"That… would be me," Shi Chen said, forcing himself to accept it. "Thank you for saving me from the beast's nest. May I ask your name?"
He had no choice but to explain.
That day, when Guizhong's crossbows were still a new invention, their hunting team had run into a wolf pack. As leader, Shi Chen lured them away alone, slipped down a slope, broke his leg—and stumbled into the territory of a Geovishap.
The Geovishap's battle with the wolves bought him time, but his injured leg couldn't carry him away.
After the wolves fled, the blood-maddened Geovishap turned on him.
In that despair, a white-haired child dropped from the sky and killed it. After a single glance, he left without a word.
Young, powerful, human-shaped—and willing to save a human.
Shi Chen had assumed he was one of Morax's yaksha. After his people found him and carried him back, he'd told Lady Guizhong, hoping she might one day pass on his thanks.
Now, by some miracle, he could do it himself.
"My name is Xue Kui," the yaksha said proudly, pointing at Guizhong. "She named me." Guizhong bestowed his name personally?
Shi Chen's eyes bounced between god and yaksha, stunned. Some gods were known for creation arts… so was Xue Kui— No wonder Lady Guizhong treated him differently.
But the yaksha clearly had no interest in deep conversation.
"No need to thank me," Xue Kui said. "That day I just wanted to find someone strong to fight. I'm surprised you survived with a broken leg."
He inspected Shi Chen from head to toe, then looked almost disappointed. "Too bad you're so weak. Otherwise you could've sparred with me as payment."
Shi Chen scratched his head. The gap between races was not something he could change. But tools could—at least a little—close the distance.
"I may not be your match," he said, lifting his crossbow, "but with this, I might still pose a threat."
Xue Kui circled him, sometimes squatting to peer from below his arm, sometimes hopping up to inspect the top—examining the strange weapon from every angle.
"What is this? A bow turned sideways?" "Please—take a look."
Xue Kui took it, ran his fingers across it, then suddenly applied force. The crossbow split into two.
Shi Chen's eyes widened in horror. "Let him."
Seeing the seriousness on Guizhong's face, Shi Chen swallowed his panic and didn't stop him.
Guizhong watched closely. Xue Kui's motions looked like brute strength, but in truth, he'd found the exact joint points—disassembling it without damaging a single part.
Thinking back to Morax describing the yaksha's frightening talent, Guizhong had once believed it might be coincidence—instinct.
Now…
Maybe the child truly had a clever heart.
Soon, the crossbow lay scattered in several neat pieces. Xue Kui yawned, bored. Then his hands blurred—and the crossbow was whole again in Shi Chen's grasp.
"Here," Xue Kui said. "High floor, low ceiling. How would something like this ever hurt me?" Shi Chen glanced nervously at Guizhong.
Criticizing her work right in front of her?
"And the structure is simple," Xue Kui continued. "Not hard to make."
Cryo gathered in his hands. In an instant, he shaped an ice crossbow—almost transparent, but identical to Shi Chen's.
He thought for a moment, then condensed an ice bolt, set it to the string, drew back— Click.
Holding it one-handed, he aimed at a dead tree in the distance and pulled the trigger. A soft whistling sound.
The bolt sank into the trunk.
Xue Kui lifted his brows at Shi Chen, smug. "That's all there is."
He tilted his head, puzzled at Shi Chen staring past him. What was behind him?
"You think my work is simple—and useless?" Xue Kui froze.
He slowly turned—
Guizhong was staring at him, smiling.
And the young yaksha learned something new. Sometimes, a smile did not mean its owner was happy.
"Uh… simple can be an advantage," Xue Kui said quickly, voice cracking with forced cheer. "Easy to produce and all that. And for humans, it's already a huge improvement! Haha… ha…"
Guizhong's face darkened. Xue Kui swallowed.
"Xue Kui," Guizhong said, clasping her hands together and rubbing them lightly.
Her next words made Shi Chen shiver.
They made Xue Kui look like he'd seen his own death. "Aren't you always looking for an opponent?"
"Then I'll play with you."
The tone was squeezed through her teeth. Xue Kui could only sigh inwardly.
My life is over.
He just hoped he'd still be able to get up tomorrow to eat roasted meat. A wave of sand rushed forward and swallowed him.
Shi Chen stared at the massive sand sphere that enclosed both god and yaksha, unsure what to do next.
Well… he could wait.
He was a bachelor anyway. Going home wouldn't change anything. So he sat down and stared at the sand sphere.
He waited until the sun moved across the sky, until night pressed close. The sand dispersed.
Shi Chen raised an arm to shield his face. "Hmph!"
A cold snort.
When he lowered his arm, he saw Lady Guizhong toss her head and flick her sleeve as she flew away.
A light, drifting voice floated back: "That's all there is."
Shi Chen looked down. In front of him was…
A raised backside.
Xue Kui was kneeling on the ground, cheek pressed to the cold earth, hips up, eyes unfocused.
Guizhong's shaping arts had sent everything he'd ever seen on this land—Geovishaps, hilichurl chieftains, more—into a nonstop "hunt" against him all afternoon.
It wasn't like those three days and nights being chased by Morax, where his elemental recovery kept him barely balanced.
Today had been continuous high-intensity combat without a second to breathe. For a newborn yaksha, it was pain…
…and joy.
"You all right?" Shi Chen asked, worried.
"I'm fine," Xue Kui mumbled. "Just need a minute… You're still here?"
"I had nothing else to do," Shi Chen said, sincere. "And you're my lifesaver. I still haven't repaid you."
"I said you don't—"
"How about you come to my home?" Shi Chen cut in. "Good wine, good food. My treat." "Let's go!"
Xue Kui flipped up instantly, eyes shining. This guy…
Was a good person!