Chapter 79
Upon recognizing the pink ball of fluff, the tension in Wen Xin’s arm muscles, which had tightened due to the unexpected movement around him, instantly melted away.
The soft, fuzzy little creature flung itself at him, cuddling into his arms with giddy enthusiasm, rubbing its fluffy body against him. “Wen Xin, Wen Xin! Did you miss me? Did you?”
As its fine fur brushed against his face, Wen Xin couldn’t help but smile. “Of course I did.”
He adjusted the little fox’s body in his arms, laughing lightly. “Why do you all like diving for my face? I can barely breathe!”
Startled by his words, the little fox shrank back immediately, retreating into Wen Xin’s arms to give him room to breathe.
“How about now? Are you still uncomfortable?”
Seeing its worried expression, Wen Xin chuckled again, gently pinching its soft ears. “No, I’m fine now.”
The fox’s ears were sensitive and incredibly soft, twitching and trembling under his touch. When it was happy, they wagged excitedly, just as they were now.
After just two gentle rubs, the ears were almost a blur of pink from their constant wiggling.
Since learning about Wen Xin’s capture by the Reality Sect on his way to City A, the little fox had been on edge, unable to find peace.
If not for Ah Lü eventually rescuing Wen Xin and sending back a letter of reassurance, the fox would have gone mad with worry.
Now reunited, the little fox treated Wen Xin like a lost treasure returned to its rightful place. It had so much to say but soon noticed something unusual.
The little fox tilted its head curiously and asked, “Wen Xin, why don’t you seem surprised when I talk to you?”
Ah Lü, who had been quietly observing, felt a weight lift from its metaphorical shoulders as it saw the fox safe and sound again.
However, the little fox’s entire focus was on Wen Xin, ignoring Ah Lü entirely.
Ah Lü’s voice was cold as it muttered, “Anyone would know mutants can talk. What’s so surprising about that?”
“Ah Lü!”
The little fox hadn’t noticed Ah Lü at first due to its concealed aura. Upon spotting the familiar figure, its face lit up with joy. It leaped out of Wen Xin’s arms and pounced on Ah Lü.
Ah Lü clicked its tongue and intercepted the fox mid-air with its tail. “Can’t you be a little more composed?”
Despite the complaint, when the fox made another attempt, Ah Lü didn’t stop it this time.
The little fox lunged at Ah Lü with so much force that the two of them tumbled across the ground in a tangle, rolling several times.
Eventually, the little fox ended up on top, grinning mischievously as it pinned Ah Lü with its paws. “I’ll have you know, I’m much stronger now! If we fight again, I might not lose this time!”
Ah Lü twitched an eyebrow and quickly glanced at Wen Xin, worried he might catch the odd phrasing. But Wen Xin only watched them with a gentle smile, showing no sign of suspicion. Ah Lü sighed in relief.
With a growl of annoyance, Ah Lü swatted the fox off with its paw. “So, by ‘stronger,’ you mean getting infected and turning into a mutant?”
The little fox blinked, wide-eyed and innocent.
Ah Lü silently cursed the naive creature, frantically signaling it with its eyes.
Following Ah Lü’s gaze toward Wen Xin, the fox suddenly caught on and let out a little “oh!” before nodding enthusiastically. “That’s right!”
It puffed out its chest. “After all, I’m not just an ordinary fox anymore—I’m a talking fox now!”
Ah Lü: “…”
Resigned, Ah Lü rubbed its face with a paw.
How could this fox not realize how ridiculous it sounded?
Of course, the little fox didn’t think anything was wrong. Its excuse about becoming a mutant had been prepared in advance.
Back in City B, where mutants were rare, it had avoided speaking to avoid frightening Wen Xin. But now, after seeing mutants everywhere in the Eastern territories, it figured Wen Xin was “well-acquainted” and had no qualms about speaking freely.
What the fox hadn’t expected was Wen Xin’s incredible composure—he hadn’t even flinched at its words.
The fox looked up at Wen Xin with starry-eyed admiration. As expected of Wen Xin!
Wen Xin didn’t interrupt the reunion between his two babies. Once they had finished playing, he turned to the red panda, which had cautiously poked its head out from behind him. Picking it up, he called out, “Xiao Qi.”
The little fox tilted its head. “Is this the new friend you mentioned in your letter?”
The red panda’s aura was faint and elusive, well-disguised and almost undetectable.
To anyone below S-class, it was like a gentle breeze, leaving no trace.
The red panda found the little fox’s aura familiar—only the most powerful mutants could have such an impression on it.
Instantly, the red panda grew tense, its voice tinged with nervousness. “Yes, my name is Two Hundred Thirty-Three, but you… you can call me San San.”
(T/N: San San directly translates to three-three, Finally a name for the red panda ?? •?•??)
San San, the red panda, nearly addressed the fox with a term of respect but managed to stop itself just in time, biting down on its tongue in its haste.
The number Two Hundred Thirty-Three.
Hearing this, Xiao Qi froze for a moment, a flicker of coldness flashing in its eyes.
The number represented something grim—since their departure, the First Base had created at least a hundred more mutants.
Instinctively, Xiao Qi looked over at Ah Lü.
Their gazes met, and Xiao Qi immediately understood: Ah Lü was already well aware of this development.
Suppressing the wave of loathing for the First Base that stirred within, Xiao Qi grinned and said warmly, “Hello, San San. Wen Xin must’ve mentioned me before. I’m Twenty-Seven, but you can just call me Xiao Qi.”
At the same time, Xiao Qi extended a calming mental presence toward San San.
The red panda, sensing this mental reassurance, gradually relaxed its cautious respect toward the fox.
Its ears twitched as genuine curiosity replaced its initial tension. Climbing down from Wen Xin’s lap, it hesitantly approached Xiao Qi on the ground.
Among all the companions Wen Xin had raised, Xiao Qi was the first not to frighten other mutants with its speech.
San San felt a natural sense of friendliness toward Xiao Qi, sniffing at it here and there. Finally, the red panda lowered its head slightly, tilting it forward. “Ah.”
By reading into its mental energy Xiao Qi was able to confirm that the red panda wasn’t a bad companion.
Sitting in place, Xiao Qi casually licked San San’s forehead twice.
That was its sign of approval.
Seeing the two companions getting along so well, Wen Xin couldn’t help but smile, reaching out to rub their heads affectionately.
“Xiao Qi, I haven’t asked yet—how did you find this place? Weren’t you planning to stay with His Eminence the Cardinal?” he asked, his tone calm as he stroked the fox’s fur.
Deep down, Wen Xin recalled how much he had wanted to bring Xiao Qi along back then. But in hindsight, considering the attack he later endured, he felt a measure of relief that Xiao Qi hadn’t been there to suffer alongside him.
Xiao Qi shook its head, a glint of anger rising in its eyes as it remembered something.
“The Reality Sect went too far, daring to lay hands on you! His Eminence was furious—he rooted out every spy they had planted in the Idealism Sect and punished them on the spot!”
After a pause, Xiao Qi softened its tone, turning its gaze seriously toward Wen Xin.
“At the same time, he realized that he couldn’t do everything perfectly on his own. So, His Eminence delegated a lot of his responsibilities to his followers and shed many burdens. He’s not as busy now, so he can travel a bit and doesn’t need me following him all the time.”
“I got your letter saying Ah Jiu was in Rose City, and I guessed you’d come here looking for him. So, I came too!”
The little pink fox puffed out its chest proudly. “Aren’t I clever?”
Wen Xin’s eyes curved with a smile as he praised it generously. “Very clever, indeed.”
He didn’t take Xiao Qi’s lighthearted tone at face value, knowing full well that dismantling the Reality Sect’s schemes must not have been an easy task.
Watching the fox’s perky ears twitch with delight, Wen Xin couldn’t resist ruffling them again. “Since you’re here, why not stay and celebrate the New Year with us?”
“Ah Jiu mentioned that Rose City will host a grand celebration in spring. Let’s go together, and have some fun. What do you think?”
“New Year? A celebration?” Xiao Qi’s head shot up in excitement.
But soon, it hesitated.
If it stayed until spring, that would be quite a long time. It worried that if it returned too late, its mental influence might wear off.
Noticing Xiao Qi’s indecision, Wen Xin gently reassured it. “You’re thinking of His Eminence, aren’t you? But isn’t he trying to relinquish some of his responsibilities?”
“If every minor issue still needs his attention, then isn’t that burden still weighing him down? His Eminence is a wise person—he knows this. I doubt he’ll be in a rush to return.”
Wen Xin understood how much Xiao Qi cared about the Idealism Sect it had built. That’s why he hadn’t forced it to leave with him before.
He also knew that managing a city with tens of thousands of people wasn’t a responsibility one could easily abandon.
Wen Xin added, “Ah Jiu has some large raptor-class mutants under his command. They’re incredibly fast and unaffected by snowstorms.”
“I can take you to him later to borrow one. If anything urgent happens at the Idealism Sect, they can send word to you right away, and you can return in time.”
Hearing this, Xiao Qi perked up. “Wen Xin, you’re so smart.”
In its eyes, being “smart” was the highest compliment, and it often used the term to praise itself and others.
Wen Xin chuckled, his smile carrying a trace of indulgence.
At the same time, he solidified his resolve. After the Rose City celebration, he would focus on finding the remaining companions and then head to the Idealism Sect in City B to help Xiao Qi lighten its burdens.
It wouldn’t take too long, nor would it be rushed.
Wen Xin glanced at his palm.
For now, though, he still hadn’t found a reliable way to address the conflicts that might arise within the Idealism Sect—issues that would need resolution to maintain order.
Xiao Qi knew Ah Jiu was in Rose City, but it didn’t realize Ah Jiu was the ruler of the city.
While it could faintly sense traces of Ah Jiu’s aura, it hadn’t spotted him anywhere near Wen Xin.
Pulling its gaze back, Xiao Qi tilted its head and asked, “Where’s Ah Jiu? Did you find him?”
As they were talking, a voice called out from behind the palace doors.
It was Ah Jiu’s, though for some reason, it sounded a bit hoarse.
“Wen Xin, who’s here?”
