Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

The Elders took turns in guarding the whole place. It didn’t seem like the others expected them to land here, or maybe they still thought that they would be in the Fox Village.

Either way, everyone was enjoying their time, especially Aiko.

’This home is in an older style, while the previous one was based on a Fox that easily gets cold.’ Moon Aiko started to appraise those homes, literally.

[Spiritual Insight (Stage 3->4)]

Moon Aiko was able to observe the flow of Qi more clearly. This furniture was usually arranged haphazardly, but in some homes...

’It amplifies the Qi naturally?’ Moon Aiko blinked her eyes a few times. She didn’t expect this at all.

If one could naturally amplify the ambient Qi, then it would cause quite the havoc.

Most Arrays that gather Qi would lower the Qi in the surrounding area, making it less hospitable for Herbs.

This forceful gathering also gathers ALL Qi, not just one type, making it highly inefficient while still costing a lot of Spirit Stones to power.

Of course, it was still cheaper than consuming the Spirit Stones directly, but at the same time expensive enough that only some Disciples were able to afford it.

However, if one could amplify ambient Qi naturally, not only would it boost the right element for the person using it, but it would also allow growing all kinds of Herbs without demolishing the Qi in different areas.

’This is incredible.’ Moon Aiko already had a lot to learn and felt overwhelmed, but a sense of awe and happiness still creeped into her emotions.

She carefully observed the furniture. The more elaborate the furniture was, the more it could ’adjust’ the Qi around it.

However, just making things ’pretty’ wouldn’t allow it, even those ’elaborate’ parts had a certain flow and dynamic that they had to follow for the Qi to allow flow in a more natural way.

”Pretty isn’t it?” The overly old Fox smiled at this curious Fox.

”Yeah, it’s incredible.” Moon Aiko nodded her head, praising the furniture.

”That’s not what I’m talking about.” The overly old Fox chuckled.

”Grandma, don’t speak in riddles all the time, you will be disliked.” A head popped out from the second floor looking down. It was the curious and free Seer, who was enjoying her time being outside the Fox Village.

”Brat, you still didn’t comprehend your homework.” The overly old Fox sighed while cursing her.

”She can be quite emotional, but she is very nice, please don’t hold it against her.” The Seer said before withdrawing her head as the pillow almost hit her.

”I’m not done with you, come back!” The overly old Fox stomped her feet, but she was too old and slow to do anything about her.

”What did you mean by that?” Moon Aiko was too eccentric to mind something like the Fox’s personality. She was more curious about her words than anything else.

”I’m talking about the flow of Qi. You can see it, can’t you?” The overly old Fox chuckled.

Moon Aiko was not surprised, since she didn’t really try to hide it. ”Yeah, but it’s quite difficult to understand the rules behind it.” She narrowed her eyes and already planned to learn anything and everything this strange Fox said.

”Chichichi~” The overly old Fox laughed. ”As expected of someone like you. You don’t understand yourself, but still walk forward to your fate.” She smiled like a kind grandma.

”But enough about that, it’s time to learn.” The overly old Fox chuckled.

”Can it even be learned? Everything seems so... perfect, yet wrong at the same time.” Moon Aiko couldn’t figure out how to go about this.

”You know about Runes and you understand that you need to place them in a certain way to make them do their work.” The overly old Fox said this as a matter of fact, like she already predicted this.

Moon Aiko just nodded her head. She didn’t feel anything bad from [Intention Perception], quite the opposite.

The Fox in front of her was willing to teach her anything that she wished, even if it went against the ’righteous’ path.

”This furniture is the same, but you need a certain ’appreciation’ for art.” The overly old Fox handed the eccentric Fox a rice paper book.

”This is?” Moon Aiko tilted her head.

”This book is an amalgamation of my art. If you can understand it, you will be able to do things like I do.” The overly old Fox chuckled. She was looking forward to what insanity this Fox would do.

She already divined many things. Among them, she also knew that the invasion would fail and that her Disciple would be saved.

Of course, she was too weak and frail to directly intercept the fate, so she just took certain steps in assuring that everything would play out against said fate.

From the assassin that poisoned this eccentric Fox to other things. Everything was carefully arranged for her Disciple to survive.

While cruel, she also knew that this eccentric Fox was guarded by something intangible, powerful enough that it could easily crush the whole Mortal World.

”You have much to learn.” She also knew that ’they’ wouldn’t take kindly to her ’art’, so she made sure to teach her enough to prevent the worst fate.

’What I do for my Disciple.’ The overly old Fox snorted while tapping her staff. ’Can’t believe I lost 90% of my identity just trying to twist fate.’ She looked outside her carefully arranged home. ’No, who would leave such a monster alone? Are those guys stupid?!’

-----

*Sneeze*

”You are sick? That would be first.” A shrouded female chuckled at her colleague.

”Can’t you feel it? Someone is badmouthing us.” Another shrouded male clicked his tongue at her.

”Only you would be badmouthed.” The shrouded female rolled her eyes.

”Yeah, yeah. Any way that we can send the Jade Slip to our princess so she learns how to control the ’[Little Nightmares]’.” He asked her slowly, since he didn’t want to be ridiculed by her any more.

”No.” She clicked her tongue. ”She didn’t stay in the ’Bewitching’ Form long enough for us to do anything.”

”How about the tails...?” He suggested, but he immediately shut his mouth when she glared at him.

”You know we are not good with space, even those rewards have to be sent through 3rd parties. Do you really believe we should send something as priceless as the Jade Slip through them?” She almost squeezed his brains out, making him tap her wrist repeatedly so that she would let him go.

”No wonder you don’t have a partner, so violent.” He huffed, but when he saw her picking out her storm-hammer, he immediately started running.

-----

Moon Aiko looked through the book, but the only thing she could do about it was nod and be in awe at the quality.

She didn’t understand the reason why one thing had a human with feathery wings on one side of the furniture, while a human with leathery wings on the other.

The contrast was too weak for it to be that. They were both humans with wings and the only thing that changed was the material of the furniture and type of the wings.

Sure, you could say that one side looked like a shining Sun, while the other like a bleeding Moon, but even that was not enough to make it opposing to each other.

It didn’t seem like Moon Aiko had any talent in this.

”Aiko?” Danji walked over. ”We have prepared some nice food.” She would win Aiko over with food, since she was quite the foodie.

”Oh?” Moon Aiko closed the book and stood up, following Danji.

”How are you lately?” Moon Aiko wanted to strike up a conversation, since she hadn’t seen her in a while.

”It was quite... an interesting time.” Danji smiled, but was panicking inside. ’I can’t really tell her that I was torturing those Souls for information, what do I do?!’ Her immoral ways of torture would make anyone’s skin crawl, so she didn’t want Aiko to see her in that light.

”Was it? They didn’t give you a hard time right?” Moon Aiko tilted her head, feeling the conflicted emotions from her.

”N-no.” Danji shook her head flustered. ’I can’t really say that I enjoyed torturing and making them beg.’ It was natural for Blood Foxes to feel like that, but that didn’t mean most Foxes accepted it.

In her clan she was on the sidelines, since nobody wanted to affiliate with bloodthirsty Foxes.

However, here she was welcomed and warmly at that, so she appreciated it greatly.

”Hmmmmm...” Moon Aiko narrowed her eyes, making Danji even more flustered. It didn’t seem like Danji was suffering considering her smooth and sparkly skin.

”Well, if something happens just tell me.” Moon Aiko huffed softly. She was suspicious, but she would let it go since Danji was part of her team.

”En~” Danji felt much better hearing it from Aiko.

Moon Aiko smiled, but her mind was still on the book. She really wanted to figure out how to do what the overly old Fox demonstrated.

”What’s wrong?” Danji patted Aiko’s back while also feeling her out. She was not quite like the Dark Aiko, but she still had nice proportions.

”I can’t figure out this book.” Moon Aiko handed the book over to Danji so she could check it out.

”Oh my! Are you appreciating art this time?” Danji’s eyes immediately lit up.

’Deja vu.’ Moon Aiko felt like her skills betrayed her. ’Oi system.’

[Don’t even ask. We can only give you something you have at least miniscule foundation in.]

’Are you saying I have no talent in ”art”?’ Moon Aiko’s eye turned red and she turned into a demon to punish the naughty system.

[You are horrible at creating art, Princess.]

Moon Aiko was deeply hurt, since she believed that system could make anything work...

[We can, but you need to at least have something that would allow you to do it...]

Or so the system said.

”No talent...” Moon Aiko sniffled as her ears laid flat.

”Honestly, the arrangement here is pretty average.” Danji inspected the book, but it was nothing too special.

Moon Aiko immediately perked her ears and she listened intently.

”You could adjust this and this, making more contrasting to improve the art...” Danji went over a few things.

”These things are supposed to amplify the ambient Qi.” Moon Aiko wanted to mention that, since if it couldn’t amplify ambient Qi, then it would be useless to her... Well, it was still pretty, but she would prefer increased Qi over prettiness...

”Oh, you are looking for something like that.” Danji made a ’fufufu~’ noise, scaring Aiko.

”Well, if we can have fun later, I can show you something amazing~” She would naturally bargain with Aiko over this.

”That doesn’t depend on me.” Moon Aiko couldn’t stay in other forms too long, so she couldn’t promise anything.

”That is fine, I will blow your mind first and get down to business later~” Danji giggled, making Aiko feel a sudden sense of danger...