2.1 Raise of moral integrity, educate the slag Male Lead and struggle for survival!
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By the time Jing Yi returned, Rong XingLi was glowing with new profound energy. Not only in the figurative sense, but also physically. For a seemingly infinite amount of time, he was absorbing the surrounding soul energy until nearly nothing was left.

Rong XingLi anticipated to see Jing Yi’s human appearance, but his dreams were mercilessly shattered. Jing Yi merely reported back via telepathy.

“Ding— Welcome back host,” greeted Jing Yi calmly.

Rong XingLi, who bounced around erratically, searched for the owner of the voice. However, he had to regretfully forego his plan, “Oof, not even showing your face, after so long. You sure are stingy.”

“Ding— System 01 is a program. Hence, there is only an interface to show. Does host want to open it?” replied Jing Yi flatly.

Rong XingLi felt like coughing up blood, which string of codes was able to understand and use sarcasm as well-versed as his family’s Jing Yi?!

“I hope, I will be able to attain a thick skin like you someday,” said Rong XingLi defeated.

“Ding— Host may in the near future,” remarked Jing Yi offside.

“Haha, you jest! I’m nowhere close your level,” dismissed Rong XingLi coolly.

Jing Yi went silent for a short moment and Rong XingLi misinterpreted that as a wordless request to quiet down.

“Ding— Then, does host has any question before heading to the next mission?”

Rong XingLi thought for a bit, “Indeed, there is ba. My evaluation stated, that you have the special rewards from the last mission. What did I get?”

The familiar notification screen popped up and Jing Yi recited the loot.

“Ding— Host received 1,5x Amount the actual soul energy, 1x Superior Soul Cultivation Manual for Beginners, 1x Set Miscellaneous Pills and 1x Title Recommendation. The soul energy was already transferred to host’s cultivation space and the Manual was distributed through temporary soul guide Li Junyao. The set of pills is stored in the item inventory and is available at any time. Does host has any questions regarding them?”

Rong XingLi’s imaginary mouth uttered an “Oh” and he asked curiously, “Is there a pill to level up my soul force?”

“Ding— Negative. The set only has common pills mostly for immediate effects, lasting only for the duration of one mission,” replied Jing Yi.

Rong XingLi was a bit disappointed, but gathered up his enthusiasm back really quick, “Too bad. By the way, what is a ‘Title Recommendation’?”

“Ding— Based on host’s performance the main system deemed host eligible to hold a title. A bestowed title normally boosts attributes related to the title. Recommendations are given out, when certain criteria regarding the title aren’t met yet, and, or more than one title is feasible. The final result will be concluded, after more data is analyzed.”

“En. Can I peek at my pending title ba?” asked Rong XingLi calmly. After the recent blunder, he wouldn’t fret over something, that isn’t set yet.

“Ding— Positive. Loading data from the main unit… Complete. Suggested titles for host are ‘Teardrop mole under the eye’1Teardrop mole under the eye: symbols an unforgettable lost lover and ‘Ice Jade Flame’2Ice Jade Rose: Clear as Ice and Clean as Jade (spotless; irreproachable; incorruptible) + Rose (passion, irresistible but thorny allurement) = an unattainable love. Both titles raise the charm level of host.”

Rong XingLi nearly choked to death just listening. Why did his titles imply, that he was in some kind of passionate relationship with the Male Lead?!

“Jing Yi… can I refuse a title? They don’t sound like they would promote moral integrity.”

“Ding— Negative, but host can rest assured. The title may change according to host’s future performance.”

That being said, Rong XingLi gave a relieved “En.”

Without other questions to ask, system and light ball began their adventure to the next world.

Unlike the first time, Rong XingLi didn’t lose his conscience through the transportation process. It showed, that his diligent training strengthened his soul significantly.

Rong XingLi was obviously very pleased with the result, but the joy didn’t last long. The moment his vision opened to the new world, another pair of big wide eyes stared at him.

The fact that those eyes undoubtedly belonged to a child eased his nerves considerably. However, the whole face seemed magnified. It could only mean two things— the curious kid was either a titan or he shrunk to infant size.

A crazy thought crossed his mind. As if struck by lightning, Rong XingLi didn’t dare to look into the mirror anymore. It wasn’t necessary anyway, because the next sentence of the milkbun confirmed his suspicion.

“Imperial Mother, look ba! The puppy has woken up and is tamely reclining at its place. Can this prince keep it, please?” beseeched the little one with a coquettish tone.

First a light ball, then a puppy, Rong XingLi felt like he was too blessed to have this rich experience.

Without further ado, he looked down. Where his hands should be and saw tiny black paws instead.

Yingyingying, not only did I die as a single dog, now I’m even one ah! Jing Yi, you deceived me!

In his short, depressive episode, he curled himself into a ball to gather his thoughts. However, as soon as he did so, a painful sting in his leg made him screech in surprise.

“Wraghh!” A shrill and high-pitched scream startled not only the milkbun, but also Rong XingLi. He never heard such a sound coming from a dog.

Baby fox cry

The young lad teared up and ran away in panic, “Imperial Mother, Imperial Mother! The puppy screamed!”

Rong XingLi shut up immediately. If they kicked him out or disposed of him, before he could even receive his tasks... it would too shameful to continue his career as transmigrator!

While nobody else was present, he communicated with his family’s system about the problem at hand.

“Jing Yi, what’s going on here? Why-Am-I-A-Dog?”

“Ding— Correction, host is currently possessing the body of a fox,” replied Jing Yi detached.

Rong XingLi spat out mouthful blood. “Ahhh, I don’t care what kind of canine animal I am, but why? Do you hold some grudge against me?”

“Ding— Please don’t misunderstand host. The vessel for the mission is always chosen according to the client’s wishes. Only after the main system evaluated the body suitably, will the mission issued to a task taker. The current tasks host will have to accomplish are all related to the fox. Therefore, the mission grade is categorized as easy. It will be night soon, so host can retrieve the plot then,” explained Jing Yi calmly.

Rong XingLi wanted to ask some more questions, but had to stop, when the child from earlier brought a group of people back. Judging from their clothes, the worlds setting this time was in ancient china and the milkbun was the legitimate child from the empress. In tow of the little ancestor was a splendid clothed woman, who was most likely the current empress. Behind her were several servants. One of them seemed to be a physician.

“Head physician, exam the emperor’s gift for the crown prince.” The gaze of the empress was cold and aloof, when she said this. It appears that Rong XingLi’s noise earlier annoyed her. Moreover, the words of Jing Yi and the empress’s gave him a small hunch on the world’s Male Lead.

The physician examined Rong XingLi, who cooperated without resistance. His wound on his hind leg was already taken care of, while he was asleep. So the checkup was over very quickly. “The little cub is currently confused and scared by the new environment. Thus, his highness should give him time to adapt. At least the little animal doesn’t seem to be scared of humans. For a wild animal, it is rather unusual and is a sign of high intelligence. The emperor has great insight,” replied the head physician respectfully with a bow.

“En, you can leave now,” ordered the empress gracefully, then turned to her child. Her eyes were a lot warmer than before, she mildly said, “Crown prince, you have heard the head physician. The cub is scared, don’t corner it or it will bite back.”

The boy reluctantly nodded his head as he peeked at Rong XingLi, who in return curled up. Though the boy was disappointed, he didn’t raise his voice against Rong XingLi or threw a tantrum. It showed that he had a very good upbringing.

When Rong XingLi was finally left alone in the side chamber, fox and system had a heartfelt talk with each other.

Phew~, finally alone. Now my dearest Jing Yi, what messy situation am I in? I hope it’s not some complicated harem drama. Going against a pro polygamous society to rehabilitate a slag is a tad too much, don’t you think so?”

“Ding— Host can rest assured. The tasks this time are to lead the Male Lead onto the right path and prevent the whole harem intrigues. It’s very easy,” stated Jing Yi calmly.

“Then I can assume, that the target this time is the curious kid just know, right?” concluded Rong XingLi.

“Ding— Correct. The Male Lead is named Gao Qingxuan. The plot will be retrieved right now, please prepare to receive the data,” said Jing Yi mildly.

Rong XingLi relaxed his mind and the information flowed into his brain.

Gao Qingxuan just turned five years old and was the firstborn child of the emperor and his empress. As the crown prince he received a strict upbringing, but generally was doted on by both his parents. Though he wasn’t the annoying kind of a spoiled brat, the doting made him dewy-eyed towards the harsh world. Especially his mother, Liu NaNa, cared a lot about him. With her strong family background in the military, it was a given, that he would climb on the dragon throne one day. Until the little fox came.

The emperor was on one of his hunting trips, when he came across a silvery black fox. Mesmerized by the unique color, he hunted it for its beautiful fur and shot an arrow right into the animal’s heart. However, the emperor soon discovered its lair. While the mother was hunted by them, the cups were attacked by a predator. Only one of them survived. Out of pity, the remaining cub was taken back as a present for the crown prince.

They took the hurt creature back with no idea of animal welfare. The puppy was scared witless and hostile at the start and bit the little prince in a panic attack. From then on, the prince feared animals and the empress demanded it to be killed, but the emperor refused. He wanted to keep it for its beautiful fur.

This was step one to the doom, because the little fox somewhat escaped its cage and wounded the most favored and competent nursemaid of the crown prince. The maid died a few days after, hence, the emperor and empress had their first fallout over this matter.

The second fallout was, after the imperial consort got pregnant. The emperor actually went to another woman in a fit of anger and impregnated her. As a result, the empress was enraged and wanted to throw out the fox, but was bitten and infected instead! She died a week later of rabies.

What i-r-o-n-y!

The point is, the crown prince lost his emotional support and got traumatized by the events. To cope with things, he copied his father’s bad habit to switch to another woman, whenever he felt negative. He got down into history as the emperor with the biggest harem, yet also the highest number of extramarital children.

The data also showed a disturbing three-digit number, symbolizing his direct descendants, most of them near in age to each other. Rong XingLi’s orange-colored marble eyes nearly rolled from the bed.

F*ck. Did the junior down there never got tired? Even if he fought the war every day, the chance to make a one-hit homerun each time can’t be this high ba! Don’t tell me, he wooed every woman in the capital?!

All of a sudden, Ruo Chen that slag seemed so much more virtuous than his next project the father of the world.3father of the world: world=china; normally, the empress is called “Mother of the world”

“Jing Yi, how did this innocent child deviate into a sperm donor?” inquired Rong XingLi blankly.

“Ding— After the death of the empress, the emperor was full of remorse and avoided Gao Qingxuan, who in response, looked for emotional pillars in other women. With nobody authorized enough to guide and reprimand him, the crown prince turned into a local tyrant,” replied Jing Yi mildly.

“En, makes sense. By the way, how did the fox end up?” asked Rong XingLi casually.

“Ding— Gao Qingxuan’s fear of animals twisted into deep resentment. He tortured the cub for hours, before skinning it. Onwards, the name Gao Qingxuan was associated with animal abuse and cruelty.”

Rong XingLi, “...”

So vicious ah!

It felt like his whole stomach warped inwardly and his mouth became dry. He was a pitiful cannon fodder, again!

“Now, finish me off. What are the tasks?” declared Rong XingLi bravely, while laying flat on one side to avoid touching his leg injury.

“Ding— 1. Don’t let Li NaNa die. 2. Make Gao Qingxuan love animals. 3. Protect Gao Qingxuan.”

“Huh, the tasks really seem easy this time. But when does a task counted as completed?”

“Ding— The current body has a limited life span. Thus, as long as mother and child are alive at the moment of host’s departure, the tasks will be marked as completed.”

Rong XingLi ears perked up, “Say, if I live longer and fend off danger multiple times, will I get more rewards?”

“Ding— Correct, please live long to educate the male lead well,” replied Jing Yi.

Rong XingLi’s tail swayed enthusiastically in the air.

I can do this! This is the birth of the best guardian, the world has never seen before ba! I will even sell meng4Selling meng: acting cute, if needed!

That was what he thought, after all he once raised his own bun, but he had to face the bitter reality very soon. Not every child was easy-care!

The Gao Qingxuan at the age of five years was a far cry from the animal tormenter, he would be in the future. The little ancestor hid behind a pillar, not daring to get near the quietly reclining fox. Rong XingLi only startled the little bun unintentionally the day before and he already kept a 10m safety distance. How frightened must he had been, when he got bitten in the original storyline?

For the whole morning, Gao Qingxuan would peek and hide from Rong XingLi. First, it was only a flighty glance, before flinching back into his hiding. However, with time, the little milkbun got more courageous the more he stared at the tame fox. His face showed rising curiosity as he closed the distance between them.

Yes, I won’t bite, howl or drool. Come here and you can pet my head~

Having imminent success just a few steps away from him, made Rong XingLi anticipating. Maybe it was too much— as he already visualized the heartwarming child-animal interaction and the begin of the lifelong best friend relationship, his tail swayed merrily without knowing.

Gao Qingxuan, who barely build up the courage to get nearer for the whole morning, immediately halted in his steps like a frozen statue. His eyes got glossy and he was on the brim of breaking into tears.

In response, Rong XingLi stopped his tail midair. Both held their breaths to minimize their movements as much as possible.

One, two, three seconds passed and the little ancestor couldn’t stand the suspense anymore. He turned around to run away like on hot charcoals.

Rong XingLi, who underestimated the timidity of a spoiled child, thoroughly tasted a bitter defeat. The orange marble eyes of him stared at the small back evaporating into the distance. His paw stretched into the direction of Gao Qingxuan and he pulled off the Erkang hand doggy style.

Wait, don’t leave so fast! Don’t you know, that the dog is man’s best friend ah!

However, his prayers were left unheard and Rong XingLi lay down, playing dead. He had to philosophize over the correlation and causation of his and Gao Qingxuan’s actions. But in actual, he only went ahead whining to Jing Yi.

“Jing Yi~~ I think this will take much longer than I thought. To which extent did they spoil him?” Tears streamed down from Rong XingLi’s face.

“Ding— Beside Liu NaNa’s background in the military, the Liu family had widespread business connections. Therefore, the emperor dared not to favor the other concubines more than necessary, after his ascension. Thus, Gao Qingxuan was the only feasible successor for the throne and everyone in the palace tried to stay on his good side. As a result, his personality became, what host had seen,” replied Jing Yi mildly.

Rong XingLi’s ears dropped down several floors. With a light swing of his paws, he rolled on his back and faced upward. His limbs straightened out along his tiny body exactly like a sleeping human, except, that it looked quite comical, when a furball did it.

“Jing Yi,” called Rong XingLi.

“Ding— Yes, host?” Jing Yi had the slight premonition, that Rong XingLi would say something exotic, given the special setup.

“From today on, I will stop being Rong XingLi the human.” He paused midway and gazed profoundly at the ceiling, “Instead, my life will continue as the meng selling fox Rong XingLi.”

Jing Yi abstained to comment on this statement.

As the system continued to stay silent, Rong XingLi’s eyes were set ablaze with enthusiasm. ”For that, I will need resources to look at. Jing Yi, can you pick out some cute animal clips from the net? Preferably dog and cat videos ba,” requested Rong XingLi.

Didn’t he simply want to watch cat videos for boredom ah, thought a speechless system.

However, he still did as told. Thus, system and animal spent their time rummaging through the vastness of several world’s internet cat videos.

Meanwhile, the little coward found a good spot to halt his sprint. The round eyes of his scooped the corridors around him— left, right, behind, before and behind him again. After he double-checked every nook and crook and couldn’t spot any servant, did he plop down to his knees and held his small face in his chubby hands. The peach-pink lips parted and a row of tiny white teeth showed themselves in a shy smile. “It didn’t shout and even wagged its tail, hmm… Maybe the cub likes me. Ah, hope we can be friends fast, kuku…”

The little airhead giggled to himself, dreaming about things he could do with the cub in the future while burying his face into his palms out of embarrassment. Absorbed into his own imagination, he didn’t notice the figure nearing him from the side.

“Qingxuan, what are you doing?” asked the person.

Hiya, Im-Imperial Mother!” Gao Qingxuan jumped up immediately. His mouth gaped wide open and formed an “Oh” while placing his hands on his cheeks respectively.

Liu Nana placed her jade-white, slender fingers on her forehead. She sighed helplessly, “Qingxuan, how many times have I told you ah. Don’t run around alone ba. You need to at least one maid around you or Imperial Mother will worry endlessly.”

Gao Qingxuan inhaled deeply. His foolishly-cute face changed into an aggrieved expression. Liu Nana softened at this sight and said calmly, “As long as you remember, Imperial mother won’t be angry. Now tell me, what made our Prince happy ma.”

The downcast face lit up and energetically glimpse at the empress. “The imperial physician was right! The little fox didn’t bark at me and even swung his tail! It was sooo calm!” recounted the little milkbun, while his arms extended to show the scale of Rong XingLi’s obedience.

Liu Nana‘s corners of her lips lifted up into a fresh smile. “En, the emperor chose a suitable gift for our prince. If Qingxuan will diligently follow today’s lessons, Imperial Mother will take our prince to the fox later and we can name it.”

With a clear goal in sight, Gao Qingxuan gave an enthusiastic “En” and followed his mother to the study room. On their way back, the little ancestor spiritedly walked with his chin and chest held high. Liu Nana watched with amusement her son’s lively antics.

Unhurried, they walked towards their destination, where a person waited for them. At the entrance of the study stood First Imperial Consort Wei with another person.

The other person was a man in his mid-thirties. He wore an elegant scholar’s robe in pale guava and white. A goatee hovered over his wide chin and hid his slight double-chin. The stature was not thin nor fat, neither good-looking or ugly. Nonetheless, the well-fitted clothing gave him a refined and outstanding aura.

A flash of wariness mirrored in Liu Nana’s eyes, but disappeared with the next blink of her eyes. Gao Qingxuan’s movements also slowed down nearly imperceptible. On the surface, his timid nature made him seem weak and vulnerable, easy to bully. But underneath, he could objectively observe and grasp the situation.

The stranger beside Consort Wei, his mother’s sudden vigilance and the serene, yet taut atmosphere— the small prince was extremely sensitive towards negative emotions. Even though he couldn’t understand why. But one thing he knew for sure. He didn’t like Consort Wei nor strangers.

As a result, the small face of the little ancestor stiffened and he walked nearer beside his mother. Face to face, both women showed an amicable smile, while they greeted the other party.

“Imperial Consort Wei greets Empress,” said Consort Wei as she bowed respectfully.

Liu Nana gestured her approval with a perfunctory wave of her hand. “En. We see a new face beside Imperial Consort Wei,” replied she while looking at the man, who also bowed down his head.

Consort Wei stood up in one smooth motion, her back perfectly straight. She introduced neither fast or slow, “Imperial consort replies, the scholar beside me is the new imperial tutor designated by his Highness the Emperor.”

The man reacted and seized the chance to announce his name, “This loyal subject is named Fu Donglai. The emperor granted me the opportunity to train the crown prince for the throne. I was chosen as the successor by my predecessor, who had to retire recently due to old age.”

There was no surprise or anger detectable on Liu Nana’s beautiful-carved face, but she was inwardly in turmoil. Her husband decided such an important matter without her input! She was the empress, mother of the world and responsible for the affairs of the inner palace. Choosing a new tutor was not a simple issue. The imperial tutor gained power, wealth and access to inside information of the royal family. The person in the position can easily shift the balance of power between the fractions. Therefore, he had to be someone trustworthy and clean of worldly desires.

Liu Nana boiled in anger, but eventually cooled down. The past tutor was lively and spirited without known diseases or health issues. His resignation and the emergence of an unknown, ambitious scholar was too suspicious.

Hng, I won’t fall for your simple mind game!

It wasn’t the first time, that Consort Wei challenged her. That woman looked mellow and kind, but was cunning and calculating like a vixen. She would use every opportunity to drive a wedge between Liu Nana and the emperor. Once the empress falls out of favor, Consort Wei would claim her position.

The smile on Liu Nana’s face widened and she expressed her thanks, “En, since it is the decision of his highness, I won’t object. Given the sudden change I will impose on today’s lesson ba.”

Fu Donglai didn’t oppose her request and nodded satisfied. Consort Wei also showed her winning smile.

They went inside the study and Consort Wei wanted to follow, but Liu Nana paused and smiled at her. “Imperial Consort Wei, we thank you for your concern about the crown prince. Since your objective is fulfilled, we won’t take more of your time. You may go back to your duties.”

Consort Wei froze and sucked in a breath of cold air.

Gao Qingxuan, who observed everything wordlessly, shifted his gaze between his mother and Consort Wei. He didn’t understand Consort Wei’s sudden stiffness, but his mother was happy again. So he just went ahead and plopped onto his seat, thinking about a good name for his little puppy while grinning from cheek to cheek.

Let’s see, how long I can keep up with those lengthy chapter titles (°³°)

Thanks to “THIS BRO” for the name suggestions. Without you, the little milkbun would still be nameless (;´༎ຶ益༎ຶ`)♡ (Don’t know if you read this, but the other name will make its entrance later, hehe)

I’m not gonna lie, my outline for this arc is as vague as the weather forecast QAQ

 

 
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