18. you look enticing

"You taste so-..."

Xiao Xiao shuts his mouth up with a spell, not wanting to hear the predatory comments that might cause her a heart attack.

Yes, she could have been born an artic rabbit, which is known to be taller and more fiercer with gifted strength than other types of rabbits, but it doesn't change the fact that they have weaker emotion endurance. Which could easily cause them a heart attack.

"Hmmpph!!"

He whines through the spell, looking at her with a pitiful face, eyes all big and doe, to which she gave him an answer with a gritted teeth that said "You either accept what you're given or I'll throw your body out there to the corrupted as a feast."

Wang Yi immediately quiets down with a pout, sneaking his face deeper on her body to show his dissapointment, attempting an cuddle embrace.

"He's just like a child...I don't know if I should be afraid of getting eaten by him or upsetting his immature feelings, but I'd rather keep his annoying mouth shut for now."

The teacher sighed, then pulled on a weak smile as she pats him on the head.

"Little, but cute..."

It's better for him to start looking more like his mermaid mother than that scum, this way I don't need to avoid looking at his face anymore.

Though never in a million years would Xiao Xiao expect that her rage and cruelty could cause a visible

hard-on on the boy, who's more than a decade away from her age.

--Meanwhile at that same time in village--

"Seriously how old are you, bunny boy? You look like you're 12!"

"I'm actually a hare, not a bunny..."

"What's the difference? Anyway since we're stuck here, might as well have a chat and get to know each other, yea?"

Ke La suggests, grinning.

"I'm close to 20, still 19."

"Oh boy, how you're so small~ very cute one, aren't ya!"

The older woman ruffles his curly hair, eyes shining.

"Hey! I'm the biggest hare in our species, haven't you heard of jackrabbits!!? So how dare you call me small!!"

Ke La, whose hand got pushed away by the hare, looks up and down at him, shrugging,

"Psh, you're still shorter than me."

"That's because you're older and I'm still growing!!! Ugh!"

"What? Hurts your pride? Then you better drink loooots of milk of other cow species and have a looot of sleep just like a baby that you are!"

She went to mother mode, pointing her index finger at him.

" Looking forward for you to reach my height, baby~"

"Auntie, just freak off, will you!!!"

He crosses his arms, annoyedly embarassed.

"Seeing you annoyed is so fun, hahaha!"

"You like Wang Yi but you do know he's, like, even younger than me, right? You guys are almost a decade apart!"

"He still looks way cooler and more mature than your bunny self, though. So I like him especially like that."

"Yeah, right. You've got not a chance, just a heads up."

He warns though she didn't seem to believe.

He then changes the theme, wondering,

" How's teacher Xiao Xiao like to the other female disciples by the way? We don't see her much in that aspect."

"Well, teacher is actually quiet admirable, yes, she's strict. Though I like that about her! You know she doesn't scold but softly explain and show us the right way which makes us stronger!"

"Are we talking about the same person!?? That teacher becomes a devil when it comes to scolding our ass off!! Boy, I've been hurt so many times,"

He cries at the memory, the pain lingering in his feelings.

"But she's so hot, so I'll forgive her for that~"

He then dreamily adds, cheeks pink.

She gags,

"No way, you can't be into mommy aunties, can you...!??"

"What's wrong with that? You're into teenagers, aren't you not? You're 25, right? 6 years ahead of me."

Zhenyi has a point.

"I guess you're right... I wonder why can't we like someone our age."

Zhenyi, having his dreamy face on, then makes a theory,

"Because It's nice to live an interesting rebellious life where you want to be with someone out of your league and go against the whole world while your love to each other only deepens through this process-"

"Oh, shut up! You don't need to explain me that. Let's just finish this mission as quickly as possible and return. There are still a few villages left to check."

---somewhere in the cave---

"Listen here, snake-"

"It's Yufeng."

"I'll still call you snake. Seems like you got a problem with a general, huh?"

Xie Hun inquires, noticing the annoyed voice of the youn1ger disciple.

"...I apologize. I'm all ears, general."

The serpent sighs, finding it hard to get used to the big tall wolf general now looking weak and even shorter than the disciple.

"That's what I thought! So the place we're heading off to is known to be a corrupted dream like demon, they are very good with playing our minds, making us see what we desire the most. So I want you..."

While the teenager general attentively explained, Yufeng just stares at the older, but in a younger form, as his mind starts to drift off.

I see why Wang Yi hates this man, his cocky personality stays the same.

This must be how he looked like when he was around my age, possibly younger even...it's unusual to see his body slimmer than mine when in reality he's a lot more muscular and toned.

Ah, not gonna lie, he looks more approachable like this, though personality hasn't changed. Still acting all tough like he has the upper hand with this pure youtful appearance on!

"...You get it? Absolutely do not-"

Before the general could finish his sentence, suddenly the cave went pitch dark. That obviously wasn't a problem for the two, because of their predatory gifted abilities, but nevertheless it caught them both off guard.

"...general?"

no response.

How- when did he !?? I don't feel his presence! Did he get taken away!?

Yufeng got alarmed, looking around the dark area with little to not being able to distinguish colors.

He seemed to be all alone.

Oh no,

Am I lost?

I swear this didn't look like the place I thought I was walking in! Or was it because I was too focused on the werewolf general that I lost track of sense!?? Arghh! This is all my fault and my stupidity... Quick, how to look for him?

Then suddenly a pleasant, almost addicting smell faintly envelops his nostrils as a distraction. Now forcing him to instictively follow where it's coming from.

"Something's smells really good...like fresh grass!!!"

The serpent excitedly takes steps towards the origin, already forgetting about his mission, wanting to quickly meet his paradise.

Snakes, such as himself, actually love overgrown vegetation and grass, and often burrow through loose topsoil. Snakes need moisture to stay cool and hydrated during hot summer days. That's why they're attracted to puddles, wet grass, sunken spots, and other stagnant water. The disciple was no exeption.

Xie Hun on the other hand didn't notice that the snake guy was gone, in fact he was next to him, but the older didn't know it was his illusion created by the dream demon.

"Yufeng, you can see in the dark, right? Don't panic, I'm here. You won't get hurt."

The disguised teenager reassures, holding onto the illusionary Yufeng by the shoulder.

"How come it's this dark...?"

The wolf blinks rapidly, energy slowly sinking down.

"Not good, my vision has gone weaker."

He then sniffs, trying to smell something odd for more clues but it didn't do much work.

This must have been a trap by the corrupted demons! Must be....I think we are already discovered.

Crap, I'm almost completely useless without my smelling ability.

He sighs inside but keeping cool on the outside,

"No, Xie Hun, remember you're highly trained warrior so this is nothing, you've met worse situations. I think I will be able to track them down and when they will attack us."

"Hey, you're not afraid are you, snake guy?"

Silence.

"You're with me, not?"

Xie Hun tries again, feeling rather strange.

Just before he was about to tug at the arm of the snake, he answers,

"Yeah, I'm here."

"...Good. How's your energy? Mine is slowly fading away, but that's not a big deal."

Just when the general said it, he feels his energy even more being sucked down till he almost can't recognize smell, failing to notice the smirk on the fake snake's face.

"Really? ...I didn't notice. Why don't we just go further, my friend? Maybe we will find that demon or whatever we are looking for."

Xie Hun for a moment keeps silent, but recovers,

"...sure, yeah. Let's go."

As they walked in silence through the dark cave, Xie Hun tries testing,

"Hey, I've never really asked, snake boy, but I've always been wondering. What do snakes such as you like to eat the most or like what's your favorite meal?"

The fake illusionary Yufeng made a thinking face,

"Well, just like others, obviously I love eating hamsters!!!!"

"Oh?"

"Ahhh, even thinking about it makes me starve. How badly they taste like heaven-"

Just when the intruder began dropping to finish what he was gonna say, out of nowhere the teenager in front of him appeared to become a much older yet unrecognizable man, with a scar on his one eye.

Then, an ancient style axe was thrown just beside his face, catching the fake off guard.

"A tip for you, an actor is not your sphere. For your information I'm also a general. So a low life like you calling me a friend? Two, know your place. You can't be considered my friend nor a human."

" but you can die the way you took other innocent souls cuz I'll personally help to eat you up."

The now mature general, despite losing some of his abilities due to the lack of energy, comments with a smug smirk, as he brings out his hand filled with Sun energy.

Watching the fake snake turn into their own original form, now body burning, calls out,

"Wait, STOP I CAN EXPLAIN!! Just not the- NO!!!-"

While the general was taking his time to professionally murder a predator,

Yufeng, on the other hand, was living the best time of his life. Not even realizing this was part of the illusion and trapping people in. He now was in his original snake form, he was chilling on the fresh grass and nature.

"Yufeng~"

A sudden womanly call, not too far away, awakens him.

"Huh? Who's calling me?"

"Yufeng!"

...that voice.

The serpent's eyes widen in happiness,

"Teacher!!"

While he wanted to rush to the source of voice, he turned into his human form, coming back to how he looked like previously.

No way, what was teacher doing here!! Did she come to accompany us!??

He thought once he caught a glimpse of her.

But for whatever reason, his teacher Xiao Xiao looked completely different.