Chapter 66: CH-66: Trouble comes again?

Velvet town.

There was something strangely beautiful about the Velvet moon when the night darkened, and Velvet town was known for this exact phenomenon.

The narrow streets glistened beneath the gentle glow of old streetlamps, and the mist that drifted in from the surrounding forest softened the outlines of every building until the town looked like a forgotten painting.

Most people hurried indoors before the sun did, but Lyra Ashbourne had never minded the night.

If anything, it made the world feel quieter, as though the sky itself was asking everyone to calm down.

She stood outside Hartley’s Flower Shop, carefully arranging a bouquet of white daisies and pale blue hydrangeas in brown wrapping paper.

Her fingers moved with practiced ease despite the cold. Mrs. Hartley, who owned the little shop, insisted Lyra had a gift for making even the simplest flowers look beautiful.

"You always fuss over them as if they can feel it."

The elderly woman teased while counting the day’s earnings to which, Lyra just smiled without looking up.

"Maybe they can."

Mrs. Hartley laughed, shaking her head.

"You’re too soft for this world."

Lyra sighed as it wasn’t the first time someone had said those words.

But those words were true nonetheless. She was a bit too soft... A bit too kind...

And a bit too dumb.

People often spoke as if kindness were a weakness, something that would eventually break a person, and the irony, maybe they were right.

Lyra had spent most of her life losing the people she loved, yet she still found herself smiling at strangers, rescuing injured animals, and believing that even difficult times carried a little goodwill somewhere inside them.

As she locked the shop for the night, the first drops of rain began to fall.

They landed gently against the pavement, carrying with them the familiar scent of wet earth.

Lyra breathed it in and pulled her cardigan tighter around herself before starting the walk home.

Velvet town wasn’t a large town.

Everyone knew everyone else, and every face held a story, like Mr. Rowan from the bakery waved from across the street while closing his shutters.

Two children splashed through puddles despite their mother’s protests. Somewhere nearby, someone was practicing the piano, the melody drifting through an open window before disappearing into the rain.

It was an ordinary place, but gave out warmth and peace.

And Lyra loved it that way.

She reached into her pocket and wrapped her fingers around the silver pendant she always wore beneath her sweater.

It was shaped like a crescent moon, its surface worn smooth by time. She couldn’t remember when she’d first started wearing it. As far as she knew, it had always been there, resting against her heart like a silent promise.

It was the only thing left behind by her parents...

Or the only thing anyone had ever found.

The thought settled heavily in her chest, as it always did. She remembered very little about them.

Their faces had blurred with time, their voices fading into memories that felt more like dreams than reality.

All she truly remembered was waking one rainy night to flashing police lights outside the house and hearing adults whisper that her parents had vanished without a trace.

Without any explanation... even a small goodbye would’ve sufficed.

The years that followed had taught Lyra not to expect. She had grown up in foster homes before finally finding a place with Mrs. Elric, an elderly widow whose sharp tongue concealed a heart far kinder than she liked to admit.

It wasn’t a perfect life, but it was peaceful. Peace, Lyra had learned, was something to treasure.

She was halfway across the street when her phone buzzed.

"You’re quite a late comer, little lass."

Mrs. Elric said the moment Lyra answered, for which came no reply, Lyra was a woman of many words.

"Just so you know, the soup is getting cold."

"I’ll be home in ten minutes."

Lyra finally replied, admitted defeat to the only person who genuinely cares for her.

"You said that twenty minutes ago."

Hearing the usual nagging didn’t annoy her, instead, she laughed softly.

"Alright, alright. I’m really coming this time, Anything else Ma’am~."

"Hmph, You’d better be, i didn’t spend all afternoon cooking for ghosts."

Getting a teasing in reply dissatisfied Mrs. Elric, to which she annoyingly replied and cut the call.

The call ended before Lyra could answer, but it left a smile on her face.

Mrs. Elric never said she worried. She complained instead, and somehow that meant the same thing.

As it rained faster, so did Lyra’s pace, lowering her head as water dripped from the edge of her hood.

She barely noticed when the lively sounds of the town began to fade. First disappeared the laughter of children, then faded the hustle and bustle from the inns.

Even the distant hum of passing cars seemed to vanish until only the rain remained.

She looked around. The streets were empty now, though she couldn’t remember seeing anyone go around. Every window was dark, every shop closed, every curtain drawn.

A strange uneasiness settled over her, it was probably nothing, she told herself, trying to ease out her guts.

Just the weather and her over the top overthinking.

Still, she couldn’t ignore the feeling that someone was watching her. And she was right.

An unknown creature moved before Lyra had time to understand what she was seeing.

One moment it was standing at the edge of the darkness, and the next it was rushing toward her, its long fingers stretching forward as though it intended to tear through her.

Lyra stumbled backward, but before she could even scream, Kael stepped between them, his movement was so quick that she barely registered it.

His hand closed around the creature’s throat, stopping it with enough force to crack the stone beneath his boots.

Lyra stared at them, unable to make sense of what she was seeing. Up close, the thing looked almost human, but only almost.

"Of course! Dodo follows me everywhere."

Gu Changsheng looked at the bird.

"That isn’t entirely true. Sometimes she follows the food."

Dodo immediately turned her head toward him.

Gu raised his hands defensively.

"I’m only stating facts."

Ye Che couldn’t hold back his laughter.

"Senior Brother, I think Dodo understands you."

Gu Changsheng looked at the little swan.

"She does seem unusually intelligent."

The group fell quiet for a moment.

Dodo’s heart skipped slightly.

Gu narrowed his eyes.

"Sometimes I wonder whether she’s actually a very intelligent spirit beast."

Dodo stared at him.

Dong Mulan immediately shook her head.

"No way."

"Why not?"

"Because Dodo is Dodo."

Gu stared at her.

"That explanation doesn’t explain anything."

Dong Mulan smiled.

"It explains enough."

Gu opened his mouth.

Then he closed it.

There was no point arguing with that logic.

...

That evening, Gu Changsheng and Dong Mulan returned to their usual spot beneath the tree.

The sky was darkening, and the first stars had begun appearing above the sect.

Dodo was sitting between them.

For several moments, nobody spoke.

Dong Mulan leaned against Gu’s shoulder again.

This time, Gu didn’t even look surprised.

He simply adjusted his position slightly so she could rest more comfortably.

Dodo noticed the movement.

Her eyes narrowed.

She didn’t understand humans.

They were strange creatures.

They could spend entire days arguing over meaningless things, yet the moment one of them became tired, the other would quietly make things more comfortable without saying anything.

Dodo had witnessed this several times now.

She wasn’t sure what to make of it.

The guardian beast had lived for an incredibly long time.

She had seen sects rise and fall, witnessed powerful cultivators become legends, and watched countless relationships between humans begin and end.

Yet somehow, watching these two interact felt different.

There was no grand declaration.

No dramatic promise.

No overwhelming emotion.

They simply enjoyed being together.

Dodo quietly lowered her head.

Perhaps that was why she had become comfortable around them.

Dong Mulan suddenly spoke.

"Changsheng."

"Hmm?"

"If we ever leave the sect again, can Dodo come with us?"

Gu looked down at the swan.

Dodo immediately raised her head.

Gu thought about it.

"She probably can."

Dong Mulan smiled.

"Really?"

"As long as she doesn’t cause trouble."

Dodo’s expression became offended.

She had never caused trouble.

The Blood Moon Sect cultivator incident didn’t count.

That had been self-defense.

Technically.

And destroying the man after he had already been defeated was merely... preventative maintenance.

At least, that was what she preferred to believe.

Dong Mulan happily hugged her.

"See? Changsheng says you can come with us."

Dodo looked at Gu.

For some reason, she felt a strange warmth in her chest.

She quickly dismissed the feeling.

It was probably because the evening was cold.

Yes.

That made perfect sense.

Gu Changsheng looked at the little swan and smiled.

"You really like staying with her, don’t you?"

Dodo turned her head away.

Dong Mulan answered for her.

"Of course she does."

Gu chuckled.

"Then I suppose we’re stuck with you."

Dodo glanced back at him.

For once, she didn’t disagree.

...

The next morning, Gu Changsheng woke up early and prepared to cultivate.

He had barely settled into his position when a familiar white figure waddled into his courtyard.

Gu opened one eye.

"Dodo?"

The swan continued walking toward him.

She stopped directly in front of him.

Gu stared.

Dodo stared back.