Chapter Fifty-Two: The Kidnapped Fox

Chapter Fifty-Two: The Kidnapped Fox

Ironheart Yuan had no idea how Luoshui eventually regained consciousness, but his mother was overjoyed, for Luoshui had left behind a large sum of money—so much, in fact, that even the two nuns who had used their strange methods to save Luoshui became green with envy. One of them, in a sour tone, spoke to his mother, only to receive a resounding slap in return. Before she could complain to Luoshui, Luoshui herself delivered another slap, after which the two coquettish nuns cheerfully accompanied Luoshui out of the noodle shop.

Standing by the window and gazing at the distant tall building, Ironheart Yuan recited Li Bai’s “A Night at the Mountain Temple” with a trace of dejection: “A perilous tower soars a hundred feet high; stretch out your hand and you can pluck the stars. One dares not speak aloud for fear of alarming those in heaven…”

Ironheart Yuan could swear to the heavens that he had never intended to help Luoshui, nor to aid his own aunt in opposing his mother. Yet, there are always some demonic prodigies in this world—those who glimpse sunlight from the depths of hell and, following that slender beam, climb all the way to paradise.

The situation had shifted once again. Ironheart Yuan knew he had no means to stop Luoshui from transforming that high-rise into the most sensational “Leaning Tower” in Tokyo; all he could do was return to his own fat pigs. Only by training these pigs well could he hope to turn the tables. Yet, it remained a daunting challenge—how to turn these swine into valiant warriors fit for the front lines? Clearly, more work lay ahead.

Old Liang was grinning from ear to ear, oblivious to the fact that just moments ago, a prodigy had, with a mind like a god’s, turned a disaster into a stroke of genius. Should this idea become reality, the gentry of Tokyo would flock to it in droves. No matter how much the Butchers’ Guild detested that high-rise, there would be no way to stem the tide of Tokyo’s insatiably curious citizens.

“Uncle Liang, Mr. Luoshui was just in our shop redrawing the plans—the building is beautiful, though it’s a bit crooked,” Ironheart Yuan boasted proudly, like any child eager to impress an adult.

Old Liang’s smile widened as he rubbed his rough palms. “A building that leans will just topple over. What’s the use of being pretty?”

“That’s not so, Uncle Liang. Mr. Luoshui said a leaning tower is a good thing. As long as the center of gravity is adjusted, it won’t fall. In fact, he said it’s not leaning nearly enough yet—he intends to make it even more crooked. That way, Tokyo will have a high-rise like no other, to be named ‘Perilous Tower.’”

At these words, Old Liang’s smile slowly faded. He squatted down to look Ironheart Yuan in the eyes. “Yuan, are you telling the truth?”

Ironheart Yuan nodded vigorously. “It’s true! Mr. Luoshui was so delighted after being saved, he gave my mother a fortune, and said that to conceive such a grand idea in so humble a shop was nothing short of heaven’s gift.”

Old Liang straightened up, patted Ironheart Yuan on the head, and glanced toward the noodle shop. “Yuan, keep watching the pigs. I’ll go to your family’s shop and see for myself.”

Watching Old Liang head toward his shop, Ironheart Yuan sighed deeply. His own strength was insufficient—he had to rely on others, but that was no way to live. Only by growing powerful himself could he one day face his enemies head-on.

For a child to dwell for so long in such a shadowy world—who knew what it would do to his mind in the future? The notion of childhood traumas was no idle fancy.

With Old Liang away, Ironheart Yuan finally had a chance to inspect the Butchers’ Guild’s prized treasure.

For a butcher, nothing is more precious than a thousand-catty pig. At the very top of the pigsties, where the air and light were best and the floor cleanest, such a pig resided.

Ironheart Yuan’s face twitched for a long while upon seeing it, for he’d never laid eyes on a pig so enormous. Its jowls were so thick that ropes had to be used to hoist the skin above its eyes just so it could see.

When Ironheart Yuan approached, the beast, seeing he had no food, couldn’t be bothered to rise; it grunted lazily and continued sunbathing with all four legs sprawled out.

Ironheart Yuan tossed a small clod of earth onto its belly, but the pig merely shivered and paid him no heed. Only when he hurled a large stone did the pig let out a wail and struggle to its feet, glaring at Ironheart Yuan from across the pen.

Standing upright, the pig was nearly as tall as Ironheart Yuan—a veritable mountain of flesh. He hesitated for a long time, not daring to put his hand in to touch it.

But the king of pigs seemed quite interested in him. Its huge nostrils poked out from the pen, snorting and snuffling as if searching for food.

Ironheart Yuan took out a handful of mushroom powder, placed it on his palm, and, timing his approach to the rhythm of the pig’s breath, cautiously moved his hand near its rosy snout. In a single breath, the mushroom powder vanished, and with that, Ironheart Yuan quickly withdrew.

He could not be sure what havoc such a pig might wreak if it ever went berserk.

On the way back, he encountered a crestfallen Old Liang, who hurried past without so much as a greeting, rushing back to the pigsty. Watching from his family’s shop, Ironheart Yuan saw Old Liang give the pig keepers a brief instruction before leaving in haste.

Lighting a stick of incense, Ironheart Yuan pricked up his ears to listen for movement across the way. Halfway through the incense, a thunderous roar sounded from the pigsty.

Relieved, Ironheart Yuan stepped out to the front of the shop, only to hear his mother complain, “Old Liang really ought to keep better watch over his pigs. All that howling is enough to drive a person mad.”

The linen shopkeeper, who always came to mooch tea, scoffed, “They’re just pigs—feed them and they won’t cry. Clearly the keepers are slacking off. If you ask me, Old Liang rushing over to ask about Mr. Luoshui shows he’s no good as a manager. He runs around for unrelated matters but never does his actual work. If I were in charge, I’d have sacked him long ago! Just listen to those pigs—if they lose weight, the master will take a heavy loss.”

Ironheart Yuan had no time for such chatter. He was far more curious about what the two old women were doing, arranging a green silk screen on the shop’s north wall.

“Mother, is a famous calligrapher coming to inscribe our shop?”

Wang Rouhua smiled. “Mr. Luoshui intends to engrave his high-rise design on our wall. He says this is a place blessed with talent and spirit. He even offered to speak on our behalf, to persuade the high-rise’s owners not to buy out our shop. He said that when the building is finished, our shop shouldn’t serve only pickled greens and such—those things are tiresome. Our braised delicacies are far more popular! Finally, Mr. Luoshui said that the refined and the common, side by side, bring out the best in each other.”

Seeing his mother so happy, Ironheart Yuan did not spoil the mood by mentioning Prince Pu’s intentions. He joined in her joy, then helped her entrust the shop to the old women before the two of them walked home together along the long West Water Gate Street and Imperial City Avenue.

“Where’s the fox? Didn’t it follow you today?”

As they walked, Wang Rouhua spotted a dog and couldn’t help but think of the fox.

Ironheart Yuan was taken aback. “I didn’t see the fox when I went to school today—I thought perhaps it followed you to the shop.”

Wang Rouhua shook her head. Mother and son quickened their pace, anxious to get home and see if the fox was there. After living together for so many years, neither Wang Rouhua nor Ironheart Yuan regarded the fox as a wild animal—it was simply part of the family.

When they got home and called repeatedly without the fox appearing, their anxiety grew. The sun was about to set, and the fox had never before failed to return before dusk.

Just as the two were circling anxiously, a double cough sounded from the city wall. Ironheart Yuan looked up and instantly fumed with anger.

There, the fox was hanging from the city wall, suspended in midair by a pink ribbon. Perhaps it had heard their calls, for it was struggling desperately, but its entire body was bundled like a rice dumpling, making all resistance futile.

Wang Rouhua bowed to the guards atop the wall. “Brother Liu, I apologize if our fox has offended you. Please, let it down, and the Tie family will bring gifts to apologize in person.”

The guards waved their hands. “Miss Tie, your fox isn’t up here by our doing. That little fellow’s a general—we wouldn’t dare. Just wait a moment, the real culprit will be here soon.”

The fox was hanging too high for Ironheart Yuan to reach, even from the rooftop. He and his mother could only wait anxiously in the courtyard.

From the outset, Ironheart Yuan knew the guards weren’t to blame—the fox was on good terms with them, and besides, thanks to the emperor, few in the palace would dare mistreat the fox. Precisely because of this, however, whoever was behind this must be a person of great influence—someone the fox, or their family, had gravely offended.

Perhaps the fox had been trussed up for too long; it whimpered pitifully, longing for Ironheart Yuan to rescue it. Seeing its misery, Wang Rouhua was close to tears, while Ironheart Yuan bit his lip and glared coldly at the palace rooftops, awaiting the culprit’s arrival.

Before long, the large-eyed palace maid appeared atop the wall, glaring furiously at Ironheart Yuan.

“Why did you hang up the fox? It’s just an animal—what’s the point of holding a grudge?”

The girl retorted angrily, “Of course I know I shouldn’t stoop to his level, but do you even know what he did today?”

Ironheart Yuan glanced at the now-silent fox, then at the palace maid, a sense of foreboding creeping over him. “What did he do?”

This girl, who could produce a seven-chambered incense orb at will, was certainly no ordinary maid—Ironheart Yuan had long suspected her true identity.

“He brought my father a fat rat—while my father was eating!”

Wang Rouhua collapsed to the ground, convinced there was no hope for the fox now. Tears welled up and spilled over in great drops…

PS: Help! I woke up this morning to find myself falling behind again. Please, I beg for recommendations, clicks, and favorites. I swear I’ll never drink recklessly again—I’ll update diligently from now on. Sworn to the heavens, from Jie Yu.