The Creatures that We Are

“Now?” Officer Huang was a little surprised. It was four in the morning.

“Elderly people sleep less, and he’s an awakener at that.” War Tiger smiled. Indeed, Mischievous Monkey picked up quickly.

“What are you up to, Sir Monkey? Oh, just woke up and are doing tai chi? Right, we have a mission for you. It’s about Yellow Ox’s wife…”

Half an hour later, White Rabbit parked at the gates of the community Officer Huang lived in. By the road stood a white-haired old man. He was dressed in loose black clothes for tai chi, looking like a celestial from the mythical tales. It was none other than Mischievous Monkey.

Officer Huang carried Su Xi out of the car. Mischievous Monkey smiled with relief. “I’ve heard about what happened, Young Huang. I’m glad that you all made it back safely.”

“Only barely.” Officer Huang shook his head and sighed with feelings. Then he thought of something and asked, “By the way, how’s Old Man Liu’s doing?”

Mischievous Monkey sighed softly. “It’s late stage cancer. He doesn’t have that many days left in him.”

Officer Huang wasn’t sure what to say.

“We’ve lived long. Whether we live or die, fall ill or stay healthy, we can only go along with it.” Mischievous Monkey had great perspective in life, and he comforted Officer Huang instead.

He carried Su Xi through the gates, accompanied by Mischievous Monkey. White Rabbit and War Tiger didn’t start the car until the two of them disappeared from their view.

After driving some distance away, War Tiger lit a cigarette and took a drag, then fished out a keyboard-size bundle wrapped with gray sackcloth and hemp rope from beside the passenger seat.

“Here.”

Without turning around, he handed the bundle to Qing Ling, who was sitting in the back.

Qing Ling had been resting without falling asleep. She opened her eyes and looked at the package, her eyes lighting up. Jerking upright, she stared at the package and raised her fists, splaying her hands.

Swoosh.

The two items in the bundle cut the sackcloth open, flying to Qing Ling’s hands. They were two single-edged shortswords finely crafted with Black Gold.

“These are Butterfly Twin Blades.”

War Tiger smoked as he introduced the weapons. “The blades are as long as your forearms, allowing you to hide them in your sleeves or boots, or tucked them by your sides. The blades were thick and wide, perfect for parrying, backhanded slashes, and straight thrusts. I’ll teach you two sets of hand-to-hand combat techniques. Combine them with your blade techniques, and you’ll be unrivaled in melee fights.”

Qing Ling examined the Butterfly Twin Blades. They looked light, but combined, they were actually as heavy as her Tang Dao. There was no curved crossguard on the hilt, making it easier to thrust and block with the blades.

At the bottom of the hilts was the pattern of a coiled snake. The weapons were custom made for Qing Ling.

They would cost at least 400 jinwu.

Qing Ling was taken by surprise. Were they the rewards the organization gave her for the great merit of helping kill the life monster?

“Is this from the organization?” Qing Ling wasn’t one to make blind guesses. If she wanted to know something, she asked.

“Ha, of course not.” War Tiger snorted. “The organization is dirt poor. We don’t have the money to give out gifts.”

“So this is from you?” Qing Ling continued to ask. Had War Tiger realized that she had been eyeing his weapon? So he decided to give her something just as good?

That couldn’t be it. She had been hiding her intention well.

“Haha, that’s even less likely!” War Tiger laughed more brightly. “I haven’t gotten myself a new weapon for years.”

Qing Ling nodded. That was true. War Tiger only had two Black Gold weapons worth noting: a Black Gold shortsword, and his Green Dog Demon Blade.

He stroked his chin, his other hand reaching out of the window to shake off some ash. He said in excitement, “However, my Dragonslaying Giantsword is going to be finished soon. I’ll show you what a real weapon looks like then!”

“The Dragonslaying Giantsword?” Qing Ling stared at him. Could it be the kind of great sword with a long and wide blade? How much would that cost?

“That’s what I named it.” War Tiger could read her thoughts, and he humble-bragged, “Ah, it’s not that expensive. The materials, smithing, and enchantment cost only 6000 jinwu in total.”

“What? 6000?!” White Rabbit, who was driving, shouted before Qing Ling could voice her surprise. “I ***** **** you *****!” She blurted out a litany of curses. “I’m running out of money to pay everyone’s salary. So it’s you embezzling our funds!”

“Rabbit, what do you take me as?” War Tiger defended himself, a little worked up. “I’ve never taken a penny from the organization. It was an unexpected gain.”

“From what?” Qing Ling pressed. Why hadn’t she had an encounter like that?

“Didn’t I go to the Snow Nation to look into the Godbearer Cult? There was an underground palace hall under the church that used to house the Cult. The gates leading into the palace hall were made purely of Black Gold. We found a way to get the gates back here. It was worth twenty thousand jinwu in total. The three organizations split it.”

He sounded pleased with himself. “I’ve always wanted a greatsword, so I sent the Hundred Rivers Union the blueprint and commissioned their blacksmith for a weapon. It took longer than I expected though. I’ve been waiting for months.”

“Have you no shame?!” White Rabbit got even angrier. “Why didn’t you hand that to the organization?”

“I earned that on my own. Why should I surrender it?” War Tiger said bluntly. “I almost died then. Consider that compensation for my trauma.”

“That’s not worth 6000 jinwu!” White Rabbit was still stuck on it. “This won’t do. Your pigslaying giantsword belongs to the organization. You only have the right to use it!”

War Tiger stuck out his tongue. “No can do!”

“I’m telling Captain!”

“I’m telling Captain!” War Tiger imitated her. “Snitch! Blep…”

“You…you’re asking for a beating!”

White Rabbit and War Tiger continued to bicker. They even started fighting with one hand like children.

Qing Ling stared into the distance in the back, overwhelmed with regret. What was she doing when War Tiger went to the Snow Nation? Well, she had a meaningless beach volleyball match in Naldives, had a pretty good seafood hot pot…

She should’ve gone to the Snow Nation with War Tiger instead!

Finders keepers. She could’ve gotten 3000 jinwu at least; with each blade costing 300 jinwu, she would get ten weapons out of it. Ten! That would make her the flashiest fighter in the Mist World!

She glanced at the Butterfly Twin Blades in her hands, getting back on track. “So who are these from?”

“Oh, right.” War Tiger remembered what they were talking about too. “They’re from Electric Mouse.”

Qing Ling frowned. Wu Dahai’s inheritance had been long distributed. The business and regular money were left to his relatives and friends in the mundane world, while the jinwu he had saved up were left to the Twelve Zodiac Signs. Where did the two blades come from? She had never heard about them.

War Tiger could guess what Qing Ling was wondering. He explained, “These were made with his prosthetic arm. The blacksmith managed to keep the material imbued with the remnant of his Electricity, which can add to the weapons’ power. That’s why it took longer to forge the arm into weapons. It’s fine if you don’t like it. The Electricity enchantment will last at most six months.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Qing Ling asked coldly.

War Tiger shrugged. “That’s what Haizi instructed in his will.”

Qing Ling stared at the two blades. They would compliment her close-ranged fighting perfectly, and the blades were imbued with Electricity, a significant bonus. She really liked the weapons.

A few seconds later, she looked up and returned the Butterfly Twin Blades to War Tiger seriously. “I don’t want them.”

Houseau3's Thoughts

I remember someone commenting about taking the door as loot in the chapter where they entered the Black Gold door. And voila, it actually happened!

And I didn't expect this gesture, but he really had become a good lad, that Wu Dahai😢

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