17. Where is this!?

With Ziyun securely in his arms, Mo Yichen stepped out of the dimension, scanning his surroundings. The bloodthirsty wolves were nowhere in sight—except for one. Dead.

He let out a slow breath. 

Only now did he fully get to know that those weren't just any wild beasts; they were Qi Condensation Two-Star Beasts. And there were six of them. Six!! While he himself was at the same cultivation stage, taking on an entire pack alone would've been a one-way ticket to the afterlife.

Which is precisely why he had strategically retreated into his secret hole. We call it a tactical decision not cowardice (not!).

Alright, maybe a little cowardice but at least he is still alive.

Shaking off his thoughts, he crouched beside the lifeless wolf. With a flick of his wrist, a whirl of crimson energy spiraled in the air, creating a suction force.

Moments later, a translucent, unevenly shaped crystal floated out from the carcass and landed neatly in his palm. Mo Yichen's lips curled into a grin. "Ah, a Qi Two-Star Core! Not bad."

This little core crystal would provide him with enough amount of spiritual energy for a day or two—something he desperately needed right now. Without a second thought, he tossed it into his jade ring.

Then, he pulled out a crude, jagged knife made from a sharp rock.

"Ou..?" Ziyun blinked up at him, her large gemstone-like eyes brimming with curiosity.

Mo Yichen chuckled, puffing out his chest. "Haha! Watch closely, little one. Big brother is about to teach you the ancient art of surviving in the wilderness."

He set to work skinning the wolf. His movements were smooth, precise, his slender fingers gliding effortlessly as he peeled the hide away. If someone had witnessed the scene without context, they might have mistaken him for... a very unsettling butcher.

The process took longer than expected, but eventually, he held up the cleaned pelt like a trophy.

Feeling quite pleased with himself, he strolled over to a nearby pond, giving the hide a thorough wash. Once it was scrubbed clean (or at least, mostly clean), he spread it out on a rock to dry.

"See that, Ziyun? That's called resourcefulness." He flashed her a smug grin.

Ziyun just blinked, clearly unimpressed.

With a flick of his wrist, Mo Yichen conjured a small crimson flame, letting it dance lazily on his palm before carefully moving it closer to the damp wolf hide. The heat radiated steadily, and within ten minutes, the fur was completely dry—surprisingly smooth, too.

He nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad."

Next came the stitching. Using sturdy strands of twigs, he poked holes through the hide, threading them together with a level of craftsmanship that—if he were being honest—was impressive, considering his zero sewing experience.

When he was finally pleased with the shape and size, he turned his attention to himself.

Striding over to the pond, he crouched and began washing off the dirt, grime, and general regret from his body. Cold water rushed over his skin, sending a pleasant chill down his spine. He ran his fingers through his raven-black hair, untangling the knots formed from days (or was it weeks?) of rough living.

Once he was thoroughly scrubbed clean, he slipped into his makeshift hide.

And by the heavens, it was warm.

Mo Yichen let out a small, nearly scandalous groan of pleasure before immediately coughing to cover it up. "Ahem. Very practical and efficient."

Ziyun, his little white furball of judgment, blinked up at him.

Mo Yichen ignored the unimpressed stare and got back to work without much of resting. He gathered some firewood, stacking them neatly before lighting another controlled flame.

With precise movements, he cut the meat from the dead wolf, laying it out over the fire. The scent of slow-roasting meat soon filled the air, making his stomach growl in betrayal. He threw in a handful of wild herbs he had picked earlier.

As the meat sizzled, Mo Yichen felt a persistent stare drilling into the side of his head. He turned his gaze downward.

Ziyun sat perfectly still, fluffy paws placed neatly together, her big, round gemstone-like eyes locked onto the roasting meat with the focus of a predator.

Mo Yichen smiled looking at his adorable foxy.

The little dumpling tilted her head, ears twitching innocently.

With a small chuckle, he pulled off a juicy, fragrant piece, sticking it onto a dry twig before offering it to her. "Here, this is for you."

Ziyun lifted her tiny paws, holding onto the skewer as she cautiously sniffed the meat. Mo Yichen watched like a concerned chef presenting his dish judgement.

Seconds stretched.

Then, finally, a small bite.

Ziyun chewed slowly.

Mo Yichen held his breath.

Then—her ears perked, eyes lighting up as she took another bite, faster this time.

He exhaled in relief. "Hah! See? Big Brother's cooking isn't so bad!" He threw another piece of meat onto the fire, roasting one for himself now that his esteemed judge had given her approval.

After a satisfying meal, Mo Yichen leaned back, rubbing his now-full stomach. He sighed contentedly, watching the fire crackle.

Beside him, Ziyun was curled up into a little white dumpling, already fast asleep, her tiny belly rising and falling with each peaceful breath.

Just as Mo Yichen was about to lie down and embrace his first decent rest in ages, his keen senses picked up something—

His body tensed immediately. His sharp gaze turned toward the rustling bushes, ears picking up muffled voices.

Carefully, he stood up, moving with the silence of a shadow, his bare feet barely making a sound against the dry soil. He crept forward, following the noise, until he found himself peering from behind a tree.

And there—crouched down, enthusiastically digging in the dirt—was a person.

Mo Yichen narrowed his eyes. A human? Here?

The figure muttered, "Does it have four pink petals?"

Another voice, annoyingly familiar, responded, "Yeah! Hurry up and be careful when you dig it up!"

Mo Yichen's brows furrowed. Wait a minute. That voice… He knew that voice.

He silently stepped closer, eyes locked onto the digging figure. Then, just as the figure turned around—

"AHHHHHHH!"

"AHHHHHHH!"

Two identical screams shattered the peace of the forest.

Jing Yu, the small, wide-eyed culprit, toppled backward in terror. Mo Yichen, caught off guard by the sudden shriek, also lost his balance and crashed onto the ground with him.

For a moment, both lay there, blinking at each other, processing what just happened.

Finally, Mo Yichen pushed himself up with a scowl. "What the hell are you doing here, Jing Yu?!"

Jing Yu sat up, still looking half-terrified, half-confused. Then, his eyes landed on Mo Yichen's "unique" attire—a poorly-stitched wolf hide, and ripped, dirt-stained pants that had seen better days.

A moment of silence.

"Brother Mo…?" Jing Yu blinked, his tone hesitant, as if not quite believing his eyes.

Mo Yichen's expression stiffened.

Jing Yu's gaze slowly traveled from the hide… to the uneven stitches… to the barely-holding-together pants.

Mo Yichen could practically see the judgment forming in his eyes. Jing Yu can you be a little subtle!?

Heat rushed to his face as he swiftly turned away, biting his inner cheek. AHHHHHHHH! THIS BIG BROTHER'S IMAGE IS RUINED BEYOND REPAIR!!!

A dim, flickering glow emitted from the round stone in Jing Yu's palm, casting glow over his face. A familiar, grumpy voice crackled through the Transmission Pearl.

"Mo Yichen...? Is it Mo Yichen?!"

Mo Yichen's eye twitched.

Jing Yu, beaming like a fool, held the Transmission Pearl closer.

"Yes, Master! I found Brother Mo!!" he declared, his voice brimming with enthusiasm and absolutely zero awareness of someone glaring at him.

Mo Yichen's eyes narrowed at the glowing stone, and he clicked his tongue. "Tch. Is it that old geezer?"

A sharp intake of breath came from the other end.

Then—

"YOU LITTLE TROUBLEMAKER! WHERE WERE YOU?!"

Mo Yichen visibly recoiled at the sheer volume.

Jing Yu's robes fluttered slightly, as if hit by the old man's sheer rage through the transmission.

"This master has been waiting for you!" the voice continued, laced with pure, undiluted annoyance.

Mo Yichen let out a sneer, crossing his arms lazily. "WAIT A DAMN MINUTE! Since when did I take YOU as a master, huh?!"

Silence.

Jing Yu gulped.

The air thickened.

Mo Yichen leaned forward, smirking. "Did you forget the bet, old man?"

More silence.

"IT WAS ME WHO WON!" he intentionally shouted loud! "Which means you should be calling me Master!"

Jing Yu winced 'There it is again!!'

"YOU LITTLE—"

"Alright, alright, it doesn't matter who's the master," Jing Yu quickly jumped in, arms flailing like a desperate peacekeeper.

Mo Yichen and the old man both scoffed.

"—but it does matter."

"—obviously matters."

Jing Yu ignored them.

"Now that I've found Brother Mo," he continued smoothly, desperately trying to move the conversation along, "I'll bring him back!"

Before either of them could argue the glow from the Transmission Pearl vanished.

Jing Yu swiftly shoved it into his pocket, wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead.

Mo Yichen narrowed his eyes at him.

"...You cut him off?"

Jing Yu grinned innocently.

Mo Yichen sighed before giving Jing Yu an approving nod. "Good work." Without another word, he turned on his heel, making his way toward Ziyun, who had already woken up.

The little fox lay lazily in the distance, her bright purple eyes half-lidded in boredom as she observed them.

Jing Yu blinked. "This is…?"

Mo Yichen's face lit up with a grin, the kind that practically screamed, Isn't she adorable?

"Ah, this is Ziyun, my contract beast."

Jing Yu let out an underwhelmed 'oh,' staring at the tiny white fox.

Meanwhile, Ziyun didn't even spare him a glance as she coiled in her owner's warm arms.