Suddenly, his ears and tail appeared. Yan Qing’an panicked. He tried various techniques and spells to turn his tail and ears back, but unfortunately, his inner power only recovered by thirty percent. Moreover, the spell from the monster earlier was too bizarre. For a moment, he couldn’t figure out if he was under a curse or an illusion.
He Heng observed Yan Qing’an’s peculiar appearance, making Yan Qing’an even more nervous. As he tensed up, his whole demeanor changed. He desperately tried to retract his tail and ears, but they stubbornly refused to disappear.
On the contrary, his round tail vigorously wagged, and his head’s ears did the same.
Seeing Yan Qing’an transformed into a fluffy “chubby fox”, He Heng was at a loss. He didn’t even bother picking up his sword and called out, “Master, don’t panic. Let me examine you.”
He hurriedly ran over, a suspicious smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.
In truth, He Heng was a bit anxious too…
He was afraid that if he arrived late, his master’s ears and tail might be gone.
He Heng was half a head taller than Yan Qing’an. Standing across from him, the two snowy-white fox ears were right in front of him.
As shadows fell over his eyes, Yan Qing’an became even more unsettled.
“Master, did you get a good look at the appearance of that monster just now?”
He Heng blabbered on, pretending to be serious, but his gaze was completely captivated by the “furry” ears.
“Let me take a look at these ears of yours…”
Saying this, he reached out and gave the large ears a playful touch.
The fluffy texture was almost as expected, and since Yan Qing’an seemed to have turned into a snow fox, the touch was exceptionally smooth – surpassing even that of a Cadbury chocolate.
As he touched the soft area, the tip of the right ear suddenly shrank.
“Um! No… nothing.” Yan Qing’an nervously retreated towards the corner of the rock wall.
“Don’t touch the ears,” he warned.
But how could He Heng let him off so easily? Leveraging his advantage of height and larger frame, he promptly pressed Yan Qing’an against the wall and started pinching and touching his ears.
No matter where He Heng pinched, every time he did, the ear would shrink. Pinch again, and it would shrink again.
In the end, the tips of Yan Qing’an’s ears were reddened from all the pinching.
Being touched like that on his ears felt so ticklish,
It was both ticklish and peculiar, like scratching an itch on his own ticklish spot. Yan Qing’an felt like he could hardly bear it.
However, in the next moment,
“What are you doing?!”
Yan Qing’an exclaimed.
When he wasn’t paying attention, He Heng sneakily pinched his tail,
Even more annoyingly, he pinched right at the base of the tail.
“Just checking for you.”
However, the person involved didn’t feel anything was amiss.
Then, He Heng bent down and smiled at him, saying, “Of course, I’m just helping Master check if only the tail and ears are out of place.”
“I’m just afraid that the monster turned you into a fox spirit, Master.”
Nevertheless, as He Heng gradually approached, closing the distance, Yan Qing’an inexplicably sensed a dangerous atmosphere. Subconsciously, he took a step back, and his back pressed against the hard and cool rock wall.
It was only then that he realized he had been cornered with no room to retreat.
Seeing the uneasy reaction of Yan Qing’an, He Heng playfully tucked away his large tail, and his ears drooped slightly. Now, the snowy-white ears were tightly pressed against the sides of his head, resembling a fox more and more. He couldn’t resist the urge to tease.
He smirked, wearing an exaggerated expression, and slowly approached Yan Qing’an.
“Master, are you sure you’re not a fox spirit in disguise? No wonder it looked so familiar. Is the disguise slipping now?”
With that, he reached out and pinched the fluffy tip of Yan Qing’an’s ear again.
Yan Qing’an, still preoccupied with how to revert his tail and ears after falling victim to the monster’s spell, was on edge. He thought He Heng was genuinely suspicious, so he hastily started explaining,
“I… I’m not a fox spirit, really.”
“Besides the basic external features and demonic aura, one usually judges whether a person is a demon based on their inner core or… even their heart.”
“I just fell under the monster’s spell, which made my tail and ears appear. My body core has no demonic aura. If you don’t believe me, you can check…”
He Heng, knowing very well that Yan Qing’an hadn’t transformed into a fox spirit, was more curious about the mention of “heart”. Just as Yan Qing’an was about to continue, he interrupted,
“By heart, do you mean the heart organ?”
“Mmm,” Yan Qing’an nodded.
“Monsters can transform into human appearances through advanced illusions, but the one thing they can’t mimic is a human heart.”
“So, I really am not a fox spirit!”
Seeing that Yan Qing’an was genuinely distressed, He Heng decided to put an end to his teasing.
He thought for a moment and then pulled out a small bottle from his sleeve.
“Master, this is a special pill given to me by that old man after I won the sect competition. It seems to be a high-grade pill he refined, claiming it can eliminate any side effects caused by demonic aura.”
“He gave it to me because I was affected by a demonic soul aura. Later, he mentioned that the pill might not work for me. The entanglement with those strands of demonic soul and my spiritual roots is too deep. His pill can only dispel surface-level effects.”
With that, He Heng handed the bottle to Yan Qing’an.
“Give it a try; maybe your ears will disappear.”
Upon hearing this, Yan Qing’an raised his head and, beyond He Heng’s gaze, hesitated for a moment.
The sincerity in He Heng’s expression was striking. At this moment, with his eyes half-lowered, he straightforwardly extended his hand, waiting for Yan Qing’an to take the pill.
In that instant, Yan Qing’an felt a peculiar stir in his heart.
He couldn’t quite articulate this sensation, but just by observing He Heng’s earnest expression, Yan Qing’an suddenly felt that the person standing in front of him now was completely different from his usual disciple. It was more profound than the impression he got from the disciple’s inverted sword flying.
After hesitating for a moment, Yan Qing’an said, “Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
Taking the bottle from He Heng, Yan Qing’an swallowed the pill. After doing so, he lowered his eyes and softly uttered, “Thank you.”
Once he swallowed the pill, He Heng asked, “How does it feel? Any changes?”
Hesitating for a moment, Yan Qing’an tentatively reached up to touch his head. After feeling the fluffy texture, he shook his head in frustration.
Seeing Yan Qing’an’s expression, He Heng couldn’t help but smirk.
“It might take a while for the effects to kick in,” he said, shifting the conversation back to the main topic. “By the way, Master, what exactly happened in the cave just now? Did you see where that monster went?”
Yan Qing’an pointed towards the cave entrance and explained, “After we entered, a mist spread through the cave. Even though I used a dispelling fog spell, it didn’t work against its curse. In the thick fog, I could vaguely see it rushing towards the cave entrance.”
Hearing this, He Heng furrowed his brow. “Could that monster have some sort of shape-shifting ability?”
With that, he turned and walked towards the cave entrance. “Perhaps searching around this mountain might reveal other clues.”
However, as the two of them exited the cave and hadn’t walked far, a sudden eagle cry echoed through the sky. The sound reverberated, causing a buzzing sensation in their eardrums. At the same time, a massive shadow descended upon the open space ahead of them.
He Heng raised his eyes to see a golden eagle soaring across the sky. Its wings unfolded, gleaming with a golden light. It was evidently no ordinary raptor but a transformed demonic being, a demon formed from a golden eagle. Just as he pondered the connection between this golden eagle and the fleeing monster,
“Ah!”
A fluffy creature suddenly darted into He Heng’s arms.
Yan Qing’an was as perplexed as He Heng about the situation. It seemed that after falling under the monster’s curse, he retained some fox-like instincts. At the sight of the golden eagle, a natural predator, a deep fear overcame him, causing shivers to run down his spine. Subconsciously, he wagged his tail and instinctively sought refuge in He Heng’s arms.
“Master… what’s happening?” He Heng was also taken aback.
Now, with the fluffy ears vigorously rubbing against his chin. Yan Qing’an was too preoccupied to notice if his ears were ticklish or not. Frightened, he kept burrowing into He Heng’s embrace, and his tail wagged like a drumstick.
Upon realizing that Yan Qing’an was afraid of the eagle, He Heng first chuckled, then gently placed a hand on his back, patting comfortingly.
“Don’t be afraid; it won’t carry you away.”
However, at that moment, the sky echoed once again with an eagle cry, accompanied by the sounds of “swish! swish! swish!”
It sounded like arrows piercing through the air.
Worried that the eagle’s screech might frighten Yan Qing’an, He Heng covered his large ears with his hand and looked up. In the sky, several dozen arrows, seemingly equipped with automatic tracking radar, made several twists and turns as they chased after the eagle.
These arrows were undoubtedly enchanted; they were not ordinary arrows shot by a regular person.
Seeing the fiery red glow emitted by the arrow cluster, He Heng couldn’t help but think that these were arrows enchanted with fire magic, likely used by demon hunters to capture their prey.
As he watched the arrows follow the golden eagle into the distance, he lowered his head, preparing to search for the demon hunters’ whereabouts.
However, in the distance, several voices suddenly rang out,
“Look, there seems to be something over there!”
“Another demon?”
He Heng immediately realized it was a problem. Those people would likely mistake Yan Qing’an, with his unusual ears, for a demon. Moreover, they were nearby, making it too late for them to fly away using sword techniques. Additionally, it would look suspicious if they suddenly took off.
In the blink of an eye, He Heng swiftly considered a few viable options. Without hesitation, he pressed Yan Qing’an against a tree and urged him,
“Hurry, hide your tail!”
Saying this, he tucked Yan Qing’an’s large tail into his embrace and, with a quick motion, pulled down the collar of his disciple’s robe. “Sorry, Master.”
“Um!”
Before Yan Qing’an could react, He Heng had already embraced him. He placed a hand on Yan Qing’an’s waist and buried his head in his chest, using his height and broad shoulders to shield them from prying eyes.
The group of people, catching a glimpse of the intimate posture between the two, froze on the spot. They awkwardly turned their heads away, and their questioning voices sounded somewhat hesitant.
“Brother, um… just asking, did you see anything strange pass by just now?”
“What thing?” He Heng’s tone carried a hint of annoyance, as if his good deed had been disrupted, acting with perfect naturalness.
“You mean that eagle? Why would I bother about an eagle?”
“Besides, what are you guys doing wandering around the forest during the day?”
The group of people paused, exchanged glances, and then explained to He Heng,
“You’re not from around here, right? Haven’t you heard that there have been frequent appearances of monsters near Red River Village, and some people have gone missing? We’re demon hunters from the city, and we’ve been trying to catch that golden eagle for a long time. Most of the dead monsters found here are its prey. I suspect it’s the one causing trouble.”
“Oh,” He Heng followed up, trying to extract more information, “so, hearing you say that, isn’t this mountain unsafe?”
The leader of the group, apparently uninterested in the monster, signaled to his companions, and they began to walk back. As they walked away, he said to He Heng,
“Yeah, it’s not safe. I suggest you don’t stay here. Although people have been missing in the city recently, the city defenses are tight, and suspicious individuals can’t get in. It’s still safer than the wilderness out here.”
As He Heng listened to the gradually fading footsteps, he finally released Yan Qing’an.
In that moment, both of them avoided each other’s gaze. Yan Qing’an’s face had a hint of blush, and He Heng turned his head slightly. He scratched the back of his head and changed the subject:
“Master, according to them, the monster seems to enter the city occasionally. How about we follow this lead and go to the city?”
“Sure.”
Yan Qing’an had already tidied up his clothes. Upon hearing He Heng’s suggestion, he responded casually, without daring to lift his head to look into He Heng’s eyes.
After about an hour of walking, Yan Qing’an’s tail and ears returned to normal. It seemed that the pills he took earlier had taken effect.
However, just as they were about to descend the mountain, a thick fog suddenly enveloped the entire mountaintop. The color of the fog was peculiar, resembling the hue of fresh blood.
He Heng sensed that something was amiss; this dense fog didn’t seem to be naturally occurring. Instead, it appeared as if a demonic creature had cast a spell.
Yan Qing’an also noticed that something was wrong and suggested abandoning this area and flying out with sword techniques.
He Heng nodded in agreement, and the two of them stepped on their swords, flying towards the city.
Just as they were about to leave the boundary of this mountain, the dense fog behind them suddenly surged forward, bringing with it a gust of wind and sand.
At the same time, the eerie black shadow emerged again, accompanied by a spine-chilling laughter. It enveloped He Heng.
To think that someone dared to walk into the trap, He Heng immediately activated a technique, pursuing the monster.
He couldn’t believe that “Proud Dragon of Heaven” from the world of cultivation couldn’t defeat a mere monster.
He Heng chased the shadow through the thick fog for a long time. Unfortunately, the black figure seemed formless, moving as fast as an eel. He Heng couldn’t catch it no matter what. As he continued the pursuit, something felt increasingly amiss…
Why does the top of my head and my face feel itchy, and what about my back?
With this thought, He Heng quickly lowered his head to take a look.
This was quite a shock. He was taken aback at what he saw.
When did his tail and ears appear?
The tail behind He Heng was silver-gray, thick, and large – unmistakably the tail of a gray wolf.
Now, he was getting a bit flustered.
While he had heard that life’s fortunes and misfortunes tend to come in cycles, this karmic retribution seemed to be arriving a bit too swiftly, didn’t it?
As the mist was about to disperse, He Heng heard the slightly anxious voice of Yan Qing’an beside him,
“How are you? Where did that monster go?”
At this moment, He Heng truly felt the embarrassment of his current predicament,
What was a grown man doing with fluffy ears and a tail?
With this thought, he blurted out, “Don’t… don’t come over.”
However, the power of words is feeble, and He Heng couldn’t change his tail and ears back. He also couldn’t stop Yan Qing’an from approaching.
The two landed on the ground, and in that moment when their eyes met, Yan Qing’an first appeared visibly stunned. Then, a smile gradually appeared at the corners of his mouth. He walked up to He Heng and raised his hand, intending to pinch He Heng’s ears.
He Heng firmly grabbed Yan Qing’an’s wrist, saying, “No, you can’t!”
In response, Yan Qing’an immediately became displeased. If He Heng could touch his ears so freely just now, why couldn’t he do the same? He retorted, “Then why could you touch me just now?”
He Heng was first stunned for a moment, then the two silver-gray wolf ears twitched. He pursed his lips, awkwardly contemplating for a while, and finally gave in, saying,
“Okay, you can touch it once.”
Yan Qing’an replied, “Oh.”
In his mind, he sarcastically thought that He Heng was really a stingy person, even in his past. Without hesitation, he reached out and ruffled He Heng’s large gray wolf ears.
Then, playing with the wolf ears of the transformed He Heng was also enjoyable. Although the touch was a bit rough, feeling the fluffy softness under his fingers and the slight trembling added to the fun, especially when combined with He Heng’s large tail.
He had long forgotten whether he had said “once” or “twice”. After rubbing He Heng’s ears a few times, he wanted to play with He Heng’s wolf tail.
Just when Yan Qing’an was engrossed in playing, He Heng suddenly leaned down towards him and said in a fierce tone,
“Touch me again…”
“Touch me again, and I’ll bite you.”
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