Author's Note: Busy with school. Short chapter. Mental meltdowns everyday all day yay.

“Celestial Fox,” Qiu’yue whispered to herself. She gulped as the strange vixen’s stare sent shivers, gnawed at her marrow, to the nails of her toes. “Do you know Papa? And Mama?”

“Did I not tell you to call me Xing’Er? No matter.” The fox curled its lips upward to reveal its sharp canines and stretched its long, slender back. “I know not of the Papa you mention. But I may know your Mama. After all, if I know you, I must know your Mama.”

The young girl bit at her lips. Her chest was tight and a bead of sweat dripped down her cheek.

“Who are you?”

Xing’Er sighed with exaggerated motions. “Stupid child! Did I not tell you? I am the Celestial Fox; call me Xing’Er, for I like that better.”

“But what exactly is the Celestial Fox?” Qiu’yue cried. “I keep dreaming of something, something scary and sad. The Celestial Fox is always mentioned!”

“Ridiculous!” The vixen nipped at the girl’s hair. Xing’Er growled, “The Celestial Fox is a noble and pure creature! It is in the name: Celestial, stars and the sky and freedom and the beautiful night. Fox, is there any animal more sensational? How can I be a subject of nightmares.”

Seeing the bristling hair and quivering whiskers on Xing’Er, Qiu’yue reached out with a shaking hand and stroked the creature’s back. Tears forming, the girl confessed what she knew to the creature. The fight. The possession. The rampages. Her mother and father. Everything.

“That must be an imposter!” Xing’Er muttered. “I am the real sacred beast! I am your lineage’s guardian spirit, most definitely. I am intertwined with your spirit, your soul and blood, most definitely.”

“My lineage?” Qiu’yue asked with wide eyes.

“Did you not know? Truly, your mother, I must have a word with her,” Xing’Er wiggled her ears out of frustration. “Put simply, you are part demon. Congratulations! And if you are not dumb, you would know you are descended from some powerful fox spirit. And, yes, we vixens are rather...jealous of each other to the point of unrelenting genocide.”

Qiu’yue blushed. She said quickly, “My tutors told me I should never become a fox spirit or vixen. Wait, do I have to eat humans then?”

“Hmph,” the fox spirit laughed. “Your tutors, despite their words, must have dreamt about your mother, hoping she was a vixen in heat! And, oh, you will devour men — in all the ways and manner.”

“Xing’Er! I, I don’t know what you mean, but I don’t think that was nice,” Qiu’yue scolded. Then she frowned. “I, I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Xing’Er glared at the girl. “You must think of me as a cute baby fox. Perhaps, like a doll. And that is why you disrespect me so — but you must know of your rampages. I am the source of that power — do not push my patience, child.”

Qiu’yue paled and quickly bowed her head. “Yes, Xing’Er Gu-Gu.”

“Auntie! You, you —” Xing’Er foamed at the mouth and staggered into the leg of a table and fell. “I, I am young! I am a spirit! We are always, for eternity, young!”

“Ah,” Qiu’yue smiled wide. “That means I’m your big sister right? You have to listen to your big sister, Xing’Er. I always wanted a little sister. Mama said I was going to have one in the summer.”

Xing’Er frowned. “You said your mother was missing?”

“She’s strong though!” Qiu’yue stretched apart her arms.

“Yes, yes. If she is your mother, then she must have her own fox.”

Qiu’yue frowned. “Mama’s fox is scary.”

“Stupid! That fox must be something else. Celestial Foxes are pure and good!”

Qiu’yue pointed at Xing’Er’s dirty coat of fur and one tail. “Papa said Celestial Foxes have gold fur. Mama’s fox had nine tails.”

Xing’Er looked away and barked. “Well, maybe, I’m not mature yet…but that’s your fault! You were suppose to have started cultivating since birth! You are seven years late.”

“Papa and Mama never let me. They told me young ladies don’t need to cultivate. I was always in bed because I always felt cold.”

“Cold?” Xing’Er asked. “Wait, then why are you cultivating now?”

“Because, I have nothing else.”

Xing’Er prowled forth. “If you have always been cold — are you sure you wish to study the Yun Yue Arts?”

“Mm, I want to keep being with Meili and Jang-Guo and Senior Sha and even Cai until I find Papa and Mama,” Qiu’yue nodded.

Xing’Er smiled and leapt into the girl’s arms. “I see. It is good to have dreams. I think the Yun Yue Arts are good too. It might fix your coldness.”

“Mm, actually since the Tomb, I haven’t felt cold anymore.”

“Fool! That is because of my power. I have absorbed your enemies’ vitality and warmth and cultivation in times of emergency!”

Qiu’yue’s brows furrowed. “Xing’Er, I want you to stop going on rampages. It hurts people.”

“Cultivation itself hurts others. Besides, it is an innate mechanic which I hold no control over. Simply put, if you are in danger, I must save you.”

“I guess, I will have to find the foreign boy tomorrow,” Qiu’yue pouted.

Xing’Er’s ears perked up. “Oh, a boy? How nice. Do you wish to learn my techniques? I promise you, after hearing my methods of seductions, even the most stoic of men will fall at your feet!”

Qiu’yue blushed and shouted, “No!”

The doors slammed open and Meili rushed in. “Mei-Mei, are you alright? I heard a scream.”

“Tell them a lie,” Xing’Er giggled. “People of her cultivation will not even be able to sense me, much less see me.”

“Oh really, then I suppose hearing you makes me a genius then,” Gai’zhi laughed as he entered the room.

“Wait, what are you talking about, Senior Brother Gai’zhi,” Meili asked with a frown. “Mei-Mei?”

Under the two intense stares of Gai’zhi and Xing’Er, Qiu’yue stammered out a response, “I, it was a cockroach.”

“Cockroach?” Meili’s face paled. “Haha. Good thing, Senior Brother Gai’zhi is here. Um, uh, forgive me, Mei-Mei!” She ran out the door and hid behind Jang-Guo who laughed. Cai stared into the room until Gai’zhi closed the doors.

“Senior Brother Gai’zhi, you can see her?” Qiu’yue asked tentatively.

“Nope. I can hear her though.” Gai’zhi laughed. “And don’t you know it is bad for those of opposite genders to be alone in a room?”

Qiu’yue tilted her head. “Why?”

Xing’Er sighed. “Sex.”

“Indeed, strange voice! A pervert after my own heart!”

Qiu’yue paled and quickly backed away from Gai’zhi.

“Don’t worry, it was a joke. You are not yet ripe,” Gai’zhi laughed. “More importantly, why do you have a spirit hanging around you.”

“I am her guardian spirit, that is all.”

“I suppose, you are the source of her rampages?”

“You can see, I do my job well.”

“Well, that means you are bound. That’s all I needed to know. Qiu’yue, know this, though, guardian spirits are often domesticated demons. All demons are harmful by nature.” Gai’zhi left the room.

“Hmph, how rude. Well, you heard him. I am still a useful companion!” Xing’Er declared proudly. She then yawned. “Well, it seems taking up a physical form is too tiring. I must sleep now. Goodnight, little girl.”

Qiu’yue sighed. “Mama, why didn’t you tell Qiu’yue these things?”