"Blast it, this damn thing really is dead. Was this whole trip for nothing then?" The short, stout young man hadn't even waited for Senior Brother Wang and the other two to land before pulling his fingers away from beneath the white fox's nose. A furious curse slipped out of his mouth as he did so.
Having said this, he raised his head to look at the three descending from above, a sullen expression on his face, and was about to say something more.
But Senior Brother Wang and the other two above simultaneously changed their expressions and shouted in unison:
"Watch out!"
"The fox is alive!"
"It was playing dead!"
Three different phrases, all conveying the exact same meaning.
The stout young man was sharp enough. The moment he heard the warning, his expression shifted dramatically. Without a second thought, he flicked his wrist, and a white talisman appeared between his fingers. He slapped it ferociously toward the small beast whose tail he still gripped.
His movements were evidently still a fraction too slow. His arm holding the talisman had only extended halfway before an excruciating, tearing pain shot through the palm clutching the fox.
He let out a scream, and his five fingers loosened involuntarily. The white fox slipped from his grip with a slick "zip" and landed solidly on the ground.
In that split second, the Snow Cloud Fox's tail fur had bristled upright, turning as hard as needles, riddling the stout young man's palm with punctures until blood flowed freely.
The three overhead saw this scene and charged downward in fury toward the small beast now standing on all fours.
But the white fox had finally gained its freedom — why would it wait on the spot to be captured and killed? It launched itself forward, transforming into a white streak that shot over a dozen zhang away. After a few bounding leaps, it plunged headlong into a nearby patch of thick bushes.
In their urgency, Senior Brother Wang and the others moved with remarkable agility. The three of them swept down like a gust of wind, surrounding the thicket, then each released a magical tool and began searching through it carefully.
But after a short while, the three exchanged looks of bewilderment.
Inside the bushes, apart from a pile of scattered rocks, there was absolutely nothing. The Snow Cloud Fox they had clearly watched leap into this spot had vanished without a trace.
The three stood there frozen, momentarily at a loss.
"Huh? Where is Junior Brother Han going?" After snapping out of his daze, Kui Huan instinctively glanced up at the sky and let out a surprised cry.
The others only then noticed that Han Li was riding his flying tool, speeding away into the distance.
Senior Brother Wang and the others were utterly baffled.
Just then, Han Li's voice reached their ears through a voice transmission.
"Fellow Senior Brothers, no need to panic. The little creature used a decoy technique to secretly burrow underground. I'm tracking it with my tool right now. The moment it breaks the surface, I'll capture it alive." With that, Han Li's voice vanished, and he receded into the distance on his flying sword, heading toward the edge of the swamp.
Upon hearing this, Senior Brother Wang was caught between surprise and delight. He called out to the others, and the group wasted no time taking to the air after Han Li's retreating figure.
Kui Huan and the rest followed close behind.
"Junior Brother Ma, is your palm all right?" Even in the rush, Senior Brother Wang did not forget to glance back and ask the stout young man.
"It's fine. Fortunately, there was no poison on its fur — just superficial wounds." The stout young man trailed at the very back, muttering with a face full of shame.
After all, it was his carelessness that had allowed the spirit beast to escape right from his grasp. And this had happened even after someone had warned him beforehand.
The young man named Ma felt thoroughly mortified.
"As long as it's fine. Let's hurry and catch up. I don't know what kind of tool Junior Brother Han is using that can track a fox that burrowed underground, but we'd better keep up." Senior Brother Wang forced a smile and said.
Kui Huan heard this and turned his head, nodding repeatedly as he remarked in amazement:
"Though now that I think about it, this Snow Cloud Fox that has evolved into a spirit beast is awfully clever! It played dead so convincingly that even Senior Brother Ma couldn't tell the difference. Nearly gave us all a heart attack."
The stout young man, cradling his injured palm, felt his face burn an even deeper shade of crimson at these words.
Fortunately, Senior Brother Wang spoke up on his behalf.
"You can't blame Junior Brother Ma for this. Even if I had been the one handling it, I might have fallen for the same trick under those circumstances. It's simply that this Snow Cloud Fox is far too cunning."
Upon hearing this, the young man named Ma cast a look of mild gratitude toward Senior Brother Wang, and his mood finally eased somewhat.