Chapter 20 | Ink East

Edited by renderedreversed

Chapter 20

After I opened my eyes, the world seemed different from the world of the past. Surprisingly, my vision was excellent; I could see a far distance away as if it was right beside me. My sense of smell was also really sensitive. The taste of soil, the smell of grass…and at the moment, there was something fishy in the air.

I blinked. My body felt a little odd; I tried to stand up with shaking legs, but instead of the two I was used to, there were four of them. Four furry claws. I raised my “hand” up to take a closer look, and what I saw was startling. This…if I wasn’t wrong, this species was called a tiger. I turned and looked at my back. There was a long body, a furry ass, and a white tail with a nice pattern.

I was startled for a moment. Then the memories began to come back. Oh! I fell into the Well of Animals and reincarnated into, surprise surprise, an animal.

Animal!

I buried my face into my claws.

Great insult, ah; this was a great insult!

A great existence such as I, a cloud fairy, was turned into this state! I bit back my bitter tears. My broken heart and sadness would not change the fact that I was turned into an animal. Still, I was totally disheartened, stupefied for days. My heart felt sour. Then I realized that Chu Kong had also been turned into an animal, something with four legs, and my mood turned better.

Well, Heavenly Emperor Li, you arranged this. I thought: let’s see you make an inspiring love story out of two animals that couldn’t even talk. Go on, I’d wait.

I sighed, pleased against all odds. Suddenly, something bit my neck and I noticed the smell of a tigress. My “mother” had come…

Perhaps it was instinct that, though the tigress’ fangs were at the back of my neck, I was not wary.

With a little more force, she would have easily bitten me to death, but I let myself dangle from her mouth. The tigress brought me back to our “home” without letting me touch a single blade of grass the entire time. There were two of my siblings playing there. Seeing that the tigress had returned, they walked circles around mother, begging to drink milk. The tigress put me down. I was lazy and lied down exactly where she put me, acting as if I needed help to eat. My siblings, on the other hand, immediately scrapped around mother. I looked at mother’s hairy belly, and bitter tears felt down my eyes. I stayed at the tigress side and shivered. Suddenly, my back felt warm. A warm and strangely comfortable feeling climbed down my back. I turned and looked in dismay. The tigress extended her tongue and licked my hairy forehead (see the first picture).

I was startled at being licked. In the time I was shocked, she licked me from head to toe. Finally contented, she touched my head as if to say: “En, I’m done, you can go play.”

So, like this I was actually…being belittled by a tigress…

Although I knew that she was just using her tongue to comb my hair, I…I…I burst into tears. When I was in the Netherworld, why didn’t I drink that Soup of Oblivion?

I hobbled over to her belly with an extremely conflicted heart. Looking at my siblings suckling while my own tummy was rumbling, I closed my eyes, bent my head and leaned over the belly. Such a life was also an experience.

After living for a few days like this, I came to my senses. Though I was an animal now, that didn’t prevent me from practicing. I could cultivate and become a demon! Then I could live a decent human life! The problem was that even if I practiced a great deal, cultivation would not let me become Yue Lao temple’s fairy again. I would just become something parallel to that. And, when I practiced before, I would only increase my cultivation, so I didn’t have a clue how to start. I hung my head and sighed.

The warm sunlight sprinkled on me through the dense foliage. I yawned lazily. In my hazy memories I saw Chu Kong rocking on a chair reading. He said: “Xiao Xiang Zi, ‘I observe one, to keep the place in peace.’ Do you understand those words?”

Of course I understood. The one who didn’t understand was that fool.

Right! I still remembered the tricks that Chu Kong taught me in the previous lifetime. Chu Kong had been teaching me how to embark on the path of cultivation. Before, I was too stupid and didn’t learn them well; now, I only need to recall his guidance. I was excited and began to jump. The two tiny tigers next to me also began to jump. I ignored them. Instead, I looked for a quiet place and tried to remember all those tricks. Meditating, I started to cultivate.

Three months hadn’t even passed yet when the tigress began to teach us how to hunt. My reflexes were significantly faster than the two other cubs. According to the current situation, I would be able to talk after one year of practicing. This knowledge made me very happy. In my heart, I was very impressed by Chu Kong and his tricks. In our past lifetime, it was no wonder he could cultivate from a mortal to a demigod in merely two decades. Although that guy was really arrogant, he did have some true abilities to back it up.

Today the sun was just right. The air was full of cultivation. I took a rest and rolled on the ground, thinking back to the previous lifetime.

In fact, if I stopped to think about it, Chu Kong didn’t treat me all too badly in the previous life. New hate and old hate had stacked together in the Netherworld; that was why I had been so angry then. But now that I thought about it… It was true that Chu Kong liked to order people around, liked to bully people, had a bad temper, was harsh on people, and had a habit of going a little overboard, but he treated his silly disciple Xiang well. In the end, he even cut out his heart to save me. It could be said that we formed some sort of friendship. Was it only friendship? When he cut his heart out, he didn’t even hesitate. If it had been me in his shoes, I wouldn’t have been able to do that. Voluntarily cutting my own flesh? No way. Lu Hai Kong, on the other hand, was a different story. When I saved Lu Hai Kong, I didn’t have to shoot myself. Someone else did it.

The sunlight was blinding. I felt a little hazy. For some reason, I recalled that day on top of the roof. Drunken Chu Kong had kissed Xiang.

My limbs were stiff. My mind instantly turned blank.

He didn’t drink the Soup of Oblivion. I knew that. He knew that even better than me, but still, in that previous lifetime, he…

It must have been the wine that muddled his head, or…a thought formed in my head. I blushed, or I would have if tigers could blush. Instead, my whole body heated up. It couldn’t be…it couldn’t be!

That arrogant Celestial Star Chu Kong actually…actually fell in love with me? I shook my head, forcing myself to throw this absurd thought out of my mind. He and I were enemies, doomed enemies! Although in the two previous lifetimes, no matter if it was I who had my memories or Chu Kong who had his memories, we didn’t use a single ruthless hand against each other. Ah, but whenever we see each other, we always fight! Although it seemed that this time, it was only I who struck him. He only insulted me…

Wait, why am I making up excuses for him?!

I sharpened my claws on a piece of wood, imagining Chu Kong’s face as I happily scratched long marks into it. After my heart calmed down, I put my head down. Suddenly, a fantastic thought crossed my mind. If Chu Kong was like Lu Hai Kong, if he liked me, then I’d also be happy. My body turned slightly hot, but I didn’t think it was a bad thing.

Staying by the tigress’ side, I grew very fast. After about a year, the tigress was pregnant again. She drove us away to let us search for our own territory. Fortunately, I could talk now: I was officially an intelligent animal. Compared to my siblings, I didn’t need to exert much effort to find food. Being a king of the forest was quite comfortable. None of the animals who wanted to keep their lives dared to provoke me. Usually it was like that, but life was full of surprises.

There was a beautiful sunset. I lied quietly at the lake, drinking water. Suddenly, a breeze passed by, carrying the smell of prey. However, this type of prey had always run in groups. Then, why was it that I only smelled one?

I looked up. The sunrays were making the lake water sparkle. On the other side of the lake, a black animal was also quietly drinking water. His appearance felt familiar. A thought flashed through my mind, so in a gentle voice, I spoke up: “Chu Kong?”

The animal stiffened. Then, he also looked up. Our eyes met, and I instantly recognized the other’s identity.

“Pu!”

I laughed really hard. The animal’s body turned stiffer. I lied on the floor and beat my chest with my paws, dying of laughter.

“Wild boar! Hahahaha! You actually reincarnated into the prince of pigs1! Hahaha!”

Chu Kong seemed a little angry. He turned around and walked away. I saw it and tried my best to stop laughing. Then I stepped into the lake and swam over to him.

“Hey! Wait, I’ve something to discuss with you.”

Once again, I set foot on shore and shook the water from my fur. Looking at him, I couldn’t help it and laughed with a “pu” sound again. Chu Kong seemed really mad now. He harrumphed, proudly raised his head, and said: “I really don’t know what’s so great about a girl turning into a tigress. Is this the irony of the gods?”

His voice was really thick, deeper than usual. I didn’t have the strength to refute him after all that laughter. Chu Kong couldn’t tolerate it anymore and kicked some stones on the ground. They landed on my head one after another, each smarting until I grew angry: “Don’t you like me?! Why do you always bully me?!”

Chu Kong was startled. He took a few steps back. He stammered for quite a while before stammering: “Who-who-who-who-who…who the fuck likes you?!”

“You didn’t drink the Soup of Oblivion last time, but you still kissed me!”

“That’s because I was drunk.”

“You didn’t like seeing me with the stone demon. You were jealous.”

“That’s because I hated that stone demon.”

“Finally, you dug your heart out to save me.”

“That’s only because I owed you a favor.”

“No matter what else you say, you as Lu Hai Kong absolutely fell in love with me that lifetime!”

“That’s because I drank the Soup of Oblivion and was delirious!”

I asked, he replied. It felt like he rehearsed it a countless amount of times in his heart. I didn’t know why, but upon hearing those answers, I was disappointed. Fortunately, animals couldn’t make facial expressions. I nodded and said: “So it was like that; in your heart, you still want to harm me.”

Chu Kong fiercely spoke up: “This conclusion, how did you…”

His voice stopped, like he had swallowed back the last part. He was silent for a while. Then, Chu Kong took a few breaths, gritted his teeth, and said: “That’s right! Whenever I see your face, I just want to hurt you. Hurry up and go reincarnate so you can get out of my sight.”

“Heng, do you think I like to look at you?”

I rubbed my forehead and said: “Wild boar Kong, let’s make a deal. Let’s draw a clear line. In this lifetime, you don’t step into my territory and I don’t step into your territory. Don’t care how Heavenly Emperor Li has arranged it. If we never contact each other again, it’ll be alright.”

Chu Kong stared at me for a moment. He hadn’t said anything yet when the earth started shaking. A group of birds fly by, the mountain suddenly turning lively. I was startled.

“Is the earth ox turning his body?”

Chu Kong said with a serious tone: “No.”

He immediately ran to the west. I shook my head. My curiosity got the best of me, so I ran after him.

I'm sorry for ruining your image of Chu Kong ^__^

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