Yuki slept for nearly sixteen hours straight.
I checked on her periodically throughout the night and into the next morning, making sure she was still breathing and the makeshift bed by the hearth stayed warm. Each time I looked, those dark curse marks on her legs seemed slightly fainter, which I took as a good sign.
The healing broth was working.
By mid-morning, I was preparing lunch when I heard a soft yawn behind me. I turned to see Yuki sitting up, stretching in a distinctly cat-like manner despite being a fox.
"Morning," I said, setting down my knife. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," her voice echoed in my mind, sounding much stronger than yesterday. "Still weak, but the pain is mostly gone. That broth of yours is miracle medicine."
"Just soup with some spiritual energy accidentally mixed in," I said, downplaying it. "Hungry for more?"
"Starving, actually." She padded closer, moving with far more grace than last night. In the daylight, I could see her properly she was beautiful, with pure white fur that almost seemed to shimmer, silver markings along her legs and tail, and those striking amber eyes. "But if you're cooking, I'd like to watch. Your technique is... unusual."
I raised an eyebrow. "You can tell I have unusual cooking techniques?"
"I'm a spiritual beast. We're sensitive to energy flows." She hopped up onto a stool near the counter with surprising agility. "Most spiritual cooking requires years of cultivation and precise control. But you? You're doing it completely naturally, like breathing. It's fascinating."
I started preparing ingredients rice, vegetables I'd bought in town, some dried meat I'd managed to acquire. "The system gave me the skills. I just follow what feels right."
"This system of yours is incredible, then. Skills like that are usually passed down through generations of master chefs in cultivation sects." She tilted her head, watching my hands move. "You really have no cultivation base at all?"
"None. I'm completely mortal."
"That shouldn't be possible. The food you made had genuine spiritual properties. How are you infusing it with energy if you have no energy to infuse?"
I paused, considering. "Honestly? I have no idea. The system just said I could do 'spiritual cooking' and my body sort of... knows how. Like muscle memory for something I've never done."
"Extraordinary," Yuki murmured. "Your system isn't just teaching you skills it's fundamentally altering how your body interacts with spiritual energy. That's incredibly advanced magic. Far beyond normal inheritance systems."
That was mildly terrifying. "Should I be worried?"
"Probably. But also probably not. If it wanted to harm you, there are easier ways." She watched me add seasoning to the rice. "So, innkeeper with a mysterious system, do you have a name? Or should I just keep calling you 'strange human'?"
I laughed. "Kazuki. Kazuki Yamamoto."
"Kazuki," she repeated, testing the name. "It suits you. Thank you for saving me, Kazuki. Not many would have bothered."
"Want to tell me what happened? Who hurt you?"
Her tail drooped slightly. "The Phoenix Sect, ironically enough. They seem to be your recurring problem too."
"Wait, seriously?" I stopped cooking. "You're the second person they're after who's ended up at my inn. What are the odds?"
"In this case, probably quite high. The Phoenix Sect has been expanding aggressively in this region, taking over territory and absorbing smaller sects by force. Anyone who opposes them becomes a target." Her ears flattened against her head. "I was living peacefully in the forest near their mountain compound. Then one day, their disciples decided they wanted a spiritual beast as a trophy. A pet for one of their elders."
Anger flared in my chest. "They tried to capture you."
"They succeeded, actually. Kept me caged for three months, using restrictive talismans to suppress my powers and prevent transformation. They wanted to break my will, make me loyal through torture and starvation." Her voice was bitter. "But last week, there was chaos in the sect something about a traitor escaping with sensitive information. In the confusion, I managed to break free. Been running ever since."
"The traitor was probably Mei Liang," I said. "She was here a few days ago. She's the one who warned me about the Phoenix Sect."
"The famous sword prodigy?" Yuki's eyes widened. "I heard disciples talking about her. They were furious that she escaped. Said she stole proof of their illegal activities." She paused. "Wait, she was here? And you helped her too?"
"She was a guest who needed sanctuary. Same as you."
Yuki stared at me for a long moment. "You're either the bravest person I've ever met or you have a death wish, Kazuki. You're making enemies of an entire cultivation sect for people you just met."
"Not people," I corrected, stirring the pot. "Guests. There's a difference. Once someone walks through that door seeking shelter, they're under my protection. That's what it means to run an inn."
"That's what it means to be suicidal," she countered, but there was warmth in her mental voice. "But I suppose I can't complain since I'm benefiting from your ridiculous sense of hospitality."
I finished cooking and plated the food fragrant rice with stir-fried vegetables and meat in a savory sauce. I made a smaller portion for Yuki in a shallow bowl.
[You have created: Restorative Meal (Spiritual Beast Special)]
[Quality: Excellent]
[Effect: Accelerated healing, curse purification (moderate), spiritual energy recovery, promotes transformation ability recovery]
"Here," I set the bowl in front of her. "Eat slowly. Your stomach probably still needs time to adjust."
Yuki approached the bowl cautiously, sniffing it. Her eyes went wide. "This smells incredible. And the spiritual energy in it is..." She took a careful bite, chewing slowly. Her tail started wagging involuntarily.
"Good?" I asked, amused by her reaction.
"This is the best food I've ever eaten," she said between bites, her mental voice filled with wonder. "And I've lived for seventy years. How is someone with no cultivation making food this good?"
"Seventy years?" I blinked. "You're seventy?"
"I'm a spiritual beast. We age differently. In human terms, I'd be about... sixteen, maybe seventeen?" She took another bite. "Why, how old are you?"
"Twenty-two. And somehow, I feel like the responsible adult in this conversation."
She made an indignant sound. "I'm plenty responsible. I survived three months of torture and escaped from a powerful sect. That requires responsibility."
"Fair point," I conceded, eating my own meal.
We ate in comfortable silence for a while. Watching Yuki enjoy the food with such obvious pleasure was satisfying in a way I hadn't expected. This was what hospitality was about providing comfort and care to those who needed it.
After finishing, Yuki stretched and yawned again. "I should probably leave soon. Every moment I stay puts you in danger."
"You can barely walk twenty feet without getting tired," I pointed out. "Those curse marks are still visible, and you said yourself your transformation ability isn't working. You need at least a few more days to recover."
"But"
"No buts. You're staying until you're healed. That's final." I crossed my arms. "Besides, I could use the company. Running an inn by yourself gets lonely."
Yuki looked at me with those intelligent amber eyes, and I could see her struggling between pride and practicality. Finally, she sighed. "You're too kind, Kazuki. It's going to get you killed someday."
"Maybe. But I'd rather die being kind than live being cruel."
"Philosophical for an innkeeper."
"I'm a complicated guy."
She laughed an actual sound this time, not just telepathy. It was light and musical. "Alright, strange innkeeper. I'll stay. But when the Phoenix Sect comes and they will come don't expect me to just hide. I'll fight."
"When they come, we'll deal with it together," I said firmly. "This is my inn. My rules. And rule number one is that guests are protected."
[Quest Update: The Fox's Sanctuary]
[Progress: Yuki's trust earned, healing progressing well]
[Continue providing care to complete quest]
[New Objective: Defend against Phoenix Sect search party (Optional)]
I read the notification with a sinking feeling. "Optional quest to defend against a search party. That's ominous."
"What is?" Yuki asked.
"Nothing. Just my system being dramatic." I started cleaning up the dishes. "So, since you're staying for a few days, any preferences for meals? Special dietary needs?"
"Meat. Lots of meat. Spiritual beasts are carnivores." She paused. "But your cooking is so good I'd probably eat anything you made."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Outside, I heard the distant sound of horses again.
Yuki's ears perked up, and her whole body tensed. "Kazuki..."
"I hear them," I said quietly, moving toward the window.
Through the glass, I could see riders approaching on the road.
More Phoenix Sect disciples.
And this time, there were at least eight of them.
"So much for a few peaceful days," I muttered.
[End of Chapter 8]