Fun
“Check,” declared Mu Yu, checking Mei Hu’s red general in between his horse and chariot.
Just as Mei Hu’s unhappy metre climbed again as she studied the board, Aunt Zhu and company burst into the room.
“Wow, everyone’s here. How are you doing?” Mu Yu politely greeted.
Elder Tiantu couldn’t speak due to the silk built up in his mouth to spray Mu Yu with. Thus, Aunt Zhu voiced, “Y-you shouldn’t be here. Wh-what are you doing?”
“Oh, she kindly decided to keep me entertained since I was bored. That’s why we ended up playing Chinese chest,” Mu Yu answered, smiling innocently.
“Chinese chess?!” exclaimed Elder Tiantu, after swallowing his silk.
“You find Chinese chess fun?” questioned Aunt Zhu, frantically hiding her needles.
“Wait, you should be on the bed with Hu M-.” The elephant fiend covered the frog’s mouth before the latter could finish.
“Yeah, Chinese chess is fantastic for stress relief and brain training. I love it,” innocently responded Mu Yu.
“Hu Mei, is he telling the truth? He didn’t do anything, did you?” Aunt Zhu inquired.
Hu Mei grumpily replied, “I’ve been playing Chinese chess with him the entire time.”
“Did you all come here to join us? I’m down for it,” Mu Yu conveyed.
“I’m b-” Qiao Xue stopped herself upon returning to see a crowd at her place. “What is everyone doing here?”
“Nothing, nothing, just catching cheat-”
Aunt Zhu kicked Elder Tiantu in the leg before the latter could finish his slip of the tongue and dimpled. “We were here to check up on your lover. We didn’t want people criticising us for not treating our guests well.”
Qiao Xue swept her squint over the awkwardly chuckling fiends.
“They were really nice. I’ve been playing chess with Miss Hu Mei the entire time. I’m really impressed she knows music, art and even chess,” Mu Yu chimed in.
“You’re too kind, Brother Mu Yu. I cannot hold a candle to you at Chinese chess,” responded Hu Mei, walking to the door. “I think we should leave the two of you with some space now. I’ll be taking my leave now.”
“Yeah, we’ll be on our way now.”
Once the group left, Qiao Xue looked to the chess board and smiled. “She tried to seduce you, didn’t she?”
“Hehe, she has a killer body.”
“Yeah, yeah. I remember them telling me they’d put whoever wanted to marry me through their test. Sister Hu Mei said she’d try seducing him, and she’d eunuch him if he couldn’t resist.”
Mu Yu instinctively covered his groin. As he packed up the board and turned the pieces back into a block of wood he carried around with him at all times, he queried, “Why didn’t I receive a heads up prior?”
“I forgot about it,” Qiao Xue proclaimed while wearing a straight face.
Mu Yu dryly chuckled, not believing the claim. “By the way, what did Old Furry leave behind for you?”
Qiao Xue set a fingertip-sized golden beast bone on the table. “I haven’t opened it, but it’s something only I can open using my spiritual energy since Uncle White Ape set it as so.”
Upon depositing her blue energy into it, White Ape Fiend King’s voice played from the bone.
“Qiao Xue, I’ve heard what transpired on the island. We need to make a trip to Eternally Forbidden Zone because the lunar race’s invasion is urgent. If you bring that little prick back with you, tell him to sit his bum down and wait. We’ll be gone for about a month – two at most. We’ll think of something to help Sword Shadow Dust Gale, but the lunar race’s invasion takes precedence.
“This next part is for the prick. If you dare to do anything indecent to Qiao Xue, I’ll rip your organs out! You’re not marrying her until we approve. While I’m at it, let me stress that I don’t want to be your in-law, prick. The next time I see you at Hell on Earth, I’ll mince you!”
“I’m going to write ‘shameless’ in big, fat font all over his furry face!” Mu Yu snapped.
“Well, I guess we can only wait, then,” Qiao Xue remarked.
“You’re not going to make me sleep in the corridor for two months, are you?”
“Why are you even sleeping? Cultivators should be cultivating.”
“Sleeping is my way of cultivation.”
“Make yourself a timber bed in the main hall, then. As for my room, you can forget it,” Qiao Xue emphasised, walking off with the golden bone.
“That’s not fair. We’ve already gone above and beyond.”
“You’re the one who claimed you did it subconsciously. I haven’t accepted you yet.”
“I told I’d take responsibility.”
“Not before you marry me.”
Xiaoshuai pulled zany faces at Mu Yu, who dejectedly slumped into a chair, from Qiao Xue’s shoulder.
***
North Shore Abyss’ Jade Wyrms resided at the bottom of an abyss located at a mountain range far up north. They lived at the freezing dragon pool, a pool of still water located at the bottom of the abyss kilometres deep. Today, a nephrite wyrm burst out of the water, splashing water onto the phosphorate walls as it vengefully howled and assumed a human form on the shore.
“Xingyun already left us? We must avenge him,” tearfully declared Long Xingyun’s mother, Long Keqin.
“Long Yeli told me a human going by the name Mu Yu killed him. Qiao Xue brought him back yesterday, and I assure you he won’t be leaving alive!” Long Xingyun’s wrathful father vowed.
“My Lord, Mu Yu hurt Xinghua yesterday when he arrived. Your subject is afraid Xinghua will have debilitating issues in the future. Please exact justice on our behalf,” implored a middle-aged man in black – Jiao Guanwen, the father of Jiao Xinghua and North Shore Abyss’ Jade Wyrms’ advisor.
“Get up. I won’t forgive him for his condemnable actions. Where is Mu Yu now?”
“According to our scouts, Qiao Xue took him to Sunshine Valley.”
“Sunshine Valley?”
“Sunshine Vall-”
“Don’t worry. We have no qualms with the kings absent. I’ll be busy for the next few days, so you go capture him for me!”
Previous Chapter l Next Chapter
