Yin Hu stared at the sleeping Shui. A few days had passed since the whole debacle with Shao Yating and Cai Xuefang. A few days since he had to give a stern talking to to the little girl about following strange and foreign spirits.
No talking to random things. No walking into the forest by herself when anything beacons her. And most importantly of them all, no attempting to find him Buxom Spirit Won. How had she even known what buxom ant? He hadn’t ntioned anything about won since his arrival, sticking to his persona the entire ti.
Sohow he had slipped. He wasn’t sure when or where, but it had happened.
Yin Hu made a ntal note to be more careful.
The consequences of making another mistake could be deadly. He was confident that this world would not be pleased with finding out that he was pretty much an alien from another world entirely. He wasn’t sure what the proper na would be for such a being, but he was exactly that.
He could already imagine the experintations, cultivation equivalent of lab coats, grueso and unsanitary tools. Him being tied down by an army of cultivators. All of them using their Qi to charge a massive array that could take down a dragon much less him. Working in unison as a single whole. He had no shot to defeat an entire army of powerful cultivators from all walks of life that feared he was a threat to their existence.
Shui shifted in her bedroll. The girls had wanted to sleep outside of the tent and in bedrolls. It was the first night of no shadow, ink-like fog surrounding them like a blanket. They could actually see the night sky. Stars, moon, cots streaking by. All quite beautiful.
Imma have to keep an eye on Shui. I know for a fact she wasn’t listening when I was talking to her.
He also made a second note to keep Jun on her toes as well.
Jun was sitting next to the campfire. Pushing the burning pieces of wood back and forth with an absent mind. Probably overthinking another issue. Hopefully it had sothing to do with keeping Shui’s addiction to precarious situations in check. Though he doubted that.
Each girl had her issues.
It kept them busy and constantly finding trouble. It was just a matter of ti before the troubles arrived again. From the mont of his arrival all the way until he found Jun painted red from head to toe and cut a million tis.
For now though, this was a mont of silence. A break he needed. It had been quite chaotic so far that he seed to forget that he could just pause now. They were deep within the forest. Drawing closer to the Bleak Forests itself without anyone chasing them currently.
The only force he had been worried about had been Shao Yating and Cai Xuefang. Both of which were last seen running away.
It would buy them so ti at minimum.
Yin Hu had co to the decision that said ti would be used for him and the girls to rest and recover. Both ntally and physically. Shui still mumbled about Buxom Spirit Won. Jun’s eyes glossed over whenever they paused, imagining the fight scene and what she could have done better against Shao Yating. That wasn’t ntioning the bandages that wrapped her up like a mummy.
With a bow tie on her head. Shui’s little work once they needed to clean them.
Fuck. I don’t know how to raise girls! She’s starting to get interested in makeup and cute things?! Will she have a rebellious phase too? What the hell am I supposed to do with that?!
Yin Hu closed his eyes. He leaned back on his lounging chair. Taking long, deep breaths that filled his lungs with air. Exhaling very slowly. This was a mont of relaxation and recovery. He could worry about everything they were dealing with tomorrow.
Training. ntal developnt and shoring up their weaknesses. The Katas to get their ridians prepared would start tomorrow as well. More footwork training. More boxing lessons and adding a few kicking lessons as well. Using their weapons properly and figuring out what it ant to connect with the weapon spirit.
If they could learn to casually use them, they would turn into nukes quicker.
Yin Hu frowned. His initial goal had always been to make sure the girls beco said nukes as soon as possible. Not rushing the process, but keeping a sustainable but unrelenting pace to get them stronger. Yet, he had been having regrets.
He didn’t want them to beco nukes too fast anymore. Yin Hu actually cared about them now. He cleared his throat, opening his eyes and staring at the stars above them. There was enough sense in his brain to know that power gained too quickly was power that corrupted just as easily.
Whether that fact changed due to it being a cultivation world or not was beyond him.
Yin Hu could only work from the perspective that he knew well enough. That included a guarantee that power unearned was almost worthless in the eyes of its beholder. He knew he was being overly cautious.
Maybe it was okay. Maybe it wasn’t okay.
“Ancestor?” Jun said.
Her voice nearly startled him, but his constant practice of keeping his persona saved him. He turned to her silently. Nodding for her to continue speaking.
“When we get out of the forests and to the other side. What do we say? Where do we go? How do we convince people that we aren’t aiding Demonic Cultivators?”
An alibi? Jun’s right, we’re going to need one. Especially if my fears about the original Hu family being betrayed are true.
“I'm assuming you’ve been thinking about this the whole ti tonight?” Yin Hu asked.
Jun smiled and nodded.
“Go ahead. Let hear it all.”
“Well, the Righteous Sects right now aren’t actually righteous sects. Right?” Jun said with an expectant look. She was making a point. Slowly taking him along the ride of her thought trail to convince him of her final decision.
Yin Hu nodded.
“Mhm,” Jun’s smile was growing wider. “They’re actually the Neutral Bloc. Money motivated above all other things in general. Willing to sell their own families if the right price is offered, regardless of who is paying. In a lot of situations, they aren’t that much different than Demonic Cultivators on the bad end of things.”
“What are you suggesting then? They don’t seem easily convinced of strangers appearing and leaving them be. Especially if they will try to take advantage of the situation for their own personal gain.”
“I’m suggesting we act like a traveling rchant family. rchant cultivators!”
Yin Hu began to comb his beard. Thinking over her words carefully and what it would an for them. The longer he digested them the better they sounded. He had not even considered making an alibi. Just escaping the demonic lands and into righteous lands, everything else would take care of itself.
The biggest thing that struck him was the fact that they could basically launder his wealth through the fake cover up. Make all their inco legal and hopefully keep all the vultures away. Of course, he wasn’t going to be throwing cash around like an idiot.
He had so common sense after all.
“I have it all thought out in my head!” Jun said excitedly. She was bubbling, nearly jumping up and down while seated.
Yin Hu smiled at her enthusiasm. “Must have taken a while, huh?”
“A few days! I even thought of a business we mainly trade in, a backstory for us that fits the narrative and doesn’t sound weird, even a family na that would be perfect for us three to hide our identities! The Yin family. Like your surna, Yin. It’s perfect and even the truth. No high level cultivator would be able to tell if we are lying or not because, technically, we aren’t!”
Jun went on for the next few hours detailing her entire plan. Going over every single point in excruciating detail, and then adding so more just to be safe. A few things she thought up only at that mont of ti.
It did not end until she keeled over. Falling asleep. Yin Hu had to help her into her bed roll. Tuck her in.
While he could only return to his lounging chair. Get comfortable. And hope that this would be the day he could finally get a wink of sleep. He doubted it though. Shut-eye had not been in his wheelhouse for longer than he could rember. There was no indication he would suddenly end up falling over with drowsy eyes anyti soon.
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