Let’s skip what kind of warm hospitality Wei Xue received at Lin’s villa. Recently, the cyan little fox lives in the bamboo cabin on the island in the backyard. It asks for some herb seeds from Lin Luoran and starts to plant medicines around the cabin.
Lin has her own space so she feels that it’s ok to let the little fox do its own thing. Therefore, the island now becomes the base of the fox. Except for Lin Luoran, it doesn’t let anyone else step onto the island. This makes Lin feel that she is raising a baby, not just a fox who likes medicines!
Of course, in terms of temper or race, the little fox and Goldie don’t like each other. The two of them are smart enough to know that they shouldn’t fight. As a result, Goldie just stands on the roof of the bamboo cabin and doesn’t come inside. In this way, they live in peace together.
Luodong has heard of that Rong Donglin studies at the University of Chuan, and he asks Lin Luoran to take him on weekends to see Rong. However, it’s only two days after the incident in the bar. Lin Luoran has been busy looking for the Soul Wood in a pile of materials, and she needs the time to rest. Thus, she promises Luodong that they’ll go to visit Rong on the weekends.
Before the weekends arrive, Lin Luoran thinks of the huge piece of scorpion shell she brought back from the desert.
Lin Luoran is in the level of Laying Foundation and she has the Swords of Bright Snow. The problem is that she doesn’t have a shield. It is time for her to make a shield for protection. Also, the Snow Sword was tainted by the black shadow Venerable’s evilness, and Lin has to refine it. Looking at the little volcano in her space, Lin Luoran feels blessed. Under the help of the Strange Fire, Lin won’t have to worry about the amount of her Wakan. There should be no problems to refine this piece of scorpion shell.
With the instruction on weapon refining she got from White Fairy, it should be easy for Lin to inset a few magic circles and make a shield that can serve as protection. After all, Lin doesn’t expect the shield to be exquisite, water-proof or dust-free.
The inside of the huge scorpion was eaten up by the gophers. The entire shell of it is over seven meters long, which will be enough to make shields for every family member of Lin’s. However, this will definitely take a lot of efforts.
In video games, to make a weapon only takes a click of a bottom if you have all the ingredients. In real life, the inset of magic circles is already hard enough to give Lin a headache.
She has studied the instruction in her basement for two days. The instruction records techniques of weapon-refining but not a single magic circle! Perhaps the author of this instruction never expected that an individual cultivator like Lin Luoran, who doesn’t even have a master, would ever exist. Besides, the encyclopedia about the level of Laying Foundation doesn’t include introductions on magic circles… Wait a second! Lin Luoran suddenly realizes that she has seen a magic circle before.
After the weather in her space starts to change, Lin Luoran puts a cabinet under the apple tree in order to store things that get wet. For example, pieces of paper.
After rummaging through the cabinet, Lin finally finds the magic circle she once saw — this is the magic circle she copied from Commander Qin’s jade pendant. As time passes, the edge of the circle has blurred, but the general lines are perfectly preserved.
Seeing this magic circle, Lin thinks of the magic circles of attacking inside of the Sword of Bright Snow. She can also copy them down and save them for the future.
Lin Luoran is glad that she is persistent.
She rubs her eyes and puts the paper down. Lin closes her eyes. She has been studying magic circles for two days. Now, she can remember it clearly in her head.
Lin Luoran moves her fingers. A line made of Reiki flows out from her fingertip. Soon, a magic circle forms in the air. Lin hesitates for a second and the magic circle vanishes. She has to start again.
Lin can’t remember how many times she has tried to draw the magic circle. The only thing she knows is that during all the trials and errors, the broken joints of the magic circle are filled gradually. When Lin walks out of the basement, her eyes are bloodshot. She has spent so many days in the basement, and the weekends are already over.
Lin Luoran is now holding a piece of wood board carved with the magic circle. The wood board can serve as a protection, yet its effect is way less than Commander Qin’s jade pendant, which was bullet-proof. Lin wonders whether she had made some mistakes while drawing the magic circle, or wood is just not as hard as jade.
More importantly, Reiki in the magic circle on the wood board keeps dissipating. Lin decides to practice the drawing with jade. Cultivation does cost lots of money!
Looking at Luodong who is pouting, Lin Luoran rubs his head,
“Let go. Let’s go and visit Rong Donglin, ok?”
It’s only 5 pm and Luodong has just come home from school. Lin Luoran assumes that Rong has also finished his class today and he won’t go to do his part-time jobs with a black eye.
Lin Luodong is happy. The cyan little fox hears Lin Luoran’s voice and it runs to her from the backyard. The little fox holds on to Lin’s leg and won’t let go. Lin Luoran has no choice but to bring this cunning little fox with her.
Luodong sits on the front seat and the little fox stays in Lin Luoran’s arms. It looks at the colorful neon lights along the streets, which are nothing like the dark underground world.
Every day, after sunset, the lamps will light up the backyard of Lin’s villa. The dim light reminds the little fox of its home in the underground world.
“Whitey is still cultivating. I can’t go back and disturb it.” The little fox says to itself. On the road, the light of the street lamps reflects in the little fox’s eyes and hides away its tears.
No matter how domineering it pretends to be, it is still that cry baby. Lin Luoran sees through its sadness and feels soft.
Does the little fox really have no idea that the white fox is dead?
Lin Luoran used to believe that it doesn’t know. Now, she starts to doubt herself.
*********
Out of Lin’s expectation, Rong Donglin is not in his dorm right now.
Yan Feng feels embarrassed when he sees Lin Luoran again. That night, he was drunk, but he didn’t lose his memory. He remembers some of the details of himself acting wildly. Of course, compared with embarrassing himself in front of a beautiful lady, Yan Feng feels more awkward after knowing that the bar is shut down after that night.
“Rong Donglin is at the ancient tomb with Professor Qi?” Lin has spent the last a few days studying magic circles so she hasn’t heard of the matter of an ancient tomb.
Yan nods, “Yes. They discovered a lot of bamboo sheets carved with scripts. Professor Qi is an expert on these scripts so they invited him. It said that there is even Shui script, which is Donglin’s profession. Donglin is also invited there to assist Professor Qi…”
Yan Feng is chatty. Lin Luoran gets three key points from Yan’s words: ancient tomb in the Han Dynasty, Shui script, and the Zeng’s company.
The ancient tomb should be real. Lin Luoran also knows the history of the Shui script.
Shui script is also called “Ghost script” and “Reversed script”. It looks like the oracle and the Jin script. Shui script mainly records the knowledge about astronomy, geography, religion, folk custom, ethic, and philosophy of the Shui nationality of Huaxia. Its structure is similar to that of the modern Huaxia characters, but reversed. Because the Shui script has already been deciphered, it is now known to the world.
Lin Luoran is not sure whether Rong Donglin is an expert on the Shui script or not. Zeng Tian invited Rong to the tomb as a natural way of showing his good intention.
“Wow, Ms. Lin, your dog is so cute!”
Yan Feng has talked a lot but he gets no answer from Lin. He switches the topic, but his words make the little fox angry.
“Stay put.” Lin says to the little fox.
Lin knows that Luodong still wants to see Rong. Thus, she asks Yan Feng smilingly, “Yan, do you know where the tomb is? Can you be my guide?”
Since Lin has asked, Yan Feng puts off things and gets on Lin’s car. The cyan little fox stares at Yan, who is feeling creepy.
The ancient tomb is at the west suburb of the R City. In recent years, as the constructions of the new campuses of many universities, the suburban area has become busy and it still has the potential to grow. The Zeng’s company is really smart by building houses and villas here.
The sun is setting when Lin Luoran sees Rong Donglin. His black eye has recovered a lot. Wind blows. Professor Qi’s silver hair flutters. This old man does have passion for academic research.
“Donglin, I’m here!” Lin Luodong shouts. Some people look at him.
Lin Luoran gets off the car and invites Rong and Professor Qi to dinner.
Professor doesn’t want to leave the site so early. Rong points at the lunchbox on the table and says, “Professor, you didn’t have lunch today.” Rong sighs. Professor Qi didn’t even eat the abalones in the lunch provided by the Zeng’s company. This is such a waste.
“Professor Qi, I can’t afford abalones. We’re going to the diner around the college town. Please join us.”
Other professors all say that Professor Qi is so lucky to have three thoughtful students. Professor Qi is embarrassed and he gets on Lin’s car.
“Wow, this is a cyan fox.” Professor Qi is surprised. Hearing Qi’s words, Yan Feng blushes.
“Professor, what’s so special about a cyan fox?” Lin Luoran notices that Professor Qi is interested and she raises the topic.
“Cyan has always been the color of nobility since ancient times… According to The Classic of Mountains and Seas, the king of the Green Hill Kingdom was a cyan fox.”
King of the Green Hill Kingdom? Looking at the cyan little fox, Lin Luoran thinks, “It is cunning and cute, but it is nothing like a king!”
