Walker Of The Worlds

2756  The Rumors Grow And So Does The Headache

Meanwhile, back at the villa, Ashy sat comfortably on her perch, preening her feathers with utmost satisfaction. She tilted her head ever so slightly, recalling the glorious string of curses she had unleashed upon the unfortunate young master before his unexpected makeover.

Daoist Chu, lounging nearby with a cup of wine in hand, had been listening with great amusement.

”Go on, tell me what you said to him last,” he asked, grinning in anticipation.

Ashy puffed up her chest and declared, ”Your brain is emptier than a beggarʼs rice bowl at the end of winter, you flea-ridden dung beetle! May all your future meals taste like donkey piss and regret! May your lineage be cursed with toenail fungus so vile it forms its own demonic sect! May your ancestors rise from their graves just to slap you for existing! And may you forever step on unseen puddles in your socks!”

She let out a satisfied chirp before closing her eyes, her work complete.

Meng Bai, lying nearby and still too full from the meal, shuddered in his half-asleep state. ”Sheʼs… terrifying…” he murmured.

Daoist Chu took another sip of his wine and chuckled. ”That birdʼs got talent. I should hire her to compose insults for my enemies. Imagine cursing someone so thoroughly they feel personally haunted.”

Lin Mu, sitting across the room, let out a long sigh and covered his face with his hand. ʼWhere did she even learn all this from?ʼ he wondered. Then it hit him—he was the one who had ordered Ashy to spy on people.

After all, eavesdropping on questionable individuals was bound to corrupt oneʼs tongue.

ʼPerhaps itʼs best they never learn to speak in the human tongue…ʼ Lin Mu thought grimly. If all of his beasts started talking, Little Shrubby might still be reasonable, but the twins? Absolute chaos.

Feeling a slight headache coming on, Lin Mu decided to meditate and calm his mind.

The night passed quickly, and the next day arrived.

Meng Bai was thrown into training as usual, but this time, he didnʼt try to rush through it. His excitement for going out had significantly diminished, knowing the twins and Ashy were just waiting to whisk him away again. Thus, he deliberately took as long as possible with his exercises and handwriting practice, but strangely enough, he finished ten minutes early.

ʼHow am I getting faster when Iʼm panicked?ʼ Meng Bai mused, still unaware of the power of pressure-induced growth.

”Youʼre done?” Not even a minute later, Ashy had already spotted him.

”No! Iʼm not done!” Meng Bai blurted out in desperation.

”All the pages are finished, so youʼre done.” Ashy responded matter-of-factly.

”No! Iʼm gonna do more!” Meng Bai declared, grabbing another blank page.

SHUA!

Before he could so much as put ink to paper, Xiao Yang grabbed his arm.

”Thatʼs enough. Youʼre coming with us now.” Xiao Yang said firmly.

”Yes, yes.” Ashy nodded approvingly.

”Crap.” Meng Bai muttered, realizing resistance was futile. Xiao Yin promptly latched onto his other arm.

WHOOSH!

The next second, he was dragged away like a ragdoll. This time, he didnʼt even bother crying out for Lin Mu, having already accepted his fate. Silent tears trailed down his cheeks.

ʼWhat kind of trouble will they cause today…?ʼ he wondered in despair.

Shortly after Meng Bai was taken, Lin Mu also decided to step out, having made sufficient progress on reinforcing the courtyard.

”Iʼll finish the rest tomorrow. That should be enough for today,” he mused.

Even though the villa was incredibly comfortable, he had no desire to stay cooped up all day. Exploring the city would be far more interesting.

ʼDaoist Chu already left this morning, and Monk Hushu is still cultivating,ʼ Lin Mu thought as he did a final check of the courtyard before heading out.

A short while later, he arrived in the city and found himself on the same street where Meng Bai and the troublesome trio had caused a scene the previous day.

”So this is where it happened…” Lin Mu muttered as he walked along the bustling street, his ears picking up on a rather peculiar conversation between two shopkeepers.

”Hey, how did it go with the offerings?” one shopkeeper asked the other.

”Just like the shaman said it would! The offerings disappeared!” the second shopkeeper replied.

”Yeah, same here,” the first one nodded, pointing to a basket hanging above his door. ”How much did you put?”

”Just a handful of jewels.”

”Is that enough?” the first shopkeeper asked doubtfully. ”I put in a gold necklace, some rubies I had from last year, and even some immortal stones. Filled the basket to the brim.”

”Damn, that much?” The first man whistled. ”I donʼt want to go bankrupt.”

”Think of it as an investment in your safety,” the second shopkeeper replied sagely. ”I heard that if you give more, not only will the ghost stay away, but it will also protect your shop!”

”Really?”

”Yep! We even have proof now.”

”You know the little noodle shop on the corner?”

”Yeah, I go there sometimes. Their beef noodles are amazing.”

”Well, I heard a fight broke out there yesterday. Two tables got smashed, and even a waiter got injured. But then, out of nowhere, the troublemakers all collapsed—every single one of them sprained their legs at the same time!”

”Whoa! No way!”

”No one even saw what happened. It was like… a ghost did it.”

The first shopkeeper paled. ”And you think…?”

”Of course! We all know who weʼre making offerings to.”

”Shit, I need to increase my tribute then.” The first man immediately rushed to grab more jewels, stuffing them into his offering basket. ”Iʼve had some rogue troublemakers too. Maybe this will take care of them.”

”Just wait and see. Next time they show up, theyʼll regret it.”

Lin Mu, who had been eavesdropping, narrowed his eyes. ʼItʼs just a coincidence… right?ʼ

Just to be sure, he made his way toward the noodle shop in question. The moment he arrived, he immediately sensed a familiar aura lingering in the air.

He exhaled sharply, massaging his forehead.

”It was them…”