Chapter 39 The Embroidered Ball.
In the end, Sun Wukong returned to Flower Fruit Mountain alone. Before leaving, he told Jiang Huaisu that he would pick her up after the fight was over.
The monkey's back view looked arrogant, its tail held high, and its golden cudgel slung over its shoulder. It seemed to be in a good mood, completely unaware that a five-hundred-year prison sentence awaited it.
On the issue of whether she should stay or leave, Sun Wukong and Nezha reached a high degree of consensus, both believing that she should stay in Yunlou Palace and not get involved in the events that caused havoc in Heaven.
Jiang Huaisu was also conflicted at this moment. Rationally, she knew that she would be safer staying by Nezha's side, but emotionally, she wanted to face the upcoming battle with Sun Wukong.
However, Nezha didn't give her a choice and took her directly back to Lotus Heart Residence. She couldn't fight against the powerful deities; they were determined to extricate her from the situation, and she had no choice but to accept their offer.
Before the Peach Banquet, Madam Yin had already returned from the South China Sea, so Li Zhenying was also brought back to her side. Now, Lianxin Residence is empty, and Jiang Huaisu can only keep company with the lotus pond.
She lay on the bamboo rattan chair, swaying back and forth, reaching out to stir the wispy clouds of mist, her fingertips circling, occasionally letting out a long sigh; her posture made her look slightly melancholy.
Nezha lay on the edge of the pond, his upper body above the water, his chin resting on his crossed arms, tilting his head to stare at Jiang Huaisu: "Look at you, your brows are so furrowed they could trap a fly, your heart is probably already flying to Flower Fruit Mountain. You really want to see Sun Wukong that much?"
“It’s not that exaggerated!” Jiang Huaisu pointed to her forehead and made a gesture of smoothing her brow. “I wasn’t frowning, I was just spacing out.”
"How about I find you something to do?"
“What can I do here? Are you going to assign me fertilizing, hoeing, and cleaning? I won’t do it. I don’t have the energy right now. I just want to lie down.”
Nezha gripped the edge of the pool with both hands, pushed off forcefully, and water cascaded down his body like a waterfall. Then, with a long stride, he stepped ashore and quickly dried himself using magic; a cloud of white mist rose up.
"Combing my hair is no trouble at all." He walked to Jiang Huaisu's side, sat down cross-legged, and magically produced a wooden comb and a hairband in his hands.
Jiang Huaisu couldn't help but look down.
Judging from his exposed skin, he appeared to be shirtless, though his trousers were fully on. His fair skin and jet-black hair created a striking visual impact. His shoulders and neck had smooth lines, but unfortunately, from this angle, only his back was visible… wait, what was she regretting?
Shocked that she had unconsciously felt lust for Nezha for a moment, Jiang Huaisu sat up straight in an instant, closed her eyes and exhaled, as if she were an old monk in meditation.
Combing hair was indeed effortless for her; she often fussed with her own hair, so she was even more adept at styling others' hair. Soon, a simple half-up hairstyle was complete in her hands, and she had Nezha turn around to see how it looked from the front.
Indeed, the model's face is youthful and pretty, and she looks quite like a young swordsman.
Suddenly, she realized the joy of dressing up the doll. She took off the hairstyle she had already done and said seriously, "It's not done well, let's start over."
After smoothing her long hair again, she pressed her advantage and asked, "Do you have any other hair accessories?"
With a wave of his hand, Nezha poured out a pile of gold, silver, and jade ornaments from his storage bag, in various colors and styles, which can be described as quite comprehensive.
Looking at the pile of glamorous and flashy jewelry, Jiang Huaisu became excited. Back in elementary school, she loved playing those online salon/hair salon games during computer class; now she was getting to play a real-life version.
The hair on both sides of the temples is braided into thin braids close to the scalp, then gathered into one at the back of the head, mixed with fine gold thread, and decorated with a lapis lazuli gemstone forehead chain, making him a handsome young man with exotic charm.
Looking at her work from left to right, she was satisfied. It had taken too long this time, and she was a little reluctant to dismantle it; she decided to save the remaining inspiration for next time.
Nezha played with the braid hanging down his shoulder, his expression calm, neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. But since he didn't say he wanted it recombed, Jiang Huaisu assumed he was satisfied.
After admiring her own craftsmanship for a while, Jiang Huaisu suddenly heard footsteps coming from outside the moon gate.
It was a heavenly soldier who came to inform the Third Prince that he should muster his troops and head to Flower Fruit Mountain to capture the demon monkey.
Upon hearing this, Nezha's first reaction was to go and check on Jiang Huaisu.
Because he was facing away from her, his shoulder rested on her knee as he tilted his head back, and his fluffy braids brushed against her ankles, tickling her a little. It felt like being gently scratched by a cat... Jiang Huaisu reflexively shrank back, and the head next to her knee followed suit.
She pressed down on his shoulder and pushed him forward a little, urging him, "Go on, Marshal Li."
Hearing her words, Nezha slowly stood up, his body shimmering with light, and in the blink of an eye, he was fully armed. His divine armor, radiant and dazzling, was truly magnificent.
Goddesses can usually use magic to dress up and change clothes, and the fuss just now was indeed just to give her something to do.
However, although her clothes had changed, her hairstyle remained the same as Jiang Huaisu's original style.
"I thought you would stop me."
"Why should I stop you?" Jiang Huaisu said weakly. "It's your job after all. Go on. Your poor subordinates are waiting outside."
Nezha nodded, but after taking only two steps, his sleeve was grabbed.
Without turning his head, he said, "I won't really fight, I'm just pretending. But the Heavenly Court has definitely brought in other helpers, and your precious monkey head is bound to suffer."
“No, I meant to say, be careful.” Jiang Huaisu let go of his hand and said seriously, “You didn’t discuss this with Sun Wukong beforehand. What if you’re just pretending and he’s really going to do it? That would be dangerous. Besides, he’s angry… Sigh, never mind, you decide for yourself. I’ll wait for your news at home.”
She lay back on the rattan chair, thinking that a day in heaven is a year on earth, and that Nezha would probably return to heaven in the time it took her to take a nap.
Disturbed, she turned to her side, closed her eyes, and tried to take a nap, but she couldn't fall asleep at all. After a few minutes, she belatedly realized that she hadn't heard any footsteps fading away.
So she opened her eyes again, and sure enough, Nezha was still by her side, not leaving.
"Aren't you going yet?" she asked, puzzled.
“I suddenly thought of a way,” Nezha said, looking at her intently. “It will allow me to take you there without you getting involved in this matter.”
With a flick of his wrist, the magical embroidered ball materialized in his palm. True to its name, it was indeed an exquisite eight-petaled embroidered ball, vibrant red and adorned with long tassels.
"Inside are the demon kings and ghost soldiers I have subdued."
Jiang Huaisu, not understanding, asked, "...So?"
"What I mean is, this hydrangea can take you in too. That way you can stay inside and watch the game, and no one can see you."
Jiang Huaisu was intrigued by the suggestion, and reached out to tug at the tassel with her fingertips, but then asked with some concern, "Will it work? Are you sure I won't get torn to pieces by those natives inside?"
"The demons inside the hydrangea are all under my control, so there's no need to worry."
There was no reason not to agree. Jiang Huaisu shook off her previous dejected state and said excitedly, "Come on, take me in!"
Nezha activated his magic, and a warm, clear light condensed at his fingertips. With a flick of his finger, the light flew into Jiang Huaisu's brow.
She suddenly felt an indescribable unease, as if she were being controlled by invisible threads, forced to leave the vast world and enter a small and dark alien world.
I rubbed my eyes, and the surroundings had changed. It felt like I was trapped in a huge room with walls on all four sides. Although the space was vast, it inexplicably made me feel oppressed and cramped.
One of the walls is slightly different; it's like a display screen that can project images of the outside world in real time.
Ignoring the feeling of confinement, this is indeed an excellent place to watch the show.
Jiang Huaisu found a seat and sat down, somewhat regretting not bringing any snacks. She didn't know when they would reach Flower Fruit Mountain, or how long the battle would last; she could only sit there listlessly.
Just then, a pair of hands landed on her shoulders, as if greeting her, and even patted her twice. Jiang Huaisu stiffly turned her head and saw a... well, it couldn't be called a hand, it was more like a claw on her shoulder. The nails were sharp and pointed, and there was a ring of hair growing on the back of the hand, making it look rather disgusting.
Jiang Huaisu knew that this must be one of the natives. Although the way she greeted him was a bit intimidating, Nezha had said that all the demons in the embroidered ball were under his control, so this native couldn't do anything to her.
She firmly believes that her personal safety is well protected.
Seeing that she neither panicked nor screamed in fear, the indigenous man felt somewhat disappointed. He slowly emerged from the shadows and sat down beside her. Based on her animalistic features, he could tell that she was a tiger demon.
Jiang Huaisu moved to the side, watching him warily.
"My name is Bai Ya." He saw Jiang Huaisu's wariness and said nonchalantly, "Don't be nervous. The demons and monsters here are avoiding you, how could they dare to touch you?"
"...Avoiding me?"
I noticed it earlier; many blurry silhouettes were huddled in the dark corners, with jagged horns, twisted limbs, and hooked tails that I could vaguely make out. Jiang Huaisu initially thought it was the habitat of the natives, but it turned out these monsters had hidden there because of her arrival?
Bai Ya explained to her that the outside world could not be observed from within the embroidered ball at all times. The Third Prince usually only used this visual connection during battle and could sever it at any time. Last time, in the underwater demon's lair, the embroidered ball was used as a preparation tool for battle. The demon king and his ghost soldiers witnessed the entire battle and naturally saw the interaction between Nezha and Jiang Huaisu.
Even a discerning demon could see that Jiang Huaisu's relationship with the Third Prince was extraordinary, so how could they dare to provoke her? Besides, before Jiang Huaisu entered the embroidered ball, Nezha had already warned the demons inside with his spiritual power to behave themselves and not provoke her.
White Tooth stretched lazily, like a cat, "Those cowards didn't dare utter a sound when they saw you come in, they're such cowards."
Jiang Huaisu asked curiously, "Then why did you dare to come and talk to me?"
"It must be so lonely inside for hundreds of years. It's rare to find a living person here. It's always good to chat... You don't mind, do you?"
Jiang Huaisu rested her chin on her hand, looking at the large display screen in front of her, and answered honestly, "To be honest, a little. After all, I'm not familiar with you, and I'm not in the mood for chatting right now."
The scene depicts a continuous, flowing cloud of mist, clearly indicating that Nezha is still on his way to Flower Fruit Mountain. Yang Jian has also arrived this time, with his forces no less than before, and he will certainly not let Sun Wukong off easily this time.
Seeing that Jiang Huaisu was in a bad mood, Bai Ya wisely stopped bothering her to continue chatting. The bird and the tiger watched the screen, observing the entire battle against Huaguo Mountain from a third-person perspective.
This scene is largely consistent with the original story. Sun Wukong, overwhelmed by the combined attack of the gods, is struck by the Diamond Bracelet and bitten by Xiaotian. A hook pierces his collarbone, and he is escorted to the Demon-Slaying Platform. He is unharmed by lightning strikes and fire, and is finally thrown into the Eight Trigrams Furnace.
Surprisingly, Nezha was the calmest person throughout the entire process. He had already been foreshadowed by Jiang Huaisu and knew very well that Sun Wukong would not die here.
Xiaotian, however, seemed uneasy: "Will Sun Wukong be refined into an elixir?"
Nezha: "Yes."
Xiaotian lowered his tail, seemingly not expecting the Heavenly Court to be so ruthless. "What about Jiang Huaisu? Sun Wukong is dead, she'll definitely hate me."
Nezha: "Weren't you biting around quite happily just now? Did you get a taste of what monkey meat tastes like?"
"I wasn't in the mood for anything at that time! No, I'm being serious!" Xiaotian said anxiously, "I didn't see Jiang Huaisu at Flower Fruit Mountain. I don't know where she went."
"Don't worry, she's fine."
Nezha's tone was too certain, and Xiaotian looked at him suspiciously: "How do you know?"
"I just know."
Before they could exchange more than a few words, tensions began to rise again. Just as their verbal argument was about to escalate into a physical fight, Yang Jian stepped in to mediate.
"Jiang Huaisu is with you, isn't she?" Yang Jian asked abruptly, standing between the lotus root and the dog.
Nezha neither confirmed nor denied it. He glanced at Xiaotian and silently mouthed the words "stupid dog."
The dog's fur bristled, and it angrily uttered its native language. Although the specific meaning was incomprehensible, the tone of its voice indicated that it was cursing very filthyly.
Jiang Huaisu watched them banter and joke from inside the embroidered ball, and her mood lightened considerably.
The hardships Sun Wukong had endured had troubled her, having witnessed the entire ordeal. Fortunately, nothing had spiraled out of control, and the main storyline was progressing steadily. At this rate, the monkey's Fiery Eyes of Truth would be his soon.
White Fang keenly sensed her change in mood and chuckled as he moved closer again.
“You seem to get along well with that dog too. He looks worried about you.” He pointed to a spot in the shadows. “The centipede brother was bitten by that dog. When it first entered the embroidered ball, its demonic body was almost completely severed. That dog has terrifying teeth, but it was gentle with you.”
Jiang Huaisu said, "I didn't do anything wrong, so of course Xiaotian won't bite me."
She's not stupid. What kind of kind creature could a demon trapped in a embroidered ball be? Right now, it's under Nezha's control, which is equivalent to forced labor.
Having understood the underlying meaning of Jiang Huaisu's words, Bai Ya said with a crooked face, "We won't do bad things now, and we can even help the Third Prince."
"That's great! Keep up the good work and try to get released from prison as soon as possible."
A fleeting hint of mockery flashed in Bai Ya's eyes as he smirked, "You're favored by the Third Prince, coming and going as you please, but we're not. I've been here for hundreds of years; he's probably already forgotten who I am."
Jiang Huaisu thought for a moment, "Then I'll go out and ask him for you. Also, why do you always compare yourself to me? We're not the same kind of people."
“At least, it’s the same now. Once you’re inside this embroidered ball, you’re all the Third Prince’s dogs.” White Fang concealed his schadenfreude, his face tense, and pointed to the wall. “If you don’t believe me, punch the wall hard.”
"No hammer, you're obviously up to no good with that look in your eyes."
"You weren't fooled either," White Fang snorted. "The last monster who hammered at the wall lost half an arm to Samadhi Fire because it was considered an attempt to escape from prison. We don't even have the freedom to hammer at walls! Calling ourselves dogs is an understatement; what dog lives such a miserable life?"
Jiang Huaisu looked at him with disbelief: "You patted the wall and your arm spontaneously combusted?"
This wall looks icy cold; could it be that an automated Samadhi Fire system is installed there? Wouldn't that consume a lot of magical power?
She always felt that the tiger demon wasn't telling the truth, or was selectively concealing some facts, such as the punished monster not just punching the wall, but actually trying to break through the wall to escape.
"Don't you think we're pitiful?" White Fang activated his feline special skill, his round eyes slightly raised, and he twitched his ears.
But perhaps because there were no mirrors, Bai Ya neglected his appearance, and his thick-haired face combined features of both a tiger and a human, making him not only unattractive but downright eerie. His attempt at cuteness failed miserably, instead sending a chill down Jiang Huaisu's spine.
"...Speak properly, don't be like that." She admitted that she was a bit biased towards people based on their appearance. If a beautiful woman acted cute and pitiful in front of her, she might be a little more lenient.
If Nezha made that expression... no, he couldn't possibly do that. Jiang Huaisu almost laughed at her own wild thoughts; why had she been imagining such nonsensical things lately?
Looking at the big screen, Nezha was already on his way back, with the shadow of Yunlou Palace appearing and disappearing in the clouds ahead.
She should be released after returning to the palace. Seeing that there wasn't much time left to spend with Bai Ya, Jiang Huaisu stood up, straightened her skirt, and slowly strolled to the wall.
White Fang: "What are you doing?"
"Let's verify if you're lying."
She gently placed her hand on the wall, and it felt as smooth and cool as she had imagined. She applied a little more pressure, but the wall remained unchanged, and no flames appeared to roast her.
Jiang Huaisu was completely relieved and patted the wall hard. It was solid, and the vibration made her hand hurt a little, but that was all.
She didn't just do it on a whim; she felt that if the wall was really that evil, Nezha would have warned her beforehand.
White Fang is determined to portray his side as a vulnerable group that can be bullied and beaten at will, but he doesn't mention a word about the evil deeds he has done in the past. This shows that this demon is cunning and you can only believe half of what he says.
"It seems the Third Prince really favors me." She sighed meaningfully, "Look, nothing has happened."
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