At the foot of the majestic Mount Tai, there lives a woodcutter surnamed Zhao. Zhao Sheng's daily life is simple and fulfilling. Carrying an axe on his back, he shuttles among the mountains and forests of Mount Tai, making a living by chopping firewood. He has deep feelings for this lofty mountain. Every plant and tree in the mountain is a gift of nature in his eyes, and he cherishes them extremely.

One day, the sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves and sprinkled in the forest, forming patches of 光斑. As usual, Zhao Sheng went up the mountain to chop firewood and walked slowly along the familiar path. Suddenly, he heard a faint whimper. Zhao Sheng's heart stirred, and he followed the sound and found an injured fox in a bush. There was blood on the fox's leg, obviously injured. Its eyes were full of pain, which made people feel pity.

Zhao Sheng quickly put down his axe and carefully approached the fox. The fox seemed to feel Zhao Sheng's kindness and did not struggle. Zhao Sheng carefully examined the fox's wound, then tore a piece of cloth from his own clothes and bandaged the fox's wound. After bandaging, Zhao Sheng gently touched the fox's head and said, "Little guy, heal your wounds well. Be more careful in the future." After saying that, he picked up his axe and left.

That night, Zhao Sheng rested in his humble home. Mount Tai at night is extremely quiet, only the occasional chirping of insects can be heard. Zhao Sheng gradually fell asleep. Suddenly, a breeze blew, and the candlelight swayed. Zhao Sheng vaguely saw a figure appear at the door. It was a beautiful woman in red. The woman had an elegant temperament and beautiful appearance. There was a mysterious aura emanating from her body.

The woman slowly walked up to Zhao Sheng and bowed to him to express her gratitude. "Benefactor, thank you for your kindness today. I am that fox. I was accidentally injured today. If it weren't for your help, I'm afraid my life would be in danger. Now my injury has stabilized, so I come especially to thank you." Zhao Sheng widened his eyes in surprise. He didn't expect the fox he saved during the day to turn into a beautiful woman and appear in his dream.

The woman then said, "Benefactor, there is one more thing I want to ask for your help. Tomorrow, hunters will come to the mountain to hunt. I'm afraid I will be injured again. Please help me, benefactor." After hearing the woman's words, Zhao Sheng hesitated a little. He knew that hunters went up the mountain to hunt for a living, but he didn't want to see the fox get injured again. After thinking for a moment, Zhao Sheng firmly said, "Don't worry. I will try my best to protect you."

Suddenly, a thunderbolt rang out, and Zhao Sheng woke up from his dream, covered in cold sweat. He sat up and recalled the dream just now, full of doubts. He didn't know whether this dream was true or false, but he decided to pay attention when going up the mountain tomorrow to see if there were really hunters.

The next day, the sun was shining brightly. Zhao Sheng got up early and carried his axe to go up the mountain again. While chopping firewood, he paid attention to the movements around him. Sure enough, before long, he saw several hunters carrying hunting guns enter the mountain forest. Zhao Sheng's heart tightened. He remembered the dream from last night. He quickly put down his axe and walked towards the hunters.

The hunters were a little surprised to see Zhao Sheng. Zhao Sheng calmly said, "Big brothers, why do you have time to go hunting on the mountain today?" The hunters replied, "Recently, there are more prey on the mountain. We want to take the opportunity to hunt more and exchange some money to support our families." After hearing the hunters' words, Zhao Sheng felt a little unbearable. He thought for a while and said, "Big brothers, I heard that there is a fox on this mountain that is very spiritual. If you can let it go, maybe it will bring you good luck." After hearing Zhao Sheng's words, the hunters were a little unconvinced. They said, "We hunt to make a living. There is no such thing as being spiritual or not."

When Zhao Sheng saw that the hunters wouldn't listen to him, he became a little anxious. He then said, "Big brothers, this fox has already been injured. If you hunt and kill it again, it's really too cruel. Moreover, hunting and killing spiritual animals may bring bad consequences." After hearing Zhao Sheng's words, the hunters wavered a little. They began to hesitate and didn't know whether they should listen to Zhao Sheng.

When Zhao Sheng saw that the hunters were wavering, he seized the opportunity and said, "Big brothers, think about it. If you let this fox go, it will definitely be grateful to you. Maybe when you encounter danger on the mountain in the future, it will come out and help you." After hearing Zhao Sheng's words, the hunters thought it made sense. After discussing for a while, they finally decided to let the fox go.

Zhao Sheng watched the hunters leave and breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that he had successfully protected the fox. From then on, every time Zhao Sheng went up the mountain, he would pay attention to the fox's whereabouts, hoping that it would recover soon.

As days passed, Zhao Sheng's life returned to calm. However, one day, when Zhao Sheng was chopping firewood on the mountain, he accidentally got lost. He wandered in the mountain forest for a long time but couldn't find his way home. Zhao Sheng began to feel a little anxious and didn't know what to do.

Just when Zhao Sheng was in despair, a fox suddenly appeared in front of him. Zhao Sheng took a closer look. Isn't this the fox he saved? When the fox saw Zhao Sheng, there was a kind look in its eyes. It led the way, and Zhao Sheng followed closely behind.

The fox led Zhao Sheng through a thick forest and then across a small stream. Finally, Zhao Sheng saw the familiar mountain path. He was overjoyed and knew that he had finally found his way home. Zhao Sheng looked at the fox gratefully and said, "Thank you, little guy. If it weren't for you, I might not be able to go home." The fox seemed to understand Zhao Sheng's words. It wagged its tail and then disappeared into the mountain forest.

From then on, Zhao Sheng believed even more that the fox was a spiritual animal. He also cherished every plant and tree in the mountain even more and was full of awe for nature.

In Taoist thought, it emphasizes the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature and believes that everything has a spirit. Zhao Sheng's behavior reflects this thought. His kind act towards the fox not only saved the fox's life but also brought him good luck. This story tells us that in life, we should respect every life and get along harmoniously with nature. Only in this way can we obtain true happiness and peace.

At the same time, this story is also full of interest. Through Zhao Sheng's dream and the fox's repayment of kindness, it shows a mysterious and beautiful power, making people full of awe and yearning for nature. The appearance and disappearance of the fox also add a mysterious color to the story. In addition, the appearance of the hunters and their conversations with Zhao Sheng also make the story more vivid and interesting. Their hesitation and final decision reflect the kindness in human nature and the awe of the unknown. The whole story is full of suspense and surprises, making readers feel a unique charm in the process of reading.