Travels in the Strange Tales Studio

A tingling numbness crept over him.

Something damp, a little itchy—what was licking his face?

“Mmm!” Instinctively, Liu Ping wanted to open his eyes, but a splitting headache tore through him. Every bone in his body felt as if it had been shattered and scattered, pain swelling like a tide. He couldn’t help but cry out, then quickly squeezed his eyes shut again.

There really was something wet licking his face. Bracing himself, Liu Ping squinted through the pain. His vision was dim, nothing but black and white, as if watching an old silent film—no color to be seen at all.

Before him stood a small, slender animal with long, thick fur. Its pointed snout and large, upright, triangular ears made it clear: it was a fox. The creature was busily licking Liu Ping’s face and lips, its lively eyes filled with a spirited light. Seeing him awake, it let out a call: “Ah~ woo woo~~”

“Mmm…” The headache still throbbed fiercely, but thankfully the pain in his body began to ease. Rubbing his temples, his vision slowly returned, color seeping back into the world.

“Did I die?” His mind was a jumble of agony and confusion, but he vaguely remembered: he had been unable to stand by, chased after a brazen thief, and was stabbed in the heart in the struggle. Blood poured out, he fell to the ground, cold creeping in as his consciousness slipped into endless darkness—until he awoke here.

But… where was here?

Trying to recall the past, his memories blurred and tangled, everything became a muddled paste, each recollection painfully out of reach.

S