Chapter 115 Memories of the past, spring rains raging...
Today is a beautiful sunny day.
The locust tree stretches out its branches, scattering its fragrant blossoms while also providing shade for the creatures beneath. The stream beside it is crystal clear, and the gurgling sound of its water soothes the soul, making one feel the refreshing coolness of the spring breeze.
Several tiger cubs were sleeping under the tree. Shan Huai Ren had been called home by the mountain king to cultivate. The water deer sisters were still sleeping in a cave somewhere. The golden monkey, however, was very energetic and was swinging and playing among the branches of the locust tree.
Amidst the gentle breeze created by the monkeys swaying about, Qingyu and Fanxiang sat chatting on the swing chair, with some food and drinks laid out on the small stone table beside them.
Zhang Xuan and Qin Tianshu leaned against a rock, looking at the stories in the book while chattering away as if they were discussing the plot. A gentle breeze blew by, and locust blossoms were scattered all around them. They could sit however they wanted, wherever they wanted, whatever they wanted to do.
Wen Chuan was standing nearby. The young man was holding Cai Cai in his arms, examining the blood droplet in his hand, finding the star quite interesting.
Suddenly, the golden monkey hung upside down in front of the young man, its round eyes staring at the blood droplet. "Wow, so this is the spirit creature inside the leopard!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Tianshu raised his eyes and asked, "What's the story behind that leopard?"
Zhang Xuan also asked curiously, "Yeah, wouldn't such a spiritual creature be unable to withstand being put inside a living being...?"
Just like the deadly spider before, and the Dragon Ball that was forced into medicine, any magical spirit that is forcibly put into the human body will cause the soul to suffer extreme pain or die on the spot. Otherwise, why would Wen Chuan guide the spirit into a new item every time? He might as well just swallow it himself.
"Not necessarily, maybe it's a stroke of luck."
Qingyu swayed on the swing and said, Lin Fanxiang beside her nodded slightly, "Don't forget about Azhao."
Golden Monkey scratched his head, "What are you talking about... Oh! Let me tell you about this leopard..."
This is a somewhat sad story.
The entire Yunshan Mountain is the territory of the leopard demons, divided into large and small sections, inhabited by leopards of all sizes.
Quan Xiao is a notorious lazy demon in Qishan. He spends all his time eating off his clansmen. Of course, no one knows the specifics, but all that's known is that Quan Xiao neither hunts nor cultivates, yet he lives a perfectly good life.
Everything was fine until a strange leopard demon came to Qishan.
The leopard demon came from outside, but it was wilder than the animals in the mountains.
In just one or two days, he slaughtered the entire Yunshan Mountain.
They not only kill, but also eat.
Devouring the flesh and blood of their own kind, swallowing up all the demons on the mountain, such evil deeds caused the heavens to send down heavy rain... It was truly a dark and bloody rainy day, with blood flowing all over the Yunshan Mountain for a very long time, making all the little demons on the mountain excited and terrified.
Later, the mountain lord became enraged. He personally went out of Shenlan Cliff, intending to tear the vicious leopard to shreds—
Blinded in one eye and covered in blood, Quan Xiao was frantically devouring the leopard's flesh.
Amidst the pool of blood, he couldn't control himself. Whether in human form or leopard body, he just knelt there, eating and vomiting, eating and vomiting.
...
"Anyway, I don't know what happened that day, but Quan Xiao suddenly became a great demon. He killed and ate almost all the demons who had said a few words to him before. I thought that there was something in that bad leopard demon's body that Quan Xiao ate, which is why he became like this."
"Sigh, over the years, the leopard's relatives and enemies have basically all disappeared. After that, he just stayed in Quanyun Mountain and slept, ignoring everyone he met."
The golden monkey swung back and forth, smacking its lips and sighing as it did so.
"I was so curious once that I peeked inside. Tsk tsk tsk, it reeked of blood, and the big knife next to it was carved from the bones of its own kind. What an indescribable little leopard."
Zhang Xuan frowned, somewhat wistfully, and said, "So, he really is..."
...Well, it's hard to say, I can't say.
Qingyu looked up slightly, and the woman gently closed her eyes. She seemed to be able to see Quan Xiao's appearance when he was young, but in an instant, rain fell and blood was born. The timid and smiling young man turned into a bloodthirsty killer.
No wonder, no wonder his demon spirit was so weak, yet his spiritual energy was so strong.
It turns out that at that time, her home was right in front of them, and so was his.
Finally, the woman opened her eyes and silently thought to herself.
"Your claws are sharp and fast, and even your heart is ruthless enough."
...
The blood-dripping guillotine exuded a bloody aura. Wen Chuan examined it for a long time, but finally decided it was best not to use it to attract spirits and just keep it as is... Speaking of which, he needed to quickly make something new to facilitate the spirit-attracting process of the jasmine petals—
It was really troublesome, so I simply shook the locust tree and let a handful of locust flowers fall.
The essence of the jasmine petals has also permeated the locust flowers.
Li Huan has already promised Qing Yu that she will set up a flower stele for the great demon Liu Ruonv at the Black Butterfly Clan in Fandi. The jasmine petal should be placed in the middle of the flower stele in the end.
Lin Fanxiang and Zhang Xuan were unaware of the Butterfly Demon Ruonv's matter at the time, and only learned about it today when they arrived in Qishan.
Zhang Xuan: "I remember you said that the butterfly demon was over a hundred years old. Are there any butterfly clan members in the prosperous land who still recognize him?"
Qingyu: "Yes, there are some, but very few."
"Huanhuan is a Golden Butterfly, and Liu Ruonv is a Black Butterfly. The Black Butterfly was the leader of the Butterfly Clan many years ago, about fifty years ago if you count."
"Liu Ruonv was only in her early twenties when she left Qishan, and now it's been...eighty years..."
"I just went to Fandi for a look around, and the only ones who remember him are a few very old monsters from the Black Butterfly Clan. If they hadn't told me, I would have thought he had died out there a long time ago."
So much time has passed, and Ruonv's past has long since been gently blown away by the wind, like the pollen of flowers turning year after year.
A flower-covered monument fulfilled his last wish, allowing him to return to the path he came from. Even though there are no more relatives or friends here, the sea of flowers still exists, blooming and fading with spring, so it can be considered as returning home.
Hearing this, Zhang Xuan asked with some emotion, "He actually stayed outside for so long?"
He definitely can't do it. His father is still waiting for him at home. Zhang Xuan's plan is quite good. He'll go home to visit when he turns eighteen, and then... well, we'll see.
Lin Fanxiang understood his meaning from his expression and tone. The woman smiled and said, "It's been almost a year since I left Shengjing... Aren't we going to Dongqingzhou soon? From Yizhou to Qingzhou, perhaps you can go back to Shengjing for a visit."
Qingyu and Fanxiang were sitting on a swing together. Hearing this, she turned her head and asked, "And what about you?"
Lin Fanxiang shook her head with a helpless smile, "I won't. It wasn't easy for me to get out of this... and my mother wouldn't want me to go back."
When they left the capital, Aunt Xueying opened the gates of Shengjing City for them and gave her many gold and silver treasures as a final gift... Auntie said that Lin had been trapped for many years and the emperor had complicated thoughts. He was willing to let her go this time, but he might not be so next time.
...Just then, Qin Tianshu yawned, and the scholar leaned back leisurely, opening his fan with a "snap" as if dozing off. "No need to rush, there's still a long way to go from Yizhou to Qingzhou."
It's mid-March now, which is considered mid-spring. By the time they arrive in Qingzhou, it will probably be summer.
Wen Chuan: "From Qishan... there are two routes. One is to go directly to Jiaozhou, then through Jingzhou and Xuzhou, and finally to Qingzhou. The other is to go back, from Yizhou eastward, through Jizhou, and then to Qingzhou."
Each has its own focus. The former has a longer route, but it passes through more places, which would probably be more interesting. The latter has a shorter route, but you've already seen most of the scenery in the places you pass through.
Qingyu thought for a moment and said, "Actually, either way is fine. The Jiaozhou route seems to have more places, but in terms of distance, it's not much longer than the Jizhou route."
They were just taking a detour, not visiting all the cities, at most two or three.
"Then let's go through Jiaozhou?"
Zhang Xuan suggested, "There's no need to go through Shengjing. I'd like to go back after things in Qingzhou are over... As for what to do after that, I haven't decided yet."
Qin Tianshu laughed as he listened, "I'm really curious about what you'll do in the future."
Zhang Xuan disliked the Four Books and Five Classics, and he disliked political intrigue. He spent his days practicing swordsmanship, cultivating his skills, and watching blacksmiths make weapons.
But he can't make a living from these things in the future. Of course, if Zhang Xiang allows it, he can live a carefree life. It all depends on himself.
Upon hearing this, Wen Chuan smiled and said, "The Li family of Qingzhou is your mother's family, and your sword also comes from there. We're going through there this time, so you might as well go and take a look."
Cai Cai: "Coo coo coo coo".
Zhang Xuan pursed his lips. "I didn't think that much about it... Maybe I can become a demon-suppressing envoy in some state in the future?"
Sister Qingyu and Brother Wen said they would settle down in the south, probably still in Qingshui City. Then he and Fan Xiang could work at the Demon Suppression Pavilion in some southern state. Putting everything else aside, with their strength and cultivation, becoming a Demon Suppression Envoy shouldn't be a problem, right...?
Zhang Xuan: "Danzhou? Jiaozhou? Xuzhou would also work."
He spoke naturally, not afraid of being inferior to the current demon-suppressing envoys. Qingyu thought for a moment and then laughed for no reason. She leaned against Fan Xiang and said leisurely, "Good ambition. Shouldn't you ask your brother Tianshu about this?"
The Nine Provinces Demon Suppression Pavilion, excluding its headquarters in Shengjing, Jingzhou, has eight Demon Suppression Envoys, all appointed by the Pavilion Master, Wuxin.
Wuxin, the scholar's beloved.
Qin Tianshu clicked his tongue. "I'm sleepy. Don't disturb my sleep."
"whispering sound,"
Zhang Xuan, standing beside him, said, "Seriously, brother, you've been traveling through Kyushu for so long, what are you going to do next?"
Qin Tianshu smiled, and the scholar, with his eyes closed, casually said, "I don't know... perhaps, becoming a teacher at the academy?"
Just as Zhang Xuan said, Qing Yu and Wen Chuan settled in Qing Shui City, while Zhang Xuan and Fan Xiang went to work as demon-suppressing envoys in some southern prefecture... Then he would go to Jiaozhou to be an ordinary but handsome schoolteacher. Perfect, the group of people would be close by, and they could get together often when they had nothing to do—well, Jiaozhou is very close to Jingzhou and Shengjing, which is convenient.
Lin Fanxiang thought for a moment, "Is it Wenxian Academy?"
The foremost academy under heaven, the Wenxian Academy of the Wang family of Jiaozhou.
"Yes, I was also a student at Wenxian Academy when I was young, but later I didn't want to study those boring theories, nor did I want to pursue an official career, so I simply packed my bags and went to travel all over the country."
Wen Chuan wasn't interested in any of that; he was just a little puzzled. "You're going to be a schoolteacher?"
"What tone?"
Qin Tianshu opened his eyes, and the young man straightened up and looked at Wen Chuan. "What's wrong with me being a teacher? If I were to teach at the academy, the first thing I would do is bring Xiao Qingyu over to listen to my lectures."
"Hey, what do you mean? You look down on demons?"
Qingyu laughed when she heard this. She said to Qin Tianshu, "If I were your student, the first thing I would do is burn all your messy love stories, so you won't have trouble getting up for class in the morning."
...Qin Tianshu glared at her.
Qingyu clasped his hands in a helpless gesture, "Sir! Don't glare at me, I'm doing this for your own good!"
"...Look at him, look at him, how naughty he is!"
Qin Tianshu said with a look of disappointment and heartache, "In that case, I can't teach you anymore, I can't teach you anymore!"
He spoke so seriously, as if he were genuinely angered by the students, his hands even trembling. Wen Chuan smiled at his heart-wrenching expression, his tone light and amused, "Alright, you're really putting on an act."
"Hahaha, bro, who are you imitating? You look a bit like an old schoolteacher."
Qin Tianshu remained silent for a moment, then looked up at the sky and said calmly, "That year, I was at Wenxian Academy. How could I, a student, ever forget the words and deeds of the former dean?"
Lin Fanxiang frowned. She recalled for a moment and said in a serious but gentle tone, "If it's that old dean... then you must have been beaten quite a few times, right, brother?"
"..."
Cai Cai: "Coo coo coo coo ooh ooh~"
Everyone laughed, and the scholar said speechlessly, "Ah, that's how the old dean was back then—I played the part very well."
Zhang Xuan: "It looks just like it, so much like it—it's hilarious."
Qingyu wholeheartedly agreed, "Yes, you've made Cai Cai laugh so hard she crows."
Wen Chuan: "...Ahem." (Laughs out loud)
Qin Tianshu: You!!!
...
After chatting and laughing for a while, the sun was setting and the sky inexplicably darkened.
It's going to rain.
A fine spring drizzle fell like cotton, and a gentle mist drifted towards the young people under the trees. They sheltered from the rain and casually chatted about the past, present, and future...
The heavy rain fell, meandering and seeping into the soil, gently.
White clouds drift lazily over Quanyun Mountain, the fruits of Jin Guo Mountain have ripened, the sea of flowers in Fan Di is like a fairyland, the waters of the Nine Thousand Waterfalls in Zhen Xuan Cave rush from the sky, the water deer by Gan Gui Lake leisurely graze on the green grass, the foxes of Qing Qiu hold a lively market again, the brown bears of Xun Ling wake up from their deep sleep with a yawn, the otters by Qing Ming Spring hold a diving competition with a slurping sound, the Pi tribe in the tall bamboo forest roll over and chew on bamboo while dozing off, the wolf tribe of Shen Yue Mountain beats up the lazy wolf that does not respond to the wolf king's call, and the mountain lord of Shen Lan Cliff is annoyed by the little tigers in his tribe that disturb his sleep.
In the ancient, secluded pool, the sky remained as it had been for millions of years, concealing the Milky Way...
The sound of rain mingled with laughter, shouts, and snores, all proclaiming together—
This wildly growing spring.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
