The Little Peacock Raises a Snake (GL) Chapter 7

This dream was undoubtedly quiet. The huge Soul-Wounding Valley was empty.
The flood dragon clan, who should have lived hidden in the canyon river, had no trace in this dream.
It was as if the mountain wind, the water beneath the cliff, and the broken calls of insects and birds were all the sounds in the world.
Using the faint spiritual power she had left, Qu Linyan firmly protected the little peacock in her arms. She took her beneath the river, passed through an undercurrent, and entered the underwater home where the flood dragon clan had lived for thousands of years.
They came out of the water and entered a cave. A cold dampness rushed toward them.
Faint spiritual light floated in the dark cave. Reflected by the water, it turned the wet cave walls a glowing blue.
The tiny girl held the peacock in her arms. A weak strand of pale purple spiritual light floated before her, like a guide, lighting her way as she slowly walked through the narrow, dim passage.
Everything around them was very quiet. Aside from Qu Linyan’s footsteps and breathing, even the sound of water dripping from the stone walls was especially clear.
Fu Xiaoba instinctively shrank deeper into Qu Linyan’s arms. Before long, the dark narrow passage gradually widened. Walking farther in felt like entering another world.
It was an enormous underwater cavern. Passages led everywhere, crisscrossing in complicated ways. Stalactites of different lengths hung upside down from the ceiling, reflecting lovely colors in the streams of spiritual light. It looked like a dream within a dream.
It was Fu Xiaoba’s first time seeing such scenery. Delighted, she jumped out of Qu Linyan’s arms and stepped over the broken stones on the ground, wandering everywhere.
Qu Linyan said the flood dragon clan did not much like light. For generations, they had chosen caves here and lived in them.
They used spiritual power to light the part of the world that belonged to them. They gathered broken stones into walls and used bead curtains as doors, splitting their homes into several rooms. Then they copied humans, placing proper-looking furniture inside. They decorated the place with pretty stones, jade, or coral they had picked up, and that became a “small home.”
Qu Linyan chased after Fu Xiaoba for a long way, from one cave entrance to another, one after the next. Fu Xiaoba ran excitedly for a long time.
Although there was no one in the cave, the spiritual power laid down by the flood dragon clan still remained.
When Fu Xiaoba was tired from running, she turned and hopped near Qu Linyan’s feet. “Little Black! Where do you live?”
“I will take you to find it.” After Qu Linyan spoke, she bent down, picked Fu Xiaoba up, and walked toward her own home.
She had not returned “home” for a very long time. Only when she arrived did she realize all the furnishings inside had changed.
No. Rather than saying they had changed, it would be better to say…
Everything seemed to have returned to how it was more than eight hundred years ago. Countless memories that should have been blurred by time surged into her heart again.
Qu Linyan shook her head and pressed down the longing in her heart, which nearly broke through its banks. She walked to Fu Xiaoba’s side, crouched down, and silently touched her head.
“Gurgle.”
Fu Xiaoba could not help swallowing. She raised her eyes and looked at Qu Linyan with embarrassment. “Little Black, I am hungry.”
Qu Linyan froze. After she came back to herself, she said, “Ah,” then stood. “I will make food for you.”
After speaking, she turned and ran quickly into the kitchen.
This dream had a conscience. Everything that should be here was here, and one truly could light the stove and cook.
Sadly, the current Qu Linyan was too short. Even standing on tiptoe, she had trouble reaching the stove.
Fu Xiaoba watched anxiously from the side but could not help. Qu Linyan at least had human form. No matter how hard this meal was, it was still easier than Fu Xiaoba nearly blowing up the kitchen with a pair of little wings back then.
“Little Black, there is a stone stool outside. How about bringing it in to stand on?”
Qu Linyan suddenly felt defeated. She was already so short that she needed to stand on a stool to comfortably reach the stove. How shameful…
She shook her head and was just about to go out and move the stone stool when she turned and saw a woman standing outside the door.
Her black hair was pinned into a hanging looped style. Her brows and eyes looked almost like an immortal painting. Dressed in white, she was soft as snow on a branch and purer than frost beneath the moon.
The woman looked at her for a moment, then curved her brows. The smile in her eyes was faint but gentle.
She said, “A-Yan, where did you bring this new friend from? You did not tell me first. Look, nothing is prepared at home. Would that not be neglectful?”
That familiar voice seemed to knock straight into the bottom of Qu Linyan’s heart.
In only an instant, tears wet her eyes.
*
Qu Linyan said that a hundred years in a dream was only an instant outside the dream.
In ordinary dreams, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was always very thin. Whether one healed wounds or cultivated, the effect would not be good.
But the dream they were in now was full of spiritual energy. It was very suitable for healing and cultivation.
Qu Linyan did not know why this dream had such a strange state. But after discovering the dream held no danger, she happily made a decision.
“There is no rush to find the exit. I will heal, and you will cultivate. Perfect.”
Fu Xiaoba had to admit this place was indeed quite good.
All her life, she had not wanted much. Wherever life was steady and comfortable, she was willing to stay for a long time.
In the past, in Wuyou Valley, Fu Zhuochen had always cared for her. Later, when Fu Zhuochen was away for a while, Qu Linyan had cared for her three meals a day.
Now Qu Linyan had become a little girl. Fu Xiaoba had thought no one would be able to take care of her anymore. Who knew a gentle, beautiful older sister would appear and look after her and Qu Linyan in every little way?
Qu Linyan called that woman A-Qing. On normal days, her attitude toward A-Qing was not very good. When she spoke to A-Qing, her voice was always cold.
Such a gentle woman, always offering warmth to Qu Linyan’s cold mood, yet never getting angry. Watching from the side, Fu Xiaoba felt Qu Linyan was a little too much.
No matter what, Fu Xiaoba was brought by Qu Linyan to stay in this dream realm.
There was no peacock nest here with its opening facing upward, so she slept on Qu Linyan’s bed.
At first, she refused. But Qu Linyan did not understand how to care for a peacock at all. If Fu Xiaoba did not want to sleep on the bed, Qu Linyan simply let her lie on the damp cold ground and did not even give her a soft pillow.
At that time, Fu Xiaoba was not familiar with A-Qing and did not dare complain. After sleeping on the chilly ground for several days, she finally could not bear it and thickened her face enough to hop onto Qu Linyan’s bed.
Qu Linyan did not sleep honestly. She especially liked holding Fu Xiaoba’s plump little body in her arms and rubbing her. Fu Xiaoba had struggled, but after Qu Linyan’s body became smaller, her temper seemed to become more bratty too. The more Fu Xiaoba fought back, the more she was kneaded back and forth. In the end, Fu Xiaoba simply gave up resisting.
On normal days, A-Qing was always busy taking care of everything for Fu Xiaoba and Qu Linyan. When she had free time, she carefully guided them in cultivation.
No wonder people said comparisons could make one angry enough to die.
In the past, when Fu Zhuochen urged Fu Xiaoba to cultivate, he always just told her to sit foolishly and gather spiritual energy while he sat nearby drinking tea.
A-Qing was different. She was always very patient. She carefully guided Fu Xiaoba in how spiritual energy should move through her body. She also taught her many simple and useful techniques. None of this had ever even been mentioned by Fu Zhuochen.
With such a good person, why did Qu Linyan insist on keeping her distance on purpose?
Whenever Fu Xiaoba asked Qu Linyan this question, Qu Linyan only closed her eyes and said calmly, “Can you tell the dream apart from reality?”
That tone and that expression were like she had seen through the mortal world.
Sadly, matched with that soft, milky little face, she looked like a brat pretending to be deep. The more serious she was, the more she made people want to laugh.
“Why do I need to tell them apart? Whoever treats me well, I like that person. When that person can no longer treat me well, I will go like someone else.” As soon as Fu Xiaoba finished speaking, Qu Linyan slapped the back of her head hard, making her cry out in pain.
“You little pheasant, how can you make liking someone sound so cheap?”
Qu Linyan had hit her. This was the first time Fu Xiaoba had ever been slapped on the head!
If this had happened before, Fu Xiaoba would have silently accepted it.
But now things were different. Qu Linyan had these little arms and legs. If Fu Xiaoba jumped up, Qu Linyan could not even grab her steady. What was there to fear?
She immediately grew bold. With a push of both feet, she jumped high and whipped her wings wildly at Qu Linyan’s head.
Qu Linyan reached out to block her, but she could not handle this peacock showing her might. Her neat hairstyle was quickly made extremely messy, looking both sorry and funny.
“Fu Xiaoba!”
“Fu Little Black, do you think I am easy to bully?”
“Dead pheasant! Watch me punish you!”
“Why are you being fierce? Do not forget you followed my family name for two months!”
“If you have the ability, stand still!”
“If you have the ability, catch me!”
That day, Qu Linyan was angry.
With exploded hair, she chased and fought with that little peacock for a full half hour. Only when A-Qing heard the noise and came over, grabbing one in each hand, did the two noisy little ones finally calm down.
“A-Yan, why are you bullying Xiaoba again?”
Relying on A-Qing’s protection, Fu Xiaoba made a face at Qu Linyan.
“Who bullied who?” Qu Linyan felt wronged and turned away in a huff, looking exactly like a little girl sulking and acting spoiled.
A-Qing smiled when she heard this. She took Qu Linyan’s hand and led her to the dressing table. Then she picked up a wooden comb and began combing that messy long hair.
Fu Xiaoba placed her little wings behind her back and hopped back and forth between the table and the ground. On any normal day, Qu Linyan would already have complained that she was too noisy. But at this moment, Qu Linyan only lowered her head quietly, thinking who knew what.
Fu Xiaoba had never seen such an obedient look on Qu Linyan before.
That night, Fu Xiaoba lay beside Qu Linyan’s pillow and asked curiously, “Little Black, what is A-Qing to you?”
Qu Linyan did not speak.
“Did you two quarrel in the world outside the dream? You clearly both care about each other. There is no need to make things so stiff.” Fu Xiaoba pursed her lips and said seriously, “You do not say it on the surface, but I can see it. You do not dislike her at all. On the contrary, you are a little afraid of her.”
Qu Linyan turned over and closed her faintly red eyes.
“After we leave, how about you take me to see her? If she is still angry with you, I will speak for you!”
Qu Linyan bit her lower lip and stayed silent for a long time. Then, in her soft milky voice, she answered, “All right.”
Fu Xiaoba instantly stepped in front of Qu Linyan and shoved one wing into her face. “High five as an oath!”
Qu Linyan did not know whether to laugh or cry. She stretched a hand out from under the blanket and gave Fu Xiaoba’s wing a perfunctory pat.
“Good. Now sleep.”
“Mm-hm!” Fu Xiaoba giggled.
She crouched by the pillow and watched Qu Linyan slowly fall asleep.
Only after Qu Linyan’s breathing grew long and even did Fu Xiaoba take tiny steps and quietly lie down beside her. Her little head rubbed against the small, not-yet-grown rise of Qu Linyan’s chest.
It looked like there was not much flesh there, but it was actually soft and quite comfortable.