Master of Ten Thousand Foxes-Chapter 41: Training to Pierce the Hand Buddha Melon Membrane

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Training to Pierce the Hand Buddha Melon Membrane

The sky over Fox Mountain, as usual, was shrouded in clouds.

Bai Mo sat in a sled carried by the fox apprentices, arriving at the edge of the medicinal field. Accompanied by dozens of fox apprentices, he observed the Hand Buddha Melon seedlings.

"How can this be?

"Is it normal?"

In the medicinal field, small Hand Buddha Melons had already grown, each covered by a layer of white membrane, enveloping the melon entirely. As far as the eye could see, the entire field was covered in white.

Bai Mo stepped down from the sled, squatted forward, and carefully observed the white membrane. He saw it was quite solid-looking, semi-transparent, with forked textures on the surface like blood vessels.

Dozens of fox apprentices gathered around, poking their furry heads forward, eyes wide, to look at the membrane. Although they didn’t understand much, their master was looking, so they wanted to look too.

Bai Mo extended a finger to poke the membrane wrapping the Hand Buddha Melon. The texture was soft, with a rough surface, extremely tough, like old cowhide.

Dozens of fox apprentices gathered around, stretching out their furry paws to poke at the membrane. Even though they couldn’t figure out the texture, they wanted to poke because their master did.

Bai Mo stood up, furrowing his brow in thought.

There is very little information about the Hand Buddha Melon, and there’s no literature on its growth and cultivation. One can only rely on exploration. Bai Mo released his Divine Sense, thoroughly investigating the Hand Buddha Melon, its body, membrane, its internal veins, seeds, the root system beneath the earth... and deduced based on past experience growing medicinal herbs...

After a while, Bai Mo furrowed his brow.

"There’s really an issue!

"This membrane seems to be a self-protection mechanism of wild Hand Buddha Melon, using a layer of white membrane to protect the melon from harm by various birds and beasts.

"But... this membrane will compete with the melon for nutrients. If we let the membrane grow unchecked, the melon might not make it... We need to tear off these membranes."

Cultivating medicinal herbs is like this... without guidance from literature, without referential experience, relying entirely on observation and deduction, on feeling one’s way forward.

The fox apprentices nearby stood upright, wagging their tails, front paws held to their chests, nodding in deep agreement.

Although they didn’t understand the principles... the master was always right.

In previous years, many situations like this occurred, and the master’s judgment was never wrong. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Bai Mo’s Divine Sense focused on observing the membrane, discerning its subtle structure, and carefully studying its composition.

"... a very special fibrous structural composition, conventional methods can’t tear it. Scissors, teeth, and similar sharp tools won’t work.

"Moreover, fragile melons lie beneath the membrane, and can’t handle bumps or knocks...

"If I’m not mistaken, the only weakness of this thing is... it fears stabs?"

Bai Mo crouched down, facing the membrane of the Hand Buddha Melon.

"Let me give it a try.

"Watch closely."

Dozens of fox apprentices gathered around, poking their furry heads forward, eyes wide.

The master extended an index finger towards the membrane, a swooshing sound like lightning, breaking through the wind, the finger went down with a "squelch" sound, piercing the membrane and making a hole!

Then, starting from this hole, with a tearing sound, he opened up the membrane, revealing the tender body of the Hand Buddha Melon inside.

The fox apprentices nodded in agreement.

They understood!

Peach Blossom Eyes looked at a nearby Hand Buddha Melon, stretched out a front paw, extended a sharp claw, aimed at the membrane, and stabbed down with a swooshing sound!

Bang!

A crisp sound.

The membrane was dented but didn’t break!

Peach Blossom Eyes looked at its paw, then at the membrane, dropping its eyelids slightly in dejection.

Bai Mo smiled, patting its head.

"Don’t worry, it’s not that simple, requires practice."

The other fox apprentices also stretched out their paws, and one after another, stabbed down.

Bang! Bang! Bang...

Several crisp sounds, the membrane was dented several times but remained intact, unbroken.

A few fox apprentices looked at their paws, then at the membrane, dropping their eyelids slightly in dejection.

Bai Mo stood up.

"This is an excellent training exercise.

"Additionally... the window is short, it’s best to pierce and tear open all the membranes within two days, liberate all the Hand Buddha Melons."

Bai Mo looked at the medicinal field, seeing all the Hand Buddha Melons wrapped in white membranes, a dense spread of white.

"Let everyone join in and stab together."

With the master’s order, several fox apprentices raised their voices loudly.

Then, in the vast medicinal field, fiery red figures quickly rushed from between the ridges, converging here.

The dozen fox apprentices who just attended the lesson scattered and began explaining the method to the arriving fellow apprentices. The foxes who learned then dispersed to explain the method to more arriving apprentices... and like this, one taught ten, ten taught a hundred, a hundred taught a thousand, and soon, every one of the ten thousand fox apprentices understood.

They scattered through the medicinal field, every four or five foxes surrounding a Hand Buddha Melon, attempting to pierce it.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

...

Soft crisp sounds echoed continuously in the medicinal field.

The membrane of the Hand Buddha Melons was repeatedly dented.

But none were pierced.

Bai Mo sat on the sled, feeling the wind pick up, and wrapped himself in a newly bought cashmere scarf.

Indeed, fox claws are sharper, more suitable for "stabbing" than human fingers, but the fox apprentices were inexperienced. This was a good opportunity to let them learn and practice.

Bai Mo reclined comfortably on the sled, took out his tablet, and reviewed a new Pill Formula, soon immersing himself deeply, the more he read, the more engrossed he became...

Unaware of how much time passed, Bai Mo, engrossed in writing and drawing, suddenly heard the joyful cheers of the fox apprentices.

"Yip! Yip! Yip!"

"Awoo! Awoo! Awoo!"

"Yip! Yip! Yip!"

"Awoo! Awoo! Awoo!"

Looking over, he saw not far from the ground, Black Gloves swinging its tail and nodding its head, circling a Hand Buddha Melon and dancing happily.

He looked at the pierced membrane of the Hand Buddha Melon.

This youngster truly has talent!

The pierced membrane was torn open from the breach, ripped down. The foxes in Black Gloves’ group laid it on the ground and continued stabbing with their paws.

Black Gloves finished its gleeful dance, returned to the group, gesturing with paws and communicating in fox talk, sharing experiences with fellow apprentices.

Nearby in other groups, Quanquan Hu, White Ears, and others also gathered to hear Black Gloves share its experience.

Bai Mo glanced up briefly, then lowered his head, stretched his neck, changed to a comfortable posture, and continued studying the Pill Formula.

From time to time, cheerful voices echoed from the medicinal field.

Throughout the vast medicinal field, the sharing of experiences in fox talk increased.

Bai Mo saved and archived the results and insights of his Pill Formula research.

He lifted his head, realizing dusk was approaching, and the sky over Fox Mountain grew darker.

Looking again at the medicinal field, all the Hand Buddha Melons had their membranes removed, revealing tender green melons.

The fox apprentices unconscious of when had returned to their own chores. Only a few dozen slow-witted apprentices remained, having not figured out how to stab, still exerting effort at the membrane laid on the ground.