Zodiac Guardian

If you like this, please vote. Thanks, friends.

A man in his thirties, bare-chested and wearing only large underpants, walked towards inner. Upon seeing Qi Yue, he burst into laughter, "Where have you been these days, boy? People have been looking for you a lot lately. Did you get into some troubles? And who is this pretty chick? Won't come cheap, you know! You used to pretend to be this innocent guy who wanted his first girl to be a virgin. Well, has that changed? Miss, where are you from? I've never seen such a beauty like you around here!"

Feeling embarrassed, Qi Yue quickly replied, "That's my friend, Brother Li. Her name is Ji."

Brother Li said impatiently, "No shit, I know she's a chick. Alright, we're bros, I won't steal her from you. Introduce her to me when you're done."

Ji Mingming's face went from red to pale. Luckily, Brother Li left for the public restroom before she exploded.

Qi Yue gave an embarrassed laugh. "Actually, Brother Li is a good man. He used to be a businessman, but he lost everything in a business failure. He's a loner now, and his only bad habit is women."

Ji Mingming snorted, "You two really are birds of a feather. Hopefully, this is my last visit to your place."

Qi Yue opened the door and turned on the only light inside. His room was beyond messy, to the point where using the word 'messy' seemed to be an insult to the word itself. As soon as they entered, a musty smell hit their noses. Magazines, cigarette butts, and dirty clothes were scattered on the floor, and the combined smell could compete with a biological weapon.

Ji Mingming stood at the door, gathering courage for a while, but was unable to take a step inside, "Are you a Kylin or a dog Zodiac Guardian?!"

Qi Yue asked in surprise, "Why do you ask that?"

Ji Ming Ming gave a bitter smile, "Because your place is like a dog's kennel. No, a dog's kennel might be cleaner than this. Your place should be described as a dump. Have you always lived like this?"

Qi Yue felt quite comfortable being back on his turf. He laid down on his only bed, "Yes, this is where I live. I only get 600 yuan from the government's welfare program each month. The rent here is 200, and the remaining 400 is just enough for my food and cigarettes. Sometimes, I have to choose between food and smokes. Anyway, let me clean up." As he spoke, he rolled off his bed and began to clean up his room.

Ji Mingming put her luggage aside, found a handkerchief from somewhere, and helped him tidy up his room while covering her nose and mouth.

After more than half an hour of hard work by both of them, Qi Yue's room finally had some space to walk, and most of the room's smell was dispersed. It still stank, but it was tolerable.

Removing the handkerchief from her face, Ji Mingming breathed a sigh of relief. Qi Yue found two bags of instant noodles from somewhere, not sure if they were expired or not, and started boiling water. "Let's make do with these. It's late now, I'll take you out for something else in the morning."

Ji Mingming sat on the edge of the bed. "Qi Yue, let's move out together tomorrow."

Qi Yue laughed. "You're not asking me to live at your place, are you? Aren't you afraid your family will kick me out?"

Ji Mingming snapped, "Not my place, of course. Don't worry, we surely can find you a place to stay. The environment here is just too bad."

Qi Yue handed Mingming a serving of instant noodles. "We'll discuss it later. I don't mind whether we stay or go. Having a free place to stay is naturally good. But remember, I won't accept money from you. I'm not a freeloader."

Ji Mingming glanced at him, "You have to be capable enough to freeload, you know. Do you think a stunning beauty like me would need to find a freeloader?"

Qi Yue complained with a sense of grievance. "You don't have to insult me like that. I may not be very handsome, but I can at least pass for a regular-looking guy."

Ji Mingming pretended to vomit, "Enough, quit bragging. I'm going to teach you the Ascension of Kylin now. Your future accomplishments will depend on your own effort."

Qi Yue nodded and made a single-handed gesture pointing to the sky. "For the sake of becoming a superhero with underwear worn on the outside, I will try my best."

Ji Mingming chuckled, "Can you please talk more elegantly? This 'underwear on the outside' thing sounds really lame."

Qi Yue laughed, "This is my style. Alright, Teacher Ji, we can start."

Ji Mingming gave him a glance. It turned out that, although Qi Yue was not exactly a good guy, chatting with him did make her feel relaxed and happy once they had established their friendship.

"The Ascension of Kylin is not a difficult practice. Our overall practice can be called Ascension of Clouds. Each cloud ascended corresponds to an improvement in power. The Ascension of Kylin is specifically designed for you. Whether it's a Zodiac Guardian or a rogue like you with the Kylin bloodline, we all focus on unlocking our potential during our practice. Because we inherited the ancient blood that contains much more potential than ordinary people, constant practice to turn potential into power is the best strategy. Do you understand what I just explained?"

Qi Yue nodded, "I did graduate from elementary school you know. I understand. Please continue and just tell me how to practice. I'll try my best."

Ji Mingming then said solemnly, "Clouds are elusive, similar to our power. We practice our ability, which is closely related to our zodiac. For example, I practice the ability of the rooster, which mainly focuses on the beak, wings, claws, and voice. Thus, these four features represent the power of my Ascension of Clouds. You are a Kylin, representing celestial auspiciousness. Kylin's power is largely balanced, with no particularly strong or weak points. In ancient times, Kylins could use specific chants to subdue other beasts. When humans inherited the Kirin bloodline, these chants became the methods to manipulate Kirin power. The chant is simple, you may have heard of it. It's the Nine-character True Words: Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Qian, Xing. These nine words will be the mantra you use to activate your powers. Your method of snapping your fingers is essentially akin to a blind cat coming across a dead mouse."

As Qi Yue was about to repeat these Nine-character True Words, he said the first word "Lin," and a small flame popped up on his right hand. Compared to when he snapped his fingers, this flame was much brighter. Qi Yue felt something strange inside him being consumed gradually. Although the speed was not fast, he could clearly feel it.

Ji Mingming smiled. "See? This is the chant that Kylin can innately manipulate and the support for your power is cloud power. The stronger the cloud power, the stronger your ability and the longer it can last. How to combine it with your innate ability is for you to figure out through your own trials and errors. Alright, now let me explain in detail the method of practicing the Ascension of Kylin."

Qi Yue looked at the flame in his hand and was thrilled. He quickly took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, "Wow, that's economizing. I don't need to buy a lighter anymore. Nice."

Ji Mingming was about to explain the practice method, but was stunned by Qi Yue's words. "You... You are using the Kylin power to light a cigarette? I... I can't believe it."