“W… What do you want?”
Lin Ling gulped.
“It’s like this, little sister. I have something I need you to investigate. First…”
In the Mirror Space before him, Lin Ling finally saw a young girl appear who looked about fifty or sixty percent like his current self.
“You ate the Fengguo and were affected by the obsession left behind in the fruit by my fox clan. You’ve turned into a youthful and lovely fox girl. Isn’t it wonderful?”
The Fox Immortal giggled.
Lin Ling—well, it should be the female Lin Ling now—curled her lip in disdain and cursed inwardly.
“From now on, the moment you speak ill or tell a lie, you will lose your voice, bite your tongue, or be forced to say something with the exact opposite meaning. If you don’t believe me, feel free to try.”
The Fox Immortal girl smiled.
Lin Ling’s eyes darted around, and she said cautiously, “Sister Fox Immortal, you are truly the most adorable person. To care for me so much, you must be a kind deity. 【You rotten fox, you’re wicked to the core! To put such a vicious curse on me, damn you!】”
The Fox Immortal’s lip twitched, and she reached out to pinch Lin Ling’s face.
“Your little mouth is quite sweet.”
“It hurts!” Lin Ling couldn’t resist and could only complain.
“My Yuzhou Fox Clan met with disaster eighteen years ago. Now, only my branch remains, struggling to survive and drifting to this remote Yunzhou. I need you to help me find the mastermind behind this.” The Fox Immortal’s smile faded, replaced by a cold expression. “You will walk the mortal realm in my stead. When you find the culprit, I will lift the curse.”
“But… But, Sister Fox Immortal, I’m just a mortal.” Lin Ling wailed, quickly begging for mercy. “Why choose me? Setting aside the fact that I don’t even have a Spirit Root, the most important thing is that even my gender doesn’t match! Please, have mercy and let me go. I’ll definitely turn over a new leaf in the future.”
***
Hearing this, the Fox Immortal whispered a few words to herself, “Everything is predestined.”
Lin Ling was too busy wailing to hear her.
The Fox Immortal showed a smile and said, “Do not worry. You and I share a great destiny. You will understand in the future.”
“As for your Spirit Root, I’ll definitely send it as part of the package.”
The Fox Immortal girl covered her mouth, giggling non-stop.
“….”
Lin Ling felt a wave of grief and indignation.
She was about to point at the Fox Immortal’s nose and swear, but she accidentally bit her own tongue.
Her small face immediately shriveled up in pain.
“Don’t you want to cultivate into an immortal?”
The Fox Immortal girl blew gently into her ear, her voice carrying a hint of temptation.
Lin Ling quieted down.
“That’s more like it. This is your Immortal Fate. It depends on whether you can grasp it.”
The Fox Immortal girl gave a charming laugh and rested her head on Lin Ling’s shoulder.
“So, if I want to become an immortal, I have to become a female fox immortal?”
Lin Ling sighed.
“Otherwise? By relying on your mortal body that doesn’t even have a Spirit Root?” the Fox Immortal said.
Lin Ling lowered her head and looked at her fair, delicate hands, her eyes growing slightly red.
The Fox Immortal girl looked at her and smiled softly, reaching out to pat Lin Ling’s shoulder.
“Everything has a cause and an effect. You’ve committed so many sins in this life; you deserve this. If you want to attain the Dao and become an immortal, then honestly accept your transformation. Remember, during every rest period, you must perform at least one good deed until your karma is cleansed.”
With that said, the Fox Immortal’s figure gradually became ethereal, turning into a wisp of green smoke that drifted back into the divine statue on the altar.
Lin Ling’s face remained wooden as she reached out to rub her new face.
Her adorable features were filled with despair.
“Alright, Sister Fox Immortal. 【Fuck your ancestors.】”
***
After Lin Ling stood frozen on the spot for a long while, the wooden door was slowly opened.
The old Temple Priest was wiping grease from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief.
Clearly, he had gone out for a good meal before returning.
He looked at Lin Ling and smiled slightly.
“See? What did I tell you? Retribution has come, hasn’t it? If you don’t listen to your elders, you’ll suffer right before your eyes.”
Lin Ling looked at him with grief and indignation.
She wanted to hurl a few insults, but the words reached her lips and turned into: “I was wrong, Mister Temple Priest.
【Pure bullshit! Why are you acting so smug, you old geezer!】”
Realizing what she had said, Lin Ling gave herself a vicious punch, immediately rolling on the ground in pain.
What kind of joke was this?
Was his lifetime of martial arts and handsome appearance just gone like that?
“A child who can admit their mistakes is a good child.”
The Temple Priest happily stroked his beard, then pulled a letter from his sleeve.
“Miss, I have a letter of introduction here. It was written to my Yuzhou Fox Clan by a Sizheng of the Yunzhou Blessing Inspection Bureau. With this, you can directly join the Blessing Inspection Bureau. It should be helpful for you in finding the culprit.”
“Very well, I shall accept this. Thank you for your trouble, Mister. 【Screw you, I don’t want it, you bastard!】”
Lin Ling’s face was expressionless.
She decided that she would never speak casually again!
She let out a deep sigh.
In any case, for the sake of cultivation and her Immortal Fate, no matter how unwilling she was, she could only bite the bullet and do it.
Taking the letter, Lin Ling impatiently folded it, wanting to put it in her pocket.
However, she poked around here and there but couldn’t find a single pocket on these clothes.
The Temple Priest covered his mouth and snickered as he slowly walked out of the temple, leaving Lin Ling to figure it out herself.
Finally, Lin Ling irritably found a place on her person to store the items.
Pouting her lips, she walked out of the temple barefoot.
***
As it grew late, Lin Ling hesitated for a moment and glanced at the Temple Priest.
The old man was currently sitting on a rattan chair by the door, leisurely waving a fan.
***
Lin Ling remained silent and eventually retreated back into the temple, intending to stay there for the night.
She huddled in a corner of the temple, staring blankly at the statue of the immortal girl sitting in the center.
Speaking of which, that statue didn’t look like a fox at all.
***
It didn’t have any special features on its body; it was completely different from her.
***
Just as she was thinking this, a memory suddenly surged into her mind.
It was a memory of a spell used to hide her ears and tail.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have a single drop of spiritual energy in her body.
Even though she knew the spell, she couldn’t use it.
Lin Ling sighed, her lip pouting toward the sky.
The old Temple Priest knocked on the door.
Lin Ling immediately sat up warily.
The old man walked in carrying a rolled-up straw mat and a quilt.
He smiled and said, “Miss, you can stay in the temple for the time being. These are some simple daily necessities.”
Dropping the items on the floor, the Temple Priest smiled.
“It’s very clean here. I spend a lot of time cleaning it every day. Since you have become a member of my fox clan, I must naturally discipline you properly to prevent you from running off to commit robberies again and ruining our clan’s reputation.”
***
Lin Ling was somewhat speechless.
In her current state, where she had no magic and no strength, where could she possibly go to commit a robbery?
She would probably just be throwing herself away for nothing.
“Then please rest, Miss. It’s getting late.”
The Temple Priest chuckled and withdrew.
Lin Ling sighed.
There was nothing she could do, so she obediently picked up the mat and quilt to set up a bed in the back hall.
She wondered if the Blessing Inspection Bureau would provide employee dorms?
***
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.