Chapter 450: The White-Faced Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox
Chapter 450: The White-Faced Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox
Qingxue ran swiftly, leaving Tsukikage Chuxia and Bone Woman far behind.
“This is infuriating!”
Bone Woman glared at Tsukikage Chuxia after failing to catch Qingxue.
Her true target had been Qingxue—the fat cat was merely an appetizer.
Now the main course had escaped, leaving only seasoning. How could she not rage?
Tsukikage Chuxia lay motionless, still feigning death when Bone Woman grabbed her scruff and dragged her away.
Though disliking chubby creatures, she knew plumpness meant good nutrition. Lord Nine-Tails would approve.
Not far off, Qingxue doubled back and hid in treetops, observing Bone Woman’s retreat through leafy gaps.
And the fat cat swinging like pendulum in that bony grip.
Qingxue didn’t pursue immediately. Shifting to human form, she produced fist-sized blob of pulpy blood in her hands. “Lord Cheng!”
The blood morphed into a cooing dove: “Found the stalker?”
Prudent Qingxue had secretly alerted Fang Cheng yesterday when sensing surveillance. After separating from the group today, she’d lured out the tracker while Fang Cheng lurked nearby.
When Bone Woman appeared, Qingxue nearly activated ‘Great Summoning’ to call her summoned beast. But Bone Woman’s mention of recruiting for ‘Lord Nine-Tails’ sparked new thoughts.
Fang Cheng had recently told Oni Yuki’s group about Tamamo-no-Mae and the Killing Stone. Qingxue knew he needed Tamamo-no-Mae’s whereabouts to save Kanzaki Rin. This ‘Lord Nine-Tails’ might hold clues.
She altered plans instantly—volunteering as bait to infiltrate the enemy. Yet after consideration, transferred bait-duty to Tsukikage Chuxia. Let the gluttonous cat earn her keep. The clueless feline would make more convincing bait anyway.
After explaining, Qingxue added: “My apologies for acting alone, endangering Tsukikage Chuxia—”
“Solid plan. I’d have done same. Fat cat should blame her own sluggishness. Teach her discipline.”
The dove pecked her palm before becoming a hummingbird. “Let’s unmask this Lord Nine-Tails.”
Nodding, Qingxue resumed feline form and leaped from foliage.
Bone Woman remained vigilant, but felines excel at stealth-tracking. With Fang Cheng’s support, their tailing went undetected.
Tsukikage Chuxia dangled helplessly, pleading: “Big sister, spare me!”
“Who called me old hag earlier?”
“That escape artist! Chase her instead!”
“First I’ll cook you, then settle with her!”
“Don’t!”
The Bone Woman clutched her trophy and headed toward the deep mountains, even more desolate than the suburbs.
She moved swiftly at high speed, soon entering the Hidaka Mountains.
Even before monsters occupied Hokkaido, the Hidaka Mountains had been wild and primitive, home only to Shiretoko National Park.
Now the park lay abandoned, and even monsters avoided this desolate place.
After entering the barren area, the Bone Woman quickly found a cave in an obscure gully and crawled inside.
Qingxue and Fang Cheng didn’t follow recklessly, pausing outside instead.
Fang Cheng asked, “Thoughts?”
Qingxue replied, “To control a monster like the Bone Woman, this ‘Lord Nine-Tails’ must be powerful yet unknown. Hiding here suggests either severe injuries or hidden schemes.”
She dismissed the possibility of a reclusive noble spirit as unlikely.
Fang Cheng agreed. Transforming from a hummingbird to a mosquito, he said, “I’ll scout ahead. Wait here until I return.”
Qingxue nodded, watching him fly into the cave.
…
The natural cave bore no human marks, though animal footprints and dung littered the ground.
Tsukikage Chuxia dangled from the Bone Woman’s grip, her wide eyes darting around.
Despite her loud protests, she felt little fear.
Qingxue wouldn’t abandon her—that wasn’t her personality. She’d either follow secretly or fetch Ah Cheng.
Once Ah Cheng arrived, Tsukikage Chuxia doubted the Bone Woman or “Lord Nine-Tails” could oppose him.
The fat cat’s silly demeanor hid cunning—true fools couldn’t scheme.
Deeper in the cave, broken human and monster bones littered the corners.
The cavern expanded into a vast chamber with hanging stalactites and bone mountains—all monstrous remains.
Tsukikage Chuxia’s confidence vanished. Whatever devoured so many monsters wasn’t ordinary.
The Bone Woman knelt. “Lord Nine-Tails.”
Looking up, Tsukikage Chuxia saw a fox napping atop the bone pile—sleek, white-faced, golden-furred, with nine tails draped over bones.
Her jaw dropped.
White face. Golden fur. Nine tails.
Tamamo-no-Mae!
The fat cat trembled, barely stifling a scream.
Why would the legendary monster Tamamo-no-Mae hide in this wretched cave?
Seemingly awakened by Bone Woman’s words, the nine-tailed fox slowly opened its slender eyes and spoke, “Back?”
Though merely a fox, it radiated lazy allure, its voice dripping with seductive charm.
Bone Woman bowed deeper. “Yes, I brought food.”
The nine-tailed fox’s gaze settled on Tsukikage Chuxia.
The fat cat stiffened completely – had Bone Woman not been holding her, she’d have crumpled to the ground.
“Such a plump cat.”
The nine-tailed fox praised before adding, “But why’s it so weak?”
Panic tinged Bone Woman’s voice. “Forgive me, lord! Another cat monster met your demands but escaped. I’ll retrieve her at once.”
“Never mind,” the nine-tailed fox drawled. “Throw that chubby cat here.”
Bone Woman lobbed Tsukikage Chuxia upward with perfect control. The plump feline landed with a soft thud before the fox.
Tsukikage Chuxia’s courage faltered before Tamamo-no-Mae, this legendary monster.
Trembling, she curled into a quivering ball, unable to form proper pleas.
The fox leaned close, sniffed the cat’s body, then withdrew to rest its chin on a paw.
“Acceptable flavor. How to prepare it…”
Forced to act, Tsukikage Chuxia raised her head to declare her Iron Fortress origins – then froze.
The nine-tailed fox loomed before her, yet emitted no menace. It felt… ordinary.
Fear ebbed, replaced by bewilderment. Could this not be Tamamo-no-Mae?
“Big sister!” she blurted. “Don’t eat me! I’m from Iron Fortress – Tsukikage Hoshi’s sister!”
“A pedigreed fatty,” the fox mused. “When convenient, I’ll devour those moon foxes too. Family reunion.”
Tsukikage Chuxia’s body suddenly ballooned into a two-story-tall feline.
“WHAT DID YOU SAY?!” she roared down at the fox.
The nine-tailed fox glanced upward casually.
Suddenly Tsukikage Chuxia saw not a fox, but an enormous paw filling her vision.
Her neck creaked upward like rusted machinery.
A six-story-tall fox filled the cavern, its back scraping the ceiling. It peered down from the bone mountain at the now-tiny “kitten”.
Tsukikage Chuxia shrank rapidly to palm-size. Flopping belly-up, she mewed pitifully: “Mrrow?”
The colossal fox vanished. The nine-tailed fox remained on its bone throne, casually flicking a claw.
Bang!
Tsukikage Chuxia was flung backward, smacking into a rock and flattening like a squashed pancake.
The nine-tailed fox drawled, “Turn her into stew.”
Bone Woman peeled the cat-pancake off the stone and hauled it away.
The fox’s gaze slid to an empty cave corner. “Done watching, trespasser?” she purred.
A mosquito on a stalactite morphed into a Blood Eagle, diving straight at Bone Woman.
Fang Cheng had meant to rescue the cat after she was taken deeper, but the fox saw through him. Time for Plan B.
Skulls cannonballed from the bone pile before the eagle could strike.
BOOM!
Flames lit the cavern as explosions rattled the walls. Bone Woman scrambled clear while the fox stared upward.
CRASH!
The cave ceiling disintegrated. Sunlight stabbed through collapsing rubble as the entire mountain shook.
Bone Woman gaped from her corner – what monstrous strength could punch through bedrock?
A crimson metal figure hung in the sunbeam.
“Iron Man!” Tsukikage Chuxia yowled, squirming in Bone Woman’s grip. “Ah Cheng! Help!”
Fang Cheng turned. His shoulder-perched Qingxue did too.
Bone Woman froze under their twin stares. This metal man’s aura screamed danger.
The fat cat wriggled free and bolted. Bone Woman lunged, but Flying Rain Needles rained from swooping Blood Eagles. A massive fox tail swept up as a shield.
Needles met fur.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
When the smoke cleared, the tail was gone. Bone Woman retreated as Tsukikage Chuxia reached Fang Cheng’s feet and jumped.
A Blood Eagle caught her midair, dipping sharply under the weight. She sprang into Fang Cheng’s arms. “You’re late!” she wailed, chubby cheeks quivering.
He patted her rump. “Safe now.”
“Traitor!” She glared at Qingxue. “You ran!”
“Your fatness got you caught,” Qingxue muttered, eyes locked on the fox. “White face. Gold fur. Nine tails… Tamamo-no-Mae?”
“Are you Tamamo-no-Mae?” Fang Cheng demanded. The legendary vixen had vanished years ago – what was she doing here gnawing bones?
The fox’s laugh tinkled like windchimes. “Yesn’t.”
“Quit riddles. Yes or no?” If yes, she could cure Kanzaki Rin’s Killing Stone curse.
Pink light bloomed in the fox’s eyes. Qingxue swayed, seeing cherry blossoms and a familiar man. Tsukikage Chuxia giggled at phantom catnip fields.
Fang Cheng felt nothing – evil god protections blocked the hypnosis. But both cats stood entranced, drooling.