The Little Peacock Raises a Snake (GL) Chapter 47

Soul-Wounding Valley was not only the name of a cliffside rift. The surrounding mountain ranges and dense forests were all counted as part of it.
Although Qu Linyan had brought Yun Su away from the flood dragon clan’s underwater cavern, she still had not taken her out of Soul-Wounding Valley.
Not only that, Qu Linyan had also set a barrier around the bamboo forest. People outside could not see in, and people inside could not walk out. It completely cut off any thought Yun Su might have of running away.
Qu Linyan’s words had sounded so nice. Things like, “From now on, this place is your home,” and “I will protect you,” and “You are still that most carefree little peacock.”
Hah, hah, hah. Was she trying to fool a ghost?
If Yun Su had not been knocked unconscious and kidnapped by this person on her wedding day, she might truly have been moved by those words.
In any case, Yun Su had seen the situation clearly now. The fact was that she was still under house arrest by Qu Linyan, who claimed to have shared a lifetime of love with her.
The only difference was that she had gone from a small, dark underwater room that never saw daylight to a bamboo forest where she could see the sun rise, the moon set, and the scenery of the four seasons.
After Qu Linyan left, Yun Su walked once around the not-very-large bamboo courtyard. It truly had everything a small place needed. It was more than enough for one or two people to live in, and it gave off a very leisurely feeling.
In truth, when Yun Su first saw this place, she had felt it looked somewhat familiar. But now, after looking carefully, she found that sense of familiarity was gone.
Feelings were such uncertain things.
It was like how, in the heavenly realm, she had always yearned for snow in the human world. Even watching it from afar had made her happy. Yet now that she was in the earth realm, she no longer liked it.
Snow was snow. There was no real difference between the earth realm and the human world. But after losing her spiritual power, she finally understood that the purest white thing in the lower realm was actually so cold, cold enough that she did not even want to go near it. How could she still speak of liking it?
The one great blessing was that although Qu Linyan had sealed her spiritual power, she had prepared a warm brazier for her, very thick bedding and clothes, and finally placed a layer of wind-blocking spiritual power over every door and window in every room.
With this, at least staying curled up inside the house was still warm.
In any case, Qu Linyan had sealed this place completely. Calling to heaven would bring no answer, and calling to earth would bring no help. Since Qu Linyan did not seem about to force her for the time being, she might as well settle down for now and wait for someone to rescue her.
Yun Su was used to being alone. She might not be good at other things, but when it came to passing time, she had always been excellent.
Seeing that the small study in the bamboo courtyard held some worn human storybooks, and having nothing else to do anyway, she simply sat by the warm brazier at the desk and began reading.
Stories written by mortals rarely spread through the heavenly realm. Yun Su read them with great interest. By the time she finished one story, the sun had already set without her noticing.
The charcoal in the brazier was about to burn out. Yun Su got up and found new charcoal in a cabinet in the corner of the study. She lit the lamp, changed to another storybook, and sat back down beside the desk to keep reading.
The bamboo gate outside the courtyard was suddenly pushed open. Yun Su instinctively lifted her head and looked out. She saw Qu Linyan carrying a round lantern painted with bamboo, walking through the wind and snow in the night.
She had not used spiritual power to protect herself. Snow clung to her long robes, as if an ink painting had been dyed white. When she followed the candlelight into the room, she lowered her eyes and brushed the snow from herself. Then, without thinking, she pushed the silver hair blown loose by the wind behind her. It was as if she had borrowed the cleanness of moonlight. She was so beautiful one could not look away.
After losing herself for a moment, Yun Su guiltily drew back her gaze and lowered her head to keep reading the storybook in her hands.
Qu Linyan walked into the room and stood to the side, glancing at the storybook in Yun Su’s hands. She could not help smiling. “This was your favorite story before. Back then, I was badly injured and could not even speak. You thought I was a little black snake who had never seen the world, so you told me this story again and again. You kept telling me that since you had saved me, I had to repay your kindness.”
“I…” Yun Su frowned, placed the storybook facedown on the desk, and rubbed her knees with both hands. “I have read most of this story. It is not well written at all…”
Qu Linyan said, “That was not what you said before.”
“Bad is bad. A life-saving kindness from a past life repaid in this life, after so much time has passed, who still remembers whom? Who should cling to whom? It is only one person’s wishful thinking, disturbing another person’s peace.” As Yun Su spoke, she turned her head away and continued, “Besides, giving oneself to someone because they saved you is wrong to begin with. Should the feelings between two people really be controlled by gratitude?”
For a moment, Qu Linyan was left speechless. She looked at Yun Su in silence for a long while, then said, “Upper God is quite clear-minded. You divide past life and present life so cleanly.”
Yun Su instinctively stole a glance at Qu Linyan. Seeing the disappointment filling her eyes, she actually felt a little unable to bear it. “I, I…”
Seeing Yun Su unable to say anything more for a long time, Qu Linyan walked several steps to her side, reached out, and hooked up her chin. “I am being wishful, disturbing your peace. What can you do about it?”
Yun Su quickly stood and retreated several steps. Ashamed and angry, she said, “Black flood dragon! Do not bully people too far! Do not forget your own identity!”
Anger suddenly rose in Qu Linyan’s eyes. “If I truly wanted to bully you, you would not be here now. You would be in my flood dragon clan’s spiritual cave, lying limp all over on my bed!”
“You!” Yun Su could not help frowning.
“I hope you understand one thing. I respect you, and that has nothing to do with whether you are an upper god of the heavenly realm. You had better not put on that lofty posture in front of me. I am not some good demon. Angering me will not do you any good!” Qu Linyan spoke coldly, flung her sleeve, turned, and slammed the door as she left.
Yun Su stood beside the desk, her mind unsettled. She stared blankly after Qu Linyan’s departing figure. For some reason, an indescribable feeling of loss suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart, mixed with the fear of being in a dangerous place, throwing her mind into chaos.
Just then, Qu Linyan suddenly came back after leaving. Yun Su was so startled that her nerves tightened again, and she stared at her with both vigilance and anger.
Qu Linyan glared back, swept her sleeve, and left behind an exquisite stacked food box. Then she turned and slammed the door again.
Yun Su stared blankly at the door that had been slammed twice, then instinctively watched Qu Linyan truly leave. Only then did she lower her head to look at the food box on the desk, which was giving off a fragrant smell.
The food box had four layers. The top layer held cut fruit of all kinds and a bowl of rice. The second held pastries and sweet soup. The bottom two layers were dishes.
She was clearly already so angry, but she had still left food behind…
Actually, Qu Linyan was right. With a cultivation level strong enough to injure even Zhiming, if she truly wanted to force her, how could Yun Su, with all her spiritual meridians sealed, have any chance to say the word no?
Thinking of it this way, Qu Linyan truly had already given her enough respect and patience. She had no worry over food or clothes, and the place she lived was not bad either…
Yun Su could not help glancing at the storybook lying facedown on the desk and murmured, “Did I really like this kind of story before?”
For three hundred years, everything she could not let go of but could not remember, did it truly have a great connection to this Qu Linyan?
That night, Yun Su ate the pastries and fruit Qu Linyan had brought while finishing the storybook by lamplight. After that, she propped her chin in her hand and stared into space for a long while. Finally, she stood, wrapped herself in her cloak, and ran all the way through the wind and snow back to the bedroom.
After entering the room, the first thing Yun Su did was bolt the door. Then she felt her way several steps to the table, picked up the fire striker, and lit the lamp. Just as she turned, something tripped her foot.
Once she steadied herself and looked, she saw a large semicircular bird nest with its opening facing upward placed under the table…
What… what was the meaning of this?
Yun Su could not help standing frozen in place. When she had come here during the day, she truly had not noticed such a thing beside the table.
This was outrageous. She was the Blue Luan divine bird under the Queen Mother of the West, born with noble phoenix clan blood. Putting a bird nest in her room, was this looking down on her?
Yun Su gritted her teeth. Suddenly remembering that this black flood dragon had once called her a silly bird on the bank of the River of Forgetfulness, anger immediately surged up. She lifted her foot, wanting to stomp that large bird nest to pieces.
But although that foot was clearly about to come down, for some reason she changed where it landed. She only stood beside the bird nest in silence for a long time. Finally, she took a deep breath, turned, walked to the bed, and sat down in a huff.
“Qu Linyan really has gone too far!” Yun Su muttered angrily, then fell back onto the soft pillow, growing angrier the more she thought about it.
Only, when the remaining candle burned out and her anger calmed, she finally realized that her bellyful of rage had come from nowhere.
Her marriage contract with Zhiming had been something her sister Yunni had asked for before leaving. Zhiming did not like her, and she had never liked Zhiming either.
Although Ciyin had said that two people together did not need to be glued to each other, and that mutual respect and harmony were not bad, Yun Su had always felt that two people with no feelings between them walking together was torment for both sides.
She had not wanted to marry, and the black flood dragon had kidnapped her.
She had not wanted to yield, and the black flood dragon had followed her wishes.
Every day after that, the black flood dragon brought her delicious food and never came to force her at all.
That demon whom everyone in the heavenly realm cursed had treated her this way for the sake of a past life that was already gone. Why should she lose her temper over a bird nest?
Yun Su let out a long sigh, closed her eyes, and fell asleep alone.
That night, she had a dream.
In the dream, she was a little peacock with a green neck and yellow feathers. Her wings were small, her body was round, and her two little claws ran through the snow one after another, pattering along.
In her mouth, she held a little black snake.
She was clearly very tired and wanted to rest, yet she still carried that little black snake in her mouth and ran all over the mountain. Back then, she did not yet know how vast the three realms were. Innocently, she believed that the most beautiful scenery in the world was all inside that small valley, and all she wanted was to take that little black snake to see each beautiful sight in the valley one by one.
“Little Black, do you like Wuyou Valley? My brother is the biggest demon here, and I am the second biggest demon here. From now on, you can stay here at ease. I will protect you. No one will bully you again for being ugly!”
“Little Black, what kind of look is that? You do not believe me? Mm… If you do not believe me, I will tell you a story!”
“Once upon a time, there was a white snake. She was caught by a snake catcher and almost lost her life…”
Little Black was the first friend with spiritual awareness she had had since childhood. More than that, since she had memories, Little Black was the first demon willing to listen to her chatter on and on.
In truth, there were so many stories in the human world. She did not especially like any one of them.
She had simply wanted too much to keep Little Black, and that was why she had kept telling Little Black the story of the white snake repaying kindness again and again.