Chapter 80: The Illusion

Chapter 80: Chapter 80: The Illusion

Xi Yunxui’s mind raced as she tried to think of a convincing explanation, but the closer the footsteps from the inner room came, the more impossible the situation seemed.

She could not exactly tell the Patriarch that Hui had been a tiger-like creature a few moments ago and had somehow transformed into a little girl, especially when the entire purpose of the System’s mission was to make sure nobody discovered the truth.

She glanced at Hui.

The little girl was still standing beside her, looking completely innocent.

Xi Yunxui almost sighed.

If only something could make Hui return to her previous form.

Xi Yunxui was still trying to figure out how she was going to explain Hui’s sudden disappearance when a faint fluttering sound came from above her.

She looked up.

Biyu had flown down from the cabinet and landed lightly on Hui’s head.

The little girl seemed completely unaware of what the red-feathered creature was doing. She merely stood there, blinking up at Xi Yunxui with those innocent eyes, while Biyu tilted its head as though it were examining her.

Then something strange happened.

A thin strand of green light emerged from Biyu’s body.

Xi Yunxui’s eyes widened.

The light was so fine that it almost looked like a thread pulled from the air itself. It slowly descended from Biyu and sank into the top of Hui’s head.

"What is that?"

Xi Yunxui instinctively took a step closer.

The green thread did not disappear. Instead, more strands began to emerge, weaving around Hui’s small body in an intricate pattern. They moved like living threads, wrapping around her without touching the floor, then gradually sinking beneath her skin.

There was no pain.

No flash of spiritual energy.

No violent transformation.

Yet the atmosphere around them had somehow changed.

Even Xi Yunxui, who had only recently obtained Spiritual Sense, could detect that the energy surrounding Biyu was completely different from ordinary spiritual energy. It was subtle, almost elusive, as though whatever power it possessed did not belong to any cultivation technique she had encountered before.

Xi Yunxui stared at Biyu.

What exactly was this creature?

She had initially thought Biyu was merely an unusual chicken-like beast.

But the more she learned about it, the less that explanation made sense.

First, it had appeared through a strange lucky draw.

Then there had been its incredible strength, its unusual wings, and now this mysterious green energy that seemed capable of altering what people perceived.

Could it be some kind of mythical beast?

Before Xi Yunxui could investigate further, the green light suddenly vanished.

Everything became still.

King C, who had been watching from nearby, abruptly widened his eyes.

"She’s back!"

Xi Yunxui turned toward him.

"What?"

King C pointed one hoof toward Hui, his expression filled with surprise.

"She’s back to her original form!"

Xi Yunxui’s heart skipped.

She immediately looked at Hui.

The little girl was still standing in front of her.

Small hands.

Soft features.

The same clothes she had been wearing when Xi Yunxui first found her.

There was not even the slightest trace of the ash-grey, tiger-like creature everyone else had seen earlier.

Xi Yunxui stared at King C.

Then she looked back at Hui.

"...What do you mean?"

King C frowned.

"The little tiger. She’s back."

Xi Yunxui’s confusion deepened.

"She isn’t."

King C stared at her as though she had suddenly become strange.

"She clearly is."

Xi Yunxui was about to argue when the system’s voice finally sounded.

[Host, it appears that Biyu possesses illusion abilities.]

Xi Yunxui froze.

Illusion abilities?

She slowly turned toward Biyu.

The red-feathered creature was sitting calmly on top of the cabinet now, as though it had done nothing unusual. Its emerald-green eyes were bright and clear, and its enormous wings were folded neatly against its body.

There was no explanation in its expression.

No hint of where that strange power had come from.

Xi Yunxui suddenly felt that she knew even less about Biyu than she had before.

[The energy emitted by Biyu has altered the perception of the people within its range.]

Xi Yunxui’s eyes narrowed.

So everyone now sees Hui as the tiger-like creature?

[That appears to be the case.]

She released a quiet breath of relief.

For the first time since Hui had transformed, she felt as though she could finally breathe.

At least there was a way to hide Hui’s identity.

But another question immediately occurred to her.

Then why can I still see her as a little girl?

The System paused.

[There are two possible explanations.]

Xi Yunxui waited.

[The first is that Biyu’s illusion cannot affect the Host.]

The System continued.

[The second is that the Host may possess some degree of immunity toward illusions.]

Xi Yunxui’s eyebrows lifted.

So I’m immune to illusions?

[The System cannot confirm that at present.]

"Hmm..."

At least the immediate problem had been solved.

She walked over to Biyu and gently stroked the feathers on its head.

"Thank you."

Biyu made a soft sound and rubbed its head against her hand.

For the first time since Hui had transformed, Xi Yunxui felt some of the tension leave her shoulders.

Then the system spoke again.

[However, Host...]

The relief disappeared almost instantly.

Xi Yunxui’s hand stopped.

She already disliked the way that sentence sounded.

What?

[You can still see Hui in her human form.]

Xi Yunxui frowned.

Yes. So?

There was a brief pause.

Then the system delivered its next words with all the warmth of someone pouring cold water directly over her head.

[That means Biyu’s illusion may not work on everyone.]

Xi Yunxui’s expression stiffened.

The system continued mercilessly.

[It is possible that the illusion only affects ordinary perception. It is also possible that your cultivation has made you resistant to it. Until this is confirmed, Host cannot assume that everyone in the shop sees Hui as a tiger.]

Xi Yunxui slowly turned her head toward the back room.

The Huo Patriarch was still inside.

So was the elderly shop owner.

And the young apprentice was still standing somewhere nearby.

Her stomach tightened.

If she could see Hui’s true appearance...

What if they could too?

Xi Yunxui glared inwardly at the system.

You really couldn’t let me enjoy being relieved for even five seconds, could you?

If the system had possessed a physical body at that moment, she was fairly certain she would have punched it.

But there was no time to complain.

Because the young apprentice suddenly moved.

Until that moment, he had remained behind the counter, occasionally stealing glances at the strange creatures. Now he stepped away from it.

Once.

Then again.

His movements were noticeably quicker than before.

Xi Yunxui’s heartbeat immediately accelerated.

He was coming toward them.

She instinctively shifted closer to Hui, trying to position herself between the little girl and the apprentice without making her movements look suspicious.

The apprentice continued walking.

His gaze moved from King C to Biyu.

Then to Xi Yunxui.

Finally, it settled on Hui.

He slowed.

Xi Yunxui’s palms began to sweat.

Had he noticed something?

She forced herself to remain calm.

Maybe Biyu’s illusion really had worked.

Maybe he only wanted to take another look at the tiger.

Maybe—

The apprentice stopped a few steps away.

His expression had changed.

The curiosity that had been in his eyes earlier was gone. In its place was uncertainty, as though he were trying to remember something that didn’t quite make sense.

He looked at the empty space where the tiger-like creature had previously been.

Then at Hui.

His eyes lingered on her for several seconds.

Xi Yunxui’s heart seemed to sink with every passing second.

The apprentice took one final step forward.

Then, in a quiet voice, he asked,

"Was there a little girl here?"

Xi Yunxui’s expression stiffened.

Behind her, King C slowly looked toward her.

Biyu stopped preening its feathers.

Even Hui seemed to sense that something had changed and quietly looked up at Xi Yunxui.

For a moment, the entire antique shop seemed to fall silent.

Xi Yunxui swallowed.

The System’s mission suddenly felt considerably harder than it had a few minutes ago.

---

For a moment, even the faint sounds coming from the back room seemed to disappear.

She stared at the young apprentice, trying to read his expression, but there was nothing obviously suspicious in his face. He looked genuinely confused, as though he had caught a glimpse of something that shouldn’t have been there and was now questioning his own memory.

Xi Yunxui’s mind raced.

He saw her.

The thought came so quickly that her heart tightened.

But before she could answer, King C shifted beside her.

His usually noisy expression had gone strangely serious.

He stared at the apprentice, then quietly leaned closer to Xi Yunxui.

"Why is he asking about a little girl?"

Xi Yunxui immediately placed a hand over his mouth.

"Don’t speak," she whispered.

King C’s eyes widened beneath her palm, but for once, he didn’t struggle.

Biyu, however, remained unusually still on the cabinet.

Its emerald eyes were fixed on the apprentice.

Xi Yunxui noticed that and felt another wave of unease.

Was Biyu watching him because it knew something she didn’t?

The apprentice suddenly frowned.

"I could have sworn..." he murmured, his gaze shifting back toward Hui.

Xi Yunxui instinctively tightened her grip on King C.

The little girl standing beside her remained completely silent, seemingly unaware of the danger surrounding her. She simply looked at the apprentice with innocent curiosity.

Then the apprentice’s expression changed.

His eyes widened slightly.

He took another step forward.

Xi Yunxui’s heart nearly stopped.

"Wait..."

His gaze remained fixed on Hui.

"Why am I seeing two different creatures?"

Xi Yunxui’s blood ran cold.

And from the cabinet behind them, Biyu suddenly spread its enormous wings.