"Mine?" Pei Chiyao raised an eyebrow, "What's mine?"
"Your tail and ears, of course!" Zhi Yao said matter-of-factly.
She even tried sniffing him while nestled in Pei Chiyao's embrace, but couldn't detect any animal scent.
The next second, Zhi Yao felt a sudden pain in her head.
"Why did you hit me?!" she exclaimed.
"To help you sober up," he said dispassionately as he stood up with the young girl in his arms. "I have other matters to attend to with you, so put those ears and tail away."
The girl was initially displeased, but upon hearing Pei Chiyao mention other matters, her attention immediately shifted. She swiftly retracted her ears and tail, gazing up at him with curiosity. "What is it?"
Was he going to buy her some milk tea?
Pei Chiyao glanced at her, mercilessly shattering her hopeful thoughts. "Not buying milk tea."
The girl's face fell in an instant.
"Let me ask you, have you dealt with the Gu Family's matter?"
His sudden mention of the Gu Family reminded Zhi Yao that there were still two ghosts trapped within her jade pendant!
She nodded quickly, "Yes! They're both inside my jade pendant!"
She was a bit worried about how to resolve their situation.
After all, Tang Tang's mother had reached a point where she had lost all sense, her mind consumed by a desire for revenge.
"Don't worry, it will be resolved in due time," Pei Chiyao said thoughtfully, looking at the faintly glowing jade pendant on her chest.
Zhi Yao was immensely curious, "How do you know?"
He didn't respond. Just as Zhi Yao was about to press further, Pei Chiyao suddenly stopped. "We're here."
Here?!
Zhi Yao looked up to see two attendants opening the door in front of them. Pei Chiyao held the young girl tightly as he strode right in.
They passed through a long corridor and entered a room.
The window sills in that room were transparent, overlooking an arena below.
Zhi Yao had never seen an arena before and her eyes were filled with wonder. "What is this place?"
Pei Chiyao set her down, and she instantly rushed over to the window, carefully observing the scene below.
There were many seats for spectators.
Pei Chiyao's was a VIP seat, directly overlooking the arena with a clear vantage point.
To be precise, this was an underground fighting ring.
Unlike other venues, this one was completely unregulated.
Stepping into the ring meant risking one's life.
The loser would have no chance of leaving the arena alive.
For this very reason, the victor could claim an astronomical prize - a powerful incentive for competitors.
Pei Chiyao rarely came here, as this place stirred up many unpleasant memories.
But now, he had come anyway.
Perhaps it was time to teach this naive little fox girl a few lessons about life.
Such as the laws of survival, the way of the wild where the strong prey on the weak.
Having an excess of empathy was not necessarily a good thing.
Zhi Yao looked around the private room, but after a while with no fighters appearing in the arena below, she quickly lost interest. She went to sit beside Pei Chiyao. "Why didn't you answer me?"
"Stay calm, you'll understand soon enough," he said, tapping her forehead before pouring her a cup of plain tea. "Try this."
The girl took the tea and gulped down a mouthful, her eyes lighting up in delight. "It's so delicious!"
She couldn't help but stick out her tongue to lick the cup's rim.
This childlike, animal-like gesture made Pei Chiyao chuckle inwardly.
How adorable she was!
He knew he wouldn't want her to face the dark side of the human world so soon, but he also understood that the girl would have to grow up eventually.
He could certainly protect her for a lifetime, but was that what Zhi Yao wanted?
Since she wished to become human, she would first have to become an independent person.
He would not keep her as a pet.
He would only teach her these truths.
Soon, the arena below opened for business.
Deafening cheers arose from below as Zhi Yao looked down, unsurprised to see two men in protective gear facing off.
She tilted her head, able to sense the charged atmosphere enveloping the entire venue.
What was going on?
Before she could even ask, the men suddenly erupted into a brutal fight below.
The girl's eyes widened in shock and fear as she shrank back into Pei Chiyao's embrace. "Why are they fighting each other?"
Pei Chiyao remained silent, only observing Zhi Yao's every reaction.
Stunned and frightened, the girl's expression appeared dazed.
She wasn't dull though - from the announcer's commentary, Zhi Yao quickly grasped the situation.
They were competing!
Only she didn't understand why such a cruel competition existed in this world, or why so many people watched with rapt, bloodthirsty glee.
She even saw one of the fighters lying on the ground, nose broken, face bruised and bleeding profusely from his head.
Lost in her troubled thoughts, she unintentionally voiced them aloud.
Pei Chiyao nonchalantly pulled her onto his lap. "Do you know why these people are competing?"
Zhi Yao shook her head blankly, "No."
"Some of these fighters are orphans taken in and trained by the founder of this boxing club. Others got into debt, or have sick family members with exorbitant medical bills, forcing them to come here."
"Winning just one match earns a prize big enough to let them go on living in this world."
Zhi Yao seemed to halfway understand, "But...what if they don't win? Will they die?"
"Yes," he said coldly. "If you don't pay a steep price, how can you get an equally high reward?"
Zhi Yao bit her lip, looking at the bloody mess that was the defeated man below.
"Do you feel sorry for him?"
Zhi Yao nodded.
"What if I told you that man lying there is a gambling addict owing five million dollars in debt? He's become so desperate that he even sold his wife and son, would you still feel sorry for him then?"
Pei Chiyao's voice was quiet yet penetrating as he spoke into Zhi Yao's ear. The girl's sympathy instantly turned to disbelief.
Just a moment ago, she had pitied the man, but now she could no longer muster any compassion for him.
"Then he deserves what he got!" she exclaimed indignantly.
After all, she was a fox who could clearly discern good from evil, right from wrong.
Pei Chiyao smiled faintly. "Open your mouth."
She automatically opened her mouth, and a faint sweet milky fragrance wafted onto her tongue.
The sweetness made her eyes crinkle in delight. "It's so delicious."
"A reward," he said.
Not excessively swayed by misplaced empathy - it seemed this little girl was even smarter than he had thought.
"Think carefully about why I brought you here today," he said, leaning back on the sofa with his fingers steepled, lightly tapping the armrest.
Zhi Yao stared at the arena below, suddenly reminded of a scene she had witnessed back at home.
She could only think of four words - the law of the jungle, the strong preying on the weak.
