It started snowing.

  The entire Mount Yingyue was draped in silver.

  From that winter onward, our master instructed us to retreat into the deep mountains to cultivate. He was going to choose the next mountain god from among his disciples.

  The title of "god" excited the young and ambitious me.

  Master expined that every mountain and river needed a capable mountain god to protect it. He was aging, and his spiritual power was gradually waning. To prevent any disastrous imbance, he wanted us to study and practice harder, with the hope of finding the most suitable successor to guard this nd.

  That winter, I made a promise with Bu Yu. Once the next mountain god was chosen, whether the title fell to me or not, we would marry.

  My brothers, like me, all dreamed of transforming from insignificant little yaokais into the guardians of a mountain, becoming mountain gods themselves. Our lives no longer had the leisurely ease of the past; now, it was all about focused cultivation. The ultimate goal of our training was to perfect our inner elixirs. As creatures of different kinds, all our vital essence was contained within these elixirs. The more complete and powerful they became, the stronger we grew.

  My fish brother, wolf brother, and cat brother all succeeded in perfecting their inner elixirs one by one. But for the fox cn, the inner elixir was the hardest to cultivate. While my brothers were finishing theirs, my inner elixir was still in the critical stage, on the verge of taking shape.

  During this period, Bu Yu often brought me my favorite roasted chicken to the cave where I was training. She would symbolically practice meditation and breathe deeply each day, but she never had any intention of competing for the title of mountain god. Her only desire was to be my wife.

  The happiest memory is when we nestled in the cave, built a bonfire, and ate the delicious roast chicken while watching the snow fall outside the cave.

  The years passed peacefully, and that was the most precious thing.

  During that winter, Master rarely appeared before us. We knew he was with his only son, who had been suffering from a strange illness. Master's son, since birth, had never spoken, nor did he have any awareness, like a living corpse. Over the years, Master had tried many methods but could never cure him, which made us, his disciples, feel deeply sorrowful.

  However, gradually, the atmosphere in the mountain became strange...

  The senior brothers who had completed their inner elixirs gradually disappeared. There was no trace of them in the vast forest. Master aged considerably overnight. While preparing medicine for his son, he sighed softly to himself, “Well, well... they’ve grown wings; let them go and explore. After all, Yingyue Mountain is still too small for them…”

  I had always had a good retionship with my senior brothers, and I couldn't understand why they left without a word. Did the joy of living with Master and everyone else not compare to that inexplicable loneliness of "exploring" by themselves? Moreover, hadn't they been so focused on competing for the position of mountain god before?

  Although I was full of doubts, I couldn't let myself be distracted by them. In seven days, my inner elixir would be complete. If my mind were disturbed now, it would be easy to fall into the wrong path.

  The next day, Bu Yu would come to check on me, bringing only good news. She said Master was doing well, the younger disciples were obedient, and the missing Fish Senior Brother had sent word saying that he had arrived in a bustling city and even met a beautiful woman.

  I knew Bu Yu never lied, so I finally felt at ease.

  However, I clearly saw the slight furrow in her brows the moment she turned to leave.

  The white fox is the noblest among foxes and the smartest one too. We are exceptionally good at reading between the lines.

  I watched her figure disappear into the dusk, leaving behind a trail of deep and shallow footprints in the snow, like the imperfections on a beautiful face. Suddenly, I remembered that Bu Yu's steps were always light and graceful, like clouds, leaving no trace even when walking on water. She often said that the vast expanse of snow was a beautiful sight, and leaving footprints would ruin it. Therefore, she never left a trace on the snow as she walked.

  I stood at the entrance of the cave, and the peace I had found was once again pulled away by some strange force.

  Before Master passed away, he pointed at the motionless figure of Bu Yu and spat out two words with deep hatred: "Unworthy disciple!" Blood poured from his mouth like a river, flowing onto my hands as I desperately tried to hold him up.

  Bu Yu stood silently in front of us, her gaze cold and indifferent.

  The room was a mess, bloodstains everywhere. Spilled dark red liquid from overturned medicine bowls stained the floor, and several bck ceramic jars y scattered in the corners. On the wall, a secret compartment had been destroyed. One of the jars had cracked, spilling a heap of dark green ash.

  Lying next to us was a bloodied and disfigured figure—a young boy, unconscious and possibly dead. He was our youngest junior brother, a snow leopard. Though he had joined ter than the rest of us, his talent was exceptional, earning him Master's favor.

  I saw a rge hole in Master′s chest, the edges scorched bck, and a faint yer of crimson mist floated above his body, resembling the petals of a peculiar flower. Bu Yu's right sleeve hung empty, and the once slender, fair arm had vanished without a trace.

  My heart seemed to stop beating as Master took his st breath.

  At that moment, I suddenly realized how foolish my act of sneaking away from the cave had been. If not for that damnable unease and concern, I wouldn't have come back. If I hadn't come back, I wouldn't have seen this. And if I hadn't seen this... If I hadn't seen this, could I have remained blissfully ignorant, pretending I knew nothing?

  "Did you do this?" I slowly set down Master′s body. I watched as the one who had saved me, raised me, and taught me—my benefactor, to whom I had sworn to protect with my life—gradually lost his human form and transformed into a dark, gleaming scorpion.

  Bu Yu stiffly tugged at the corners of her mouth and smiled. "Yes. I wanted him to teach me better spells. I would have been the best candidate to become the mountain god, but he refused."

  "And the missing senior brothers..." I stood up, remarkably calm. "Is it reted to you?"

  "I wanted their inner elixirs. That way, I would become stronger faster." She kept her eyes fixed on the window as she spoke. "I hate the days when people threw stones at me. I don't want to be the ominous flower yaokai anymore. I want to be a god, worshipped by others!"

  "You promised me you wouldn't lie, didn't you?" I waited for the st answer I needed.

  "Yes." She nodded.

  I raised my head, and my still-forming inner elixir transformed into a slender sword, its sharp silver light slicing through the space between us. Something was instantly severed. Her honesty had made me realize the greatest betrayal of my life.

  "Want to get revenge on the old man?" She sneered coldly. "Finish cultivating your inner elixir before you come find me." My sword swung through empty air. Her lightness of movement, her ability to disappear, surpassed that of any of our fellow disciples. Anger and sorrow churned violently within me.