Both the Long-Tailed Pheasant and the little fox were Tier One Spirit Beasts. Although the little fox held a slight advantage in species bloodline, it was still only a cub, whereas the Long-Tailed Pheasant was fully grown. It should not have been brought down so easily.
By this time, the little fox was already trotting over with its trophy clamped in its jaws. Its chest was puffed out and its tail held high, looking thoroughly pleased with itself.
However, the Long-Tailed Pheasant’s tail feathers were so long that even held high, they dragged along the ground, trailing between the fox’s legs and making its proud stride look utterly comical.
Suppressing a laugh, Chu Shaoye reached down and took the pheasant, giving the little fox an approving pat on the head. “Well done, Xuewu. Dinner is taken care of tonight.”
Carrying the Long-Tailed Pheasant in one hand and cradling the little fox in the other, Chu Shaoye headed back into the cave.
He drew Thousand Stars to dress the game bird. Xuewu’s swipe had torn through the pheasant’s neck, leaving the head hanging by only a thin shred of skin.
If Chu Shaoye had seen correctly earlier, that strike was no ordinary swipe. The cub had unleashed a true skill—Claw Strike, a technique common to many beast species.
Barely six full days had passed since he summoned the little fox into the world. To learn a skill on its own without any training was nothing short of extraordinary talent.
Perhaps the cub truly did have the potential to break through into a high-tier Spirit Beast. The thought lifted Chu Shaoye’s spirits even further. He skewered the cleaned Long-Tailed Pheasant onto a wooden branch, rubbed it with seasonings to let the flavors seep in, and set it over the fire to roast.
The aroma of roasting meat drifted through the cave. The little fox crouched right beside the fire pit, its eyes glued to the sizzling meat while a glistening thread of drool escaped the corner of its mouth.
Chu Shaoye chuckled and tapped its nose. “It’ll be done in a moment. Be patient a little longer.”
Once the bird was roasted to a crisp, golden brown, Chu Shaoye lifted the skewer away from the flames. He tore off a drumstick, set it on a clean leaf, and nudged it toward the little fox.
“It’s still scalding hot. Take it slow.”
Unable to resist the roast bird, the cub leaned in and took a quick lick, only to yelp at the heat.
Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Chu Shaoye tore the meat into thin shreds and blew on them gently. Only after the pieces had cooled did he push them over to the greedy creature.
The little fox had already been stamping its paws in sheer impatience. It immediately plunged its snout into the food, pressing its entire face against the leaf. Standing still was not enough to contain its excitement—it even spun in tight little circles while chewing.
Watching its eager appetite, Chu Shaoye chuckled. “You don’t act like a fox at all. You’re more like a greedy kitten.”
The first drumstick vanished in no time. Chu Shaoye tore off the other leg and offered it, as the meat was now cool enough to eat directly.
The little fox hesitated for a moment. Then, with great effort, it tore its gaze away from the meat and used a front paw to gently push Chu Shaoye’s wrist.
The little fox nodded vigorously.
A warm feeling rose in Chu Shaoye’s chest, yet he gently set the drumstick back in front of the cub, offering encouragement. “Eat up. Good food will help you grow faster. Once you’re big and formidable, you can hunt down even bigger prey, and we can feast on all the roasted meat we want.”
The little fox’s eyes sparkled at his words. Its Spirit Lord was right! It had to grow stronger and catch more prey so its Spirit Lord could roast them for both of them to share!
As the little fox happily devoured the second leg, Chu Shaoye ate the wings and the breast. Because the Long-Tailed Pheasant was a Spirit Beast, its meat lacked the dryness of a common domestic fowl, proving tender and savory.
Engrossed in their meal, neither human nor fox noticed a pair of eyes the size of mung beans watching them intently from the grass a dozen or so meters away.
They were unmistakably the eyes of a beast, full of longing.
Together, the boy and the cub stripped the roasted bird down to clean bone. Chu Shaoye dug a shallow pit near the cave mouth and buried the food scraps.
After clearing the mess, he retrieved a set of bedding from the Black Jade Ring, laid it neatly upon the ground, and drifted off to sleep with the little fox curled in his embrace.
The cave sat near the official post road, where wild beasts rarely roamed, let alone higher-ranking Spirit Beasts. Chu Shaoye had little cause to worry about danger during a simple night in the open.
Deep in the night, with the moon hanging at its zenith and Chu Shaoye sound asleep, he felt a paw nudging him insistently. He opened his eyes, about to ask what was wrong, but a soft little paw clamped down firmly over his mouth.
The fox’s large ears twitched, directing Chu Shaoye’s gaze toward the mouth of the cave.
It looked comically furtive, its little fox face full of expression.
Amused as he was, Chu Shaoye did not disregard the warning.
He peered toward the entrance. The fire had burned down to cold ashes, and drifting clouds veiled the moon, plunging the cave mouth into heavy shadow.
Fortunately, the night was dead silent. Focusing his senses, Chu Shaoye soon caught a faint rustling in the dark.
Judging by the modest noise, it was likely a harmless small wild animal or Spirit Beast. Still, if it posed no danger, the little fox would not have bothered to wake him.
After a brief thought, Chu Shaoye decided to see what had crept inside. So as not to spook their uninvited guest, he put the bedding straight back into the Black Jade Ring.
Muffling his steps, Chu Shaoye slipped quietly toward the entrance with the fox at his side. Right at that moment, the moon broke free of the cloud cover, casting silvery light across the ground and revealing the intruder in plain view.
A round ball of fluff was clutching a chicken bone, gnawing away with absolute delight. The shallow pit where Chu Shaoye had buried the leftovers was thoroughly dug up and scattered in disarray. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
The furry creature was pure snow-white and no larger than a clenched fist. Clasping the bone in its stubby forelegs and chewing merrily, it looked for all the world like a common wild hamster.
Seeing that it was merely such a tiny thing, Chu Shaoye could not help letting out a soft yawn, ready to turn back and finish his sleep.
The sound of the yawn gave the little hamster a fright. Realizing it had been spotted, it sprang up, clung tightly to the bone, and bolted.
Having anticipated the move, the little fox brought a paw down, swatting the creature back and pinning it by its soft belly.
Seeing no path of escape, the hamster instantly released the bone and flattened itself like a pancake, playing dead.
The little fox let out a couple of low yips toward Chu Shaoye, picked up the limp hamster in its jaws, trotted over to the cold fire pit, and tossed the creature into the ashes.
The snow-white puffball rolled through the gray soot, coating itself into a speckled sesame dumpling, but it stubbornly kept playing dead.
Chu Shaoye understood the gesture immediately. The little fox wanted him to roast the hamster for a midnight snack.
Walking over, he patted the fox’s still-bloated belly and reasoned in a quiet murmur, “Gorging yourself late at night is bad for you. Besides, a hamster has barely a mouthful of meat. Let it go. Tomorrow I’ll hunt a proper beast and roast it for you.”
The little fox smacked its lips. How could they let food go to waste? However small, meat was still meat! More importantly, this little thing smelled delicious, even better than tonight’s roasted Long-Tailed Pheasant.
Taking advantage of the exchange between the boy and fox, the hamster cautiously cracked one eyelid open. Seeing that neither was looking its way, it scrambled up and bolted toward the mouth of the cave with astonishing speed.
The little fox darted after it at once. Tiny as the hamster was, it moved astonishingly fast, like a rolling ball.
Only then did Chu Shaoye notice that along the creature’s back ran a distinct layer of silver-gray fur, shimmering faintly beneath the moonlight.
Seeing the distance widening, the little fox lashed out directly with a Claw Strike.
Sensing the sharp gale bearing down from behind, the hamster tucked its head, curled into a tight ball, and rolled to one side.
The Claw Strike hit the ground, leaving three cracks a finger deep.
Though the hamster had evaded the lethal blow, it had lost its chance to escape. The fox cornered it, leaving it trembling with fear.
Chu Shaoye let out a soft murmur of surprise. This hamster possessed remarkable skill. Even the adult Tier One Long-Tailed Pheasant had fallen swiftly beneath Xuewu’s Claw Strike earlier that day, yet this seemingly ordinary little creature had actually managed to dodge it!