The Classic of Mountains and Seas says: "On Mount Qingqiu there is a beast there. It resembles a fox with nine tails, its cry is like that of an infant, it can eat people, and those who eat it will not be afflicted by evil."
This is one of the earliest records concerning the nine-tailed fox. Here, "it can eat people" does not mean bloodthirsty cruelty, but rather that, as a totem and object of worship, it possesses the divinity to devour enemies and protect the tribe.
As for "those who eat it will not be afflicted," that means that eating its flesh and blood can protect one from evil influences, something tied to primitive shamanic belief.
It was also a symbol of auspiciousness in times of peace and prosperity. The Register of Auspicious Omens once said, "If a king does not indulge in lust, then the nine-tailed fox will appear."
Other sayings, such as "When the nine-tailed fox appears, the ruler is benevolent and wise," or "When virtue reaches birds and beasts, the fox gains nine tails," all praised the good fortune symbolized by the nine-tailed fox.
Moreover, its appearance was often connected to royal authority.
Legend says that Yu the Great's wife was a nine-tailed fox from Tushan Qingqiu, named Nüjiao. Back then, the nine-tailed fox had no negative reputation at all.
But after the appearance of the three beauties Moxi, Daji, and Baosi, women said to have brought ruin to their nations and peoples, the status of the nine-tailed fox took a sharp turn downward and became linked to bringing chaos to kingdoms and toppling royal power.
And by sheer coincidence, those three were very likely all incarnations of the trash fox standing before him now. In other words, she had personally disgraced the entire fox clan.
Because there are no definitive written records, what sort of figure Moxi of Xia truly was is difficult to verify. But thanks to excavated oracle bones, it is at least possible to glimpse something of Daji of Shang.
The posthumous title "Zhou" originally meant cruel and unjust, basically the equivalent of pointing at an emperor's face and calling him a bastard. Yet the Emperor Xin who was later mocked as "King Zhou" was by no means an incompetent fool. On the contrary, he had many of the traits of a wise ruler.
During his reign, he conquered the Dongyi and defeated the Guifang militarily. Politically, he abolished human sacrifice and promoted low-ranking slave officials to the rank of ministers and nobles. But repeated foreign campaigns, along with his fallout with his elder brother Weizi Qi and other old nobles over succession, likely severely drained Shang's national strength, allowing Zhou to seize the opportunity and defeat them at Muye.
Another charge later leveled against him by Zhou, that he listened too much to women, was even less convincing.
In truth, women in Great Shang were highly active. Legend holds that Daji, Emperor Xin's consort, may well have been an outstanding figure on par with Lady Fu Hao of Wu Ding's era. Many political decisions may very well have involved this so-called "demonic consort."
Tracing it even further back to the special nature of the Age of Gods and the nine-tailed fox's role in totemic belief as a sign of royal authority, that fox spirit who "brought down Shang" may actually have been a sage secretly assisting the ruler and trying to save the nation.
If that were true, then Tamamo-no-Mae's exceptional administrative ability would make perfect sense.
Samael lowered his eyes to the two slices of old ginger floating in his cup, took a light sip, and could not help praising it.
"Ginger really is good stuff. It helps sweat out the cold, regulates the spleen and stomach, and works well as seasoning too, removing gaminess and enhancing aroma. You seem pretty familiar with this plant's properties. If the climate suits it later, we can plant more around Athens..."
"Plant what? Everyone surnamed Jiang is rotten stock. Not a single one of them is any good!"
In a daze, Tamamo-no-Mae heard that and, as if some sensitive nerve had been struck, instantly bristled, her face darkening as she ground her teeth and cursed furiously.
"Huh?"
"I mean, when it gets old and rotten, this stuff easily builds up toxins. In short, old ginger is low and despicable. It's no good. No need to promote it."
Tamamo-no-Mae raised a brow, her eyes shifting as she took a roundabout jab at an old archenemy, pointing at mulberries while cursing the locust tree.
"You've got a grudge against someone surnamed Jiang from somewhere else?"
The Holy King before her was clearly not so easy to fool. He looked her up and down with interest and asked.
"A huge grudge! We used to mind our own business, and then he actually stabbed me in the back! He even threw mud all over my name!"
Tamamo-no-Mae bared her fangs, her clenched silver teeth grinding audibly. But then, as if recalling something, the corners of her lips rose proudly, brimming with mockery and ridicule.
"But even if I took a loss, he didn't come out ahead either! Ruining the nation and harming the people, hehe. Once I really wrecked the country he worked so hard to build, what could that old ginger-head do to me?"
"So you ran away?"
Samael's question froze Tamamo-no-Mae's smile on the spot.
So after you supported Emperor Xin's reforms in Shang, and then old ginger-head overthrew him, you really did go into hiding, turn into Baosi, and get your revenge by devastating the kingdom, leaving Great Zhou crippled from then on?
Oh, right. You weren't even included in the Investiture of the Gods. So maybe you were causing trouble behind the scenes there too?
Good grief. No wonder old ginger-head hates your guts.
The Ancient Serpent understood at once. He had more or less grasped this fox spirit's trail of actions and why she had fled from China.
Of course. Old ginger-head was the pawn pushed forward by those above. This fox spirit had rampaged around, provoking everyone she should and should not have. If she had not run, what was she supposed to do, wait to be turned into a fox-fur scarf?
"Can we change the subject..."
"And then you ran to Japan and stirred up trouble all over again?"
"Ahem, what do you mean stirred up trouble? I was enlightening the people and bringing light to the nine wilds!"
"And then the locals overthrew you too?"
"..."
Tamamo-no-Mae, who was trying her utmost to defend herself, went stiff-faced, so choked up she nearly coughed blood.
Can you even talk properly? Can you even hold a normal conversation? Can this bastard not say one decent-sounding thing?
"What do you mean 'locals,' hey! That was an overwhelming swarm of Shinto onmyoji and powerful monks from Mount Koya! And if it had only been them, that would have been one thing, but the real problem was..."
Tamamo-no-Mae took a deep breath, suppressed the internal injury, and forced out a smile. She reined in her frustration and began explaining again, only to stop abruptly at a certain point, turning evasive and dropping her head to mutter in angry resentment.
"That damned old ginger-head just never lets go of me. And that bowl-headed lunatic under the bodhi tree won't stop haunting me either. And on top of that, anyone surnamed Abe who colludes with foreigners is even worse!"
Good grief, you really do have a lot of enemies.
Samael shot Tamamo-no-Mae an amused glance, his eyes flickering as he more or less understood the taboos she was skirting around and why she had fled.
In the earliest days, the native wild tribes of Japan had no real concept of culture, everything came from outside. Amaterasu Omikami, who had arrived from elsewhere, may have started things, originally wanting to carve out a little territory and keep to herself, but outside infiltration could not be stopped.
The monks of Mount Koya, who revered the Buddha, were likely tied to whatever grudge Tamamo-no-Mae had built up with Buddhism while fooling around in India during the Mauryan Empire.
As for Japanese Shinto, that did not really begin to take shape until after Emperor Jimmu. And the legends of immortality-seeking alchemists and Xu Fu's eastward voyage were said to be the origin of Emperor Jimmu, which clearly pointed to Chinese interference behind the scenes.
So the two factions that joined forces in the Battle of Nasu to hunt down this Amaterasu Omikami most likely had ties to the two great divine civilizations of India and China.
If she had not run then, being caught would not merely have meant being turned into a scarf. She might not even have been left with a decent hide.
Tamamo-no-Mae turned back and shot the mood-killing bastard a resentful glare. Then her eyes shifted, and she smiled sweetly as she proposed,
"So, how about making me your personal secretary, Your Majesty? If you entrust all your troubles to me, I'll take care of every last little matter for you."
"You already talked them all into it. Do I even need to nod at this point? Isn't that already what you are?"
"I still want to hear the formal appointment. Life needs a sense of ceremony!"
"Fine, I admit defeat. As long as you don't wreck things beyond repair, do whatever you want."
Samael nodded helplessly, glancing at this peerless demonic consort who treated the world like a game and grumbling inwardly.
Tch. Keeping this woman by my side is like carrying a timed bomb.
Forget it. With Athena and Themis offline and people needed right now, I'll make do with her for now.
The Ancient Serpent suppressed his thoughts, made up his mind, and took the initiative to reach out his hand to this peerless enchantress.
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