Chapter Eleven: Transformation into Humanity
After being personally promoted by Emperor Taizong, Xue Rengui soon found himself with a temporary residence within the city of Anshi. One idle evening, he entertained himself in the hall with his beloved pet, playing little games.
Clapping his hands, Xue Rengui called out, “Little Red, fetch the frisbee I just threw!”
But the pet lay motionless on the floor, glanced at him, then turned away, feigning indifference.
“Little Red, you’re a clever fox, and yet you can’t master such a simple trick?” Xue Rengui muttered with mild dissatisfaction. Just then, a servant granted to him by the emperor hurried in. “Master, you have a visitor!”
“Oh? Who is it?”
“From the sound of his voice, I believe he’s a eunuch!”
Xue Rengui was startled. “Please, invite him in!”
Moments later, a plump, beardless man entered, led by the servant. Though dressed in ordinary clothes, Xue Rengui immediately recognized him as one of the eunuchs serving Emperor Taizong.
Xue Rengui bowed deeply. “I did not expect your visit at such a late hour. Please forgive my lack of proper welcome!”
The eunuch beamed. “Don’t flatter me, General Xue. You are favored by the Sage Himself, while I am but an old servant at His side—how could I dare accept such honor?”
Xue Rengui asked, “Have you come to convey His Majesty’s decree?”
The eunuch shook his head with a smile. “No, I have come of my own accord.” As he spoke, his eyes lingered on the red fox lounging in the hall, revealing a hint of delight. “General, we are both natives of Hedong—so I thought to pay you a visit and become better acquainted.”
Listening to him, Xue Rengui grew increasingly suspicious. Why the sudden camaraderie? This is not the final years of the Han dynasty—what could a eunuch possibly want with an outsider like me? But mindful of the man’s proximity to the emperor, Xue Rengui dared not treat him lightly and invited him to sit, engaging in conversation.
Throughout their talk, the eunuch endlessly praised Xue Rengui’s valor, repeatedly mentioning the emperor’s fondness for him. Eventually, under the banner of shared origins, he inquired about Xue Rengui’s family.
After some time, he smiled and said, “You have served in the army for three years, General, and now you return in glory. Surely your wife has long awaited you at home, and you must miss her dearly?”
Xue Rengui’s wife, Lady Liu, was the daughter of a wealthy family. She had married him despite his poverty and parental opposition, and so he cherished her deeply. At the mention of her name, emotion warmed his tiger-like eyes. “How could I not?”
The eunuch laughed. “I never imagined a man of iron and steel could harbor such tenderness—admirable, truly admirable! General, you and the Sage are the very model of ruler and minister, sharing the same sentiment. Did you know His Majesty, like you, pines day and night for his beloved Lady Hui?”
Late at night, as silence enveloped the city, Xue Rengui found sleep elusive. The red fox trembled in his arms.
“Little Red, did you understand the eunuch’s words just now?” As he spoke, the fox’s trembling intensified. Xue Rengui sighed softly, continuing, “I know well—this is the emperor’s will. He wishes to gift Lady Hui a fox-fur cloak, and your pelt has caught his eye. Out of concern for his own reputation, he sent the eunuch to hint at it. I am caught in a terrible dilemma: if I give you up, it is to your death, which I cannot bear; but if I refuse, I betray the emperor’s trust, and that is a crime of treason!”
At that moment, Zhou Hongxian could hardly listen to Xue Rengui’s words. His mind was trapped in a single refrain: “Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!”
Outside, dawn was breaking. Zhou Hongxian, sleepless all night, felt despair creeping in. He knew that when the morning came, Xue Rengui would surely present him to Emperor Taizong.
Suddenly, Xue Rengui sat bolt upright, dressed swiftly, tucked Zhou Hongxian inside his robe, and hurried out to mount his horse.
Zhou Hongxian wanted to weep and curse. “Old Xue, must you prove your loyalty to the emperor so eagerly? The sun isn’t even up yet!”
At sunrise, Xue Rengui arrived at the city gate, which had just opened.
The Tang soldiers guarding the gate recognized the now-famous general immediately and greeted him with admiration. “General Xue, leaving the city so early?”
Xue Rengui replied, “I wish to test the new steed granted by His Majesty. The streets of Anshi are too narrow, so I must ride outside the city.”
The soldiers gazed enviously at his magnificent horse. “Such a fine mount! The emperor’s gifts are truly extraordinary. If only we could perform legendary feats like you!”
Facing the emperor’s palace in the distance, Xue Rengui offered a respectful salute. “With such aspirations, work diligently, and strive to serve His Majesty with distinction!” With that, he rode out of the city.
Half an hour later, atop a hillside dozens of miles from Anshi, Xue Rengui set the red fox on the ground. “His Majesty has shown me great favor. To keep you by my side would mean disloyalty, and I would be ashamed. Yet I promised to care for you for life—though I now cannot fulfill that oath, to kill you would be a betrayal of trust, and a true man cannot act so. After much deliberation, I have decided to set you free. From now on, your fate is no longer tied to mine.”
The red fox stared at him blankly. Xue Rengui raised his whip and struck a deep mark on the earth before it. “Go! Before I change my mind!”
Frightened, the red fox leapt down the slope and disappeared. Xue Rengui stood there, feeling a vague sense of loss, and after a long while, mounted his horse and left.
But before long, the red fox crept back up from below, gazing at Xue Rengui’s retreating figure. “Old Xue, though I dislike being your pet, you did save my life—once from a wolf, and once from Emperor Taizong. I will remember your kindness always!”
With that, the red fox dashed northward, soon vanishing into the vast wilderness.
After releasing the fox, Xue Rengui felt he had committed treason. He went straight to Emperor Taizong’s palace, carrying a thorn to plead guilty. The emperor, upon hearing the reason, first showed anger, then sighed, and said to those around him, “Xue Rengui’s loyalty to a mere animal proves his integrity—such a minister is the backbone of my Tang dynasty!” He personally helped Xue Rengui up and treated him as before.
Meanwhile, Zhou Hongxian, after several episodes of getting lost, finally returned to the long-missed Mount Taibai a month later. At the sight of the distant Tianchi waterfall, his heart surged with emotion, as if he had returned home.
“I’ve been gone so long—will Old Fox blame me? Can I still make amends? I just hope he hasn’t kicked his drinking habit yet!” Zhou Hongxian worried, fingering the cloth bag around his neck, which contained the Daughter’s Red wine he had found and brought back.
He comforted himself, “Luckily, Old Fox’s bag is invisible to most—otherwise, if Xue Rengui had taken it, I’d have had no way to explain myself!”
With mixed feelings, Zhou Hongxian approached the waterfall. As he was about to pass through the woods before it, he saw a figure standing by the fall. He stopped abruptly.
It was not Old Fox, as this person was richly dressed, young and handsome, appearing around thirty. On closer inspection, Zhou Hongxian realized with surprise it was the Fox King, while Old Fox still appeared as a white fox.
The Fox King wore an impatient expression. “Fifth Brother, abandon your foolish hopes. The Emperor commanded you to reflect here for a thousand years. It’s been less than seventy—now you want my help to escape? If the Emperor finds out, I wouldn’t dare bear the consequences.”
The white fox’s voice, no longer aged, was earnest. “Brother, please help me! I wish to go to the human world only to find Xiao Lian. If I wait a thousand years, she’ll have undergone countless reincarnations; by then, our bond will be lost, and I’ll never find her.”
The Fox King snapped, “You overcame the heavenly tribulation and could have become an immortal, but you insisted on venturing into the mortal world. It’s laughable—a fox demon ensnared by a human, committing a terrible crime. You still don’t repent?”
The white fox smiled bitterly. “Brother, you’re wrong. It wasn’t for her that I sinned—there’s another reason, but I cannot tell you.”
The Fox King waved his sleeve. “I don’t care for explanations. In any case, I won’t grant your request. I’m leaving.” With that, he transformed into a streak of blue light and vanished.
After he left, the white fox lowered itself, and its voice once again became aged. “Little fox, now that you’re back, why are you spying on us?”
Zhou Hongxian hurriedly stepped out. “Old Fox, I didn’t mean to—I just happened to return and overheard!”
The white fox sneered. “I know. That’s why I shielded you from the Fox King’s senses—otherwise, you’d be a dead fox already.”
Zhou Hongxian broke out in a cold sweat. “Thank you, Old Fox!” He harbored a thousand questions: why did Old Fox’s voice sound so young just now? Why did he call the Fox King ‘Brother’ when he seemed much older? But he dared not ask.
The white fox said, “Don’t chatter. The more you know, the less safe you are! Tell me: did you find the Daughter’s Red I asked for?”
Needing a favor, Zhou Hongxian meekly replied, “I found it!”
“Hmph! You’ve been gone half a year—my craving for wine has faded. I no longer need you; henceforth, don’t follow me to study the Dao!”
Hearing this, Zhou Hongxian was unwilling, and pleaded, “Old Fox, I’m sorry for my failings—please, grant me another chance!”
The white fox scoffed. “You have some nerve! Then explain: why were you gone so long?”
Zhou Hongxian recounted his entire journey to Old Fox, which took half an hour. Old Fox listened in silence, the surroundings growing unnervingly quiet.
Nervous, Zhou Hongxian said, “Old Fox, every word is true—please forgive me!”
At last, Old Fox smiled. “Little fox, your fortune is remarkable!”
“Old Fox, what do you mean?”
“If I’m not mistaken, you encountered both the true Son of Heaven and a star descended from the sky. You survived two tribulations at their hands—is that not great fortune?”
Zhou Hongxian was stunned. But thinking carefully, it was true: first, Xue Rengui wanted to kill him for his fur but spared him; second, Emperor Taizong wanted him for his fur but was persuaded by Xue Rengui to let him go—these were two tribulations. And Emperor Taizong was indeed a legendary ruler, a true Son of Heaven. His grandparents had told tales that Xue Rengui was the reincarnation of the White Tiger star—a celestial being descended to earth.
Yet all this information faded in Zhou Hongxian’s mind. What mattered most were those words: “human tribulation.” He asked eagerly, “Old Fox, since I have survived two human tribulations, can I now transform into a human?”
“Of course you can.”
Hearing this unequivocal answer, Zhou Hongxian was overjoyed. After eighteen years, his patience had finally paid off. “Old Fox, teach me how to become human! Is it as simple as spinning around like you do?” He spun in place, but nothing changed. He spun several more times, grew dizzy, and tumbled into the pool below the waterfall.
“Old Fox, help!”
The white fox burst into hearty laughter, then spat a ray of white light, fishing Zhou Hongxian out of the water. Watching his sodden fur clump together, the white fox laughed for ages.
“Though the time is ripe, becoming human isn’t so simple! Since you’ve been through so much and still remembered to bring me Daughter’s Red, here’s what I’ll do: rest in your den tonight, and come to the Tianchi waterfall tomorrow. I’ll arrange everything for you.”
Zhou Hongxian was deeply moved. “Old Fox, thank you so much!” He bid farewell, departing elatedly.
Yet after he left, the white fox’s face revealed a strange, conflicted expression.
That night, Zhou Hongxian again found it hard to sleep. At dawn, he hurried to the waterfall. He saw Old Fox’s eyes were weary, as though he too had spent a sleepless night.
Old Fox nodded. “Everything is ready. I was just waiting for you.”
Zhou Hongxian wondered if Old Fox had stayed up all night for his sake, and felt even more grateful. “Thank you, Old Fox. What must I do?”
The white fox pointed a paw at the pool. “Jump in.”
Zhou Hongxian was surprised. “Old Fox, you’re not joking? I fell in yesterday and nearly died!”
The white fox replied calmly, “Don’t worry, I won’t harm you—otherwise, I wouldn’t have saved you yesterday. Jump in and you’ll see.”
Convinced, Zhou Hongxian thought Old Fox must have set up some magic in the pool. He didn’t hesitate—he leaped straight in.
Yet nothing was different from yesterday. The suffocating sensation hit immediately, and he gulped a mouthful of water in panic, flailing to reach the surface.
“Old Fox, help!”
“Stand up for yourself—the water’s not deep where you are!”
Zhou Hongxian paused, then realized his hind legs touched the bottom. The sensation was far more sensitive than before, and his viewpoint was much higher above the surface. He immediately understood. He stretched out his forelegs—no fur remained, only human hands.
Zhou Hongxian couldn’t help but shout to the sky, “I’ve finally become human!”