First scape

The bells chimed noon as news of the emperor's attempted murder spread, with a suspect in mind.

"Stupid fox spirit! You've been declared the emperor's assassin, and trust me, the hunt must already be on! You better grab your belongings and flee if you don't want to end up as the empress's new coat! You know she's obsessed with your fur when you're in your animal form."

"But..."

"No buts! I'll pack you some food and give you the money your mother left knowing a pest like you would run away someday. With that, you'll survive a good while if you don't squander it. Take the sheets and anything of value in this room and wait for me at the back door, past the guards, and I'll bring you what's yours. Hurry!"

The great fox spirit couldn't object further and rushed to gather everything useful or valuable in the room while the woman who had cared for him for years after his mother's departure hurried out of his sight, ready to help him escape.

"Definitely..." He lowered his head while wrapping everything in a sheet, forming a bag he could sling over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and slipped into sturdy boots that would endure the journey ahead. "This time, I really messed up. And the strangest thing is, I truly had nothing to do with it this time."

But he had no time to lament and talk to himself, a bad habit of his. First, he would escape and flee far away, then he could indulge in throwing himself off a bridge or finding a means to live.

He'd do as he pleased when he could finally breathe easy without soldiers breathing down his neck.

When he hurried out of the room wearing lighter robes with less fabric to allow for easier movement and still he was the only one visibly agitated, he only saw a couple of maids delivering breakfast to a concubine and leaving calmly. This area of the palace was relatively quiet and with few guards, so theoretically, if the hunt hadn't been ordered yet, escaping should be fairly easy, especially for him. A fox spirit, while not possessing superhuman strength, was much more agile and faster than average.

If they chased him, that would be fine, as long as it wasn't an organized group of more than 3 imperial guards. He could dispose of them with great effort, and if not, he could run so fast that eventually he would leave them behind.

His fox ears, poking out from his fiery red hair, perked up when he heard deep footsteps in the distance, and he cursed the heavens at that moment.

"Damn it!"

It was sheer luck that he knew how to move without making noise with his steps while barefoot; otherwise, if a guard heard someone running, they would immediately investigate.

The fox ran until he turned into another empty hallway, and he sighed but didn't slow down. He saved quite a bit of time and distance by jumping through an open window and landed behind some bushes that hid him from view.

There were two guards near the palace walls, three patrolling, and two at the entrance.

He couldn't attract attention, so he tied the bag behind him, concealing it with his long hair that cascaded past his waist. Walking calmly, none of them seemed particularly alert, as if they weren't expecting him.

No, the emperor hadn't said anything about him yet, or orders hadn't reached these soldiers yet because when they saw him, accustomed to the fox spirit wandering the capital at will, they only politely asked where he was headed, and he replied that he was going to the Moon Pond to see the Koi fish and feed them.

He glanced at the sun; at that hour every few days, he always went to that pond to do what he said, and he said it so casually and refreshingly, with a smile full of charm and charisma, that the guards looked softened for a few seconds and then courteously opened the gate for him to leave.

"Have a nice day! And if you see concubine Adelia, tell her to stop embroidering at night; it'll ruin her eyes. I know you two talk a lot, Richard."

One of the soldiers turned to the other accusingly; flirting with a harem member was a punishment deserving of death for both parties, or perhaps just torture for the concubine.

The nervous guard immediately contradicted, panicked.

"It wasn't me! That woman is very talkative, she keeps talking about fabrics, and I don't understand anything. I just nod and say yes to everything, and she can go on like that all day."

The guard relaxed, and both soldiers bid farewell to the concubine as she walked towards the stables to take a horse.

Or rather, steal, because he didn't intend to return.

He chose the only one that allowed him to be mounted, a white mare with brown spots, quite energetic and fond of the fox.

This fox always teased her by calling her a cow because of her brown spots, and the mare just tried to kick him, but they always ended up playing like two children. Despite that, she always allowed the fox to ride her as her good master.

The fox could run very fast in his animal form, but it wasn't convenient to expend energy in escape, at least not for now. So when the pursuers were tired and he needed to run, he would still be in full form and easily outpace them.

The guards still hadn't arrived, and he had to wait for Madam Qiao, who would bring the spatial bag filled with money and things for his upcoming journey.

This time he couldn't afford to be careless; first, he would escape to the neighboring kingdom, and once there, he would go to a remote place where he wouldn't attract attention, then settle somewhere he could afford and find a way to work.

Animal spirits were superior to humans in many ways, but they were also infertile and had very difficult mating periods, so there were many more humans than them. But they were highly sought after and well accepted for jobs due to their much greater skill, strength, and levels of magic.

Our fox had a charming face, strength, agility, and speed, as well as a golden tongue, perfect for charming and enchanting people.

The problem was that although he enjoyed training, he couldn't study any fighting techniques or magic of any kind; he could only exercise to maintain his voluptuous physique because he was still just a concubine and wasn't allowed to learn such "useless" things for his position.

Or maybe they were just afraid he would murder the emperor with his own hands...

For a person like him to be the emperor's concubine was a very bad mix.

He never really liked the emperor and was brought and trained to be part of the harem from a very young age when his beauty caught the emperor's attention. He had been living as the harem favorite, even more loved and favored than the empress herself, and that woman hated him with every fiber of her being, to the point of plotting to see his head roll.

As he strolled through the capital, he was very bold and proud, with a magnificently beautiful and delicate face and a large, well-sculpted body, with a rather large and squeezable chest for a man, dressed very revealingly. Unlike the people of that country, he had Asian features, which were very uncommon

in this country; his eyes were very sharp, and being partly a fox spirit, he had a natural red lining in his blue eyes. He always emphasized his origins by wearing expensive Oriental suits instead of the local ones; this time, he wore a small, short one that even showed his chest peeking out. Sometimes it looked more like a bathrobe, but his large, fluffy tail could move freely, and his legs were more agile with less fabric. And it was well known among animal spirits that the less fabric you wore in an emergency, the faster you could take your animal form to flee or attack.

That's why they were often called flirtatious and seductive spirits, especially foxes like him for obvious reasons and the species' bad reputation.

Besides, they didn't cooperate; this fox had toyed and joked around so much in the capital that he didn't get along with people very well, although most of the time, they were accidents that weren't even his fault or related; he was still blamed due to his bad reputation as the "emperor's expensive prostitute." He was never listened to, and as they knew he was almost untouchable, he was used as a scapegoat for any wrongdoing in the capital.

He finally had to flee; if they saw him now, people would laugh at the pretentious fox spirit, but he would be faster and escape from everyone before they even looked for him.

An old woman with wrinkles and gray hair arrived with another bag he could sling over his shoulder, and as soon as she arrived, she handed it to him, catching her breath.

"My little rascal, if you're leaving the kingdom, head south; there was recently a plague that killed many humans, but it's over now, and they're short of labor. Finding a well-paid job with food will be easy for you. Just mind your tongue and remember that you're no longer anyone's concubine or above anyone. I'll send you letters, and if you die, I swear I'll find some dark arts master to curse you wherever you are. I promised your mother I would take care of you, and this is all I can do for you. Besides, the southern country is where your mother came from, and there you'll find your family; I've already sent them a letter and written information about them in this other one, don't lose it, and look for your own so you won't be alone. This old woman is too weak for such a long journey, so I have to stay here. I won't be able to take care of you anymore, so promise me you'll arrive alive at your destination."

The former concubine had a great affection for Madam Qiao for taking care of him and treating him like her own son for so many years, even getting him a job in the palace when he was brought in as a concubine. She was an old woman and quite tough on people. Sometimes she sounded blunt and pitiless, but that child, even though he didn't carry her blood, she truly loved as her own.

The wrinkles on her old face with gray hair became more noticeable than ever at that moment when she changed that tough and serious expression for one of sadness. She would no longer know more about her little boy (who wasn't even a boy) if he left for the south or wherever. She was an older woman who couldn't walk around without catching a cold. That young fox she raised from a cub was in the prime of his youth and would have a very long life due to his species, more than a long life as an animal spirit. A young, handsome, and charismatic man couldn't be held back by that poor old lady.

And she wouldn't allow the king to lay his claws on him and kill him or send him to prison, that dark and cold place without food wouldn't be a place for such a beautiful flame as that young man. He had to admit that since that little fox was just a child, he was excessively naughty, unable to sit still; raising him was one of the toughest and most satisfying tasks of her life, but it was time to see him fly.

Very, very far away where she would only know about him through letters if they even managed to reach him.

That boy was very alert and resourceful; although he was used to being pampered, he would know how to take care of himself alone. Madam Qiao knew she didn't raise any useless child.

She had full trust in that young man.

"Why are you so worried? Do you doubt this specimen's abilities? The charm of the nine tails can't be caught so easily."

"That name was for seducing the emperor and his eight generals to gain favors."

"I didn't do it intentionally! That old pervert just asked me to dance on stage on his birthday! It wasn't my fault that other old lechers couldn't keep their pants on."

"It's not the time to discuss this, I think-"

They heard repeated steps approaching; Madam Qiao couldn't hear them, but the fox had much more sensitive senses than an old woman, so he deduced that about 5 or 6 men were approaching quickly.

Damn it! They must be coming for him already.

Anyway, he didn't want to be another means of entertainment for the emperor and the punching bag of the people; the palace had lost its charm, and he was now a free spirit; he would run through the fields, and no trace would be left that he had ever existed or even set foot in this place.

"Mother! Run to the temple nearby and say you were praying. I have to leave now!"

He dropped the bags and hooked them onto the mount securely. He got on the horse

He mounted the horse with agility and prepared to depart. He looked at Madam Qiao one last time, his eyes filled with gratitude and determination.

"Thank you for everything, Mother Qiao. I will always be grateful for your love and care. I promise to arrive safely wherever I go."

Madam Qiao had already shouted her goodbye as she ran towards the temple to pretend she had nothing to do with that escape. But her tough, cold, and wrinkled expression could never hold back her sadness and tears at that moment, feeling like she had just lost something as precious as her adopted son.

They both knew this day would come, the bag was prepared, it was imminent that at any moment they would have to flee from that golden prison, but she could never prepare for the pain of losing her little one.

The fox just ran with his mind full of many things but with one thing clear.

There would be time to cry later.

Right now was not the time to cry in pain, it was time to grab hold of the reins of the horse and ride the path that connected to the capital to escape from that great demon called emperor, that old man who took the best years of his adolescence behind thin fabrics and erotic dances, living based on his face and body.

It was quite curious, among a harem of countless ladies with slender and feminine bodies, white and delicate skins he was the only man, even taller than the emperor himself and with a notable musculature and a prominent chest with a slightly tanned skin that combined a lot. It was impossible not to stand out, and just by looking at him, it was known that the emperor had somewhat diverse tastes, so to speak.

But he had been in that palace since he could remember. And he was tired of being the favorite little gem and mockery of the emperor.

When the 5 men arrived, he had already run off like the wind on his horse. Taking a glance back and sharpening his senses, he could tell that at least 3 of them were following him while the other 2 were no longer there. They must have run to report his escape and the theft of the horse.

But would the emperor care about a horse from the guard's stable? He could afford if he wanted 100 other horses on a whim and it wouldn't even tickle his wallet, but there was only one fox in the whole world with that extraordinary beauty. Where would he find such a beautiful face, so sharp and delicate with an icy gaze and juicy lips? Impossible, it was a unique combination along with his personality that made him seem like a blazing flame.

A delicate jewel, also a very elusive and almost impossible to maintain.

He started laughing out loud as he rode the horse that ran swiftly through the wheat fields going against the current and feeling the breeze disheveling his long hair fluttering in the wind. Petals from the trees in the nearby forest even reached that place mixing with the clean midday air. The golden wheat sounded together with the breeze in his ears like a song, and the sky was very bright, very blue but with a few clouds hiding the sun but allowing it to be a beautiful clear day.

It was beautiful, simply beautiful the taste of freedom.

He no longer had to serve any emperor and would work for whoever wanted. At 24, he had become an independent man by escaping from the palace.

Between his lips dry from the breeze, the taste of being free still lingered, it had no shape or description. He just knew he loved it and from that day on he would become addicted to that essence.

When he saw no one else, he couldn't contain himself and let out a loud shout that he had been holding back, the horse didn't get scared or slow down, it just kept running through the fields.

There was nothing left to reach the capital, he could take the direct route and it wouldn't take more than half an hour to arrive, it would be maximum 5 minutes but the route had a lot of surveillance and was full of people. Now he was in the most dangerous territory and almost in the eye of the hurricane so he deviated, slowing down and took the route through the forest. He didn't know it well and it was actually the first time he set foot in that place but it wasn't very large and he would only find wild animals at most so he entered without much fear.

He was screwed, yes. He had become a fugitive and maybe went from being the emperor's favorite harem beauty to a fugitive vagabond but who the hell cared!?

He hummed a song as the horse went slowly to avoid hitting any trees, and even watched a pair of rabbits running from side to side so charming!

If he had a bow he would have hunted them to roast them for dinner. He could also take his animal form and would hunt them in no time as well but now they were looking for him and surely they would call some animal spirit from the guard with a good sense of smell to track him down.

Surely the guards have already taken the direct route and maybe they are already in the capital, the news will spread faster than a virus and I would have to be careful of everyone. The fox spirit who goes with a horse with a cow complex. Two red ears with black tips protruding from his head, and coming out of his tunic and swaying a fluffy fox tail, he was a too striking person. Even his eyes alone betrayed him.

It would be quite inconvenient to go unnoticed in that form of his knowing that fox spirits were actually uncommon and there weren't many. With this news out there and a likely juicy reward for information or capture, he wouldn't last long with those things out in the open.

He was in deep trouble.

But he wasn't going to be caught without knowing what it was like to live in freedom.

No soldier, guard, explorer, adventurer, villain, hero, or whatever will stop him.

Not even a bounty hunter, or in this case, a simple hunter.