Chapter Fourteen: I Washed My Fur
Bai Xuci, cradled in Fuling’s hands, felt he was receiving the highest of honors.
Heaven knows how rough that demon’s grip was! He’d lost quite a bit of fur, he muttered resentfully.
Bai Xuci narrowed his rabbit eyes, carefully surveying his surroundings with an air of a king inspecting his mountain.
Fuling, unable to suppress a chuckle at his expression, asked, “Are you satisfied?”
Bai Xuci, engrossed in his observations, replied instinctively, “It’s alright…” His tone was dismissive.
Fuling couldn’t help but laugh softly at this, then stepped into the grand hall and instructed a nearby little demon.
Bai Xuci felt rather embarrassed being held like this, especially since she was a beautiful woman, and he… was just a fluffy lump of fur.
“Sister Fuling, you can put me down. I can run on the ground myself,” he said earnestly, his rabbit ears standing at attention.
Fuling imagined the scene—a four-legged creature scrambling around a spiritual pool—and shook her head with a smile. He’d probably end up sprawled on his back.
“Has the Venerable Lord not released your restriction yet?” she asked softly, lowering her gaze.
Bai Xuci tried, but nothing happened.
“It seems not,” he said dejectedly, his ears drooping. Fuling felt a pang of sympathy and gently straightened them.
“Perhaps there are other considerations,” she said soothingly.
Bai Xuci continued to observe, his boredom growing. He found it increasingly strange. Why was it so misty and damp here?
“Achoo!” He shivered, slightly bewildered.
“We’ve arrived,” Fuling paused, placing Bai Xuci on a tray held by an attendant. “Xiaobai, you’ll bathe here.”
“…” Bai Xuci looked down, confirming that what he was standing on was indeed a tray. He fell silent. He felt like a dish being served.
“Someone will take care of you. I’ll go now.” Fuling bent down, poked his head, and left.
Before Bai Xuci could say anything, he cautiously turned to face the soapberry demon holding the tray—a being with only two holes for eyes, mostly composed of tree branches.
He swallowed nervously and shrank his rabbit legs.
A short while later—
Bai Xuci sat on the pool’s steps, meticulously washing his ears. He rubbed them with soapberry and rinsed them in the spiritual pool water, then dried them. Satisfied.
The pool was enormous, making Bai Xuci feel slightly ashamed. He had circled the pool, searching for a suitable place to enter, eventually settling for the steps. At least his head would be above water…
He felt sad that he couldn’t transform, losing the chance to gracefully rest his arms on the edge and close his eyes. Now, he could only sit on the steps and groom his fur. So undignified!
“Doo-doo-doo…” He submerged his head, held his breath, and blew a string of bubbles, then resurfaced. Hey, this is fun!
After playing and getting rid of the sticky, unpleasant feeling, Bai Xuci finally emerged, shook his fur, and enjoyed a moment of self-entertainment.
Leaving the pool, Bai Xuci gratefully approached the soapberry demon, bowing deeply. The soapberry was amazing!
The soapberry demon, expressionless, seemed slightly startled upon seeing him, but quickly reacted to the shiny white fur. A sense of pride filled it. It detached a fresh soapberry and offered it.
Bai Xuci, unexpectedly gifted a huge soapberry, hugged it with his paws. A gift?
The soapberry demon tilted its head, then used its branch-like arms to retrieve the tray, placing it on the ground and poking Bai Xuci’s head, gesturing for him to get on.
Bai Xuci, a little shy, hopped onto the tray, clutching the soapberry, and gave a sweet smile. Let’s go!
Bai Xuci happily “flew” in the tray, clutching his soapberry. So Lin Mountain had such nice demons! Relieved.
He turned to look; the soapberry demon tilted its head, seemingly uncomprehending, and started to pull another soapberry from itself…
Bai Xuci quickly stopped it, frantically indicating he didn’t want another. The soapberry demon stopped, resuming its journey.
Bai Xuci relaxed, adjusting his position, hugging the large soapberry. Why were plant-type demons so different? Some could whip vines like weapons, others were like this slow-witted soapberry demon. But it was so cute! He had been scared earlier. You can’t judge a demon by its appearance.
He stopped looking at the path, facing the soapberry demon, his ears happily swishing. He curiously sniffed the leaves on it. Such a fresh scent! I want a bite.
Lost in thought, Bai Xuci suddenly lost his balance, tumbling forward, becoming a flat rabbit pancake. The enormous soapberry landed squarely on his back.
Bai Xuci: “…” His rabbit legs twitched.
Before he could stand, the tray was pushed forward, and the soapberry demon distanced itself.
“???” The tray wobbled; his legs slipped.
“!!” His soapberry! It fell!
“Get down.” Fan Yue caught the large soapberry and scooped up the rabbit. He was much cleaner now. But… he furrowed his brow.
“Did you actually use the spiritual pool?” he asked calmly.
Bai Xuci, struggling in Fan Yue’s hands to retrieve his soapberry, replied curiously, “I did.”
Fan Yue condensed a small orb of light and pressed it to the rabbit’s head, examining it closely. The parched dantian showed no sign of nourishment.
“How did you use it?” he asked, his tone deceptively calm, holding the rabbit’s head with two fingers. It couldn’t move.
Bai Xuci was puzzled. How else could you use it?
“I washed my fur,” he said slowly.
“…” Fan Yue raised an eyebrow, lifting the rabbit by the scruff of its neck.
“That’s it?”
Bai Xuci’s four legs dangled. “That’s it…” His ears twitched, then straightened, expressing his confusion. Were there other steps? As he pondered, footsteps approached.
“Venerable Lord, I’m here as ordered,” a cold voice said.
Bai Xuci curiously turned his head, his eyes widening. This transformed being was beautiful, but he couldn’t tell what kind of demon it was.
“Mm, take him away,” Fan Yue commanded calmly.
Bai Xuci’s eyes widened again. Another handover?!
Fu Lin’s gaze fell on the “him” mentioned by the Venerable Lord.
“…”
“Venerable Lord, you—” his tone softened, but his expression remained cold. “Have me look after this…”
“Rabbit?”
Bai Xuci, still in Fan Yue’s grasp, felt unhappy. Was this species discrimination? His ears perked up defensively.
“Do I need to repeat myself?” Fan Yue’s tone didn’t change, but the pressure was palpable.
Fu Lin immediately bowed, respectfully explaining, “Of course not, I obey.”
Fan Yue was about to hand over the rabbit, but soft fur brushed against his fingers… He paused. He placed the rabbit back on the tray; Bai Xuci was bewildered.
“Yes, take him away like this.”
Fu Lin twitched his mouth but took the tray. Seeing Fu Lin’s unfriendly demeanor, Bai Xuci turned his back, swishing his ears. They glared at each other.
“How could the Venerable Lord like you?” Fu Lin said coldly.
Bai Xuci, leaving a proud rabbit silhouette, retorted, “The Venerable Lord doesn’t like you.”
Fu Lin stopped, rotating the tray, causing the rabbit to wobble.
“Who says that?!”
The loud voice made Bai Xuci’s ears twitch. Is this a toxic fan?
[The author’s note about the demon’s reputation is included here, explaining the author’s intent to contrast the demon’s initial power with the later protagonist’s greatness. However, this resulted in the demon’s reputation being so formidable that the contrast is ineffective. This led to the demon having a legendary status in the demon, cultivator, and human realms.]
[The author’s note explains the different responses to the demon in various realms. The cultivator and human realms initially revile the demon but ultimately fear its power. The demon realm worships the demon due to benefits from its awakening.]
Bai Xuci strongly suspected the demon was obsessed.
“I don’t know,” the rabbit head turned aside, a little guilty. (But inwardly he was thinking: I said it!)
Fu Lin examined the rabbit, his anger subsiding, replaced by bewilderment.
“Clearly a ‘funnel,’ why did the Venerable Lord pick you…”
Bai Xuci slightly moved his ears, suspecting he misheard. A funnel? Him?
“Are you talking about me—” he asked tentatively.
[“During the Divine Martial Era, our Venerable Lord was very…” etc.]
“…”
Forget it. Bai Xuci folded his ears, turning away in a sulky rabbit pose.
“Spiritual Herb Pavilion?” Bai Xuci, realizing his restriction was gone, transformed into human form, holding his tray, curiously asking, “Is this your territory…” It seemed plausible. He touched and examined the surroundings.
Fu Lin, watching him, narrowed his eyes, seeming to understand something.
“Have you left the mountain?” he asked seriously.
Bai Xuci, seeing the demon finally acting normally, replied, “No, but I’ve been to the foot of the mountain.”
Fu Lin’s expression became intriguing. “Don’t you think… an upper body of a demon and a lower body of a human… is more attractive?”
Bai Xuci looked up, recoiled, and said disdainfully, “Why don’t you transform that way?”
Fu Lin straightened, walked aside, and muttered, “No wonder…”
“It’s indeed strange.”
…