Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

”Don’t look at me like that.” Chen Shi didn’t like how Aiko looked at him.

”So there is no Treasure or anything we can use?” Moon Aiko blinked her eyes at him.

”No.” Chen Shi shook his head. ”Most of the precious Treasures were destroyed, so we don’t have all that many of them.”

”And the rest has a low durability, right?” Moon Aiko frowned.

”Unfortunately, the new age didn’t bring any kind of improvement when it came to treasure making.” Chen Shi sighed.

”It even made it worse.” Moon Aiko nodded her head.

”En.” Chen Shi nodded his head. ”It’s not like there is no remedy, but it depends on the skill of the Fox.” He caressed his chin.

”Runes?” Moon Aiko blinked.

”Right.” Chen Shi nodded his head. If it were not for Aiko’s personality, she would be a transcendental genius!

”So similar to what I have on my back?” Moon Aiko nodded her head.

”Yes, but the problem is that once the Soul leaves the body, the Rune is not maintained.” Chen Shi shook his head.

”No, we can’t directly write on their skins.” Chen Shi immediately cut off Aiko when she raised her hand.

”You are getting better at reading others.” Moon Aiko’s face twitched. It felt like she was being shut down way too often!

”I have to do that, or you will come up with something crazy again.” Chen Shi snorted at her.

”Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Moon Aiko clicked her tongue several times. ”You should be happy that I can come up with something new!” She pouted again.

”...” Chen Shi was not impressed.

”Fine, fine. I will be going to the workshop again.” Moon Aiko waved her hands.

”What will you do there?” Chen Shi already dreaded that outcome.

”Mixing metals.” Moon Aiko walked out with Danji just behind her.

”Seriously...” Chen Shi could only crumble alone in the room...

...

”Mixing metals?” Danji asked once outside.

”The Demonic Disc is not perfected yet, so we will mix different metals together and force them to combine.” Moon Aiko gestured.

”That will take a lot of time.” Danji frowned.

”That’s where you come in.” Moon Aiko pointed at her.

”Me?” Danji was startled. ”I don’t know anything about the mixing.” She awkwardly smiled.

”That doesn’t matter. You will look over the reactions and record them. If you see any kind of change, like a change in colour or complete absorption, you will write it down so that we can use it later.” Moon Aiko explained.

”But what about the minute details?” Danji pursed her lips. She knew that she was not as good as Aiko when it came to observing things, especially involving metal.

”I will check the rest later, but we will bring the findings to Chen Shi so he can’t test things out.” Moon Aiko smiled.

”I see, the first findings will be sent over so that some of the work is offloaded, while you work on the things that I can’t do or see.” Danji nodded her head.

”Will he cooperate?” Danji was worried, since it felt like Chen Shi was already fed up with them.

”It will be fine.” Moon Aiko smiled. ”He might look like that, but he is very cooperative.”

”What makes you say that?” Danji was curious what she had overlooked.

”I’m not sure. It’s just a feeling.” Moon Aiko paused. ”Or maybe because I’m holding Yue hostage?” She giggled, obviously not meaning any of that.

Danji rolled her eyes. ”Is it fun when you make fun of me?”

”No. Your reactions are not remotely cute.” Moon Aiko pouted.

”While you are the cutest.” Danji pinched Aiko’s cheeks.

”What’s up with everyone and my cheeks?” Moon Aiko rubbed them aggrievedly.

”They are nice and squishy~” Danji smiled happily.

”There is nothing nice or squishy about them.” Moon Aiko ’glared’ at her.

”Most would not think so.” Danji giggled.

”Most would be damned!” Moon Aiko snorted unhappily.

...

Inside the temporary workshop. Aiko pulled out the borrowed metals.

”First, I will make them into very small beads, but big enough that you won’t lose count. Then I will apply heat and try to mash them together. Moon Aiko nodded her head.

”How many combinations would that make...” Danji pursed her lips.

”If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to.” Moon Aiko wouldn’t force her, since this would be tedious work.

”No, I want to help you.” Danji smiled wryly. It would definitely be hard work, but it should help Aiko to rest more.

”Then let’s get to it so we can finish this quickly.” Moon Aiko gave a light peck on the cheek before floating the different metals.

...

A few days passed again, and Moon Aiko yawned.

”You can deliver those notes and metals, and have a rest. I will finish the rest.” Moon Aiko yawned again.

”No.” Danji yawned too. This was a lot more exhausting than she expected.

She grabbed Aiko and dragged her into bed, where she didn’t let her leave until she closed her eyes...

...

Another day, another work.

While Danji went to meet Chen Shi, Moon Aiko worked through all those metals slowly.

”Does this one need a higher temperature?” Moon Aiko blinked her eyes. While heating them up was enough for them to combine, it required a higher temperature than she expected.

”But what if I vaporise it by accident?” Moon Aiko frowned and groaned.

”What’s wrong this time?” Grandpa Flame chuckled.

”The metals combine at different temperatures.” Moon Aiko unhappily groaned. This would require a lot more finesse than she wanted to admit.

”Sounds tough.” Grandpa Flame nodded.

”How am I supposed to know the temperature is enough without completely vaporising it?” Moon Aiko pondered, but she couldn’t think of anything.

”Experience.” Grandpa Flame nodded, like he was convinced about this.

”You are not helping.” Moon Aiko rolled her eyes in annoyance.

”But it’s the truth.” He shrugged. ”You will ruin materials one way or another, so you should at least make it count.”

”I don’t liiikeeee it.” Moon Aiko grabbed her head and rolled around.

”...” Danji walked in on this and paused. ’What’s wrong this time?’ She never saw Aiko do something like this, so she was both amused and worried about her.

Moon Aiko stopped. ”What did he say?” She needed at least some good news if she was to survive this!

”He said that he could use some of those mixed metals to improve the Demonic Disc.” Danji gestured.

”At least something good.” Moon Aiko sighed.

Just then, Danji noticed that there was one more mixed metal. ”Did I forget this one?” She blinked her eyes at it in puzzlement.

”No.” Moon Aiko sighed again. ”I just made it, and I hate iiiit.”

”...” Danji pursed her lips. It seemed like being a craftsman would drive you nuts.

”You should rest more.” Danji suggested.

”I should, but I also want to leave. There is so much to do that I feel like my head will bust.” Moon Aiko shook her head.

”Well, we still have to wait for Chen Shi to finish.” Danji shrugged. She would later drag Aiko back into the bed so she would actually rest.

”True...” Moon Aiko lifted more metals with her Divine Sense before pausing.

”Is there something wrong?” Danji asked softly.

Moon Aiko suddenly snapped her head towards Grandpa Flame and smiled like a devil.

”W-what?” Grandpa Flame shuddered. He knew that nothing good would come out of that smile!

”Hehe~” Moon Aiko hummed happily, nudging her grandpa with her finger.

”I don’t have to control those things. I have you~” Moon Aiko giggled again.

”?” Grandpa Flame was confused.

”You will adjust the temperature so that everything could possibly combine, while also keeping it in check so that it would vaporise!” Moon Aiko proclaimed righteously. ”After all, you have the so-called ’experience’~” She smiled like a devil again.

”Well... shit.” Grandpa Flame cursed his smart mouth.

...

The upcoming days were very happy for Aiko, not so much for either Danji or Grandpa Flame.

Danji was seriously tired from writing down all the mixing types, while Grandpa Flame was almost dead from being overworked.

He had to watch over 200 metals and adjust their temperature without being able to split himself.

So what he had to do was to engulf the whole thing and adjust the things locally, making it multitudes harder than how it was supposed to be.

Moon Aiko was the happiest, since she only had to adjust the levitation and keep track of all the mixtures.

...

A week later, they were finished, but neither Danji nor Grandpa Flame were happy.

Well, the closest expression would be death and exhaustion.

They were tired from Aiko’s spartan smelting.

Moon Aiko met up with Chen Shi. ”Here are all of them.” She smiled happily.

Chen Shi looked over the papers, since he was unwilling to give her Jade Slips.

However, that was a mistake on his part since he had to go through those papers by hand!

Chen Shi groaned painfully, looking at the bratty Fox resentfully.

”I’m more familiar with the Demonic Discs, and I have adjusted the Inscription a bit further.” Chen Shi explained his side of the research. ”However, you are not allowed to do anything in the workshop, and you will be locked in the courtyard!” It would kill him if Aiko touched any more metals!

”Seems like you will be busy.” Moon Aiko skipped a step and slipped out of the room before peeking back in. ”Good luck~”

Chen Shi almost threw the table at her, but he held himself back.

On his table was a stack of papers with all the possible combinations, limitations and errors.

This caused him even more pain, since he would have to show it over to the Forging Cultivator, which already hated him over the Demonic Disc.

”If I’m to suffer, you will too.” Chen Shi nodded his head as he picked up those papers.

”If I have to go through them, you will too.” He laughed like a maniac and walked towards the Great Forge...

...

Danji dragged Aiko into the courtyard and into their private room.

She barricaded all the windows and doors, not allowing Aiko to go outside until she was rested.

She also forbade her from using anything from her tails for the time being, since Danji was concerned that Aiko would start working again.

”Isn’t that overdoing a bit?” Moon Aiko pursed her lips.

”Is it?” Danji smiled, but that smile didn’t reach her eyes.

”I’m sorry.” Moon Aiko apologised on instinct, since it seemed like Danji was fed up.

Danji sighed. ”Next time, warn me that you will go overboard, so I have time to drag you to have a rest from time to time.”

”I will do my best.” Moon Aiko nodded her head.

Danji once again stole all the pillows and even Aiko, so she could sleep peacefully...