Otherworldly Affairs Office

Chapter 1205: Young Master

The bemused Pei Yan casually broke off the vines almost intertwined with him, and with Hu Jiu, he stumbled out of the cave like a wild man just freed from a forest, covered in twigs and leaves.Outside the cave awaited Long Jin and Golden Phoenix Feather, who had been there for quite some time. Seeing the duo in such a state, Long Jin managed to keep her composure, while the childlike Golden Phoenix Feather burst into laughter at their appearance. Witnessing Pei Yan’s awkward expression, Long Jin gave her little junior sister a stern look before smiling and leading the two out of the canyon.

Back at the Dragon Palace, after being pampered by the attendants with a relaxing hot bath and changing into fresh clothes from his storage ring, Pei Yan felt rejuvenated and invigorated. Despite his hair still being damp, he hurried out of his room, eager to share his insights and experiences from the past month with the Ancestral God.

However, he was once again blocked by Long Jin waiting at his door. After hearing Pei Yan’s intentions, Long Jin smiled and said, "Mr. Pei, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed."

"Oh, is the Ancestral God currently occupied and unable to see me?" Pei Yan inquired, puzzled by Long Jin’s remark.

Long Jin nodded in response, "My teacher indeed has important matters to attend to, not only now but likely for a long time to come. But it’s not just that my teacher is busy; Mr. Pei, your schedule is probably quite tight as well. Before my teacher went to handle Saraf’s matter, he mentioned that once you’ve absorbed the Power of Origin, you should not linger in the Dragon Realm and return to the Daoist Realm with the Young Master. Your teacher has urgent matters waiting for your attention back home!"

At this, Long Jin playfully added, "Mr. Pei, don’t think we’re issuing an eviction notice! My father and I hope you can stay in the Dragon Realm for a longer period. As long as you wish, the doors of the Dragon Realm will always be open for you. Whether you choose to leave or stay is entirely up to you."

"Oh, Miss Long Jin, you’re too courteous. If the Ancestral God says so, it must be because Lin Junzhao instructed him upon returning. My initially agreed maximum duration was three months, and it’s only been a little over two months. Something urgent must have happened back home. If that’s the case, I really need to hurry back! Miss Long Jin, how’s Hu Jiu doing? Has he recovered?"

Though surprised by Pei Yan directly mentioning the name of his Master of Origin, Long Jin said nothing, jesting instead, "He’s fine now! After all, he’s our Young Master, and those serving him are far more than those serving you. I imagine even his fur must be meticulously groomed by now."

"That’s good! Don’t let him keep enjoying the privileges of being a Young Master here. Take me to him; we need to leave immediately!"

Upon hearing about potential changes in the Daoist Realm, Pei Yan wanted to return urgently and politely declined Long Jin’s repeated requests to rest for one more night and depart the next day. With Pei Yan’s constant urging, Long Jin reluctantly, while muttering under her breath that she’d spoken too soon, led Pei Yan to Hu Jiu’s quarters.

Once there, Pei Yan realized Long Jin’s reason for delay. A group of young women, not yet fully transformed, with obvious wolf tails, ears, or fox tails and ears, surrounded Hu Jiu, meticulously grooming his fur with combs. Some of the fox race girls were enchanting and cute, while others were pure and lovely, and the wolf race girls were gallant and spirited. Even Pei Yan, with his strong will, couldn’t help but feel his heart race at the sight.

"The grand situation isn’t even settled, and you’re all so eager to ensure the Ancestral God’s lineage here?" Pei Yan teased quietly, pulling Long Jin aside.

Long Jin, face flushed with embarrassment, replied awkwardly, "I have no choice! After witnessing the divine might you and the Young Master displayed that day, the notion of aligning with you hasn’t fully formed in these people’s minds yet due to individual differences. But this Young Master, likely to preside over the Dragon Realm in the future, has quickly become a target for competition within the two major races, and not even my father can resist it! Your realm’s Young Master, not affiliated with either major race, provides the most direct and effective way to establish connections. The roles serving him are shared between the two races, with each sending their most outstanding individuals likely to catch the Young Master’s interest to serve him here."

"I see! It’s understandable, though Hu Jiu is certainly lucky!" Pei Yan nodded in understanding, then smiled before stepping out of the corridor to approach Hu Jiu. Ignoring the deathly glares from the gathered girls, he gave Hu Jiu a hefty kick and said grumpily, "Alright, Young Master! The land of tenderness is the hero’s grave! You haven’t yet made a name for yourself across large planes as a hero; hold off this hedonistic lifestyle for now! We have urgent matters to attend to, so let’s get going."

"Oh!" Hu Jiu, long weary of staying in place, despite having intelligence, was still quite pure. Recently empowered, he’s like a newly unleashed tiger from the mountains, most eager for battle to prove himself. The ancillary matters hold little interest for him, so upon hearing Pei Yan has important business, he joyfully flipped aside the attending maidens, raced to Pei Yan, and impatiently desired to leave the place.

Seeing Hu Jiu’s resolve unsharpened pleased Pei Yan greatly; he patted Hu Jiu’s head and was about to leave when a voice called out sharply from behind.

"Wait a minute!"

Pei Yan halted and turned around, seeing two women walking out from the other side of the corridor. The maids serving Hu Jiu immediately bowed and stepped aside upon seeing these two women.

"What is it?" Pei Yan recognized these two had esteemed status. Yet, no esteem could surpass that of Golden Phoenix Feather, the little girl with whom his acquaintance was equal, and others needed to exhibit corresponding strength to earn his respect.

"May I ask if Mr. Pei intends to take the Young Master away?" one of the fox race girls, her appearance eliciting pity, asked gently after offering a courteous salute to Pei Yan.

"Indeed, we have urgent matters, and won’t be returning to the Dragon Realm for a while. But rest assured, once the tasks are settled, I promise to return your Young Master safe and sound," Pei Yan replied. Seeing her calm demeanor, it didn’t seem right to maintain a stern front, so he stroked the smooth fur on Hu Jiu’s back and smiled, "You should feel at ease on this matter. We’ve entered into a symbiotic contract; his life is bound to mine. I won’t let anything happen to him."

"Take us with you!" the other, a wolf race girl with an expressionless face, demanded bluntly.

"What?" Startled, Pei Yan wondered if he misheard.

"I said, take us with you!" the wolf race girl repeated.

"What for? You think just saying so means I’ll take you! Do you even know what we’re going to do? Do you think it’s a group excursion! You..."

Before Pei Yan could finish, he felt someone pulling him. Turning, he saw it was Long Jin, seeing her peculiar demeanor, stopped accusing, letting her pull him aside. Only then did she quietly explain, "My teacher is already informed and has given his silent consent on this matter."