Wangxian - The Road Not Taken

19. Baihu Shitu

Previously:

We had a whole day's luxury rest at a local inn. A-Yang gifted me with a beautiful flute which he made himself keeping eye on each and every detail. Feeling my emotions A-Shuang lets us feel her presence. We both are awed. This makes it more real. We then have a discussion regarding Madam Yu's treatment of me and how I can learn from it for A-Shuang.

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- At the Healer's village-

At last we reach our destination. It was much different than what we expected. The village was quite large with well built houses. With a backdrop of beautiful high mountains blanketed in the cloak of fog makes everything seems almost unreal. The foxy fog looked like it took in the trees sprinkled on the mountains under its wing too but like a naughty child they are they keep on peeking from under the blanket seeming to go see beyond. A small river running its course for the water purposes of the village. Its so peaceful and healing that I don't want to even look away from the absolutely stunning view in front of me. The name seems quite apt now, baihu shitu - White Fox View.

We entered the village taking in the view as well as the daily activities of the locals. They seem quite self sufficient in everything they do. They farm the food, build their houses, make wine and medicines, the herbs are planted where they can and seems like for others they go to to mountain to gather, while picking up some fruits too.

Just as we were mesmerized by the view, a sound captured my attention causing me to freeze in my spot. Hoping against hope that I am only imagining it and it is not real in any way shape or form. Please Oh please let me be hallucinating, please make it disappear. But then it got louder and I squeezed my eyes shut instinctively wanting to reach for Lan Zhan but then -

Bark!

Oh my god, my line of thought forgotten instead focusing on the cause of immediate danger. Wanting to run away and protect my baby from this beast.

Bark! Bark!

I could not hold it in any longer, and I yelped and hid behind A-Yang, "A-Yang, make it go away please please please I beg of you" Throwing away any sort of dignity I plead to him.

He just holds my hands and speaks softly so as not to spook me further, " Ge, come out and open your eyes, look at the little angel"

I squeaked, "Oh my god , are you for real? I am not coming in the line of fire of that beast. Make it disappear!"

He soothed me, " Ge, do you trust me?"

My answer was instant, "Of course!"

"Then please open your eyes and look at her"

"ok." Trusting him I slowly opened my eyes and looked at the beast.

And blinked.

And blinked again.

Am I seeing this right? That frightening sound came from this cutie. Oh she is not a the d-word but a higher being. With cinnabar and cloudy fur she looked like an absolute angel.

I hesitantly reached out to the little fox that had greeted us. She made such cute sounds as I petted her that even my baby wanted to reach out which she made apparent by the fluttering in my belly. As if the fox felt that she moved closer and snuggled. I pet her for a few more minutes, joined by A-Yang cooing at her. Then we got up to go to the healer.

But the vixen didn't move a bit, demanding to be accompanying us. We of course could not deny the angel.

We asked the locals for directions to the healer, they pointed to a house close to the river with a big garden. We went there and knocked.