Chương 13: Shishi
Biên tập viên: EndlessFantasy Translation
Flying Foxes were unique creatures. They did not possess a high level of cultivation and were less aggressive. But they were rare beings of light with extraordinary healing abilities. Their flesh and blood possessed a strong vitality, almost like elixirs.
Legend has it that consuming a piece of a mature Flying Fox's meat could raise people from the dead, drinking a drop of its blood could help bones to grow flesh. Having it meant having an endless supply of elixirs.
However, it was extremely difficult to tame a Flying Fox. It needed girls who were pure-hearted, kind, and beings of light. So people called it the guardian of the angels. Only angels deserved a Flying Fox.
Besides, Flying Foxes had a pair of observant, all-knowing eyes. They could read your mind and see the good and evil of your nature. No matter how good you disguise yourself, you could not deceive their eyes.
"Don't tell me you want to eat them for dinner!" Wutian's face darkened. He gripped the eager little thing and educated it, telling it that Flying Foxes were intelligent beings, that it should not make them a target because it went against Nature.
"Caw!"
The little thing struggled to get away, its eyes gleaming with light, saliva all over the place. It kept kicking its limbs, smacking his hands, but stopping short of biting him.
Wutian pressed it down with force and would not let it go no matter what. Otherwise, with the nature of this thing, the fate of that Flying Fox would not look good.
He looked around. The top of the cliff was about a square mile in area. Other than rows of pine trees and bamboo, there were flowers that emanated fragrant smells standing gracefully up here.
"That's the place?"
Wutian looked past the Flying Fox and saw a pond that was about thirty feet across. The water was crystal clear, growing with water lilies. Droplets on the leaves glittered in the light. The pink flowers were budding with grace and charm.
A quaint house was beside the pond.
Wutian was baffled, wondering why someone would want to live in such a remote place roaming with savage beasts. This pure land in the wild was incredible.
"Caw, caw!"
Little Tian kicked with its rear legs. It stopped struggling after a while when it saw that Wutian had no intention of letting it go. It patted Wutian's hand and gestured with its limbs, telling him to let it go and that it would not eat the Flying Fox.
But Wutian shook his head.
Little Tian rolled its eyes, raised its front limbs, and made some sounds, as though it was swearing.
Wutian was of two minds about it. He loosened his grip but kept an eye on it. If Little Tian did something stupid, he would grab it at the drop of a hat.
Little Tian felt it was unfairly treated, looking like a shriveled eggplant, listless and depressed. But it occasionally glanced sideways at the Flying Fox at the meadow, its eyes moving back and forth, seemingly contemplating something.
It stood up on two legs suddenly and gestured, using its hind leg to point at its crotch.
Wutian knew what this gesture meant; Little Tian wanted Wutian to keep the Flying Fox as a pet. It was a tempting proposition, no doubt about it. If he could keep the Flying Fox, it was akin to having a mobile dispensary. But he knew he did not possess any of the qualities that made the Flying Fox want to follow him as its master.
Little Tian seemed to have read his mind. It pointed at itself with one limb and at the meadow with another, then crossed its limbs, meaning it would go. If that thing did not comply, it would use force.
It even patted itself on the belly, telling Wutian that he would not hurt the Flying Fox but let it submit to him willingly.
Wutian could not resist the temptation. He thought for a moment, then nodded his agreement.
Little Tian's slender eyes narrowed and started drooling. It quickly wiped the saliva away, trying to hide his expression. But Wutian had noticed it.
"A leopard can't change its spots. I knew your intention." The blue veins in its skin began to bulge, and Wutian knocked it on the head. Little Tian rubbed its skull in pain, looking sad.
Wutian shook his head and ignored its expression. He got to his feet and walked to the meadow, wanting to try his luck. Who knows, maybe the Flying Fox might want to follow him?
Little Tian toddled behind him. Its sad face had disappeared, and its eyes brightened up as it saw the Flying Fox as a gourmet delicacy.
They were too conspicuous and alarmed the Flying fox as a result. It looked over with a pair of black pearl-like eyes, suspicious like a human. But after a while, it looked away and started to doze off.
Wutian was surprised. By right, the Flying Fox should have been alarmed when there were intruders. But it seemed that this thing could not have cared less.
He strode over, then bent down, trying to touch it. What surprised him was that this beautiful creature did not feel uncomfortable at all. It opened its eyes, listlessly glancing at him before going back to its little world.
Its fur glistened in the light, and silky smooth to the touch. Its body gave out a faint scent that was pleasant and refreshing.
"This thing has a strong vitality and healing ability!" Wutian exclaimed. By just inhaling its body scent, he could already feel his old wound and injury starting to heal. So, the legend was true.
A shadow with two rows of glinting steel teeth lunged at the Flying Fox. Wutian smacked his forehead; that thing never gave up. He grabbed Little Tian and punched it in the face, then reprimanded it before flinging it out and away.
"Hey, can you understand what I say?" Wutian sat on the ground, rubbing the white and smooth fur.
But the Flying Fox ignored him.
"What is this place? Is there anyone else here?" Wutian kept asking, trying to warm up to it.
The Flying Fox flicked its ears but still ignored him.
"Do you want to follow me? The outside world is a stunning place with beautiful girls and savory gourmet, so much more exciting than the dull life here." Wutian squeezed a smile. Since the death of his grandpa, he had never smiled until now. Just that it was too unnatural, looking worse than crying.
This time, the Flying Fox opened its eyes, shooting a sideways glance at this babbling stranger before looking away.
It looked like a proud princess, not giving a hoot to what Wutian said. It did not even bother to take a closer look at him.
"Caw, caw!"
Little Tian stood on two feet and gracefully walked like a gentleman up to the Flying Fox. It then pointed at Wutian's head and started gesturing.
At first, the Flying Fox saw the ugly Little Tian and ignored it. But after Little Tian gestured for a while, the Flying Fox appeared much friendlier and occasionally glanced at Wutian. At last, Little Tian stopped. The Flying Fox nodded its head lightly and made a pleasant shrill like an oriole.
Wutian's expression darkened. Judging from how the Flying Fox looked at him, he knew that Little Tian must have badmouthed him.
"Did you say bad about me just now, thinking I didn't understand your beast language, eh? You had better confess." He grabbed Little Tian's hind leg and held it upside down, wanting to teach it a lesson.
Right then, a pleasant voice much like the heavenly sound of nature came.
"It said that you were evil and had something wrong with your mind, that you wanted to eat Yi. So it asked Yi not to be deceived by your appearance."
Wutian was startled as a girl was scampering over with a flower basket. She looked about eleven or twelve, wearing a colorful dress, her eyebrows looking like a pair of a crescent moon on her beautiful face. A pair of ponytails were swinging around as she scuttled.
"Is this your pet? It looks a little weird, but still adorable!" said the girl to Wutian, dancing like a colorful butterfly.
Holding up Little Tian, she curiously studied it. On her pinky face were a pair of dimples.
"Caw, caw!" Little Tian protested, kicking with its four legs.
"How could it be possible? He is apparently a human while you are a Gobbler. You can't be his younger brother. Hey, little thing, it's not good to tell lies, you know?" The girl corrected Little Tian, her bright smile pure like an angel.
Wutian's face darkened. Shooting Little Tian a glare, he let it be for now and would educate it later on.
"Who are you, little girl? Why are you here?" asked Wutian.
This girl was no ordinary girl. Even Huoshi and others could not figure out the true identity of Little Tian. Yet she knew what this monster creature was at first glance and could communicate with it. This was something new.
"My name is Li Shishi. You can call me Shishi. This is my home. Naturally, I am here!" The girl's eyes were round and big, looking innocent and adorable.
"This is your home?"
Wutian carefully studied the girl. The appearance of an adorable girl like her in this beautiful place in the ancient forest was something strange.
"Yeah. I grew up here. Yi, too. It has been my company." Shishi squatted down to pet the fur of the Flying Fox. Her motion was gentle as if she was caring for her family member.
The Flying Fox gently snuggled up against her, looking intimate.
"Is there anyone else here?" asked Wutian.
"My dad will come to visit every new year. I will see him in three months and six days when the new year comes."
"What is your name? I saw you when you were coming up. Just that I had to take care of Flora, and so it had been a delay." Shishi looked up, her big round eyes glittering, looking like a unique beauty of the fairy.
Wutian could not imagine that such an innocent girl was living alone in this place. Not one or two days, but like for years. How could her father be so heartless and only coming to visit once a year?
Judging by the girl's tone of voice, he could feel her loneliness and her yearning to see her family. She was counting the day and waiting expectantly for the day to come.
"My name is Wutian. I apologize for the intrusion. If I have disturbed you, I will leave now." There was a smile on Wutian's face. It was genuine. It seemed that he and Shishi had something in common.
No, he was much luckier than Shishi. At least, his grandfather had been by his side for the past sixteen years.
Shishi had only met her family once every year for the past twelve years. How could a twelve-year-old girl endure such loneliness?
-- Nhận quà