Chapter 177. Genre Rules
Yui Bay. Air Temple Island. Yo.
"Please don't play with your food, my little kitten," Yoruichi loved molding her food into a little roll and rolling it across her small table.
The birth of our little girl was an unexpected surprise for us. For the past few years, I've had a barrier against conception in place using my life energy, but it seems that with spirits, even a simple natural exchange of energies is enough.
Our little mischief-maker inherited her mother's element—lightning. And I can already foresee her becoming a true Goddess of Speed in the future. Even now, she's showing phenomenal progress in mastering new techniques.
"One spoonful for Daddy," I said as I fed Yoruichi. Just then, a dragon hawk flew in through the window, delivering the latest news as it did every day.
"Thank you," I said, untying the tube from its claw and pulling out a freshly printed, rolled-up newspaper.
"Notorious criminal, the Sweating Thief, captured," I read the headline on the front page. "Over the past two months, nearly a thousand citizens of Tienhai and the Earth Kingdom fell victim to him. Anyone who encountered the thief inevitably lost their valuables and money, with the total damage amounting to seven thousand gold pieces. Trains were his primary targets. The thief had a decent understanding of life energy, which he used to carry out his dark deeds. By enhancing his external secretion glands, he increased his sweating, releasing vapors that sent those around him into a deep sleep," the text read, accompanied by a photo of today's star—a good-natured-looking chubby man who appeared to be sweating profusely even in the picture.
"The percentage of life energy-based crimes has increased by twenty percent compared to last year," Kuvira said disapprovingly as she entered the kitchen. "Good morning to everyone," she added with a "contagious" yawn.
She looked like a sleepy sparrow: disheveled hair, an untucked shirt, and eyes that seemed a bit weary. Poor thing doesn't get enough sleep, working overtime because every new crime is unique. In a way, the discovery of life energy hasn't been all good, as human imagination combined with life energy produces truly unimaginable results—not always positive.
"Last night, they caught a guy who, using life energy, mastered the art of changing his appearance and voice. There weren't many victims, just a few families, by the way, all living in the same building as the criminal himself. The young man studied his targets for transformation very professionally," Kuvira said thoughtfully. "Then, during the day, he calmly entered newlyweds' apartments, posing as the husband who was absent from work. It would have been fine, but yesterday one man came home early and caught his 'double' in the act, so to speak," she continued. I can just imagine the scene: you come home, and someone who looks a lot like you is, well, 'busy' with your wife.
"What do you mean, 'in the act'?" Yoruichi asked innocently, making us exchange embarrassed glances. We'd completely forgotten about our little troublemaker, who loved warming her ears. How could we not? Adult conversations are always so interesting!