637 Advancement. A Massive Change! (1/2)
With a hearty laugh, Yun Yang gathered the two rascals in a heartfelt embrace - their presence was long overdue. Upon seeing him, they dashed into his open arms and squirmed against his chest without uttering another sound. They settled against his skin, contented, and ceased to move.
This was a very familiar territory to them – a sanctuary they had looked forward to seeing again after a long time. It felt as if they were reliving an old dream as they submerged themselves in a stream of happy memories.
Yun Yang gently caressed the two rascals in his arms. After settling down in a comfortable position, they emitted a rhythm of snores as their ears flapped from side to side in pleasure. Their little, furry tails also swayed from end to end, occasionally straightening like a flagpole, or curling into a little ball of wool; sometimes, they were merely oscillating back and forth with clockwork precision.
Slightly worried, Yun Yang examined them in greater detail. After he was reassured that the injuries on Whitey Two and Whitey Three had fully recovered without a single trace of concealed danger, he realized, in bewilderment, that not only had Whitey Two and Whitey Three's injuries completely healed, they had also advanced into the next level!
The most bewildering part was still the fact that it was not a mere advancement of one, two, three or even four levels…
Yun Yang, astonished by this sudden discovery, found himself gaping at the two Whiteys before him, unsure of their current level!
'Could it be - could it be that these two critters possess combat abilities that surpass my own?'
'Is that even possible?'
'That's impossible, is it not?'
No matter what, it would still be safe to say that at the very least, the cultivation base of these two Whiteys had already surpassed the three Whiteys at home, exceeding the eldest Whitey by a large degree. Needless to say, their ranks had also increased even further.
”Unless...these advancements were due to this space. How else could they have advanced so swiftly?” Yun Yang caressed his chin, lost in thought. ”If that is really the case, I'd have to arrange for the three other Whiteys to come in here for a little boost. They're brothers after all – it's not good for them to have too much difference in their abilities.”
”Chirp, chirp!”
A clear, crystalline chirp could be heard approaching.
...
Yun Yang furrowed his brows and allowed his gaze to follow the direction of the sound. He found a little bird hovering before him, its two round eyes filled with tenderness, focused on him with a little tilt of its tiny head. Of course, there was a slight hint of disdain for competition with the Whiteys, clearly reflected in its gaze.
”Chirp, chirp…”
In his excitement upon seeing Emmie and the Whiteys, Yun Yang had almost forgotten about this little fellow here. He quickly waved towards it as it approached, allowing Jiji to rest on his palm. After a quick examination, he frowned and said, ”Jiji, what's wrong with you? Both of them have advanced so much, but you – still not a single feather to be seen! Are you being lazy – have you been practicing lesser?”
”Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp…” Jiji burst into a flurry of protest, making a disdained, haughty expression, its little bird brain lopsided.
It was trying to say, ”I am a great, celestial beast – how can my level of advancement be as easy as these two dumb beasts over here?”
The two Whiteys became enraged upon hearing the insult, lashing out with a speed quicker than Yun Yang's reaction. In one swift moment, they had Jiji held against the ground beneath their massive bodies, about to ravage it into pieces.
Jiji was still young, despite being a celestial beast. Well... an examination was still pending to determine whether or not Jiji was truly one.
Jiji squawked in terror and struggled for its life, only escaping from beneath the bodies of the two Whiteys after being terrorized for quite a while. It flew towards Yun Yang and stopped in mid-air, displaying its bald, featherless wing.
It then brandished its wings. Having one wing to support itself in mid-air, the other pointed towards the two Whiteys, as it looked straight at Yun Yang sternly, squawking frantically in accusation and rage.
This little frantic, mid-air dance and furious chirping was clearly a complaint about the two badly-behaved Whiteys who had no regard for a celestial beast; this callous attitude was clear by the way they had ravaged it with such disrespect.
'This little fellow is rather skillful; it has learned how to tell on someone and make complaints!'
Yun Yang could not help but feel amused and entertained at the unfolding scene.
”Regarding these private dealings between you guys— I mean – you bird and felines...” said Yun Yang in all seriousness, ”I won't be involved; sort it out yourselves.”
Upon hearing that, Jiji's head drooped low in defeat, its plight a lost cause. On the other hand, the two Whiteys held their heads high with haughtiness and pride, arrogance coursing through their bodies, totally enjoying their victory and how they managed to get away with it.
”Ayaya!”
A furious noise resonated through the air, as loud as an alarm.
Emmie was aghast with rage. Tomorrow is the big reunion, yet, those three idiots were still fighting amongst themselves! Don't you all have a little decency and sense of shame? Are you aware that your actions are aggravating both your big boss and myself?
”Ayayayaya!”
Emmie emitted another huge, violent roar which carried a clear, concise message. Anyone who picked any further fights would be kicked out, and never allowed in here again, ever!
The threat worked wonderfully. Not a sound was uttered from the direction of the commotion as the three creatures stopped their fighting, transforming into awfully angelic, well-behaved creatures in the span of a short moment. When the situation demanded it, they could be just as cute you wanted them to be!