Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

Moon Aiko waited for something to break, while Chen Shi finished the rest of the Treasures.

”I’m surprised nothing broke.” Danji expected something to go awry, yet everything was fine?

”Yeah, but it seems this is good quality.” Moon Aiko nodded her head.

With Treasures at her disposal, she didn’t really need anything from here.

...

”You are finally leaving, huh?” Chen Shi was somewhat relieved.

”Yeah, and Yue is coming with me.” Moon Aiko knew that Yue was a lazy sack once she hid inside the Treasure, so there was no way that Chen Shi would be able to move her.

”...” Chen Shi’s lips twitched. He was working on a Treasure that could house his Yue, but it was not working well.

Aiko’s Treasure was small, but the insides were huge. With mimicked light that didn’t hurt Ghosts and fields prepared for planting flowers, he... couldn’t really compete.

”Any last words?” Moon Aiko poked fun at him.

”I will see you in your nightmares.” Chen Shi clicked his tongue. He was dissatisfied that he was unable to match Aiko’s Treasure, and what was worse, Yue wouldn’t talk to him all that much now.

All thanks to that single Treasure!

”When do you plan to get on board and into the mainland?” Chen Shi narrowed his eyes.

”Hmmmm...” Moon Aiko thought about it. ”I still need to solve a few issues, so I’m not sure.” She shrugged like it was not her business.

”Fox Sect?” Chen Shi asked more.

”No idea what will happen.” Moon Aiko shook her head.

Chen Shi sighed. ”Fine, fine. I will pay attention and visit you once you are on the mainland.” He didn’t like this, since he would have to pace himself until she managed to get to the mainland.

”I believe I will make myself known.” Moon Aiko chuckled. There was no way that some kind of disaster wouldn’t strike at that point.

”Yeah, I can believe that.” Chen Shi sighed, but he couldn’t really refute her words.

”It shouldn’t be too bad, though.” Moon Aiko smirked.

”Yeah, so it will obviously be bad.” Chen Shi nodded his head.

”...” Chen Shi and Aiko looked at each other.

”Thanks for everything.” Moon Aiko smiled at him.

”I hate to admit that I was having a good time.” Chen Shi groaned.

They cupped their fists and left to each their own...

...

Moon Aiko pulled out her [Unnamed Spirit Boat], and they both boarded it.

”Time to return.” Moon Aiko said softly.

”Don’t cause too much trouble on your way back!” Chen Shi shouted. He felt like these words would be wasted, but it was better for him to say them, for peace of mind.

”Nothing will happen!” Moon Aiko shouted back as the [Unnamed Spirit Boat] flew away.

”Let’s activate the Protective Array just in case.” Chen Shi nodded his head like something was really about to happen.

...

High up in the sky, Moon Aiko observed the scenery for a bit before going inside.

It was quite cold outside, which was concerning, but she was more interested in what was happening inside her tails.

”Cold?” Danji smiled as she asked Aiko when she walked in.

”A bit.” Moon Aiko closed her doors and sat on the bed. Danji was already lying there, tails swaying.

”I completely forgot about the Soul-” Moon Aiko suddenly realised, but Danji shushed her.

”Just do your thing.” Danji chuckled as she rested on her pillows.

Moon Aiko pursed her lips, but then she pulled out a certain Demonic Fox.

”Yu.” Moon Aiko smiled.

”Aiko?” Yu was puzzled.

”Mind telling me why you are stealing my snacks?” Moon Aiko smiled, but it was quite a scary smile.

”Feifei taunted us.” Yu confessed immediately.

Moon Aiko frowned even more, but she still pulled out Feifei.

Her scaly tail with fur in places was quite lustrous at this point.

”Aiko?” Feifei smiled happily and innocently.

”Who would’ve guessed you are the thief...” Moon Aiko shook her head.

”Hey! That was not my fault! Yuqi said you wouldn’t notice!” Feifei pouted at Aiko.

Moon Aiko was flabbergasted, not knowing what to do.

She eventually pulled out Yuqi, so she could explain herself.

Yuqi immediately and innocently said. ”It’s not my-”

”Alright, hold on.” Moon Aiko felt like she would have a headache if this continued. ”Why did you do it?”

”Because I accidentally bit the Chameleon kin.” Yuqi pouted her lips.

”???” Moon Aiko had so many questions, but she was not completely sure if she should ask them.

”Just... how?” Moon Aiko wanted to know at least that part.

”They were sleeping between food, since that’s where the Demonic Foxes go the least and it’s also the most peaceful.” Yuqi explained.

”So they turned invisible, and you bit them?” Moon Aiko blinked her eyes.

”Yeah.” Yuqi nodded her head innocently.

”I’m shocked they didn’t complain...” Moon Aiko would definitely complain if she were them.

”They did, so the Demonic Foxes fought the Chameleon Tribe.” Yuqi suddenly dropped a bombshell.

”What...?” Moon Aiko speechlessly looked at her.

”Yeah. Apparently, it was not the first time they were bitten, so they were fed up with it.” Yuqi shrugged like it was not her problem.

Moon Aiko touched her forehead.

”Then the bees joined in the fun.” Yuqi suddenly dropped yet another bombshell.

”???” Moon Aiko only had more and more questions about what was happening inside.

”What? Why?” She had to ask to surmise if she should kick some of them out.

”Because the Chameleon Tribe ate in secret, messing up with the logistics of the Demonic Foxes. This, in turn, upset the bees, since their honey was being stolen.” Yuqi animated the battle between the 3 tribes.

”...” Moon Aiko’s face twitched. She didn’t expect that so much would happen while she was not looking!

Moon Aiko sighed. ”Are there any casualties?”

”None, nobody fought seriously, so nothing really happened.” Yuqi blinked at Aiko, but it was obvious she was hiding something.

”Out with it.” Moon Aiko wouldn’t play these games, so she pressed Yuqi for answers.

”The little spider pet tied everyone up before a full-blown fight broke out.” Yuqi confessed again.

Moon Aiko suddenly felt tired. ”Do you have enough food?”

”More than enough.” Yuqi nodded her head.

”So no stealing my snacks.” Moon Aiko glared at her.

”We will try.” Yuqi nodded her head obediently.

”Not ’try’! Do it!” Moon Aiko pinched her cheeks.

Unlike normal cheeks, these were not all that warm, nor stretchy.

”Something wrong with ya?” Moon Aiko tilted her head.

”Awful Qi outside of the tails.” Yuqi sniffled.

”Ah...” Moon Aiko pursed her lips. That’s why she looked like a wilted flower.

She stuffed her back into her tails. She could use the Demonic Discs to keep her outside, but there was not really any need for that.

”Keep an eye on her.” Moon Aiko glanced at Feifei.

”I will~!” Feifei giggled.

”And no more taking my snacks.” Moon Aiko scolded her.

Feifei pouted her lips, but didn’t try to protest. Aiko can become scary when you anger her, so it was better to play nicely and avoid the disaster.

”How is it inside?” Moon Aiko asked them.

”The bees are doing their work on the sapling, but it’s not looking good.” Feifei explained.

”I also tried to do something about it, but I’m missing resources.” Feifei sighed softly, looking at Aiko expectantly.

”Just take some precious dirt and pad it. If it’s not enough, then we can think of something else.” Moon Aiko gestured to her.

”Thank you~” Feifei hugged Aiko happily.

Danji awkwardly coughed, but that only earned a wiggling tongue from Feifei before she ran and hid behind Yu.

Danji wouldn’t try to engage with teens too much. Well, Feifei was now older, but still considered young compared to everyone else.

”If nothing is wrong, then just keep watch over my snacks and don’t take them.” Moon Aiko sighed.

”En!” Feifei saluted, before Moon Aiko shoved them into her tails.

She then pulled out the Demonic Disc in advance, before pulling out the sapling.

The [Heavenly Blood Tree] looked like it was dying, but once it touched the Demonic Disc, it suddenly revitalised.

Moon Aiko was confused, but it turned out there was some kind of Qi that was being pulled out from it.

The Empresses were startled at first, but when they noticed that the little Foxy was around, they settled down.

”How is it?” Moon Aiko observed the sapling.

”It’s getting better now.” The old Empress nodded her head.

”It was sickly.” The young Empress was puzzled by how quickly it was able to recover.

”There is something wrong with its Qi, so this black disc is trying to filter it.” Moon Aiko explained.

While the Demonic Disc was supposed to work just on Demonic Foxes, for some reason, it also worked on this sapling.

This greatly intrigued Aiko as the Demonic Disc gently hummed.

”We will be able to get more honey.” The old Empress nodded her head.

”Is that important?” Moon Aiko tilted her head.

”What is this called?” The old Empress smiled softly as she touched the sapling.

”The [Heavenly Blood Tree]?” Moon Aiko tilted her head.

”And what are we called?” The old Empress chuckled.

”The Crimson- ah!” Moon Aiko’s eyes widened. ”You can nurture it?”

”It’s a symbiotic relationship.” The old Empress explained.

She didn’t know much about it, since she was working based on her instinct, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be able to figure it out.

”The Blood Tree makes Blood Flowers that can turn into Blood Fruits.” The old Empress explained. ”This allows us to get the necessary ingredients for the highest quality Royal Crimson Honey.”

”However, there is also a by-product that is completely useless to us, but exceptionally beneficial for this sapling.” The old Empress chuckled.

”Thus the tree nurtures you, and you nurture the tree.” Moon Aiko nodded her head, fascinated.

”Well, that would mean the sapling would have to bear flowers, which it does not.” The old Empress shrugged.

”It’s not completely healthy, so the honey could get infected?” Moon Aiko slowly nodded her head, trying to figure out how to go around things.

”That is possible but unlikely. At worst, we would grow sick and thus the honey, not the other way around.” The old Empress explained to Aiko.

”This requires observations!” Moon Aiko’s eyes shone, ready for this research!