Chapter 8: The Fox That Asked for Money

During the remainder of the meal, Mo Yiran recounted the history of the land to Yuan Qian'er.

They were in the Kingdom of Bingmo, the largest and most prosperous nation in the region. Bingmo had once been a nameless, chaotic city overrun by thieves and bandits. Later, the ancestors of the Bing and Mo families joined forces to tame it. The Mo family had no interest in the throne, so the Bing family unified the city and renamed it the "Kingdom of Bingmo." The Mo family was granted hereditary royal titles; those who wished to participate in governance could do so, while those who did not remained idle princes, enjoying a status second only to the monarch. A saying circulated throughout the capital: "Neither the Bing nor the Mo are to be offended."

The Bing family governed well, and in a short time, Bingmo grew rapidly, becoming the most powerful nation in the vicinity. The current sovereign, Bing Qinghua, was just and reasonable, deeply beloved by the people. Mo Yiran, the legitimate son of the Mo family, was peerless in talent and grace. At the age of five, he was scouted by Master Taihe and designated as his disciple. He ascended the mountain to begin his apprenticeship at ten. He would return to the capital for a few days whenever necessary, but otherwise, he remained on Misty Mountain, where no one knew what he was doing.

"Your master is called Master Taihe? Is he really that impressive? Will he keep me fed with meat?" Yuan Qian'er, a true meat-lover, could barely go three sentences without mentioning food. Her attitude—that whoever provided meat was essentially her parent—amused Mo Yiran.

"Haha, Qian'er, my master is a god-like figure in our country, someone even Bing Qinghua treats with great deference. Would you say that's impressive? If you follow him, you can eat whatever meat you desire." Having realized her obsession, the calculating Mo Yiran began to consider how he might slowly lure her into his own life.

"That impressive? But how can you address the Emperor so casually by his name? Aren't you afraid of getting your head chopped off?" That was how it always played out on television, wasn't it?

"The Emperor? You mean Bing Qinghua? We are of the same age and grew up together; we are very close, and I've grown accustomed to it. In private, I address him by name, but in the presence of others, I naturally refer to him as Your Majesty." He chuckled to himself. *This girl, calling the Emperor such a silly name—is she not afraid of execution?*

Yuan Qian'er, oblivious to his thoughts, finished every piece of meat on the table. She let out a satisfied burp, patted her rounded belly, and said, "Ah, that was refreshing and delicious! When you see your master, ask him to take me on as an apprentice too. That way, I won't have to worry about running out of meat every day."

"Very well. Let us go now that you've finished. We were supposed to see my master upon arriving on the mountain, but the meal delayed us; we shouldn't keep him waiting any longer." Mo Yiran did not find her burping impolite; watching her natural, straightforward demeanor put him in a good mood.

After walking through winding paths until Yuan Qian'er felt nearly dizzy, Mo Yiran finally stopped and said, "We are here. Let's go in."

As he pushed open the door, a fluffy ball of fur darted out at high speed and leaped into Yuan Qian'er's arms. Looking closely, she saw it was a white fox. Its fur was thick and snow-white, and it fixed its black, gem-like eyes on her, peering left and right before settling comfortably into her embrace. Completely smitten by the little creature, Yuan Qian'er poked it and said, "Hey, little thing, I'm going to charge you for using me as your nest. Do you have any money? If you don't, I might just roast you and eat you!"

Upon hearing this, the little fox looked toward Mo Yiran and opened its mouth to say, "Money."

"OMG, it—it actually understands me and can talk!" Yuan Qian'er was as shocked as if she had seen a meteor strike the earth. The world was truly full of wonders; a fox could actually speak!