บท 14: Disgusting Creatures

Qiu Ling's robes changed form once again. But this time, it weren't the robes of a daoist cultivator he donned, but rather a set of clothes convenient for ordinary people to move about in. Simultaneously, his hair turned as white as snow and his body aged, until his whole face was scrunched up in wrinkles.

Qiu Ling summoned a water-mirror and appraised his new appearance. He was trying to go for a 'sagely old man'-look. Someone, that seemed trustworthy and easy to talk to. A friendly grandfather kind of person. Even a child like Jing Yi should open up to such a person!

Qiu Ling picked up a branch, transformed it into a walking stick and made sure, nobody but Jing Yi was around. He let the spell surrounding him fall, so that mortal eyes might see him again, and stepped out from his hiding place. He slowly made his way over in Jing Yi's direction.

Some steps short of the shrub, he stopped. "Aiyo! What's this?" He bent down a little and tilted his head to the right. "Something seems to be sitting in this shrub! Could it be some small animal?"

The boy in the shrub tensed and looked around for the animal, that might attack him any moment. Qiu Ling pressed down a smile and took another step. Jing Yi couldn't see any animal and turned back to the old man.

Qiu Ling bent down a little further. "Oh! Isn't that a child?"

Jing Yi's eyes went wide. Is that grandpa talking about me?

"What is your name, little boy?"

Jing Yi hid in the shrub, not intending to come out and also not intending to answer the old man.

Qiu Ling didn't mind. Jing Yi hadn't talked much, since he learned how to talk. In fact, back in the nine heavens, Jing He had also been more quiet. Not talking was fine. He would just do the talking. Between them, it had been like that for most of the time. He was already used to it.

"Little boy, you should be careful! Did you know, that a terrible monster is living over there?" He vaguely pointed in the direction he had come from.

Jing Yi shook his head.

"Mn. There is, there is. Shall I tell you about it?"

Jing Yi tilted his little head and then nodded.

"Yes? Do you want to come out?"

Jing Yi didn't move, so Qiu Ling just sat down before the shrub.

"The monster isn't all that big. In fact, I think it might just be as tall as you."

Jing Yi lifted one hand to his head, as if to check how tall he had grown. He seemed a little more at ease, finding out, that he wasn't all that tall.

Qiu Ling nodded slowly like the sagely old man he pretended to be. "It's not tall, but it's fast! And that is even more troublesome. Do you know why?"

Jing Yi shook his head. He waited for Qiu Ling to continue, but just met with a calm gaze. Jing Yi debated, then crept a little closer. "Why?"

Qiu Ling bent forward and lowered his voice. "It's because they live in the earth and they are all muddy!"

Jing Yi's eyes widened. Muddy?! He remembered the girl from the day before. And there were monsters in the forest, that were even more muddy?!

Qiu Ling's lips twitched. If this was still the Jing He from the nine heavens, he'd never be able to dupe him like this! He should cherish this opportunity and brag a little about it, when Jing He came back from his trial.

Qiu Ling had to avert his face a little, so as to not let the boy catch this telltale sign of his lies. He coughed. "Yes, yes, indeed. It sounds shocking, no? Actually, they aren't that rare. They live nearly everywhere on this continent. And if one encounters them, it might lead to a disaster."

Jing Yi, who had just been thinking of the girl, of course thought of how her mother had scolded her, when he heard the word 'disaster'. It couldn't be, that he would get scolded, if he saw such a monster, right?

He anxiously looked at the old man. But his counterpart took his time and didn't seem that rushed to talk about that disaster anymore. He even seemed to be looking around. Was the monster already coming their way?

Jing Yi again crept closer to Qiu Ling. Now, just the length of an arm separated them.

Qiu Ling's fingers itched to grab him and take him into his arms, but he held back. Not only would he thwart his own plan like that, he might even make Jing Yi afraid of strangers and how would he approach him in the future then? No, no, he couldn't risk anything.

Jing Yi extended his small hand, bent forward and plucked at Qiu Ling's sleeve, before recoiling.

Qiu Ling pretended to be surprised. "What is it?"

"What … What disaster?", Jing Yi asked and blinked his doe eyes.

"Mn." Qiu Ling tried to look serious, while he just felt like pinching the boys cheeks. Ah, now he really wanted to know how his Jing He had looked as a child back in the nine heavens! So cute! "That … I told you, they are really fast. If you can't outrun them, they'll latch onto you and make you muddy, too!"

The boy sat there, thunderstruck. "They'll make me muddy, too?" Tears gathered in his eyes again.

"Ah, there, there." Qiu Ling didn't have to hide anymore and could placate him, so of course he'd use the opportunity. He reached out, wanting to pull Jing Yi into a hug. At the last moment, he reconsidered, patting his head instead. "You're such an obedient child, I'd be a bad man, if I didn't help you. I'll let you in on a secret, if you stop crying!"

Jing Yi tried holding back his tears, but still sniffled. "Will … will I not get caught by the mud monsters, if I know the secret?"

"Mn!" Qiu Ling nodded eagerly. "At least the possibility of being caught will be extremely low."

"Then … then what is it?"

Qiu Ling slowly raised a finger into the air. "It's about … girls!"

"Girls?"

"Mn!" Qiu Ling nodded again, slower this time. Lying to a three-year-old wasn't that hard, but he still wanted to be certain, that Jing Yi wouldn't notice anything. "You don't know this, but … in fact, all girls are transformed mud monsters!"

Jing Yi thought of the girl from the day before and … found quite plausible, what the old man said. Qiu Ling clasped a hand over his mouth, but his shoulders shook.

My beloved … how can you be so gullible? At least ask for proof!

Qiu Ling coughed again. "Well, now that you know, you probably know what to do."

Jing Yi shook his head. He really didn't understand!

"You … should stay away from girls! They are … such disgusting creatures!" Latching onto his beloved, vying for his attention and acting all cute, while he could only stand in the shadow and watch over him from afar. No! He wouldn't accept it! If he couldn't do that, then they couldn't, either! "If you ever see one approaching you, it would be best to run as far away as you can!"

Jing Yi nodded. Yes! Run away! He didn't want to get muddy! "Should I scream for help?"

"Er … No, better not." What would the boy say, if anyone asked why he was running away? No, he couldn't let him do that or his plan would be exposed! "You have to know, only mud monsters can recognize each other, if they are hiding in the form of a girl. If you scream for help, they'll immediately understand, that you know their secret, and they'll try to turn you muddy to shut you up."

Jing Yi shivered. How mean!

"So, it's better to just run away. And don't tell anyone else about that! You know, if they aren't careful enough and the mud monsters find out through them, that you exposed their secret …" He shook his head and pressed his lips together.

Jing Yi sat in front of him, stunned. That would be bad! No, he really couldn't tell anyone!

"Good boy." Qiu Ling patted his head again. "Just stay away from girls! Then nothing can happen to you …"

"What about my mommy?"

Qiu Ling blinked. "Your mommy?"

"Can I tell her?"

"No!" Qiu Ling panicked. It would be all over, if Madam Zhong found out! "You see … mud monsters only go after children. So … your mommy doesn't need to fear them. But if you told her and the mud monsters find out, they'd certainly be out to get revenge on you!"

"Oh."

"Mn." Qiu Ling nodded, satisfied. Jing Yi would certainly stay away from girls from now on. And since he was an obedient child, he also wouldn't talk about it, so there was no way, his ploy could be revealed.

Deceiving a three-year-old child was really … too easy.