noct
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331. At Night, They Come
🕑 Added 2022-09-10 18:00:04 +0000 UTCYing Lin finished her talisman and activated it, lifting a block of earth out of the ground. Hui glanced at his hut, finished in a single talisman, and stepped forward. āYing Lin, donāt be disheartened. This is already a good start! For a second-tier cultivatorāā
āWhy would I be disheartened? Master is a great many realms above me. This much is expected,ā Ying Lin replied. Ignoring Hui, she drew another talisman and continued, methodologically raising a hut one block at a time.
Hui opened his mouth, then closed it. He put a hand on his chin. What disciple says is indeed reasonable. I canāt fault her for being diligent. Then, Iāll leave her to it. One way or another, it's good practice!
A few blocks in, Ying Lin huffed and threw the talisman materials aside. Instead, she made hand signs, then threw her hands out. The earth rose, forming walls smoothly and neatly. She spun one hand, making a doorway, then let out a sigh and fell backward, wiping her brow.
Hui stared. āEh?ā
āAh, Master. I started making the talismans, but it was too clunky. Hand signs feel right to me. I can justā¦ā From the floor, she gestured, and the flow of qi changed swirling around her. She threw her hands out, and a roof of hardened earth appeared on their hut.
Hui stared. Erā¦ did she just adapt my talisman to a hand-based spell? Is that something that can be done so easily?
Well, I guess Master had his comprehension, and I have my talismans. Itās only natural that Ying Lin has her own aptitudes.
Nodding in approval, Hui put his hands behind his back. āGood, good! Ying Lin, it seems you have karma with hand signs. Study them, and progress your cultivation on your own path. Donāt be constrained to mine!ā
Ying Lin smiled. She wavered where she sat. āMaster, Iāmā¦ exhausted. Iāll sleep now.ā
āSleep, sleep,ā Hui agreed. He stepped forward and caught her, then carefully lifted her and carried her into the hut. Throwing out a wood talisman, he created a wooden bed for Ying Lin and set her atop it, then exited the hut and sat outside to wait for Ji Taiyu to emerge.
When Ji Taiyu and Bao Huli finally emerged from the temple, the sun had long set, and night claimed the sky. Hui opened his eyes and broke his meditation, standing to greet his temporary master. Surreptitiously, he checked the manās clothes and hair, but both were in perfect form, as were Bao Huliās. He frowned slightly. What were he and that fox up to, then?
āDo you have the movement technique mastered now, Bao Huli? You wonāt fall through any more rotten wood?ā Ji Taiyu asked, slightly exasperated.
āIāI, probably?ā Bao Huli said, faking nervousness. She looked equally exasperated, though there was a certain frustration to her exasperation.
For a fox demon, sheās certainly slow in bagging her prey. And not for lack of trying. Could it be? Is Bao Huliā¦ is this her first time hunting? Thatāsā¦ kind of cute, isnāt it?
I doubt it is, but until I know better, Iāll go ahead and imagine it! Hui nodded to himself happily.
Bao Huli narrowed her eyes at him. āSecond Disciple has a strange look in his eyes. I think he should go practice under a cold spring for body purification.ā
Oh, hey! What did I do to hurt you? Hui thought, scowling.
āGood suggestion, First Disciple. I know a place near here. We can all stop by after this. I think we would all benefit from it,ā Ji Taiyu said, stepping slightly away from her with an expression that said, especially you.
āMaster!ā Bao Huli protested.
āWhere is Third Disciple?ā Ji Taiyu asked, looking around.
Hui bowed. āThird Disciple exhausted herself building tonightās resting place. Sheās resting inside this hut.ā
Ji Taiyu glanced at the hut, slightly dissatisfied. āSecond Disciple, werenāt you going to build the huts?ā
āThe two of us worked together. It was Second Discipleās oversight that Third Disciple took on more of the task than she was capable of. Second Disciple accepts Masterās punishment,ā Hui said, bowing deeper. Itās not like he can hurt me, even if he wants to.
Ji Taiyu waved his hand. āItās fine, itās fine. Donāt be so careless in the future. We should keep a watch tonight, in case the monsters come. Second Disciple, as your punishment, take first watch as well as Third Discipleās watch.ā
āThen, Second Disciple will take the first two watches,ā Hui offered. Iāll keep watch all night whether you ask me to or not. I donāt need to fully submerge myself in meditation right now, after all.
āFirst Disciple will take third watch,ā Bao Huli said. She gave Hui a threatening look, daring him to speak up.
Bao Huli, you havenāt taken a single watch since Iāve been here. I understand already, Hui thought, rolling his eyes back. Besides, youāre the one with a ācultivation level so low you have to sleep at night.ā I understand!
Ji Taiyu nodded. āIāll go circle the temple a few more times before I rest for the night. First Disciple, Second Disciple, call if you find yourselves in danger.ā
Hui saluted silently. Bao Huli hurried to Ji Taiyuās side and followed him back toward the temple, whispering about something or another. She shot Hui a dirty look as they vanished around the corner.
What did I do? Hui wondered. After a second, he sighed and shook his head. It doesnāt matter. Bao Huli shouldnāt openly move against me, and even if she does, itās no matter. Iāll simply find someone else to attach to. Maybe that traderā¦
He settled down to wait as the night grew dark. After a time, Ji Taiyu and Bao Huli returned, Ji Taiyu nodding as he vanished into his hut. Bao Huli shot Hui a scowl. Hui ignored them both and sat quietly, listening to the forest at night.
Bats fluttered around, darting here and there. Nighttime creatures scurried in the undergrowth. A lonesome owl hooted, to no response. Hui swept his mental energy around, using the night as an excuse to practice expanding it.
Cold blue flames materialized in the air. An uncharacteristic silence fell upon the glen. Huiās mental energy hit a sudden block as a heavy pressure fell upon the area and suppressed him. He opened his eyes. What is it? Bao Huli knows I donāt care, right?
Bao Huli stood over him, her fox ears and fangs both out. A clawed hand closed around his throat, and she dragged him into the hut and slammed him up against the wall. She leaned close, slitted eyes glowing, and hissed, āYou wonāt take Master from me.ā
Hui cut his eyes at Ying Lin, but she slept peacefully. A trace of Bao Huliās energy swirled around her head, and he recognized the traces of a sleeping spell. Good. I donāt want her to wake up.
āElder Sister, I have no interest in taking your Master. Iām merely a wanderer whoāā
Bao Huli interrupted him by slamming him against the wall. āI heard you speaking with that man of dual cultivation. If those are your tastes, there is only one man here, and he is mine!ā
Hui blinked. Greenish blood ran down his face from where Bao Huli had slammed him into the wall, but he barely felt the pain. Ah. I understand now. āErā¦ Elder Sister, that Elder Brother has someā¦ special circumstances. Iām no cutsleeve. I prefer women.ā
āPrefer? Prefer is not require,ā Bao Huli snarled.
āListen, listen, Elder Sister. That person I was talking to was Bai Xue. Bai Xue, of the Bai Clan! He can become an Elder Sister as well. In any case, heās the kind who flirts with anything that has a pulse, anything! Itās impossible to have a pure conversation with him. Itās no fault of small cultivator. Elder Sister, I have no designs on your Master. Please believe me.ā
Bao Huli hesitated. She lifted a claw and pointed at Ying Lin. āThen the girl.ā
āYing Lin is my disciple. Sheās only a child,ā Hui argued.
Bao Huli narrowed her eyes. āAnd your other disciples?ā
āSmall cultivator only has one! Please, Elder Sister. I have no desire to get in your way. As long as you donāt outright kill Ji Taiyu, whatever happens in your hut is between you and him,ā Hui replied earnestly.
At that, Bao Huli finally drew her claw away from his neck. Hui rubbed his neck, the soft plant flesh quickly healing the lacerations there. He bowed at Bao Huli. āThank you, Elder Sister.ā
āI donāt fully trust you, but you havenāt revealed me yet,ā Bao Huli replied. She flicked her tail, looking down on Hui dismissively. āIn any case, rest assured. I have no designs to kill Ji Taiyu.ā
āEh? Why not?ā Hui asked. Isnāt that what fox demons do? Seduce men and drain their yang energy?
She flicked her tail again and looked away. Although it was dark, Hui thought he saw a hint of a blush on her cheeks. āYou do not need to know.ā
āYou love him,ā Hui guessed.
āI do not,ā Bao Huli insisted, scowling, but her tail flicked back and forth faster than before.
How cute, how cute! Ah, Bao Huli is incredibly adorable when sheās embarrassed. Hui couldnāt help a smile at the sight.
āStop looking at me with those filthy eyes. Iāll drain your energy,ā Bao Huli threatened, raising a claw toward him.
āRespectfully, Elder Sister, even Bai Xue hasnāt accomplished that yet,ā Hui replied.
āYou donāt need to be intimate toāā
āIām aware, Iām aware,ā Hui said. Of everyone in this world, I might be the most aware!
Bao Huli stared at him, then backed away. āIf you wonāt say anythingā¦ then Iāll let you live for now. But if you ever open your mouthā¦ā She flexed her hand, baring her claws at him.
Hui nodded. āElder Sister, how did you end up falling in love with Ji Taiyu?ā A fox demon like herā¦ it isnāt every day that demons and humans fall in love, after all.
Bao Huli showed him her fangs and backed away. āNot a word. Not a word!ā
Hui tilted his head. Is she embarrassed? How cute! To think I was scared of this adorable fox. Maybe I should find a fox demon to keep as a pet. Theyāre too cute.
Around his neck, Zhubi hissed.
āNo, no, youād always be my favorite,ā Hui insisted, petting his head to placate him.
Bao Huli paused at the door. She looked back at Zhubi, her golden eyes reflecting the moonlight. āWhy donāt you manifest?ā
Zhubi hissed at her and tightened around Huiās neck, displeased.
āYouāll regret it, remaining like this forever.ā Bao Huli turned and vanished into the night.
Hui patted Zhubi. āZhubiā¦ canāt breatheā¦ā
Zhubi loosened his coils. He settled down against Huiās neck quietly and sat completely still.
āWhat is it? If you want to manifest, manifest. Iāll like you either way,ā Hui promised.
Zhubi shook his head. He slithered around and darted into Huiās robes, wrapping around his upper arm instead.
āEhā¦ okay,ā Hui said. He shrugged. Why do I feel like I just mediated a fight between a cat and a dog?
Comments
noct
Ah, Zhubi was named pig nose in Chinese (because he's a hognose snake). Hebrew connotations unintentional!
noct
Got it, I thought I caught all of those but some must have slipped through! I'll fix.
Philipp Gawol
@Xultanis Zhubi means "penis" in Hebrew. That's quite on the nose for a snake. Although it's likely that the MC went for the Chinese meaning of "Coin", "Mold", etc
Philipp Gawol
I don't think she's a yandere, necessarily. She's 5'th stage, so she likely 'evolved' from an animal-body to a human form fairly recently. She's probably still applying animal-logic to human relationships. Since they're fairly similar at the lowest level it isn't super noticeable, but her behavior fits courtship-behavior for canines, I think. Basically, what I think happened is that she got basic common sense stuffed into her noggin', but her unconscious motivation is still purely animalistic. Imagine her as someone with the emotional wisdom of a ~7~15 years old, stuck in the body of an adult. It's a right fk'n mess.
Xultanis
Coin flip, it's a comedy story. Heads, Zhubi is Male but batting for the other team. He knows Hui isn't, so stays as a snake so he can at least keep holding his neck / arm. Tails, Zhubi is female and worried about competing with Bai Xue and Li Xiang, and also reduced skinship. Edit: just double checked and he did indeed assume Zhubi is male. Also, when he named Zhubi, it hissed at him as if rejecting the name and Hui replied "We'll workshop it.", but never got around to it so Zhubi stuck.
CosmicInsomniac
Given the general trend of how the clone's fare, I have a bad feeling that Hui may suddenly gain inspiration on how to fake death against Yanderes soon, probably when they see him as an obstacle, but having a way to fake death from a *ahem* "persistent admirer" could be a skill for Hui to look into.
Philipp Gawol
Goddamn it, I wanted to hear the story of the fox demon and the muscle brain. I really hope they get a happy ending, though this story makes it kinda unlikely. I want that dude to end up in a happy Amazonian-marriage-situation. There's nothing more adorable than someone being born bad and overcoming their flaws due to love. Though I suspect that Hui will have to help her out, since she's approaching this all wrong. She still thinks that she can get his affection using the same strategies she used to yoink other men's QI. She's clearly shown her intent, now she needs to just give him time and travel alongside him until he either realizes her intent and accepts it or until they've been together long enough that they literally cannot live without each other's support. It was generally a mistake to approach him as a potential disciple. Sure, in the short term it would've reduced his suspicion, but in the long term she closed several avenues their relationship could develop, since the muscle-brain seems to take his responsibilities very seriously. Ordinarily that'd be a good personal quality, but in this case it'll cause him to mercilessly crush any romantic feelings he develops for her. I honestly only see two ways to develop a good, proper relationship with him from here. Either she lays all the cards on the table (risky as fuck) and begs him to give her a chance. She could use Hui as a witness to her intent. Since he 100% knows her strength and that she would've taken his energy long ago if she had any other intent than to court him. The other, much better option, but still a bit iffy if he takes his responsibilities very, very seriously. Is to pretend to grow under his tutelage and fight alongside him. Eventually she'll have reached a similar level of power to her 'master'. When that happens, she can (in a seemingly desperate fight), reveal that she's a fox-demon. Since the muscle-brain will think that she had no proper cultivation before encountering him, he'll think that she's never preyed on humans before (especially considering the clumsy attempts he witnessed during the early stages). This is likely going to make him think that she was born a half-fox (fox-demon+human) and her cultivation awakened that side of her. It forces him into a moral dilemma, heavily weighted in the foxes favor. Either he kills her (like it's his duty to do) or he accepts her as his responsibility, since he 'created' her by helping her to cultivate. Considering the likely relationship between the two at that point, it's almost certain that he takes responsibility for her. Then it's just a matter of time before that feeling of responsibility is going to start expanding into a mutual romantic relationship. He's basically helplessly trapped between his feeling of responsibility, him being an accomplice to her 'creation' and the mutually supportive relationship between the two. At that point there's literally no escape for him. He's trapped forever. This is the best possible hypothetical relationship I can build on a foundation of deceit. It kinda sucks, but this way they can both be happy and walk the path together.
Scipio
Might also explain why Zhubi doesn't want to transform into a human
Robert Mullins
@noct when Hui offers to accept punishment he says 'First 'Disciple when he should have said 'Second' Disciple. 2 times I think.
The-Nowhere-Man
Do we actually know what Zhubi's gender is? Hui has been calling Zhubi he & him the whole time but how does he know that? I don't recall him actually checking... Could Zhubi be worried about how Hui would react to their "brotherhood" & skinship if 'he' was actually a 'she'
Justin
I was thinking she was some kind of weird spiritual entity that had taken from. Probably because she was described as a demon fox, and I don't remember demons being described so far.
Robert Mullins
And yay, Ying Lin found her talent. Wait..., hand signs, fox demon, movement technique. Is...is this a Naruto episode? Is Ying Lin a ninja? Will she turn Hui's death faking technique into a stealth technique?
Robert Mullins
Half expected Huli to tell him he's being excessive in his 'failing' at sword arts and it hurts his disguise.
Re1ncarnated Salamander
Lol, great chapter. didn't realize she was fox beast for som reason š¤
