Leo waved his right hand, conjuring a rope out of thin air that wrapped around the black fox like a serpent.
The black fox let out a miserable cry as it was tightly bound.
In the villa’s living room, Leo sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, holding a teacup filled with plain water.
The coffee table had been moved aside, revealing a completely black fox in front of Leo.
The fox was quite large and plump, about the size of an adult Labrador, which was the biggest fox Leo had ever seen.
Using his spiritual sense, Leo noticed a faint purple-gray aura flickering on the surface of the black fox.
It was clear that this was no ordinary fox.
The black fox struggled but couldn’t break free from the rope. It made strange low noises and looked at Leo with pitiful eyes, clearly begging for mercy.
“If you’re so scared, why did you spy on me?” Leo asked calmly.
The fox responded with more strange whimpering sounds.
Leo uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “Tell me why, and I might let you go. Otherwise, I’ll decide whether to steam or braise you based on my mood.”
“Honestly, I’ve never eaten fox meat before. I wonder how it tastes.”
The black fox seemed to understand Leo’s words. Hearing that it might be eaten, it began to tremble uncontrollably.
Its mouth moved as if trying to speak, but it could only produce strange sounds, unable to form human words.
It seemed that this fox’s cultivation was still shallow; it hadn’t fully developed its intelligence and couldn’t speak human language.
This language barrier was a problem-while the fox could understand human speech, Leo couldn’t understand beast language.
“Master, I have a way to directly access this fox’s memories,” Maggie said, understanding Leo’s dilemma.
This statement made the fear in the black fox’s eyes even more intense.
The black fox struggled to move closer to Leo’s feet, lifting its head with a pleading look in its eyes.
“Maggie, what will happen to the fox after you access its memories?” Leo knew Maggie’s methods were never simple.
Maggie replied bluntly, “Its soul will leave its body, never to be reborn.”
“That’s too cruel. After all, it’s still a life.” Looking at the pitiful fox, Leo hesitated to take such a harsh action.
The black fox rubbed its head against Leo’s calf upon hearing his words.
“Master, this black fox has ill intentions. Why show it such mercy?” Maggie wasn’t as kind-hearted as Leo when dealing with such creatures.
The black fox quickly made strange noises, indicating it hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Foxes are known for their cunning. If it’s spying on you, it must have an ulterior motive. Please reconsider,” Maggie reminded Leo as she saw his hesitation.
The black fox collapsed to the ground like a deflated balloon.
After much thought, Leo shook his head and said to Maggie, “Maggie, cultivation is inherently against the natural order and under the scrutiny of heavenly laws. Karma and morality are always at play.”
“All beings have spirits. Taking lives recklessly increases one’s karmic burden. Especially since you are a ghost spirit cultivating as a ghost immortal, you should avoid unnecessary killings.”
Listening to Leo’s teachings, Maggie’s initially fierce expression softened. Her gaze towards Leo became gentle; after all, it had been centuries since anyone had shown her such concern.
At that moment, a little girl rushed down from upstairs and exclaimed joyfully, “Hey, Harper, is that you?”
The black fox, which had been lying weakly on the ground, suddenly regained its energy and struggled to turn its head towards the little girl.
Seeing the girl clearly, the fear in the black fox’s eyes was replaced by joy.
With the little princess here, it felt safe. The black fox was very excited.
The little girl ran over and hugged the black fox. Seeing it bound by ropes, she looked at Leo with a pitiful expression and said, “Big brother, please don’t hurt Harper.”
Leo was surprised that the little girl knew the black fox. Watching their close interaction, he asked in confusion, “You know this black fox?”
“It’s my mom’s subordinate and my good friend,” the little girl replied innocently.
The word “subordinate” made Leo raise an eyebrow.
The little girl glanced at Maggie and then pleaded again when Leo remained silent. “Big brother, I know you’re the best. Can you let Harper go?”
“Alright, but you have to make sure it behaves,” Leo said.
“Harper will be very obedient. It came here specifically to find me today,” the little girl quickly replied.
Leo waved his right hand, and the ropes binding the black fox disappeared.
Feeling the restraints vanish, the black fox broke free from the girl’s embrace and jumped around the living room joyfully.
After bouncing around for a while, it snuggled back into the little girl’s arms, appearing very affectionate.
The little girl petted the black fox and then asked, “Harper, didn’t I tell you to go back first? Why did you come back to find me?”
The black fox let out a low cry, and its joyful expression dimmed immediately.
The smile on the girl’s face disappeared as well. Her expression changed rapidly from sunny to rainy as she began to cry.
Crying again-Leo was getting annoyed. He shouted loudly, “Stop crying right now!”
The crying in the living room ceased immediately.
“Little girl, if you have something to say, just say it. Crying won’t solve anything.”
The little girl and the black fox both looked at Leo hesitantly.
Finally, the little girl bit her lip and mustered up her courage. “Big brother, you’re a good person. I know you’ll help me.”
Leo suddenly felt like he was being set up. After a moment of hesitation, he replied, “Whether I’m a good person or not is beside the point. As for helping you, I require compensation.”
The little girl’s eyes darted around before she said seriously, “If you help me, I’ll give you our family’s heirloom Divine Moon Bead.”
Upon hearing this, the black fox let out a series of strange cries and kept poking the girl’s body with its paws, clearly disapproving of her decision.
The little girl gently stroked the black fox’s head and said sadly, “Harper, you know I can’t protect the Divine Moon Bead. Rather than letting bad people take it, I’d rather give it to big brother so he can help us.”
The black fox lowered its head in resignation.
What is this Divine Moon Bead?
Leo was intrigued.
“Little girl, introduce yourself first and then explain everything clearly. I’ll see if I can help you.”
The little girl stood up solemnly and said, “My name is Hannah. I am a descendant of the Greenmount Spirit Fox clan.”