How come I'm the one being conquered?

ps: There's more in the afternoon, aiming for 10,000 characters.

Chapter 36: Do You Want a Tail? (4k)

This was Bai Jun's first time experiencing what it was like for a star-cruiser to fall into the sea of cruisers. If a plane crash was a test of physical limits, then falling into the sea of cruisers was undoubtedly a dual torment to both body and spirit, even more outrageous than finding out the pilot was Zobayan halfway through a helicopter ride.

Moreover, the signal in the sea of cruisers was terrible. If it weren't for a kind cruiser passing by, they might still be drifting around now.

After being towed back to the grotto-heaven, Bai Jun's face was pale, and he clutched his mouth, nearly vomiting up his dinner.

In contrast, Xue Yi, being a mechanical puppet, felt no discomfort at all. After notifying her colleagues at the Ten Lords Bureau, she walked to Bai Jun's side, her eyes half-closed. This was her expression of concern—unfortunately, the mechanics used to form her body were not yet refined enough, making the expression look like she was dozing off.

"I apologize. I recall learning to pilot various vehicles while slumbering in the coffin, but I don't know why today..."

As she spoke, she reached out and gently patted his back with an unfamiliar gesture, thinking it might make him feel better.

Bai Jun could sense her apologetic intention from her actions and expression. But then again, he didn't really mind. His pale face was just due to some seasickness. He flicked his finger lightly at Xue Yi's forehead:

"There's no need to apologize for something like that. As for you, your mechanical body has been severely damaged so many times, why did you still come out?"

"I am a judge of the Ten Lords Bureau; this is my duty. But why are you here?"

"I... sigh, it's just something to do when I can't sleep at night. It has nothing to do with anything else..." Bai Jun quickly realized that Xue Yi was changing the subject, so he asked again, "Don't change the subject. You know you can't defeat that guy, so why did you run out to die?"

Xue Yi pursed her thin lips and shifted her gaze to the ground. "That fellow is very familiar with the structure of mechanical puppets. He always targets my precise parts. However, I have recorded his moves and will study them repeatedly. Eventually, I will be able to break through."

"Do you think reality is a game that can be replayed?"

Listening to her describe life-and-death matters as saving game progress, as if talking about the damage to an inanimate object, Bai Jun sighed and stepped forward, taking her hand. "Your skills are undeniable, but you must take care of yourself."

"Tell me, can you still feel my body temperature now?"

He moved a little closer and placed her cold hand against the side of his cheek.

The white-robed judge's expression remained unchanged, but ripples stirred within her heart. Although she couldn't feel temperature and her emotions were supposed to be nonexistent, her soul was constantly telling her... it was so warm.

"You can't, can you? Look, the constant migration of your soul between different puppet bodies only increases the repulsion between them. If you don't want to disappear one day, please cherish yourself more."

Xue Yi didn't answer his question but stood there blankly, feeling the coldness in her palm. Bai Jun felt a strange sense of powerlessness. He knew Xue Yi was just like that; no one could persuade her.

"I... I understand..."

Just as he was about to let go of Xue Yi's hand, he heard her murmur her agreement. At the same time, her cold hand suddenly cupped Bai Jun's face tightly, just as she had treated her younger sister in the past. Her fingertips gently and meticulously wiped away the dust from his face.

"There's dust on your face."

The white-robed judge gazed at Bai Jun without blinking. A smile suddenly appeared on her face, which usually lacked humanity, revealing a softness that surprised Bai Jun.

This seemed to be the first time he had seen Xue Yi smile since he had known her.

"It looks very good. It would be great if you could smile more like this usually," Bai Jun said, not sparing his praise. He smiled and took her hand again.

"R-really? You're quite greedy," Xue Yi complained softly, but the tenderness in the corners of her eyes was undeniable.

"Hmm, as an exchange, how about I make you a new pair of armguards? The material of yours is a bit too shoddy." Bai Jun tapped the armguard on her wrist with his finger, producing a hollow 'dong dong' sound. It was no wonder her mechanical body had such a high damage rate.

"I will wait."

Soon, the sound of shuffling footsteps could be heard from not far away.

A group of young underworld messengers they had seen earlier in Xianyun Street hurried over, carrying green lanterns. The only difference was that the leading little child had been replaced by a green-haired girl with large fox ears and a timid expression.

Upon seeing Xue Yi, she happily waved the flag in her hand and shouted as she ran, "Xue Yi-sama! I'm sorry I'm late!"

Before she could run a few steps, her left foot accidentally tripped over her right foot. She lost her balance, and her small body drew an elegant yet helpless arc in the air, landing with a thud in a spectacular face-plant. The paper figures she was carrying also scattered across the ground.

"Huo Huo, you should be more steady."

Xue Yi's tone towards her junior was somewhat helpless, as her impulsive nature had been evident for more than a year or two.

"Wuwu~ I'm sorry, Xue Yi-sama, I... I messed up again." Huo Huo's teary eyes saw Bai Jun beside Xue Yi and instantly realized she had embarrassed herself in front of an outsider. Her pretty face flushed instantly, and she nervously twisted the corner of her clothes with a finger covered by a band-aid, lowering her head and not daring to look.

Bai Jun naturally noticed Huo Huo trembling on the ground. She was very cute, but what caught his eye the most was the large, fluffy fox tail behind her... Wait, why was her tail on fire?

As if sensing Bai Jun's gaze, the blue flames on Huo Huo's fox tail seemed to burn even brighter.

Just as Bai Jun hesitated whether to ask what was going on, a rough, magnetic, and fierce voice suddenly rang out, "Brat, why are you looking at me like that? Be careful, I'll eat you... Eh? Wait, why do you have such a familiar scent on you?"

Bai Jun looked around in surprise but found no trace of any male presence. After thinking for a long time, he finally shifted his gaze back to Huo Huo, or more accurately, to the fox tail burning fiercely with blue flames.

"You are..."

"I am the famous... from the Suiyang clan—"

Before he could finish, the tail's self-introduction was interrupted by Huo Huo's tearful cry: "Tail! He's the Tail!"

Xue Yi returned after assigning tasks to the underworld messengers and walked back to Bai Jun's side, briefly introducing her junior:

"Decades ago, when my junior sister was on an inspection mission, she found Huo Huo about to be devoured by a Suiyang. Seeing how young and weak she was at the time, and knowing that the Suiyang was no ordinary being, my junior sister, in a moment of desperation, wrote a talisman to suppress the Suiyang at Huo Huo's tail. Now, Huo Huo serves as an underworld messenger, and she is our junior."

"I see..."

The Tail broke free from Huo Huo's embrace and, unable to contain its curiosity, loudly asked Bai Jun, "Kid! Why do you have His aura on you?"

Undoubtedly, as the most powerful fragment of Liaoyuan, the head of the Suiyang, the Tail was more familiar than any other Suiyang with His immensely majestic and deeply missed aura—the aura of the Suiyang leader, Primordial Suihuang.

And this little kid with white hair in front of him actually had Suihuang's aura on him!?

No, it needs to confirm properly if this is just a bluff...

The green flames belonging to the tail rose and grew, instantly carrying the panicked Huo Huo like a hot air balloon to above Bai Jun.

With a bang, the flames extinguished, and Huo Huo, who was in the sky, fell with a scream. Bai Jun, with quick hands, caught Huo Huo in a perfect princess carry, completely avoiding the blunder that happened last time when he caught Su Shang.

However, this was precisely the tail's scheme. As Bai Jun's hands were occupied catching Huo Huo, the tail immediately, like a pervert, stuck to his face, making hissing sounds.

That's right, this was the tail's plan, very simple. It just wanted to get a good whiff of Bai Jun's scent to confirm its judgment was correct.

"Not bad, not bad! It seems Suihuang has indeed acknowledged you."

"Waaah, what are you doing!" The feeling of being smeared in the face by a super hot tail wasn't pleasant. If he wasn't holding this girl named Huo Huo, Bai Jun would have definitely stripped its fur clean, just like he did to those Dragon Masters.

"Haha, don't mind it, don't mind it, this great me just really likes you!"

The tail seemed as happy as if it had put on new underwear on New Year's morning. In contrast, Huo Huo, lying in Bai Jun's arms with a flushed face and dazed eyes, looked much more embarrassed.

"How embarrassing! How did I end up with such a useless little girl like you!" the tail said disdainfully, annoyed by her lack of progress.

"W-w-what are you talking about? You're always showing off, and you always rely on me to solve things. Who's the useless one here!" Hearing this, the soft-bodied but sharp-tongued Huo Huo immediately retorted fiercely.

"Oh dear, if you babble any more, I'll eat you!"

"Th-then eat me! I've had enough of this life anyway. Besides, aren't you a vegetarian..."

"Alright, alright, kid, do you want the tail or not?" The tail couldn't win the argument with her, so it turned and stuck to Bai Jun again.

"I refuse." Bai Jun rolled his eyes, too lazy to get involved in the argument between Huo Huo and the tail. Moreover, he could feel that Huo Huo possessed a sharp tongue that was extremely inconsistent with her soft appearance.

At this moment, Xue Yi, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly stepped forward and pulled Huo Huo, who was enjoying the princess carry, down. With a blank expression, she said, "Huo Huo, the demon from the Medicine King's Legacy has been apprehended. Quickly take the corpse back to the Ten Lords Bureau to report, do not linger here."

"Yes! S-sorry, Lord Xue Yi!" Huo Huo always showed great respect to Judge Xue Yi and Official Han Ya, so upon hearing Xue Yi's command, Huo Huo trembled and ran off with the banner without a second thought.

The tail seemed to have noticed something and let out a playful "Tsk" towards Xue Yi. Before leaving, it shouted to Bai Jun, "Kid, if you change your mind later, call me. This great me can jump ship to you anytime! Hahaha!"

"That child Huo Huo can be a bit reckless, please don't mind her." After watching Huo Huo leave with the underworld messengers' procession, Xue Yi turned around and saw Bai Jun's trembling hand.

"Why are your hands shaking?"

"Ah, it's just from exerting too much force during the fight. That guy's punches were really powerful." Bai Jun clenched his fist nonchalantly. It was just a muscle strain; he'd be fine after resting for a night... assuming he wouldn't be too feverish from Suihuang to sleep tonight.

Xue Yi blinked her beautiful crimson eyes, then leaned closer to Bai Jun. Under his confused gaze, she reached into his clothes.

"...Miss Xue Yi, what are you doing?"

"Don't be alarmed. Your body is not a mere mechanism. For the sake of your well-being, allow me to check if you have any injuries."

Xue Yi maintained her expressionless state as her hands naturally fumbled beneath his clothes, acting more like a pervert than a pervert. Beneath her forehead's black hair, the Judge's eyes sparkled, a look that made Bai Jun think of a predator smelling blood.

"Uh, there's no need to check my body, I'm not i-hey, don't, don't touch me! And don't lift my shirt!"

"Let me see!"

"No!"

While the two were having this "friendly interaction," Han Ya, who had finished dealing with matters at the clinic, finally arrived late.

When she arrived with anticipation, the first thing she saw was her most beloved sister tearing at Bai Jun's clothes.

Slap—!

The first sound to break the silence was the sound of Han Ya's calligraphy brush accidentally falling to the ground.

As if her heart had turned to ashes, devoid of all joy and sorrow, Bai Jun struggled to lift his head and cast a pleading look towards Han Ya.

Quack! Han Ya! Quickly come save me!

Xue Yi's battle-hardened, no, it should be multiple-times-upgraded powerful puppet body could definitely play with him anytime, anywhere!

She could definitely do it easily!

"Little sister, you've arrived at a good time. Come quickly and lend me a hand." Xue Yi invited him before Bai Jun could even speak. The reason it was an invitation was because she had the intention of sharing the "prey"!

On one side was her most beloved sister, and on the other was her best friend in nearly a hundred years. Towards the former, she felt respect and love; towards the latter, she felt admiration and trust, as well as many unspoken feelings buried deep in her heart...

Placing both on the scales of a balance undoubtedly caused two entirely different emotions to tear at each other in opposition.

Bang! The shackles of reason, used to restrain and suppress emotions, were completely shattered at this moment. Han Ya followed her heart and made the most correct choice:

"Bai Jun? (Indifferent)"

"..." Bai Jun's young heart felt like it had died a little.

ps: This was scheduled for the afternoon. Tomorrow will be another 8k+.

Chapter 37 "Favor of the Sun" (1/3)

After finishing this batch of work, by the time he got home, the clock had already pointed to 21:12.

His shoes were carelessly kicked aside, his jacket thrown onto the sofa, his long saber placed by the wall, and then he collapsed onto the bed like a drained battery, curling himself into a ball, burying his face in the soft bedsheets, not wanting to speak.

Logically speaking, the first thing Bai Jun always did upon returning home was to take a comfortable hot bath and then make something to eat, as this would help him recover from fatigue more quickly.

But today, he was simply exhausted. He didn't want to do anything now; he just wanted to sleep well.

Beep...

The Jade Omen chose that moment to chime in, its untimely sound and the screen's sudden glow making him sigh in annoyance. Without a second thought, he casually shut it off and lay back down on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

The bliss of the soft pillow and warm duvet couldn't lull him to sleep. Instead, every time he closed his eyes, a ball of deep crimson flame appeared, flickering in the depths of his consciousness and making him even more agitated.

Bai Jun rolled over. The streaks of moonlight filtering through the window brought back fragments of memories from the past.

His relationship with Primordial Suihuang could be traced back to the time he was temporarily staying in Zhuming. Back then, he was following Huai Yan, learning the art of weapon forging. During an accident, he accidentally came into contact with the flame deep within the Forging Palace.

It pulsed and shifted, like a talking heart. Every ray of light seemed to beat, like an impassioned torrent, or perhaps like a surging rage suppressed since antiquity, biting and growling, trying to burrow into his consciousness.

In an instant, countless scenes, like pages scattered by the wind, frantically swept through and flooded his sea of consciousness:

— A boundless "tree" hung from the sky, its branches piercing through the starry expanse.

— In the vacuum, ships spewing the light of the sun and moon chased after the fleeting fire like fireflies, surging towards shifting flesh, and humanoid birds with outstretched wings...

— He heard the roars from the communication earring before the cloud chariot and star raft crashed, "Guard the Xianzhou!" "Long live the Cloud Cavalry!"...

— Hundreds of meters tall golden humanoid colossi strode forward, extending their cold iron arms to grapple with giant beasts that had countless eyeballs, sharp teeth, and gelatinous flesh.

The flame roared like this, echoing in his ears. When Bai Jun came to his senses, he had already been saved by Huai Yan. Although he was fortunate not to have been possessed, a small cluster of residual flame named Primordial Suihuang remained in the depths of his soul.

Thinking about it, his experience was quite similar to Huo Huo's. The only difference was that his relationship with Suihuang was more like a struggle for sovereignty than a symbiosis.

Fortunately, by using the demonic blade forged for him by Yan Tingjun, he was able to gain the upper hand in the struggle. Over time, Bai Jun could now actively use the power of the residual Suihuang flame within him. To put it more colloquially, it was like the relationship between a Tailed Beast and its Jinchuriki.

However, Suihuang was clearly not as easy to deal with as a Tailed Beast. The price for this power was a portion of his life force being taken. If this happened too many times, there was a risk of him dying on the spot.

"Honestly... what a hassle. My life is right here, take as much as you want." Bai Jun muttered to Suihuang, adopting a "dead pig not afraid of boiling water" attitude. He closed his eyes, completely giving up!

But this time was different from before. He waited for a long time but felt no discomfort. On the contrary, a wave of refreshing warmth even rose from the depths of his body.

"Wait..."

Bai Jun seemed to remember something, sat up abruptly, and quickly opened the system interface for "Noble Moral Acclaim."