Pride, when it fuels beauty, can be mesmerizing. But every mortal should remember that such intense energy often summons storms. And snakes, though they may appear small, possess venom that burns deep and long.
Kirihito's hands were balled into tight fists, raised slightly in anticipation, his voice hushed with the ecstatic thrill of a dancer anticipating the stage. "W... Wèi will sing and dance?!"
"Um... you can... if you don't do... you know," Xio cautioned, offering a gentle smile laced with seriousness. The unanswered questions about the shadow entity still spun anxiously in his mind, but Kirihito's stability took precedence.
Kirihito, hesitating, felt the subtle pressure of Xio's gaze, which prompted him to comply. He pouted lightly, darting a final, venomous look toward the fat man who had insulted him. All his simmering dark energy, curiosity, and mixed emotions channeled into a psychic demand to sever the man's soul, prompting him to reach up, ready to expose his eyes.
Xio's heart hammered against his ribs. He swiftly caught Kirihito's hand before it touched the silk, his voice dropping into a harsh, controlled whisper. "No means no destruction."
Kirihito was a portrait of a stubborn, powerful creature being tamed with a mixture of gentleness and relentless demand. He contorted his face into silent, annoyed expressions—a danger that somehow managed to look cute, as he was clearly forcing his inner turmoil back into containment.
Xio let out the breath he'd been holding, a silent, profound relief washing over him. He chuckled faintly and softly petted Kirihito's head. Kirihito's low rumbling instantly softened, resisting the urge to purr fully, but his expression visibly eased under the affectionate touch.
"Stop making faces like a puffer fish, and let's go," Xio said, the chuckle warming his words, his tone tenderly affectionate despite his caution.
"Wèi isn't any puffer fish! Wèi is much more beautiful," Kirihito softly growled, clinging fiercely to his dignity. Xio petted him again, and Kirihito visibly struggled not to melt entirely; the head-petting was his undeniable, humiliating weakness.
"Alright, alright... no puffer fish, okay? Now, let's go, or I'll take you back to the chamber and leave you without anything to play with," Xio threatened softly, gently pushing Kirihito's long hair back into the confines of the scarf.
"Noo!~ Wèi will be good—" He quickly corrected himself, the honesty winning out. "Wèi will try to be good."
"Again with only trying?" Xio whispered, rubbing his eyes with slight disappointment.
"Wèi's try is more precious! Wèi doesn't try for everybody! You should be thankful!" Kirihito insisted, trying to use the effort itself as leverage to avoid Xio's disappointment.
"Fine. I'll see if it's a real try or just a trick to shut my mouth." Xio started walking out, expecting Kirihito to follow.
Kirihito followed, but deliberately walked slower than necessary, his mind calculating. His thoughts, now venomous, focused on his target: What should Wèi do to that fat insect for calling the great Wèi Yīlíng a paper, without killing him... just yet?
As they passed the exit, the restaurant manager bowed deeply. "Come again, Làrà Kùmsūn."
The crowd then showered Xio with well-wishes. "May gods bless you," a gentle woman said. "We love you!" a small child, clutching a half-eaten rice cake, said with wide, bright eyes. "I'll be like you when I'm older, Suji Kùmsūn!" a young boy declared. Xio fought the urge to smile back, remembering that Lan Suji maintained a dignified reserve. He simply nodded and offered a swift, polite bow before stepping outside, trying to keep his focus on the act and Kirihito's proximity.
Kirihito's sharp eyes caught the fat man standing up behind them, too hungry and impatient to wait for a waiter, reaching for a tray of food that appeared to be beef and roasted chicken.
Suddenly, Kirihito's Dark Voice slithered into his mind. I have a tip... about this new body... which you can use perfectly for torture without killing.
Quickly tell it to Wèi! Kirihito asked, his excitement spiking.
What will I get in return, Kid? the Dark Side smoothly demanded.
Kirihito was annoyed at the slippage of time. You already live in Wèi's body! Isn't that enough?!
No, Kid... I need something much more entertaining. Right here and today, the Dark Voice hummed, awaiting a suitable offer.
Alright, alright! Kirihito quickly conceded. You can, fight, kill, or dance with any of the beautiful insects out there if you get the chance! Or maybe that one you're interested in too!
The Dark Voice chuckled, amused by the desperate offer. You think I couldn't get it without your permission? I can still get it if I want.
Wèi has nothing more! Kirihito hissed internally.
Alright, alright... you poor thing. Well, it's nothing too big, so I'll just tell you.
Hn. Wèi is waiting, Kirihito thought.
Take out a hair from your head... and drop it on the floor, the Voice instructed.
Kirihito was momentarily caught off guard. A hair? What good is that?
Just do as I said, or I'm not interested in those bargains anymore, the Voice said, sounding annoyed.
Alright, Wèi is doing it, Kirihito thought. He couldn't help but smirk at the delicious certainty that something terrible was about to happen to the man.
He plucked a single hair from his head—long, sharp, and unnervingly vibrant. He dramatically dropped it onto the floor right in the fat man's path as they exited.
That single hair is enough... to complete the phrase "torture is more painful than death," the Dark Voice purred, its chuckle fading.
Kirihito's mood instantly soared. He gave his voluminous sleeves a dramatic, proud shake, adjusted his scarf with innocent, yet victorious flair, and abandoned his slow, calculated gait. He ran towards Xio, his childish excitement fully restored, and eagerly led the way toward their next destination.
Behind them, the single hair Kirihito had left moved. It was like a thin, tiny snake, growing minuscule red eyes and a black tongue. It observed the fat man, its head tilting as if selecting the perfect target.
With a swift hiss, it leaped, disappearing into the folds of the man's robe.
The man felt only a slight shift against his skin. He blinked, scratching his large stomach, then his chest, then his arms, as the itching quickly became overwhelming. Desperation mounted until he dropped his food with a loud, crashing thud.
Everyone in the restaurant turned to stare, confusion and wonder filling the air. Even the swans on the pond, some of whom were actually low-level yokai, fixed their gaze on the scene. One swan yokai's gray eyes flashed softly. "He underestimated him, didn't he?~" it muttered to itself.
"Someone help me get that thing out of my robe!" the man cried out, frantically tearing at his clothes. Patrons rushed over, attempting to help. They tore off one layer of his robe, and some, thinking he was possessed or covered in bugs, started kicking him to 'blow away the fire.'
"We see nothing!"
"But there are tiny, snake-like bites everywhere!" a waiter exclaimed.
"Wait... it's thin as a hair?!" a woman said in amazement.
"But it's a snake! Look, it's moving like the wind!"
"It's even hard to catch! We have to kick it to kill!" A well-meaning man delivered a hard kick, causing the already afflicted man to cry out mainly from the impact rather than the tiny bites.
"I think it's the work of a yokai!" another woman whispered, terrified.
"How would you know? Everyone here was human! Nobody felt any curse energy!"
A man, who had been placing his teacup on the table, approached the crowd with an unusually calm expression. His robes were a velvet red, embroidered with symbols of golden fire—a wise cultivator from the Yàn Jìngyì Sect.
"They can mute their curse energy so nobody finds out their presence," the man stated gravely.
The air thickened instantly. Some continued their frantic attempts to kill the unseen snake, but it bit harder, attacking even those who were trying to help. Everyone cried out in pain and quickly retreated, leaving the fat man alone and writhing.
"Everyone stay back! It's dangerous!" the Yàn Jìngyì man snapped, his dark eyes sweeping over the crowd.
The hair-snake suddenly vanished. Silence descended upon the restaurant. Patrons blinked and looked at each other.
"What just happened? It's... now gone?" a woman whispered.
"Gone... gone... gone... it's really gone, right?" The fat man repeated the word repeatedly, panic and fear wide in his eyes, his face pale, clutching his skin which was red and inflamed, looking at everyone like a wounded, cornered animal.
"If it truly was a special-grade yokai's work," the unknown clan member said seriously, his eyes darkening with the thoughts of a far greater danger, "then we must inform the Yin Lan and Hàngwō Sects immediately."