Master of Ten Thousand Foxes

The sky was overcast with dark clouds.

The wind howled wildly on the ground.

A car, carrying Bai Mo, was weaving through the medicine fields, excavation sites, and various workshops on Fox Mountain... Every few days, Bai Mo would take such an inspection tour to mainly check if the apprentices’ work encountered potential risks and see if they needed any assistance.

After inspecting the medicine fields and excavation sites, the car drove up Fox Mountain, heading to the various workshops among the hills.

Upon checking the drying workshop, juicing workshop, weaving workshop... the car stopped at the door of the slicing workshop.

Bai Mo got out of the car and stepped inside.

The first thing that caught his eyes was piles and piles of herb mountains.

Against the wall were barrels filled with herbs already sliced.

Bai Mo had just stepped through the door when he saw several furry heads poking out from behind different herb mountains in the hall.

"Yip Yip Yip!"

"Howl Howl Howl!"

"Yip Yip Yip!"

"Howl Howl Howl!"

It was the four apprentices working in the slicing workshop, almost simultaneously, who emerged from behind the herb mountains and dashed toward their master!

Two jumped onto the master’s shoulders, nuzzling his head.

Two jumped into the master’s arms, snuggling against his chest.

Bai Mo grinned and patted the fat necks of these little fellows.

"Is everything going well?"

The four foxes immediately hopped off their master, happy and joyous.

"Yip Yip Yip!"

White Claw led the master to see the Triangular Tumor Tree Root Fragments it had just sliced.

"Howl Howl Howl!"

Big Head pulled the master over to see the Female Ghost Silk Grass Powder it had just chopped.

"Yip Yip Yip!"

Peony Fox guided the master to see the full barrel of Mala Lemon Peel it had just shaved.

"Howl Howl Howl!"

Chongchong Fox tugged the master over to see the Milk Beancurd Fruit it had just dissected.

All four foxes puffed out their chests and patted them, telling their master that everything was normal in the slicing workshop!

Bai Mo nodded.

"That’s good.

"Keep up the good work, I’ll continue with my inspection."

He was about to turn and leave when he suddenly saw White Claw tilting its head, hesitating for a moment.

"Hmm? Is there something on your mind?"

White Claw ran behind the herb mountain, took out the Bronze Longsword it used to cut herbs, and presented it to the master.

"Yip Yip Yip, Howl Howl Howl Howl!"

It gestured with fox language and body language.

It didn’t take long for Bai Mo to understand.

"...Are you saying the smell of this sword is getting stronger?"

White Claw nodded.

A sword used for cutting herbs having a smell seems normal, right?

But the smell of this sword was unusually strong, so it just wanted to ask its master.

Bai Mo took the sword, noticing it was indeed the one White Claw used often. The sword had a long slit in the blade, making it very light, much lighter than a regular longsword.

Bai Mo’s nose twitched slightly.

"Oh?

"This...

"It’s fortunate you told me!"

The sword definitely had a strong smell.

Moreover, it wasn’t an ordinary smell. It was a complex aroma accumulated from cutting various herbs over many years!

"Had you not told me sooner, this sword might have been ruined."

Bai Mo squatted down, pointing at the sword, to explain to the fox apprentices.

A few furry heads immediately crowded closer, looking where the master pointed.

Sure enough, they saw the blade of the sword was being subtly corroded by an invisible herb gas, creating one small hole after another at a very slow pace. If left unchecked, it wouldn’t be long before it was corroded to scrap iron.

"Howl?"

White Claw’s eyes widened. This was its favorite sword; it must not be corroded!

But Bai Mo grinned with a smile.

"However, since you told the master today, this sword can turn things around and become something good.

"Bring some Dragon Crystal Grass."

There was Dragon Crystal Grass in the workshop, and it didn’t take long for White Claw to hurriedly bring back a bundle.

Bai Mo pinched a stalk of Dragon Crystal Grass, tearing it open to reveal light yellow crystals inside.

"This sword has spent years cutting herbs, and among them were many high-tier medicines from Sequence Eight and Sequence Seven, absorbing a lot of herb gas. It’s been marinated with it.

"This mixed herb gas is rare and valuable! Bear in mind, not just any tool can cut so many high-tier herbs!

"But these herb gases are chaotic, unorganized, which is causing the damage to this sword.

"What we need now is a suitable herbal catalyst to guide and organize these herb gases."

As Bai Mo explained, he gently rubbed the light yellow crystals from the Dragon Crystal Grass onto the blade of the bronze sword.

The light yellow crystals were rubbed against the dried herbal juices on the blade, against the patina, against the rough blade.

The foxes widened their eyes, perked up their ears, and listened as the sword began to emit a soft buzzing sound, gently vibrating!

Bai Mo widened his eyes, perked up his ears, and focused his Divine Sense to carefully observe the sword.

Sometimes he rubbed the Dragon Crystal Grass on the front blade ridge, sometimes on the bottom right blade edge, and though his hand movements seemed random, they possessed a curious rhythm.

Before long, he tossed aside the Dragon Crystal Grass in his hand and handed the still buzzing sword back to White Claw.

"This sword is now in its evolution process.

"When the various herb gases saturate and fully fuse, it will transform into a new form.

"It’s a good thing you told me; otherwise, it would have turned into a piece of junk copper, how wasteful that would have been."

White Claw held its sword, overjoyed, swinging and hopping around the hall.

"Yip Yip Yip! Howl Howl Howl!"

Bai Mo was about to rise when he found the other three apprentices of the slicing workshop, at some point, had already brought their tools forward, each pair of fox eyes filled with eager anticipation!