The cleaver was placed on the small table with care as to not get anymore blood on it then there already was. As he walked back into the cottage his previous newly acquired clothes had now be stained with blood. And by pure luck by coincidentally looking into the corner of the cottage there was a neatly stacked pile of clothes women's clothing and children's with another stack he could have guess was for her husband. That was something Xiao Huoyan in fact could work with it was better to wear a dead man's clothes than walk around in bloody clothes that also didn't fit right. Xiao Huoyan had been nude multiple times but this time it wasn't out in the wilderness thankfully every layer was handled with precise care being carefully placed over himself layer by layer looking back at the sigils that marked his body they were intricate and at some point some seemed to be replicated on different parts of his body.
Just who did he upset for someone to put a "The curse of wandering on him" even the name it's self didn't sound good it wasn't good not only because it had the word curse in it, it was in fact a bit of a mouthful ,now just what had he done for someone to curse him (something terrible probably).Who cursed him and why is it a curse that makes him invulnerable to physical harm? The physical harm in general was a guess itself there was no pain when he severed his own finger with his teeth not even a sting. The entire situation was confusing in many different ways unanswered questions plagued Xiao Huoyan's mind since he met the cat woman, and out of nowhere she just offers to give him information about this curse only wanting a head as a form of payment but on the other hand Xiao Huoyan wasn't complaining at all because it was in fact a simple task for him anyway, taking someone's life was like a gift I could be given then taken he felt no remorse or guilt only pity there was no reason to be sad for this family they seemed to be struggling already there mother just wanting to stretch the unavoidable future but the situation was odd there was no way everything was just a coincidence.
If it was in fact a coincidence it didn't seem like it to Xiao Huoyan at all.
And just like clockwork the sound of maniacal laughter echoed through the forest loud and undeniably familiar basically bouncing off the trees with how loud it was he spun around to see a pair of scarred copper toned hands stretched out from the darkness with bright glowing dots staring right back at him as he looked not afraid more annoyed than anything.
"Gimme."
Mao Nu said As the pair of hands did a stupid little gripping motion anticipating exactly what she asked for like Xiao Huoyan was a servant. Not only did he not walk over with the head he had the time and energy to be petty.
"You have legs don't you use them?" He said as he tilted his head in a naive way reciting exactly what she had said to him only moments ago from there first meeting.
"…"
"…"
"Just fucking toss it will you?!" She yelled angrily her tongue sharp with annoyance from across the little cottage in a not so friendly tone. He stood there for a few seconds standing around before decided that it would be smarter to not get his face scratched in so he hurriedly walked over grabbing the severed head but instead of just tossing it.
He took his sweet.
Sweet time walking over to Mao Nu moving as slowly as physically possible there was something that was fun about messing with her. Mao Nu was now a bit agitated her laid-back behavior dissolving as she clenched her hands into fists knuckles cracking at the slight movement.
"Here."
Xiao Huoyan carefully placed the head in the palms of Mao Nu's hands as if it were a priceless item ment to be handled with care and not some poor kids mother.
"Ok I held my end now tell me what the curse of wandering is." Xiao Huoyan spoke with a rushed tone somewhat eager but not at the same time in response Mao Nu only clicked her tongue as she turned away from Xiao Huoyan to consume the newly acquired head.
"You know if you could give me like ten seconds we can get back to that." She spoke with barely concealed annoyance as the sound that followed could only be described as a predator catching its prey where wet crunches and blood dripping flesh in small amounts almost like rain which made Xiao Huoyan's skin crawl uncomfortably, once the sounds finally stopped the forest seemed to get quieter to quiet for his liking. Xiao Huoyan instinctively took at least five steps back in Huoyan's eyes Mao Nu seemed like the type of person to yank or trip anyone just because they could. While thinking this one of Huoyan's shoulders suddenly became heavier than the other slowly turning over to look at what was on his shoulder perched a magpie the bird stared back at him with its Beady eyes and Xiao Huoyan stared back half expecting the bird to fly away or squawk at him even instead the magpie tilted its head at him not breaking eye contact it was weird but comforting at the same time. His eye's softened slightly pleased by its small presence.
"HEY." The voice was loud and high making Xiao Huoyan jump instantly the bird immediately flew away at the sudden noise the missing presence of the bird made his chest feel tighter in ways he couldn't explain or express. He pressed a hand to his chest and when turning around there was an unfamiliar face that stood before him they snapped there hand like he couldn't hear them already a young man with somewhat glowing bright green eyes normal brown hair and clothing of an ordinary person stared right back at him.
Huoyan had intended to say something but this no named stranger cut him off.
"Were you having a staring contest or something? Anyways how do I look haven't done this in centuries so."
As the stranger kept rambling Xiao Huoyan Squinted both eyes actually taking in there appearance and started to put the pieces together after staring for a minute looking at the eyes he knew who this person was it was the cat woman he kept staring realizing that at some point he had forgotten her name with this realization he started to shift uncomfortably not wanting to admit that he had forgotten her name entirely over the course of about three hours. At some point Mao Nu had moved beside Xiao Huoyan slinging an arm around him shoulder where the magpie rested before it was scared off.
"Now Xiao chi we are going to be traveling storytellers so think of some story's." She gave Huoyan a light pat on the shoulder walking ahead but when she realized that he wasn't following turned back to him.
"Ah yes right, RIGHT how could I forget you still want to know what the curse of wandering is still.Ok this will give me some time to think of a name let's walk and talk Xiao chi."