Could You Let Me Have Chang'e?

"Jade Rabbit." Unlike the wild, burly Xingtian, Hou Yi had some muscle but was not particularly imposing, and even looked somewhat refined. He repeated the name to Gungun while continuing to feed carrots to the Soft-Bone Rabbit in his arms.

"Uh..." Gungun swallowed the fruit in its mouth. Looking at Hou Yi and the rabbit in his arms, the whole bear suddenly felt rather bewildered.

Jade Rabbit.

This Soft-Bone Rabbit was Jade Rabbit?

Did that mean Chang'e would appear before long? Once Chang'e appeared, Hou Yi would... no longer be single!

Thump! At that thought, Gungun plopped down on the ground, its enormous weight making the earth shake violently several times.

It raised its head and stared at Hou Yi with puffed cheeks. We clearly agreed back then to be brothers for life and remain bachelors together. How could you do this? And with Chang'e, of all people!

"Brother Gungun, why are you looking at me like that?" Suddenly finding himself stared at by a puff-cheeked Gungun, Hou Yi felt something was off and asked.

"Great Shaman Hou Yi, can I ask you something?" Instead of answering Hou Yi's question, Gungun asked one of its own.

"Of course."

"Which matters more, your brother or a female immortal?"

"My brother, of course."

"Then are we brothers?"

"Of course. We're good brothers who've faced life and death together."

"Then if you meet a beautiful fairy someday, and we both really like her, could you let me have her?"

"Of course. No problem," Hou Yi answered without hesitation. He did not believe he would ever fall for some fairy. Besides, even if he did, there would be no harm in stepping aside if Brother Gungun liked her. But...

Hou Yi looked Gungun over with interest and chuckled. "Brother Gungun has grown up, huh? You actually want a female immortal now?"

"I've always been big. But..."

As it spoke, Gungun stood up, planted its two enormous paws on the ground, then opened its mouth wide and sucked all the spirit fruits floating around it into its belly in one breath. Next, it rested its paws on its bulging stomach and bowed to Hou Yi in thanks. "Thank you, Great Shaman Hou Yi. I'll remember what you said today. When you meet a female immortal you like, I'll come and take her away."

Hou Yi: "..."

That is what I promised you, but why does something about what you said sound a little off?

"Also, this Soft... oh, Jade Rabbit. Ancestral Witch Houtu entrusted her to your care, right?" Gungun straightened up and continued questioning Hou Yi.

"Yes, that's right." Hou Yi nodded blankly, still pondering Gungun's earlier words. What does it mean, it'll come and take her away when I meet a female immortal I like? Is it specifically targeting me?

"Good. Then hand her over, Great Shaman. I'll roast her and give you a rabbit leg afterward." Gungun raised its arm and held its right paw open toward Hou Yi.

Hou Yi: "..."

Jade Rabbit: "!!!"

"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak..." Jade Rabbit cried out in alarm and hid trembling in Hou Yi's arms, staring in terror at the seemingly slow-witted, bumbling Iron-Eating Beast before her.

She was different from her dead clansmen. Though she was still young, not even five hundred years old, and her cultivation had shot upward instantly only because she had eaten that Brilliant Gold Radish, leaving her foundation unstable and her magical power insubstantial, she was still a Profound Immortal, after all. She knew something of the affairs of the Primordial World.

The Iron-Eating Beasts were a mighty race in the Primordial World. Even the tiger race did not dare provoke them lightly!

Though Iron-Eating Beasts looked clumsy and foolish, seemed rather weak, and were usually languid and listless, once they started fighting, they were something else entirely. Pummeling fierce tigers and trampling True Dragons was not necessarily beyond them.

Such a terrifying creature actually wanted to roast and eat her. What... what was she supposed to do?

Jade Rabbit was terribly afraid.

"Brother Gungun, Ancestral Witch Houtu instructed me to take good care of this child, not turn her into your rations. If you want rabbit meat, how about I have someone pick out a few good ones from the Sky-Feather Rabbit Race for you later?" After some thought, Hou Yi finally decided he must be overthinking things. How could Brother Gungun be targeting him? Its earlier words must have been careless, or a passing whim. He put the matter aside, stroked Jade Rabbit in his arms to soothe her, then spoke to Gungun.

"Her Ladyship specifically told you to 'take good care' of her?" Hearing Hou Yi's words, Gungun blinked and asked for confirmation.

"Yes." Hou Yi nodded.

"Ah, all right." Somewhat disappointed, Gungun lowered its arm and hung its head without another word.

At the sight, Hou Yi's expression shifted slightly. He stepped forward and patted its shoulder. "All right, Brother Gungun. If you want rabbit, let's go eat Sky-Feather Rabbits now. They definitely taste better than Soft-Bone Rabbits. Trust me."

"All right. Thank you, Great Shaman Hou Yi," Gungun said helplessly.

Then it raised its head, looked at the still-trembling Jade Rabbit in Hou Yi's arms, spread its paws, and bared its sharp teeth to frighten her. "Little rabbit, you'd better behave yourself here with Great Shaman Hou Yi. Don't do anything bad, and don't even think of wanting anything beyond your station. Otherwise... I'll swallow you in one bite while the Great Shaman is away!"

"Squeak!!!" Frightened by Gungun, Jade Rabbit instantly shrieked, then nodded over and over.

"Ha, honestly." Hou Yi shook his head with a smile at the sight. Brother Gungun had just said it wanted a female immortal, yet its behavior clearly showed it had not grown up at all. That made sense. Though it was the first Iron-Eating Beast between heaven and earth, it was probably not even two hundred thousand years old.

Hou Yi soothed Jade Rabbit again, then led Gungun outside, intending to have someone prepare Sky-Feather Rabbits so it could eat rabbit meat that very night.

On their way out, Hou Yi also told Gungun, "Brother Gungun, Ancestral Witch Houtu has gone into seclusion. She said earlier that you would sleep for at least a year, and she happened to want to spend some time in seclusion herself, properly contemplating the Great Dao that belongs to her."

"Great Dao?" Gungun froze.

"Yes. The Ancestral Witch said she sensed something in her heart and understood what her Dao was. If Ancestral Witch Houtu can truly attain the Great Dao, our Witch Race will have an even better chance of winning the final battle against the Demon Race." At this, a slight smile appeared on Hou Yi's face.

Unlike him, Gungun did not smile upon hearing this. Instead, it lowered its head, its thoughts unreadable.

A month later, in front of Pangu Hall.

For once, Gungun had actually stayed awake. It had kept watch here for a month without seeing Houtu emerge, and thought with some worry, Can Houtu comprehend the Reincarnation Great Dao already and turn herself into the Underworld? Impossible. That should happen after the human race appears, but before the War of the Liches. It's still far too early. But...

Gazing into Pangu Hall, no matter how it had previously imagined retiring to the Underworld someday, from the moment Hou Yi said Houtu had understood what her Dao was and would enter seclusion to contemplate it, Gungun had still hoped in its heart... that she would not succeed.