Chapter 60: Foxy’s New Home
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
Irene glanced down at her right leg, which had just been restored. She carefully bent her knee to the left, then to the right, making sure it worked properly before slipping her sock back on. With Yu Sheng’s steadying hand, she carefully stood up.
“Are both legs the same length?” asked the tiny doll, her painted eyes locking onto Yu Sheng. “I didn’t reshape them this time—I only did some infusing and merging. Could you double-check for me?”
Yu Sheng rolled his eyes, giving a quiet sigh. “They’re absolutely the same length. All I did was fix the surface. I didn’t take them apart and rearrange them.”
Irene let out a small, relieved breath. She paced back and forth atop the table on her newly mended legs, testing her balance. At last, a bright smile spread across her face. “I can run around again!” she said, delighted. “Yu Sheng, you did a good job this time. Who knows, maybe you have a hidden talent for making dolls.”
“Thanks for the kind words,” Yu Sheng replied in an even tone. He watched her fasten her small painting frame onto her back. Then, with a few light hops, Irene jumped from the tabletop to a chair nearby, and then climbed down to the floor. Once she reached the boards, she took off running around the attic, her little feet tapping and scurrying along the dusty floor.
In the past, her constant darting about had often annoyed Yu Sheng. Irene would bump into things, cause a ruckus, and make a mess. Yet this time, as he watched her move freely, he felt none of the old irritation. Instead, there was an unexpected swell of pride in his chest. It was odd, but it warmed him somehow.
“A talent for making dolls, hmm…” he murmured to himself, gazing at the putty knife in his hand and the nearly empty tin of filler. He couldn’t be certain whether Irene’s compliment was genuine or merely playful. Still, his mind drifted to the two pieces of lotus root he had once infused with some sort of spiritual power, half by accident. Irene had been so excited before, yet she seemed to have completely forgotten about them now.
Just then, the sound of footsteps on the creaking stairs caught Yu Sheng’s attention, pulling him out of his thoughts. Irene, mid-run, also halted and looked toward the entrance.
At the top of the attic steps, a pair of fluffy white ears appeared first, followed by a face full of curiosity and a hint of nervousness. It was Foxy, the young fox girl, peering in as though both eager and shy. She wore pajamas that seemed a size too large, and her silvery-white hair still looked a bit damp. Clearly, she had followed their scent to this place. Spotting Yu Sheng and Irene, her face lit up with a joyful smile.
“Ah! Benefactor, Irene, you’re both here!” she called, her voice sounding relieved, as though she’d just found something precious she feared was lost.
Her gaze fell next on Irene’s once-missing limbs. Seeing them restored, her eyes went wide with excitement. “Irene, your hands are back!” she exclaimed.
Irene waved both hands proudly, showing them off. “Yu Sheng fixed me up!” she said, beaming and hopping in place to show off her restored legs as well. “He fixed my legs too!”
“Benefactor, your magic is truly impressive,” said Foxy, blinking in admiration at the tiny doll. Her voice brimmed with respect. “You know this Path of the Netherworld, you can restore bodies, and you can even create puppets.”
Yu Sheng paused, thinking over her words. Foxy seemed to believe that his ability to open gates—the one Irene called “gate-opening”—was the Path of the Netherworld, and it seemed she had mistaken Irene for a puppet he’d crafted.
Irene, however, stiffened at the word “puppet.” She sprang into the air, pointing an accusing finger at Foxy. “Puppet?! I’m a living doll from Alice’s Little House—blessed, you understand? Blessed! Don’t talk nonsense when you don’t know what you’re saying, you wild fox!”
Foxy’s ears drooped slightly, and she dipped her head humbly. “Oh, I didn’t know,” she murmured quietly. “I won’t say that again.”
This unexpected apology left Irene speechless. She had been all set to argue or trade insults, but Foxy’s earnestness and quick submission made it hard to keep quarreling. Irene simply stood there, unsure how to continue, her earlier fury leaking away into thin air.
Yu Sheng noticed something else at that moment. He took a closer look at Foxy. “Wait… Where’s your tail?” he asked, puzzled.
Irene, suddenly reminded, also looked Foxy up and down. Indeed, the fox girl’s big, fluffy tail was nowhere in sight.
“I tucked it away,” Foxy said simply, turning a bit to the side. A strange sound sliced through the air—“whoosh!”—and, as if a blade had just been drawn, a large, fluffy tail sprang out from behind her. It shimmered gently in the attic’s dim light. “The doorways are so narrow, and I kept bumping into things, so I put it away.”
The unexpected appearance of her tail caught Irene off guard. She let out a startled yelp as the sudden puff of fluff knocked her several meters across the floor. The little doll rolled end over end before coming to a stop in a graceless heap.
Alarmed, Foxy rushed over with quick, anxious steps, gently helping Irene back onto her feet. The doll, though cross and muttering complaints, had suffered no real harm.
Yu Sheng stood watching, stunned at first, but then broke into a relieved chuckle. “You scared me! I thought maybe you’d lost your tails or something.” He raised an eyebrow, a curious smile tugging at his lips. “But why did it make a ‘whoosh’ sound when it came out?”
Foxy tilted her head, considering the question. “It could also make a ‘bang’ sound,” she offered earnestly.
Irene, who had just regained her balance and was about to launch another rant, stopped dead. She stared at the fox girl, astonished. “You… add those sound effects yourself?!”
Foxy nodded, explaining in a calm, matter-of-fact tone, “When a fox shows its tail, it needs to make a noise. That way, people know to move aside. But you didn’t move.”
Irene’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “How was I supposed to know about your strange little rules? Where in the world do you come from, you bizarre fox?”
Foxy’s ears drooped again, sadness washing over her face. “I… I don’t remember,” she said quietly, her voice trailing off.
This simple admission instantly cooled Irene’s temper. The little doll shifted her gaze, feeling awkward and guilty. “Hey, don’t worry about it—I was just saying things,” she said, softer now, as if trying to smooth over the hurt.
Yu Sheng stepped closer to Foxy, his voice gentler than before. “Don’t feel too down,” he said. “It’s not as if you’ll never find your home. Maybe someday, you’ll remember or find a way back.”
Hearing this, Foxy’s ears perked back up, hopeful. “Can your Path of the Netherworld send me home, Benefactor?”
“His gate can lead anywhere,” Irene chimed in, placing her small hands on her hips and nodding as if she were an expert. “Sometimes he even ends up inside other people’s alchemy furnaces! Maybe one day he’ll open a gate and land right where you belong.”
As she said this, Irene suddenly seemed struck by an idea. She glanced at Yu Sheng eagerly. “Hey, should we try that alchemy furnace again? They had immortals there, right? Maybe they’d know something. If it’s not her home, at least someone might have a clue about Foxy. It all seems connected, doesn’t it?”
Yu Sheng hesitated, grimacing a little. “After what happened last time… I’m guessing they’d just try to kill us on sight.”
Irene nodded, agreeing with his reasoning. “True. If I were them, I’d probably want you dead too.”
Their back-and-forth earned a puzzled look from Foxy, who tilted her head, unable to follow their meaning. Yu Sheng noticed and cleared his throat, trying to cover the awkward moment.
“We’re just talking about places we might look for clues about your home,” he explained gently. “Don’t worry. We’ll try to help you, but we have to be careful.”
Foxy shook her head slowly, her voice turning soft. “Benefactor, you don’t have to go to all that trouble,” she said. “If we can’t find my home, that’s fine. I don’t remember it anyway… and I don’t think there’s anyone I know waiting for me there.”
As she spoke, she reached into her large, fluffy tail and pulled out two sharp canines—her prized fangs. She held them with a gentle, comforting look, as if they were a keepsake or a reminder of something dear.
“I’ve already found a family. Mom and Dad… It’s all right if I never go back.”
Yu Sheng nodded understandingly. “If that’s how you feel, then it’s fine.” He looked at her closely and asked, “Have you thought about what you’d like to do now? Do you have any plans?”
Foxy blinked, her face blank with uncertainty. “I… I don’t know,” she said softly, her voice like that of a small animal stepping into a strange new world. “This is my first time outside the valley. Everything here is unusual. I don’t know where to find food, and I don’t understand anything. Mom said foxes should never forget a kindness, but I don’t know what I can do for you in return.”
Though her words were jumbled, Yu Sheng understood perfectly. He offered her a reassuring smile. “Then how about staying here for the time being?” he suggested warmly. “I’ve got plenty of room, and there’s no shortage of food, so you won’t go hungry. As for what you can do… well, maybe you can help me fight when I need it.”
It occurred to him that he didn’t know what skills Foxy really had. Tales said fox spirits could repay kindness by changing fate, but it wasn’t as if he could ask her to learn coding or paint him a masterpiece. Still, he recalled her incredible speed and the way she handled that tail. Perhaps she could be a mighty ally against Otherworld threats. If Irene could control the battlefield and Foxy could charge in with her surprising strength, Yu Sheng could lead them safely through dangerous situations. It was a plan, at least.
Foxy, however, looked puzzled. “Fight?” she repeated, tilting her head.
Yu Sheng nodded thoughtfully. “We’re going to face more Otherworlds in the future, places like that valley you were trapped in. There are many such hidden realms filled with monsters and dangers. Some people might need our help, and I have my own reasons for dealing with these strange domains and the creatures that lurk in them. To do this, I’ll need allies.”
Hearing this, Foxy’s face tightened with concern. “Will we get trapped again?” she asked quietly.
Her earnest worry made Yu Sheng smile. “Did you forget my Path of the Netherworld?” he teased gently. “With that, we can leave whenever we need to.”
Foxy’s eyes lit up with relief and understanding. She broke into a bright smile, the tension lifting from her shoulders. “All right, then!” she said happily, ears twitching with excitement. “I’ll help you fight, Benefactor!”