"A fox?"
Roy knew that in The Investiture of the Gods, the nine-tailed fox was said to be the guardian of the Yellow Emperor's tomb at Xuanyuan Mound. But that was just a fictional tale—could it be that the history of this world followed that very legend?
"Exactly!"
Yu Ji's expression gradually turned serious. She tightened her grip on Roy's hand, as if trying to convey the fox's danger through sheer pressure.
"My lord must already know her name—she is Su Daji, the nine-tailed fox who seduced King Zhou of Shang and brought about the fall of the Shang dynasty. After that, she supposedly traveled to the Magadha Kingdom in India before returning to this land and taking the form of Lady Huayang. But the details escape me—by then, I had already secluded myself in the mountains and lost track of her."
Yu Ji spoke slowly, her voice measured.
Roy did a quick calculation. The ancient Indian kingdom of Magadha corresponded to the Zhou Dynasty period in terms of timeline, while Lady Huayang was a figure from the Qin State who had only passed away thirty years ago. Indeed, Yu Ji had rarely appeared in human society during this stretch of time.
"However, this is merely the fox's identity within human society. In truth, she has existed for thousands of years. Originally a goddess, she once assisted the Yellow Emperor three millennia ago. That's when I first came to know her. She seemed to hold the Yellow Emperor in great reverence and admiration. Although the Yellow Emperor has departed from this world, his 'body' remains—one could say he died. After that, the fox volunteered to become the guardian of the Yellow Emperor's mausoleum, a role she maintains to this day."
Yu Ji spoke with visible concern, and Roy, who had initially been indifferent, now wore a solemn expression upon hearing her words.
At first, Roy had assumed this nine-tailed fox, the future Tamamo-no-Mae, was simply a demon like those in The Investiture of the Gods, incapable of causing much stir during the late Shang Dynasty when immortals were everywhere. Roy quietly assessed his own strength and felt she wasn't particularly fearsome—just an ordinary nine-tailed fox.
But now, according to Yu Ji, this fox's true identity was far more exalted. She had existed since the era of the Yellow Emperor and had even aided him.
The Yellow Emperor's era was the true mythological age of the Central Plains, when human order had just begun to emerge. Any named figure from that time could be considered a genuine deity or sage—beings who, like Scáthach, had long since departed this world for realms beyond.
Scáthach's Land of Shadows still maintained faint connections with the present world, but those ancient entities from the Yellow Emperor's time had severed all ties and causality with the mortal realm. Even if humanity and the world were to perish, it would mean nothing to them.
Yet this nine-tailed fox, having survived from that era to the present while remaining in the mortal world, was absolutely not to be underestimated.
It was even possible that, like Scáthach, she possessed strength at the pinnacle of human capability. If that were truly the case, Roy might not be her match at present.
'But that doesn't add up. If this fox were really so powerful, how could she have been defeated by Jiang Ziya?'
Roy had questioned Yu Ji in detail and learned that although there had been a battle among immortals during the late Shang Dynasty, it was definitely not the Investiture of the Gods, nor were there figures like the Primordial Heavenly Lord or the Supreme Elder. After all, Taoism hadn't even been established yet!
In the history of the Moonlit World's Central Plains, ancient mysteries were indeed terrifying, but the late Shang and early Zhou periods weren't nearly as exaggerated. The true age of rampant deities and demons was during the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, when gods and humans mingled freely, capable of soaring to the heavens and plumbing the depths of the earth.
After Zhuanxu, one of the Five Emperors, "severed the connection between heaven and earth," as recorded in The Book of Documents, the realms were separated, and gods no longer interfered with humans. The mysteries of the Central Plains began to fade. By the time the Zhou Dynasty cast the Nine Tripod Cauldrons and human order began to rise, and further still when the First Emperor "burned books and buried scholars," the age of mysteries came to an end.
A careful study of the history of the Moon Cell reveals that the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty in the land of China coincided with the era of King Solomon's activity and death. In other words, it was around 800 BC that the Age of Gods completely vanished from the entire history of the Moon Cell.
"Since that fox once aided the Yellow Emperor three thousand years ago, she must have been a reasonable and wise nine-tailed fox. But why would she go on to bring chaos to the world? Moreover, Yu the Beauty, your strength has drastically declined—less than one or two-tenths of your peak—yet you still dare to come to the Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum to meet that fox. This means she can be reasoned with. So, Yu the Beauty, what exactly are you afraid of?"
Roy had noticed the contradictions in Yu Ji's words and actions and voiced his question.
Now that he knew the fox was no simple figure, Roy began to take the matter seriously. He had initially thought that in this era of fading mystery, around 200 BCE, when the Age of Gods had ended, his power would leave little to fear. But who could have imagined that this world of the Moon held so many hidden depths? Not only was there Yu Ji, an immortal fairy who had lived for tens of thousands of years, but also a nine-tailed fox—or perhaps a goddess—who had survived from the Age of Gods in ancient China.
'Being cautious was indeed the right call. Though my strength allows me to roam freely in this world, I'm still far from invincible. Not to mention beings like my mentor who exist beyond the world's reach, even the remnants of mystery in this present era demand my vigilance.'
Roy inwardly praised himself for his prudence.
Still, the world of the Moon was relatively manageable. Though there were many figures like the Yellow Emperor whom Roy couldn't yet fathom, most had transcended the bounds of the mortal realm. Roy could simply treat them as background elements and ignore them.
But the world of A Certain Magical Index was different—a place where demon gods roamed freely in the material world. It was like a max-level player slaughtering newbies in a starter zone, leaving no room for survival.
"My lord always has a way of cutting straight to the heart of the matter."
Hearing Roy's question, Yu the Beauty turned her gentle, watery eyes toward him, filled with admiration and affection.
"This is related to a certain… hidden ailment of hers. In her normal state, she can indeed be reasoned with, and she's even one of the more approachable types… But if she's in her other state…"
At this point, Yu Ji's expression darkened with worry.
Just then, another voice echoed through the ancient cypress forest:
"My, my, if it isn't Yu? It's been so long! But to think the first thing I hear upon meeting you is you gossiping about others and speaking ill of them?"
The voice was enchantingly seductive, like that of a peerless enchantress whispering sweet nothings. Just hearing it stirred a primal, lustful impulse in Roy as a man. He had no doubt that the owner of this voice possessed a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms—her reputation as a calamity to nations was no exaggeration.
Yu Ji's expression shifted drastically upon hearing the voice. Her gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by the fury of a tigress. She bared a pair of sharp, terrifying fangs and snapped,
"...I never expected you'd be in this state! I'll say whatever I please—who are you to interfere? Do you have a death wish?!"
Like a mother leopard protecting her cub, she shielded Roy behind her and snarled at the voice.
Then Yu Meiren's tone softened again as she whispered to Roy, "...My King, let's retreat for now. This fox's condition is abnormal—she's extremely dangerous. With my current strength, I can at most rely on my immortality to protect myself, but I cannot guarantee your safety!"