Chapter 44: Fox Immortal Valley

Li Xiangyang walked on the soft snow, with the black cat curled up on his shoulder, quietly acting as his guide as usual.

Suddenly, the black cat's ears perked up. It leaped off his shoulder and darted toward the east.

This unusual behavior made Li Xiangyang stop in his tracks immediately.

"What is it?"

The cat turned back, its golden eyes fixed firmly on Li Xiangyang, its tail swaying slightly as if saying, "Follow me."

Looking ahead at the path where the snow was clearly very deep, Li Xiangyang really didn't want to go that way.

Seeing that he hadn't moved, the black cat let out a soft meow before continuing eastward, though its pace became very slow, and it glanced back at him from time to time.

Since the creature insisted on going this way, Li Xiangyang had no choice but to follow. Only their winding footprints remained in the snow.

Gradually, the snow became deeper, and the woods grew denser.

The black cat led the way, its steps still steady.

After passing through a grove of white birches, a rock wall appeared ahead.

The rock wall towered into the clouds, yet a fissure split its center, as though cleaved by some immense force.

The black cat stopped before the fissure and looked back at Li Xiangyang, as if telling him, "We've arrived."

Gazing at the valley before him, Li Xiangyang felt troubled.

Among the local hunters, this area had always been considered a forbidden zone.

Legend had it that a group of powerful white foxes lived in the valley, marking it as the territory of fox immortals.

The five great immortal families—fox, yellow weasel, white hedgehog, willow snake, and gray rat—were passed down from Manchu shamanism and had been worshipped across the northern regions by the late Ming dynasty.

The older generation believed in this implicitly.

Hunters, in particular, had to understand these rules.

When encountering these five, it was better to take a detour than to offend them.

This was not mere superstition, but a code passed down through generations.

It was a reverence for the mountains and forests, and a respect for all living things.

"Little Princess, come back. This is the Fox Immortal Valley..." Li Xiangyang said, his tone hesitant as he looked at the fissure before him. "Shall we go somewhere else?"

The black cat turned its head, a flash of displeasure in its golden eyes.

It let out a soft "meow" and raised its tail high, clearly quite dissatisfied with Li Xiangyang's timidity.

Its posture seemed to say, "With me here, what are you afraid of?"

Li Xiangyang felt a bit embarrassed under that gaze.

"All right, all right," Li Xiangyang smiled helplessly. "You little ancestor, I'll go in with you."

Passing through the fissure in the rock wall, the view suddenly opened up.

A lake covered with a thin layer of ice lay quietly in the center of the valley, surrounded by ancient, gnarled pines blanketed in snow.

At that moment, a dozen snow-white foxes silently emerged from all directions, surrounding Li Xiangyang and the black cat tightly.

The one in the lead was exceptionally large, entirely white as snow, save for a hint of silver-gray at the tip of its tail.

Li Xiangyang held his breath in tension, only to see the black cat walk forward unconcernedly and lock eyes with the large fox.

The two spiritual creatures seemed to be communicating in silence.

After a moment, the large fox nodded slightly, clearing a path leading to the lakeside.

The black cat turned back, let out a gentle meow at Li Xiangyang, and then trotted quickly to the edge of the lake.

With its paw, it gently brushed aside the thin ice, and within a moment, it hooked up a glowing fish.

It was a fish Li Xiangyang had never seen before—entirely silver-white, with scales shimmering with a faint golden light.

Holding the fish in its mouth, the cat tossed it onto the bank and called out repeatedly to Li Xiangyang, clearly urging him to try his hand as well.

The pack of foxes showed no intention of stopping them; instead, they silently made room.

Only then did Li Xiangyang realize this was tacit permission for them to fish here.

Looking at the clear lake water, Li Xiangyang felt somewhat at a loss for a moment.

Although the lake was covered with a thin layer of ice, its surface was vast, and without tools, he couldn't catch many fish bare-handed.

He looked around and found a few tough vines and some slender pine branches.

In his hands, these items quickly transformed into a makeshift landing net.

The black cat squatted nearby, its golden eyes blinking unblinkingly as it watched him weave the fishing net.

The group of white foxes did not leave either; instead, they sat in a circle at a distance, watching as if attending an entertaining performance.

Soon, the simple fishing net was completed.

Li Xiangyang cautiously walked to the lakeside and lowered the net into the water.

These fish seemed never to have encountered human fishing tools and had no defenses whatsoever; within moments, several swam right into the net.

Quick-eyed and fast-handed, Li Xiangyang scooped up four or five glittering silver fish with a single sweep.

"Goodness, these fish aren't afraid of people at all," Li Xiangyang exclaimed in wonder.

Growing impatient on the side, the black cat suddenly leaped forward, hooked a fish with its paw, and tried to feed it to its mouth.

After biting into the raw fish, it immediately spat it out in disgust. Then it turned back, looking at Li Xiangyang with a nearly arrogant expression, letting out a urging "meow" from its throat.

The meaning was crystal clear—why aren't you hurrying up to grill fish for Your Princess?

Li Xiangyang was amused by its antics.

This fellow was clearly putting on airs in front of the white foxes, showing off that it had a "servant" who could grill fish.

"All right, all right, I'll grill it for you right away," Li Xiangyang said with a smile.

Swiftly and efficiently, Li Xiangyang cleared an open space and gathered dry firewood to start a fire.

Seeing this, the black cat became even more smug.

With its head held high, it sat regally to one side, posing precisely like a little princess waiting to be served.

Seeing this, the large fox actually cooperated by retreating a few steps, making space for this "distinguished guest."

Li Xiangyang shook his head with a chuckle, though his hands moved swiftly.

He skillfully set up the firewood, and before long, a blazing fire was roaring.

In a brief moment, an alluring aroma filled the valley.

Catching the scent, the black cat could no longer hold its composure.

It anxiously trotted back and forth around Li Xiangyang's feet, occasionally patting his leg gently with its paw. Its anxious demeanor contrasted sharply with its previous majesty.

"Don't rush, don't rush, it's almost ready," Li Xiangyang consoled it while handing over a grilled fish. "Careful, it's hot."

Accepting the grilled fish, the black cat returned to its original spot with an air of solemn importance, then began to enjoy it leisurely.

Its table manners were elegant, yet they could not conceal the satisfaction in its eyes, prompting the surrounding white foxes to watch the scene with keen interest.

Seeing this, Li Xiangyang simply grilled a few more and respectfully placed them before the pack of white foxes.

The large fox lowered its head to sniff them, and finally tasted one as well.

As it consumed the grilled fish, a faint halo of silver light unexpectedly shimmered around its body.

Seeing this, the other foxes stepped forward one by one and cautiously tasted the food.

With every bite they took, faint halos of light flickered across their bodies.

Spellbound by the sight, Li Xiangyang finally understood why the locals called this the territory of the fox immortals.

This pack of white foxes was truly extraordinary; their miraculous appearance alone was enough to inspire deep reverence.

The black cat, however, seemed unfazed, concentrating entirely on enjoying its own share of the grilled fish.

When it finished, it licked its paws with lingering satisfaction.

"Want more?" Li Xiangyang asked.

The black cat gently shook its head and turned to walk toward the lakeside.

This time, instead of catching fish, it lightly slashed the ice surface with its paw.

With a crisp "crack," a fissure split across the ice.

The black cat reached its paw inside and fumbled for a moment, pulling out a crystal-clear water plant.

The aquatic plant was translucent, gleaming with seven-colored light in the sunlight, with tiny bubbles entangled around its roots, making it exceptionally beautiful.

At the sight of this, a flash of anger crossed the large fox's eyes.

It slowly rose to its feet, its snowy fur shimmering with silver light in the sunlight, and assumed a combat posture as it advanced a few steps toward the black cat.