Chapter 32
"Be careful where you step." Xiaofu walked in front of Gu Luoyan. As she spoke, she raised her palms and a ball of firefly gathered at her fingertips.
It was completely dark, there were no lights in the mountains, only twinkling stars.
Before entering Penglai Peak, one has to cross a small stream with gravel on the road. Xiaofu reminded him of this because he was worried that Gu Luoyan would not be able to step on the stones and slip into the stream.
She held the fluorescent light in her hand, lighting up the ground for Gu Luoyan.
Seeing her appearance, Gu Luoyan felt soft-hearted for a moment. She stepped over the stone and said jokingly, "Little monster, you are different from other monsters I know."
Xiaofu looked up at Gu Luoyan. She was a monster. She didn't care about day or night. There seemed to be flowing lights in her eyes, and she could see everything around her clearly.
"What's the difference?"
"The monsters I know of are either bloodthirsty or cannibalistic. Monsters treat humans like dirt, and humans hate and fear monsters as enemies. They are like water and fire, incompatible."
Gu Luoyan hopped over stones, crossed the stream, and finally went to Penglai with Xiaofu. Suddenly, he thought of something and smiled again, "I have only seen one monster like you so far, pure and honest, unlike other monsters."
"How can Xiaofu be so simple and honest? What kind of word is this? It's more suitable for describing the black bear in the mountains."
Gu Luoyan laughed, and without further explanation, she heard Xiaofu say:
"You humans always pretend to be profoundly wise. Don't look down on us. All things have spirits, and all beings are different. You are like this, and so are we."
This sentence actually enlightened Gu Luoyan. It seemed that people were also biased and had preconceived notions about what a monster was.
People have good and evil sides, and so do monsters.
What is good and evil? There must be different standards.
She stopped thinking and followed the firefly in Xiaofu's hand into the depths of the cave.
·
The cave was pitch black, with only the faint glow of Xiaofu's hand visible. The stalactites on the ceiling occasionally dripped water, ticking.
Gu Luoyan always felt a chill coming from all directions. Although there was no wind in the cave, it was extremely cold.
"We're here." Xiaofu stopped after walking for a short while, and stretched his hand forward, and the fluorescent light illuminated a place.
The huge crystal stalactites reflect the fluorescent light, and drops of water are constantly flowing underneath, accumulating to form a spring.
Gu Luoyan walked forward and used the prepared cowhide water bag to get some water. Xiaofu stood by to light her way and said:
"What's wrong with your friend? Why does he need water from Penglai's spring?"
Gu Luoyan's expression darkened a little, and she said, "Her spiritual intelligence has been locked away, and she can't transform."
Xiaofu saw her carefully put away the water bag and smiled: "You are quite interesting as a mortal, you can actually make friends with a demon."
"Aren't you also defining me?" Gu Luoyan mocked Xiaofu.
Xiaofu shut up awkwardly.
She then glanced at the spring water beneath the crystal and murmured, "Brother, does the spring water in your cave have such miraculous uses? I've guarded Penglai for decades, and this is the first time I've heard of it. Truly, Brother is the saint of Dulian Mountain!"
"Who is this big brother you are talking about that you admire him so much?" Gu Luoyan laughed at her.
"Hmph, my elder brother is a very good monster. It's hard to explain it to a mortal like you!" The woman raised her head proudly and turned away.
"Let's go, Xiaofu." Gu Luoyan stopped teasing Xiaofu and said sincerely, "Thank you for today."
"It's so dark at night, can you get down the mountain? Don't let the leopard take you away."
"Then thank you Miss Xiaofu for taking me down the mountain..." Before Gu Luoyan finished speaking, firefly light suddenly shone above the cave.
She glanced forward and her breath hitched.
Above, densely packed eyes were crowded together.
Bats, as black as the night, hung in clusters on the rock wall above the cave, their tiny heads moving like countless tumors growing from the rock.
Gu Luoyan knew where that cold feeling came from.
I remembered Rongti's words again. Supplement it with black bat blood...
The black bat should have come from here.
Gu Luoyan didn't say anything. She pursed her lips and swallowed for a moment.
Then he went to see Xiaofu who was not far ahead.
With a frown on her face, she silently stroked her left sleeve.
The distance in the Penglai Peak Cave was very short. After walking for a while, Gu Luoyan soon saw the stars in the sky outside.
Xiaofu came out of the cave and was about to turn around to look at her.
Gu Luoyan raised his left arm just in time and pressed down the armor-like thing on his wrist.
The mechanism opens.
The sleeve arrow shot out and shot towards the top of the cave.
In a moment,
The bats were startled and came out with their teeth bared, making a series of squeaking sounds.
Their membranous wings flapped, some of them fled outwards, and some attacked Gu Luoyan at the cave entrance.
There were three more string sounds, and three tiny sleeve arrows were shot out, shooting towards the bats flying towards Gu Luoyan.
Gu Luoyan bent down, grabbed a fallen bat with his bare hands, and flipped out of the cave sideways.
She took out another pouch from her waist, pinched the bat's wings, and let the blood from the wound pierced by the hidden arrow ooze out and slide into the pouch.
Bats almost came out of their nests, covering half the sky like a black fog.
Xiaofu stood at the entrance of the cave in a daze, brushing past the swarm of bats that flew towards him.
She looked at Gu Luoyan squatting on the ground in surprise, and saw her pinching the bat's wings and ending its life.
Her hair flew in all directions, uncontrollably turning into thick roots and vines.
Xiaofu's round eyes suddenly became sharp, and amid the sound of the bats' wings flapping, he gnashed his teeth and shouted: "You are no different from those people!"
Xiaofu shook his head, and the growing roots attacked Gu Luoyan.
Gu Luoyan stood up and barely dodged the attack. This time, she aimed the hidden arrow on her left wrist at Xiaofu.
The string buckle was pressed, and the iron weapon flew out of the wind and pierced Xiaofu's shoulder.
The little demon screamed, but still did not give up and whipped Gu Luoyan with the vines transformed from his hair.
The vines hit Gu Luoyan, leaving red marks.
More vines came and wrapped around Gu Luoyan's ankles, trying to lock her up.
Gu Luoyan took off a hairpin with her right hand, and her hair fell down.
The hairpin was not like ordinary ones. One side was like a knife, flashing with cold light.
Gu Luoyan raised the hairpin and cut the vines that were wrapped around her feet. Soon, the vines broke and tore apart. The vines wrapped around Gu Luoyan withered and died. Gu Luoyan stood up and pointed her left hand at Xiaofu again. Finally, she couldn't bear it anymore, so she changed the direction of her arm. Her sleeve arrow shot out, piercing the palm of the little demon's right hand and pinning her to the ground.
The vines on Xiaofu's head twisted like snakes, but could no longer stretch.
Gu Luoyan did not approach Xiaofu. She checked whether the mountain spring water and bat blood she had on her were missing, and then she was about to leave.
Green liquid appeared on the body of the little demon whose hand was immobilized. She screamed, cried, and cursed Gu Luoyan:
"You will be torn to pieces by jackals! You will be carried off by leopards! Man! I will kill you! I will eat your heart and liver, and devour your bones and blood!"
Xiaofu tried to move the pierced hand, but there was no way to remove it.
The intense pain made her face distorted, and Xiaofu's eyes soon went blank.
Too much green liquid flowed out of Xiaofu's body from her shoulders and palms, so she couldn't roar for too long.
Roots began to grow from the skin beneath the simple dress, breaking through the soil and growing deeper.
For a brief moment, the instinct for life overcame Xiaofu's intelligence.
Her hands and feet turned into roots that grew into the earth, and her face turned into flowers and vines that clung to the ground and climbed up the nearby yew tree.
The plain dress was still in place, with the two sleeves tilted and the skin underneath no longer visible.
Xiaofu turned into a plant with a long vine clinging to the tree. Red and purple flowers bloomed and then faded.
The surroundings became quiet, as if nothing had happened.
Even the bats disappeared.
Gu Luoyan looked at this scene and couldn't say anything.
A moment of sadness appeared in her eyes, and she lowered her head silently.
He took heavy steps, left the cave and walked into the forest.
·
I thought I was going to get lost when I went down the mountain, but in reality the journey was surprisingly smooth.
Gu Luoyan followed her inner inspiration and returned to the foot of the mountain in just an hour.
It was still dark when she knocked on the door of the family where the horse was being fostered, and took the horse back to the shocked eyes of the old couple.
The horses galloped, and Yu returned the horses outside the city and took the carriage back into the city.
Finally, in the red light of sunrise, the plaque of Yunshang Escort Agency appeared outside the carriage.
Gu Luoyan paid the money, got out of the car and entered the escort agency.
The sound of going upstairs woke Xue Yi up, and she saw a woman in pajamas looking down from above, coming down to greet her and putting a fleece on her.
"Where have you been?" Xue Yi asked her anxiously.
Gu Luoyan did not answer.
She accompanied Xue Yi and walked straight into a room.
When he pushed open the door, he found the room was extremely warm, which made the man covered in morning dew feel comfortable from the bottom of his heart.
When Gu Luoyan knelt down, the fox woke up and looked at her with its eyes open.
Gu Luoyan poured the bag of bat blood into the mountain spring water, and then used a cowhide water bag to hold the fox's head and pour the water into it.
The fox struggled and raised its claws to scratch Gu Luoyan.
But soon, her eyes became clear.
The beast-like pupils grew rounder, and even the fox's breathing began to slow.
The hair on her body began to fade, revealing her smooth body.
The fox's face turned into a human's, and its upturned and slightly red nose tip appeared in front of Gu Luoyan.
Nianqing is back.
At that moment, a tired smile appeared on the face of the man who had been walking for a whole day and night without a moment's rest. Nian Qing was reflected in Gu Luoyan's eyes, and there was light.
Nian Qing sniffed, then raised her hands and cupped Gu Luoyan's face: "So much cold air, so much moisture. Where did you come back from, Gu Luoyan?"
She looked at her and said, "You have a different aura. I've seen it on someone..." She lowered her brows and thought for a moment before coming up with the answer: "It was from that doctor from the Hong Kong Opera House. Do you remember?"
"Oh... Hongguang Hall. Gu Luoyan, where are we now?" Nian Qing's expression suddenly became tense.
The next moment, the person a few inches away kissed Nian Qing on the lips.
The fox's hidden ears suddenly appeared, the tension in her eyes disappeared, and a blush appeared on her face.
Gu Luoyan separated from her and held Nian Qing's face. There were many emotions in her eyes, but she finally closed them tiredly. "Tomorrow, wait until tomorrow and I'll tell you everything, okay? You tell me too."
Gu Luoyan hugged Nian Qing, and her sleepiness subsided. Her heart also fell back into her chest after she saw the person in front of her.
"Nianqing, sleep with me and dream with me."
"Woo..."
Nian Qing was pressed down by Gu Luoyan, and the two of them lay down on the soft cushions prepared for the fox.
A subtle smell wafted into Nian Qing's nose, making her feel extremely at ease.
That was the smell of bone smoke that only she could smell.
She raised her arms, hugged Gu Luoyan back, and patted Gu Luoyan's back gently like a human.
Nian Qing snuggled up to Gu Luoyan's ear and whispered softly, "Gu Luoyan, go to sleep. I'm here."
She kissed Gu Luoyan's ear, then turned her head softly to look at Xue Yi who was standing by the door and was so frightened that she couldn't speak.
Whispering to her:
"Go ahead, but remember to close the door. I'm here."
·
At night, the night watchman struck the wooden clapper and patrolled the city of Mingjing.
There was no one around, and the autumn was dry and cold, so the night watchman couldn't help but shrug.
He wanted to finish the patrol quickly and return to his residence, so he couldn't help but quicken his pace.
Walking through the darkness, the bright firelight was right in front of him. The night watchman was delighted and took a big step, but his eyes suddenly became fixed, and his legs fell down, as if they had no bones.
His entire body then fell down and he was unable to move forward.
The fire flickered, illuminating the blood flowing from his eyes.
Suddenly.
The fire went out.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
