“My tribulation is approaching, and now my foundation is damaged. Sooner or later, I am doomed to die.” Lily Green looked at her broken leg, and tears streamed down her face.

“Deceiving the public with such nonsense! Such a minor injury—how could it have any real effect? Clearly, you see my son’s kindness and want to take advantage of it.” David Thompson shouted.

Lily Green only hung her head and wept quietly, saying nothing.

Seeing this, Ryan Thompson sighed softly. “Very well, this matter started because of me. It was because I exposed your identity that you suffered this calamity. Today, I will give you something to help you through your tribulation, as a way to make it up to you.”

With that, he waved his hand and said, “Go, fetch my brush and ink.”

“Yes, young master.” A guard answered and quickly ran out. When he returned, he had already brought back brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

“Lend me your hairpin.” Ryan Thompson said again.

Lily Green was puzzled, but still took a hairpin from her hair.

Ryan Thompson pricked his finger with the hairpin, letting a few drops of blood fall onto the inkstone, then ground the ink, mixing his blood with the thick ink.

Next, he took off his outer robe, spread it on the table beside him, dipped the brush in the mixture, and began to write on the robe in bold, flowing strokes.

Looking closer, one could see a line of words written in thick ink on the robe: “Please do me this favor. Ryan Thompson.”

“Take it. When you face your tribulation, wear this robe over yourself.” After finishing, Ryan Thompson rolled up the robe and tossed it to Lily Green.

Lily Green instinctively caught the robe, her eyes full of confusion, not understanding the meaning of this gesture. Yet, strangely, as she held the robe, she felt as if her calamity was fading away, as if she was being protected.

“You may go now.”

Lily Green knelt and bowed in thanks. “Thank you, young master, for your great kindness. If I ever have the chance, this little fox will surely repay you.”

“Go on.” Ryan Thompson waved his hand.

Lily Green took a deep look at the handsome young man, bit down on the robe with her delicate mouth, and lay softly on the ground.

Immediately, the beautiful girl’s form rapidly shrank and shrank, until she transformed into a green fox before everyone’s eyes. The green fox, holding the robe Ryan Thompson had given her in her mouth, limped quickly out of the main hall. As she was about to leave the residence, a sudden gust of wind lifted her into the air, and she disappeared into the sky.

“She—she really was a fox spirit!” David Thompson turned pale with fright, his breathing rapid.

Edward Stone and the other guards also stared wide-eyed, their hands and feet trembling.

Though they were all brave men, they had little experience. Faced with such supernatural events, how could they remain calm?

Only Ryan Thompson stood with his hands behind his back, watching the green fox soar into the sky.

Chapter Eleven Henry Cole

Seeing the green fox actually fly away, the members of the Li family were even more terrified.

“My son, such a spirit creature escaped today. Who knows if it will bring disaster to our Li family in the future?” David Thompson finally regained his senses and said earnestly.

Ryan Thompson turned and replied, “Not all wild spirits are harmful. Though this fox spirit has gained the Dao, I see no malice in her, so I could not bear to kill her and allowed her to leave.”

“Wild spirits are the most vengeful. Today our Li family injured her leg—how could she let it go so easily in the future?” David Thompson worried.

Ryan Thompson smiled and said, “Father, rest assured. If this green fox ever repays kindness with enmity and harms our family, I will surely capture and kill her, leaving no future trouble. Besides, our family has Master watching over us—how would ordinary demons dare to seek revenge?”

He did not fully trust the green fox either. After all, not all fox spirits in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio were good; there were also evil ones who ruined families.

He spared the green fox today only for fear of killing a good spirit by mistake, which would bring regret.

“Hearing you say this, I am relieved.” David Thompson thought of the powerful blind Daoist, and his worries vanished.

Ryan Thompson continued, “But Father, let this be a warning. There are many spirits and ghosts in the wilds. Most women of extraordinary beauty are likely transformed spirits. Today, you met a green fox who wished to join our family, but if it had been some other malicious ghost, it could have been dangerous.”

“My son is absolutely right. I must be more careful in the future.” David Thompson said, a bit embarrassed.

He had wanted to find a young and beautiful concubine for his beloved son, but who would have thought he’d attract a fox spirit instead.

“But speaking of this, my son, you are already fifteen this year. When you were younger, I did not worry, but now I must consider finding you a few personal maids and taking some concubines, so our Li family can have more descendants and flourish.” David Thompson added, “I see that several of the maids in the residence are quite good. I personally selected them as girls years ago, and now they have grown up to be quite presentable. Though they may not be suitable as concubines, they could serve as personal maids. Why not choose a few from among them?”