Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

Aiko stared at the Elder Punisher. "Grace period?"

The Peak Elder was about to leave when she spotted Zhi. "What brings you here?"

"Replying to Peak Elder, I was worried about my sister." Zhi retained his gentleness once he calmed down.

"That's so you..." The Peak Elder shook her head.

"Ummm..." Aiko tried to attract their attention, but was once again ignored.

"My apologies, Peak Elder, I was just worried that someone was trying to take advantage of my sister's condition." Zhi said gently.

The Peak Elder nodded. "You are a good brother, it's good that you are still willing to take care of your sister, even when she is a Demonic Beast."

Zhi smiled bitterly, it was his fault that his Sis became like this, so it was only natural for him to take care of her. "And I was worried that she would get corrupted if it was someone from Shadows Peak."

Zhi once again said the secret word and the Peak Elder understood. "The Vicious Cub will be exempt from such training. Likewise, her teammates are also exempted, but she will have to work harder to nurture them."

Zhi was left speechless. 'That brat didn't lie?!' He already knew that Vicious Cub didn't lie, but that just didn't reach his brain. He didn't want to believe it, whenever it was talk about his Sis, his brain would lag behind and he wouldn't listen.

"So...." Aiko stared at them and voiced herself loudly.

"My apologies for invading this Peak." Zhi bowed.

The Peak Elder smiled. "It's fine, how about joini-"

"My apologies Peak Elder, it's quite late and I still have a few duels with my peers, I hope you can excuse me." Zhi half-made it up so that he didn't have to answer those types of questions. He had no intention of joining this Depraved Peak when he wouldn't get the same benefits as the Vicious Cub.

*Sigh*

The Peak Elder sighed. Zhi was too stoic and she had already tried to recruit him once. Why? Because her little Foxes weren't as good, and since they weren't as good, they didn't win often in the tournaments. Tournaments were all about the distribution of wealth and since they didn't get many victories their wealth declined greatly and now this Shadows Peak is mostly deserted.

"If you change your mind, you can join. Of course, there are new rules in place that if you prove yourself you can get exceptions like the Vicious Cub." The Peak Elder smiled, seeing Zhi's eyes twinkle.

"Alright, you bastards!" Aiko roared. "It's bad enough that you want to fuck him, but can you at least answer my fucking question before you go and fucking plough his Dr-" The Blood Fox placed her hand on Aiko's mouth again with a strange smile.

Both Zhi and Peak Elder were stunned by this cry and looked at the small, Vicious Cub that was being silenced by the Blood Fox.

The Peak Elder blushed violently and glared at the Vicious Cub. 'You...! How could you say that before him! He might be handsome, but he surely wouldn't have Dr- What are you making me think?!' The Peak Elder's glare strengthened.

Zhi on the other hand was still stunned. 'Did... did she just curse the Peak Elder?!' It took a lot of time for him to recover.

"What?!" Just as the Blood Fox removed her hand thinking that Aiko was back to normal. "If you bastards just answered me, I wouldn't be yelling at you! And you! Why are you glaring at me?! Keep your fucking urges about fucking for when you fuck! Can you not do that when he is present?! What will he think about this Peak then?!" Aiko still roared, and the startled Blood Fox covered her mouth with a blush.

'No, the problem here is you...' Zhi expressionlessly stared at the Vicious Cub who was berating the Peak Elder.

The Peak Elder glared at the Vicious Cub with a red face. "So what?! I just want to sleep with him! Is that so bad?!" 'You are too loud, Vicious Cub. I don't have any uncontrollable urges.' The Peak Elder was so flustered that she swapped her inner monologue with voice monologue.

The place fell silent. The Peak Elder was confused, but seeing Zhi's horrible expression, she came to a realization.

*Sniff*

"I just don't want to be a virgin, alright!" She cried, running away with a completely red face.

They all stiffened. None of them thought she was a virgin, considering she was 'ruling' over this Peak.

The most dumbfounded was Zhi. 'Bullshit! There is no way the Peak Elder is a virgin!' He didn't believe it, even when failed to pick up any sign of deceit.

In the past Zhi was charmed by the Peak Elder, so he completed the various tests to get her favour, but once he entered this Peak, he was completely disgusted by that PART of the assassin training.

He believed that the person who came up with such training would not be normal, in other words, a complete slut.

He was so convinced about it that he didn't listen to anyone and left the Peak, sure of his truth.

But now Peak Elder's words stunned him since she didn't lie. He didn't understand how someone could come up with that kind of training whilst still being pure...

Zhi was confused and shook his head. "Can you take me away, Elder Punisher?" He needed time to think.

Elder Punisher staggered when he heard Zhi. 'You won't pursue her?' He was confused as he knew that Zhi had a crush on the Peak Elder. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Zhi said expressionlessly.

Grandpa Lin shook his head and disappeared with him.

The Blood Fox sighed. Releasing Aiko from her grasp.

"Alright, you shitty bastards! Keep ignoring me! You motherless fuckers! I dare you!" Aiko was completely livid. 'Who cares about those things! You just told me about the grace period, but you didn't even explain it properly!'

The Umbra Fox was slightly worried. 'Will I be alright? I won't be punished by her often... right?' She was scared of Aiko, who berated the Peak Elder.

The Blood Fox was likewise stunned. She knew that Aiko was... outspoken, but she didn't expect that she would even drown the Peak Elder with her words.

Seeing the angry, huffing Aiko she inwardly smiled.

The Umbra Fox wanted to cry. 'Even the Demonic Beast is smiling at Mistress! What will happen to me?!' She was now regretting her choices, but she couldn't change it. 'What if she takes it out on me?!' She was worried that Aiko would go after her if she left just like that.

Aiko huffed and snapped her head at them.

"Hicc!" The Umbra Fox was scared.

Aiko tilted her head. "What's wrong? Are you scared of the Peak Elder? Don't be, she won't do anything to you." Aiko said gently, trying to soothe her.

The Umbra Fox cried, she didn't want any attention right now. 'I'm scared of you, dummy!' She didn't dare say those words out loud and could only cry.

The Blood Fox touched her cheek. 'She is quite cute when she is angry. It reminds me of our former neighbour's daughter.'

The Blood Fox neighbour's daughter was likewise a Fennec Fox, a very angry one at that. As small as she was, she was also very grumpy and liked to snap at people.

"Why are you petting me?" Aiko didn't understand why the Blood Fox was behaving so strangely.

The Blood Fox stiffened, she didn't realize that she had come near Aiko and caressed her head. This was her carelessness, since Aiko reminded her of her childhood when she wasn't Demonic Fox.

She coughed awkwardly. "Your hair is nice." She nodded like some kind of child.

Aiko stared at the Blood Fox. 'So she also can be childish at times.' She already completely forgot the fact that she was cuddled by her.

"Anyway! Your brother gave me a task about high-purity Beast Cores, so I will do my best." Aiko smiled towards her. "The same goes for you."

"Hii!" The Umbra Fox was still scared of her.

Aiko sighed, the Umbra Fox was too scared of the Peak Elder, she would need to train her later so she could become fearless!

Aiko sat down on the Spirit Crystals. They were warm, which calmed her down further.

The Blood Fox stared at the sobbing Umbra Fox with understanding. She also felt like this when she received Aiko's 'care'.

...

Grandpa Lin returned and Aiko stared at him with a sharp gaze that pierced his Soul.

"W-what's wrong?" Grandpa Lin asked, slightly startled and he fumbled his words.

*Stare~~~*

Grandpa Lin felt strange as the Vicious Cub kept staring at him without talking and no matter what he asked she just continued staring, so he searched his mind for why would that be.

"The Grace period is a period where you don't need to nurture them." Grandpa Lin realized what was wrong and explained. "This period is mostly awarded to good seedlings that have yet to complete their basic training." Grandpa Lin smiled, suppressing his strange emotions.

Aiko nodded in acknowledgement. "So it is extended for me?"

"Since you were able to get a Demonic Fox on your team, it was naturally extended, as Demonic Foxes consume a lot more materials to grow properly." Grandpa Lin explained gently.

"How does the nurturing work or how do you decide if they are nurtured properly?" Aiko asked, she thought that it was important to know, just in case someone picked a fight with her over it.

"That is for the teacher/master of said disciple to decide." Grandpa Lin said gently.

"So you will be rating my nurturing?" Aiko glanced at him. She felt tired from all those events that happened.

"That is correct, but since your grace period was extended, you have nothing to worry about." Grandpa Lin smiled.

"I don't want to go to the Treasure Pavilion, those bastards are stupid, which means I will have to hunt for those Beast Cores myself." Aiko murmured.

Grandpa Lin was taken aback as there was no one who would refuse the Treasure Pavilion. "You should buy from them as it will make your life easier." Grandpa Lin tried to convince the Vicious Cub.

"Not happening. They won't get a penny from me!" Aiko snorted coldly. She didn't like that place and as such would never visit it again.

The only thing she was interested in were those dense Inscriptions, but...

'I have those rewards from that 'kind' Elder.' Aiko smiled sinisterly.

Grandpa Lin felt a chill down his spine and took a step back. His senses warned him to protect his treasures.

Aiko stared at the strange Grandpa Lin and asked. "How is the contract supposed to work?"

"It's similar to a vow." Grandpa Lin gently said. "But unlike a vow, it can be broken if both parties agree or if the Enforcement Pavilion had a good enough reason."

"So they can force me." Aiko frowned. She didn't believe anyone other than Mei would keep her secrets, so it doesn't seem like she should use her System on them for the time being.

"I got it." Aiko nodded in understanding and changed her plans, but she was not willing to use the System on Mei either. 'What if something bad happens to her? It's better to test it on... my servants.' Aiko thought. Although she already used the Karma thing, but she was not willing to use the Bloodline and other thingies on her. She didn't want to consciously hurt Mei ever since the time Mei hugged her for a whole week straight.