Master of Ten Thousand Foxes-Chapter 71 - 65: Mission Ends Early, Roast Chicken Arrival, Vengeance Sword (Two-in-One)_2
"The task subsidy and bonus, as mentioned before, will be available for cashing in half an hour!
"Thank you all, everyone worked hard.
"Expert Bai Mo, your assistance this time was invaluable. Our committee will apply for an additional bonus for you."
...
And just like that, inexplicably, the task ended early.
Bai Mo, carrying White Ears, and Master Chong, carrying Cricket, both entered the elevator.
"What’s going on, it was supposed to be a seven-day task, how come it ended in just one day?
"Isn’t this clearly letting us take advantage?
"Sigh, my heart is really unsettled."
Bai Mo glanced sideways at Master Chong, and if it weren’t for Master Chong’s face smiling like a blossoming flower, he would have almost believed the "unsettled heart" part.
After stepping out of the elevator, one headed to the cafeteria and the other to the storeroom to each claim their task rewards.
White Ears perched on his master’s shoulder, recalled what he just saw and heard, and suddenly realized one thing... the task was over, and they could now go collect their roast chicken!
...
The night of the current world corresponds to the daytime at Fox Mountain.
At this moment, on Fox Mountain, in the ruins of a hall near the water source, a fierce wind howled through the broken roof!
Inside the hall, a dozen foxes were busy cooking.
Indeed... this hall is the cafeteria of Fox Mountain!
Yams piled up like small mountains on the floor.
Several foxes were gathered around a large basin of water, washing rapidly.
Several other foxes placed the cleaned yams into a great tripod.
Some foxes were busy chopping wood, preparing to light a fire to cook the yams.
Yams are the everyday staple of Fox Mountain.
Several foxes carried a huge copper basin, cheerfully rushing into the cafeteria.
"Aoo! Aoo!"
"Aoo! Aoo!"
In the copper basin, it was filled to the brim with grapes, some purple, some green, with Kyoho grapes, Shine Muscat, and some raisins present!
Grapes are the everyday fruit of Fox Mountain.
Originally, the grape yield on Fox Mountain was low, not enough for everyone. Later, the master intervened, improved the grape seeds, and refined a more powerful fertilizer, greatly increasing the grape yield. Now, every fox on Fox Mountain can eat grapes with every meal.
In the large kitchen, dozens of foxes were either chopping wood, fetching water, lighting fires, or scrubbing pots, bustling about...
Suddenly!
A white smoke that blurs the boundary between dreams and reality rose in the open center of the cafeteria.
A group of foxes paused their work, perked up their ears, and widened their eyes to look over...
Is the master coming?!
Is the master coming to eat with them?!
Then they saw, from the white smoke, a giant iron basin being carried out.
The iron basin was packed to a sharp, small mountain of golden roasted chickens!
The dozen foxes cooking immediately had eyes that sparkled, grinning as they dashed forward!
"Aoo! Aoo!"
"Ying! Ying!"
"Aoo! Aoo!"
White Ears is back early from working outside!
From the white smoke, White Ears came in and out, carrying out basin after basin of roasted chickens.
They had all been urgently transferred from the food processing plant, still steaming with fragrant aroma!
The foxes cooking grinned as they carried the goods, occasionally sniffing the aroma of the roast chicken’s seasoning.
Each large iron basin held thirty roasted chickens.
Basin after basin was carried in!
Basin after basin was placed on the cafeteria floor!
Black Tail, after finishing with an iron basin, looked at the steam rising from the roasted chicken, suddenly wondering, should these be eaten while hot too?
Although it wasn’t mealtime yet, they needed to quickly call all their fellow disciples up.
Grinning, it dashed to the cafeteria door, looked at the huge copper bell hanging at the entrance, gripped the wooden striking hammer, and struck the bell fiercely.
Dong...
The gentle, fine sound of the bell immediately spread, echoing with the wind on Fox Mountain, reaching the medicine fields at the foot of the mountain, reaching the ruins in the mountains, letting all fellow disciples know... it’s dinnertime!
...
With the end of the outside work task, Fox Mountain returned to its tranquil daily life.
Bai Mo sat in the Bronze Hall, reading the literature, sucking the bones clean from a roasted chicken... these were what the disciples insisted on saving for him! The Immortal Book Committee gave several extra chickens, some were shared among the disciples, and ten were reserved as a tribute to the master. Though frankly, the master couldn’t possibly eat so many.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded at the entrance of the hall.
Two fox apprentices were seen carrying a large bundle of bronze swords to place beside his desk.
"Oh dear, oh dear."
"More bronze swords?"
For some reason, lately, the excavation of palace ruins has unearthed quite a number of bronze swords.
Bai Mo stood up to examine these bronze swords.
A bunch of furry heads of apprentices also leaned closer to join in the inspection.
Among the more than twenty swords, more than ten were broken, the rest were damaged as well, the blade was gone, covered in tarnish. The sword body had no inscriptions, only some decorative bird and beast patterns.
Bai Mo casually picked up one, pondering for a moment.
"Could it be that ancient alchemists liked to use swords as ornaments?
"Or perhaps, these swords were all collectibles of that foolish Ancient Immortal who got himself bisected?"
Looking at the pile of swords, varied in length and shape. They might well be collectibles indeed.
"It’s understandable that these swords are ruined.
"After all... they’ve been buried for who knows thousands or tens of thousands of years, rotting is normal. If they’re not rotten, it’s unusual.
"However, these ruined swords are useless."
At this stage, what Bai Mo desires most is the formula for advancing to Sequence Six! Alas, the formula has not been dug out; instead, heaps and heaps of broken swords have been excavated.
He contemplated for a moment.
"Clean them up, keep them for stirring while alchemizing.
"Some special types of potion do indeed require a bronze stirring rod."
...
Within the ruins, pits were being dug one after another, with several foxes furiously excavating!
In a deep pit, Quanquan Hu was swinging the shovel like a little windmill, digging soil at high speed.
In the past few days, it had dug up more than ten bronze swords; unfortunately, all were trash, not one with inscriptions or documentation. As for copper and stone slabs, they hadn’t been found either.
Feeling frustrated, it swung the digging shovel, suddenly feeling light, nearly causing it to fall backward...
Huh?
Quanquan Hu looked at its bronze shovel, only to find that the shovel head was only half left! The other half was cut off, with the fracture smooth and neat.
The shovel head was cut off?
The beloved little shovel that accompanied it for years was severed?
Quanquan Hu was internally anguished!
It tightened its grip on the shovel handle, eyes widened, looking towards the soil pit it was digging!
In the loosened dirt, a cold glint seemed to flicker?
Quanquan Hu carefully poked a few times with the half shovel, then saw a section of the sword body flashing faintly emerge from the soft soil!
Poking a few more times with the half shovel revealed a complete bronze longsword gleaming coldly.
Quanquan Hu stared at it for a while, then quickly discarded the half shovel and grabbed the gleaming bronze sword, shouting ecstatically.
"Oh oh oh!
"Oh oh oh!"
...
In the Bronze Hall.
Bai Mo looked at the long sword placed on the desk.
"Did we really strike a jackpot?
"Is this an Immortal Treasure?"
This sword is extremely lengthy, probably about one and a half meters. Made of bronze, the sword body is slightly thick, but the bronze rust is thin, merely casting a layer of azure green over it. The blade is pale yellow; even after being buried in the soil for millions of years, it remains smooth like a pool of autumn water, even reflecting Bai Mo’s face, and the furry head of Quanquan Hu.
"Is this really bronze?
"Can bronze withstand millions of years of soil erosion?"
Bai Mo didn’t know swords, but he could sense the sword’s toughness and sharpness, feeling the veil of chilling light enshrouding it!
Attempting lightly to wield the sword, he felt it was extraordinary... whether bronze or stone, under this sword’s blade, they turned to mush, plunging in with ease.
This sword indeed belongs to the category of Immortal Treasures!
Even modern technology, no matter how advanced the alloy or techniques, probably cannot create such an effect.
Bai Mo frowned slightly.
"Heard that the Sword Immortal Path experts in the Committee use modern Alloy Swords. If they saw our sword here, they’d probably cry with envy."
Quanquan Hu and several fox apprentices beside him all grinned.
The master then said.
"Why do I feel like this sword... could indeed be left by that hapless alchemist who got himself bisected.
"He researched pill formulas, collected treasure swords, and even managed to collect such a marvelous Immortal Treasure sword.
"Sadly, it’s of no use to him anymore.
"To thank him, to commemorate him, I decide to name this sword...
"... Vengeance Sword!"
