“Yuki, at the age of five, all children will start basic cultivation. And will begin training in how to use swords. This is how we keep each generation safe from the demonic beasts that enter our barrier and how we keep food on our table. Take this.” Akihito handed a tattered book to Yuki. Yuki looked at it to see that it said Heavenly Body Fortification. “This cultivation method has been in our family since we took up roots on this mountain. While it is only a part of what was once a complete cultivation method, you will never need more than this.”

Yuki was not ignorant of what her father was talking about because she had read many Chinese style novels about cultivation in her short life. So when she heard she would only ever need the one part of the cultivation method, Yuki was quite confused. “Father, why just the one part?”

Hearing his daughter's question, Akihito smiled warmly as he answered: “Because for generations our clan has only lived on this mountain and will never go outside the barrier. The barrier only lets in the weaker demonic beasts which we can easily defeat and use to put meat on our tables. We have farms on which we grow our crops on. We have everything we need. What use is power when we already have everything?”

Yuki did not quite understand, but since her father put things like this she could only obediently nod her head. She looked at the method in her hands and couldn’t help but feel slightly excited that she would be able to do something so fantasy like, if you do not count the fact that she was a fox girl.

“Alright, before you start with your cultivation, we need to visit another place. Come follow me.” Akihito had Yuki follow him. She held her sword and cultivation method in her arms as she walked out of the courtyard with her tail swaying back and forth.

Yuki was taken to a place she was very familiar with. This was the village's training ground. She had been here many times to watch the older kids train. So she was not unfamiliar with this place. Akihito turned and smiled at Yuki as he said: “Yuki, from today on, you can come here to train if you would like. I won’t always be home during the day, which means I can not lead you all the time in your cultivation and swordsmanship, so it is better to come here like the others.”

Akihito was someone who worked out in the fields to help keep the crops going year round. The barrier that surrounded their village allowed for them to grow crops any time of the year. Yuki had never seen the edge of the barrier, but she had seen snow falling down from the sky a few times. But the snow never built up on the barrier, and it seemed to just disappear when it came into contact with it. The weather here was never hot but always had a springtime kind of air. Not cold, yet not overly warm. Perfect temperature year around a kind of paradise.

Yuki nodded her head as her eyes darted around, seeing even some of her friends here training away. She wondered if she could grow strong enough to do the things everyone else did. She hated the idea of being weak. In her past life, she had such a frail body that she was afraid that if she did not work hard on her cultivation, she would end up like her past life. The looming fear of becoming sickly and stuck in bed began to well up inside her after all these years. She realized she had been taking things for granted since her rebirth. She looked up at her father and, with a determined expression, said: “Father, I will work hard!”

“Haha! You are just a kid. Take things at your own pace.” Akihito did not want his daughter to forget she was still a child. He reached out and rubbed her head. “Take your time and steadily grow.”

Yuki nodded her head in answer, but her mind had already been made up. She would work hard. The method in her hands was the key to easing her current fears. She looked at those around her and wanted to start training right away, but with a big palm on her back, she was pushed forward by her father, who brought her over to one of the elders of the village. He had two tails instead of one. A characteristic of their clan when they grew in power. It’s said her clan can grow up to nine tails but to get so many tails, one would need to be on a godly like level of strength.

Just having a second tail was enough to make people jealous. But from what Yuki had heard, this elder’s second tail had been with him since birth. Why this was so, she did not know. She was not even sure the stories were true. For all she knew, it could have just been a birth defect. After all, she had noticed that everyone here was related by blood. Intermarrying within their own clan since this village had been started. Yuki did not know much about this, but she had read a few stories that said intermarrying like this was bad. But from what she could see, everything seemed fine. As such, she put those things behind her. Because love and things like that really meant nothing to her. She was content to live with her mother and father and grow old.

“Elder Eijiro, I have come for the sword technique.” Akihito cupped his hands and bowed respectfully to Elder Eijiro. Yuki followed his example, albeit almost dropping her cultivation method and sword in the process.

“Haha, your daughter is a cute one.” Elder Eijiro found Yuki’s fumbling quite cute. He took out a technique from the drawer next to him and handed it over to Akihito. “This is her copy. Take care not to lose it, or else it will be a year to get a replacement.”

Yuki looked up at the old fox, who had a long golden beard with curious eyes. She felt maybe the two tails on this old man were not just for show. Yuki and her father did not stay long in the training grounds. They quickly returned to their courtyard, where Akihito began to explain things in more detail.