Chapter 951 Little Sprite, Arrogant and Arrogant
The basin was filled with bloody water, which swayed slightly inside.
Ouyang Rong quickly looked away.
"Let me help him, you help him up."
Ouyang Rong gestured to Sha Ergou.
Sha Ergou naturally obeyed Brother Liu's words, handing back the water basin without hesitation. He then went to help Li Wan and together they supported Lu Jinghong.
It was a cool night outside, so they decided not to linger and returned to Ouyang Rong's courtyard.
Li Wan was worried about her son, so she returned home early, found some clean bandages and medicine, and brought them back.
Ouyang Rong offered to help, removing the blood-stained wet towel from Lu Jinghong's hand and replacing it with a clean bandage.
As for the blood-stained wet towel, it was silently taken to the kitchen by Ouyang Rong along with the basin, seemingly to be thrown away... No one in the room paid any attention to it.
Upon returning, Lu Jinghong appeared somewhat distracted throughout.
Even when Song Zhian offered a few words of concern along with everyone else, he seemed somewhat distracted in his responses.
After finishing his work, Ouyang Rong returned from the kitchen and heard Sha Ergou standing next to Lu Jinghong. He asked, looking puzzled:
"How strange! What kind of rat is so bold as to steal desserts right in front of us? Aren't they afraid of people? ... Could it be that the rats on this mountain are different from those down below? Could they be able to cultivate and become spirits?"
He turned to Ouyang Rong, who was just walking in, and asked:
"Brother Liu, you've been in the kitchen a lot, have you ever seen such a big rat before?"
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment and nodded:
"When guarding the warehouse, rats would steal food at night, making a lot of chewing noises. We needed to use torches to drive them away, but we didn't know if they were spirits."
Upon hearing this, Lu Jinghong glanced at Sha Ergou but remained silent.
Yu Mili touched her lips with her finger, seemingly lost in thought, and said:
"It's really hard to say. One day at lunch, I was sitting close to Chief Tang, and I overheard her mentioning in casual conversation that there are actually spirits and strange beasts in this world, for example, there are some deep in the Yunmeng Marsh..."
"A senior sister once encountered this when she accidentally wandered into the deep swamp. It was accompanied by many strange things, such as a strange bird that spoke human language asking for help... By the way, doesn't Qiutang often go out? Sister Song, have you encountered this before? You should know more about it."
Yu Mili seemed to remember something, and looked at Song Zhian with bright eyes.
The latter paused for a moment, as if just coming to her senses, looked at the crowd watching her, and nodded slightly:
“Spirits and monsters do exist, but they are extremely rare, just like mythical creatures that have been lost. They are almost non-existent in the foothills of the mountains, and can only be found in some secluded places like Yunmeng.”
"Although we Qiutang Yue Nu often go out, we almost never encounter such a thing. As far as I know, only the Sixth Sister, who often goes deep into Yunmeng, has encountered it... I haven't heard of any other senior sisters."
"There are many rumors within the sect, but they are all from a long time ago. Our sect is rooted in Yunmeng, and over time, we have had considerable contact with the creatures deep within Yunmeng. However, an ordinary Yue woman may never encounter such a thing in her entire life..."
"The rule that Qiutang set for us is that if we encounter them, we are not allowed to deliberately harm them. We can let them go or bring them back to Jianze, depending on the situation."
Song Zhian spoke calmly and slowly:
"I heard that in the Jade Hall of Qingliang Valley, there are Yue women who specialize in recording such strange events. They have compiled them into a secret book, which is then stored in the library..."
"This secret book records various spirits and strange beasts that our sect's predecessors have encountered, for the younger generation of Yue Nu to consult... However, for non-Yu Tang Yue Nu to enter the Qingliang Valley Library, certain permissions are required, and neither of us can enter the library yet."
Yu Mili listened with great interest.
Sha Ergou and Lu Jinghong were clearly hearing this for the first time, and they looked at each other with some surprise.
"I see."
Yu Mili nodded solemnly, walked over, and patted Lu Jinghong on the shoulder in a serious manner.
As a result, the latter's wound was aggravated, causing him to gasp in pain.
"Ahem, I'm sorry... But, Young Master Lu, perhaps you are one of the lucky ones out of ten thousand. You really did run into the rat spirit."
She said it in a very serious tone.
Lu Jinghong: ...
The veins on his temples throbbed, but for some reason, Lu Jinghong quickly calmed down and, feeling a little guilty, didn't argue with Yu Mili about the truth.
Li Wan looked completely skeptical of this absurd speculation, and even the unreliable Sha Ergou seemed somewhat doubtful.
Song Zhian pondered for a moment, then looked down at Lu Jinghong's wound and confirmed it again:
“Young Master Lu, are you sure it’s just a rat? If you remember anything unusual, you can tell us. We can report this to the Caotang and have the Yue women who patrol at night investigate. After all, we can’t rule out the possibility that it’s a vicious creature that can harm people. Letting it roam freely within the sect is somewhat dangerous.”
Lu Jinghong quickly waved his hand, politely declining:
"It's alright, really alright. It's not as serious as Miss Song makes it out to be. There's no need to report it. It's just a greedy big rat. I was careless this time and that's why I got bitten. Thank you all for your help."
The group looked at each other, speechless.
Li Wan, who had initially been equally skeptical of Yu Mili's nonsense, suddenly softened her expression upon seeing Lu Jinghong's suddenly sensible demeanor and tone.
She glanced at Lu Jinghong again.
No one knows a child better than their mother.
Just then, Ouyang Rong spoke up.
He said with some concern:
"Regardless, tonight's events should serve as a warning. It's best to avoid this red maple forest behind us; there are too many mosquitoes, insects, and rodents there, so stay away..."
“Madam Li, we should keep our doors and windows closed as much as possible to prevent the rats from getting in again. Brother Lu must not repeat this mistake.”
Upon hearing this, Li Wan snapped out of her reverie and nodded somewhat absentmindedly:
"Yes, yes, I will check it when I get back and take good precautions."
Disturbed by Lu Jinghong's matter, I was busy for a while, and most of the food on the table got cold.
No one hesitated and began to eat.
Lu Jinghong injured his right hand, so he can't even hold a sword, let alone chopsticks. He will probably need to rest for a while.
Right now, Li Wan was the only one who could feed him, but in front of Miss Song, being fed by his mother would make Lu Jinghong afraid that he would never be able to hold his head up again, so he politely declined and could only use his unskilled left hand to pick up food with difficulty.
This was his last act of defiance.
Everyone saw it but didn't criticize it.
Perhaps because the atmosphere at the table was somewhat quiet during the meal, Yu Mili took the initiative to ask:
"Sister Song, how was your secluded cultivation recently?"
Everyone looked over curiously.
Seeing this, Song Zhian stopped eating and shook her head.
Her expression was somewhat grave:
"The eighth grade of our sect's lineage is somewhat special. Compared to the simple and natural formation of the ninth grade Yue Nu, the eighth grade is very difficult to condense. Although I have already reached the perfection of the ninth grade, after many days of arduous cultivation, I still find it difficult to touch the threshold of the eighth grade."
After a pause, Song Zhian said with some emotion:
"I can understand Chen Jiaxin now. She was ahead of us, but she hasn't broken through to the eighth rank yet. It's not her fault that we caught up with her... Also, I wonder how Miss Aqing managed to do it."
Sha Ergou thought for a moment, then grinned and said:
"Maybe it's because we ate too much of Brother Liu's food. Let's eat more too, and then we can break through to a higher level when we get back!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Ouyang Rong continued eating with his head down, without interrupting.
But for no apparent reason, he thought of Chen Jiaxin.
I remember promising her last time that I wouldn't cook for Song Zhian, Yu Mili, and the others, but I broke my promise today because of important matters.
Ouyang Rong suddenly realized that the female immortal was sometimes right; he really was a bit like a pig's trotter.
After a short while, he also spoke, asking about Song Zhian:
"By the way, Miss Song, do you know what kind of food the Five Goddesses usually eat?"
"What are you daydreaming about again? Hurry up and eat, then go back and rest early."
Li Wan suddenly pointed at Lu Jinghong next to her with her chopsticks.
"If it's really inconvenient for you, then I'll feed you."
Lu Jinghong had just been staring at the rice, lost in thought again.
"Oh, no need, no need, I'll do it myself."
The young man in brocade hurriedly waved his hand and continued to eat with his left hand.
Li Wan glanced at him again.
Before long, the meal ended amidst everyone's casual conversation.
Apart from what happened to Lu Jinghong, everything else tonight was unremarkable; it was just an ordinary dinner party.
...
"Tell me, what exactly happened?"
After dinner, Lu Jinghong left Liu Aliang's courtyard and returned home. He was about to go back to his bedroom when Li Wan stopped him and led him to the main house without saying a word.
After closing the door, Li Wan turned around, staring intently at her son, and asked.
Lu Jinghong's eyes darted around, and her tone was somewhat impatient:
"What happened? I'll be more careful next time and won't chase that thing again."
Li Wan sneered:
“What dessert? You never bring anything back for me. It would be a miracle if you brought back any dessert. You might have thought of bringing something today since Song Zhian is here... But I don’t know you. You definitely didn’t go to the Red Leaf Forest because of this. A dessert isn’t worth it. There must be something else.”
Lu Jinghong was silent for a moment, then said:
"I was planning to bring some desserts back for you, but I forgot before I left."
Li Wan snorted coldly:
"That's the truth. You're so eager to see Miss Song, what wouldn't you forget?"
He paused for a moment, then continued.
After hesitating for a moment, Lu Jinghong recounted the whole story in a low voice.
As Li Wan listened, her expression subtly changed.
After a short while, she couldn't help but interrupt:
"What does that glowing treasure in the jungle look like? Didn't you reach out and grab it?"
Lu Jinghong frowned: "I didn't see it clearly either. I had just caught it and hadn't even had a chance to pull my hand away when that little beast scratched me!"
He tried to recall, then continued:
"However, based on the feel of the strange treasure in my hand, it should be something like a metal rod, like a rolling pin, but not very long... But it must be some kind of metal, because it's both hard and cold. It's a real pity I didn't get a clear look at it..."
Lu Jinghong's tone was full of regret.
Li Wan, however, was focused on something else, her expression puzzled:
"A scratch? Not a bite? You lied to Liu Aliang and Song Zhian about this, right?"
Lu Jinghong nodded and subconsciously touched the palm of his right hand.
Layers of bandages wrapped around a deep, bone-revealing cut across the palm of his hand.
“That’s right, I was slashed by that little beast with a sharp weapon. It looks like a sword wound. If it were just a bite, how could it bleed so much… I don’t know if Brother Liu saw this wound just now…”
The young man in brocade robes frowned and muttered something.
Li Wan shook her head: "I've been by your side the whole time, and I'm close to you. It was too dark, and you were bleeding a lot, so I didn't see the wound clearly. He probably didn't see it clearly either."
Lu Jinghong nodded: "That makes sense."
Li Wan pondered for a moment, then asked:
"A wound from a sword-like weapon... Well, the thing that hurt you isn't a mouse, is it?"
Mentioning this, Lu Jinghong's face turned pale and then purple, and he said in a low voice:
"Well, I made up the rat thing. I didn't even see what that little beast was. After it ambushed me, it didn't give me any time to react. It snatched the treasure that had fallen back to its original spot and ran off in a flash into the jungle. I didn't even have time to chase it..."
For some reason, he said through gritted teeth:
"Although I couldn't see it clearly, this little beast is probably the size of a newborn baby... It's either a spirit or a strange beast!"
Li Wan wondered:
"Why are you so sure? You've heard what Miss Song and the others said; spirits and strange beasts are not common, and they might even be more precious than rare treasures..."
"Could you have cut your hand on that strange treasure? Perhaps it's related to swords? After all, this is Sword Marsh... As for that baby-sized black shadow, it might be some kind of small animal?"
"No, no, no, this little beast is a strange monster! I can confirm that!"
Lu Jinghong said decisively, without waiting for Li Wan to ask a question, he brandished his left fist and said angrily:
"Before that little beast scratched me and ran away, he left a message, saying... saying..."
The young man in brocade robes stammered a bit, and Li Wan couldn't help but ask:
"What did it say?"
Lu Jinghong gritted her teeth and repeated the words:
"It said... You dare to steal my precious treasure? You're blind and ignorant!"
Li Wan: ...
Under the lamplight, neither of the two figures at the table moved.
The atmosphere inside the room was quiet for a while.
After digesting the whole story, Li Wan slowly nodded:
“No wonder you’re so angry, Jinghong. This little beast is indeed spouting nonsense and can speak human language. It’s very likely a spirit or a strange beast, not just an ordinary rat.”
She pointed to Lu Jinghong's bandaged right palm:
"The scratches on your hands were probably caused by it. That little beast has some cultivation."
"Yes, that's right, Mother and I think the same thing."
Lu Jinghong nodded perfunctorily, his eyes fixed on the flickering candlelight. The voice of "Grandma" seemed to keep echoing in his ears. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. With a "bang," he slammed his hand on the table and stood up.
Lu Jinghong, sword in his left hand, lowered his head and prepared to rush out the door:
"No way! This is too much to bear! I've never suffered such humiliation before! This little beast is spouting nonsense! I'll go to the woods and drag him out right now! What kind of skill is this, sneak attacking? If you've got the guts, don't run away..."
Li Wan suddenly scolded:
"stop!"
The noblewoman blocked the doorway, placed her hand on Lu Jinghong's shoulder, and calmly said:
"It's no use for you to go now. You've already alerted them. It and the treasure can't possibly still be in the Red Leaf Forest."
"Besides, Liu Aliang and the others are still next door. If you go there now with such a big fuss, and you're not prepared enough for a fight, not only will it be dangerous, but the noise will definitely attract attention..."
(End of this chapter)
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