Chapter 25: The Fox’s Betrothal, Strange Occurrences in the Mountains!

A flicker of firelight...

At this hour, no one else should be up on the mountain.

Furthermore, after the series of mishaps that plagued the funeral procession from the village, it was highly unlikely that any of the villagers would dare to return to the mountain anytime soon.

So, where could this beam of light possibly be coming from?

Could it be people from somewhere else? Poachers?

That was a distinct possibility.

Zhang Hao remained hidden, squinting his eyes, trying to see more clearly as he held his breath and focused his gaze.

If they truly were poachers, they could be considered the natural enemies of a Mountain Walker. Since ancient times, these poachers had been detested; they slaughtered wild beasts wantonly, driven only by their own desires, showing no regard for the balance of the forest, and leaving behind in the mountains things that did not belong there.

Even the simple act of destroying the environment was enough to make them enemies of both the Mountain Walker and the mountain itself.

In a sense, a Mountain Walker could also be called a "Mountain Guardian," and such a situation was one he absolutely could not ignore.

He watched in silence, not making a sound, terrified of alerting the "owner" of that light.

But just then, he finally caught sight of that owner.

Within the radius of the glow, a short, furry figure with two pointed, upright ears appeared—it looked for all the world like a "human toddler that had just learned to walk upright."

On that creature's back was a bulging pack, and atop that pack sat the source of the light, shining brilliantly in the darkness.

In an instant, a chill ran down Zhang Hao’s spine; every hair on his body stood on end.

Furry, short, pointed ears, and capable of standing up...

That was definitely not human!

Zhang Hao’s pupils contracted as he looked again.

This time, he saw clearly: it was a fox—a fox standing upright on its hind legs!

And on the fox’s back, it truly was carrying something—a pack similar to a human traveler's rucksack, bulging with unknown contents.

The terror in Zhang Hao’s heart did not fade; he swallowed hard.

Seeing a fox on this mountain would normally be a mundane occurrence. The vast forest was largely undeveloped and rich with wildlife; he had even heard wolves howling when he was a child.

But in the pitch-black forest at night, seeing a fox standing upright, carrying a pack, and—damn it—carrying a torch?

That was absolutely horrifying!

Before he could process this further, his pupils dilated once more.

It wasn't just one fox; there were six of them in total!

All six foxes were standing on their hind legs, walking upright, each carrying a pack, following the lead fox that bore the torch.

The "fox" troop moved at a slow, measured pace.

It was then that Zhang Hao noticed something else.

Behind the packs carried by the foxes were strips of red paper, blank and devoid of characters!

In the pitch-black, lightless forest, this "fox" troop, carrying their packs with the blank red paper attached, pushed the sense of dread to its absolute limit.

Zhang Hao didn't dare to breathe. He suppressed the urge to bolt and remained crouched in place.

When one is unsure of the situation, the best course of action is to do nothing—simply wait in silence.

Of course, this assumed that the "fox" troop hadn't discovered him.

Time ticked away, and Zhang Hao watched as the troop gradually moved further away, the light of the torch slowly vanishing into the depths of the dark, dense forest.

Only then did he let out a long breath, and without a second thought, he turned and ran.

The scene he had just witnessed was too terrifying, too beyond his comprehension.

It was true... the *Records of the Mountain Walker’s Travels* was right: the appearance of mountain spirits was a sign of great calamity, indicating that something major was about to happen in the mountains.

He had only just finished helping the funeral procession out of its predicament, and now he had encountered this bizarre scene.

If this wasn't a harbinger of disaster, what was?

Fortunately, the "fox" troop hadn't noticed him. If they had, there was no telling what might have happened.

Zhang Hao sprinted, following the path he remembered, running down the mountain without looking back.

He didn't stop until he reached the foot of the mountain, where the bright moonlight bathed the earth and the endless expanse of the starry sky hung above.

Seeing the flickering lights of the village houses, his heart finally settled.

*Hah... hah... hah...*

Zhang Hao gasped for air, his forehead drenched in sweat.

Only now did he glance back.

The mountain remained dark, shrouded in an endless, silent gloom, as if it had always been that way, yet it felt as if it were constantly revealing something strange.

Zhang Hao slumped onto the muddy ground, steadying his ragged breathing as he replayed the scene in his mind.

*Whoosh.*

A breeze blew past, and he shivered violently. The daze in his eyes vanished, and his thoughts returned to normal.

Only then did he remember to take out the *Records of the Mountain Walker’s Travels*.

Such a bizarre scene could not have been witnessed by him alone; surely, among the generations of Mountain Walkers, others must have encountered it, and if they had, they would have left a record.

Taking deep breaths, he used the moonlight to leaf through the ancient book.

Before long, Zhang Hao found the page he was looking for.

[An encounter with a fox wedding in the mountains, a strange mountain occurrence...]

It was the same folk-tale-like entry he had seen before: the Fox Wedding.

This wasn't the part that mattered; what caught his attention were the few lines left at the bottom of the page by an unknown predecessor.

[Before a fox wedding, they offer a dowry; six foxes carry packs, adorned with red paper, seen walking with fire in the dark of night...]

Zhang Hao took a deep breath, staring at the record, his head throbbing.

This was... exactly what he had experienced.

The precursor to a fox wedding: the foxes delivering the dowry.

Recalling the image again, Zhang Hao felt the effects of the "uncanny valley" swirling in his mind.

Foxes were animals, yet they could walk upright like humans, carry packs, attach red paper, and offer dowries before marriage just like people.

The mere thought made his skin crawl.

Fortunately, nothing had happened, and he hadn't been harmed, so he didn't need to perform any rituals to ward off bad luck. The ancient book contained no such instructions.

Yet, the event lingered in his mind, impossible to shake.

*I have to go home and research this "fox wedding" properly. If anything else happens, I need to be prepared.*

Zhang Hao stood up, brushed the dirt off his clothes, and walked along the path toward the village.

Because of the funeral, no one in the village was out at night; everyone stayed inside their homes.

He didn't run into anyone on the way.

Soon, he stood before his own gate. He turned to face the mountain, bowed three times, then stomped his feet on the ground three times and spat three times.

Only then did he lift his foot, push open the gate, and cross the threshold.

"I'm home!" Zhang Hao called out into the courtyard.