Reincarnated into a Snow Griffin-Chapter 144

I did not think that, of all people, I would see my master and his most trustworthy disciples walking beside him here of all places, so out of place in my mind as it is in reality, the white clean vests flowing in the wind with outlines of blue to color parts of it, some with the shape of flying birds with long necks in the wind, others with the shade of bamboo like mine.

I got too used to the freedom this place gives me that I completely forgot to cover my face up, but thankfully my tail and wings are still hidden by the covering outer layer of my robes.

So even though it is not the first time we see each other as fellow practitioners, it is the first time they all see me without a veil covering my face, and the shock is quite visible in their faces as the murmurs begin almost at the same time.

"He was a hidden beauty, I knew it!"

"I never doubt it!"

"Wait, isn’t him the ugly beggar who our master took pity from? Then he proved to be an even worse scum by tempting our master with that face!"

As so for and on, those who already believed continued to believe, and those who found fault in all continued to blame me, as reasons may change by the focus of their short sight didn’t, and without carrying to see the truth they all gossip their own perception until, with a loud clang, my master closes his fan and shushes all gossip at once.

And by the way his hand grips the metal fan tight, popping the usually invisible veins from his hand up, I can tell he is in a really really bad mood.

"Filthy demon, trying to lure my disciple away with your venomous words!" But even if I thought he was angry I did not think it possible for him to be this angry, such calm immortal cultivator master, so patient and kind, could not utter such words in a livid tone of voice, but still here he is, doing as such in a day full of unpleasant surprises.

"Master..." I start saying, but being in bed for so long and having used my voice quite little in the past few days and abusing my body by forcing it to endure this small yet meaningful conversation with Ethan I end up having a coughing fit, sore and dry throat parching and closing, making it hard to breath much less talk normally.

My master Jiang Min promptly comes forward and helps me sit, taking his own bottle of water to serve me as he gives slight taps on my back, cutting quite the worried figure, a worried look on his eyes that makes all disciples follow and protect him all the same, nothing out of ordinary that should have caught my attention.

I just notice something is wrong far too late, just after drinking it up and letting out a sigh, too tired for many reasons at that point, and too used to my master presence over the years to still have my guard up in that state.

Only that instead of easing my throat, what I found out next is that I cannot speak.

I try to refute what my master said, regardless of our differences I still defended Ethan almost as if by instinct, but I start feeling a numbing sensation akin to the one I had from my wound around the area where even the nerves were burned down, a loss of feeling, of mobility, and I could not only not speak but not move at all, only my eyes and head turning ever so slowly.

And it is for that small movement that I can see that master is looking at me, looking very, very close at me and with his hand resting on my back, he gives me a smile that only I can see, and even though no words come out of his mouth that smile alone, the upturning of the eyes and curving of the lips, are alone the creepiest things I have ever seen in my life, a glint of victory and accomplishment and sheer obsession that were carefully hidden until this moment shine through, a glimpse of the crazy passionate man inside, and worst of all, there is nothing I can do about it now.

There is a shadow covering his face and deepening his eyes, and it has nothing to do with the lack of lighting in the place.

"Poor thing, to be swayed by such horrible creature who got you in this state, but don’t worry... master is here now, master won’t allow anyone to hurt you anymore, ever again..." His words sounded sincere and even I would have believed, hell, I did believe him for the longest time, but the way he is creepily watching me at that moment put all of it to doubt, as if, knowing that I could not speak, he is showing his true colors only to me.

Especially when, circulating my Chi internal energy, I finally realized why I could not move, at first thinking there might have been poison in the water, which was still possible, but the root of it all is that I simply could not circulate my energy, my meridians where completely blocked off from the neck down, and the head is only allow some movements because otherwise I may as well suffocate while being unable to breathe with him blocking it all, the energy of my master flowing from his palm to my back, expanding and pushing his way in like a spider web, intruding in my limbs and extremities, keeping my own body away from my command.

To my surprise my master at that point simply passes his arm around my legs and back, the other cultivators pushing Ethan back as he firms his hold on me and my body, and stands with me in his arms, my healing leg pulsating with pain from been moved around like that.

At this point, completely unable to move, to react, to even try to defend myself, with no chance of escape on my own, I still had not panicked as much as I do once I feel the hand holding me start feeling the skin bellow, groping me without my consent.

And letting very clear what his intentions are.

That’s the moment when I truly feel the horrors of what is waiting for me if master Jiang Min gets what he wants, and in the state that I find myself in is quite the possibility he will manage just that.

That, when realization downs on me, is when I finally feel an uncontrollable frightening sensation that freezes my core, bends my muscles tight and drives me close to a break down like nothing has ever had, not since the incident with the lion, and is like that, with pure fear widening my eyes and reflecting in my iris, I do the only thing I am capable of and look at Ethan for help.

And not a moment of hesitation passes when he looks at me, and with his jaws clenched containing the burning fury flashing red in his eyes, he says:

"Let go of Seraph, now."

The cold tone of his voice burns deepen than any explosive behavior would have had, the promise of a fury barely being contained inside.

And I had already seen the beast that now looked at me through Ethan’s eyes, and yet I felt no fear but hope as we share glances.

But my master only smiles at the remark.