In the silent Temple, Huai Shi raised the Bell with both paws, lifted the lid, and stared inside with wide eyes.
It was completely empty. Fu Yi? Where was Fu Yi? How could such a large weasel, which was just inside, vanish?
Huai Shi looked at the Bell doubtfully for a long time. Then, after thoroughly searching every inch of the Temple, he suddenly turned back and looked at Jonathan.
"Do you have any clues?"
Jonathan was stunned for a moment, then shook his head like a rattle-drum.
Then, he saw Huai Shi's tail lift, the Great Sword raised, and swung down toward his face.
"—Since you have no clues, then you don't need to keep your head!"
CRASH!
The Great Sword struck the ground, and Jonathan vanished like a burst bubble.
In his place, a Crystal Lizard, tied up with Psychokinesis and its mouth stuffed full of leftover iron materials, was struggling mightily.
Seeing that Huai Shi had noticed him, tears welled up in the lizard's eyes, and he made whimpering sounds, begging Huai Shi to quickly save him.
He didn't know when it had happened, but he had been tied up, and only an illusion had been left in his place.
Huai Shi fell silent for a moment and shook his head helplessly. "Fu Yi, have you had enough fun?"
If he had not struck Jonathan with his sword in a fit of rage, he probably would have been truly fooled and let her slip away this time, right?
So, from the previously empty Bell, a White Weasel, so ethereal it seemed like condensed mist, poked out its head, glanced at him, and quickly retracted.
"Not this one," Huai Shi pouted. "Bring out a real one."
From in front of Huai Shi's nose came the sound of a bubble bursting. The White Weasel, sitting there covering its eyes, peered at Huai Shi through the gaps in its paws.
Was this the real one? Probably.
Huai Shi couldn't guess anymore. In fact, he couldn't tell the difference; he just bluffed based on his understanding of Fu Yi.
"What was that just now?" he asked.
"An Ability acquired after three Metamorphoses."
Fu Yi spun around in place, displaying her increasingly faint presence. It was far beyond merely semi-transparent—it looked like the misty outline sketched by vapor. Even her weight was nearly non-existent.
"Real Illusion, capable of creating an illusion that's nearly identical to the original, able to speak and attack. But it's basically useless. One poke and it bursts, only good for deceiving people," Fu Yi confessed earnestly, and then tentatively asked, "Are you mad?"
"No."
"Really?"
"Really," Huai Shi sighed. "Can I even beat you up?"
He raised his paw and gestured at the gap between them. Let alone beating her, it felt like a mere pat would make Fu Yi dissipate. After so many years as good friends, could he really be upset with Fu Yi for deceiving him?
"You really don't want to go out?"
He sighed deeply, examining Fu Yi as if he were looking at a friend who, after a family squabble, had come to stay at his place. He wouldn't drive her out, but he also didn't wish for her to keep up this runaway appearance. But what could he say to persuade her? The heavens rain, and the mother remarries. He couldn't even stop Old Fu when he went after people... Moreover, after consecutive setbacks, Huai Shi no longer harbored the delusion that he could solve all the problems in the world.
"Isn't it still fine?" Fu Yi jumped up and patted his nose. "If there's trouble, I'll be the first to run, okay? I promise not to care whether you live or die. Besides, without me to use cheats for you, what would you do? Rely on him?"
Saying this, she pointed at the trapped Jonathan. Jonathan's whimpering grew louder. He was still struggling, and yet no one had attended to him.
Yeah, he definitely seemed unreliable. Indeed, in a crucial moment, you still had to rely on your own friends.
"Can you promise?" Huai Shi asked seriously. "If you want to play games, you can have all the ones at my place. But this isn't really a good place for an autumn outing, especially since autumn is about to end, right? If there's any danger, or if I ask you to leave next time, can you guarantee that you'll absolutely follow my request?"
"I promise." Fu Yi blinked her bright eyes and swore flamboyantly with her little paws. "Don't worry, Old Pal. I'm not so immature as to make my parents lose a daughter over a little tantrum."
A dog and a weasel solemnly high-fived.
Huai Shi nodded, lifted the tied-up Jonathan with his tail, sent him out the door, and undid his bonds.
"Let's get one thing straight. I can pretend nothing happened with your prior secrecy," Huai Shi glared at his face. "But I don't want to see this kind of concealment a second time. Otherwise, you wouldn't want a Professional Kitchen Demon, a Disastrous Musician, and a formal Military Officer of the Jurisdiction Bureau to come knocking at your door to 'reason' with you, right?"
Jonathan nodded like he was pounding garlic.
Falling prey to this deadly duo was like being cursed for eight generations.
When his thirst for knowledge was stymied by Huai Shi's intimidation, a hint of dread finally emerged from the depths of his heart. What if his negligence had truly caused an accident for Fu Yi? Not to mention failing to answer to his own teacher, he feared that Creator·Niflheim would harshly hold it against him. Dealing with the disfavor of two Creators and a keen-edged Military Officer... Could he even call this living anymore?
Now that Huai Shi was willing to let bygones be bygones and even allowed him to stay and continue studying the Divine Body's transformations, he was grateful beyond measure. The last thing he wanted to do was cause more trouble.
Everyone here was a respectable, mature member of society. When given a way out, he'd better take it—otherwise, he'd really be throwing face away. As for the dignity of Scholars... haha, what was that?
As the stone door closed, he breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to research the Divine Body's transformation and operation. To encounter a symbiotic ecology among the Abyssal Creatures, which was rare and even involved the Owner of the Great Mob, was an opportunity too good to miss. It was a topic worthy of study.
On his way there, he habitually checked the map. He felt something was amiss but couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe it was just eye strain from overuse?
He closed the map, his thoughts entirely focused on the upcoming observations of the Divine Body.
No one noticed that Fu Yi's name... had completely vanished from the map.
And even if they did, it wasn't a matter of concern. Trivial matters, right? Trivial matters!
And so, Jonathan hummed a tune as he disappeared into the night.
.
.