Another World Trip: Journey with My Cat and an Otaku Loli Goddess Chapter 99 - Uncle Tian Lu's Influence

The disciples hurriedly bowed in the direction of their masters once more and then took off to catch up to me.

I wonder what adventures lie ahead?

****

By the time we were out of the village, I took a cloak from my storage ring and handed it to Xiannu Liang.

“Wear this and keep the cowl over your face. You’re what society dictates as un-ugly, and based on what I’ve read, this will cause heads to turn and we need to keep a low profile. Especially with what you are.”

She shot me a strange look and I could only assume she wasn’t used to me. Well, she needs to build up an immunity to me real quick since I’m more or less like a terminal disease. I’m not too good for you, since you’re stuck in this predicament, you might as well make peace with it.

She put the cloak on without argument, but still said, “Wait, if I’m gonna cause heads to turn, then what about that other gi… wait, where is she?”

“Are you talking about this young maiden?” asked Feng Yu as she stepped forward with her modest chest puffed out.

“Oh, uhm” Xiannu Liang was a bit flustered when she saw this.

Oh, sweet summer child. Feng Yu is that person that just looks for embarrassment.

“Due to a certain person’s request, I won’t say you’re un-ugly, but she doesn’t mean you. Chances are that she’s referring to Shen Ling; and if you’re wondering where she is, she’s right beside you.”

Xiannu Ling quickly looked to both sides, and there she was, walking on her left as she’d always been.

A shimmering veil covered her face. It somehow enshrouded Shen Ling‘s face in a mist-like phenomenon, hiding her features even more. Yet this somehow didn’t take away from her fairy-like temperament. The effects of the veil had slightly changed since her cultivation of the Abyss Scripture, rendering her undetectable if one didn’t pay attention to her.

I wondered if this applied to people with higher cultivation bases.

Xiannu Liang was startled by her presence. “But I—”

“TLDR, the veil keeps her hidden.” I wasn’t about to get into all of that, so that should satisfy her curiosity.

“Hey Long Di, this isn’t the path to Blackstone City,” said Feng Yu, when she realised that the path was deviating a bit.

“I know. Whilst on the way, we’ll be doing some battles with a few magical beasts to sharpen your battle senses. I’m taking this path to get out of the range of influence much faster”

“Range of influence?” Tie Lang said, scratching his head with a confused expression. “Influence of what?”

“Influence of who is the right question,” I told him.

“What do you mean?” Feng Yu asked this time, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“Why do you guys think that no magical beasts ever got close to the village? Or why no villager ever died despite leaving the village to fetch water or hunt normal animals?” I asked them.

The four disciples, Shen Ling included, all looked at each other and shook their heads to indicate they didn’t know.

If curiosity killed the cat, then these guys were Immortals. That didn’t make much sense, but I bet you kinda get where I was going with that, so roll with it.

Well, to be honest, I didn’t expect them to know. Truthfully, I only vaguely felt the presence enveloping the village myself, and it was too vague for me to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from until I made my breakthrough.

After that, my spiritual force experienced an increase in power and then I could see who was the cause of it.

Are you curious?

Well, answer me this.

Who smells like one hundred and nine years old unwashed testicles and is in need of prescription-grade blood pressure medicine?

“Why do you guys think that Uncle Tian Lu never left the village?”

“Uncle Tian Lu?” Feng Yu’s expression changed. “Why mention that old drunk?”

“Because it’s his strength, that’s keeping the magical beasts at bay,” I explained to them.

There was no need to hide this fact from them, but their shocked faces were downright comical.

Regardless, I did try to clarify it a little bit. “Mortals won’t sense anything, and neither will normal animals. Not even low-level cultivators will sense anything, which is why ya’ll be oblivious as hell. The only reason the weaker magical beasts even sense anything is because magical beasts have a very keen sense of danger, and their instincts are probably screaming at them to not go anywhere near the village.”

“Y-You’re joking, right?” Feng Yu asked with a shocked expression. “How could that old drunk have the strength to deter magical beasts!?”

This was wholly expected. I mean, even I was doubtful of this in the beginning. Especially when I thought back to the whole debacle with the boar-like magical beast that I and Uncle Tian Lu was peeking at.

Not only was that thing undeterred; it came charging towards us! Uncle Tian Lu even ended up running away in the end.

I concluded that Uncle Tian Lu was hiding his strength for some reason that went beyond me.

“Are you sure about that?” Tie Lang’s face evinced disbelief.

“I can’t see it honestly,” Jia Yan joined in.

“Right!?” Feng Yu chimed in once more. “Magical beasts are very vicious and are rarely afraid of anything! It’s only in the face of overwhelming might that something like that could happen. Does Uncle Tian Lu look like an overwhelming master?”

Well goddamn, they’re just about to convince me otherwise. I need to take the reins on this before it’s too late.

“Why did you all think I took him on as my Master?” I asked them.

“I thought you were being weird and eccentric! We all were!” Jia Yan, Tie Lang and even Feng Yu were nodding to confirm this as the truth.

“What kind of person do you all think I am?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Okay, that was a lie, this made way more sense than it should’ve.

“You’re not exactly walking the straight and narrow path as far as we’ve seen,” Shen Ling added.

Et Tu Shen Ling? Et Tu?

“He’s the reason,” I just put it out there since reason wasn’t all on my side. I hope they believe me since I couldn’t care less if they did or not and I wasn’t going to expend any more energy on this.

I parted the brushes that obstructed me as I made my way through the foliage and dense shrubbery of the woods with everyone behind me.

“I can’t believe it,” Feng Yu felt like her worldview had turned upside down.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Well, you better get to believing because we’ve got a guest.”

Before anyone could react, I grabbed Shen Ling by the waist and slung Xiannu Liang over my shoulder like a proper GigaChad.

“What are yo—”

Why the difference in treatment between the two? I dunno. I’ll leave it up to your imagination.

I will say this though, Bulbasaur here could use a little bit more meat on her bones.

Bang!

A huge magical beast as large as a rhino came bursting out from the dense trees and bushes that obstructed their vision!

It looked like a hyena of some kind and its figure was a bit gaunt, as the skin was stuck to its bones, making it look as if it hadn’t eaten in ages.

Its fur was completely red and bone spurs jutted from its back all the way to its tail, which ended in an amalgamation of spikes that acted like any other mace.

Tie Lang, Jia Yan and Shen Ling looked back at me in a panic.

I know just what they need… motivation. “Fight it, don’t die, I have faith in you.”

“You suck!” Feng Yu cursed.

“That’s what she said… wait a second…” Hmmm, that didn’t land as well as I thought it would.

Meh…

After that, I appeared in a tree some distance away, perfectly safe with two beauties-ish (the ish may or may not be Xiannu Liang) by my side.

‘I wonder if I can make popcorn with the ingredients present here?’ was the only thought in my mind when a furious yell interrupted me.

“Long Di, I hate you and I hope you die!”

“Hm, I wonder if she knows my uncle? She sure does sound like him.”