Beware Of Chicken v7c49: Wind Down

“Thank you all once more for this wonderful evening. I truly enjoyed myself,” Master Rou proclaimed.

From an arena entrance, Bai Huizhong observed the man, eyelids sagging heavily. Endless tea alone prevented him from dozing off, since the night grew so late. Sunrise remained roughly four hours distant. Master Rou had lingered considerably—yet he conversed with every person who approached him, even numerous rogue cultivators. Certainly, every cultivator, no matter how feeble, appreciated the recognition, yet the mortals endured no such joy. Dark circles shadowed the eyes of them all.

“We’re pleased you had such a good time, Master Rou,” declared the Grand Marshal, positioned ahead of the cultivators escorting him away for the night.

“Gratitude to every performer and to the mortal support staff—you labored tirelessly, excelled splendidly, and crafted an unforgettable evening.”

Cultivators naturally swelled with pride, yet stunned quiet emanated from below the stage.

During his prior visit, the man had shown care for mortal welfare, but that… well, that sounded genuine.

A smile crept onto Huizhong’s face from the recognition. Cai Xiulan along with fellow Azure Heroes offered similar warmth, but hearing such words from this ancient powerhouse? For a cultivator to comprehend their grueling efforts and value them?

It felt deeply rewarding.

“Until tomorrow then, Master Rou?” inquired Cai Xiulan, receiving a nod from the man.

“Absolutely! I eagerly await touring your mountain. It has transformed greatly since my last visit,” he replied, brimming with excitement once more.

“Good night, Master Rou,” Xiulan bid, echoed in unison by the other cultivators as they bowed deeply.

“A good night to you all too!” Master Rou responded, then departed the Earthly Arena alongside his wife and attendants.

All held still for a moment, faces rigid and composed.

“He’s proceeded down the corridor without any indication of returning,” reported one of Huizhong’s subordinates, the message echoing through the arena.

Relief washed over Bai Huizhong as he sagged in exhaustion. Others shared his sentiment. Sect members started dispersing, streaming out from the arena.

“That’s a wrap, everyone! Restore the arena!” he ordered sharply.

Servants rushed into the Earthly Arena, collecting remaining food and beverages. Simultaneously, grinding sounds rumbled as the arena reverted to its original setup.

Bao Wen emerged unsteadily from under the floor with his team, drenched in sweat and utterly drained.

Yet their evening duties persisted a bit longer. Sect Masters convened in the primary conference chamber—Huizhong needed to report mission accomplished. Fortunately, every one appeared thoroughly satisfied.

Sect Masters clustered tightly around the Grand Marshal, nodding vigorously while chatting with her.

“It surpassed all my anticipations!” exclaimed Tian Shen, Azure Horizon Sect Master. “Who would have thought our Earthly Arena could achieve such wonders again!”

“A spectacle of pure splendor,” affirmed the Crossed Branches Sect Master, eyes burning fiercely. “The upcoming tournament will echo through history!”

“Above all, Master Rou took genuine delight in our efforts. The Grand Marshal orchestrated a magnificent display,” Lady Xinling noted approvingly toward her.

“The Grand Marshal shares merit generously with everyone,” Ulagan Baatar proclaimed. “Her wisdom ensured this triumph.”

Vigorous nods and affirmations rose from the remaining Sect Masters.

“Still, she wasn’t the only factor; the relentless efforts of the Restoration Commission and Bao Wen unlocked victory. Young man, those transitions were masterful—flawlessly fluid!” Ulagan Ganzorig, former Grand Ravine Sect Master before yielding to his father, grinned broadly at him.

Fellow Elders spotted Bao Wen, beaming at the youth as if their own kin.

“He practices endlessly; despite lacking cultivation talent, his diligence shines unmatched,” Cai Xi Kong remarked, caressing his beard.

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Bao Wen’s cheeks turned red.

“Bai Huizhong merits thanks too. As Master Rou noted, your execution was perfect,” Xiulan stated, gaze fixing on Huizhong. Her smile carried perilous allure, with sparkles seeming to dance in the air around her!

“Everyone contributed their share,” Huizhong replied generously. “Though, might the Honored Elders indulge one request?”

“What need have you, Bai Huizhong?” queried the Grand Ravine Lord, gaze piercing.

“A bit of rest,” Bai Huizhong deadpanned. “Us mortals are utterly spent, facing wake-up in under four hours.”

Baatar’s stern expression melted into mirth. The gathered Elders, moods already buoyant, burst into laughter.

“Indeed, mortals demand substantial slumber,” pondered one thoughtfully.

“Kindly inform all who labored tonight to rest through the morning, Huizhong,” the Grand Marshal instructed. “I’ll manage all the remaining tasks for tomorrow.”

Huizhong offered a slight bow, deeply satisfied with the directive—his crew would feel the same joy.

They’d be even more delighted by the bonuses awaiting them come morning. Meanwhile, the cultivators swiftly redirected their chatter toward Master Rou.

“Both displayed such grace, yet Lady Meiling? Her bearing was flawless. Utterly distant and commanding. Such refinement suits a mighty Lady perfectly…”

================================

“[That’s right],” Meimei mumbled with every bit of poise feasible while her face remained buried in someone’s chest.

In this instance, my chest. Right after we stepped into our room, Meimei had face-planted straight into me, worn out from upholding her role throughout the evening. Presently, I reclined on one of the room’s couches, offering my wife some tender comfort. She had truly merited it.

It was likely past two in the morning, perhaps a touch later. Zhyue had long since drifted off, guarded by Suyan and nearly all the bees except Bane of the Black Lances. Our young lad was adjusting swiftly, gradually ceasing to rub his nose as the night wore on; hopefully, he could join our tour tomorrow without the barrage of scents overwhelming him.

“Yes, that’s spot on. Meeting with a lot of people is tiring,” I concurred. Several chuckles echoed. Everyone except Xiulan and Xianghua had gathered, pretending to depart before circling back to spend time together prior to truly retiring.

“Hnerg,” came the muffled response. Yin burst into laughter at Meimei’s sounds—while Tigu, positioned on my other side, gently patted Meiling’s arm.

“There, there, you performed splendidly, my student,” Lady Wu comforted, stroking her head—before unleashing a huge yawn.

“Mrrr?” Meiling queried from my chest.

“Ha! No complaints, Lady Meiling! You all shone brightly!” Rags exclaimed, his face lit with a relaxed grin. Though still rough-hewn and somewhat disheveled, he seemed at ease and content.

“Yeah. You handled it superbly. I’m not accustomed to Elders acting so restrained!” Loud Boy remarked, shaking his head. “Usually they’re all severe, pretending to know everything—or trying to boss us around without authority. Lucky for me, I rarely deal with them—I’m typically patrolling with the Tiger-Leopard Outriders. Xiulan’s kept us pushing hard these last few months.”

“How’s that progressing?” I inquired, persisting with the shoulder rub—Meiling was gradually reviving. She let out a sigh and at last rolled from my chest to settle next to me.

“It feels good to be useful, yanno? Making a difference,” he answered. “We’ve fully ironed out Rags’ reporting setup. Now we strike at bandits and rogue Spirit Beasts much quicker. The pace is grueling, but it pays off.”

Pride rang clear in his tone.

“I’ve heard tales of how secure the roads have become. Merchants everywhere acknowledge your efforts, no doubt. You’re truly impacting things. Proud of you all.”

Rags and Loud Boy flushed, then Loud Boy cleared his throat. “We’ve also begun recruiting new initiates. Folks from villages and such, lacking a sect or guidance on what’s required.”

“Xiulan’s brainchild,” Rags noted. “We’ve ventured into sparser regions, stretching beyond the Grass Sea. Let me tell you, I wish I had a clue about all the crap these rookies receive when I was green.”

Loud Boy and Rags both chuckled. “Lucky bastards. It’s great though—they skip fumbling through the mess barely hanging on, like we did.”

No resentment colored their words. Only lighthearted mirth. They’d endured hardships—and now ensured others wouldn’t.

“Rags and Loud Boy are excelling wonderfully!” Tigu declared, her smile warm and affectionate.

“They’re managing decently,” Delun teased, his voice carrying a playful edge.

The sworn brothers promptly flashed rude gestures his way.

“It’s been an adventure, that’s for sure,” Rags sighed—the contented exhale of someone fulfilled by his labors. “Even thwarted that bounty on the Acting Lord Magistrate.”

“Bounty?” the Lord Magistrate queried, arching a brow.

“Yeah, some fool from Pale Moon Lake City slapped a bounty on him, drawing a few hunters. But no cause for alarm, sir. His ladies protected him, we retracted the bounty, nabbed the culprits, and spread word it was void. Problem solved.”

The Lord Magistrate and Lady Wu, who had appeared startled, both exhaled in relief. “Well, I, for one, am grateful for such guardians protecting Azure Hills’ folk,” the Lord Magistrate stated. “Thank you, Dong Chou. I owe you.”

“Nah, you’re not. We vowed to protect him since he’s guarding the city. We each pull our weight, right?” Rags questioned.

“Cheers to Dong Chou and Zang Wei!” Meimei proclaimed, grabbing the rice wine bottle from the table.

“Now that I can get on board with!” Rags exclaimed.

“And what about you, Yin?” I inquired. “What kind of things are they handling?”

“Our tasks are fewer than theirs,” Yin responded. “Yet we encountered two incidents. A pair of somewhat rogue Spirit Beasts.” She emphasized those final words with clear intent. “The corpses are preserved, and I’ve marked the kill sites on the map. One location... that’s somewhere you’ll need to inspect personally, Big Bro.”

“We’ll discuss it tomorrow then,” I replied, a scowl crossing my features. Tianlan’s sense of disquiet seeped into my thoughts.

“Demons?” she murmured.

It felt all too plausible.

I brushed aside the unease. Months had already passed since then; one more week wouldn’t change a thing.

Shortly thereafter, Xiulan and Xianghua at last arrived. Xianghua eagerly leaped into Gou Ren’s lap, while Xiulan sighed and settled next to Meiling, who patted the cushion beside her invitingly.

“About tomorrow—” Xiulan began, but Meimei pressed a finger to her lips.

“That waits,” she insisted, then aimed that finger straight at Xianghua and Gou Ren. “You two! Give us the details! How did everything go, little brother? Should I start poisoning folks?”

Xiulan sighed once more, yet held back on pressing the next day’s plans. Gou Ren and Xianghua burst into laughter at her urging, before diving into the account of his initiation at the Misty Lake Sect.

The only thing I’ll add is that I was thankful cultivators barely needed any sleep.