Chapter 45 "Do I really like her?"...
Upon arriving at Guanjiang Estuary, Nezha, without saying a word, first drank a few cups of wine with Yang Jian in silence.
Yang Jian found it strange; in his memory, Nezha didn't like drinking. His current appearance clearly showed that something was on his mind.
Without Yang Jian needing to ask any further questions, after a few cups of wine, Nezha couldn't hold back his urge to confide and recounted what had happened. He didn't expect Erlang Shen to relieve his troubles; he simply wanted to pour out his grievances and get it off his chest.
Yang Jian: "You mean, Jiang Huaisu staying at Flower Fruit Mountain makes you very unhappy?"
Nezha nodded: "Yes."
"You want her to stay with you?"
Nezha said dejectedly, "Is that not allowed?"
“Sure, the Heavenly Laws don’t say it’s impossible.” Yang Jian advised him, “Just take her back to Yunlou Palace, what’s so difficult about that? You can’t possibly be no match for Jiang Huaisu, right? It’s much simpler to use force.”
"She doesn't want to."
Yang Jian said with an indifferent expression, "Oh, you're reluctant to use force. Then you can stay with her at Flower Fruit Mountain. You'll be together anyway, so it doesn't matter where you are."
"It's too noisy there."
"...What do you want?"
"I think she's willing to come with me."
Yang Jian continued to offer his advice half-heartedly: "Then keep pestering her until she's willing to go back to the Heavenly Palace with you."
"She never really liked me to begin with, so wouldn't this just make her even more annoying?" Nezha took a swig of wine, his eyes reddening slightly, whether from the alcohol or from the sorrow in his heart, it was hard to tell.
Yang Jian looked him up and down as if he were seeing him for the first time.
Yang Jian wondered, puzzled, "You don't happen to like Jiang Huaisu, do you?"
"..." Nezha seemed to have been struck by lightning, and his hand holding the wine cup trembled slightly.
Yang Jian's blunt pointing out this left him momentarily bewildered, then his expression hardened as he seriously considered the possibility. Could it be that his feelings for Jiang Huaisu had unknowingly changed without his awareness?
After thinking for a long time, he realized he couldn't find an answer. "I don't know. What does it mean to like someone?"
Yang Jian glanced at him with interest, the image of that little girl appearing in his mind. Although he was quite interested in his brother's romantic experiences, he was really bad at this kind of topic, and it gave him a headache whenever he thought about it too deeply.
"You'll have to figure that out for yourself. I've never liked anyone else."
A crack appeared in the wine cup in Nezha's hand, and the liquid seeped out, dripping down his wrist. Oblivious, he still held the cup tightly, stiffly bringing it to his lips and taking another sip.
After finishing his emotional guidance to his good brother, Yang Jian suddenly remembered that he hadn't spoken to his dog, Xiaotian, all day. He wondered where Xiaotian had gone off to run around. Rolling up his sleeves, he stood up, ready to pull Xiaotian over to eat with him.
Nezha remained seated, calmly picking up two pieces of peanuts with his chopsticks. He appeared very composed, but he didn't put a single peanut into his mouth, as if his mouth and hands were separate entities.
His absent-minded state lasted for several days. Even Xiaotian noticed something was wrong and thought he was bewitched by some kind of monster's magic, as if his soul had flown away from the sky. He could even bump into pillars while walking, and his whole body exuded strangeness.
But since his second brother didn't say much, Xiaotian didn't bother to investigate further. In any case, Nezha didn't have time to provoke him now, which was excellent.
A few days later, Nezha recovered from his state. Thinking it over calmly, he realized that the argument with Jiang Huaisu before leaving was completely unnecessary. He figured only he was unhappy; Jiang Huaisu was probably enjoying herself in her cave, not missing him at all.
At this point, he absolutely could not afford to be stubborn and return to Yunlou Palace! Otherwise, no one would go to pick up Jiang Huaisu, and she would stay on the mountain indefinitely. Needless to say, the little monkeys could easily coax her away, and she would definitely stay, forgetting all about returning to Heaven with him.
He won't allow that!
He was willing to accept the cold shoulder when he went back... But then again, he felt that Jiang Huaisu wouldn't give him the cold shoulder; she was so soft-hearted.
With a resolute and unwavering expression, he came to say goodbye to Yang Jian, stating firmly that he was going back to Flower Fruit Mountain.
Before leaving, Yang Jian asked him curiously, "Have you thought it through? Do you actually like her?"
This time, Nezha nodded without hesitation: "Yes."
Although he still doesn't know the specific criteria for liking someone, after thinking about it for the past few days, he's come to the conclusion that he can't live without her. He wants to do many things with her and keep her by his side wherever he goes.
To say I don't like Jiang Huaisu would be wrong. So it can only be that I like her.
Are you going to confess your feelings to Jiang Huaisu?
"...Not for now."
"Mm." Yang Jian didn't ask any more questions and calmly accepted his farewell. "Give my regards to Jiang Huaisu."
This was the worst-case scenario, but even a one in ten thousand chance was enough to put him on his guard. He abandoned his usual approach, deciding instead to proceed cautiously and steadily, avoiding any rash actions.
Xiaotian, standing nearby, was so shocked his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. He hadn't been there when Nezha and Yang Jian were drinking that day and missed the firsthand experience. Now, suddenly learning this explosive news, he felt an indescribable sense of unreality.
Poor Jiang Huaisu. Xiaotian thought to himself, having provoked that fiend Nezha, she's in for a rough time. His second brother is definitely on Nezha's side, but thankfully Sun Wukong can still support Jiang Huaisu... Oh, he forgot she's already in the furnace. His thoughts drifted, and Xiaotian increasingly regretted biting the monkey's leg.
Completely unaware of Xiaotian's inner thoughts, Nezha strode lightly out of the mansion. Stepping onto his Wind-Fire Wheels, he was about to head towards Flower Fruit Mountain when he saw a small black dot rapidly approaching from mid-air.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a monkey.
He looked familiar, like he'd seen him in Flower Fruit Mountain? Nezha pondered for a moment, then rode his wheel to the monkey's side. He saw that the monkey had many bruises on its body, indicating that it had fallen countless times on the way. It was clear that the monkey was not skilled at riding the clouds and could only barely travel at low altitudes.
Because there were too many monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain, Nezha didn't recognize them all. He was carefully recalling the features of this monkey's face when the other person recognized him first and exclaimed happily, "Third Prince?"
Nezha calmly nodded. This monkey seemed quite familiar with him; he must be from Flower Fruit Mountain.
The monkey pulled out a letter: "It was originally meant to be sent to Guanjiang Estuary, but since you're here, Third Prince..." It hesitated for a moment, "Giving it to you should be just as good."
It acted on its own initiative because it felt that the Third Prince and Jiang Huaisu seemed to have a good relationship, and would most likely help with this matter. In comparison, it was even less confident about the one at Guanjiang Estuary.
Guessing that something might have happened at Flower Fruit Mountain, Nezha frowned, said nothing, took the letter, and tore open the envelope in a few quick movements. He then skimmed through the contents of the letter.
After reading the letter, Nezha's face turned ashen. Flower Fruit Mountain was attacked by a bear demon... why did it have to happen during the days he was away?
He scooped up the monkey with one hand, stuffed the envelope into his pocket, and used his spiritual power to accelerate his Wind and Fire Wheels, heading towards Flower Fruit Mountain at top speed.
Even though he was extremely anxious, he couldn't reach Jiang Huaisu's side in a short time. Nezha's mind was in turmoil. One moment he was wondering why Jiang Huaisu would rather ask Yang Jian for help than him—was she angry with him? The next moment he regretted leaving her there alone. The next moment he was worried about Jiang Huaisu's current situation—had she managed to protect Flower Fruit Mountain?
The monkey accompanying him struggled to open its mouth amidst the oncoming gale and explained, "Um... Third Prince, Susu thought you had returned to Heaven, which is why she didn't send you a message. She can't leave Flower Fruit Mountain right now, and we can't go to Heaven either."
Nezha was taken aback, remained silent for a long while, and then lowered his eyes and replied, "Distant water cannot quench a nearby fire. You did the right thing."
Despite rushing as fast as I could, I was still a step too late.
When they arrived at Flower Fruit Mountain, Jiang Huaisu had already disappeared. The monkeys were all unharmed, but they didn't look too relaxed. A group of monkeys wandered around the mountain like headless flies, unable to find Jiang Huaisu, as if she had vanished into thin air.
Upon seeing the Third Prince arrive, the monkeys swarmed around him, as if they had found their pillar of support. All their previous fears were forgotten; now, finding their Second Leader was the most important thing. After searching everywhere without finding him, they were nearly frantic with worry.
The little monkey quickly reported the situation to Nezha: "We didn't find Sister Susu in the mountains, but we found a big bird and a charred bear. They were the ones who planned the attack on Flower Fruit Mountain."
Nezha frowned: "Take me to see it."
Jiang Huaisu did mention the existence of the bird demon and the bear demon in her letter, and according to the little monkey's description, these two demons seem to have been dealt with. But if that's the case, how could Jiang Huaisu have disappeared?
As the little monkey led the way, Nezha asked it, "Did you interrogate those two demons? Perhaps they know Jiang Huaisu's whereabouts."
The little monkey stammered as he explained, "We asked, but the bird ignored us. The bear... he's on his last breath. He said he'd only give us clues if we healed him."
"Is the bear still alive?"
"Yes, but his injuries are very serious and there's no way he can be cured. We've used a lot of medicine to keep him alive, but it's only enough to keep him alive for a few more days. He seems to know where Sister Su Su went, but he might be lying to us."
Before even meeting the bear, Nezha already had a terrible impression of it and mentally added it to his death list.
Upon arriving at the location, he crouched down, suppressing his nausea, and lifted the bear demon's head to meet its gaze. "Do you know Jiang Huaisu's whereabouts?"
The bear demon's face was burned beyond recognition, almost unrecognizable. Attacked by Red Boy's demonic fire, he was utterly powerless, and in the end, he could only hold his breath, close his eyes, and feign death. Whether Red Boy was fooled by his trick or intentionally spared his life, he actually withdrew the flames. Otherwise, he would have been a pile of bear ashes long ago.
"You, you..."
The bear demon's right eye had been burned away, leaving only his left eye capable of seeing. But he recognized the person in front of him, who looked down at him with a face full of disgust... it was Nezha! Even without any prior interaction, this person's magical artifact was so distinctive that his identity could be identified at a glance.
A sudden panic gripped him as he recalled the rumors of Jiang Huaisu and Nezha's close relationship. Was he really that unlucky? He'd only wanted to occupy the Water Curtain Cave; why was he running into so many unexpected troubles?
"You recognize me?" Nezha caught a glimpse of panic on his disfigured face and asked in confusion, "Are you scared? After what you did to Jiang Huaisu and Huaguo Mountain, I thought you wouldn't take me seriously."
The bear demon's feelings at this moment could be described as utter despair.
A wave of regret washed over him. He cursed Jiang Huaisu inwardly for not speaking up sooner, causing him to lose everything. Did she and those monkeys really think he was incredibly audacious, without considering that he had simply misjudged the situation?
Then he complained about the little demons around him, only telling him that Nezha and Jiang Huaisu had a good relationship, but he couldn't provide any evidence, and he spoke ambiguously, without stopping him before he took action.
Finally, he blamed the golden eagle for being useless and hindering the plan; otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up being roasted in the fire like this.
The bear demon exhaled with difficulty, the blood blisters in his throat making it hard for him to even speak. But now, remaining silent meant certain death, and he couldn't use the same words he'd used to fool the monkey to deal with Nezha.
"Third Prince, the matter is like this..."
With great difficulty, the bear demon struggled to recount the crime, racking his brains to add or subtract details from the narrative. He first pushed the golden eagle out to take the main responsibility, portraying himself as an accomplice forced to accompany the evil demon. Then he emphasized that he had absolutely not harmed a single hair on Jiang Huaisu's head.
"...Later, a male demon descended from the sky, burned me like this, and then went to hunt down Miss Jiang."
The bear demon's throat was killing him, but as soon as he slowed down his speech, Nezha's face showed impatience. He could only try his best to overcome the pain, hoping that the Third Prince would spare his life in consideration of his contribution in providing information and making amends, and preferably help him heal his injuries.
As for Brother Eagle, there's nothing we can do about it. He's useless, so let him have his own good fortune.
"I saw her flee eastward. You should set off immediately to chase after her; you might still be able to catch up," the bear demon concluded in a fawning tone.
Nezha glanced thoughtfully in the direction he was pointing. He knew they couldn't waste any more time. If what the black bear said was true, Jiang Huaisu's current situation was very dangerous.
Thinking this, he beckoned with his finger, and the Qiankun Ring appeared as if summoned, looping around the bear demon's neck. As it tightened inward, a crisp cracking sound accompanied the black bear's neck bone breaking.
Before it died, the black bear made a strange hoarse sound from its throat, and Nezha's slightly anxious face was reflected in its dilated pupils.
Without sparing the lifeless black bear before him, Nezha's mind was solely focused on Jiang Huaisu, a hundred miles away. The person chasing her seemed to possess considerable power; who could it be?
Just to be on the safe side, Nezha also questioned the golden eagle. Comparing the two demons' testimonies, the first half was largely the same, except the positions of accomplice and principal offender had been switched. As for the second half, since the golden eagle had been captured early on, it naturally didn't know Jiang Huaisu's whereabouts.
In the end, they could only follow the direction pointed out by the bear demon, and before leaving, they did not forget to send the golden eagle to reunite with their black bear brother.
Clutching the net he'd retrieved from the golden eagle, Nezha was glad he'd arrived in time. In two hours at most, the bird demon would be free. This magic weapon was truly of poor quality.
Without further thought, he immediately set off to find Jiang Huaisu. He now regretted not bringing Xiaotian along. Having the dog would have made finding her much easier.
Now, I can only rely on my own speculation. Heading east, Jiang Huaisu will definitely enter the territory of Aolai Kingdom, and in order not to implicate mortals, she will most likely flee into the deep mountains and forests.
Half a day passed, and Nezha searched the ground for Jiang Huaisu's traces with his eyes until they were almost blurry. Finally, he found scorch marks left by flames in the scorched earth of a valley, with a faint demonic aura still lingering around them.
Remembering that the demon who chased Jiang Huaisu could use fire, Nezha guessed that they had fought here.
However, no bodies were found, indicating that they had not reached a decisive victory here and must have moved to another location.
Nezha's anxious thoughts could not be calmed for a moment. He wanted to speed up, but he was also afraid that he would not look carefully enough and miss the clues.
He shouldn't have left her. This thought popped into his head again, and Nezha couldn't help but sigh.
If only we could stay together forever, but she always has to fight for others and doesn't want to stay in a safe place. She's clearly a coward, yet she's incredibly brave when it matters.
*
The situation is not optimistic at this time.
Jiang Huaisu and Bai Yuan were exhausted, but Hong Haier's pursuit continued. Like a cat chasing a mouse, he chased them from Huaguo Mountain all the way into the sea and back to the shore, without actually killing them. He just kept releasing his killing intent, chasing them like a ghost.
Whenever he was about to catch up, he would deliberately slow down to give them a chance to catch their breath.
Jiang Huaisu gradually realized that this bull was deliberately toying with them. He seemed to find it quite amusing.
"Has he ever chased you like this before?" she asked Bai Yuan.
"I think so." Bai Yuan's stamina was clearly failing her; she was panting heavily as she spoke. Insufficient blood supply to her brain prevented her from engaging in complex thinking, and her replies were perfunctory.
"Then can I boldly guess that even if we stop, he won't actually kill us?"
As they were speaking, a burst of demonic fire struck less than half an inch behind Jiang Huaisu, almost burning the ends of her hair.
Jiang Huaisu: "..." Fortunately, Red Boy did not go to the Flaming Mountain for further study during this period and failed to refine the Samadhi True Fire, otherwise the deterrent power of this flame would be doubled.
She dared not gamble on Red Boy's kindness, fearing that if she stopped, she would be burned to a crisp. Even if Red Boy spared Bai Yuan out of respect for the Bull Demon King, there was no guarantee he wouldn't vent his anger on her.
During the journey, she had already tried to disown Bai Yuan, but Hong Hai'er remained unmoved, refusing to listen. Because she didn't sever ties with Bai Yuan immediately, all her subsequent attempts to make amends were dismissed as lies by Hong Hai'er.
Or perhaps Red Boy was determined to get rid of her and didn't really care about her relationship with Bai Yuan.
After all, that hair-pulling incident earlier was enough to leave a bad impression on Red Boy.
Jiang Huaisu was in no easy situation. She was still injured and had been forced to make a long run across the sea. She was so exhausted that she could barely flap her wings, but her opponent still refused to give up and insisted on continuing this chase game to the very end.
She couldn't shake off the persistent pursuer no matter how hard she tried, even while running and flying. She started thinking of other ways to break the deadlock; she couldn't let him run around like this forever. This man held grudges even more than Nezha; she wondered when he would ever stop chasing her.
She considered changing her route, such as heading west to Cuiyun Mountain to find Iron Fan, or heading up to the Heavenly Court to find Nezha. However, the little ox did not give her the opportunity to choose her own route, forcing her to run eastward with the fire.
That's a really clever cow.
Jiang Huaisu's injuries hadn't been treated promptly and properly, and now they seemed to be worsening. Her face was somewhat pale, and she asked Bai Yuan hopefully, "Will he fall for my ruse?"
Bai Yuan shook his head repeatedly.
This forced her to quickly prove that she was in good health and that there was absolutely no possibility of her dying from a serious illness.
“He doesn’t fall for that kind of feigned weakness,” Bai Yuan said confidently.
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