Chapter 58: Yu Sheng’s Spirit of Exploration
The two Special Affairs Bureau Operatives and the Spirit Realm Detective, who had introduced herself as ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and was merely a holiday worker, had left. Standing at the doorway, Yu Sheng let out a soft breath, turned around, and returned to the living room.
Irene, who was watching television, immediately turned her head. “I thought you were going to chat for a while. Didn’t you have a lot to ask them?”
“I mainly wanted to establish a connection with them—now that I’ve brought Foxy out, there’s nothing urgent left,” Yu Sheng replied casually, his gaze drifting to the side of the coffee table.
The Demon-Fox Maiden, sitting on the floor surrounded by a heap of food, sensed his gaze and looked up, offering a cheerful smile. “Benefactor!”
“You need a bath, mainly to change your clothes,” Yu Sheng said with a hint of concern, glancing at Foxy’s sorry state.
The poor fox had been trapped in the Otherworld for many years. Back when she was first imprisoned, she was just a child. The clothes on her now seemed scavenged from some long-deceased soul, ill-fitting and tattered, practically reduced to scraps. Her body was caked with dirt, and though the Otherworld had water sources, she had clearly grown accustomed to a life of wilderness and isolation from civilization. Even her once luxurious tails were now tangled and matted.
Foxy lowered her head, examining herself. She had long since grown used to her bedraggled appearance, never imagining she would one day leave that Valley. Yu Sheng’s words stirred something within her—old memories and faint remnants of common sense slowly resurfaced. She sat there in a daze, much like when she had first begun relearning how to speak, gradually shedding the mindset of a feral beast.
Yes, she needed to clean herself and change clothes. She couldn’t allow the Benefactor’s lair to be dirtied.
She nodded vigorously.
Yu Sheng glanced at Irene next. The little doll’s arms were still broken, looking rather pitiful. Yet she seemed completely indifferent, happily watching a brainless variety show that had her laughing uncontrollably.
Yu Sheng couldn’t bear it. “Should I fix your arms first?”
“Just take the fox to bathe first. She definitely doesn’t know how to use the bathroom stuff,” Irene said, waving her broken arm dismissively. “I’m not in a hurry. You can fix me later.”
“Alright, I’ll get to you soon,” Yu Sheng agreed, then extended his hand toward Foxy. “Come with me.”
Foxy stood up hesitantly, her gaze lingering on the food as if unwilling to leave it unguarded. Seeing this, Yu Sheng chuckled. “Don’t worry, the food isn’t going to sprout legs and run away. You can eat after your bath—plus, Irene will keep an eye on it for you.”
Still uneasy, Foxy looked at the doll sitting on the sofa, then suddenly bent down, grabbing two cans of Eight-Treasure Porridge and two packs of biscuits, stuffing them into her tail. Only after doing this did she cautiously approach Yu Sheng.
Yu Sheng froze, his expression still wearing a faint smile but his mind completely blank. It took a few seconds before he rigidly turned his head to look at Foxy’s thick tail.
“…Where did you just hide those?”
Foxy pulled out the biscuits and porridge from her tail and showed them to Yu Sheng before promptly stashing them back, blinking innocently at him.
Yu Sheng was dumbfounded. “You can use your tail like that?!”
The Demon-Fox Maiden nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Yu Sheng’s thoughts suddenly jumped back to a previous incident. “…Didn’t you shoot out one of your tails before?”
“It’s already grown back.”
“…Huh?” Yu Sheng’s mind was a jumbled mess of question marks. So that’s how Demon Foxes worked?
No one could answer his bewilderment—not even Irene, who didn’t know any other fox quite like Foxy.
Yu Sheng forced himself to snap out of his confusion, giving his head a little shake to clear his mind. Pulling Foxy along, he led her to the bathroom on the first floor.
“This is the water heater—don’t worry about it for now. Hot water comes out from here. The valve controls the temperature—turn it to the left for hot, right for cold. Pull this lever to start the water. The bathtub works the same way; the valve is here. This bottle holds body wash—use the sponge beside it to create foam, but don’t squeeze out too much. This one’s for washing hair—should work for tails too.”
Yu Sheng carefully and patiently introduced Foxy to the various items in the bathroom, speaking slowly to ensure the Demon Fox Maiden understood. He only moved on to the next item once she nodded in comprehension. Despite his efforts, he still suspected that Foxy might end up flustered while bathing.
“Anyway, as long as you know how to use the water, you can take your time soaking in the tub. The towels and bathrobes are hanging right next to the mirror cabinet. Remember to dry off completely before coming out so you don’t catch a chill,” Yu Sheng advised.
Foxy nodded vigorously, her ears perking up. “Mm-hmm.”
“Before you start your bath, remember to take out whatever you just stuffed into your Storage Tail… Actually, never mind. Do what you think is best; they’re all sealed, after all.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“I don’t have any clothes for girls around here, so I’ll give you one of mine to make do for tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the Shopping Mall and buy you some new ones.”
“Mm-hmm.”
It seemed Foxy had been reduced to a nodding machine, agreeing to everything Yu Sheng said without question. Feeling a bit worried, Yu Sheng found himself envious of Irene’s carefree nature.
After giving a few more instructions and helping Foxy turn on the showerhead to test it out, Yu Sheng finally relaxed a little. He left a set of his loose pajamas by the Door and turned back to the Living Room.
There, Irene was struggling to climb back onto the couch with her one remaining arm.
“What are you doing?” Yu Sheng asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I got too excited and fell off the couch,” Irene explained sheepishly while wriggling back up. “Hey, don’t just stand there watching—help me up!”
With a couple of steps forward, Yu Sheng picked Irene up, including her Oil Painting Frame, and set her down properly. “Alright, that’s enough TV for you. I’m taking you upstairs to fix your body.”
Irene froze in surprise. “What about that Fox Maiden?”
“She’s in the bathroom, cleaning up. I already explained how to use everything.”
“Are you sure she can handle it? She just broke free from Hunger’s influence—her mind might not be fully recovered yet.” Irene glanced toward the bathroom, her tone doubtful. “She’s not gonna blow up the bathroom, is she?”
Yu Sheng hesitated for a moment, also glancing uncertainly at the bathroom door, where the sound of running water could be heard. “I mean… probably not. Unless she suddenly decides to launch her tail as a Fox Radish Missile midway through her bath.”
“Whatever, don’t overthink it.” Irene waved her remaining arm dismissively, her usual carefree attitude returning. “She’s not dumb—she survived in the wild for who knows how long. She’ll adapt quickly enough. Upstairs, come on—get my arm back on first. It’s annoying not even being able to change the channel.”
“Got it.” Yu Sheng carried Irene upstairs, where he flicked on the light and gently set her down on the large worktable. He carefully detached the Oil Painting Frame from her back and placed the little doll on the table.
“You don’t have to be that gentle—I’m not made of porcelain,” Irene scoffed, half-amused. “I’m not gonna shatter just because you handle me roughly.”
Yu Sheng couldn’t help but glance at her arm, where the break was starkly visible—like fine white porcelain cracked and splintered. “It’s not about being careful, really—your break just looks way too convincing. Doesn’t it hurt?”
“Nah, just a tiny sting when it first snapped. Looks pretty terrifying now, though… hurry up and fix it.” She paused before explaining the procedure. “It’s basically the same as making the body in the first place. You don’t need to craft a whole torso—just focus on the arm. The Soul Imbuement Rite follows the same method as last time, and I’ll guide you through it. After the arm, we’ll work on the leg—it has a few cracks, though not completely broken. You’ll need to activate the alchemical clay and smooth it out with a scraper. Be precise, or I’ll have to exert more energy myself…”
Yu Sheng listened intently to her instructions, then hesitated. “About that… there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
“Huh?” Irene gave him a curious look.
“We actually used up all the clay last time,” he admitted, spreading his hands helplessly. “At this hour, I doubt I can find a shop open to buy more.”
For a moment, Irene just stared at him, dumbfounded. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?! Then what’s the point of dragging me up here?”
Yu Sheng rummaged through a nearby drawer and pulled out a lotus root from the last shopping trip.
The little doll’s eyes widened, practically popping out of her head as she almost jumped up—if only her legs weren’t broken. “Are you seriously still hung up on that?! Didn’t I already tell you—wait. Why the hell is that in the Alchemy Platform drawer?! You planned this, didn’t you?”
“Just a bit curious, that’s all. Thought it might work,” Yu Sheng admitted, with a hint of guilt but mostly scientific enthusiasm—like when he’d tried to figure out how to cook HungerEntity meat. “It wasn’t cheap, you know.”
“You’re out of your damn mind!” Irene snapped, her crimson eyes glaring. “Even if it could be used, you have to add your blood to the material during the Spirit Infusion process. You could knead it into dough, but with a lotus root—how are you gonna—”
She broke off mid-sentence, eyes narrowing suspiciously as Yu Sheng pulled out a syringe from the same drawer.
“…Are you insane?!”