The little fox opened its eyes, attempted a quick flip... and fell back down, having no choice but to get up slowly and steadily.
The white, fluffy fur made it look especially soft and adorable.
Bright, sparkling eyes looked at Wen Ying, seemingly with a hint of pleading.
"Don't want to live in a cage?"
The little fox nodded, though the way it nodded looked somewhat clumsy.
Before meeting the little fox, Wen Ying had never seen any fox spirits. Of course, she had heard the legends, but this was the first time she had seen one with her own eyes, and she had even hugged and threatened this fox spirit.
It's not as terrifying as the legends say.
On the contrary, somewhat obedient?
But this obedient appearance must be an act, after all, the act of possessing someone without consent has crossed a fundamental boundary.
Although Wen Ying already knew the answer, she still wanted to ask directly, "Are you really the Fox Immortal?"
The soft and cute little fox looked at Wen Ying, nodded, and then quickly shook its head.
Wen Ying almost burst out laughing, "Don't worry, I won't kill you, I won't punish you, and I certainly won't threaten you."
The soft and adorable little fox stared at Wen Ying, pondering. This human was so powerful, yet for some reason, she herself remained so weak.
Logically speaking, she had absorbed so much energy that she should have already recovered.
But now, she had no strength left in her body. The only difference between her and an ordinary fox was probably that she had gained sentience.
The Fox Immortal probably didn't know that the culprit behind her lack of recovery was the woman in front of her, whose level of cultivation she couldn't fathom.
Thinking this, the Fox Immortal nodded once more.
It is the Fox Spirit!
It is the stuff of legends!
It is the revered Fox Deity, worshipped by humans, who can protect their homes!
"Are all your fox spirits this useless?" Wen Ying was genuinely curious. The landlady had been worshipping for so many years, and the result was, well, somewhat indescribable.
The fox spirit was also somewhat bewildered by Wen Ying's question. What did this human mean?
Their fox spirit is so powerful!
Its ancestors once protected the homes of many high-ranking officials!
Their promotions and wealth were all because they worshipped the Fox Spirit!
Such a powerful fox spirit, and yet in this human's words, it's useless?
Looking at the little fox in a daze, Wen Ying continued, "You've enjoyed their offerings for decades, what have you done for them?"
The fox spirit originally wanted to retort, but then it remembered that it probably should feel ashamed.
It had only recently awakened suddenly, so before that, it had always been worshipped but had not brought any benefits to those who worshipped it.
This does not align with the legend of the great sage.
The Fox Immortal became dejected, suddenly feeling that it had brought shame upon its lineage.
If they ascend to meet their ancestors in the future, other fox deities will boast about the incredible deeds they performed for their patron families!
And here, it wants to say, the family that worships it lives particularly miserably?
Her husband passed away, her son left home, and the woman was left alone to guard the house..
This, no matter how you look at it, is a harbinger of disaster.
Originally, I thought I had regained my strength upon waking up, but it turned out to be a false hope. And now, I have encountered..
Suddenly, Wen Ying saw a glimmer of tears in the little fox's eyes.
Two tiny teardrops slid down from the little fox's eyes, and suddenly, the little fox let out a single syllable, "Ying~~~"
A certain emotion welled up, even affecting Wen Ying's perception.
The little fox is feeling sad???
This was Wen Ying's first thought.
Immediately, the little fox suddenly turned its back, facing away from Wen Ying, squatting on the table, its body trembling slightly.
It sounded like a little ball of fur crying.
Perhaps because it had been eating for so many years without ever working, the fluffy ball was a bit chubby, making it appear even more soft and adorable.
This body, combined with its expression and movements, made one feel a pang of heartache.
"Don't cry, you're still young. You can stay with me for now. As for the mistakes you've made, I'll find a way for you to make up for them."
Wen Ying's voice was soft, with a hint of coaxing, making one's ears tingle pleasantly, yet it was exceptionally comforting.
At this moment, the fox spirit, who was already eighty years old, turned around, jumped up instantly, and then landed, nodding frantically at Wen Ying.
It also felt that it was still too young. Children always make mistakes, right? You can't be so harsh on it just because it's a child.
"Can you speak?"
"Whimper~"
"Do you understand?"
"Ying ying~"
"From now on, your name will be Little White, how about that?"
"Woo woo woo~"
The fox spirit Xiao Bai seemed very pleased when he heard this name.
It even ran to Wen Ying's side, rubbing against her arm to show affection.
Since Little White belonged to her family, Wen Ying decided to tell it.
"When you woke up, I burned away the power you consumed. That power was too evil, not suitable for someone as adorable as you, understand?"
Xiao Bai nodded. He understood, he understood very well.
"Now let's talk about the landlady, the one who worships you."
Wen Ying took out the photo given to her by the landlady. The boy in the photo looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old; he should be in high school at this time.
But he already had thick eyebrows and big eyes, with a dignified and upright demeanor.
"This is the landlady's son. Now, her son is her only relative, but it seems he left home many years ago and has never returned. Although it's unclear what caused the rift between them, you've enjoyed the landlady's offerings for decades, so you should do something for her, don't you think?"
Little White nodded. It had always felt indebted to the landlady, and if it could make amends, it wouldn't have to carry the burden of guilt any longer.
This was a debt of gratitude that their fox spirit clan had to repay.
Now, with his master's analysis, if he could accomplish this task, wouldn't he be repaying the landlady?
By then, he could openly and rightfully follow his master!
"I tentatively asked the landlady, but she was unwilling to tell me. She is not my patient, and I cannot casually pry... deduce her past."
"Ying ying ying~ ying ying ying~"
"Do you have something to say?"
Xiao Bai kept nodding; he knew, he wanted to say it.
"But I can't understand your language, what a pity."
"Ying ying ying~ ying ying ying~ ying ying ying~" Little White suddenly pointed at the paper on the table with its paw.
Wen Ying took the paper and placed it in front of it. Xiao Bai looked at the paper in distress, then tried to trace it with its paw, but no marks were left.
He looked up at Wen Ying and once again pointed at something with his paw.
"You want my pen?"
The ballpoint pen on Wen Ying's hair bun.
Wen Ying reached out to take the ballpoint pen, and Xiao Bai grasped it with his paw, then carefully wrote on the paper, stroke by stroke.
His movements were slow, even seemingly difficult, but he did not give up.
A moment later, Wen Ying looked at the crooked lines appearing on the paper-