The Prideful Fox and Last Minute Preparations

Yu Tian's bottom was now red from Li Mei Ling's wrath. He curled up pitifully on the bed, sulking unhappily.

His mother, having sated her anger, turned her attention back to the fox. "So you want to tell me where you were today? Also, where did you find this fox?"

A basin of lukewarm water was filled about halfway. Li Mei Ling used a rag and gently wiped at the fox's dirty yellow fur, which slowly turned to a beautiful gold under the dim candlelight.

Examining that the little fox was clean, she handed it to her son. "It's a female."

Yu Tian's eyes flickered in thought. He didn't want to tell the full truth and worry his mother, because he was scared she might lock him inside and never let him out again.

"I was exploring and came upon a green wolf that was bullying this fox." Yu Tian explained, holding the fox.

He gently spooned some meat paste into her mouth, which the demonic beast subconsciously swallowed. "It took a long time, but I managed to kill it with a dagger and take this meat from it."

"A green wolf? Isn't that a Rank 1 demonic beast?" Li Mei Ling's eyes widened. She grabbed onto her son's shoulders, shaking him violently. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"It was already wounded." Yu Tian stuttered helplessly as his mother began to strip him naked, worried that he was hurt. "I'm fine mother."

His eyes narrowed in thought as Li Mei Ling checked all over him. When Yu Tian fought against those green wolves, that feminine figure appeared in his memory, but he could not recollect who she was or anything else about her.

Yu Tian felt suspicious. There were just too many blank pieces in his memories from his past life that he couldn't recall, but right now the former god couldn't do anything about it.

Seeing that he had no injuries, Li Mei Ling sighed in relief. She observed Yu Tian closely, grabbing onto his small hands. "I'm proud that you're able to kill the green wolf, but don't do anything so rash by yourself again, alright?"

Looking into her eyes, which were now a bit teary due to how worried she was for him, Yu Tian lowered his head in shame. His nose was slightly burning.

He was a bit confused as to what he was currently feeling, but he still nodded apologetically to her. "I'm sorry."

Li Mei Ling hugged Yu Tian tight, stroking his dark hair softly. "Good son."

The former god was stunned when the wetness rolled down his cheeks. As a child in his past life, he has long stopped crying from a young age.

Even after living for so long, and being through so much. In Li Mei Ling's warm embrace, Yu Tian was as helpless as a baby.

Soon, the comfort was too much for Yu Tian as his guard gradually lowered. Eyes closing slowly, the former god drifted off into sleep in the arms of his mother, a soft smile on his lips.

Seeing this, Li Mei Ling couldn't help but smile at her adorable child. She gently helped him and the little fox into the covers, kissing his head softly. "Mother will always love you, my baby."

Her son was only 7 years old, and yet he was already so smart and mature in so many areas. Li Mei Ling had thought Yu Tian's talent in cultivation was only average, but she was thankful that Master Long had revealed that he had the Divine War Physique.

She truly believed that Yu Tian will soar to the skies one day. Maybe that day will also be when their family could finally reunite.

"Ling Tian, your son and I are waiting for you." Li Mei Ling whispered wistfully.

...

It was really warm and snug. The fox thought that she was back in the embrace of her parents again, before that night of betrayal.

"Mom... Dad..." She nuzzled happily at the warmth, tears pouring out again. "I miss you guys so much..."

Even if she died, she was happy to be reunited with them. The only regret the fox had was not being able to get revenge for her mother and father.

"Em?" Her face was brushing against something soft and not too big. However, it began to turn stiff, poking against her cheek.

The fox opened her eyes, which were the beautiful colour of clear amethyst, confused at the weird bump she was seeing in front of her. She raised both paws and began to rub it curiously.

Yu Tian found something warm and soft brushing against his little brother. It was the early morning and he was still tired from his excursion the day before, yet something was teasing him down there.

He stiffened a moan as his eyes shot open, awake and alert. Lifting his covers, Yu Tian and the fox's gazes met one another.

"Ahh!" The fox screamed, startling Yu Tian.

Both fox and boy jumped out of the bed, with the demonic beast being embarrassed and angry while Yu Tian did so out of wariness.

The fox was horrified to know that she had been touching a boy's... A human boy's thing. Soon, her horror turned to anger as she snarled and prepared to tear Yu Tian's throat out.

Even though the fox couldn't talk, Yu Tian felt the fox was rather human-like in her behaviour. He raised his hands up defensively. "Hey, I was the one who saved you. You wouldn't return kindness with enmity right?"

Growling, the fox didn't let down her guard. She was still cooling down from the rather embarrassing moment, and remembered how dangerous this little boy in front of him was.

"Better to be safe than sorry." She thought. Her strength has already recovered to 75% of her peak, and the demonic beast planned to run away after killing him.

Yu Tian was prepared when the fox suddenly lunged at him with lightning-fast speed. Flipping over the tea table in his room, he managed to barely dodge her fangs and claws that were aiming for his throat.

His eyes turned cold when he realized the little fox was actually a Rank 2 demonic beast. Yu Tian could sense the control of Qi in her movements and attacks.

If this cute little fox was so determined in trying to kill him, then Yu Tian also wouldn't show any mercy back. He instinctively went into a fighting stance, preparing to kill.

The demonic beast snarled, charging at him again.

"Meow!" A familiar sound rang in his ears.

"Qiu Xue?" Yu Tian was stunned when she suddenly hopped out of his body and stood between him and the fox.

Seeing the kitten suddenly appear between them, the little fox stopped her attack and jumped back cautiously.

The fox stared into Qiu Xue's deep sapphire eyes and suddenly stiffened.

The golden fox bloodline was considered royalty among the demonic beasts. Her parents were also former rulers in part of the Aoki Forest, dividing the Holy Qilin Empire and the Sun Nation as demonic beast territory.

Yet in front of this martial spirit, she felt as if her entire existence was being suppressed by a higher lifeform.

Yu Tian noticed the change in expression and watched curiously as the demonic beast started taking a few steps back in terror. The fox was lowering her head towards Qiu Xue submissively, who casually licked her paws.

Seeing everything was now under control, Qiu Xue leapt back into Yu Tian's arms and purred. The former god picked his martial spirit up and examined her with a weird look.

Qiu Xue merely looked back at him innocently, causing Yu Tian to sigh. Giving her a gentle nuzzle, he placed the kitten onto his shoulder and walked towards the little fox, who was now curled up into a ball and trembling slightly.

Feeling that she was rather pitiful, Yu Tian stretched out a hand and began to slowly stroke the fox's sleek, golden fur. The demonic beast flinched at his touch and trembled even more, but eventually, her shaking slowly stopped.

Yu Tian noticed that the little fox had fallen asleep again. Picking her up, he gently tucked her into his bed and went to check on his wolf pelts.

...

The days quickly passed in the week, and soon the tournament was only a day away. During this time, Yu Tian went back to his old hobbies of reading in the clan library or taking walks in his backyard.

However, he didn't go too far in order to spend more time with the little fox. Yu Tian wanted her to warm up to him, but he was also being very careful because she was a Rank 2 demonic beast.

The former god had to keep a close eye on her or she might cause massive trouble. Aside from him and his mother, no one else in the clan knew about the demonic beast's existence.

"Zi Jin~" Yu Tian called out affectionately.

The little fox was curled up in an isolated corner of the Li clan's backyard, enjoying the sunlight. Her lips curled in annoyance when she heard Yu Tian call the name he gave her.

The demonic beast already had a name, it's just that her cultivation was too low right now and she lacked the capability to produce human speech. The fox would rather be buried alive than take a new name aside from the one her parents gave her.

"There you are, Zi Jin." Yu Tian stretched out a hand, attempting to stroke her beautiful golden fur.

Giving Yu Tian a look of disdain, "Zi Jin" huffed and dodged his hand, running to a slightly farther area to lick and groom her coat. The former god awkwardly retracted his outstretched hand and squatted down nearby to watch her.

Aside from the small quarry that Yu Tian brought back on his trips, the little fox usually avoided him during the day. Even during night time, she wouldn't sleep in the same bed as him, and would rather curl up outside in the cold night.

Yu Tian could only helplessly lay out a cushion under his bed for her.

The demonic beast certainly had a little princess attitude, but Yu Tian hoped to win her over slowly with kindness. He was depressed to see that the fox was super affectionate and gentle with his mother whenever they met, while he hasn't managed to touch her since.

"Oh yeah, the tournament is tomorrow." Yu Tian remembered. Sighing, he got into a lotus position and began to cultivate, hoping to push his levels a bit higher.

Li Mei Ling hadn't asked him about his current cultivation, but if he made no progress, it would definitely upset and anger her if she found out. At the very least, tomorrow he'll try to get second or third place to satisfy his mother's expectations.

Seeing the little boy cultivate, the fox's bored amethyst eyes suddenly widened in shock when she felt massive pressure around her.

There was no wind, no violence. However, anyone who cultivated could feel the surrounding Qi was being pulled in like a vortex, with Yu Tian in the centre absorbing it all greedily.

"This human is not normal..." She thought while continuing to observe him, her features now being one of half curiosity and half fear.

...

"Shit. Only the fifth level." Yu Tian whined internally.

Today is the day that the clan tournament begins. Yu Tian was lined up with all the other children of the Li clan who could cultivate and were 10 or under.

All of them were behind a large, circular stage. The clan elders sat close to the stage, while Li You Zi, Li Chang, and Li Cheung sat the closest to the front.

There were also some other old men that Yu Tian didn't recognize, but they had the privilege to sit beside the patriarch and the grand elders. The former god assumed them to be important figures, possibly from the other clans.

He recognized one of them to be the patriarch of the Shan family, dressed in a brown and gold robe with near-white hair. Yu Tian thought the others could be members from the remaining two families that governed Stardust City, the Yun and Sima clan.

The other members of the Li family stood or sat behind them, not being granted the wooden chairs to sit on while watching the competition. However, there were still stone benches around the yard that the branch families were able to share.

"Yu Tian!" His mother waved from one of these benches. "Do your best!"

Yu Tian felt embarrassed when he saw Li Mei Ling enthusiastically cheering for him on the sidelines, calling his name. Most of the other family members were giving their usual looks of disapproval or scorn, while the others paid them no attention.

He spent the entire day yesterday cultivating, only managing to go from the second level to the fifth level. To the former God of War, this was rather embarrassing since he found the speed to be too slow.

...

The little fox was spying on the competition from a tree, thanks to her sharp eyesight. There was fear in her amethyst eyes when she looked at Yu Tian.

Most people spent weeks or months ascending 1 level. Even though Yu Tian was currently a bottom rank Qi Novice, breaking through 3 levels in the span of less than 24 hours was completely absurd.

To her, this little boy was the most talented human she was ever seen. The day they had met he fought like a true master with techniques she has never seen before, and his cultivation talent was also abnormal.

She shuddered, remembering his martial spirit. With her keen sense of hearing, she learned that Yu Tian's martial spirit was of the lowest tier thanks to all of the Li clan's gossiping servants and family members.

Thinking of that overwhelming pressure again, the little fox truly doubted the claims. Both the human and his martial spirit were anomalies.

The little fox was worried that when Yu Tian grew up, he could become one of the greatest enemies to the demonic beast race.

...

"The rules are simple. Incapacitating or knocking your opponent out of the stage is your victory!" One of the elders of the Li clan announced loudly.

"Round 1 first match!" The elder called out. "Li Yu Tian versus Li Gang!"

"Already?" Yu Tian was surprised he was going first but stepped onto the stage nonetheless.