(Five minutes later)
"Scatter!" Shi Yang roared, banking hard to the right. Flames erupted in the space they'd just occupied, missing by a hair's breadth. Relief never came—before they could even breathe, chains lashed out, snapping through the air and tangling the pixies midflight. Screams cut short as bodies were crushed to death.
"So I failed again… to take that talisman." His voice was low, bitter. He reached into his sleeve, pulled out another pill, and swallowed it whole.
The cycle repeated.
Shi Yang burst from his bindings, freed his new kin, seized a student as hostage, and wrung talismans from the teacher's hand. Each time, his escape unraveled in blood and fire.
"Damn insects!" Miss Aoyun's voice rang like a curse as her chains lashed, trying to strike the rebellious spirit beasts from the air.
But Shi Yang weaved between them, wings burning with Qi.
"Gale Blades!"
Wind shrieked, sharp as steel. Blades of air severed limbs in a vicious spray. Shi Yang darted between the strikes, only for one to curve back, slashing him clean in half.
—
Leaves rustled. Shi Yang's brow furrowed as he awoke from meditation once again.
"I lose… again."
He glanced at the small glass bottle beside him and counted. Fifteen pills remained.
"Looks like I can't pass that teacher just yet."
His gaze drifted forward—something lurked in the brush, eyes glinting in the shadows.
Shi Yang lifted two fingers.
From the branches above, his vulture plunged like a falling blade, talons sinking into the creature's skull. With a cruel flap, it carried the beast skyward before letting go.
Crunch! Splat!
A wolf's body hit the ground, its skull split wide.
The bushes shuddered. Growls rose from all around, a circle of glowing eyes closing in.
Yueqin's breath hitched, her voice cracking. "T-There's more… they're surrounding us!"
Shi Yang only stood, calm as ever. From his sleeve, he drew a rusted dagger. Without hesitation, he flicked his wrist and hurled it.
The blade didn't fall.
It whirled midair, flashing with his Qi, carving through the wolves in a single arc. Flesh tore, bodies collapsed, and the clearing fell silent save for the drip of blood onto the grass.
The dagger circled back, humming as it returned to his palm.
Shi Yang exhaled slowly, eyes like cold steel.
Shi Yang lowered the dagger, flicking the blood from its edge before sliding it back into his sleeve. His gaze swept the treeline—dark, silent now, but the stench of beasts lingered heavy in the air.
"Yueqin," he said evenly, his voice carrying more command than warmth, "carry White and Yoke into the carriage. It's time we head out. If there are beasts this close to the road, then something worse is stirring deeper in."
Yueqin swallowed hard, nodding quickly. "Y-Yes!" She rushed to the tree where the cubs lay curled together, Yoke still sprawled over White. With careful arms, she gathered them up—despite Yoke's groggy protest of a whimper—and hurried them to the carriage.
Shi Yang turned next to Han Jie, still seated cross-legged on the ground, faint firelight flickering along her skin as she digested her pill. He stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"That's enough for now," he said firmly. "Get inside. We're moving."
Han Jie's eyes snapped open, a trace of reluctance flashing before she rose without a word, dusting her robes and climbing into the carriage.
Shi Yang walked to the front, reaching for the reins. The horse snorted, uneasy from the lingering scent of wolves. He tightened his grip on the leather straps, steadying the beast with a faint channel of Qi through his fingers.
"Yueqin!" he called.
She turned quickly, just as she finished settling the cubs inside.
"Come up front." He gestured to the bench beside him. "You'll ride with me."
Her eyes widened for a moment, then she dipped her head and hurried over, climbing to sit by his side.
The carriage creaked as Shi Yang flicked the reins. The horse lurched forward, hooves crunching over the blood-soaked grass, pulling them away from the circle of corpses and into the shadowed road ahead.
The leather reins creaked faintly as Shi Yang shifted them in his hand, his eyes narrowing as the horse plodded along the dim road. The wind carried the faintest chill of morning mist, and the sky above was just beginning to pale from black to blue.
"Come here," he said, tilting his head toward the space in front of him. His voice was casual, but there was a pull in it.
Yueqin hesitated, her long lashes fluttering. "Me?"
"You. Who else?" His smile carried no room for argument. He patted his lap. "You don't want to stay ignorant, do you? Knowing how to guide a horse is as important as any thing if your going to be my sarvent for a while."
Her lips pressed together, but after a heartbeat she stepped forward. The faint brush of her shoulder grazed his chest as she carefully eased down onto his lap. She was stiff at first, as though unsure where to put her hands or how to hold herself, but Shi Yang's arms closed easily around her, steady and sure.
"Relax," he murmured, guiding her hands to the reins. His larger fingers wrapped over hers, showing her the tension and looseness required to direct the horse's movements. "Gentle here… firmer when you need it to turn. Just like that."
The rhythm of the horse's gait gave a soothing sway, rocking them both. Yueqin's back pressed lightly against his chest, and the faint warmth of her presence seeped through. Shi Yang's hand lingered over hers longer than necessary, slipping from her wrist down across her stomach.
She stiffened, glancing down, but he only smirked, voice light. "I'm just keeping you steady."
His palm moved slowly, deliberately, as though tracing the outline of her form. When his hand wandered lower, brushing along the inside of her thigh, he expected a flinch, a gasp, something. Instead, he felt a texture that halted him—a faint ridge of scales, smooth yet alien beneath his fingertips.
His brow arched. Not flesh. Not even a small entrance like he expected. Just endless scales, between her legs.
Yueqin didn't react with shame or anger. Instead, she let out a slow breath, her shoulders loosening as though his touch eased her rather than startled her. "That feels… strange," she admitted softly, her tone more thoughtful than anything else. "Almost like… being pressed by the water currents."
Shi Yang's smirk deepened. "Is that so?" His hand lingered, brushing again, testing, his curiosity piqued by the seamless melding of human softness and scaled hardness. "You really are something else, Yueqin."
Her lips curved faintly, the barest hint of a smile. "You're just… clingy."
"Clingy?" he laughed low, his breath stirring the strands of her hair. "Maybe. But tell me… you don't mind, do you?"
Her answer was no answer at all—just the quiet sound of her breath, steady, unresisting, as she let his presence fold around her like the reins in her hands.
His fingers worked on her scales, whilest his free hand gently went under her top, "does this feel good~?" he cooed, as her nipples hardened. His mouth met hers, his tongue ventured her ignorant mouth.
Yueqin moans softly, her eyes widening at the strange texture, her delicate pink tongue pulling backwards. He pulls back from the kiss, and watched her panting as she blushed then stared at him. "I-it feels great, " she whispered, her lips opening and closing.
"Do you want to feel even better?" he cooed, his voice low and seductive. At her nod, he captured her lips in a passionate kiss, swirling their tongues together. She moaned into the embrace, unfamiliar with this sensation but clearly enjoying it.
As they broke for air, Shi Yang guided her further up onto his lap so she straddled him. "Spread your legs for me," he instructed softly. When she complied, he pulled out a golden rod from within his robes.
Yueqin's eyes widened as she took in the sizeable length of it. Her breath caught in anticipation mixed with a hint of nervousness. But before she could react fully, Shi Yang began to guide it between her soft scales.
He then began rubbing against her smooth scales, there wasn't anything to penetrate down there, he could still have his fun, "you feel so soft here, " he whispered down her neck, one hand going down to her thighs, caressing her and kissing her neck.
What...what is he doing with that? Her scaled thighs tensed slightly as the golden rod brushed against them, his blazing member contrasting with her warm skin. "M-Master...?" she murmured, her voice catching when his lips found her neck.
His chuckle vibrated against her collarbone. "Relax. Just let me..." The head traced slowly, with every circlesof his hips, where her human skin met shimmering scales, making her gasp.
It tingles...but not unpleasantly. Her fingers tightened on the rails. "That feels...different than your hands," she admitted breathlessly.
"Good different?" His teeth grazed her earlobe.
"Y-Yes—ah!" Her back arched when he applied firmer pressure. "But...but what about the road? The carriage—"
"Steady enough." He nipped at her jaw. "Unless you want me to stop?"
"...No." I should say no. But it's...nice. Her breath hitched as the rod dipped lower. "Just... be gentle."
Shi Yang's smirk was palpable against her skin. "I'll take it slow then." The golden scripts hummed faintly with qi, sending delicate vibrations through her sensitive scales. Yueqin bit her lip hard to stifle a whimper.
Why does this make my stomach feel flutter? Her of her hands claws pricked lightly at his robes. "M-More...to the left—ah!" She jolted when he found an unexpectedly tender spot.
"Here?" His voice dripped with amusement.
"Y-You're—nngh—teasing on purpose!" Her protest came out embarrassingly breathless.
"Maybe." his fingers rubbed the spot she wanted, as he stops his thrusting, "But I have a question~" his hand traveled her lower half, "if your so smooth down her how do you lay eggs?"
She looks at him, her one arm still bent back and holding his shoulders, "eggs? I haven't started layed anything yet, but they... " Her claws left him and joined his fingers, "they should come out here when I'm ready to mate, "
His eye's lit up, "were, " he looked over her shoulder as she, lightly press in on a tiny hole between her scales. It was so small that he wouldn't have seen it if she hadn't showed him, his index finger went to it and pressed in making her squirm as the hole stretched.
"does it hurt?" he asked, seeing her moving.
It's...strange having him touch me there. Her scales rippled slightly as his finger pressed deeper. "It's...not painful," she admitted, voice hushed. "Just...different."
Her claws dug lightly onto his hand when he curled his finger inside her. "M-Master Shi Yang...does it...feel good to you too?" The question slipped out before she could stop it.
His chuckle sent warmth flooding her face. "Very." His free hand slid up to cup her breast. "You're tight. Warm."
He likes it. The realization made her squirm. "Will it...stretch more? When I'm ready to lay?"
"Probably." His thumb rubbed circles near her entrance. "Want me to test how much you can take now?"
Her tail flicked nervously. "I...I don't know if—ah!" His second finger joined the first, making her gasp. "T-Too much?"
"Breathe." His lips brushed her ear. "Relax. That's it..."