Chapter 2. Hundred Transformations Robe
Hua Ji slowly returned to the hotel.
Even though within the country Hua Ji was only a third-tier celebrity, with so little popularity it was like bubbles in the waves, he was still a fox that had lived for two hundred years and ama.s.sed quite a bit of personal a.s.sets. This time"s vacation, he even chose the not-too-bad Hilton Hotel. Just entering the vicinity of the hotel, he could already see pretty girls and handsome men out to party.
Hua Ji cut a sorry figure, vastly different from these people. Yet he gave off a handsome air and, with his unruffled expression, n.o.body would think that he might be some poor person with untidy clothes. That"s why even though he walked into the lobby of the hotel soaking wet, the attendants at the side hesitated but still did not go up to… chase him away? No, no, no, they will attentively offer him a bathrobe.
Hua Ji was exhausted, immediately collapsing on the sofa when he returned to his room. He said helplessly, "You[1] can come down now, right?"
From the start, a transparent, soft and jiggly something laid on his head that claimed it had consciousness when the Earth was just created and thus lived for countless years and was woken up by the slowly changing sea. A transparent, soft and jiggly…… jellyfish.
Yes, this Lord Jellyfish[2] was used to his original body, not used to turning into a human and walking around.
Shui Mu didn"t move, continuing to lie on Hua Ji"s head, the transparent umbrella blinking with bright dots, its numerous eyes that were too many to count were looking everywhere, "The houses that humans live in have become more and more strange."
Hua Ji lazily said, "Oh? Don"t know when was the last time Lord Jellyfish saw a house where humans lived."
Shui Mu hesitated a moment, "…… Three thousand six hundred or so full moons ago?"
"Oh, then you"re in a completely different era ah." Hua Ji mocked, "Three thousand six hundred or so full moons? That would be three hundred plus years ago? The Big Dipper has shifted, many seasons have pa.s.sed[3]!"
He even said these words in Chinese, dragging out the syllables of the word "seasons", bringing with it the heavy feeling of a theatrical play.
Shui Mu said, "I once attended the Kangxi Emperor"s diamond jubilee, and even collected one of the Kangxi coins issued that year!"
Shui Mu"s words were clearly articulated, Hua Ji was suddenly stumped.
He counted on his fingers, right, three hundred years ago, it was indeed the Kangxi era.
Hua Ji let out a sigh, righting his att.i.tude, he said, "Much thanks for senior"s help today, do you have any commands for me?"
Shui Mu didn"t explain, it asked, "That little bat mentioned a Mercenary Alliance, what is that?"
"It is a place where any disputes can be resolved, but it is also a place where a whole new round of disputes start." Hua Ji shrugged, "That little bat was merely accepting a mission, he and I have no hatred between us."
Shui Mu said, "Oh, I didn"t manage to kill him in one bite, a little bit regrettable, but remaining by your side, I should be able to bite him one more time."
Hua Ji silently lit a candle[4] for that little bat.
Hua Ji"s expression was cheerful, "So you"re planning on temporarily following me?" No matter how you put it, this big jellyfish"s strength was truly awesome!
Shui Mu was not stupid, "That"s right, however I will collect a toll from you in the future."
"…… What is a toll?"
Shui Mu wriggled a tentacle, "In the past, whenever a boat pa.s.ses by, I will collect a toll from them."
Hua Ji blurted out. "That"s just a protection fee!"
Shui Mu"s learning speed was very fast, "That"s right, I am your protector, you don"t need to hand over a protection fee, but you need to take responsibility for all of my actions, right, it"s like this!"
"……" Hua Ji deeply sighed, he suddenly felt that this jellyfish…… was very smart, smarter than even he, this fox!
He couldn"t resist asking, "The monsters in the sea, are they all like you?"
Shui Mu"s tone was flat, yet Hua Ji had a strange feeling that he was being looked down on, "Every four eyes I have are controlled by a brain, you tell me how many brains do I have?"
Its umbrella returned to a milky-while colour, Hua Ji unconsciously raised his head. At the same time, countless white lights flashed, blinding his fox eyes.
Hua Ji…… alright, he already didn"t want to say any more.
After resting for a while, Hua Ji rose to go to the bathroom for a bath.
"I want to take a bath, you……"
Shui Mu finally moved its body from Hua Ji"s head, its many tentacles became eight long ones. It stood up as tall as a person, two tentacles supporting it and walking like a person, the tentacles at its side occasionally touching the surrounding walls and objects, seeming very curious.
When Hua Ji saw Shui Mu was observing the surroundings, he directly stripped naked and got into the bathtub. Feeling the soothing warm water, Hua Ji let out a comfortable groan, the fatigue from running for his life disappearing without a trace.
Shui Mu stood at the side, curiously looking at the all new bathing facilities, after looking for a while, it experimentally put a tentacle in the tub. Discovering that the temperature of the water was high, it retracted the tentacle again. At the side, there was a rack, and on the rack was a folded towel as well as three sets of bathrobes.
Shui Mu tilted its head. It felt the woollen texture of the bathrobe and thought, always lying on the fox"s head was no good, why not become a set of clothes, wearing it also gives a greater sense of security.
Thinking to here, Shui Mu"s body began to transform, the originally milky-white body becoming a cream colour, creases and folds emerging on the originally silky smooth membrane. It actually became a robe that was identical to the bathrobe.
It memorised the shape of the robe while also pondering over whether to take a look at the fox"s other clothes.
At this moment, a set of knocks came from outside.
Hua Ji was momentarily dazed, in his hurry he randomly grabbed a bathrobe to put on.
Opening the door, he saw his manager with a beautiful lady wearing a red evening gown.
The beautiful lady blankly looked at Hua Ji, after a long while, she smiled insincerely at the manager beside her and said, "This greeting is too provocative, I thought that up until now you had always been reserved."
The beautiful lady then turned and walked away.
The manager hurriedly chased after the lady to apologise, Hua Ji was at a loss, he lowered his head and his face paled.
Don"t know when the bathrobe on his body actually became transparent!!!!
His white and supple skin that seemed as if it would release water with a pinch was exposed, in front of his chest, two pink and tender dots stood up. His little brother below was even wetly dangling, there was ever silky red hair above it…
That"s right, Hua Ji is a red fox!
"No–!!!"
"I can"t believe you actually messed it up!!!"
The manager, surnamed Yan, is a b.u.t.terfly spirit.
"Do you know who that is? Paramount"s next movie"s female lead!! Have a nice chat with her, spend a pleasant night, and she could recommend you to the director! Even if you only appear on the screen for five minutes, you would have Hollywood qualifications, do you understand?!"
"With this qualification, you could contest for the great works in the country, yet you actually messed it up! Everything is ruined! All my hard work spent convincing her was ruined by you!!"
Yan Hu Die[5] raged at Hua Ji for a full two hours.
Hua Ji sat on the sofa with his ears drooped down[6], not speaking a word.
It was not until two in the morning that Yan Hu Die finally calmed down.
Hua Ji silently gave Yan Hu Die a look, suddenly pulling a robe from the drawer by his side.
"To express my apologies, I"ll gift the embroidered robe that I just acquired from the thousand-year old renowned Cong family shop to you."
The anger in Yan Hu Die"s stomach was partly dispelled, seeing that Hua Ji"s att.i.tude towards admitting his faults was good, he gave a cold humph and carefully received the robe.
Cong family shop"s owner is a bee that has cultivated for a thousand years, the craftsmanship of this senior does not need to be said, even if one had money, they would not be able to buy it. Every year, all sorts of spirits and monsters, and even members of religious orders would find him to make their clothes. It is said that the waiting list had already extended until the next year.
Yan Hu Die looked at the blue-green embroidered robe and his face involuntarily revealed a slight smile.
Hua Ji"s expression was also very subtle, "Try it out?" After a beat, he added another sentence, "This robe can be worn next to the skin, inside it is even embroidered with spells that gather spiritual energy!"
Yan Hu Die didn"t say another word, taking off all of his clothes and changing into the robe.
Yet when he looked in the mirror……
"Ahhhhhh–!!"
WTF?
What did he even see? Why did he become naked?
The Yan Hu Die in the mirror wasn"t wearing anything, revealing the same fair and tender white skin.
Hua Ji coldly smiled, pointing out, "Che, not as big as me." After a beat, he said, "Oh, you even have multi-coloured hair there, this I cannot match up."
Yan Hu Die: "……"
The author has something to say:
One of Shui Mu"s uses is that it can instantly become clothes of any colour and design!
TN: One more chapter before the pace slows down slightly. Can’t give a firm answer on how long a chapter will take, but it’ll be at least one chapter a week.
[1] Hua Ji refers to Shui Mu with the respectful ‘you’ that I don’t have a way to portray in English. Just know that it’s much more respectful that the usual ‘you’ and the ‘you’ that he uses for other characters.
[2] Chinese is 水母大大, means something like ‘lord/expert/great one’.
[3] 斗转星移，几度春秋啊, means something like a long time has gone by.
[4] He didn’t really light a candle, it was more like telling the guy to ‘rest in peace’.
[5] Means ‘b.u.t.terfly’ in Chinese.
[6] Not literally.