Getting out of the city was simpler affair than getting in since most of the cultivators were in complete disarray.
It was unfortunate we couldn’t stock up on supplies, but I had a few months of food stored in my storage ring along with a few years worth of hunger pills.
Not to mention, Zhi and I have both lived in the wild and could probably muddle through on our own.
Meanwhile, Bing was being sulky.
We fled under the cover of night and didn’t stop till morning, and I sent Bing to scout out a place we could camp and rest for a while.
It was both to get her out of our fur so we could talk and to find a place to rest.
While she was gone, I needed to talk about something important with Zhi.
“What do you think Zhi?
I don’t want to have to keep this illusion up the entire time she’s with us.” We were in a snowy forest that was thinning out as we approached the tundra.
Zhi groaned.
“I see your point.
It is a pain to pretend all the time.
But… I assume we’re letting her go at some point, aren’t we?”
I nodded.
“I don’t want to keep her forever.
Now that you’re back, I actually feel kind of bad about it.
But we need her to clear a path for us, and she knows a lot more about this northern region than we do.”
“Then how are we going to keep her from spilling our secrets?”
Hmm… “I can make her take a chi vow.
If she talks about us, her own cultivation will kill her.”
Zhi’s eyebrows shot up and he looked over at me.
“A chi vow?
That’s… that’s kind of evil.”
“More evil than getting you captured and leaving me to fend for myself?”
“Yep, guilt is gone.
Let’s do it.”
Less than a minute later, Bing appeared, stepping on top of the snow as if she weighed nothing.
“I found a place we can camp.
Follow me.”
She was still being sulky, but she did find an okay place to camp, on the leeway side of an impressive rock that could keep the snow off us.
She cleared away the snow, and I set up camp using the brazier to warm the area around us and setting up tents.
Zhi set up a food pot and a small fire ring, but instead of building a fire he used his own chi to make smokeless fire to cook with.
Bing didn’t know how to cook, so I took over, and made us all some stew.
Once we all had a bowl, I sat next to Zhi.
We ate in silence for a bit before Zhi finally said something.
“Bing.
Ming and I came to an agreement over you.”
She pouted.
“Let me guess, you’re going to make me your number one slave.
Yay.”
Now she was just being bratty.
“No, we agreed to let you go after we get to our destination.
But if you want to stay our slave…”
Bing’s eyes widened.
“What?!
Yes!
Please!
I’ll get you to where you need to go faster than you can blink if you promise to let me go afterwards!”
Zhi nodded.
“Good.
But we also need you to take a chi vow to never share our secrets with anyone.”
Bing grimaced and sighed.
“Fine.
I, Hua Bing, swear to the heavens above on my own cultivation.
I will never share the secrets of Ming and Zhi or may I choke on my own immortality.” She glowed for a second, her dantian lighting up.
Once it faded, I knew it had taken.
At least Bing didn’t drag things out.
“Good.
Because I’m getting so sick of this illusion.” I deactivated my illusion ring and Zhi did the same.
Bing’s mouth dropped open as the two of us returned to our food.
“What?!
You… you’re spirit beasts?!”
Zhi snorted.
“Try again.”
“Uh… you’re not spirit beasts?
But—”
I sipped some hot water.
“We cultivate like humans do.
We’re not spirit beasts.”
“But you’re… monkeys.”
“Yep.
We sure are.” I took another bite of food and made sure to chew and swallow before speaking again.
“And you’re going to keep that secret to the grave.”
She scoffed.
“Who would believe me anyway?
Two monkeys kidnapped me and are hell bent to head north in the middle of winter.
I’d be laughed out of any bar.”
She had a point.
Although… the Frozen Glaive Sect uncovered that Zhi was also a monkey and I jumped the guard in my monkey form, so she’d be believed there.
Zhi finished eating and set his bowl aside.
“Now that you can’t spill your guts about us, I’ll tell you our destination.
We’re heading for the Ice Blades tribe.
Have you heard of them?”
She immediately grimaced.
“Shit.
Of course you’re going there.
Ugh, what do you even want with that tribe?
They aren’t exactly friendly to outsiders.”
Zhi sighed and stored the rest of the stew away for tomorrow.
“Its… my family has an agreement with that tribe.
I’m going there to learn their water techniques.”
“Wait… The only family who has an agreement with the tribe is… the Liu family?
But that family died out over a century ago.”
Zhi narrowed his eyes at her.
“How do you know that?
Who are you?”
“I… fuck, I’m from that tribe, okay?
I ran away to learn more about the world and pursue my Dao.”
Oh.
Bing was from the Ice Blades tribe?
Huh.
Zhi kept his eyes on her for a moment before sighing.
“Okay.
Full introduction time.
I’m Liu Zhihao, the final surviving member of the Liu family.
This is my wife, Liu Ming.”
“Uh, last time I checked, the Liu’s weren’t monkeys.”
“It’s a very long story that involves rebirth.
But I still possess the proof between the Liu family and the five tribes, so I can be trained by them.”
Bing shrugged.
“Well, I hope you do.
But… can you let me go before we get to the tribe?”
Zhi gave her a level stare.
“You said you ran away from the tribe.
Why?”
She shrugged.
“Because I want to see a field of grass?
And cows.
And everything else the world has to offer.
I don’t want to be stuck on the tundra and ice floes for the rest of my life!
I want to get out and explore!”
I furrowed my brow, trying to understand.
“Okay, but why did you have to run away to do that?
Isn’t leaving for your dao journey a natural step for any cultivator?”
She was quiet.
“Yeah.
It is.
Let’s just say there are extenuating circumstances that wouldn’t let me leave.”
She really didn’t want to tell us.
Zhi caught my eye, questioning, and I shrugged.
She could keep her secrets if she liked.
We just had to get to the tribe.
He turned back to her.
“Fine.
Once we’re within eyeshot we’ll let you go.
But until we see the tribe and are certain we can make it there ourselves, you’re stuck with us.”
She nodded.
“I get it.
But… traveling like this in the winter, it’s going to take at least two months for us to get to the tribe’s winter grounds.
Will the two of you please reign in public displays of affection?
Like seriously.”
I snorted.
“Sounds like someone isn’t happy about being single.”
“WHAT!?
No!
I’ll have you know, I’m very happy being single.
Who would want a husband anyway? New chapters come out on g.com first.
They’re useless.”
“Really?
Because to me Zhi is a lot of fun.”
She made gagging noises as Zhi blushed a deep red.
“Ming!
We can be a little more conservative while Bing is with us.”
I stared at him.
And narrowed my eyes.
He swallowed, recognizing I was also getting a little pissed at him.
I didn’t want to be more conservative.
I stood up with my plate and went to clean it off before storing it away again.
Then, I came back to the fire and sat on the other side of the fire from Zhi.
“Uh, Ming, are you mad at me?”
“What?
Nooo.
What gave you that impression?”
“And I see you’ve sunk to sarcasm.
Ming, it’s just a little space.
It’s not a big deal.”
“A little space for the next two months.
Oh, which reminds me.” I stood up and summoned another tent.
I began setting up as horror dawned on Zhi’s face.
“Ming!
We don’t have to sleep apart!”
“But we should be considerate of poor lonely Bing who has no one to hold her.
And a bit of space isn’t a big deal.
You can go the next two months without holding me or ‘dual cultivation’ right?”
Bing’s eyes were wide, and she looked over at Zhi.
“Uh… is she going to be like this the whole time?”
Zhi scooted around the fire and slid his hands around my waist.
“Ming, baby, please, I just meant we be a little careful while Bing is around.
When she goes to scout on her own, I can still hold you.”
“Ew!
I did not need to know that!” Bing plugged her ears and screwed her eyes tight.
I crossed my arms.
“Zhi, if there’s one thing I really hate, it’s when you try and change how you act to accommodate other people.
Because I know it’s not out of consideration.
It’s out of embarrassment.”
“What?!
Ming, I swear, I’m not embarrassed of you I—”
I cut him off.
“Are you?
I know you’re not embarrassed by me.
You were perfectly fine when I kissed you with tongue in front of Bing earlier.
You’re embarrassed by the fact we’re monkeys.”
He sputtered.
“Uh, What?
N-No.
Why would I be embarrassed by that?”
“Because you still feel like you’re human deep down?
And you think monkeys are inferior?” I crossed my arms, well and truly pissed at him.
He didn’t say anything for a second.
Damn it.
I knew I was right.
“Look, you have to deal with this sooner or later.
I’m a monkey, you’re a monkey.
And we love each other.
I don’t want to be less affectionate just because we’re ourselves.”
He stuttered.
“I-I know.
I just… I still need a little more time.
Please Ming?”
He was making that face.
Those stupid adorable puppy dog eyes.
Uuuugh.
I unsummoned the tent.
He lit up.
“Oh, thank you Ming!
I love you so much, I swear.”
“I know.
But I’m not reeling back my emotions for anyone, even you.
If I want to be affectionate with you, I’m going to be affectionate.
You’ll just have to deal with it.”
“I will.
And it’s not just the monkey thing, I…” He rubbed the back of his neck, a blush climbing up his cheeks.
Oh.
Oh ho ho.
“Why Zhi, are you shy?”
“What?!
Pfft, no!
It’s just… there are things that should be kept in private and things that are okay in public.
We just need to be mindful.”
I ran back through all the times he was affectionate with me.
Telling me to put clothes on in the White Jungle, asking me to not ask him to kiss me in front of others, and even when he was overcome with fear and rage that Xaoge was trying to take me away from him he waited until we were alone to hold me.
“You are shy!”
He groaned and buried his face in his hands, bright red.
“No!
I’m just… a gentleman!
I don’t like being overly affectionate in front of others!”
“Fuck, Zhi that’s so cute!
You’re adorable!
You’re so babygirl!”
“Please don’t call me that.”
Now that I knew there was a very distinct shyness to his behavior I wasn’t as mad at him.
How could I be mad at my babygirl?
I giggled and reached up and patted his head.
“Don’t worry Zhi.
I’ll be mindful to not embarrass you in public.
Much.”
“I’m going to regret this aren’t I?”
Oh, this day was going to haunt him for the rest of his life.
I’d make sure of it.
“Uh, are you guys done flirting?
Can I open my eyes now?” Bing opened up a single eye to squint at us, and unplugged an ear.
“Yep, we’ll reel back the PDA.
For my babygirl.” I leaned into him, rubbing my face affectionately against his,
Zhi lifted his face up and shouted to the heavens.
“Gods, what have I done to deserve this torment?!”
Bing still looked suspicious.
“I still have the feeling you’re flirting, but at least it’s not as overt now.
I’m going into my tent, so feel free to cuddle or whatever.
Just be quiet about it.”
We kept moving north, and Zhi and I relaxed a little, joking around with each other and going back to being more friendly, much to Bing’s relief.
But I did sneak in a little kiss every now again, much to Bing’s disgust and Zhi’s embarrassment.
More importantly, we also traversed the tundra, heading even farther north to the ice floes where the Ice Blades tribe had settled for the winter.
The sun just barely peeked above the horizon every day.
The winds tried to bite us to the core, and the snow piled into dunes.
It was the world’s coldest, darkest desert.
Without Bing’s help, there was no way we could have survived up here, much less find the tribe.
Luckily, she’s lived in these conditions her whole life, and she understood how to navigate this landscape.
She had dug us a den into a dune of snow to escape a storm that was currently raging outside.
Zhi stirred tonight’s dinner over the chi fire as the storm raged just outside the dune of snow we dug into.
It was a smokeless flame, that didn’t consume our air.
To keep our little igloo breathable.
I heard the crunch of someone coming up the tunnel, and Bing appeared, now in a light rain jacket.
Ice cultivators were really something else.
“This is a bad storm.
It might last two, three days even.
And we’re only a few li from the base camp too.
Damn.” She huffed at she sat across the fire.
Zhi plated up the food and passed it around.
“Well, at least we don’t have to be worried about the Frozen Glaive Sect following us.
The only people crazy enough to travel this far north in the winter is us.”
I took my plate from him.
“It’s not like we’re in a rush.
We can wait out the storm in here.” Mmm.
This was pretty good.
How did the fact that Zhi was a good cook surprise me every time?
Bing pouted.
“It might be fine with the two of you, but I want to get away from the tribe and you as quickly as possible.”
“Aw, and here I thought we were becoming fast friends.” I gave her a shit-eating grin that she returned.
“Maybe if you take this collar off me, I’ll be more inclined to be friendly.”
“What?
But we already made a deal to take it off you once we’re in walking distance of the camp.
Friends don’t break deals you know?”
“Once this storm lets up, we’ll be pretty close to the camp.
If it’s a clear day, you’ll be able to see it.
And then I’ll be out of your hair and run off to explore the wild blue yonder.”
“Hello?” We all tensed as a new voice called up into our tunnel.
Zhi summoned his backup sword and Bing froze completely.
“Bing?
Is that you?
I thought I heard your voice.
Is this where you’ve been hiding out this whole—” A head popped up out of the tunnel, and Zhi’s sword was at his throat before he could blink.
The snowy-haired intruder was a young man, who looked similar to Bing.
Blue eyes, white hair, and he was dressed in brightly colored sealskin.
He took us in with wide eyes before finally swallowing and looking at Bing.
“Bing?
What’s going on?
Why have you brought these spirit beasts here?”
After another heartbeat, Bing scrambled up and tugged on Zhi’s arm.
“Stop!
He’s not a threat!
This is Hua Dong, my cousin!”
Zhi withdrew his sword, slowly.
“Come in.
But be warned, try anything and you’ll be choking on this sword.”
The man, Dong, nodded.
He pulled himself up out of the tunnel and made a beeline for Bing.
“Biiiing.
What’s going on?
What kind of trouble have you caused now?”
“Trouble?
Why do you always assume I cause trouble?
These are just two…
erm, kindly strangers who want to visit the tribe.” She gestured to us as Zhi sat next to me, his eyes glued on the new person, sword in his lap.
“Well, these kindly strangers don’t belong here.
We’re having trouble finding enough food for the tribe as it is, and these strangers—Oh, that smells good.
What is that?” He was now drooling at the meal Zhi made.
It was beef tips with a few fried veggies and rice with soy sauce.
Bing made a pleading face at Zhi who sighed and began stirring the food left.
“Fine.
He can have a plate too.”
I summoned a new plate and Bing got him the food.
Dong tucked in, not speaking until he was good and full.
He let out a small burp once he was finished.
“Oh, sorry.
Excuse me.
That was very good.
Since Bing can’t cook, I assume you’re the one who made such a delicious meal?”
Dong was looking directly at me, and I snickered.
Zhi’s eyes narrowed.
“No.
It was me.”
“Huh?” Dong looked at me and then at Zhi before clearing his throat.
“My mistake.
Um… you both seem very civilized for spirit beasts.
I believe introductions are in order.
I am Hua Dong of the Ice Blades tribe.
What are your names?”
Zhi didn’t answer so I answered instead.
“I am Liu Ming, and this is my husband, Liu Zhi—”
“Liu Zhihao.” Zhi cut me off.
“We’re here to meet the elder so I can learn the water techniques of the tribe.”
Dong’s eyebrows shot up.
“Wait… you’re Liu’s?
But…”
Bing sighed.
“It’s a complicated story they’re not going to tell us.
So is the tribe still having trouble sourcing enough food?”
“Uh…” Dong shook his head and recentered his attention on Bing.
“Yeah.
It didn’t help that you just up and took off when the elder gave you that task to solve the hunting problem.
Where have you been?
Your parents have been freaking out trying to to find you.”
“Uh… I went to try and find a solution!
Obviously!
And… I found these two!” She opened her hands up to the two of us.
Uh, what?
Bing had a forced grin and desperate eyes that begged us to play along.
Were we?
Zhi was surprised as me.
“Wait, what are you—”
“They have enough hunger pills to help the whole tribe pull through the winter!
Let me just verify that they’re going to help.” She scooted over to us and spoke in low tones.
“Please, back me up here.
You didn’t drag me out here, you came to help solve the hunger problem.”
My eyes slid to Dong and narrowed.
I hissed.
“What’s in it for us?”
“Uuuuh, I’ll introduce you to the elder and back up your claim that you’re Lius.
Otherwise, you won’t get a warm welcome, regardless of whatever proof you think you have.” Her desperate eyes slid back to Dong.
I caught Zhi’s eye and he shrugged.
Eh, what the hell?
I leaned back and spoke louder.
“Don’t worry, we have more then enough pills to help your people.”
Bing let out a soft breath.
“I’ll pay you back for this.
I swear.”
Mostly I just wanted to see her twist herself into a pretzel to keep up this lie.
How long could she last before it got all fucked up?
Besides, hunger pills were one of the easiest things for an alchemist to make.
I had a good stockpile ready for a rainy day anyway.
Bing grinned at Dong, scooching back over to him.
“As soon as this storm lets up, we’ll head back to the tribe, and everything will work out.”
Dong brightened up.
“Oh, this is great!
The elder will be so proud of you for helping the tribe!
I never thought I’d see the day my little cousin finally took her duties as the next elder seriously!”
Oh.
That was… informative.
Zhi gave Bing and incredulous look, and she slightly shook her head as she laughed.
“Oh, you know me.
I just… love my tribe!
Even if I like to mess around sometimes.”
Dong nodded, proud.
“To think, in just a few days we can get back home.
Thank you, Ming and Zhihao, for aiding our tribe in the hour of need.”
“Uh… no problem?” Zhi looked as confused as me.
Bing laughed.
“Oh yes, just as soon as this storm lets up, we can head home!
Boy I just can’t wait!
Let’s all get some rest, so we’ll be ready to go the second it lets up!”
Under Bing’s frantic gaze, we all arranged some sleeping rolls and I tucked into Zhi’s chest to sleep, nice and warm.
Which was why I didn’t take well to being shaken in the middle of the night.
I blinked and growled, looking up at Bing.
“Shh!” She even had the nerve to shush me.
Zhi glared at her but kept his voice down.
“This had better be fucking important.”
She nodded.
“Oh, it is, it totally is.
You see, now that Dong’s here, he can take you the rest of the way to my tribe.
And you can just pop my collar off and bang!
I’m outta here.
And can you tell Dong I’m, uh, going to make some money to buy more food or something?”
I groaned.
“You’re a piece of shit.
Tell Dong you’re leaving yourself.
Hey Dong!”
I heard him stir on the other side of our den.
“Huh?”
“Your cousin has something to tell you!”
Bing gave me a look that could curdle milk, and Dong looked annoyed at her as much as we did for being woken up in the middle of the night.
She shifted, uncomfortable now that she was talking to him too.
“Uuuuh… I was just wondering if you could take these two to the tribe, and I’ll head out to go and find some more food for us.”
“What?
Why… Bing, shut up and go to bed.
This isn’t the time for jokes.”
“You heard the man.” I snuggled back into Zhi’s warm chest, and he settled back in too.
I heard Bing grumble, probably cursing me out as she went back to her bedroll.
That’s what you get for interrupting our sleep.
We both loved our sleep.