The Fox's Eternal Star: A Tale of Love and Fate

One war after another stained the tranquil earth with crimson blood. Empires rose and fell under the weight of conquest and plunder, much like the legendary battles of Huangdi against Chiyou, Shaokang against Hanzhuo, and Tang of Shang against Jie of Xia. The cycle of history was predestined—prosperity had its time, and so did decline.

Valleys and streams vanished under the relentless erosion of time. In ancient days, a great flood had brought calamity to the mortal realm. Later, Yu the Great of the Xia Dynasty dredged rivers and tamed the waters, but even after the flood receded, the wetlands north of Muye remained.

Legends spoke of a fox demon dwelling in the marshes north of Muye. On starry nights, it would appear by the water's edge, gazing at the heavens. When Yu sought to channel the floodwaters to the sea, the fox demon resisted, slaughtering many of the workers. Yu had no choice but to bypass Muye.

Though these were mere tales, the residents near Muye swore they had seen the fox. Its silver eyes, they said, were always fixed on the stars, unwavering and aloof.

A cold moon cast its pale light over the endless wetlands. That night, the stars still shone brightly over Muye.

No frogs croaked, no cicadas sang—only silence enveloped the night.

Under the moonlight, a figure appeared, gliding over the water's surface as if walking on air. His feet barely touched the water, and the marsh rippled without a breeze.

His name was Shou, the king of the Shang Dynasty, ruler of the Yin people.

He looked down at the figure lying motionless beneath the water, a body unwilling to awaken.

The clear water flowed over the pale, lifeless form, its silken hair swaying gently in the currents. Aquatic plants clung to its sides, not daring to climb onto its body, leaving its enchanting face untouched, radiant under the moonlight like a blooming peony.

"It's time to wake up, Shining Li," Shou whispered, his voice stirring the stagnant waters that had lain undisturbed for millennia.

The figure beneath the water slowly opened its eyes and sat up. Strands of water dripped silently from its long hair as it gazed at the beautiful youth who had awakened it.

"I've heard you've been alone in the marshes of Muye for years. Are you waiting for someone?" Shou asked.

"Perhaps..." Too much time had passed. Shining Li had forgotten why he had stayed so long.

"Stop waiting," Shou said, extending a hand. "Come with me to Chaoge. I'll give you anything you desire."

Shining Li remained silent, his eyes fixed on Shou. The youth had a handsome face and a voice as clear as a bell, but his expression was cold, devoid of warmth.

Finally, Shining Li reached out and let Shou pull him to his feet.

The one he had been waiting for...

He had long forgotten who it was. Centuries had passed, the landscape had changed, plains had turned to wetlands, and his memories had faded.

Who was he waiting for?

He no longer remembered.

For a promise that might have been nothing but an illusion, he had waited a thousand years. Perhaps it was better to forget. Such foolish devotion, and yet, no response had ever come.

That night, Shining Li accepted Shou and let him take him away.

Coincidentally, on the same night, the lord of the You Su state under Shang's rule offered his daughter as a concubine to King Zhou. A grand procession crossed the wilderness, traversed the Huan River, and arrived at the southern bank of the river, where the capital city of Chaoge stood.

Chaoge was built of wood, its walls adorned with carvings and coated with lime. Under the moonlight, it gleamed like white jade.

The moonlight bathed Shou, casting an aura of icy majesty. Like Chaoge itself, he was flawless and beautiful, yet terrifying in his imperial authority.

Shou led Shining Li into the palace, to the chambers where the daughter of the Su family, "Daji," sat waiting for the emperor's favor.

She was draped in a crimson bridal gown, her face demure and shy, her head bowed. Nervous and speechless, she twisted a handkerchief in her hands.

When a voice broke the silence, she glanced up and saw, beside the emperor in his resplendent robes, a figure of unparalleled beauty.

No... the person beside the emperor, with their ethereal charm and bewitching allure... seemed to have... a masculine presence...

"Shining Li, you've slept for so long. You must be hungry," Shou said, stroking his damp hair, his tone devoid of emotion.

"Are you offering her to me?" Shining Li tilted his head, his silver eyes glinting with a feral hunger.

"I told you, whatever you desire, I will present to you," Shou replied.

The daughter of the Su family, Daji, was bewildered by their exchange. She was the daughter of a marquis, raised in luxury and comfort. Her father had offered her to the emperor to prove his loyalty and gain his trust. Yet, when the emperor casually handed her over to this stranger, she felt a surge of fear.

She turned to the emperor for help, but he simply walked away, his expression unreadable.

"No, please..." Her plea was soft, trembling, too weak to reach anyone's ears.

In the bridal chamber, the orange glow of the fire cast an eerie red light. Her voice quivered, fragile and desperate.

Suddenly, the fire in the brazier went out.

The true Daji of You Su existed in Chaoge for only that one night.

Years later, when the people of Chaoge spoke of Empress Daji, they no longer referred to her.

Before the stars descended during the reign of Emperor Yi, there was a place beneath the nine springs called Youdu. Covered by layers of thick earth, it was a land where neither the sun nor the moon could reach, perpetually shrouded in darkness.

Long ago, a star from the heavens, enamored with the mortal realm, descended without permission, incurring the wrath of the Jade Emperor. To quell the star's mortal desires, the Emperor imprisoned it in Youdu, a place of eternal darkness, where it could no longer gaze upon the mortal world.

Centuries passed, and then the Western Pure Land foresaw a great calamity that would involve the heavens.

Thus, after a thousand years of imprisonment, a Buddhist immortal from the West slipped past the Emperor's notice and arrived in Youdu.

"Why have you come?" Tianxiang Star asked, unaware of any disturbance. In the darkness, a figure descended gracefully.

"Something has happened!" The voice, filled with urgency, belonged to Nuwa. She had the face of a goddess but the body of a serpent. She moved anxiously across the black earth, followed by a young fairy in green robes, who wept bitterly.

"What has happened to bring you here in such a panic?" No immortal had dared enter Youdu for so long, as the Jade Emperor had decreed that Tianxiang Star must remain here in contemplation for two thousand years, with no visitors allowed.

The consequences of defying the Emperor's decree were well known. Nuwa's arrival meant something grave had occurred in the heavens.

"The Western Pure Land has learned that the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West have made a wager. They will send several stars to the mortal realm, to Chaoge and neighboring states. The Emperor bets that Chaoge will fall, while the Queen Mother bets it will rise.

Soon, the heavens and the mortal realm will clash, and chaos will reign. The people will suffer," Nuwa explained, her voice heavy with worry. She comforted the weeping fairy behind her.

"That is their decree. What can we do?" Tianxiang Star sighed, powerless in his imprisonment.

"Princess Xiang has come to the Western Pure Land. She asked me to tell you that the little fox is also on the list to destroy Shang, serving beside the Star of Destruction."

"Shining Li..." Tianxiang Star's thoughts drifted at the mention of the name he had not heard in so long. He murmured it unconsciously, but as soon as he did, the sound of chains echoed around him.

Gradually, shackles appeared on his wrists and ankles, layer upon layer of restraints binding him tightly.

These were the Chains of Forgotten Love, placed upon him centuries ago. Every time he thought of Shining Li, the chains tightened, tormenting his spirit. Unless his love faded, they would never loosen.

Buried deep beneath the earth, surrounded by layers of yellow sand, he could hear no mortal voices, see no mortal affairs. This place had severed all his deepest longings, leaving him to yearn for Shining Li in vain.

A thousand years had passed, yet the thrill of shielding Shining Li from the heavenly thunder still lingered, as did the memory of his laughter.

In the depths of his soul, he was always concerned for Shining Li's safety. The second thunder tribulation had passed without him, and Shining Li had survived. For that, he was at peace.

"The white jade stone was one of the five-colored stones I left behind when I mended the heavens. To speed the process, I used stars sealed by the Jade Emperor at the ends of the earth. The white jade stone was forged from the Star of Greed. When Greed meets Destruction, it creates a pattern of chaos, destined to unleash a storm of bloodshed. This is a calamity, one the heavens did not foresee," Nuwa continued.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Princess Xiang believes that since you saved the white jade stone, you have a bond with him. She wants you to go to Chaoge and persuade him to refrain from killing. He has a demonic nature, and no one but you can control him. I don't expect you to stop the storm entirely, for the Star of Destruction is also involved. But if you can temper his madness, perhaps you can pull him away from the chaos." Nuwa paused, pushing the young fairy in green forward.

"This child shares the same origin as the little fox. I've brought her to assist you. I can help you escape Youdu, but I don't know if you're willing to leave. In a few years, your two thousand years will be up. If you endure a little longer, you can return to the heavens. The little fox may have feelings for you, but that was long ago. If you descend to the mortal realm now, it will be a private act, and if the Jade Emperor punishes you again..." Nuwa hesitated, knowing that repeated offenses would not be forgiven with mere centuries of contemplation.

"I'll go," Tianxiang Star said, a faint smile on his lips.

Not for the world, not for anyone, but because, after a thousand years in Youdu, his thoughts were still of Shining Li.

So much time had passed, yet he could never forget Shining Li's pure, unguarded smile.

The past was vivid in his mind. He knew that unless his soul scattered and turned to ash, he could never erase Shining Li from his heart.

What kind of emotion was this?

One that lingered for a thousand years... and would not cease...

In the eighth year of King Zhou's reign, he took Daji as his consort, forsaking his three thousand concubines for her alone. In Chaoge, he built pools of wine and forests of meat, erected towering palaces, and squandered the people's wealth, sowing discontent.

Yet no one could have guessed that the emperor's beloved Daji was, in fact, a he.

In the Star-Gazing Tower, the air was thick with the scent of incense, and the surroundings were hazy.

Shining Li watched the dancers with half-lidded eyes, his long, phoenix-like eyes slightly upturned, revealing a drunken haze. He glanced at Shou, who sat comfortably beside him.

Dressed in crimson robes, Shou was more beautiful than any woman, yet he surrounded himself with beauties. After years by Shou's side, Shining Li had begun to adopt his habits.

The women of Chaoge were delicate and fragile, their skin pale and soft, tempting one to bite into them, flesh and bone.

Though Shining Li wore the empress's robes Shou had given him, becoming the most revered woman in Chaoge, at his core, he was still the same Shining Li.

Time had stripped him of his fox form, and he had taken on a human appearance, replacing Daji in Chaoge. Yet he was not a woman. Long ago, when he had been isolated from the world, he had not known the difference between male and female. Only later, after meeting someone, had he learned. He had forgotten that person's face, but he had modeled his current form after them.

So, there was a difference between male and female. That was why, when he wore robes, his chest remained flat, drawing curious glances.

"Shou..." Shining Li leaned against him, thoroughly drunk. His face, flushed with wine, was alluring and seductive.

"Can I stop wearing these clothes? I want to dress like you!" Shining Li tugged at Shou's robes, smoothing them out.

"I'll have the maids bring you some, but you can only wear them in private," Shou said, his gaze shifting to Shining Li. His cold expression showed no change, even in Shining Li's presence. He was like a star, aloof and detached, existing in his own world, waiting for the end of Shang.

"Why?" Shining Li's mind was clouded by wine, unable to think clearly. He could only repeat the motion of tugging at Shou's robes.

"Because you are Daji now, my empress," Shou said, indulging Shining Li's drunken antics.

"Then I'll go back first. Send the clothes right away!" Shining Li tugged at Shou's robes, his eyes unfocused, unable to meet Shou's gaze.

"Attendants, escort the empress back!" Shou called.

"Stay back! Don't come near me!" Shining Li shouted at the approaching guards, who froze in place.

"The palace is vast. You should have guards with you," Shou said, allowing Shining Li to cling to his robes.

"I can walk back alone!" Shining Li stood abruptly, his sleeves billowing, knocking over a vessel of warm wine and splashing it on Shou.

"You're very drunk," Shou said calmly, sipping from a bronze cup.

"Kiss me," Shining Li said with a seductive smile, his blurred vision unable to focus on Shou's face.

Shou pulled him into his arms and pressed a light kiss to his lips, devoid of passion, only a fleeting touch. "If you leave the palace, don't linger, and don't let him near you. Otherwise, you'll be seeking your own death," Shou said softly, his words like a gentle warning.

Shining Li laughed drunkenly, perhaps not hearing Shou's words, and walked out of the Star-Gazing Tower alone.

The Star-Gazing Tower stood in the western part of Chaoge, rising high into the sky, adorned with pearls and gems. At night, when the stars shone brightly, the tower reflected their light, creating a breathtaking sight.

Shining Li had named the tower when it was completed. He had once loved the stars, but now he rarely looked at them. Their twinkling seemed to mock him for waiting a thousand years for a promise that might never be fulfilled.

The name "Star-Gazing Tower" was ironic. How could he, with his meager power, ever hope to pluck the stars from the sky?

The music of strings and flutes never ceased, flowing down from the tower's heights, leaving only a faint echo in the empty silence. A lump formed in his throat, and he realized he was still the same Shining Li who hated silence. But where was the one who had promised to stay by his side?

He had been lost.

Stumbling, he fell into the imperial garden. Lying on the soft flower beds, he gazed at the stars above.

The stars were dazzling, their light piercing his heart.

He closed his eyes, unwilling to look.

In his heart, a figure lingered, blurred. He didn't know if he had forgotten that person's face because so much time had passed, or if he had chosen to erase it from his memory.

In his heart, there was regret and resentment. What had he done wrong to deserve this?

Even Shou, who now stood beside him, often gazed westward, his thoughts elsewhere. Who was it that Shou longed for?

Shou's heart had never been his, leaving him with the illusion of having everything, when in truth, he had nothing.

Had he ever longed for someone like that?

Where was that person now?

Shining Li covered his eyes with his arm. The starlight was too bright, too painful to bear.

Who had promised to stay with him forever?

Why were they no longer by his side?Shining Li remained silent, his eyes fixed on Shou. The youth had a handsome face and a voice as clear as a bell, but his expression was cold, devoid of warmth.

Finally, Shining Li reached out and let Shou pull him to his feet.

The one he had been waiting for...

He had long forgotten who it was. Centuries had passed, the landscape had changed, plains had turned to wetlands, and his memories had faded.

Who was he waiting for?

He no longer remembered.

For a promise that might have been nothing but an illusion, he had waited a thousand years. Perhaps it was better to forget. Such foolish devotion, and yet, no response had ever come.

That night, Shining Li accepted Shou and let him take him away.

Coincidentally, on the same night, the lord of the You Su state under Shang's rule offered his daughter as a concubine to King Zhou. A grand procession crossed the wilderness, traversed the Huan River, and arrived at the southern bank of the river, where the capital city of Chaoge stood.

Chaoge was built of wood, its walls adorned with carvings and coated with lime. Under the moonlight, it gleamed like white jade.

The moonlight bathed Shou, casting an aura of icy majesty. Like Chaoge itself, he was flawless and beautiful, yet terrifying in his imperial authority.

Shou led Shining Li into the palace, to the chambers where the daughter of the Su family, "Daji," sat waiting for the emperor's favor.

She was draped in a crimson bridal gown, her face demure and shy, her head bowed. Nervous and speechless, she twisted a handkerchief in her hands.

When a voice broke the silence, she glanced up and saw, beside the emperor in his resplendent robes, a figure of unparalleled beauty.

No... the person beside the emperor, with their ethereal charm and bewitching allure... seemed to have... a masculine presence...

"Shining Li, you've slept for so long. You must be hungry," Shou said, stroking his damp hair, his tone devoid of emotion.

"Are you offering her to me?" Shining Li tilted his head, his silver eyes glinting with a feral hunger.

"I told you, whatever you desire, I will present to you," Shou replied.

The daughter of the Su family, Daji, was bewildered by their exchange. She was the daughter of a marquis, raised in luxury and comfort. Her father had offered her to the emperor to prove his loyalty and gain his trust. Yet, when the emperor casually handed her over to this stranger, she felt a surge of fear.

She turned to the emperor for help, but he simply walked away, his expression unreadable.

"No, please..." Her plea was soft, trembling, too weak to reach anyone's ears.

In the bridal chamber, the orange glow of the fire cast an eerie red light. Her voice quivered, fragile and desperate.

Suddenly, the fire in the brazier went out.

The true Daji of You Su existed in Chaoge for only that one night.

Years later, when the people of Chaoge spoke of Empress Daji, they no longer referred to her.

Before the stars descended during the reign of Emperor Yi, there was a place beneath the nine springs called Youdu. Covered by layers of thick earth, it was a land where neither the sun nor the moon could reach, perpetually shrouded in darkness.

Long ago, a star from the heavens, enamored with the mortal realm, descended without permission, incurring the wrath of the Jade Emperor. To quell the star's mortal desires, the Emperor imprisoned it in Youdu, a place of eternal darkness, where it could no longer gaze upon the mortal world.

Centuries passed, and then the Western Pure Land foresaw a great calamity that would involve the heavens.

Thus, after a thousand years of imprisonment, a Buddhist immortal from the West slipped past the Emperor's notice and arrived in Youdu.

"Why have you come?" Tianxiang Star asked, unaware of any disturbance. In the darkness, a figure descended gracefully.

"Something has happened!" The voice, filled with urgency, belonged to Nuwa. She had the face of a goddess but the body of a serpent. She moved anxiously across the black earth, followed by a young fairy in green robes, who wept bitterly.

"What has happened to bring you here in such a panic?" No immortal had dared enter Youdu for so long, as the Jade Emperor had decreed that Tianxiang Star must remain here in contemplation for two thousand years, with no visitors allowed.

The consequences of defying the Emperor's decree were well known. Nuwa's arrival meant something grave had occurred in the heavens.

"The Western Pure Land has learned that the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West have made a wager. They will send several stars to the mortal realm, to Chaoge and neighboring states. The Emperor bets that Chaoge will fall, while the Queen Mother bets it will rise.

Soon, the heavens and the mortal realm will clash, and chaos will reign. The people will suffer," Nuwa explained, her voice heavy with worry. She comforted the weeping fairy behind her.

"That is their decree. What can we do?" Tianxiang Star sighed, powerless in his imprisonment.

"Princess Xiang has come to the Western Pure Land. She asked me to tell you that the little fox is also on the list to destroy Shang, serving beside the Star of Destruction."

"Shining Li..." Tianxiang Star's thoughts drifted at the mention of the name he had not heard in so long. He murmured it unconsciously, but as soon as he did, the sound of chains echoed around him.

Gradually, shackles appeared on his wrists and ankles, layer upon layer of restraints binding him tightly.

These were the Chains of Forgotten Love, placed upon him centuries ago. Every time he thought of Shining Li, the chains tightened, tormenting his spirit. Unless his love faded, they would never loosen.

Buried deep beneath the earth, surrounded by layers of yellow sand, he could hear no mortal voices, see no mortal affairs. This place had severed all his deepest longings, leaving him to yearn for Shining Li in vain.

A thousand years had passed, yet the thrill of shielding Shining Li from the heavenly thunder still lingered, as did the memory of his laughter.

In the depths of his soul, he was always concerned for Shining Li's safety. The second thunder tribulation had passed without him, and Shining Li had survived. For that, he was at peace.

"The white jade stone was one of the five-colored stones I left behind when I mended the heavens. To speed the process, I used stars sealed by the Jade Emperor at the ends of the earth. The white jade stone was forged from the Star of Greed. When Greed meets Destruction, it creates a pattern of chaos, destined to unleash a storm of bloodshed. This is a calamity, one the heavens did not foresee," Nuwa continued.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Princess Xiang believes that since you saved the white jade stone, you have a bond with him. She wants you to go to Chaoge and persuade him to refrain from killing. He has a demonic nature, and no one but you can control him. I don't expect you to stop the storm entirely, for the Star of Destruction is also involved. But if you can temper his madness, perhaps you can pull him away from the chaos." Nuwa paused, pushing the young fairy in green forward.

"This child shares the same origin as the little fox. I've brought her to assist you. I can help you escape Youdu, but I don't know if you're willing to leave. In a few years, your two thousand years will be up. If you endure a little longer, you can return to the heavens. The little fox may have feelings for you, but that was long ago. If you descend to the mortal realm now, it will be a private act, and if the Jade Emperor punishes you again..." Nuwa hesitated, knowing that repeated offenses would not be forgiven with mere centuries of contemplation.

"I'll go," Tianxiang Star said, a faint smile on his lips.

Not for the world, not for anyone, but because, after a thousand years in Youdu, his thoughts were still of Shining Li.

So much time had passed, yet he could never forget Shining Li's pure, unguarded smile.

The past was vivid in his mind. He knew that unless his soul scattered and turned to ash, he could never erase Shining Li from his heart.

What kind of emotion was this?

One that lingered for a thousand years... and would not cease...

In the eighth year of King Zhou's reign, he took Daji as his consort, forsaking his three thousand concubines for her alone. In Chaoge, he built pools of wine and forests of meat, erected towering palaces, and squandered the people's wealth, sowing discontent.

Yet no one could have guessed that the emperor's beloved Daji was, in fact, a he.

In the Star-Gazing Tower, the air was thick with the scent of incense, and the surroundings were hazy.

Shining Li watched the dancers with half-lidded eyes, his long, phoenix-like eyes slightly upturned, revealing a drunken haze. He glanced at Shou, who sat comfortably beside him.

Dressed in crimson robes, Shou was more beautiful than any woman, yet he surrounded himself with beauties. After years by Shou's side, Shining Li had begun to adopt his habits.

The women of Chaoge were delicate and fragile, their skin pale and soft, tempting one to bite into them, flesh and bone.

Though Shining Li wore the empress's robes Shou had given him, becoming the most revered woman in Chaoge, at his core, he was still the same Shining Li.

Time had stripped him of his fox form, and he had taken on a human appearance, replacing Daji in Chaoge. Yet he was not a woman. Long ago, when he had been isolated from the world, he had not known the difference between male and female. Only later, after meeting someone, had he learned. He had forgotten that person's face, but he had modeled his current form after them.

So, there was a difference between male and female. That was why, when he wore robes, his chest remained flat, drawing curious glances.

"Shou..." Shining Li leaned against him, thoroughly drunk. His face, flushed with wine, was alluring and seductive.

"Can I stop wearing these clothes? I want to dress like you!" Shining Li tugged at Shou's robes, smoothing them out.

"I'll have the maids bring you some, but you can only wear them in private," Shou said, his gaze shifting to Shining Li. His cold expression showed no change, even in Shining Li's presence. He was like a star, aloof and detached, existing in his own world, waiting for the end of Shang.

"Why?" Shining Li's mind was clouded by wine, unable to think clearly. He could only repeat the motion of tugging at Shou's robes.

"Because you are Daji now, my empress," Shou said, indulging Shining Li's drunken antics.

"Then I'll go back first. Send the clothes right away!" Shining Li tugged at Shou's robes, his eyes unfocused, unable to meet Shou's gaze.

"Attendants, escort the empress back!" Shou called.

"Stay back! Don't come near me!" Shining Li shouted at the approaching guards, who froze in place.

"The palace is vast. You should have guards with you," Shou said, allowing Shining Li to cling to his robes.

"I can walk back alone!" Shining Li stood abruptly, his sleeves billowing, knocking over a vessel of warm wine and splashing it on Shou.

"You're very drunk," Shou said calmly, sipping from a bronze cup.

"Kiss me," Shining Li said with a seductive smile, his blurred vision unable to focus on Shou's face.

Shou pulled him into his arms and pressed a light kiss to his lips, devoid of passion, only a fleeting touch. "If you leave the palace, don't linger, and don't let him near you. Otherwise, you'll be seeking your own death," Shou said softly, his words like a gentle warning.

Shining Li laughed drunkenly, perhaps not hearing Shou's words, and walked out of the Star-Gazing Tower alone.