I'll Slaughter My Way to Immortality on the Bones of Betrayers - Chapter 17:

Chapter 17: Return Him a Generous Gift

Ji Hu, the little fox Lu Hengge picked up back then.

At that time, Lu Hengge was still the Holy Son of the Three Thousand Dao Sect, respected by all, gentle in temperament, and never one to flaunt his status.

Their encounter was actually quite dramatic. That year, Lu Hengge had gone out to find a rare herb. After a long and arduous search, he finally located traces of it at the Ten Thousand Blood Pool in Beast Valley. When he arrived, the scene was utter chaos—a snow-white fox and a giant green python were locked in a brutal fight. In the end, the white fox barely won, grievously injuring the python and killing it.

Lu Hengge was overjoyed. That meant he could easily retrieve the herb. So, he swaggered out openly, picked the herb right in front of the badly wounded fox, and stuffed it into his storage ring.

The white fox was dumbfounded. This human cultivator had no shame.

Lu Hengge only cared about the herb and didn’t attack the fox. Unexpectedly, this white fox started following him everywhere he went, wagging behind him like a little shadow.

He didn’t pay it much attention. After all, it was a wounded beast and posed no threat.

Later, Lu Hengge lingered in Beast Valley for a few days. Eventually, the white fox couldn’t hold out any longer and collapsed on the ground. At first, Lu Hengge didn’t intend to help, but in fairness, he had profited from the fox’s effort in getting the herb. And given his gentle and upright personality at the time, he carried the fox to a cave and nursed it back to health.

To his surprise, after waking up, the white fox could speak the human tongue—and kept nagging him to return the herb.

Of course, he didn’t. Once something went into the pocket, why take it back out?

Besides, Lu Hengge had truly needed that herb. Still, he didn’t mistreat the fox. He shoved all kinds of cultivation-boosting pills into her mouth.

From her chatter, he learned her name—Ji Hu.

And then Ji Hu followed him.

In the blink of an eye, three years passed. It wasn’t until some fox tribe beasts came searching for her that Lu Hengge reluctantly sent her back.

…

Looking at the stunning woman in front of him now, Lu Hengge picked up a cup of water, put it down again, and didn’t know how to face Mo Hu. In the end, he could only smile awkwardly, “You actually reached the Fusion Realm? That’s incredible!”

In just a few short years, Ji Hu had gone from a little unshapeshifted beast to a mighty Fusion Realm expert. Her cultivation speed was even faster than his own.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. “Little fox, weren’t you a beast? How did you become a demon cultivator?”

Mo Hu retracted her soul, looking aggrieved. “It’s all your fault! After you sent me back to the fox tribe, they helped me transform, and then handed me over as a concubine to the Demon Emperor.”

“That’s not on me,” Lu Hengge said, raising his hands to deflect blame. “The fox tribe told me you had a pure bloodline not seen in ten thousand years, likely to awaken an ancestral lineage. If I didn’t return you, they’d declare war on the Three Thousand Dao Sect.”

Naturally, a minor fox tribe was nothing to the sect. But at the time, Lu Hengge just wanted to avoid unnecessary conflict, so he returned her.

Looking back now, the fox tribe had been right. Ji Hu’s bloodline really was extraordinary—she had reached the Fusion Realm in just a few years.

Mo Hu gave a dissatisfied huff.

Feeling a bit guilty, Lu Hengge took out two pills and handed them to her. “One will heal your neck bone. The other’s a detox pill—take it and your cultivation will return.”

Mo Hu didn’t hesitate. She snatched them up and swallowed them instantly.

Lu Hengge gave a helpless laugh. This little fox was still just like before.

Not long after, the demonic Qi in Mo Hu’s body recovered.

“Conceal your aura. Don’t let anyone notice,” Lu Hengge reminded her.

Mo Hu quickly withdrew her presence. If the old monsters in the Three Thousand Dao Sect noticed her, she’d never get out alive.

Now that he knew she was the little fox from years ago, her crawling under his blanket last night made perfect sense. Back then, in fox form, she always loved curling up in his arms to sleep.

The two sat in silence, unsure of what to say.

To Lu Hengge, it had been over five hundred years since he last saw Ji Hu. But to Ji Hu, only a few years had passed.

Lu Hengge suddenly realized that in his past life, Ji Hu had likely come looking for him at the Three Thousand Dao Sect—but by then, he had already been thrown into the Sword Prison.

He let out a sigh. A hundred years in the Sword Prison had forged his sword bones and copper skin, and helped him comprehend the essence of the Sword Heart. But he had also missed many people and events because of it.

“Don’t come looking for me here again,” he said. “I’m already a cripple. And you… you’re of the demon race. It’s too dangerous.”

Now that he knew she was Ji Hu, all thoughts of using force were gone. This little fox was still innocent and naive. Right now, he was full of killing intent. If she got too close, it wouldn’t be good for her.

Upon hearing this, Mo Hu’s eyes turned red. She grabbed his hand and said, “Come with me. I’ll protect you!”

Lu Hengge smiled and rubbed her head, “I still have things to do. I can’t leave yet.”

“No!” she snapped. “I’ll tie you up and take you with me if I have to!”

Mo Hu was clearly upset.

The demon race was too dark. The fox tribe was too calculating. All these years, the only time she ever felt truly happy was by Lu Hengge’s side. Only he had treated her genuinely.

Now that he’d lost his cultivation, she couldn’t rest easy. Only by keeping him close could she feel at ease.

Lu Hengge was both touched and amused. He teased her, “So, who’s the master now? Don’t forget, you’re my contract beast.”

Mo Hu lifted her chin proudly, “But I’m stronger than you now. Lu Hengge, call me ‘Master’ and let’s hear it!”

Bonk!

A hard flick to the forehead.

Mo Hu winced and held her head in pain. Wait a second… her cultivation had returned, so how could Lu Hengge still hit her so hard?

“Trying to flip the heavens, huh?” Lu Hengge wiggled his fingers, “Careful or I’ll spank your butt!”

Instantly, Mo Hu shrank back and covered her pert rear. This damn man! When she was still in fox form, he used to spank her all the time. Now that she was in human form, he hadn’t dropped that bad habit!

Of course, Lu Hengge wouldn’t actually spank her. She’d grown up now—doing that would be inappropriate.

“So tell me, how did you even get into the Three Thousand Dao Sect?” he asked.

There was a grand protective formation around the sect. Only a cultivator at the Great Ascension Realm could possibly force their way in. Mo Hu was just in the Fusion Realm. She shouldn’t have been able to enter.

“Ye Feng used the Demon Heart to summon me,” she explained without any hesitation. “Otherwise, I’d still be wandering outside.”

Ah, right! Lu Hengge had almost forgotten about Ye Feng.

That little rat was smart. Summoning someone from the demon race to assassinate him—it would keep Ye Feng’s hands clean, and further support the claim that Lu Hengge had colluded with the demon race.

“Little fox,” Lu Hengge said with a grin, “do me a favor.”

It was time to return Ye Feng a generous gift.