Chapter 27. The object resembles its owner.
"Neither I nor that dog pose any threat to you!" Jiang Huaisu could sense that if the snake spirit exerted any more force, she would definitely break one or two bones. In this perilous situation, her survival instinct surged wildly, and she almost blurted out without thinking: "Besides, he already has someone he likes, not that fox girl!"
Since Xiaotian is currently unconscious and can't hear anything, there's no way he could jump up and refute her.
The lizard spirit, who had been silent the whole way, revealed a mocking expression upon hearing this: "So what? The one I'm interested in isn't that fox."
The snake spirit nodded: "That's right. I dare say that over 99% of the people who came to this marriage contest have no interest in Bai Yuan. Would you fall in love with someone you've never even met? Tsk, then again, fox spirits are rarely ugly, I hope she's not among that minority."
Jiang Huaisu noticed that the force binding her had loosened slightly, and finally managed to catch her breath: "Bai Yuan?"
"Hmm? That's the name of that female fox, don't you know it?"
"This..." I just found out.
"Forget it, it's not important. As long as we can get Bai Yuan's treasures, it doesn't matter whether my brother or I marry her, or we can live together."
Before Jiang Huaisu could react to this explosive statement, the snake spirit suddenly showed a sad expression: "But what if Bai Yuan is really an ugly monster?"
The lizard replied without hesitation, "Of course we killed her. She's not some powerful fairy, otherwise she wouldn't have needed to find a husband and be in such a hurry to find a backer."
The snake spirit beamed with joy again: "As expected of my elder brother, you thought the same thing as me."
"Alright, let's get down to business. We can talk about those things later."
The lizard demon walked up to Xiaotian, drew a knife, and his eyes flashed with murderous intent.
"...Why don't you eat me first?" Seeing that things were not going well, Jiang Huaisu quickly stopped him. "Brother Lizard, bird meat tastes better than dog meat, but please give me a quick death."
She was still trying to stall for time with words. Actually, it didn't make much difference whether she died first or later. At least she had a resurrection point with Sun Wukong, but it would be difficult if Xiaotian died. His physical body would be destroyed, and it would be troublesome to bring him back to life. It seemed that Erlang Shen hadn't prepared a second vessel for him.
The lizard demon's gaze was drawn to her. He stared at her for a while, and then let out a low laugh: "Who said I was going to eat you?"
Snake Demon: "Aren't you going to eat?"
"She is very weak. Even if she eats me, she won't improve her cultivation much. It's better to keep her by our side."
The lizard spirit walked over, lifted her chin with the tip of its knife, and examined her like it was a piece of merchandise. "Let's try raising her for a while."
You can't get fat in one bite unless you force-feed water like you would water-injected pork.
Could it be... that they want to feed her a bunch of random things to forcibly boost her physique in a short period of time? Her imagination soared like never before, and Jiang Huaisu seemed to see her miserable future of being abused.
It's still more satisfying to kill someone with a single blow!
"I also think it's a waste to eat her. How about letting her..." The snake demon paused, unable to think of any other use for her besides as reserve food. Although her face was pretty, she couldn't use her head to stick in a vase, otherwise the little girl would die, which obviously contradicted the lizard demon's idea of sparing her life.
"Let her serve us."
"To be a maid? But she seems clumsy."
"It's about serving in bed."
With a swift stroke of the knife, the lizard demon severed the ropes binding Jiang Huaisu.
After his previous probing, he was certain that the girl's cultivation level was indeed not high; she was still a novice.
Then there's no need to keep up the guard. Besides, a wooden figure lying immobile on the bed is really not interesting.
Jiang Huaisu was not only untied, but the immobilization spell was also broken. However, she still couldn't use magic, feeling as if her meridians were blocked.
The lizard spirit was cautious after all; it did not completely remove the restrictions on her, but only allowed her to move her limbs freely.
He lifted her up again like a sack of potatoes, but this time he didn't throw her on the ground; instead, he tossed her onto the bed.
Things have come to this point; if Jiang Huaisu still can't understand the current situation, she's a fool. That damned lizard demon! He actually wants her to sleep with him!
It might even be the two brothers together, since the snake spirit has no moral bottom line and agrees to anything without hesitation.
However, to everyone's surprise, the snake spirit who was all smiles and making flirtatious remarks was actually keeping her as a reserve, while the ruthless and taciturn lizard was the one who would suddenly reveal the truth.
Jiang Huaisu felt a wave of despair wash over her. Looking at Xiaotian, who had collapsed unconscious on the ground, she began to consider whether to persuade them to eat the dog meat first. Although she had initially intended to stall for time, she didn't want to do it this way!
The snake spirit pointed at Xiaotian: "Aren't you going to eat that?"
"What's the rush? We can eat it later when we've replenished our energy."
It goes without saying what would happen next that would drain her energy. Jiang Huaisu cursed the old lecher a hundred times in her heart, and was sweating profusely with panic, but she managed to force a smile on her face and pretended to be willing to cooperate.
Otherwise, if another immobilization spell is cast later, there will truly be no way to resist.
The lizard demon was somewhat surprised by her obedient behavior. But that was fine; it saved him some effort. Perhaps... she was also looking forward to what was about to happen?
"Behave yourself, it won't hurt you," the lizard demon said in a deep voice.
"I understand, I understand. Actually, I also really like you, Brother Lizard, after all, you're so... handsome and dashing." Jiang Huaisu almost couldn't maintain her fake smile; these insincere words made her feel nauseous.
The lizard spirit's expression visibly softened, as if it had been pleased by those words.
"That's really amazing," Jiang Huaisu thought to himself. He wouldn't believe anything he said before, but now that he's handsome, that stinky lizard actually believes it? If he had any self-awareness at all.
Just before her wrists were grabbed and she was forced onto the bed, Jiang Huaisu reached out and leaned forward, putting her arm around the lizard demon's shoulder. At this point, she had no choice but to take the initiative and ensure her hands were not bound.
The snake spirit stood by the bedside, gazing longingly at the unconscious Xiaotian. Actually, he wanted to eat more than do anything else.
Sigh... Oh well, it's fun doing that kind of thing. He doesn't dislike it.
He slowly climbed into bed, wondering whether the three of them should do it together, or wait for his older brother to finish first.
It was the sound of fabric being torn.
"Brother, you're too impatient," Snake thought to herself. "Why make the clothes so tattered when they could be taken off properly? It doesn't look good."
Looking up, he was puzzled. Jiang Huaisu's clothes were still neatly dressed, without a single tear. So... had she torn her older brother's clothes?
Unexpectedly, this beauty is quite vigorous in bed.
The snake spirit became interested, and her lips curled into an unbelievable arc, revealing a truly terrifying smile. Jiang Huaisu had her back to him, a position that made it easy for him to pull her into his arms.
However, in the next instant, the girl, like a nimble fish, broke free from the lizard spirit's embrace, flipped over with incredible speed, jumped off the bed, and rushed towards the door.
The snake demon thus saw what had been hidden behind her. Dark red bloodstains splattered on the pillow, and the lizard demon clutched her neck; a gruesome sword wound stretched from her chest to her throat, then diagonally down her cheek. Unfortunately, it wasn't deep enough; it only cut through her clothes and flesh, failing to reach any vital organs.
"Grab her!" the lizard demon roared. This caused the wound on his throat to reopen, and blood and foam spilled from the corner of his mouth.
The snake spirit immediately understood what had happened, the smile in her eyes cooled, and with a flick of her tail, she quickly chased after the direction she had fled.
The lizard demon, clutching his wound, stumbled after them. He thought bitterly, "This time they won't show any mercy. They'll capture her, torture her, gouge out her eyes, and tear off her arms and legs!"
Gripping the gold-plated soft sword, Jiang Huaisu ran at breakneck speed, not daring to slow down even an inch. Fortunately, this sentient weapon had already recognized its master and could be summoned with a thought; otherwise, she would have been finished.
Unable to use magic, she couldn't even revert to her original form; all she could do was run for her life. The cave's terrain was complex, and she wandered through it like a headless fly, praying she wouldn't end up in a dead end.
The light was dim, and she repeatedly stumbled over obstacles, bumping into stone pillars and feeling dizzy and in pain. Even so, she could only grit her teeth and keep running. The snake demon and the lizard had caught up and were chasing her, following the sounds she made.
Those two knew the cave routes very well; if a chase were to take place here, she would definitely not have the advantage.
But the lizard demon wasn't doing much better. His injuries were quite severe, but he was filled with rage and couldn't vent his anger without personally tearing Jiang Huaisu to pieces.
No, she can't die so easily. We should devour her friend, flesh and bone, right in front of her, then slowly torture her until she's wishing for death. I had initially intended to spare her life and keep her as my possession, but that woman not only showed no gratitude but also attacked me when I was off guard!
If her magic hadn't been sealed, that sword strike would have been enough to slit his throat. She was so ruthless; she'd put on that pitiful act earlier, saying she liked him—it was all a lie!
In addition to his anger, the lizard spirit also felt a sense of shame and annoyance at being tricked.
Bang!
The sound of a stone wall being smashed came from nearby.
She was startled by the loud noise. Were those two crazy? If they acted like this, and the cave collapsed, everyone would be buried inside! Even if they hated her, would they really want to die together?
However, that is indeed the fastest way to find her, regardless of the terrain.
Thinking of this, Jiang Huaisu's legs moved even faster. If she were caught, she would definitely not have a good ending. Having done such a thing to the lizard demon, she could die a hundred times worse than Xiaotian.
Even running at full speed, the distance between her and the other person continued to close. The sound of the stone wall cracking grew louder as it approached, seemingly about to reach her.
Finally, her location was locked. Under the impact of a powerful force, the stone wall to her right shattered, revealing a low hole large enough for one person to pass through.
A hand reached out from there. Pale skin, dim lighting, the atmosphere was like something out of a horror movie. The scene was enough to make your blood run cold.
Driven by the desire to seize the initiative, she decisively drew her sword and slashed, hoping to at least sever one of the man's hands before he fully emerged.
Unfortunately, it didn't work out.
As if it were a premonition, the owner of that hand reached down and gripped her wrist with just the right amount of force.
Alarm bells rang in her mind. Disarmed and unable to pull her hand back, her only thought was to break free. She simply bit down hard on his thumb and forefinger, hoping he would feel the pain and release her grip. Even if it meant inflicting some injury on him, it would be better than nothing.
The other person gasped in surprise. Receiving the signal that "the other person is in pain," Jiang Huaisu became even more determined and bit down harder, as if she wanted to tear off a piece of flesh.
My mouth was filled with the taste of blood, mixed with a peculiar lotus root fragrance.
...The scent of lotus root?
Realizing something was wrong belatedly, she suddenly stopped moving, as if a freeze button had been pressed.
An unexpected situation arose, and Jiang Huaisu looked up in astonishment at the person in front of her, momentarily suspecting that it was a lizard spirit in disguise playing a trick on her.
"...Nezha?"
The other person slowly withdrew their hand. "Your bite hurts."
Jiang Huaisu looked awkwardly at the deep, bone-revealing wound on the other person's hand, the mark left by her earlier bite. She felt somewhat helpless.
"It's you... Is your hand alright? I didn't mean to bite you. Um, it's an emergency, I..."
"Who could scare you like this, biting without warning? Did you learn that from Xiaotian?"
Without immediately answering Nezha's question, Jiang Huaisu stared blankly at him:
"Let's put that aside for now, what brings you here?"
Nezha's appearance here is somewhat unusual, and she is still not completely letting her guard down.
"You guys haven't been back for too long, Yang Jian urged me to come find the dog. Following the footprints, I found my way here." Nezha scratched his hair, seemingly a little annoyed. "What a lousy cave! So many paths, it took me ages to find it..."
It was only after hearing footsteps that we found our way here.
There was movement on the other side as well, but the sounds were more chaotic, with a lot of friction noises, like some kind of creature crawling along the ground. Instinctively, Nezha decided to check the situation first, and it proved to be the right choice, as he successfully intercepted Jiang Huaisu.
In a short while, the lizard demon and the snake demon caught up and crashed into Jiang Huaisu's field of vision one after the other.
Without turning his head, Nezha released his Hun Tian Ling (a red ribbon), blocking the two demons a distance of ten feet. The red ribbon moved nimbly, quickly tightening and binding the two demons tightly.
Seeing this familiar magical artifact, Jiang Huaisu felt a deep sense of warmth and was completely relieved.
"They're the ones who brought me and Xiaotian here! Tie us up tight, don't let us escape!" she hurriedly reminded them.
The lizard demon recognized Nezha's face. He remembered this person appearing below the arena, seemingly a companion of the dog. But this pretty boy hadn't fought; he'd left as soon as the event ended.
Now, Jiang Huaisu was being protected by this suddenly appearing young man.
The girl's face was a little pale, but she remained relatively calm.
"You shameless woman..."
The lizard demon, brimming with rage and ready to erupt, had barely uttered three words when a flash of sword light severed his tongue.
Nezha, holding the Demon-Slaying Sword, flicked his wrist, and a string of blood beads rolled down the spine of the sword.
He looked at Jiang Huaisu with a hint of doubt: "What happened? How did you get involved with these two bastards?"
The snake spirit remained silent. He stared intently at the weapon in Nezha's hand, large beads of sweat rolling down his face.
Are they gods?
The red ribbon, the sword, and the gold ring on his wrist... all these things reminded him of a person who shouldn't be here.
Once she confirmed that there was no longer any threat, Jiang Huaisu slowly exhaled and turned to tell Nezha the whole story in great detail.
In conclusion: She and Xiaotian were simply unlucky to be captured this time, running into two sore losers.
"Xiaotian is still lying in the stone chamber." Jiang Huaisu said with some lingering fear, "Luckily, I wasn't poisoned like him, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to escape from that room."
Nezha's expression became complicated, as if the information he had just received was difficult for him to understand and needed time to digest.
Then, he scanned Jiang Huaisu from head to toe with his eyes. Her collar was buttoned up tightly, her hair was a little messy, and her body was relatively clean, without any bloodstains.
Are you injured?
"I'm fine. I ran away before they could make a move; it was a close call."
Nezha opened his mouth, but didn't speak.
After a while, he grabbed her forearm to examine it: "Why is there a bruise here?"
She recalled for a moment and honestly replied, "It must have been hit when I was running away."
Are they available in other places as well?
"His knee may have hit a rock. It's not a big problem."
"You can choose how you die."
"ah?"
“Oh, no,” Nezha added, his words jumbled up, “I mean, you let them choose.”
That stupid dog was utterly useless, getting outsmarted by two small fry and almost becoming their meal, even dragging those around him down with him. He felt a bit itchy to beat Xiaotian up afterwards, to drain the excess water from that dog's brain.
The snake spirit, whose parts were temporarily intact, looked ashen-faced. The red silk binding her body was very tight, making it an extremely difficult magical artifact to deal with, and it was also imbued with the wielder's magical power, making it impossible for her to break free.
"Is...is it Nezha, the Third Prince?"
Nezha turned his gaze over, frowning as if he had seen vomit, his disgust undisguised.
Ignoring the snake spirit, he continued to Jiang Huaisu, "Have you thought about what to do? The snake's heart and skin are useful; you can keep them."
"Third Prince! Third Prince..."
The snake demon, unwilling to give up, tried to please her, but just like the lizard demon, his tongue was also severed by a sword.
Nezha did not have the habit of giving evil demons a final message.
Jiang Huaisu shook her head:
"No, no, we don't need those things. You can decide what to do."
The lizard demon, who had long been silenced, was making muffled noises, whether begging for mercy or fighting back in its final moments was unclear. Judging from the constantly changing expressions on its face, it was probably both.
"That makes things simple."
The Demon-Slaying Sword flew from his hand, tracing a smooth arc in the air, followed by the dull thud of the blade piercing flesh. Nezha slightly raised his head, the splattered blood reflecting in his pupils, exploding into a cluster of crimson fireworks.
A few steps away, two decapitated corpses lay on the ground, completely still.
The Hun Tian Ling floated back into its master's arms.
Jiang Huaisu watched this scene quietly, and only after confirming that both demons had died did she turn her gaze back to Nezha.
The demon's shroud, the fairy's flowing robe. As the saying goes, things resemble their owners, she thought absently, the contrast between these beautiful weapons was strikingly similar to that of Nezha.
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