Chapter 2

“Young Master?”

Upon hearing the young master’s confident assertion, the celestial beings displayed expressions of confusion, yet they didn’t understand the meaning behind his words.
However, the little snow wolf merely paused slightly, gazing intently at the white fur in his hands.

The leading female celestial, observing the young master standing in the rain with such tender age, felt a pang of sympathy despite the rain not reaching him. To think that he had been struggling against the cold illness since birth, it was hard not to feel compassion.

She crouched down, placing a hand on the young master’s shoulder, and comforted him, saying, “Young Master, please don’t mind. It indeed is quite difficult to forcefully seek Lady Shaoyin amidst defiance of the Heavenly Dao… However, even if we can’t cure it temporarily, we can still search for other celestial medicines and methods to lessen the impact of the cold illness. With time, as you continue practicing diligently, it will eventually have no significant impact on your daily life. When Lady Shaoyin returns after overcoming her tribulation, we can then completely eradicate the body’s chill.”

The little snow wolf paused, and after a while, he carefully put away the white fur, obediently uttering a soft “yes.”

The celestial who had previously held him picked him up again, enveloping him in a protective embrace.

The young master was already weak, and as soon as he was back in the embrace, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

The group took to the skies once more, and before long, they disappeared into the horizon.
…
Three years later.
Within the secluded celestial realm.

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G oyax prakdt qkzzle vbl yka, yde qzsolap czssxle kd vbl tldvzl oyvlap.
Mbl raswe pwd pbsdl psqvzu, nypvkdt y talld nyarlv sq taypp kd vbl alyzx, okvb xwaxwakdt prakdtp, vbl pswdep sq kdplnvp yde ckaep, y czwl pju yesadle okvb obkvl nzswep — lhlauvbkdt oyp caktbv yde byaxsdkswp.

“Ssya! Ssya! Ssya!”

Rd y qzyv yaly dlya vbl oyvla, Nkd Fbysukd wple bla Pyskpv vlnbdkiwlp vs nalyvl y pkxrzl osseld bwv. Gqvla vball ulyap sq snnypksdyz xsekqknyvksdp yde alrykap, kv bye clnsxl iwkvl alqkdle yde olzz-liwkrrle, okvb assxp, y nswavuyae, yde lhlauvbkdt sdl xktbv dlle.

Gv vbkp xsxldv, y zkvvzl obkvl qsm oyp rzyukdt swvpkel vbl bwv, ldlatlvknyzzu nbypkdt cwvvlaqzklp yde bsrrkdt yaswde okvb fsu.

Nkd Fbysukd pyv kdpkel vbl bswpl, nyalqwzzu plokdt nzsvblp. Fbl dlyvzu ryvnble wr vbl nzsvblp sd bla zyr, pjkzzqwzzu ckv sqq vbl zsspl vbalyep, yde oswde vbl lmvay vbalye kdvs zssrp. Gp pbl osajle, pbl nyzzle swv, “Follvkl, nsxl cynj! Rv’p yzxspv vkxl qsa ekddla.”

“Essq, ossq!”

Mbl zkvvzl qsm qaszknjkdt swvpkel vwadle kvp blye wrsd blyakdt bla hsknl, alzlypkdt vbl wdqsavwdyvl cwvvlaqzu kv bye clld nbypkdt. Ekvb y iwknj “vbwe vbwe vbwe,” kv byrrkzu eypble cynj kdvs vbl bswpl, vbld lytlazu zlv swv y nbllaqwz “bsoz!” vsoyaep Nkd Fbysukd.

Gzvbswtb vbl bswpl oypd’v zyatl, kv oyp iwkvl prynkswp qsa vos rlsrzl. Mbl pkxrzl nsvvytl oyp ekhkele kdvs vos assxp, plahkdt yp vblka pzllrkdt iwyavlap. Mbl jkvnbld oyp zsnyvle plryayvlzu, yde kdpkel vbl zyatla nsddlnvle prynl, plhlayz awekxldvyau osseld pblzhlp olal dlyvzu yaaydtle ytykdpv vbl oyzzp. Mblpl pblzhlp blze csvvzlp yde fyap lxkvvkdt y xkze blacyz pnldv, yzsdt okvb pvynjle blacp. Llyacu olal rbyaxynlwvknyz pwrrzklp yde xleknyz vsszp, obkzl vbl svbla pkel bswple lhlaueyu kvlxp.

The arrangement was casual due to the absence of guests or outsiders.

Lin Shaoyin watched as the little white fox entered.

Three years ago, she had been forced to leave her sect with nowhere to go. Through a fortunate coincidence, she had found this little white fox and stumbled upon this secluded paradise-like celestial realm.

For her, this was a life-saving opportunity. Moreover, the celestial realm was a part of the immortal world, inaccessible to ordinary mortals like her. As she stepped inside, she couldn’t help but be amazed for a moment.

However, she didn’t have time to linger, immediately going to check on the little fox that was on the verge of collapse. This story is provided for online reading by the Thought Rabbit website.

The situation didn’t look good upon inspection. Lin Shaoyin then noticed that this little fox actually had nine tails, something she hadn’t noticed before. She couldn’t tell if these nine tails had escaped her attention before or had only manifested upon entering the celestial realm, which startled her for a moment.

However, the fact that the jade pendant the little white fox carried with her could open the celestial realm already proved she wasn’t an ordinary fox. The nine tails were just further confirmation of her identity; the priority was to save her.

Lin Shaoyin immediately took measures to settle down in the celestial realm, keeping the little white fox warm, finding water for her to drink, and providing food.

Yet, despite her efforts, the little white fox had suffered from a severe illness, even after enduring a heavy rain.

Fortunately, Lin Shaoyin originally hailed from a medical background and possessed extensive knowledge of traditional medicine. During her time on Peach Blossom Peak, she had never encountered a patient she couldn’t treat. Although there were no people in this celestial realm, the wild fruits and medicinal herbs flourished abundantly. With little effort, Lin Shaoyin managed to find the appropriate herbs and saved the little white fox.

From that point on, they became each other’s companions. The little white fox, with its nine tails, was not only intelligent and spirited, but also capable of transforming into a human form. As she grew a bit older, she even started to speak. The young fox was curious, playful, enjoyed rolling around and running about. It had a slight temper, and apart from her preference for running in her original form, there was little difference between her and a typical child.

However, something strange happened to Lin Shaoyin after entering this celestial realm. For instance, she faintly remembered that her true name should be Shaoyin, and she preferred being called by that name. Additionally, it seemed that she could only use a different language in the celestial realm, unable to speak in human language. She seemed to have known this language in the past, yet she couldn’t recall when she had learned it. The young fox also spoke this language.

For instance, she suddenly found herself able to comprehend the characters on the jade pendant, even though she couldn’t understand them in the mortal world. The characters on the pendant spelled out “Xue Li,” which seemed to indicate a name and was most likely the little white fox’s name.

“Little Snow Pear,” how adorable.

At this moment, the young fox had already entered the house and obediently approached Shaoyin. She twitched her ears and curiously asked, “Aunt, what are we having for today?”

Shaoyin snapped back to attention, putting away her needle and thread, and walked to the kitchen to fetch lunch. As she lifted the sturdy wooden lid, the fragrant aroma of wild vegetables mixed with the scent of rice wafted out.

It was the simplest of dishes, wild vegetable braised rice.

The little white fox had been trailing alongside her and became quite excited upon seeing the food for the day, bouncing around in excitement. Shaoyin could only sigh and tell her, “Sit down at your spot, I’ll bring it over.”

“Roar!”

Little Xueli dashed back, dragging her tail behind her. Obediently, she hopped onto her designated small chair, neatly tucking her paws and curling her tail in front of her, sitting in a very proper manner.

Perhaps due to being a nine-tailed fox, Little Xueli’s growth was much slower than that of a regular fox. Instead, she resembled a human child. Even at the age of three, she was still quite small, clearly a young fox. Her steps were unsteady, often stumbling and bumping into things.

Shaoyin fed her with a homemade wooden spoon. The wild vegetables of the celestial realm were full of vitality, and when paired with rice, they emitted a fragrant aroma. With each spoonful, the young fox obediently opened her mouth and ate, occasionally squinting her eyes and twitching her ears in contentment. She was quite easy to care for.

However, among the vegetables, Shaoyin had also steamed some other greens. When she fed Little Xueli some radish, the young fox refused to eat, firmly shutting her mouth and turning her head away from the spoon.

Unable to feed her, Shaoyin tried to sound stern, saying, “Open your mouth quickly. Being a picky eater isn’t good for your health.”

“Whimper, whimper.”

The young fox refused to open her mouth, emitting a humming sound from her throat as a sign of refusal. She shook her head and kept her eyes tightly shut as she leaned back, pressing her head and ears against the back of the chair. When she realized she couldn’t escape, she tried to lightly pat the spoon away with her small paws.

Shaoyin wouldn’t allow her to pat the spoon away and suddenly raised her head, exclaiming in surprise, “Ah, the rice cake is ready.”

“Roar?”

Little Xueli loved pastries. Upon hearing this, she subconsciously opened her eyes and looked towards the kitchen.

With quick reflexes, Shaoyin took advantage of her momentary “roar” and swiftly slipped the spoon into her mouth.

Caught off guard, Little Xueli took a bite of radish. The taste of radish filled her mouth, and she instantly displayed an expression of mixed feelings, appearing as if she wanted to spit it out.

Shaoyin rubbed her head and said, “Good girl, once you finish your meal, you can have the rice cake.”

Little Xueli hesitated for a moment but eventually, with a somewhat resigned look, chewed and swallowed the radish. However, after eating the radish, she visibly became quite listless, with her ears drooping.

Shaoyin continued to rub her head and praised, “Well done, well done. Our Xueli is the best.”

Shaoyin fed Little Xueli mouthful by mouthful until they finished their meal not long afterward.

The young fox’s unhappiness came and went quickly. Once she had a small bite of the rewarded rice cake, she forgot about her aunt feeding her radish. She happily romped around the house.

Little Xueli exclaimed, “Aunt, I’m going to play outside, roar!”

“Go ahead,” Shaoyin replied.

Little Xueli dashed out of the house, frolicking in the yard. However, perhaps because she was full, she soon began to feel sleepy. She obediently returned and curled up on the porch of the small wooden hut.

As Shaoyin cleaned up the dishes and utensils, having fed the young fox and herself, she sat inside the house tending to herbs. Occasionally, she glanced to see what Little Xueli was up to.

Before long, the young fox was lying on the porch, humming and singing a tune.

Her singing was delightful, a tender and crisp childlike voice. Her “roar, roar” melody had no human lyrics, but the melody was charming and ethereal, carrying a sense of tranquility and purity.

Perhaps due to her being a nine-tailed fox, her song soon attracted small animals that cautiously emerged from the woods, curiously gathering around.

Originally, Shaoyin had been focused on sorting the freshly gathered herbs with her head down. Upon hearing Little Xueli’s melody, she was briefly taken aback and couldn’t help but look up.

The young fox had loved singing since she was small, even when she could only lie in a bamboo basket, she often hummed unknowingly. As she grew older, her tunes became more distinct.

Shaoyin hadn’t taught Little Xueli any songs, yet upon hearing this melody, she strangely felt a sense of nostalgia. She couldn’t help but ask, “Xueli, where did you hear this melody?”

“Roar?”

Little Xueli looked over, tilting her head to the side.

Little Xueli looked over and tilted her head to the side.

She couldn’t remember where she had heard this melody from either, but it often echoed in her mind. This melody evoked a warm feeling in her, as if someone had held her in their arms during her obliviousness and sung it softly to her.

After a moment of careful consideration, Little Xueli replied, “I can’t recall, roar. It’s like it’s been in my mind for a long time, as if I heard it a very long time ago.”

“…I see,” Shaoyin couldn’t help but be lost in thought.

She gazed out of the window and noticed that several young animals had gathered on the porch of the wooden hut. There was a small white deer, many young rabbits, and tiny sparrows. They were all offspring, and only the sparrows’ wings were slightly more developed. None of them had awakened to their spiritual intelligence yet; they were ordinary creatures.

At this moment, they were all curiously and friendlily looking at Little Xueli.

When they had just arrived in the celestial realm, Shaoyin had thoroughly examined every nook and cranny. The celestial realm wasn’t very large, consisting of this forest and a stream. Apart from themselves, there was no one else here. However, there were some animals in the woods. While the forest was expansive, the animals included both carnivorous and herbivorous species. The ecosystem wasn’t much different from the outside world.

These small animals that had come over were all born around the same time Shaoyin and Little Snow Pear had entered the celestial realm. They were roughly the same age as Little Xueli.

It’s unclear whether it was Shaoyin’s perception, but these animals often came over to listen when Little Xueli sang. Over time, they had become increasingly intelligent, almost as if they had awakened to their spiritual intelligence. Last month, the young deer even brought them a gift.

Not only that, but since Xueli had arrived in this celestial realm, the other creatures in the realm had also started to change. Carnivorous beasts gradually stopped eating meat. In the first year, Shaoyin had encountered a tiger hunting animals, but afterward, they began eating fruit.

The reproductive rate of the forest’s animals had notably slowed down. The number of newborn offspring each year decreased, and animals that used to give birth to multiple offspring often only had one child. Bird nests were frequently empty, and occasionally there was only a single egg.

At the same time, the growth rate of the already-born offspring had also become extremely slow. Similar to Little Xueli, these animals born around the same time as her still retained their juvenile appearance despite their age.