Pouring energy into the jade token, it glowed, and the surroundings rippled like the surface of water.
As they walked forward, the scene shifted, and they suddenly appeared in front of a modest dark-wood building.
A name plaque above the door read Li Clan Treasury.
The building stood in silence.
Reaching the door, Li Zhen slipped a hand into his robe and pulled out another faintly glowing jade tablet.
He held it up.
With a low hum, the doors creaked open.
He walked inside, and the fox followed closely behind.
Inside, the air was rich with the scent of medicinal pills and faint herbal fragrance.
Wooden shelves lined the walls, each neatly stacked with small porcelain pill bottles.
Opposite the shelves were several jade boxes of varying sizes, all carefully arranged.
The fox's turquoise eyes gleamed.
As I thought... so many good things in here.
Multiple Mortal-Grade pills and herbs, ranging from Mid to High quality.
Hmm... Earth-Grade pills and herbs too.
And it's all mine.
All of it!
Its pouch, hanging loosely around its neck, opened wide.
The fox began stuffing everything inside.
The pouch greedily swallowed it all without changing size.
It didn't stop until the entire vault looked stripped bare.
Jackpot.
With all this, I'm going to be rich.
Its gaze shifted toward the far end of the room.
Several chests sat there, untouched.
What's in those? Why are they all the way over there?
Using its divine sense,
the fox scanned them.
Gold... all of them filled with gold.
Huh?
It blinked, surprised.
The gleam in its eyes grew even brighter.
Spirit stones! One chest is filled with low-grade spirit stones! They're poor quality, but I don't even remember the last time I had a spirit stone — even of the lowest tier.
But now... I have an entire chest of them.
Mine. All mine!
With a burst of speed, it raced to the chests and stuffed them into its pouch — even the ones filled with gold.
Even the gold is valuable.
Everything.
Everything is mine!
Behind it, Li Zhen stood frozen, despair blooming across his face.
All the spirit stones... gone. The pills, the herbs... even the gold.
Every last scrap of it. Years of cultivation resources, built up for the clan, wiped out in a single moment.
And all I can do is stand here and watch it crumble.
If the Grand Elder doesn't return soon... the Li family may not survive this.
The fox finished stuffing the final chest into its pouch, then turned to Li Zhen, eyes still gleaming.
"So, where's the rest?" it asked.
Li Zhen's eyes widened — not just in fear, but in confusion.
"W-What do you mean?" he stammered, stepping back.
"That was everything! You've taken it all!"
The fox didn't blink.
Its gaze remained fixed.
Li Zhen swallowed hard, his heart pounding.
"The spirit stones... the pills... even the gold. Everything the clan had in the treasury.
It's all here.
There's nothing else!"
The fox's eyes narrowed.
"So that's all? Nothing left? Hah.
Then you've failed your end of the deal."
It took a step forward.
"Which means you can die now."
Li Zhen's breath hitched.
His throat was dry.
"There's nothing else! I swear it! Wh-Why would I lie? You think I'd risk my life for—"
He was cut off as the fox's energy surged, thick and suffocating.
The pressure slammed into him like a mountain.
He dropped to his knees, eyes wide as he coughed blood that splattered on the stone floor.
Dammit.
The pressure… it's crushing.
My ribs are cracking.
My lungs burn.
I can barely breathe.
How long can I hold on? Am I really going to die here? I'm not ready to die!
"I—I'll show you where they are!" he gasped.
The pressure vanished in an instant.
The fox stepped back.
"Good.
You live.
For now.
But if you try to deceive me even once... I won't just kill you.
I'll wipe out your entire clan."
Li Zhen went pale.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
I thought I could stall.
Maybe wait until the Grand Elder returned... or trap it inside the treasury's illusory array.
But it saw through everything. From the very beginning.
If I resist now — even a little — the whole clan will pay for it.
There's no room for mistakes.
One wrong move, and we're dead.
He slowly stood, wiping the blood from his mouth, and began walking.
The fox followed, gaze locked onto him.
I knew there had to be more hidden.
It was just a hunch at first, but come on... a cultivation clan without a backup stash? Impossible.
There's always a safeguard — in case the main treasury gets looted.
Li Zhen stopped in front of a shelf.
He raised the jade clan token and poured energy into it.
The token glowed softly.
The fox watched.
Huh. Didn't notice before.
That's just a low-grade artifact.
Might fetch a few spirit stones if I sell it.
Heh.
With a soft grinding sound, the shelf contracted inward and slid aside, revealing a hidden passage leading down.
Li Zhen turned back toward the fox.
"There," he said quietly.
"It's open.
The Inner Treasury.
It's yours now — just like you wanted."