The Little Peacock Raises a Snake (GL) Chapter 29

[No one ever taught her how to be strong. The person who once gave her courage also gave her despair.]
[It was as if many things were clearly things she could hold tight, yet everyone insisted on forcing her to let go…]
*
The bright and dark ends of the Nai River Spiritual Territory led to two different places: the human realm, which was bright everywhere, and the earth realm, where most places never saw the sun.
After leaving the Nai River Spiritual Territory, everything around Fu Xiaoba was gloomy and dim. Blue ghost fire burned quietly. Terrifying cries seemed to reach her ears from some unknown place, faint, distant, and cold.
Ahead was a river. Above its dark green water floated scattered blue lamps. Frightening spiritual auras wrapped around it, as if countless shapeless hands were struggling upward.
When they came, Qu Linyan had told her that this river was the Nether River. In the human world, it was called the River of Forgetfulness.
Legend said the Nether River sealed away too many evil ghosts and scattered souls that could not reincarnate. If someone accidentally fell in and had lower cultivation, they would be swallowed until no bones remained, and their soul would be damaged.
Fu Xiaoba held the little black snake in her hands, drew in a deep breath, and bravely walked forward along the winding river.
After not walking long, she saw a bright red spreading in the dim distance, like sunset clouds blooming on the cold banks of the Nether River. It was strange and beautiful.
Farther ahead, she reached a long bridge leading to the other side.
After crossing the Nether River and forcing herself through the underworld, she finally arrived in hell.
Before Miss Shen entered Qu Linyan’s dream, Qu Linyan had used the Dreamweaving Shuttle to weave an empty dream by itself. In that dream, she and Miss Shen’s minds were completely clear. She would wait at the dream’s exit. Once they reached a safe place, Fu Xiaoba would send spiritual power into the dream. When they sensed the dream’s movement, they would naturally wake.
But Miss Shen said the underworld was still within the heavenly realm’s jurisdiction. To avoid extra trouble, it would be best to wake Qu Linyan after leaving the underworld.
Leaving the underworld and walking toward a place of light could bring one to the demon realm.
If one entered hell behind the underworld, then from the seventh level of hell, one could enter the devil realm.
Like a fly without a head, Fu Xiaoba wandered around the underworld for a long time. At last, by following ghost guards escorting evil ghosts, she found the entrance to hell. She went a little deeper, found a quiet corner, secretly moved her spiritual power, and woke Qu Linyan.
The little black snake slowly opened its eyes. A flash of blue-green light passed, and Miss Shen also came safely out of the dream holding the Dreamweaving Shuttle.
After all the twists and turns, Miss Shen had finally returned to the earth realm with Qu Linyan and Fu Xiaoba’s help. She could not help letting out a breath of relief. She turned back and was just about to thank them when she saw a trace of blood on Fu Xiaoba’s neck. She could not help feeling surprised. “Xiaoba, you… were hurt?”
Qu Linyan had not yet fully woken from the dream. When she heard Miss Shen’s words, she immediately opened her eyes and raised her head. She saw Fu Xiaoba’s slightly red eyes and the tiny wound that had appeared at some unknown time on her neck. In that moment, Qu Linyan’s heart was shocked and hurt. She quickly changed back into human form and reached out to touch it, but feared touching it would hurt Fu Xiaoba.
“What happened? How did you get hurt?”
“No, no…” Fu Xiaoba raised her eyes to Qu Linyan and said obediently, “It is only a tiny scratch. It does not hurt at all. Compared to that killing array last time, it is far too minor.”
Qu Linyan frowned and gently touched Fu Xiaoba’s cheek. “Who hurt you?”
“It was Brother… No, no, actually it was me.” As Fu Xiaoba spoke, she bit her lip and smiled bitterly. “I ran into Brother…”
“Fu Zhuochen? How could he…” Miss Shen spoke, then felt guilty. “Since we reached Fenglu, I stopped sensing his spiritual power. I thought he had long given up… Sorry. I was careless…”
“It is fine!” Fu Xiaoba shook her head again and again. “Nothing happened to me, did it? I brought both of you inside. Everyone is fine, right?”
“What did he say to you? Did he make things hard for you?” Qu Linyan asked anxiously.
“How could Brother make things hard for me? He already agreed to let me return with you. Otherwise, I would not have been able to bring you here.” Fu Xiaoba said seriously, “Little Black, you know that if he insisted on taking me away, how could I resist him?”
Qu Linyan frowned. “Really?”
Fu Xiaoba said guiltily, “Really.”
Qu Linyan did not believe her at all. Slightly angry, she said, “Then why were you hurt? Did you hurt yourself to threaten him?”
Fu Zhuochen was deeply hostile toward Qu Linyan. The last time they fought, every move had been fatal, with no mercy at all. As soon as Qu Linyan thought of Fu Xiaoba facing Fu Zhuochen alone while she slept, and having to protect her from him, she worried that Fu Xiaoba had suffered a great grievance.
But Fu Xiaoba only shook her head, silently shaking it again and again.
Only after several seconds, when her already red eyes filled with tears, did she gently lean into Qu Linyan’s arms and say softly, “Little Black, Brother said… you and I are fated not to walk the same road. I am not allowed to be with a demon… If I insist on leaving with you and the heavenly realm discovers it, they may punish you and involve the whole flood dragon clan…”
“Listen to that fire turkey spout… spout nonsense!” As Qu Linyan spoke, she patted Fu Xiaoba’s back with heartache and asked softly, “Xiaoba, are you afraid?”
“I am afraid… I am afraid I will drag you down,” Fu Xiaoba answered softly.
Qu Linyan was silent for a moment. She lowered her head, gently wiped away the tears at the corner of Fu Xiaoba’s eyes with cold fingers, and asked softly, “Fu Xiaoba, if immortals and demons are destined not to blend, will you try to deliver me, or will you stay with me?”
“I only need one sentence from you…” Fu Xiaoba raised her head slightly, blinked at Qu Linyan, and said seriously, “If you ask me to stay, I will not leave.”
“Then stay.” As Qu Linyan spoke, she pressed a light kiss to Fu Xiaoba’s forehead. “For the rest of our lives, we will face every obstacle together.”
“Mm!” Fu Xiaoba nodded heavily. “I will not leave. No matter what happens, I will not leave!”
“Then I will protect you lifetime after lifetime. Even if I spend all the bone and blood in this life, I will not betray this promise.”
“Then it is agreed. When I need you, you must be there!”
The two looked deeply into each other’s eyes for several seconds. Qu Linyan had just begun to feel unable to control herself when Miss Shen coughed lightly beside them. Qu Linyan instantly released Fu Xiaoba’s hands in embarrassment.
“In such a gloomy place, do not act so sweet.” Miss Shen joked casually and stepped forward to return the Dreamweaving Shuttle to Qu Linyan.
“Are you going back to the devil realm?” Fu Xiaoba raised her head and asked.
Miss Shen nodded when she heard this, then raised her eyes. “Yes. Thanks to both of you for helping.”
“Even when we are about to part, you are still so distant,” Fu Xiaoba said softly.
Miss Shen looked at the two people who had traveled with her all this way. After a moment of silence, she asked Fu Xiaoba, “Fu Xiaoba, you did not truly treat me as a friend, did you?”
Fu Xiaoba froze. “I thought… we should already be friends.”
Miss Shen raised her brow and smiled. A piece of purple jade appeared in her hand. She placed it in Fu Xiaoba’s palm, then looked up at Qu Linyan and said, “Since you brought me back, I will naturally do what I said. I will never break my word. In the future, no matter when, and no matter what happens, as long as you carry this jade to Yuntian City, the devil clan will help with all its strength.”
As she spoke, her brows curved. “As long as you remain in this earth realm, even the heavenly realm need not be feared.”
Qu Linyan glanced at the purple jade in Fu Xiaoba’s hand, thought for several seconds, then raised her eyes and said, “May you always remember today’s promise.”
*
Recently, Northern Xuan Palace had gained many flowers and trees, as if someone wanted to send a trace of warmth into that cold quietness that had not changed for a thousand years.
Everyone said Divine Lord Zhiming was the hardest god in the heavenly realm to get along with. Yet recently, the Flower God’s youngest daughter often carried all kinds of flower seeds to Northern Xuan Palace, and Divine Lord Zhiming did not seem to drive her away at all. This made many people curious, but they feared walls had ears, so there was little gossip.
The Reincarnation Mirror could only show ordinary scenes in the mortal world. When illusions, dreams, or killing arrays arose, it could not see what happened inside. If the person reflected in the mirror left the human realm, then their form could no longer appear.
These days, Ciyin worried about Yun Su and kept finding all kinds of excuses to come look in the mirror again and again. But the Reincarnation Mirror had places it could not reach after all. From the moment Fu Xiaoba entered the Nai River Spiritual Territory, it became nothing more than an ordinary mirror.
A phoenix clan fairy with a noble bloodline and a marriage agreement had descended to the mortal world for tribulation. In the end, she followed an infamous female demon into the earth realm. If this spread, it would damage the heavenly realm’s dignity and would certainly anger the Heavenly Emperor.
Because of this, the two of them tacitly hid the matter.
They would hide it until the day the Nether Soul Lamp moved strangely, until the day Yun Su was wounded by love and successfully passed her tribulation.
But paper could not wrap fire forever. No one could say whether a mistake that might be discovered at any time could truly be hidden until that day.
One day, however, a demon suddenly visited the heavenly realm and asked by name to see the Divine Lord of Northern Xuan Palace.
“Is Divine Lord Zhiming someone a demon can see just because he wants to?”
For tens of millions of years, the immortals and gods of the heavenly realm had always looked down on the demon clan. Even a small heavenly soldier felt his status was nobler than that of demons. Even if a demon cultivated into an immortal, when facing those born immortal, they were still one level lower. Very few immortals or gods had any dealings with the demon clan.
The guards at the South Heavenly Gate looked at the demon before them as if looking at a fool. Their words of dismissal were full of disdain. They were not even willing to report for him. The demon did not leave either and only quietly waited outside the South Heavenly Gate.
Some curious immortal maids heard the news and went to look from far away. They did not dare meddle. After leaving, they could only whisper all the way. Very soon, this matter became a small piece of gossip.
“Did you hear? Today, a handsome demon came to our heavenly realm and insisted on seeing Divine Lord Zhiming. He was stopped outside the South Heavenly Gate and mocked by the guards, but he still refused to leave.”
“Since the black flood dragon incident, this is the first time a demon has dared come to the heavenly realm, and he insists on seeing Divine Lord Zhiming… He really is bold.”
“Still, I went to take a look from far away. That demon does not look simple. He wore red robes, bright but not vulgar, and had a face even women would envy. Forget the ordinary human world. Even in our heavenly realm, he would be one of a kind. He did not break in like the black flood dragon either. Those South Heavenly Gate guards are truly arrogant. They would not even report for him.”
“Are you not judging by looks? A demon is not worthy of seeing an upper god of our heavenly realm.”
“Blame it on him being a demon. If he were an immortal, no one would treat him like that.”
The immortal maids chatted as they walked away. Ciyin happened to pass by. She lowered her eyes and was silent for a moment, then turned toward the South Heavenly Gate.
Outside the South Heavenly Gate, that demon was leaning against a stone pillar with his eyes closed, completely ignoring the whispers of passersby. Only when he heard light footsteps come closer and closer did he open his eyes.
Ciyin looked at the demon before her, and for an instant, her gaze went unfocused. Only after returning to herself did she ask, “Are you Fu Zhuochen?”
Fu Zhuochen examined the orange-clothed girl before him for a moment. Seeing no trace of discrimination in her eyes, he answered, “Yes.”
Ciyin thought for a moment. “I know of you. You want to see Divine Lord Zhiming?”
“Yes.”
Ciyin turned. “Come with me.”
“Fairy Ciyin!” A heavenly gate guard blocked them with a horizontal spear. “This does not fit the rules.”
Ciyin frowned slightly. “This is an old friend Divine Lord Zhiming knew in the human world back then. You stopped him here like this, and no one went to Northern Xuan Palace to report. You have long forgotten what rules are.”
“This…” The guards looked at one another, but none of them moved aside.
Ciyin’s expression grew slightly angry. “Perhaps my immortal rank is too low and I am not worthy of bringing someone through the South Heavenly Gate. If it is truly inconvenient to let us pass, I will not make things difficult. Wait while I go speak to Divine Lord Zhiming and let him see how the South Heavenly Gate guards neglect his honored guest.”
When the guards heard this, they hesitated for a moment. In the end, they stepped back half a step with ugly expressions and opened the way.
Ciyin quietly led the way. Aside from his first sentence of “thank you,” Fu Zhuochen did not speak another half sentence to her.
Back when Yun Su was about to descend for tribulation, for some unknown reason, Zhiming, who had always seemed unconcerned about Yun Su, suddenly grew worried about her safety. First, he gave Ciyin the Nether Soul Lamp and told her to secretly lock onto Yun Su’s life soul. Then he asked the Star Lord of Fate and the Old Man Under the Moon to write an absolutely safe lifetime of love tribulation, and followed her down to the mortal world himself. Even then, before descending, he was still not at ease. He insisted on personally going to the human world to find an old friend, repeatedly urging him to protect Yun Su and help her pass the tribulation smoothly.
That old friend was Fu Zhuochen, the peacock who had cared for Yun Su for these five hundred years.
Others did not know these things, but Ciyin knew a little.
She did not know why Fu Zhuochen had come to find Zhiming, but now that Yun Su had entered the earth realm, his visit must be connected to her.
Inside Northern Xuan Palace, Zhiming was staring blankly at the Nether Soul Lamp when he suddenly sensed a familiar spiritual aura he had not seen for a long time.
He turned and saw Ciyin bring someone in. Instinctively, he stood to greet him.
People in the heavenly realm had always looked down on demons and devils and would not give them a good expression. Fu Zhuochen was proud. How could he endure others’ scornful looks and pointing fingers?
If Ciyin had not happened to meet him and bring him in, then after a while longer, he might truly have forced his way in and caused a great disaster.
“Why have you come here?”
“I have something to ask of you. I did not want to trouble you to lower your noble self.”
Zhiming said, “No matter what, it is inconvenient for you to come to the heavenly realm. What happened to the transmission stone I gave you?”
Fu Zhuochen said, “Looking at it made me angry, so I threw it away.”
Zhiming was silent for a moment. “Since you did not plan to contact me again, why did you come today?”
Fu Zhuochen went straight to the point, furious. “Xiaoba entered the earth realm. You hold the Reincarnation Mirror. You know everything, yet you did nothing!”
When Ciyin heard this, she frowned and stepped forward, angrily saying to Fu Zhuochen, “You demon, because you did not see it yourself, does that mean others did nothing? What Divine Lord Zhiming has done for Susu cannot be seen from the human realm. Must he explain every detail to you?”
A flash of killing intent passed through Fu Zhuochen’s eyes. Ciyin did not notice it, but Zhiming saw it.
Without showing emotion, Zhiming poured a cup of tea for Fu Zhuochen and said calmly, “Fairy Ciyin is young and straightforward. Yun Su likes this nature of hers. Before Yun Su descended, she was closest to Ciyin.”
Fu Zhuochen took the cup and drank it all like wine. Coldly, he said, “Divine Lord, you misunderstand. I still would not dare act wildly in the heavenly realm.”
Zhiming said, “Your courage is no smaller than the black flood dragon’s.”
Fu Zhuochen took a deep breath. “I do not want to circle around with you.”
Zhiming did not waste words either. “Then speak directly.”
“Zhiming, I only want to ask you: has she ever truly been in your heart?”
Ciyin said unhappily, “What do you mean?”
Fu Zhuochen ignored her completely. He only looked at Zhiming with questioning eyes. “I know that if not for Yunni, you would never have agreed to marry her. Do you dare tell me the truth? You held the Reincarnation Mirror and ignored her falling in love with the black flood dragon. Was it really because you wanted to escape this marriage?”
Suppressed anger flashed through Zhiming’s eyes.
Everyone in the heavenly realm knew that back then, the Yuezhuo Fairy Yunni had failed her tribulation and her soul had scattered. Divine Lord Zhiming, in his anger for her sake, overturned the sky and earth of Northern Feather Kingdom. Because of this, he suffered forty-nine bolts of heavenly lightning punishment. After the punishment, his flesh was ruined all over, and it took hundreds of years of quiet rest before he recovered.
From that day on, Northern Xuan Palace lost all life, and the Black Tortoise Divine Lord who governed the north never smiled again.
This name had always been a bloody thorn in Zhiming’s heart that no one could touch. Now that someone had brought it up, Ciyin could not help saying angrily, “You wicked beast, stop speaking nonsense!”
“Noisy!” As soon as Fu Zhuochen’s voice fell, a red feather brushed past Ciyin’s neck and buried itself deep in a beam several meters behind her. A strand of blue-black hair drifted down from beside her neck.
Ciyin unconsciously retreated two steps. Her eyes were full of fright, and for a moment, she no longer dared speak.
Zhiming pressed down hard on Fu Zhuochen’s wrist and frowned. “Fu Zhuochen, this is the heavenly realm. She is the Flower God’s daughter.”
“What has this wicked beast ever feared?” Fu Zhuochen’s gaze was cold. “There are too many gods in the sky, and I do not know many of them. If she were not Yun Su’s friend, blood would have been drawn just now.”
Zhiming was silent for a long time. At last, he sighed softly. “You truly have not changed at all.”
“You have not answered my question.”
“If I meant to harm her to escape, why would I have agreed back then…”
“But you cannot have been unaware of why the black flood dragon broke into the heavenly realm five hundred years ago. Are you not afraid she will give her heart wrongly, be pushed onto the flood dragon clan’s altar, become a sacrifice, and become a second Yunni?”
“She will not!” Zhiming said firmly. “I have already used the Nether Soul Lamp to protect her life soul. If she meets danger, I am here at any time. I absolutely will not let her soul scatter.”
After hearing this, Fu Zhuochen calmed for a moment, and his tone finally softened a little. “Even so, love between immortal and demon is not tolerated by the heavenly realm. If she wholeheartedly becomes a demon for the black flood dragon, the heavenly realm will surely punish her heavily. Do you truly have no plan?”
Zhiming sat again and said faintly, “The Reincarnation Mirror is in my hands. If I do not return it, the Star Lord of Fate will find it very hard to locate her.”
Fu Zhuochen sat across from Zhiming. “How long can you delay?”
“I do not know. One day at a time.” Zhiming closed his eyes and sighed softly.
“Looking at your unconcerned face, I truly do not dare count on you.” As Fu Zhuochen spoke, he instinctively looked at Ciyin at the side.
Ciyin had only just recovered from the fright. Her almond eyes blinked, and her expression was tense. She did not dare speak or move.
She stared blankly at Fu Zhuochen. Only after a good while did she understand the meaning in his eyes. She had just wanted to turn and avoid them when she heard Zhiming speak.
“She knows everything.”
As Zhiming spoke, he opened his eyes and looked at Fu Zhuochen. “She is one of us.”
After hearing this, Fu Zhuochen no longer held back. But he still said, “You and I are not one of us. We do not walk the same road.”
Zhiming was speechless for a moment. After a pause, he asked, “What plan do you have?”
“I want the Light-Dust Sword.”
Ciyin could not help feeling shocked. Although fear filled her heart, she still blurted instinctively, “You… you demon, you actually dare covet an immortal treasure?”
Fu Zhuochen did not pay attention to her. He only explained to Zhiming, “I can create a false person, but I cannot change its spiritual aura unless I have outside help. Light-Dust was her sword. It should be able to fool the Reincarnation Mirror.”
“This is deceiving heaven. If it is discovered…”
“I will bear it alone.” Fu Zhuochen cut off Zhiming’s words, his gaze especially firm.
Zhiming thought deeply for a long time. “In the end, she has nothing to do with you. She is not worth you taking this risk.”
“If she were only the Blue Luan Fairy, she truly would have nothing to do with me. But she is Fu Xiaoba, my younger sister.” Fu Zhuochen said firmly, “If she does not want to become an immortal in this life, then I will protect her and let her be a demon for one lifetime.”
Zhiming fell into thought.
Fu Zhuochen waited for a long time. Finally, Zhiming reacted.
He said, “I will give you the item. If this is exposed one day, I will bear it with you.”
*
Soul-Wounding Valley was deep in the demon realm, between two tall mountains extremely close to the devil realm.
Although this place was also called a valley, it was completely different from Wuyou Valley.
Wuyou Valley was a small river valley between mountains. Soul-Wounding Valley was a deep, dangerous canyon between cliffs. When the two returned, it happened to be the rainy season. The water at the bottom of the valley rushed wildly, as if it could swallow people whole.
Qu Linyan’s brows carried a smile as she deliberately asked Fu Xiaoba, “Do you still remember where the entrance is?”
“Of course I remember!” Fu Xiaoba puffed up her chest and raised her head, pointing toward the distance. “I am very familiar with this place!”
In the dream over several decades, she had often followed A-Qing and Qu Linyan out of the underwater flood dragon cave to hunt for food. As for this road, once was unfamiliar, twice became familiar. She truly could not forget it in only a year or half a year.
She raised her head proudly to look at Qu Linyan. “What, do you want me to lead you in?”
Qu Linyan smiled and took Fu Xiaoba’s hand. “I should be the one leading you.”
After saying this, she drew Fu Xiaoba into her arms. Amid Fu Xiaoba’s cry of surprise, Qu Linyan flew and leaped above the entrance, waved her sleeve to part the rushing water, and lowered her eyes to smile at Fu Xiaoba in her arms, who was staring in shock. “Home.”
Before Fu Xiaoba could react, Qu Linyan had already brought her beneath the river, through the hidden current, and into the familiar underwater spiritual cave without getting even a drop of water on them.
“Not bad, Little Black!” Fu Xiaoba said. “The first time you brought me here, it took you quite a lot of effort!”
“Are you laughing at me?” As Qu Linyan spoke, she ignored Fu Xiaoba’s struggling and laughingly tickled her. “I still remember how you always tormented me like this back then.”
“I was wrong, I was wrong!” Fu Xiaoba turned and ran, but how could she escape Qu Linyan’s palm? For a moment, she was tickled until she could barely breathe, begging for mercy again and again. “I was wrong, Little Black… hahaha… Stop, stop, hahaha…”
The two chased each other as if they had returned to the years in the dream.
Fu Xiaoba fled in panic and accidentally bumped into someone. Qu Linyan also stopped chasing her at that moment.
“Sorry!” Fu Xiaoba raised her eyes to the white-clothed woman she had bumped into. She could not help tilting her head and asking blankly, “Who are you?”
The woman looked at Fu Xiaoba, and a trace of doubt appeared in her eyes. But she pressed it down and only raised her eyes to Qu Linyan.
“A-Yan, you are back.” As she spoke, she glanced behind herself and sighed softly. “The matter at Qixia Mountain has long since spread back… The clanspeople are all waiting for you.”
Qu Linyan froze. After several seconds of silence, she seemed to wake from a dream. She put away the smile on her face and answered faintly, “All right.”
After saying this, she took Fu Xiaoba’s hand and, led by that woman, walked toward a certain place.
Fu Xiaoba blankly followed. Deeper inside the flood dragon clan’s spiritual cave, the surroundings were still familiar, but there were many unfamiliar faces now.
Those flood dragon clanspeople, whether in human form or their true forms, all looked at her strangely, as if they could not understand why the clan leader had brought back such a weak little demon.
Fu Xiaoba quietly followed behind Qu Linyan for a long time. Only then did she realize that this was not the dream she knew.
Here, there was no A-Qing who protected her everywhere, and this place did not belong only to her and Qu Linyan.