Chapter 88: Chapter 88: The Immortal Huang Da who was forced to come and seek enfeoffment _1
At Rooster Crow Temple, Wang Linchi squatted on a wall, watching the aimlessly wandering Headless Ghost. From time to time, he would launch a Fanciful and Fickle attack to provoke the Headless Ghost. When the Headless Ghost charged toward him, Wang Linchi would decisively jump off the wall and run a dozen meters. He would then wait for about five minutes until the ghost stopped moving before finding another section of the wall to continue his taunts. He repeated this process throughout the entire day.
In the eyes of his companions, Wang Linchi was not only exceptionally skilled and daring, but they also began to suspect he might be a little unhinged. No sane person would act like this, they thought, scared witless as they watched Wang Linchi’s antics. Wang Linchi was not only a capable fighter when trouble arose, but he could also outrun them. They knew that if the Headless Ghost charged out, they would be the ones to suffer.
Fortunately, as evening began to fall, Wang Linchi prepared to return to the city, just as he usually did. Today was no exception.
"Alright, that’s a wrap for today." Wang Linchi climbed down from the wall, dusted off his hands, and signaled for everyone to prepare to leave.
His companions inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Another day survived. How wonderful.
On the way back, Wang Linchi was mentally comparing data, calculating what he still lacked.
"Do I look human to you?" Suddenly, a gloomy, shrill voice sounded.
"Sir... it’s a Yellow Weasel! An enlightened Yellow Weasel!" one of his companions stammered, tremblingly pointing to the Yellow Weasel standing in the middle of the road.
How amusing, Wang Linchi thought, a sudden urge to reach out and stroke it washing over him. Yellow Weasels, as creatures, were actually quite cute. Their scientific name was Yellow Mink.
"Can you turn off the light in your eyes?" Wang Linchi asked.
Its eyes were glowing green, but otherwise, it seemed normal.
"I can, but first, you have to answer me: do I look human?" The Yellow Weasel seemed surprised by Wang Linchi’s question.
"I think you resemble a genius ninja from the Uchiha clan of the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire." Wang Linchi looked earnestly at the Yellow Weasel, expecting it to transform next.
After waiting for about thirty seconds, there was no movement at all.
"Why aren’t you transforming?" Wang Linchi couldn’t help but ask.
"I don’t understand what you’re saying," the Yellow Weasel answered after a ten-second pause. It could understand individual words like ’fire,’ ’country,’ ’wood,’ ’leaf,’ ’village,’ ’clan,’ and ’genius,’ but it couldn’t comprehend their meaning when they were combined. Therefore, it couldn’t transform at all.
"You could have just said I look like one. Why make things so complicated?" The Yellow Weasel felt Wang Linchi was just trying to be difficult.
"That’s not out of the question. Let me try a different one."
Wang Linchi pondered for a moment, about to offer some truly bizarre description. But before he could utter a word, the Yellow Weasel lunged at him. He’s clearly not going to say anything good, it thought. Might as well kill him and feast on his flesh and blood!
BANG!
Before it could reach him, however, it was blasted back, grievously injured, and slammed to the ground like a broken doll.
Wang Linchi reached out, scooped it up, and held it firmly in his grasp.
As if I don’t know what this little critter is thinking, Wang Linchi mused. It’s simply after my life.
However, he’d kept his attack non-lethal to find out what had compelled it to seek him out for a boon. Under normal circumstances, Yellow Weasels wouldn’t venture here.
"Tonight, I’ll skin you and make a pair of briefs from your pelt. Then I’ll roast and eat the meat," Wang Linchi muttered.
The seriously injured Yellow Weasel shivered involuntarily and struggled with all its might.
"Mink fur is renowned for its quality."
"Yellow Weasels are mustelids, just like minks. Their pelts should be quite similar."
"If I recall correctly, they say skinning them alive yields the highest quality fur."
"So, you’d better try your best to stay alive until we get back to the city. I don’t have any skinning tools on me right now."
Wang Linchi had high hopes for this Yellow Weasel.
"What do you want to know? Just say it!" The Yellow Weasel clearly understood Wang Linchi was deliberately goading it.
"What I want to know? Shouldn’t you know that already?" Wang Linchi countered.
"Is... is it about what compelled me to come here?"
"I’ve forgotten. But I’m certain that ’it’ doesn’t want you to continue investigating Rooster Crow Temple."
"Right now, it’s just me, driven here to seek a boon from you. Later, there will be more Demons and Ghosts," the Yellow Weasel confessed.
Wang Linchi mulled over the Yellow Weasel’s words, considering their veracity. ’Forgotten’... that’s significant, Wang Linchi thought. It implies the one pulling the strings doesn’t want me to know who they are. More importantly, they likely know the truth about Rooster Crow Temple.
Choosing an indirect approach rather than direct confrontation suggests one of two things: either they enjoy manipulative schemes, or they’re wary and don’t dare to show themselves. Wang Linchi leaned towards the latter possibility. They definitely possess considerable power, enough to compel a Yellow Weasel and even alter its memories.
"So, do you have any information about this entity?" Wang Linchi asked.
Since the Yellow Weasel knew it was being compelled, yet still came, it must have some awareness of who or what was behind it.
The Yellow Weasel started to speak, then abruptly shook its head. "I had some information just a moment ago, but it’s gone now."
"Real-time monitoring and remote control... impressive technology," Wang Linchi remarked. It would be great if my Fanciful and Fickle ability had that function.
"So, when you were compelled, was it voluntary or involuntary?"
Seeing this, Wang Linchi didn’t press further and changed the subject.
"Involuntary, of course! Am I crazy enough to seek a boon from *you*?" The Yellow Weasel gave a very human-like eye-roll. It always preyed on solitary individuals. When it sought a boon from them, and they affirmed it, it would then drain their Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Then, while its victim was weak, it would drag them back to its den to be slowly consumed. Therefore, it always chose soft targets, not tough nuts like Wang Linchi.
"So your purpose wasn’t actually to come here to seek a boon from me and then kill me."
"Rather, you’re a warning from the one who sent you. The message is: if they can send a Yellow Weasel today, they can send a Tiger tomorrow."
"You’re truly pathetic. Even cannon fodder has more dignity."
Wang Linchi’s taunt struck a nerve with the Yellow Weasel. It hadn’t felt this way before, but after Wang Linchi’s rambling, it felt increasingly cheated by fate. All I wanted was a simple life of seeking boons and eating humans, it lamented inwardly, but I was forced to come here to die!
"I... I can help you find the one who compelled me! He wants to harm you, and I happen to have a vendetta against him!" The Yellow Weasel hurriedly offered, hoping to secure its survival by siding with Wang Linchi.
"Well said. However, I’m still more interested in those Yellow Weasel skin briefs." I never intended to let this Yellow Weasel live, Wang Linchi thought. If it can be compelled once, it can be compelled a second or third time. Keeping it alive is a liability. Better to kill it and be done with the matter.
"Seeing as we’ve had such a long chat, I’ll give you a chance to say your last words."
Wang Linchi remarked that while the Yellow Weasel had no human rights, it was, after all, a provincially protected species with significant ecological and economic value. So, he was giving it a chance for last words—his own small, somewhat twisted, contribution to animal welfare.