Na'er.

For one, Hu Liena true appearance made even Aiden dumb for an instant. After a series of events on the North Pole, he even considered himself numb to many things, cuteness included. Well, not anymore. In the novel, she was described as not exquisite… well, now he can say with all seriousness it is bullshit! Her hair remained black and silky, but her figure changes a bit to reveal pure charm that was yet to become seductive, remaining just cute. What really undergone tremendous change was her face. It was a subtle change, yet meant a lot.

She was literally perfect.

'That would be troublesome. I already envision a flock of arrogant young masters with constant erection and old lechers with the same diagnosis swarming around me and causing never-ending headaches. Yep, stupid generic cultivation style headache.'

= Master, her ring…

Aiden mentally looked at him with strangeness. Nexus was becoming a ring, obsessed individual. No, perhaps it is a mad scientist in his prime of exploration tendencies. Good grief, he didn't need to scan bodies naked.

When they walked out, she was an image of a broken heart, all wet on the face and down in her pose.

"Liena, you will meet again. It's just temporary." – she looked up and locked gazes with platinum-gold eyes. They made her feel reassured and protected. Unknowingly, she leaned forward and hugged Aiden, finally finding a safe harbor in his embrace.

Well, it's not only her. Throughout his journey, Aiden noticed that many animals and some spirit beasts are not so aggressive to him. Sometimes they even took initiative to come closer. Almost like they thought of him as someone of their own.

Hu Liena, being a spirit beast, has her own instincts too. And she showed them like that. Not like it matters anyway, they both are kids, and even if Aiden was a reincarnator he long ago accepted his own age. He really can't comprehend all these downers in novels of his previous life who kept shedding rivers of tears for the sake of it, finding that their young body acting on with hormones.

Not like he experienced it now. His body was still not there yet. So, it was a hug of pure affection and compassion of children.

"Let's go. We will leave for Suotuo City, it's very far from here."

"Mhm, big brother." – she reluctantly separated from him. He was surprised to be called brother but didn't mind. That made him feel awkward, yet he felt no aversion to it.

"But first let me make some clothes for you." – Aiden cheerfully said and hearing about clothes while looking at his outfit made her charming innocent eyes sparkle with anticipation.

Kids are just that way.

* * *

Several weeks after Aiden left the orphanage with Na'er. Unknown place and POV.

"How is it?" – a man was sitting on the throne while gazing at his subordinate with a firm and slightly ruthless gaze.

"We missed her by breath, but other kids are in our hands. Good sampling this time can be trained and converted. There was some trouble with the caretaker. She escaped and we don't know how."

"Hm… she never fought?" – he asked with suspicion.

"No, master. She retreated, trying to save the boy, but eventually, we could only snatch him away and not pose a threat to her." – a lean man reported in a bowed manner, not daring to lift his head.

"At ease." – a man on the throne commanded, and messenger felt relieved. – "I have a suspicion you must verify."

"Yes, master."

"It is imperative for us to find a fox girl, even if we don't know for sure. We know nothing about the other two, but Spirit Hall already gained three out of six. That damned fox is the most troublesome. We are getting closer to our goal of a new world where everyone will be equal. You need to check this caretaker. I think she was misleading us on purpose so we think she could do nothing. If it is so, this fox girl is the real deal and we need her at all costs."

"Yes, master." – but he knew very well that it would be very hard to find her from now on. The only lead they have is that she has fox spirit and approximate age and everyone knows how spirit master grew up way faster and aged slower. Well, there are hundreds if not thousands of fox spirit users out there. It is nearly an impossible task.

"Mm, now go." – messenger disappeared in breakneck speed. – "Don't blame me, it is all for the goodness of humanity."

* * *

Balak Kingdom. Suotuo City. Aiden is eight years old.

Balak Kingdom, no matter where you look, was an agricultural country that supplied the whole Heavenly Dou Empire with food. Presumably, Suotuo City even has the largest granary out there, but aside from it, it wasn't exactly famous, albeit being a really large settlement.

During the day it was bursting with a life of commerce and trade, with many stalls and shops. At night, when lights came out people preferred to stay outdoors or inside bars to spend some fun time. Another point of attraction was the Great Spirit Arena, where spirit masters of different levels could fight to their heart's content.

It took two kids about a year to reach this place while traveling on foot and staying here and there for a week or two. They ran nowhere specifically, just enjoying spending time in the company of each other, and gradually became close. Perhaps even Aiden himself never noticed how much he doted on this pure yet sometimes mischievous little lady.

She became someone indispensable. And for someone who never had a family, Aiden found her affection and company precious.

But she came to dislike other men, although was fine with girls who knew their limits. And that is precisely the distance to Aiden. The closer they got, the more negative in opinion she becomes. There was once a boy of only eight who tried something funny.

Well, he was expressing his affection in a very manly manner by pulling her hair. No, he tried to do so but ended up beaten to a pulp. What can a village love-struck fool do with an enraged little fox loli over two hundred thousand years old? Right, nothing. From the very start, they were not in the same weight category at all.

Another time Aiden tried to make her at least talk with boys normally, and that ended in total defeat. It's not like he wanted her to interact with boys all the time, but at least not bloodying their noses the moment they came at the distance of a straight punch would really be kind of sweet.

"Na'er, why not try to befriend them, it won't hurt, right?"

"Why should I, ge? Are they as good as you?" – she pouted at him with cuteness and mischief radiating in every direction.

'Stinky ge, stupid ge, now watch me explain everything to you, blockhead. No, you are not stinky, you smell the best… and you are not stupid at all… mhm, you are my ge all right!'

"You might never know." – said foolish Aiden in response earning contemptuous gaze.

"Are they as handsome as you?" – he remained silent because, not to be narcissistic, his looks were just too different and a bit otherworldly. He can't be blamed for it. Dragon spirit did wonders back then and the more he grew the more it shows.

"Are they as strong as you?"

"Na'er, they are just eight years old…"

"And you are my old grandpa?" – he shut his mouth again while listening to laughing Nexus, who enjoyed the performance.

"Maybe they are as knowledgeable as you?" – now she smiled sweetly and habitually leaned on his shoulder. Well, that's total overkill. Trying to put a kid against a reincarnator with a fricking quantum computer inside his brain and world library at disposal is just too huge of a move. So now he remained silent too.

"Can they cook as good as you?" – yeah, she is a fox spirit beast after all and food was a way to court her, and Aiden's spirit cooking mastery went up several notches higher after her involvement. Coupled with his years of research of local herbs and spices, he gets a unique cuisine that can even help cultivation. Checkmate, dudes, no rivals here even close.

"Are they as rich as you?" – another unfair question. If he wanted, with all materials and knowledge he had it is entirely possible to earn millions of gold coins overnight. One need not guess further. Once in a town, they were passing through he was caught by a merchant who wanted to buy his set of clothes for fifty thousand gold coins.

He was so persistent that Aiden gave up and created a tailor-made suit for him. Well, he was so pleased and rushed out to reach the capital as soon as possible to showcase the discovery of the clothing industry genius.

Thank all saints Aiden could escape his clutches.

"Are they able to make me such pretty clothes like you? Are they as tall as you? Can they dance with the sword and be as handsome while doing it like you?" – so his arduous training in swordsmanship while trying to comprehend more of Dragon Sword Aura is called "sword dancing while being handsome"? He suddenly felt miserably defeated for some unknown reason. - "Can they make me a haircut as good as you? Can they comb my hair every morning as lovingly as you?"

Well, after all these questions he didn't have the energy to comment on the last one at all. Eventually, he just was forced to shut up and never say something like "why not socialize with boys too?". And this little crafty fox was all the happier to have more time to spend with Aiden.

But what really made her a little monster is not her cultivation level that went through whole nine stages up to nineteenth in a year and neither it was her unique abilities to attack with her tails. It was her body cultivation talent! From the very start, after Aiden gave her Great Way of a Titan, she chose a mark with the utmost pursuit of speed and reflexes. The very moment she conjured the mark, it was shining with black luster! After only a year Hu Liena could go up to five marks!

What would you expect from an ancient fox beast! Even for someone at the spirit grandmaster realm, she would be a living nightmare, especially after arduous training in combat arts Aiden put her through.

What really was nerve-wracking is her sleeping habits.

"Na'er, wake up!" – Aiden entered her room in a house they rented for several years straight. – "We have a lot to do today."

"Mhmmm…" - she was lying on the bed like a starfish, blanket on the floor, pillow strangled with one arm, and this silly grin on the face with her overlong hair in a complete mess all around. Yeah, she was too cute, but Aiden had no mood to enjoy the view.

He walked closer and urged again on which she grinned in sleep.

"Ge-ge… naughty…" - she whispered seductively with a silly grin on her face.

"This girl will end me one of these days." – Aiden rolled his eyes not knowing whether to laugh or cry. – "Na'er," - he leaned forward. – "Breakfast, I will eat it alone."

"Bad ge-ge… naughty ge-ge… after doing that all night… you still want to keep Na'er hungry?" – Aiden facepalmed. What all night? He was sleeping in another room. But the thought brought real embarrassment to his already ashamed face.

"Alright, stand up." – he helped her up by the hands, not noticing the little smirk on her pretty full lips. She stood up but still drifted half asleep.

Aiden guided her to the bathroom and helped wash up and rinse her pearl white teeth.

"Let's go, your hair is a mess as usual."

"En…" - she nodded not so sleepily anymore but still yawned and stretched like a cute little kitten. He set her on the stool, took a comb, and gently tended to her hair. By that time little fox queen woke up completely and set there docilely.

Looking at the mirror in front, her gaze never left a reflection of youth behind. She smiled happily with a healthy redness to her cheeks.

"Done." – he clipped her waterfall-like hair in a ponytail and stroked her head tenderly. After they get to know each other so closely, it was almost everyday routine both enjoyed very much. – "Now dress up and we are moving out."

"What are we going to do?" – she stood up pouting, not wanting the moment to end so quickly.