The Beast's Contracted Pet (5)

Over the course of the next few days, Bai Xueli had to learn to give up all her pride and dignity. She surrendered to being treated and pampered like a child. In some ways, it caused her to react in even more childish ways and throw tantrums.

Shanlin Ba seemed to know when she needed to go to the toilet before she did and would support her to squat under a bush until she had emptied her bowel and bladder. At mealtimes, he would ensure she ate all her nuts and raw vegetables, no matter how astringent or bitter she found them, especially since she refused to eat raw meat like he did. It was only when she constantly complained about the lack of cooked food that he was willing to help her build a stove and cooking fire. She explained to him the kinds of cooking utensils she wanted and he dug out mountain rocks from deep in the den to carve and shape roughly into pots and pans using his claws and spirit energy.

When she expressed her disgust and rejected being licked clean by him everyday, requesting to bathe instead, he considered her suggestions. He refused to let her bathe in the nearest pond or stream, saying the water was too icy cold. In the end, he helped her design and build a water heating system for them to have their own hot bath in a big stone hole he carved in the ground. Fire elemental creatures would help to set the wood fire and maintain the temperature.

Occasionally, if Xueli got too dirty, Shanlin Ba would still strip the fur lined clothes she had made for herself off her and lick her clean. Usually when that happened, Xueli wouldn't be the only one being licked clean. The parents of other young creatures who were present would also be holding down their struggling charges to lick them clean and scold them not to dirty themselves too much before bath time.

Bai Xueli was able to observe how the spirit beasts and creatures in the mountain forests lived and exchanged work with each other in order to better their lives. For example, water mice came by daily to convert snow into pure water to fill the stone water jars that Bai Xueli had gotten Shanlin Ba to help her make. The water jars contained the water for their drinking and washing. The water in the bathtub would be filtered and refreshed by the water mice and earth element moles who would then help to carry away the leftover dirty sludge and fur to a sheltered valley where tree-like ents used it to fertilise their gardens and fields of crops.

Sometimes, Bai Xueli would carry out the sludge to fertilise nearby spirit plants upon their request. In return, she would receive dead branches, leaves, and sometimes fruits and nuts. Some spirit herbs would give her a drop of their essence to make scented bath bombs and oils.

Bai Xueli discovered that animals unable to absorb and cultivate spiritual power and had low intellect were considered as prey. Intellectual spirit beasts who had already begun cultivating were considered people. Through her link with her spirit beast master, she was able to understand the voices of the creatures around her and learn from them.

They in return, took great interest in her innovative inventions, helping her make things while she taught them about the basics of physics and chemistry. From her, they learned how to cook and perform experiments to prove hypotheses. From them, Bai Xueli learnt to accept her life as it was and to settle down in this new community.

Every mealtime was a big event with many creatures coming to help her manage the fire, prepare and cook the food. Bath time was was something all the local creatures equally looked forward to, taking turns to soak in the hot water or come out to give each other massages or grooming services.

Shanlin Ba was very pleased. After having lived alone most of his life and being very lonely, with Bai Xueli around, he never found himself lonely again. There were always creatures around to keep him or Xueli company. He also took great joy in just sitting to one side and watching things happen. Life wasn't so boring anymore.

He and the older creatures learned how to play cards and various kinds of board games from Xueli. When they weren't hunting or amusing hemselves with games, they were teaching or tutoring the younger creatures and answering their questions on cultivation. They researched medicines and herbs to find ways to use them most effectively with Xueli's guidance on how to perform the research. The area around Shanlin Ba's den became a bustling community.

In fact, it would be a great, idyllic lifestyle if only she wasn't treated like a pet by all the creatures, just because she hadn't learnt how to cultivate yet. There was always someone petting her on the head or back, or smacking her backside. Then there were the curious youngsters who had not seen a human before who wanted to examine her body. Even the water mice could use spirit energy and so were stronger than her. They could suppress her and pin her down while she was stripped and her body parts examined and then compared with their body parts.

It was so humiliating. Shanlin Ba didn't see anything wrong with their behaviour.

"It's normal for children to be curious and there are few creatures as ugly and hairless as you weak two leggers," he had shrugged at her.