Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Dongcheng Brigade didn't have any fancy office space; they operated out of a small courtyard house in a hutong.

On the way back, Lin Xiaoyang was filling Bai Zhizhi in: "We used to hang out with the main bureau, but as energy fields kept popping up, the main bureau couldn't hold everyone, so they split off. A lot of people wanted to follow Brother Jiang, but Brother Jiang couldn't be bothered with all that, so he only took a few people, and naturally, I'm one of them."

He said this with a smug little chin lift, then continued, "We used to share space with the neighborhood committee, but that was a pain, so Brother Jiang offered up his family's hutong courtyard as our office."

Lin Xiaoyang leaned in close to Bai Zhizhi and lowered his voice conspiratorially: "Do you know what that means?"

Bai Zhizhi blinked at him.

Lin Xiaoyang chuckled. "It means our Brother Jiang's got deep pockets. You've just crawled out and don't know jack yet. Once you get deeper into human society, you'll understand."

Bai Zhizhi didn't get much else, but he understood what "having money" meant. He glanced at Jiang Lin, who was driving. So this human cultivator guy is a big deal in the mortal world?

When they arrived back at the team's base and he saw what they called "having money," Bai Zhizhi kept a blank face, not sure what expression to put on.

The courtyard seemed to be two hutong yards knocked together. The smaller front yard was used for office work, with a back door connecting to the rear yard, which was used for living quarters.

The whole place was smaller than his sleeping hall, let alone the tree hollow he used to goof off in. What's more, it looked dilapidated, the front gate all peeling and faded.

Bai Zhizhi reached out and pushed the gate. The mottled red door gave a creaky groan, making it look even more beat-up.

Before Jiang Lin could step inside, Lin Xiaoyang dashed in first, yelling at the top of his lungs: "We're back! We've got a new buddy—everyone come out and meet him!"

Jiang Lin said to Bai Zhizhi, who was still examining the gate, "We don't have many people here, just about ten. I'll introduce you to everyone later. They're all super easy to get along with."

The first one to run out of the house was a girl who looked maybe sixteen, with a round face, big eyes, and a sweet smile; her eyes were clear and sparkling.

When she saw Jiang Lin, her smile brightened even more. Spotting Bai Zhizhi following behind him, her eyes lit up. She didn't speak, though, instead making a sign-language gesture.

Jiang Lin smiled and said, "This is Bai Zhizhi. He'll be staying with us for a while. He's new to everything, so please look out for him."

Yue Zhihuan nodded enthusiastically, her eyes still shining as she smiled at Bai Zhizhi, clearly curious about his ears.

Jiang Lin explained to Bai Zhizhi: "Her name is Yue Zhihuan. She takes care of odds and ends around the yard. She's not a cultivator and was born mute, but she can hear, see, and write just fine. She has an older brother named Yue Yanting, who's a cultivator. He's out on a mission right now."

When they heard a new buddy had arrived, everyone in the yard who wasn't busy came over to say hi.

Jiang Lin introduced them one by one: "This is Uncle Bi. He takes care of the vegetables and flowers in the front and back yards."

An old man with a wrinkled face but a lively spirit, holding a teacup, smiled and greeted Bai Zhizhi.

Bai Zhizhi sensed a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy from him, probably indicating he was a cultivator, but his life force was steadily draining—he probably didn't have much time left.

Jiang Lin pointed to a woman with a ponytail: "This is Wu Yue, the deputy captain of our Dongcheng Brigade. When I'm not around, she's in charge of everything here."

Bai Zhizhi: "And when you are around?"

Wu Yue smiled without speaking. Jiang Lin: "She's still in charge."

Wu Yue was clearly a good bit older and more mature than Yue Zhihuan, with a gentle yet somewhat serious demeanor.

Seeing that Bai Zhizhi hadn't put his ears away, she didn't need to ask to guess his identity.

Since Jiang Lin had brought him back, whatever the reason, once you stepped through the yard gate, you were family. She said gently, "Your room's ready. You should go shower and get changed. Most of the people here are out. There's also Chef Gao—he's out buying groceries. Once you're all set, we can eat."

Bai Zhizhi could learn more about the Dongcheng squad later. For now, Jiang Lin led him to his prepared room so he could get his bearings.

"I'm in the room next to yours. If you need anything, you can come straight to me. All the rooms in the back yard are occupied, mostly by cultivators. But don't worry—no one will harm you as long as you don't do anything to mess with the human world."

Bai Zhizhi followed behind, listening, his head bobbing, not saying a thing.

In Qingqiu, they bathed in pools of spiritual spring water. Or at worst, a cleansing spell would do the trick. As he looked at the bottles and jars Jiang Lin was showing him, Bai Zhizhi sniffed them curiously. Humans sure made bathing way too complicated.

One bottle was so strong it made him sneeze.

Jiang Lin paused in his explanation, then said, "If you don't like these, you don't have to use them. Do whatever feels right. I'll pick up some unscented ones for you tomorrow."

Foxes were also canines, with a highly developed sense of smell. These chemically perfumed products must be way too strong for him.

Bai Zhizhi disliked the artificial fragrance, so he just shoved the whole pile of bottles aside.

Jiang Lin didn't push it. For a little fox demon who'd never set foot in human society, you couldn't expect too much. Bai Zhizhi wasn't dirty anyway; a quick wash and a change of clothes would do.

After showing him how the bathroom worked, Jiang Lin stepped outside.

Lin Xiaoyang and Yue Zhihuan were sitting on the front step. Even though only Lin Xiaoyang was talking, he managed to create the lively atmosphere of a group conversation. Zhihuan's sign language couldn't keep up with his mouth.

When they saw him come out, both turned their heads: "Brother Jiang, Huanhuan and I were just discussing something."

Jiang Lin answered casually, "What's that?"

Lin Xiaoyang: "Should we take Zhizhi to get a rabies vaccine?"

Jiang Lin looked at him. "You'll take him?"

Thinking about how fast Bai Zhizhi's claws came out, Lin Xiaoyang quickly shook his head. No way, no way.

Jiang Lin ignored them and went to the front yard to find Wu Yue. He needed to fill her in on Bai Zhizhi's details, so if anything came up while he was away, she'd know how to handle it.

After a while, Bai Zhizhi finished showering and came out in the clothes Jiang Lin had set out for him.

The two on the doorstep turned to look again, and Lin Xiaoyang let out a "Wow!" "Zhizhi, your short hair looks great! But how'd it get short? Did you cut it yourself? What a waste of that beautiful long hair! And your ears? Did cutting your hair let you hide them too?"

Bai Zhizhi, fresh from his shower, was wearing a loose set of linen clothes. His flowing black hair was gone, as were his furry white ears. The ethereal little fox demon had transformed into an exquisitely handsome young man.

Bai Zhizhi: "Just an illusion. Don't you know how?"

Lin Xiaoyang: "..." That's a bit rude—not every cultivator knows spellwork.

Beside him, Yue Zhihuan started signing. Lin Xiaoyang translated: "Huanhuan says you're really handsome, the best-looking person she's ever seen, even more so than Brother Jiang."

Bai Zhizhi had always been confident in his looks, so he accepted the compliment gracefully: "Thank you."

Yue Zhihuan gestured for Bai Zhizhi to join them. Soon, there were three people on the doorstep.

Lin Xiaoyang was curious about Bai Zhizhi: "You came down from Moyun Mountain, right? Is your home up there? Is it one of those caves with restrictions? Can you go back?"

Bai Zhizhi honestly didn't know if he could go back, even though his home wasn't up there. He shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe I can, maybe I can't."

Yue Zhihuan made another set of signs. Lin Xiaoyang: "Huanhuan asks if you'll be sad if you can't go back."

Bai Zhizhi shook his head again. If he couldn't go back, his mother, father, and sister would definitely find a way to locate him. Both his parents were immortals. Such a small world couldn't stop them. He just needed to protect himself and wait obediently.

Assuming he had no family and wasn't sad about not being able to return, the two of them tactfully changed the subject: "You're lucky to have run into Brother Jiang right after coming out."

Seeing Bai Zhizhi's puzzled expression, Lin Xiaoyang grinned. "You'll find out later. I just heard Brother Jiang call Chef Gao and tell him to buy a chicken. You foxes like chicken, right?"

Bai Zhizhi was puzzled: "What's so good about chicken?"

In his homeland Qingqiu, with its vast territory and abundant spiritual energy, there was no good thing Qingqiu lacked. Chicken had never even made it onto his menu.

Lin Xiaoyang: "Ah, don't foxes like chicken? What do you like to eat?"

Bai Zhizhi: "I don't know what you have around here."

Yue Zhihuan also turned and gestured, and Lin Xiaoyang said, "She's asking what you used to eat on the mountain."

Bai Zhizhi bared his small white teeth: "People."

Yue Zhihuan giggled at that, and Lin Xiaoyang was amused too. If this little fox had ever eaten a human, Brother Jiang wouldn't have brought him back; he'd have been locked up in the central bureau.

When Jiang Lin came over, he saw the three little ones sitting under the eaves. Lin Xiaoyang was chattering away, and Zhihuan, whose sign language couldn't keep pace with his chattering, reached out to cover his mouth. Bai Zhizhi sat nearby, watching them with a smile.

The little fox, now with short hair and ears hidden, had lost some of his lofty immortal aura but looked even more delicate and lively. When he smiled, with his arched brows and eyes, he was like the warm sun of early spring, bringing a sense of blooming flowers and rejuvenation.

He had captured some demons before; while not inherently evil, they retained beastly traits—fierce and wary. This little fox, in comparison, was as soft and harmless as a cub.

The big tree outside rustled in the wind, and sunlight filtered through the green leaves, casting dappled shadows. Jiang Lin stood in the dappled light and called out to them, "Time to eat!"

The three of them turned in unison, and amid the gentle spring breeze, they responded with smiles, "Coming!"

Author's note: