But where did this little white fox run off to before?

Chen Ye grew increasingly suspicious that this fox harbored an immense secret.

He quietly glanced toward the stone table nearby.

There, a little white fox had just finished eating a spirit fruit and was leisurely licking its paws.

The little white fox suddenly felt a chill down its spine, its fur nearly standing on end.

It stiffly lifted its head, meeting Chen Ye’s eyes, which had a hint of a smile.

"Are you full?"

Chen Ye stood in front of it, looking down at it.

"Purr..."

The little white fox guiltily shrunk its neck, its two front paws instinctively covering its now round belly.

It had just been focused on eating and almost forgot this man was a devil!

"If you’re full, it’s time to work."

Chen Ye bent down, hooked his finger around the rope tied to its neck, and shook it in his hand.

"As the saying goes, take someone’s hand and your hand will be short; eat their food and your mouth will be soft. You ate my top-grade spirit fruit, surely you can’t eat it for free?"

The little white fox widened its eyes in disbelief at him.

It was a spirit beast! A dignified spirit fox!

Eating one of your fruits is an honor to you! And you dare demand it to work?

"Purr purr! Purr purr! (Audacious mortal! It is your fortune that I accept your offering!)"

It protested angrily, waving its little paws.

"Protests invalid."

Chen Ye ignored its tooth-and-nail protest, directly lifted the rope, picking it up like a small cloth bag, and strode toward the courtyard gate.

"Since you love to run around so much, to prevent you from getting lost again and for the safety of Cangli Courtyard..."

He walked to the pair of vermilion doors, pointing at the thick horse post by the entrance,

"From today onwards, you’ll live here."

"Purr!"

The little white fox was thunderstruck.

It thought Chen Ye was just joking; after all, who would leave a fragile little fox to guard the gate?

"Don’t make that face; this is a good job."

As Chen Ye spoke, he swiftly tied the other end of the rope securely to the horse post, even making a dead knot,

"Look, the view here is wide, the air is fresh, and you can see the visitors first. Isn’t it great?"

"Purr—!!"

The little white fox was utterly devastated, its four paws flailing in the air, baring its teeth to bite Chen Ye’s hand.

"Pop!"

Chen Ye flicked it on the head, sending it into dizziness, rendering it obedient instantly.

"Behave yourself."

Chen Ye patted its head,

"If you perform well, you’ll get extra food tonight. If not... hmph hmph, I’ll shave your fur off, making you a bald fox!"

The little white fox fearfully covered its tail.

Devil!

This is a complete devil!

"Master, master! Let me do it, let me do it!"

At that moment, Qing Jun, who always loved stirring up trouble, came running over excitedly.

She held a broken bowl of unknown origin and a crooked wooden sign.

"Master, since it’s a gatekeeping fox, it needs the proper gear!"

Qing Jun mischievously put the broken bowl in front of the little white fox, producing a crisp "clang,"

"Here, a bowl for your water."

Then, she hung the wooden sign on the horse post.

Chen Ye squinted to see that on the sign was written in childish, crooked handwriting four big characters—

[Beware the Fierce Fox]

"Poof..."

Chen Ye almost burst out laughing.

This girl is truly something.

"What do you think, Master? Isn’t it majestic?"

Qing Jun asked, seeking praise.

The little girl’s hostility toward the little white fox wasn’t baseless.

Since the little white fox returned,

She didn’t know if it was her vision playing tricks or what, but she kept mistaking the little white fox for a beautiful young girl... Could it be transforming?

Darn it... If it transformed into such a beauty, Master, that lecher, would surely be itching with excitement again.

Therefore,

Astute Qing Jun decided to make the little white fox hate Master before he discovered its true form, saving her future troubles.

"Majestic, absolutely majestic."

Chen Ye gave a thumbs up,

"Qing Jun always thinks things through."

The master and apprentice exchanged a glance, both showing wicked grins.

And the little white fox tethered to the post, looking at the broken bowl in front and then at the sign above, felt its life turn into despair.

No one could understand how wronged the little white fox felt.

In fact,

It was supposed to be a great hero!

If it hadn’t saved that girl named Lin Jin on its way out, it wouldn’t have ended up like this!

It was just unable to voice its woes...

"Master... the little white fox seems to be crying sadly," Zhiwei couldn’t help but glance at the tearful little white fox a few more times, feeling sympathetic.

"Senior Sister! It’s just a little fox, who cares if it’s sad or not." The wicked girl remained cold-hearted.

The master sighed.

Though he didn’t care for the fox, he cared for his disciple.

After a brief thought: "Let’s curb the fox’s temper for now, then have Zhiwei take care of it. After all, this master isn’t in the mood to keep pets."

...

Time flew by.

Unknowingly, another two months passed.

The two disciples visibly grew taller, even Qing Jun’s short legs were almost turning into long legs.

As for Jin’er,

Her cultivation of Cold Flame was going smoothly, and she was preparing for Foundation Establishment; Chen Ye was also considering getting her a good second-tier magical treasure.

After all,

If Jin’er reached Foundation Establishment, it would mean another strong support for Chen Ye.

At the corner of the square outside the Hall of Precepts,

A few disciples who had just finished their practical class sat slumped on the ground, wiping sweat and grimacing as they rubbed the bruises on their bodies.