Chapter Forty-Five

  Several police cars came under the mountain, I guess someone saw a flash of fire on the mountain and thought it was someone setting fire to the mountain, or the weather caused the forest to catch fire for no reason, so they called the police.

  As the alarm sounded louder and louder, the fox beside me still had an inexplicable expression on his face. My heart was racing to my throat, and I urged him: "Fox, let's escape quickly! If we don't, it'll be too late."

  The stinky fox spirit pulled a long face, pointed the flashlight in its hand at me, bared its teeth and said with a ferocious expression: "Escape? Why escape? I don't believe it. What can those mountain village people do to me?"

  I wiped the cold sweat that had broken out on my face with my hand, what was this and what was that, mountain village savage, I reckon now he and I looked even more like mountain village savages in other people's eyes.

  "I hastily explained: 'The people who came were not mountain villagers, but police.'"

  The fox raised an eyebrow and said with disdain: "What is a police officer, what kind of ghost thing is a police officer? This deity has never heard of such a strange thing."

  "It's not some kind of monster, it's human, they are police."

  For this kind of person who seems like an antique, I can only make such explanations.

  The fox's eyebrows furrowed, "What are these strange things, one moment they're human, the next they've turned into police. However, no matter how bizarre he is, a dignified thousand-year-old fox immortal like myself won't be afraid of this bunch of small fries."

  After finishing speaking, he burst into loud laughter again several times.

  That expression was one of utter madness, he laughed, and I heard people shouting from the foot of the mountain, their voices growing louder and closer to the top, as if they might appear before our eyes at any moment.

  I turned my head to look at the pile of white bones burning on the ground, and I estimated that it would only take a few more minutes for them to be reduced to ashes. However, if someone were to extinguish them halfway through, I fear that everything Fox and I have done today will be in vain by tonight.

  After about a minute or so, the flames from that pile of white bones finally died down to scattered sparks. I walked over and crouched down on the ground for a closer look, but there was nothing left. Turning my head back, I saw the fox still squatting on the ground, looking dazed with an air of sorrow and loss.

  "Hurry up, hurry up, there are officials coming!"

  "Government guest?"

  Upon hearing this ancient term, a hint of terror flashed across the fox's face, and it seemed that he had understood its meaning this time.

  "How did this official arrive so quickly? I've just set fire and haven't even burned the mountain yet?"

  The fox asked while picking up the unfinished bottle of wine and pouring a mouthful into his mouth. Just as I thought he was going to shoot at the pile of white bones again, he started drinking alone with ease.

  I was anxious and couldn't help but use my foot to erase the evidence that could be destroyed on the ground, while busy picking up the remaining talismans on the ground that had not been burned yet. I looked up to see the fox already squatting at the base of the tree, starting to drink wine.

  "Hey, the officials are coming, why aren't you running yet?"

  "Run? It's too humiliating to run away. I won't do it. I'll just sit here and wait, let those officials try to do whatever they want to me."

  After finishing speaking, he tilted his head back and took another sip.

  What's gotten into you now, stinky fox? You're starting to talk about honor? I'm getting a bit fed up. I picked up the soft sword from the ground and used my foot to draw a few more lines on the ground.

  I was worried for nothing, this guy doesn't even take the police seriously.