Chapter 8: Recover

I kept a calm façade, but my eyes flicked to the surroundings.

How dare someone try to tail me…

Heh! Take this! Immortal Art – Sudden Turnaround!

I whipped my head around so fast my hair flew up—some strands even landed in my mouth.

Hmm? No one’s there?

The alley was completely empty. 

Only a seafood crate stood oddly in the middle of the street.

Bold lettering was printed across the top:

[Imported Wild-Caught · Chilled Octopus]

Was it my imagination? 

The crate’s position was strange…

And now that I think about it, didn’t that exact same box show up earlier during Ishida’s fight?

How did it end up here?

Feigning indifference, I kept walking forward.

Sudden turnaround!

This time, I saw it!!

Because I turned around so abruptly, a single octopus tentacle hadn’t made it back inside in time— it was just a fraction of a second too slow.

“…”

I kept walking as if I hadn’t seen anything.

At the next corner, I ducked behind the wall and waited.

From the bottom of the box, a few tentacles cautiously extended.

They stood upright, blop-blop-blop, carefully lifting the crate forward.

The box slowly waddled around the corner—

Thunk!

It smacked right into my waist due to limited visibility, and both of us toppled to the ground.

“Clu…ru…ru?”

I reached for the crate.

But the tentacles vanished back inside with lightning speed, and the suction cups sealed the lid shut tight.

“…”

It reminded me of tiny octopuses on the beach—

When escaping predators or the scorching sun, they’ll squeeze into anything: shells, bottles, boots… even trap jars set by hunters.

“It’s you, isn’t it, Cluru?”

I tried tugging the box open, but even using all my strength, it wouldn’t budge.

Too weak.

“What are you even doing here… you don’t have to sneak around like this, you know?”

Panting from exertion, I put my hands on my hips and asked.

“To protect you,” came the muffled voice from inside the box.

“…”

“The outside world is too dangerous. I can’t relax knowing you’re out here alone,” the “box” said.

Hearing that, I stammered involuntarily.

“Y-You idiot! I don’t need your protection!”

Damn it. Why is my chest all warm and fuzzy?

After so long in the cruel world of cultivation, where betrayal was the norm and “better you than me” ruled the day—

This was the first time someone had ever said they wanted to protect me.

And I honestly didn’t know how to respond.

……

I pretended not to hear what Cluru said and crouched beside the crate.

With a single finger, I poked a small hole in the cardboard.

“Here. Have your little octopus eat this pill.”

I pushed a Soul-Nurturing Pill through the hole.

I’d just refined three of them in one go, and had two left.

One for the little octopus, and one for the Qilin.

“What is this—aaah, it feels so good—”

The box trembled violently.

I closed my eyes and leaned against it, silently refining the pill and mending my own wounds.

Once the medicinal effect settled, the Qilin’s recovery was visibly obvious.

Its fur looked sleek again, and its gait no longer wobbled.

It frolicked around me like a carefree little pony.

“There you two are… Huh!? Your Qilin…”

Xiao Yuan instantly noticed the change.

Previously it had looked totally wrecked but now, it was radiantly renewed.

If not for knowing that mythical spirit beasts are one-of-a-kind, she might have thought we’d switched Qilins.

“How did you manage that? Was it some kind of divine beast’s self-healing?”

I shook my head.

“Let’s go. Class is starting.”

She grabbed my hand and hoisted the crate sitting on Cluru’s head with the other.

But Cluru, like a hermit crab, wouldn’t budge from inside.

No matter how she shook it, he wouldn’t fall out.

So shy… Staying in that box like this, people might treat him like a weirdo.

At school, those who stand out too much always get bullied.

Teacher Xiao Yuan looked worried.

She sighed. “Fine, but… wait! YOU climbed into the box too?!”

Xiao Yuan looked on, completely exasperated.

“When you carry a treasure, it becomes a curse. Hmph. If villains are eyeing the Qilin, then I have to hide my identity.”

—Next time you brag and call yourself “this exalted one,” could you at least get out of the box first?

Xiao Yuan silently screamed in frustration.

What is wrong with these two!?

The [Wild-Caught Imported · Chilled Octopus] box shuffled a little and leaned against my [Locally-Farmed · Authentic Fur] box.

Two boxes, side by side.

—Well, if they’re both hiding in boxes and getting treated like weirdos together, maybe Cluru won’t feel quite so alone.

That thought brought Xiao Yuan a tiny bit of relief.

And so, we arrived in class.

“Alright, this period is theoretical study. Let’s go over the Immortal Spirit elemental restraint system one more time.”

Xiao Yuan-sensei stepped up to the podium.

Her gaze kept drifting toward the two crates in the corner of the classroom.

Damn it… She tried to ignore them, she really did…

But she just couldn’t stop wondering about those two moving boxes!

Headache.

“Which student can recite the elemental counterchart for Immortal Spirits?”

A hand quickly shot up— it was the girl who had been standing next to Teacher Ishida earlier.

“Alright then, Class Leader Xinyue, please lead the review.”

Huh… So she’s the class leader?

“The elemental counters go like this: water restrains fire, fire restrains wood, blablabla…”

As expected of the class leader— her responses were smooth and confident. 

She clearly had a strong grasp of the theory.

I silently committed it all to memory inside my box.

“Excellent answer, Class Leader. Let’s move on…”

The class went by quickly.

Afterwards, the class leader walked over to my desk.

“My name’s Xinyue. I’m sorry, I misjudged you earlier.”

“Oh.” I replied in a muffled voice.

I hadn’t really held a grudge over our earlier misunderstanding.

“As an apology… how about I treat you both to dinner after school?”

Xinyue extended both hands.

Cluru extended a tentacle, and I offered a tail.

In her stunned gaze, we gave her a light handshake.

“…You two aren’t seriously going out like that, are you?”

We both pointed at our boxes.

Yep. Like this~

“After school, come with me to the dorm first. I’ve got a few outfits that can help disguise your identities. You can borrow them.”

Sure, why not.

Though now I’m curious— why does the class leader have disguise outfits?

Suspicious!

……

Teacher Xiao Yuan watched the exchange from the front of the room, a warm, maternal smile spreading across her face.

“So, they’re making friends at the academy…”

With the class leader helping out, maybe these two oddballs would slowly find their place here.

Still, both had… peculiar personalities—

One was painfully shy, the other arrogant and overconfident.

Total opposites. 

Like fire and water.

They had a long way to go.

And that Qilin…

Though it was also a legendary Immortal Spirit, unlike dragons or phoenixes, the Qilin represented something deeper— something far from ordinary.

Kangcheng was about to get lively.

……

Before long, school let out.

Xinyue didn’t even ask for permission— she just picked up both my and Cluru’s crates and hauled us to her dorm.

Do all girls have a thing for playing dress-up?

Since we both looked quite young, she fussed over us with enthusiasm, helping us into long robes.

With robes, face masks, and sunglasses, I felt like a straight-up cultist.

“Let’s go with this place.”

I’d been to plenty of high-end restaurants in other parts of the world…

But this was my first on Earth.

The restaurant was rather fancy. 

As soon as we walked in, the doorman ushered us straight into a private dining room.

“Three honored guests for the Daisy Room!”

With that loud announcement, we were seated.

Cluru seemed extremely tense, clearly uncomfortable in public.

“Order whatever you want—my treat!” 

Class Leader Xinyue declared with a generous flourish.

This place looked expensive… and it was expensive.

A glance at the menu showed that most dishes were flirting with four-digit prices.

“The beef soup here is excellent… oh, and this, and this…”

She clearly knew the place well—probably a regular.

She pointed out several house specialties with confidence.

“This restaurant’s a newly rated Emerald Three-Star. It may be pricey, but the quality makes it worth every cent.”

I see…

Though I suspected there was more to it than that.

I quietly tuned in to the surrounding guests with my senses.

This restaurant wasn’t just for show.

Beneath the surface, there was another layer— a whole hidden world buzzing beneath the floorboards, possibly even more active than the dining hall above.

“Miss Xinyue… fancy seeing you here… heh… it’s been a while.”

“Crap.” —That’s what I saw written plain as day on the class leader’s face.

The newcomers were gaudy, flashy types.

Their clothes and manner reeked of swagger and trouble.

They didn’t bother knocking—just flung the door open and seated themselves uninvited at our table.

One man even threw a leg up onto the table.

“Since we’re all here… don’t you think it’s about time we settled our score?”