Deep in the dense forest behind the mountain, the Nine-Tails was lying on the huge mountainside.
Its nine crimson tails swept around casually, snapping tree branches wherever they passed.
It lowered its head and stared at the few trembling oxen in front of it, ready to feast and enjoy this "delicacy" it had snatched.
However, right at this moment...
"Nine-Tails! If you dare eat them! My grandpa has invited a master to subdue you!", A childish yet stubborn shout suddenly came from not far up the mountain.
It was the same child as before.
With his small body, his eyes were fixed tightly on the massive demon fox in front of him. Although his legs trembled slightly, he did not step back at all.
Kurama raised its eyes and glanced at this human child who still smelled of milk. Its nine tails flicked in disdain.
"Human brat, don't try to make your me laugh!"
"You? Forget about inviting some master. Even if you called all those young brats from the Ninja Sect, in front of me they would only be a single bite.", The Nine-Tails licked its sharp fangs and spoke carelessly.
"Unless you can invite the Sage of Six Paths himself. But that is just a fool's dream. Why would he bother with such a small matter of yours?"
"Not to mention you, even I haven't seen him in many years...", After saying that, the Nine-Tails ignored the child, lowered its head, opened its huge mouth, and was about to bite into the fattest yellow ox.
"Oh? Kurama, is it?", A calm voice filled with endless pressure appeared, and in an instant, even the wind in the entire forest stopped.
"Ah?!"
Kurama's movement froze suddenly, its mouth half open as it stood there in a daze.
The Nine-Tails slowly raised its head in disbelief. Its crimson beast pupils locked onto the direction where the voice came from. Its pupils shrank into thin needles, and its face showed a ghost-like expression of shock.
Right behind the child... A familiar figure slowly stepped forward.
Still dressed in a black and red long robe. Still tall and straight. Still with the Six Path Swords always by his side.
'Damn! He really invited Master here!?' Kurama's mind buzzed, and it instantly went blank.
'What kind of background does this brat have?'
'He actually managed to invite the Sage of Six Paths!?'
'If you had this kind of connection, you should have used it earlier!'
The next second, Kurama's huge body fell to its knees with a loud thud.
Its nine tails lay obediently behind it. Its head was buried tightly between its paws. There was no sign of the arrogance from before. It looked exactly like a little fox that had done something wrong and got caught.
"Mas... Master... I... I..." The Nine-Tails stammered.
Arisu stood with his arms crossed in front of his chest, his gaze calmly falling on it.
"Back then, didn't I tell you not to do evil in the human world and not to harm the livelihood of ordinary people? What? After just a hundred years apart, you treat my words like they were nothing?", Arisu spoke lightly.
Kurama wanted to cry but had no tears. It wished it could dig a hole and hide.
To be honest, after living for so long, this was really the first time it had done something like stealing livestock.
Before this, humans had chased and surrounded it, using all kinds of methods trying to tame it.
It followed Master's orders and never fought back. It only kept running away. It had been holding in a stomach full of anger, so it thought about stealing a few cows to vent its frustration.
Who would have thought that just this one bad thing would be caught on the spot by the teacher it had not seen for a hundred years?
"Teacher, listen to my excuse!"
"This really is my first time doing this. For a hundred years I stayed obediently in the place you arranged."
"I never caused trouble. Who knew that the moment I had this thought once, you would run into me…" Kurama said, almost in tears.
"Oh?", Arisu raised his eyebrow slightly.
With a gentle sweep of immortal power, he sensed that there was not much smell of blood on the Nine-Tails. Clearly it was telling the truth and had not truly committed many evil deeds.
"Forget it."
"Hurry and return these cows to the commoners. They rely on these animals to plow fields and make a living. If you take them away, a whole family loses its way to survive."
Arisu waved his hand and pointed at the oxen beside them.
"Yes! Teacher!"
Kurama immediately responded. Its huge paw carefully stretched forward and gently pushed the oxen in front of the child, moving so softly as if afraid of hurting them.
Then it glared fiercely at the child and muttered in a low voice, "Brat, you are ruthless. You actually managed to invite my teacher… but I should also thank you. I haven't seen Teacher for a hundred years."
Arisu turned to the child who was still standing there in a daze and said gently, "Take the cows back to the village. I will handle things here. From now on, this demon fox will not harass your village again."
Only then did the child come back to his senses and quickly led the cows.
With a thud, he knelt on the ground.
He respectfully kowtowed. "Thank you, Sage of Six Paths! Immortal, you are merciful!"
"Mm.", Arisu nodded slightly.
He watched the child lead the oxen and skip away into the forest before withdrawing his gaze and looking at the Nine-Tails still kneeling on the ground.
Kurama immediately moved closer.
Its huge head gently rubbed against Arisu's clothes like a wronged child, impatient to tell him about what had happened over the years.
"Teacher, I was really staying well in the place you arranged back then."
"But later, a human nation appeared there. Those people discovered me and wanted to capture and tame me, to use my power to fight wars!"
"I listened to you and did not want to hurt them, so I could only keep running away. But no matter where I ran, whenever humans saw me, they screamed in fear and chased me with weapons."
"I was angry, so I thought about stealing a few cows to vent…" The more the Nine-Tails spoke, the more wronged it felt. Its nine tails drooped weakly.
"Teacher! You lied to me! You said that when I grew up I could see the outside world, but the outside world is not good at all. Humans are afraid of me and want to use me."
"Teacher! Growing up is not fun at all!"
Arisu looked at this demon fox who seemed fierce on the outside but was full of grievance inside, and he sighed softly in his heart.
The changes in human history could not be avoided.
Arisu reached out and gently patted its furry head.
"It was my lack of consideration.", Arisu said softly and fell silent for a moment.
"This continent is now gradually filled with conflict. Human desires are growing wildly. It is indeed not a place for you to stay. I will choose another place for you."
Hearing this, Kurama immediately lifted its head and nodded again and again, obedient beyond belief.
"Okay! I will listen to Teacher in everything!"
———
After that, Arisu personally pointed out a clear path for the Nine-Tails and also told it, "If the other side wants to attack you, you may fight back. There is no need to endure. If they deserve to die, then kill."
Hearing this, excitement flashed in its eyes. "Teacher understands me best!"
"Also, if you meet other Tailed Beasts, tell them as well. If humans insist on killing you, you can fight back."
"If you cannot endure it anymore, then do not endure." Arisu said.
The Nine-Tails nodded repeatedly, feeling that Teacher was right.
If they deserve to die, then kill.
The Nine-Tails immediately spoke to guarantee, "As long as it is Master's words, we nine Tailed Beasts will definitely remember them!"