Senior Sister, Petting Little Foxes Doesn’t Count as Cheating, Right?

Fox Clan Secret Realm.

At the break of dawn, the borderlands were still scarred by conflict. A landscape riddled with craters, the once vibrant and lush cherry blossom forests of the Fox Clan were a shadow of their former glory.

A handsome young man clad in gold-threaded Dragon robes walked through the charred cherry blossom grass. Beside him followed a silver-haired fairy, equally stunning in her gold-threaded Dragon robe, a sword hanging at her waist.

Their journey inward was surprisingly free of vicious demonic cultivators. However, they encountered numerous shambling corpse puppets, drawn by the scent of the living. Hordes of them shrieked and charged towards the pair.

But before the ghouls could even get close, the silver-haired fairy simply drew her sword— shiiiing —and swept it horizontally. In an instant, the chilling sword intent of the Winter Dragon Owl fanned out before them.

WHUUMMM!

The earth trembled violently.

Thousands of corpses in the tide simply dissolved into a bloody mist— sploosh! —leaving the thick, coppery tang of gore hanging in the air.

“Just low-level corpse puppets…” An Luo Yi murmured, a slight grimace of disgust on her face as she retracted her sword intent. She was familiar with the Ghost Controlling Sect; back in her younger days as a true disciple, she’d often participated in campaigns against demonic sects like them. She’d clashed with plenty of their lower-ranked cultivators on battlefields before.

“So this is the Ghost Controlling Sect’s vile magic, huh? Pretty effective for sieges and conquering territory, I guess…” He Ange remarked, frowning slightly as he looked at the remnants of what were once living beings, now mindless zombies. This was his first real encounter with the Ghost Controlling Sect’s handiwork.

Honestly, he thought, this is what a proper demonic cult looks like. Such disgusting techniques really should be eradicated by a united global effort. Compared to this, labeling the relatively harmless Spirit Phoenix Sect as a demonic cult on par with the Ghost Controlling Sect seemed… well, it felt like the True Dragon Empress was definitely holding a grudge and deliberately smearing their name. After all, Feng Yuan’s Abyss Apostles might not be saints, but they didn’t go around slaughtering civilians or turning living people into hordes of corpses…

He Ange sighed lightly. “Looks like the Fox Clan Secret Realm is in a sort of ceasefire or truce period. With Dragon Dynasty generals stationed here, the demonic cultivators seem to be laying relatively low.”

“Mmhmm, only low-level ghouls… haven’t seen any living Ghost Controlling Sect cultivators, and not even a shadow of the Blood Refining Sect,” An Luo Yi nodded in agreement, murmuring softly.

Unknowingly, they had penetrated deep into the Fox Clan’s territory. Normally, just reaching the border would trigger guards demanding identification. Now, they had walked deep inside without encountering a single living fox demon. It made sense; during wartime, civilians would hide for safety.

“Y-You are…?”

Finally, from behind a ruined house deep within the realm, a small fox girl’s head cautiously peeked out.

Triggered by her voice, several adult fox folk emerged from behind nearby walls. They were all wary, their bodies covered in scattered wounds, looking exhausted and battered.

Before entering the Secret Realm, He Ange had specifically changed into Dragon Dynasty attire. His identity as the Spirit Phoenix Sect’s Holy Son wasn’t exactly ‘people-friendly’ here. Official robes were much better for gaining the Fox Clan’s trust. An Luo Yi had done the same, donning the gold-threaded Dragon robe she hadn’t worn in a long time.

“Gold-threaded Dragon robes…”
“Are they lords from the Dragon Dynasty??”
“B-But… aren’t the Immortal Attendants supposed to be resting in the rear? How did they walk here from the outside…?”

Seeing the two figures in Dragon Dynasty clothing, relief and joy washed over the faces of many Fox Clan civilians. It was like seeing saviors, their earlier fear dissipating significantly.

Among the crowd, besides the common folk and children, many Fox Clan cultivators also relaxed their defensive stances. However, unlike the naive civilians, they regarded even Dragon Dynasty envoys with a mixture of awe and caution.

Two Fox Clan elders stepped forward from the crowd. They leaped down from a high point—

whoosh!

—descending in streaks of red light, before kneeling humbly before the two ‘Dragon Dynasty envoys’.

“This humble servant is a Fox Clan Elder. May I ask if you two Honored Immortal Attendants are here by order of Her Majesty, the Empress…?” The elder spoke respectfully, head bowed low in a kneeling posture, daring not show the slightest disrespect. After all, it was the Dragon Dynasty Empress who sent aid during their crisis. Because of this, the general populace held He Ange and An Luo Yi in relatively high regard upon seeing their attire.

Facing the gazes of countless fox demons, He Ange nodded with a smile, clasping his fists before his chest. “This one is named He. A third-rank Immortal Attendant, acting under the orders of Her Majesty, the Dragon Dynasty Empress, to inspect the conditions of the people here and assist the Fox Clan in defending its territory.”

“Inspect… the conditions of the people…?” The two elders exchanged glances, looking surprised and a bit confused.

Of course, they didn’t understand, because the Dragon Empress had issued no such order. Neither He Ange nor An Luo Yi were actual Dragon Dynasty Immortal Attendants. But hey, who could resist a little theatrics? He Ange thought.

“The so-called ‘inspection of the people’s conditions’,” He Ange elaborated smoothly, “stems from Her Majesty’s concern that the Dragon Dynasty Immortal Attendants stationed here might, under the pretext of the demonic sect crisis, commit injustices against the defenseless Fox Clan populace… Thus, to prevent such unrighteous acts and uphold the virtuous image of our Dynasty, Her Majesty dispatched myself and Attendant Luo to patrol the Fox Clan lands.”

With just one sentence, He Ange sowed seeds of doubt among the Fox Clan populace regarding the Dragon Dynasty attendants already stationed there. To gain maximum trust, He Ange positioned himself firmly on the side of the Fox Clan commoners, implying he was there to oversee the other attendants and represent the people’s interests.

“Th-This…” Hearing He Ange’s explanation, the Fox Clan elders were visibly shocked and found it hard to believe. They looked up at He Ange. The young man had an air of immortal grace, stood tall and imposing, and wore a kind smile – he certainly looked the part of a righteous figure. Looking at the silver-haired fairy beside him – a peerless beauty with cold, proud eyes – she too radiated the aura of a righteous fairy from the Nine Heavens.

Even fox demons possess a natural affinity for good-looking humans. At the very least… He Ange seemed far more approachable than the Dragon Dynasty generals currently stationed there.

However, when it came to the actions of those stationed generals, the Fox Clan elders held unspoken grievances. They were naturally grateful to the Dragon Dynasty for saving them from imminent destruction. But as time went on, the Dragon generals kept dragging their feet, refusing to actively pursue the demonic cultivators. Instead, they lingered within the Fox Clan Secret Realm, living luxuriously, eating and drinking well, and lavishly consuming the Fox Clan’s resources…

This, understandably, caused some resentment within the Fox Clan. But who dared to speak up?

They were living under someone else’s roof. Now, even the Fox Clan’s most respected ancient ancestors had to defer to the Dragon Dynasty attendants daily. Even if the Dragon Dynasty personnel acted excessively, no one in the Fox Clan dared to utter a word of complaint.

This highlighted the Dragon Dynasty’s power. A single True God realm Empress couldn’t single-handedly dominate everything, but her true strength lay in unifying all the orthodox immortal sects under one banner.

This unification made the Dragon Dynasty’s sheer size and influence unparalleled in the cultivation world. Throughout the land, even dominant demonic factions like the Ten Thousand Demons Gate had to bow their heads before Dragon Dynasty generals. Wearing the gold-threaded Dragon robes meant you could walk almost anywhere without fear.

It couldn’t be helped. Being weak meant being subordinate… Thinking this, the Fox Clan elders sighed inwardly, suppressing their anger. They forced smiles and replied somewhat helplessly, “You two envoys speak too seriously. We are already immensely grateful that the Dragon Dynasty generals are stationed here. How could we possibly have any complaints?”

“Is that so?” He Ange raised an eyebrow, though the response wasn’t unexpected. Fox Clan elders were seasoned veterans; they understood social intricacies. If they honestly listed all the misdeeds of the Dragon Dynasty generals, and He Ange turned around and reported it back to those generals… wouldn’t the Fox Clan end up offending everyone? He Ange claimed to be inspecting, but who knew if he was really in league with the others? Since they couldn’t afford to offend, caution was the safest approach.

“Alright then. Would you mind if I stay within the Fox Clan for a few days? Seeing is believing, I’d like to conduct my inspection personally,” He Ange asked politely, not showing any offense.

Seeing his apparent sincerity, the Fox Clan elders bowed even more respectfully and gestured for them to pass.

Before leaving, He Ange added with a meaningful smile, “Elders, regarding my identity, please do not reveal it to the Dragon Dynasty Immortal Attendants stationed here… After all, if they knew I was here, they wouldn’t dare act unjustly so openly, and my inspection would become meaningless.”

“Yes! Thank you, Honored Attendant!” Seeing He Ange’s serious instruction, the elders nodded repeatedly, their trust and approval growing.

The Fox Clan elders summoned several cultivators, instructing them to provide good hospitality to He Ange and his companion.

As the two young ‘attendants’ entered the deeper parts of the Fox Clan territory, the elders gathered, exchanging uncertain glances, a mix of worry and hope in their eyes.

“It seems they really are here to inspect…”

“Well… who truly knows?”

“Perhaps Her Majesty the Empress has good intentions, but sadly, those executing her decrees aren’t always aligned with her will…”

“Let’s hope those two attendants can actually rein in these misbehaving ones.”

The elders sighed, ultimately remaining pessimistic. For some time now, the stationed Dragon Dynasty generals had acted like overlords within the Fox Clan. By day, they unscrupulously collected Fox Clan resources and treasures; by night, they indulged in feasts, wine, and revelry. In essence, bandits clad in official robes.

And the Fox Clan leadership didn’t dare let the common folk know about these negative actions. The Dragon Dynasty generals demanded it; their presence represented the Empress’s image, after all. Even if their actions were unsavory, maintaining the image was paramount.

This resulted in many lower-level Fox Clan members naively believing the Dragon Dynasty generals were righteous heroes, while the informed cultivators and elders could only sigh in secret, suppressing their anger.

“Regardless, being alive is better than being exterminated. We’re hardly in a position to criticize the Dragon Dynasty…”

“Aigh… If only the Saintess hadn’t lost her cultivation… With the Nine-Tailed bloodline inheritance active, would these Dragon Dynasty dogs and demonic sects dare act so recklessly?”

“What’s done is done, dwelling on it is useless!”

Entering the Cherry Blossom Palace within the Fox Clan’s inner sanctum.

As soon as He Ange entered the courtyard, he spotted over a dozen little fox heads peeking out from behind a corner wall in the palace corridor.

Thump thump thump… They seemed to have heard the visitors’ footsteps and gathered to observe secretly. But when they noticed the gold-threaded Dragon robes on the newcomers, fear and wariness instantly filled the little foxes’ bright eyes.

At the same time, He Ange looked up, meeting the gazes of several little foxes.

Yip! In an instant, their ears shot up, and they scrambled back like frightened gophers, disappearing behind the wall.

“Q-Quick, hide!”

“The Dragon Dynasty lords are back!”

The little foxes sounded terrified, acting as if deeply traumatized, clutching their heads and fleeing in panic.

But obviously, He Ange was faster. Swoosh! In a flash, he appeared right in front of two of them. He grabbed one in each hand— fwip fwip —hoisting the small figures into the air by their fluffy tails.

“Wuwuwu… N-No, please don’t eat meeee…”
“I-I’m still small! I can’t… serve guests yet!”

The two little foxes pleaded frantically, covering their small fox ears atop their heads, trembling violently.

Seeing their absolute terror, He Ange felt a pang of sympathy, his suspicions about the Dragon Dynasty attendants’ conduct deepening. After all, the attendants were supposedly saviors. Why would they terrify these little ones so badly? There had to be some shady business going on. Even though the elders wouldn’t speak, He Ange could guess.

Thinking this, He Ange sighed, then let a gentle smile appear as he deactivated his disguise.

“What’s this? Back then, you little rascals were clinging to me so much you made Princess Ranyue cry… It’s only been a few months, have you already forgotten who I am?”

“Ehh…?”

As He Ange spoke, the two little foxes dangling by their tails stopped struggling and crying. They turned their heads curiously, staring at He Ange with wide, disbelieving eyes.

A moment later, their eyes flew open even wider, little faces lighting up with surprise and joy.

“H-Heh… Young Master He?!! Is it really YOU?!”

“Young Master He! Why are you here in the Fox Clan?!”

They definitely remembered him. During the Fox Clan’s official trials, He Ange was the human male brought back by the Nine-Tailed Princess, Xia Ranyue. Back then, this group of little foxes had been all over He Ange, drawn to his scent, cornering him, nuzzling him, rubbing against him. One of them had even brazenly rubbed against He Ange right in front of Xia Ranyue, completely triggering her.

Several months later, smelling that familiar scent again, the little foxes beamed, all previous fear and wariness vanishing.

Seeing the two calm down, He Ange gently set them back on the ground.

Meanwhile, the other little foxes who had run off poked their heads out from behind bushes and trees all around, drawn by the familiar scent. They watched He Ange with a mixture of curiosity and lingering fear.

“What, none of you remember me either?” He Ange shrugged, looking at the other hesitant foxes with mock exasperation.

The two he had initially caught were no longer trying to flee. Instead, they were now rubbing affectionately against He Ange’s legs. Purrrr… His scent still held that familiar warmth for them. It was strange; He Ange seemed to have a natural affinity for attracting small animals. Not just fox demons, but bird spirits like Jin Nian also seemed naturally fond of him.

“Sniff sniff…”

“I-Is it really… Young Master He?”

The other little foxes still trembled nervously, not yet daring to approach like the first two, continuing to observe from their hiding spots.

Seeing this, He Ange sighed dramatically and resorted to his ultimate weapon. “Speaking of which, I brought some pudding cakes… I originally intended them for your Princess Ranyue… Buuuut, she doesn’t seem to be around today. First come, first served for anyone who wants to ‘help’ eat them~?”

!!!

As He Ange produced the cakes, the sweet, creamy aroma wafted through the air. Mmmmm~

Instantly, the scent conquered the little foxes’ desires. Their eyes locked onto He Ange, the lure of sweets proving utterly irresistible.

Ten minutes later.

He Ange sat alone on the steps, handing out pieces of cake. He was surrounded by over a dozen little fox girls dressed in maid outfits, snuggling against his face, letting him pat their heads. It was a scene of pure, heartwarming bliss. Nuzzle nuzzle~ Pat pat~

Except… off to the side, the silver-haired fairy watching alone didn’t look too pleased. Pout. Her lips were slightly pursed, a sour feeling bubbling inside her.

He Ange, of course, noticed immediately. He chuckled softly and whispered conspiratorially to the foxes near him, “Whoever goes over and cheers up that big silver-haired sister… if you make her happy, I’ll bake cookies for you tonight.”

“Really?!! Cookies??!”

Yip!! As if they hadn’t tasted sweets in ages, the mere mention of more treats made all the little fox ears perk up instantly. They turned towards An Luo Yi, their eyes shining with greedy anticipation.

For some reason, An Luo Yi felt a sudden shiver of unease.

“Go on, shoo~” He Ange playfully patted a few of the little foxes, his voice like a tempting demon’s whisper.

The next second— whoosh whoosh whoosh —over a dozen little foxes scampered over to An Luo Yi, surrounding her. Some transformed into tiny spirit foxes and leaped onto her shoulders— boing! —nuzzling her affectionately, rubbing their small faces against her cheeks. Others hugged her long, black-stockinged legs, rubbing their faces against the silk.

“Big sister smells sooooo nice~~ ♡”
“Sister~ I like you the bestest~”
“Sister, sister~ Can you pat Xiao Ran’s head~~? Wimper~~~”
“Sister is so prettyyyy~ Xiao Qi wants to be a beautiful fairy like sister too~~!”

Suddenly, An Luo Yi was bombarded with sweet talk and flattery. As fox demons, charm was practically an innate talent. If they could charm men, women were certainly no challenge.

Initially, An Luo Yi blushed fwoosh under the onslaught of compliments, completely flustered. She wasn’t used to dealing with children like this, but she couldn’t bring herself to push away the clinging little foxes. They were just too small and fragile; An Luo Yi couldn’t bear to break their little hearts!

So, the fairy felt rather overwhelmed, glancing towards He Ange for help. But He Ange was preoccupied petting the one little fox who was closest to him, paying no attention to An Luo Yi being swarmed by a dozen cooing, snuggling kits.

Ten minutes later, An Luo Yi finally succumbed to the overwhelming cuteness and obedience of the little foxes. She sat down next to He Ange, gently stroking several tiny spirit foxes nestled in her lap. Her smile was warm and healing; she had clearly been utterly captivated by the adorable creatures. As a woman, An Luo Yi couldn’t resist fluffy little animals either.

“So, Senior Sister,” He Ange asked curiously, watching her happily interacting with the foxes, “petting little foxes doesn’t count as cheating, right?”

An Luo Yi lowered her head slightly, the earlier jealousy completely evaporating. He Ange petting little fox girls? Unacceptable. But, if she petted them with He Ange…

Purrrr~ “Mmm, feels nice~”