Chapter – 39 - Return Of The Little Pink Hog!

'Rihanna! Stop! Come back now....Right away!'

The sharp and panicked voice of Little Purple cut through her burning rage, making her gasp in shock. Why was it like this again?! She had almost lost control of her senses once more, and almost caused a catastrophe!

Even the man named Suwamea had sensed something amiss around him. He stopped short of closing the door, looking around suspiciously. There was no aura of anyone in his vicinity.....yet he was so sure he felt some strange surge of energy just now. What was that?

Rihanna panicked and took a few steps back, trying to stabilize her emotions back to tranquil state. Then turned and rushed back out of the building. Very shortly, the prone body on the bed twitched slightly, and then the eyes flickered open.

'I think I have found the crux of your problem.'

Rihanna stared blankly at the ceiling, still in the grips of her unstable sensations. Blinking her eyes rapidly to process what had just happened, she kept breathing in and out to calm down completely.

'What do you mean?'

'Your energy and spiritual consciousness is highly sensitive to your emotions. Whenever your emotions get the better of you, you lose complete control of your energy. Which also means...to get control over your powers and create your own path for cultivation, you first need to figure out how to control your emotions.'

Rihanna blinked again, sinking into contemplation. Control her emotions? Does that mean to become a poker face? A block of ice, wherein nothing can affect her?

But control her emotions....? She had always been a very emotional person, easily affected by other's emotions, situations around her, the good and evil which she experienced. It did make her more volatile and unpredictable. But it was also what gave her the sense of belonging amidst the people. It was also her flow of emotions which had helped her develop a very sharp intuition towards people.

So if she started controlling this flow of emotion....would she still be herself? More importantly.....it had always been an intricate part of her self...could she truly control her emotions and remain unaffected by her surroundings?!

Or did control mean something else? Something which she needed to seek out for herself?

'Don't think so much into the future. For the present you have to find a way to balance your intensity, or you will keep losing your control over the flow of your energy and make yourself a vulnerable target for others. Cultivation is often a ruthless path...sometimes you will even need to be ruthless towards your own self.'

'Hmmm...I understand. Okay, now we know where Su Matsao's sister is being kept. But that doesn't really help us much, since we still have no idea how to enter the place and get her out. Moreover, we still haven't figured out how to get to that map. We have been here for so many days, and we are still like sitting ducks.'

'Hey you stupid woman! Get your buttocks out here if you want to ever see me again! Get me out of this disaster right now, or I promise to run away!'

Rihanna bolted upright on her bed, making the mattress bounce like a hammock. What in the world....?! Wasn't that Fluffy? Why is he screaming at her.....for help? What happened?

Following Fluffy's directions, she slunk out of the servants quarters and made her way to the outer walls next to the guest residential area. Even with the light of the three moons, she almost slipped and fell in the small hole dug right next to the wall.

"Why is there a stupid open hole in the ground over here?!"

"That hole is there so I could get inside this stupid place! You vile and treacherous human, how dare you take away my little Cutie while I am not looking?! It must have been your plan to fool me into that hole-trap, and then whisk away my little Bun while I am asleep!!"

Huuuhh!! Rihanna looked around, bewildered by this sudden barrage of blames and complaints.....who in the world was so daring as to dig a hole right inside a clan's territory and yet not get caught?!

"Ummm....isn't that the pink hog we left behind in the Chen Clan? How did it follow us all the way here? And it dug a hole all the way inside the Su Clan territory despite all the arrays!! Isn't it just a mid-level hog?"

"Mid-level your mother!! I am clearly a Supreme level Illusion Hog! *cough...cough* Even though I might have lost some of my powers due to certain reasons, but this low level array is no problem for me. I can dig holes all over this stupid land.....Tsk! Is this really a clan? Their level is so low! At least the Chen Clan had far better security and protections arrays. Why would you want to leave such a nice, warm, safe place and come live in the backward ages?! To think how much my Cutie Pie must have suffered because of you!"

Rihanna twitched her lips as she took a look at 'Cutie-pie' sitting on her shoulders. Fluffy was curled into a ball, eyes squinting as he glared angrily at the pink hog...what Cutie Pie!! When did he agree to be this hog's Cutie Pie?! He was a noble fox....how could he be with a hog?!! He wished he could blaze a hole through this hogs head! Unfortunately he was a little too small....and his elemental skills were a bit too unreliable!!

Rihanna sighed inwardly at this new drama. Why were there so many headaches in her life? Now how was she supposed to appease this mad hog?

'You could make a contract with this hog. It would solve your problem temporarily, make it happier...and this hog's powers could be useful.'

'What? But I don't know anything about making a soul contract. Last time Fluffy's father was there to help us.'

'There are other types of contracts too.'

'Other types of contracts?!'

'Hmmm....master-servant contract.....but this hog will never make that kind of a contract with you. So you could opt for the equal contract.'

'Both of them sound quite interesting...what are they?....And how do I go about it?'

'Master-Servant contract can be made between human and beast and also human and human. In this the servants life will be in the masters hand, and the servant is bound to follow the master whether it wishes to or not. If the master is attacked, the servant will take part of the attack on itself. If the master dies, the servant will also die. However nothing happens to the master if the servant is attacked or dies.

The Equal contract is different. This too can be made between human and beast and human and human. It is more like a partnership contract. Neither is bounded by any pressure, and may or may not follow the other's demands. However, if one is in danger or is attacked, then the contract binds the other to provide help. If one dies, the contract automatically dissolves, and the living partner is set free. But during the term of the contract, they are bounded to stay close, and help each other in danger.'

Rihanna lifted her eyebrows in appreciation. Wow....these people worked like individual corporations!! There were so many nice contracts with appealing terms....and the heavens and earth was turned into their personal legal department!

'How to make the second contract?....And do you think this little thing will accept those terms?'

'You both need to add a drop of your blood each into a Melding Bowl. You have seen this thing in the metal and stone working building. There is a whole set of these stone bowls on the upper shelf to the right of the entry. Once the blood drops are added, then you need to add in a drop of sap of the Balyptos Grass....you had collected some of this earlier from Poison Swamp. It is a dark yellow grass with thick blue veins. Then you need to chant the contract words....I can help you there. And then the blood drop will divide into two and enter both your glabella....same as with Fluffy. As to whether you can make it agree...well, that will depend upon your glib tongue!'

Tsk! Rihanna looked at the pink glob trying to climb up her clothes to reach her 'Cutie Pie. Tears hung at the corners of her eyes, making her look like a pitiful bundle of hairless glob!

"Do you really want to be with your Cutie Pie?"

The glob nodded it's head vigorously, tears streaming down it's wrinkled face. Rihanna didn't quite dare to look at Fluffy at the moment. She didn't want to cave in under it's burning glare.

"But Fluffy and me have a soul contract. And you know that once we have a soul contract, we are bonded for eternity. We can't be separated, and he goes wherever I go."

More tears streamed down the wrinkled face, as the dejected and confused eyes stared once at Rihanna then at Fluffy. She seemed to think for a long time, then finally lowered her eyes, sniffling.

"Fine then....what do you want me to do? I can follow you too.....but I am telling you that I will not make a master-servant contract with you!"

"Intelligent! Don't worry. I don't want that either. I think the best for both of us would be an equal contract....what do you think?"

The pink hog looked up at her in surprise. Then she squinted and looked her up and down, as if assessing her....making Rihanna feel bewildered. She didn't know what to feel being appraised like an auction piece!

"Fine.....then let's do that."

"Fine. You can stay with us for the time being. I will get the Melding Bowl required for the contract tomorrow. Then we can get down to business. However, it will be safer for you to stay hidden now. Firstly no one has seen another beast with me in this clan. Secondly....I think people might recognize you as a beast from the Chen Clan. Fluffy will show you the way to his hideout. Stay with him for the night."

So saying, Rihanna ruthlessly plucked Fluffy off her shoulders, and threw her to the pink hog, whose eyes were aglow with anticipation. And leaving behind a crying and screaming Fluffy, being held down lovingly by a pink hog, Rihanna turned tail and quickly disappeared from the scenario.

Out of sight....out of mind. Sorry Fluffy! But sometimes a person has to sacrifice oneself for a better future.....I do hope you will understand my pains!!