Chapter 35: A Battle to End All Grudges
With two rustling sounds, a yellow talisman and a bright red one flew out from the darkness. The yellow talisman seemed faster than the red. The two talismans, one in front of the other, struck Tian Xinshu squarely on his left and right shoulders. Tian Xinshu was instantly frozen in place, his white eyes fixed fiercely on Cang Ming.
Xisheng and Wei Qiang walked out from behind Cang Ming. Xisheng said to him indifferently, "Your skills have improved."
Wei Qiang shouted, "Yes, play the Chaoxian!"
Cang Ming raised his hand and summoned the empty jar. He said to Tian Xinshu bluntly, "I didn't expect you to be able to climb out."
"I am the king of this region!" Tian Xinshu's voice cracked, and she shrank, now looking almost as tall as Cang Ming. Having been severely injured, not only was she unable to recover but she was sealed in a jar. She no longer looked like a giant snow sculpture, but a brittle shell on the verge of breaking.
Wu Lu kept saying, "Hurry up, hurry up, put it back!"
Cang Ming sneered and said, "It's okay, I just have something to ask her." As he said that, he raised his hand and used the hilt of his sword to lift Tian Xinshu's sleeve. He jumped up, carrying a snow sculpture out of the window, and the two of them landed lightly in the backyard of Xiyuan Sanfang.
Wu Lu ran out, leaning on his cane. "Oh my! If you didn't know better, you'd think you had a white marble wine gourd on your sword." Xi Sheng and Wei Qiang followed closely behind. The four of them stood loosely around Tian Xinshu, encircling her.
Cang Ming nodded to Wu Lu: "They are in the yard, so they shouldn't destroy the inn."
Wu Lu said, "You are really trustworthy."
The inn behind him was utterly silent. The moment the frost fell, the guests who had been drinking and enjoying their soup had all run away from the cold. A cold wind blew, and crows circled. Tian Xinshu gritted his teeth and said, "I'm a tiger in trouble. It's my bad luck to meet a bastard like you."
Cang Ming flicked her wrist, and the longsword spun. The hilt was in her hand, and the scabbard pointed directly at Tian Xinshu's throat. She stared at Tian Xinshu's snow-white face and asked in a deep voice, "How many people have you captured? How many have you killed? How many have you left alive? Tell me one by one."
Tian Xinshu, holding two brightly colored talismans, stood frozen in place, her eyes etched with rage. Before meeting Cang Ming, she'd likely never suffered such humiliation. She spat and cursed, "Only sons of bitches would eat people. From day one, you've been saying I was the one doing it. But who was it?" Without waiting for Cang Ming to speak, she took a breath and roared hysterically, "Who's doing it now? Open your eyes and see!"
Xisheng walked silently behind Tianxinshu and suddenly asked, "How many people are still alive in your cave?"
Wu Lu said: "That's right. If it weren't for the living, there would be plenty of spells and magic tools to deal with you, and you would have turned into water long ago."
"We've fought enough." Cang Ming changed his voice to a calm one, and said patiently, "As long as you hand over the living person, we will naturally not make things difficult for you. Just lead us to release the person."
"You three are a bunch of thieves and rats born from the same nest. Some of you are playing the good cop and some of you are playing the bad cop. Do you think I'm a three-year-old child?" Tian Xinshu actually laughed this time. The more he laughed, the more bitter his smile became, and it was tragic and desolate. In the end, his snow-white hair covered his face bit by bit.
Wei Qiang seemed to realize from this that he had said nothing and was losing his dignity, so he also shouted: "You snow sculpture, quickly call it over!"
"What are you doing?" Tian Xinshu suddenly stopped laughing and shouted, "If it weren't for that pretty boy's ability, could you have turned me into this?"
Wu Lu immediately said, "Of course we can do it alone!"
Wei Qiang chimed in, "They are the Three Immortals of Xiyuan!"
Cang Ming sneered, "If it weren't for the Snow Tree Forest that sealed my magical power, Master Tian Xinshu, I would have no problem taking you. That barrier doesn't look like it was created by you. I think it must be the work of some otherworldly master."
Xisheng glanced sharply at Cangming and asked, "Which pretty boy? Was it the junk peddler who beat her into this state?"
Tian Xinshu stared into Cang Ming's eyes and said, "Ha, haven't you introduced that pretty boy to your gang of scoundrels yet? What, you stupid Taoist priest want to pretend he's a good guy so you can tie him to your legs as a pet when you ascend to heaven in the future?" She laughed strangely twice, and Xisheng's expression changed slightly.
Cang Ming's expression also turned ugly. He said to the other three people with a bit of shame, "It's not that I intentionally hid it from you. I'll tell you more about this later."
Wu Lu smiled carefreely and said, "Whether Brother Huo is a human or a ghost, it doesn't matter. Our shop happens to be in this business, so we've seen a lot of it." He waved his hand at Xi Sheng and Wei Qiang and said angrily, "What are you so surprised about?"
Cang Ming said to Tian Xinshu, "Today we are questioning your crime, not others. Please stop rambling."
Tian Xinshu spitted again, "Who the hell wants to bring up your gigolo? Do you think I, an emperor, can threaten you by telling you about his dirty laundry?"
Cang Ming suddenly clapped his hands and shouted, "Good!" She nodded and pressed on, "Your Excellency is a man of great integrity. I'm sure you will tell us the truth about everyone in the cave, including the living and the dead, and all the good and bad deeds they have done."
"Fuck you." Tian Xinshu said softly, "You've said everything you want."
Cang Ming folded his arms, and the two looked at each other for a moment. Tian Xinshu said, "Why don't you just turn me into water?"
"To be honest, I don't want to resort to this last resort unless it's absolutely necessary," Cang Ming said. "I originally wanted you to take me to find your father, and arrive before Miss Li, so that she wouldn't have to confront your father alone."
Tian Xinshu was silent for a long time, and finally said, "When you and the pretty boy came to my Black Mountain Cave, you said you wanted to exchange three conditions with me."
"At that time, I said that as long as I surrendered the living and stopped committing evil, Your Excellency Tian Xinshu could make three conditions." Cang Ming explained to the other three people, then turned to Tian Xinshu, "However, since then, there have been floods and plagues, which are several more disasters than before. Your Excellency can no longer make three conditions."
Tian Xinshu said impatiently, "I'll say it again, I don't understand what you're saying."
"Your Excellency can only offer one condition now, but it's up to you to decide." Cang Ming said calmly, "The flood and plague originated from Shiqiyan. Although the place is guarded by your father's flower demon, there are also many embroidered shoes and even a fake shell of your Excellency."
Tian Xinshu's voice suddenly grew hoarse. Cang Ming continued, "Perhaps the troubles in Fengyan City all stem from your father, but no one can definitively say whether you were involved, or to what extent."
Several people looked down at Tian Xinshu condescendingly.
"Embroidered shoes? My fake shell? Okay, okay, okay." She nodded in disbelief. "What a trick to frame someone, a complete fabrication."
Xisheng asked, "Not you?"
Tian Xinshu's voice trembled slightly. "I have never done these things. I have fought for the Weiyang Crown and thought about doubling the size of my army, but I never do such low-level and useless things... I also can't kill someone with the embroidered shoes made by Senior Sister."
"..." Cang Ming said, "The lives of several people in Fengyan City are no small matter."
Tian Xinshu suddenly said to them, "I don't understand why he is like this. He is my father..."
Cang Ming and the others exchanged glances, their thoughts shared. They all felt that the scornful Tian Xinshu might not lie. Wu Lu said, "You must be tired. Sit down and talk." He waved his hand, and Xun Yan and Mi Xia drifted out the back door. They smoothly lifted Tian Xinshu's arms, one on each side, and carried her to the lobby, seating her on a chair.
The other four walked to the opposite side of Tianxinshu and sat down together, squeezing onto a long bench.
The two sides sat facing each other for a while, and Tian Xinshu said, "When are we going to look for Senior Sister?"
Without waiting for a reply, she spoke again, "When Senior Sister was desperate in the human world, I found her a place to stay in the underworld. She was always busy making things like handkerchiefs and embroidered shoes. I sent my deputy to take them and sell them, and then sent the money to Senior Sister. If she ran out of money on the road, maybe she could even sell shoes to make a living."
Cang Ming glanced down. The embroidered shoes on Tian Xinshu's feet were a vibrant red, a striking contrast to the inn's azure will-o'-the-wisp candles. Tian Xinshu said, "Yes, these embroidered shoes are the handiwork of my senior sister. She always said red suits me."
Wu Lu laughed loudly.
"Music Fairy, don't laugh." Wei Qiang saw the situation change, and thinking of the old love that Tian Xinshu had saved him, his arrogance suddenly subsided. "Snow with bright red, it's good, it has the feeling of white snow and red lanterns..."
Tian Xinshu stared at Wu Lu gloomily and said, "What are you laughing at? Do you know that I was born like this? Not everyone dares to look at me like this. Only my senior sister is not afraid of me."
Cang Ming said: "Hey, no, don't you look great like this?"
Tian Xin angrily said, "You're a ghost catcher who only deals with ugly things. How dare you compare me with them?"
Wu Lu interrupted, "Hey, who compared you to them? Besides, they've hunted all over the country, and they've seen all sorts of beautiful ghosts. Saying you're good-looking is a compliment."
Tian Xinshu's rage revived her magical power, and she unexpectedly grew even larger. With a pop, the large red talisman on her left shoulder flew out, exploding into pieces of ash in mid-air.
Cang Ming had already jumped up, holding the sword in one hand, looking at Tian Xinshu warily.
With two rustling sounds, Tian Xin brushed off the yellow talisman on her right shoulder, stood up gracefully, and walked to the center of the hall. Cang Ming said, "We don't want to take advantage of someone in distress. Your Excellency, please stop struggling and sit down to discuss how to find Miss Li."
Tian Xinshu turned a deaf ear to the words and suddenly raised her two arms, like white silk threads, and began to spin in place. Her wide sleeves flew wildly with her, and the tables, chairs and benches in the inn all hummed and jumped madly on the spot, as if they were about to explode and smash into the high ceiling.
"Don't smash the inn!" Wu Lu shouted, pounced over and hugged the nearest table, then raised one foot and stepped on a stool next to it, busy as a whirlwind.
Cang Ming suddenly raised the jar, and Xi Sheng and Wei Qiang began to shoot talismans around the hall: "Protect!"
Tian Xinshu, however, did a series of somersaults, spinning like a top, effortlessly dodging the jar's mouth and performing a sleight-of-hand dance, or rather, a dance-like esoteric boxing technique. Each move, each breath, each tension and relaxation, was sometimes unrestrained like tai chi in the wind, sometimes vigorous like military training under the moon.
The wind from his fists and feet ripped through the teapots and wine cups on the table, the paper, pens, and abacus on the counter, and the pots and pans in the kitchen all clanged and clattered like they were being hit with clubs. The rows of paper figures overhead, hand in hand, began to tremble, and suddenly, they let out strange shrieks and emitted green smoke.
Cang Ming, holding the jar under one arm, stared blankly for a moment before wielding his sword with his other hand to push aside her wide sleeves. Tian Xin Shu leaped up from the ground, then rolled backward onto the ground, using advance as a retreat, deliberately exposing a flaw.
Cang Ming knew it was a trick, yet he charged forward, wielding his sword with only one hand, engaging Tian Xinshu in a fierce, drawn-out fight. Xi Sheng and Wu Lu each guarded one side, while Wei Qiang drew his tickler and leaped up the stairs. The three of them watched the fight intently, avoiding a rush to outnumber the weak.
Taking advantage of the cleverness of turning and stepping, Cang Ming deflected the fierce palm wind coming towards her and struck her on the lower back with a sword.
With a snap, the scabbard flew out, and Tian Xinshu stumbled forward a few steps. If the sword had been unsheathed, the snow sculpture would have been torn open.
Both sides stopped. Various groceries clanged and fell far away, and the hall finally returned to its gloomy silence. Cang Ming stared at Tian Xinshu with a pale face. Tian Xinshu said, "Did you see that? I just want you to know that dancing and magic are not the only tricks you, the dog Taoist priest, have."
Wu Lu smacked his lips and said, "I know, I know. Why are you suddenly performing this?"
Xisheng sneered, "Of course I'm not willing to be bullied by you. I want to show you how to act."
Wu Lu immediately retorted: "What do you mean by 'my'? It's just a show of force for you to see..."
On this side, Tian Xinshu waved his sleeves and asked, "Tell me, what are you so proud of?"
Cang Ming looked up at the rows of paper figures hanging from the ceiling, but all she saw was emptiness. She said, "There are always people better than you, and there are always things better than you. Although I may not be able to perform such a unique dance, I am fortunate to have witnessed it in my lifetime."
Tian Xinshu laughed three times, hum, hum, hum.
Cang Ming said without any expression, "Please take us to find your father. You said you wouldn't kill someone with the embroidered shoes Miss Li made herself, and I believe you for now."
Tian Xinshu asked, "What happens after we find him?"
Cang Ming smiled and said, "Don't worry, we will interrogate him thoroughly before making a decision. We won't take his life."
It might just be suppressed beneath the mountain, or stripped of its magical powers and reduced to its original form. Xisheng and Wulu understood this, and Wei Qiang also rolled his eyes.
Tian Xinshu thought for a long time and said, "Then I need to go back to the underworld."
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