In the grand hierarchy of uncomfortable situations, being mystically tethered to a six-tailed fox spirit with the self-restraint of a drunken poet at an imperial critique session ranked just below "accidentally revealing one's draconic nature during meditation" and slightly above "explaining to a mountain why you've decided to temporarily become a pebble."

  Xiaolong was discovering this particular truth with excruciating clarity as she attempted to maintain something resembling dignity while Hui Yun systematically dismantled the concept.

  "—and then east council folks say proper tail-cleaning needs at least seventeen special moves," the fox rambled, demonstrating increasingly elaborate grooming techniques to a circle of fascinated junior disciples who had gathered in the eastern courtyard. "Each move has special spirit meaning! Very important!"

  "Hui Yun," Xiaolong interrupted, watching with mounting horror as the fox switched to a particularly gymnastic demonstration involving three tails simultaneously. "Perhaps this cultural exchange might continue later?"

  "But teaching time is now-time!" The fox's eyes gleamed with unholy delight at her discomfort. "Little humans need proper spirit beast wisdom! Yesterday small-robes girl asked good questions about fur-magic!"

  Disciple Meihua, the painfully earnest young woman who had previously devoted herself to correcting Xiaolong's dining etiquette errors, now sat cross-legged before Hui Yun with a small notebook, recording the fox's pronouncements with the solemn dedication of a court scribe documenting imperial edicts.

  "Fox Master," she asked with perfect formal respect, "does counter-clockwise tail-circle make different magic than clockwise?"

  "Best question!" Hui Yun's tails swished with evident pleasure at being addressed as "Fox Master." "Circle-magic connects to big universe circles! Whirlpools, star-spirals, all spin-patterns! Going wrong way messes up cosmic balance!"

  This profound-sounding nonsense, delivered with perfect solemnity, caused Meihua to nod thoughtfully while making additional notes. The other disciples leaned forward with expressions of scholarly fascination, as though witnessing the transmission of ancient wisdom rather than what Xiaolong recognized as improvised mystical gibberish.

  "I believe," she interjected before the situation could deteriorate further, "morning training sessions begin shortly. Perhaps the disciples should prepare?"

  This attempt at responsible intervention might have succeeded had Ming Lian not chosen that precise moment to arrive, his expression lighting with unholy glee at discovering the gathering.

  "Spirit beast philosophy lessons!" he exclaimed, dropping immediately into a seated position among the junior disciples. "How fortuitous! I've been developing a comparative study of non-human cultivation perspectives!"

  "Smart water-boy!" Hui Yun declared, practically vibrating with mischievous excitement at this new audience member. "Six-tail wisdom much better than five-tail nonsense! Three-tails know nothing at all!"

  Ming Lian produced a small notebook with suspicious readiness, as though he'd been waiting for precisely this opportunity. "I'm particularly interested in spirit beast communication methods. Several ancient texts reference complex signaling systems used between different spirit species."

  "Ah! Talking to other spirits is fancy-fancy stuff!" The fox's expression grew impossibly more delighted. "Watch special greeting for water-spirits of equal rank!"

  What followed was an increasingly elaborate performance involving tail contortions, ear positions, and facial expressions that somehow managed to look simultaneously mystically significant and utterly ridiculous. The disciples watched with rapt attention, several attempting to diagram the movements in their notebooks.

  "Fourth position—ear up, tails in fan-shape—shows respect for water-spirits' shiny pools," Hui Yun explained, demonstrating a configuration that looked physically impossible for normal foxes. "Other ear down means 'I see your two-sided nature' in spirit talk!"

  "Fascinating!" Ming Lian scribbled notes with theatrical enthusiasm. "And these communication methods developed naturally, or through deliberate cultivation?"

  "Both-neither!" Hui Yun replied with a tail-flick. "Real talk breaks fake walls between thinking-not-thinking, just like water is both drop and sea at same time!"

  Xiaolong recognized with growing alarm that the fox was deliberately mimicking Azure Waters sect philosophy, incorporating water metaphors that sounded suspiciously like something Li Feng might say. This cultural appropriation—delivered with perfect solemnity while performing what appeared to be interpretive dance with six independently moving tails—created a scene of such magnificent absurdity that even Xiaolong's five-thousand-year-old sense of cosmic dignity struggled to maintain disapproval.

  "While this cultural exchange is undoubtedly educational," she attempted once more, infusing her voice with just enough authority to penetrate Hui Yun's performance without triggering draconic resonance, "perhaps we might continue it after the disciples have completed their morning obligations?"

  "Water-boy coming!" Hui Yun announced suddenly, nose twitching as it detected Li Feng's spiritual signature. "Watch proper cross-species greeting! Very important lesson!"

  Before Xiaolong could intervene, the fox arranged itself into what appeared to be a formal posture of exaggerated dignity, tails forming a perfect semicircle behind its body, ears positioned at precisely matching angles.

  Li Feng entered the courtyard to find an audience of disciples watching with scholarly intensity as a six-tailed fox performed what looked like a ritualistic dance in his direction. He paused, taking in the scene with the expression of someone who has encountered many unusual situations in his cultivation career and has developed specialized diplomatic skills for addressing them.

  "Good morning," he offered cautiously, his gaze moving from the fox to the assembled disciples to Xiaolong's barely contained expression of cosmic exasperation.

  "MOST HONORED WATER MASTER!" Hui Yun yipped loudly, executing a series of elaborate prostrations that involved complex tail patterns and ear positions. "THIS HUMBLE SPIRIT OFFERS SPECIAL SEVEN-PART GREETING FOR IMPORTANT WATER PEOPLE!"

  The disciples watched this performance with expressions of solemn appreciation, several taking notes or attempting to sketch the fox's positions. Ming Lian appeared to be documenting each movement with particular attention to detail, his scholarly focus somewhat undermined by the poorly concealed grin threatening to overtake his features.

  Li Feng, to his eternal credit, maintained perfect composure. He returned a formal cultivation salute, his expression suggesting he found this situation perfectly normal and not at all like being accosted by a theatrical fox performing what appeared to be an interpretive spiritual dance.

  "I appreciate the traditional greeting," he replied with admirable gravity. "Though I regret interrupting what appears to be an educational exchange."

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  "NO PROBLEM!" Hui Yun continued at unnecessary volume. "YOU MAKE LESSON BETTER! SEE, LITTLE HUMANS, HOW WATER-BOY ACCEPTS PROPER FOX-TALKING!"

  "Perhaps," Xiaolong suggested with strained patience, "we might continue this cultural exchange at a more appropriate volume?"

  "Right, right!" The fox immediately modulated its voice to a more reasonable level, though its theatrical posturing remained unchanged. "Must adjust fox-voice to match human-ears! Another good lesson for baby cultivators!"

  Li Feng's gaze met Xiaolong's, a silent conversation passing between them that contained equal parts commiseration and barely suppressed amusement. This silent exchange—understanding without words, shared perspective without explanation—represented yet another aspect of human connection that dragons typically never experienced.

  The draconic equivalent of such silent communication would involve elaborate ceremonial posturing followed by formal telepathic exchange requiring proper authorization from all participating parties.

  "Junior disciples," Li Feng addressed the gathered students, "morning formation practice begins shortly. Senior Brother Ming will escort you to the training grounds."

  Ming Lian rose with evident disappointment at having his entertainment interrupted. "We shall continue our comparative spirit beast philosophy studies another time," he told the fox with formal respect somewhat undermined by the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Perhaps you might prepare a formal lecture on inter-species greeting protocols?"

  "Good idea!" Hui Yun's tails swished. "Will make big lesson on seventy-three ways to say hello! With special meanings!"

  As Ming Lian led the junior disciples away, several looking back with expressions of scholarly regret at missing further fox wisdom, Li Feng turned his full attention to Xiaolong and her vulpine companion.

  "I see your spirit friend has been making itself at home," he observed diplomatically.

  "Hui Yun believes every interaction should be educational," Xiaolong replied, shooting the fox a warning glance that could have evaporated small lakes in her true form. "Regardless of whether anyone has requested such education."

  "Knowledge flows like water seeking downhill!" the fox declared, apparently immune to draconic disapproval. "Young humans very thirsty for fox-wisdom!"

  "Indeed." Li Feng's tone suggested he found the situation more amusing than concerning. "Though perhaps some cultivation traditions might be more immediately relevant to their training requirements."

  "No cultivation without big thinking!" Hui Yun countered, seamlessly adopting Azure Waters sect metaphors as though it had studied water cultivation for centuries rather than days. "Must understand big sky-patterns to make little water-moves work!"

  This observation, while delivered with theatrical flourish, contained enough genuine insight that Li Feng nodded thoughtfully. "A valid perspective, though perhaps best integrated gradually rather than through intensive immersion."

  The fox preened at this acknowledgment, its expression suggesting it had achieved some significant victory in a game whose rules only it understood. "Water-boy sees deeper than most! Good at seeing many path-options instead of just one!"

  Before Hui Yun could launch into another elaborate discourse, Li Feng addressed the actual purpose of his visit. "Elder Wei has requested a demonstration of spirit control before the journey to the Cloud Summit Gathering. As your fox friend will accompany us, the elder wishes to ensure appropriate supervision mechanisms are established."

  This request carried clear implications beneath its diplomatic framing. Elder Wei remained suspicious of Hui Yun's unusual interest in Xiaolong and wanted visible proof that she could control the spirit beast before allowing it to represent the sect at a major cultivation conference.

  "Control demonstration?" Hui Yun's ears perked with interest rather than concern. "Like pet-tricks show? With commands and jumps and special moves?"

  "Something along those lines," Li Feng confirmed, his expression suggesting he found the fox's enthusiasm for its own testing somewhat unusual. "Nothing elaborate—merely confirmation that appropriate communication and compliance mechanisms exist."

  "Fun!" The fox bounded in a small circle, tails streaming behind it like celebratory banners. "Will show best fox-tricks! Maybe water-shadow-dancing? Or sixteen-shape harmony parade?"

  Xiaolong stared at the fox with mounting suspicion. No spirit beast should be this enthusiastic about demonstrating subordination to another entity—particularly not a six-tailed guardian with status in its own domain. Hui Yun was planning something, though precisely what remained unclear.

  "A simple demonstration of basic commands should suffice," she said cautiously, already envisioning countless ways this could result in catastrophic embarrassment. "Nothing elaborate required."

  "Boring!" Hui Yun dismissed this suggestion with a tail flick. "If showing off, show off good! East council says proper shows need at least seven special moves with perfect timing!"

  Li Feng watched this exchange with the expression of someone witnessing an unusual but fascinating natural phenomenon. "The demonstration is scheduled for this afternoon in the main training courtyard," he explained. "Elder Wei will observe personally, along with disciples selected for the Cloud Summit journey."

  This information only increased Xiaolong's concern. A public demonstration, with senior observation, created numerous opportunities for Hui Yun to cause chaos or reveal inappropriate information about her true nature.

  "We shall be properly prepared," she assured Li Feng while fixing the fox with a warning glare.

  "Very prepared!" Hui Yun agreed with suspicious enthusiasm. "All rehearsed! All coordinated! Perfect fox-master harmony show!"

  The repeated emphasis on "perfect" and "harmony" did nothing to alleviate Xiaolong's growing sense of impending disaster. Spirit beasts, particularly those of higher intelligence, were known for finding creative interpretations of seemingly straightforward instructions—a tendency Hui Yun had already demonstrated with alarming frequency.

  After Li Feng departed, Xiaolong turned her full attention to the fox, who was now practicing elaborate movements that appeared to combine cultivation forms with theatrical dance techniques.

  "What exactly are you planning?" she demanded, keeping her voice low despite the courtyard's privacy.

  "Planning?" Hui Yun's expression of innocent confusion wouldn't have fooled a particularly gullible infant. "Just getting ready to show proper fox-obedience! Like good subordinate should!"

  "You have never once behaved as a properly subordinate entity," Xiaolong pointed out with reasonable accuracy. "Your enthusiasm for this demonstration suggests ulterior motives."

  The fox settled onto its haunches, head tilting slightly as it regarded her with unexpected candor. "Think big-picture," it suggested, momentarily dropping its theatrical manner. "Your weird journey needs human-looking cover while dragon-bits get wobbly. Spirit beast companion makes perfect excuse for strange magic-leaking!"

  This observation contained surprising insight. Spirit beasts were known to influence their companions' spiritual signatures, sometimes causing unusual cultivation effects. Having Hui Yun officially recognized as her companion would indeed provide convenient explanation for certain draconic manifestations that might otherwise raise suspicion.

  "Also," the fox continued, warming to its theme, "spirit beast partners get special treatment! Respected status! Nice sleeping spots! Don't have to do boring ceremony stuff because 'must tend to fox-needs'!"

  These practical benefits, while secondary to the spiritual camouflage aspect, nonetheless represented genuine advantages within sect social structures.

  Xiaolong found herself reassessing Hui Yun's enthusiasm—perhaps it wasn't merely chaos-seeking but actually strategic planning disguised as frivolity.

  "What exactly does this demonstration require?" she asked, still suspicious but increasingly willing to consider potential benefits.

  "Just show-off moves on command!" Hui Yun replied, bouncing back to its feet with renewed energy. "I do special tricks when you say words—either out-loud or spirit-voice. Standard format has fancy jumping, spirit-glow making, and special poses showing who's-boss-of-who!"

  "And you actually intend to follow these commands appropriately?" Xiaolong's skepticism remained evident in her tone.

  "Of course!" The fox's tails swished with what appeared to be genuine enthusiasm. "Perfect fox-behavior! Flawless trick-doing! Impressive coordination! Best way to make people believe we're proper partners while hiding your dragon-problem!"

  This plan, despite coming from a chaos-loving spirit fox, actually contained legitimate strategic value. If executed properly, it would enhance her position within the sect while creating explanatory framework for any accidental manifestations of draconic power.

  "Very well," she agreed cautiously. "But we will practice basic commands only—nothing elaborate or potentially embarrassing."

  "Fine, fine!" Hui Yun agreed with suspicious readiness. "Basic stuff! Easy moves! Simple tricks!"