Chapter Fifty-Eight
Li Zhi said that Baozhu is now a good demon.
This made Baozhu overjoyed.
No one but him could have made Baozhu so happy by saying those words.
She happily hugged Li Zhi's arm, imagining a day when Baozhu's name would be known among the monsters, and that whenever her fellow monsters encountered difficulties, they would remember her.
They would think, "If only the fox spirit Baozhu were here. She's a good demon, extremely capable. If it were her, she could definitely solve the problem."
As she thought about it, Baozhu laughed foolishly.
Li Zhi noticed this but didn't say anything. He just smiled slightly and continued to study the book in his hands.
"Oh, right." Baozhu seemed to remember something, tugged at Li Zhi's sleeve, and looked at him curiously, "You said you know Pei Qi, do you know Zhang He? Has he also become a powerful Celestial Master?"
After Baozhu finished speaking, Li Zhi remained silent for a moment.
Zhang He, whose face bore the marks of time, came to mind.
He wasn't much different from Zhang He now, still with that carefree attitude. That day, after Pei Xuanji gave that warning, the group of them indeed traveled like their lives depended on it. Because his wife was a fox demon and he was working himself to the bone, Li Zhi's health was not as good as before. After half a night, he was a little exhausted.
Pei Xuanji, who was at the front, showed no sign of slowing down, but Zhang He in the group seemed to have noticed Li Zhi's discomfort.
He slowly rode his horse closer to Li Zhi's carriage, knocked on the window, and handed him a talisman from the outside.
"Lord Li, stick this on your forehead, it will soothe it a bit," Zhang He said to Li Zhi with a smile.
After receiving it, Li Zhi thanked Zhang He.
He nodded to Li Zhi.
This was one of the few conversations they had in their previous life.
On that occasion, Li Zhi received an important mission from the Emperor in secret. He hurriedly packed his bags, bid farewell to Baozhu, and embarked on an unknown journey.
Li Zhi followed Pei Xuanji, a celestial master who had also accepted the mission, and together with her group of celestial masters, they circled around the north in search of a possible monster.
Li Zhi had no idea why the Emperor had assigned him this mission.
Perhaps the emperor at that time was unwilling to trust anyone. Upon closer inspection, among the court officials, only Li Zhi, who had no father, mother, children, or factions, was slightly different from the others.
However, Li Zhi and Pei Xuanji circled around the north countless times, but still could not find any trace of the monster.
Pei Xuanji, who was in charge, remained silent and did not explain her actions or purpose. After two months of fruitless work, they finally admitted that the mission had failed and decided to return home immediately.
There was an accident on the way back.
Perhaps while they were searching for that monster, it was also secretly observing them. On their way back, when they passed a narrow bridge, they could only cross in a single file. Suddenly, a terrifying monster emerged from the water and attacked Pei Xuanji directly.
Pei Xuanji reacted quickly, parrying with her sword.
But the monster was just using a feint; when it missed its first attack, it turned its attention to Li Zhi's carriage.
Zhang He was guarding Li Zhi's carriage at the time. Upon seeing this, he immediately drew his sword and fought with the monster. The monster made a feint and then used its magic. The demonic energy smashed the carriage, and Li Zhi, the weakest of the group, fell off the narrow bridge and crashed hard onto a boulder on the dry riverbed.
Li Zhi groaned, feeling as if his internal organs had shattered.
Through his blurred vision, he saw the monster coming towards him, seemingly intent on killing him. In the blink of an eye, before anyone could react, only Zhang He bit his tongue, spitting blood onto his sword to stop the monster.
Then, the monster turned around, its figure like a ghost, and reached out and pierced through Zhang He's abdomen.
Zhang He looked confused.
The surrounding Taoist priests gasped in surprise.
In his hazy state, Li Zhi heard the monster say to Pei Xuanji, "I don't know who my father is, but it's definitely not him. If there's a next time..."
Li Zhi didn't hear clearly what would happen next time; he had completely lost consciousness.
When he woke up again, he was in a simple room, with Pei Xuanji sitting beside him, staring blankly out the window.
Li Zhi slowly came to his senses and asked her, "Where is that Celestial Master?"
"It was sent back to the capital overnight."
Is he alright?
"It depends on his fate."
Li Zhi didn't know what fate had befallen him; he never saw that Celestial Master again.
At that time, Li Zhi didn't even know his name.
Seeing that Li Zhi remained silent for a long time, Baozhu asked in confusion, "Didn't you know Zhang He back then?"
“We only met once.” Li Zhi’s attention returned to Baozhu. “I don’t know what happened to him afterward.”
Baozhu said "Oh," and reached out to snatch the book from Li Zhi's hand. She scolded, "It's so late, why don't you want to sleep yet!"
Li Zhi smiled slightly, then suddenly reached out and picked up Baozhu around the waist, carrying her to the bed.
Baozhu exclaimed in surprise, then, not to be outdone, she hooked her legs around Li Zhi's waist, leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth, asking, "Master Li, have you been diligently cultivating today?"
"Your Majesty just took the book from my hand, and now you're asking me if I've cultivated?"
Li Zhi gently placed Baozhu on the bed, leaned forward, and whispered in her ear.
"Sigh, your health has been getting worse and worse. I don't know if it's because of me or because you've been working so hard every day. I dare not do anything reckless anymore."
As Baozhu spoke, she extended a finger and poked Li Zhi's chest in an ambiguous manner.
Li Zhi caught her mischievous finger, brought it to his lips and kissed it lightly. He murmured, "Things are different now. Why don't you try me out, Your Majesty, and see if I have truly put in my best effort in my cultivation?"
Baozhu chuckled but didn't answer. Instead, she bit his shoulder hard, as if venting her anger.
It hurt a little, but Li Zhi didn't utter a sound and let Baozhu do as she pleased.
After a moment, Baozhu loosened her grip and wrapped herself around him with her hands and feet, sighing, "There is only one Li Zhi in the world. I was ignorant before, but now I can't bear to break him again."
It was rare for her to say such sweet words, and Li Zhi felt a surge of sweetness in his heart. He turned around, hugged Baozhu, and gently kissed her lips.
"Go to sleep, there's still a long road ahead," he said.
The next day, long after Li Zhi left, Baozhu finally woke up.
She slept soundly, rolling around in bed a few times, when she suddenly heard a knock on the door outside the official residence.
Baozhu suddenly jumped out of bed and listened carefully to the sounds outside. She wondered to herself, "Could it be that a colleague has come to see Li Zhi about something?"
"Baozhu, are you here?"
A childish voice came from behind; she wasn't looking for Li Zhi.
“Sai Xue?” Bao Zhu asked doubtfully.
Baozhu had given Saixue Li Zhi's address, but she knew that since they had only been apart for a few days, Saixue would not come looking for her unless something was wrong.
Something must have happened. Baozhu quickly tidied herself up and opened the door to let Saixue in.
As soon as Sai Xue entered the room, she grabbed Bao Zhu's arm and said anxiously, "Xiao Man is missing."
"Xiaoman is missing?" Baozhu asked in surprise.
Xiaoman, this bull demon, is fierce and strong, with immense strength and resilience. What will happen to him?
“He didn’t come back the day you left. He just asked a coworker to send a message saying that a customer saw that he was strong and hired him to help transport goods. He went to a place not far away and was supposed to come back early the next morning.” Sai Xue pinched Bao Zhu, pouting, looking panicked. “But it’s been two days now, and he still hasn’t come back.”
Baozhu comforted her, "Don't panic. Think about it carefully. Is he really going to come back first thing the next morning?"
Sai Xue nodded and said with certainty, "That's what his coworker said. The place he went to is Chaoyun County, which is less than a hundred miles from the capital. At Xiaoman's pace, it won't even take an hour to get back."
That's true. Besides, Sai Xue is still in the capital. Sai Xue just had an accident. If it weren't for that unexpected event that prevented her from returning, Xiao Man would never have been away for so long.
"Don't panic, let's go find Granny Rat first and see if she has any way to find the demon." Baozhu said, leaving a note for Li Zhi, and then led Sai Xue out of the city, heading towards the millet garden.
When they arrived at the millet garden, Baozhu explained her purpose. The big rat's smile vanished, and he sighed, "I'll go tell Grandma. But this time, you must be careful what you say. Grandma is in a terrible mood."
"What's wrong with Grandma?" Baozhu liked Grandma Mouse very much, but when she heard the big rat say this, she became uneasy and asked cautiously.
"Anyway, you'll all know in a few days." The big rat lowered its voice and said to the two little demons, "These past two days, Young Master Shi moved away with Bai Yutuan. I heard they went to live in the city together. His daughter has left the nest, and Granny Rat can't accept it for a while."
"Ah." Baozhu and Saixue exchanged a glance. They were conflicted, worried that Granny Rat would be upset, but also worried that Granny Rat would not care about Xiaoman because of this incident.
The big rat told them to wait a moment, and after a while, he came over and led the two little demons to the study.
When Baozhu and the others entered the study, they saw a disheveled, listless old woman named Rat Granny. She was curled up in a large recliner, her hands crossed in front of her chest, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Grandma." Baozhu and Saixue greeted Grandma Mouse carefully.
"What is it?" Granny Mouse asked casually.
“Xiaoman is missing, and we want to find him. Is there any way to find a demon?” Baozhu asked.
"Was it because he got married and had to leave his mother that he deliberately abandoned her...?" Granny Mouse murmured to herself.
Baozhu grunted, scratched her head, and cautiously reminded her, "Grandma, we're talking about Xiaoman, the bull demon Xiaoman, the Xiaoman that weighs about two hundred jin."
"My daughter!" Granny Mouse seemed not to hear and began to squeak and cry.
A strange wind began to blow in the study again, almost making Sai Xue float away. Bao Zhu quickly grabbed her and pulled her to her side.
After crying for a while, Granny Rat finally stopped just before the study was about to fall apart. With her eyes swollen like walnuts, she said calmly, "Go find the abacus. Dog demons are very good at finding things."
Baozhu and Saixue were huddled together, their hair intertwined, trembling with fear from the great demon's power. Upon hearing this, they quickly excused themselves, saying, "Thank you, Granny. We'll go and fetch the abacus right away."
Grandma Mouse didn't look at them and casually waved her hand.
Baozhu walked to the study door, then turned back and gently comforted Granny Mouse, saying, "Granny, don't be sad. Bai Yutuan and the others live close by and can come back anytime."
These words only made things worse. As soon as they were spoken, Grandma Mouse's tears, which she had just stopped, burst forth again. She beat her chest and wailed, "Why did you have to move out when it's so close? My dear daughter!"
The evil wind roared again from Granny Mouse's study. Caught off guard, Baozhu was blown by the wind to the door and fell into the mud, where she couldn't climb out for a long time.
The large rat, which had been hiding to the side, stood on tiptoe and peered out for a while. Then, it said helplessly to Sai Xue, who was quailing like a quail, "Alright, now I just need to see you out. Let's go."
The big rat escorted Sai Xue to the gate, and Bao Zhu finally struggled out of the mud, spitting mud out as she did so.
"I think it's best not to mention Baiyutuan in front of Mother-in-law recently," Big Rat said with Saixue as they helped Baozhu clean off the mud.
"I understand now," Baozhu nodded, still feeling a lingering fear.
They said goodbye to the giant rat and returned to the city to look for the abacus.
Along the way, Baozhu and Saixue were worried, wondering how to persuade Suanpan. They had just had such a big fight not long ago, and they didn't know if Suanpan would be willing to help them.
"By the way, has the matter between Young Master Zhu and Miss Yuan been settled?" Baozhu suddenly remembered and turned to ask Saixue.
Hearing this, the dejected Sai Xue finally perked up a bit and replied, "It's over. Granny Rat still switched the two children back. Granny Rat said, 'Can the abacus help Miss Yuan for a while, but can it help her forever? Does Young Master Zhu not plan to have a son with his mistress this time? Does the abacus intend to steal his son every time?'"
Baozhu sighed, "That makes sense, but Miss Yuan is pitiful."
"So Granny Rat later told Abacus to teach Miss Yuan something else. If Young Master Zhu is dead, how can he have so many more sons? This little one is too young to be of any use," Sai Xue said with a grin.
Baozhu stared wide-eyed in disbelief, exclaiming, "You can teach this?!"
"Grandma Mouse said that the abacus would explain the reasoning to her. Miss Yuan has four daughters, and a mother's love makes her strong." Sai Xue's face showed more and more admiration as she spoke. "Grandma Mouse is really amazing."
"Who can argue with that?"
The two little demons chattered on and on all the way, then climbed over the wall to the door of the abacus, and cautiously knocked, saying, "Abacus, are you home?"
Before they could finish speaking, the door creaked open, and Suanpan stood behind it, asking sternly, "What is it?"
Baozhu sheepishly recounted what had happened.
Suanpan's eyes lit up. He cleared his throat, puffed out his chest, and said with a touch of arrogance, "Now, you also have a time when you need my help."
Sai Xue rubbed her hands, all her arrogance gone, and sighed, "Suanpan, you're so kind, please help us."
Luckily, the abacus wasn't in its original form, otherwise it would have been strutting around like crazy. He raised his head and said, "Since you've asked me for help, I'll reluctantly agree. Wait a minute, I need to ask my boss for leave."
Upon hearing this, Baozhu also remembered that if she went to find Xiaoman, she didn't know when she would be able to return. She quickly took out a paper crane from her bosom and sent a message to Li Zhi, telling him not to worry.
The three monsters made some preparations and set off together for the dock where Xiaoman was going to work. When they arrived, the abacus suddenly turned into a giant yellow dog. It first lowered its head and took a deep breath at Xiaoman's smelly shoes in Saixue's hand. Then it closed its eyes, raised its head, and carefully sensed the incredibly complex atmosphere of the dock.
Baozhu and Saixue waited with bated breath.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the big yellow dog, Abacus, opened its eyes and said, looking east, "They went this way."
The two little demons breathed a sigh of relief.
Although they knew Xiaoman was going to Chaoyun County, they didn't know which route she took. If something happened on the way, they wouldn't be able to find Xiaoman even if they reached her destination.
The three little demons left the chaotic dock and all returned to their original forms.
A dog followed by a fox, and a fox followed by a cat.
Three creatures, incompatible as water and fire, wandered off in a certain direction to rescue their blue ox companion.
Meanwhile, Pei Xuanji, confined to her home in the capital, was forced to wear the complete outfit sent by her mother, Madam Zeng, and was then made up by her maids at a table for half an hour.
Madam Zeng stood half a step away from her, watching the maid apply powder and rouge to Pei Xuanji while chatting about the everyday lives of various relatives in the capital.
"Speaking of which, do you remember your cousin from the Shi family? He came to our house when he was little, and you secretly tricked him into going to the martial arts field to play house, and then he got beaten up and cried." Madam Zeng looked at Pei Xuanji, who had returned to her ladylike self, and said teasingly.
Pei Xuanji blushed and retorted softly, "You keep bringing up things from when we were little. Of course I remember him. What's wrong with my cousin from the Shi family?"
"It was because of him that I realized my youngest daughter is nothing special. A few days ago, your aunt wrote to me crying, saying that your cousin had fallen out with the family and had actually run away from home and moved out. They searched the entire capital and even entrusted the Five Cities Garrison to help, but they still couldn't find him." Madam Zeng clicked her tongue in amazement.
Pei Xuanji said casually, "My cousin Shi has been a spoiled brat since he was a child, and he is the most annoying. It's not surprising that he would do something like this. Otherwise, why would I have beaten him up when we were kids?"
Mrs. Zeng smiled, gently patted her daughter's arm, and said reproachfully, "You're so naughty."
Since Pei Xuanji agreed to accompany her mother to a gathering of wealthy ladies, the relationship between the mother and daughter has greatly improved. Madam Zeng has also become kinder to Pei Xuanji, which has made Pei Xuanji feel much better.
The maids who were dressing up Pei Xuanji finished the last stroke of their makeup, held up a mirror for her to see, and asked, "Is Miss satisfied?"
Pei Xuanji glanced at it, finding it all too colorful and indistinct, but unsure if it was a recent trend in the capital, she nodded perfunctorily and said, "Not bad."
Mrs. Zeng was quite satisfied, pulling her daughter to look at the room from left to right, and sighed, "It's really nice."
After saying that, she pulled Pei Xuanji and walked outside.
Just then, Pei Xuanji, with her sharp eyes, spotted a paper crane flashing past and quickly caught it in her hand before anyone else noticed.
She glanced down and saw that it was a joint letter from Li Zhi and Zhang He.
"Master Pei, a strange event has been reported in Chaoyun County. The higher-ups have arranged for us to go and investigate. The three of us are a fixed team for field missions, and none of us can be missing. Meet me outside the East Gate of the capital in one hour. Li Zhi and Zhang He."
After Pei Xuanji finished reading, a glint flashed in her eyes, and she suddenly crushed the letter in her hand.
She stopped and said to the bewildered Madam Zeng, "Mother, I forgot to bring something. Please wait for me a moment."
Before Madam Zeng could answer, Pei Xuanji returned to the courtyard, took out the Taoist priest's attire from the box, and removed the pearls and jade from her headdress while taking off her cumbersome and gorgeous clothes.
She wiped her face with water, removed the makeup, casually combed her hair into a bun, put on her Taoist priest uniform, slung her sword over her shoulder, and silently left the general's mansion, crossing the other side of the courtyard.
Madam Zeng, who had been waiting outside for a long time before realizing something was wrong, returned to Pei Xuanji's courtyard and saw a mess everywhere.
The elegant and noble lady shrieked and jumped up, yelling, "Pei Xuanji! If you've got the guts, don't come home! You're dead!"
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