79 Volume 4: Little White Foxes Bearing Gifts (1/2)

Jin's face blackened and he almost coughed blood.

What Spirit of Blue Flower Trees?!

These hoodlums weren't any better than brothel workers! They didn't even dress appropriately! This was an insult to the memory of his Sister!

”Deep breaths Jin, deep breaths!” Mei Hua scooted closer, a worried look on her face. ”They don't mean anything by it, they're just happy to have bodies on the outside— I mean, they could only have bodies in my world— ah, what was that place anyway? The point being, this is the first time they manifested bodies that everyone could see. They're just happy and it's making them mischievous.”

Jin covered his face with his hand, taking deep breaths as his wife instructed.

”Do you mean to say… these… Spirits… have been living in your world?”

”Ah… well… I did invite them so… yes. Yes they have.”

”Why would you do that! Look at them! They're punks!”

”Who are you calling a punk?”

”GAH!”

Shuya had suddenly appeared right next to Mei Hua, as if out of thin air.

”Will. You. Stop! That.”

”Hmmmmm? Stop what?”

”You know perfectly well 'what'.”

Her eyes twinkled happily.

”But it's fun to hara— tease you!”

Temper already at its limit, his hand lashed out like a whip before he could stop himself. To his frustration, just like before, he felt nothing.

Shuya snickered and then wagged her finger at him.

”No matter how hard you try, you can't touch me. Your sister is Yin, you're Yang. Your Sister made our souls from that Yin energy, which you have no control over. No matter how much you try, if we don't want you to touch us, you can't touch us.”

Jin blinked, his eyes narrowing, and then let out a single sarcastic laugh.

”Ha!That's right. You're a spirit of a tree raised by my Sister. Just as you said, of course I can't hit you.”

Shuya nodded smugly while Mei Hua's forehead wrinkled. She felt there was something odd in that entire conversation, but couldn't figure out what it was.

”But that's just your spirit. If I find your physical body, your tree,” Jin leaned towards Shuya, a dangerous look in his eye, ”that's a different matter, isn't it? No matter how arrogant you are, all life on this mountain came from us, and in the end I have control over it. Even the trees my Sister loved so dearly.”

A look of frustrated anger flashed across Shuya's face before she could stop herself. She knew he'd figure it out eventually, but she'd hoped for a little longer to torment him with impunity. He was absolutely right and she was loath to admit it.

When Jin saw her expression, he smirked knowingly. Shuya's fingers twitched as the desire to tear that smug look off his face rose within her. Instead she leaned forward, mirroring his aggressive body position.

”Even if you know, you'd still have to find me. Just you try, you—”

”Woah woah, both of you!” Mei Hua had gradually gotten squished between the two of them as they moved in to threaten each other. Pushing them apart hastily, she complained huffily, ”Would you two please try to get along? Shuya, you've already picked on Jin enough, leave him alone. And Jin… ah, please don't threaten her like that. I know she's being annoying… but please don't!”

Jin harrumphed while Shuya muttered angrily.

”Please… you two… for my sake at least?” She made her eyes wide and pleading, trying to look as adorable as possible. ”Please?”

This caused both of them to go silent. Both Jin and Shuya had a soft spot for Mei Hua.

The crowd below had been watching the entire thing; the humans in particular were stunned speechless. Emperor Huang wasn't known for being lovable or silly, but he was being exactly that with the return of his wife. They were having some problems reconciling the feared Fairy Emperor with the man being pulled along at his wife's whims.

The fairies and beasties were used to this sort of behavior, and were actually relieved to see their Emperor and Master's temper ease. Since his wife had fallen ill, he'd been cranky and hard to please. As for Shuya and these strange ”Spirits”, they didn't know what to think. Their Master didn't like them, but Lady Mei Hua did, which was making it hard for them to take sides.

Except for one beastie.

The oldest buck, and also by proxy the leader of the beasties, was staring intently at Shuya. A suspicion about who ”Shuya” was had slowly turned into conviction as he watched her behavior. The body may have changed, but that attitude and personality could only belong to one person.His eyes narrowed and he moved forward slightly.

In the silence, Shuya glanced down and saw the buck blatantly staring at her. She blushed slightly, a sense of guilt and embarrassment coming over her. When the old buck looked like he was going to say something, she panicked and distractedly said to Jin:

”Little Sister is right. We must get along! We're allies now, so we must at least try.” She cleared her throat nervously. ”…try at the very least..”

Jin squinted, instantly suspicious of her overtures of friendliness.

”And what are you fighting me for? The celebration hasn't even properly started, now that all the family is here, the gifts must be presented!”

”Oy, who's fighting who—” He stopped and frowned, ”Gifts? What gifts?”

”Oh yes, Shuya mentioned gifts!” Mei Hua eyes shined with excitement. Shuya had been mentioning giving her gifts to help motivate her when she'd gotten discouraged. While the childish glee over gifts had more or less vanished, Mei Hua's curiosity remained.

Shuya grinned at her Little Sister's reactions, waving her hand to the Tree Spirits below. They all shuffled aside, many hopping onto roofs to make room, leaving an empty circle.

”That's right, I said I'd give you gifts, so of course I will.”

She clapped her hands and an instant later five people appeared. Around their feet were dozens of pure white foxes, all with two tails or more. The little foxes yipped nervously at the sudden crowd that appeared around them.

An elderly man in a simply white hanfu and a slim white beard that hung all the way down to his knees shuffled forward from out among the foxes. In his arms he carried a five tailed fox that was bigger than the rest.

”It took you long enough.” The elderly fellow grumped at Shuya. ”I thought I was going to pass out from waiting so long.”

”Ah yes, doing nothing is so very exhausting.” Shuya responded, only just managing to restrain herself from rolling her eyes.

”Don't get smart with me, tree child. We had a deal.”