Chu Yin used the tree trunk as a slide, sliding down from the spiderweb hammock.
The bark was rough, covered in tiny thorns, but he had an iron bottom!
After landing on the ground, Chu Yin immediately regretted it and muttered,
“Will my butt hurt the moment I wake up?”
Before the next time he woke up, he’d better prepare himself mentally. Otherwise, the sudden pain would easily lead Aunt Wen to misunderstand, especially with his little aunt nearby. That would be hard to explain.
“Is this the potion I have to drink today?” Chu Yin approached the window of his witchy little aunt’s room, pointing at a bottle of liquid on the desk.
The Snow-Ash Witch, whose face rarely showed emotion, shook her head and corrected him seriously,
“Today’s isn’t a potion. Strictly speaking, it’s the Universal Antidote. It can help clear out the trace amounts of toxins built up in your body. Tomorrow’s is the potion.”
Even when the side effects of the potion subsided, toxins would still quietly accumulate. Over time, these toxins would become a major hidden danger.
Chu Yin didn’t bother thinking too much about it—he just drank whatever he was given.
His only goal in the dream world was to improve himself as much as possible, so he could reap the rewards in the real world.
His little aunt’s dream world was pretty worry-free. All he had to do every day was drink the potion to complete the task.
The only thing he had to watch out for was Poison Resistance. Even taking potions depended on Innate Talent; some people developed Poison Resistance after just two days, and once that happened, the potions stopped having any effect—in fact, drinking more was basically just taking poison.
“If I do develop Poison Resistance, the only way to keep improving is to grit my teeth and study Magic or sword techniques. I’d better keep a good relationship with my witchy little aunt, so it’ll be easier to ask for her help later.”
With this in mind, he went through the motions of training in Knight Swordsmanship, while his attention drifted to the question of how to “create a sense of daily life.”
After half a day’s practice, Chu Yin’s arms were so tired he could barely lift them. Still, he hadn’t come up with a concrete solution. He decided to go hang out in his little aunt’s wooden cottage for a while.
By the window, his little aunt had just woken up, but hadn’t started her new day of Magic study yet. She chose to sprawl out among a pile of books and read a few pages of her Magic books to refresh herself.
Golden morning sunlight streamed across her back, the light and shadow highlighting the elegant curve of her waist and hips. Her round, perky hips stretched the fabric of her skirt until it was almost sheer. The beautiful flesh tone that showed through was a color no dye-house could ever hope to recreate.
After flipping through a few pages, the Snow-Ash Witch was fully awake. She noticed Chu Yin’s presence and asked coolly,
“Little unlucky egg, why have you been watching me all this time?”
“I’m tired from sword training. Now I can’t even lift my arms to tap gemstones. I just wanted to see how Lady Witch studies Magic. I promise I won’t make any noise.”
Seeing the boy curled up in a corner, not even moving the books scattered on the floor, the Snow-Ash Witch realized he was indeed being very careful not to disturb her.
“You can relax a little. The past few days, you’ve screamed in the yard from time to time. I’m already used to it. It doesn’t affect me.”
…Wait, so you didn’t use Soundproof Magic or anything? I thought you couldn’t hear me. Turns out you just didn’t bother to care?
Chu Yin gave an apologetic smile and tentatively asked, “Then when does Lady Witch usually put down her Magic books to rest or relax? I want to chat with you.”
The Snow-Ash Witch considered. “Evening.”
With that answer, Chu Yin felt as if he’d been granted special permission. Every evening, he’d be on time in the cottage, waiting for a chance to chat with his witchy little aunt.
Their conversations had no set theme. At first, Chu Yin just shared his “unlucky experiences of the day.” He never started off by asking about her past.
That was a big no-no in conversation—asking about such things before your relationship was close was an offense, and even if you were close, you still had to choose the right moment.
After several days, Chu Yin finally mustered the courage to ask about Magic. He only understood bits and pieces, but always acted earnest, so his little aunt wouldn’t stop telling him things.
How could the Snow-Ash Witch not see his confusion? Even the Spider Sister eavesdropping outside the window could tell. But neither of them exposed him.
They both tacitly treated Chu Yin’s “Oh no, I wasn’t distracted, so why can’t I understand a word?” look of deep concern as a source of amusement.
Half a month passed. On another evening, Chu Yin finally understood a little about Magic—just the surface, but it was something.
His little aunt said, “You can come to chat with me whenever you want in the future. There’s no need to wait until evening.”
“Won’t I interrupt Lady Witch’s train of thought?” Chu Yin asked, suppressing his joy.
He worried that his constant confusion would annoy his little aunt.
Back in the real world, Aunt Dongnuan hated inefficient and pointless conversation. She’d gone through several assistants before finding a good one.
“No.”
The witch shook her head gently. To help the boy feel less nervous, she added an explanation:
“These past days, I’ve found that the topics you bring up are quite simple. They don’t interrupt my thinking, and I don’t even need to distract myself to answer. So come chat whenever you want—don’t worry about bothering me.”
“…Th-thank you, Lady Witch.”
Chu Yin felt complicated inside.
He realized his little aunt was actually very sharp-tongued. No wonder Yan Lingqi sometimes showed her biting side—he now knew where it came from.
Still, getting this permission was a good step forward.
It meant his relationship with his witchy little aunt had grown much closer.
This was a good thing!
The sun set and the moon rose. Another night arrived.
Stars glittered like a river in the clear night sky.
During the day, Chu Yin had gone into the forest with Spider Sister to collect a lot of birch sap. As one of the few drinks around here, he’d had a bit too much. Lying in the hammock, the urge to pee forced him to get up and head to the riverside.
Spider Sister tied several strands of spider silk around his little wrist before letting him go, feeling reassured.
No sooner had Chu Yin finished peeing than a white figure flew across the sky.
Looking closer, he saw it was a beautiful, half-transparent white deer. Its form was almost ghostly, yet it gave off no sense of unease or malice. In fact, it seemed ethereal, almost celestial.
Chu Yin stared at the white deer. The white deer looked back, eyes filled with surprise and confusion.
What’s going on? Why are you looking at me like that?
“Hello?” Chu Yin blinked and greeted it.
“Your name is Chu Yin, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.” Chu Yin was taken aback.
“I just happened to come out in spirit form and, by chance, ran into the child who once solved the riddle…” The white deer spoke in a woman’s clear, distant voice, her tone tinged with emotion.
Chu Yin was puzzled. “Do we know each other?”
The white deer fell silent. She stared at Chu Yin, considering whether to take him away from this foreign land.
“Child, you do not belong here. Do you want to return home? I can send you back, but I cannot change your fate.”
Back to the orphanage? At least here I have my witchy little aunt to help protect me—if I go back, it’s basically just waiting for death.
Chu Yin shook his head quickly:
“No, I’m fine here. May I ask… why do you seem to know me?”
Hearing this, the white deer didn’t push further and said,
“I’ve heard your story, but this is our first meeting… If you’re happy here, that’s all that matters.”
She said no more, disappearing without a trace, careful not to disrupt Chu Yin’s current life too much.
If Chu Yin had the talent for cultivation—or even just a little more luck—she would have taken him back with her, to help her disciple put her longing to rest…
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