The Little Fox's Immortal Cultivation Encyclopedia

After the fox had eaten and drunk its fill, it took out a letter from its pocket, examined it carefully, glanced at the daylight, chuckled, and leaped out of the window.

The street was bustling with people, but no one noticed him. The fox put the letter back into his pocket and quietly blended into the crowd.

He headed south, wandered into a neighborhood with white walls and black tiles, passed by the dazzling array of shops on both sides, and went straight to Li's Incense Shop.

The incense shop was packed with customers, and there were a few more staff members, making it seem much busier than usual. The fox pushed open the door and entered. When the shop assistant saw the fox, he didn't say much, but took out a porcelain vase from under the counter, in which several flowers were diagonally inserted.

"The shopkeeper already instructed us beforehand that this was reserved for you."

The fox took it; it was a summer flower, its petals layered and in full bloom, exuding a delicate fragrance.

It's a nice gift.

As expected, Li Lang's unique skill was not affected in any way. By the twelfth lunar month, his ability to cultivate flowers in the cold winter would be enough to restore his business to its former state.

The fox nodded, thanked them, and turned to leave.

After leaving Huaxinfang, go north through two streets, and then walk a few steps west. You will see that the houses along the road gradually become lower, and the surrounding shops have mostly become grocery stores, pharmacies, tofu shops and other daily businesses.

The fox turned and walked into the winding alley. There was neither music nor water here, and it was unclear why it was named that.

The fox moved with light steps; he had been coming here often lately and knew the way well. He sniffed the air and could smell the pungent aroma of meat. It was the smell of Zhu's Butcher Shop, but the fox wasn't here to buy meat today.

Butcher Zhu peeked out from behind the chopping board and grinned immediately: "Young master, you've come to buy meat again today? I've already reserved some for you; they're all your favorites."

The fox paused, hesitated for a moment, but did not stop. He simply waved his sleeve, and the silver coins landed steadily on the butcher's table.

"Keep it for me."

"Okay!"

After walking a few more steps, the smell of meat faded, replaced by the fragrance of flowers. The fox took a deep breath, slowed its pace, and saw a crowd gathered in a circle ahead, creating a lively scene.

It was a small house, with a shop in the front and a living area in the back. The door plaque was covered with red cloth, and brand-new couplets were pasted on both sides:

"Gathering nectar from a hundred flowers makes fine honey."

"A smile is a sign of warmth."

A flag was sticking out diagonally from the shop, with the following words written on it:

"Home-raised bees, honey collected from flowers, genuine honey, no added sugar."

The fox smiled; the timing was perfect.

Today the sky is clear and the wind is gentle, and the flowers outside the city are in full bloom, making it the perfect time to open a shop.

A charcoal fire burned brightly in front of the shop, with flower baskets on either side. The shop door was wide open, leading directly to the counter, its surface spotless and displaying small bowls. Behind the counter were shelves densely packed with rows of ceramic jars, each labeled with a red paper indicating the type of honey.

Further inside, there was an offering table with a small wooden fox statue on it.

The queen bee was no longer dressed in her palace attire, but in a long apricot-yellow dress, her eyes crinkling with smiles, standing at the door. Two assistants, both fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls, were pacing around her. They had been busy ever since the fox saw them, one wiping the counter and the other carrying honey.

When there's really nothing else to do, I'll pick up a broom and sweep the streets and alleys in front of my house.

Even the fox looks tired.

A gust of wind blew in from the alley, just over the flower basket by the door. The wind lifted it, and the flower branches inside tilted. The shopkeeper immediately went forward to straighten it, but then another gust of wind came and straightened the flower branches.

The man looked up and saw the fox.

The fox looked at her with a smile. The fox recognized the bee; it was the same bee that had eaten the fox flower cake.

The queen bee looked over in the direction of the gaze, and was about to speak when she heard a commotion from the crowd.

"Here it comes, here it comes."

The crowd parted to let in two people, the one in the lead being the neighborhood official, followed by the broker.

"The neighborhood keeper is here; the auspicious time must be approaching soon?"

"It will only take half an incense stick's time."

Fang Zheng stepped forward and smiled at the Queen Bee, saying, "It's auspicious for the store's opening today. We're just checking the business license contract, a formality, so don't be nervous."

The queen bee greeted them with a smile, holding a wooden box: "Thank you both for making this trip."

The broker took the wooden box, took out the contract and looked at it. The seal and paper color were suitable, and the last page had Magistrate Zhang's personal seal.

He nodded and smiled, "I wish you a prosperous business and abundant wealth, shopkeeper."

The shopkeeper stroked his beard and smiled, "If you need anything, feel free to contact us anytime. I wish you booming business and a fortune every day."

The queen bee bowed slightly and slowly said, "Dear neighbors, today is the opening of our shop. We are grateful for the support of our neighbors and have prepared some light honey for you to try."

The waiter immediately brought out a tray with small bowls filled with clear honey. Another waiter carried a large jug, freshly brewing honey water.

The crowd became lively again, with the children rushing forward to take the gifts.

"Mom, it's so sweet."

The crowd stepped forward, accepting the honey water and offering their own gifts, mostly flowers and sachets, with the only exception being the lean meat offered by Butcher Zhu.

When did this guy get here? The fox looked suspiciously at the man with the silly grin on his face, then looked down at the flowers in his hand.

They're all thinking the same thing as the fox.

The fox's thoughts raced, and it quietly mobilized its magical power.

"Hey, lion dance troupe!"

The shout startled half the alley, and everyone turned around. Sure enough, a lion dance troupe was coming to the alley entrance. The lion had a yellow forehead and a yellow mane, and behind it was a group of men in short clothes, some playing gongs and others playing cymbals. They walked over in a dark mass.

"Make way, everyone make way."

The man at the head of the group waved his drumsticks, driving the crowd far away.

The shopkeeper was stunned: "There are lion dancers in the city? Did the shopkeeper hire them?"

The queen bee shook her head and looked helplessly at the fox.

The fox laughed smugly.

Amidst the deafening sounds of gongs and drums, the yellow-browed lion shook its head and wagged its tail, its steps sometimes slow and deliberate, sometimes light and agile. Sometimes it crouched low to sniff the ground, sometimes it raised its head to pant, its tail wagging rapidly.

"It's a lion, a living lion!"

"Don't push, you might get stepped on."

The adults grabbed the excited children by the neck and pulled them back, their eyes fixed on the lion dancers.

Compared to the children's joy, the adults felt something was amiss.

The lion is not a real lion, but why does it move so much like a dog?

This is a technique that Fox heard about, but hasn't practiced it properly yet.

The fox had only heard people describe what a lion looked like, but had never seen one in person. Fortunately, the fox had seen Big Yellow before. That day, when the fox was rushing from the academy to the county government office, it heard the children inside shout "Lion!" The fox guessed that the lion should look somewhat similar to Big Yellow.

The lion had already danced to the front of the stall, and with a lift of its front legs, it stood up. Then, the lion opened its mouth and spat out a flower.

The queen bee solemnly accepted it, and before anyone could react, the lion took a half step back and ran away quickly with the lion dancers.

The queen bee gripped the flower in her hand, turned around, walked to the lintel, and raised her hand.

The entire alley fell silent as everyone watched the queen bee remove the red cloth.

Sunlight shines on the plaque, revealing the golden lettering.

Wildflower Honey Shop.