Daiyu at this point if she were dreaming or had just hit the ultimate role of fates dice, not only was the creature strong and had learned hidden intent which on its own should have been nearly impossible unless it was done through instincts, which from what she could tell it was not and instead had full control over its ability
But it was also a gentleman?!
Not only had it left her alone to bath in privacy, but it had also given her a Class two beast core?! Don't misunderstand, while these cores were a precious resource for cultivators, demonic or pure, they were not particularly rare. But even then, they were extremely valuable!
Deciding to think about it after bathing she simply shrugged it off and began to make her way to the carved-out space in the floor that was clearly a bath of some kind, taking off her now ruined robe carefully as not to touch her burnt back she slid into the small pool of cool water
"Aaah, I was not expecting such luxury in the dangerous Blood Forest" she chuckled to herself marvelling at her luck. But as she cleaned herself off her mind returned to the subject of her admittedly terrifying saviour, If she could convince him to be her familiar she would hold a larger advantage over her peers than she had before than a substantial amount
However, she had her pride and was not going to beg the beast for his help any more than she already had, that was already embarrassing
She was Zhao Daiyu! The proclaimed bloody goddess of the Ghoul Ape Sect! nobody of her generation dared deny her at the sect for fear of gaining her wrath!
Yet she had been saved not once, not twice but three times by a stranger if you counted them looking after her in the forest which she did, if she were to ask for anymore, she might bite her tongue out of shame…not that she was ungrateful of course!
If she was to convince him she must approach him with an honest deal, "even demonic cultivators must be aware of pride and debts", as her father had taught her!
But first she must heal!
Taking the Spiritual core that was sitting on her clothes, she crossed her legs and held it her lap and then she @$%#%$@#%{ERROR}#$@#${REFUSE TO WRITE ABOUT CULTIVATION}#%$^@%^#$G
When she was finished the core had shrunk a few centimetres in size and she had healed her body as much as possible…sadly her skin now had a few new scars
Sigh SHE WAS GOING TO MURDUR WHOEVER RIGGED THOSE CORES!!!
After all nobody was allowed to touch or harm her skin without permission…Although she would forgive the beast for his infringement of the rules concerning the situation
As she began to redress in her dress and sat on the makeshift bed of moss that had also been clearly made by her future familiar, she heard the beating of insect wings and then watched as he landed, albeit a little awkwardly in the tree burrow.
She couldn't help but giggle a little at that and walked over to the beast, as he looked over to her, she began to speak
"I would like to thank you once again for helping me"
"No neeed" he responded, she noticed his speech was improving
"May I ask what reason you were following me in the first place?" she asked genuinely curious
"There isss something that I waant from yoou" he countered bluntly,
Raising her eyebrows at both his straightforward answer and her luck, maybe this was how she could strike a deal "perhaps… it depends"
"I wiish too leave thiss place" he said with a longing expression
Daiyu realized immediately what he wanted, he somehow knew about demonic cultivators having a way out of the forest and wanted to use it!
"you're asking a lot…" and this was completely true. The method of entrance and exit to the death lands was her sects most closely guarded secret aside from the locations of their powerhouse and the grandmasters vault!
"I saved yooou!" the mantis interrupted her somewhat agitatedly half drawing one of its sword arms
"But I will help you under one condition!" she hurriedly finished; this was the only way that they could both survive
"kekeke Whaaaaat" it released its sinister laughter and fully drew both its lethal looking arms, she could even feel chi fluctuations!
Realizing her response would likely shape her fate she couldn't help but feel a cold sweat, thinking a bout her next words carefully she slowly responded "The method of entrance and exit to the death lands is one of the most carefully guarded secrets of both my clan and sect, if a member were to reveal its location or even its existence to an outsider they would be killed as would their family and every person that had used it recently aside from the sect elders. Even if I were to try and sneak you in its protected by a grade 5 formation and an elder at all times!"
This seemed to both calm and anger the beast, it paced around the wooden room growling to itself before it turns back to her placing its large mantis face in front of hers and saying menacingly and surprisingly clearly "then how does your condition help that?"
Giving her best smile happy that he hadn't cut her down where she stood, she answered "well the only way that an apprentice has ever brought a living creature was one way…as a familiar"
"So be mine!" she finished not even trying to hide how much she wanted him (as a familiar 😉)
Although that was a slight lie there was one other way that a creature could be brought back… as cultivation resources!