Chu Shaoye saw that it was not eating and paid it no mind. He carved a large piece of meat from the roasted lizard, placed it on a plate, carefully cut it into small pieces, and handed it to the Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse.
“Eat up. It’s all thanks to Xuebao that we found the herbs. You’ve worked hard.”
Hearing these words, the little fox buried its head even lower, curling its body into a tiny ball, its large eyes brimming with tears.
It was over. It was no longer the Spirit Lord’s favorite Spirit Companion. Its Spirit Lord did not like it anymore.
The more the little fox thought about it, the sadder it became, and it could not help crying. But it did not want Chu Shaoye to hear, so it desperately stifled its sobs, its body trembling.
Seeing it in such a pitiful state, Chu Shaoye could not hold back any longer and went over to pick it up.
Being comforted like this only made the little fox feel even more wronged. Finally unable to endure it, it burst into loud wails. “Wuu wuu, awoo, waaah…”
Chu Shaoye’s brows furrowed tightly. Usually, the little fox’s whimpers when it acted cute were rather adorable, but its crying truly sounded awful.
Thankfully, it was daytime. Otherwise, someone might have thought an evil ghost was wailing in the woods.
He stroked the little fox’s back and brought over the bowl of meat soup. “There is medicine for internal injuries inside. Drink it up, and your wounds will heal quickly.”
The meat soup had cooled considerably and was ready to drink. The little fox choked back its sobs, lowered its head, and took a lick. Its tongue immediately went numb.
It was so bitter! The little fox looked up at Chu Shaoye’s expression. Its master still wore a cold face, so it dared not wheedle for attention or make demands. It obediently drank down the meat soup, one mouthful after another.
Chu Shaoye breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He had finally plugged the little fox’s mouth with meat soup and no longer had to endure that ear-piercing racket.
Once the little fox finished the bowl, Chu Shaoye immediately ladled out another.
The little fox froze. It had thought one bowl would be enough. Was its Spirit Lord looking to punish it in some new way?
Left with no choice, and wishing only to quell Chu Shaoye’s anger, the little fox could only force itself to finish this bowl as well.
Chu Shaoye moved to scoop a third bowl, but the little fox hurriedly pressed its paw against his hand, signaling that it was stuffed.
Chu Shaoye felt its round, bulging belly. It was indeed full. He stored the remaining meat soup in the Black Jade Ring and said coldly, “You will finish the rest tonight.”
The little fox was struck dumb.
Master, it truly knew its mistake now!
Its eyes brimming with tears, the little fox threw itself into Chu Shaoye’s embrace, looking as though it were about to burst into tears once more.
Chu Shaoye reached out and pinched its muzzle shut. “Do you know why I am so angry this time?” This story is hosted at g.com.
The little fox nodded.
Chu Shaoye said, “I am angry, first, because you got carried away and forgot what I cautioned you, leading to severe injury. Second, because you underestimated your opponent and did not take the fight seriously. In battle, the slightest lapse can cost you your life. And third, because…”
The little fox stared in disbelief. Had it truly committed so many wrongs? There was even a third?
“Third, because you showed disregard for life. That Ironhide Lizard was already a spent arrow. You should not have toyed with it or treated its life as your amusement.”
The little fox’s large eyes were filled with confusion. It did not quite understand Chu Shaoye’s meaning.
Chu Shaoye stroked the top of its head. “On the Myriad Spirits Continent, all heed the law that the weak are prey to the strong. Humans kill Spirit Beasts to harvest materials, and Spirit Beasts kill humans to consume their blood and essence. Humans kill humans, and beasts kill beasts. This world is steeped in slaughter, and living creatures survive only through that killing.”
The little fox grew even more bewildered. Was it supposed to kill, or not?
“Yet killing and slaughtering for sport are entirely different matters. I do not forbid you to kill; I forbid you to torment. Do not kill for pleasure, do not relish the thrill of bloodshed, and do not take delight in a dying quarry’s agony. Do you understand?”
The little fox hesitantly nodded, then quickly shook its head.
Chu Shaoye could not help but smile at its reaction. “It is fine if you do not understand just yet. We will experience much together in the days to come, and you will understand soon enough.”
With that, Chu Shaoye recalled the little fox into his Spirit Palace. Nourished by its Spirit Lord’s Spiritual Energy, a Spirit Companion’s injuries would heal much faster.
The Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse had long since finished its own share and was pointing at the lizard on the roasting spit, indicating that it wanted another serving.
Chu Shaoye sliced off another large bowl of meat for it and carved a portion for himself to eat.
In sending the Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse out earlier, he had also intended to test the little creature, and the outcome had pleased him greatly.
All the meat he had fed this little fellow had not gone to waste.
Once the person and mouse were full, Chu Shaoye stowed the remaining roast Ironhide Lizard, more than half of it, into his Storage Bag, intending to feed it to his bottomless pit of a roommate when he returned that evening.
The Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse was unwilling to return to the Beast Holding Pouch, so Chu Shaoye let it play nearby while he took out the manual Ji Yuntong had given him and began to read.
The book was well suited to beginners. Its opening chapter detailed how a Spirit Lord should cultivate after summoning their Natal Spirit Beast.
Once a Spirit Lord summoned their Natal Spirit Beast for the first time, they gained the ability to sense Spiritual Qi, and the Spiritual Qi within their body would naturally begin to circulate.
Whether summoning a Spirit Companion, contracting a Spirit Beast, or activating Spirit Artifacts such as a Storage Bag, all required the empowerment of Spiritual Energy.
Yet if one relied solely on that passive internal circulation of Spiritual Qi, they might remain stuck at Tier One for their entire life.
Chu Wangshan was a prime example. He was already middle-aged, yet remained at Tier One, hardly qualifying as a true Spirit Lord.
If a Spirit Lord made no progress over long periods or advanced too slowly, their Spirit Beasts’ growth would likewise slow.
Furthermore, if a Spirit Lord could not match their Spirit Companion’s rate of progress and the Spirit Companion exceeded them by a tier or more, the master was prone to suffering violent backlash.
In truth, a considerable number of Spirit Beasts did not enter contracts willingly. If a Spirit Lord lacked the strength to suppress them, the beasts would forcibly tear the bond asunder to reclaim their freedom. The Spirit Lord would suffer grievous harm in return, ranging from regression in cultivation tier to outright death.
Shuangyue had recounted these matters to Chu Shaoye in the past. He gave the passages a swift scan and turned to the pages that followed.
The method Spirit Lords used to cultivate was the Spirit Cultivation Method, drawing the ambient Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth into their bodies to join their internal circulation, thereby refining it into their own strength.
Chu Shaoye read with great care. This manual had apparently been used by Ji Yuntong, as it was annotated with insights from her own studies, which proved immensely helpful.
Shuangyue had taught him many things, but being a Spirit Beast, he knew little of the human path of cultivation and could offer Chu Shaoye no guidance in that realm.
Having finished reading, Chu Shaoye began cultivating according to the instructions.
Spirit Lords required no specific posture to absorb Spiritual Qi. So long as one remained calm and composed, capable of drawing the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth into the body, it was enough.
Committing the cultivation chants to memory, Chu Shaoye drew Thousand Stars and began running through a set of blade forms. In truth, they hardly counted as a refined martial art, consisting merely of practical movements Chu Shaoye had devised on his own while hunting.
As the Spirit Cultivation Method circulated within him, his slowly cycling Spiritual Energy was stirred into motion. Chu Shaoye channeled it into Thousand Stars, giving the already gleaming blade an even sharper edge.
With his Spiritual Qi circulating faster, his body felt considerably lighter. Chu Shaoye swung his blade with mounting speed, Thousand Stars leaving afterimages suspended in the air, its starlight shimmering.
Gradually, the Spiritual Energy within his body dwindled until it seemed on the verge of giving out, yet Chu Shaoye did not cease his movements.
The verses of the Spirit Cultivation Method he had just studied drifted through his mind one after another. Everything fell into place as smoothly as water flowing into a channel. Chu Shaoye naturally perceived the Spiritual Energy in the air, and the Spiritual Qi within a radius of twenty meters converged into currents that surged toward him.
Chu Shaoye possessed only the strength of Tier One at present, and his physical body was not yet sturdy enough to endure such a massive influx of Spiritual Energy. His Meridians began to throb with faint pain.
To prevent the Spiritual Energy from rupturing his body, he had no choice but to wield the blade with even greater speed, accelerating the consumption of Spiritual Energy from within.
Constantly absorbing Spiritual Energy while continuously expending it, the reserve coursing through Chu Shaoye’s body grew ever greater until it finally reached a breakthrough threshold.
An unseen barrier gave way with a soft pop, and a torrent of Spiritual Energy as thick as an arm surged into Chu Shaoye’s frame, fusing into his very being.
Tier Two!
Chu Shaoye fell onto his back, panting heavily. He had practiced his blade forms for two full shichen. Under the soothing nourishment of Spiritual Qi, his utterly exhausted body was swept by a pleasant numbness mingled with deep aches.
The Golden-Striped Treasure-Seeking Mouse scurried over and nudged his cheek with its little paw.
Chu Shaoye scooped it up and planted a kiss near its face. “Xuebao, do you know what it feels like to be strong?”
Though he was merely at Tier Two, the Spiritual Energy within him had expanded more than tenfold. More importantly, he was now capable of contracting a second Spirit Companion!