Honshu village was at the base of the mountain. There were several villages at the base of the mountains and in the valleys within the mountains. The villages provided supplies for the sect and in return; the sect protected them and allowed the sons and daughters of the villagers the chance to join the sect.

Liu Feng filled me in on a lot of things. Such as how fortunate I was. In order to join a sect as an outer member, you had to either have a sponsor or pay a very hefty entry fee in either spirit stones or gold. Applicants from a filial village didn't have to pay a fee, but outsiders like me did. I was already infamous in the sect since many members had to pay fees to get in. It made me more determined to complete this mission and prove that I belonged.

On the way to the village, I took the time to read about Huli Jings. The description of a Huli Jing reminded me of Jiao. I later read that Jiao was fox-kin. But the two were, in fact, related. Long ago, the king of the fox spirits married his daughter off to a human hero and their descendants are the fox-kin. The king of the spirit foxes had many wives and one of them fell in love with a human. Enraged over the affair, the king of the fox spirits cursed her and her descendants, the Huli Jing. 

Everything I read gave me an idea of how I could handle the situation. When I arrived at the village, we went and found the Yun family. Yan Yun was a wealthy merchant in the village. He had one wife Mei Yun and a son, Tao Yun. We sat before all three of them.

"We are relieved you came." Mr. Yun said. "A Huli Jing has bewitched our son. It's a great disgrace to the family name. We've tried warding spells and barrier talismans, but nothing seems to work. Please, can you help us?"

While Mr. Yun spoke, my eyes were on the son. He didn't look like a man victimized. No, the impression I got was of a man who was tolerating this whole situation. When he met my eyes, I gave him the look my father always gave me when I was hiding something. I held his gaze till he forced himself to avert his eyes. I had him.

"Tell me what really happened," I commanded the son.

"What nonsense are you spouting? I told you what happened?" I pointed a finger at the merchant and he wisely shut up.

I stared at Tao Yun. I would not repeat myself. After a moment, he spoke. "I was visiting the old Temple when I saw her. She was sitting on a bench basking in the sun. She was so radiant I had to talk to her. We spoke for an hour, then she left. I returned several times to see her. I was besotted with her. Even after I learned she was a Huli Jing, I didn't want to stop seeing her." He admitted. Tao's father was covering his eyes and looked as if he wanted to disappear. I ignored the older man and urged Tao to continue. "I followed her back to where she lived and we made love in her home. Then I begged her to come to my home. She agreed to come to see me every night and that's how father found out. He caught her one night when she was leaving."

I tapped a finger on my Jian as I stared at the Merchant. He was eyeing my finger with apprehension. Good, I wanted him afraid. "So you lied. Your family isn't being harassed or threatened. You don't approve of them."

The man had enough sense to be embarrassed. "I went to the sect first out of respect, but if you won't do anything, then I'll hire outside the sect."

I looked at tao. "You're going to have to decide here. Either you leave your father for her or you let leave her to my discretion. What will it be?"

Tao was silent for a time. He was giving it serious consideration. But his answer didn't surprise me. "I am not an unfilial son."

I nodded my head. "Then the matter is done." I stood and looked at the merchant. He shrunk under my gaze. "I'll send word when the task is complete."

I looked at Tao Yun again. "Where does she live?"

He wouldn't look at me as he answered. "In a gave northwest of here. You can't miss it."

Once Liu Feng and I were outside the village, I stopped at a nearby stream to talk to her. "I'm not going to Kill the Huli Jing," I told her. "I understand she's a demon. But the facts of the matter are she has killed no one, and she has done nothing wrong. So if you want to go back home, now is your chance." 

She shook her head. "I trust your judgment, master."

I nodded my head, pleased she was on my side. When we found the cave, I instructed Liu Feng to wait outside. I left my Jian with her and strolled into the cave, whistling the liveliest tune I could remember keeping my hands behind my back.

I stopped when I had reached the center of the cave. I waited, letting my senses expand. She was here and close. Keep my hands behind my back I called out in as casual a tone as I could manage.

"Hello? Is the lady of the house at home?" I waited for a reply and after what seemed like an eternity, she spoke.

"What do you want? Human." The voice was melodious, but the hostility was clear.

"Are you Tao Yun's Huli Jing?" I asked.

There was a beat of silence, then a reply. "If I am?"

I smirked. "If you are, then Tao's father wants you dead and Tao admitted to me himself that he won't stop his old man."

There was another long silence. "I'm not surprised." Her voice was heavy with regret. Then I hardened. "So you're here to kill me?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm here to make a proposition. But before that can you come out?"

"Why? So you can attack me?"

"So I can talk face to face like civilized individuals."

I waited patiently as she mulled that over, then I smiled as a figure emerged from the shadows. She was almost as tall as I was. Her hair was long and white. Nine brilliant snow-white tails fanned out behind her. Her body was lean and muscled.  She had her fingers in long claws. Her face was interesting. Her features were more fox-like than Jiaos. Where Jiao's face was mostly human with fox ears. The Huli Jing's features were the opposite. She had a wild beauty to her. Then I noticed she was naked. My eyes fell to her breasts. They were large, heavy globes that defied gravity. Her nipples were red as rose petals. My eyes traveled down and landed on her hairless mound. I lifted my eyes back to her face.

She didn't look angry at my perusal. She was wary of me. "What do you want? The Besties me?"

I wiped a hand over my face and composed myself. "First. Let me explain that I'm not from this world, so I don't have any prejudice against you. Second, I'd like to know your name."

She looked at me with an odd expression on her face. "I have no name. No Huli Jing has a name."

I frowned. "How is that?"

"It's part of the curse. Huli Jing is hunted by humans and shunned by the fairy realm. Huli Jing can't name themselves or be named by another Huli Jing. We live and die as nameless monsters." She said, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Then I'll name you," I told her. I paced back and forth for a bit, thinking of a good name for her. Then I remembered one server in my restaurant. She had a pretty name. "I'll call you Li Mei."

Her eyes widened, and a change came over her. Her face changed. She looked more like Jiao. With more human features and her claws were gone. Besides her physical changes, I now felt a bond between us. It was as if a rope link my soul and hers.

She looked at me and placed a hand over her heart. "I can feel you." She walked towards me and placed a hand over my heart. "Then it's true."

"What's true?"

"That if a Huli Jing will be soul bound to the one who names her."

I didn't read about anything like that in the scrolls I'd picked up before leaving the sect. "Does that mean you'll agree to come home with me?"

She nodded her head. "From now till the day you die. I will serve you body, mind, and spirit."

I enveloped her in a hug. She stiffened before immediately relaxing into my embrace. "I don't suppose you have clothes?"

"Does my form no please you?"

She sounded hurt, but I quickly reassured her, "Nothing like that. You'll draw too much attention with no clothes."

She nodded her head and walked back into the shadows. She emerged in a simple white dress. The dress was obviously too small for her, but it would have to do. I took her hand in mine and walked out of the cave.

Liu Feng was waiting for me. Her eyes went wide at the sight of me walking out hand in hand with a Huli Jing. She returned my sword to me. "Liu Feng, this is Li Mei. She'll be going home with us."

Liu Feng's eye widened again. I wondered if they would pop out at some point. She rubbed her forehead. "Leave it to you to tame a Huli Jing. Master, are you going to do this all the time?"

I shrugged. "Perhaps." I didn't plan on it but it was too easy to tease the girl.

She pouted. "How am I going to find a husband if all the men are too afraid to marry me because of how strange you are?" 

I bit my lip to keep from laughing, then cleared my throat. "How about this? If you can't find a husband because of me, then I'll marry you myself. Deal?"

She blushed and nodded her head.

"Good." I pinched her cheek, and she batted my hand away. "Tell that worthless Yun that we took care of his problems. Don't offer details. Just get his seal on the assignment paper."

She nodded her head and took the paper from me and skipped off towards the village. In the meantime, I walked with Li Mei to the foot of the mountains to wait for Liu Feng. While we waited, Li Mei told me about her childhood. How she and her mother had to constantly move from village to village, always fearing for their lives.

"You won't ever have to be afraid again," I promised her. She laid her head on my shoulder, a little smile on her lips.

"Master!" Liu Feng called, running towards us waving the paper in her hands. "Here it is your first assignment completed."

I took the paper from her and looked at the stamped seal on it. "Good. I'll turn this in. Take Li Mei home and see about finding her some clothes that'll fit her." Liu Feng nodded and slid her arm through Li Mei. Li Mei looked surprised but didn't resist as Liu Feng led her up the mountain towards Xiu peak.

When I arrived at the Assignment hall, I was feeling very smug. I slammed the paper down in front of the bored-looking attendant. He jumped in surprise and glowered at me before looking at the paper. His eyes bugged out of his head and he quickly ran to the back. Elder Chan came from the back, frowning. He looked at the seal of completion and then at me. "Impossible! There is no way you could have defeated a Huli Jing!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Yet here I am. If you have an issue, you can take it up with the sect leader." I slammed my sect seal onto the counter. "Till then, pay up." He snatched the seal, transferred the required contribution point, then slapped the seal into my hand. With a smug smirk planted firmly in place, I turned and walked back toward my residence.