Tale of the Six Kitsune: IV

The most taut episode in Chronicles of the Six Kitsune is said to have been written by Lord Urakusai after his return from Liyue. The author has included it in full as well.

Continuing from last time: Black Fox Aida strode off to reason with that crooked merchant.

This Lavender Melon seller Dozaemon had once been a samurai too; only Inazuma had known long peace, and a fine blade had nowhere to show itself, so he became a merchant in the village. He learned a few tricks of intimidation, extortion, and sharp dealing, and with a fierce face that no one dared provoke, he gradually became a great household of the village.

That day Dozaemon was cooling himself before his stall when dust flew, the ground shook, and a shadow larger than the shed fell over his head:

"Brother, buying melons!"

Dozaemon cracked one eye and looked the guest over: burly of frame, dark and fierce, stance without a scrap of manners, as if about to cut someone down—yet it was a woman!

"How many?"

The guest was in no hurry to answer, only staring at the wakizashi on the cutting board:

"Fine blade, fine blade."

"Indeed a fine blade. I was once of a warrior house; one must have some heirloom worth the eye."

Dozaemon, not knowing what she meant, answered in kind.

"A pity to use it for cutting melons."

Hearing the barb in her words, Dozaemon's face soured:

"Did you come to buy melons or not? Why so much talk?"

"Yes, yes."

Black Fox Aida chuckled, taking it as apology.

"Cut one shou of Lavender Melon chunks; peel all the rind away."

Dozaemon looked full of doubt, yet had no mind to question. He cut one shou of chunks and set them on the scale.

"Brother, how is this scale beam so uneven?"

Hearing this, Dozaemon gripped his knife.

"I say this scale of yours seems to have a temper too!"

"Sister, if you mean to amuse yourself, better hand over the Mora first."

Dozaemon could not hold his anger and argued.

"Hehe. Not that I will not pay first—only that I fear you will not take it."

"If you pay, I will take it!"

"Is that so?!"

"Could it be false?!"

Black Fox roared "Catch!" and smashed a full bag of Mora straight into Dozaemon's face. He could not dodge; the blow left him seeing stars, toppling backward, his precious wakizashi flying free to land beside him. Looking closer—my, that crook's nose had been smashed flat by the Mora bag, for all the world like a tobacco-pipe pouch.

Black Fox Aida took two more steps and planted a foot on the crook's chest. Without a word she drove a fist into his face. The merchant's skull rang like gongs and drums—as if a Liyue cross-sea martial tournament had opened inside it. Dozaemon struggled to rise and seize the wakizashi just fallen; Black Fox saw it, and in a flash of rage another punch sent a pair of tanuki ears "pop" out atop his head, while he begged for mercy without cease.

Aida threw back her head and laughed: so this merchant was a youkai too—and a filthy tanuki at that!

Thus she took the wakizashi the tanuki had stolen, divided the bully's goods among the whole village, and gave the remaining coin to the mother and daughter in distress. Black Fox Aida then spared the tanuki-youkai's life for the time being, and went on her way.