The Little Peacock Raises a Snake (GL) Chapter 16

“You use someone who never guards against you, secretly hurting her and her family. What a cruel heart you have!”
“I had no choice!”
“Do not put on that fake face before me. Your conscience turned black long ago! You can fool her, but you cannot fool me!”
“So what? Everything is settled now. She will become my wife!”
“I insist on revealing your true face to her, so she can see what kind of ruthless heart hides beneath your gentlemanly mask!”
“You may try. Let us see whether your heartfelt words can beat my few soft sentences.”
“Jiang Lang!”
“Xiaoxiao, why are you here?”
“You… you can truly say such things! In your heart, what am I?”
“Xiaoxiao, listen to me explain!”
…
As the play reached this point onstage, Qu Linyan unconsciously rubbed between her brows and glanced at Fu Xiaoba beside her.
Fu Xiaoba was watching with complete focus. Her brows were tightly furrowed, and her eyes were full of anger. When she saw the woman discover the man’s plot, she immediately clapped along with many other viewers. It was clear she had fallen deeply into the story.
Qu Linyan silently took a deep breath, leaned to Fu Xiaoba’s ear, and whispered, “I will go buy you some snacks.” When Fu Xiaoba nodded happily, Qu Linyan hurriedly got up and slipped out of the theater. Only then did she close her eyes and let out a long breath.
When they had passed this place earlier, she should never have agreed to let Fu Xiaoba go inside to listen to the play.
This was also Qu Linyan’s first time encountering these strange, drawn-out human singing voices. How could she have known that her first try would land on such an awkward story? It felt as if the whole thing was mocking her.
“I am sick…” she muttered, despising herself.
Yes, she was sick.
The person who least should have gone soft had gone soft, only because the person she wanted to use was just like the deeply hurt woman in the play: completely unguarded toward her, innocent to the point of foolishness.
Thinking of this, Qu Linyan shook her head and wandered through the streets alone. Slowly, she bought one candy figure, one box of sweet cakes, and one packet of candied fruit. Only then did she stroll back to the largest and busiest theater in Wuzhou City.
By then, today’s play had already ended for a while.
The performers had left the stage, and most of the audience had scattered. Only Fu Xiaoba remained in her seat, looking left and right, not running off by even one step, afraid Qu Linyan would not find her when she came back.
Familiar footsteps sounded behind her. Fu Xiaoba rose happily and ran to Qu Linyan in big steps, frowning as she said, “I am so angry, so angry! That Jiang Lang is a faithless man. He used Xiaoxiao’s true heart, hurt her, harmed her, and traded it all for fame and fortune. In the end, he even wanted Xiaoxiao to forgive him and stay with him!”
Qu Linyan silently held the candy figure before Fu Xiaoba’s eyes.
Fu Xiaoba took the candy figure from Qu Linyan, then continued, “Little Black, you did not see the second half. That Jiang Lang was far too bad. Xiaoxiao already knew the truth and had begun to hate him, but he still wanted to force Xiaoxiao to stay by his side!”
Qu Linyan looked away uneasily. “Then… how did it end?”
Fu Xiaoba shook her head. “The play is not finished yet. There are two more shows tomorrow and the day after. Watch it with me until the end, all right?”
“No. I do not like it much. It makes me sleepy…” As Qu Linyan spoke, she shook the sweet cakes and candied fruit in her hand. “I bought you good food. Tomorrow and the day after, you can come watch it yourself. After you finish, return to the inn. Do not cause trouble. All right?”
“All right…” Fu Xiaoba pouted. She lowered her eyes to the candy figure in her hand, gave a soft sound of surprise, and asked curiously, “Little Black, what kind of bird is this? It is so pretty! I do not think I have ever seen one before.”
“This is a phoenix.” Qu Linyan pulled Fu Xiaoba down to sit on an empty bench nearby. “Have you heard of it?”
Fu Xiaoba shook her head and bit off the phoenix’s head in one mouthful.
Qu Linyan said, “Legend says there are five phoenix birds in the world. The red one is the Feng, the blue one is the Luan, the yellow one is Yuanchu, the purple one is Yuezhuo, and the white one is Honghu. They are born noble, their bloodline is extremely rare, and they are the most beautiful birds in the three realms.”
“So the most beautiful birds in the three realms are not us peacocks.” Fu Xiaoba could not help sighing. “That makes sense. Our female peacocks are not very pretty. We drag the whole clan down…”
Qu Linyan smiled and continued, “I once heard that phoenix clan blood can make withered trees bloom in spring and bring the dead back to life…”
Fu Xiaoba’s eyes lit up at once. She licked her lips and said, “Then where does the phoenix clan live? If we can find one, then you would not have to stand against my brother anymore, right?”
Qu Linyan lowered her head, opened the oil paper around the candied fruit, fed one into her mouth, chewed twice, and said, “In the heavenly realm. Five hundred years ago, I secretly went up there once.”
“Ah, you are a demon, yet you dared go to the heavenly realm!” Fu Xiaoba covered her mouth in shock.
“What place in the three realms would I not dare go? For more than a thousand years, I have never stopped walking along the edge of life and death. I only have one life. Whoever has the ability can take it.” There was even a trace of showing off in Qu Linyan’s voice. “What is the heavenly realm? Not only did I dare go there, I caused quite a scene.”
“And then?” Fu Xiaoba’s eyes were full of curiosity.
Qu Linyan thought back for a moment. “The heavenly realm was heavily guarded. Back then, I only had a little over two thousand years of cultivation. Not long after I sneaked in, the heavenly soldiers discovered me. A lot of immortals whose names I did not know chased me. I was badly injured, my vision was blurred with blood, and there was only one thought in my mind: escape.”
“Later, in my panic, I broke into a quiet-looking residence with no one inside. Before I could even catch my breath, I ran straight into a woman in blue robes.”
“Ah, and then?” Fu Xiaoba quickly urged.
“At the time, I was covered in blood. I probably frightened her.” As Qu Linyan spoke, she instinctively pressed a hand to her chest, still shaken by the memory. “Seeing how panicked and weak she looked, as if she could not even tie up a chicken, I spent a moment thinking about who she was and whether she was important enough to take hostage. Who knew that before I could think it through, a sword suddenly appeared in her hand, and she stabbed it at me.”
“Ah!” Fu Xiaoba’s gaze dropped to Qu Linyan’s chest.
“The situation was sudden. I did not react in time, so she stabbed me squarely.” Qu Linyan felt a little uncomfortable under that stare and reached out to cover Fu Xiaoba’s eyes. “In the end, she acted as if she were the one who had been hurt. She did not even dare pull out the sword. She screamed, turned into a Blue Luan, and flew away…”
“Ah?” Fu Xiaoba listened with a blank face.
“Then I was captured. The immortal realm locked me up and questioned me, but they learned nothing. In the end, because I was the leader of the flood dragon clan and had not seriously injured anyone, they did not want to stir up the anger of my clan, so they only punished me with five bolts of heavenly lightning.” After Qu Linyan finished speaking, she shook her head with self-mockery. “Thinking about it now, it is laughable. No wonder the clan never thought well of me from childhood to adulthood. A chance ran right into my face, and I still let the chance stab me… That is exactly what it means to be useless when it matters.”
Fu Xiaoba had finished eating the candy figure while listening to the story. When she heard Qu Linyan speak of herself this way, she quickly shook her head. “Little Black, do not think that. You are already very amazing! Looking across the whole demon realm, besides you, where could there be a second person who dared charge into the heavenly realm? You are the least afraid of death demon I have ever seen!”
Qu Linyan was briefly speechless.
That was true, but why did Fu Xiaoba’s words not sound like praise?
Fu Xiaoba lowered her head and picked up a piece of candied fruit from Qu Linyan’s hand. “Little Black, do not worry. Now that I eat, dress, use things, and live all because of you, I will definitely not forget our bond today after I ascend as an upper god. When I return to the heavenly realm, I will go find the woman you mentioned and discuss things properly with her. Maybe I can borrow a bowl of blood for you.”
“Borrow… borrow a bowl of blood?” Qu Linyan did not know whether to laugh or cry. “Can that be borrowed too?”
“Ah, it is not exactly borrowing. We can trade. As long as I have it, I can trade it with her!” Fu Xiaoba patted Qu Linyan’s shoulder, her tone especially serious. “Little Black, do not worry. I will definitely help you!”
“Even if it could be borrowed, matters involving life and death are not games. Gain and loss come together. If you want to gain something, you must always pay the proper price.” Qu Linyan sighed softly. “A life for a life is the only price that is enough.”
“Is there really no other way?” Fu Xiaoba frowned.
Qu Linyan lowered her lashes and unconsciously bit the inside of her lip.
“Little Black?”
“Nothing.” Qu Linyan raised her head and smiled. She stood and straightened her clothes. “It is getting late. Let us go.”
“What are we eating tonight?”
“What do you want to eat?”
“Something I have not eaten before!”
“All right.”
Fu Xiaoba held Qu Linyan’s hand and swung it back and forth. She narrowed her eyes and smiled. “Little Black, why have you suddenly been so good to me lately?”
Qu Linyan’s fingers unnaturally pinched the corner of her robe. “Fu Xiaoba, there is no A-Qing in Soul-Wounding Valley anymore. Even if you go back with me, you will not see her.”
“I know.”
“You have shown me kindness. I will stay with you in the human world for a while. Once you have learned more things and can move through this world like an ordinary person, I…” Qu Linyan hesitated for a long time. In the end, she made her decision, closed her eyes, and said, “I will leave.”
“Why?” Fu Xiaoba frowned.
“I still have my own things to do. I do not have time to play with you forever.” Qu Linyan frowned too.
She had always been a selfish person. The phoenix in the heavens, the fox at Qixia, none of their lives had anything to do with her.
Only this silly peacock made her hesitate.
You saved me, so I will give you one chance to choose. When you left Wuyou Valley with me back then, you were so carefree. Now, can you also agree just as carelessly?
Fu Xiaoba blinked, reached out to hug Qu Linyan’s arm, and gently rubbed against it. “Then I will not play anymore. Whatever you need to do, take me with you!”
“You…”
“You are always alone. Whether you are being born or dying, you are alone. It must be very hard, right?” Fu Xiaoba raised her head and gazed at Qu Linyan. Her childish eyes could not hide their firm resolve.
She said, “Little Black, I want to stay with you!”
Her tone was especially serious.
At that moment, Qu Linyan finally knew that in this life, she was not afraid of others treating her badly. She was only afraid of others treating her well.