Chapter 256
Chapter 256: Fox Immortal, Oh Fox Immortal
Borderland really is a place that produces outstanding people, as Yu Sheng now understands; and today the Special Affairs Bureau also learned what kind of talents the Hotel shelters.
In the headquarters’ second cafeteria, several employees who had just finished the night shift came for breakfast and were shocked to hear that egg noodles and buns were temporarily off the menu. Then they saw the reason: on the table closest to the serving window, stacks of cleaned plates and bowls were piled in neat towers, and in the middle sat the Nine Tailed Fox, happily twirling noodles with her chopsticks and biting into them like drumsticks.
Miss Fox ate with shining eyes. Inside the Special Affairs Bureau she did not need to hide, so a whole bunch of big tails lay behind her, swaying as she chewed. Two head cooks stood by to guard and keep serving her. Cold sweat ran all the way to their ankles, and the hands holding the ladles would not stop shaking.
Right in front of them, the Nine Tailed Fox finished another bowl of noodles. Then she dipped a fist sized bun into the noodle soup and swallowed each in two bites without slowing down. One server finally whispered with a trembling voice to the other: “Should we call the police?”
“Call what,” the other server said, face turning green, “we work at Special Affairs Bureau headquarters. You want to call the police and say our own cafeteria is getting cleaned out? People will laugh until this time next year. Besides, the Director told us to let this miss eat as she pleases and not stop her no matter how much.”
“But she didn’t say this much! I just don’t get it. Where does it all go? Two elephants would burst by now.”
“Why talk so much. You work at the Special Affairs Bureau, what haven’t you seen.”
“This I really haven’t.”
“Not good, she’s almost out of buns. Quick, to the back kitchen.”
“Crap, I forgot to tell them to steam more. I’ll grab two trays of plain steamed buns to hold the line.”
When Yu Sheng and Bai Li Qing walked into the cafeteria, this was the scene they saw.
[The Nine Tailed Fox at home is reloading ammo.jpg.]
To be honest, Yu Sheng was stunned. He even wondered for a moment if he had been starving this miss at home.
He only wondered for a moment though. He knew Foxy’s special nature. She can eat, and she does get full, but from the point of view of stocking ammunition, her “appetite” has no ceiling at all. [No normal person would guess this.]
Back when Bai Li Qing readily agreed to let Foxy eat her fill in the cafeteria, Yu Sheng knew this would happen. He did not warn anyone. Free food from the Bureau was there to be used.
And once he learned how rich and deep Borderland’s backing really was behind the Special Affairs Bureau, he felt even less guilt about it.
Just then Foxy, who was lifting the bowl to sip soup in big gulps, heard footsteps nearby. Her big ears twitched. She put the bowl aside, grabbed one tail to wipe her mouth hard, then turned with a bright face toward Yu Sheng: “Benefactor, you’re here!”
“Yeah, I’m here,” Yu Sheng said with a broad smile as he walked up. He took one of Foxy’s tails and wiped the spots she had just missed, then asked: “Are you full?”
Foxy’s face glowed red, a little shiny with oil: “Full. I got full a while ago.”
Yu Sheng turned back and saw Bai Li Qing walking over. Even on this steel stiff face he saw a hint of shock. She stared at the plates and bowls on the table, which was clearly after someone had already cleared part of them, and only after a long time said: “I used to think she just had a big appetite.”
Yu Sheng grinned: “Eye opening, right?”
Bai Li Qing held it in for two seconds: “I am more curious how you afford to feed her.”
Yu Sheng laughed: “If I said I can’t, would you agree to let me open a Portal from number 66 Wutong Road to this cafeteria? Every mealtime Foxy can come eat here.”
He only said it in passing, but the woman Director in front of him actually thought seriously for a second or two, then nodded solemnly: “We can afford that.”
“Uh, I was joking,” Yu Sheng said, suddenly embarrassed. He waved his hands and explained: “Under normal conditions, Foxy really is just the ‘big appetite’ type. Feeding her is fine. But this stretch, to solve the Fairy Tale incident, she burned a lot of ammo. Eating more is topping off the arsenal. If you do not stop her, she really can empty your whole cafeteria.”
“…?” said Bai Li Qing.
Bai Li Qing, an excellent Otherworld counter expert, a seasoned fighter, the legendary leader who has led the Special Affairs Bureau for a hundred years, for the first time in her life met a sentence that made her think, [What on earth does this even mean].
Foxy also seemed a little embarrassed now. She finally noticed the towers of plates and bowls and the two cooks whose sweat had already dripped onto the floor. She hunched her shoulders and spoke in a small voice: “Sorry, I think I ate a bit too much.”
Before she finished, the two cooks said in unison: “Not too much. As long as you enjoyed it.”
Foxy’s face stayed red. She suddenly stepped forward and pulled a big chunk of something out of her tail: “This is for you, as thanks.”
Yu Sheng did not see what it was before he heard a loud thump. A huge dark block with a metallic sheen, like a counterweight, hit the floor. Several nearby tables shook.
Even Irene on his shoulder jumped: “Jeez, what is that?!”
Foxy tugged Yu Sheng to go home. Seeing her blush reach down her neck, he could only give Bai Li Qing an awkward smile. As he casually opened a Door to number 66 Wutong Road he said: “I’ll take her back first. If there is any news about the Anka Aila crystal or that ‘cloth strip’, tell me at once. I’ll be at home waiting. And the Orphanage resettlement costs!”
Stepping through the Door, they entered the familiar home. Foxy relaxed at once. She flopped onto the sofa, tails swaying, and let out a happy sigh after a full meal.
Irene jumped off Yu Sheng’s shoulder right away, shot to the coffee table like a little rocket, grabbed the remote, and took the best viewing spot, even though no one else wanted it.
Yu Sheng glanced helplessly at the little Doll who had started searching for all kinds of dumb variety shows again. He hung his coat on the rack, came to the sofa, and asked the Fox Maiden with curiosity: “By the way, what was the thing you left them? It looked heavy.”
Foxy lifted her head from the cushion. She stretched on all fours, gave a long yawn, and explained: “Nothing special. When I load my tails and fire Fox Fire and such, there are core byproducts left over after the reactions. I collected some. The materials are not valuable, but you can craft items from them. They still hold more spiritual charm than normal stuff.”
Then she stretched again and flopped back down: “Benefactor, I am sleepy. Nap.”
“…” said Yu Sheng.
He did not really understand it, but Miss Fox fell asleep in a second.
…
“It seems to be iron. At least by composition, the main element we can detect is iron,” said the technician called in to test it. He scanned the dark, metallic “block” for a long time, then reported to Bai Li Qing: “To know how pure it is, we will need the lab instruments.”
“Iron?” Bai Li Qing’s tone turned odd: “You are telling me this is a cast iron ingot?”
“Yes,” the technician nodded, “but the piece still holds some strange energy signatures. I have never seen anything like it. I cannot say what they mean yet. Where did this come from?”
Expressionless, Bai Li Qing said: “It is how Miss Fox paid her bill after eating.”
“…?” said the technician.
The symptom of [What on earth does this mean] began spreading person to person inside the Special Affairs Bureau.
“Send it to the lab later and bring a handcart to haul it,” Bai Li Qing said with a wave. “It should not be harmful. Handle it as a Category II unknown substance. That is all.”
After a while, Bai Li Qing returned to her office.
She sat behind the huge desk, rubbed her forehead, and sorted her thoughts.
Dealing with Yu Sheng and his crew is a strange experience. Sometimes they wear you out, sometimes they keep your nerves tight, but most of the time they improve your imagination.
Overall, things are moving in a good and controllable direction.
So what will happen next?
With a faint, subtle mood she had not felt in many years, Bai Li Qing hesitated, then turned on the computer and opened a special communication window.
A low humming came from beneath the desk. It was not the usual sound a computer case makes.
After a moment, the screen lit up and showed a sweep of pavilions and galleries and, far away, misty immortal peaks. Clouds glowed with sunset light. The view was stunning.
An old man’s voice came from off screen: “Director Bai Li, why do you seek me?”
“Immortal, your camera is reversed,” said Bai Li Qing.
“Ah? Oh, I did not notice.”
The picture shifted and stuttered. Then a white haired old man in a simple Daoist robe appeared. His face was calm but carried a faint aura of authority.
Behind him was a cool pavilion that seemed to stand right on the clouds. Two Celestial Cranes played in the mist outside.
“Director Bai Li, why do you seek me?” he asked again.
Bai Li Qing thought for a moment and decided to get straight to the point: “Immortal Yuan Ling, is your name on Border Comms ‘Wicked Disciple 3000’?”
“How do you know?” The High Immortal stroked his beard with surprise. “I made a new account to avoid being recognized and to enjoy some peace and quiet. Even my closest disciples do not know it. Director Bai Li, did your Border Comms registration privacy statement deceive…”
“It is not that,” Bai Li Qing said lightly. “I deduced it. Your accounts are easy to guess. I will say one thing and you will know what I mean. Today someone sent the Special Affairs Bureau a special ‘sample.’ It was a Mysterious Cloth Fragment with an unknown origin.”
The old man understood at once. With a pleased look he lifted a tea cup from the jade desk and sipped: “Oh, I see. He already sent it to you? Yes, yes. I recently met a new online friend. We are not close yet, but he has chances and luck that normal people do not. Twice in a row he obtained strange items even I could not recognize. Very interesting. That second item looked quite like a piece my senior brother once brought back. It seems he told you about me. No wonder.”
Bai Li Qing watched Immortal Yuan Ling, waited two or three seconds, then spoke again: “Do you remember the encrypted bulletin Borderland sent to all high levels yesterday? The unprecedented ‘Angel Fall’ incident.”
Immortal Yuan Ling swallowed and nodded again and again: “Of course. When that news arrived, several old fellows almost could not sit still. Celestial Maiden Shuang Hua, who is still in seclusion, nearly broke out early. Thankfully fellow seniors of the Door stopped her. Things will be lively for a while. Even if that news does not spread, few leaders will sit still.”
“That new ‘friend’ of yours, the one who sent me the sample this morning,” Bai Li Qing said calmly: “he is the one who took down the Dark Angel Anka Aila.”
Immortal Yuan Ling sprayed his next sip of tea.
His eyes widened: “Is that true?”
Then without waiting for Bai Li Qing to answer, he waved his hand: “It must be true. You would not joke like this. This is fate, truly fate.”
He stood up in the frame and paced a few quick steps: “I should go see him myself. Such an expert must carry heaven’s secrets. To meet him would be good. Yes, I should pay my respects at his Door…”
He seemed to decide on something, but a few seconds later he hurried back, shaking his head with regret: “No. The Grand Void Spiritual Axis is at the key stage of ‘fixing the stars.’ Of all times, now I cannot leave. I truly cannot.”
The old man returned to his seat in two or three steps, nimble as a youth: “Then this. Director Bai Li, I will send my most trusted disciple to meet that expert. Would that be acceptable?”
Realizing he had decided something on his own, he added with a hint of awkwardness: “I was rash. May your side allow it? I know the Angel Fall matter must have Borderland very busy. But I and that expert do have some fate. I would trouble you with this. Of course, it depends on the expert’s wishes. Fighting the Dark Angels must have cost him much. If he is not available, then…”
“The ‘expert’ you speak of is very easygoing,” Bai Li Qing said, having to cut off the stream of polite words. “You have chatted with him enough to feel that. His affairs are not under the Bureau’s control, so do not ask me. Message him directly. If he agrees, send your disciple. I can help arrange the reception.”
Immortal Yuan Ling thought for a few seconds, looking almost frozen. Then he raised his head and nodded very seriously: “All right. I will speak with him. If this goes through, I will trouble you, Director Bai Li.”
“No need to be polite. Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain has been an old friend of the Special Affairs Bureau.”
A smile crossed Immortal Yuan Ling’s face. Before ending the call, he seemed to remember something and asked in a subtle tone: “Is my little alt really easy to guess?”
“Very easy to guess,” Bai Li Qing said with a straight face.
Immortal Yuan Ling pinched his beard, thought for a moment, then laughed like a happy child: “Ha ha, that is fine, that is fine. I will make a new account.”
…
The faster than light call ended. The shimmering light on the Spirit Mirror faded. Sitting at the white jade desk, the old man beckoned. The treasure mirror flew into his hand.
He swept his hand over the mirror. With a thought, new icons and words rose on the surface. The Special Affairs Bureau’s emblem spread like ink in water and turned into an interface very similar to Border Comms.
At the top, it read: “Border Comms – Cross Realm Edition.”
Immortal Yuan Ling tapped and swiped, made a few settings, then let out a small breath and hid the mirror in his sleeve. He lifted his eyes to look beyond the pavilion.
Cloud paths wound among peaks. The immortal mountains were hazy and pure.
He steadied himself and called: “Xuan Che!”
His voice was not loud, but it seemed to enter into Resonance with the whole sea of clouds and the peaks. It echoed across the world.
In a blink, a beam of glow rose from a far mountain. It crossed the clouds in a breath and landed before Immortal Yuan Ling. A handsome young man in a blue cloud patterned robe stepped out of the light and bowed: “Master, what do you command?”
“Xuan Che, the passport and Borderland passes you made when you last went out, are they still valid?”
Xuan Che froze, then answered quickly: “They have not expired, Master.”
“Good. Prepare for the next two days. You may need to go to Borderland and perhaps stay there a few days.”
Xuan Che blinked, curious and puzzled: “Borderland? Master, what would you have me do…”
Immortal Yuan Ling looked solemn: “Go meet an online friend for me.”
“…?” said Xuan Che.
…
In the attic at number 66 Wutong Road, Yu Sheng sat at the big table he had once used to build Irene’s body. He was focused on sewing a small dress.
This is not easy for a beginner. Luckily the dress was not complex, and he only needed to alter a small part. He felt he could handle it.
The problem was someone nagging beside him.
Irene sat on the table with her chin in her hands, watching Yu Sheng sew her dress and babbling nonstop: “Hey Yu Sheng, can you really do it? If you cannot, find help. I heard Rapunzel knows needlework, and Silly Fox can really eat. Did you see the faces of those two cafeteria cooks? They were done. Just serving her was hard labor. Also, why is my account still locked? It is the second day already. What if I secretly use Foxy’s Identification Card to register a new one… fine, fine, if not then not. No need to glare. How about you make me a new body in a few days? We grabbed a pile of Supreme Grade alchemy materials from the Special Affairs Bureau, right? Use them for me. This time try molding me to one point six seven meters. I had a great figure before, better than Foxy’s. Hey Yu Sheng, can you really do it…”
Yu Sheng lifted his head and glared at the chatterbox: “One more word and I stop. You sew it yourself.”
Irene shrank at once and muttered: “Fine, I will stop. Tch.”
Yu Sheng sighed and kept stitching the part of Irene’s doll dress that did not fit well.
Irene rested her chin and watched quietly now. Her crimson eyes stared straight at his hands. From time to time she smiled like a fool. No one knew why.
At that moment, the phone on the table buzzed.
Irene hopped over, picked it up, glanced at it, then held it up to Yu Sheng with both hands: “For you. A System notice from Border Comms. Looks like a message from a stranger.”
“Hold on,” Yu Sheng said. He quickly finished the last stitches, tied a knot, bit the thread, and put away the needle and thread. Then he took the phone. “A stranger message… who would message me…”
He unlocked the screen and opened Border Comms. A new contact had sent a private message.
The sender’s name was “Wicked Disciple 4000.” There were two messages. The first read: “Hello, Fellow Daoist. I am Wicked Disciple 3000. This is my new account.”
“…” thought Yu Sheng.
Then he read the second message:
“I am very interested in the strange items you have found, and I recently heard some news about you. I feel we met too late. I wished to visit in person and discuss the secrets of rare items, but I am tied up by mundane affairs and cannot get away. Just now, I have a disciple going to Borderland to handle some matters. He is very skilled with strange items and Otherworld affairs. I would like him to visit your place and pay his respects. Would that be convenient? If this is a disturbance, please forgive me.”
A cold sweat ran down Yu Sheng’s back.