I CULTIVATED BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE DEMON LORD

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CHAPTER 14: The Crane

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Chu Li lowered her gaze, focusing entirely on faking her cough.

...This was mortifying.

Surely he hadn't overheard everything she and Qi Ying had just been discussing?

She had absolutely no intention of letting phrases like "feeding him honey mouth to mouth" corrupt this poor boy's innocent mind!

Little Lian, however, seemed entirely unaware of any of it.

After a brief pause, he approached her with a perfectly normal expression, cup of tea in hand. "Sister, this tea smells wonderful. Would you like some, to soothe your throat?"

The rich fragrance of fine bamboo-leaf tea drifted toward her, and as Chu Li continued her half-hearted, performative coughing, her gaze happened to land squarely on Little Lian's lips.

The boy's cupid's bow stood out distinctly, though the curve of his mouth stayed relatively restrained.

Perhaps because he'd just been drinking tea, his lips looked full and glossy, as though coated in honey, almost impossible to look away from.

Chu Li's ears flushed hot, and she turned her face away, continuing her fake coughing.

Beside her, Qi Ying shot her a deeply knowing look, then turned to Little Lian with a sweet smile. "Xiao Li's lucky to have a partner as sweet-tongued and thoughtful as you."

Whether it was the phrase "sweet-tongued" that struck a nerve, Chu Li couldn't help but pound a fist against her chest, forcing her fake coughing to subside, and shot Qi Ying a sharp glare.

Then she managed a strained smile in Little Lian's direction. "If I drink tea now, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight, but thank you for the thought."

"Since you say so, Sister, I won't bother you any further." Little Lian lowered his head, looking wounded, though his doe-like eyes lifted slightly as he bit gently at his soft, pink lower lip, still watching her.

...She was doomed.

Did he have any idea how deliberately inviting he looked doing that?

Chu Li felt her throat go painfully dry, blood rushing straight to her nose, as if she might start bleeding from it at any second.

Before Little Lian could step away, she suddenly grabbed his arm with one hand and snatched the teacup right out of his other hand with the other, tipping her head back and drinking deeply.

"Delicious!" Chu Li wiped the tea from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve and, under Qi Ying's disbelieving stare, gave her a big thumbs up. "I never imagined there could be tea this fresh and flavorful in the world!"

"Bamboo-leaf tea's certainly fragrant, but who drinks it like that?" Qi Ying pressed a hand to her temple, exasperated, glancing away and muttering under her breath, "Anyone who didn't know better would think you were purging some kind of aphrodisiac out of your system."

Chu Li had just been contentedly taking a second sip of tea, and Qi Ying's pointed remark nearly made her choke on the mouthful entirely.

She set the cup down hastily, one hand covering her mouth as she coughed uncontrollably, the other reaching awkwardly around behind her to pat her own back.

Little Lian rushed to support her, clumsily mimicking the motion, patting her back to help ease the coughing.

Once her coughing finally subsided, he pulled out a silk handkerchief to wipe the tea from the corner of her mouth, asking with complete seriousness, "Sister, what exactly is this Boundless Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Bliss Powder?"

Chu Li hadn't even fully recovered yet, and his question sent her right back into an even more dramatic coughing fit.

Little Lian reached to pat her back again. "Sister, why are you choking again?"

Clearing her throat pointedly, Chu Li tucked away the jar of aged honey Qi Ying had given her, said a hurried goodbye, and grabbed Little Lian's outstretched hand, turning to leave at once.

As they walked, she muttered a stern warning under her breath. "That's not something you need to know about at your age!"

The moment she pulled him over the threshold and out the door, an unmistakably piercing bird cry rang out nearby.

"HONK— HONK—"

A crane, as tall as a full-grown person, was sprinting frantically around the courtyard, its black-and-white plumage blurring into something like an ink-wash painting with every wild step.

Qi Ying's partner scrambled after it, chasing it in a flustered panic, calling out nervously, "Calm down, calm down!"

The crane paid him no mind whatsoever, and when it caught sight of Chu Li standing by the door, it suddenly changed direction and charged straight at her!

Chu Li heard the mother bell at her waist let out a sharp "ding," and in the same split second, the crane's long, sharp beak was already thrusting toward her.

Reacting on instinct, she shoved Little Lian aside and threw herself out of the way, narrowly dodging the crane's aggressive strike.

Apparently too furious to adjust course, the crane barreled straight through the spot where Chu Li had just been standing, slamming headfirst into the door.

The impact seemed to stun it briefly, but it shook its head and quickly straightened its long neck again, spreading its wings and charging at Chu Li once more.

Having twisted her ankle while dodging the first attack, Chu Li found herself unable to move quickly enough this time, and just as she reached to cast a defensive spell on herself, Little Lian lunged in from the side, throwing himself between her and the crane.

Everything happened in an instant. Chu Li watched, horrified, as the chisel-like beak thrust toward Little Lian's exposed back. She grabbed him, ready to pull them both down to the ground, when the crane suddenly, inexplicably, froze in place, its beak stopping mere inches from his back.

The crane, which had been raging out of control only a moment before, seemed to snap back to sudden clarity, blinking its wide eyes several times before finally folding its wings and wandering off at a slow, unhurried pace.

Little Lian held onto Chu Li tightly, his chin pressed against her shoulder, unmoving for a long moment, as though entirely unaware that the danger had already passed.

Chu Li couldn't see his face, but she could feel a fine tremor running through him, and she tried to reassure him. "It's all right now. The crane's gone."

But Little Lian only tightened his grip further, burying his face against the curve of her neck, shaking his head and letting out a low, muffled whimper.

Chu Li felt his arms constrict around her ribs, surprised that a frame as slender as his could hold this much strength.

She reached up and patted his back slowly. "It's really gone. Why don't you look for yourself?"

Little Lian seemed to finally accept it.

He carefully loosened his arms, and under Chu Li's slightly awkward gaze, first rubbed the back of his own neck, then clasped his fingers together, before finally tucking both hands back into his sleeves, letting them hang uselessly at his sides.

He kept his head down the entire time, never once looking directly at her.

Chu Li smiled and gently brushed the loose strands of hair from his forehead. "Next time, remember to protect yourself first, understand?"

"I just didn't want it to hurt you, Sister." He lowered his head even further. "No one's allowed to hurt you."

"Oh, you really are something..." Chu Li sighed and cupped his cheek gently.

It was then that Qi Ying finally came rushing out of the house, hurrying straight to Chu Li's side, tugging anxiously at her sleeve and looking her over from head to toe several times. "You're not hurt, are you? This is all my fault. I never expected Dandan to come back so early today."

"...Dandan? It even has a name?" Chu Li glanced around the courtyard, still bewildered, not even bothering to turn around as she asked, "Since when do you own such an aggressive crane?"

The crane named Dandan now stood elegantly in the grass, the very picture of tranquil calm, as though nothing whatsoever had just happened.

Qi Ying's partner stood nearby, tossing a fish up into the air from a bucket for the crane to catch as it tilted its head back.

"I'm so sorry, truly." Qi Ying kept apologizing. "Dandan was badly injured as a chick, and ever since I found her, she's stayed by my side. She's never been particularly friendly toward anyone but me. This morning she went out flying and must have come back early, and mistook the two of you for a threat."

Having only just endured the queen bee's trial the day before, Chu Li was already shaken enough, and now she'd nearly been attacked by Qi Ying's pet crane on top of it. Her heart was racing so fast she genuinely worried she might drop dead on the spot.

Just how many more surprises did this sect have waiting for her that she didn't yet know about?

"But honestly, you're incredible. Yesterday you stood perfectly still and calmed the queen bee, and today you managed the exact same trick with my Dandan." Qi Ying mimicked Chu Li's earlier gesture, giving her two enthusiastic thumbs up. "You must have some kind of extraordinary natural gift, taming creatures with sheer presence alone."

"I really couldn't say." Chu Li looked a little dazed. "Honestly, your crane was actually trying to peck me just now. If Little Lian hadn't jumped in to protect me, I would have had to strike back at your crane myself."

"Maybe Dandan just wasn't quite sharp enough to notice in time." Qi Ying looked equally puzzled, though she didn't seem too fixed on the mystery. "But more importantly, your luck really is something else. What happened with the queen bee yesterday in the rear mountains has already spread through the whole sect overnight."

Chu Li thought back to the wary glances she'd received on the way over and found she had no interest whatsoever in being famous for something like that.

"I should head back now." She bid Qi Ying farewell, a headache already forming, and took Little Lian's hand to continue on as usual, only for her foot to give way beneath her as though she'd stepped into thin air, her whole body lurching sharply.

Chu Li steadied herself hastily against the wall, only then remembering that she'd twisted her ankle while dodging the crane earlier.

"Is your foot hurt? Does it hurt badly?" Qi Ying rushed to support her from the right side immediately. "Why don't you stay a while longer? Let me find someone to take a look, make sure it's not a torn tendon or a broken bone."

"It doesn't hurt, exactly, it just won't take any weight." Chu Li shook her head. "I can manage walking back carefully on my own. A sprain this minor just needs some medicine applied, and it'll be fine by morning."

Qi Ying still looked uneasy. "At least let me walk you back, or I won't be able to live with myself."

Before Chu Li could politely decline again, Little Lian moved to support her from the left instead, answering for her. "I'll walk Sister back myself."

Chu Li looked at him with real warmth, marveling once more, internally, at what a stroke of luck it had been to find such a thoughtful, considerate boy.

She reached up, meaning to ruffle his hair and offer him a bit of praise, only to hear him say, "Actually, why don't I just carry you back on my back instead?"

Chu Li's raised hand froze mid-air. "That won't be necessary. It's just a minor sprain. I can manage walking on my own just fine."

Little Lian's grip on her arm tightened slightly. "But it took us half an hour just to walk here."

Chu Li offered a small smile. "If we take it slowly on the way back, it should be fine."

He looked at her even more seriously. "But there were so many steps along the way here, and it rained last night too. It might be slippery."

Chu Li fell silent, glancing down at her twisted ankle, weighing the risk in her mind. If she pushed herself to walk back recklessly and ended up making the sprain worse, that would be its own kind of suffering entirely.

"That's a fair point." Chu Li met Little Lian's bright, earnest gaze, considered it a moment longer, then said gently, "But letting you carry me the whole way back... doesn't seem quite right either."

Little Lian's eyes drooped, looking a little dejected. "Why not?"

Chu Li reasoned with him calmly. "Just think about it. Carrying me all that way, up and down steps the whole time, if you wore yourself out or hurt yourself doing it, that wouldn't be acceptable at all."

"I've been eating so well thanks to you, Sister. My body's in great shape now." He looked hurt. "Don't you trust my strength, Sister?"

"Of course I trust you." Chu Li paused. "It's simply that I don't want you to overexert yourself."

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by Qi Ying. "I've got it!"

Chu Li blinked, confused. "...Got what?"

"I know exactly how to get you home safely!" Qi Ying pointed toward the courtyard with one hand, tugging at Chu Li's sleeve with the other. "The answer's been right in front of us this whole time. How did I not think of it sooner!"

Chu Li never could have imagined that she, someone who'd ridden a horse only a handful of times in her entire life, would end up having the good fortune, after transmigrating into this cultivation novel, to experience the sheer thrill of riding a crane.

She gripped tightly at the base of the crane's feathers, both legs dangling at its sides, her whole body swaying gently with each step it took, feeling a genuine thrill of novelty at the experience.

To keep Dandan calm and prevent any further chaos, Qi Ying walked alongside the crane the entire way, occasionally stroking its feathers and even mimicking its call to soothe it.

"See? I told you it wouldn't disappoint." Qi Ying looked up and waved at her. "Isn't my Dandan such a well-behaved girl when she's with me?"

"Mm." Chu Li nodded along with the swaying motion. "And I never would have guessed riding a crane could be this much fun."

"That's just how great my Dandan is." Qi Ying said, brimming with confidence. "Come find me again once your ankle's healed. I'll let her run properly this time. You'll love it even more, I guarantee."

"Sounds great!" Chu Li replied, already looking forward to it. "I'll have to bring Little Lian along next time too, so he can cheer me on properly."

Only then did it occur to her that she hadn't heard a word from the boy since they'd left Qi Ying's house.

Chu Li turned her head, glancing over at Little Lian, walking alongside the crane on the other side. "What do you think?"

Despite the clear, sunny sky overhead, most of Little Lian's face remained cast in shadow.

He seemed to ignore her question entirely, his lips barely moving as he finally spoke, his voice carrying a faint edge of displeasure. "...It's just a crane ride, Sister. Does it really make you this happy?"

【Author's Note】

【Bonus scene 1】

Chu Li: Something feels off about this 1v3 death match I'm in. One of my opponents is apparently a crane. [doge]

Qi Ying: ?

Dandan: Honk honk?

Ji Wuyan: ......

【Bonus scene 2】

Ji Wuyan: No one's allowed to hurt you, Sister. Not even a bird your best friend happens to own.

Chu Li: So it's fine if it's a bird you happen to own?

Ji Wuyan: ?

What exactly is going on in that head of yours?

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