Chapter 9: A Magical Duel with the Fox Spirit

At this moment, a middle-aged man clad in a checkered shirt was lying on a comfortable red leather sofa in the room. His eyes were closed, and his face bore an expression of utter enjoyment as he basked in the pleasant sensations coursing through his body.

This man was Wang Da Chui. Sitting beside him was an exceedingly beautiful woman, dressed in a form-fitting nightgown that accentuated her allure. The faint outline of red lingerie beneath made her appear all the more seductive.

Her name was Fox Snow Maiden, the proprietress of the Enchantress Bar.

She was giving Wang Da Chui a massage when her brows suddenly knitted as she glanced coldly at Jiang Xiaofei, who had just stepped inside. “Who are you to barge into my room? Are you tired of living?” she said icily.

Wang Da Chui opened his eyes, his face twisted with anger as he shouted at Jiang Xiaofei, “Jiang Xiaofei! Are you looking to get yourself kicked out of Market Street? How dare you meddle in my business! Get out now, or I’ll beat you to death!”

“Shut your mouth,” Jiang Xiaofei replied coldly. With a flick of his finger, a streak of light shot toward Wang Da Chui, casting a binding spell on him. Instantly, Wang Da Chui froze, unable to move, his eyes wide open like a wooden puppet.

Witnessing this, Fox Snow Maiden was visibly shocked. “So, you’re a Taoist priest!” she exclaimed.

“Taoist priest? My foot,” Jiang Xiaofei sneered. “If you know what’s good for you, leave Wang Da Chui now and never come back. Otherwise, I’ll sever your fox tail and force you back into your original form.”

Fox Snow Maiden only laughed, her expression twisting into a snarl. “I’ve cultivated for a thousand years, and never has anyone dared speak to me in such a tone. You’re the first—and you’ll be the last.”

“Die!”

In an instant, nine thick, white fox tails unfurled behind her and coiled toward Jiang Xiaofei.

“Since you refuse the easy way and insist on the hard, I have no choice but to kill!” Jiang Xiaofei showed no fear in the face of her assault. His eyes were cold and severe. With a wave of his right hand, a strange black light howled from his sleeve, forming ghastly faces that rushed at the fox tails.

Bang!

As the ghostly skulls struck the fox tails, the very air trembled. The entire room was engulfed in violent ripples. A flash of intense light, and the fox tails were forced back by the black radiance, followed by a surge of force that struck Fox Snow Maiden.

The impact forced her to take a step back. Stabilizing herself, she stared at Jiang Xiaofei in astonishment. “What are you? How do you possess a thousand years of ghostly energy?”

Jiang Xiaofei snorted. “Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is that your end is near!”

Fox Snow Maiden burst into wild laughter. “Even if you harness a thousand years of ghostly energy, you’re no spirit yourself. How could you possibly contend with me? Cease now and leave, and I might spare your life. Otherwise, I’ll kill you and drain your vital essence.”

Jiang Xiaofei shook his head and laughed coldly. “Someone has promised me a reward to finish you off. I’m a man of my word, so your fox tail is as good as gone!”

“Stubborn fool!” Fox Snow Maiden fumed. It was no wonder; after all, her fox tail was her very foundation. If it were cut off, a thousand years of cultivation would be lost, and she would revert to her original form—a fate worse than death.

“Die!” she shouted.

With a swift movement of her palm, a sigil appeared in her hand, which she hurled at Jiang Xiaofei.

“Overestimating yourself. Let’s see how terrifying my power really is,” Jiang Xiaofei replied, meeting her attack with his own palm.

Bang!

The collision of their powers created a powerful field at their feet, surging between them.

Fox Snow Maiden was horrified. Her strike had been fueled with all her magic, yet she couldn’t break through Jiang Xiaofei’s power. In fact, she felt her energy being siphoned up his arm into his body.

She could scarcely believe it—a mere human, yet possessed of a thousand-year ghostly energy, and with such uncanny methods. Was he a Taoist priest, or a ghost?

No matter. If this continued, she would be doomed. She would have to use that move.

With this thought, Fox Snow Maiden withdrew her hand, her voice cold. “I did underestimate you. But if you wish to kill me, you’re still not enough.”

“Realm of Enchantment!”

As she chanted, Jiang Xiaofei suddenly found himself plunged into a world of darkness.

Yet he remained calm and unfazed by the shift. He sneered, “The fox clan’s arts of seduction are impressive, but it’s a pity you picked the wrong target.”

Fox Snow Maiden’s cruel laughter echoed out of the darkness. “No man has ever broken the Fox Clan’s enchantment. Even on the brink of death, you boast. Now, die.”

As her words faded, Jiang Xiaofei’s expression shifted. All around him, voluptuous beauties clad in sheer, tight-fitting clothing sashayed toward him, their figures enticing beyond belief. The multicolored lingerie nearly dazzled him, and for a moment he was tempted to embrace them.

“Desire is emptiness, emptiness is desire. With desire, without desire…” Jiang Xiaofei shook his head forcefully and began chanting a mantra of clarity. Only then did he break free from the illusion, narrowly escaping the snare of the seductive technique.

In truth, there were never any enchanting beauties—everything was an illusion crafted by Fox Snow Maiden to tempt him.

“How is this possible? You actually broke my enchantment!” came Fox Snow Maiden’s incredulous voice from the void.

“You may die now,” Jiang Xiaofei replied with a cold laugh.

With a flick of his finger, a black beam shot from his fingertip, piercing the darkness toward the source of her voice.

Boom!

As the black light vanished into the void, the entire space shattered. Jiang Xiaofei found himself back in the room. Fox Snow Maiden sat cross-legged on the floor, her aura feeble—clearly, she was gravely wounded.

Yet, despite her condition, she looked at Jiang Xiaofei with a twisted grin. “You’re formidable, I’ll admit. But if I want to escape, there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

“Is that so? Go on, try running,” Jiang Xiaofei replied coolly, unconcerned. In truth, he had no fear of her escape—he had already planted a Soul-Devouring Mark within her. At a mere thought, she would be tormented by a hundred ghosts, her soul scattered to the winds.

He didn’t want her dead just yet, for he suspected that a thousand-year fox spirit like her wouldn’t approach Wang Da Chui without ulterior motives.

Fox Snow Maiden, seeing his unshakable confidence, felt a mounting dread—greater even than when she once faced the Taoist Master Zishan of Dragon-Tiger Mountain.

Could it have been that finger of black light? The more she considered it, the more terrified she became of Jiang Xiaofei.

Seeing her fear, Jiang Xiaofei laughed coldly. “I bear you no grudge, but you involved yourself with Wang Da Chui and harmed Su Feifei. I won’t make things hard for you—tell me why you approached Wang Da Chui, and I’ll let you go. If you refuse, I’ll see your soul destroyed.”

He fixed her with a chilling gaze.

“Very well,” she replied, knowing resistance was futile. “I approached him because he possesses a pure yang constitution. With dual cultivation, my power would increase by leaps and bounds. That’s all there is to it.”

She looked at Jiang Xiaofei, awaiting his response.

“What, Old Wang has a pure yang constitution?” Jiang Xiaofei was stunned. No wonder—such a constitution is a once-in-a-century rarity, and those born with it are destined for greatness. In this era, though, Wang Da Chui could never be an emperor, but he would become a target for countless demons and spirits wishing to consume him and enhance their own cultivation.

Jiang Xiaofei fixed Fox Snow Maiden with a cold stare. “If you want me to spare you, that’s possible. But you must sever your own tail.”

At this, Fox Snow Maiden’s face twisted in unwillingness. To lose her tail would be more painful than death, for not only would she revert to her true form, but she would also be shunned by her kind.

But under Jiang Xiaofei’s icy gaze, she felt no will to resist. She fell to her knees, pleading, “Spare me, please! I’ll do anything you ask—anything at all, even offer myself to you.”

“To hell with your offer,” Jiang Xiaofei retorted with disgust. With a blade-like chop of his hand, he severed her nine tails.

“Aah!” Fox Snow Maiden cried out in agony, transforming into a giant white fox. Her eyes burned with resentment as she glared at Jiang Xiaofei.

“Well, aren’t you leaving?” With a bark from Jiang Xiaofei, the fox fled in panic.