Chapter 12 Reunion.
After several years apart, when Jiang Huaisu returned to the Southern Continent, he was filled with emotion.
Unlike before, she now carries thirty taels of silver and has regained the ability to transform into human form, making it much easier for her to move around.
The human markets were filled with delicious food and fun things, and she wandered through the streets and alleys, having a wonderful time. She had long since recovered from the sadness of being forced to leave her apprenticeship and plunged headlong into the embrace of this wonderful world.
The only regret is that Sun Wukong isn't by my side. A few years ago, when I passed through these places, she was still in his bamboo basket, a bird and a monkey drooling over the snack stalls.
Now she's enjoying her meal, while Sun Wukong is still cultivating in the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars.
Jiang Huaisu traveled at a leisurely pace without feeling any urgency, and it took her quite some time to reach the vicinity of the East China Sea.
The weather at sea is unpredictable, and with the rainy season upon us, she naturally stayed in the small fishing village by the sea for two more days, planning to set off again when the weather improved.
While we're at it, let's use this time to buy more supplies and bring them back to Flower Fruit Mountain.
It was drizzling again today, and she walked towards the market with her umbrella. Her human form could only last about two hours, so she needed to hurry back.
For some reason, I thought of Cinderella when the magic stopped at midnight, but unfortunately, she didn't have a fairy godmother to give her beautiful clothes.
She wore a coarse linen garment that she had traded with the fishermen, but she wore a gauze hat on her head, which looked somewhat incongruous.
But this veil wasn't for aesthetic purposes; it was to conceal her appearance. In case her transformation was unstable and she ended up as a bird-headed person in the middle of a busy street, the veil could at least help shield her and reduce the risk of making a fool of herself.
However, before she even reached the market, she was stopped by a strange-looking woman dressed in black. The woman's features looked as if they were pieced together from mud, limp and shapeless clinging to her face.
With just one glance, Jiang Huaisu could tell that this woman was no ordinary person.
The woman fixed her with a sinister gaze, and without a word, uttered a hateful sentence: "Go to hell!"
Unable to recall where she had offended such an enigmatic demon, Jiang Huaisu was bewildered by the beating and also bewildered by the counterattack.
Fortunately, she brought an umbrella with her when she went out today, which could be used as a weapon.
After more than a dozen moves, the two were evenly matched. The woman retreated and created some distance, finally giving Jiang Huaisu a chance to negotiate.
"Who are you? Why are you hitting me when we have no grudge against each other? Have you mistaken me for an enemy?"
"You don't recognize me, but I recognize you," the woman said through gritted teeth. "Seven years ago, a monster in Tongxin Town died at your hands. Have you forgotten?"
She recognized the name Tongxin Town; she had visited it with Sun Wukong and casually captured a mud spirit there. However, to be precise, she was merely there to create atmosphere; it was the fairy boy who actually slew the evil demon.
The woman said bitterly, "The hatred for killing my husband is irreconcilable."
Jiang Huaisu was overwhelmed with information and frowned as she sized up the woman in front of her. "Oh. That woman named Fairy Linchun... is she your husband?"
It has to be said that the two lumps of mud actually look quite like a married couple.
"No need for further words, let's settle this right here and now!"
It was obvious that the woman in black had witnessed her husband's death firsthand; otherwise, it would have been impossible to pinpoint her so precisely.
As for why he didn't seek revenge against Sun Wukong and the fairy boy, it was mostly because he bullied the weak and feared the strong. With Bodhi Patriarch over there, the chance of success was zero. Jiang Huaisu, on the other hand, was alone, making her the most suitable target.
At this point, whether or not Fairy Linchun was killed by Jiang Huaisu herself is no longer important; since she was a participant, she can't shirk the blame. Unable to touch the Crescent Moon Three Stars Cave, the woman in black could only vent her anger on Jiang Huaisu, along with Sun Wukong and the fairy boy.
“You were watching from the side at the time, and the fairy boy didn’t kill you along with him.”
This wasn't a sarcastic remark, but rather Jiang Huaisu's genuine doubt. With her senior brother's cultivation level, how could he not notice someone spying on him?
The woman sneered, "My husband and I are one soul, our bodies and spirits are intertwined. Before he died, he transferred all his cultivation to me, protecting my soul and allowing me to survive until today... I will definitely kill my enemy and avenge him!"
The couple, one dead and one injured. Even now, she is still recovering from her injuries.
This wasn't the best time to strike, but Jiang Huaisu was about to cross the sea, and she couldn't continue tracking her. She had no choice but to gamble and kill Jiang Huaisu here.
"Okay, it's our fault."
"Hypocrite." The woman crouched down and moved closer to Jiang Huaisu, her palm strike carrying a metallic scent.
Jiang Huaisu spread her huge wings and took to the air, easily dodging the attack.
She had held back earlier because she didn't know the woman's background, but now that she knew the whole story, she felt it was better to get rid of this demon, because not eliminating it completely would leave behind a future threat.
The woman hadn't expected Jiang Huaisu to have improved so much in just a few years, while she herself was injured. After several rounds, she was forced to retreat steadily and was almost unable to hold on.
No wonder they say a great teacher produces great students. After going to the Slanting Moon Three Stars Cave and coming back with a gilded experience, he was like a completely different person. Jiang Huaisu was extremely satisfied with the results achieved in his first real battle.
A strong sense of hatred and resentment flashed in the woman's eyes. She had considered that she might not be a match for him, but now that things had come to this, she couldn't help but lose her composure. How could she have ever taken such a lowly magpie seriously before? Things were different now; this little demon could actually overpower her.
Even her prized illusions were defended against by Jiang Huaisu, leaving her with only one last resort.
The muddy surface was revealed, and the woman crawled into a crack in the wall and fled towards the coast.
Jiang Huaisu leaped over the wall on tiptoe, trying to catch up with her. But the mud was as agile as a water snake, slipping into any crevice, and not so easy to catch.
The woman wasn't wandering around aimlessly; her destination was the coast where fishermen gathered. Unable to kill Jiang Huaisu alone, she had no choice but to resort to this tactic.
A dozen or so people gathered on the shore were busy fishing and catching crabs when they suddenly saw a mud-like monster appear on the beach. They all screamed and ran away in all directions.
The woman revealed her human form, grabbed the slowest one, and conjured a sharp mud blade between her fingers, holding it to his throat.
Jiang Huaisu, who arrived a step late, extended Er Kang's hand: "Let's talk this out, don't hurt anyone."
She smiled outwardly, but inwardly cursed the wicked demon for being so cunning and resorting to such despicable tactics. She had seen this trick several years ago, when she herself was the hostage.
The man being held hostage by the woman was a handsome young man of seventeen or eighteen. Judging from his clothes, he seemed to be from a wealthy family and appeared to be there to relax and have fun at the beach. He didn't even bring any servants with him.
The pampered young master was no match for the fishermen who worked year-round. While everyone else had run away, he was still strolling leisurely along the shore. Who else would they arrest if not him?
The boy's eyes were somewhat vacant, as if he had been frightened into a daze.
"Don't be afraid..." Jiang Huaisu comforted him, "Sister will save you."
The boy's eyes slowly turned to her, a struggle appearing in them: "...Okay."
"Is that so? How can I save him?" The woman scoffed, leaving a bloody gash on the boy's neck with her sharp mud blade. "You magpie spirit seem to really like humans. How about this, you cut off your own arm, and I'll let him go."
As they spoke, the blood beads seeping from the boy's wound were completely absorbed by the woman's mud blade. Human blood was a tonic, and she could use it to restore her strength.
But this boy's blood... seems a little different.
As she consumed the blood, the woman felt a powerful spiritual energy surge into her limbs and bones, clashing with the demonic energy within her. She struggled to maintain her knife-wielding posture, preventing Jiang Huaisu from noticing any flaws.
After regulating her breathing, the opposing spiritual energy slowly flowed into her meridians and merged with her blood and qi. The positive effects began to appear; her muscles and limbs felt as if they had been cleansed in a spiritual spring, and she felt extremely comfortable.
The woman twirled the mud blade in her hand, forcing the boy to turn his head. "Who are you?"
The boy was taller than her, and he had to lower his eyes to meet her gaze.
He frowned, his eyes reddening, looking emotionally unstable: "...the poor man you held a knife to?"
The woman wanted to probe his background, but he wouldn't cooperate. It was unclear whether he was genuinely foolish or just pretending.
"Never mind, the most important thing right now is to deal with Jiang Huaisu." The woman pondered for a moment, then slid the mud blade down her hand and cut another gash in the boy's collarbone, eagerly drawing out fresh blood.
The boy's lips were a little pale. He raised his eyebrows and looked at the woman wearing a veil opposite him, and whispered two words: "Save me."
Jiang Huaisu was caught in a dilemma. She was afraid that taking any rash action would hurt him, but doing nothing was also inappropriate.
Suddenly, she understood Zhen Miaolian a little better. What did he do when facing the King of Hearts back then... pierce through both teammates and enemies? That method was too brutal; she dared not imitate it.
"Sister." The boy suddenly called out to her, but then fell silent, lowering his gaze to the sharp mud blade.
Jiang Huaisu followed his gaze and noticed that the blood beads oozing from his wound were gathering towards the groove of the mud blade. It wasn't hard to guess what the woman was doing.
It's not surprising that fairies drink human blood, but Jiang Huaisu keenly noticed the slight tremor in the woman's wrist, which meant she had lost precise control over her strength; in other words, she was probably just putting on a brave face.
The veil effectively concealed Jiang Huaisu's prying gaze; while others couldn't see her face, she could clearly observe the situation on the other side through the gaps in the white veil.
The woman was indeed putting on a brave face. She had greedily absorbed too much blood and was struggling to process it all. She had tried her best not to reveal any flaws, but her trembling wrists betrayed her.
Having confirmed that the woman was in poor condition, Jiang Huaisu mustered her courage and prepared to make her move. At such a critical moment, there was no room for hesitation. She nodded slightly to the young man, hoping that he would understand her hint and be prepared.
She then recited the incantation for controlling objects, and a small pebble flew up from the ground and struck the woman's wrist.
Fortunately, Jiang Huaisu's judgment was correct. The woman was indeed unable to precisely control the force in her hand. Encountering an unexpected attack, she could no longer maintain the horizontal wrist position, and the blade tilted outward.
The boy was much more capable than Jiang Huaisu had imagined. He not only understood her hints but also seized the opportunity to react immediately. He rolled on the ground and broke free from the woman's grasp.
But what happened next was rather bizarre.
The boy stumbled and fell into Jiang Huaisu's arms. Realizing her prey had escaped, the woman immediately followed, brandishing her mud blade. With a sharp "swoosh," the sound of the blade piercing skin was exceptionally clear.
When the boy lunged at her, her view was blocked, and she couldn't react in time. At this moment, she could only try her best to make amends.
After casting a hemostatic spell on the boy, Jiang Huaisu got up and rushed towards the woman. With her right hand, she made a hand seal and feigned an attack, while with her left hand, she grabbed the woman's wrist and twisted it forcefully, changing the direction of the mud blade and stabbing it into the woman's heart.
The woman's bizarre facial features were twisted into a grimace, and she looked to be in excruciating pain, but she did not collapse and seemed to still have the strength to fight on.
The weakness isn't the heart? Jiang Huaisu's brain raced, trying to recall the scene when the fairy boy killed Fairy Linchun.
It seems they first nailed the mud demon to the ground, and then... cut off his head?
think
Before Jiang Huaisu could even see his movements, the woman's head had already hit the ground with a thud.
"You have to behead this kind of monster to deal with it," the boy added belatedly. "...I read that in a book."
What books cover this kind of knowledge?
Before Jiang Huaisu could even be dumbfounded, she heard him say, "I'm sorry. Actually, I have a weapon, but I just didn't have a chance to take it out just now."
That's a minor matter. Jiang Huaisu waved her hand: "Compared to that... how's your injury?"
The boy timely clutched his shoulder and hissed:
"The wound is deep, but fortunately it didn't hit any vital organs, but it will still take a long time to recover."
The woman's body lay scattered on the shore, turned into a lifeless pool of mud. She appeared to be truly dead; not even the fluctuations of demonic energy could be sensed.
It's a pity. If she had died a few years earlier, she might have been buried with her husband.
"You...you," Jiang Huaisu stammered, somewhat incoherently.
"What does my sister want to ask?"
"You..." Based on the boy's behavior just now, she had to reassess his identity. "Are you a cultivator?"
"He is a mortal."
Jiang Huaisu said thoughtfully, "It doesn't seem like it."
"I've learned some skills." The boy gestured "a little bit."
Jiang Huaisu's gaze lingered on his shoulder for a moment. "You should have been able to dodge that sword strike."
"If you dodge, you'll be the one getting stabbed."
Upon receiving the unexpected answer, Jiang Huaisu was taken aback: "...No way."
"Can't do what?"
"I won't get stabbed." She recalled the speed at which the woman drew her knife. "I can dodge it."
"Was that unnecessary for me?" the boy said, pursing his lips. "Such indifference really hurts me."
At least his intentions were good, and Jiang Huaisu felt that this spirit of selflessness should be encouraged. Just as she was trying to figure out how to say something nice to comfort him, she heard the boy sigh:
"Sigh, are you really not recognizing me, or are you pretending not to?"
She asked, confused, "Huh?"
A note from the author:
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