Beware Of Chicken-Novel

“Ha! We’re on top of the world!” Loud Boy shouted, his voice echoing off the mountain and down into the valley below.

Tigu grinned wildly, up in the cold air. They stared together from the top of the Dueling Peaks. The Earthly Arena was directly below them on one side, and the other stretched off into the distance as a field of verdant green that rolled into the horizon.

“Hello!” Tigu shouted, her voice echoing down. She giggled.

Rags rolled his eyes from beside her. “You Brats,” he muttered.

“So? How you feeling about your match tomorrow?” Loud Boy asked her. “Gonna be tough going up against Miss Cai, yeah?”

Tigu shrugged. “It's just another fight against the Blade of Grass.”

“‘Just another fight against the Blade of Grass.’” Rags mocked, shaking his head.

Both of her friends stared at her with raised brows.

“What? She hadn’t slept for a week, the fool. Master and Mistress had to fix her before she hurt herself.”

“Master, huh?” Loud Boy mused. “What kind of man is he, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“The best and the strongest.” Tigu said immediately. “Mistress is amazing too.”

“Oh? Was he that confident that you were going to win the prize?” Rags asked.

“Prize? I just wanted to fight.” Tigu declared.

The boys looked at each other. “That… well, that explains a lot.” Loud Boy said.

“Wait, stronger than you?!” Loud Boy’s shout of shock lived up to his name.

“Mmm. For now at least.” She shook her head. She took one last breath of the air, then slashed her claws down into the snow. “Well, I’m good to go!”

Both the boys stared at her.

“Wait, that's it? I thought you got us up here to get in some last minute training.” Loud Boy admitted.

“Eh? No, I just wanted to carve my name into the top of the mountain. Besides, Handsome Man wants to meet us for tea!”

Rags just laughed as they started back down the mountain. Down the severe slope at the top, clear of trees. Down the side, where there was the occasional stone entrance hacked into the side of the peaks. Some were ancient, and caved in, while others still lead into empty chambers. Slowly, the mountain transitioned into town. Into the massive manors of the sects, and from there, into the crowded streets beyond. Loud Boy and Rags heckled each other constantly while Tigu skipped along, humming to herself as she went to visit another friend.

Which is when her back began to itch.

She felt like she was being watched. A tingle on the back of her neck. Something that set her instincts ablaze—

“You alright, Tigu?” Loud Boy asked.

Tigu shook off the feeling, her heart hammering in her chest.

She frowned, but the feeling was gone.

“Ah, Tigu!” Handsome Man called her, his face bright with a smile. He strode forwards, happily… before he noticed her other companions. His face fell.

“Handsome Man!”

Little hands worked, writing things down on a small pad of paper. Acupuncture points, hypotheses on damage locations, a treatment plan.

A distraction for her own nervousness. Which was a bit foolish considering Ri Zu had asked for introductions to be made.

“Ah! There you are!” Rizu heard Tigu proclaim as she entered the small storage room where she had been deep in contemplation. “They shall be here soon!”

Ri Zu nodded her head as the cat-turned-girl sat down in front of her with a smile. She took a breath trying to calm herself.

The feeling in her stomach just wouldn’t go away. There was always that tiny voice in the back of her head, making her shy away from those she did not know. It was just part of who she was. An instinct that couldn’t be ignored, like Tigu’s own predatory behavior. It had saved her life when Chow Ji was in charge… but it proved to be an impediment now.

She had needed a kick in the rear to meet people last time, only intervening when it was life or potentially death for the Petals.

Tigu nodded her head, grinning. “Hopefully everything will go as well as when Loud Boy and Rags asked you for help! They fell down at your feet in praise!”

“I don’t have any money.” He had whispered in shame.

The number of times his head hit the floor as he kowtowed had been quite embarrassing.

Tigu started laughing.

“Ah, hard to believe it’s almost over. One more match against the Blade of Grass!” She had a giant grin on her face, and Ri Zu offered her a small smile in return. “We shall have to come here again! Or visit Handsome Man or Loud Boy and Rags!”

Tigu frowned slightly at the awkward pause in the conversation. She bit her lip and stood up, walking over to the small window.

“…This hasn’t been enjoyable for you, has it?” Tigu asked. “And.,. well, I have been doing things and paying you little mind, haven’t I?”

Ri Zu’s eyebrow raised as Tigu carefully looked out the window. It still struck her how much Tigu had changed. Tigu, who mere months ago, never would have even considered the words that now came out of her mouth. Apologizing to the “prey” would have only happened over her corpse.

But… there was truth to Tigu’s words. Tigu came back each day with a smile, talking rapidly about how fun things were. Ri Zu listened, but it was hard not to feel a bit left out. But at the same time, she often didn’t know what to say. All she knew was medicine. And when she spoke of her passion to An Ran, the Smaller Blade of Grass’ eyes had started to glaze over and she couldn’t keep up. It was simultaneously frustrating and scary. She was frustrated with herself every time she decided not to join in, and whenever she did start to talk to people, it got awkward. To think that she, the one who learned to truly speak first, was the worst at conversation.

The cat crossed her arms and grumbled. “I feel kind of bad now, though.” Tigu muttered.

Indeed. This entire adventure was not quite what Ri Zu had imagined it to be. All the fighting, meeting with the Petals, Rags paying her in bottles of wine that she still had no idea what to do with.

It was… well, an interesting experience to say the least. She flipped the scroll over and looked at the notes on transformation she had made.

Tigu perked up and grinned. “Or we could find some place you want to go. There’s supposed to be a big herb auction in Grass Sea City—I asked Xiulan about it. We could go over there?”

Tigu cocked her head to the side, “But why wouldn’t we want Master and Mistress and our nrother disciples?”

Tigu’s grin spread across her face. “Of course my idea is good— Ah! They’re here!”

Tigu held out her arm.

Ri Zu steeled herself, scampered up Tigu’s arm, and settled into the back of her shirt.

Underneath Tigu’s collar was warm and safe, Ri Zu reflected. Almost as warm and safe as underneath Bi De’s coat.

It was warm and comfortable. Safe, riding on the back of a cat. How strange.

Ri Zu could feel Tigu’s steps were bouncy as she entered the main meeting hall. There was a clink of teacups as their guests were served.

“You said a great doctor wished to speak with us, Cai Xiulan?” The voice of Xianghua was domineering and demanding, but there was an undercurrent of worry and hope.

Ri Zu steeled herself and slid out of Tigu’s shirt. She alighted on the table before them. Xianghua flinched at the sudden movement and aborted shoving herself in front of her brother.

Still, the stares always made her squirm. Bowu, the small boy with the limp, seemed curious, but his elder sister was kind of amusing. Her jaw dropped, her eyes went wide, and she looked absolutely flabbergasted

She pointed a finger at Ri Zu and turned to Xiulan, a look of utter bafflement on her face.

Bowu, on the other hand, just seemed fascinated, and slightly hopeful. He kept pinching his arm whenever he looked down at Ri Zu’s small form.

Xiulan was seated at the table along with Yun Ren and Gou Ren. The Petals had vacated the area, giving them some privacy.

Xianghua frowned. “I have gotten many doctors to look at his leg. All have said that it was unsalvageable with their techniques…”

Her voice was hard as she delivered the statement.

She chewed her lip. “Some of the same that Tigu gave me?”

Xianghua’s face was carefully blank.

“What sort of payment would your Master require for such a boon?” She asked.

The woman’s eyebrow raised. “That’s it?” she asked, glancing to Xiulan.

Xiulan nodded her head and glanced to Ri Zu.

Xianghua raised an eyebrow.

“Your Master sounds terrifying.” She stated blandly.

“She is,” Xiulan and Gou Ren muttered in unison.

Xianghua considered it for a moment. She looked to her brother.

“If you think this will help…” Bowu said. “Then please, do whatever you think needs to be done.”

Ri Zu nodded. She would make her Master proud.

Xianghua just stared at her brother. She stared as he took another step forwards and stumbled. She rose to catch him, but Gou Ren was already there, smirking as he stopped the boy from hitting the ground.

“You require herbs from the Misty Lake, Sister Ri Zu?” Xianghua’s voice was intense. As intense as Xiulan’s had been when she swore her debt to Master Jin and Master Meiling.

Ri Zu felt her face heat up at the polite speech.

Xianghua stood up.

“This Young Mistress will repay these herbs a thousand fold!” She roared. “She will dig up the entirety of the swamp around the lake and carry it on her back to wherever you desire!”

A hand plucked her off the table and planted a kiss onto Ri Zu’s forehead.

And then a second.

Ri Zu barely managed to escape, scrambling up into Tigu’s shirt as the girl laughed at Ri Zu’s misfortune.

She had to hide in Tigu’s shirt again to escape the affection suddenly leveled at her by Damp Pond.