Chapter 68 Who sent you? Tinglan, I've found you! ...

The fox had been cultivating all day and was really exhausted. It rolled over to the window to look at the chickens in the yard.

The chickens have gotten so fat from being away for so long, but they can't eat anything now, which is really frustrating.

Oh, my roasted chicken legs, roasted chicken wings, roasted chicken necks, roasted chicken frames.

Guan Ning poked the bead containing the fox with his finger. "Want to go check your clothes?"

"Huh, what clothes are these?"

"It's the one you were wearing when you were buried... no, it's the one I brought you back."

"Tinglan showed it to me, but I didn't see it very clearly." The fox grumbled and rolled past its sister's feet.

Even though he was just living inside a big, round bead, one could still see a hint of elation in the bead's wild and carefree movements.

Guan Ning carried the fox to the couch. "Look, isn't it beautiful...it looks like something you'd wear for a wedding."

The fox rolled around in a circle, then asked stupidly, "Wearing this for a wedding?"

The word "marriage" sounds familiar; I think I've seen it in some storybook before.

"Marriage is a ceremony, a time when two people in love prepare to spend their lives together."

The fox immediately jumped up excitedly, "Great! I'm going to marry Tinglan!"

"Alright, then I'll keep this dress for you to wear when you marry Tinglan." Guan Ning waved his hand, and the handsome young man lying on the couch transformed into a curled-up snow-white fox.

The fox manipulated the bead and shook it up and down, as if it were nodding frantically.

Guan Ning picked the fox out of the pile of clothes, held it in his arms and weighed it in his hands, then stroked its fur. "It must have suffered a lot outside. It looks a bit thin."

"Sister, when will I finally recover? I want to eat, and I want to go back to Tinglan."

"I've already repaired your body. Now it's up to you. Keep up the good work in your cultivation."

Upon hearing this, the fox immediately rolled away with renewed vigor.

As he rolled around, he shouted loudly, "I will definitely see Tinglan soon."

And so, the fox diligently cultivated himself day after day, not being greedy for food, not being playful, and not going out to chase chickens or dogs. Finally, the day came when he could return to his body.

The light of the bead that once nestled there dimmed, and it rolled to one side.

The fox, making a dazzling entrance, stood tall and proud.

Ta-da! I'm back from the dead.

Tinglan, I'm here.

The fox spread its four paws and tried to run out the door, but its sister grabbed it by the back of the neck and pulled it back.

"Can you transform into human form now? Try it before you go out."

The fox crossed its paws, as if to say, "Sister, don't underestimate foxes. How could you not be able to transform into human form?"

He plunged into the ground from Guan Ning's arms, and a flash of white light appeared.

A small, popping bean suddenly appeared before my eyes.

"Sister, look, I can transform into human form, can't I? There's no problem at all," the fox said proudly, raising its head.

"Why don't you look down at yourself?" Guan Ning couldn't help but reach out and vigorously rub the fox's head. "Oh my, you're so cute. I've never seen you like this before."

The fox looked down blankly and saw its own short legs; the distance between its head and the ground seemed to have shortened.

"Huh, what's going on? I feel like I've gotten shorter?"

The fox was stunned, staring at its own palm. "My hands have gotten smaller too."

He immediately rushed to the mirror and took a look.

"Huh, why did I suddenly shrink?"

Guan Ning secretly stroked the fox's head from behind and said, "Because your current magic power can't hold up, it's easier to maintain a smaller size. I suggest you cultivate for a while longer, otherwise if you accidentally reveal your true form when you go out, it will easily cause trouble."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the fox's tail popped out.

"Wow, it's even cuter now! Let your big sister touch it."

The fox sat dejectedly on the edge of the bed, his tail lying flat on the bed, his short legs dangling in mid-air and swaying back and forth.

"I want to go find Tinglan right now. Sister, please think of something. He hasn't seen me for so long, he must miss me terribly."

Guan Ning had no choice but to rummage through boxes and cabinets looking for medicine, and finally found a dusty bottle of medicine in a corner.

She held it in her hand, turning it over and over to examine it. She felt that even if it wasn't very effective, it shouldn't be poisonous. She hesitated for a moment, "This medicine is quite old, older than you, but it should still be safe to take... right?"

"Come on, open your mouth."

Without hesitation, the fox swallowed the medicine in one gulp.

"How is it?" Guan Ning asked expectantly.

"I don't feel anything..."

Guan Ning could only sigh and comfort him, "It's probably because it's been sitting for too long and the medicine has lost its effectiveness. Why don't you just leave like this? I'll go with you. If there's any trouble, we'll just fight back."

The fox looked down at its short legs and tiny hands, feeling very sad.

He lowered his head, preparing to get his luggage, but after taking only two steps, he suddenly realized that his hands had become larger.

"I've got it! Sister, it's working!" the fox exclaimed in delight, turning around to hug Guan Ning's waist.

With sparkling eyes, she said, "Thank you, sister, you're so kind."

The fox, reborn in its new form, makes a dazzling appearance once again.

The medicine that had been sitting in the bottle for who knows how many years was still not very effective. The fox looked younger than before, and its size had also shrunk a bit.

The fox looked in the mirror and was quite satisfied with himself. "Not bad, not bad, this is much more handsome."

Let's go, off to the capital to find Tinglan!

The fox traveled with its sister, which would make the journey to the capital much faster. However, before entering the city, the fox lowered its head further and further, and its ears turned somewhat red.

Guan Ning looked at him, somewhat puzzled, "What's wrong?"

A moment later, she suddenly realized and smiled knowingly. "Since I won't go with you to find Tinglan, I'll just wander around the city. But if there's any emergency, remember to call me."

Kids really do change when they grow up. They've become shy and don't want their parents to see them dating. Oh my, what a little scheme!

The fox blushed, lowered its head, and murmured an "Mmm."

Guan Ning waved at him from where he stood, "Go into the city by yourself, I'll follow behind."

The fox strode off happily toward the capital, the little blue bundle on its shoulder bobbing back and forth.

Yay, Tinglan, here I come!

The fox happily entered the city, but once inside, he became somewhat lost, as he had never been to this place before and did not know the way.

If we keep walking forward, will we be able to find Tinglan?

The fox walked around, stopping occasionally, and even bought a candied hawthorn from a roadside vendor.

The fox thought seriously, should he go find his sister? But it felt a little embarrassing.

The fox, concerned with its image, ultimately decided to go and see for itself, just in case it bumped into them.

While munching on a candied hawthorn, he looked around, hoping to find an acquaintance in the crowd to take him into the palace.

In a nearby restaurant, a group of Imperial Guards were eating, whispering and gossiping among themselves, "Did you know that the guy in prison is still alive? He's been drinking so much ginseng soup just to keep him alive."

"Which person?"

The Imperial Guard lowered his voice and said, "Who else could have angered the Chief Inspector so much? It must be that traitor..."

The people around fell silent.

After a long while, someone finally spoke up, "His Highness Prince An is indeed of noble character; otherwise, he would not have risked his life to save the seal-bearer."

The other colleagues looked at him with disbelief, thinking he was completely unaware of the situation, but no one said a word.

After all, the person has passed away, and it would be disrespectful to say anything more.

After finishing their meal, one of them went to the window for some fresh air. Suddenly, he stared at the road without saying a word, his eyes fixed on the outside. He then gestured to his companions, "Come and see that person!"

"What's wrong? Did you see a wanted criminal?" His companion strolled over slowly and stood by the window without moving.

"Doesn't it look alike?"

"They look alike, but their temperaments are quite different. His Highness seems more composed than him. This child seems quite young; he's still eating candied hawthorns while walking."

All the Imperial Guards pressed their faces against the window, staring intently as the fox disappeared at the end of the street.

"Should we retrieve it?"

"What are you looking for? They just look a bit similar. They were just passing by."

"Too……"

*

Because of the aroma of roast chicken, the fox wandered around looking for a roast chicken shop, and now it's completely lost.

He stood on the street, holding a roasted chicken, looking around at the long, narrow alleyways. Where was he? How did he get to the palace?

The fox randomly selected a passerby and very politely asked, "Hello, could you tell me how to get to the palace?"

The passerby he stopped was taken aback, having never seen anyone ask for directions like this before. "Just go north..."

The fox pondered for a moment to determine which way was north. "Okay, thank you."

Then they sped off south.

Having walked for quite some time, the street before him still felt unfamiliar. The fox hesitated, wondering if he had gone the wrong way...

*

Tinglan sat in the carriage, his left hand covered by a black sheepskin glove, his eyes and brows showing exhaustion.

He not only lost the young prince, but also the fox. He has been searching for over a month, looking for almost every white fox in the capital, but none of them are the right one.

The little prince's fox has very clever and cute eyes, fluffy fur, and when it stands up it's round and chubby like a little pig. Whenever it sees him, it will run over and act cute, wanting to be hugged.

Tinglan took off the glove on her left hand and, with practiced ease, deliberately bent the glove on her hand where there was a wound.

He was both punishing himself and deliberately keeping himself awake.

The carriage, which had been moving smoothly, suddenly stopped.

The coachman jumped down, lifted the curtain in surprise, and stammered, "Master, I just... saw His Highness Prince An."

Tinglan suddenly raised her head. "What did you say?"

“I have driven for His Highness Prince An before, and I recognize Your Highness. That person... really looks a lot like Your Highness…”

Tinglan looked out in the direction he was pointing.

Under the dim glow of the setting sun, a familiar figure stood there, gnawing on a chicken leg.

Ting Lan's heart stopped beating for a moment. He didn't even bother to put his gloves back on before getting out of the car.

The fox that was gnawing on a chicken leg ahead seemed to notice what was happening, so it stuffed the chicken leg into its bag and ran off.

Tinglan! I found you! I didn't even go the wrong way.

But as the fox drew closer, Tinglan's brows furrowed.

This isn't him, although he really looks like him.

This person was about a little younger than the young prince and also slightly shorter.

Tinglan wanted to turn around and leave, but she just couldn't move her feet.

The fox was overjoyed and about to pounce when it was about to shout, "I'm back!"

Tinglan frowned and stopped him, asking, "Who sent you, and how did you find me?"

The fox had never seen Tinglan so serious before. It was dumbfounded. Holding the roast chicken in its hand, it was a little flustered. After hesitating for a while, it said, "I... walked to find you."