"Nope." Willow grumbled, "Too messy and I don't wanna hear my old man's complaints later. It would hurt the ears. Also, it's too early to tell."
She cracked open her book as a thought came across her and pressed her smartphone against her ear, "But, you know, I'm kind of bored too and he said I can do whatever I want with them. If they have too much time on their hands, I'll just have them dance for me."
Akira grinned sheepishly, "What are you going to do? Let me join in on the fun."
"Why?" Willow raised a brow, "You're not planning to do anything anyway."
The fox sighed and shook his head like a human, "I've been around for hundreds of years and haven't done anything fun in so long. You've already shown me a good game earlier. I want to take part in another one."
Even though, all he did was give everyone a fright in the end. Willow bit back a sigh and nodded, "You can, if you can teach me about magic in your country."
"You plan to be a magician or something?" Akira asked in confusion.
"Why not?" Willow shrugged and joked, "I've always dreamt of using magic when I started playing video games."
Rolling her eyes, she flicked the fox on the forehead and sighed, "If the situation arises, it would be best that I can do something other than fireballs all day."
Akira frowned as he stared at her with his blue eyes displaying a look of firm expression while asking her, "You're not afraid of a Japanese spirit?"
Willow shrugged, "I've already done almost everything a mortal can go through, except intentional murder. Also, a kitsune wouldn't easily harm a mortal intentionally. Moreover, you won't hurt me anyway."
"Why not?" Akira flicked an ear curiously, "Once I have my powers back, I can decide your fate later."
"If you find me boring or foolish, that is." Willow corrected with a smirk, "Mortals can be foolish by nature, but, even then, everyone would need to be smart if they want to have fun. Moreover, with my little spell earlier draining away a good portion of your powers, you won't get your powers back for the next month."
"So you can already sense how much ability I have?" Akira looked to her expectantly.
"Who knows?" Willow sighed, "I don't even know what your full power is. But, what I can understand is that we're both very bored."
"Hah!" The fox smirked, "This will be interesting. You better make my familiar rite worth the effort, then."
"Obviously." Willow grinned, "That's why we're heading there right now?"
"Where?" Akira looked to her curiously.
"You'll know." Willow shrugged as she put away the phone.
For the rest of the journey, no one asked the other about their background or their intentions as the scenery once again changed from rural farmlands to urban metropolis. Instead, They had gotten off and on stops and sharing light snacks before they reached the capital city of Hebei province, Shijiazhuang.
The urban city was covered with a tint of gold of the sun as Willow stepped off the bus and onto the streets of Shijiazhuang. The streets were no different than that of the other cities and bridges crossing over streams and rivers.
However, the place is nearly an apocalypse sight. The windows of many shops were broken and shards are still left on the streets. Not a single person walked the streets. When she turned around, she even saw that the bus had already closed its doors and quickly left as if knowing there would be nobody boarding it.
Standing by herself in front of the vacant city would give anyone the goosebumps. Willow was no exception. She sighed and tried to shake off the cold, "I figured the place would be close to a ghost town, but this is my first time seeing one. There's no need to guess that Beijing has become a catastrophe by now."
With this said, she immediately went to one of the few alleyways.
"H-Hold on!" Akira called out to her as he stuck out his head from her duffel bag, "Where are you going?"
"You want to me dive in head first?" Willow asked her contracted familiar with a raised brow.
"What do you plan to do from here?" Akira questioned curiously.
"Take a look around." She answered, "You should stick your head back in there. Last I need is someone coming to me for the price of fox fur. I'd rather not have to go through more troubles too."
"Right. Right." The fox grumbled and stuck his head back in as she continued down the small alley.
It certainly wasn't the best place for her to traverse with such a narrow space for movement. If others were to jump on her, she could only face them head on. However, this was the only road she could walk on right now.
She thought for a while before grabbing a couple of white pebbles from her pocket. After walking around the alleys and the stores, she noticed how some parts of the place seemed rather familiar to her, such certain shops and government buildings. It was then that she realized, after pondering, that these were places where Li Fei went to while she was living in Beijing.
After hearing about her family situation from her half-brother, she went to the government building to make some inquiries and numerous adjustments just so she could survive and study. However, the place she found was so close to Hebei that the city hall in Beijing naturally directed her to Hebei instead.
However, the Li Fei then had so much to organize so as to support herself that she had to make numerous errands to Shijiazhuang city where she had to speak with so many representatives so she could figure out her way through the process.
After all, her household hardly left her with anything. No items nor words.
So, in the end, she made so many trips around here that it was natural she felt familiar around these parts now. Realizing this, she snuck into the unfamiliar alleyways once more before finding a spot by the dumpsters and sat down.
"Ugh." Akira stuck his head out with a snarl looking face that was most likely his way of grimace, "Do you have to sit right next to the trash?"
"We don't have a choice right now." Willow wore a small smile and daringly petted his head, "I just need to think things through a bit. The trash will assist in hiding me for now. So, bear with it for a little."
Hearing her words, the fox scowled with a small ugly face but didn't say anything. It was clear that, just for the fun, he would bare with it for the time being.
Akira watched her do as she said she would do with great curiosity. From the very beginning, he wanted to know the thought process of this child who was probably in her late teens or early twentieth. By forming the contract, he would be able to catch a glimpse of it and revive a bit of life in his hundred years of boredom.
Who would've thought that, the moment he did so, he couldn't even come close to see her thought process, much less see it. Then, she successfully set up a magic circle that stole a majority of his powers reducing him into this miserable state.
However, recalling her little game that had to end abruptly, his instinctual curiosity won over logic and what ran through his mind was the desire for amusement that had been dwindled throughout the years. It was then that he felt something stir and knew something good was about to happen. However, was it worth it for the contract and his powers?
Also, just where did his the majority of his powers go?
He's thought about this before, but he hasn't felt a single thing from this child. Yet, she has to be one of those sort of children...
After thinking about it for a bit, Willow then decided to continue forward. She had been studying her map for nights and have memorized it down. Thus, she entered the alleyways not noted down curiously. In one of the alleys, the path was so long and went shallow that she felt she finally found it. It was then that she felt a strange feeling overcame her senses. She pulled her mask tighter.
"Hey, miss!"
Hearing this voice, she carefully turned around as a white pebble dropped from her hand, "Yes?"
It was then that she noticed a tall man who watched her with a stern look, "You shouldn't be here. some figures came around here and got taken down by a gang."
"Gang?" Willow raised a brow in bewilderment. Though Willow had never seen a real gang before, Li Fei had. However, it was only a bunch of delinquent boys seeking trouble and she obtained help from the people around her because she was close to the main streets.
The man was tall and lanky with a long sleeve shirt and vest. His jeans were ragged and boots were worn down from age. With his short bleached hair, people would suspect that he was some delinquent without identifying his real identity or the scars to intimidate others. He was like that of a natural person. Yet, it must be this person for sure. She watched with a frown as she heard this and asked, "Really? When was that?"
"A few days ago." The man responded.
"I see. I came here looking for someone." Willow responded honestly.
"Looking for someone? You?" The man responded.
"Yup!" Willow smiled, "How much is it for a few wise words, sir?"