Furball 4

"His name was Sheng Li. He came here last time and told me to guard this mainland. He entrusted me the job, that's why the ghost qi around here hasn't been spread to other town yet. You hear me? That's my doing!" He babbled proudly but stopped when he realized that he was being stared by the other three with a strange expression on their faces. "What? What's wrong?"

An Zhengnan choked on his breath. "S—Sheng Li?"

"Yeah!" Furball's eyes widened. "Do you know him?" He asked full of hope.

Ouyang Xueqing pursed her lips. "The fact is, there's no one in this world that didn't know Sheng Li, he was the strongest human ever exist as well as the one that stopped the Great War with his four generals."

Ling Xiaochen interjected. "Wait, wait wait!" She hold her forehead as if she was hit by a huge headache. "So, the gloomy brat you're talking about is Sheng Li? And the four little brats following behind his back is the legendary Four Generals?"

Furball scratched his head. "I…guess so? Why are you all so shock?"

"Well, because Sheng Li and the Four Generals disappeared abruptly after The Great War. No one had ever seen them since then."

"Huh?" Furball blinked. "So, he disappeared?" His shoulder dropped in disappointment.

Ouyang Xueqing patted him in encouragement. "Don't be sad, Furball."

"No, I'm not!" He rebuked with teary eyes. "But then, I'm very sure that the one that woke me up today is that brat Sheng Li, but it turns out to be you."

Ouyang Xueqing was dumbfounded. She understood his words, but when it formed a sentence, she felt like she had heard a foreign language. "Huh?"

"Oh, haven't I told you?" Furball purred and rubbed himself on her cheeks. "I'm getting a very familiar vibes from you. Like Sheng Li's. It is very similar that I mistook him as you."

Then, he dropped a bomb. "Are you his reincarnation?"

"WHAT?!"

"Argh, don't yell!" He cried out as he rubbed his nonexistent ear that was apparently buried under his fur. "My ears are sensitive!"

 "Oops, sorry." Ouyang Xueqing lowered her volume down and grinned sheepishly. "It's just what you said is very ridiculous. Me? Sheng Li's reincarnation?" She snorted. "Sheng Li is very much alive, he has only disappeared for a thousand years."

"I am just asking." Furball rolled his eyes. "I don't care whether he is alive or not!" But everyone could clearly see that he cared for Sheng Li even if he tried to act nonchalant. If not, he wouldn't save Ouyang Xueqing's life.

They fell silent. The information was too much that it needed some time to process. Especially Ouyang Xueqing, the furball that she picked up from underground turned out to be a guardian of this land that was entrusted by Sheng Li himself.

She felt giddy for some reason, like she was slowly opening layers of secret door that contained the mysteries of this universe. She was scared yet excited to see where she stood amidst them all.

***

Just like what Furball said, the ghost qi all seemed to be afraid of him for some reason unbeknownst to them. At first, Ouyang Xueqing didn't understand clearly, but upon knowing that he was the one that had been in contact with Sheng Li a thousand years ago, it all became logical somehow.

Sheng Li was never wrong! The person he trusted too, should be trustworthy with great capabilities.

Just by Furball yapping here and there, berating the ghost qi like some kind of strict teacher and lectured them on the joy of returning to the path of reincarnation which sounded so much like bullshit to her, slowly, the originally thick black mist decreased rapidly before slowly faded away.

Light began to shine on Ghost Town, the cloudy depressing sky vanished and replaced with clear, blue sky. Even the air was fresh and relaxing.

On the dawn of their third day, finally the ghost qi had been completely eradicated from Beast Mainland.

There were rows of people waiting for them on the border of the town. They were the knights as well as the original citizens of Ghost Town that was so moved of seeing their town reverted to how it originally was.

When Ouyang Xueqing, An Zhengnan and Ling Xiaochen emerged, they cheered with all their might.

"Welcome back, Princess, Captain An, Miss Ling!" The Imperial Guards all kneeled down on one knees and saluted respectfully. Following that, the citizens behind also kneeled down.

Ouyang Xueqing was flustered from seeing people kneeling to her one by one.

"Rise up, everyone!" She demanded hurriedly. "Aiyah, don't need to kneel ah!"

"Princess, thank you! Thank you very much for saving us!" Because one person started, in the end the cheers grew louder, some even kowtowed with tears streaming down their faces. "Thank you, Princess! We owe you our lives!"

Ouyang Xueqing sighed exasperatedly. She knew that she couldn't told them to stop no matter what so she just smiled and nodded to accept their heartfelt thanks. At that moment, a white small fur poked out from her sleeve. "Humph! Even when I'm the one that do all the job!"

"Sssh!" Ouyang Xueqing hurriedly pulled her sleeve. "We had promised that you won't show yourself in front of public!"

Furball bounced around inside her sleeve. "I know! I won't get caught!" It was so ticklish that she almost couldn't hold back her laugh.

On their way back to Valley Town, for safety reason and so that Furball will not create chaos because of his appearance, he had turned himself even smaller than he originally was until he could even be mistaken as a speck of dust.

Who knew what chaos would ensued if a beast with extraordinary exorcism power who was appointed by Sheng Li to be a guardian of this mainland suddenly emerged from Ghost Town and followed the Princess home by a mere bribe of delicious food?

Better not let people know, then!

They passed through the crowd with the help of the knights and arrived at the inn. Ouyang Xueqing felt so tired that she could almost passed out just by sleeping. She longed for nothing than a soft bed after a warm bath.

But then, there was something else that she needed to do.

Despite feeling tired and filthy to the bone, they shuffled toward Ren Yupei's room that was still guarded by two Imperial Guards. It was An Zhengnan that asked first. "Any problem?"

They saluted. "Reporting to Captain An, he hasn't awaken yet since the day of your departure. His fever has broken, but for some reason, it will always come back the day after. He had stabilized for now."

He nodded. "Good job. You're dismissed for now."

"Yes, Captain!" With trained movement, they bowed and marched downstairs, leaving the three of them alone.