Only I Walk Alone

Wu Ge was silent, withdrawn, feeling his heart being continuously torn apart.

I have returned, but what about you?

Wu Ge felt his body stiffen.

However, at that moment, a voice suddenly came from behind Wu Ge: “After so many years, I didn’t expect a human to visit. It’s rather rude of me to let the guest see this state.”

Wu Ge turned around and then saw a fox woman with reddish-brown fox ears and nine reddish-brown fox tails, wearing Hanfu, holding a purple-golden smoking pipe in her hand.

Wu Ge was somewhat puzzled: “Nine-Tailed Fox… Grandma?”

The Nine-Tailed Fox smiled gently, nodded slightly towards Wu Ge, then turned around, her nine tails swaying. She said, “Please follow me, guest.”

The Nine-Tailed Fox put the purple-golden smoking pipe to her lips, took a light puff, and then exhaled a puff of purple smoke, which immediately transformed into a circular mirror-like door. She stepped forward with her white leg and walked into the mirror door.

Wu Ge hurriedly followed. Upon entering the mirror door, Wu Ge saw a new world full of greenery, with the sound of water and the fragrance of flowers, a pine tree not far away, and a stone table.

The Nine-Tailed Fox sat on one side of the stone table, then waved her hand, and a pot of fragrant tea and two jade cups appeared on the table.

The Nine-Tailed Fox said, “Try this Jade Immortal Tea, and also explain how you, as a human, managed to enter our clan’s barrier?”

After speaking, the Nine-Tailed Fox lifted the tea cup and drank the tea in one gulp. Although she was dressed in ancient Hanfu, it was rather revealing, exposing her shoulders, arms, and thighs.

Wu Ge observed her, noticing her beauty that matched the Eastern aesthetic perfectly, with long black hair and a moderate figure. However, Wu Ge, accustomed to seeing stunning synthetic maids, did not become enchanted by the Nine-Tailed Fox’s beauty.

He picked up the tea cup, savored the immortal tea, drinking it in three sips. Afterwards, he felt refreshed, even his psychic power became more active, and the sadness in his heart was somewhat alleviated.

After drinking the immortal tea, Wu Ge began to recount his reason for coming here, mentioning a dream. Hearing about the dream, the Nine-Tailed Fox appeared slightly surprised. She asked, “So it was a dream that guided you here? When were you born?”

Wu Ge stated his age, then heard the Nine-Tailed Fox sigh softly. She said, “It seems you are not the reincarnation of that child. When the child died, you had not yet been born. However, there are some similarities between your brows.”

Wu Ge asked, “Nine-Tailed Fox… Grandma, what happened later? Why did Xiao Li die?”

“Grandma?” The Nine-Tailed Fox laughed, then said, “But you’re not wrong in calling me that. After all, our Nine-Tailed Fox clan could indeed be considered as ancestors to you humans. However, you better not call me Nine-Tailed Fox Grandma, that’s how our clan refers to me. According to human terms, you can call me Fox Immortal.”

Wu Ge recalled the mythological stories of Da Yu, who, according to legend, married a nine-tailed fox from Mount Tu and even had children with her, making the Nine-Tailed Fox indeed akin to a great-grandmother to humans.

But the Nine-Tailed Fox in front of Wu Ge was not the same Nine-Tailed Fox from those stories.

Wu Ge asked, “Fox Immortal, I dreamt of a fox girl named Xiao Li  in my dream, who should be cultivating with you. But, I saw her grave. Did she… die?”

The Nine-Tailed Fox looked into the distance and said, “I told that child, told her her brother reincarnated as a human. It was a lie, but it was enough to give her the will to live on. However, no one expected that, decades ago, all humans suddenly disappeared. Hearing this news, she was heartbroken. At that time, she was at a critical moment in her cultivation. Her unstable state of mind led her to forcefully attempt to breakthrough, ultimately leading to her demise due to deviation. In accordance with her last wish, I buried her next to her brother.”

Wu Ge didn’t know how to describe his feelings at that moment. He thought about the two graves for a long time before sighing, “Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, today I, Wu Ge, dreamt of a fox. I wonder if it was me dreaming of him or him dreaming of me. But at least, this puts an end to the story.”

The Fox Immortal said, “This is not a story, but reality. Reality is always full of regrets. If it were a story, it would have a happy ending.”

Wu Ge asked, “Fox Immortal sister, the world has changed greatly, don’t you want to go out and see?”

The Fox Immortal asked, “Have the disappeared humans returned? What a pity, Xiao Li left too soon.”

Wu Ge shook his head, “No, I am the last human on Earth. Humans were taken away by aliens…”

Wu Ge explained the reasons and the Fox Immortal sighed lightly, “The world is indeed like this, survival of the fittest. Humans, although immensely powerful, still face beings more powerful than themselves. The weak are always helpless.”

Wu Ge knew this truth, which is why he wanted to become stronger. At that moment, the Fox Immortal suddenly changed the topic, “Your current realm… can you distinguish between dreams and reality?”

Wu Ge raised an eyebrow, “I should be able to tell the difference between dreams and reality.”

The Fox Immortal smiled, “Is that so? Can you really distinguish clearly? If I’m not mistaken, you are currently entangled by delusions, aren’t you? You came here also to find a way to break free from these delusions, right? If the delusion is not broken, your cultivation will hardly advance any further because the truth and falsehood of this event are indistinguishable, and those who cannot distinguish will not be able to attain the Dao.”

Wu Ge recalled the bizarre dreams and his problem with excessive sleepiness these past few days. He eagerly asked for guidance, “How can I break through this delusion?”

The Fox Immortal said, “There is nothing else but to ’embrace tranquility.'”

“Embrace tranquility?” Wu Ge pondered the meaning of these words. Unknowingly, he found himself back in front of the mountain on the north side of N city, protected by guard robots. Xiao Chao spoke up, “Wu Ge, are you awake?”

Wu Ge was startled and asked, “Did I fall asleep just now?”

Xiao Chao replied, “Yes, you were sleeping while standing.”

Wu Ge was surprised. Was I dreaming just now?

A layer of sweat formed on Wu Ge’s forehead. The line between dreams and reality, he almost couldn’t distinguish it.

With the strengthening of his psychic power, his dreams became increasingly realistic. At the same time, because of the enhancement of his psychic power, reality began to blur, with many unseen things and unheard sounds appearing, making reality seem like a dream. If one cannot distinguish between reality and dreams, one might completely fall into it.

This was why a cold sweat appeared on Wu Ge’s forehead.

But Wu Ge also wondered, was that really a dream? Or did my spirit enter the barrier? If it’s the latter, how exactly can I achieve the “tranquility” that the Fox Immortal spoke of?