Chapter Five: That Subtle Gleam of Ivory

(New book released, asking for recommendation votes. I'm not very good with words and a bit lazy, please forgive me.)

Suppressing her scream, the black cat finally saw that the dark silhouette was none other than the boy who had disappeared earlier. She realized she’d made a fool of herself. From the moment Qí left to his return, not even twenty seconds had passed. Seeing the fresh herbs in his hand, she immediately understood he hadn’t abandoned her to escape alone—he’d gone to look for medicinal plants for her.

As an introverted girl who seldom left home, she wasn’t an expert in herbs, but she’d seen countless images of the most common hemostatic plants in games. Even though the ones in the boy’s hand looked a bit different from the ones in the pictures, their purpose was unmistakable.

Sure enough, seeing her silent, the boy seemed to understand and didn’t press her further. He smiled and said, “I hadn’t noticed you were injured before—my mistake. Fortunately, I saw some herbs for stopping bleeding and dispersing bruises on the way. In my haste, I didn’t let you know I was leaving. I apologize for frightening you.”

Reading the words reflected on the glass bead in her hand, the black cat’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment at her own outburst. “I made a fool of myself in front of you. I was so rattled that I forgot to thank you. That was wrong of me. Please accept my sincere gratitude for saving my life. If you don’t mind, just call me Black Cat. You saved me and found medicine for me; to keep calling myself ‘Miss’ feels too formal.”

At this moment, her usual chuunibyou tendencies were nowhere to be seen; her sincerity was unmistakable. Besides, in this strange world, even if she did act out her delusions, no one would understand—she’d only be amusing herself. Though, truth be told, it had always been this way. Still, something felt different now.

“If that’s the case, I won’t stand on ceremony. When you’ve walked the martial world long enough, rules matter less. Just call me Qi, or Mr. Qi, or Young Master Qi if you prefer. In this mortal world, another friend means another path. I saved your life today; perhaps someday I’ll need your help too. So don’t worry about it. For now, let me stop your bleeding.”

Qi laughed heartily, then stepped forward, crushed the herbs with practiced force, and applied them to her wound. He wrapped it with a cloth, and just like that, the matter was settled.

During the process, the girl was silent, her cheeks flushed as she caught the masculine scent up close, watching the boy’s busy figure in silence for a long while.

Soon, the rich aroma of roasting meat filled the air, attracting many wild beasts. After a lesson from Qi, they slunk away in fear. Eating roasted meat and sipping bear bone soup, the girl felt warmth spreading through her entire being, lifting her spirits somewhat from the gloom of bad news.

When they finished eating, the boy packed up, and together with his burden of a companion, continued their slow journey in search of immortality.

They walked slowly for an hour, covering less than five kilometers. At last, with a helpless smile, Qi discussed with Black Cat, and they agreed: she would carry the luggage while he carried her, darting swiftly through the forest.

“Uh, Black Cat, Black Cat, time to wake up. It’s already dark.” Perhaps from exhaustion or fright, Black Cat had lain on his sturdy back and fallen soundly asleep. Qi hadn’t woken her—after all, they’d only just met, and had little to talk about. Even if they forced a conversation, they’d have to rely on the glass bead to communicate. Awkward silence seemed worse than letting one sleep in peace while the other took pleasure in the soft, petite form on his back as they traveled.

He didn’t know exactly how old he was, but his body was well developed and his mind keen. He understood everything he needed to. He’d always been alone, so these thoughts never troubled him before. Now, a little distraction was inevitable, but with his self-control, it was easy enough to manage. Still, traveling with a light heart was far more pleasant than trudging along in gloom.

“Mmm.” Black Cat murmured sleepily, slowly opening her eyes. After a moment, she smiled wryly. “So it really wasn’t a dream.” Her cheeks flushed as she slid off Qi’s back and glanced at the darkening sky. “Are we staying here tonight?”

Qi nodded. “There’s a rock face ahead. I’ll carve out a cave there for us to spend the night. Wait here a moment, I’ll be right back.”

“A rock face, digging, a cave… How barbaric,” Black Cat muttered as Qi strode over to a concave cliff. With a controlled motion, his arms and fingers tensed. With a shout, his hands became a flurry of movement. Stone chips flew. In only a quarter of an hour, he’d carved out a cave of roughly ten square meters with his bare hands.

After a few palm strikes blew out the lingering dust, Qi emerged from the cave. Black Cat, stunned, went up and took his hand, examining it closely. His hands were fair and slender, almost like jade—more beautiful than a woman’s. Yet those very hands had just carved through solid rock. It was hardly believable.

Qi withdrew his hand without a change in expression and smiled. “I’ve trained my hands a bit—nothing extraordinary. It’s already dark. I should build a fire and cook. I picked some wild mushrooms, vegetables, and fruit along the way. Dinner will be a bit more sumptuous tonight.”

“Ahem, you’re making me laugh. May I ask where you learned your skills? I have some interest in martial arts myself. Would it be possible to teach me a little?” Black Cat asked with a smile.

“Martial arts aren’t learned in a day. If you’re truly interested, I can teach you some basics. If you can persevere, I’ll teach you more advanced techniques.” Qi looked her up and down, shaking his head slightly. He doubted this delicate, sheltered girl could endure the hardship of martial arts training.

Black Cat pouted and said nothing more. Honestly, if it were dark magic or something like that, she’d be interested enough to persist. But martial arts, while intriguing, would never hold her interest through the necessary hardship.

While Qi prepared dinner, Black Cat explored the cave. The interior was an irregular square, divided by a single wall, with only a door-sized opening connecting the two rooms. “Quite thoughtful,” she nodded in satisfaction.

She then stepped outside and, cheeks reddening, headed toward the dense forest.

“Black Cat, the forest is dangerous. Do you need something?” Qi called out as he cooked.

“Um… I need to use the restroom,” Black Cat murmured, almost inaudibly, before dashing into the forest.

Qi couldn’t see the words reflected on the glass bead from his angle, but he was smart enough not to ask further. He focused all his attention on listening for the slightest disturbance.

Sure enough, before long, a scream pierced the quiet: “Ah!” Qi shot off in an instant. The first thing he saw was a flash of white and a little monkey in a tree clutching the glass bead. Without the slightest hesitation, Qi lunged at the monkey, which shrieked and leapt backward.