Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

”That would appear to be the case.” Mei nodded gently. She knew what she would do if Aiko was in danger.

”How much time do you need?” Mei asked softly.

”I don’t know.” Aiko shook her head. The Darkness didn’t tell her how long it would take.

”Very well, but if something happens you know it will not end up with just scolding, right?” Mei had such a serious expression that Aiko gulped.

”It will be fine.” Aiko was convinced that Darkness would not lie to her.

Mei kept her expression but nodded. ”If something happens, you will have your ass handed to you, so keep that in mind while you work on it.”

”Of course!” Aiko kept nodding like a broken doll.

Mei sighed. ”I really mean it. I won’t protect you this time if you do something wrong.” While she would indulge Aiko, everything had limits.

”Everything will be alright!” Aiko believed in herself.

Mei sighed. ”How stubborn.” She shook her head before agreeing.

...

”Phew.” Old Ming wiped the sweat. It took him some time to convince his partner to sleep.

Cultivators normally didn’t need to sleep, especially once they reached higher stages, but his wife was different.

She was too weak without sleeping and eating, so he was cooking her plenty of Spiritual Foods to keep her healthy.

”So tired.” Old Ming sighed.

”Are you alright?” Mei asked as she came closer to him. The sooner they fix this issue, the sooner Aiko will be more obedient.

Old Ming was always an amazing cook and if he offered Aiko some Food, she would definitely settle down and cause less trouble.

Meanwhile, Aiko sneaked away from them as Old Ming was too tired to notice anything.

”I’m fine, I think?” Old Ming chuckled to himself and went back to the table. ”More tea?”

”Let’s finish this one first. Let’s not be wasteful.” Mei narrowed his eyes.

”At least something didn’t change about you.” He laughed.

”That’s only natural.” Mei smirked. ”Since you Humans don’t care about nature, we need to protect it.”

”Even when most of the destruction caused comes back to Beasts’ doing?” Old Ming bickered back.

...

Aiko sneaked around the house, but thanks to the Darkness, she was able to locate her quickly.

Ming Xiuying was lying on her bed, sweating buckets. It seems like her condition was not the best and only acted fine in front of them.

This would explain so many things and why she was acting so cheerful before.

’Pity is a poison.’ Aiko sighed as [Little Nightmares] appeared behind her. Her tails might be in a weakened state, but she still believed them.

’There will be no problem.’ The Darkness reassured her.

-----

”Mei...” Old Ming’s hand slowly turned into a fist. ”I... I won’t forgive you if something happens to her.”

”I know.” Mei nodded. She didn’t expect him to be so sensitive.

”The moment her life force thins slightly, I’m rushing over.” Old Ming didn’t want to lose Ming Xiuying either.

”I will help you with that.” Mei didn’t try to stop him.

”...” Old Ming shut his eyes. ”Why?”

”Because I believe in her. She might have her weaknesses, but she would never harm beings around her.” Mei shrugged.

”...” The life force just thinned and Old Ming opened his eyes.

”Let’s go.” Mei already stood up. If something happened, she would beat up Aiko for this...

Is what they both believed.

-----

”Got damn bastard, let go already!”

”Fuck you! You whoring Fox!”

Old Ming and Mei blinked blankly. What was unfolding in front of them was too surreal.

Aiko noticed the presence behind her and snapped her head towards them.

The current situation was quite... compromising.

Ming Xiuying’s stomach was heavily inflated with purple-black runes and from it there Aiko was pulling something sinister, something that shouldn’t exist.

It was not quite a ghost, but something similar to it.

Ming Xiuying was in pain and didn’t look well. Meanwhile, Aiko kept pulling on that black ghost.

”Mei! Right timing!” Aiko smiled while her own body was burning. ”This bastard attached a wisp to her Soul, can you separate them please?” She pleaded with Mei.

Mei glanced at Old Ming who was rubbing his eyes in disbelief.

”What is that?” Old Ming pointed at the black ghost.

”I’m the Immortal Fiendish Emperor! Bow before me, you peasa- AGH!” The black ghost was trying to make his name known, but that shitty fox munched on him!

”Stop eating me, you slut!” The Immortal Fiendish Emperor yelled.

”There are too many of you! Just die already, old fossil!” Aiko yelled back.

Old Ming’s expression hardened. It felt like he understood what was happening.

”May I?” Mei asked him softly.

”Please save my Xiuying.” Old Ming groaned weakly.

”As you wish.” Mei got close to Aiko. ”Can you pull that thing more, so that part of her Soul shows.”

”Isn’t that dangerous?” The reason Aiko didn’t continue was because she worried that she would separate her Soul from her body. She would definitely get scolded for that!

”It’s fine when I’m around.” Mei smiled smugly.

”Pocket Mei.” Aiko whispered before munching at the black ghost again. This guy was too tough and she was unable to rip him apart.

Mei shot a glare at Aiko and she flinched, also pulling both of their Souls out.

”Keep it like this.” Mei massaged her forehead. She almost caused a disaster.

”Yes, ma’am!” Aiko was too scared of Mei in the current situation.

The Black Ghost was attached to the pure White Ghost. One was roaring while the other was quietly crying.

Mei was exceptionally skilled at handling Souls, so separating those two were easy. Those black Runes on Ming Xiuying would be the main issue.

Mei was somewhat skilled in Inscriptions and Arrays, but it was not enough to understand it completely.

She first separated those two Souls, so that Ming Xiuying wouldn’t need to suffer any longer.

When she did that, Aiko rolled backwards. This was a small part of the scolding that Aiko would receive.

”I will now repair her Soul from his invasion.” Mei narrated her work in order to calm down Old Ming.

Old Ming came closer to Ming Xiuying. She didn’t look all that good which broke his heart.

He already had to battle with himself when he saw her sleeping in pain.

”I will take this guy out, so you have more room.” Aiko thrashed around inside this room since this shithead was too slippery for her.

”Do you know anything about these Runes?” Mei asked Aiko, which shocked Old Ming.

”Ah!” Ming Xiuying suddenly yelled out as her stomach kept inflating.

”Hahahahaha! You bastards! This is what you get for messing with this Emperor!” The black ghost laughed haughtily.

’Connect the 3rd and 5th Rune and solve the rest later.’ Aiko commanded the Darkness as she rolled her eyes at the ghost.

Aiko’s [Little Nightmare] blurred and sliced Ming Xiuying’s stomach, shocking both of them.

”What are you doing?!” Old Ming roared, but was stopped by Mei.

”Sorry, sorry, can’t explain this quickly enough without her stomach blowing up.” Aiko apologized as she bumped into the walls due to this bastard resisting. ”I will keep this guy here and he will explain everything.” She thrashed herself out of the room.

”...” Old Ming glared at Mei and the Beast attached to Aiko.

”Don’t stare at me like that.” The tail sighed, startling both of them.

”You can talk?” Mei narrowed her eyes.

”Let’s talk about that later. Princess ordered me to help.” The tail sighed again. She couldn’t understand why she should help such lowly Mortals.

”And before you glare at me again, it’s a superficial wound that will close within a few moments once she circulates her energy. It was important to connect those two Runes with her blood, since the Forbidden Runes are connected with Ink. Blood is always more powerful since it hosts your Vitality.” The tail kept overwhelming them with her speech. ”And no, she is not using her Vitality, it’s just a connection since the Ink is too old to hold all that much power. Yes, she will be fine and no, you can’t help me. Any other questions will be answered later. We clear? Cool.”

The Little Nightmare sliced her stomach a few times and Ming Xiuying suddenly relaxed.

It felt like she went into peaceful sleep and Old Ming’s eyes quivered at the sight.

”I... will be going now.” The tail suddenly said and disappeared.

Mei and Old Ming had too many questions, but it might be better to not know.

Mei slowly tidied her Soul in front of him.

”Mei...” Ming Xiuying suddenly woke up.

”Please don’t move. It will be finished soon.” Mei said gently. She really couldn’t afford to be distracted by her.

”Mhm.” Ming Xiuying hummed. ”Qian.”

”I’m here.” Old Ming grabbed her weak hand.

”I feel better, so don’t make that face.” Ming Xiuying smiled gently.

”There is so much I want to experience with you...” Old Ming was crying.

The pair had this heart-warming moment when...

*Crash**Boom**Crash*

”Bastard!”

”Whore!”

”Come here!”

”Get away from me!”

*Boom**Crash*

Mei’s lips twitched. ”I’m sorry-” She was red in the face from Aiko’s behaviour and she was even interrupted by Aiko again.

*Boom**Crash*

”HAHA! WHO IS A WHORE NOW BASTARD! TASTE THE POWER OF MY POLES!”

”FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK- HA! YOU SLUT THAT WENT RIGHT THROUGH ME!”

Everyone heard a loud click of a tongue.

”I should’ve upgraded my poles for bastards like you!”

”HAHAHAH! WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW YOU SLUT!? AGHHHHHHHH! STOP BURNING ME!”

”BUUUUUURN YOU FUCKEEEEEEEEER! AND TO FINISH IT OFF! AIKO’S SECRET TECHNIQUE: FINAL FISTING!”

”AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

The last part was said so seriously that Mei wanted to storm at Aiko and whip her butt.

”Pft.” Ming Xiuying was trying her best to hold in her laughter, but she couldn’t bear it and burst out with cheerful laughter.

Old Ming smiled gently. It was a long time since he saw her laugh like this.

”I told you not to move.” Mei was like a tomato and vowed to teach Aiko properly the next time. If Aiko did this in public... she wouldn’t be able to live this through due to shame!

”I’m sorry.” Ming Xiuying giggled at the completely red-faced Mei.