Escape and Counter-Escape
Military force is not the key; there are countless examples throughout history of the weak defeating the strong.
Yan Dan decided to start getting to know this young celestial master seriously, down to the smallest detail, down to the last strand of hair. She moved to the gourd's side and tapped on it: "Tang Zhou?"
Tang Zhou's voice was muffled, and he gave a soft "hmm," sounding as if he had just woken up.
This timing is perfect. If she wakes him up a minute earlier, he'll definitely drag her to refine pills ahead of time. If she's a minute later, he'll be fully awake, making it harder to get information out of him.
Yan Dan softened her voice and slowly said, "Your Taoist skills are so advanced, you must have a famous teacher, right?" To teach such a disciple, the teacher must be no ordinary person. Ideally, the teacher should be the kind with an eccentric personality and a rigid temperament, the kind that can make the disciple complain.
“My master is a reclusive master, a rather eccentric person. Why do you ask this?” Tang Zhou’s voice was still a little hoarse as he answered casually.
"Your master must really hate us demons, right?"
“It’s not dislike, it’s hatred,” he said softly. “Before he became a monk, he had a wife and children. One day, he returned home from outside and found that his wife and children had been eaten by demons, leaving only two skeletons.”
Yan Dan felt like crying but had no tears. It was easy to imagine the kind of upbringing Tang Zhou had received; her hope of escaping was dwindling. She thought for a moment, carefully choosing her words: "But not all demons are evil." Like her.
After a moment, Tang Zhou said, "Perhaps, but I've never seen it before."
Yan Dan wanted to scream, for the kind-hearted demon was already right in front of her, but he had locked her in the jade gourd and she never saw the light of day. Suddenly, Tang Zhou continued, "Remember the spider demon I told you about the first time I caught? I felt sorry for him, so I released him, and the first thing he did after he came out was to attack me."
Yan Dan sighed, feeling that she had no hope of survival, and said weakly, "I see. And in your heart, do you also hate demons as much as your master?"
"You're asking way too many questions. Starting today, you're only allowed three questions a day. Whether you answer them or not depends on my mood." Judging from his voice, he seemed to be fully awake. "If you're trying to persuade me to let you go, don't waste your time. You're not the first person to play this trick."
Yan Dan pressed herself against the gourd-shaped wall and couldn't help but ask, "It's so dark here, how am I supposed to know when it gets dark and when it gets light, and how do I count a day?"
Tang Zhou said calmly, "You can estimate the time yourself. We won't wait for you if you're late. Alright, you've already asked three questions today."
Yan Dan snorted heavily, gritting her teeth in hatred, when Tang Zhou teased her slowly and deliberately, "If you keep snorting like that, be careful your nose grows crooked."
Yan Dan was so angry that she pounded the ground twice, but then suddenly laughed. No matter what, at least there was some progress. As long as there was time, there was still hope. She had weathered even more difficult situations, and she refused to believe she couldn't overcome this hurdle.
She had to stay conscious in this dark, magical artifact, and hunger was sometimes a way to do so. Unlike ordinary people who would feel dizzy and lightheaded after two or three days without food, she needed to spend even more time cultivating her demonic arts. Just like the most mysterious Tantric sect in the world, they used this method of hunger to enhance their cultivation and hone their minds.
She constantly listened to the sounds outside, sensing every path Tang Zhou had walked and every person he had met.
Confined within the magical artifact, she was essentially isolated from the outside world. Aside from the sounds of Tang Zhou and her talking, everything was utterly silent. In such a quiet and dark environment, one could not possibly remain for long without courage and willpower.
But gradually, Yan Dan was able to faintly hear sounds from outside, which was quite a pleasant surprise.
"Tang Zhou?" She sat quietly for a long time before finally speaking.
Tang Zhou seemed to sigh, and said somewhat frustratedly, "What do you want to say?" Ten whole days had passed, and no demon had ever been able to stay in the jade gourd for so long. He had no choice but to compete with the other party now.
"I want to know, do you really hate us demons?" This is crucial; as long as the other party has even the slightest bit of compassion, she can still sway them.
Tang Zhou then changed the subject: "Why don't you ask about your companion?"
Of course she wanted to ask, but the time wasn't right. She was at a disadvantage in everything she did, so she couldn't let the other person guess her thoughts. Besides, even if she did ask, given Tang Zhou's personality—the happier he was with her frustration—asking would be pointless and only make her look foolish.
"I can barely take care of myself, why should I care about other people's lives?"
Tang Zhou seemed to chuckle: "That's all the camaraderie you demons have. It's a waste that fish spirit overestimated itself and tried to stop me, hoping you could escape."
Yan Dan remained silent, her heart burning with anguish. But then she thought again and realized she should trust Yu Mo's abilities. If he returned to Yelan Mountain and found out she hadn't gone back, he would definitely come looking for her. She had to find a way to escape as soon as possible.
"That's because you already have prejudices in your heart, and you don't really understand." Yan Dan was angry, but she still forced herself to restrain herself. "We demons are also constantly restrained and have our own principles. Even if we do evil, we are no worse than you mortals."
Tang Zhou remained silent.
That means he won't pay any attention to me today.
Yan Dan tossed and turned in thought, finally closing her eyes slowly. Just as she was drifting between sleep and wakefulness, she was suddenly startled awake by the soft sound of water. She sat up abruptly and said, "Could you let me come out for some fresh air? Just for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea."
Tang Zhou readily agreed, "Okay."
Suddenly, a bright light appeared overhead, and Yan Dan's joy was indescribable. She slowly flew to the mouth of the gourd and peered out. Bound by magic, her body had shrunk considerably, making even a window seem enormous. Judging from the light streaming in, it was probably evening. They were likely in an inn, but the rooms looked old, and there was no noise from the city outside, suggesting it was a small inn in the suburbs.
"Doesn't it feel different from what you used to see?" Tang Zhou suddenly asked with a soft laugh.
Yan Dan nodded, then turned around, only to find herself enveloped in a misty haze. For a moment, she was speechless: "You...you...you..."
Tang Zhou leaned back, brushing his wet black hair outside the wooden tub, and asked with a half-smile, "What about me?"
Yan Dan immediately retorted, "I don't want to watch you take a shower!"
Tang Zhou looked at her innocently: "You're the one who said you wanted to come out for some fresh air, and besides, I didn't invite you."
Yan Dan leaned over the gourd's mouth, propping her chin up with one hand, and pouted, "Fine, I'll just watch from the side. You gotta let me see the whole thing!" Tang Zhou loosened his grip, and the jade gourd fell into the water with a splash. Before Yan Dan could react, she swallowed two large mouthfuls of bathwater. She quickly held her breath, retreated back into the jade gourd, and used her magic to seal a barrier around the gourd's mouth to prevent the water from getting in.
Tang Zhou stood up, dried himself off, pulled his inner robe from behind the screen and put it on, then fished the jade gourd out of the water: "How is it?"
Yan Dan felt her stomach churning, and after coughing for a long time, nothing came out. She angrily said, "Despicable."
Tang Zhou smiled but said nothing. He placed the jade gourd on the table, slowly tied his belt, put on his inner garment, and finally put on his outer robe.
Yan Dan's eyes flickered, and she smiled slightly, "You must be very tired from traveling around, right? Would you like me to massage your legs and shoulders?"
Tang Zhou turned his head and looked at her indifferently.
"Let me out, and I promise I won't run away. Besides, even if I did, you could catch me. I wouldn't do something so foolish." It's about taking it one step at a time. Right now, the priority is to get out of the jade gourd so we can act accordingly. Being locked up in a dark, sunless place all day has left us with no other options.
"Are you... trying to seduce me?" He chuckled softly, speaking slowly and deliberately, "Do you want to know what happened to a fox demon who tried the same trick?"
Hearing his tone, Yan Dan felt a chill run down her spine and couldn't help but shrink back: "I don't want to know, I don't want to know anything at all."
In fact, to leave the jade gourd, she must first be alive. If only a wisp of her soul flies out in the end, then it's meaningless.
Tang Zhou picked up the jade gourd and plugged its mouth with a wooden stopper: "If you're really smart, then be honest and don't have any crooked ideas. That way you can live a few more days and die cleanly."
Darkness returned to my eyes.
Yan Dan thought for a moment and asked, "Was that fox demon very beautiful?"
Without hesitation, Tang Zhou replied, "Much better looking than you."
Yan Dan retorted, "With such a beauty throwing herself at you, you're not even tempted? Are you even a man?"
After what seemed like three hours, Yan Dan faintly heard a noise outside. It was the dead of night; who would be out and about in the middle of the night? She quickly pressed herself against the gourd wall, listening intently to the sounds outside. It seemed there were people moving around inside the room, and definitely more than one.
Those people's footsteps were unsteady, and the sound of their landings was very clear to her ears. Tang Zhou, on the other hand, walked with light and quick steps, almost without making a sound.
Yan Dan thought for a moment, a smile appearing on her lips: she had finally found her chance to escape. If she wasn't mistaken, the inn Tang Zhou had stayed at was a shady establishment, and the food and tea he had consumed must have contained sleeping pills, which explained why he was sleeping so soundly, unaware that someone had come in.
She thought Tang Zhou was very shrewd, but he was nothing special.
Suddenly, the earth shook violently, and Yan Dan slid to the other side. She heard a gruff voice outside say, "This is jade, I wonder how much it's worth?" Another person chimed in, "It looks very lustrous. Open the cork and see, maybe there's some treasure inside!"
Yan Dan smiled gently, thinking to herself, "Open it quickly, so I can get away as soon as possible."
Suddenly, the jade gourd was flipped upside down, and Yan Dan lost her balance, passing right through the gourd's mouth. Wisps of green smoke rose from it as she spun around, her robes billowing. She raised a hand to smooth her hair, then turned to look at the bed. The young celestial master was indeed still fast asleep.
The three people behind him were dumbfounded. After a long while, they managed to choke out, "Damn it, there's a monster!" Then they stumbled and shoved the door open and left.
Yan Dan flicked her finger, and the last person fell to the ground with a thud, unable to get up for a long time. The person was trembling all over, and with a cry of pain, scrambled away.
Yan Danwei said with slight dissatisfaction, "Do I look that scary? Why are they so frightened?"
However, she was in a great mood today and didn't want to worry about anything.
She walked to the table, opened the teapot lid, smelled it, and then broke off a piece of pastry from the plate and took a bite: "It really is a sleeping potion." She turned back to the bedside, looked down at Tang Zhou. He was sleeping soundly, his breathing long and even, his face serene, and his appearance quite handsome. Yan Dan murmured to herself, "You look down on us demons, but I'll make you owe me a favor." But she still needed to vent the anger she had suffered these past few days. She slowly raised her hand, gathered her strength, and then swung it down forcefully, intending to slap him a few times. Before she could touch his cheek, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.
Tang Zhou suddenly opened his eyes: "What?"
Yan Dan forced herself to remain calm and gave a faint smile: "You have bugs on your face, I want to help you brush them off."
Tang Zhou slowly sat up, still smiling: "You raised your hand so high just now, I thought you were going to slap me."
The sudden turn of hope into disappointment filled her with extreme resentment.
She was trembling with rage, almost jumping up and down: "Let me make this clear first, I'd rather kill myself than go back into that magic artifact! Whether you want me chopped into pieces or used to refine pills, bring it on, I'm not afraid!"
Tang Zhou pulled a talisman from under his robe beside the pillow and stuck it to her wrist. A flash of light, and the talisman transformed into a heavy jade bracelet. He released her wrist and slowly said, "This restriction prevents you from leaving my side by more than five steps."
Yan Dan reached out her hand, but the moment her fingertips touched the bracelet, it snapped her fingers away. Although she had escaped from the jade gourd, she was bound by a restriction and had to stay by Tang Zhou's side, leaving her no chance to escape.
She looked at the bracelet for a while, still unwilling to give up: "Five steps is too few, could you extend it to ten steps?"
"I originally thought three steps would be best." Tang Zhou got out of bed and reached to straighten his clothes, when suddenly his sleeve was tugged by Yan Dan. Her expression was pitiful as she pleaded, "Even if it's twenty steps, I can't do anything. How about ten steps?"
He chuckled softly, his handsome features revealing a delicate beauty. "You're so pitiful, I can't help but feel a pang of attraction." His tone suddenly shifted. "Say one more word and I'll trap you inside my magic artifact."
Yan Dan pouted and muttered something under her breath. Suddenly, she sat down at the table, picked up a pastry, and took a bite.
Tang Zhou raised his hand and grasped her wrist, his long eyebrows furrowing slightly: "This little bit is drugged."
“I’d eat anything that contains arsenic when I’m starving,” Yan Dan said with a proud smile, “let alone a mere sleeping potion?”
Tang Zhou took the pastries from her hand and put them back on the plate: "Qingshi Town is not far ahead, let's go to town to eat."
"Qingshi Town?" She was slightly taken aback. "What are you going to Qingshi Town for?"
Tang Zhou didn't say anything, but picked up his bundle and walked out the door.
Yan Dan felt an invisible force dragging her along behind Tang Zhou, the two of them standing five steps apart.
"I heard from others that a lot of things have happened in Qingshi Town. Some people have died in their homes for no reason, some have had their hearts ripped out, and there are evil spirits haunting the mass graves. What are you going there for?"
Tang Zhou turned around and smiled slightly: "I've never seen it before, I'd like to see it."
Yan walked for a while, then couldn't help but ask, "You didn't touch the food at the shady shop before, so you weren't drugged, right?"
Tang Zhou avoided answering and instead quickened his pace. The sky was just beginning to lighten, the morning glow bright, and they could already see a small town made of bluestone in the distance.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
