A fox?

The little dragon looked bewildered. "Set off? Where are we going?"

"To find the Tibetan fox."

"What do you want with it? All it does is hide. It's no fun at all."

"I need its skill."

"...What skill?"

"Absorption."

Xin Jiu explained the Tibetan fox's skill to the little dragon.

The little dragon's horns twitched twice when it heard her. "Oh, that? Brother Qingming can do that, and he's way better than that stupid fox's whatever-it-is absorption. Why don't I just ask Brother Qingming to teach you?"

It had been going on about Brother Qingming all this time. Who exactly was Brother Qingming?

"Brother Qingming is really good to me. I'll take you to him."

"All right."

If he really was as impressive as the little dragon claimed, she wouldn't have to go to all the trouble of finding the Tibetan fox.

On the way, Xin Jiu learned from the little dragon that this Qingming had arrived before it was beaten down to the second floor. He had even come willingly, saying something about lying low.

Xin Jiu thought, If he has to lie low, how powerful can he be?

Have I been duped by this little dragon?

"You said you'd climb the tower with me, right?"

The little dragon lay on her head and nodded. "Yep." It had refused to fly the whole way. What a lazy little dragon.

"Do you have a name, then? I can't keep calling you 'little dragon.'"

The question stumped the little dragon. It thought hard for a while but still couldn't remember what it used to be called. "I forgot."

"..."

"Then you can take my surname. I'll call you..." Xin Jiu recalled how it had puffed out black smoke when she'd asked it to breathe fire. "Puff-Puff."

Everyone in the livestream chat thought Xin Jiu was far too casual about naming it.

Who named a dragon Puff-Puff?

The little dragon didn't want it either and started protesting. "That sounds awful! I don't want it!"

With a name like that, once its injuries healed completely and it returned to its true form, everyone else in the tower would laugh it to death.

"You're so fussy."

"I don't want it, anyway."

Xin Jiu thought for a little longer, then an idea suddenly popped into her head. "Then Bubu. Whether you like it or not, that's what I'm calling you from now on. Xin Bubu."

The little dragon fell silent. Bubu sounded better than Puff-Puff, at least.

The human and dragon casually dealt with a few more foolish little monsters along the way.

Bubu was a little scared at first, but when it saw Xin Jiu chop down monsters as neatly as slicing vegetables, it grew bolder and occasionally even went up to help.

Only it didn't help at all. The black smoke it puffed out blocked Xin Jiu's vision instead, much to her disgust.

Half an hour later, the view before them suddenly opened up.

It was a valley filled with flowers, with a clear stream winding through it.

"I can sense Brother Qingming!"

Bubu flapped its wings hard and flew ahead. Xin Jiu ran after it for several dozen meters, then stopped short.

A set of moon-white robes lay on a rock beside the stream, while in the water... there was a person. More precisely, someone who wasn't entirely human.

He sat in the stream with his back to them, his long, ink-black hair spread wetly over his shoulders and back.

The white fox ears atop his head twitched lazily. He looked very much at ease.

"Brother Qingming!"

Bubu cheered and flew toward him.

The person called Qingming turned at the sound.

His skin was very fair, his eyes pure gold, their outer corners slightly upturned. When his gaze swept over, it seemed to draw people in.

[Holy shit! Holy shit!!!]

[Mom, I've found my husband. I won't be home for dinner tonight!]

[A fox! It's a fox!]

Xin Jiu froze too.

A fox?

Qingming raised a hand to catch Bubu as it flew toward him, then stroked its horns. "Little dragon?" His voice carried a dampness that made people's hearts itch.

"Brother Qingming!"

Seeing that Qingming was about to get out of the stream, Xin Jiu immediately turned around. Fox or not, he was still male. Don't look at anything improper. Don't look!

The livestream viewers, on the other hand, opened their eyes wide.

Unfortunately, fearing the livestream would be censored, the game covered all the important parts with holy light.

The livestream chat howled.

"You can turn around now."

Xin Jiu turned. Qingming's robes hung loosely on him, leaving a large expanse of his chest exposed.

"Can't you wear your clothes properly?" Xin Jiu said disdainfully.

[Jiujiu, you hopelessly straight girl. It's called sexy!]

[That half-covered look is the best. Slurp, slurp~]

[Women are so shallow.]

[How many accounts does this bro have? How's he been reanimated again?!]

Qingming smiled. "I've only just taken human form, so I'm not quite used to it yet. Forgive the spectacle."

[Nothing to forgive! Show more, I love it!]

[Those pecs are so big, and his waist is so slim. Hiss~]

Holding Bubu, Qingming slowly stroked its head with his slender fingers, his eyes full of heartache. "How did you end up like this?"

The moment Bubu opened its mouth, words poured out like rapid cannon fire as it vividly described how someone on the twenty-eighth floor had beaten it down here.

Xin Jiu had never even heard of the person it mentioned during the open beta.

"Then she helped me find Dragon Fodder Grass, and that's how I got out of the egg!"

Qingming glanced at her again.

It was only a casual glance, yet Xin Jiu had the illusion that he had seen right through her.

"A player? Thank you for looking after this little fellow."

Xin Jiu was about to speak, but Bubu beat her to it. "Brother Qingming, she wants the Tibetan fox's absorption skill. I remember you can do it too. Can you teach her?"

"Absorption?" Qingming raised an eyebrow. "Gather Essence and Return to the Ruins? Or Eclipse the Moon and Swallow the Stars? Or perhaps Azure..."

As the names grew increasingly tongue-twisting, Xin Jiu hurriedly said, "Just something that absorbs damage from others during a fight."

Qingming understood what she meant.

"It's not that this skill of my fox race can't be taught to outsiders, but why should I teach you?"

"Brother Qingming, you..."

Bubu had barely spoken before Qingming covered its mouth. It struggled with muffled cries, but one light glance from Qingming made it shrink into an ostrich-like huddle.

Xin Jiu thought, Spineless.

"What do you want?"

Qingming smiled, a smile that truly displayed all his seductive charm.

"If you can retrieve my fan from Yin Lingzi, I'll teach you. I can even help the little dragon take human form."

He has conditions even for helping Bubu take human form?

"Bubu said you doted on it. Looks to me like Bubu's affection is one-sided."

"Bubu?"

Bubu nodded vigorously at Qingming. He couldn't help laughing. To think it had been given a name like that.

"There's no need to goad me. I have only this one condition."

After a moment of silent consideration, Xin Jiu asked, "Who's Yin Lingzi?"

"A firefly spirit. He was supposed to stay on the top floor, but somehow he came down too. He even stole my treasured fan. Truly irritating." Qingming spoke in a lazy drawl.

"With your abilities, you should be able to take it back yourself, shouldn't you?"

Qingming looked steadily at her. "All you need to do is tell me whether you agree."

"Then I'll have to see whether your skill is worth the risk."

Bubu listened in a daze.

A faint smile appeared in Qingming's eyes. "How do you intend to see?"

"Let me try it out. After all, I still don't know how strong Yin Lingzi is. If I get killed, I'll be taking a huge loss."