When Little Fox saw that Yun Shu had not used the Return Array, one of the formations attached to the Mirror of Retrospection, to go back, but had instead flown to a nearby deserted island, it was utterly bewildered. Still, it followed her.
“Host, aren’t you going back to Xindu City?”
After spending so much time together, it knew Yun Shu’s habits inside and out. It knew that after making a grand appearance in front of everyone and raking in a huge wave of shock points, she liked to use the Myriad Forms, All Things Return to Nothingness outfit to transform into Li Qinghe and teleport back to Xindu City for a rest.
Being the Goddess meant maintaining her act every moment of every day. Only when she became Li Qinghe could she truly relax and enjoy a brief, precious taste of an ordinary life.
If only this world could settle down soon. Then its Host wouldn’t have to worry so much.
It prayed silently in its heart.
Yun Shu gave her sleeve a gentle wave, and a magnificent temple appeared out of thin air on the deserted island. The barren little island was instantly transformed into a breathtaking wonderland, beautiful enough to rival paradise.
“Lil’ Sys, we have a temple we can carry around with us. Why bother running back and forth?”
Little Fox slapped its forehead. “Oh, right.”
It followed Yun Shu into the temple with eager little steps.
A moment later, the temple doors closed, and one woman and one fox collapsed onto the living-room sofa with absolutely no regard for their image.
“Host, my stomach is growling. How about we have Little Blue bring over some seafood and eat it as a midnight snack?”
Little Fox was already imagining the feast.
Yun Shu cast it a sidelong glance. “Lil’ Sys, you’ve already had ten bowls of sweet-potato porridge today, three giant pork knuckles, six watermelons, and an entire sack of cherries… How do you have the nerve to tell me you’re hungry and want a midnight snack?”
Little Fox guiltily glanced at the ceiling. But considering it was already famous in Yun Shu’s heart for being a bottomless pit, it decided to give up pretending and began rolling around on the sofa.
“Host, I’m hungry!”
“I want a midnight snack! I’m your believer too. You can’t treat me differently just because I’m not human…”
The fox’s endless whining gave Yun Shu a splitting headache. She reached out with practiced ease and grabbed it by the muzzle.
“All right. Go bring Little Blue over. It cooperated so well today, so we ought to give it some kind of reward.”
Before she had even finished speaking, Little Fox sprang up, leaped onto the coffee table, planted its hind legs firmly, brought its forepaws together, and saluted Yun Shu with a perfectly executed military salute. Its eyes sparkled.
“Understood, Commander! I guarantee mission success!”
With that, it shot out the door.
Yun Shu watched its figure disappear into the night. She lowered her head slightly, and an unconscious smile curled across her lips.
How could Little Fox’s clumsy acting possibly fool an old actress like her? It wasn’t really hungry, nor was it simply craving food. It just wanted her to have a proper meal.
“You silly thing. If you ever ran into someone with a bad heart, they’d trick you out of the clothes on your back.”
She shook her head lightly.
Then she opened the system panel.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve drawn a costume. I’ll do a few pulls.”
Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the Dunhuang Flying Apsara Set—Mount Component (2/6): Nine-Colored Lotus Platform.
Component Description: The lotus platform is colored with ground lapis lazuli and cinnabar, surrounded by images of lotuses and illusory nine-colored deer.
Set Skill: Collect all components to unlock the Radiant Buddha Light skill and protect all living beings within a region.
…
Current Shock Points: 73,080,000
It was the same familiar permanent gacha pool.
The same familiar thousand-pull draw.
The same familiar bad luck.
Yun Shu’s face remained expressionless. A faint sense of despair settled over her.
She studied the Dunhuang Flying Apsara Set’s skill description for a moment, then tapped the thousand-pull draw again.
Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the Dunhuang Flying Apsara Set—Handheld Component (3/6): The Faint, Far-Off Sound of Brahma.
Component Description: Pluck the strings of this gold-and-jade pipa to draw people into a mural. Cooldown: four months.
…
Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the Fortune-Bringing Set—Footwear Component (5/6): Golden-Stepping Cloudwalker Shoes.
Component Description: Gold thread is woven into the soles, while cloud patterns are embroidered across the surface. Wherever the wearer walks, golden sand appears beneath each step.
…
Current Shock Points: 72,780,000
Yun Shu stroked her chin as she browsed through the costume skills.
“Gold is also extremely useful in industry. If I can complete the Fortune-Bringing Set, it might not be a bad deal.”
As she spoke, she tapped the draw button again.
Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the Dunhuang Flying Apsara Set—Headdress Component (4/6): Radiant Jewel Crown.
Component Description: Gold thread is woven into a lotus-shaped crown, with strings of bead ornaments hanging down on either side. The moment it is worn, three radiant halos will automatically appear behind the wearer.
…
Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the Dunhuang Flying Apsara Set—Facial Makeup Component (5/6): Lotus Jade Countenance.
Component Description: A lotus pattern is painted between the brows with cinnabar and gold powder. Buddha-light covers the wearer’s face, lending even every smile, frown, and expression three parts solemn dignity. Like an immortal emerging from a painting, the wearer seems to step right out of a mural.
…
Congratulations, Host! You have obtained the Dunhuang Flying Apsara Set—Arm Ornament Component (6/6): Celestial Melody Silk.
Component Description: One red and one green length of silk, woven from heavenly silkworm thread and interlaced with silver foil. Small golden bells are tied to both ends.
…
Current Shock Points: 72,480,000
Seeing that she had actually drawn the costume she truly wanted, Yun Shu’s lips curved into a faint smile. Compared with the Fortune-Bringing Set’s skills, the Dunhuang Flying Apsara Set offered far better value.
The handheld component’s ability to pull people into a mural was incredibly useful.
At a critical moment, it could save lives.
Of course, saving people was not even its greatest use. The flow of time inside the mural differed from that of the real world. A year spent inside the mural would amount to only a single day in reality. What was more, whenever someone entered the mural, it would automatically create everything they desired based on their thoughts and wishes.
Wasn’t that a universal laboratory?
Previously, she had considered using the Dream-Bell to create dreams for Fang Yingqiu and the others, allowing them to conduct experiments within the dreamscape. That would not only reduce the time required for their research, but also minimize the danger.
Unfortunately, she could not do it.
Everything in the dreamscape had to be painstakingly created by her and the system. The laboratory alone was far too complicated. She and the system had stayed up through two entire nights trying to make one, but they still had not managed it.
Now, however, that problem was solved.
She no longer needed to construct a laboratory by hand.
After spending 14,600,000 shock points to raise the Dunhuang Flying Apsara Set to its maximum level, Yun Shu walked out of the temple, thoroughly pleased with herself.
The moment she stepped off the stairs and looked up, she saw the blue whale in the sea—and Little Fox bustling about nearby.
The smile in her eyes deepened. With light, easy steps, she walked toward the fox and the fish.
Little Fox looked just like the head chef of a barbecue restaurant. Standing on a stool in front of the grill, it cooked one thing after another.
“Host, Silly Fish brought over tons of seafood. I just bought a barbecue grill from the PinshaoShao System, along with the beer you like best. You’ll get to taste my cooking in a little while!”
“Lil’ Sys, you actually know how to barbecue?”
Little Fox proudly lifted its tail. “Of course! I’m not only good at eating. Host, just wait. Once I practice a little more, I’ll even whip up a full imperial banquet for you someday.”
“All right.”
Yun Shu sat on the ground, tossing Body-Tempering Pills into the sea as feed for the blue whale while watching Little Fox barbecue.
“Pearl-Pearl, so yummy, so yummy!”
The blue whale happily swam in circles around the island.
It loved being with Pearl-Pearl and Lucky-Mud. It wanted to be best friends with Pearl-Pearl and Lucky-Mud forever!
