The man touched the little fox’s nose with his finger. The little fox dodged to the side, but the man wouldn’t let him go. He followed the movement of the little fox’s head until he finally tapped the tip of his nose.
“Are you angry?”
A low chuckle followed, and the little fox, embarrassed and angry, pounced to bite him. He was caught by the man midair and pulled into his embrace.
“Alright, alright, don’t be mad. It’s my fault for not telling you.”
The little fox buried his head in the man’s chest. Hearing the man admit his mistake, his ears twitched, and a muffled voice came out: “I heard them calling you ‘Grandmaster’. Every month when you go down the mountain, is it to come here? Why didn’t you tell me before?”
The little fox knew he shouldn’t ask too many questions, but the man had spoiled him so much that he wasn’t willing to endure even the slightest grievance. So he asked all the questions he had been holding back.
The man placed both hands under the little fox’s armpits and lifted him up to eye level: “Grandmaster is just a title. I go down the mountain every month for work. I didn’t purposely hide it from you; I wanted to give you a surprise. I even prepared a special room for you. Later, I’ll take you to see if you like it.”
The little fox was still young after all, and after hearing a few sweet words, he easily forgave the man. Especially after seeing the fragrant food brought by the attendants, he forgot all about being angry.
Staring intently at the whole roasted chicken steaming on the large plate, the little fox could barely move.
The man reached out and pulled the plate in front of him. “This is an apology gift I prepared for you. You are not allowed to be angry after you eat it.”
The little fox swallowed hard, then forced himself to tear his eyes away from the chicken and look up at the man.
The man smiled gently, showing none of the cold aura he had displayed outside earlier. The little fox let out a soft “hmm” to show his magnanimity and forgave him.
He then immediately turned to eat the chicken.
The main reason was that the aroma was so irresistible that it was impossible to ignore the dish. The scent kept drifting into his nose, making his mouth water.
The man didn’t make things difficult for the little fox and let him eat freely. After all, the meat had been prepared specially for him.
This dish had clearly gone through several steps in its preparation, and the little fox found it very delicious. Both the texture and flavor were something he had never experienced before.
The little fox ate without lifting his head, while the man gently stroked his fur. The little fox was too engrossed in his meal to care about the man’s small gestures.
As he reached the end, the little fox noticed that the man had only been watching him eat. He hesitated, glanced at the remaining meat on the plate, and after a moment of reluctance, he painfully tore his gaze away. “Ah Lin, you should eat too.”
The man was genuinely surprised this time. Seeing how much the little fox was enjoying the food, he thought he’d finish it all. He hadn’t expected the little fox to leave some for him.
But the little fox’s conflicted expression was so amusing that the man’s initial refusal turned into: “Thank you, Shu Shu. Then I won’t hold back.”
“No need to thank me,” the little fox said generously. “Anything I have, I’ll share with you, Ah Lin.”
Hearing this brought a genuine sense of joy to the man, and he couldn’t resist stroking the little fox’s head again. “Don’t worry, there will be good food every day from now on.”
The man wasn’t lying. After they settled into the Grandmaster’s mansion, three meals a day were served, each different from the last. A variety of delicacies appeared one after another and in just a few days, the little fox had grown visibly plumper.
He even felt heavier when held in the man’s arms.
Gaining weight was natural. The Grandmaster’s mansion wasn’t like the mountain. The little fox spent most of his time either eating or nestled in the man’s arms. With almost no exercise, it would’ve been strange if he hadn’t gained weight.
Having successfully fattened the little fox up, the man was quite pleased. Far from curbing this trend, he wanted to spoil the little fox even more and make him gain a bit more weight.
It was only when the little fox overheard the servants talking about him that he realized he had gotten fat.
The servants thought the little fox was just an ordinary animal, and didn’t avoid talking in front of him. Sometimes, when the Grandmaster was away, the little fox would wander around the residence. All the staff knew that this fox was the Grandmaster’s beloved pet, so they didn’t dare to harm him. Moreover, the Grandmaster had given explicit orders that the little fox was free to do as he pleased, so no one stopped him. As a result, the little fox could walk sideways in the Grandmaster’s mansion.
Although he was spoiled, the little fox wasn’t the type to cause trouble for others. He was very cute and the servants liked him very much, and when the Grandmaster wasn’t around, they would often tease him or give him little snacks.
Thanks to his explorations, the little fox learned quite a bit about the human world, such as what era the current dynasty was in and how powerful the Grandmaster was.
Whenever he heard the servants speak of the Grandmaster in tones of admiration, the little fox couldn’t help but feel proud. After all, this was the man he had chosen, and he excelled wherever he went.
Of course, along with the praise, he also heard some complaints, the most frequent being from the maidservants, saying things like, “Why have I gained weight again?” and “I need to lose some weight.”
At the time, he didn’t think much of it, but when he saw the fox cub in the mirror, it was clearly rounder than before and the little fox suddenly remembered those complaints.
“Being fat isn’t attractive.”
Was he really unattractive now?
The little fox was actually quite narcissistic, which was likely a trait of the fox clan. He had always thought his figure was well-proportioned, his fur fluffy, and he had been very confident in his appearance.
But!
Someone said he was fat!
And it wasn’t just one person!
‘Have I been eating too much?’
The little fox reflected on his behavior over the past few days and suddenly realized that he might have indeed been eating a bit too much.
But how could he be blamed? The food at the Grandmaster’s mansion was just too delicious, and the man kept feeding him non-stop, with little exercise in between.
Looking at his now rounder face in the mirror, the little fox made a silent resolution to eat less from now on.
The servant who took care of the little fox was alarmed when he noticed the change in his eating habits. Sometimes, an entire plate of food would be returned untouched. The servant became anxious, worried that he had neglected his duties, or worse, that the little fox was sick. Not daring to delay, he sent an urgent message to the Grandmaster.
Who would have thought that the urgent message to the Grandmaster’s mansion would say something like “the little fox has lost his appetite”?
The Grandmaster hurried back, and the first thing he did was go see the little fox.
At that moment, the little fox was napping on the couch, his belly rising and falling with his breathing. He was very familiar with the man’s scent, and when the man reached out to touch him, he subconsciously nuzzled his head against the hand, with no intention of waking up.
The man’s eyes were filled with distress. The little fox, whom he had worked so hard to fatten up, had lost weight in just a few days.
After gently picking the little fox up from the couch, he could feel that he was indeed lighter.
The little fox woke up with his stomach growling with hunger, and found himself in the familiar embrace. He subconsciously nuzzled against the man’s chest.
“You’re back.”
“I heard you haven’t been eating well these past few days. Are you feeling unwell?”
Of course, he wasn’t unwell. Hearing the man’s worried tone, the little fox felt guilty. He was only trying to slim down because he thought he was getting fat.
As the man spoke, he stroked the fur on the little fox’s back. The little fox enjoyed the comfort and lay limp in the man’s arms, half-asleep.
He hadn’t fully woken up, and in the comforting presence, he soon began to doze off again. But just then, his stomach let out a loud growl.
“Grrr~”
The man’s hand paused mid-stroke, and he asked in an unmistakable tone: “Hungry?”
The little fox wanted to deny it—no, I’m not, don’t talk nonsense—but before he could respond, his stomach growled a few more times.
“It seems you’re hungry. I’ll have someone bring you some food.”
The little fox placed a paw on the man’s wrist and shook his head to refuse. His weight-loss plan wasn’t complete yet; he couldn’t give in to food.
“You don’t want to eat?” Ignoring the little fox’s struggles, the man lifted him up. “You’re hungry, so why don’t you want to eat?”
The little fox shook his head without saying a word.
Now the man could clearly see that the little fox was resisting food. His eyes darkened. “What’s going on? Why won’t you eat?”
Holding the little fox, the man walked outside and instructed the servants to prepare food. Not eating wasn’t an option.
“An Yi.”
A secret guard in black suddenly appeared, kneeling with cupped fists: “Master.”
“Take my token and invite Mr. An.”
“Yes.” Taking the token, An Yi disappeared in an instant.
The little fox hadn’t expected that, in his attempt to lose weight, the man would go so far as to summon a renowned healer and the saint hand, Mr. An.
It wasn’t until he was handed over to a smiling, demonic-looking man that the little fox realized what was happening.
After a moment, and under the increasingly dark gaze of the Grandmaster, Mr. An finally spoke slowly: “Your little fox is not sick.”
“Then why doesn’t he have an appetite?” The low pressure remained.
“You called me here just because your little fox isn’t eating?!” Mr. An widened his eyes in disbelief. “Do you know who I am? And you brought me here because—”
The demonic-looking man pointed to the little fox, who was utterly confused: “Because he isn’t eating, you called me here in the middle of the night?!”
“I’ve already paid your fee,” the man said calmly, casting a sidelong glance at him. The meaning was clear—I’ve paid, so just examine him!
Mr. An was speechless about this fox-slave. Recently, there had been rumors outside that the Grandmaster had acquired a little snow-white fox, and that he doted on it endlessly. When Mr. An first heard the news, he hadn’t taken it seriously. After all, the Grandmaster was a big ice cube—how could he dote on a fox?
But now he believed it. The big block of ice really did dote on the fox, even more than the rumors had suggested.
With a serious expression, Mr. An glanced around. The Grandmaster understood and immediately waved the attendants away.
Only then did Mr. An speak: “Your little fox is very healthy, but…”
“But what?” The man’s heart tightened.
Mr. An stroked his chin. “If I’m not mistaken, your little fox is about to grow a tail.”
“You mean…”
“Yes. I don’t know where you found this fox, but it’s a very rare breed. But considering your tastes, it’s not surprising—you wouldn’t settle for anything less.”
While the man was still in shock, Mr. An took the opportunity to ruffle the little fox’s head. Then he withdrew his hand contentedly under the man’s glare. “By the way, make sure he gets proper nutrition during this time. I have some things that might help. Send An Yi to pick them up.”
“Thank you.”
“No need,” Mr. An waved his hand dismissively. “Just remember to pay.”
The man held the little fox and watched Mr. An leave.
In the corridor, the man looked up at the sky. The sky was clear and there were no clouds.
Retracting his gaze, the man scratched the little fox’s chin. “I’ve had some food prepared. Eat a little, okay?”
Seeing all the fuss the man had gone through, the little fox felt guilty and nodded. Then he remembered: “Ah Lin, am I really going to grow a tail?”
The little fox looked at the man in confusion. He had only one tail, so why would he grow another? Don’t foxes only have one tail?
The little fox was at a loss. Could it be that he wasn’t really a fox? But he looked just like the fox cubs next door, except for his white fur. There was no difference between them.
“Don’t be afraid, it’s alright, its just growing a new tail.” The man gently rubbed the little fox’s head, softly comforting him. He hadn’t expected the little fox to have such a background.
A nine-tailed fox.
This was a species that only existed in legends and was extinct in the world.
If it hadn’t been for the fact that he happened to pass by on business, he wouldn’t have discovered the heavily injured little fox. And all these days, the little fox had behaved just like a normal fox, and he hadn’t thought much about it. Who would have thought that the little guy he brought back was far more extraordinary than he imagined?
“Ah Lin, am I not a fox?” Li Shu asked uncertainly. “But I look just like the other foxes. If I’m not a fox, then what am I?”
“Who said you’re not a fox? Our Shu Shu is clearly a cute and beautiful little white fox.”
“But the other foxes only have one tail.”
“Shu Shu doesn’t believe what I say? Shu Shu is indeed a fox, but you’re a much more powerful nine-tailed fox compared to those other foxes. Nine-tailed foxes can communicate with heaven and earth. Once Shu Shu grows all nine tails, you’ll become the most powerful person.”
‘The most powerful person…’
Li Shu woke up from his dream and met a pair of unusually gentle eyes.
It felt like he had fallen back into the dream. For a moment, Li Shu couldn’t tell if he was still dreaming or awake, and he stared blankly at the man.
“What’s wrong?”
Li Shu rubbed his forehead and sat up. The quilt slid from his shoulders, revealing his snow-white skin, which was scattered with star-like marks.
“I had a dream. I’m still a bit disoriented.”
“What kind of dream?” The man seemed intrigued.
“About the past, about when we first met.” Remembering those scenes from his memory, Li Shu felt an inexplicable urge to laugh.
He thought those memories had faded, but unexpectedly, they resurfaced so vividly in a dream.
“Can you tell me now what exactly happened back then? Why would the great Emperor Linhua become a Grandmaster in the mortal world and raise a little fox that hadn’t even begun cultivating?”
Li Shu only learned the man’s identity after arriving in the Heavenly Realm. He was Emperor Linhua—the most powerful being in all the heavens and earth. Li Shu couldn’t understand why, as just a fox, even if he was a rare nine-tailed fox, he would warrant such sacrifices from the Emperor.
The man entered small worlds by splitting his soul and lived out life after life as an ordinary person. If not for this bond between them, who knows how long it would have taken him to return to the Heavenly Realm.
Seeing that Li Shu was determined to get answers, the man felt helpless. At the time, the situation had been urgent. The Heavenly Way had sensed Li Shu’s existence—a soul that should no longer exist in the world. Naturally, the Heavenly Way wanted to take action. In the rush, the man didn’t have time to make elaborate plans. He could only use his body to conceal the truth and ensure Li Shu could grow up safely.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that a fully-cultivated nine-tailed fox fears nothing under heaven and earth; in its youth, it was highly vulnerable to accidents. Having found Li Shu after much effort, there was no way Linhua would let him be discovered by the Heavenly Way right under his nose.
After listening to the explanation, Li Shu was still a little confused. “Why would the Heavenly Way target me? Just because I’m the last nine-tailed fox?”
That was something Li Shu had figured out later on. He was the only nine-tailed fox left in the world. He had searched all the hidden realms but never found any other kin, only remnants of their existence. That was when he realized that he was most likely the last of his kind.
It was impossible to say he didn’t care. He had tried to find out why his clan had gone extinct, but his efforts had been fruitless.
“It’s not just because you’re a nine-tailed fox. You are something the Heavenly Way has always wanted to eliminate. It took a great deal of effort to send you into reincarnation. Naturally, I wasn’t going to let it find you again.”
“And what about the system?” Li Shu asked.
“The system was my back up plan. It was meant to help you completely break free from that world’s control after fully cultivating your nine tails.”
It was something that existed beyond the Three Realms, something the Heavenly Way had no power over.
“You created the system?”
Linhua held the person in his arms and replied, “Of course not. I merely struck a deal with its superior.”
It was only after Linhua discovered the existence of these systems that he came up with the plan to break the stalemate.
Li Shu narrowed his eyes. It seemed that the claim that 1314 had bound to the wrong person was just an excuse. From the start, the one it was meant to bind to had been him.
In that case, certain things suddenly made sense. However: “Where is 1314?”
Since arriving at this palace, he hadn’t heard the system’s voice or felt its presence, as though it had vanished. But that shouldn’t be the case. Having reached his current level of cultivation, if the system had truly left, he would have sensed it.
“Do you want to see it?” Linhua sounded a little jealous. Throughout all those worlds, 1314 had always been by Li Shu’s side. Although he had selected it himself, the thought of how much time it had spent in close proximity to Li Shu left him feeling slightly bitter.
Having been with the man for so long, Li Shu could easily tell what was going on in Linhua’s mind, and he found it somewhat amusing. “Are you seriously jealous of 1314? Without its help, who knows how much longer it would have taken for us to reunite.”
Only then did Linhua reluctantly lift the barrier he had placed on the system.
The moment 1314 was unsealed, it immediately began to complain to its host. Li Shu gently comforted it, even transferring a generous amount of points to it, finally coaxing the little system back into a good mood.
Linhua had indeed been at fault, and Li Shu saw no issue in smoothing things over for him.
Fortunately, 1314 was a rather carefree system. With just a few words from Li Shu, it was coaxed, and it completely forgot about being locked away.
Li Shu also learned part of the truth from the system. Most of it had been overheard from its superior. It turned out that binding to Li Shu had never been an accident. The missions assigned to him had also been intentional. After knowing this, 1314 felt a little embarrassed.
[The host has completed six tasks, with an SSS rating. You have reached the conditions for unbinding. Would you like to continue with the missions or unbind the system?] After saying this, 1314 added, [As an SSS-level task completer, you also have the benefit of bringing a family member with you into the mission worlds.]
Li Shu and Linhua exchanged a glance, then Li Shu replied, “Continue with the missions.”
Their new journey had only just begun.
Phew, we have finally come to the end. Although it took longer than I had planned, thank you all for reading this book with me till the end ^____^
I hope we meet at the next novel!! 🧡🧡
Thank you and congratulations on finishing the translation of this novel~ 🥰 A lot of the worlds had a unique spin on things so it’s sad the ending is kinda of lacking, but I enjoyed it overall.
Aww thanks but still kinda disappointed 😔