Chapter 246: Xiao Yun > Zhao Yun!? (1/2)
As soon as Zhao Bao had heard Cao Mao's voice, he beamed with a bright smile as he had an inspiration.
”Good timing, Junior Mao! This monk has a favor to ask you.”
Cao Mao pointed at the ruined guest house behind Zhao Bao, ”Before that, can you explain what had happened?”
”It's a long story…”
”I have time.”
Zhao Bao sighed. He turned toward the destroyed house, ”Very well. An avatar of this world's guardian had descended here yesterday to steal the divine pill. It killed Yun'er and Xin'er, but a god punished them.”
Cao Mao pointed at Xiao Yun, ”If Xiao Yun's dead, who is this?”
”After everything had been over, Xin'er was resurrected and taken away by an unknown god. As for Yun'er...”
Zhao Bao had a wry smile on his face, ”This monk had fed her the divine pill that you had given me. She has come back to life, and… she has grown up a little.”
Cao Mao frowned. The monk still hadn't told him how Xiao Yun turned into a girl. Moreover, Zhao Bao seemed to have skipped a lot of information since the story was too vague.
But then, Cao Mao remembered a popular trope in Japanese novels, the reverse trap trope. Sometimes, a male character might turn up to be an attractive female character, who had been cross-dressing throughout the story.
From the monk's reaction and testimony, it seemed that Xiao Yun had been hiding his true gender, and Zhao Bao had just discovered it recently.
”In other words, you mistook her as a boy all along. Is that right?”
”It's embarrassing, but this monk admits his mistake. We really thought she was a boy.”
Cao Mao scratched his head. He glanced at Xiao Yun, who had been wiggling her hips and her bouncy breasts, playing with them as she had not gotten used to the new physique.
The girl hadn't realized that her movements might be stimulating for men. The white mountains sometimes slipped out of the hole of her robes, which attracted the sight of three men.
Cao Mao coughed, ”What do you want me to do?”
Zhao Bao also coughed to regain his composure, ”This monk would like to entrust her to you.”
Cao Mao froze. Again, someone had tried to give him a woman with an ulterior motive, ”Do you even realize what you're asking? I might turn her into another one of my concubines, you know?”
”This monk is aware. However, Huangjin Monastery consists of male monks and male disciples. An adolescent girl like her couldn't possibly fit in our sect since she would surely awake the sleeping beasts among the stoic monks. Moreover, she doesn't even know how to behave properly like a mature woman. She will surely be ravished or cause an uproar if she returns to the sect. Since she is fated to become someone's wife anyway, At least, this monk wishes to leave her in the hands of someone who treasures his wives.”
”And I fit the bill.”
”You can say so.”
Cao Mao rolled his eyes. Lately, he felt like he scored new wives too easily. Although Cao Mao didn't hate it, he began to get tired of adjusting new schedules for his wives and his children.
”Did you even ask for her consent?”
Zhao Bao shook his head and gave Xiao Yun a pitiful look, ”I asked her, but she didn't understand.”
”Ha! And you call yourself a monk…”
”This monk is ashamed. But for her safety and her future, it has to be done. This city has the best environment for her to grow, and you are the best possible candidate to be her husband. Please take care of her.”
Cao Mao shrugged as he no longer cared about morals. He patted Xiao Yun's head and stroke her silky smooth hair, ”Fine. But I have a condition.”
”Please speak.”
”Is Yaksha Fist Technique something from your sect?”
Zhao Bao raised his eyebrows, ”Yes. We practice that art. It's a common technique that we teach our disciples and apprentice monks. Is your request related to the technique?”
”Sort of. I've obtained a skill book from someone from your sect, and I've been practicing the technique. I've found that this fist technique is incomplete, so I would like to request for a completed version of this art.”
Zhao Bao's eyes beamed in golden light, ”Oh! So, you wish to become a monk!?”
”Heck, no! I just want to learn the fist art!”
”Haiz,” Zhao Bao sighed in disappointment. ”This monk thought that you wished to join our monastery. What a pity.”
”If I do, I wouldn't be able to have so many wives, would I? Well, back to the topic, can I have the technique?”
Zhao Bao smiled, ”It's not like the technique is a secret of our monastery. The complete version of Yaksha Fist is a sky-grade fist technique, which isn't something worthy to be used as a core technique for someone of your caliber. Are you sure you want this?”
”Yes, please.”
The monk took out a bamboo scroll and handed it over to Cao Mao, ”You can have it.”
”Thank you, senior!”
”Now, this monk also has a request.”
Of course, nothing in this world was free. As Cao Mao extorted a skill book from Zhao Bao, the latter also wanted something in return.
Cao Mao understood the notion. His face turned solemn, ”What can I do for you?”
”It's nothing serious or materialistic. It's just a whimsical request of this monk, so you don't have to be on guard,” The monk smiled and patted Xiao Fei's head, warning him to behave himself. ”Yun'er has no surname, and this monk has no descendant. Is it alright for her to have a surname?”
”Wait, isn't [Xiao] her surname?”
Zhao Bao chuckled, ”[Xiao] is just an honorific. We use it as a pseudo surname for our orphan disciples, so they won't be treated as a common slave without a surname. Now that she is about to have a husband, it is inappropriate not to give her a proper family name. At least, she should have an origin.”
Cao Mao froze. As his brain was still under the influence of Buddha's blessing, he could already predict what Zhao Bao was about to do.
His jaw dropped. Then, he covered his mouth, hiding his shocked expression.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yun blankly looked at Zhao Bao in confusion, ”What's this about, master? I don't understand a thing.”
”I'm giving you a new surname, Yun'er,” Zhao Bao warmly smiled, ”You aren't Xiao Yun anymore.”
”I'm no longer titled as [Xiao]?”
”Yes. Yun'er, ever since I've rescued you, I've been treating you as my own child.”
”I-I also think of you as my dad!”
”Hahaha! You're a sweet girl. You see, I've been thinking about adopting you.”
”Really!?”
”Yes. Do you mind having this old man as your father?”
”No! Not at all! I'm all alone since I was born! I also love to have a father!”