29 Crimson Tail
Are you playing a sleepy husband here?
Steamed buns made with demon blood?
Ying Jian looked suspicious and was about to ask a question, but Du Zhijin stopped her by shaking his head.
She lowered her voice: "There are too many people around, let's go somewhere else to talk."
The two sat down at a tea stall opposite the steamed bun shop, a distance from which they could just see the end of the long queue.
Several hours passed, and the queue not only didn't shorten, but instead seemed to be growing longer. Taking advantage of the waiter's pause while serving tea, Ying Jianhua inquired, "Is that steamed bun shop across the street very famous?"
There were many snacks on the table, so the waiter was happy to answer his question: "They're not that famous. The Liu family, who used to sell steamed buns, only set up a small stall to sell breakfast. They only really became successful in a month."
"They can sell a steamed bun for fifty coins in just two months?"
The waiter couldn't help but swallow hard: "Don't even mention fifty coins each, there would be plenty of people buying them even if they cost fifty taels!"
This echoed the words of the man from before. Ying Jianhua became even more curious: "I've heard people say that this steamed bun can cure diseases, is that true?"
“Absolutely true! You're from out of town, so you wouldn't know. In our county, there's a Mr. Qian whose mother had suffered from headaches for decades, and no amount of famous doctors could cure her. Just last month, a servant of the Qian family happened to bring this steamed bun back with him. Mr. Qian's mother ate it, and her illness was instantly cured! The very next day, she was jumping and skipping around!”
When the waiter spoke of the rumors circulating, he became animated, explaining the whole story clearly without them having to ask too many questions. After listening, Ying Jianhua couldn't help but frown, instinctively retorting, "Impossible. Headaches require slow and gentle treatment; how could a steamed bun cure it?"
Du Zhijin also said, "Besides, medicinal herbs are expensive. If their steamed buns are more effective than medicinal herbs, why do they only cost fifty coins each?"
After being refuted by the two men, the waiter was a little unhappy, but he still maintained basic politeness: "Of course it's not that price. Fifty coins is just for the most ordinary steamed bun, which can probably only cure a cold and fever. How much would a commoner like me know about the kind that can really heal the dead and restore flesh to bones? Even if it can't cure the disease, it's not bad to get some divine energy."
"Immortal aura?" This time it was Du Zhijin's turn to feel offended. "That's clearly demonic...spreading demonic rumors."
What ethereal aura? It's clearly demonic aura.
"Hey, how can you talk like that? You're just being a sour grapes!" The waiter was completely enraged by them, slammed down the teapot, and stormed off.
Having inquired enough with the locals, the two began to ponder: "You said the steamed buns were made with demon blood, but what did you see?"
Du Zhijin: "They hid it very well. All the processes were completed in a dark room. I couldn't see what was going on inside, but I could smell the blood inside."
A tormented monster, a strong stench of blood, steamed buns with bizarre effects, and the Liu family's overnight fortune...
All the clues came together, and it seemed that everything was finally clear.
Ying Jianhua hesitated and asked, "If the other party is a demon, would you still go to save it?"
In his view, a cultivator like her was naturally on the opposite side of demons. Even though she had said that demons also had good and evil aspects, he still found it somewhat unbelievable that he would help her. He didn't even want to save humans, let alone demons who weren't of his kind?
But Du Zhijin didn't hesitate for a moment, and asked in return, "Why not go?"
————
According to the waiter, Liu's restaurant closes for the day at 1-3 PM, after which the owner and his family go to the market to buy ingredients.
"The rice shop they frequent has raised its prices quite a bit recently!"
Ying Jianhua slipped five copper coins to the waiter as a tip. In the past, he wouldn't have given away even a single coin, let alone five. But in the past few days with Du Zhijin, he had unknowingly become extravagant with his money.
This is not a good habit. It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go back. If he can't change after leaving her, how will he support himself?
Don't the stories always say that sword cultivators are very poor? They have to spend a lot of money to maintain their swords, and she even has two swords to maintain.
In response, Du Zhijin said, "So that's how the storybooks were written? There were bounties in various places, and I would go and claim one or two when I remembered them. I was almost never short of money."
Of course, a large part of it is also because she doesn't spend much money, and over time she has saved a considerable sum.
Ying Jianhua raised an eyebrow: "When I found you, you were penniless."
She explained, "Well... coincidentally, all those things fell to the bottom of the pond. But doesn't that just prove that our relationship transcends money?"
He chuckled and said, "A purely financial relationship is enough."
In reality, most things in the world can be solved with money. In his opinion, there is more than one way to save that demon than to take action.
"If they want to make money, then give them the money."
Du Zhijin nodded, thought for a moment, and pulled out a stack of silver notes from his sleeve: "I'm not good at bargaining, so I'll leave these to you. You can decide what to do with them."
Ying Jianhua nodded reservedly, but seemed somewhat dazed as she accepted the banknote.
Why does this scene feel so awkward?
In traditional storybooks, husbands always hand over their money to their wives to manage, right? Wait, what is he thinking!
As expected, Liu's shop closed for the day and went out to buy supplies around 1-3 PM. Their front door was locked with a brass lock, and since picking the lock was impossible, they had to find another way. Du Zhijin, familiar with the area, went around to the backyard and pointed to the two-person-high wall, saying, "Let's climb over the wall."
Having said that, he leaped swiftly, his figure already atop the wall.
The Liu family's backyard was quiet, or rather, deathly still, with an eerie atmosphere. Even though she wasn't as perceptive as Du Zhijin, Ying Jianhua could smell the blood.
He frowned: "Don't monsters all have the power to summon wind and rain? How come they're being bled out and made into steamed buns?"
Du Zhijin remained silent, holding Zuilan in his hand as he slowly walked towards the closed room.
Since stepping into the backyard, she has changed from her carefree attitude in the outside room to a cold and solemn one, just like the sword in her hand.
Ying Jianhua followed suit, holding Xingyue in her hand and trailing behind. The closer they got to the house, the stronger the stench of blood became, until it almost reached a domineering level. Apart from the overwhelming stench, one couldn't detect any other smell.
He took out a handkerchief he had prepared beforehand and handed it over; it was scented with mugwort and other herbs to keep one alert.
The two cautiously approached step by step. The moment Du Zhijin pushed open the door with his sword, a thick stench of blood assaulted their nostrils.
After the dust settled, the entire house gradually came into view.
It was a pale-faced man. He was handsome but thin, and when they entered, a pair of crimson ears popped out of his head in a flustered manner.
"Cough, cough... Who are you? Who are you?"
————
The man—no, the male demon—was named Jiangwei. As the name suggests, he had a red tail, and naturally, his entire body was crimson.
“Most of the foxes in the tribe are white foxes. Red foxes like me are often considered heretics, ugly creatures… The chieftain is kind; he only requires me to hand over food every day and he will allow me to stay in the village. But… but the weather is bad this year. All the rice I planted and the chickens and ducks I raised died… I can’t hand over the food, so I’m no longer allowed to stay in the village…” As he spoke, Jiangwei’s eyes filled with tears, which fell drop by drop as he narrated his story.
Du Zhijin handed him a handkerchief, gesturing for him to wipe his tears. Jiangwei timidly thanked him, but even after wiping his eyes with the handkerchief, glistening tears still clung to the corners of his eyes, which were also red.
Ying Jianhua: "Does a fox spirit also know how to farm and raise animals?"
He clutched the corner of his handkerchief and whispered, "No... all the other demons in the village are very powerful. Only a useless demon like me, who can't hunt, knows how to grow vegetables..."
After she finished speaking, the tears that had just subsided welled up in her eyes again and flowed down silently.
The paintings should give you a headache.
Is he really a fox spirit or a water demon? Why does he have endless tears?
Originally, Ying Jianhua thought that if she couldn't even handle herself, let alone Du Zhijin, she definitely wouldn't know what to do. But unexpectedly, Du Zhijin suddenly spoke:
"Who says only demons who can hunt are useful? Other demons can't grow vegetables, but you can. Doesn't that make you seem even more amazing?"
Upon hearing this, Jiangwei's tears actually stopped.
She continued, "Besides, is a white fox necessarily prettier than a red fox? I think red is prettier than white. Red is warm and bright, like the rising sun and jewels, which suits you very well."
"Really? Really?" He stared at her blankly, his eyes brimming with tears.
She nodded emphatically and gave a faint smile: "I like red."
Du Zhijin's words effectively calmed Jiangwei, allowing Ying Jianhua to extract information from him. After some communication, Ying Jianhua pieced together the truth of the matter:
Jiangwei was driven out of the village for failing to pay his grain tax and wandered around ever since, somehow ending up here. He transformed into his original form and searched for food in the nearby mountains, but accidentally fell into a trap, and it was the Liu family who saved him.
He said gratefully, "My benefactor did not drive me away because I am a demon. Instead, he let me stay, gave me food, and cared about me."
"Caring about you? Caring about you would make you bleed?" Ying Jianhua couldn't help but say sarcastically.
In his view, the Liu family might be the culprits who set the trap.
"I did it voluntarily," Jiangwei hurriedly clarified, her pale lips opening and closing. "I... I have nothing to repay my benefactor with, only my fur and flesh are worth some money. But I will die if I lose my fur, so I resorted to this... Is fox blood poisonous? Please don't capture my benefactor! Everything... everything was my doing!"
Ying Jianhua slowly turned her head and looked at Du Zhijin in disbelief. Sure enough, she saw shock in Du Zhijin's eyes as well.
He closed his eyes helplessly.
It turns out there really are demons in the world who get sold out and then help the seller count the money!
In any case, bleeding is a painful thing, and Ying Jianhua offered to lend him money to repay his kindness: "Since the purpose of selling steamed buns is to make money, why not just give them the money directly, and save the time and effort of doing business every day."
If it were any other human or demon, they might not have believed him so easily, especially since it was a Crimson-tailed fox. This fox, its fur dulled from prolonged bloodletting, foolishly agreed, only realizing its mistake when they arrived at the inn: "But I don't have money to repay you... and I don't have enough blood..."
The fox ears lay limply against its hair, looking quite pitiful.
Du Zhijin: "You don't need to pay me back."
"ah?"
Jiangwei wanted to say something, but he only saw her retreating figure as she went back to her room. He stood there, his ears trembling slightly, as if he was about to cry.
Ying Jianhua sighed and said to him, "If you sincerely want to repay this kindness, you should read more books."
What about repaying kindness with kindness, or being reborn as an ox or horse in the next life...?
He said it casually, but Jiangwei didn't expect him to interpret it in another way.
That night, he was fast asleep when a scream suddenly echoed in his mind:
How can you sleep? The little fox has already climbed the ranks, and you're still playing the sleepy husband?
Ranking up? A husband who can't wake up? What is all this about?
Knowing that it was that unknown monster talking nonsense again, Ying Jianhua ignored it, turned over and wanted to continue sleeping, when suddenly she was jolted awake.
Isn't the little fox crimson-tailed?
He hurriedly got up, without even putting on his shoes, and went straight to Du Zhijin's room.
Could it be that his innocent facade during the day was all an act? Jiangwei is truly untrustworthy; his real purpose is to assassinate Du—
"What are you doing!"
Upon hearing his voice, Du Zhijin turned around abruptly and met the angry eyes of the man at the door.
Also turning around at the sound was Jiangwei, who was completely naked, standing next to her.
[Author's Note]
The game will be available for purchase the day after tomorrow~ Thank you everyone for your support!
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