Chapter 132: A Most Distracting Tail

Chen trailed behind the group, his gaze sweeping over the back of Mr. Tingyun, who was leading the way. Internally, he was quite calm. The question that currently occupied his mind was a practical one: if he were to transform into Blade, would the debilitating effects of the Mara-Struck state carry over to him?

And then there was… a certain individual beside him who was acting exceptionally strange.

From the corner of his eye, Chen watched March 7th. Ever since they had departed the Matrix of Prescience, the boy had been practically glued to the sight of Mr. Tingyun’s tail. It was a magnificent thing—fluffy, glossy, and voluminous, swaying gently with each of their guide’s steps. March 7th’s own footsteps had become a bit unsteady, a clear sign he was staring far too intently.

His expression was a complicated mix of intense longing and… was that a hint of grievance? He kept swallowing, his fingers unconsciously curling and uncurling as if he were already imagining the sensation of stroking that plush fur.

Chen sighed internally. He was all too familiar with that look. Back in the Exalting Sanctum, March 7th’s obsession with Foxian tails had been laid bare for all to see.

Seeing the boy inching closer and closer to their guide, his gaze growing increasingly dangerous, Chen acted decisively. He snatched the back of March 7th’s collar, yanking him back a step.

“Hey! Little March! Where are your eyes wandering?!” Chen hissed, lowering his voice. “Tone it down a little!”

March 7th stumbled from the sudden tug and shot Chen a glare. His face was a mask of righteous indignation as he retorted in a hushed, defensive tone, “Who—who’s looking! I’m observing the surroundings! Staying alert for potential dangers!”

“Observing the surroundings requires you to stare a hole through someone’s tail? Your eyeballs are practically falling out of your head!” Chen was speechless. “I’m warning you, don’t do anything reckless! This is Mr. Tingyun, a proper official of the Sky-Faring Commission. He’s here to help us as a guide, not some plush toy you win at a stall in the Exalting Sanctum! That ‘I really want to touch it’ look is written all over your face!”

“It’s your fault for not letting me touch it!” March 7th grumbled, his thoughts exposed. His voice was small but thick with indignation. “Last time, you clearly had a tail, but you wouldn’t let me touch it at all! Just standing there, showing it off, knowing it would drive me crazy! Now that I see the real thing, can’t I at least look my fill to satisfy the craving?”

The more he spoke, the more justified he seemed to feel, his voice rising in volume. “And look at that tail! It’s so fluffy! So puffy! It looks super soft to the touch! Swaying back and forth like that… it’s definitely way more comfortable than your fake tail!”

Ahead of them, Mr. Tingyun’s footsteps seemed to falter for a fraction of a second. The very tail under discussion also froze mid-sway before resuming its rhythmic, hypnotic motion.

The moment March 7th’s words rang out, Chen felt a vein begin to throb at his temple.

“What fake tail? Don’t spout nonsense if you don’t know what you’re talking about!” Chen raised a hand and gave March 7th a light flick on the forehead. “What fake tail do I have? You’re just making things up with your eyes wide open. I’ll sue you for slander and defamation, believe it!”

March 7th rubbed his forehead, still looking indignant and ready to argue. But when he heard Chen’s last threat, his ears immediately perked up.

Chen looked at the boy’s defiant expression, a mixture of annoyance and amusement warring within him. He could only lean in closer, his voice a conspiratorial whisper only the two of them could hear, tinged with helpless compromise.

“Alright, alright, I give up. After… after this whole thing is resolved, if there’s time, I’ll transform again. I’ll let you touch it to your heart’s content, okay?”

“Really?!”

March 7th’s eyes went wide, the grievance and defiance on his face vanishing in an instant. In its place was pure, undisguised joy and anticipation, his smile stretching nearly from ear to ear.

“You promise! Pinky swear!”

“…What pinky swear? How childish!” Chen disdainfully swatted away the little finger March 7th extended, but the corner of his own mouth couldn’t help but curl upward. “I, Chen, am a man of my word. If I promise something, I’ll do it. But on one condition.”

His expression turned serious. He pointed toward the looming shadow of the Ambrosial Arbor ahead and fixed March 7th with a stern glare. “First, you handle the main task properly! Don’t get so distracted by a tail that you lead us straight into a ditch!”

“Got it, got it!” March 7th, now in high spirits, immediately straightened his back and patted his chest with confidence. “I, March 7th, am reliable! I guarantee I won’t mess up!”

He finally tore his gaze away from Tingyun’s tail and began to earnestly observe the surrounding path and environment. Of course, those bright, curious eyes still drifted uncontrollably toward that fluffy appendage every now and then, but he had, at last, toned it down considerably.

Up ahead, Mr. Tingyun seemed to breathe a subtle sigh of relief, his pace returning to its previous smooth and even cadence. Though perhaps it was just an illusion, it seemed his guiding speed had… quietly increased a little?

Qiong, who had been following silently beside them, glanced from Chen to the instantly brightened March 7th, then to Mr. Tingyun’s seemingly hurried back. He blinked once, slowly, but said nothing, simply continuing to follow the group with steadier steps.

Ms. Welt walked at the very front, maintaining a polite distance from their guide. Though she never looked back, the quiet commotion behind her clearly hadn’t escaped her notice. She shook her head, adjusted her glasses, and allowed a faint, helpless smile to cross her face—the very picture of an elder watching a pair of bickering youngsters.

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]