His left lower leg was warm. 

As Xun slowly pulled himself out of a deep sleep, he realized that not only was his left leg strangely warm compared to his right one, but there also seemed to be something softer than his blanket pressing against his skin there. 

Since there didn't seem to be any threat, he made sure to be careful not to overreact. With his eyes still comfortably closed, he lay there, his head on his pillow and his hands still at his sides, resting against the bedsheets. 

It didn't take him long to realize what it likely was, since the demon fox had somehow not expired by the time he finally snuffed his dwindling candle and decided to turn in for the night. 

Evidently, that seemed to mean that it could jump up into his bed and sleep beneath the covers. 

I must have given it more energy than I realized. 

He wouldn't make the same mistake again. 

Decided on his next course of action, Xun finally opened his eyes, then sat up as he lifted away the blanket to reveal the little scraggly fox. 

It was, indeed, curled up against his left calf, its nose tucked beneath its partially fluffy tail. 

Hmm? 

The cuts along its body had changed. 

Some of the bigger ones had clearly sealed a good bit overnight, while the smaller ones were nearly invisible. 

Its skin doesn't look as inflamed today. 

A sleepy chirp brought him back to his senses and when he noticed the fox now staring up at him, rather content and very much awake, he narrowed his eyes at it. 

"Get out of my bed." 

The words were a stern order and brooked no argument, except, the fox simply gave out a tiny sneeze, then snuggled back up into its little ball against his leg. 

Scowling, Xun leaned forward and poked the stubborn thing's head. It squeaked and flicked an ear, but then tucked its head further into its fluff. 

"You think you're going to ignore me?" he told it as he leaned back slightly, then snapped a flicker of light to life between his thumb and middle finger. 

The little ball of energy immediately grabbed the fox's attention, its head jerking up as its eyes went wide. Soon it was staggering towards him, revealing that it really wasn't as recovered as Xun thought it might be. 

He'd planned to dissipate the energy ball right before the fox could get to it, but he hesitated just long enough to lose that opportunity. Little paws grasped at his fingers, just-barely managing to hold on well enough to keep the fox upright as it leaned up to seize the little ball of energy. 

At least it's not biting at my f—his thought was cut off as the little fox began to nibble on his fingers, having consumed the little bit of energy in an instant. 

Thankfully, it couldn't bite all that well due to its lack of strength, and after a few moments Xun even began grabbing its jaw and tugging on its little teeth. 

"What do you think you're going to do with these useless things?" he said as he pulled on an incisor, inciting a squeak and grumble from the stubborn thing. 

He was about to start rolling it around on the blankets, intent on tormenting the brat, but right as he pinned it on its back with one hand, he heard the sound of his servant knocking at the door. 

"Your highness, are you awake? His majesty would like to meet with you soon," Ling said through the door. 

Lifting the fox, Xun reached across his body and dropped it over the edge of the bed before he turned his attention back to the entryway and called out.

"I'm awake, come in." 

Ling hurried inside, bowing the moment he saw him, but as he straightened back up, his eyes widened in surprise. 

"Your highness, what...?" 

Xun followed his gaze, unsurprised to see the fox glaring at Ling from the edge of his bed. Noticing its slightly dirty paws settled on the edge of his silken sheet, he shoved it away, earning a squeak as it flopped over onto its back. 

"Just an annoyance. Ignore it. What does father wish to speak to me about?" he asked as he got out of bed and began getting himself ready. 

Ling still seemed to be distracted by the fox, but he did manage to answer quickly.

"He wants to see how you are faring after having returned." 

Xun continued to get dressed, donning a silvery-white robe as he glanced over his shoulder with a nonplussed expression. 

"You told him that I was spending too much time at my desk." 

Ling finally looked away from the fox and blushed lightly. 

"H-he was just worried about you, as was I," Ling replied before returning his attention to the fox as it walked around to the front of his bed, then laid down, clearly tired. 

Xun huffed as he finished tying his belt, then, instead of turning towards Ling in order to follow him to the palace for his meeting with the emperor, he walked over to the little fox and lifted it up to tuck against his chest. 

"My lord... you're bringing it?" Ling questioned, confused.

If it had been just a regular fox, he would have left it without a thought... and tossed it out the back door, but unfortunately, it wasn't. 

"It's a demon. I can't leave it here by itself," Xun said simply as he slid into his shoes, then stepped out the front door. 

"A-a-a demon?!" Ling squeaked out, suddenly hurrying forward.

"Master Xun, surely you jest?" he questioned as he tried to get a better look at the little fox tucked against his chest. 

Xun continued to walk, his long hair lifting on a breeze as they made their way down a cobblestone walkway. 

"I do not. He's a demon, but he's extremely weak. I thought he would pass away last night, but he's still holding on. He's a bit annoying, however, so leaving him alone could be problematic for me," he said, seemingly still unbothered by the quiet creature contently being carried against his chest. 

They reached the palace within a few minutes and were immediately granted access. As they stepped up to the dais, Xun lifted his arms and bowed respectfully as Ling did the same at his side. 

"Good morning, father," Xun said as he straightened back up, a calm smile on his face. 

His father seemed ready to begin speaking, but then he paused abruptly, his lips partially open. 

"Xun-er, is that... a fox?" he questioned, his previous intended sentences completely forgotten. 

Xun looked down at the same time the little fox looked up at him. 

"Ah, it's a sickly demon I found near my bathing pool last night," he stated simply. 

His father's eyebrows rose as one of the eunuchs standing beside his throne stepped forward. 

"Why on earth would you bring such a thing before his majesty?!" the eunuch shouted, clearly exasperated that he'd brought a threat into such a place. 

Xun didn't pay the man much mind. Instead, he took a step forward and simply tugged the squirming fox out of the front of his robe. Holding it up, he finally glanced at the eunuch with a deadpan expression. 

"Do you really think this thing can do anything to anyone in here?" he asked as the emaciated demon wiggled and squeaked, not happy about being held up by its scruff. 

His father observed it for a few moments, but then seemed to see that it really was no threat, because he quickly began to take a different interest in it. 

"You say that you found it by your bathing pool?" his father asked calmly.

Xun decided to give the little brat a break and tucked it back into the fold of his robe before replying. 

"Yes, he was nearly dead and leaking spiritual energy."

The emperor stroked his beard as he considered his words. 

"How could it have possibly gotten into the palace grounds? What did it do when it found you?" he asked as he leaned forward, eager for the tale to be told. 

The eunuch that had stepped in front of him in fury slowly inched back to his spot beside the emperor, understanding that there really was no threat from the infirmed fox. 

"Good morning, father!" 

His middle brother, Song Sun, stalked into the great hall, only stopping to bow to their father when he was several feet in front of Xun. 

He reeks of alcohol. 

Even the fox was grumbling and pawing at its nose, clearly disliking the scent. 

"Father, I have finished the extra discussions for the changes you wish to apply in town. The governor and several high-ranking officials are very optimistic about them," Song Sun said as Xun internally rolled his eyes. 

He didn't doubt that his brother had met with the governor, or high-ranking officials, but he doubted they spoke much about his father's ideas. As emperor, his father could do what he wished, but recently he had begun to request that more and more officials be involved in some of his decisions. 

He wanted to hear what the local governments thought of his ideas and provide feedback that would help make them better for the general public, but when Sun didn't offer any further details, their father pursed his lips, then faked a smile. 

"Thank you, my son."

With Sun and his disappointing news addressed, the emperor quickly returned his attention to Xun and his fox. 

Xun could feel his brother's glare settle on him almost instantly, but he brushed it aside as if the younger man was but a simple cockroach. 

"I am intrigued as to how the fox got in, but I am also a little alarmed that it did so in such a state. Foxes are usually cunning creatures, but add a demon to that cunning?" his father stated before gesturing to one of his head eunuchs. 

"I want a perimeter inspection of the palace done. Especially the area near Xun's residence. Figure out how that demon got inside." 

Clearly annoyed that he was being ignored, and as the conversation continued to focus solely on his brother and the fox, Song Sun stepped forward and spoke up before Xun could answer another of his father's curious questions. 

"Father, surely it's not safe to leave a demon in our midst? If it came to brother last night at death's door, yet is has now clearly already healed enough to come out with him, surely it will be trouble sooner over later." 

He couldn't argue that, though there was something his brother seemed to be misunderstanding. 

"He is correct, father. I merely kept it alive out of curiosity. If you would like, I can extinguish its life right now."

His brother looked shocked, but quickly wiped the expression from his face. 

His father chuckled and nonchalantly waved a hand. 

"No need, no need. It's not an issue right now and I trust you to handle it if it becomes one." 

Xun bowed respectfully and nodded. 

"I will handle it. There will be no issues from him."

His father nodded. 

"Very good. Now, go pay a visit to your mother, Xun-er. You haven't seen her since your return and she has missed you dearly." 

Xun immediately agreed to do so and dismissed himself, making the short trip to his mother's lavish pavilion in just under fifteen minutes. They both preferred to live at the edges of the palace grounds, so it was a bit of a walk that he gladly made.

His mother had evidently been awaiting him, because one of her maids was standing at the door and opened it with a smile and a bow as he approached up the steps. 

His mother, Song Niang, was in the main courtyard, watering one of her favorite peach trees. The moment she saw him she set her canister down and hurried over to wrap him in a strong hug. 

Well, it would have been a strong hug if a startled squeak hadn't interrupted it. His mother hopped back a tiny bit, startled but immediately intrigued when she saw Huli's little head peeking out from the fold of his outer robe. 

"Oh my, Xun-er, you... you finally have a pet?" she said, sounding a bit surprised, no doubt by his choice of pets. 

Xun smiled and nodded as he fished the little fox from his robe and held it up, but not quite in an offering position. He didn't want his mother to think that it would be safe to pet it. 

"Not intentionally. I found him last night, and do be careful, mother, he's a demon," Xun stated matter-o-factly as he settled the fox back against his chest. 

Thankfully, it was behaving fine. 

"A demon? Why on earth did you decide to take it in?" she asked as she gestured him to walk with her inside. 

Even though her question was logical, her own response didn't really seem to be. Because as soon as they sat down inside, she immediately leaned closer to get a better look of the fox. 

"So, what have you decided to name him?" she asked, clearly enraptured by the cute little animal. 

Name? 

He just called him Huli because it meant fox...

"I... suppose his name is Huli," he said, repeating his thought. 

His mother immediately gave a quiet chuckle. 

"I can't say I'm surprised at all by that name. It's cute, though, and when that little guy gets his fur back, I'm sure it will suit him perfectly!" 

When? 

He wasn't exactly planning to keep the useless thing, but he quickly decided not to mention that to his mother. There was no need to sour her good mood, especially since she'd tried to gift him many pets over his years.

He had declined them all, though. 

"I'm sure it will," Xun said, then began a lighthearted chat with his mother about how she had been doing. 

He only spoke to her a little bit about what he experienced at the border, but she didn't hesitate to gush over how much he had grown in both body and mind. 

He truly had gained some mass, and definitely sharpened his mind, whether he'd intended to at first or not. 

By the time he finally departed, his mother had been chirping almost to the point of mimicking Huli for nearly three hours. She also made sure to give him a kiss goodbye on the forehead, and whether she should have or not, she also gave Huli a little one between his fuzzy ears, too. 

The moment he stepped outside with Ling at his side, Xun fed Huli a large ball of warm energy. 

"Thank you, little one, for behaving with my mother," he told it honestly. 

It could have easily lashed out at the empress. Especially after she'd leaned over to press a kiss on its head. 

Xun quickly created another ball of energy and offered it to a rather eccentric Huli. He could even feel the fox's tail swishing excitedly within his robe, drawing the slightest fraction of a smile from him as he walked down the steps and around the corner. 

"Eunuch Ling... let's go into town tonight." 

His eunuch immediately agreed since he'd been trying to get him to take a break for some time. 

"Y-yes sir! I will go get things ready right away!" 

In the blink of an eye the man was gone, leaving Xun to enjoy his quiet walk back home in peace, the only sounds now meeting his ears being his own footsteps and the quiet, content chirps from his little fox as it happily ate its treat.