Chapter 12 - Hui

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...

Lan Yue was the first to emerge from her thatched hut, the scent of roasted meat immediately catching her attention.

Her eyes widened when she saw the golden-brown pigeon, still steaming hot from the fire.

She couldn't suppress a small swallow as her stomach grumbled. It had been far too long since she'd indulged in something so savory.

"Yue, come over here!" Xie Ren called out to her. "You're looking a bit too weak. You need to eat some of this pigeon meat to replenish your energy!"

Lan Yue didn't need to be asked twice. She walked over, her movements casual but eager, and plucked a tender leg from the roasted bird.

Their relationship had shifted from senior-junior to master-disciple, but the familiarity and ease between them hadn't changed.

She took a big bite, and immediately, the rich, savory flavor spread across her tongue, making her smile in pure satisfaction.

"Master, where did this wild pigeon come from?" Lan Yue asked between bites, her curiosity piqued. "And why is it so large?"

Xie Ren paused for a moment, realizing he might've oversold the pigeon.

"I... I caught it at the foot of the mountain," he said, but quickly backtracked. "Oh, wait, no, I found it!"

He gave a sheepish grin, not wanting to paint himself as a bad guy. "Yeah it's quite large. Maybe it grew up feeding on spirit rice or something."

Though Xie Ren wasn't exactly a saint, he didn't want Lan Yue to think he was the type to kill for no reason.

Lan Yue, unbothered by the little white lie, continued to enjoy her meal. "It's really good. In the future, go out and grab a few more."

Xie Ren raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I didn't know Yue was such a little glutton!"

Lan Yue didn't take offense. She simply shrugged, unbothered. After all, enjoying food was a natural thing, especially for women. A little indulgence in meat every now and then wasn't something she needed to hide.

Just as Xie Ren was about to tear off another leg from the pigeon, a light, melodious voice interrupted them.

"Little Hui, Little Hui, is that really you? How could you just die?"

Xie Ren didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The unmistakable sound of Chen Yinyin's voice told him everything.

The familiar, sweet scent of roasted pigeon must've drawn her out of her hut. But who was this "Little Hui" she was talking about?

"Little Hui, my adorable Little Hui, my dearest companion, why did you leave me all alone?" Chen Yinyin's voice wavered with emotion, and Xie Ren couldn't help but smirk at her theatrical performance.

"Ha, you're really good at acting. If you want some pigeon meat, just say so! As your master, I'm not that petty. I'll let you have some!" Xie Ren chuckled, his tone teasing.

Chen Yinyin's performance was impressive. The way she held her body, the tearful look in her eyes, and the sorrow in her voice, all of it came together so convincingly that she could've been an award-winning actress on Earth.

"Acting?" Chen Yinyin snapped. "Scoundrel master! You killed my Little Hui, and you think I'm just putting on a show? Just wait until I kill you and avenge Little Hui!"

Xie Ren's smirk grew wider as he crossed his arms. "Oh? So now you've got a sore backside again, and you want me to give you another spanking? As for your Little Hui, do you have any proof? I say this pigeon is my Little Hui!"

Chen Yinyin's eyes blazed with fury, and she pointed at the pigeon's foot with a dramatic gesture. "Scoundrel master, look closely! Doesn't it have a little golden sign? And doesn't it say 'Little Hui' on it? That's the name I gave to the pigeon!"

Xie Ren, momentarily annoyed, glanced at the pigeon's foot. His eyes widened in shock.

How had he missed it? There, clearly engraved, was the golden plaque with the name "Little Hui" on it.

"Scoundrel master, now do you see it?" Chen Yinyin's voice rose with indignation. "I raised Little Hui with my own hands! Fed it, cared for it! How could you kill it? I'm going to avenge it!"

Xie Ren took a deep breath, trying to maintain his calm.

"Avenge it?" he scoffed, his smirk never faltering. "You'll have to defeat me first!"

Even though killing the pigeon felt wrong, his words were firm, and he stood his ground, despite the uncomfortable truth.

But at his challenge, Chen Yinyin's shoulders slumped. Her anger deflated and her head drooped in defeat. The pain in her backside still lingered, and she sighed in resignation.

"Little Hui, I'm sorry," she muttered, her voice soft but heavy with regret. "I can't defeat the scoundrel master right now. I can't avenge you yet."

With a final glance at the lifeless pigeon, she seemed to push the sorrow aside and, with surprising calm, grabbed another leg of the roasted bird.

She bit into it with an insatiable hunger, chewing without hesitation.

Xie Ren stood frozen, his mind unable to process the scene unfolding before him. This wasn't how he'd imagined it.

Chen Yinyin should've stormed off in anger, shouting her vows for vengeance, not casually devouring the pigeon she claimed to love.

"Y-Yinyin..." Xie Ren stammered, his confusion evident. "Isn't this your Little Hui? Your closest companion? How can you eat it?"

Chen Yinyin, mid-bite, shot him a flat look. "Scoundrel master, I raised Little Hui for years, of course I had feelings for it! But now that you've killed it, if I don't eat it, wouldn't that be letting you have all the meat?"

Xie Ren could only blink in disbelief as she continued munching on the pigeon leg, seeming unfazed.

She paused for a moment, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Little Hui, don't worry. The day I defeat the scoundrel master, I will avenge you. I'll put him on the grill and roast him just like this!"

The thought of that made Xie Ren shiver involuntarily.

Chen Yinyin gave him a playful, sidelong glance.

"You know, I might be a demon sovereign. But you are a scoundrel," she added, grabbing a bigger piece of meat and biting into it with relish. "Eat slower! Don't try to steal from me!"

Damn it! Xie Ren seethed with frustration as he glanced at the scene before him.

The bad deed was done, yet it was him, the one who'd killed the pigeon, who had gotten the least to eat.

Meanwhile, Chen Yinyin, who had been calling the pigeon Little Hui with every bite, was now sitting there, burping contentedly, as if she hadn't just mourned the bird's death.

Where was the justice in that? Xie Ren felt utterly wronged, like the world had conspired against him. His stomach growled, but all he had left was the bitter taste of defeat, while Chen Yinyin savored her meal.

"Scoundrel master, I'm going home! Little Hui must've been sent by my family to find me!" Chen Yinyin said, wiping the grease from her fingers as she stood up to leave.

"Wait!" Xie Ren called after her, standing up from his seat. "I'm your master! If you want to leave Taishan Mountain, you need my permission!"

"Master?" Chen Yinyin snorted, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Soon, that won't be the case. The biggest sect in Empyrean Cloud City, Profound Purity Sect, has opened its doors to disciples, and my family wants me to join them!"

"Profound Purity Sect? What is that? How dare they try to steal my disciple?"

"Profound Purity Sect is the only one-star sect in Empyrean Cloud Cityv, with over a thousand disciples," Chen Yinyin replied casually, her voice carrying a trace of pride. "The sect leader, Grand Ming, has reached the peak of Golden Core. Don't you think they're more than qualified to compete with you for disciples?"

"So what if they've a Golden Core stage?" Xie Ren scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Let me go down there and slap this Ming to death! I'll show them who's boss!"

Xie Ren wasn't about to let go of his disciple so easily, especially not when he'd worked so hard to take her in.

Chen Yinyin raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a playful smile. "Are you sure about that, Master?"

"What do you mean, am I sure?" Xie Ren snapped. "I'm going down there right now!"

"Yue, are you coming?" he called over to Lan Yue, his voice full of excitement.

Lan Yue hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Of course. Though your strength is impressive, Master, your mind isn't always in the right place. If I'm not by your side, who knows what might happen if Chen Yinyin tricks you?"

Chen Yinyin, however, was speechless. The thought of Xie Ren thinking he could actually slap Ming to death was borderline delusional.

Neither Lan Yue nor Chen Yinyin could bring themselves to care much about the situation.

But Xie Ren was practically vibrating with excitement as they made their way toward Empyrean Cloud City. After ten years of isolation on the mountain, he was finally going down.