The Little Peacock Raises a Snake (GL) Chapter 21

Fu Xiaoba suddenly felt a string in her mind snap with a bang. Her perfectly fine thoughts twisted into a tangled mess, and she no longer knew how to sort them out.
The small hands that had been pulling at Qu Linyan’s eyes a moment ago now froze near her neck. She did not know where to put them.
She widened her eyes in blank shock. Her slow little head still had not reacted to what had happened when Qu Linyan drew back half an inch and quietly met her gaze.
Fu Xiaoba froze in place. She unconsciously let out a long breath and opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but every word stuck in her throat. She could not speak even one.
After a moment of silence, Qu Linyan suddenly pressed her lips together and pulled Fu Xiaoba into her arms by the waist.
That brief taste from before seemed not enough. The soft, warm lips pressed down again, blocking all the words Fu Xiaoba had just brought to her mouth.
This time, Fu Xiaoba could not help closing her eyes. That gentle yet unyielding taking made even her breath turn hot.
She lost the ability to think. She only felt her heart lose its direction and sink deeply into that slow, clumsy tenderness. She could no longer pull herself free.
After lingering several times, Qu Linyan finally let go of Fu Xiaoba with reluctance. She drew back a little, withdrew both hands, and sat properly, gazing at Fu Xiaoba. Her eyes seemed to carry a little unease.
Fu Xiaoba’s face was already flushed, and the roots of her ears were burning. Her beautiful sleepy phoenix eyes blinked nervously several times. Her long lashes trembled, and her dazed gaze at Qu Linyan was full of not knowing what to do.
In a blur, she seemed to see feelings in Qu Linyan’s brows and eyes that could not be hidden. They were complicated and deep.
It seemed Qu Linyan was struggling with something.
After a long silence, Fu Xiaoba unconsciously licked her lips and softly broke the quiet. “Little Black, are you…”
“Repaying kindness,” Qu Linyan said.
“Repaying kindness?” Fu Xiaoba felt her mind grow even more tangled.
“Giving myself to you. Is that all right?” As Qu Linyan spoke, she turned sideways and took Fu Xiaoba’s hands. Then she asked again, “Xiaoba, is that all right?”
Fu Xiaoba trembled lightly. She lowered her eyes to look at the hands Qu Linyan held tightly, a little lost.
Her heart was beating so fast, as if it would leap out of her chest.
She did remember that in stories, the little snake who was saved had to give herself to her benefactor. Repaying kindness like this was not wrong. But among all the stories she had heard, none of them had ever mentioned that women could give themselves to women too.
That made her suspect that Qu Linyan had misunderstood something. At a time like this, should she be a little more confident and remind Qu Linyan that she had made a common-sense mistake?
Thinking this, Fu Xiaoba blushed and said softly, “Little Black, are we not both women…”
“It is fine. I do not mind.” Qu Linyan cut off Fu Xiaoba’s words. “That is not important.”
“Really?” Fu Xiaoba was half believing, half doubting.
“If you are willing, then nothing else is important.” Qu Linyan tightened her grip on Fu Xiaoba’s hands.
As long as Fu Xiaoba nodded, nothing else would be important.
From then on, her Fu Xiaoba would only be an ordinary little demon forever. No phoenix blood, no love tribulation. Even if what Qu Linyan had wanted for a thousand years was within reach, she could give it all up for this little demon. From then on, she would hold her close to her heart and protect her for a worry-free lifetime.
As long as Fu Xiaoba was willing, Qu Linyan would believe that in the vastness of heaven and earth, there would always be another way.
A way that did not require sacrificing someone else.
“Are you willing?” Qu Linyan asked again.
At that moment, Fu Xiaoba saw that Qu Linyan’s gaze was firm beyond measure. Those complicated looks that had flashed by before were now completely gone.
The fireworks blooming in the distance lit the night with brief brilliance. The unmelted snow around them seemed no longer cold.
I once thought all things in the human world were plain and ordinary. Only now do I know that the human world had simply been missing you.
*
When the fireworks burned out, the people coming and going through the streets and alleys had still not scattered.
A girl in green walked alone through the crowd, her steps light. She looked here, looked there, as if doing this could let her blend into this lively mortal world.
Only when night deepened and the crowd scattered did she realize she was still alone.
She slowed her steps and walked down the empty long street, stepping on the messy footprints left by others.
Not far behind her, Qu Linyan and Fu Xiaoba, also returning to the inn, quickly caught up and greeted her.
She raised a smile again, clasped her hands behind her back, and excitedly spoke with the two of them about how lively the streets had been and how dazzling the human fireworks were.
At last, she turned away from them with a sigh and softly hummed a song.
“I saw mountains. I saw water.
The mountains were not mountains. The water was not water.
So this was the human world, where daylight burned the eyes.
Born in darkness, I had never known the blue sky.
When winter snow melts, I too should return.
I should return but do not, lingering and refusing to leave.
Spring wind brushes me. Summer comes to welcome me.
Under the blazing sun, I turn forever to ash.”
“What is Miss Shen singing?” Fu Xiaoba leaned by Qu Linyan’s ear and asked curiously.
Qu Linyan said, “A song from the devil realm. It is about a devil who goes to the human world, from not being used to it at first, to later not wanting to leave. In the end, summer comes, and the blazing sun of the human world burns him into ash.”
“Ah?” Fu Xiaoba was frightened and covered her mouth. Softly, she asked, “Can the devil clan not stay in the human world?”
Miss Shen heard the two behind her talking. She looked back at Fu Xiaoba and smiled. “No, it is only an exaggerated song.”
She said, “The devil clan is born with cold blood. The devil realm, dark and cold all year without sunlight, has always been the most suitable place for devils to live. The high heat of the human realm is indeed no different from being steamed over a fire for devils with low cultivation, but it is not to the point that they cannot survive. In truth, the reason this song spread in the devil realm is only because too many devils long for the human world.”
Qu Linyan nodded. “The devil realm has always had devil slaves. Devil slaves are mostly cheap and loyal. Many demons living in the human world will buy one, whether as a mount or as a servant. In the end, they are all kept in the human world.”
“Then when summer comes, would they not feel especially awful?” Fu Xiaoba asked.
“Before you changed into human form, you could not use spiritual power to protect your body. In the harsh cold of winter, you always shivered.” As Qu Linyan spoke, she touched Fu Xiaoba’s head. “Are you still like that now?”
Fu Xiaoba thought for a moment and understood. “I understand. As long as their cultivation is enough to form protective spiritual power, the devil clan can survive in the human world too, right?”
“Right.” Miss Shen nodded.
“Since that is the case, and the devil clan also longs for the human world, why is it so rare to see devils appear in the human realm?” Fu Xiaoba asked curiously. “After I left Wuyou Valley, I found all kinds of demons in the mountains, forests, and even human towns. But the only devil I have seen is you.”
Miss Shen smiled. “Because there are only two paths from the devil realm to the human realm. One is the Nai River Spiritual Territory, and the other is the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains.”
“The first connects the underworld with Qianyang City in the human world. Although the underworld belongs to the earth realm, it is governed by those stubborn old fossils in the heavenly realm.” Miss Shen patiently explained, “I heard my uncle say that thousands of years ago, a disaster broke out in the earth realm. First it spread to the human world, then it involved the heavenly realm. By the time it was calmed, every realm had become a mess. After that, the heavenly realm kept strict watch over the Nai River Spiritual Territory and no longer easily allowed the devil clan through.”
After Fu Xiaoba heard this, she quickly asked, “Then what about the other path?”
Qu Linyan said, “The Ten Thousand Demon Mountains connect Cloud-Deep Valley in the demon realm with Hong Mountain in the human realm. But that mountain range is a forbidden land of the three realms. Legend says that in the ancient era, ancient demon beasts caused chaos in the earth realm. The gods could not bear to watch and do nothing. Before their lives ended, they worked together to drive those vicious demon beasts into the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains. Then they used all their strength to set a cursed seal, so those ancient demon beasts could never step even half a step out of the mountains.”
“So it is a place people can enter but not leave?”
Miss Shen shook her head. “Not exactly. Legend says ancient demon beasts still remain in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains. They have lived for tens of thousands of years. If you meet one, you will probably narrowly escape death, if you escape at all. Although there truly are people who enter and come out alive, they are the few. In truth, many more people go in and never come out.”
“So it is like that…” Fu Xiaoba listened with wide eyes.
Miss Shen said, “That is why the devils who can come from the earth realm to the human world are either lowly devil slaves sold to the human world, or people skilled enough to pass through the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains.”
“For example, you, Miss Shen?” Qu Linyan said lightly from the side.
Miss Shen smiled. “I truly did come out through the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains. But when I wanted to go back, the entrance at Hong Mountain had been blocked by a group of troublesome people. They trapped me in the human world for several months, forcing me to hide here and there. I had no other choice, so I came to ask for your help.”
Qu Linyan always felt that every word Miss Shen said was very exaggerated. So exaggerated that if another person said the same thing, Qu Linyan would feel as if her intelligence had been dragged to the ground and mocked.
Across the three realms, the number of people who entered the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains and came out alive could be counted on one’s fingers. If Miss Shen had truly come from there, then she must be an absolute expert. Could she not do as she pleased in the human world? How could she be trapped here, hide everywhere, and need help from a demon clan?
These words were ridiculous. So ridiculous that anyone with a normal mind would not choose to believe them.
Yet when such words came from Miss Shen’s mouth, Qu Linyan found that she could not completely deny them by common sense. Instead, she half believed and half doubted.
After all, this was a devil of unknown identity who cultivated two kinds of spiritual power. A devil whose depth Qu Linyan could not see at all. A devil who, no matter what method she had used, truly and actually had come to the human realm.
No matter how unreasonable this kind of devil woman’s words were, they would not surprise Qu Linyan too much.
Qu Linyan only knew that Miss Shen had too many secrets. If she was unwilling to speak, then no matter how Qu Linyan tested her, there would be no result. There was no need to ask more.
But though Qu Linyan was too lazy to ask, Fu Xiaoba’s curiosity had been stirred by this idle talk.
She chased a few steps to Miss Shen’s side and asked curiously, “Miss Shen, if what you said is true and there are people in the human world looking for trouble with you, why did you come to the human world?”
Miss Shen thought for a moment after hearing this and answered, “I was entrusted by someone, so I had to be loyal to that task. The details are not convenient to say.”
Fu Xiaoba muttered softly, “You are hiding too many things from us too. You once promised that after returning to the devil realm, you would be the flood dragon clan’s support. Can we truly believe you?”
“Some things only bring trouble if you know them. If something is not convenient to say, I will not say even one sentence. But as for anything I can say, not one sentence will be false.” As Miss Shen spoke, she looked back at Qu Linyan. “Believe it or not, that is up to you.”