The Little Peacock Raises a Snake (GL) Chapter 20

While the two of them carried on that not very friendly exchange, a barrier silently opened around them, blocking sound.
Any sound made inside the barrier could not be sensed by ordinary people.
Judging from this barrier, the spiritual power this woman controlled was netherworld power. This kind of spiritual power was not helpful for demon cultivation, but it suited the devil clan very well. This woman was likely from the devil realm.
“Devil clan?” Qu Linyan carefully studied the person before her. “That is rare.”
The green-clothed woman leaned against the railing in the corridor and folded her arms. She teased, “What, demons look down on devils?”
Qu Linyan said, “I did not say that. Not only do I respect you, I am also on guard.”
When any living being in the world gained intelligence, it could be called a demon. Even a flower or a blade of grass could cultivate. Though the earth realm’s territory was divided into three parts and the demon clan had its own place, most demons still chose to remain in the human realm that had raised them. Because of that, meeting demons in the human world was not strange.
But the devil clan was different. Most of the devil realm was dark, bitter, and cold. The clans of the devil realm were also born with cold blood and cold bodies.
To the devil clan, the human realm was hot and burning in every season except winter. This kind of temperature made many devils with lower cultivation suffer badly, so very few devils were willing to live in the human realm.
Now a devil had suddenly appeared before Qu Linyan. She had even come behind her without being noticed. Her cultivation was certainly not low, and she had most likely not come with kind intentions.
But Qu Linyan had offended many people. The only thing she could not remember was offending anyone in the devil realm.
“Are you thinking about how you offended me?” A smug smile curved the young devil woman’s mouth.
Qu Linyan gave a perfunctory smile. “I have offended too many people. I truly cannot remember.”
“I have no grudge with you. I just want to make friends.” As the young devil woman spoke, she straightened and took two steps toward Qu Linyan, who was watching her with twelve parts caution. “Qu Linyan, leader of the flood dragon clan. Five hundred years ago, you broke into the heavenly realm alone. Several months ago, you offended the Fox King and the bird clan leader at Qixia. Your name is infamous, and you are quite impressive. I have long heard of you. Now that I meet you today…”
Qu Linyan asked coldly, “Now that you meet me today, what?”
“Now that I meet you today, I am a little surprised.” As the young devil woman spoke, she looked at Fu Xiaoba and covered her lips with a smile. “I thought someone who does not fear death would have no weakness at all.”
When Qu Linyan heard this, anger rose in her. “I do not have the patience to stand here talking nonsense with people.”
After saying this, she took Fu Xiaoba’s hand and started to leave.
The young devil woman did not chase them. She only clasped her hands behind her back and said lightly, “I helped you with a great matter. You do not truly think Fu Zhuochen never searched this place, do you?”
Qu Linyan stopped. “How much do you know?”
“Not much. I know Fu Zhuochen is looking for this young lady beside you, and he is very anxious. I watched the whole time when you two fought.”
The young devil woman continued, “Hiding auras is what I am best at. If you are willing, I can place a seal on her. I guarantee that even if Fu Zhuochen stands right in front of her, he will not recognize her.”
Qu Linyan could not help frowning. When she returned earlier, she truly had been unable to sense Fu Xiaoba’s spiritual aura. Only after she pushed open the door had everything returned to normal.
So that had not been an illusion. The woman behind her had hidden Fu Xiaoba’s spiritual aura.
But Qu Linyan did not know this person at all. If someone offered help for no reason, they must want something.
Qu Linyan turned back to look at the young devil woman. “Let us speak plainly. What are you after?”
The young devil woman slowly stepped forward. “I have run into some trouble and want to find someone to help. After looking around, you are the most suitable.”
“I do not like meddling in other people’s business.”
Even thinking with her toes, Qu Linyan knew that the trouble someone this mysterious could run into would not be small. Whoever got involved would be a fool.
“Then I can only go find Fu Zhuochen and make a trade with him.” As the young devil woman spoke, she smiled faintly and brushed past Qu Linyan. On purpose, she reminded her, “I hid a soul mark on that little beauty. If you cannot find it, it will probably disappear on its own after half a month. But during this time, no matter where she is, I will know.”
This was a threat.
Fu Xiaoba instinctively leaned closer to Qu Linyan. For some reason, the woman before her had clearly been smiling the whole time, yet every sentence made Fu Xiaoba uncomfortable.
Qu Linyan watched coldly as the devil woman went downstairs. For a moment, her mind was a tangled mess.
When the devil woman walked out the inn’s front door, turned, and vanished from sight, Qu Linyan suddenly bit her teeth hard. She tossed her money pouch into Fu Xiaoba’s hand, said, “Settle the bill,” and quickly chased after her.
She had just rushed out the inn’s front door when she turned and saw the green-clothed young devil woman leaning against the wall. The girl wore a smug expression that seemed to say, I knew it, and looked up at her with a smiling face.
Fine. This girl had clearly been certain Qu Linyan would chase after her.
Qu Linyan could not help taking a deep breath. She was angry, but still had to pretend she did not care. “Little girl, were you standing here waiting for me?”
The young devil woman narrowed her eyes and smiled. “If I have a choice, I still want to choose you.”
Qu Linyan asked, “Reason? His cultivation is above mine.”
“If you truly fought, that is not certain. You are the person who first charged into the heavenly realm and later charged into Qixia.” The young devil woman’s eyes shone. “I heard that on the day Coldwater drew the omen of heaven and earth, the Fox King and the bird clan leader were both guarding Qixia. There were more than a hundred demons with at least a thousand years of cultivation there, and Fu Zhuochen was present too. Did you not still survive?”
Qu Linyan was speechless for a moment. So being hard to kill could also count as a good point.
“Besides, that man is not as easy to control as you.” The young devil woman was very direct. “As long as he finds that little beauty, I will be useless to him. You are different. You want to bring her back to the flood dragon clan. Without my help, you will not be able to feel at ease before you return. Since you and I each have our own purpose, think carefully about whether you want to work with me.”
When Qu Linyan heard the word “purpose,” her heart tightened. She was afraid this woman had found some weakness of hers and would let Fu Xiaoba hear something she should not hear.
“What purpose could I have?” Play dumb. At a time like this, she had to play dumb first.
If playing dumb did not work, should she kill her to silence her?
But the woman before her hid her spiritual aura very well. Qu Linyan could not sense the level of her cultivation at all. If she wanted to silence her, whether she could kill her was a serious question.
When the young devil woman saw Qu Linyan show a guilty look and fall into thought, she immediately misunderstood. With an expression that said, Do not explain, I understand everything, she declared with certainty, “You like her and want to take her back, eat her clean, and wipe your mouth!”
Qu Linyan did not know whether to laugh or cry. She had been nervous for so long, but the “purpose” in this young devil woman’s eyes was completely different from what she had thought.
Yet when those words were spoken, they still made Qu Linyan’s heart grow chaotic. She instinctively turned back to look inside the inn at Fu Xiaoba.
That silly girl was tilting her head at the counter, looking curiously at the shopkeeper working the abacus. At that moment, she sensed Qu Linyan’s gaze, raised her head, and grinned at her. She looked foolish, and a little cute.
How good it would be if Fu Xiaoba were only an ordinary peacock…
For an instant, Qu Linyan felt as if she had fallen ill.
Ill with hesitation, softness, and no sense of direction.
She was supposed to be cold-blooded. At least in the three realms, everyone who knew her name thought so. She had never cared about what others thought anyway. She only wanted to save Qu Muqing, and for that, she could use any means and fear neither life nor death.
But this cold-blooded person had happened to meet a little peacock.
That day, Qu Linyan had been so badly injured she could not hold on. She could only shrink her body to its smallest size, saving the last weak bit of strength to cling to life. In that state, she could not even threaten a peacock the size of a pheasant.
Do not be afraid. I will not hurt you.
Those were the first words Fu Xiaoba had said to her. Her voice had been young and silly in a somewhat cute way.
With Qu Linyan’s ability, kidnapping a Fu Xiaoba with five hundred years of cultivation from Wuyou Valley would not have required asking her opinion at all.
With Qu Linyan’s speed, returning from Wuzhou to the flood dragon clan in the earth realm would take only about ten days.
But in truth, she had asked Fu Xiaoba what she wanted. She had wasted several days here and had even enjoyed it.
She wanted to return more slowly, slower and slower, as if walking this road more slowly would keep it from reaching the end. If the road never reached the end, Fu Xiaoba would not become the final sacrifice she used.
Was this feeling truly liking someone, and not guilt from returning kindness with harm?
She did not want to think too much about it. She only moved her gaze away from Fu Xiaoba and looked back at the girl in green. Hesitantly, she said, “Speak. What do you need my help with?”
No matter what, right now, she only wanted to stay far away from that fire turkey and give him no chance to take Fu Xiaoba away.
The young devil woman beamed. “The human world is not fun. I want to return to the earth realm. Since I happen to be going the same way as you, I want to ask for some protection.”
“That simple?” Qu Linyan did not believe her.
The young devil woman curved her brows. “Did I not say I ran into some trouble? I am afraid someone will set an ambush on the road. Going alone makes me uneasy, so I want to pull someone along to cushion the fall. If I fall, at least it will not hurt as much.”
Qu Linyan asked, “You are rather direct. You want me to protect you on the way back?”
“Of course. My cultivation is weak, and my courage is small…”
Qu Linyan gave two dry laughs, as if she had heard some incredible joke.
The devil woman did not care about her reaction and went on by herself. “I am only a weak woman. My shoulders cannot carry burdens, and my hands cannot lift things. I am only good at hiding. The trip from here to the earth realm is so far. Should I not guard against accidents?”
Fine. The joke had become stronger. Qu Linyan laughed for real.
Shoulders could not carry burdens, and hands could not lift things? Even if Fu Xiaoba said those words, they would still be doubtful. Yet this young devil woman, who could block Fu Zhuochen’s spirit-searching spell and dared to hide nearby and watch Qu Linyan and Fu Zhuochen without being discovered, truly dared say anything.
“You at least have to tell me who you offended.”
Seeing Qu Linyan hesitate, the young devil woman pretended to be surprised. “What, the person who dared charge into the heavenly realm alone is afraid of trouble?”
“Miss, I hope you understand. Since I dare keep her by my side, I cannot possibly be afraid of Fu Zhuochen causing me trouble.” Qu Linyan said, “True, I have a pile of trouble on me and have long since stopped caring. If you can help me block Fu Zhuochen’s spirit-searching spell and save me effort on this matter, I can do something for you. But you are only helping me handle someone I could handle anyway, while asking me to take on an unknown trouble for you. That is a little unfair, is it not?”
“I do not even know who you are. If I help rashly and end up offending some important person in the devil clan, then I will truly have made enemies of the immortal, demon, and devil realms. My name will be remembered forever.”
The young devil woman nodded. “I promise you this: as long as I return safely to the devil realm, the devil clan will support the flood dragon clan from now on. Then neither the immortal realm nor the demon realm will dare touch your flood dragon clan at all.”
Qu Linyan unconsciously clenched her fist.
The fox clan was now honored above the demon realm. Several months ago, Qu Linyan had just offended both the fox and bird clans. The flood dragon clan’s future days in the demon realm would probably not be easy. If the devil clan truly stood behind them, it would be a good thing.
Such terms were hard not to be tempted by. But the person before her had an unknown identity. Who could guarantee she was not speaking wildly?
Qu Linyan frowned. “Who exactly are you?”
The young devil woman said, “You can call me Miss Shen.”
Qu Linyan heard this and smiled faintly. “You will not even say your full name?”
Miss Shen spread her hands. “I am a bad person. I should always be a little mysterious. So, Great Clan Leader Qu, do you not want to make a bet?”
This woman was definitely not simple.
Qu Linyan thought for a moment, then raised her brow. “Traveling together is possible, but I am slow.”
“How slow can you be?”
“As slow as possible.” Qu Linyan smiled. “I am walking back on my own two legs.”
Miss Shen seemed to have heard something unbelievable. She froze for a good while before returning to herself. “Fine. Wandering through mountains and rivers is something I like too.”
“Then may you not forget today’s promise.”
*
Wuyou Valley was at the border of Wuzhou. To Fu Xiaoba, leaving Wuzhou meant completely leaving the hometown where she had lived for five hundred years.
She had thought she and Qu Linyan would travel as two companions, eating, drinking, and playing all the way to the earth realm. She had not expected another person to suddenly appear beside them and insist on traveling with them.
That woman was from the devil clan. She never showed her true form along the way, and she hid her aura well. Even Qu Linyan could not tell which clan of the devil realm she belonged to.
As for her identity, it was even more mysterious. Aside from saying that her surname was Shen, she revealed nothing else.
Miss Shen had a very pretty little face and a lively nature. Along the way, she kept pulling Fu Xiaoba into cheerful conversation.
When Fu Xiaoba first met Miss Shen in the morning, she had been somewhat afraid. At first, when she heard Qu Linyan say they would travel with her, she had resisted it a little in her heart. But now that they were chatting happily, she forgot all of that.
“Xiaoba, why are you called this name?”
“I was the eighth one in my family to break out of my shell, so I am called Xiaoba.”
“Then what is Fu Zhuochen to you?”
“My brother.”
Miss Shen made a confused sound. “He is your brother? I saw him use so much effort to look for you, and I thought he was…”
“Ah? Thought he was what?” Fu Xiaoba looked blank.
“Nothing.” Miss Shen waved her hand. After thinking for a moment, she asked curiously, “That is not right. He should be at least three thousand years older than you, yes?”
“Oh, that. I was picked up and brought home by him.” Fu Xiaoba said seriously, “Back then, aside from him, I was the only peacock in Wuyou Valley who had gained intelligence. But I was born lazy and wasted a hundred years without cultivating. He could not stand watching it anymore, so he personally caught me and brought me home, acknowledged me as his younger sister, and urged me to cultivate every day.”
“Then why did he not give you a name?”
Fu Xiaoba shook her head. “He said that after I cultivated a human form, he would give me one. But after I cultivated a human form, I kept following Little Black. Even now, I still have not seen him once.”
“Since that is the case, have you never thought of choosing a name for yourself?”
When this came up, Fu Xiaoba grew angry. She instinctively raised her head and glared at Qu Linyan.
Qu Linyan had been walking at the front to lead the way, but she had kept her ears raised, listening to the two behind her chat about everything. Now that Miss Shen suddenly asked this question, Qu Linyan instinctively looked back and happened to receive Fu Xiaoba’s hard glare. She could not hold back and burst out laughing.
That laugh made Fu Xiaoba anxious at once.
A demon’s name should be given by family after they cultivated a human form. Fu Zhuochen was not beside her, and she treated Qu Linyan as family. Yet Qu Linyan had taken the chance to laugh at her in a roundabout way, saying she looked like a mountain pheasant!
If the matter had passed, it would have passed. But now that someone else brought it up, Qu Linyan actually dared laugh aloud. Too much. Far too much!
If that ugly, embarrassing name was heard by a third person, Fu Xiaoba would dig a hole in the ground and bury herself, just to avoid hearing Qu Linyan and an outsider laugh beside her in a duet.
Fu Xiaoba shouted angrily at the top of her voice, “Qu Linyan! You are still laughing!”
Qu Linyan froze. Usually, when would Fu Xiaoba call her like that? Even if she was angry and wanted to yell her full name, she mostly called her Fu Xiaohei. Starting with “Qu Linyan” was rare.
“Are you angry?” Qu Linyan quickly turned back and walked a few steps to Fu Xiaoba’s side. She gently took her hand and coaxed, “I bought some candied fruit this morning. Want some?”
Fu Xiaoba angrily rolled her eyes and said, “No need! I do not want it!”
Qu Linyan quickly smoothed her feathers. “Wrong, wrong. Do not be angry. The name you gave me is ugly too, but I did not say anything, did I?”
“How is Little Black ugly? How is Fu Xiaohei ugly?” As Fu Xiaoba spoke, she pushed Qu Linyan unhappily. But she forgot there was a wound on Qu Linyan’s arm. This push made Qu Linyan suck in a cold breath, and Fu Xiaoba trembled along with her. The little bit of anger in her heart instantly scattered. She flusteredly apologized again and again. “I forgot you were hurt. Little Black, are you all right? Does it hurt badly?”
In truth, it did not hurt very badly. It only hurt that one moment when the wound was touched.
But when Qu Linyan saw Fu Xiaoba so foolishly anxious for her, her heart could not help secretly rejoicing. She could not resist teasing this little fool a little more.
“It hurts so much. It hurts to death…” Qu Linyan’s heart moved, and she began acting on the spot. “It feels like the wound split open.”
“Ah? It cannot be!” Fu Xiaoba reached out to lift Qu Linyan’s sleeve. “Let me see. Let me see… No, there is no blood flowing out…”
“But it hurts so much,” Qu Linyan said softly, sounding very wronged.
“Then what should we do?” Fu Xiaoba asked anxiously.
“Maybe if I eat something sweet, it will not hurt as much,” Qu Linyan said. “I bought some this morning.”
Fu Xiaoba frowned. “That is not medicine!”
Qu Linyan said, “If my heart is sweet, I will not remember the pain.”
“Is that so…” Hearing this, Fu Xiaoba blushed without noticing. She reached out and began searching Qu Linyan’s body. “Then, where did you put what you bought?”
Those restless little hands tickled Qu Linyan badly. She laughed while dodging backward, then spread open her left palm and took the candied fruit from her spiritual pouch.
“Here.”
Fu Xiaoba quickly took it, opened the paper packet, and fed pieces into Qu Linyan’s mouth one after another.
The one feeding asked, “Is it better? Does it still hurt?”
The one eating answered, “Much better. You eat too.”
Just like that, one piece for you and one piece for me, the two of them began acting sticky and sweet. They completely forgot that a living, breathing person was still standing nearby, full of confusion.
*
From Wuzhou to Fenglu, if they used magic, they could arrive in three days at the slowest.
But in truth, the three of them did not even have one mount. They crossed mountains and ridges on foot, ate in the wind, and slept in the open. Only when they occasionally passed a village could they properly rest for a night.
During the day, they slowly traveled. When they were tired, they rested and ate. At night, they casually found a place that could barely block the wind and rain and made do there.
On such a trip, Qu Linyan and Fu Xiaoba actually seemed to enjoy themselves. It was as if they did not have a destination at all, and were simply wandering through mountains and rivers.
During the time they traveled together, Qu Linyan discovered that this Miss Shen of unknown identity truly did have some ability. Fu Zhuochen’s spiritual power was shockingly strong. He could spread his spirit-searching spell over a thousand miles. Several times, it reached the places where they were, yet Miss Shen dispelled it one by one.
Each time Miss Shen resisted the spirit-searching spell, the spiritual power she used was not netherworld power, but a blue-green spiritual light Qu Linyan had never seen or heard of before.
All living beings of the three realms, if they wanted to cultivate, had to draw in spiritual energy from heaven and earth and make it their own.
There were many kinds of spiritual energy in heaven and earth. There were natural spirits such as wind, thunder, wood, earth, water, fire, and metal. There were also opposing powers of light and dark, such as sunlight and netherworld energy, which were hard to contain together.
Besides those, there were some powerful spiritual energies in the world that were relatively difficult to use for cultivation. Ordinary cultivators could not control them at all.
No matter which kind of spiritual power one cultivated, one had to focus on it. Doing otherwise easily harmed the body and destroyed the spirit. But nothing was absolute. Some people were truly gifted, with bodies strong enough to cultivate two kinds of spiritual power at the same time.
Clearly, Miss Shen was this kind of person. But in daily life, she never used that rare spiritual power. She only showed netherworld power, as if worried that the other power would bring trouble.
For some things, if Miss Shen did not speak, Qu Linyan did not want to ask. After all, from the time they met until now, Miss Shen had not even told them her real name. The trust between them was only that cheap.
Fu Xiaoba usually looked silly, but in truth, she was only inexperienced and knew little. When she needed to understand, her heart was especially clear.
Miss Shen’s nature was very cheerful. She told Fu Xiaoba stories, took her to break ice by the river and catch fish, and chased rabbits and birds with her in the woods.
Fu Xiaoba had a good impression of Miss Shen, but it stopped at liking her company. In her heart, she kept a proper distance. Her thoughts were about the same as Qu Linyan’s. A woman whose identity was a mystery was not worth deep friendship. They were only traveling together for a time. When it was time to part, they would part.
Also, Fu Xiaoba gradually discovered that she actually did not like the feeling of three people.
Whenever she saw Miss Shen and Qu Linyan chatting and laughing, her heart felt uncomfortable. She had to think of a way to make Qu Linyan notice that she existed. Even when they slept outside at night or stayed in a village home, she insisted on sleeping between the two of them, turning sideways to hug Qu Linyan’s arm and refusing to let go. She was afraid Qu Linyan would think Miss Shen was lively, cheerful, and pretty, then turn around and abandon her.
Fortunately, that worry did not become reality. Qu Linyan seemed to notice her dissatisfaction and slowly began keeping distance from Miss Shen. She turned changing faces into a personal specialty: coldness and gentleness could switch in one second.
Half a month passed in a blink. After seeing many landscapes, the three of them finally reached Fenglu.
That day happened to be New Year’s Eve in the human world. Even snow filling the sky could not cover the festive feeling of every household pasting red decorations and hanging lanterns.
Children wearing little padded jackets played with snow by the road. Some were quiet, while others chased each other. It was very lively.
When Fu Xiaoba passed by and saw them, she looked up, tugged Qu Linyan’s sleeve, and shouted that she wanted to go play with them.
Before Qu Linyan could react, Miss Shen had already pulled Fu Xiaoba and run toward the children. Qu Linyan could not help growing angry.
Fine, Fu Xiaoba. Usually, when I say a few words to someone else, you get unhappy. But you spend every day sticking close to her and never think about my feelings!
Miss Shen bent down with a smile and asked, “Little friends, can you bring your big sisters along to play?”
The young children had never seen two such pretty older sisters. For a moment, they stared foolishly. Only after they froze for a good while did one little girl say with a red face, “We are building a snowman, and those boys are throwing snowballs. Big sisters, what do you like?”
Miss Shen crouched before the little girl and picked up a handful of snow. “I like either one. How about… we build the biggest snowman on the whole street together?”
“Mm!” The little girl heard this and nodded again and again. The two little girls beside her also happily gathered around.
Their voices were soft and sweet. Fu Xiaoba’s heart nearly melted from listening. She quickly turned and waved to Qu Linyan, signaling her to come play too.
Hmph. When you went forward earlier, I did not see you pull me along. Now you call me over, and I am supposed to come? Do I not need any pride?
Besides, how old are you, still playing with snow? So childish.
Qu Linyan coldly shook her head and did not step forward. She only stood at the side with a stern face and folded arms, watching in silence.
She watched as one demon and one devil, two big girls, acted like ordinary people and put away the spiritual power protecting their bodies. They played with three little human girls with milk-soft voices and began building “the biggest snowman on the whole street.” The children having a snowball fight nearby saw this and came over to help too.
The snowman’s body slowly grew from nothing, bigger and bigger. Soon it was taller than Fu Xiaoba. When it came time to build the head, only Fu Xiaoba and Miss Shen could reach.
“Sister, here!”
The short boys and girls picked up clean clumps of snow from around them, stood on tiptoe, and handed them to the two sisters. Every one of them was happy and excited.
Qu Linyan fell silent.
Was it that fun?
Qu Linyan could not resist moving a few steps closer. She looked at Fu Xiaoba’s small hands, red from the cold, and for a moment she was lost in thought.
Fu Xiaoba turned her head and saw Qu Linyan had come. She hurriedly said, “Little Black, come help!”
Qu Linyan froze. Suddenly, someone tugged her sleeve. Looking down, she saw a little girl holding up a clump of snow to her and calling softly, “Big sister, here.”
“Th… thank you.” Qu Linyan’s face reddened slightly. She reached out, took the snow, and slapped it onto the snowman’s forehead.
“Qu Linyan, do you know how to do this? It is crooked!” As Miss Shen spoke, she reached out and smoothed the sudden lump of snow flat.
Qu Linyan was silent.
“Little Black, you have to put it in the places that are lower.” Fu Xiaoba demonstrated from the side. “The back is not done yet. Put it in the back.”
For once, Qu Linyan obediently nodded. “All right.”
…
In the end, that snowman was built as tall as a courtyard gate.
The children gave it a nose and eyes, used brooms for its left and right hands, wrapped a scarf around it, and decorated it with little paper-cut flowers. It stood tall beside the lively street, and every person who passed could not help looking at it.
When they left, the children stood beside the snowman and waved both hands to say goodbye. Their hands and faces were red from the cold, but their eyes were full of joy.
“Little Black, those children are so cute, as cute as you were when you were little.” Fu Xiaoba held Qu Linyan’s hand and swung it back and forth.
“When I was little…” Qu Linyan was briefly speechless.
That memory was practically the darkest history of her demon life. If her size and cultivation had not been limited by the dream at the time, Fu Xiaoba, who had once been very afraid of her, would never have grown more and more bold.
“Yes. You were especially cute when you were little. Small and soft. But your temper was pretty bad!”
When Miss Shen heard this, she quickly leaned in and asked, “When she was little? Xiaoba, you are only so old. When Qu Linyan was still a child, you should not have been born yet, right?”
Fu Xiaoba answered honestly, “I was there, I was there. Little Black used a shuttle to bring me into a dream. In the dream, she looked like a child and could not even reach the stove!”
When Miss Shen heard this, her gaze changed subtly for an instant. In the next moment, she hid all of it beneath her eyes. “So that is how it was.”
Other people’s dreams were easy to enter but hard to leave. With one mistake, a person could become lost inside. If the person entering the dream could not find the exit before the dreamer woke, they would vanish together with that dream.
But legend said there was a spiritual treasure in the world called the Dreamweaving Shuttle. Holding this shuttle while entering another person’s dream meant one did not need to fear the dreamer waking or the dream ending, and would not suffer any backlash from the dream.
No wonder Qu Linyan had suddenly escaped when fighting Fu Zhuochen that day. At the time, Miss Shen had been very curious. She had thought Qu Linyan had some way to completely hide her body and spiritual aura, which was why she had followed her out of curiosity until now.
Now it seemed that back then, Qu Linyan must have used the Dreamweaving Shuttle to hide inside a passerby’s dream.
If she truly had this object in hand, it was no wonder Qu Linyan had successfully escaped Qixia Mountain that day.
Seeing Miss Shen look thoughtful, Qu Linyan became a little more guarded.
When the three of them found an inn to stay in, night was nearly falling.
Perhaps because New Year’s Eve had arrived and every household sought reunion, the business for places that housed travelers from afar seemed a little quieter.
The innkeeper gathered the few workers who had not returned to their hometowns. They pounded New Year cakes, wrapped dumplings, and invited the few guests in the inn to share a warm New Year’s Eve meal.
This was Fu Xiaoba’s first time sitting at such a lively table. Even though it was only simple New Year cakes and dumplings, she ate with great happiness.
During the meal, the young cook even blushed faintly and said to Fu Xiaoba, “Miss Fu, do not look at how quiet it is outside now. Every family is eating New Year’s Eve dinner. Later, the city will set off fireworks. At that time, many people will come into the streets, and the streets will be lively all the way until midnight.”
“That is right, three misses. If you want to watch the fireworks, you must go near the main city tower. It is closest to the place where they set them off. You can see most clearly there, and the sound is loudest too.”
“Fireworks? What kind of flowers are those?” Fu Xiaoba looked blankly at Qu Linyan.
“You will know when you see them later,” Qu Linyan said.
Miss Shen, sitting nearby, clapped her hands and said, “I know this one! Legend says there is a demon called Nian. It is more than ten feet long, has one horn on its head, and a mouth full of fangs. Every New Year’s Eve, it appears in the human world, eats people, and causes chaos. Later, people discovered that Nian was especially afraid of red, afraid of firelight, and afraid of huge sounds. To pass the New Year in peace, people hung red couplets and red lanterns on New Year’s Eve and made fireworks and firecrackers to set off at night. In the end, they successfully drove the Nian beast away. After that, the customs of pasting red decorations, hanging lanterns, setting off fireworks, and lighting firecrackers were passed down year after year.”
“There is actually such an interesting thing!”
“Mm!” Miss Shen nodded, then turned to look at the sky outside the window with longing. “They say fireworks are like night-blooming flowers opening in the sky. They only bloom for an instant, but they are dazzlingly beautiful.”
“Have you seen them?” Fu Xiaoba asked.
Miss Shen shook her head. “We do not have these customs where I come from.”
“That makes sense.” Fu Xiaoba nodded, then looked at Qu Linyan. “Has Little Black seen them?”
“I have. They are just like that.” Qu Linyan spoke faintly.
She had happened to see human fireworks a few times. They were noisy, and the spiritual light from a fight between higher-cultivation demons or devils was more dazzling than those things. There really was nothing much to see.
“Then will you go with me to watch them later?” Fu Xiaoba asked.
“I can go with you,” Miss Shen said. “Qu Linyan is clearly not interested in that.”
“Who said…” Qu Linyan grew a little anxious and reached out to tug Fu Xiaoba’s sleeve. “I will go with you.”
Fu Xiaoba happily nodded.
After dinner, Fu Xiaoba held Qu Linyan’s hand and skipped into the street.
Miss Shen originally followed at their side, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far and would not let them get separated. Later, something else drew her attention, so she turned and wandered on her own, no longer following those two sticky people and asking for boredom.
The two of them walked for a long time. At last, they chose a quiet riverbank and sat down.
Fu Xiaoba looked at the tall main city tower on the other side of the river. While waiting for the fireworks, she hummed a nameless little tune.
But no matter how one listened, the tune sounded off-key and dry. It was truly a little hard on the ears.
Qu Linyan could not hold back and said what was in her heart. “What are you singing? It sounds awful.”
“I am just humming! No one ever taught me!” Fu Xiaoba glared at Qu Linyan. “If you sing nicely, then sing one for me!”
Qu Linyan pouted. “If you tell me to sing, I have to sing?”
Fu Xiaoba snorted and pushed her luck. “You simply do not know how!”
Qu Linyan looked at Fu Xiaoba, and her face could not quite hold its dignity. After several seconds of silence, she finally opened her mouth.
“Nether fire leads the soul across.
The old life is one long dream.
…
People say mortal love and hatred last longer than the sky,
But they cannot outlast forgetting.
…
Willows by the riverbank,
Old alleys and long streets,
The setting sun and evening wind turn cold.
…
Yet it seems just like the old days.”
“What are you singing? It sounds so sad…” Fu Xiaoba muttered softly.
Qu Linyan heard this and said unhappily, “You can choose not to listen!”
“Can you not change to another song?”
“I only know this one,” Qu Linyan said. “And this one, I only learned because a friend of mine would sit alone by the cliff and sing it sadly whenever she had nothing to do. I heard it so many times I was forced to learn it.”
Fu Xiaoba could not help feeling curious. “Did that friend of yours have something sad in her heart?”
Qu Linyan thought for a moment, hugged her knees, and nodded. “She did, I suppose. That friend of mine…”
Before she finished speaking, a huge sound suddenly came from not far away.
She raised her eyes and saw fireworks fill the sky across the river.
“Wow! Little Black, look!” Fu Xiaoba excitedly grabbed Qu Linyan’s arm, shaking it hard as she shouted, “Look, hurry and look!”
“I see them, I see them…”
“They are so pretty!”
The earth-shaking sounds that Qu Linyan had hated before were now covered by Fu Xiaoba’s slightly noisy shouting beside her ear. Yet Qu Linyan did not feel annoyed at all.
Qu Linyan stared blankly at the fireworks blooming one after another in the sky. She actually felt they were a little different from the ones she had seen before.
It seemed… they were much prettier than before.
Fu Xiaoba lifted her neck and stared at the sky, dazed for a long while. She could not help saying, “Brother was right…”
“What?” Qu Linyan turned to look at Fu Xiaoba.
The brilliant light reflected in those beautiful phoenix-shaped eyes. Her delicate, plain little face was lit and shadowed by the flashing fireworks, and it seemed capable of stirring a person’s soul.
“There is nothing good about being an immortal. No wonder demons first learn to be human when they cultivate the Way. The human world is truly wonderful. These few short dozens of days have already been better than a hundred years in the mountains.” Fu Xiaoba slowly blinked and sighed. “If I really only follow the tribulation, live because of it, and die because of it, would I not have come to this mortal world for nothing?”
“You like this place?” Qu Linyan asked.
Fu Xiaoba nodded. “I like it.”
“Then… are you still willing to go back with me?” Qu Linyan asked again.
Fu Xiaoba kept nodding. “Of course!”
Qu Linyan hesitated for a moment. “Since you like the human world, why not stay?”
“Will Little Black stay?” Fu Xiaoba turned to look at Qu Linyan.
Qu Linyan froze, then answered, “I have to go back.”
“If you are not here, what would I stay here for?” Fu Xiaoba raised her head again to look at the sky. “Little Black, the waiter said earlier that New Year in the human world is usually spent with family!”
“Spent with family…”
“Yes!” Fu Xiaoba said seriously. “This is my first New Year in the human world, and I am spending it with you! From now on… we count as family, right?”
It was as if something plucked a heartstring. Qu Linyan could not help freezing where she sat.
The fireworks across the river continued. But in all that noise, she quietly stared at the girl before her. Without realizing it, her vision blurred beneath a layer of mist.
She quickly turned her head away and reached up to wipe her eyes.
“Little Black, what is wrong?”
“Sand got in my eyes…” Qu Linyan said awkwardly.
“I will help you look!” Fu Xiaoba immediately grabbed Qu Linyan’s shoulders and forcefully turned her to face her.
Qu Linyan fell silent.
“Which eye? I will blow on it for you.” As Fu Xiaoba spoke, she leaned forward a little, almost pressing on top of Qu Linyan.
Qu Linyan instinctively leaned back. Her right hand pressed hard against the ground so she would not fall over backward.
She had just wanted to say something when Fu Xiaoba leaned close. Her clumsy four fingers pulled at Qu Linyan’s two eyelids separately. Under Qu Linyan’s shocked gaze, she blew on the left, then blew on the right…
Those faint, thin lips and those threads of cool breath seemed to blow into the most barren empty place at the bottom of Qu Linyan’s heart.
Qu Linyan could not help trembling lightly. She unconsciously swallowed hard, then reached out and grabbed Fu Xiaoba’s two slender wrists.
“Eh?” Fu Xiaoba blankly loosened her fingers. Looking at the face so close it was almost touching hers, her breathing quickened without her realizing, following the beat of her heart.
“Little… Little Black…”
Before she could finish speaking, that sudden soft warmth came close and sealed her trembling lips.