It was only at breakfast that Mi Xue finally awoke. She was still quite fragile, having been terribly frightened the night before; fortunately, Zhang Yang had administered acupuncture, at least calming her terror somewhat.

In the study, the caged fox-tailed marten kept making sharp, "squeak" sounds, its small eyes fixed constantly on Zhang Yang's canvas bag. The little creature was clever; it knew what it wanted was inside that bag, but bound as it was, it could only cry out in frustration.

Zhang Yang sought out Xie Hui and asked him to help fashion a cage. Xie Hui found Zhang Yang’s request rather odd, but he carried out the instructions nonetheless.

The cage had to be made of glass, specifically tempered glass, with ventilation only at the top and a two-tiered, replaceable tray at the bottom. A glass cage like that would not be available at the Xie residence; it would have to be custom-ordered.

Fortunately, the Xie family was powerful and well-resourced; as soon as the order was given, builders were dispatched, and they promised delivery within a day if all went smoothly. For that day, the little creature would have to make do, as it wouldn't starve in just twenty-four hours anyway.

Life returned to its previous rhythm. No one knew of the previous night’s terror, nor that Zhang Yang had nearly failed to return; everyone assumed he had simply gotten lost yesterday.

Mi Xue felt unwell, so she didn't leave her room all day, with Zhang Yang staying by her side the entire time. That evening, when Zhang Yang administered another round of acupuncture to Old Master Xie, the old man chided him gently, warning him not to wander about late at night.

He advised Zhang Yang to bring company if he must go out, emphasizing that the mountains were not like the lowlands, and certain areas were strictly off-limits. The old man genuinely cared for him.

This elder had come to view Zhang Yang as a benefactor from his own youth; the gratitude he couldn't repay back then, he now intended to offer to Zhang Yang. When people reach old age, they tend to reflect more, wishing to settle every past regret.

Zhang Yang had become a kind of spiritual anchor for the elder, a means of self-absolution through repayment. After two days of treatment, Old Master Xie had improved considerably.

On the third day, Zhang Yang wrote out a prescription, asking Xie Hui to source the herbs. The elder was required to start taking the medicine after three days of needling, and Zhang Yang also needed to begin preparing the tinctures for him.

Given the severity and long duration of the old man’s illness, the requirement for the millennium ginseng was relatively high. If Zhang Yang were to prepare it, he would need about one-fifth of the total required volume—a substantial amount.

His own three precious Ginseng Pills had only utilized ten percent of their content, yet their efficacy was already terrifyingly potent. Any other physician would likely have used up all the millennium ginseng on him.

By the afternoon, the custom-ordered tempered glass cage was delivered, brought personally by Xie Fei to Zhang Yang’s quarters. Upon arrival, Xie Fei realized the cage was intended for that adorable white animal.

He couldn't comprehend this, even advising Zhang Yang against it, arguing that such a charming creature shouldn't be confined in something so severe. He had no concept of the fox-tailed marten's true horror.

Zhang Yang naturally ignored his counsel; Xie Fei simply did not understand the terror associated with the marten. If he knew, he likely wouldn't dare enter the room, as having such a venomous creature nearby would surely make one unsteady on their feet.

"Zhang Yang, is this its new home?" As soon as Xie Fei left, Mi Xue entered the study. She knew Zhang Yang's intentions best and was acutely aware of the marten’s danger.

"Yes, this is its new home. It would be a pity to kill this little thing, and I don't have the energy to manage it right now, so it has to stay here for now!" Zhang Yang nodded.

The glass cage had a lock, and he alone held the key. From now on, the task of feeding the fox-tailed marten would fall solely to him.

He wouldn't feel comfortable entrusting it to anyone else, not even Mi Xue. "It's so cute; how can it possess such potent venom!" Mi Xue sighed softly, her face slightly flushed.

This wasn't from shyness, but from the residual power of the Ginseng Pill. Mi Xue had previously swallowed one of the pills Zhang Yang had specially refined to enhance internal energy.

Since Mi Xue had no internal energy (Neijin), the medicinal power had circulated throughout her body. This was partly why she hadn't left the room for the past two days: she had been absorbing the potency with Zhang Yang’s assistance.

For Zhang Yang, absorbing such a pill would take five or six days; for Mi Xue, it would take at least half a month. However, once fully assimilated, the pill would be of great benefit.

It wouldn't grant her internal energy or significantly increase her strength, but it would certainly fortify her constitution and reduce sickness. After all, it was a spiritual medicine.

Regardless of its consent, the fox-tailed marten was eventually placed inside the glass enclosure. Before securing it, Zhang Yang anesthetized the marten again and specifically collected a vial of its saliva, extracting a significant amount of the venom stored in its fangs.

The marten could secrete its own venom, but the process was very slow. Zhang Yang estimated that its toxicity would not return to its former peak for at least three months.

Once inside the glass cage, the fox-tailed marten finally regained mobility and immediately began hopping around frantically, continuously squeaking. The creature was fast and highly poisonous, but its physical strength was moderate; it certainly couldn't break the tempered glass cage.

After jumping around for a while, the marten seemed to realize it truly couldn't escape, and began snarling and raging. Standing upright inside the cage, baring its teeth at Zhang Yang, it looked surprisingly endearing, even making Mi Xue laugh.

"Zhang Yang, what if it didn't have such powerful venom? We could keep it as a pet!" Mi Xue leaned her head on Zhang Yang's shoulder and murmured softly.

Girls have an inherently low resistance to cute things, especially something as immediately captivating as a fox-tailed marten. "We can still keep it as a pet now—we just can't let it out!" Zhang Yang chuckled.

As he spoke, he reflected that among the Ten Great Poisons of the world, the seventh-ranked Heaven and Earth Spirit Beast, the fox-tailed marten—who had ever truly kept one as a pet? Even his ancestors in his past life had failed to do so.

It was a pity the marten couldn't be tamed; otherwise, it would have been a tremendous asset, a true helper. "Great!

Since it’s a pet, let’s give it a name!" Mi Xue’s eyes lit up, and she spoke immediately. "No problem.

Its greatest features are its poison and its speed. Names related to poison aren't very pleasant; let's call it Lightning!" Zhang Yang smiled and nodded.

The fox-tailed marten actually had a former nickname, 'Lightning Marten,' so naming it Lightning was acceptable. "Lightning?

That name sounds very much like a boy’s name," Mi Xue tilted her head up, seemingly reluctant, her reasoning nearly making Zhang Yang fall over. Naming a fox-tailed marten based on gender—only Mi Xue could come up with that.

However, in retrospect, the marten did appear to be male; Zhang Yang could only say 'seemed,' as he hadn't truly paid attention. "Squeak!" The fox-tailed marten suddenly lay down and cried out.

Mi Xue immediately exclaimed happily, "Look, it's protesting itself! How about we call her Little White?

Look how adorably white she is!" Little White? Zhang Yang rolled his eyes again.

Mi Xue’s naming sense was truly… unique. It sounded like a name for a small dog.

"Squeak! Squeak!" The fox-tailed marten cried out even louder, bouncing around wildly in the cage, and finally flopped onto its back inside the enclosure.

This time, it genuinely seemed to be protesting. Its actions stunned both Zhang Yang and Mi Xue into silence.

"Mi Xue, look, it's disagreeing with your name! I think Lightning is better; it sounds imposing and fits its characteristics!" Zhang Yang gently placed his arm around Mi Xue's shoulder.

As soon as he finished speaking, the marten stood up again, walked to the glass, bared its teeth, and nodded. Its demeanor made Mi Xue widen her eyes again.

"It—it understands what we're saying?" Mi Xue pointed at the marten in the cage, asking with obvious astonishment. The creature’s performance was so intelligent it made Mi Xue question everything.

Zhang Yang paused for a moment before saying slowly, "True Spirit Beasts have high intelligence, but being able to understand human speech is unlikely. It probably just understood we were naming it, and it dislikes the name Little White!" As soon as Zhang Yang finished speaking, the fox-tailed marten obligingly nodded its head.

"Is that so? Then let's call it Lightning!" Mi Xue stared with wide eyes, watching the fox-tailed marten in the cage with amazement.

The creature’s behavior had truly shocked her. She had never encountered such an intelligent animal.

"Alright then, little fellow, you shall be called Lightning from now on. Stay inside obediently; you won't be in danger here!" Zhang Yang smiled faintly and spoke softly to the marten in the cage.

It was uncertain if the marten understood, but it lay there, nodding continuously, its expression so guileless and cute that an uninformed person would probably be unable to resist letting it out for a good cuddle. "Right, what does Lightning eat?" Mi Xue suddenly asked.

Normal martens nibble on fruits and can also eat meat. But this was a fox-tailed marten, an extremely rare Heaven and Earth Spirit Beast.

Zhang Yang genuinely didn't know its diet. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Yang said slowly, "We’ll try offering it various things later and feed it whatever it likes!" Zhang Yang hadn't anticipated that this simple test would uncover a massive issue.

It refused apples, small fruits, and even raw or cooked beef. It didn't even spare a glance for dog food, cat food, or ham sausage, pushing them aside.

Finally, Zhang Yang recalled the texts stating that fox-tailed martens consume poisons. He captured a venomous snake in the mountains and tossed it in.

Only then did Little Lightning snatch the poor snake and begin to chew it with evident relish, starting from the head. After devouring the snake, Little Lightning licked its lips and tapped the glass cage with its paw, looking as though it hadn't eaten its fill.

Watching it eat, Mi Xue was utterly dumbfounded. Mi Xue was instantly reminded that this cute Little Lightning was one of the Ten Great Poisons; one must never be fooled by its appearance.

Knowing the little creature’s dietary needs brought Zhang Yang some relief, as feeding it would be manageable. However, the fact that it only ate venomous creatures and rejected everything else posed a difficult problem.

Zhang Yang certainly didn't have the time to hunt wild venomous snakes; in the future, he would have to seek out suppliers of farm-raised ones. Venomous snakes were not cheap, and raising this picky little fellow would likely cost a considerable amount of money going forward.

Eating this late snack took up some time. This concludes Chapter Five; more updates to follow!...