"Ubi--…what?" Youjin Chun stammered the alien term.

Yung explained what he meant as this was his new and improved plan to keep hugging Su Nanya’s thigh, while also putting himself in a strategic position not to be slapped to a paste by random cultivators walking around looking for face. While also being a lazy dog doing all this.

The foxfire creek heart sutra was wondrous. It told stories about foxes rising to the heavens as gods. It sang and rhymed remarkable poems. There were scribbles of fox yao anatomy and a deep delve into fox philosophy. It explained the dao principles, dao insights, dao shards, and dao aspects needed all the way to the divine cultivation Imperfect Heaven 3rd realm: the creed formation realm, with the greatest detail Yung had ever read.

He would most certainly make use of it. But the world was all about contingencies. So he hatched a plan.

Here was a marginalised group of dark-skinned people at the stinky end of prejudice. They barely made it by and could use a helping hand.

Then there was Yung, a guy with an average face of said group of dark-skinned people. And Su Nanya seemed to think it was so ugly that no one could possibly worship him.

I’ll show her! Yung was angry. Actually, he had been mad for a while. Suddenly asking me to fight monsters in a forest. Yung was no survival expert.

But he was also angry because Jung had twenty-first-century egalitarian sensibilities. The absolute class divide, corruption, and the implied savage law of the jungle were too much for him to bear.

He would try and turn this system on its head if he had the power to change it even partially, just for peace of mind, if nothing else. And now he could. At least on this one tiny corner of this vast world. He’d try, and give up if it was too hard. But try he would nonetheless.

And if Yung were to be honest, he had selfish motivations too. Any shortcuts he could find to lower the absolute boredom and stress of cultivation, his lazy-arse self would take without hesitation. As long as they did not go against his cherry-picked ethics, or had consequences too severe to justify.

The foxfire creek heart sutra didn't restrict the cultivator to refining only his own faith. While gathering worship wasn't the sutra's primary goal, it did name ways to collect this worship from those that felt gratitude towards the practitioner. Since that, too, was Faith qi, and could be turned into True qi.

Yung could and would do both.

He wondered how much Heart qi he could gather and how fast he could cultivate if he could seduce the near hundred thousand madlanders living in the lower city slums.

And in return, he’d prepare them a chance with his meagre silver tongue, no matter how tiny or insignificant, to tackle this messed up world head-on.

“This is for Heart qi, isn’t it?” As expected, Youjin Chun was sharp. “The clan will never agree to this.”

Yung leaned in, “The clan needs me.”

“Ask something more reasonable. We cannot possibly spend half our wealth just to—”

“Not only to meet Fairy Nanya,” Yung interrupted her, “But also for Lord Yaoguai’s favour.”

Youjin Chun stopped, then grew silent. “I feel like I don’t have any initiatives at all.”

“This will be a win-win deal for all parties. For the Youjin clan, me, Lord Yaoguai, and the madlanders.” Yung said. “The Dim gold foxmoths left the orchards en masse five years ago, crippling the economy of this city.

“Half of the eastern upper town, nearly a hundred and fifty thousand people under direct clan rule, lost their jobs overnight, to no fault of their own. Only Lord Yaoguai and I can bring the foxmoths back. And I will. If you give me what I want.”

“I… need to speak with father, though I doubt he will agree.” Youjin Chun replied after thinking. “Even if he did, the madlanders listen to the Free sparrow gang, not us.”

“Don’t lie. This Dim Gold City was founded and ruled by the Youjin; it is named after Youjin. You can surely make him bend.”

“… It isn’t that simple.”

“Nothing is. But yeah, I don’t expect you to handle the madlanders. I will do something about that. After all, I also carry the name ‘Ziyou.’”

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Ziyou, meaning Free. It was a name madlanders who usually had no surname took up to signify their thirst for a land of their own.

Ziyou was a dream.

Yung was confident that by parleying with the vixen and the Youjin clan, he could show his fellow madlanders a glimpse of that dream.

I won’t sacrifice myself… but I’ll pitch in a penny where it won’t hurt me.

“It will not be enough. Ziyou Maque, the leader of the Free sparrow gang, isn’t one to hand over his domain.” Youjin Chun didn’t seem confident, but she motioned to Youjin Gangkai. The burly man got up. “I will send word to you soon.”

“We’ll talk again a week later.” The last sip of the tea tasted cold. Yung had to butter up Su Nanya more after this.

“I expect no Youjin clansmen to harass me in the meantime. I didn’t lie when I said Fairy Nanya tasked me with an important matter. Even if you do accept my terms, I can’t promise to convince Fairy Nanya to meet you if bullies like Youjin Hong buzz around.”

“You have my word.” Youjin Chun said.

Yung doubted if her words meant anything.

The Youjin heiress left with the burly elder and her train of servants. Yung was starving, but he’d need to change out of his clothes first. The rice stains were starting to smell un-rice-like.

He made his way to his room.

Only to find Su Nanya’s expressionless maid standing before his door, hugging a grey fox with an impossibly fluffy coat.

By the fates. Yung swore. What now?

***

“Miss, err..?” Yung stammered. He did not know the maid’s name.

“You can call me Su Yafeng.” She introduced herself with a curtsy. “M’lady has another task for you.”

"I live to obey, Miss Yafeng." Yung puffed his chest up. He hoped the over-enthusiasm would hide his irritation. His eyes moved to the fox in Miss Yafeng's arms.

The thing was small, poofy, and adorable. With an impossibly fluffy coat glistening in the low ambient light. The soft, velvety grey fur almost appeared like cotton candy and was incredibly full and long, like the softest clouds in the sky. Despite its small size, the fox possessed a strange sort of regal elegance; its pointed ears curved gracefully back against its head, ever alert. Its bright, intelligent eyes glinted with curiosity as they moved from Yung to miss maid. And its bushy tail waved slowly in anticipation of whatever happened next. It did not need to wait long.

“Good.” Su Yafeng said. “Catch!” The next moment, she tossed the fluffy fox towards Yung.

“Whoa!” He caught the creature in a hug. The fox seemed as surprised as Yung. It squirmed in his arms. Inside his dantian, Silky was also spooked. Large swaths of Heart qi were converted into True qi with each floof of fluff.

Yung didn’t care. Oh gawd! So fluffy!!!

“Her name is Su Xiya.” Su Yafeng said. “M’lady orders you to take her—”

“Madam Floofykins.”

“…what?”

“No, I mean. Yes, please convey to Fairy Nyanya that I will do it.” Yung violently floofed the fluffy fur. All his stress melted away.

“But I didn’t even tell you what she ordered.” Su Yafeng looked at Yung incredulously. “Take Madam Floofykins,” Su Xiya cried; Su Yafeng smirked, “while you search for my lady’s foxball. She can sense it when it’s near.”

Yung had no reason to refuse.

“Oh, and,” Su Yafeng waved her hand.

A scroll appeared.

“Another reward from the lady?” Yung caught it with his shoulder and chin, floofing Su Xiya twice in the process.

Su Yafeng shook her head. “It isn’t a cultivation technique. This one’s from me, not Fairy Nyanya. That’s quite an interesting plan you hatched. This might help you with it.”

Yung stilled. Su Xiya bit his hand. He yelped and let the fluffy fox go. She jumped and ran into Yung’s room after bashing the door open, hiding under the bed.

Yung stood there for a while, staring at the maid. “Can I ask why you would help me?” He decided to be honest. He felt a sort of goodwill, of care and protection from the golden thread connecting him and Su Yafeng. “I used my connection with the lady without her permission. Shouldn’t you rebuke me?”

The expressionless maid smiled. She wasn’t really expressionless, Yung realised. She was just bad at expressing herself.

Su Yafeng glanced at Su Xiya before saying, “No reason. Just for fun.”

With that, she walked away.

“Thank you!” Yung shouted.

***

The sun slowly sank behind the horizon, casting a deep orange-red glow across the sky. Given how eventfully long the day had been, Yung was relieved to finally be able to take a break as his stomach rumbled in satisfaction after the hearty meal he had shared with the foxmoth yaoguai.

He cupped Silky in his palm; the little critter was tired after a post-meal game of chasing prey. Su Xiya slept by the windowsill.

She had finished the bowl of plain boiled meat he’d ordered the hotel kitchen staff to prepare. But otherwise, refused to let Yung floof her again. The grey fox stole one of Yung’s pillows, moved it by the window, and decided it was time to sleep.

Yung was already feeling better, finally able to relax without undue stress, and his mind was clear. His mood improved even more when he saw the scroll that Su Yafeng gave him. Unrolling it, he saw that it contained blood-red words within a black background, then golden words upon red. It was a legal document of some sort with places to sign, and it was binding in magical ways. He put the scroll away, then tickled Silky’s fuzzy belly.

“Okay, little buddy.” Yung said, “Can you tell me what beef you got with foxballs?”

“Kyu!”

Silky perked up. He growled as though Yung had mentioned his archnemesis. Yung read both annoyance, betrayal, and sorrow from their soul contract.

“I can’t understand if you don’t tell me. Will you trust me? I want to help you—No, I won’t leave you for the foxball. Wait, why would I even do that?”

Jealousy. Silky was intensely jealous not of the vixen but of her shiny orbs.

“Yes, I like you the best. No, I promise, I’m not into foxballs!” Holy Moira, was it hard to convince a kid that they were the favourite, especially when the kid was jealous not of other kids but of an object.

“Kii…”

After a little more coddling and cooing, Silky decided to speak through their soul contract. Su Xiya had woken up because of all the noise. The fluffy fox sent both of them a disdainful glare, then yawned. She moved the pillow to the bed and laid down, ears perked up.

Yung concentrated. The world retreated around him, and he was in his sea of consciousness. From here, he saw the visions, feelings, and voices the foxmoth yaoguai sent him through their soul contract.