Chapter 36- Mom Went To Buy Some Milk While Dad Is Still Buying Cigarettes.

Inside a shack atop mountain number 2, an old man sat beside a bed hosting a young man. The young man's face looked distressed.

The old man, Xing Hu had a wry smile on his face. He did not, for even one second, ever thought that this young man over here would cause his friend, Nid, to leave.

He and Nid were quite close. He "watched" over her for over one hundred years now after all. They were bound to form a relationship after a while. Though, Long Ren's two years of meeting eclipses his greatly.

It was evident that Long Ren and Nid's relationship isn't just friendship. His not being afraid of her played a huge role in their blooming relationship.

Although 100 years had passed, Xing Hui still, deep down, fears Nid. She did not belong to this world, her existence is an impossibility, and he feared what she will do to him, no, to the clan, had he pissed her off even once.

That served as a blockage towards their relationship, doomed to never pass the stage of close acquaintances. And Long Ren did not have such a problem.

Xing Hui felt quite jealous of Long Ren. His growth surprised him. Sometimes he wonders what would happen had he not feared her and formed a relationship with Nid, maybe he would grow strong fast as Long Ren did.

Alas, it was but the past. She left.

As Xing Hui reminisces of the past one hundred years of his now seemingly useless existence, the boy, Long Ren, opened his eyes slowly.

As clarity gathered in his mind, He gasped up and searched around.

"Wheres Nid?" he shouted.

"She left. You know that." Xing Hui answered. Though he did not personally see her leaving, a giant portal of such power appearing above her den indicates enough.

Long Ren eyes dimmed in disbelief. "Did she really just fucking left after saying all that?! I didn't even manage to say goodbye…or thank you!" Long Ren shouted, a bit desperate.

"Well, she didn't even say anything to me even though we've known each other for 100 years." Xing Hui chuckled wryly.

Long Ren showed a wry smile as well, he did not know what to do right now.

"Don't worry, we were never that close, but what did you do to make her leave?" Xing Hui asked.

"Haah…apparently these past two years with me reminded her of her kids, so she decided to get them back, whatever that means. She never told me anything…I guess we were never that close too…" Long Ren said, a bit sad.

He wanted to at least say his thanks and goodbyes, maybe leave her something like a jar of chocolates. Goodbyes should be a two-way street, not…this.

Long Ren sighed as he reminisce about their 2 years together. As strict as she was, Long Ren really enjoyed her company.

He could joke around with her a lot. He could learn a lot from and with her. He could…

But alas, she is now gone.

But then, Long Ren realized something. "Now that she left, what would the clan do?"

"Hmm. The clan would do nothing. We weren't able to do anything to her before, and now that she's gone, that's one less variable for us to worry about." Xing Hui said.

He then took out a bottle and handed its contents to Long Ren. Seeing this, Long Ren shook his head.

"No thanks, I don't need a pill for just this. I'll sort this out myself." Long Ren said, rejecting the pill Xing Hui offered.

Xing Hui squinted his eyes but nodded. "Okay, just remember to take the [Clear Mind] pill with Xing Lao after you return."

"..."

"Why? I don't see the use of taking that. You've been feeding me this every day for two years…Can we just, stop?" Long Ren asked.

Xing Hui shook his head. "No, this is a clan tradition."

"...Ok." Long Ren said meekly, a bit tired.

…

8 days passed since then. Long Ren and Xing Hui had said their goodbyes long ago. Long Ren will return to the clan and resume his position as Xing Lao's disciple, while Xing Hui would receive a new job from the clan.

The moon shone brightly as it reflected the sun's rays toward Long Ren's open window.

Inside the well-lit room, Long Ren stared at his back, all tattooed.

Nid engraved them on his back, saying it was something she engrave on every one of her students. He traced them slowly.

The tattoos formed the shape of two tiger's tail. Black and White, intertwined with each other while forming a rift in the middle. A spot for a tiger's claw marking. Her claw marking.

Back then, his body would shiver, remembering the pain Nid gave him, but now…all he remembered were the good times he and her shared.

'Mom went to buy some milk huh.' Long Ren chuckled dryly. He didn't know what to feel, even after 8 days.

He then remembered his interaction with Xing Lao right after returning. He asked him why he needs to take those pills, only to receive "tradition" and "for his greater good" as an answer.

This made him remember the favor Nid asked of him as she engraved the tattoo.

He didn't quite get why or if he should follow through with her favor back then, but now that she's gone, that's the least he would do.

Her favor was not hard nor annoying by any means. She only asks him, whenever she's not around, to channel his qi into those tattoos on his back, producing some type of energy inside his body, which he needs to guide into his head after he consumed a [Clear Mind] pill.

He had tried doing it before, and it did help him refresh his mind, as if he consumed a [Clear Mind] pill, but better. They didn't leave a weird aftertaste like the pill.

He followed through with her favor at the first pill. This made him realize the oddities his Master spouted. Too much loyalty to the clan…

Something felt off, but he could not quite put his finger on it. Though, he put that at the back of his mind, as more important matters are present.

The Cube.

He willed inside his mind and the cube followed. It materializes on his right palm.

A crystal clear, 5x5cm cube.

It was the only other thing of his tattoos that is physically related to Nid.

She gave it to him when she departed, for reasons Long Ren could not comprehend.

He tried playing with the cube several times, but none of them bore fruits. He tried injecting his qi, and it absorbed it, but nothing happened even after his whole qi was depleted.

He tried smashing it, hoping it to be a mystery egg of some sort, only to be left impressed by the cube's sturdiness.

He tried throwing it far away and willed it to appear back on his palm, it worked.

It, in all its glory, only served as an indestructible throwing weapon he could retrieve at any moment.

Quite good, yet, Long Ren believed it serves a more fulfilling purpose. She looked happy when the cube merged with him, that should mean something.

A tracker perhaps. Something she could use to pinpoint Long Ren's location whenever she wants to.

That would imply she wants to meet with him again after some point in the future. Maybe after all she resolved all her troubles. That made Long Ren happy.

Or maybe it's a protection talisman, much like what Xing Lao, his Master gave him. That made Long Ren feel warm all the same.

No matter.

Even if it was just a simple rock, Nid gave him this as their parting gift. That alone served a good enough reason for him to hold it dear.

~~~

(A/N: Milk is good for a growing boy's body UmU)