Reborn to Choose My Devoted Spirit Fox

The day our family selected spirit beasts as bonded partners, I stole my sister’s spirit fox. Everyone in the family tried to persuade me. 【Your spiritual channels are powerful. This spirit fox looks weak, so why not give it to your sister?】 No thanks! I’m not about to take on that burden again. In my previous life, I chose the white tiger, whose spiritual power was surging. But when the demon clan invaded, he abandoned me without a second thought. Later, when I was badly injured and begged him to save me, he gave the only life-saving pill he had to my sister. This time, I wasn’t going to play the villain who tore two lovers apart. Every hundred years, our family arranged for the most capable members to bond with spirit beasts as partners. I was the saint of our family and the person with the strongest spiritual power. Because of my outstanding abilities, I naturally got to choose my spirit beast first. These spirit beasts had been found in different places, and not all of them possessed remarkable spiritual power. The most outstanding one among them was undoubtedly the arrogant white tiger. He looked down on every other spirit beast. Even though he wore shackles, they couldn’t restrain his extraordinary presence. The family elders made the decision and assigned the white tiger to me. The white tiger was proud and untamed. He refused to bow his head to me and looked deeply unwilling. It wasn’t until my sister, Emily, appeared in front of him, bouncing along with the spirit fox in her arms, that he finally lowered his noble head. Actually, Emily hadn’t chosen the spirit fox herself. The family elders had assigned it to her. They thought that this low-level spirit fox suited Emily better. She had only started cultivating recently, and she was clearly not required to come and choose a spirit beast this time. But she insisted on coming with me. Bonding with a spirit beast wasn’t as simple as taking one as a partner. The beast would also have to become your shield, protecting you from danger. Whenever danger appeared, the spirit beast had to come out and face the battle alongside its master. Emily hugged the spirit fox and cried pitifully, tears streaming down her face as if she had suffered some terrible injustice. Since the white tiger was only willing to lower his head for her, I looked like the villain who had torn apart a loving couple. The elder’s expression darkened as he scolded Emily. 【You’ve only just begun cultivating. Even if the white tiger chose you, you wouldn’t be able to control him!】 No one expected me to stand up and make a decision that convinced everyone I had lost my mind. 【Thank you, Elder, for choosing for me. But I happen to like this spirit fox, and the white tiger clearly prefers my sister. Why shouldn’t I help make the two of them happy?】 Everyone began whispering among themselves. They all thought I had gone crazy. They tried to persuade me. 【Saint, your spiritual power is strong, and the white tiger is the best match for you. This spirit fox looks weak, so why not give him to your sister?】 But I ignored everyone’s objections and insisted on exchanging spirit beasts with my sister. They didn’t know the truth. This white tiger was no lucky blessing. He was something else entirely. And I wasn’t foolish enough to choose him again.My name is Claire Bennett, and I’m the saint of the Bennett family, the leading family among the four great families of the South. When I was ten, the demon clan launched a massive invasion. My parents died of exhaustion while fighting to hold the demons back. I watched helplessly as they died right in front of me. If the family elders hadn’t arrived in time, my sister and I would have died in that battle as well. After that, the family elders raised us themselves. They educated us carefully and taught us both magic and how to conduct ourselves. Since I was older than my sister and had stronger spiritual power, I was more favored and respected by the family. In my previous life, the scene had been exactly the same. The white tiger was proud and untamed, unwilling to lower his head and bond with me. I had never seen a spirit beast like him before, so I developed an urge to tame him. As the family’s saint, I couldn’t allow the white tiger to humiliate me. I made up my mind to bring him under my control. I spent my energy and spiritual power on him. Our family had only a limited supply of precious spiritual pills, and there were even fewer to go around once they were divided among everyone. Those supplies were nowhere near enough to raise a white tiger. So I began taking jobs to eliminate demons for other families. The demon clan was naturally cold-blooded and vicious, which meant I often dragged my battered, wounded body home. But whenever the white tiger saw me injured, he acted as if I weren’t even there. Only when I brought out the spiritual pills I had earned by killing demons would he come over and reluctantly swallow them. I spent a full twenty years before the white tiger finally transformed into human form. He was noble and cold, with an elegant figure. Just standing there, he looked like an exiled celestial being. Yet he refused to say even one extra word to me. He only gave me orders to find spiritual pills whenever he needed supplements. I must have been out of my mind back then. I did whatever he said and even believed that a powerful spirit beast deserved to have such pride and such a temper. One day, the white tiger would realize how good I was and willingly choose to be with me. Then one day, I returned home exhausted again, only to see him gazing tenderly at my sister’s profile as if he were looking at a priceless treasure.That completely broke me. Who in this world could accept pouring their heart and soul into someone, only to have all of it betrayed? My blood began to boil. By chance, I ran into one of the elders from our family. He looked at the two people in the distance, standing far too close and radiating an intimate atmosphere, then sighed. 【Claire, stop asking your sister to look after your white tiger whenever you go down the mountain to take a job. It’s obvious that the white tiger likes your sister more now. You need to think carefully!】 The elder had practically shouted at me to wake up and pay attention. I froze. When had I ever asked my sister to take care of the white tiger? 【I never asked Emily to look after him. Where did you get that idea, Elder?】 The elder was clearly stunned as well. 【Claire, every time you go down the mountain to take a job, your sister comes to see the white tiger. She always says you asked her to take care of him!】 I was consumed by rage. Every time I returned from the mountain covered in wounds, she had been using my name as an excuse to seduce my spirit beast! 【Doesn’t she already have a spirit fox? Why does she have to steal my white tiger?】 The elder stared at me blankly. 【You didn’t know? That spirit fox disappeared after staying with her for half a year.】 When had that happened? Why had I never heard about it? That was when I finally understood. All these years, I had risked my life to find precious spiritual pills for the white tiger, thinking that given enough time, I could eventually move his heart. I never imagined that his heart already belonged to my sweet sister—and that my sweet sister felt the same way. I had truly been an unbelievable fool. My spirit beast and my sister had deceived me for years, and I had remained completely unaware. But they had gone too far. So I began looking for Emily’s mistakes every day and causing trouble for her whenever I could. I hated her, and I hated the white tiger. I hated her for stealing him from me, and I hated him for not loving me while still taking everything I did for him as if he were entitled to it. Nothing in this world came that cheaply. I began targeting Emily. But my actions clearly enraged the white tiger. He actually allied himself with the demon clan and secretly opened the barrier protecting the entire Bennett family. When the demons launched their full-scale attack, he abandoned me and rushed toward Emily instead. When I was seriously injured, he gave the last life-saving pill he had to Emily, who had only suffered a minor scratch. This time, I wanted to see how long it would take him to transform without all the precious pills I had desperately obtained for him. Without me, the villain who had supposedly torn the lovers apart, how long would it take for the two of them to live happily ever after?The Grand Elder saw that I remained unmoved and had no choice but to give me the spirit fox. He didn’t want to give the powerful white tiger to a child who had only just begun cultivating, but the white tiger refused to lower his head for anyone except Emily. The white tiger was exceptionally rare, and the Grand Elder was afraid of injuring him. In the end, he could only wave his hand and let the matter go. He ordered the formation for the bonding ceremony to be set up. Once the bond was complete, the spirit beast and its master would become partners and remain together for life after life. If a spirit beast disobeyed its master’s commands, it would suffer a backlash. In my previous life, I had worried about the white tiger being harmed by the backlash, so I kept delaying the forced bonding ceremony with him. I never expected Emily to take advantage of my hesitation. The spiritual power from the ceremony stimulated the spirit fox. He wrapped his tail tightly around me, afraid I would regret my choice. After Emily and the white tiger completed their bond, she looked at me smugly. 【Sister, look at how tightly the spirit fox is clinging to you. You two really are a perfect match.】 Her words carried the unmistakable smugness of someone who had gotten away with something. So I didn’t even need to respond. Someone else immediately spoke up for me. 【Emily, if your sister hadn’t given way to you, how could you have gotten this exceptional white tiger? Don’t act ungrateful after getting exactly what you wanted! If I were you, I’d kneel and thank your sister. How can you be so arrogant?】 The elders of the Bennett family had always doted on me, and my fellow disciples respected me as well. I trained hard every day and never hesitated to teach my younger brothers and sisters the techniques I knew. So in their hearts, they accepted that the white tiger should have gone to me. But in the end, he had been given to Emily instead. How could they possibly be satisfied? Seeing Emily being treated unfairly, the white tiger anxiously tried to leap forward and attack the other person. But he had forgotten something. A bonded spirit beast shared its power with its master. Emily had only just begun cultivating. Where would she get any spiritual power from? This was the first time in both my lives that the white tiger had suffered a setback. I laughed inwardly. 【Don’t worry. We’ll take it slowly. You’ll have plenty of chances to suffer setbacks in the future.】 As for the spirit fox, who was wrapped tightly around me, he fainted peacefully once the bonding ceremony was complete.I carried the unconscious spirit fox back to my courtyard. The elders had built this courtyard especially for me. It was spacious and bright. Emily had wanted to move in as well, but the elders refused, saying that she might disturb my cultivation. As soon as I entered the room, I began examining the spirit fox. He was probably just barely a hundred years old. He had only recently reached adulthood, and the family had already taken him out and given him away. But he felt different from the spirit foxes I had seen before. His entire body was snow-white, but there was a tuft of red fur on his head, and his tail was enormous. I had no idea why. There was a hot spring in my courtyard that helped people cultivate. I placed the spirit fox into it, and he immediately woke up. He floated on the surface of the water, absorbing the hot spring’s spiritual energy. I smiled at him. 【You’re a little fox, aren’t you? Aren’t you afraid I’ll throw you in here and drown you?】 The spirit fox stared blankly at me and shook his little head. His silly, dazed appearance somehow pleased me. 【All right, I won’t tease you anymore. Just stay here and recover. I can afford to support one little fox.】The next morning, I had only just opened my eyes when I sensed that something was wrong. There was someone beside me! I was about to draw my sword and stab toward the person next to me when I saw an incredibly beautiful and seductive man holding me tightly in his arms. His snow-white skin made me lose focus for a moment. Even women would feel inferior standing beside him. When had our family acquired such a gorgeous man? Why was he in my bed? He had managed to approach me while I slept without making a sound. His spiritual power was definitely greater than mine. Who exactly was he? Could he be from the demon clan? While I was trying to figure things out, the man slowly woke up. I immediately gripped my sword and pointed it at him nervously. 【Who are you? Why are you in my bed? What are you trying to do?】 He slowly pushed himself upright, and I noticed that beneath the blanket he was wearing the clothes I had prepared for a spirit beast after it transformed into human form. The white shirt looked both alluring and innocently sensual on him. Beneath his thick, long lashes was a pair of golden fox eyes. 【You’re the spirit fox?!】 I cried out in shock. He curled his lips into a smile, and every movement he made was irresistibly seductive. With a wave of his hand, he knocked my sword away and pulled me into his arms. 【I have a name, you know. My name is Adrian.】 Adrian said that when he had been seriously injured, he happened to encounter the Grand Elder while the elder was searching for spirit beasts. Fortunately, the Grand Elder was a kind man who believed in saving lives, so he rescued Adrian. The fact that Adrian could transform into human form on his own proved that his cultivation was extremely high. But whoever had injured him must have been even more powerful than he was. That thought left me on the verge of tears. I felt as if I had chosen a demanding ancestor to serve. 【Then we’re doomed. The person who injured you isn’t going to come looking for revenge, are they?】 What was happening to me? I had only just gotten rid of one problem, and another one had appeared. Was I some kind of trouble magnet? Adrian smiled brightly. 【Now that we’re bonded, you should cultivate properly, Master, so that you can protect me.】Adrian was actually a wonderful cultivation partner. I had a fire affinity, which happened to complement his spiritual affinity perfectly. I had no idea where Adrian had found it, but he produced a cultivation manual containing secret techniques for fire magic. After cultivating for two days, I already felt noticeably stronger. Even the Grand Elder couldn’t stop praising my rapid progress when he saw me. Most days, Adrian and I cultivated in my hot spring. Whenever he practiced, he had to remove his clothes. With his upper body bare and his fair skin and seductive eyes on full display, it was impossible to look away. As a result, I could never concentrate during cultivation, and I nearly lost control of my powers several times. That day, I was once again completely absorbed in Adrian’s beauty when someone I didn’t want to see arrived. Emily called out from outside my courtyard again and again. Reluctantly, I forced my gaze away from Adrian and climbed out of the hot spring. When Emily received no answer, she walked inside on her own. As soon as Adrian saw someone enter, he quickly got dressed and draped an outer robe over my shoulders as well. The moment Emily saw Adrian, she froze completely. Her unwavering stare made me deeply displeased. 【Emily, what are you doing here?】 She didn’t answer me directly. Instead, she stared blankly at Adrian and asked, 【Who is this handsome man? No, I mean… who is he?】 I understood immediately. I took Adrian’s hand and smiled at Emily. 【You don’t recognize him, Emily? This is the spirit fox! Didn’t you say that he and I were a perfect match that day? I think so too now.】 A flicker of regret passed through Emily’s eyes. Did she regret her decision? If she regretted it, then I was happy. 【Emily, what exactly did you come here for? Is there something you need from your sister?】 Only then did Emily snap back to reality. She fidgeted awkwardly, unable to explain herself clearly. It wasn’t until I told her that if she had nothing to say, she should hurry back and cultivate that she finally began speaking. 【Sister, I want… I want to raise the white tiger with you. I can’t support him on my own, so please, let’s raise him together.】 Was Emily out of her mind? As soon as Adrian heard her words, a trace of murderous intent appeared in his eyes. I gently patted his hand, and only then did Adrian reluctantly withdraw his murderous aura. 【Emily, I don’t understand. The white tiger is your spirit beast. Why should I help you raise him? You certainly have some nerve. Do you think I owe you something?】 Emily immediately grew frantic. 【You do owe me!】 Where had that come from? I couldn’t understand her at all. I gestured for her to continue. 【Sister, when we chose our spirit beasts and formed our bonds, you stole the spirit fox that was originally supposed to be mine and gave me the white tiger instead. And you still claim you don’t owe me anything?】 How could she have such a shameless expression? She had gotten exactly what she wanted and was still acting wronged? Come to think of it, though, quite a long time had passed, and Emily had never gone down the mountain to find spiritual pills for the white tiger. She must have realized that she simply couldn’t meet the demands of his cultivation. Besides, what powerful cultivator could reach the highest realms without the help of spiritual pills? If she gave her pills to the white tiger, she would have difficulty continuing her own cultivation. And she had only just begun cultivating. Her spiritual power was far too weak. But what did any of that have to do with me? She continued scolding me without pause. 【I think you should have helped me raise the white tiger from the beginning. I barely have any spiritual pills, and my spiritual power is so weak. If a spirit beast as powerful as the white tiger can never transform, that won’t benefit the Bennett family either, will it? Besides…】 Before she could finish, I struck her with one palm and sent her flying out of my courtyard. 【Emily, if you want to dream, do it at night. Don’t waste the middle of the day having ridiculous fantasies. I’m not stupid enough to let you use me as a stepping stone.】 【If you truly can’t support him, go to the Grand Elder and find someone who can.】 But I knew Emily would never go to the Grand Elder. After all, I understood my sister quite well. She had little ability, but her ambition was enormous.