Chapter 73: Bao Bao
Kian landed on a carpet of thick, damp moss and set Xiao Cui down on her feet.
"No matter how much I see it, it’s hard to get used to your hair," he said, caressing her hair.
"Everyone says that."
Her pale blonde hair caught the forest shadow, glowing like spun silk in the dim green canopy.
She took a deep breath of the pine-scented air and immediately pointed toward a crevice where a cluster of strange, star-shaped purple blooms clung to the stone.
"Look, look! It’s not the honey-bells, but it’s a star-sugar blossom!" Xiao Cui scampered over, plucked one of the delicate purple flowers, and ran back to Kian with a proud grin.
"Here, pinch the green bulb at the bottom and lick the stem—it’s like fresh pear juice!"
Kian took the flower from her tiny hand and pinched the green bulb. A clear droplet bubbled onto his thumb, smelling faintly of crisp fruit.
He licked it off, expecting something faint and watery.
His eyes widened as the flavor burst across his tongue—crisp, intensely sweet, and cooling like fresh pear juice on a hot afternoon.
"Damn," Kian admitted, licking his lips. "That’s actually great."
"Told you!" Xiao Cui puffed her chest out with a triumphant grin. "And honey-bells taste ten times better than this!"
Kian reached out and ruffled her hair, laughing as the pale strands shifted between his fingers.
"Lead the way then, princess," he said, nudging her forward. "Show me where the real treasure is."
Xiao Cui beamed, turning around to jog deeper into the ravine with zero hesitation.
A snake raised its head to look at them, but Kian’s Qi supressed it back onto the floor before it could even wriggle.
Along the way, she stopped every few steps to point out odd plants, and Kian used his Qi to pluck the high-hanging ones right off the cliffside for her.
She was so happy with her findings that soon enough, she had a small pile in her hand.
"But we haven’t found the bells yet..."
She looked somewhat worried.
"Don’t worry, we will find them."
Ten minutes later, the narrow ravine opened into a hidden, shadow-drenched clearing right outside a small cave, where hundreds of bright yellow honey-bells bloomed in a thick, golden carpet.
Her eyes widened.
"HONEY BELLS!"
Just as she tried to run toward the golden patch, Kian reached out and grabbed her shoulder, hauling her back into his arms.
Xiao Cui blinked up at him in confusion. "Kian?"
"Wait," he said, staring at the cave entrance. "There’s something hiding there."
A low, rumbling growl vibrated through the earth, shaking the loose pebbles around their feet.
A massive beast rose from the shadow of the cavern, its fur matted with dried mud and its eyes glowing a feral red.
A bear.
Xiao Cui yelped, her small hands clutching Kian’s indigo robe as she scrambled behind his back. "Kian! Let’s run!"
"Wait, Xiao Cui. Are you afraid of the bear?"
"..Som-somewhat!"
"Hehe. Do you want to ride one?"
"How is that possible?"
She looked scared now. But also a bit excited.
Kian quickly took her up in a princess carry.
The massive bear charged, its heavy paws shattering the damp earth and kicking up clouds of mossy soil.
Kian didn’t even draw a weapon. He activated Wind Step, launching straight over the beast’s head in a frictionless arc of pure speed.
Truly great feeling it was with a lady in his arms!
Xiao Cui gasped, clutching his neck tightly as the wind whipped through her hair, looking down at the beast’s back passing inches beneath them.
"Woah!"
Kian landed lightly behind the creature, spun on his heel, and leaped over the bear again the moment it turned around with a frustrated roar.
Xiao Cui burst out laughing, her initial terror vanishing into pure, giddy excitement as they floated over the creature time after time like a game of leapfrog.
"Kian, you are amazing!" she squealed, looking at him with bright, shining eyes. "You’re definitely not an average cultivator, right?"
"Of course not," Kian chuckled, landing smoothly beside the golden patch of honey-bells. "I’m pretty awesome."
Xiao Cui looked from Kian to the bewildered, huffing bear, then back again with eager curiosity.
"Can we really ride it?"
"Do you want to?"
"Yes!"
"I can do it," Kian said, setting her down gently among the yellow flowers. "But you have to promise me something in return."
Xiao Cui looked up at him, her round eyes wide with curiosity. "What promise?"
"I want you to spend the rest of the day with me, just like this," Kian grinned, gesturing to the quiet ravine. "It’s way too much fun hanging out with you."
Little Xiao Cui hesitated, her fingers nervously twirling a flower behind her back.
"Young master Su Chen might get mad if I ignore my duties for the whole day..."
"Hmph. You don’t have anything important to do, right? Let the dude eat food he makes himself. He doesn’t need you."
She bit her lower lip, though her eager eyes betrayed how badly she wanted to spend the day exactly how Kian said.
He said: "Forget about him! It’s decided. We are spending the day in this forest."
Then.
Before the bear could even finish its frustrated roar, Kian moved.
He blurred across the clearing with Wind Step, appeared directly above the beast, and drove a bare fist straight down into its snout.
*BOOM!*
The heavy impact cracked through the clearing like a thunderclap, forcing the massive bear’s head flat into the dirt.
Dirt and shredded moss flew into the air as the creature whimpered, its feral red eyes widening in sudden, utter terror.
"Go gather your honey-bells, Xiao Cui," Kian called out casually, stepping onto the beast’s neck and pressing down just hard enough to keep it pinned. "I’ll make sure our new carriage behaves itself."
Xiao Cui’s eyes went wide as saucers, her pale hair fluttering in the breeze as she giggled in pure delight.
"Okay! Don’t hurt little Bao Bao!"
"Bao Bao?"
What the fuck was that?
Meanwhile, Xiao Cui dropped to her knees in the golden carpet, her small hands happily plucking the yellow stems while Kian rained down short, heavy punches onto the bear’s flank until the giant beast stopped growling entirely and began whining like an obedient puppy.