Chapter Twelve: Plucking a Tiger's Hair at Will

An hour later, Chu Tian and Apache set out for Mount Agula to resolve the issue of Dragonic magic. They had scarcely departed when two figures slipped out from behind—not, of course, following the same path.

Chu Xuan ran her fingers over the space bracelet Chu Tian had given her, inside which lay the incomplete Vengeance Goddess’s staff of the Dark Phoenix Clan and a handful of gold coins. With one hand, she tugged Mephit along, hurrying toward the gates of the Golden Fortress. The magical beasts that called the fortress home milled about in lively chaos, making for quite a bustling scene.

They encountered no obstacles on their way; all the magical beasts who recognized them—even extended warm invitations to join them for drinks. But remembering the “specialties” served at the taverns, Chu Xuan felt a wave of nausea, forcing herself to plaster on an unconvincing smile as she refused again and again.

Her plan to rob Mount Agula wasn’t just about arming herself with something valuable—it was, in part, because she was simply bored stiff in this place. So it was only a matter of time before she took the mischievous Mephit along for the adventure.

Bringing Mephit along served two purposes: first, the child was always ready for a bit of mischief, and second, he made for a handy and cost-effective bodyguard.

Mephit, entirely unaware of what Chu Xuan was plotting, let himself be dragged along, his mismatched eyes glittering with anticipation and innocence. Yet, for reasons she couldn’t explain, Chu Xuan always detected a hint of devilishness in his gaze. The thought made her recall the elder Mephit—what secrets did that ancient being, with ten thousand years behind him, truly know?

She and Chu Tian were nothing more than ordinary people from Earth; her only advantage was a modest foundation in Daoist practice, which she owed entirely to her upbringing rather than any innate talent. Yet now, just as others had mistaken Chu Tian for Stern, she was being mistaken for the Vengeance Goddess…

The staff in her possession was useless—she couldn’t wield its power. According to Fatir, the Goddess needed to gather all three staves to unleash her true strength. But now, in the eyes of Fatir and everyone else aware of the Vengeance Goddess, Chu Xuan was the living incarnation of the Goddess herself.

Yet her role as a goddess was, to her, utterly bewildering. She longed to summon that ancient being and interrogate him, but Little Mephit had no way to call forth the Elder. For now, her only option was to rob something from Mount Agula as a means of self-preservation.

After all, being mistaken for a deity in this place was no laughing matter—at best, it could cost her life; at worst, her very soul could be destroyed.

Thus, the ever-playful Chu Xuan found herself forced onto the path of seeking power. But the object she intended to steal from the Dragon Emperor was likely useless to anyone but herself, so she felt no guilt—wasn’t it only right for things to serve their proper purpose?

With these thoughts, she greeted the magical beasts that saluted them along the way, meandering toward the grand gates of the Golden Fortress. Suddenly, the landscape at the mountain’s foot unfurled before her like a vast painting—air fresher and scenery more breathtaking than anything inside. Yet Chu Xuan was taken aback…

She had arrived by hitching a ride with Chu Tian’s magical transportation—how on earth was she supposed to fly off this mountain now?

“Um… Little Mephit, let me ask you, how are we supposed to get out of here?” She nudged the boy beside her, her face clouded with worry.

Mephit looked up with his cherubic face and answered as though it were obvious, “We fly, of course.”

Fly—she knew that much! But the problem was, how were they supposed to fly?

Just as she was fretting over this, a stern yet falsely affable voice called out to them, “Princess Erin of the Vladino family, Young Master Mephit, where are you two headed?”

Chu Xuan looked up—Wuzi had arrived. Her heart seized; he must be planning to imprison them as hostages to control Chu Tian. Instinctively, she gripped Mephit’s hand, never questioning in that moment her trust in this child—nor whether he could truly offer her protection.

“We’re going to—”

“We just came out for some fresh air; it’s much nicer here,” Chu Xuan hastily interrupted Mephit, her nerves frayed. She quickly invoked a “Praise be to the Goddess of Life,” knowing full well Mephit had almost told that blasted tiger they were off to rob Mount Agula.

Wuzi obviously didn’t believe a word Chu Xuan said—in his mind, she was already on par with her brother: a little liar.

“Princess Erin, the environs here are not as comfortable as inside the fortress. Why don’t you both come back with me? If your brother returns and finds you gone, I’ll be blamed for not looking after you. Don’t you agree?” He bent at the waist in a courtly bow, drawing nothing but silent scorn from Chu Xuan.

Suddenly, she smiled up at the straight-backed Wuzi, releasing Mephit’s hand and stretching her own forward—a golden pocket watch dangled from her fingers. “Your Majesty, isn’t this watch beautiful?”

She swung it gently, her voice a soothing drone, babbling nonsense as she kept the watch swinging in rhythm…

“All right, I’ll count to three. When you open your eyes, you’ll revert to your true form and remember only that you’re a tiger who obeys my every word. One, two, three!”

With a thunderous roar, a massive tiger materialized before Chu Xuan and Mephit, startling Chu Xuan half to death. She cried out, “My goodness, what a gigantic tiger! Isn’t this a bit much?”

Glancing over, she saw Mephit’s eyes fixed greedily on Wuzi’s pelt. Suddenly playful, she let go of Mephit’s hand and pointed at Wuzi’s transformed body. “Tiger fur, take as much as you like! My treat! When your brother returns, I’ll make you a tiger-skin hat from it.”