"What's that outside the window... what is it? Xia Country can't possibly have something more sinister... magical than me, can it?"
Master Fuli, after confirming several times that the mystical aura outside towards the grasslands wasn't a stain on the floor-to-ceiling window or a hallucination, couldn't help but show a curious expression as he picked up his cola and walked to the window, gazing toward the grasslands.
The misty aura was translucent, floating high in the sky, slowly descending. As it descended, it gradually dissipated and disappeared, becoming impossible to observe.
While Master Fuli was still in doubt, from the direction of the Spring Mountain Grassland, a misty aura suddenly rose from the horizon and shot straight into the sky.
A column of mist erupted and then drifted, transforming into the cloud-like misty fog that Master Fuli had just seen, floating in the sky and disappearing again as it fell.
"But I haven't eaten mushrooms!"
Master Fuli, full of question marks, looked outside at the phenomenon that had completely vanished and secretly vented in his heart.
The phenomenon unfolding before his eyes left Ansheng unsure how to describe or explain it.
But he understood two things: the phenomenon appearing before him could only be seen after he evolved into an Eight-tailed Fox.
Within the realm of spiritual particle research, there is a consensus that what Xia Country calls "Spiritual Particles," referred to as "God Particles" by Western academics, radiates from underground.
Based on the current information known, Master Fuli has every reason to speculate.
The phenomenon he had just witnessed with his own eyes was the Earth's core spewing spiritual particles to the planet's surface.
In Blue Star's history, the existence of spiritual particles is like the Ice Age, a cyclical pattern.
With each spiritual particle eruption cycle, Blue Star births either Spirit Beasts or evil beasts. Correspondingly, living beings will collaboratively advance civilization's ecosystem for survival, eventually venturing into the deepest realms of the starry sky to seek the "Origin".
The "Origin" they're pursuing, from what Master Fuli currently understands, might just be a code name.
"Origin" might refer to the root genes or possibly the formula for the birth and synthesis of spiritual particles.
As Master Fuli pondered, misty auras appeared in the distant sky, beginning to descend again.
"As expected... it's still quite intriguing!" Master Fuli gazed at the view from the window, took a sip of his cold cola, and with a subtle expression in his eyes, said:
"However, witnessing the spiritual particle eruption also sheds light on a previous hypothesis."
"The appearance of spiritual particles isn't pervasive; it's an eruption. That's why the Spirit Beasts vie for territory; the larger the territory, the greater the chance of being covered by the drifting spiritual particles."
"There's real wealth in seizing territory, which explains why all the Spirit Beasts fiercely detest other beasts encroaching on their turf, even resorting to deadly battles on sight without needing a reason."
Master Fuli's eyes focused slightly scattered, and once his focus returned, the scenery outside the window returned to its original state.
The buildings were buildings, the streets were streets, and no misty phenomena appeared before his eyes.
Actually, within Master Fuli's heart, the process of spiritual particles erupting and descending was very intriguing, and he wanted to reach out and touch it.
However.
Because Lin Ying was there, Ansheng temporarily suppressed his inner curiosity and desire to explore.
He could see the existence of spiritual particles.
So then.....
Are there other Spirit Beasts who can also see or sense them in some other way and pursue them?
Ansheng didn't know these things, but he didn't want his curiosity to put his friends in danger.
"Master Fuli, come and have a late-night snack." Lin Ying opened the suite door and called out to Master Fuli.
It was past eleven at night, and in the less lively nightlife of the Northern region, Lin Ying wasn't sure what fresh foods the hotel had to offer.
Lin Ying and Lin Shu went together to the lobby to inquire.
Luckily, a large number of tourists had arrived at the hotel today, keeping the kitchen busy, with the chef swearing nonstop amidst the clanking of cast iron pots.
Lin Ying quickly returned with the meal prepared.
"Oh, I'm coming...."
Ansheng withdrew his gazing vision and tightened the bath towel wrapped around his waist, heading over to the dining table.
Seated at the table, Lin Ying smiled and pushed a glass of iced cola towards Master Fuli.
"Thank you."
Master Fuli grinned and looked at the quick-fried veggies and cold-cut beef on the table, inviting Lin Ying to join in.
"Mm....."
Lin Ying picked up the beef from her bowl, chewing it carefully before swallowing.
However, during the late-night meal, Lin Ying keenly noticed that Master Fuli was constantly watching her, carrying a profound curiosity and concern in his eyes.
"Master Fuli, do you have something to ask?" Lin Ying looked at Master Fuli and inquired.
"Oh, it's nothing important, just wanted to ask about your health condition and the Imperial Capital meeting that Housekeeper Lin mentioned." Master Fuli voiced what was in his heart.
"My health condition?"
Lin Ying thought for a moment and said, "Currently, it's good. Through medication assistance, it's been controlled. Plus, thanks to Master Fuli, I am able to receive a certain amount of Spirit Particle Potion from the Security Bureau every month."
During her darkest times, Lin Ying's mind often drifted to the drawer filled with knives, the sharp blades' icy touch grazing her neck.
Especially when alone at night, unspeakable loneliness and past memories drove her to extremes.
But now it's much better, though sometimes, during extreme emotional lows, she couldn't resist thinking.
However.
Lin Ying found a way to cope by injecting a shot of Spirit Particle Potion into her leg, transforming into Fox Lady, and going berserk within Lin Manor to release stress.
The excitement level of a fox equated to sheer joy, with simple activities triggering good moods and exploration desires, making it easy for a single fox to play with a ball for half a day.
Despite acknowledging that sprawling on the ground in pajamas while cradling a two-meter-high vase, tossing it up and catching, seemed juvenile,
the experience captured newfound freshness for her.
Lin Ying herself couldn't tell why she twisted a golf club into a U-shape or tethered golf carts front-to-end in a row.
But.....
Joy prevailed, and when excited, Fox Lady couldn't bother about what others thought, readily using anything she disliked as a golf club.
This significantly aided Lin Ying's health condition.
Such conditions began as psychological disorders but eventually transformed into physical ailments with structural changes in the brain.
The goal wasn't persistent depression.
It was the inability to experience happiness.
"Mm...the condition, despite being controlled, incurs expenses. After each treatment, even the maids demand mental distress fees and boldly request three days off to rest."
Lin Ying said with a chuckle, looking at Master Fuli with growing affection.
Even when she transformed to Fox Lady, causing havoc for just a few hours for relief, the maids and relatives were so mentally drained that they almost dug up the manor's foundation.
The mansion housed numerous antiques, though Lin Ying always tossed them around casually, terrifying everyone around her.
As for Master Fuli, an actual fox.
Lin Ying never witnessed Master Fuli causing mayhem, let alone sneaking to scare ordinary people.
In a certain way,
Master Fuli truly embodied kindness, and Ah Qing's home stood on its original site thanks to his goodwill.
If not...
Changxi Town might have been leveled flat.
"Hmm..." Master Fuli, after hearing Lin Ying's story, thought for a moment and then consoled, "After all..... earning money is hard, and shit is hard to swallow; occasionally throwing in some dastardly humor isn't unheard of for adults."
"Reward them generously afterward, and I'm sure they'll happily indulge in mischief."
"No, no! Lai Foo from next door once said it himself, eating shit can't be that hard. I gave Lai Foo a stare, and it looked at me, as if asking if I was about to fight for its food." Lin Ying laughed as she recounted a funny incident involving Lai Foo.
With the frequent injections of Spirit Particle Potion, Lin Ying's mind seemed enlightened, like installing a decryption system, enabling her to understand encrypted talk among canine animals.
Her mundane life was enriched with interesting events.
The dogs in Jiule City are extraordinarily smart, creating countless outlandish incidents.
"Damn! Lai Foo! You indeed...."
Upon hearing the amusing tale of Lai Foo, Master Fuli's expression couldn't help but burst with laughter.