Chapter Two: The Foolish Fox
The ninth year of Wude in the Great Tang Dynasty.
This was the year when Prince Qin, Li Shimin, launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, subsequently ascending the throne and becoming the illustrious Emperor Taizong of Tang for generations to come.
It was also in this year that Zhou Hongxian transmigrated to the Great Tang and became a red fox upon Mount Taibai.
The Classic of Mountains and Seas, The Northern Wilderness, records: “In the midst of the Great Wilderness, there is a mountain named Buxian, home to the Sushen clan.” Before the Jin dynasty, this mountain was known as Buxian; during the Northern Wei, as Tutaishan and Taihuangshan; it wasn’t until the Tang that it was called Taibai Mountain.
In truth, Taibai Mountain is what we know today as Changbai Mountain.
At this moment, Zhou Hongxian was still lying dazed by the pool at the foot of the waterfall, gazing at his reflection in the water—a face and body that looked uncannily like a Pomeranian. His mind was a haze of confusion.
The white fox was sprawled lazily on a large stone, basking in the sun. It spoke in a languid tone, “Why do you remain so glum?”
Zhou Hongxian merely lifted his eyelids, unwilling to respond.
“Are you wondering why you’re a fox, and not something else?”
Startled, Zhou Hongxian looked up at the white fox, only to find it gazing back, a smile creeping across its vulpine face that seemed oddly human and sly. “Did I guess right? In truth, it’s not just foxes—all beings, when first awakening to intelligence, are beset by such doubts. They wonder where they came from, where they are headed, or recall their years as beasts and ponder what they did! Are you thinking of such things now, perhaps feeling ashamed of your former muddle-headedness?”
Zhou Hongxian thought, “Ashamed? Why would I be? I don’t remember a single thing this body did before—I only remember my life as a human!” He said aloud, “What is it you’re trying to say?”
The white fox smiled. “What am I trying to say? I am guiding you on your path, little fox. First, you must understand what it is you truly want.”
Without hesitation, Zhou Hongxian replied, “I want to be human!”
“Good. You wish to be human. That means you desire something. With desire comes the will to cultivate; only through cultivation can you hope to transform into a human, and perhaps even ascend to immortality!”
Zhou Hongxian was skeptical. “Why do you sound like you’re selling a pyramid scheme?”
The white fox paused, puzzled. “What is a pyramid scheme? I am imparting the Way to you!”
Zhou Hongxian asked, “What’s the use of imparting the Way, then?”
The white fox grew a bit irritated. “So all I’ve said has been wasted on you? I’ve never met a fox as dense as you!”
Zhou Hongxian shrugged it off. “Since you put it that way, does that mean you’ve already attained the Way?”
The white fox replied with a touch of pride, “Naturally!”
“Words are wind. Transform into a human and show me!”
The white fox let out a cold laugh, stood up on the stone, and spun around. A cloud of mist gathered about it. When the mist dispersed, an old man stepped out. His beard and hair were snowy white, he wore ancient white robes, his hair gathered and pinned with a wooden hairpin. He looked every bit the scholarly elder from an old costume drama, only without the gentle benevolence expected of age—instead, his eyes brimmed with cunning and wit.
Zhou Hongxian was stunned. “So it’s not Zootopia—it’s Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio!” He immediately pleaded, “Great Fox Immortal, please teach me how to become human!”
The old man chuckled. “You wish to become human now?”
Zhou Hongxian nodded his fox head vigorously.
“Heh, wishful thinking!”
Zhou Hongxian protested, “We’re both foxes. Why can you transform but I can’t?”
“Oh, you have a temper? Is this the attitude with which you seek the Way?”
Caught off guard, Zhou Hongxian bowed his head obediently. “Great Fox Immortal, please teach me!”
The old man stroked his beard. “A teachable child! But it’s not that I’m unwilling; it’s that your intelligence has only just awakened and you have no cultivation. To hope for transformation now is utterly impossible!”
Zhou Hongxian thought, “Are you toying with me?” But he asked, “How much cultivation does it take, and how long?”
The old man gave him a sidelong glance. “Why the rush? Listen and I will explain.”
Zhou Hongxian dared not interrupt, waiting respectfully.
“We foxes, unlike mortals, do not rely solely on fate to cultivate the Way. We must endure three tribulations. Should we fail even one, we perish and our souls are scattered!”
“The first is the Human Tribulation. After awakening intelligence, we must face it at around a hundred years of age. Only by passing the Human Tribulation can we begin to practice transforming into a human form. However, we still have a weakness—the fox tail is hard to conceal, and even mortals can often see through the disguise.”
“The second is the Earthly Tribulation, usually at around three hundred years. Surviving this allows us to use certain illusions—various transformations, or magical tricks to transport wealth—but the tail remains difficult to hide. It can only be masked from mortals by illusions; if we encounter a true adept, we may be exposed and slain!”
“The third is the Heavenly Tribulation, at about six hundred years. Survive this, and you will be reborn—able to wield true magic, turn stone to gold, summon wind and rain, and finally conceal your fox tail entirely. Then, provided you do not do evil, even adepts will usually leave you be, and you can walk the world like a land-bound immortal!”
At last, the old man looked at Zhou Hongxian. “Do you understand?”
Zhou Hongxian felt lost, but he grasped the point that mattered to him. “So you’re saying I have to live to a hundred and pass the Human Tribulation before I can become human?”
The old man nodded. “That’s right.”
“How long is that?”
The old man was surprised. “Your intelligence is awakened, but you can’t recall your own age?”
Zhou Hongxian shook his head. “No idea.”
The old man grew vexed. “You really are a foolish fox. How could our kind have an oddball like you?”
“How would I know?” Zhou Hongxian grumbled inwardly, but said respectfully, “Please, Great Fox Immortal, instruct me!”
“We’re all foxes here—no need to call me Great Fox Immortal. Just call me Old Fox. As your elder, I’ve watched over you since you were born. This year, you are exactly sixty.”
Zhou Hongxian was shocked. “So I have to wait another forty years before I can look human again?”
Old Fox shot him a glance. “Why are you so eager for the Human Tribulation? If fate isn’t with you, you may not live to see it!”
He seemed about to say more, but at that moment, wild cries echoed from the forest. Zhou Hongxian asked, “What is that sound? It’s rather unsettling!”
Old Fox snapped, “That is the fox call! Foolish cub—you make that cry yourself and don’t even recognize it?”
Zhou Hongxian shrank back, not daring to speak.
Old Fox continued solemnly, “This must be a summons from the Fox King. As a member of the fox clan, you must go at once!”
Zhou Hongxian suddenly asked, “Aren’t you a fox too? Why aren’t you going?”
Old Fox paused, then gave a bitter smile. “It’s not that I don’t want to go—I cannot. I am bound here by a spell; this Celestial Pool Waterfall is my prison. Enough talk—go quickly, or if the Fox King is angered, even a hundred lives won’t save you!”
Zhou Hongxian was startled by the warning. Not daring to linger in this unfamiliar place, he took Old Fox’s advice and bounded—no, trotted on all fours—toward the gathering of foxes deep in the forest.
After Zhou Hongxian left, Old Fox resumed his animal form, crouched on the stone, and watched the direction the young fox had run. He shook his head and sighed softly, “Truly, the most flamboyant and striking red fox among our kind, yet so hopelessly dim-witted. He’ll have to rely on luck from here on out.” But now his voice was no longer that of an old man; it was clear and deep, resonant like a late-night radio host from the modern world.