What Little White thought was an irresistibly cute face was, in Aunt Zhang’s eyes, a talking fox.

’Is this really not a hallucination?’

Aunt Zhang took a step back and nearly fell flat on her bottom. She reached out to steady herself against the wall.

’Calm down, calm down. This is Little Ying’s place.’

’If I can encounter something as absurd as the old master visiting me in a dream and having it come true, then a little fox speaking human words shouldn’t be that strange, right?’

Aunt Zhang took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. "Did you just call me ’Auntie’?"

"Yep. I heard my Master call you that, so I did too. Don’t you like it, Auntie?"

Little White tilted his head, sitting on the floor and looking at Aunt Zhang with a dazed, innocent expression.

"Is the Master you’re talking about Little Ying?"

"She is my Master."

"Then where did your Master find you?"

’Just a short while ago, there wasn’t a single animal in the clinic. I haven’t been here for a few days, and suddenly a talking fox appears?’

"Actually, we’ve met before. I used to live in that hotel down the street. The third floor."

"Y-y-you... You’re the fox from the hotel?" Aunt Zhang looked at him in astonishment. She remembered seeing him once, but the fox hadn’t appeared in public since then, so she had gradually forgotten about him.

’But wasn’t that fox the hotel owner’s?’ 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

’Why is it calling Wen Ying ’Master’?’

’Does the hotel owner know this fox can talk?’

Aunt Zhang couldn’t help but think that if she had discovered a talking fox before she met Wen Ying, she would have absolutely fainted from fright!

’And after waking up, I’d immediately call the police and tell everyone that an animal had become a spirit!’

Now, however, she quickly accepted the fact that an animal had become a spirit.

"Auntie, are you thinking that I’ve become a spirit?"

"..." Aunt Zhang nodded.

"You could say that, but I’m actually a Fox Immortal. The kind you hear about in the Northeast—the household god, the Fox Immortal."

Aunt Zhang’s expression shifted once again.

She had heard the name "household god" from the older generation ever since she was a child, but it had always felt distant. As a kid, she believed such things truly existed, but they were far removed from her life. She had heard many stories about household gods, like how weasels would approach people to "seek affirmation," asking, "What do I look like?"

If you said it looked like a weasel, its attempt at transformation would fail, and it would take revenge on you.

If you said it looked like a person, its transformation would succeed, and it would demand you enshrine and worship it.

In short, in the stories, you could never get rid of them once you encountered one.

But foxes were better. Foxes didn’t seem to seek affirmation.

’Foxes are cuter, too,’ Aunt Zhang couldn’t help but think as she looked at Little White.

Seeing Aunt Zhang staring blankly, Little White shook his head. ’These mortals are so ignorant. I just said a few words and she’s already this scared. If she knew I could use Magic, would she faint on the spot?’

Little White stopped paying attention to Aunt Zhang and continued to squat beside the Spirit Grass, breathing in its essence greedily with his eyes closed, enjoying the sensation.

’If she weren’t my Master’s auntie, I wouldn’t have bothered speaking at all.’

When Aunt Zhang snapped out of it, she left the backyard. "Little Ying, that fox... is he staying here, or going with you?"

"He’ll come with me."

Wen Ying thought for a moment. She was worried about what would happen if Little White stayed behind and started talking on the street.

Besides, she would be gone for a long time. It was safest for him to be with her.

"That works. He gave me quite a scare just now. Are you and the hotel owner okay?"

After learning that Little White was a Fox Immortal, Aunt Zhang became a little worried about Wen Ying.

Wen Ying smiled. "Don’t worry, Auntie. I helped the hotel owner with a small matter, so she gave Little White to me."

"Wait, a household god can be given away?"

Aunt Zhang was quite surprised.

After all, in the stories, those household gods were all high and mighty beings who accepted offerings from humans, almost like ancestors.

But they were far more powerful than ancestors; people wouldn’t dare show the slightest disrespect in their presence.

After all, in the stories, those household gods were truly formidable. Although they weren’t Immortals, they were comparable to them. Since no one had ever seen what an Immortal was like, in that context, the title "Great Immortal" was telling enough.

"Normally, no. But in special circumstances, yes. For example, if your power is greater than the household god’s, then you don’t need to worry about such things."

Aunt Zhang understood Wen Ying’s words.

’Wen Ying’s power is even greater than the household gods from the stories!’

With that thought, Aunt Zhang felt much more at ease.

As Aunt Zhang was about to leave, Wen Ying took out a spare key and gave it to her. She also told her to contact her if the hotel owner’s son came back with his girlfriend and anything unpleasant happened.

Aunt Zhang nodded. ’This must also be part of the deal that Immortal Xiao Bai was involved in.’

"The hotel owner’s son hasn’t been back in many years. Is he really coming back this time?"

Everyone on the street knew about it. In their hearts, they all felt sorry for the hotel owner and thought she had raised an unfilial son.

Over time, everyone had tacitly agreed not to bring it up.

’And now, that unfilial son is actually coming back?’

Aunt Zhang’s feelings were complicated. After all, it wasn’t her son, so she wasn’t that angry, just conflicted.

"He called the owner two days ago saying he’s bringing his girlfriend back. But I probably won’t be here to see them. I’ve left two sets of medicine. When the owner needs them, Auntie, you can take the payment and give them to her."

This time, Aunt Zhang left with her mind at ease.

It’s just that when she got home, she told her husband all about the household god.

The shock of seeing it with her own eyes was just too great.

*

After getting everything in order, Wen Ying drew two Space Talismans for herself. She put one in the small bag she usually carried and the other in her pocket.

While packing, Wen Ying found the only two ballpoint pens left in her drawer.

Although they were durable, if something happened to them while she was away, she would have to buy new ones, and they would be more expensive.

So, Wen Ying went to the general store and bought five yuan’s worth of ballpoint pens all at once—a total of fifteen.

Only then did she put the ballpoint pens into her small bag.

A great sense of security.

[Host, the tutorial for Purification Talisman painting is now on sale for 20% off! You can pack fewer clothes~]

"Do you think my Space Talisman is just for decoration?"

[Host, you have misunderstood my meaning.]

"Then do you think that as a girl, I shouldn’t change into a new outfit every day? Or should I let people see me wearing the same outfit for a month, like a beggar?"

[So Host intends to take thirty outfits?] The system was utterly astonished!

Wen Ying ignored it and instead began to wonder which clothes she should actually pack.

[Host, as your system, I have failed to pay attention to your aesthetic needs. For this, I am deeply ashamed! I will now upgrade the Purification Talisman to the Purification Technique! Please accept this as my apology.]

"How much reputation value is it after the 20% discount?"

[Only eighty-eight thousand, eight hundred and eighty-eight reputation value!]

"Deal!"

[No haggling?] ’That’s not like my Host at all.’

"Why would I haggle?"