Chapter 38: Then… I’ll Pluck Three Tail Hairs Too… Part 1

On the way to Spirit Cloud Peak, Feng Wu never stopped praising the little cat demon he had met. The other two, who knew the truth, could only exchange silent glances.

They just hoped… that Feng Wu wouldn’t try to burn down another mountain once he learned the truth.

When the three reached the base of Spirit Cloud Peak, Feng Wu stopped. He had sworn an oath never to set foot on Spirit Cloud Peak.

With that thought, Feng Wu looked at Feng Xixing. “You go and bring the little cat demon here.”

Feng Xixing paused, glancing at Gu Jingshan discreetly. Before he could speak, a Sound Transmission reached his ear.

It was Lin Chuyun’s voice, soft and sticky, tinged with urgency and a hint of panic.

“Disciple, come back quickly!”

Feng Xixing’s expression changed. Assuming something had happened to Lin Chuyun, he ignored the two in front of him, turned, and sprinted towards the bamboo hut.

Seeing this, Gu Jingshan frowned and followed.

Only Feng Wu was left standing there, dumbfounded. He had no idea whether to wait or follow. After pacing anxiously for a moment, he grit his teeth and transformed back into the little red bird, fluttering his wings as he flew up.

He would just keep flying! As long as he didn’t touch the ground, it didn’t count as stepping on Spirit Cloud Peak!

Feng Xixing ran at full speed, terrible images flashing through his mind. But when he reached the bamboo hut, he only saw the hut completely intact, and… Bai Linghan, kneeling before it, an ice sword piercing his shoulder.

Feng Xixing stopped in his tracks. His gaze flicked to the door of the bamboo hut, and understanding dawned.

It was the restriction he had specifically placed on the door to prevent Lin Chuyun from escaping, or anyone else from coming to his rescue. After that, they left for Thunder Echo Grotto, and upon returning, Lin Chuyun never went outside alone; he was always carried out by Feng Xixing. Xixing himself had forgotten there was still a restriction on the door.

Bai Linghan had clearly tried to force the door open, triggering the restriction and being pierced by the ice sword.

Feng Xixing cast a cold look at Bai Linghan. He had no intention of checking on him. Instead, he pushed the door open and slipped inside the bamboo hut.

The room was quiet, so much so that even breathing was inaudible. Feng Xixing swiftly scanned the bed but didn’t see Lin Chuyun. He only saw the slightly disheveled spirit silk, clearly indicating the person lying on it had left in a great hurry.

Where was Lin Chuyun?

“Shizun?” Feng Xixing confirmed the only hiding spot, the cabinet, was empty, then bent down to check under the table. Just as he suspected Lin Chuyun might have left from somewhere else, he heard a few sounds from above.

Feng Xixing looked up and came face-to-face with… a pitch-black, furry, little tail. The tail gave two gentle flicks, then, quite familiarly, brushed back and forth against his forehead in greeting.

Following the little tail upwards, he saw a tiny figure crouched at the edge of a roof beam, hugging its knees. The small figure looked like it had been frightened, face buried in its knees. The usually proudly erect cat ears on its head were flattened in fright.

Feng Xixing’s heart softened involuntarily, his expression gentle. He didn’t startle Lin Chuyun directly, but called out softly, “Shizun, don’t be afraid. Xixing is back.”

Lin Chuyun wasn’t actually frightened. He was just… in a state of denial.

Although Bai Linghan’s sudden appearance had startled Lin Chuyun, he reacted quickly. Before Bai Linghan even got close to the door, Lin Chuyun swiftly sent a Sound Transmission to Feng Xixing and hid himself up on the roof beam.

As for why he didn’t hide in the cabinet…

Lin Chuyun himself couldn’t explain it. He didn’t even know how he got up onto the beam. Maybe, probably, it was a cat’s talent? Just as he planned to hide properly on the beam, he felt something strange on his body.

He touched the top of his head, confirmed the cat ears were still there, and stopped worrying. It wasn’t like another one could grow… a… tail…

Staring at the cat tail cheerfully swaying back and forth in front of him, Lin Chuyun fell silent. When the tail wasn’t paying attention, he quickly grabbed its tip and bit it.

Then he felt a familiar pang of pain, exactly the same as when he was a cat and bit his own tail tip.

Why hadn’t he gotten better? Instead, a tail had appeared!

Lin Chuyun silently imagined his current appearance and, crouching on the beam, began his descent into self-pity. Not even the agonized cries of Bai Linghan, severely wounded by the restriction outside the door, caught his attention.

He stayed in that state of denial for a long while before Lin Chuyun heard someone calling him from below. He relaxed his arms slightly and peered down through a gap, seeing his little disciple looking up at him with worry, arms held up as if afraid he might fall.

“Shizun? Come down, please?” Perhaps it was an illusion caused by Lin Chuyun’s shrunken size, but Feng Xixing felt an urge to coax him, his voice even softer than usual.

Lin Chuyun didn’t notice this nuance. He sat on the edge of the beam, a little embarrassed, and said dejectedly, “Disciple, your teacher grew a tail.”

Feng Xixing had naturally seen the cat tail. He had even secretly fiddled with its tip a couple of times. He cleared his throat lightly and silently withdrew his hand. “It’s fine. Didn’t Martial Uncle Dan say it would go away once the medicine’s effect wears off?”

Lin Chuyun sighed, knowing sulking here was useless. He checked the height, then looked down at Feng Xixing. “Then, Disciple, stand back a bit.”

How could Feng Xixing let him jump down alone? He stood his ground. “It’s fine, Shizun. Xixing can catch you.”

Lin Chuyun considered his current short, stubby stature and figured he probably wouldn’t be too heavy. He didn’t argue further. After judging the distance, he jumped without hesitation, and was securely caught by Feng Xixing, who had been waiting.

The small, soft youth jumped trustingly into his arms. The tied hair behind him fell with the force of the movement. Perhaps due to the shrinking, the original grassy fragrance on Lin Chuyun now carried a hint of soft, sweet scent.

Feng Xixing narrowed his eyes slightly and settled Lin Chuyun onto his arm.

The tail behind Lin Chuyun very obediently brushed across Feng Xixing’s wrist, then quietly looped around it, encircling his wrist.

As if marking its territory.

Feng Xixing carried Lin Chuyun, only releasing him when they reached the bedside, letting him sit properly on the spirit silk. Lin Chuyun sat obediently, his tail swishing randomly. He felt like he was forgetting something…

“You are… a disciple from Spirit Water Peak? What are you doing here?” Gu Jingshan’s voice suddenly came from outside.

Lin Chuyun instantly remembered the earlier events. He tugged on Feng Xixing’s sleeve and began to tattle quietly, “It was that Bai Linghan who came looking for me, but I didn’t even see him.”

How could he let Bai Linghan see him in his current state? He even had to bundle up tightly before he dared go out to Spirit Herb Peak with Gu Jingshan.

At this rate, after a couple more trips, rumors would start in Star Point Sect about Acting Sect Leader Gu having a mysterious illegitimate child.

Feng Xixing was already displeased that Bai Linghan was here. But seeing Lin Chuyun so earnestly distancing himself from Bai Linghan, a strange pleasure inexplicably arose in his heart. “Shizun, rest assured, Xixing understands.”

Lin Chuyun finally breathed a sigh of relief. As long as his disciple wasn’t overthinking it. Otherwise, he’d think he was being abandoned again.

After settling Lin Chuyun, Feng Xixing went out of the bamboo hut.

Outside, Gu Jingshan was already standing beside Bai Linghan, frowning at the ice sword piercing him. Feng Xixing paused for a moment before continuing to walk over to Gu Jingshan’s side. “Acting Sect Leader.”

Gu Jingshan stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Bai Linghan with tightly furrowed brows.

For some reason, this disciple gave him a deeply uncomfortable feeling, even worse than the time he sensed signs of entering the Devil Path on Feng Xixing.

“You are Bai Linghan of Spirit Water Peak?” Gu Jingshan asked gravely. “What are you doing on Spirit Cloud Peak?”

Bai Linghan clutched his shoulder, his face pale from blood loss. The ice sword not only pierced his shoulder but also continuously corroded his spirit power, preventing the wound from healing.

Hearing Gu Jingshan’s question, Bai Linghan bit his lower lip and spoke weakly, “Linghan pays respects to Acting Sect Leader.”

Gu Jingshan didn’t respond, nor did he make a move to help stop the bleeding.

Seeing this, Bai Linghan had no choice but to endure the intense pain and continue. “This disciple… came to Spirit Cloud Peak to speak with Immortal Lord Lin about some matters.”

Gu Jingshan had also heard about the matters between his junior brother and this disciple. He hadn’t paid much attention to the rumors before, but now, for some reason, he asked an extra question: “Did Lin Chuyun ask you to come?”

“Yes…” Bai Linghan was about to lie when he felt the gazes on him turn chilly.

Inside the door, Lin Chuyun heard someone trying to throw mud at him and was furious. Unfortunately, his voice had changed too, so speaking carelessly would definitely expose the abnormality.

Fortunately, someone even angrier was outside.

“Junior Brother Bai, are you sure… it was Shizun who called for you?” Feng Xixing narrowed his eyes, lowering his voice threateningly. “If Junior Brother Bai lies, it would be a major crime of deceiving the Sect Leader and slandering an Immortal Lord. That warrants fifty lashes.”

Gu Jingshan glanced at Feng Xixing but didn’t refute his words.

Bai Linghan’s face immediately panicked. Let alone fifty lashes, he couldn’t withstand even twenty. Moreover, the lashing punishment was carried out on the main peak’s square, before all the sect disciples. To Bai Linghan, that was even more unacceptable than the fifty lashes themselves.

“No, no, it’s… Immortal Lord Lin told this disciple before that if there were matters, I could come find him on Spirit Cloud Peak. That’s why this disciple came to find Immortal Lord Lin.” Bai Linghan hurriedly changed his story.

Feng Xixing raised an eyebrow slightly. “I wonder what business Junior Brother Bai has with Shizun?”

Bai Linghan was practically grinding his silver teeth to dust. In the past, Lin Chuyun cared about him most. When had Feng Xixing ever had a say? As a result, now Lin Chuyun was inexplicably cold towards him, and even Feng Xixing dared to lord it over him.

If he himself were at the Nascent Soul stage, how would Feng Xixing dare to be so insolent!

Bai Linghan lowered his head, suppressing the hatred in his heart. His tone, however, was tinged with a hint of fear. “This disciple was just thinking Immortal Lord Lin seemed unwell recently, so I became a little worried.”

A few days ago, many disciples saw Gu Jingshan taking Lin Chuyun to Spirit Herb Peak, so this reason wasn’t much of a problem. But Feng Xixing didn’t believe Bai Linghan’s visit was so simple, especially knowing Bai Linghan possessed a Devil Luring Stone.

But he couldn’t just reveal the matter of the Devil Luring Stone directly.

While Feng Xixing was thinking, Bai Linghan secretly glanced at him and suddenly spoke again, “This disciple just didn’t expect that Senior Brother Feng would set a restriction on the door, completely barring anyone else from touching it.”

Feng Xixing narrowed his eyes, guessing what Bai Linghan would say next.

Indeed, Bai Linghan carefully glanced at Gu Jingshan and said, as if casually, “What if Immortal Lord Lin wanted to go out?”

This was clearly accusing Feng Xixing of attempting to forcibly imprison Lin Chuyun. Bai Linghan even suspected the reason Lin Chuyun hadn’t come to see him for so long was that Feng Xixing had locked him up!

Hearing this, Gu Jingshan subconsciously frowned and glanced at Feng Xixing. Feng Xixing didn’t feel guilty at all. He stood there confidently, only his gaze towards Bai Linghan was unfriendly.

Gu Jingshan also knew Lin Chuyun’s situation was special. Feng Xixing setting up this restriction was likely to protect him. But there was no need to explain this to a disciple. “Junior Brother Lin is fine. Do not disturb him without important matters. Dismissed.”

Bai Linghan hadn’t expected this reaction from Gu Jingshan and was stunned. Seeing Gu Jingshan’s expression grow more impatient, Bai Linghan had to grit his teeth and stand up to leave. But just then, he was stopped by Feng Xixing.

He halted, watching Feng Xixing approach warily, spirit power involuntarily gathering in his hand.

Feng Xixing didn’t attack Bai Linghan. He even removed the ice sword from his shoulder. After all, if Bai Linghan left Spirit Cloud Peak looking like this, people would say Lin Chuyun allowed his disciple to bully disciples from other peaks.

He crushed the ice sword with a single squeeze. Turning slightly to block Gu Jingshan’s view, he looked at Bai Linghan with contempt and warned him, “Shizun will only be mine. I advise you to discard any improper thoughts.”

He didn’t know why Bai Linghan came for his Shizun, but he was certain his intentions were not good.