The journey back to the sect was, of course, slower than the one that had brought them into the forest, and not only because they were carrying the body of a dead beast. Comically enough, Tian was easily carrying it all alone; the issue was Siu himself. Trekking after Tian, he felt every step he had to take, and even with the bandages wrapped around his chest and his cultivation circulating with every breath, doing his best, his steps were short, and he had to stop after almost every hour to catch his breath.

  Tian never complained about it; in the end, he even gave him a staff, which was, in fact, just a big stick he found somewhere... But it was more than nothing, and without reservation, Siu had leaned more heavily on it than he would like to admit, using it as a stabilizer. Being in the shape he was, Tian always took the lead, and every now and then, he glanced back, receiving some confirmation from Siu, not only to make sure that he hadn’t fallen behind, but also to see what their two scouts were sending back.

  "She says there is nothing following us." Siu answered as they stopped, and Tian turned to him, "They are making sure our tracks are covered."

  "Good..." He nodded, glancing around the forest, taking a deep breath, deciding that was a bad idea with a corpse slung across his shoulders. But at least, it masked the fact that he was jealous that Siu's little pets were this useful... And that feeling also brought the realization that, apparently, he now had two. One was already big news... getting a second one? The world is indeed unfair! "Inform me if they sense anything," He added, shaking his head, shifting the weight of the carcass, to continue walking, "My nose is blocked by the smell of this damned corpse I'm carrying for you."

  "Naturally." Siu nodded, hiding a slight smile, as they kept heading back towards the sect.

  At first, Siu thought the squirrel might bolt the moment they left the battlefield, and they were far enough away for her to leave and disappear back into the forest. But she didn’t... According to Arya, she was now in a life-debt to Siu, whatever she meant by that, so she kept close to him, and sometimes, when the two returned to take a sip of water, she came... too close. She kept climbing up Siu’s robes before dropping back down with a startled squeak when Arya growled at her, jumping up his shoulders and swiping at the squirrel with her tail for occupying the prime real estate on the top of Siu's head. That spot was already taken...

  “Stop staring at him!” He heard Arya grumble, over and over again, and as to what the other's answer was, he couldn't tell... But it was always something long because she kept squeaking in sharp chirps like a bird. "I was the first! Stop it! He saved me first, saved you second, so you are second. This is the hierarchy in this pack, keep to it! No, I'm not old! Stop saying that! You are old! Exactly! That means you are older than me, but you are still the second. What do you mean it doesn't make sense?! It makes perfect sense!"

  Although Siu could only hear one side of the conversation, apparently, the two of them were in the middle of establishing the new order between them. Although at first the squirrel kept testing the boundaries... she did back down, accepting her position, because Arya also stopped arguing with her. Then, when things were finalized, Arya's voice also softened a lot, happy about her newfound 'sisterly' role... Apparently, they were now a proper pack.

  "Finally," Tian's voice broke Siu's concentration, and as he looked ahead, he knew why he said that. The trail they were on was familiar and clearly led back to the sect, bringing them closer to the invisible barrier.

  "It wasn't that bad of a time, considering everything," Siu added, looking up at the sky, where the sun had already disappeared, but the world hadn't turned completely dark yet.

  Just then, the squirrel squeaked again, louder this time, rushing before Siu, along with Arya, returning from their last scouting mission before getting home.

  "What is she saying?" Tian asked, just as curious as Siu, glancing at her, formulating an idea that instead of hunting beasts... he should finally tame one for himself. As for the little squirrel, she kept pointing at herself with both paws and then making a strange looping motion in the air.

  “Oh,” Arya translated to Siu, “She’s giving you her name.”

  “I see,” Siu replied out loud, also translating to Tian, “It's about introductions.”

  The squirrel kept motioning with her paws and then glanced at Arya, who just giggled... As a response, she puffed up her chest, such as it was, and squeaked again, slower this time, more deliberately, as apparently Arya had misunderstood her name at first.

  “She says her name is Marly,” Arya finally translated, rolling her eyes, ignoring some of the comments Marly was still throwing at her, "Or something close to that.”

  “Marly,” Siu repeated, before the squirrel could apparently throw another tantrum towards Arya as her eyes lit up and she nodded enthusiastically, bouncing in place, before climbing up his leg, quickly latching onto his arm, acting like some kind of ornament.

  “She’s clingy,” Arya grunted, rolling her eyes, but instead of acting all independent and mature, she just did the same, landing on Siu's head as usual.

  "Don't." Siu moaned, turning his gaze towards Tian, who was both grimacing and smirking, ready to say something.

  "A few more months and you will have a whole zoo sitting on you." He chortled, ignoring Siu's gaze, "I can't tell if you are lucky or not, but... well, just in case: fuck you."

  "Thanks." Siu snorted, beginning to walk again, holding his stick, "Let's move. I need a bath..."

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  The stone paths gave him a new type of relief after finally passing through the invisible wards... It was good to be back home. Walking forward, ignoring the pain that now returned, probably because his mind dared to relax, Tian finally stopped at a crossroad, stretching with a slightly tired yawn.

  “I’ll handle the corpse,” he said simply, looking at him once, “I am going to register it under your name, and I’ll make sure nothing goes missing.”

  “I appreciate it.” Siu inclined his head as a thanks, "I'll only take what I need from it; the rest is yours."

  "Just give me the CC from it," Tian nodded back, with a slight smirk, “And you still owe me.”

  “I know.” He moaned, touching the wound on his chest, "You don't have to remind me all the time."

  “I just like how it sounds.” He tightened his grip on the body of the Red-eyed Squirrel and added, almost casually, “Try not to die again before you pay it... Especially in the winter, hm?”

  "Sure." He muttered, wondering how much he knew, but by then Tian was gone, hauling the massive beast away with ease. “…Bath,” he sighed in the end, wincing. “Now.”

  ...

  ....

  ......

  "This dipped greatly into my reserves..." Siu mumbled with a tinge of self-blame, applying the medicinal paste he got with the bath, pushing it into the wound, holding back his painful groans as it began doing its job and pulling the torn muscles back together, reforming them.

  Currently, he was sitting at the edge of the tiny pool he would use to submerge himself, only his legs dipped into it. As for Arya, she was already floating on her back, even if she didn't need it, while Marly was only sitting at the edge, her nose moving like some kind of detector, testing what kind of water it was... No wonder, because it was something she never seen or smelled before, thick with herbs, its scent stronger than any wet plant she had ever had a chance to smell.

  Letting them do whatever, Siu finally also got into it, and the moment he let himself disappear up to his neck, his body reacted violently. The pain he felt when the beast stabbed him had returned as if it just happened, being completely sharp and bright, making his jaw clench together, almost cracking his teeth. This time, it was worse than the battle and injury he suffered against the Ironclaw. It was... much worse. The wound was deeper, its claw completely going through his body. What made it more painful was that there was no adrenaline in his body to numb the pain right now, so his fingers dug into the edge of the pool instead. But, he didn’t scream, only hissed, regulating his breathing, doing the best he could to endure it, knowing it was his body being regenerated. This was not going to be the first time for anything like this, especially as this type of regeneration was already an ability for those in the Flesh Morphing stage.

  He couldn't help but wonder... when he reaches that part of his journey, will it be just as painful as it is now? Or regeneration like this becomes something... normal. But then again, instead of guessing the future, he should focus on improving and not getting nailed by every damned beast he fights. He either needs to improve his ability to dodge or learn a way to protect his body.

  “Of course it's hot!” He heard Arya's yell, and as he looked, pushing the thoughts away, he watched as Marly only dipped her tail into it before pulling back out, squeaking. “It’s supposed to be! No, it's not soup! Come on, jump in!”

  Whatever Marly answered with, she did so while sniffing the steam, reaching out a paw, touching it again... Then she squeaked in horror because Arya grabbed it, pulling her in with a splash. Siu barely had time to react before the squirrel sprayed water everywhere, including his eyes, paddling frantically for half a second before realizing she wasn’t sinking... only floating. Of course, Arya burst out laughing, very much finding her panic funny. Still, then again, Marly was way too afraid to move another muscle, afraid she would start sinking... so she just floated there, her fur puffed up like a soggy cloud, stretching her limbs and the flaps between them opening up. The next moment, she turned herself into an inflatable raft, drifting back and forth between the edges of the pool, lying on her back.

  "Hahahaha! Scardy cat!" Arya laughed, planning a prank, apparently, because Siu could feel the cogs turning in her head.

  “Careful,” He warned them both before they could do something... stupid, “Or you’re both getting kicked out. I'm here to heal, not to oversee two kids...”

  But of course... that warning had only worked for a short few minutes...

  ...

  ....

  ......

  "I can't believe it." Elder Thane grunted, seeing Siu walk towards him in the early morning, with another beast hanging from his arm, one that he hadn't seen before. "No way..."

  "Elder." Siu cupped his hands after getting close, no longer injured, his movements back to normal. It had been three days since his return, and with two days of rest, he was finally back at top form to continue his training routine.

  "Kid..." He muttered, putting his hands on his waist, looking over him, "If you keep this up, you will cause a storm! One that I don't want to be a part of."

  "Elder?" He asked, a bit unsure how to take it, if this was a compliment or a warning...

  "Whatever." He chortled, shaking his head, "I am about to host a public lesson; I can't help you now, but I will show you where to go and where to head up to Delia on your own."

  Although Siu had a few questions, apparently, it wasn't the time for them, because Thane had begun leading him towards a path he couldn't yet perceive without proper guidance. Looking at it, his eyes and mind finally registering its presence, he couldn't help but wonder... how many such places were in the Sect? That those with a weaker base could not even see...

  "One more thing," Thane said, before Siu could begin ascending the stone road and mossy steps, "From next week on, you won't see me."

  "Why?" He asked, stiffening and immediately turning to face him.

  "I am going on a mission that may take me a year or more." He explained, raising an eyebrow, "What did you think? We, the Elders, have many responsibilities! Did you think we do nothing after reaching the Second Circle of cultivation but babysit you guys? Anyway, you keep at it, and you will be fine."

  "What about the rest of the forms?" He asked, suddenly unsure what to do or who to look to if he got stuck.

  "It's up to you." Elder Thane answered with a slight smile, "Learn them if you want, or not. You will have to know by your own measurements when you are ready; they aren't blocked from you. Never were. I just didn't want you to get over your head from the start. Of course, with me gone, you can go ahead and skip the steps, but... That will be up to you."

  "I won't." Siu answered at once, bowing his head towards him, "I still have a lot to learn, I can't rush it anyway. Picking up another advanced form will have to wait until I have eaten what I have on my plate already."

  "Mhm." The Elder nodded, satisfied with his answer, "Keep at your current pace, Siu, then, all will be clear when you can take on the next form. Now, go! I need to host a class, and you need to establish a second contract."

  "Elder Thane," Siu said before he had a chance to turn around, "Be careful out there."

  "Hmph," He grinned, inclining his head a little, "There are no guarantees in this world, Siu. But don't worry... I am not a weakling... I'm a proper warrior."