Chapter 22: White furry beast
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"You all are so loud," the little beast grumbled, hopping off Ling Huai's shoulder and landing softly on the ground. He stretched his tiny white limbs, his fluffy tail flicking side to side like a cat waking from a nap.
The Omen didn't waste a second. With a snap of his fingers, a ripple of red and black space element surged toward the creature to trap it.
But just like before—
Poof.
The space element vanished the moment it got close to him.
"What?!" The Omen stepped back, wide-eyed. "No way…"
Ling Huai crossed her arms and said through the mind link, "It doesn't work on him."
Both Bai and the Omen turned to look at the little creature more carefully now.
"Why are you here?" Bai asked, his voice cautious.
The little beast blinked and looked up at Ling Huai. "I'm attracted to her. She smells nice. And I don't mean any harm, promise."
Ling Huai's face twisted into a sour expression. "First the Omen… now you?"
She looked to Bai and the Omen. "Are you both sure he isn't part of the Hunters?"
Bai let out a small chuckle. "Hunters? They don't even like beasts. They're always in human form and wouldn't waste time following someone like this."
The Omen nodded. "He's not one of them. Too fluffy."
Ling Huai let out a breath of relief, but her eyes narrowed at the little white creature. Something about him still felt… off.
"What's your name?" she asked slowly. "And you should leave me. Stop following me around like some lost rabbit."
The beast sat down and grinned cheekily. "My name? Hm… I'll tell you if you make me another meal."
Ling Huai's eye twitched.
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Ling Huai frowned. "I don't have any meat with me."
The little beast didn't say anything. He just blinked once, then turned and dashed out of the cave with a speed that shocked even Bai. They stared at the entrance, confused.
A few minutes later, they heard dragging noises.
The little creature returned—panting and grinning—with a medium-sized beast trailing behind him. Dead.
He dropped the beast in front of Ling Huai like a gift. "How about now?" he said proudly, tail wagging.
Ling Huai stared at the corpse, then at the little beast. "Where did you even get this?"
The beast only shrugged like it was no big deal.
Bai, still trying to recover from what he saw, stepped forward and summoned a steady stream of water. He skillfully washed off the blood and dirt from the beast's fur.
Ling Huai pulled out her knife and started cutting away the edible parts with practiced precision. "At least you brought something useful this time."
From one of the bags the Omen had "borrowed," she brought out some of the seasonings. She marinated the meat inside a small bowl—the very one the Omen had proudly stolen during his 'supply run'.
Meanwhile, the Omen appeared from a flash of red and black mist, holding a pile of firewood. "Here," he said, dropping them beside the cooking spot.
Ling Huai rolled her eyes but smiled faintly. "You really took everything when you went shopping for free, huh?"
The Omen smirked. "If it's for survival, it's not stealing."
They all worked together to start a small fire, the smell of seasoned meat slowly filling the air. The little beast sat right beside Ling Huai, eyes wide and nose twitching.
"I'll cook, but you better explain more after this," Ling Huai said, side-eyeing him.
The little beast gave her a big, innocent grin. "Deal."
As the meat sizzled over the fire, the little beast kept getting closer and closer to it.
"Back up. It's not done," Ling Huai warned, waving him off with a stick.
But he didn't listen.
Just as he leaned in to take a sneak taste, a drop of hot oil popped and hit him right on the nose.
"YEOW!"
He leapt back with such speed he crashed right into Bai's leg and tumbled over like a fluffy ball.
Bai burst into laughter. "That's what you get for trying to steal the food!"
The little beast sat up, ears twitching, rubbing his nose with his paw. "That meat attacked me!"
Ling Huai smirked. "Guess it didn't want to be eaten."
The Omen shook his head. "This might be the first time I've seen food win a fight."
They all laughed, even the little beast—though still grumbling—sat back down properly, waiting for the meat to finish like a well-behaved child.