Chapter 103: The White Fox Leads the Way

Watching the little creature so full of spirit, Tang Wei grew more and more fond of it. She casually reached out to pet it, but to her surprise, it swiftly dodged aside, leaving her hand grasping at empty air. She wasn’t upset, though, as the snow fox hadn’t wandered far; it simply hid nearby, observing her cautiously.

Tang Wei smiled softly, withdrew her hand, and returned to her work. When the aroma of the roasted chicken began to waft through the air, the snow fox couldn’t resist any longer. It cautiously approached, eyes wary as it watched Tang Wei. Seeing she made no move to harm it, the fox relaxed and settled by her side, eagerly staring at the chicken.

Tang Wei sliced the roast chicken into pieces with a small knife, placing them on a small plate before the fox. To her astonishment, it devoured the meat in just a few bites. Curiosity piqued, she wondered how long it had been hungry to eat so voraciously. Only when she saw it lying on its back with a round belly did she realize it had overeaten and was now trying to digest its meal. Amused, she reached out to stroke its belly. This time, the fox did not leap away. At first, its body tensed as her hand approached, but upon sensing no threat, it gradually relaxed and after a while, emitted a soft, contented hum.

Noticing how distended its belly was, Tang Wei thought it must be uncomfortable. She gently lifted the fox into her arms. Startled, its eyes widened in alarm as it tried to leap free, but Tang Wei held it firmly. The fox struggled fiercely, squeaking in protest. Ignoring its protests, Tang Wei channeled spiritual energy into its body to help digest the food accumulated in its abdomen. Feeling the flow of energy within, the fox slowly calmed, closing its eyes to savor the rare massage.

They had been playing with the fox for several hours, yet there was still no sign of the treasure hunters. Tang Wei and Zi Xuan were in no rush, sitting quietly and teasing the snow fox. Meanwhile, Xiao Ling had long retreated into the spatial realm to rest. As a spiritual entity, she couldn’t remain outside too long and didn’t want to possess the fox just yet, fearing she might frighten it. She preferred to wait until the fox was more accustomed to them.

As dusk deepened, moonlight spread across the snowy peaks like a layer of silver, casting a crystalline glow. The night sky was enchanting, with stars sparkling like jewels, mysteriously winking their alluring eyes. The crescent moon, like a small boat, sailed freely across the heavens. Standing atop the mountain, gazing skyward, it felt as if one were surrounded by a sea of stars, each one within reach. Tang Wei inhaled deeply, feeling a serene connection to the beauty of nature.

Lost in the moment, Tang Wei was brought back to reality only when the fox in her arms shifted uneasily. She set it down, curious about its intentions. The white fox paced in circles, as if making a decision. Then it tugged at Tang Wei’s trouser leg, took a few steps forward, and glanced back at her as if beckoning her to follow.

Tang Wei exchanged a glance with Zi Xuan, and wordlessly, hand in hand, they trailed behind the fox. After about fifteen minutes, they entered a mountain ravine. Passing through it, they noticed a faint trace of green on the cliffsides, a remarkable sight amid the snowbound peaks. Eventually, they arrived at a verdant valley brimming with signs of spring.

It was astonishing to find such a place atop a snow-locked mountain. Tang Wei’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she admired the surrounding lakes and hills. They followed the fox to the edge of a cliff, where it suddenly dashed into the rock face and vanished. Alarmed, Tang Wei tried to grab it, but Zi Xuan held her back.

“Zi Xuan, why are you holding me? Didn’t you see the snow fox disappeared?” Tang Wei waved her hands anxiously before him, as if he had lost his sight.

“I saw it, of course,” Zi Xuan replied. “But I sense fluctuations of spiritual energy here. It seems this place is protected by a formation—though a rather simple illusionary array.”

“Who would set up a formation here?” Tang Wei turned to scrutinize their surroundings. Being a novice with arrays, she couldn’t discern anything and asked Zi Xuan in puzzlement.

“I don’t know, but I suspect this is the treasure site those people are searching for. There’s no way this snow fox could have awakened its intelligence on its own. To think this place is so rich in spiritual energy here!” Zi Xuan glanced around and sighed with gratitude.

Tang Wei cared little about the spiritual energy; if Zi Xuan said this was the treasure spot, then it must be. Curiously, she asked, “You said the array is simple. Should we go in and take a look? Maybe we can find the white fox. I finally managed to coax it here, and I’d hate for it to run off again. Xiao Ling would be furious.”

“Don’t worry, the white fox won’t escape. Didn’t you see it led us here? It must live here and will come out soon,” Zi Xuan reassured her.

“Maybe we should wait until those treasure hunters arrive and then enter together,” Tang Wei suggested, still uneasy and wanting to see the fox with her own eyes.

“Good idea. I’ll notify them to hurry over,” Zi Xuan said, pulling out a communication talisman from spatial storage. Just then, the white fox reappeared, carrying something in its mouth. It leapt out from where it had vanished and trotted to Tang Wei, placing the object at her feet and looking up at her with big, round eyes.

Tang Wei crouched down to stroke its head, picking up the object as she examined it with a smile. “Is this a gift for me? Oh! It looks to be at least a thousand years old. But it wasn’t well preserved; much of its spiritual energy has dissipated. It’s not that precious—wouldn’t be effective as medicine.”

Noticing a hint of reluctance in the fox’s eyes, Tang Wei laughed heartily and held it close. “You seem very attached to it. Do you like eating this?”

The fox nodded. Tang Wei set it down and withdrew a fresh thousand-year ginseng from her space. “How about this one instead?”

This root was far superior to the one the fox had brought out. Nurtured in a spiritual spring within the space, it emanated faint spiritual energy, comparable to a five-thousand-year-old ginseng king from the outside world. Naturally, the fox sensed its abundant energy and, delighted, rolled on the ground several times nearby. It then cautiously circled the ginseng before deciding to nibble a small bite from its tendrils, closing its eyes as it felt the energy flow through its body.

Tang Wei couldn’t help but laugh at the fox’s almost human-like enjoyment. She squatted down and said, “Little one, you really like this, don’t you? If you come home with me, I can give you treasures like this to eat every day. How about that?” Having tested it, Tang Wei guessed the fox’s intelligence was similar to a two- or three-year-old human child, and it understood her words.

Indeed, upon hearing this, the fox’s large eyes spun with delight. In a flash, it leapt into Tang Wei’s arms, nudging her hand affectionately with its head.

Knowing she had won it over, Tang Wei smiled at Zi Xuan. “Xuan, what name should we give this little creature?”

“Anything goes—Little Snow, Little White, Little Fox. Whatever you like!” Zi Xuan chuckled, then added, “I’ve already sent a message to those people. You better put that ginseng away quickly.”

“Oh, go ahead and send it first,” Tang Wei replied casually. Then she turned to the fox, “How about we call you Little Snow? Little White is too ordinary.”

Zi Xuan watched Tang Wei’s enthusiastic banter without interrupting, then activated the communication talisman to contact the treasure hunters.

Looking at the ginseng on the ground, Tang Wei suddenly had an idea. “Should we get Little Snow a storage collar?” With that thought, she immediately entered her space and found a collar that fit perfectly. Crouching down, she said, “Little Snow, this will be where you keep your things, okay?” She then pricked the fox’s paw with a silver needle, letting a drop of blood fall onto the collar. As the blood vanished into the collar, Tang Wei patiently tried to teach the fox how to store items inside, but after several attempts, it failed.

Zi Xuan watched nearby, covering his mouth to stifle his laughter. Tang Wei caught him and asked, “What are you laughing at? Am I that funny?”

“No! It’s just that Little Snow is smart, but it’s still an animal. How could it possibly use this?” Zi Xuan hurriedly explained.

The fox seemed to understand Zi Xuan’s remark. It angrily pressed the ginseng under its paw and squeaked twice, as if upset at being underestimated. But before the two could react, the ginseng vanished from sight. Little Snow looked around curiously and squeaked at Tang Wei.

Zi Xuan was stunned, mouth agape, unable to speak for a long moment. “No way... that’s unbelievable.” Tang Wei teased mercilessly, “Serves you right for underestimating Little Snow! Scared you, huh?” Then she scooped up the fox and began teaching it how to retrieve items from the collar.

By the time the treasure hunters arrived, Little Snow had already learned to use the storage collar.

Unexpectedly, after mastering it, Little Snow suddenly dashed inside the collar. Fortunately, Tang Wei caught it. She and Zi Xuan guessed the little creature intended to move the cave’s contents into its collar. To prevent trouble later—if they found an empty cave after all their effort—it was better to appease the fox. So Tang Wei stuffed the collar with many precious items, quelling its mischief.

Zi Xuan shook his head in amazement. “The world is truly full of wonders. Today, I’ve really seen it all.”

About two hours later, the group of treasure hunters finally made their slow approach. Without Little Snow to guide them, it was no wonder they struggled to find the place for so long.