Call me Master Yi

Slave Perlmut looks like a person who should be laying in the grave instead of defying death.

She is still moving,

though her movements are quite stiff,

they have gotten visibly rustier in comparison to the last time she moved.

And that's not all over this short time frame, she has been getting colder than a corps.

But nonetheless, She removes Hyangs sword from Bing, touching him in the process

without any cultivation.

Hyang sees this and opts in to stop it.

Though he is a bit too late.

For she has already easily removed the sword which

was greatly frozen to Bing.

And much to Hyangs surprise she is fine as is Bing.

Except for her already freezing ailment,

that makes it seem as if the grim reaper

is smiling behind her and thinking

"Finally that's what I've been waiting for!".

Hyang: "What?"

Hyang perplexed by seeing her unaffected hand,

assumes she has some kind of power protecting her from Bings frost.

But since there isn't enough time, he skips the testing process.

He swiftly sticks Bing onto the underside of the stretcher,

assuming that she won't freeze to death

while laying right above Bing.

Knowing he could have transported them like this to begin with

he is bothered, but doesn't let it get to him much either.

Finally, he continues running while only having to carry the stretcher.

While Hyang carries the two,

he talks with Perlmut even though she is in a terrible condition.

Perlmut: "So how did things end up like this for you and your friend."

Hyang: "Don't know, only met him yesterday."

Perlmut: "Funny, then why are you taking care of him?"

He starts speaking too fast for her to properly understand.

Hyang: "Oh, ahem~ I nearly killed him on accident.

 Wasn't...

 Involved him in something while trying to help,

 causing him to get abducted and nearly sold into slavery

 simply because I wasn't careful enough."

Hyang slows down his speaking speed.

Hyang: "And I found out that he got an Ice Body

 with an Ice aptitude the likes Iv'e never seen or heard off before."

...

Hyang: "Sooo, did he perhaps do something that caused the cold city wind and the fallen temperature?

 After all, that sudden cold was quite unnatural and especially during summer."

Perlmut: "No."

Hyang: "What about the slave trader? What caused him to do that contract between you and the iceman?"

Perlmut: "Wasn't there hu ohu ech ha."

She cough laughs.

Hyang: "Wha-?"

Perlmut: "The slaver did seem pressed and threatened though.

 However, as you said, the icicle didn't seem to have done anything.

 - Probably."

Hyang: "Ah - ha. I suppose it really is more likely for the ruler of the north to have made a slip up then

 for him to have moved."

Perlmut: "Who is that?"

Hyang: "What? The Ruler of the North? You don't know who that is?

 It's the black tortoise known to be in a never ending fight with with a huge snake on it's shell.

 It is known to have caused a never ending winter in the north and also for struggling with that

 snake and making you struggle within said never ending cold."

Perlmut: "Oh, I know.

 There was no need for the explanation."

Hyang looks at her contentiously, visibly frustrated with a slight

very slight breeze of anger.

Hyang: "...On another node. I'm guessing you have an ice aptitude.

 But how did you resist his cold QI without cultivation base?"

Perlmut: "Don't - know. Don't have no aptitude either.

 And you haven't even introduced yourself you little rascal."

As she is continually pulling Hyangs leg like a rag,

he does his best to bear with it.

So, he does start trying to get back at her.

Hyang: "Haa.. names Hyang, obaaasan. And I'm older than you Mortal Obasan.

 And it seems Bings cultivation aptitude has overwritten your blank aptitude.

 Which means you now heave a high aptitude for Ice instead of no aptitude.

 I have never heard of something like that ever happening.

 And I don't think such things are even possible, but the Dao is infinite-

 So if I were to believe you, it would be the will of the Dao.

 But I don't fully believe you.

 Either way, you'll be useful for your new master,

 since you will be taking care of him soon enough.

 I'll try to save you through having you cultivate,

 that way perhaps good fortune will follow."

Perlmut lets him talk out, to then just say the thing. Again.

Perlmut: "I can't cultivate and since I don't know my master's name I'll call him Rex until

 I die - for a few hours or so."

Hyang: "Tststs"

Hyang shakes his head while running.

Ignoring her disagreeing on being able to cultivate.

Hyang: "What terrible naming sense.

 I, for one, would tastefully call him Unustuse."

Perlmut: "I'll stay with Rex, but I'd accept Unustuse as surname."

Hyang: "He probably already has a name. But I guess this is for the better.

 Though he isn't a noble, for him to have a surname.

 It'll work out somehow."

'Silent running'

Hyang: "Lucky for you that I know a secret cave abode here.

 Right over there."

Hyang leads them to a cave abode he came across on his way.

Hyang: "I found this one on the way to Unus- Rex while looking for traps."

Inside the cave abode he takes her off and turns the stretcher around

putting it down while holding her as gently as possible.

Perlmut: "Where is this sudden affection coming from?"

Hyang: "Haaa...

 As you are now his slave, you'll have to cultivate him.

 You'll have to do dual cultivation with only you contributing

 to the cultivation process. Making you take double the time.

 Since, as you know, slaves die with their master by default."

Perlmutt: "But I have no elemental aptitude.

 I can't cultivate, I have no such thing as an affinity for it."

Hyang fed up as he is with this sounds stern.

Hyang: "You most certainly look like you have an aptitude for ice, so strong in fact.

 That it is killing you right now.

 I can check it, just to assure you."

Hyang checks it through sitting her down on top of Rex Unustuse.

And gently tries to pick her up again, successfully so,

Just to then put her down again.

Hyang: "Experiment succeeded, humans with insufficient cultivation,

 a weak affinity or the wrong affinity would have been frozen to him instantly."

Slightly shocked by his experimental temper she sounds relatively normal with a slight discomforted smile.

Perlmut: "What?"

Hyang: "Just as I thought, but better and worse."

Perlmutt: "But how?"

Hyang: "Doesn't matter right now."

Hyang takes out dual cultivation manuals and goes through them.

Hyang: "Hm, penguin Cultivation technic - butt cheeks Cultivation technic

 with extra protection from Sennen Goroshi and normal butt stabs ,hmhm-

 W***T**F*** is this? "Lap Pillow Cultivation"? Which moron came up with this?

 Even the description reads "Deadly, don't try!

 It is certain to be the strongest cultivation you will ever find,

 however, you are not the one!

 I only figured this out through loving math, cultivating and being objectively an unparalleled genius.

 I repeat, you're not the one, only read this to gain inside and do not ever practice this cultivation!"

 What kind of Bullshit *ahem cough*. Trash did I tak-... I mean... Away it goes."

Hyang throws the cultivation manual towards Perlmuts head to get back at her,

for having repeatedly gotten one over him.

Unfortunately for him Rex Unustuse and Perlmut are close enough to have Rex's aura extent,

so that they share a single freezing aura.

As that causes the manual to just freeze to the top of her head.

Without it being able to cause a measurable impact.

She now slowly moves to take and then read it.

Pearlmuts thoughts: *Hm, this seems to be fairly deadly. But I for one am basically already dead.

 And for some reason I got something telling me that Rex is used to such danger,

 it feels like the core of my existence is telling me that.

 I can't put my finger on it, but with it comes a feeling of numbing cold

 that I am accustomed to.

 Well whatever, feels to me like I should just try it even though it says

 that I and Rex will die through this and from what I gather from the author of this

 it's a guarantee.*

Perlmut shrugs after this thought.

She puts the manual on Rex's head

and slowly stands up a bit.

After which, she moves Rex aside.

To then sit cross legged on the stretcher

and move Rex into headpat position.

While she is doing all that very very slowly

Hyang searches for a cultivation manual inside of his ring that could

save her without having ridiculous danger and claims accompanying it.

While Hyang is going through the uncountable amount of cultivation manuals inside his ring.

The QI in the surrounding suddenly starts to densen and to top it all off, the QI that is gathering is 100% pure Qi,

something that is impossible no matter from which angle of the book he looks at it.

Hyangs thoughts: *Must be the Infinite Dao at work.*

While looking for the reason behind this event that he writes of as being caused by the Infinite Dao.

He quickly notices that all the pure QI is gathering around Rex and Perlmut, while Perlmut is patting

Rex's head.

Hyang: "WHAT THE ACTUAL HACK! The Dao can't be serious about this!

 I mean, It is. But still. What the-.

 Let's check the manual from that "allegedly" genius of all time."

As Hyang goes through the Cultivation manual of the "allegedly" genius of all time

he realizes that every mathematical concept written within is realistic and comprehensible.

However, that is only because he is quite the genius himself.

Hyang while reading: "Your ma is a genius! Does this author really have to mention his genius that often..."

Hyang realizes a lot of things.

And continuously looks shocked seeing the two cultivate in this moronic way.

Still in disbelief and shock, he doesn't want to miss this opportunity either.

Prompting him to cultivate in the purest Qi that could exist.

During his cultivation his eyes are big and wide open while staring at the two for years.

Occasionally doing caretaker things.

Staring at how Perlmut head pats Rex in her lap,

unendingly wanting to deny the fact of it working.

Even though he himself very well knows the very formulas explaining it

and how it is the epics of all cultivation.

After a Month.

'ERROR'

With every headpat the amount of pure QI inside the cave abode

very slightly intensifies all of a sudden.

Unnoticeable during the first few days.

During her tireless cultivation, her presence and live energy felt nearly indistinguishable from a dead persons.

Leaving Hyang on high alert while he made sure that the both of them didn't starve or dehydrate.

And if he deemed it necessary at the beginning, he threw in a low great healing ball herb for Perlmut.

After about 14 years, her live energy starts stabilizing thanks to her continuously increasing their

Cultivation base and QI as such.

Her stiff ailment healed and her over all health increased albeit still being a cripple.

Hyang: "Here comes the aircherry~"

Through the nose into the stomach.

As they cultivate like that,

with Rex Unustuse laying stiff like a board, his head on Perlmuts lap

and her sitting in a proper cultivation pose while giving him head pats, they do so for 23 years.

During those years Hyang tends to his own hair as well as Rex's to some extent,

resulting in Hyang looking the same

and Rex having longer hair without it looking somewhat slightly transparent.

Rex also grew a white beard,

quite long in fact, about the same as his hair on the top.

His beard properly trimmed by Hyang.

As a result, Hyang acquired more unordinary materials.

Right now he just keeps the cave abode clean of their hair storing it in his ring.

Hyang thought: *These might come in handy.*

Perlmuts hair on the other hand has been left alone.

As Hyang thought that she might be able to hide her scars through that.

Resulting in hair that is about 3,5M long.

A stark difference to her previously quite bald hair.

Besides taking care of the well being of the two,

Hyang also read literature, mostly historical records.

Of course, he did cultivate most of the time.