Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

Aiko trailed that clueless bastard towards that strange gate, there were already people surrounding it and she even spotted the mean Fox.

Aiko glared at the Queen and she could see her ears twitch.

"P-peak Elder?!" The youth was shocked but cupped his fists.

"You have failed." The Peak Elder puffed smoke.

The Peak Elder was in similar height as the mean Fox, she had seductive hips, but a rack that was barely contained by the fabric. She didn't care about how she wore it as her pale shoulders were exposed to the elements stroking the desires of bystanders, of course, this did not affect Aiko as she stared at the Peak Elder.

She had a kimono with a cut where her tails could go through, but...

'She is threatening.' Aiko stared at the significant bulges.

Her red loose dress wasn't giving her any favour as it slid, revealing her long jade legs.

Aiko stared blankly. 'I only like longer tails.'

The Peak Elders tails were a 'head' shorter than her favourite tails, so even if she had 3 tails she didn't feel all that tempted to nestle there.

"I-i failed?!" He was shocked as he didn't feel any presence tailing him and even then he took many difficult detours, unfortunately for him Aiko had [Quick Double Jump], so she was able to bypass all of them.

"What? Are you saying I'm wrong?" The Peak Elder snorted.

The youth recovered some energy. "I do not understand Peak Elder, what have I done wrong?" He respectfully cupped his fists.

"You were tailed." But even when the Peak Leader said that she could only feel an additional presence around here, but couldn't pinpoint where that presence was.

The youth was too shocked, but the Peak Elder dismissed him away.

The Queen's lips twitched. "If you can find my Mate I might strike a deal with you."

The Peak Elder narrowed her eyes. "You would join our Peak?"

"As a Pill Refiner." She had no intention of being an assassin, but by joining as Pill Refiner she would have greater sway if her little fluffball did something bad.

The Peak Elder snorted. "Hmpf and if I find her you will spend the night with me."

The Queen laughed. "You know how to joke Peak Elder, first try to find her and then we should talk seriously."

The Peak Elder snorted, unwrapping her Divine Sense to cover this whole area. The Queen didn't do a thing and let her lightly probe her body, she was interested in her reaction.

The Peak Elder blushed but still concentrated on her Divine Sense, it was now covering 1000 meters around them, yet she was still unable to pinpoint her Mate. 'What the...'

While she didn't pride herself in Assassination Skills, she did pride herself in Observation/Seduction Skills. She was able to gather a lot more information because of her alluring nature.

The Peak Elder frowned. "Are you playing games with me?" She was upset about being played like a child.

"Do you like me, Peak Elder?" The Queen licked her lips.

The Peak Elder coughed. "W-well, you are not that bad." She looked away as she was unable to meet the Jade Fox's gaze.

"What about my tails? Do you like them?" The Queen giggled.

The Peak Elder was taken aback, there was nuance in those words. She looked at the Jade Fox and then at her 2 very fluffy tails.

Rumours spread that she was grooming her tails for someone.

Those tails were a bit too fluffy? They even had partially black colour?

*Gasp*

"Y-you!" The Peak Elder pouted. "That's just mean."

Aiko was already nestled on the Queen's tails, resting. She didn't undo her Skills just yet, as the conversation piqued her interest.

"I can't believe I was played by a Junior..." The Peak Elder pinched her nose.

"So you want to have more power over my Assassination Peak to protect her right?" She was a sharp Peak Elder as she dealt with a lot of information on a daily basis.

"That is correct." The Queen smiled, charming the Peak Elder again.

*Cough* "Well fine, if she picks our hidden Peak, I will allow it." She nodded. She didn't know how good of a Refiner she was, but she also knew that she wouldn't lie to her since it would be disadvantageous later on.

Aiko yawned, slapping her tails.

'Let's go, carry me.' Aiko gestured towards the mean Fox.

The Peak Elder laughed but didn't say anything. The Jade Fox shook her head but still picked up Aiko.

"We will have to go for Hunting Peak now, Peak Elder." The Queen stood up.

The Peak Elder clicked her tongue. "How boring, but do come again, you are welcome here since both of you are exceptional."

...

The Hunting Peak had many corpses gutted all around, they were explaining the anatomy of other Beast so the Junior Disciples would be able to defeat them.

They were also those who boasted about being able to pierce certain skins, but when they were offered the chance they weren't able to do that, it was even worse as they weren't able to even scratch them!

Aiko stared around, the moment she saw the gigantic Beast carcases she lost all intentions of joining.

'As if I would let you bully me!' Aiko snorted and burrowed her head in the mean Fox's arms.

The Queen's lips twitched, but she didn't say anything, she was happy that this little pipsqueak had at least some interest in Beast. It might be just Beast Cores, but it was interest, nonetheless.

...

Inscription Peak mesmerized Aiko as even the floor was Inscribed by runes. They might not be as densely packed as in the Treasure Pavilion, but they still mesmerized her.

[Linguistics: Lv.3->4]

Aiko narrowed her eyes, she liked to see this as she didn't have many opportunities to read or level it up, but now she got free experience just looking around.

There was also that strange time when she was able to read the strange runes as if they were words.

The Queen noticed her fervent interest and smiled. 'Assassin with Inscribed 'tools' sounds quite terrifying.' She licked her lips, she wouldn't be bored if her fluffball let loose.

She stared at the Inscription Peak Pavilion. It was a huge and densely Inscribed building rivalling that of the Treasure Pavilion. Each single tile, brick or piece of wood was Inscribed.

Some had dense Inscriptions while others had very little, but everything was Inscribed.

"Welcome." The Peak Elder greeted them startling all nearby Disciples.

Murmurs spread the moment they noticed this situation.

"Do you know them?
"No idea, but Peak Elder wouldn't come just to greet them."
"Do you think they are here from other Peaks?"
"It would be nicer if they joined, she has nice tails."
"You and your tail fetish."

They all shook their heads at that hopeless individual but went quiet soon after to observe the situation.

"What can I do for you?" The Peak Elder who didn't have a single bit of hair and a single tail spoke gently. His stress caused him to lose hair as there were no good seedlings for over 10 years, but the sect gets new blood almost every month.

"My Mate would like to join your Peak." The Queen spoke gently and Aiko nodded.

'Damn it! Why can't I get any useful seedling!' The Elder cursed in his mind, but his expression was nice and gentle. 'I can't even get upset or I will end up like those useless bimbos!'

"Very well, there are few tests before she can join. I hope you don't mind?" The Elder was very scared of this duo as he treasured his backdoors. He even made a treasure that would block a hit at the pleading of his colleague.

At first he scoffed at him, but as more rumours met his ears he very diligently created 2 of them. One for himself and one for the colleague that warned him.

"That is fine. I will also oversee this if you don't mind." It wasn't a question, she would oversee it even if he didn't like that.

"As you wish." He sighed.

...

Aiko changed into her human form and sat down on the mat. Fortunately, even if she was small she was still tall enough to reach the table and write on it.

The Elder beckoned the other judges to take their seats.

'Can't we admit her immediately?' One of the judges asked.

'I agree, she is adorable and it would boost our Peaks prestige, we have too many bald guys here.' Another judge voiced the same opinion.

'I disagree, we will only get perverts if she joins.' The third judge voiced his disapproval.

The judges stared at him.

'What?' The Third judge frowned.

''You are into them.'' They voice the same sentiment.

The third judge was flustered but coughed gently. 'No matter, let's just test her.'

They all shook their heads.

The Queen looked at them as if looking at cute Animals. She was naturally eavesdropping on them and found them cute, except for the third judge.

'Should I cripple him?' She narrowed her eyes. She didn't want her fluffball to experience any unsavoury things while she was a cub. What if it rubbed on her and she became a pervert?

The Queen narrowed her eyes but waited.

...

The first test that they bought was Calligraphy. Aiko has already mastered that Skill but was startled since the upgrade of that Skill cost 1,000 Skill Points. She didn't even want the [Talisman Drawing] Skill, but the system was adamant about it.

[New Mission!]

Aiko glanced at the always silent system and narrowed her cute eyes.

[Shock the judges.]
[Reward: Passive Skill - [Calligraphy Mastery]!]

Aiko shook her cute head. The system was always silent, she didn't understand why it gave her a mission now.

She liked this much more than the [Talisman Drawing] so she would do her best.

Aiko took the parchment and slowly copied it.

Her strokes were gentle, yet firm and precise. She was naturally gifted in controlling her fingers. It felt like she had fingers her whole life.

The judges paused and used telepathy between themselves again.

'This is quite good.' One said.

'She is still a cub, you bastard!' Another snorted.

'So what?' The third one tilted his head and the second one sighed.

'You ignorant fools, don't you know that she doesn't get the full benefit from her Humanoid Body? If she is this good while still being restricted can you imagine what she might do once she isn't?!' The second scolded both of them.

''Oh...'' Both of them had blank expressions as if saying 'I definitely knew that'.

The second judge clicked his tongue and waited for her to finish.

The Peak Elder was staring at the neat handwriting. 'She might reach Inscription Apprentice with this neat writing...' He was also unaware that there was a restriction on the little one.

The Queen nodded her head. 'Neat and slow writing with very little to no error.' She acknowledged her little ones' beginner Skills.

The judges nodded to each other.

"We have seen enough, you are welcome to Inscription Peak." The middle judge's voice told her gently.

Aiko was startled as this was way too easy! Her hands were still stiff since she wasn't in this form long enough to get used to the stiffness, yet she passed.

'Is the level so low in here?' She tilted her head and thinking if that was the case, it would mean she might regret this decision.

"You can still join the Assassination Peak." The Queen smiled at her fluffball that looked at her.

The room fell silent.

'W-what do you mean Assassination Peak?! Those thirsty lunatics want her too?!' The first judge asked them in a feeble voice.

'No way will we allow them to have her! Oi third, bring you best Inscription tools and woo her over!' The second one pressured the third judge.

'Oi! You bastard, those are my last tools! Ask the Vice-Peak Elder!' He stared at the first judge.

The first one hardened. 'Why is it always me?!'

''Because you have the best Inscriptions.'' They both voiced their opinion, but soon they felt like they chewed shit.

He caressed his non-existent hair. 'At least you know who is the best.'

They cursed in their mind for their loose mouths as his ego grew larger each and every time and he would become even more unbearable.

'Just bring it!' They snorted at him.