In that instant, Yarrow's heart leaped into his throat. He had no idea when this figure had appeared—there had been no sound, no warning.
Instinctively, he pulled Ji Xiaofei behind him and yanked his longsword from the ground, swinging it at the shadowy form.
The blade sliced through effortlessly.
With a whisper of fabric, the lower half of the figure's clothing collapsed to the ground—but there was nothing beneath. No body, no flesh.
Just emptiness.
The entire set of clothes floated eerily in the air.
"A wraith?" Yarrow's eyes widened in disbelief.
Wraiths were rare, known to haunt abandoned castles and underground ruins, not open forests like this. Yet here one stood—or rather, hovered—before him.
There was no time to dwell on the impossibility. Wraiths were inherently hostile. Physical attacks were useless, and unless one possessed purification spells or exorcism tools like holy water, facing a wraith usually ended in a slow, agonizing death.
"Holy water... I think I have a bottle left from the last ruin exploration." The realization hit him like a spark of hope.
But it was still at the camp. Useless to him now.
Damn it. What now?
His mind scrambled for a plan, but before he could act, the wraith spoke:
"Young man… do you think I look more like a man or a god?"
Yarrow blinked.
"Huh?"
Was this thing… seeking validation?
Wait.
His gaze flickered over the clothes, recognition dawning.
"Isn't that my outfit?"
Ji Xiaofei had lost it a few days ago.
Mustered courage surging through him, Yarrow raised his sword and knocked off the figure's tall hat.
Beneath it sat a small head covered in soft pink fur.
A fox.
The two of them stared at each other, the atmosphere shifting into something almost comically absurd.
The corners of Yarrow's mouth twitched.
What the hell was this?
Was this still a Western fantasy world? How had it suddenly turned into folklore, with mischievous fox spirits stopping people on the road to seek recognition?
Even after being exposed, the pink fox remained undeterred.
"Do you think I look like—"
"I think you look like a dick!" Yarrow snapped, swinging his sword once more.
"Squeak!"
The fox yelped as it shot out of the floating clothes and darted into the depths of the forest.
Yarrow wasted no time. Chanting the fireball incantation, he conjured a tennis ball-sized flame and hurled it forward. The fireball struck the fox squarely—
And a beam of white light erupted upon impact.
Yarrow's heart sank.
Wait.
Was it transforming?
The light expanded, gradually shifting into a humanoid shape. As it faded, carrying the scent of singed fur, a figure fell to the ground with a soft thud, followed by a small, pained whimper.
"This young man really doesn't know his own strength," the figure muttered. "He burned off all my fur."
Lifting his luminous stone, Yarrow pushed through the bushes and found—not a fox—but a petite girl lying in the grass.
Pink hair tied into two buns, golden eyes filled with curiosity. A modified ruqun draped over her frame, its hem stopping at her knees, revealing slender legs clad in white stockings. A pair of long fox ears twitched atop her head, and a bushy tail swayed behind her.
She bared her teeth in a grin, rubbing at the singed edges of her clothing.
[Female Lead Peach Fox Binding Successful!] [Name: Peach Fox] [Affection: 0] [Current Status: Distressed and Helpless]
Yarrow stood frozen.
Why did the things binding themselves to him always turn out to be so… bizarre?
Peach Fox examined herself with wide eyes, as though seeing her own body for the first time. She touched her cheeks, pulled at her sleeves, peeked inside her clothes, and lifted her skirt to scrutinize every transformation.
Then, with uncontainable joy, she cheered:
"I've become an immortal!"
[You've encountered a girl with a quirky personality. How should you start your first conversation with her?]
Heartbeat Options: [Wow, that's amazing, Immortal Sister.] [Beast! What have you become!] [Can we cultivate together?] [What kind of immortal are you? You're just a fox spirit!]
Yarrow exhaled heavily.
He wasn't choosing. All the options were crazy.
"Hey, but why did I turn into a little girl after becoming an immortal?"
Peach Fox's initial excitement faded as she glanced at Yarrow, who stood nearby, and Ji Xiaofei, who peeked out from behind him with cautious curiosity.
"Young man, I must say, I didn't expect that by mere accident, you would help me ascend to immortality. In light of that, I shall overlook your previous offenses." She crossed her arms and nodded magnanimously.
Yarrow blinked. "Uh, Daoist friend, aren't you mistaken? You just transformed into a human." He pointed at her fox ears.
Peach Fox touched her ears, and her expression froze.
After a brief pause, she began pinching her fingers in a practiced manner, murmuring incantations. A faint blue flame flickered into existence before her—a flame significantly smaller than Yarrow's own, rather mediocre fireball.
Seeing this, her shoulders slumped.
"Well… it seems my magic hasn't improved at all."
But her disappointment was short-lived. In the next instant, she straightened her back, hands on her hips, and declared confidently, "Still! Cultivating into a human form is a major step forward. It's only a matter of time before I truly ascend to immortality! Hehe!"
She walked up to Yarrow and gave him a hearty pat on the back.
"Don't worry, young man! Even though I haven't fully ascended, you still played a part in my breakthrough. I shall repay this kindness."
At that moment, her stomach let out a loud rumble.
Peach Fox placed a hand on her belly and laughed sheepishly.
—
By the campfire, flames crackled beneath a large pot, the milky white fish soup inside bubbling invitingly.
Peach Fox eagerly drank down a bowl of the rich broth. Exhaling a satisfied sigh, she wiped her cherry-red lips with the back of her hand, her expression one of pure bliss.
"Ahh… so warm. It's been so long since I've had hot food."
Ji Xiaofei took her empty bowl and refilled it with more soup. "Here, please enjoy."
Peach Fox grinned. "You're a very sensible girl." She happily accepted the second serving.
Across from her, Yarrow folded his arms. "Now that you've had your fill, it's time for answers. Where exactly did you come from?"
At his question, Peach Fox lowered the bowl she had just lifted to her lips. Her playful demeanor faded, replaced by an air of seriousness.
"Regarding my origins… what I'm about to tell you, you must not be afraid."
Ji Xiaofei hugged her knees, eyes shining with excitement. "Oh, oh! What is it?"
Yarrow remained silent, watching her intently.
Peach Fox closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.
"Actually… I didn't originally belong to this world. I'm a transmigrator!"