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So that’s how they do it…
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Ch. 23 | Making the pact
Song Lin gazed at Dandan — those powder pink eyes were like clear, sparkling gemstones.
So you can look like that too…
For the look in his eyes was steadfast, proud and slightly expectant.
He pinched Dandan’s chin, turning his face to one side and said quietly, ‘Too near.’
Having had his line of sight forcibly turned away, Dandan irritably pulled Song Lin’s hand off and insisted on turning his head back round again and looking him in the eye. ‘Hurry up and make the pact with me, do it now.’
Song Lin: ‘I haven’t finished my bath.’
Dandan: ‘I’ll give you a hand.’
‘You will?’
‘Mm.’ Dandan picked up the wet cloth which was draped over the side of the tub. ‘Here, I’ll rub your back.’
Although this was a most peculiar turn of events, curiously enough Song Lin actually turned round and presented his back.
Dandan began rubbing his back and asked, ‘How is it? Is the pressure okay?’
Song Lin: ‘…’
Only now did he realise what he was doing… Being told where to move by a spirit beast left him feeling that his personal authority was being challenged.
‘Want me to massage your shoulders too?’
‘No need.’ Song Lin pressed down on Dandan’s hand which had been about to touch his shoulder. ‘Let’s make the pact, right now.’
Dandan put down the towel with great satisfaction¹. ‘About time.’
Song Lin: ‘I’ll get dressed first.’
‘You’re… just making a pact, y’know…’ Dandan muttered. ‘When I made a pact with my former owner, it was in a remote valley and beside a dirty ditch. I don’t know why you have to be so particular.’
¹ 心滿意足 xīnmǎn-yìzú. If you’re not reading this chapter at hiding in plain sight, it has been stolen and reproduced by novelscraping sites.
Song Lin stood up and the steaming water cascaded off his body and back into the wooden bathtub.
Dandan covered his eyes reflexively. ‘Don’t just stand up like that, sheesh!’
Song Lin’s long legs took him out of the wooden bathtub in one stride and as he dried himself, said, ‘Weren’t you the one urging me to hurry? What, don’t tell me you want to make the pact in the water?’
He pointed to the tub where the water was still sloshing around.
Dandan swallowed and shook his head.
‘Help bring me that bathrobe hanging over there.’
‘… Me?’
‘Who else?’
Dandan did so very reluctantly. ‘Here.’
Song Lin held out his arms to the side.
Dandan just stared at him while holding the robe.
For a few seconds, neither of them moved.
After a while, Dandan asked, ‘You’re not expecting me to help you into your clothes, are you?’
Song Lin: ‘What else?’
‘…’ Dandan gritted his teeth.
What the hell, this Song Lin keeps ordering me around like it’s second nature to him. As if he’s taking revenge for something…
He walked forward, helped Song Lin into the robe and then tied it with an elegant bow in front. After stepping back a few paces, he stood with arms akimbo and said in a tone which was part haughtiness, part pique, ‘Let’s get something clear. After I become your bonded spirit beast, you’re not to order me around like this.’
‘Why not?’
Because I have my pride as a ‘Supreme’ calibre beast. Of course, he couldn’t say that aloud.
‘Because… according to Styx, the House of Song never ill-treats its spirit beasts.’
Song Lin nodded. ‘All right.’
‘Then let’s make the pact here.’
‘Right here in the bathroom? I’ve never done it here before. What unique tastes you have.’ He made a beckoning gesture. ‘Come here.’
Truth be told, what with Song Lin wearing a loose bathrobe and the bathroom still steamy, there was something really rather racy about the whole moment.
Dandan went to him with dragging steps². ‘What do you mean by ‘never done it here before’? Stop using such suggestive words, sheesh…!’
Cradling his chin with one hand, Song Lin circled Dandan and scrutinised him from head to toe. ‘Let’s see, where would be the best place to set the seal?’
Dandan, who was being surveyed like a chunk of meat on a chopping block, suggested in all sincerity, ‘I don’t really mind where, as long as it’s not in some strange place.’
Song Lin reached out and gave his firm little rump a pat. ‘Strange place as in…?’
Dandan: ‘… Have you ever been bitten by a rabbit?’
‘Nope,’ answered Song Lin.
‘If you dare set your seal there, you’ll instantly find out what it’s like.’
The corners of Song Lin’s mouth curved up infinitesimally as he said, ‘Don’t worry, my tastes aren’t quite as wicked as that.’
He pressed the back of Dandan’s head down, his fingers gently stroking the nape of his neck before slipping about an inch past his collar. ‘This will do.’
‘Eh? You’ve already decided?’ Dandan was quite astonished. ‘Who would have thought you would be so slapdash about these things? It’s going to hurt like the dickens so give me a minute to prepare…’
Before he could finish his sentence, a golden magical array flared from Song Lin’s fingertips. About the size of a teacup lid, it remained suspended just above Dandan’s nape, radiating golden light and was immediately followed by a spurt of freezing cold spiritual energy which travelled all the way to his heart.
² 磨磨蹭蹭 mómócèngcèng: 1. to dillydally. Translation belongs to theresanother(DOT)wordpress(DOT)com.
The heart of every spirit beast was a hollow receptacle and its capacity determined a beast’s calibre: the bigger the capacity, the higher the calibre and the more spiritual power it could store. Generally speaking, the capacity of the heart receptacle was inborn and almost impossible to change. Although it was a little unfair, a spirit beast with an innately high calibre did have more power than one of a lower calibre.
Of course, there were also those spirit beasts who would not hesitate to take in all the spiritual power they could absorb until bursting point, until their hearts shattered and were reconstructed. Such an approach was extremely risky. For the lucky ones, the capacity would be enlarged and the spiritual calibre upgraded. For the unlucky ones, the heart receptacle would be unable to bear the strain and explode.
But all this was yet to come.
Whenever a spirit beast and a Guardian made a pact, the latter would choose a spot on the beast’s body to set his seal. This insignia was the ingression point of a Guardian’s spiritual power and also a more vulnerable spot in times of danger, hence most of them would choose a concealed spot.
The more powerful a Guardian was, the greater the ingressive impact of the spiritual power. So when Song Lin’s spiritual energy entered Dandan’s heart, the latter was jerked forward by the impact and thrust right into Song Lin’s arms.
‘Hell’s bells! Do you have to use so much force? It hurts!!!’
‘Quiet, I’m concentrating,’ Song Lin commanded in a low voice.
At this point, Styx arrived on the scene, concerned about why Young Master was taking so long over his bath. He had just reached the door when he heard this cry of pain which had him freezing in mid-step, left leg lifted. Then when he saw the two entwined figures shadowed in the window… he was nearly overset.
For the first time, a look of what could be described as panic appeared in Ol’ Fish Eyes’ eyes.
No, this can’t be happening! We’re done for, done for, he fretted, tearing at his long grey hair. If Eldest Master ever finds out about this… he’ll probably turn the entire Song Manor upside down…
A servant girl who happened to be passing by heard the sounds and asked, ‘Your Excellency Styx, is Second Master all right, does he need help?’
Styx: ‘Nonono, now go away.’
Servant girl: ‘???… Y-yes… Your Excellency Styx…’
After chasing the maidservant off, he covered his forehead and sighed. All this worrying is going to kill me.
Inside the bathroom, Song Lin finished setting his seal and pushed away the bunny-eared youth in his arms. ‘Making such a big fuss³ over the setting of a mere seal… aren’t you embarrassed?’
‘It’s your fault for having such forceful spiritual energy. My heart can’t take it, but you won’t even let me complain?’
Song Lin noticed that while talking, the ears on Dandan’s head were slowly transforming back into human ones. ‘What’s going on?’
Dandan touched his ears. ‘Oh, I didn’t have enough spiritual power before for a full transformation so the bunny ears remained. Now that I have your spiritual power, I can transform completely.’
Song Lin reflected on this for a moment. ‘Human ears don’t feel… fluffy.’
‘… Mm?’ Dandan didn’t understand at first and it took a while for realisation to sink in. ‘Oh, you’re partial to the fluffy bunny ears?’
Song Lin gave a deep cough and looked faintly embarrassed. When all was said and done, he was the grand Second Master Song from the leading family among the Five Great Houses and a weakness for fluffy things was just not intimidating at all.
‘Not really,’ he answered evasively.
Dandan tsked tsked mentally. Yu Huan, ah Yu Huan, who would have thought that even your reincarnation would have startlingly similar inclinations?
‘Song Lin, if you like the bunny ears, I can always keep them.’ He transformed his human ears into bunny ones and even gave them a witty twitch. ‘There, what do you think?’
Detecting the mockery in his tone, Song Lin resisted the impulse to stroke his ears and said instead in a deep voice, ‘Please yourself.’ Then with a flick of his sleeves, he turned and strode out of the bathroom.
³ 大呼小叫 dàhūxiǎojiào. Please consider reading from hiding in plain sight rather than from novelscraping sites.
Dandan trailed after him, prattling away. ‘Hey, so what do we do next? Take part in the Guardians’ Tournament directly? What do I need to prepare? Should I wear a cool, shiny war robe? Then again, my good looks are enough to crush any opponent. What’s the reward for winning? Can we ask for three tons of roasted lamb legs?’
Song Lin said, ‘There are two things we need to do tomorrow. First, we need to register you with the League. Second, training. So be quiet now and take yourself off to bed like a good boy.’
Dandan: ‘… Okay.’
He followed Song Lin into the bedroom and then climbed into his own bed. The curtains were not drawn and the moonlight shining in the window spilled across Song Lin’s bed.
Dandan was struck by a sudden thought: Supposing Song Lin wasn’t Yu Huan, and Yu Huan wasn’t dead, then wouldn’t that spell doom for Dandan himself? A spirit beast could only have one bonded owner and it could make another pact only if that master died. Otherwise, its heart would be corroded by the wrath of Heaven and it would then die.
‘What are you thinking about?’ Song Lin’s voice broke into his train of thought.
Dandan gave his head a vigorous shake — why am I letting my imagination run wild? Whether Song Lin was Yu Huan’s reincarnation or not, there was no turning back for Dandan.
He rolled over on his side. ‘Nothing at all.’
Present moment: Crescent Moon Ridge, the Priest’s Manor, the Pavilion of Penitence.
The High Priest Feng Chulian was holding the Ancient Book of Spells and having come to the spot where a few pages had been torn out, a series of very interesting expressions was parading across his face.
He asked a shivering Bi An who was kneeling opposite him, ‘Where did these few pages go?’
Without hesitation, Bi An ratted on his old comrade. ‘Dandan stole them! Teacher, I did try to stop him, but I’m hardly a match for him…’
‘So you let him into the manor to make trouble?’
‘But Teacher, weren’t you the one who said that this child had a one-track mind and was quite to be pitied, having lost his owner?’
‘From what I can see, he seems to have done quite all right by himself all these years and isn’t as pitiful as I thought. Besides, considering he’s now carrying on with Second Master Song, it looks like he’s not that devoted to Yu Huan after all.’
‘Not so, Teacher. The reason why Dandan is carrying on with Song Lin is precisely because he’s Yu Huan’s reincarnation.’
Feng Chulian frowned slightly and said in a voice pregnant with meaning, ‘Reincarnation? Yu Huan really is the scourge of all ages…’
Bi An asked cautiously, ‘Teacher, can I get up now?’
‘You still hope to get up? Letting an outsider into the Chamber of Daoist Treasures so easily — you really think I can’t bear to punish you?’
Bi An nodded earnestly. ‘Yes.’
‘…’ The High Priest was choked by disbelief and it was a while before he recovered his voice. ‘Looks like I spoil you too much normally.’
Bi An’s shoulders hunched with fear — Uh-oh! Looks like Teacher is really angry this time!
Feng Chulian pondered for a long time before finally staying coldly, ‘You…’
‘…?’ Bi An awaited his final judgement with bated breath and rapt attention.
‘Put out your hand.’
‘… Okay…’ Bi An did as he was told.
Feng Chulian used the Ancient Book of Spells to smack his palm hard three times.
Bi An: ‘… Eh?’
Feng Chulian turned away, saying, ‘You had better bear this lesson in mind. Don’t let it happen again.’
‘Yes, Teacher.’
‘Go.’
‘… Then, I’ll just be going now…’
After Bi An had left, Feng Chulian’s shoulders sank despairingly — sure enough… he hadn’t been able to do it.
(Approx. 2229 words)
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Translated and edited by 12
hiding in plain sight 
I like getting new information about the spirit beasts. I wasn’t even thinking about the question about animal ears on a human head but it’s answered here. So Song Lin has that kind of tastes and he’s even embarrassed about it, haha. Wow, Feng Chulian can’t even try to punish Bi An. Thanks for the translation!
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Yea, the author does try to flesh out the ideas behind the pact and how spirit beasts can evolve. It all just about hangs together.
Bi An is well aware that he can get away with a lot! 😆
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