Once they reached the Guard Station Xiao Ye let go of Hou's hand and put her hands on her knees. She breathed out exhausted,
"We should be fine here. While the backstreets can be dangerous, now that we're next to the guards it should all be fine..."
Hou wasn't exhausted like Xiao Ye, his body had been reformed many times and could not become exhausted so easily. Instead he looked in front, at the Guard Station.
He saw through the glass walls the guards, the part animal hybrids. Inside he also saw Mo Huai speaking with them.
Mo Huai was stood straight up and many guards looked submissive, looking down listening to him. As he was scolding the guards, he noticed Hou and Xiao Ye outside.
He said one final thing to the guards and walked past them, walking out to Hou and Xiao Ye. As he opened the door a gust of miasma burst out. It quickly turned transparent and a barrier was set up.
The miasma barrier shimmered like heat haze, distorting the outside world. Sounds muted, and Hou noticed passer-by's eyes sliding off the barrier as though nothing was abnormal.
'This barrier must be more than the usual one, I think it blocks vision and sound. Normally it only dulls the sound, I wonder how many laws Mo Huai uses just to sustain this barrier...'
"Hey you two, I just sorted it out with the guards. They said they'd work on it. I have them their scent and they said they'd get to it straight away"
Xiao ye looked up after gaining her breath back,
"Huh, that's quick. They do normally work once you report but they seem to really want to do it. I guess they must be bored..."
Mo Huai saw that Xiao Ye was tired and asked,
"Did something happen?"
"Ask Daizi, I'm still a little exhausted,"
Hou patted Xiao Ye on her back, and he turned to Mo Huai.
"I bought a ring for Xiao but then it transformed and then people seemed to want to take it so we ran, here it is"
Hou opened his fist unveiling the ring. The blood red slightly metallic band with a coiling shiny dragon around it.
On the top of the ring, the dragon was bearing its fangs. If it was on the middle finger, it would cover the whole first section of the finger, at the base.
Mo Huai looked at the ring and squinted, he could sense that it had a huge amount of laws but it was in a weakened state.
"Let's take that somewhere to see what it does first, if it was dangerous, you wouldn't want to give to Xiao Ye. Is that all?"
Mo Huai noticed the necklace Hou had hidden, the necklace's laws shining in his mind. He smirked when he felt it, and gave Hou and opportunity to hand it over.
Hou nodded to Mo Huai and turned to Xiao Ye. He knelt down a little as she was still gathering her composure. He pulled out the ring from his pocket and showed it to her,
"I actually got you this as well, I was going to give it to you secretly but since the other thing might be dangerous, here take it"
Xiao Ye stood up and her eyes dilated,
"Really? Okay..." She looked at Hou gently, even when she denied the gift he still bought it for her, despite the price.
Hou swiped Xiao Ye's hair behind her and started to put the necklace on her neck. He then explained what it did,
"One time it will protect you from any attack with a burst of solid light. I hope you never need it, but if you do remember it's like I protected you" Hou winked and let go, having attached the necklace.
When the anti-theft technique was undone, releasing the necklace from its attachment, he was also given information. Any information the seller had was stored and when it was sold, it would be given through instant transmission.
Hou knew all that the seller knew about the necklace, but this also meant he gained nothing from the ring. Luckily, the ring was Yue's and he had knowledge anyway.
Xiao Ye looked down, the bright shining gem complimenting her hair. She started to tear up and said,
"Thank you!" As she threw her arms around Hou and hugged him. Hou reciprocated and hugged her tightly.
Mo Huai undid his barrier and spoke,
"Let's all go back to the Dragon's Den inn, I assume Xiao Ye still has work tonight, let her get ready. And me and Daizi will have an early night, tomorrow we'll be leaving."
Mo Huai winked at Hou, they knew they weren't actually leaving but switching back to their real identity and doing the next inheritance. They would no longer be Zhao the young master and Daizi the scholar.
They would become Nine Clouds Purple Miasma Mo Huai, the elder and Nine Clouds Hou Zhigong, direct disciple. And their next step would be an inheritance Hou needed to absorb and experience!
When they all got back to the inn, Xiao Ye went to her room to prepare for her afternoon shift. Hou and Mo Huai both returned to their room, room 6.
They undid their disguises and let out a big sigh,
"A lot happened, but now shall we do a small lesson now?"
Hou flopped onto his bed and covered his eyes with his arm,
"Let's go, I have a few things anyway. But first those human-animal guards!" Hou sat up and looked at Mo Huai.
Mo Huai leant back and sat on a cloud which materialised below him. He took a deep breath and started,
"They are called False Demi-Human cultivators. False because there are people who are born like them, and not transformed with a technique. What they are is a human bonded with a creature and using a secret technique, they combine and the laws follow. But do not think the technique is perfect. They maintain their human minds unlike True Demi-Humans who have a different mind. They can invoke bestial traits temporarily, claws for tracking, canine noses for scenting qi leaks but the more they invoke them the worse the side effects. Every transformation eats at their humanity and makes them more bestial, both in mind and body."
"Then why are they always in beast form? Shouldn't they only use when needed?" Hou replied.
"It serves as training, like muscles strengthened through exercise, their bodies adapt to maintain humanity despite the physical form. But the price they have to pay is extreme. In exchange for the power of an experienced Demi-Human, each guard's lifespan is lowered, they turn into animals faster."