Long Aotian struggled to his feet, his side bearing three deep gashes that exposed bone. "Benefactor, it's all my fault for dragging you into this. You should go—I'll hold it off."
"Long Aotian…" Shi Xia barely got the words out before he leaped onto the flaming fox's back, hammering its skull with his fists just as he had before. The fox's flames engulfed him instantly, and even from a distance, Shi Xia could smell the acrid stench of burning flesh. Within moments, his skin was blistering and peeling.
Damn it! How could she just leave him like this? Her conscience had her rooted to the spot.
Gritting her teeth, she steeled herself. Fine—she'd go all out.
She had never attempted this spell before, and it was said to require at least Foundation Establishment cultivation. But there was no time to hesitate.
Swiftly forming hand seals, she recited the same incantation the green-robed female cultivator had used earlier.
If she couldn’t defeat it, she’d tame it!
Beneath the flaming fox, a beast-taming array materialized, its white glow slowly enveloping the creature as the formation expanded.
But Shi Xia could feel her spiritual energy draining at an alarming rate, nearing exhaustion. At this rate, she wouldn’t last until the contract was complete. Desperate, she split her focus, drawing in ambient spiritual energy to replenish herself.
Even so, the influx couldn’t keep up with the array’s voracious consumption. The fragile seedling inside her—once sprouting five tender leaves—was fading, its color leaching away until it turned nearly transparent. Agony wracked her body, and blood gushed from her mouth like water from a broken faucet.
She couldn’t stop now. If she failed, both Long Aotian and she would die. The backlash from a broken contract was brutal—a vengeful spirit beast would tear her to shreds.
The array had grown massive now, the fox entirely swallowed by the white light, its form no longer visible.
Shi Xia’s consciousness wavered. A faint crack echoed inside her as the nearly transparent seedling began to fracture, its leaves withering away.
Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to her knees. With the last of her strength, she strained to see—had it worked?
The array vanished, the light dimming. Through the haze, she glimpsed a white nine-tailed fox shrinking, its silhouette shifting into a humanoid figure walking steadily toward her.
Legend said powerful nine-tailed spirit foxes could take human form. Had she… succeeded?
Relief washed over her. Darkness swallowed her vision, but in the final second before unconsciousness, she felt the white figure dart forward to catch her.
When she opened her eyes again, she was met with the sight of a strikingly handsome young man, his eyes sparkling like starlight, his presence almost radiant. Shi Xia froze—his looks were so unreal, she almost wanted to sit him down for a deep philosophical chat.
If only he weren’t holding a glob of mud-like paste, poised to smear it on her face.
"You're awake?" The boy’s eyes brightened, but he didn’t pause, slathering the muck across her cheeks.
Shi Xia’s eye twitched. So much for philosophy. She kicked out, "What the hell are you doing?!"
"You’re injured." Unfazed, he held up the remaining paste and leaned in again. "Xia Xia, let me apply the medicine."
"How do you know my name?" Xia Xia was her childhood nickname.
His gaze flickered. "Of course I know."
Shi Xia studied him closely. He wore an oddly striking red robe—a color that should’ve looked garish but somehow suited him. His features were delicate, almost ethereal, with a flame-shaped mark at the center of his forehead. If not for the faintly chilling aura around him, he’d fit right in as a storybook villain.
Wait—red, villain…
"Are you… that nine-tailed spirit fox from before?"
He nodded, then raised the paste again with deadpan seriousness. "Medicine?"
"No way, I actually succeeded?!" Shi Xia felt lightheaded. She’d been sure she was going to die, but not only had she survived—a mere Qi Condensation nobody—she’d somehow bagged a sixth-rank spirit beast.
Unable to resist, she pinched his cheeks, ruffled his hair, and tugged at his hands. "You’re really that fox? Am I dreaming?" And he came with a transformation feature?!
The boy froze, seemingly startled by her shameless groping. With two soft pops, fluffy tails burst from his back, swaying side to side.
It really was him!
Shi Xia couldn’t keep her hands to herself, poking and prodding everywhere. The sheer absurdity of it—a massive fox turning into a boy!
"My first tamed spirit beast!" And a living one at that. "Let’s give you a name first."
"I’m Scout."
"Huh?!" Shi Xia blinked. Wasn’t naming rights the owner’s privilege? Since when did pets name themselves?!
Scout grabbed her wandering hands, squeezed them lightly, then lifted the paste again. "Medicine first?"
"What even is this?" She eyed the dubious sludge.
"Spirit Restoration Herb. Your energy is depleted, your meridians damaged. This will help."
Only then did she notice the paste smeared on her arms and legs. Checking internally, she realized it was working—threads of spiritual energy were seeping in, repairing the seedling that had lost two leaves, its translucent hue slowly regaining a milky white glow.
Her cultivation had regressed to the third layer of Qi Condensation, undoing three months of effort. But this was the best outcome—cultivation could be rebuilt. They weren’t far from Mu Xuan Immortal Manor now. She’d figure out that mission on her phone later.
Wait… was she forgetting something?
"Oh crap, Long Aotian!" She scanned the area but saw no one else. "Scout, where’s my companion?"
Scout frowned, as if impatient with the delay, and promptly smeared the remaining paste over her face before pointing toward the dense forest ahead. "Over there."
Turning, Shi Xia saw… a giant mud ball.
Her eye twitched. "Is he… inside that?"
"His injuries were worse than yours," Scout replied matter-of-factly.
"…" Well, at least he’d spared her the full mud-ball treatment.
Long Aotian woke two days later, crawling out of the mud cocoon half-convinced he’d died. The rich aroma of roast chicken hit him, and his stomach roared in response.
"Hey, you’re up." Shi Xia waved the skewered chicken in greeting.
"B-Benefactor?" Long Aotian blinked, dazed. "I… I’m alive?"
Shi Xia gestured at the dried mud behind him. "Seems that sludge worked wonders." His charred, flayed skin had healed in two days—Scout deserved some credit.
"Benefactor, you—you’re unharmed too!" Long Aotian scrutinized her before lunging forward in tearful relief. "Thank the heavens!"
He was halfway through his lunge when someone abruptly intercepted him. Scout grabbed him by the collar and forcefully dragged him back into the pile of mud.
Long Aotian stared blankly at the red-robed man who had suddenly appeared. Who… was this guy?
"This is Scout," Shi Xia explained. "He’s the nine-tailed fox demon from before. Now he’s my spirit beast."
"You tamed him, Benefactor?" Long Aotian looked utterly shocked.
"Yeah, you could say that."
After scrutinizing Scout for a moment, Long Aotian turned to her with admiration. "Benefactor, you really can do anything."
"…" Where on earth did you get that idea? Shi Xia rolled her eyes and tore off a chicken leg, handing it to him. "Want some?"
"How could I possibly impose…" He scratched his head, looking guilty. "It was my recklessness that got you into trouble, Benefactor… And now you’re even preparing food for me. I…"
Grrrrr…
His stomach growled even louder.
"Enough with the nonsense." Did he really think she didn’t know him by now? His true colors had been on full display these past three months. "It’s not entirely your fault. That person probably had us in their sights the moment we stepped into this forest."
"No, no, how could this be your fault, Benefactor? It’s all because of me—"
Grrrrr…
"If I hadn’t gone to save that girl back then, then—"
Grrrrrr…
"If only I could’ve run faster, you wouldn’t have been caught—"
Grrrrrrr…
"It’s all my fault…"
Grrrrrrrr…
Shi Xia’s eye twitched. "Are you eating or not?"
"Yes!" He immediately scrambled over eagerly.
"…" Brat, stop pretending!
Just as he reached out to take it, someone else swooped in like a bandit, biting the chicken leg right out of Shi Xia’s hand. Scout chewed while glaring at him, radiating murderous intent.
Long Aotian: "…" Grrrrrrrr…
"Scout?" Shi Xia was stunned. He’d just turned his nose up at the roasted chicken earlier—why was he suddenly fighting over it now?
Scout glanced at the chicken leg in his hand, a flicker of disgust crossing his face before he stiffly declared, "I caught it!" The meaning was clear—the chicken was his, and he wasn’t sharing.
Shi Xia’s lips twitched. Maybe because he’d only recently taken human form, but Scout sometimes acted like a child.
"Scout, be good." She couldn’t help but pat his head, coaxing him. "He hasn’t eaten in two days. He’ll starve to death if he doesn’t get food."
Scout froze for a moment, his tail poofing out behind him again. Finally, he muttered grudgingly, "I’ll share."
"Good." Shi Xia nodded. His chicken, his rules.
With that, he yanked off the other drumstick—taking half the meat with it—and shoved it into her hands. Then he passed Long Aotian the neck, wings, head, and tail, all while shooting him dirty looks.
Long Aotian broke out in a cold sweat, inching closer to Shi Xia and whispering, "Benefactor, I think Scout… doesn’t like me very much?"
Shi Xia gave him a flat look. "You beat up his kid and got him tied up. You really think he’d like you?"
"Uh…"
"The fact that he hasn’t bitten you yet is him being polite for my sake. Try not to provoke him in the future." Scout was friendly toward her because she was his master now, but that didn’t mean he’d forgotten the past.
Long Aotian stiffened, then silently resigned himself to gnawing on the chicken tail without another word.
