouldn’t have called you names.”

I turned to Yungui. “You can choose not to forgive him.”

Yungui looked at me as though I were some demon child descended upon the world.

“I forgive him, Master. Let’s start treating people today.”

Only then did I reluctantly get to work.

Back at the cave, Yungui’s eyes shone.

“Master, if I hadn’t forgiven him, would you really have stopped treating them?”

“Of course.”

“What about your merit?”

“It’s not the only village. There are plenty around our cave.”

“What if they all hate me?”

“Then I’ll have no merit, turn back into a celestial fox, and cultivate for a few more years until I can become human again.”

I’d already been granted a form, after all. As long as I didn’t break the other person’s conditions, I wouldn’t suffer Celestial Decay.

“Master—”

“So noisy.” I poured my improved loofah soup into his mouth.

I’d adjusted the flavor this time. It had to work.

Before long, Yungui was crouched on the ground, questioning his entire existence.

Surely it wasn’t that bad?

I took a little taste.

Two immortals crouched on the ground, questioning their entire existence.