Chapter 194 - A Troubling Situation
Filling his mind with memories of his grandpa, Yueliang closes his eyes, and takes a step forward, as this might be a way out of whatever trick this is. Having folded space once more, he opens his eyes and looks around. "UGH!!! What is going on?! And Where am I? This is ridiculous, this place looks the same as I know, but feels different. It could not be too old but looks new, wait a moment, new?! Did I go back in time or forward? Or is this some other place all together?" He exclaims while trying to maintain his calm in this absurd situation to the best of his abilities.
'It looks like I may have only one option that seems desirable, but it should not work as far as I know.' Yueliang thinks to himself before teleporting away instead of folding space.
Arriving inside of a small cave, he looks around. Seeing nothing inside, he walks outside and sees a very unfamiliar sight. Forests and plants galore that seems nostalgic as if he had been there before, but knowing it looks different than anything he has seen, he shakes his head. *Sigh
Figuring it is worth one more look, Yueliang turns around and heads back in the cave. This time seeing a shadow on the wall, he goes closer and feels a draft coming through the wall.
A smirk appears on his face as he pulls the corner of the rock wall.
. . .
Not able to pull it, Yue punches the wall and erases the rock door. And about to step in without even looking, he sees a white and black female tiger currently giving birth.
The tiger giving birth looks at him angrily and roars. *ROAR 'Get out or I will kill you intruder!'
Maintaining his smile, as a new understanding has come to mind, he sits on the wall where he made a big hole. Then replies with soul communication. 'Hello my friend, I apologize for intruding. As a way to make it up to you, I will defend you while you give birth. Please forgive my intrusion. I will leave after you are done.'
Feeling alert and on guard, as well as knowing she cannot move much at the moment, she just glares at him at each opportunity. In between which she licks her first cub clean, and is giving birth to her second.
Yueliang just relaxes on the ground, as he leans against the wall. Looking out to ensure no other invaders will be coming in this cave.
The tigress feeling odd about this whole situation asks. 'Why are you defending my cubs and I? If you came here to kill me, why wait?'
Looking back, he replies. 'Miss tigress, you have it all wrong. I came here looking for my friend, but because of some mistake in my technique it seems I have gone back in time. Seeing as I do not want to mess up time anymore than I possibly already have, please forget this happened.'
Having a slightly bewildered expression, she looks at the seemingly crazy human in front of her, and asks. 'You mean, I am giving birth to your friend, or friends? Or I am your friend in the future?'
*Sigh. 'I have said too much already, but it is the first one. Either way, it is a pleasure to meet one of my friends parents.' Yueliang replies with a sigh.
Seeing his serious expression, she feels that it is likely true, and asks. 'Do you know where you messed up? If not my assistance may help. It is not that I really want to help the one who damaged my home but seeing as we do not want you to mess up the future anymore, show me what happened.'
Hearing this, Yueliang stands up while focusing on her gaze, and steps one step towards her, but appears 10 meters forward before saying. 'This is all I did. It is a technique to fold space and time, but I have yet to learn the time part. Also, seeing as this is possible while my body is still mortal, it seems more complex than I thought.'
The tigress' jaw nearly drops as this, as she extends her aura towards him. Having thought that he was just a much higher realm than her at first she ignored this a little easier, but seeing as the one before her is mortal, yet claims to befriend a descendant of their ancestor a divine tiger she has a hard time understanding this.
Observing her face closely, he sighs and says. 'It is fine if you can not help. Once back in my own timeline I will work on perfecting this technique. By the way, since you seem in disbelief, I guess telling you one thing would not hurt too much more. One of your cubs who becomes my friend, finds a wonderful divine tiger descendant mate in the future and they have 4 wonderful cubs.'
With that said, the tigress smiles and says. 'Now I am certain you are lying, at least about my babies since there is not any other divine tiger descendants on this planet. So back off human.'
'*Sigh, That does not seem possible unless it was his sister maybe? Anyways, and to think he said that animals and beasts are supposed to help people. His human form was quite surprising when we had a big meat feast together.' Yueliang replies subconsciously as he walks back to the area he was sitting at a moment ago while walking on the air.
At the words of this strange human standing before her, she sighs, but in the end stays silent as there is nothing she can say at the moment. Plus feeling a bit tired she goes to sleep after licking her second yet last cub of this litter.
Seeing as the tigress has fallen asleep, he keeps walking until he is at the entrance of the cave with no pathway down, only steep loose rocks, or a drop off where he decides to sit and look out for a while. Not really for any particular reason like looking out for them, but instead because he wants to think on where he went wrong with his technique. Having the desire to fix this he ponders over the current situation calmly as he looks out at the forest.
The time passes quickly second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day all in deep thought of where he went wrong, and trying to understand more of this technique. His eyes blank as if he were not even living while deep in thought, and not having eaten over the past few days just sitting on the small cliff edge.
A few more days pass, making it six days of sitting and thinking without food nor water, yet his body does not look the slightest bit different as the tigress comes out to eat. Seeing the strange human sitting in front of her cave, she was about to roar at him before remembering his earlier words and asks. 'What are you still doing here? I have long since finished giving birth to my cubs.'
These words while not heard by Yueliang, cause him to snap out of his daze and turn around to face the voice. Seeing the tiger, he says aloud. "Sorry, I missed what you said. Regardless, are you all better? That was certainly quick, I only sat here for a few hours I think."
Looking at him, she tilts her head and asks with soul communication. 'Are you an idiot or something? It has been six days and a few hours since I finished giving birth.'
Hearing the insult first surprised him, until he hears the reasoning and exclaims. "What?! Surely I just sat down, how could time have passed so quickly? Are you messing with me?"
'Sadly I am not. ... *Sigh. It seems you really need to get that technique of yours under control or you will be dead in month or so if that.' She reasons before continuing. 'Stay there, and get ready to do your .... Void Steps, was it? When you use it I will help guide your bodies innate chi to keep you from making another mistake.'
After saying that, she gets closer and sitting on her hind legs, she puts her paws on his shoulders while he is still sitting but his legs about to step forward by pushing off the rock. With the weight on his back it is already a surprise he is not being pushed off yet.
Focusing on his grandpa, or more specifically the most recent memory he has of him, he pushes off of the rock and steps forward feeling his bodies flow and energy change as he moves. At the same time thee tigress uses her hind legs to push off backwards to keep from falling off the ledge.. Meanwhile opening his eyes, tears start to well up but not quite flow as he sees his gramps standing before him in surprise.