The fox arched a brow.
"And everyone just obeys that?"
The beast shook his head quickly.
"No."
"They obey because of the Keeper."
The fox's eyes sharpened slightly.
"The Keeper?"
The beast nodded.
"No one knows what he is."
"No one knows his cultivation realm."
"But…"
He glanced around instinctively, as though the very air might be listening.
"I once heard a beast at late Foundation Establishment tried to rob someone inside."
The fox listened without interruption.
The beast swallowed.
"The Keeper tore his soul out through his eyes."
No embellishment.
No hesitation.
Just a fact stated plainly.
The fox's steps slowed slightly.
Not from fear.
From interest.
Soul extraction techniques.
That alone was uncommon.
The lizard continued drinking beside her, golden eyes half-lidded and unreadable.
The fox's tail swayed once.
"…Good."
The beast blinked.
"My Lady?"
The fox's smile deepened faintly.
"Places with rules are easier to work with."
A brief pause.
"Unlike places run by idiots."
The striped-tailed beast wisely chose not to ask who she meant.
Ahead, the tunnel finally opened.
And the Deep Vault revealed itself.
A vast chamber carved deep within the mountain's core.
Massive.
Silent.
Suspended platforms of black stone floated above a glowing abyss.
Bridges of light stretched between them, forming pathways across the void.
Waterfalls of spirit mist poured from fractures in the ceiling, drifting down like liquid fog.
Everywhere—
private alcoves.
sealed stalls.
hidden chambers.
Deals conducted in silence and shadow.
No shouting.
No chaos.
Only low voices, measured steps, and the faint exchange of value.
The fox stopped at the threshold.
Her turquoise eyes swept across the chamber slowly.
For the first time that night, something like genuine approval crossed her expression.
"…Now this…"
A faint, sharp smile formed.
"…is more like it."
She stepped forward again, then paused as if remembering something.
Her gaze shifted sideways to the striped-tailed beast.
After everything, she still hadn't asked the simplest thing.
The fox tilted her head slightly.
"Hey."
The beast straightened immediately.
"My Lady?"
Her tail flicked once.
"You have a name?"
The striped-tailed beast blinked, then his expression lit up with sudden pride.
"Yes, My Lady."
He placed a hand over his chest.
"This humble one is called Shen Tu."
The fox repeated it once under her breath.
"Shen Tu…"
A small hum followed.
"Not terrible."
The beast looked as though that alone might change his entire destiny.
The fox gave a quiet snort, then stepped fully into the chamber.
"Come on, Shen Tu."
Her eyes gleamed faintly.
"Let's browse."
Shen Tu straightened so quickly his spine nearly cracked.
"Yes, My Lady!"
There was real pride in his voice now.
Not because of the Deep Vault.
Not because he stood in the presence of wealth far beyond him.
But simply because she had said his name.
The fox didn't comment on it.
She was already moving.
Stepping onto the first suspended blackstone platform without hesitation.
The surface beneath her paws hummed faintly, responding to her weight and spiritual presence.
Stable.
Well-crafted.
Below, the chasm glowed with slow-moving currents of spiritual mist.
Not empty.
Dense.
Alive.
For someone at Spirit Refining level, a fall into that depth would not merely break bones.
It would strip flesh from spirit itself.
The fox registered the fact once, then dismissed it.
Not important unless something went wrong.
And things only went wrong when she allowed them to.
Beside her, Little White floated lazily through the air, the wine jar still in tow, utterly unconcerned by the pressure of the place.
Shen Tu glanced at him again, still unable to fully process what he was seeing, then wisely remained silent.
Instead, he stepped ahead.
"My Lady…"
His voice lowered instinctively.
"The Deep Vault is divided into rings."
He pointed subtly into the distance.
"The outer ring sells rare goods."
"Things you might still find elsewhere, if you're lucky."
"The middle ring sells items you won't see outside this Hollow."
"And the inner ring…"
He hesitated, swallowing slightly.
"…that's where monsters go."
The fox's ears flicked.
"Monsters?"
Shen Tu nodded.
"Envoys of Demon Kings."
"Peak Foundation Establishment beasts."
"Ancient existences I don't even recognize."
"Those with enough wealth to buy fate itself."
The fox's lips curved faintly.
Interesting.
Her gaze drifted across the nearest platforms.
Stalls of polished bonewood.
Floating arrays of sealed light.
Traders hidden behind veils or seated within protective barriers.
A silver-scaled beast selling preserved serpent marrow.
A crow-eyed woman displaying vials of condensed poison essence.
An old tortoise offering formation plates etched with dense runes.
Her eyes lingered briefly, assessing, but she did not stop.
Not yet.
She was not here to browse.
She was here for information.
Meihu.
The White Bone Tiger King's right hand.
A late Foundation Establishment Bewitching Heart Fox.
Somewhere in this Hollow, someone knew where she had gone.
The fox slowed slightly and glanced at Shen Tu.
"Where do beasts gossip when they think no one is listening?"
Shen Tu blinked, then grinned.
"That? Easy."
He pointed toward a crescent-shaped balcony built into the chamber wall.
It was draped in dark curtains and lit by soft spirit lamps.
Private, but not completely isolated.
"There."
"Black Reed Lounge."
"Traders go there after deals to relax."
"They drink."
"They boast."
"And they talk too much."
The fox followed his gaze.
A crescent balcony of shadow and dim light.
Perfect.
Her lips curved faintly.
"Good."
A brief pause.
"That's where we'll go after this."
Her gaze swept the chamber once more, calculating.
"For now…"
Her tail swayed once behind her.
"I need materials."
Shen Tu blinked.
"Materials, My Lady?"
She nodded.
"For formations."
A beat.
"Strong ones."
Shen Tu's expression changed immediately, becoming focused.
"As you wish."
He scanned the platforms ahead with surprising familiarity.
Then pointed toward the middle ring.
"If it's formations…"
"You'll want array cores."
"Conductive ores."
"Stabilizing dust."
"Binding metals."
His grin returned slightly.
"And if it's for my Lady…"
"I'll find exactly what you need."
The fox's ears twitched faintly.
Useful.
"Do that."
Shen Tu straightened again.
"At once!"
He moved ahead, weaving confidently through the floating platforms.
The fox followed at an easy pace, Little White drifting beside her, still drinking as if nothing in the world mattered.