Free Web NovelChapter 154: Chapter 114: Caught Again
"From the Beastman Empire and the kingdom of Balfeite, I am Mei Ji of the Pure-blooded Fox People Royal Family. I greet you, Your Excellency, Master of the Undead."
The seductive Fox Girl stood up and walked past Saler, who made way for her, stopping before Li Ziyu. She set aside her seductive charm, her expression turning completely solemn as she introduced herself in the most formal court language of Balfeite. She then clasped her hands, pressed their backs to her forehead, and knelt, bowing low in prostration. This was the highest rite of the Pure-blooded Fox People, a gesture of absolute deference and complete submission.
Even Saler was stunned by Mei Ji’s actions. Such a ceremony was truly a rare sight. In his time, Balfeite had been a legitimately powerful nation. As Royal Fox Maidens, they enjoyed an extremely high status wherever they went. For them to perform such a grand rite... never mind King Borhan himself; likely not even the Lion People of the Beastman Empire had ever witnessed such a thing.
Who would have thought that after countless years, long after everyone else was gone, he would finally get to see it.
Following Mei Ji, the other three Fox Maidens also rose and came to her side, their expressions solemn.
The glamorous Fox Maiden said, "From the Beastman Empire and the kingdom of Balfeite, I am Yan Ji of the Pure-blooded Fox People Royal Family. I greet you, Your Excellency, Master of the Undead."
The pure and lovely Fox Maiden said, "From the Beastman Empire and the kingdom of Balfeite, I am Spirit Maiden of the Pure-blooded Fox People Royal Family. I greet you, Your Excellency, Master of the Undead."
The cold and aloof Fox Maiden said, "From the Beastman Empire and the kingdom of Balfeite, I am Ice Princess of the Pure-blooded Fox People Royal Family. I greet you, Your Excellency, Master of the Undead."
The three Fox Maidens spoke with great solemnity, then knelt and bowed in unison, performing the exact same rite as Mei Ji.
’A kneeling bow?’
It was all very solemn, but having seen it countless times in TV dramas from his past life, Li Ziyu wasn’t particularly impressed. He propped his chin on one hand and glanced at Saler, raising an eyebrow. He then gestured toward the four Fox Maidens as if to say, ’What’s all this about?’
Saler sheathed the Sword of the King, placed a hand over his heart, and bowed respectfully—not to Li Ziyu, but out of respect for the Pure-blooded Fox People Royal Family. He explained slowly, "This is the Grand Rite of Ancestor Worship, used by the royal Fox People when they venerate their Ancestors. It is their most profound ceremony, and it signifies submission."
’Huh?’
’That’s it?’
’Their most profound ceremony?’
Li Ziyu was about to scoff, but then he saw four bright, white beads materialize above the heads of the four Fox Maidens.
"Those are Bright Spirit Treasure Beads, the very essence of the Pure-blooded Fox People," Saler, still bowing, immediately explained when he caught sight of the four beads from the corner of his eye. "They only materialize during the Grand Rite of Ancestor Worship. For the beads to form, they must completely surrender everything, placing their life and death in your hands."
The bowing and kneeling was one thing, but the Bright Spirit Treasure Beads were the true core of the rite. It was considered an act of absolute submission precisely because the Fox People were offering their own Bright Spirit Treasure Beads.
"Hey, wait a minute," Li Ziyu said, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "You’re all dead. You’re Wandering Souls. What’s the use of placing your life and death before me?"
"Master of the Undead, a Bright Spirit Treasure Bead is the culmination of a Fox Person’s consciousness, memories, spirit, and energy. It is not their Life Force," Saler explained, seeing that Li Ziyu didn’t understand the Treasure Bead’s significance.
This was the Otherworld, a place where Undead and Ghosts were real. Here, death wasn’t truly the end but very possibly just a new beginning. For an intelligent being, it was their consciousness, memories, and spirit that truly defined them. Only when those were extinguished could they be considered truly and utterly gone.
At Saler’s explanation, realization dawned on Li Ziyu. He shed his lazy posture, sat up straight, and regarded the four Fox Maidens with a new, solemn expression.
"I understand. I accept your grand rite," Li Ziyu said, his curiosity still piqued. "But I have to ask, what is the purpose behind all of this today?"
"We wanted to see if the Master of the Undead was someone worth following..."
Mei Ji slowly began to explain. After the great turmoil, the legendary warriors who once dominated the battlefields became Wandering Souls, trapped within the Wraith Mountain Range. During that time, they discovered that a much higher proportion of the Fox Race became Wandering Souls compared to the other Beastman tribes. Through their studies, they concluded this was likely due to the Fox Race’s naturally higher aptitude for magic and stronger Spiritual Power in life.
The countless years that followed proved this theory correct. Not only were there a significant number of Fox Race Wandering Souls, but they were also comparatively stronger. Their Soul Bodies were more solid, and they could even use a special type of Spiritual Magic.
As Mei Ji spoke, a look of surprise crossed Saler’s face. He had never noticed any of this, especially the part about Spiritual Magic. That kind of magic could affect Wandering Souls, yet he had never seen the Fox Race use it on any of the others.
Mei Ji continued her story. The Fox Race had always been a very unified people. After making these discoveries, they had debated whether they should use their advantages to rule over the other Wandering Souls. Ultimately, they chose not to. They believed their former selves were dead; becoming Wandering Souls was a new start.
During the great turmoil, the Fox Race had actually been an anti-war faction. They disliked fighting and had only joined the wars for various reasons beyond their control. But now, they had a new choice.
Rather than seek power, they chose to simply live alongside the other Wandering Souls. That was why they had never once revealed their Spiritual Magic to others.
Everything had been peaceful. It was boring, certainly, but unlike the other Wandering Souls, they weren’t constantly thinking about how to leave. That all changed when Li Ziyu, the Master of the Undead, appeared, placed all the Wandering Souls into Soul Coffins, and led them out of the mountain range.
