Chapter 51. The trump card for survival.
Jiang Huaisu felt like she had swallowed a fly.
"...If this is true, why are you telling me all this?"
"Time is running out. Wouldn't it be better if I let you die knowing why?" White Fang shook his head and sighed, as if his good intentions had been betrayed. "You really treat kindness like dirt. I actually quite liked you."
Sensing the hidden meaning in the man's words, Jiang Huaisu frowned: "What do you mean by 'not much time left'?"
"It means exactly what it says. If the Third Prince discovers my existence, what do you think he will do?" He spread his hands, looking completely innocent, and said, "I can only make one last desperate attempt now."
That's true. Nezha had clearly stated that he would take Jiang Huaisu to see the Heavenly Physician, which made Bai Ya uneasy. If the Heavenly Physician noticed anything amiss, wouldn't all his efforts have been in vain?
Now, the only option is to speed up the plan and set up the trap before Nezha returns. This requires sufficient time to regain control of his body, so he no longer has the energy to conceal his presence and is forced to step out from behind the scenes and reveal his existence in Jiang Huaisu's consciousness.
On the surface, it appears that he and Jiang Huaisu are sitting and chatting, but in reality, it's just two consciousnesses vying for control within his body. He needs to keep Jiang Huaisu here to prevent her from regaining control of his body.
......
In reality, "Jiang Huaisu" has already woken up, and her soul has temporarily been replaced by Bai Ya.
After releasing the Qiankun Ring from its fixed state, he slammed the door shut without looking back, heading straight for the Immortal Exile Terrace. Before leaving Lianxin Residence, he specifically told the fairy maid at the door where he was going, so that when Nezha returned and inquired, he would know where "Jiang Huaisu" had gone.
Fairy Maiden was completely bewildered and instinctively tried to stop him, but she couldn't. White Fang manipulated Jiang Huaisu's body, and they quickly left afterimages.
He knew that being expelled from this body was only a matter of time, and as long as he could bite off a piece of Nezha's flesh before that happened, his death would not be in vain.
The Qiankun Ring grew increasingly hot, almost scorching Jiang Huaisu's skin. Bai Ya, however, hurried on, eager to reach the Immortal Ascension Platform, oblivious to the pain in his wrist. He was willing to sacrifice his own body, let alone someone else's.
But feeling the resistance from the Universe Ring, he continued to silently recite the incantation for controlling the artifact, hoping to tame the unruly magical weapon. He had listened attentively the whole time when Nezha taught Jiang Huaisu the incantation, reaping a huge benefit for himself.
He felt a surge of exhilaration, wielding Nezha's magical artifacts—something he'd never dared to dream of before. Unfortunately, he no longer had his own body, which greatly diminished the experience.
While traveling, he also had to keep his eyes occupied chatting with Jiang Huaisu inside his body. He couldn't help but feel annoyed; this woman was truly troublesome and clueless. No matter how much he tried to be nice to her, she remained hostile towards him.
While it's true that he has some affection for Jiang Huaisu, it's also true that he finds her a nuisance. At crucial moments, her consciousness always seems to surface and cause trouble.
He'd finally gotten a chance to stab Nezha in the heart, but this woman insisted on wrestling with him. Even though she was clearly unconscious, she held the porcelain shard so tightly, preferring to cut herself rather than harm Nezha. She truly couldn't distinguish between good and evil. Bai Ya found it amusing. How much sincerity could Nezha have for the demon race? If she were smart, she should have cooperated with him instead of siding with him.
But thinking about it afterward, it's probably for the best that Nezha wasn't hurt. The constitutions of gods and demons are not the same. He could exploit a loophole to parasitize the injured Jiang Huaisu, but the same trick might not work on Nezha, and the chances of success were slim. He might even have made things worse, exposing himself to Nezha prematurely.
Fortunately, opportunities don't only come once, and plans aren't limited to one. Nezha's lack of wariness towards this woman indirectly increased his room for maneuver.
Things have progressed smoothly to this point, so I'd say it's been alright.
Thanks to the timely arrival of the heavenly soldiers, who summoned Nezha to the mortal realm to subdue the demon, buying him this precious moment. Otherwise, they would have had to devise another way to trick Nezha into going to the Exile Terrace. Now, all they had to do was wait and see.
In fact, it was thanks to Nezha's mention of Tianpeng being banished to the mortal realm that he had a new idea, which led him to think of a way to get revenge on Nezha.
The fate of Tianpeng after being thrown off the Banishment Terrace was so tragic that all the immortals witnessed it.
Unlike the rigorous procedures of the underworld, where reincarnation opportunities are allocated based on merit, the Exile Platform was originally built to punish sinful immortals, and reincarnation is entirely random. There are far more beasts and ants than humans in the mortal realm, so being reborn as a pig is considered a good outcome; at least you didn't become a bedbug.
Even immortals who feel their lives are too smooth can jump off the Banishment Platform to experience the pain of reincarnation in the animal realm. The Jade Emperor is very tolerant of the choices of his celestial officials; after all, being a stink bug is also a form of cultivation, so there's nothing wrong with it.
Bai Ya thought to himself with a smile, "If I can really succeed this time and throw Nezha off the Immortal's Platform, how gratifying that would be for the demons!"
Ever since he was taken in by Nezha, his glory as a demon king has vanished, and he lives a life worse than a dog.
Over the years, the hatred towards Nezha has never faded. He did indeed kill many people, but what did those people have to do with Nezha? Did the deceased speak up? Is it any of the Heavenly Court's lackeys' place to meddle and stand up for the dead?
White Fang's greatest hope is that one day, a powerful enough demon will appear in the world, strong enough to chop Nezha into lotus root scraps, to avenge his demon brothers who died at the hands of this evil god, so that he can vent his anger and regain his freedom to eat people.
It's a pity that after waiting so long, the only hope of restoring the glory of the demon race, the monkey, was recruited by the Heavenly Court and seems to be getting along well with Nezha. Now that his rebellion has failed and he's been thrown into the alchemy furnace, he's practically unreliable.
Unfortunately, White Fang had no choice but to do it himself.
You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. He paid the price of his physical death to earn even this tiny chance. Alas, how pathetic it is to be a demon.
Standing beside the Terrace of Immortals, separated by a jade railing, Bai Ya peeked down.
The place resembled a well, but much wider than an ordinary well opening. Inside, it was shrouded in a white mist, making it impossible to see anything clearly. The faint sound of wind howling could be heard, like the wailing of ghosts and spirits, sending chills down one's spine.
Even at this point, he was still a little nervous. He thought that if he failed this time, he would definitely not be well treated afterward. Even so, he accepted it; whatever the outcome, it was better than living in misery.
Within the fog-shrouded realm of consciousness, Jiang Huaisu's unease grew stronger. She didn't know what was happening outside, but she could guess that Bai Ya was definitely up to no good.
She had already figured out the details of the incident: Bai Ya had taken advantage of her weakened state while she was resting in the embroidered ball area, seizing the opportunity to possess her. She was utterly astonished that the tiger demon could go to such lengths. How much hatred must he have harbored to risk his own body to find a way to trick Nezha?
She did want to stop it, but White Fang had done something to prevent her from escaping the thick fog and becoming trapped in her own consciousness.
"It won't be long." Wherever she went, White Tooth followed, offering a half-hearted reassurance, "After all, it's your body, I can only occupy it for a short while."
Jiang Huaisu glared at the annoying tagalong. She reasonably suspected that it was because of his presence that she couldn't escape this fog of confusion.
His desire to keep her occupied was too obvious, but even knowing this, Jiang Huaisu couldn't shake him off. Unless she could beat Bai Ya's consciousness to the point of being unable to get up, he would definitely continue to be like a leech, sticking to her relentlessly.
The problem is that neither of them can use magic in the realm of consciousness, so they can only fight using the most basic hand-to-hand combat.
Facing the fake smile on Bai Ya's hairy face, Jiang Huaisu took a deep breath, gathered her strength, and threw a punch.
White Fang was stunned for a moment after being hit. When he came to his senses, he wasn't angry. His first reaction was to dissuade them. They were all civilized demons, and this kind of fistfight was so unseemly.
Before he could finish speaking, a second punch landed, turning his head ninety degrees and making his ears ring as if a swarm of bees were buzzing around him. This was a literal, soul-crushing blow.
It's even more exhilarating than getting beaten up in real life.
His chest heaved violently, a surge of rage rising to his head. His white teeth bristled with fury, and he no longer cared about appearances. Since this woman wouldn't listen to reason, he would do as she wished—retaliate! Retaliate fiercely!
The tiger and the bird revealed their true forms and fought fiercely in the mist, with bird feathers and tiger fur flying everywhere.
Jiang Huaisu was exhausted to the point of collapse, but facing such a ferocious tiger, she dared not relax her breathing or show any fear.
The advantage of fighting in the realm of consciousness is that everyone's combat power is lowered to the starting line, making up for the problem of too large a gap in cultivation. The bad news is that even if they return to their most primitive state, the magpie still does not have a size advantage and still needs to use its agility to pull and spar.
However, it's still quite surprising that he could hold his own against Bai Ya in terms of physical skills. It seems that the elixirs and tonics he's been taking lately haven't been in vain; his training has been incredibly effective. Moreover, watching Nezha fight and carefully analyzing his moves has taught him a lot.
In reality outside the realm of consciousness, "Jiang Huaisu's" body trembled as if she had been electrocuted, and she could only slowly sit down by holding onto the pillar next to the Immortal Terrace.
This was too much of a drain on Bai Ya. He had to suppress Jiang Huaisu's will while holding onto control of his body. He felt like his soul was about to be torn in two.
Through his gradually blurring vision, he saw a fiery red figure approaching.
Bai Ya's tense nerves relaxed a little. Nezha's willingness to come meant that he was one step closer to the success of his plan.
Perhaps he should retract his statement that Nezha had no true feelings for the demon race, because it seems he values Jiang Huaisu quite a bit. Judging from his hurried manner, he must have just returned to Lianxin Residence and rushed here, only accompanied by two heavenly soldiers.
Knowing that the critical moment had arrived, Bai Ya had to exert more effort to control this body in order to prevent Nezha from noticing anything amiss.
The price he paid for his body no longer trembling was that he suffered a great loss in the battle of consciousness; he was caught off guard and had his eyes pecked by a magpie.
Jiang Huaisu was overjoyed. She had thought she would be the loser in this fight, but her opponent suddenly became dazed, allowing her to launch several successful sneak attacks. She couldn't let this opportunity slip by. She would strike while the iron was hot, peck out his eyes, and see how he would bother her then.
"What's wrong with you?" Nezha stopped a foot away from Bai Ya.
Bai Ya rubbed his eyes hard, suppressing the pain transmitted from his consciousness. "The wind got in my eyes, it's nothing."
"Didn't I tell you to wait for me in your room? Why did you suddenly come here?" Nezha's robes were still stained with blood from when he slew the demon, and he hadn't had time to clean them. He raised an eyebrow at Jiang Huaisu, seemingly waiting for her explanation.
It's a common understanding that Zhexiantai is not a good place for sightseeing.
While Jiang Huaisu was focused on dealing with Nezha, Bai Ya in the realm of consciousness gradually fell into a disadvantageous position. Jiang Huaisu seized the opportunity and finally succeeded in blinding him, shaking off his pursuit, and ran wildly towards the edge of the mist alone.
She still couldn't see an exit, but her vision began to change. Perhaps because White Fang was no longer there to interfere, the fog gradually dissipated, and her senses became exceptionally clear. It was as if a thin barrier between reality and illusion had been broken down, allowing her vision to connect with the world outside.
But the situation did not improve. Her consciousness was still trapped in this small world, watching helplessly as Bai Ya pretended to be her, mimicking her tone, and skillfully coaxing Nezha, saying that the reason for the exile platform was that they received a message from Tianpeng's private soldiers that there had been a problem with the reincarnation, and they asked the Third Prince for help, and so on.
Jiang Huaisu suspected that he had rehearsed many times in private because of his fluent speech.
But this damn liar is really audacious! Tianpeng probably doesn't even know he has a private army. Can he just make up something like that? Besides, how could Tianpeng and Nezha be that close? Instead of starting his cultivation from scratch after being reborn as a pig, he comes to Nezha for help. Has he made a mistake?
Because this explanation was full of loopholes, Nezha clearly showed disbelief on his face. However, based on experience, sometimes things that seem outrageous are actually true. So he began to ask for details.
"When did Tianpeng start keeping a private army? I had no idea."
"Of course, this kind of thing has to be done secretly..." White Tooth continued to make up a story.
Jiang Huaisu realized that the liar was on the second level. A lie with a small flaw might arouse suspicion, but a lie full of loopholes can be exceptionally deceptive.
Furious, yet unable to interrupt Bai Ya, she could only stand there watching, her mind racing with anxiety. She wondered what the tiger demon was up to. Did it intend to push Nezha off the Banishment Platform?
This move was risky, but the chances of success were slim. She didn't believe that Nezha, a perfectly capable war god, could be easily defeated; Bai Ya's plan was likely to fail.
But even a one in ten thousand chance? Jiang Huaisu's imagination began to run wild. She thought, what if Nezha really jumped off the Immortal's Terrace and followed in Tianpeng's footsteps, being reborn as a pig... No, that was too terrible. She absolutely could not allow such a thing to happen!
Bai Ya was also struggling to stay afloat. He could sense that Jiang Huaisu's consciousness was constantly trying to regain control, like two coachmen fighting over the same reins, one wanting to go left and the other wanting to go right.
He took a deep breath and saw the worry on Nezha's face; he knew he was starting to tremble again. So he smiled and said, "It's a bit cold here."
It's better if she doesn't smile; when she does, it gives her away even more. Her lips twitch as if they're cramping, creating a strange, unsettling curve.
Now he couldn't even control his facial expressions. Realizing this, Bai Ya immediately turned his head to the side, pretending to avoid the wind, but actually to prevent Nezha from seeing his wildly flying facial features.
"So what exactly does Tianpeng want me to do for him?"
"I don't know. The private soldier sent you to Zhexiantai, saying that someone would come to meet you later. But I felt something was amiss, and since you weren't at Lianxinju, I was really curious, so I came here to check things out myself."
Hearing this, Nezha looked around but didn't see a single person. He wondered when this "rescue" would arrive.
Bai Ya said no more, leaning against the pillar and pretending to gaze into the distance. While carefully concealing the strangeness on his body, he was inwardly jumping up and down with anxiety. Why couldn't that damned Li Nezha take just a few more steps closer to him? The distance was too far; he wasn't confident he could successfully launch a sneak attack!
"Oh, right," Nezha suddenly said, "I accidentally lost the things you gave me while I was out fighting demons. Sorry."
Jiang Huaisu was taken aback. What had she given him?
White Fang stared absently into the distance, pretending not to hear.
"..." Nezha's expression became somewhat subtle. He took a few steps to the right, turning to face White Fang. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
Nezha did indeed see it.
Jiang Huaisu's current state was very strange; she seemed to be forcing a smile, and her mind appeared dazed. She was unresponsive to his probing questions. However, he only felt suspicion and could not be certain that the person in front of him had been impersonated, because the Qiankun Ring was still obediently on Jiang Huaisu's wrist.
Little did she know that she was currently in a Schrödinger's cat-like state of possession, with two souls in one body, causing even the magic artifact recognition system to crash.
Jiang Huaisu quickly figured out the key point and understood why Nezha hadn't immediately punched the liar when he sensed something was wrong.
It was absolutely true; her soul stood before him, gazing at him from afar through a barrier. And this barrier was her own physical body—the situation was truly unsolvable.
She couldn't help but curse Bai Ya in her heart for being so vicious and cunning. If she had known this would happen, she shouldn't have entered the embroidered ball that day.
I'd heard Nezha say before that when a ghost possesses someone, you have to expel the original owner's soul first. This mutated soul seed, Bai Ya, can actually parasitize it directly—that's truly insidious. Or perhaps, because she's a transmigrator, her constitution is exceptionally special? The more I thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Maybe I'm the mutated soul seed myself, with such strong adaptability that I can coexist with her soul.
Amidst her turmoil, she heard Nezha's voice ring out again.
"Forget it, let's go back to Yunlou Palace first," Nezha decided. "Never mind Tianpeng, he's not the most important thing right now."
As he spoke, he turned and walked towards the direction of Yunlou Palace, while the Hun Tian Ling reached out to hook Jiang Huai Su's wrist.
In a flash, Bai Ya abruptly took a step back. If he didn't act now, this hard-won opportunity to trick Nezha would slip through his fingers. Although his current position wasn't ideal, he had no choice but to risk it!
He silently recited the incantation for controlling the magical artifact, successfully halting the red ribbon's advance. However, Nezha's command was of the highest priority, and after only a moment's pause, the red ribbon charged towards him with even greater speed than before.
The magic ribbon brushed past Bai Ya's fingertips, but it was too late; it failed to catch him.
But Nezha's hand was faster than the Universe Ring, and at the last second, he grabbed his wrist. In this situation, close-range rescue was not a rational move, but sometimes the body reacts faster than the mind.
Bai Ya breathed a sigh of relief. If Nezha had been determined to stand by and watch, then no matter how careful he was, it wouldn't have mattered.
Fortunately, he won his gamble.
Jiang Huaisu, who witnessed the entire scene, nearly had her heart stop beating. Even more intense than terror was anger; her desire for Bai Ya to die was stronger than ever before. He actually dared to use such a method... dared to gamble with Nezha's feelings for her, to scheme against Nezha?!
The two were currently in a precarious position, like two rocks standing on the edge of a cliff, where even a slight breeze could break their balance. The angle was also quite tricky; five out of Nezha's six hands couldn't reach Jiang Huaisu. Bending over would cause her to sink even further, so they couldn't make any rash moves.
Fortunately, the strength of one hand was enough. And the Hun Tian Ling (a magical ribbon) cleverly followed Nezha's movements, ready to lend its master a hand. Two heavenly soldiers also quickly came to help, but this place had a far greater influence on gods than on demons, and those with divine power were inevitably restrained.
As the heavenly soldiers entered, the number of people being rescued almost increased from one to three. Fortunately, Nezha noticed in time and kicked the two of them away from the danger zone before they fell down as well, ordering, "Go and call for help."
As soon as the heavenly soldiers left, Bai Ya took advantage of the blind spot and manipulated the Qiankun Ring to smash it hard into Nezha's back. The divine artifacts were interconnected, and the Hun Tian Ling turned to intercept the attack from its master's back, allowing Bai Ya to slip off one end of its binding.
As the plan neared success, the malice beneath his skin was practically bursting forth. Bai Ya suppressed his laughter until his teeth ached, managing to keep himself from laughing out loud in front of Nezha.
He desperately lowered his center of gravity, hanging his entire weight on Nezha's forearm, secretly pulling Nezha down. This suicidal fighting style showed his determination to drag Nezha down into the abyss together.
The chaotic winds beneath the Immortal Ascension Platform would affect the physique of immortals, preventing Nezha from wielding his magic as freely as usual. Moreover, Nezha had just returned from subduing a demon, undoubtedly having endured a considerable battle and losses in the mortal realm. Bai Ya was delighted; everything was now extremely advantageous to him.
Jiang Huaisu was so anxious she felt like vomiting blood. She never expected Nezha to trust her to this extent. Wasn't he usually quite clever? How could he be so confused now? Clearly, this "Jiang Huaisu's" behavior was suspicious in every way. Why did he care whether she was in pain or not? He should have just broken a few bones and taken her back!
But Nezha only warned, "Don't move."
Calling upon spiritual energy here was extremely difficult, yet he still forcibly erected a barrier around the girl, at the cost of internal injuries caused by the chaotic spiritual energy surging within him; his meridians felt as if they were about to explode. Swallowing the sweet, metallic taste in his throat, he remained expressionless and continued pulling the girl upwards.
Bai Ya feigned innocence: "I didn't move. It's because my cultivation level is too low to withstand the power of the gale, and I fell in and dragged you in as well. I'm really sorry."
He was now completely fearless, grinning at Nezha. At this point, he didn't care whether Nezha noticed anything amiss or not. If he wanted Jiang Huaisu to die, he could just let go.
However, Bai Ya's smile lasted for less than half a second before it froze, and a sudden dizziness made his eyelids twitch.
Previously, he had been too focused on dealing with Nezha and had relaxed his control over Jiang Huaisu. She had never given up on vying for control of this body, and he had already fallen behind in the realm of consciousness.
Analyzing the current situation, if Nezha could harden his heart and disregard the possibility of Jiang Huaisu being torn apart by the gale, and with the latter's active cooperation, he might actually be able to pull her up. So Baiya began to think about whether he should make some preparations before Jiang Huaisu returned? For example, adding some injuries to her to double the difficulty of Nezha's rescue.
However, before he could act, a strong emotion, one that did not belong to him, surged into his heart. Because they shared a body, he could sense the girl's anger and murderous intent, which was so heavy that it made it hard for him to breathe.
Damn it, I underestimated her!
Bai Ya looked at Nezha with resentment. The other's eyes were calm, like a still lake, making Bai Ya's elaborate scheme seem like a monkey's trickery. He had seen Nezha like this countless times, especially when he was killing demons, he was so focused that it was like he was doing some meticulous handicraft.
He really wanted to yell out loud, "What are you pretending to be so calm for? You've already stepped into the pigsty with one foot in it. Who are you trying to impress with this aloof attitude? Why don't you hurry up and go down to the mortal world and become brothers with Tianpeng?"
He mentally tore Nezha to pieces 108 times, yet he couldn't stop his consciousness from gradually fading into nothingness. But he wasn't prepared to give up. After a brief rest in his consciousness... he was certain he could still put up a fight against Jiang Huaisu!
Nezha took in all of Jiang Huaisu's changing expressions.
The girl initially stared at him intently, her eyes brimming with resentment that seemed about to overflow. This expression was unfamiliar on Jiang Huaisu's face. Nezha was certain that something must have happened to her without his knowledge.
Was he being influenced by evil spirits? Several ominous guesses flashed through his mind. But no matter what, he had to get Jiang Huaisu up first.
Just as he was focused on battling the gale, the girl below let out a muffled groan, seemingly in some great pain. He looked down and saw that the resentment in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a burning rage.
Jiang Huaisu is angry.
She was furious. She couldn't control her own body; instead, she was being used as a tool by an evil demon to harm others. When she finally managed to break free from the fog of consciousness and regain control of her body, she found that she could barely move a finger because White Fang was still causing trouble inside her.
The barefoot are not afraid of those wearing shoes. The other party is, after all, a thousand-year-old demon, willing to exhaust his soul power to compete with her for the body. This made it really difficult for her to hold on, and she didn't know how many more minutes her consciousness could last.
Looking up at Nezha, she said with difficulty, "...It's Bai Ya."
The three words conveyed a great deal of information. Nezha's expression changed, and he immediately thought of the time when Bai Ya committed suicide in the embroidered ball.
To be honest, this monster left a very bad impression on him.
Jiang Huaisu once said that in her original world, there was a management system called the bottom-ranking elimination system. If this system were applied to the group of demons in the embroidered ball, using the amount of accumulated merit as the ranking standard, Bai Ya would have been eliminated eight hundred times over.
Therefore, even if White Fang hadn't committed suicide, he might have done it himself someday. This kind of unrepentant evil demon had no reason to live. After learning of White Fang's suicide, he even praised the other party's self-awareness in his heart, which was quite rare.
So, they planted a nail here, waiting for him?
Considering the current situation, Nezha quickly pieced together the gist of the matter. Jiang Huaisu was indeed being controlled—not by possession or evil magic, but by someone else's consciousness forcibly invading her body? That explained why she had been occasionally acting against her will these past few days...
One body, two souls? How could such a thing exist?
He grabbed her wrist, about to pull hard, but looking down, he saw the girl's pained expression. He frowned, knowing that the protective effect of the barrier was ultimately limited.
He rarely hesitated or wavered like this before, after all, time is life on the battlefield. But her pain was too glaring, and he couldn't help but care.
He wanted to reassure Jiang Huaisu, assuring her that he would do his best to pull her out safely. But before he could finish speaking, Jiang Huaisu suddenly looked up at him, her gaze filled with ruthlessness.
Then, her wrist bones cracked and dislocated on their own, slipping out of his grasp.
Nezha, who was struggling to find his balance, was completely taken aback by her move. His pupils contracted, and his fingertips tensed in alarm: "Jiang Huaisu!"
Instinctively, he lowered his center of gravity, trying to reach for her. But this position was already quite dangerous; the gale below the Immortal Ascension Platform greatly affected his divine power, and the lower he went, the more he felt like his body was about to be torn apart.
Jiang Huaisu, who was further down and protected by the barrier, unexpectedly found the sensation from the gale just right, at least relieving the excruciating pain of her soul being torn apart. It was like when she had a headache, she would pound her head with her hand, trying to relieve the pain with pain.
Two conflicting thoughts swirled in her mind, and she couldn't even tell whether she had released Nezha out of her own will or because she was influenced by Bai Ya.
Damn it, how dare that coward White Fang call others cowards before? He's clearly the king of cowards himself! He doesn't dare directly confront Nezha, so he targets her instead, risking her life time and time again. Is he trying to mess with Nezha or her?
The way she wagged her tail like a dead fish was quite unsightly, but the situation didn't allow her to worry about her image. She was too far from Nezha, and the barrier was already showing signs of cracking; the gale was hurting her limbs.
The Hun Tian Ling (a magical sash) tried to pull her up, but having descended to such a depth, a tug-of-war with the gale would most likely tear her to pieces. Therefore, the Hun Tian Ling loosely wrapped around her waist, attempting to halt the fall. In her lifetime, she had never seen such a predicament embodied in a magical artifact.
Thanks to her foresight, she now has a resurrection shield! She hasn't even used her trump card yet!
If she were to commit suicide before being banished to the mortal realm for reincarnation, her soul, sensing the existence of her vessel, would spontaneously travel to its location. Although it's unknown where Sun Wukong placed her vessel, it must have been a very safe place.
As for a wandering soul like Bai Ya, with no home to return to, once its physical body dies and it can no longer parasitize, it will only be swallowed up by the gale. According to the process, its cultivation should first be scattered, and then it should fall into a mortal body. While retaining its memories, it should be transformed from a powerful thousand-year-old demon into a weak creature that can be easily manipulated. This should be the worst outcome that Bai Ya has envisioned.
He seemed to have two different moral standards when it came to gods and demons. For demons, eating people was their nature, but if gods turned around and dealt with them, they would be hypocritical and cruel. Regarding the gods' so-called benevolence and compassion, White Fang both mocked their hypocrisy and used this to constantly test the limits of their evil deeds.
Jiang Huaisu guessed that someone like him would probably not be given a second chance by Nezha.
She planned his tragic future with vengeance, while simultaneously holding the sword to her own neck, finding the right position, and using the wind to subtly apply force to the blade. This was all the strength she could muster; she couldn't even slit his throat cleanly.
White Fang watched helplessly as his plan was ruined. He had hoped to drag Nezha down with him, but now everything was over. This woman hadn't even reached the bottom yet, and she was already leaving the stage prematurely!
He cursed in the realm of consciousness until his voice almost split open: "You madman!!"
Jiang Huaisu ignored his insults. She had already prepared a second vessel with Sun Wukong. As long as he killed her in advance, she could preserve her cultivation and avoid the suffering of reincarnation. In the end, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
Just as she felt the sword getting a little cold on her neck, warm blood splattered all over her face and head. She dazedly thought, "So blood can splatter this high." Just as she was about to close her eyes and peacefully await her rebirth, she suddenly realized she was being held tightly in a hug.
The other person's six hands were choking her, making it hard for her to breathe, and her blood gushed out even more. But the Hun Tian Ling (a magical ribbon) was also wrapped around her and placed on her wound, seemingly trying to help stop the bleeding.
Upon recognizing Nezha's face, Jiang Huaisu seemed to experience a sudden surge of energy, her eyes regaining their clarity. She wanted to punch him, but found herself held too tightly to move, and could only raise her finger to poke his waist. Unfortunately, the strength of a dying man was equivalent to a tickle, having little effect whatsoever.
Jiang Huaisu angrily said, "What are you doing down here? Didn't I tell you I could live?"
During the time she spent with Nezha, the two talked more than the hairs on a cow, especially she, who chatted about all sorts of trivial matters. She probably told Nezha about her having a resurrection point... right?
When the moment came, remembering this incident, she suddenly felt a little insecure. Nezha's attitude of "just getting through today and tomorrow" probably meant he really thought she was going to commit suicide, which was why he followed her off the Immortal's Terrace so recklessly.
Jiang Huaisu quickly added to the story, keeping it brief: "Sun Wukong can revive me! Really! You'll see when you go find him later..."
Nezha looked at her with a mixture of belief and doubt. How could Sun Wukong possibly save her? Would he wreak havoc in the underworld again? Even if he retrieved her soul, her physical body would already be destroyed at the Banishment Platform. Where would her soul go then? Would she end up like him...?
Jiang Huaisu coughed up blood, her throat almost completely silent. Her life force was rapidly draining away; her last burst of energy was nearing its end.
Before he could even finish speaking, the girl died in his arms, reverting to her magpie form. No matter how he called out to her, she would never open her eyes and respond.
His personal magical artifact has recognized Jiang Huaisu's original soul light, and if her soul leaves her body and her physical body dies, he will also sense it.
Therefore, he couldn't even deceive himself.
Jiang Huaisu is indeed dead.
He held her body, somewhat bewildered. Even though he was in a deep abyss where the wind howled, he felt a terrifying silence all around him.
Forcibly suppressing his emotions, Nezha took a deep breath and held Jiang Huaisu's body even tighter in his arms.
There was not much time to waste. The situation remained perilous, but the objective had shifted from "saving her life" to "saving her body."
Braving the fierce winds from all directions, Nezha struggled to fly upwards, paying little attention to his own body. Even when he lost an arm or a leg along the way, he seemed not to notice, not even flinching, and continued upwards without changing his expression.
He poured all his spiritual energy into Jiang Huaisu, making the barrier even stronger. After all, without a living soul, the body would be very fragile and needed to be carefully protected.
There was no trace of soul power fluctuation in the corpse, so White Fang must have already left.
Nezha didn't know where Baiya and Jiang Huaisu's souls had gone, but if he wanted to find one of them, he would always find a way.
Struggling to climb onto the Immortal's Terrace, he grabbed the railing and scrambled out of the dangerous area. His current state was horrific; he was almost torn apart by the gale, his blood flowing so much that it stained the jade railings red. The mighty war god rarely saw himself in such a sorry state.
This was the first time he had ever experienced the power of the gale. It truly lived up to its reputation as a place to punish sinful immortals. Before being reincarnated, one had to endure being torn to pieces. Even immortals who wanted to defy the heavenly laws had to consider whether they could withstand such pain.
Nezha tried to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, but found his hand was no longer on his body. He had gone in fully equipped and come out loosely equipped; injuries of this severity couldn't heal on their own, and he would probably need to go to Mount Ling for treatment.
Although he is currently unable to move, as long as a god passes by, he will naturally notice him, so there is no worry about no one rescuing him.
The magic ribbon that had been tightly wrapped around him loosened, revealing the small bird's corpse that had been encased in its center. Fortunately, she was unharmed.
He longed to touch her feathers, which had not yet lost their luster, but unfortunately, he couldn't do so now. He stared blankly at the sky, his heart filled with restlessness and frustration. There were so many things to do, and he truly hated that he couldn't recover immediately.
Unexpectedly, the first to arrive at the rescue was the Old Man of the Moon. This god usually stays in his palace most of the time, pondering matters of marriage. He rarely goes out, and he wants to study the feasibility of reincarnating from the Immortal Ascension Platform. After all, he has never tried dispersing his cultivation before descending to earth, which should be quite an experience.
Indeed, he had the urge to experience love and romance in the mortal realm again, and this time he wasn't even limited to a single species; he'd accept being reborn as a chicken, sheep, or dog. Hearing that his wife had been reborn into an official's family and was doing well, he thought he should also start his next chapter in his life as soon as possible.
They hadn't gone two steps when they encountered the Heavenly Soldiers under the Third Prince's command. The two were urgently asking him to come to the Exile Terrace to rescue someone. The Old Man of the Moon had been skeptical the whole way, not understanding why the Third Prince would be in danger at the Exile Terrace.
However, the sight of withered flowers on the ground in front of the pillar forced him to believe it. He was shocked and hurriedly ordered the palace servants to carry Nezha to Mount Ling.
Along the way, he didn't forget to ask Nezha whenever he had a spare moment: "Third Prince, what did it feel like to jump off the Immortal's Terrace? Did you also want to be reincarnated, and then regretted it halfway through?"
Nezha was overwhelmed by the questions and wasn't in the mood to talk to others, so he only answered the first question selectively. "If you're curious, you can go to the mortal world, find a butcher shop, lie on the chopping board, and after a day, the experience should be similar to jumping off the Immortal's Platform."
The Old Man of the Moon nodded thoughtfully. It sounded terrible; perhaps he shouldn't jump.
Nezha listlessly raised his eyes: "Do you want to reincarnate again to find your soulmate? There's basically no chance of being reborn as a human after jumping off the Immortal's Platform. You might as well just descend to the mortal realm in your true form."
Regardless, since the other party helped him return to Mount Ling, he couldn't repay kindness with enmity. From all perspectives, jumping off the Immortal's Platform was the worst choice, a point he needed to clearly remind the Old Man of the Moon of.
"I understand." The Old Man of the Moon nodded and sighed.
"Are you thinking of going to see her?"
The "she" in this context naturally refers to the Old Man of the Moon's previous wife. That marriage was both perfect and regrettable, and the related gossip spread widely in Heaven, with the Old Man of the Moon himself not shying away from it.
"No, she is already married in this life."
"Oh, so you, the God of Love, aren't going to fall behind either, and are going to search for new true love?"
I felt that the Third Prince's words were a bit sarcastic, but the Old Man of the Moon explained in a good-natured manner: "My fate with her has ended, and it is impossible for us to be entangled for lifetimes. She has her life, and I have mine."
"Why not?" Nezha sneered. "If it were me..."
Actually, he didn't care much about what the matchmaker did, but he suddenly thought of Jiang Huaisu and put himself in her shoes, and found this kind of parting ways unbearable.
Whether she was reincarnated, became a lonely ghost, or Sun Wukong created a new body for her... no matter what, he had to find her.
Jiang Huaisu can't get rid of him in this life, nor in the next.
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