Half of It Is Bear
When Shu Fu and Xie Fangnian returned to the inn, Jiang Xuesheng was sitting at the table having breakfast.
He had no need to eat, but he was in a good mood today, and the innkeeper had gone out of his way to curry favor with him. The tea and pastries were prepared with exceptional care—even candied epiphyllum had been provided. Thus, he had deigned to show himself.
Jiang Xuesheng might like epiphyllum, but that did not mean he would not eat it.
A peerless beauty sat by the window. Her brows were naturally dark and elegant, her lips naturally crimson, and her fingers as slender and pale as spring onions. Her limpid autumn eyes and fair, exquisite features made her face seem carved from jade and stone. Who could see her and not be moved, their hearts thrown into turmoil?
However, the instant “she” looked up and saw Shu Fu, her face turned green.
[Master, it’s not what you think.]
Shu Fu sighed and tried to explain the white cat perched on her head. [Elder Xie walks far too slowly after turning into a cat…]
Jiang Xuesheng: [Then leave him in the forest and let the tigers and wolves eat him.]
Shu Fu: “…”
Still, even if they were both men, the mutual hostility between them was a little excessive.
Xie Fangnian was no pushover either. Upon hearing this, he gave a cold laugh and prepared to jump down from Shu Fu’s head.
“Hey!”
Shu Fu instinctively reached out to catch him, and ended up with the fluffy ball of snow nestled in her arms. His enormous, puffed-up tail brushed along her arm.
Xie Fangnian curled himself into a ball and lazily tucked himself into the crook of Shu Fu’s arm. His blue-green cat eyes turned, and his voice rose along with the tip of his tail.
[Tan Hua, has she ever held you like this?]
Jiang Xuesheng: “…”
Shu Fu: “…”
She released her grip without a change in expression.
[Then this time, I win.]
Believing he had emerged victorious, Xie Fangnian landed lightly on the floor. His enormous tail swayed wildly like a trumpet flower as he skittered away along the ground, leaving the husband and wife staring at each other.
“All right, my wife. Don’t be angry with me. I went out because I had something to do. I wasn’t deliberately neglecting you.”
Never forgetting to maintain her persona, Shu Fu spouted nonsense with a perfectly straight face as she sat down across from Jiang Xuesheng. Through telepathy, she explained everything that had happened.
Naturally, this included Xie Fangnian’s duplicity: on the surface, he cursed her like a dog, but behind her back, he was greedily coveting her… disciple.
[Fuer, you are too naive.]
Jiang Xuesheng looked as though he were facing a formidable enemy, his elegant brows drawing together slightly. [He said he wanted to take a disciple, and you believed him? Perhaps he is merely using the excuse of taking a disciple to conceal ulterior motives.]
Shu Fu was suspicious. [How do you know?]
Jiang Xuesheng answered without hesitation. [How would I not know? I was—]
Shu Fu: [You were?]
Jiang Xuesheng: […Never mind.]
Shu Fu: [You’d better explain!!!]
As an aside, Shu Fu had learned from Xie Fangnian that he had come this time disguised as a little cat. He had pretended to be an abandoned animal in front of the inexperienced Qin Huan and coaxed him into bringing him up Qiw u Mountain, allowing him to infiltrate the Fengyi Sect.
Qin Huan treated Kitty Xie extremely well and had never shown the slightest suspicion. He was warmhearted and straightforward, and did not care whether the cat was willing to form a contract with him. Aside from being somewhat careless and having a rather rustic taste in names, he was practically the ideal traveling companion.
However, Xie Fangnian’s purpose in coming remained unknown.
For now, all they could do was keep a close eye on him and pray that he would not cause trouble.
…
After sunrise, everyone packed their things and bid farewell to the innkeeper, who was still sighing over the snake demon’s rampage and the damage done to his establishment. Together, they set off toward the mountain.
Since Qiw u Mountain was home to a cultivation sect, the road was naturally filled with winding formations. They had to submit their invitations a day in advance and ask the Fengyi Sect to open the formations. It would not be difficult to break through by force, but then they would be barred from the upcoming Autumn Hunt on the grounds of having shown “poor etiquette.”
“This sect is such a hassle.”
Handan was frank by nature and said whatever came to mind.
“They put on such airs. I wonder how powerful they really are.”
Qin Huan smiled. “They are naturally very powerful. Spirit beasts are growing scarcer by the day, and beast-taming cultivators are finding it harder and harder to make a living. Even White Deer Mountain is running short of funds, yet the Fengyi Sect can still release large numbers of spirit beasts and win friends from all sides at the Autumn Hunt. That generosity alone is something few can match.”
To anyone else, these words would sound like ordinary praise. But to Shu Fu, they meant that something was amiss.
The “spirit beasts” Qin Huan referred to were actually demon beasts, and they had two characteristics.
First, they had yet to assume human form. Their intelligence was equivalent to that of a particularly clever animal, far below the level of a demon cultivator.
Second, they could be tamed by humans, or were friendly toward humans and willing to accompany human cultivators.
The hook snake they had encountered before, for instance, was naturally cruel and bloodthirsty, viewing humans only as prey. It was absolutely impossible to tame.
But… what if it were being controlled by a Gu worm?
Shu Fu felt her heart sink heavily. It was as if she had vaguely grasped a clue, yet it remained blurred and indistinct, impossible to shape into a clear outline.
Amid that cloud of confusion, they gradually arrived at the mountain’s summit. Strange flowers and exotic herbs covered the ground, and the Fengyi Sect’s magnificent, imposing palaces appeared before them.
Shu Fu’s brow twitched. A sudden suspicion arose within her. The architectural style of the Fengyi Sect seemed strangely familiar.
Then she remembered: Langyuan!
The jade towers, pavilions, terraces, and waterside halls in the world depicted in the painting Jiang Xuesheng had given her bore an extraordinary resemblance to the architecture of the Fengyi Sect.
Shu Fu turned toward Jiang Xuesheng in astonishment, only to find his long brows tightly furrowed and his expression dark. Mixed into his surprise was a trace of disgust.
That feeling… It was as if he had just discovered that the person he hated most shared his favorite interest.
In other words, it was the horror of discovering you had the same obsession as your most hated rival.
She quietly sent him a message.
[Master, this place looks very much like Langyuan. Do you remember anything about it?]
[Langyuan was originally a residence prepared for me by the Phoenix Clan Patriarch—my maternal uncle—for me to stay in whenever I visited the Phoenix Clan.]
Jiang Xuesheng explained grimly, [Therefore, the style of Langyuan is the style of the Phoenix Clan.]
Shu Fu grew even more puzzled.
[Doesn’t that mean there really is a Phoenix Clan presence here? But, Master, you don’t seem very happy.]
Jiang Xuesheng’s expression grew colder.
[These buildings may follow the Phoenix Clan’s style, but they were clearly not built by the Phoenix Clan. They were imitated by outsiders.]
Shu Fu: […What?]
Jiang Xuesheng: [Do you remember Feng Yuandu? The Phoenix Clan’s temperament is just like his—dignified and steady, but not fond of extravagance. He would grumble for ages over spending money on a single garland of flowers. Regardless of how imposing or magnificent their residences may be, and no matter how exquisite the decorations, the materials they use will always be the most ordinary wood and stone.]
Shu Fu suddenly understood.
Although the grand hall before them appeared similar to the Phoenix Clan’s style, every brick and tile was rare, luxurious, and priceless.
The wood was spiritual-energy-rich parasol wood. The stone beasts at the entrance were carved from entire blocks of raw agate and jadeite, one red and one green. The walls were coated in layers of golden lacquer that gleamed like fish scales.
The roof was not covered in the glazed tiles fired by ordinary craftsmen, but in a mineral called moonlit glass. Transparent and beautiful, it shimmered with flowing colors and was commonly used in the creation of magical artifacts. It was especially popular among female cultivators.
What was even more laughable was that the three characters “Fengyi Sect” had not been written in ink or carved with a blade. Instead, they had been painstakingly pieced together, one jewel at a time, into the shape of a rounded, childish font.
“...”
Shu Fu could not help sighing. “I thought no one could have worse taste in décor than Perfected Master Huaigu. I never imagined there would be a heaven beyond heaven—and something even tackier beneath the tackiness.”
Jiang Xuesheng summed it up succinctly. “A tiger painted to look like a cat. The beauty who imitates Xi Shi.”
Seen in this light, the suddenly famous Fengyi Sect seemed even more suspiciously guilty of “riding someone else’s coattails.”
Under the reception disciple’s guidance, everyone filed inside and gathered in the spacious, magnificent main hall of Fengyi Sect.
At a glance, Shu Fu saw four people seated in order at the head of the hall. Judging by their appearances and bearing, they were likely the sect master, his wife, their only son, and a graceful, beautiful young woman.
The man in the lead had a fair face and a neatly trimmed mustache. His manner was gentle, and he was clearly the sect master of Fengyi Sect.
“I am Song Wenqian. The fact that all of you have taken time from your busy schedules to honor our humble sect with your presence truly makes Fengyi Sect shine.”
After that came the usual round of polite greetings and empty pleasantries. Sect Master Song was refined and courteous, introducing his wife, his only son, and his future daughter-in-law in turn. Everyone exchanged greetings.
The young sect master, Song Yayan, was just as courteous as his name suggested. He was a handsome, learned young man who greeted everyone with a smile. With his elegant manners and gentle, upright bearing, he looked every inch the refined gentleman.
The graceful young woman was named Zhong Yingcui. She was Song Yayan’s maternal cousin and childhood sweetheart. The two had grown up together, fallen in love, and could be said to be making a happy match between two close families.
Some cultivators who were on familiar terms with Fengyi Sect offered their congratulations while joking half-seriously, “Sect Master Song, you kept the young sect master’s wedding plans very well hidden. When we visited over the past two years, we never heard a word about this lovely romance.”
Sect Master Song smiled. “Ah, the children were still young then—lively, playful, and not yet settled in their minds. As parents, we worried that something might change, so we delayed the matter for a while. We never meant to keep it from our friends.”
Song Yayan and Zhong Yingcui exchanged a smile. The young woman shyly turned her face away, her eyes brimming with tenderness and affection. One look was enough to tell that they were a loving couple.
“...”
Shu Fu had no interest in listening to their family small talk. She carefully examined all four of them from head to toe. Seeing nothing suspicious, she turned to Jiang Xuesheng and Xie Fangnian.
[Do any of them seem suspicious?]
Jiang Xuesheng: [Elder Xie, what do you think?]
Xie Fangnian: [You already have your answer. Why ask me?]
Shu Fu: [Can the two of you speak like normal people?]
The two of them answered in unison.
[The young sect master/Pretty-faced fool carries a trace of Phoenix Clan aura.]
“Pretty-faced fool” had come from Xie Fangnian. His tone was full of disdain, and after saying it, he added:
[The aura is extremely faint, almost impossible to detect. It is even weaker than that of the good-for-nothing descendants in Lingxiao City. This man is not a descendant of the Phoenix Clan. He must have had the good fortune to encounter some benefactor and obtain Phoenix spiritual power or a magical treasure. Fengyi Sect’s sudden rise may well be related to this.]
At the same time, he cast an apparently casual glance at Shu Fu and said indifferently:
[Unfortunately, his aptitude is lacking. At his age, he still has not reached the Golden Core stage. Even with such an opportunity, it would be of no use to him. What a waste.]
Jiang Xuesheng shifted his position ever so slightly, conveniently blocking Xie Fangnian’s scrutinizing gaze.
[Indeed. True jade and rare talent are one in ten thousand, treasures that can be encountered but not sought. How could one simply pick them up anywhere? Elder Xie, what is meant to be yours will be yours, and what is not meant to be yours cannot be forced.]
Xie Fangnian: [The wheel of fortune turns—thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. Even a mortal woman may remarry, let alone a cultivation partner or a master and disciple. I advise you not to celebrate too soon.]
Shu Fu: “...”
Elder Xie, are you trying to break up my ship?!
No matter how she looked at it, their conversation sounded like this—
Jiang Xuesheng: I’m locked in with Fuer. The key has been fed to Ruyi.jpg
Xie Fangnian: If you can lock it, I can still pry it open.
Fortunately, the two of them were only waging war inside their minds. On the surface, they remained perfectly calm, without revealing the slightest trace of hostility. Otherwise, Shu Fu would have had no choice but to tell them, “If you want to fight, take it to the dance studio.”
Back to the matter at hand.
Now that they knew the problem lay with Song Yayan, things would be much easier. They only needed to keep a close eye on him. By following the vine to find the melon—or pulling out one radish after another—they would eventually uncover the source of the Phoenix aura.
Unlike Shi Xiaolou, this family seemed to have no intention of hiding their abilities.
The opportunity arrived soon enough. Song Wenqian announced that, as younger members of the sect, Song Yayan and Zhong Yingcui would also participate in the Autumn Hunt. They would enter the secret realm alongside the other cultivators and compete together.
Sect Master Song further declared that anyone who managed to tame the most powerful spirit beast in the secret realm—which was said to possess cultivation equivalent to the Golden Core stage—would receive a generous gift from Fengyi Sect.
With a substantial reward on offer, there was bound to be no shortage of brave volunteers—especially when it was practically free. At once, everyone grew eager to try. They clamored to enter the secret realm, particularly those with lower cultivation who desperately needed a powerful spirit beast. Their eyes turned red with hunger.
The sect master was generous and did not keep them waiting. With a grand sweep of his hand, he unfurled a map before everyone.
It depicted towering mountain ranges, dense forests and secluded valleys, villages and plains—a vast and magnificent landscape containing every kind of terrain.
“Most of the spirit beasts Fengyi Sect has captured in recent years, provided they have not yet formed contracts with anyone, are kept there.”
Sect Master Song smiled. “This map contains every kind of landscape imaginable—high mountains, great marshes, and everything in between. Every type of spirit beast can find a suitable habitat there and will not feel the slightest bit constrained. Our Fengyi Sect has always regarded spirit beasts as friends and family. We naturally treat them extremely well.”
Qin Huan praised him. “The sect master is truly benevolent.”
...
This time, when they entered the secret realm, Shu Fu was not singled out or obstructed. She was able to set out together with Jiang Xuesheng, Qin Huan, Bai Tian, and the others.
Xie Fangnian was still being carried by Fairy Hantan. He had coldly abandoned Qin Huan, apparently having grown accustomed to selling his charms to young girls.
Shu Fu could not help thinking that Kitty Xie had fallen for someone new awfully quickly.
Naturally, she would never be so fickle. She was determined to play the perfect husband to the very end, and she tenderly supported Jiang Xuesheng as she said, “My wife, hold on tight.”
However, the moment she stepped into the map, the world spun around her. An irresistible force violently tore her and Jiang Xuesheng apart. Their tightly clasped hands were forced to separate, and for a moment, the scene looked like something straight out of a tragic romance.
Shu Fu, completely devoid of emotion, called out, “My wife—”
Jiang Xuesheng was genuinely worried that she might be left alone. She had meant to call out “husband,” but “Fuer” slipped out instead. Realizing halfway through that she had misspoken, she immediately made a sharp turn.
“Fuer-kun—”
Shu Fu: “???”
What in the world was “Fuer-kun” supposed to mean?!
Were you trying to make me call you Xuesheng-chan?!
The scenery before her eyes shifted again. Shu Fu’s figure appeared high above the secret realm, leaving her suspended between heaven and earth in a free fall.
Splat!
Since she was not very far from the ground, she did not summon her sword. Instead, she simply adjusted her posture and prepared to land.
She had not expected a dark shadow to shoot into the air before she reached the ground. A pair of thick, powerful arms extended toward her and caught her securely.
“What is this thing?!”
Shu Fu could hear the wind roaring past her ears. A pair of soft, scorching-hot giant paws supported her, protecting her snugly from every side. Her entire body was pressed against a broad, warm chest, and when she turned her head, she could hear a strong, powerful heartbeat. She felt an overwhelming sense of security and contentment…
—Could this be the legendary princess carry?
—She was a formidable woman who had made waves wherever she went, and yet she was actually being carried like a princess???
Even Jiang Xuesheng had never carried her like this!
Shu Fu looked up, ready to see who had dared to be so bold. Depending on the situation, she would either berate him—or her—and order them to put her down. The secret realm was vast, and she still had to hurry and reunite with Jiang Xuesheng. She had no time to bother with irrelevant passersby.
And then…
She saw a bear’s face.
A black-and-white face, endearingly goofy and lovable—the kind that had captured the hearts and minds of countless Chinese people.
The creature that had caught Shu Fu in midair and was now carrying her like a princess as it descended into a bamboo grove was a broad-shouldered, barrel-chested, fearsome and mighty—
Giant panda.
Shu Fu: “………………”
Fine. She had decided not to worry about Jiang Xuesheng for the time being.
Even if she was going to look for him, she would first have to tame this panda.
