Chapter 45: Chu Jiahai’s Secret

Chu Jiahai was bent over a bush, throwing up.

“Great, more of this unsightly vomiting.” Lu Daomeng complained. “Honestly, the weakness of nobles.”

“Wang Zen,” Chu Jiahai said once he had composed himself, “I didn’t know you had another beast under you.”

“Hmm?” Zen looked at the large dog beside him, “Oh, this mutt isn’t mine.”

“Why is Wang Zen and Tacher Lu Daomeng with it then?” Jiahai asked.

Wang Zen explained everything to his friend.

“Oh, so you’re hunting a wild beast?” Jiahai said.

“Yes,” Lu Daomeng said, “you seem to have a scent on you. Do you perhaps have a beast not registered with the academy?”

“What? Uh… no!” Jiahai waved his hands frantically.

“Have you come across a wild beast lately?” Daomeng continued.

“Yeah, maybe you were attacked by the beast like me.” Wang Zen said.

“Young Wang, refrain from calling Xu Hau a beast… at least in public.” Daomeng said.

“What? Oh no, I mean I was actually attacked by the beast. It tried to bite my face off and got away before I could kill it.” Wang Zen said.

“So the hound is on the right track.” Lu Daomeng said. “Fine, I’ll continue the hunt.”

“Farewell and thank you, again, Teacher Lu Daomeng.” Zen clasped his hands and bowed, before Lu Daomeng nodded and left.

When Daomeng was gone, Jiahai pulled Zen. “This is not good! Zen, I have something to tell you… something that I need you to help me with.”

“What?”

“I-I do have a wild beast with me.”

“What?” Zen pulled his hand away from Jiahai’s “So you lied! Your beast is the one that’s been killing all the other cultivator’s beasts?”

“No,” Jiahai shook his head vigorously, “Rizon could never do that.”

“Rizon? How would you know that?”

“Well… let me show you, then you’ll understand.” Jiahai said before walking in a direction. “This way!”

“Isn’t your dorm that way?”

“Yes, but we need to avoid Teacher Daomeng and that dog!”

-

“Alright, we’re here.” Zen said when they entered Jiahai’s room. “Even though we took the long way around and had to practically sprint over here. So where is the beast?”

Jiahai looked around before reaching under the bed and pulling out his bag. He opened it up and a small hound looked up at him, whining as it did.

Shibi hissed at the dog.

“Relax, Shibi, that vermin will not go out of the bag.” Zen patted his monkey.

“Hey, Rizon isn’t vermin!”

“That is a baby Ragged Jackal.”

“Yes,” Jiahai said.

“Then it’s vermin.” Zen said. “You should kill this thing, not name it.”

“This is my beast,” Jiahai said. “I found Rizon in the forest. My father had exterminated her pack and she was the only one left. I felt sorry for her and I remembered the relationship you and Shibi had and thought I’d also contract this beast, so that I can be its master and take care of it.”

“Shibi isn’t contracted to me,” Zen said. “He is still technically a wild beast.”

“You’re not Shibi’s master?” Jiahai rose to his feet to look into Shibi’s eyes. “I have noticed that Shibi does not have the silver lines in his eyes but I always thought that it was because he was hiding it. I’ve read about beasts being able to do that.”

“Well Shibi isn’t.” Zen said. “If you wanted a Beast Contract with this overgrown rat, why didn’t you make it?”

“I know how to make a basic one but I wanted to research an advanced contract.” Jiahai said, producing a green glowing pebble. “This is a green ink stone. It can make Beast Contracts. I was also holding out, hoping that I’s get a yellow ink stone.”

“What’s the difference between green and yellow ink stones?”

“Green ink stones binds bodies,” Jiahai began. “Yellow ink stones binds bodies and qi while red ink stones binds bodied, qi and souls. They all can be used to create Beast Contracts or other contracts but different stones can have additional effects. I wanted a yellow ink stone but it takes quite a number of beast cores to even create a green stone so I couldn’t.”

“I don’t understand, I’ve heard people make beast contracts without these ink things.” Zen said. “This is the first time I hear about it.”

“Those are called bond contracts,” Jiahai said. “They can be wishy washy and can sometimes be harmful to parties who enter them. I’ve once read of stories where a cultivator, with beast contracts of a type of bond contracts, went through cultivation deviation and his beasts were also so affected that they too suffered from the symptoms, which ended up in them becoming very violent with each other and other people much like their master. Another story talked about a cultivator with the same kind of contract with beasts that did not particularly like him, once he got older and his will weakened, the beasts forcefully teared themselves from the contract, resulting in them and the cultivator smashing their souls apart. And another…”

“Okay, okay!” Zen said.

“So will you help me?” Jiahai said. “Rizon isn’t really that bad.”

“I guess she’s cute,” Zen said, looking at the Ragged Jackal in disgust, “in a ratty kind of way. So make the contract.”

“Yes, but we still need to deal with the Grey Stalker and Teacher Daomeng who are heading here.”

“So what?” Zen said. “By the time they get here, you’ll have made the contract.”

“Yes, but if he is led here, he’ll know I have a beast and my roomates will find out too.”

“So?”

“I’m not allowed to have beasts in my dorm.”

“How come?” Zen said, genuinely surprised. “I’m allowed to keep Shibi in my dorm room.”

“Don’t you know the dorm rules?” Jiahai said to a confused Zen. “You’re only allowed to have beasts when your roomates approve. If I was at a commune or one of the higher cabins, it would not matter.”

“Wait, so the only reason I can keep Shibi with me is because Li Ao and Deng Ai allow me to.” Zen said.

“Yeah,” Jiahai said. “You have good roomates.”

“Oh no!” Zen whined.

“Well, that’s not the reaction I’d expect from someone who has good roommates.”

“Well, that’s because I’ve realised how much of a bad roommate I have been.” Zen made his way to the door before looking back. “Do what you need to do. I’ll make sure they don’t find you.” Then Zen left.