bookbashuk Chapter 838 1 laugh chapter
Chapter 838 1 laugh chapter
Chapter 838 A Joke
For the headmaster, who came from a background of wild foxes, forming a society was hardly a consideration. For those at the bottom, forming cliques to survive was almost instinctive; in fact, the idea of "only discussing matters of the fox-owning academy" as described by Gong Mengbi was not intimate or profound enough for them.
If Gong Mengbi were willing to take care of them, they would immediately bow down and proclaim him king. In this world, who doesn't have to curry favor with powerful figures? The only question is whether they've chosen the right one, and whether their leader is worth following.
If you met a big brother like Gong Mengbi, you wouldn't hesitate to give your life for him. It's just a pity that you were throwing your charm at a blind man.
While Gong Mengbi did want to gather the power of the wild foxes, he did not intend to ascend the throne as the Demon King, nor did he intend to create a fifth aristocratic family in the Heavenly Fox Academy.
Although becoming a demon king and establishing a powerful family are easier paths, they are not the paths he wants to take. Therefore, he needs to be more clear-headed and restrained in many things.
"If we don't join the society, will Master Gong invite us again next time?"
An Wenli glanced at the deans from aristocratic families and asked a question that they were all concerned about but dared not reveal.
The deans' eyes fell on Gong Mengbi, eager for him to provide an answer.
"Dean An, would you like to hear a joke?"
An Wenli cupped his hands and said, "I would like to hear the details."
"As you all know, I was born a wild fox. In my early years, I lived alone and later stayed at the home of a family surnamed Shen in Wuning."
"The Shen family's farm was more than ten miles outside the city, and the road required passing through several hills and forests. The mountains and forests were winding and deep, shrouded in mist, and it was often said that there were bewitching monsters there, so timid people dared not go there alone. Once, the Shen family steward went to the farm to check the accounts, but he returned after only half a day, with a bruised and swollen face and a limp. When the master of the Shen family asked him what had happened, he said that he had been bewitched by a fox while passing through the wild forest, and when he realized what had happened, he fought with the fox, tripped, and fell, thus limping his leg."
"When asked how he knew it was a fox, he replied: 'In the wilderness, the fox transformed into a woman, dressed seductively, and came out of the forest to talk to me, wanting to come to the village with me. I suspected she was a fox, so I shouted at her. When I recognized her, she tried to pull me away, so I fought with her, fell and injured my leg, but I managed to drive her away and avoid a greater disaster.'"
As Gong Mengbi spoke, several deans who came from wild fox backgrounds curled their lips, clearly indignant that the foxes had lost this "human-fox" contest.
"Because I was staying at the Shen family's house, the master of the Shen family became suspicious and told the steward, 'Perhaps you have mistaken someone for someone else and have accidentally hurt someone.' The steward did not believe it. Since he did not go, someone from the manor came the next day and told him about a strange incident. He said that a matchmaker from a neighboring village came to the manor to propose marriage, but encountered a fox on the way. The fox turned into an old man and beat her up severely when she went up to ask for directions. If the matchmaker had not run away quickly, she would have almost lost her life."
The audience immediately became furious, shouting, "These two are clearly deaf and blind, how can they blame it on us?"
Gong Mengbi said, "Later, the head of the Shen family stepped forward, invited the matchmaker to a banquet, and the person in charge apologized. The two sides reconciled with a smile. Whenever this matter is mentioned, it often becomes a source of amusement."
"But I can't laugh. This matter really has nothing to do with us, and it was eventually proven that it wasn't the fox's doing, but I know in my heart that many inexplicable things in this world eventually fall on us foxes."
"Those two people were indeed foolish, but in the eyes of the world, foxes are generally considered to be low-class evil spirits who only know how to deceive people and are bewitching demons. They are not only not good people, but they are not even considered to be great villains."
“Going back to ancient times, foxes were once servants of the gods and auspicious creatures in the human world. But now, they have a terrible reputation.” Gong Mengbi said, “I have said these things to the fox children I have taught, and I am repeating them here before you all, but I still want to say them again. My founding of the Fox Children’s Academy, and the construction of the Fox Children’s Academy by the goddess, were all for the purpose of educating wild foxes, not for my own selfish reasons.”
Gong Mengbi looked at An Wenli and said, "So you understand my answer now?"
An Wenli bowed and said, "Master Gong, your virtue is truly admirable!"
"Master Gong is truly virtuous!"
“Some of you are of noble birth, not wild foxes, so you have never experienced these circumstances and may not be able to empathize with me. Originally, you would only understand what I meant when you had achieved some success in your cultivation and were able to travel in this vast world. But now that you are building the Fox Clan, you will surely see it soon.” Gong Mengbi gave these fox spirits from noble families a deep look.
One of the fox spirits, surnamed Hu, spoke up, saying, "I have already seen it."
The surrounding people looked over, and the fox spirit Hu gave a wry smile and said, "When I built the fox monastery in Yuyang, I wanted to visit the local city god, but I was turned away many times. In the end, I had to give him a lot of gifts before I could barely show my face."
"The surrounding area is filled with the incense of Buddhist and Taoist priests. I have interacted with some of the practitioners there and found that they all have their eyes on the top of their heads."
The fox spirit Hu's face was quite interesting as she said this.
It was unclear which wild fox spirit chuckled, but it said, "Now you know what we're like."
The fox spirit Hu's face flushed red, and her expression was even more fascinating, but she did not refute it.
Without a rebuttal, there's no point. The wild fox started a tune, but didn't press his advantage; he just snorted and fell silent.
Gong Mengbi simply smiled and said, "It doesn't matter if we suffer some cold looks. We are also practicing cultivation properly, so we won't be killed by someone for a disagreement. We just need to be more careful in our conduct and actions, and see the road ahead clearly."
"It's almost dawn, come with me."
Gong Mengbi looked up at the sky and led the way out of the Fish Viewing Platform. As he stepped forward, the Fish Viewing Platform, which resembled a small boat, gradually grew larger until it returned to its original shape.
Dozens of foxes followed behind him, stirring up a cold wind and thin mist, giving the impression of a demon king's procession.
Gong Mengbi did not want to disturb the spirits and deities, so the five ghosts lined up in formation and cleared the way, enveloping the entire procession. Then, like a gentle breeze, they disappeared.
The fox-like deans, being led along by the five ghosts, had already grasped the profound and unfathomable nature of the Five Elements Escape Technique. These five ghosts had just been pouring them wine and lighting lamps on the Fish-Viewing Platform; they were truly flattered.
Just a few steps later, we arrived at a wild mountain forest.
Thirty-eight wooden markers were neatly planted in the forest, and the thirty-eight mounds were covered with sedge. A sinister aura permeated the forest, and when the wind blew, one could faintly sense a lingering resentment.
Kang Wen looked at one of the earthen mounds in the middle and made out the words written on it: "Fox Prince Courtyard of Haozhou, Tomb of Plum Fairy".
The foxes fell silent.
Only Gong Mengbi's voice rang out, saying, "The entire Fox Clan of Haozhou suffered torture and death, their heads severed, toes cut off, and skinned alive in humiliation, unable to rest in peace. It was I who avenged them, gathered their bodies, and condensed their souls so that they could be reborn in the afterlife."
"Let's all come and pay our respects to them."
Gong Mengbi piled stones to form a platform, gathered sand to form a cauldron, and burned incense inside. The fragrance dispelled the gloom of the forest, revealing a clear and bright atmosphere.
After the foxes came forward to offer their prayers, the last vestiges of their resentment vanished without a trace.
"I've experienced enough tragedies like this in my life. I hope you will learn from this, work together, support each other, and run the Fox Inn well."
He spoke with great emotion.
Kang Wen sensed something was wrong and laughed, "With the guidance of Master Gong, the Fox Academy will surely get better and better."
Gong Mengbi's voice drifted over, carrying a hint of amusement, yet also an ambiguous meaning: "If I have to lead you to run the Fox Clan well, then what will become of the Fox Clan if I am not here? This is not the result I want, nor is it the purpose of our education."
“That’s not what I expect of you. Having opened up this path and imparted these Taoist arts and supernatural powers, what we hope for, whether it’s me or the goddess, is that you will be self-respecting, self-confident, self-reliant, and strong, setting an example for all fox spirits in the world.”