The Little Peacock Raises a Snake (GL) Chapter 51

Qu Linyan said she had planted this bamboo forest and built this bamboo courtyard never to imprison anyone. She had only wanted to give the person she loved a home.
During the days when Yun Su had lost her magic power, she had thought the barrier outside the bamboo forest had been set up to keep her from running away.
Now that her magic power had returned and she could resist the wind and cold outside, she waited until Qu Linyan was away and secretly ran to the edge of the bamboo forest to study that barrier.
Back when she had no magic power, she could not see anything. Now, after looking carefully, she realized this barrier had never blocked people from passing through. It was only an illusion.
The barrier could cut off magical probing from outside to inside, and it covered the entire bamboo forest.
Looking from inside to outside, everything was normal. But if one looked from outside to inside, one could only see an ordinary mountain forest. Only by entering through the correct entrance could one discover the change in the surrounding scenery.
The person Qu Linyan truly wanted to guard against had never been the one living inside the bamboo forest. It was only the people outside.
Yun Su had been kidnapped and brought here for nearly half a month. She knew nothing about what had happened outside. After discovering that she could enter and leave the bamboo forest as she pleased, she had once thought of going out to look. But after hesitating again and again, she still turned and returned to the bamboo courtyard deep in the forest.
She was an upper god of the heavenly realm, yet on the day of her wedding to Black Tortoise Divine Lord, she had been stolen away in public by a demon. So many gods and immortals had failed to stop one demon. The heavenly realm had lost face, and this would surely draw the Heavenly Emperor’s heavy anger.
Now she had been here for more than ten days, yet Qu Linyan could still remain as steady as Mount Tai. The only possibility was that after stealing her away, Qu Linyan had not boldly announced it or shouted provocations. She had only hidden Yun Su in secret. Seeing that Qu Linyan had not made the matter known to everyone, the Heavenly Emperor had simply sealed the news, intending to turn a major matter into a minor one and a minor matter into nothing.
If not, the heavenly realm would not have gone this long without sending anyone to rescue her.
But the Heavenly Emperor would never allow an upper god to be trapped by a demon. What was more, that demon was the black flood dragon who had provoked the heavenly realm again and again.
Eight hundred years ago, the black flood dragon had trespassed into the heavenly realm, and the Heavenly Emperor had spared her life.
Later, after the black flood dragon attached herself to the devil clan and repeatedly caused trouble, the heavenly realm wanted to move against her again but was already helpless.
This matter had already made the heavenly realm a joke. The Heavenly Emperor absolutely would not allow the heavenly realm’s dignity to be damaged by the black flood dragon again. So if Yun Su had not guessed wrong, the Heavenly Emperor would send people to sneak into the earth realm and search everywhere for her, trying to rescue her in secret.
Only, she had already promised Qu Linyan she would not leave before recovering all her memories. She also wanted to know why, if Qu Linyan kept saying she had never done anything to wrong her, Yun Su had nearly had her soul scattered three hundred years ago.
Since she had made this decision, this place could hide her spiritual aura. As long as she did not go out, she would not cause trouble for Qu Linyan for the time being.
After her magic power returned, those broken dreams continued. Now, she could sense there was not the slightest spiritual interference in the dreams. From this, it was clear that Qu Linyan truly had not used any more demon arts to manipulate her dreams. She could finally confirm that the broken fragments in those dreams were truly past memories awakened by the environment around her.
…
The little peacock and Qu Linyan grew closer and closer.
At first, Qu Linyan always frightened her and bullied her. Later, Qu Linyan became better and better to her.
Every few days, Qu Linyan would prepare warm water and help her bathe. But she did not like water, so she always splashed and thrashed during baths, soaking Qu Linyan all over. Qu Linyan never got angry. She always laughed and played along with her.
Every time Qu Linyan washed her clean, she would hold her on her lap and use a silk towel to dry her body bit by bit. Her movements were sometimes gentle and sometimes rough. It all depended on whether the little peacock in her arms was obedient or causing trouble.
Later, Qu Linyan began allowing her to hop onto the bed and sleep with her. At night, the little peacock had someone she could lean on.
Sleeping in Qu Linyan’s arms was so soft and warm.
One day, the little peacock could not help asking Qu Linyan, “I feel we are pretty familiar now. Are you still planning to eat me?”
Qu Linyan smiled and said, “I never thought of eating you. That day, it was just a casual joke. I almost forgot it, yet you took it seriously for this long?”
The little peacock had always thought Qu Linyan wanted to eat her. Now that she heard this, she immediately felt relieved. “Then you treat me this well to repay my kindness?”
Qu Linyan said, “You could say that.”
The little peacock was overjoyed. She hopped out of Qu Linyan’s arms at once and flapped her wings, turning circles in the snow again and again. Finally, she turned back and lifted her neck to look up at Qu Linyan. “Little Black, stay here. You are so powerful. If you stay here, when Brother comes back, he will not dare scold me anymore!”
If Qu Linyan wanted to repay her kindness, she did not ask for much. She only asked Qu Linyan to stay by her side forever, to stay in this not-very-large Wuyou Valley.
Qu Linyan laughed despite herself. She reached out and poked the tip of the little peacock’s beak. “You little mountain pheasant, one thought after another. You do not want to go undergo your tribulation anymore?”
The little peacock said, “I have not even cultivated a human form yet.”
Qu Linyan said, “In a little while, I can transfer cultivation to you.”
“Mm… Actually, I am not in a rush to undergo a tribulation.” As the little peacock spoke, she hopped in place. “Anyway, life now is quite comfortable! Tribulation and all that sounds troublesome just thinking about it. If I can put it off one more day, then one more day it is!”
She had originally wanted to undergo a tribulation. If she underwent a tribulation and went to the heavens, she could do whatever she wanted, and no one would urge her to cultivate anymore.
But ever since Qu Linyan came here, she realized she did not really want to undergo a tribulation and ascend that much. After all, every day with Qu Linyan made her very happy.
How did that saying go?
When one person attains the Dao, even the chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.
Back then, she thought that when she became an upper god one day, she would definitely take her brother and Qu Linyan to live in heaven.
She wanted to keep the people she liked by her side forever and ever.
…
Yun Su slowly opened her eyes. There seemed to be tears in them.
The little wishes made during carefree times were always foolish enough to be laughable.
The heavenly realm’s immortals and gods had always looked down on the demon clan. Even that demon she had once bumped into, the one whose relationship with Zhiming was not shallow, had not received the slightest respect in the heavenly realm.
She had no way to keep a demon who had not obtained immortal registration by her side. Let alone forever and ever. Even a brief few days would only have been an extravagant hope.
Perhaps that blurred and unfamiliar voice in the dream had been right. Being an immortal truly was not very good.
Immortals always looked down on demons, but demons were far freer and happier than those gods who claimed to stand high above everyone.
After washing up, Yun Su sat on the small step outside the room, propped her chin in both hands, and stared into the distance.
Now, she seemed somewhat unable to distinguish dreams from reality. Whether her eyes were open or closed, what she thought of was only Qu Linyan.
At lunch, Qu Linyan came from outside the bamboo forest with food as usual.
Yun Su rose and went to meet her. Her brows and eyes no longer held the fear and vigilance from before.
“What did you make today?” Before Qu Linyan even entered the courtyard, Yun Su had already reached out, wanting to lift the lid of the food box.
“You have eaten all my tricks already. Will it feel old?” Qu Linyan asked.
Yun Su shook her head, took the food box, and turned back toward the room. “What I am eating is not novelty.”
Qu Linyan smiled and followed her in. As usual, she cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks left from yesterday on the table. Just as she turned to leave, Yun Su caught her sleeve.
“What is it?” Qu Linyan turned back to look at Yun Su.
She wanted to leave, and Yun Su would not let her. After so long, this was truly the first time.
“You…” Yun Su hesitated for a long time. At last, her gaze dodged slightly to the side, and she said, “Now that my magic power has returned, I do not get hungry so quickly. This is too much food. I cannot finish it…”
Hearing this, Qu Linyan could not help feeling delighted. But she deliberately pretended not to understand and asked, “Then should I take some away for you? Which one will you not eat?”
“That is not necessary!” A trace of awkwardness flashed through Yun Su’s eyes. Her fingers lightly tugged Qu Linyan’s sleeve, and she asked quietly, “Have… have you eaten?”
“Why?” Qu Linyan narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to look at Yun Su.
Yun Su felt uncomfortable under her gaze and stopped speaking in circles. “I mean, if you have not eaten, then eat with me.”
Hearing this, Qu Linyan was not polite at all. She turned, picked up a stool, and sat across from Yun Su. “But I only brought one pair of chopsticks. What do we do?”
Yun Su said, “Wash yesterday’s pair and…”
Qu Linyan closed her eyes and shook her head. Then she propped her chin in both hands, blinked at Yun Su, and squeezed a sentence out through her nose. “So troublesome.”
The corner of Yun Su’s eye could not help twitching twice.
Was… was Qu Linyan acting spoiled at her?
“I will wash them. You eat first.” As Yun Su spoke, she wanted to stand and go to the kitchen to wash the chopsticks, but Qu Linyan pulled her back onto the stool with one hand. For a moment, Yun Su did not know what to do. She only widened her eyes and stared blankly at Qu Linyan.
Qu Linyan picked up the chopsticks with her other hand and smiled. “Do not make it so troublesome. Shall I feed you?”
Yun Su frowned. “Clan Leader Qu, please mind your boundaries. I am not your toy…”
Qu Linyan quickly returned the chopsticks to the empty bowl before Yun Su, then moved her stool to Yun Su’s side. “Then you feed me?”
For a moment, Yun Su was speechless. She stared with wide eyes, not knowing how to respond.
Qu Linyan pointed at the dry-fried cauliflower on the table and leaned a little closer to Yun Su. “I want this. Ah.”
Yun Su froze, her eyes full of surprise.
Seeing Yun Su fail to react, Qu Linyan said “Ah” again.
Yun Su suddenly took a deep breath, picked up a large chopstickful of cauliflower, and violently stuffed Qu Linyan’s mouth until oil smeared all over it.
Qu Linyan had not expected Yun Su to feed her this way. She nearly choked. She quickly covered her mouth and nose, turned her head, and swallowed for a long time before turning back and taking out a handkerchief to wipe herself.
“What else do you want to eat, Clan Leader Qu?” Yun Su asked, picking up a large chopstickful of greens. “Is this good? Come, ah.”
“No, no.” Qu Linyan hurriedly stood and backed away two steps. From the food box she had packed, she took out yesterday’s bowl and chopsticks, turned, and walked toward the kitchen. “On second thought, it is better to eat by myself. I will not trouble Upper God.”
Watching Qu Linyan’s fleeing back, Yun Su could not help laughing out loud.
So Qu Linyan, the black flood dragon everyone in the heavenly realm cursed, was only a woman who could suffer a loss over some small matter. She was not frightening, and she was not hateful.
Just like in the dreams, she was someone very, very good to her.
Qu Linyan washed the bowl and chopsticks, then sat back at the table. Just as she was about to eat, she saw Yun Su put some food into her bowl.
She lifted her eyes and stared blankly at the woman before her. She could not help remembering the dream from three hundred years ago, where A-Qing had been with them.
When Fu Xiaoba was still a little peacock, Qu Linyan had always fed her bite by bite.
But in that dream, Qu Linyan was a child who had not grown up, and Fu Xiaoba was more like an elder sister. Every time they ate, Fu Xiaoba put food into her bowl and said with great seriousness, “Little Black, you have to eat more. No picking food. If you pick at food, you will not grow up!”
Back then, Qu Linyan had always felt unhappy that Fu Xiaoba treated her like a child. Only later did she understand how precious everything from that time had been.
“What are you thinking about?” Yun Su could not help interrupting Qu Linyan’s thoughts.
Qu Linyan came back to herself, shook her head, and smiled. “Nothing. Just a few things from before.”
Yun Su thought about it and said, “Maybe you can tell me.”
“You truly want to hear?”
“Mm.” As Yun Su spoke, she reached out and touched a strand of white hair hanging by Qu Linyan’s temple. “I remember that your hair was once black. Why has it turned white now?”
Qu Linyan smiled. “I thought you did not care.”
“I care,” Yun Su said. “I want to remember you. This longing is as strong in my heart as my regret over forgetting you. It overturns rivers and seas inside me.”