The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 931: I Can’t Touch You?

I Can\'t Touch You? . . .

Cha Eun Xiao\'s dissatisfaction was palpable as he shook his head, extracting the blood bead from his possession once more. With a wave of his hand, he gracefully returned the bead to its resting place in his pocket. Pointing at the bleeding hand and then towards his tattered clothing, he conveyed his feelings of injustice.

Extending one hand as if to make a touching gesture, he abruptly withdrew it, silently signaling, "You\'ve torn my clothes and injured me. You\'ve taken advantage of my vulnerability, making me appear foolish. How can you deny me the simple act of touching you? Are you really after my priceless possession, exploiting me once more? This is unacceptable!" His response was punctuated by a disdainful huff.

The hawk appeared increasingly apologetic, its head shaking and emitting cooing sounds. Yet, doubt clouded its eyes, and its talons continuously rose and fell, as if grappling with some inner conflict.

Cha Eun Xiao had spent considerable time with Erhuo, becoming adept at interpreting body language. While he couldn\'t fully comprehend the hawk\'s intentions, he grasped the gist of its message: a negotiation. "We can be friends," it seemed to convey, "but you must not touch my head – that\'s my non-negotiable boundary."

However, this hawk wasn\'t Erhuo, and it couldn\'t establish a telepathic connection with Cha Eun Xiao. Conversing with it felt like speaking to a mute. Cha Eun Xiao shrugged and, once again, presented the blood bead, waving it in the air.

The hawk responded with elation.

This time, Cha Eun Xiao didn\'t return the bead to his pocket. Instead, he casually threw it into the air. The hawk swiftly darted forward, capturing the bead before it could touch the ground. It swallowed it without hesitation, jubilantly flapping its enormous wings. It seemed almost human in its expression of happiness, and as it swung its wings, a whirlwind formed, causing the snow on the ground to swirl and obscure the sky.

Cha Eun Xiao found himself choking on a mouthful of snow, unprepared for this outcome. He coughed, trying to clear his airways.

After a brief pause, he extracted several more blood beads. The hawk ceased its celebratory dance, its eyes gleaming with avarice.

Cha Eun Xiao huffed and mimicked a touching gesture, tucking the beads away once more before turning around. His message was clear: "You want more of these? I have plenty. But if you don\'t let me touch your head, you won\'t receive any!" He was determined to test the hawk\'s resolve.

As expected, the hawk grew anxious. When Cha Eun Xiao turned his back on it, the bird hurriedly approached, gently tugging on his belt. It was cautious, ensuring not to cause him any harm. It seemed worried that he might withhold any more blood beads if it injured him.

The message was clear: "You can\'t leave!"

"I won\'t let you go!"

"Those delicious morsels... You can\'t leave!" After all that had transpired, they had arrived at this current situation.

Cha Eun Xiao struggled to move forward, exerting all his strength, while the hawk stubbornly pulled him backward, its talons embedded in the floor. With dogged determination, the bird clutched Cha Eun Xiao\'s belt in its beak.

The situation grew increasingly absurd as time passed. Cha Eun Xiao\'s belt seemed to elongate before his very eyes, and he couldn\'t help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of it all. Even the hawk\'s neck appeared to stretch in this comical battle of wills.

Though Cha Eun Xiao\'s belt was of decent quality, it proved no match for the tug-of-war between human and bird. As expected, it gave way with a sharp snap, leaving Cha Eun Xiao unprepared. He tumbled onto the icy ground, sliding dozens of meters away. The hawk, too, lost its balance, moving backward before finally toppling onto the ice.

Swiftly, Cha Eun Xiao leaped to his feet and rushed to the hawk\'s side. The bird lay on the ground with its talons pointing skyward, a crestfallen expression on its face. [I\'ve been bested by a human... How embarrassing...], it seemed to convey.

Fury surged within Cha Eun Xiao as he shouted, "What on earth were you thinking? I can\'t talk to you, so can\'t I leave? Why did you yank my belt?" An exasperated clap on his nearly exposed posterior followed. "And why in the world did you shred my pants and clothes? What were you thinking?"

The hawk cooed, clearly in a state of panic. Its large round eyes blinked with an air of innocence before another coo followed. It was evidently shaken by Cha Eun Xiao\'s outburst.

"How are we supposed to get along if I can\'t even touch your head?" Cha Eun Xiao scolded. "Do you really have to act this way? Look at yourself! Consider your actions! See what you\'ve done to me! Yet you shamelessly demand food?"

The hawk lay on the ground, observing Cha Eun Xiao\'s furious tirade. It dared not utter a sound.

Once, it had appeared as an overwhelming conqueror, but now, it was more like a suppressed young wife, unable to speak out.

It remained silent.

Cha Eun Xiao had previously been fleeing in fear, desperate to avoid being killed. Yet now, the tables had turned, and he relished being in control. He reveled in his newfound dominance, despite his nearly naked state. He was shouting arrogantly, devoid of any sense of dignity.

After a while, the hawk realized it should stand up first. It rolled over and got to its feet, its coos sounding somber.

[Why are you blaming me? If you hadn\'t run away, I wouldn\'t have pulled you back...]

[If I hadn\'t pulled you back, your belt would still be intact...]

[Don\'t blame me for your belt breaking... Blame the shoddy quality of your belt...]

Of course, Cha Eun Xiao couldn\'t understand these thoughts.

Nevertheless, he wasn\'t ready to concede. The hawk might have shown vulnerability, but it remained the one in control. With its razor-sharp talons, it could end Cha Eun Xiao in a matter of seconds. Until the situation changed, Cha Eun Xiao couldn\'t truly escape safely.

Cha Eun Xiao and the hawk stood face to face. The bird\'s golden feathers radiated vitality, while Cha Eun Xiao\'s tattered clothing barely covered him. Despite his disheveled appearance, he exuded vigor and arrogance, while the hawk bowed its head in defeat.

"Can I touch your head or not? This is your last chance," Cha Eun Xiao declared, extending his hand.

The hawk hesitated. Born to rule the skies, it couldn\'t easily allow a human to diminish its dignity. It shook its head.

Resolute, Cha Eun Xiao turned away and began to leave, cursing under his breath. "So you still won\'t let me touch you! You get to have all the advantages? What\'s wrong with your stubborn head? I\'m out of here..."

The hawk halted him once more.

They stood face to face once again.

"Will you let me?" Cha Eun Xiao inquired.