The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 87: This Seat Does Not Wish for You to Take Any More Disciples

Like a gust of wind, Little Dragon came and went swiftly. In the time it took to brew a cup of tea, he darted back in through the window, shouting loudly, "Found it, found it! There are so many traces of magic in this inn, wahaha!"

"Little Loach, you're shouting so loudly, are you afraid that the neighbors can't hear you?" Mo Ran leaned over the table, extending his finger to stroke Little Dragon's body. The dragon's tail flicked, slapping against the back of his hand, but as it was made of paper, it didn't hurt at all; instead, it was a bit ticklish.

"You annoying pretty boy, don't touch This Seat. I'm not married yet, and if you touch me like this, how will I be able to live on as a dragon?"

Mo Ran burst into laughter. "What? You, a paper dragon, want to get married?"

"Wow! Pfft! Pfft! You're the one made of paper! Vile creature!"

"Why do you also call me a dog thing? Are you, perhaps, surnamed Xue?"

"My surname is Xue? Hmph, how ignorant you are, boy. I am the unparalleled and renowned Dragon of Torchlight, who illuminated the world at the dawn of time. When I open my eyes, it is day; when I close them, it is night. My breath brings summer, and my inhalation ushers in winter. I bear the name Candlescorn, unchanging through all actions and rest!"

"…I don't understand."

"Wahhh!" The little dragon spun around in anger, using its two-finger-wide head to bang against the candlestick. The flames flickered, and the red wax trembled. Mo Ran hurried to support it, but as soon as he reached out, the little dragon chomped down on his hand—fortunately, its paper teeth caused no pain or irritation. With a tug, Mo Ran threw the Candle Nine Yin by its tail to the side, where it slapped onto Chu Wanning's chest and hung limply there, defeated.

"Chu Wanning." The little dragon weakly lifted one of its whiskers and feebly poked at Chu Wanning's clothing, "That rascal struck me."

Chu Wanning had no patience to indulge him in idle chatter. He pulled the man down and casually slammed him onto the table. "What kind of barriers are outside?"

"Hmph, do you dare to address this sovereign as 'Dragon Prince' three times? If you do, I shall—"

Chu Wanning gazed at him coldly. "Speak."

"..."

Infuriated by the insult, the little dragon puffed up, its dragon whiskers pointing skyward, and its tiny green eyes glared furiously at Chu Wanning. The noble dragon's mouth hung open as it panted heavily. After a moment, it actually spat out a large mouthful of ink.

Chu Wanning narrowed his eyes. "If you keep wasting ink, I'll burn you to ashes." He reached for the dragon's tail, pretending to lift it over the fire. "I'll make you into a real Torch Dragon."

"Alright, alright! You're amazing! You win! I'll talk, I'll talk, okay? Seriously!"

The little dragon spat several times, spattering more ink droplets, and grumbled under its breath, "So fierce, no wonder after all these years, you've never had a mate whenever I see you!"

"Eh?" Mo Ran blinked, secretly observing Chu Wanning, and said with a mischievous grin, "Didn't Master say you have a wife?"

"..." Chu Wanning paid him no heed, his sword-like brows furrowing in a stern expression as he barked at little dragon, "Always so talkative! Hurry up and write!"

"Hmph! Odious man!"

Pfft! Plonking himself down onto the already-prepared rice paper, Little Dragon coalesced ink essence within the pads of his claws, grunting and groaning as he drew out a squiggly, haphazard array of talismanic strokes resembling a dog's crawl.

No wonder he couldn't directly recount what spells he had seen, for the Paper Spirit's cognitive abilities were limited. It could not discern the original incantations merely from residual traces. All it could do was replicate what it had witnessed. Fortunately, Chu Wanning possessed sharp perception. With his eyes lowered, he slowly uttered the names of each spell.

Little Dragon traced a crescent moon in the air.

Chu Wanning: "Calm Mind Incantation. There's someone here suffering from insomnia."

The little dragon drew a pattern resembling the Big Dipper constellation.

"Starward Spell. Someone has set up an alert and defensive formation here."

The little dragon then drew an image of a rouge box.

"… Radiance Restoration Spell."

Mo Ran burst out laughing and raised his hand. "I know this one. It's the Butterfly Bone Beauty Spell, right? For young ladies to enhance their beauty at night?"

Chu Wanning remained silent, seemingly vexed that all the drawings so far had been insignificant traces of magical spells. He tapped his slender fingers twice on the wooden table and frowned. "Draw another."

Little Dragon drew a heart.

Mo Ran was puzzled. "What's this?"

"It's the Purification Spell," Chu Wanning said irritably. "Useless. Someone's just meditating. Draw the next one."

With a grumble, Little Dragon drew a dog's head.

"......Taming Spell......" Chu Wanning held his forehead. "You, choose the important ones. No more face masks, dog tricks, or lullabies. Next."

Little Dragon huffed. "You're really picky!"

"Draw!"

Afraid of being thrown onto the candle stand and becoming a real "Torch Dragon," the paper dragon reluctantly used its two tiny claws to sketch another pattern on the paper – a very complicated formation that seemed mysterious and profound.

"It seems to be two circles, then a cross over them, followed by a vertical stroke piercing through. It's reminiscent of the Yin-Yang and Eight Trigrams." Mo Ran's eyes widened. "Shifu, could this be the mysterious person's...?"

"Not so," Chu Wanning said with a quick glance, a twinge of pain creasing his brow. "It's Voice Transmutation."

"Oh? What does it do?"

"For those born unsatisfied with their voice or with other needs to alter it, Voice Transmutation can accomplish that. It's not a particularly difficult spell." Chu Wanning paused before continuing, "But using it excessively can damage the throat, often making it difficult to regain one's original voice... This spell is rather peculiar. I wonder who might be using it."

Upon hearing this, Mo Ran chuckled. "I see. Then it's not strange."

Chu Wanning sighed, about to move on to the next symbol when he suddenly froze, as if something had struck him. His eyes clouded with thought, and he turned to look at Mo Ran.

"What's not strange about it... Do you know something?"

"What could I possibly know? I just think it's normal for someone to be unhappy with their voice. Maybe it's Miss Song; perhaps her voice was originally rough and unpleasant, and she wanted to make it more melodious?"

"..." Chu Wanning waved his sleeve dismissively. "You're always lost in wild imagination." He then turned to little dragon. "Look at the next one."

Little dragon drew a heart.

Mo Ran exclaimed, "Oh, didn't Master say we don't need to draw the Calming Mantra anymore?"

"Shut up, you little brat. What do you know?" The little dragon glared at him angrily, then slapped its tail forcefully, leaving an ink stamp on his heart. It then rubbed it around, dyeing the entire heart black.

"What's this? The Black Heart Mantra?"

Chu Wanning seemed slightly embarrassed, pausing before he replied, "No, it should be the Enamored Mantra."

"And what's that?"

"It's similar to the Love Devotion Pills sold by the Xuan Yuan Society," Chu Wanning said. "It bewitches one's mind, making them develop affectionate feelings towards the person who uses it. Something like that. It's usually used by women."

Mo Ran's eyes widened in surprise. "No way? Could it be that... Song Qiutong had something to do with it?"

"How would I know about such matters?" Chu Wanning seemed annoyed as he swept his wide sleeves. "Why bother interfering with other people's romantic affairs? If they want to mess around, let them be."

"But, Wanning, aren't you interested in this Love Spell at all?" The little dragon swished its tail happily. "I think this enchantment is fascinating. If you're willing to call me 'Dragon Prince' three times, I'll..."

Chu Wanning's gaze darkened menacingly. "Shut up and draw the next one."

"Hmph! You'll regret this!"

"Are you going to draw it or not?"

But the little dragon refused to draw any more. It plopped down and scratched its belly with its tiny claws.

Chu Wanning said coldly, "What's the matter? Is there no ink left?"

"Silly, there's no more array," the little dragon rolled its eyes. "We've drawn so many spells already, and you still want more? That's it, that's all there is. Apart from these, this inn is clean—there's no other magic here."

Upon hearing this, both Chu Wanning and Mo Ran's expressions changed slightly. Mo Ran asked, "That's it?"

"Yes, it is."

Chu Wanning inquired, "No spell for measuring spiritual roots?"

"Nope."

The two master and disciple exchanged a glance, both looking somewhat incredulous. They knew that if that mysterious person wanted to find new spirit essence through the Xuan Yuan Assembly, they would have left a measuring charm on the Divine Weapon. But now, the Divine Weapon seemed spotless, without any attached spells—could it be that they had misunderstood from the beginning? Was the appearance of this strange blade unrelated to the mysterious person?

The little dragon, noticing their silence, suddenly soared into the air, circling around them while whining, "Hey, pay attention to this deity! It's exhausting for me to draw these images. Anyone here to give this deity some applause?"

Perhaps Chu Wanning was already annoyed, so at the dragon's persistence, he simply waved his sleeve and summoned a yellow talisman. The little dragon let out a shrill cry, shouting repeatedly, "I don't want it, I don't want it, I don't want it!!" But in the blink of an eye, it was sucked into the spirit talisman, becoming a drawing on the paper. Chu Wanning tapped it once more, and the dragon in the picture slowly vanished.

Before disappearing, it blinked at Chu Wanning in humiliation.

Chu Wanning said, "Call you if there's anything."

Sniffling, the little dragon wailed, "When needed, it's Zhong Wuyan; when not, Xia Yingchun. Chu Wanning, Chu Wanning, how heartless you are..."

"Scram back!" Chu Wanning, who had been speaking calmly to it, furrowed his black brows in anger. With a slap, he folded the talisman and flattened it with his palm before slipping it back into his sleeve.

That night, Chu Wanning slept in the bed, while Mo Ran slept on the floor.

Both were preoccupied with thoughts.

They hadn't expected that there would be no talismans on the Divine Martial Plateau. Was it because the mysterious person possessed a method to measure spirit roots unknown to them, or did that person not feel a sense of urgency, having no intention to locate all those with the most abundant spiritual energy just yet?

"Mo Ran,"

In the darkness, he called to him.

Mo Ran responded effortlessly, "Hm?"

"We should return to the Peak of Life and Death tomorrow."

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.

"What?"

"That person missed the meeting at the Xuan Yuan Assembly, so they likely have other means to find what they seek. Continuing this investigation may not yield any results. We should go back to the Peak of Life and Death first. I'll send a secret message to the nine major sects, asking them to thoroughly investigate if they have any spirit essence within their ranks. If they do, they should protect it, rather than waiting for a rabbit to appear by chance."

"How can that work? What if that mysterious person is actually the head of one of the ten great sects?"

"The likelihood is slim. Even if it's true, it wouldn't make much difference. They already know we're on their trail; one more thing won't change anything."

"But how will Shifu convince those sect leaders to listen to Uncle?" Mo Ran asked, perplexed. "Does Shifu plan to tell them everything?"

"No need for that, and they might not believe me anyway," Chu Wanning said coolly. "I have another approach."

Mo Ran inquired curiously, "What method?"

"Taking on disciples."

"!!"

"I'll personally speak with the Ruler and have them inform the other nine major sects that there are often gaps in the Ghost Realm's barrier, causing harm to all directions. Yuheng of Death's Peak will take up to five disciples and impart Upper Clear Barrier and Annihilation Barrier techniques," Chu Wanning said calmly. "Those sects have invited me to serve as their advisor multiple times for the sake of these barrier arts. If I announce my willingness to teach, I'm not afraid they won't come. I'll only take exceptional spiritual bodies as disciples. Those sect leaders will have to obediently test the aptitude of all their disciples if they wish to select suitable candidates. Our goal will then be achieved."

But Mo Ran refused. In the darkness, his face turned pale. "Y-You want to take on more disciples?"

"As fate decrees."

Chu Wanning rolled over, seemingly finally feeling some exhaustion, his voice growing softer.

"I'll have them submit their names first after they're found. Then, they can practice ordinary barrier techniques on their own. After three years, if any of them truly persevere, I'll accept them..."

In the darkness, listening to the drowsy words coming from the bed, Mo Ran felt as if a jar of vinegar had been kicked right into his chest, the sourness hurting his heart.

Taking on more disciples again?

In your previous life, you only took in three disciples, being very selective. Why aren't you picky anymore? How can you just accept them now?

Several times, he had wanted to speak to Chu Wanning, but the words died on his lips.

Completely unaware of Mo Ran's jealousy, Chu Wanning finally fell asleep.

The night was chilly. Mo Ran got up, draped in a robe, and softly called out to him twice or thrice. When he received no response, he quietly pushed open the bedroom door and left.

The hallway of the inn was quiet, with only a few red silk lanterns emitting a faint glow that reflected on the wooden floor, creating a ripple-like pattern of orange shadows.

Although Chu Wanning had already tested the Divine Weapon,

Mo Ran had yet to test if 'Not Returning' was indeed his own from his past life.

After all, a Divine Weapon could be summoned back to its owner's side within a hundred feet through a spell. At the Immortal Pavilion, Mo Ran hadn't had time to confirm if it was his weapon from his previous life. How could he miss this chance now?

A layer of crimson light glowed on his fingertips.

With his lashes lowered, Mo Ran whispered, "Not Returning, come forth!"

A moment of stillness was interrupted by a distant, dull clanging of a blade. The sound was soft yet reverberated deeply in his eardrums, pounding against his heart like a heavy hammer.

Mo Ran abruptly snapped open his eyes. "Not Coming Back!"

It was Not Coming Back, the stranger sword that cried out, weeping blood. Its low, guttural roar seemed to traverse layers of bloody waves and bustling mortal world, racing towards him. He could almost hear the sword's sorrowful wailing and its hoarse cries for help. It was trapped, bound by something Mo Ran was unaware of.

It sensed its master's call but couldn't respond, severed by an unknown force from their connection.

Yet they had once shared a bond, witnessing together the beauty of mountains and rivers from great heights, and waiting together for death, feeling the last vestige of warmth in the Wu Shan Temple.

The bond between man and divine weapon was frayed but not completely severed; their flesh torn apart by some power, yet their meridians remained intertwined.

Mo Ran's eyes were moist with redness as he murmured, "Not Coming Back..."

It's you.

Why can't you return?

Who is hindering you?

It was...

"Creak"

A soft creak of a door being nudged open.

In the suffocating darkness, it echoed like a thunderbolt splitting the silence.

Author's Note: Master: Wishing everyone a happy Christmas Eve.

Puppy: Greetings for the Year of the Rooster!

Peacock: What nonsense is the one upstairs talking about?! I'm wishing everyone an early Happy New Year!

Shi Mo: It's not Christmas yet, but Merry Christmas in advance!

Wolf Cub: Along with Naobaijin, wishing you all a joyful Year of the Dog!

Ye Wangxi: Why does 'joyful Year of the Dog' sound like an insult to me...

Mei Hanxue: May everyone be accompanied by beauty every day^_^

Little Paper Dragon: Needed in times of trouble, but forgotten in peace – no, not like Zhong Wuyan! You heartless rogue, Chu Wanning! Set me free right now!!!