Chapter 55. Meeting an old friend in a foreign land.
Deep in the woods.
A young girl in a green dress lay comfortably on a slender branch, which swayed gently in the breeze, and she swayed along with it.
A matching hair ribbon hangs high from her meticulously styled bun, swaying gently.
His expression was one of complete ease and contentment.
In the distance, a huge lizard-like beast ran through the forest, panting heavily. Its heavy footsteps shook the branches and leaves with each step, and birds flew away.
The girl, however, remained oblivious, still squinting and pretending to sleep.
She didn't open her eyes and look down until she heard heavy breathing under the tree.
A few blood-stained feathers still clung to the lizard beast's mouth as it stared at her with longing.
Noticing that she had woken up, the lizard beast narrowed its eyes, leaped forward, and opened its blood-red maw to swallow the girl whole.
In the blink of an eye, the girl flew from the tree branch to the back of the monster like a beam of light, and a dark blue spiritual light condensed in her hand, slicing across the lizard beast's back like a sharp blade.
The monster's shell was as hard as iron, leaving only a scratch.
Enraged, the lizard roared to the sky, shook its back violently, and flung the girl away.
Before she could land, the girl's hands transformed into feathers, spun once, and then she soared into the air.
The lizard beast attacked again, spewing venom. Seeing this, the girl gradually became serious. She suddenly tightened her wings, transforming into a bright bolt of lightning, and struck its neck at an extremely fast speed.
The lizard beast staggered, stretched its neck, and took several steps back.
Seizing the opportunity, the girl suddenly spread her raven feathers, the soft feathers like sharp blades, slicing deeply across the delicate flesh of its neck.
In an instant, blood gushed out like a fountain, reaching a height of ten feet.
After a furious roar mixed with blood, the massive lizard beast crashed to the ground like a small mountain, creating a whistling sound in the wind.
The girl, who had already set up a barrier, stood in front of the monster. Her hair ribbon was blown high by the wind, and messy strands of hair fell on her pretty face.
It was Hua Xun.
After binding the culprits who had killed the bird clan and three humans in the forest with vines, Hua Xun lifted them onto his back with a slight effort and flew towards Liangyi Town outside the forest.
Liangyi Town is located at the border between the westernmost human territory and the easternmost demon territory.
Here, day and night are distinct all year round. Demons dislike daytime, and humans dislike nighttime. Therefore, those who gather here are mostly people on the fringes of the two races, or beings who uphold the middle way and do not disturb each other.
However, occasionally some ferocious beasts appear, disrupting the peace of this place.
The lizard beast that Hua Xun killed today was the one that suddenly appeared two days ago and devoured the bird clan and three humans who went into the mountains to chop wood.
When she flew over Liangyi Town, Hua Xun saw that a lot of people had gathered in the market below, looking up and cheering her name.
As Hua Xun landed and threw the lizard beast on the ground, the crowd erupted in cheers again: "That's it! Thank you, Miss A Xun, for catching the demon for us!"
"Miss Xun, you must accept this basket of berries!"
"Miss Xun, my family still has almond and pear soup brewed. I'll bring it to you when it's ready."
"Miss Xun, your wings are so beautiful, so big and pretty."
Hua Xun was stunned. She was dizzy from being called "Miss A Xun" by everyone. Only now did she realize that she had forgotten to fold her wings.
She quickly transformed her wings into arms.
Another murmur of admiration rippled through the crowd.
Hua Xun's cheeks flushed, and she smiled sweetly, her face turning red, "Thank you, Auntie."
"And so sensible."
Hua Xun's ears turned red this time. After thanking him repeatedly, she handed the demon sword to the town's magistrate and returned home.
The garden was filled with vibrant flowers and plants swaying in the wind, welcoming her return.
Hua Xun smelled the fragrance of the flowers, raised his hand and used his magic to draw water from the bucket in the corner, turning it into a fine mist that he evenly sprinkled on the flowers and plants.
The petals instantly became even more vibrant.
Hua Xun stood among the flowers, quietly admiring them.
"Miss Xun, I've left the almond and pear juice at your door." A familiar voice called from outside.
Hua Xun snapped out of her daze, quickly responded, and walked towards the door.
Brother Li had already put down the pear juice and driven the oxcart away.
The almonds are fragrant, and the pear juice is sweet; it's a flavor that Hua Xun likes.
After drinking it all in one gulp, Hua Xun washed the bowl, intending to return it the next day.
There were still a few balsam flowers on the table inside the house. They had been knocked down by the rain the night before last. I picked them up yesterday and went into the mountains to catch the demon.
Hua Xun thought for a moment, then picked off the petals and leaves, carefully crushed them with bamboo chopsticks, extracted the flower juice, added a small pinch of alum powder, and carefully applied it to her fingernails.
This was told to her by Aunt Wang.
In the past, when she was in Dahe Village, the villagers disliked her, so naturally no one told her what she should do.
She tried to imitate the children by applying fruit pulp to her nails, but the color always faded after a few days.
Only now do I realize that adding alum powder to the flesh of the balsam flower and dyeing it several times is necessary to dye the nails a translucent red color.
Using her magic to wrap the tiny pieces of flower flesh, Hua Xun leaned against the soft couch, raised her hand, and examined her fingers. Before long, her consciousness gradually became hazy.
Hua Xun has been away from the Immortal Clan for more than half a year. In the beginning, she was like a dandelion, going wherever the wind blew.
Unaware of their purpose, yet free and unrestrained.
She spent a few days in the bustling city, sitting on the most lively pavilion, legs crossed, watching the everyday life unfold.
It also lingered in the countryside, transforming into its original form and standing on the back of a yellow ox, plowing the fields with the farmers.
Later, she went to the demon realm, mingled among the magpies, and eavesdropped on their strange tales.
She had been to the vast sea and flown behind the white gulls, but she disliked the rolling waves and left after only half a day.
There was a young lady who loved to paint. She said that her original form was naturally beautiful, so she stood in front of the window in her original form and asked her to paint for three days.
She had also encountered demon hunters before, and the demon hunters she once found particularly terrifying were now left far behind by her in no time.
After wandering around, Hua Xun arrived at Liangyi Town.
There are humans, minor demons, and rogue cultivators here. The minor demons are not highly skilled, and most of the rogue cultivators are at the Foundation Establishment stage. They live together in a strange yet harmonious way.
There is no temple of the Gods here, and it is a hundred and eight thousand miles away from the Eternal City of the Demon Clan.
Normally, everyone keeps to themselves, but during market days, they exchange goods and items.
Here, Hua Xun doesn't need to pretend, nor does she need to worry about being despised.
She openly revealed her true colors, and no one found it strange or saw her as an omen of misfortune.
Especially after she drove away the demon hunters who were secretly hunting the mountain demons and captured the ferocious beasts that were plaguing the town, people called her a "lucky star".
Hua Xun, who had never been a lucky charm before, immediately fell in love with this place.
She bought a courtyard here and planted her favorite flowers in it.
Knowing that she loves flowers, the townspeople have been sending her all sorts of small flowers. Now that it's early summer, her little courtyard is a riot of colors, filled with the fragrance of flowers, and it's quite a beautiful sight.
The money used to buy the courtyard was the jade that Liu Huo had given her to buy pastries.
She thought that if everyone forgot about that absurd wedding banquet in the future, she would definitely thank Liu Huo properly when she met him again.
But if it's about returning it, then forget it.
Occasionally, Hua Xun would think back to her days at White Mist Cliff, to the captivating deity behind the hazy fairy veil, to the smiling face of the God-King, and to the past when the God-King took her to the mortal realm for training.
That time felt like the most beautiful dream; even though I was in it, it was so wonderful that it seemed unreal.
But now, it's a real, down-to-earth satisfaction.
In her sleep, Hua Xun slowly curled the corners of her lips into a smile.
"Ah Xun." The soft voice rang in my ears once again.
Hua Xun's eyelids twitched, and she opened her eyes blankly, only to realize that it was already the morning of the next day.
Stretching, Hua Xun was about to go to the Zhen'an Division to see what other demons she could catch when, before she could even step out of her house, the courtyard gate was pounded on urgently.
"Miss A-Xun!" As soon as Hua Xun opened the door, a woman in her early twenties, with her hair styled in a married woman's bun, knelt down.
Hua Xun quickly helped her up: "Madam, please speak your mind."
The woman's eyes were red and her voice was hoarse: "Please, Miss Xun, save my An'er."
During the conversation, Hua Xun learned that the woman was not from Liangyi Town, but from Ningyan City, which was a hundred miles away, and her name was Zhu Yun.
Five days ago, her five-year-old child, Liu An, suddenly disappeared. Liu An's mother-in-law, who was taking care of him, also fell into a coma. When she woke up, she only said that there was a monster, but she could not explain anything else.
During this time, Zhu Yun searched everywhere but could not find any trace of her. Until she heard that there was a kind-hearted and powerful girl named A Xun in Liangyi Town, she rushed over to ask for help.
Upon hearing the words "kind-hearted" and "possessing profound magical power," Hua Xun felt a pang of unease, but without hesitation, after a few moments of contemplation, he agreed to go with her to investigate.
Zhu Yun was moved to tears. Before she could even call for someone to put down the stool, she saw a flash of blue light in the hand of the girl A Xun, and a small paper crane flying boat appeared out of thin air.
The distance of a hundred miles was covered by a flying boat in the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.
The Liu family was not a large household; their entire residence consisted of two courtyards and a central courtyard.
Hua Xun followed Zhu Yun toward the courtyard where Liu An had disappeared. Before they got close, they heard a voice say in a serious tone, "Please rest assured, both of you. Once you have prepared the money, I will go and catch the demon and rescue your child."
Hua Xun frowned.
Zhu Yun said, "Perhaps my husband and mother-in-law have also invited a master. Miss Xun, rest assured, if we can find An'er, my Liu family will repay your kindness even if we go bankrupt."
Hua Xun was silent for a moment: "I'm afraid he's not a master."
Zhu Yun was puzzled.
Hua Xun walked to the courtyard gate and saw the husband and mother-in-law that Zhu Yun had mentioned facing the gate, holding several pieces of silver and a string of copper coins, about to hand them to the white-robed cultivator opposite them.
The white-robed cultivator, his face filled with righteous indignation, raised his hand to take the silver.
A dark blue blade of light suddenly slashed down from the side. The white-robed cultivator immediately cried out "Ouch!" and withdrew his hand. Then, realizing what had happened, he cleared his throat and maintained his proper demeanor: "Who dares to be so rude..."
Before he could finish speaking, he opened his eyes wide in shock: "It's you, you little devil!"
Seeing his familiar greedy appearance, Hua Xun's last trace of doubt vanished. She waved and smiled, "Master Jin, it's been a long time."
That person was Jin Huan.
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Author's Note: Back to square one again~
Transitional Chapter
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