Chapter 27: Not Alone

Chapter 27: Not Alone

A wave of warmth on his face jolted him from sleep, as if something was licking him. Ye Tian struggled to open his eyes, finding himself surrounded by utter darkness. “Ah, night has fallen,” he thought, turning his head with effort, and saw a little squirrel.

“Where have I seen you before?” Ye Tian wondered. The squirrel, still licking his face, stopped abruptly when it sensed him move, jumped onto his face, and began squeaking anxiously. “You stink! And you’re heavy!” Ye Tian muttered, then turned his head and drifted back to sleep.

When he woke again, it was already midday. Ye Tian tried to sit up, but felt a heavy weight on his chest. Looking down, he saw a snow-white squirrel whose body was now smeared with blood. On closer inspection, both its paws were a mess of flesh and blood, with two broken claws.

Ye Tian gently scooped up the squirrel; its small body trembled uncontrollably. He lifted his shirt and tucked the creature inside. Glancing around, he saw a scene of devastation. Not far off, a giant python as thick as a water barrel and nearly thirty feet long lay sprawled on the ground.

The dead python’s belly scales had been viciously torn open. Ye Tian approached and noticed a broken claw embedded in the wound. “Was it you who saved me? Thank you!” Deeply moved, Ye Tian stroked the little squirrel tucked against his chest; it was still fast asleep.

He found a spot beneath a tree to meditate and regulate his breathing. Fortunately, his internal injuries weren’t severe. A few rounds of meditation would suffice for recovery; most of his external wounds were mere scrapes and would heal quickly. After one cycle, he already felt half-recovered within.

If not for the python relying solely on its massive body, and being non-venomous, things could have been much worse. A venomous bite might not have killed him outright, but the ensuing weakness would have left him easy prey for other beasts. To be safe, Ye Tian swallowed a Rejuvenation Pill, which hastened his recovery.

He sighed inwardly, grateful for the effectiveness of the Nine Dragons Celestial Circuit, an arcane technique left by the old hermit of Mount Putuo. Even without conscious effort, his internal energy circulated on its own, saving his life.

Legend had it that if one mastered the Nine Dragons Celestial Circuit, nine dragons would protect the body, granting the power to shatter the void and ascend to immortality. Ye Tian didn’t know if such tales were true, but each level truly did grant the strength of a dragon. Without it, he could never have wielded the Secret Vajra Sword of Esoteric Buddhism—a sacred weapon not easily mastered.

Ye Tian practiced diligently, though he was only at the first level, already making him a rare talent among youths. Yet he cared little for competition, focused solely on curing the old man’s illness.

As for the Secret Vajra Sword, it consisted of three forms: the Spirit Palace Demon-Cleaving Strike, the Spirit Palace Demon-Subduing Slash, and the Secret Glyph Pavilion. Each form was powerful enough to be a cornerstone of the Esoteric Buddhist sect.

The fact that the sect regarded only these three forms as their greatest treasure spoke volumes of their might. In the past, Ye Tian had exchanged a Buddha-bone relic for a single opportunity to seek healing from their renowned physician, but to no avail. Despite exhausting every method, the old man remained muddled and lost. Out of frustration, the sect master relented and let Ye Tian read the sword technique once—only once.

After regulating his breath, Ye Tian’s stomach growled. He searched his treasure pouch but found no food left. Two items never left his side: the old man’s wine gourd, and the pouch containing all his worldly possessions.

He searched again, finding only rare elixirs, but those wouldn’t stave off hunger. Then, catching sight of the python’s corpse, he grinned, patted his waist to find his trusty kitchen knife miraculously still there, and set about skinning and butchering the snake.

Before long, a thin wisp of smoke curled up from the dense forest, carrying the mouthwatering aroma of roasting meat. Ye Tian turned the skewered snake meat over the fire, grateful he hadn’t lost his seasonings—otherwise he’d be eating bland, tasteless flesh.

A squirming sensation on his chest, and a small head popped out. “Squeak, squeak!” The little squirrel sniffed the air and spotted the roasting meat. “Don’t worry, it’ll be ready soon,” Ye Tian chuckled, scratching the creature’s head. The squirrel obediently lay on his chest, watching intently.

“Here, eat.” Ye Tian sliced off a piece, crispy outside and tender within, and offered it to the squirrel. It sniffed, snatched the meat, scampered onto Ye Tian’s head, and began munching noisily.

“Hey, don’t poop up there!” Ye Tian laughed and helped himself to his own meal. Sated, he prepared to leave—the forest at night harbored too many unknown dangers. He picked a random direction, for he had no idea where the road lay, and set off.

Elsewhere, Burton and his companions had set up camp in a promising spot. They had no idea where Ye Tian was, so they followed the path of the magical beasts’ retreat. Unfortunately, the trail soon vanished; these beasts ruled the forest and could conceal their tracks with ease.

Initially, they followed the old route but found nothing. Unwilling to give up, Burton led them in another direction, searching relentlessly for dozens of miles, still to no avail.

“What are you thinking?” the warrior asked. “Sorry to have dragged you all into this,” Burton replied. “Don’t say that,” the mage protested. “Exactly,” the priest smiled, handing Burton some roasted meat. “This was our choice, no one else’s.”

“But…” Burton began. “No buts!” the warrior said, biting into his meat with a grin. “Even if you hadn’t come, I’d have come myself.” “Thank you,” Burton said quietly. “Cheer up! You’re a Blood Wolf, remember?” the mage scolded.

“But after all this searching, I’m afraid…” the priest trailed off, and silence fell. “I don’t care,” the warrior declared. “Even if he’s dead, I’ll bring his body out—I won’t let him be devoured by monsters!”

“That’s right! Even if I have only one arm left, I’ll find him!” Burton’s heart tightened as he bit fiercely into his meat. The other three exchanged looks and smiled, digging into their own food. Tomorrow, important matters awaited.

It soon became clear that wandering aimlessly was a grave mistake. Ye Tian had traveled for ages without finding any proper road. Instead, he stumbled upon a large pond.

“How about a bath?” he said with a grin, quickly stripping and leaping in. The little squirrel, startled, tried to flee, but Ye Tian held it firmly and plunged them both into the water.

Surfacing with a sigh of relief, Ye Tian realized his hands were empty. Startled, he saw the little squirrel slowly bobbing to the surface. “Hey! Are you alright?” Ye Tian cried, quickly scooping it up. Its belly was swollen—clearly it had swallowed a lot of water. Ye Tian gently pressed its stomach, helping it cough up the water. Revived, the squirrel wriggled free and darted onto his head.

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry,” Ye Tian laughed, lifting the squirrel from his head. He spoke gently to the still-struggling creature, “Look at you, filthy as can be. Let me give you a proper bath before you go ashore, how about it?” Seeing no escape, the squirrel drooped its head in resignation.

“There, that’s better!” Ye Tian scrambled ashore, fetched soap root from his treasure pouch, and lathered up the little squirrel. Blood and grime washed away, revealing its pristine white fur. “Thank you,” Ye Tian murmured, carefully scrubbing the animal clean.

Soon a beautiful white squirrel sat before him. “You’re lovely,” Ye Tian grinned, lifting the squirrel and setting it gently on the grassy bank. “Squeak, squeak!” The squirrel licked its dainty paws, then groomed its spotless fur.

“Ah, this is the life!” Ye Tian soaked in the water, feeling every trace of fatigue melt away. He washed himself thoroughly and scrubbed his tattered clothes. Though ragged, they still served to cover him—better that than running about naked!

Once bathed, Ye Tian dried his clothes with a surge of inner energy, looked about, then leapt into a tall tree. Finding a sturdy branch, he stretched out comfortably, the little squirrel curled up and fast asleep in his arms.

“So I’m not alone after all,” Ye Tian murmured with a wry smile. Looking at the little creature in his embrace, a wave of relief washed over him. No, he was not alone—he still had this companion.