Master, What Dao Do You Cultivate?-Chapter 5: Master’s Big Black Bird

A black shadow shot out from the bedroom, but Ji Qinglin made no move to defend himself.
Thinking it was an ambush, Yu Ye instinctively called out:
"Watch out!"
But the shadow didn’t attack—instead, it landed steadily on Ji Qinglin’s shoulder.
Only then did Yu Ye see it clearly.
The creature was pure black, as if it had absorbed the night itself, with no reflection of the stars or moon.
If not for the light shining through the window, it would have been almost invisible.
As the room lights switched on, the shadow revealed its true form—
A solid black crow.
Ji Qinglin removed his hat and gently stroked its head.
The crow responded by rubbing against his shoulder.
Caw—caw—
The hoarse cry sounded like it was complaining about how late he had returned.
The crow twisted around, noticing Yu Ye standing behind them.
It tilted its head, then let out two more caws toward Ji Qinglin.
Caw—caw—
"Don’t be afraid, this is—"
Before Ji Qinglin could introduce it, the crow suddenly leaped onto Yu Ye’s shoulder, curiously examining her.
Then, it rubbed its head lightly against her cheek.
"You… have a pet?"
"It’s just fate, like you."
Mad Yu Ye:
Did he just compare us to his bird? Wait… why does that sound even weirder?
After fulfilling Old Hu’s last wish and burying his ashes in the wild, Ji Qinglin had encountered a flock of crows on his way back.
One of them, injured and being chased, had nowhere left to go—so it landed directly on his shoulder.
The other crows, for some reason, didn’t dare continue the chase.
Ji Qinglin found it interesting.
Damn, this crow’s got guts.
So, he let it stay.
After all, he had already died once—why would he care about superstitions regarding crows being omens of bad luck?
To his surprise, the crow followed him all the way back to the general store.
Since he lived alone, he simply kept it as a pet, naming it "Coal Boss."
Now, upon first meeting Yu Ye, Coal Boss wasn’t shy at all.
It even nuzzled against her face, rubbing back and forth.
Ji Qinglin cursed inwardly—
Damn bird, still acting like a shameless simp. Absolutely no self-respect.
Whenever male customers visited the store, Coal Boss would ignore them unless they spent big money.
But if it was a female customer?
Then it depended—good looks and a nice body would get them special treatment.
And Yu Ye?
With that perfect pair of little white rabbits on her chest, she was Coal Boss’s ideal type.
"Its name is Coal Boss. Be careful—it might peck you."
Mad Yu Ye:
Let me pet it! LET ME PET IT!
Cold Yu Ye:
Seriously?
After a tense night, returning home without a fight finally allowed Yu Ye to relax a little.
She reached out and gently stroked Coal Boss’s smooth black feathers.
Coal Boss, enjoying the attention, snuggled against Yu Ye’s arm, clearly very affectionate.
It never acted this friendly toward Ji Qinglin.
"You little pervert!"
Ji Qinglin flicked the bird’s head, annoyed.
Yu Ye laughed.
"Master, looks like Coal Boss takes after you."
"…?"
Before Ji Qinglin could protest, Coal Boss proudly bobbed its head, as if agreeing with her.
"Damn it, you little brat! Ruining my reputation!"
Seeing Ji Qinglin about to smack it, Coal Boss quickly flapped its wings, retreating to Yu Ye’s shoulder with an innocent look, as if pleading for protection.
"Alright, Yu Ye. Go take a bath first. You’ll be sleeping on the sofa bed in the living room from now on."
"Yes, Master."
Mad Yu Ye:
Not even a guest room? She has to sleep in the living room?!
Cold Yu Ye:
Better than prison. Unless you’d rather sleep in his bedroom… or with his big black bird?
—
Inside the bathroom, Yu Ye removed her oversized, dirty prison uniform and underwear.
She stared at her reflection—
A complete mess, like a garbage scavenger.
Turning the shower to full power, she let the hot water wash away the sweat and grime.
As the steam filled the room, she felt as if her fatigue and anxiety were being rinsed away along with the dirt.
Just as she was about to apply body wash, she noticed a folding panel built into the wall.
Curious, she pressed it lightly.
Clack—
The panel extended outward, revealing a space-saving foldable bathtub.
Mad Yu Ye:
A BATH! QUICK, FILL IT UP!
Cold Yu Ye:
Oh? Not worried about it being dirty anymore?
Mad Yu Ye:
I’d jump in even if it were a mud pit. Hurry up! HURRY!
Yu Ye turned the faucet to full, then slowly lowered herself into the rising water.
The hot water enveloped her soft skin, submerging her chest, until her two delicate jade peaks floated slightly.
Mad Yu Ye:
Ahh~ now this is life!
The soothing heat melted away her remaining tension, leaving behind only deep exhaustion.
Leaning against the bathtub’s edge, Yu Ye felt her eyes growing heavy—
And before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
A long while later, she was startled awake by—
Thud, thud, thud—
Yu Ye jerked upright, only to see Ji Qinglin’s head poking through the doorway.
"If you like sleeping in water, I’ll buy you a fish tank tomorrow."
Yu Ye spun around, quickly facing away.
"Master, I’m almost done!"
Before she could finish, Coal Boss suddenly tried to fly inside through the slightly open door.
Ji Qinglin reached out immediately, grabbing the bird by its legs.
"Oh no, you don’t! Who taught you this?!"
Caw—caw—
As the bathroom door shut, Yu Ye stood there frozen for a moment—
Then, she smiled faintly.
What a chaotic night… but strangely, it actually feels a little… normal.
—
Back in the living room, Ji Qinglin flipped through Yu Ye’s prison records—
There were only two simple pages.
She had immigrated illegally aboard the Doronmaru.
From arrest to interrogation to imprisonment, everything had happened within a few days.
Her mugshot from the arrest looked even more disheveled than she did earlier.
Doronmaru?
If Ji Qinglin remembered correctly—
That ship departed from Honshu Island.
He made a mental note to verify the details tomorrow.
Just then, Yu Ye emerged from the bathroom.
With the baggy prison uniform gone, her perfect figure was now fully revealed.
Her curves filled the bath towel like it was a custom-fitted cheongsam.
The lingering steam made her already fair skin look even more delicate.
With bare feet, her legs pressed together, the towel draped elegantly over her.
Her slender arms crossed over her chest, collarbone exposed—
Even the tracking collar on her neck added a strange charm.
Her once dusty hair was now clean and tied back, a few loose strands dripping water down her face.
A small, delicate face, rosy lips, almond eyes, willow brows—
She was beautiful.
No longer cold and distant, but still boldly meeting his gaze.
Ji Qinglin’s mind went blank.
Was this a bath… or a damn transformation?!
Even though he was stunned, he kept his expression neutral.
"You should sleep in my bedroom instead."
Mad Yu Ye:
HA! I KNEW IT! Total pervert!
"Master, please don’t joke about this…"
Ji Qinglin didn’t respond to Yu Ye. Instead, he continued talking to Coal Boss perched on his shoulder.
"I don’t feel comfortable letting you sleep downstairs. It’s better if you stay in my bedroom. The living room is a more suitable place for Yu Ye."
Mad Yu Ye & Cold Yu Ye:
???
As Ji Qinglin spoke, he grabbed Coal Boss, preventing it from checking out Yu Ye’s little white rabbits, and prepared to return to his bedroom.
"Oh, Yu Ye, what was that? Something about not joking?"
"Uh? N-no, nothing."
"Alright, then. Get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be busy. Also, the sofa bed’s a bit old, so try not to break it."
"…Yes, Master."
Mad Yu Ye:
He didn’t even try anything with you! Your master must have something wrong with him.
Cold Yu Ye:
Shut up already.
Seeing Ji Qinglin actually return to his bedroom, Yu Ye felt an odd sense of relief.
But at the same time, a strange feeling of safety settled in—along with deep curiosity.
—
Ji Qinglin ignored Coal Boss’s protesting caws, shaking his head to clear his thoughts from the visual feast he had just witnessed.
Now was not the time to think about that.
Closing the window, he dialed a familiar number.
The ringtone buzzed for over ten seconds before the other end picked up.
"Hello? You damn scammer, calling this late—are you out of your mind?!"
The hoarse voice of a woman came through, clearly annoyed.
Ji Qinglin expected her attitude and didn’t bother bickering like he did with Yu Ye.
Instead, he simply stated the facts.
"You called it. The guy trying to buy my shop really did send someone to kill me."
The woman’s tone immediately changed.
"When?"
"Tonight. They hired a Puppet Club assassin."
"I told you this would happen! So, what’s your plan?"
"You know me—I never leave threats alive. Especially not living ones."