Chapter 19 Protect You
Tang Lu's passion for cooking has finally been guided onto a relatively safe track.
But Chi Li discovered that this little tree spirit's curiosity was like spring weeds, burning one crop only to have another grow back.
In the past few days, her interest has shifted to Akari's past.
"Lili, what were you like when you were little?"
"Is Lili also a tiny little thing like Tanglu?"
"What if Lili also loses control of her magic and sets things on fire?"
Faced with this series of naive yet "fatal" questions, Chi Li realized for the first time that living a long life wasn't all good.
This means that more of your past misdeeds may be unearthed.
She tried to brush it off with "I was born so powerful and majestic," but Tang Lu's clear eyes just stared at her expectantly.
She's a bit hard to fake...
Finally, on a sunny afternoon, when Tang Lu asked for the nth time, Chi Li sighed, put down the jade slip in her hand, and took the little guy's hand.
"Come on, I'll take you somewhere."
Chi Li arrived at the deepest part of the Demon King's Palace without bringing Tang Lu, a grove of paulownia trees protected by an ancient barrier.
The sycamore trees here are so tall that they block out the sun, and each one exudes the aura of a long and distant past.
In the very center stands a particularly unique sycamore tree. Its trunk is a warm, reddish-gold color, and its branches and leaves seem to shimmer with light, exuding an aura that makes Tang Lu feel intimate and warm.
"This is..." Tang Lu curiously touched the crimson-gold tree trunk, feeling the wood spirit energy within her body become more cheerful.
"This is where I was born and grew up." Chi Li's voice carried a rare hint of nostalgia as she patted the thick tree trunk. "I grew here when I was just a sapling."
Tang Lu stared wide-eyed up at the towering tree, then looked at the stunningly beautiful Chi Li beside her, trying her best to imagine what Li Li would look like as a sapling...
Hmm, I can't imagine it.
Looking at her expression, Chi Li couldn't help but chuckle, her fingertip touching a spot on the tree trunk.
A ripple-like pattern spread out, revealing a slightly blurry image on the tree trunk...
It was a fluffy, palm-sized little reddish-gold chubby bird with a few sparse tail feathers, which was trying its best to flap its small wings.
She tried to fly to the nearest branch, but "plop!" she fell on her bottom, rolled twice, and shook her little head in a daze.
Tang Lu: "!!!"
She covered her mouth, her eyes wide open, looking at the adorable little chubby bird in the picture, and then at the imposing Demon King beside her.
“Lili…you, you used to…” She hesitated for a long time before finally saying “you”, too embarrassed to say “so fat” and “can’t fly”.
Chi Li's ears turned slightly red, but she forced herself to remain calm: "It's normal for cubs to be a bit plump during their cub stage."
The scene shifts, and the chubby bird seems to have grown a bit, with its tail feathers becoming more beautiful.
It was practicing breathing fire, but it lost control and instead of spewing out a mighty flame, it burned the shiny little thing that had been accumulating in front of it for a long time into a pile of charcoal.
The little chubby bird stood there dumbfounded, then let out a childish chirp that was both aggrieved and angry, and stomped its feet in frustration.
Tang Lu: "Pfft—"
She quickly covered her mouth, but her eyes were already crinkled into crescent moons with laughter.
Chi Li: "...As a beginner in fire control, mistakes are inevitable."
The following scenes were even more "spectacular":
Some tripped over their own tail feathers.
Some tried to groom their feathers but ended up getting tangled up themselves.
Some of them lost fights with other demon cubs and angrily hid back in the trees, shedding golden tears.
Tang Lu went from being shocked at first, to trying to suppress her laughter, and finally she simply hugged her stomach and laughed so hard that she rolled around on the soft grass.
"Hahaha... Lili... I didn't know you were so cute before!" She laughed until tears streamed down her face.
Chi Li looked at the little tree spirit rolling around on the grass, and then at the "unbearable memories" on the tree trunk. Her initial embarrassment disappeared, replaced by a sense of intimacy from having her secrets shared.
Yes, in front of this little one, she doesn't seem to need to be the omnipotent, majestic, and cold demon king forever.
She can be clumsy, she can have embarrassing moments, she can just be... Chi Li who was once very happy.
She walked over, sat on the grass, and scooped the little tree spirit, who had been laughing so hard she was practically limp, into her arms.
"Now you know my secret?" She pinched Tang Lu's rosy cheeks, feigning seriousness. "You mustn't tell anyone, or else..."
She made a threatening gesture as if she were pulling out a leaf.
Tang Lu immediately covered her hair, afraid that the small leaves on it would be plucked.
She shook her head vigorously, her expression incredibly serious: "I won't tell! Tang Lu won't tell anyone! This is Tang Lu and Li Li's secret!"
She leaned against Chi Li's chest, looking at the huge sycamore tree, and whispered, "Tang Lu likes Li Li like this."
I like the strong Lili, but I also like the Lili who can fall down, cry, and has many little secrets.
Chi Li tightened her arms, holding the warm little body in her arms even closer.
Tang Lu was quiet for a moment, then suddenly raised her head, looked into Chi Li's eyes, and said very, very solemnly:
"Lili, from now on, Tanglu will protect you!"
Chi Li was stunned for a moment.
"Tanglu will work hard to grow up and become really, really amazing!" The little one waved her little fist.
"From now on, if anyone dares to bully Lili, Tanglu will whip them with vines and throw fruit at them!..."
Although the vines aren't very strong right now, the fruit might not hit the mark...
Her voice lowered slightly, a little embarrassed, but she quickly perked up again: "But Tang Lu will try her best! Super hard!"
Looking at the little tree spirit in her arms, whose human form was not yet stable but who was earnestly saying that he would protect her, Chi Li was completely touched in the softest part of her heart.
She has lived for ten thousand years, standing at the top of power, used to being revered and relied upon, but this is the first time... someone (the tree) has said they want to protect her.
The feeling of being so earnestly cherished and protected by a weak yet pure life was so intense that it almost brought tears to her eyes.
She lowered her head, her forehead gently touching Tang Lu's, her golden eyes shimmering with tenderness.
“Alright.” She heard herself reply gently and solemnly, “Then from now on, I will rely on Tang Lu for protection.”
Tang Lu immediately seemed to have received some sacred mission, her little face flushed with excitement, and she nodded vigorously: "Yes!"
Seeing the little one's incredibly serious expression, Chi Li couldn't help but kiss the top of her head.
Her silly tree spirit.
Despite being so weak, he always wanted to protect her.
And she, the demon king revered by the three realms, actually... began to look forward to the day when she would be protected by this little sapling.
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