11: Chapter 11 Civil War

At this moment, inside the Thousand Fox Den.

Before Wu Li had even approached, he caught the scent of a thick, bloody stench.

He folded his wings and landed on a dead tree. Looking down from above, his bean-sized black pupils narrowed slightly.

In the open space outside the Thousand Fox Cave, over a dozen fox corpses lay strewn about in a messy heap.

A few crows circled in the low sky, emitting raucous cries, waiting for things below to become completely quiet so they could descend to feast.

"Hmm?"

"Could I have come too late?"

Wu Li murmured, his brows furrowing slightly.

He had assumed that once the Old Fox Demon died, the Thousand Fox Den would be leaderless. He had planned to slip in amidst the chaos and sweep up all the good things the Old Fox Demon had hoarded over a lifetime, but looking at the current situation, it seemed that...

"Wait, that's not right..."

As these thoughts crossed his mind, shrill shrieks and sounds of fighting came from inside the cave.

"Do you think you can take charge just because the Old Ancestor is dead? You mongrel, what right do you have?" A sharp, shrill voice came from inside the cave, filled with obvious disdain and provocation.

"What right? Because the Old Ancestor valued me most when he was alive! Besides brown-nosing, what else are you, Gray Fox, capable of?"

Another voice was cold and steady; it was the Green Fox, the descendant most valued by the Old Fox Demon and the smartest among this group of fox spirits.

"Heh, the Old Ancestor valued you? If the Old Ancestor valued you, why didn't he hand over the management of the Thousand Fox Den to you? Why didn't he let you meet the Great King Han Mang?"

"You!"

"What about me? I, Gray Fox, have served the Old Ancestor for so many years. Which matter in the Thousand Fox Den has not been managed by me? You, an outsider, want to ride on top of me?"

There was another round of fighting, accompanied by the miserable cries of several foxes. Perched on the tree, Wu Li listened for a while and gradually understood the situation.

"So this is civil strife."

Wu Li said with surprise, not expecting these foxes to start fighting among themselves first.

The Old Fox Demon was dead.

The news must have only just arrived this morning.

The Green Fox and the Gray Fox, these two Qi Ling Realm fox spirits, refused to yield to each other, each gathering a group of foxes to fight for the position.

The Green Fox was smart and had been the most valued by the Old Fox Demon. The Gray Fox was slick, had connections with the Vulture Demon, and had a deeper Foundation in the Thousand Fox Den. Neither would give way, so they started fighting.

"Caw~"

Wu Li let out a low cry, his voice tinged with irritation.

"A bunch of little things fighting without any sense of restraint—I hope they don't break my treasures."

Wu Li stopped waiting.

He spread his wings and leaped from the dead tree, his black figure shooting straight into the Thousand Fox Cave like an arrow.

The entrance was narrow, but after flying a few yards inside, the cave suddenly opened up.

It was smaller than the Ape Cave, but still spacious enough. Several glowing fluorite stones were embedded in the stone walls, barely illuminating this chaotic battlefield.

Dozens of foxes were crowded into the stone chamber—gray, yellow, red, and green. Some were biting each other, some were shivering in the corners, and others were fleeing deeper into the cave.

The moment Wu Li flew in, he released his aura.

Instantly, the fighting foxes stopped, and the crowd of foxes all looked toward this uninvited guest.

After flying in, Wu Li perched on a protrusion above the cave entrance, his bean-sized black pupils overlooking the entire stone chamber.

The Green Fox was the first to react.

It jumped off a Gray Fox, blood still hanging from the corner of its mouth, with several new claw marks on its green fur. It narrowed its eyes, stared at Wu Li for a moment, and its pupils constricted sharply.

"It's you?"

The Green Fox's voice was filled with shock and suspicion.

It recognized him; this was that old crow from Desolate Ridge. The Old Ancestor had mentioned it before he died—the old crow that had snatched his Vermilion Fruit and ruined their plans.

The Old Ancestor had gone to Desolate Ridge specifically to find this crow. And then the Old Ancestor had died.

The Gray Fox also stopped.

It was a circle fatter than the Green Fox, its grayish-brown fur slick and shiny, and its small eyes full of cunning and shrewdness.

It licked the blood off its paws, tilted its head to size up Wu Li, and a hint of disdain appeared at the corner of its mouth.

"You still dare to barge into my Thousand Fox Den?"

The Green Fox's voice was shrill, carrying obvious contempt.

"Hmm?"

Wu Li was taken aback.

"Are you tired of living?"

"Or is my aura not enough to intimidate you, your grandfather?"

Wu Li said coldly.

Demonic Qi surged from his body like a tide, carrying the unique, sinister aura of the Blood Eye Pagoda Sutra, instantly filling the entire cave.

Qi Ling Realm fox spirits were nothing but ants in front of a Tier 1 Demonic Beast.

The Gray Fox's eyes darted around, and the disdain on its face vanished without a trace, replaced by a smile of extreme flattery.

It bowed its waist, its tail raised high, its posture as humble as if it were meeting its ancestor.

"Oh my, my lord, please calm your anger! Please calm your anger!"

The Gray Fox's voice was shrill and syrupy, trembling with obsequiousness.

"This lowly one was blind and did not recognize Mount Tai; I have offended you, my lord. I deserve to die, I deserve to die!"

As it spoke, it even lightly patted its own cheeks with its paws, making soft slapping sounds, but the force was so light it couldn't even kill a mosquito.

"For you, my lord, to come to my Thousand Fox Den, it is a blessing that my entire Thousand Fox Den has cultivated for generations! With your arrival, the whole cave is illuminated with glory; even these broken stones shine a bit brighter!"

As the Gray Fox spoke, it backed up two steps, yielding the center position, its front paws respectfully crossed over its chest, looking exactly like an old servant welcoming a guest.

The Green Fox stood to the side, watching the Gray Fox's face, its mouth twitching twice, its eyes filled with disgust and disdain. But it said nothing.

Wu Li perched on the protrusion above the cave entrance, tilting his head, his bean-sized black pupils staring at the Gray Fox, his expression unreadable, showing neither joy nor anger.

The Gray Fox felt its heart grow cold under his gaze, cold sweat streaming down its grayish-white fur, yet the smile on its face did not diminish in the slightest; instead, it became even brighter.

"My lord, you also know that my Old Ancestor... sigh, is gone."

The Gray Fox sighed, squeezing a bit of sorrow into its voice, but the sorrow was so fake that even the Green Fox beside it couldn't help but roll its eyes.

"Once the Old Ancestor left, this Thousand Fox Den was left without a leader. We, the little ones, had no choice, which is why we started this commotion. Your arrival is timely; with your Wisdom Eye burning like a torch and your boundless magical power, please judge this for us..."

"Shut up."

Wu Li spoke.

His hoarse voice was not loud, but it was like a bucket of cold water poured over the Gray Fox's head.

The Gray Fox's smile froze on its face; its mouth opened and then closed again, not daring to say another word.

Wu Li jumped down from the protrusion and landed on the ground, his wings slightly spread, his black feathers shimmering with a cold, metallic luster under the light of the fluorite stones.

He walked toward the center of the stone chamber step by step; wherever he passed, the foxes retreated one after another, clearing a path.

The Green Fox and the Gray Fox stood at the very front, one on the left and one on the right, neither daring to move.

Wu Li stopped, tilted his head, and swept his gaze across the two foxes.

"I won't waste words with you. The Old Fox is dead."

"Its things belong to me now."

The Gray Fox's eyes darted again, and it quickly nodded and bowed: "As it should be, as it should be! The Old Ancestor's things should naturally be offered to you, my lord! This lowly one will take you there right away."

Wu Li interrupted it, his gaze landing on the Gray Fox's face.

"I said everything. Don't you dare try to play any tricks on me!"