Tokyo, but I'm a deceitful scumbag.

"Thank you, little fox!"

Ryoko Senjougahara chuckled, used the fox's paw for leverage, and lightly leaped away, finally landing on the ground to the side.

Feeling the lingering warmth on his paw pads, Hoshino Hideyuki flicked his tail.

Good grief, so they were using me as a stepping stone!

hateful!

If I weren't weaker than you, I would definitely beat you right now!

He scratched the ground with his paws, and when he felt he had cleaned it up enough, he conjured a mat in an annoyed manner and looked at Senjougahara Ryoko, saying, "Time is limited, Miss Ryoko, let's get down to business!"

"Mmmmm~"

Ryoko Senjougahara knelt at one end of the mat and said softly:

"I didn't want to tell you too much about Master Ruyi Fang, since just thinking about him gives me a headache, but since you've already killed his people, there's nothing I can do..."

"Just as I told you before, Ruyi Fangzhu, like me, was a great demon before the decline of spiritual energy. Although he is relatively young, only five hundred years old, his strength is much greater than mine..."

ha?

The fox's eyes widened: "Aren't you two both great demons...?"

"There are differences even among great demons."

Ryoko Senjougahara laughed and said, "Well, it's normal that you don't know. After all, spiritual energy in the world has just been revived, and there are hardly any strong people. So, people generally don't understand the difference between great yokai and great onmyoji."

"However, these are still too far off for you, little fox. Let's not talk about them today and continue our conversation about the Ruyi Fangzhu~"

The fox pursed its lips, then sat down opposite Ryoko Senjougahara with an air of importance, listening attentively.

Ryoko Senjougahara then continued:

"He was originally the owner of an underground gambling den in Kyoto. One day, he offended a powerful local samurai, and both he and the gambling den were burned down."

"However, his soul did not dissipate, and by some twist of fate, it merged with a cursed die, thus becoming a monster... Then the next day, the samurai who burned him disappeared without a trace."

"In the following decades, he called himself Ruyi Fangzhu and frequented gambling dens all over Japan, taking pleasure in gambling. He won every time he gambled, and his wealth grew very rapidly."

"He quickly became a great monster, opening a gambling den that even gods would be addicted to, establishing branches across half of Japan, and becoming incredibly famous for a time..."

"...and so they were targeted by the Onmyoji."

As Ryoko Senjougahara spoke, her eyebrows furrowed, as if recalling some past event, and she pouted resentfully, saying:

"Those Onmyoji like to do this; they team up and target whoever becomes famous. Even though I didn't cause much trouble back then, I was still blocked at the door..."

The fox twitched its ears.

He recalled the origin of the Musou Shinju technique and the terrifying killing intent that occasionally flashed in Senjougahara Ryoko's eyes, and he was deeply skeptical of the statement that she "didn't cause much trouble."

Ryoko Senjougahara continued, "Fortunately, I was well-informed and hid in advance, thus avoiding a conflict... However, Master Ruyi's temper is not as good as mine."

"Faced with a 30-person expeditionary force from the four families of Tendo, Luya, Tsuchimikado, and Kakaiin, that guy actually chose to open the gambling den's doors wide, welcoming them straight into his hometown."

"I don't know what happened after that... Anyway, only 7 out of 30 people escaped."

The fox gasped in shock.

Did I really mess with such a ruthless guy?!

No wonder he dared to have his men hijack a luxury cruise ship!

Ryoko Senjougahara also sighed:

"It's terrifying, isn't it? I was also shocked at the time. After all, there were three great Onmyoji in that expedition team. It's really hard to imagine that they would lose."

“But they still lost, which is why I said that Dice Head is a troublesome fellow.”

"However, it's not to say that no one can cure that guy..."

"After the Onmyoji failed to defeat him, Ruyi Fangzhu's power indeed reached its peak, and he became increasingly unscrupulous. During that period, even I suffered a loss at his hands."

"But as the saying goes, prosperity will eventually decline, and a dragon that has gone too far will surely regret it... Twenty years later, the posthumous son of an Onmyoji from the original expedition team grew up and, with only a bow, stormed into the gambling den to avenge his father."

The fox raised an eyebrow.

Is he very strong?

"Not bad, but not at the level of a great Onmyoji."

"Then how did he win?"

"He couldn't win, so he didn't fight at all."

Ryoko Senjougahara smiled and said slowly, "He made a bet with Ruyi Fangzhu."

"I don't know the specifics of the bet, but I've heard that it even attracted the help of gods and other great demons... In short, the Ruyi Fangzhu lost badly, his foundation was damaged, his power collapsed, and he became much more subdued."

"Then, the decline of spiritual energy began."

Ryoko Senjougahara smiled and said, "That's a general overview of the Ruyi Fangzhu."

"Thank you for letting me know."

Hideyuki Hoshino bowed slightly.

"Wait, I have two more things to say~"

"First of all, little fox brother, you don't need to be too nervous. The master of Ruyi Workshop is probably like me, hiding in a very distant secret realm. He won't return to the mortal world so easily. You won't be able to meet him anytime soon."

"Secondly, if you really do unfortunately run into him..."

Ryoko Senjougahara's eyes gleamed: "Then you should learn from the experience of those who came before you and make a bet with him!"

"He has a strong gambling addiction. As long as your betting method is interesting enough, he will definitely follow, and that's where your chance of survival lies!"

Hideyuki Hoshino nodded, indicating that he had made a mental note of it.

"Yes, yes, that puts my mind at ease~"

Ryoko Senjougahara jumped and flew back to the peach tree branch. Her fair, bare feet, without tabi socks, swayed in mid-air like two white butterflies.

"It's about time, so I won't disturb you and your girlfriend any longer. Good luck, I'm really looking forward to playing with that little furball soon~"

On the ground, the fox swished its tail dismissively.

Playing with tiny pom-poms?

No way, you're dreaming!

Even if I did have it, I'd keep it to myself and wouldn't give it to you!

Just then, as Senjougahara Ryoko's body was about to disintegrate into flower petals, the fox suddenly remembered something and shouted:

"Wait, there's something else I want to ask you..."

"It's too late, little fox. If you're in a hurry, just go find me by the bell!"

Before the words were even finished, the cat demon vanished completely.

Tsk, too late.

I'll have to find time to get the bell.

The fox sighed, closed its eyes, opened them again, and when it looked up again, its consciousness had returned to its home in Ichikiku-ri...

"Purrrrrrr!"

...Then, he saw the accomplice, Miss, going crazy over her own tail.

"Ugh, I feel like there's no point in insulting you anymore, so I might as well fart..."

"No!"

Kikuri Iji suddenly raised her head, then sniffed, but smelled nothing.

"Oh, you fox, you scared me!"

She puffed out her cheeks in anger, reached out and pulled back the quilt beside her, covering the fox underneath, and then crawled inside herself...

Soon, the bed started creaking.

After a while.

The blanket was pulled back, and the fox in human form and Ijichi Kikuri were lying side by side.

The fox blinked and asked:

"Tell me, what is the meaning of life? Where does the universe end? When will world peace truly be achieved?"

Ok.

In short, the fox and the accomplice, Miss Fox, had another harmonious day. Congratulations!

Over the next two weeks.

The fox's life was very fulfilling.

He practices his martial arts as soon as he gets up, then goes out for a big meal and drinks. In the evening, he learns fighting techniques from Asuka, and late at night he teaches what he has learned to Ichikiku, and they grow together along the way...

"I am so happy and joyful until tonight," Kikuri Ijichi told him.

"Next weekend, Nanase Kudo invited us to go skiing at the popular Maruyama Ski Resort. Do you want to go?"

Maruyama Ski Resort...

Upon hearing the name, Hideyuki Hoshino's eyebrows shot up.

Chapter 142 The Fox and His Friends Go Skiing

Kikuri Ijichi noticed something was off about the fox's expression and tilted her head to ask, "Is there a problem with Maruyama Ski Resort?"

"No, no problem at all. In fact, I guarantee it's definitely a place worth visiting!"

The fox smiled slightly and said, "Anyway, if someone invites me out, of course I'll accept!"

So, a few days later...

The third weekend of December.

The first snow of the year had just fallen when, during this perfect season, the billionaire's son, using the excuse that his glasses were fogged up and he couldn't see clearly, mistook his young stepmother's warm stockings, which she had just taken off, for a scarf and tied them around his neck right in front of her.

However, enjoying a youth filled with the charm of a stepmother is a privilege reserved for the rich second generation. For the idle socialites wandering the streets, how to win over the female cashier in the nearby store is their primary concern.