The Grandmaster’s we Chapter206: Nie

Distracted, all of them only roughly reacted to it.

Nie felt weirdly nonexistent as he walked, as if they were looking at a mirage. He moved without any sound. An ivory mask without a face covered his head, and every inch of skin was hidden by cloth. The fabric fluttered a bit as he walked.

The tall man greeted them all with a nod and halted as he passed by Xie Yi.

His masked face lowered as if he looked towards Xie Yi’s sword and suddenly, he bowed low.

Xie Yi flinched but did not move, well aware that the courtesy was not intended towards him. As confusing as it was to see a deity show such politeness to his sword spirit, he did not have the mind to question it and anyway, Juxian was far beyond normal.

Nie’s voice was even and soft with an incredibly hypnotizing effect. Everyone flinched at the sudden sounds. “Is this your little one?”

No one dared to speak up. Both Xie Yi and Ying Hua moved to stand closely next to Shi Yue, who placed palms on both of their backs and watched Nie carefully.

Mingtian wandered around Nie in circles before stopping next to Xue Hua, their shoulders touching. Xiao Liang delightedly stretched a paw out. “Yes.”

Nie lifted his hand, taking the paw and rubbing a gloved finger over it. He was lowering himself a bit, stroking the cub’s head. “What is his na?”

“Su Liang”, Mingtian nervously babbled. “Like ‘unadorned’ and ‘clear’. Because he’s all white.”

Nie stopped unnaturally. His head tilted, then he reached out to pick up Xiao Liang.

The cub was beyond overjoyed. He began to howl, rubbing himself against Nie’s chest and burying his nose in the fur around the deity’s mask.

Everyone was silent. Xie Yi glanced at Shi Yue, whose worried expression was tense. Ying Hua leaned against his shoulder in comfort.

“Hmm”, Nie humd lowly. “It appears that the dominance of his bloodlines is different than yours, child. He will not grow up like this. It is good that you called .”

“What do you an?”, Xue Hua blurted out, tense. His face was pale. The hand he held Mingtian’s with tightened.

Nie continued talking at his own pace without hurry. “It can be resolved by a special diet. I will see to it that he gets the correct food. I guess I will have to stay around… If he is supposed to grow up fully, he will need the energy from bellflower fruits.”

“He can’t”, Mingtian interjected, confusion written all over his face. “We can’t chew those.”

Nie’s featureless mask slowly turned to him. “I have just ntioned that the dominance of bloodlines is different. You cannot. He is different.”

Mingtian tensed.

Shi Yue’s eyes lowered slightly; he had long suspected that Mingtian sohow had blood of a deity inside him.

The most relaxed out of the whole bunch must have been Su Liang, who was beginning to bite at the fur around Nie’s mask and growl playfully.

Nie stopped all movent for a few seconds, as if he had turned into a doll. Then he slowly reached up and under his chin.

The fur rustled as he slowly pulled the mask off.

Su Liang yipped happily and licked the face below it, untroubled by everything around him.

The one with the greatest shock on his face was Mingtian.

The man under the mask had darker, honey-coloured skin and bright golden markings that pulsed with light movents. The dark golden eyes were lowered and the ssy black hair fell over it.

If Mingtian had visibly animalistic features, then Nie was devoid of them. Yet, there was no denying that Mingtian was exactly like a younger version of the face before him.

Nie closed his eyes before moving them over to a gaping Mingtian.

His gloved fingers gripped the mask and held it out for Mingtian. “I have watched it all those years but by right, this would be yours to keep.”

The mont his fingers left the mask and it was fully within Mingtian’s grasp, a soft scent appeared on the white fur. It was both familiar and comforting, reminding Mingtian of what he had heard in the village when he was young.

Each species of spiritual beasts had their own rituals for mourning the dead.

For the avian types, it was to burn their bodies and let the ashes drift off in the wind, every single feather.

The canine beasts, though, would keep part the fur of their loved ones. Usually it would be the ring of thick fur around their necks, often made into blankets or as an accessory on clothes. 1Callback on Xie Yi keeping Mingtian’s fur when he was killed the last tiline :