Chapter 22 If it's you, I'll hug you...
In an instant, a golden ring flashed out from the wall.
Clang.
Ping Yu was startled by the loud noise, and his grabbing action froze on the spot.
This is... the Universe Ring!
A man's mouth can never be closed.
More than the physical pain, the peddler felt fear.
His eyes rolled down stiffly, and the golden ring of the ritual implement was inserted vertically into his mouth, stretching his upper and lower jaws open to almost the size of his face.
Even the jawbone showed signs of minor fractures.
"Why would you eat random things when I'm in your belly?"
The boy's clear voice rang out, flat and even. Pingyu and Jinzha turned around abruptly, looking at the unusual wall.
There was another sound of brocade being torn.
The thin film on the wall was roughly torn open. A section of arm, as white as lotus root, emerged from it, like a child just born from amniotic fluid. The skin was so thin it was almost transparent, and you could see soft, slippery blood flowing through it, along with clumps of chicken fat wrapped in feathers, which were held aloft along with the arm.
He suddenly clenched his fist, and the crimson silk shot out like an arrow. Like a chain, it easily wrapped around the man's deep tongue from the mouth opened by the Qiankun Ring.
"Don't bite off more than you can chew; you'll end up bursting your stomach."
As he spoke, Nezha slowly emerged from the membrane.
The central hall was already dark, and it wasn't until the boy approached the candlelight that Jinzha and Pingyu could see his condition clearly.
Nezha looked utterly wretched, like a piece of cloth pulled from a pool of blood. With each step he took, more crimson blood flowed down his body. Gradually, a scarlet pool formed on the ground, staining the boy's bare feet.
It was clear that both the Universe Ring and the Heavenly Silk were used to subdue the enemy, but Pingyu discovered that Nezha was not empty-handed. His left hand held a sharp, black object, and as they approached, the object in the boy's hand revealed its true form: it was a Guhuoniao (a mythical bird), its head alone as tall as two adults, and Nezha was holding its enormous beak. The demon's eyes were closed, its life hanging in the balance, its body dragged out like a piece of junk.
She originally had nine heads, but Nezha violently tore them off at the base of her neck, and eight of them were piled on the bird's back.
Pingyu felt a strange sense of absurdity rising in his heart. A bird with only one head left looked like a deformed piece of ginger.
"Nezha..."
When she opened her mouth to speak, she realized her throat was dry. Before she could even process what was happening, her body was already racing towards Nezha. Nezha, watching the girl rushing towards him, was unusually stunned. He saw her arms outstretched, as if she intended to embrace him.
The boy was at a loss; his pupils trembled, and goosebumps rose all over his body.
Nezha awkwardly turned his head away: "This is all demon blood, not mine."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Pingyu nuzzled against his shoulder and hugged a nearby pillar. The girl held on tightly, her eyes brimming with tears, and cried out to the pillar, "Nezha, I'm so glad you're alright!"
Nezha: ?
"I'm here."
He thought Pingyu had misjudged the situation and had to remind him.
"That's enough." Ping Yu, with tears welling up in his eyes, turned to the boy who was covered in blood and said, "You're covered in demon blood, I can't bring myself to hug you."
Upon hearing this, Nezha froze for a moment, his temples bulging with veins. The boy immediately grabbed Pingyu's ear and dragged both the man and the demon away.
"Ouch, that hurts!"
She screamed in agony, desperately trying to pry his fingers off. Unfortunately, mortal strength was as insignificant as a feather to a cultivator, unable to budge Nezha in the slightest. The boy seemed oblivious to her cries of pain, coldly uttering two words: "Take it."
The thought that he had been eaten because he pushed Pingyu away made him even more agitated. Nezha added through gritted teeth, "You heartless bastard."
"You're lying!" Since the other person was alright, Pingyu was completely relieved. She shouted and yelled in protest, "I didn't hug him because demon blood is dirty!"
"What if it were mine?"
Nezha retorted.
"Then I'll hug you!"
Pingyu answered readily. She could clearly feel that Nezha's pinching of her ear lessened considerably after hearing her answer.
She secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hugged herself tenderly.
Jinzha was amused by the two children's playful fight. His younger brother was out of danger, and the tense and oppressive atmosphere in the main hall suddenly relaxed.
"It's good that you're alright."
When Nezha dragged the boy and the demon to him, the young man wanted to pat his younger brother on the shoulder, but he hesitated because the boy was covered in dirt. Jinzha calmly cast a cleaning spell on the boy before placing his hand on him.
He turned to look at the Guhuoniao on the ground and asked hesitantly, "Is she dead?"
"He's still breathing."
Nezha watched his elder brother's actions speechlessly and let go.
He stepped on the bird demon's neck and commented disdainfully, "I thought it was a formidable fighter, but it's just a little bigger than a pheasant."
The Guhuoniao was indeed not dead. Pingyu clearly saw two hot tears of shame streaming down her tightly closed eyes.
"So what do we do now?"
Pingyu carefully removed Nezha's hand that had been released.
She moved a little further away from him, hiding her body behind Jinzha, only her head showing: "Should we proceed according to the original plan? It seems too late at this time; it won't be effective until the morning."
They had agreed before they arrived that the peddler would catch up with Yu Pao, and then Nezha would make a dazzling appearance as a peerless hero.
Now that the men are restrained and the demons are half-crippled, everything is ready except for the final push.
"Then let's wait until morning."
As Nezha spoke, he raised his chin towards Fangpao and said, "You can go find your mothers now."
The peddler watched in disbelief as a pale, bluish-white boy emerged from the girl's handkerchief. His appearance was identical to his own dead son. The man claimed he wasn't afraid of ghosts, but seeing his own child, whom he had chopped up, standing vividly before him again, filled him with dread. He began to struggle violently, his teeth clanging against the magic ring. Nezha frowned and waved his hand, removing all his magical weapons.
Having just gained the right to speak, the peddler didn't even have time to swallow the blood in his mouth. As he spoke, mud, blood, and saliva overflowed from the corners of his mouth: "Tong'er, Father knows he was wrong!"
Tears were welling up in his eyes and nose, perhaps from fright, and he looked as if he were about to cry. The man spoke earnestly, as if the one who had just uttered those harsh words was someone else who looked exactly like him.
Tong'er was somewhat surprised, not understanding why this person was suddenly apologizing. But before he could think about it, his ears were suddenly covered.
The boy blinked and met Ping Yu's gaze, which was wandering.
"elder sister?"
He asked, puzzled.
The girl used her hands as clips to turn Tong'er around. She urged, "Come on, let's go together!"
"They're looking for their mother, what are you going to do with them?" Nezha grabbed Pingyu by the back of his collar, his words utterly shocking: "Do you think the three of you all share the same mother?"
"Then you come too."
Thanks to Jinzha's cleansing spell, Nezha was now spotless. Pingyu, feeling no longer burdened by touching him, decisively grasped the other's wrist behind his neck. Nezha didn't hesitate, grabbing Jinzha's belt in return. He said, "Since I've gone, you can't be left behind."
The girl held the boy's hand, and the boy tugged at his older brother's arm.
Xiao Bei opened her mouth in the hair, and Tong Er opened her eyes wide and muttered, "So many people!"
Jinzha first used the golden ring on the Dragon-Binding Pillar to lock up the peddler and the Guhuoniao.
After that, the group began a large-scale search of the house.
Led by Tong'er, they went to the side room.
"This is where my mother lives."
The door wasn't locked, and the boy easily pushed it open. The room wasn't like the Li mansion; the furnishings were simple. There was only a low couch, a dressing table, and a wardrobe—that was all. The bedding on the couch was made of better material than in ordinary homes; it was fine linen mixed with silk.
Tong'er lifted the quilt; the bed was empty.
He opened the cupboard, and inside were only a few pieces of men's clothing.
Where is my mother?
The boy grew anxious and even opened the teapot on the table to look at it.
Seeing their anxious expressions, Pingyu tentatively suggested, "Should we look somewhere else?"
"But it's gone."
Tong'er said in a somber tone, "The kitchen is very small, only big enough for two people to stand in. Besides this room, there's another side room, which is the one Xiao Bei and I share... but we've already been there."
Pingyu and the other two exchanged glances, also feeling perplexed.
Although they killed the ghost, they did not destroy the furnishings of the house. According to the feng shui of the house, the siblings' mother should still be alive.
"Why don't we go ask him?"
Nezha picked at the strand of hair that was draped over his shoulder. He twirled the black hair between his fingers and said to Tong'er, "Didn't that person just say he knew he was wrong? Since he knows he was wrong, he should at least show some remorse."
After he finished speaking, the remaining two people and two ghosts all cast unspeakable glances at him.
Ping Yu even suspected that Nezha's purpose in saying this was purely to be sarcastic.
But they returned to the main hall, and Tong'er came to the peddler.
Seeing his unpleasant expression, the man could guess what the other had been up to. These two little brats had been with their mother since they were little; he wondered if it was only because their father had provided them with enough food that they'd grown up like this. The peddler sneered inwardly, but outwardly maintained a remorseful demeanor. He said, "What's wrong, Tong'er? Why are you back?"
There was no mention of Beckham at all.
Tong'er answered succinctly: "Where's my mother?"
"Still alive." The peddler, with his beady eyes, chuckled, "Release your father, and I'll take you to find him."
Tong'er fell silent. He turned to face Nezha so that his sister could also look at him. Pingyu and Jinzha followed suit, turning their gazes back to him.
Why are you looking at me like that?
The boy faced everyone's silent condemnation with composure. He glanced around and glared back at each of them. Nezha snorted and continued, "You two siblings are vengeful ghosts. Can't you even torture a mortal to make him tell the truth?"
Tong'er was bewildered.
Tong'er suddenly realized!
He turned his attention back to the peddler.
The boy called out calmly, "Dad."
The peddler's scalp tightened, and his smile almost vanished.
Damn it, you brat.
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