A sound of pleasure
Yuanli asked: "Which three?"
He Qi replied: "Shangqing Tongzi Shanting, Shan Niangniang, and Jiang Chen."
Aside from him and Cha Suxun, Yuanli and the others were all bewildered. He had no choice but to explain in detail, "Shangqing Tongzi, from an ancient tomb in Shanting, gave himself the name Shanting. He is a copper coin from the tomb that has become a spirit. He likes to transform into a handsome young Taoist priest, approaching officials, dignitaries, and even emperors to discuss Taoism. Shanting is neither an auspicious sign nor a demonic being. He never submits to others, nor does he help others unconditionally."
"He won't surrender, nor will he help others unconditionally. So why did he become Xie Yuan's old subordinate?"
"It is said that his assistance to Xie Yuan was conditional. No one has seen him since Xie Yuan was suppressed."
"What about the Mountain Goddess?"
He Qi glanced at Si Xi and used his magical powers to block her ears before saying, "The true form of the Mountain Goddess is a white monkey. She has no name, so people just call her the Mountain Goddess. The Mountain Goddess likes to possess women. Those possessed by the Mountain Goddess like to wear brightly colored clothes, heavy makeup, and their behavior becomes extremely seductive. Once, the mortal wife of a demon king was possessed by her. Her temperament changed drastically, becoming promiscuous and open-minded. She would often pester the demon king for sex in broad daylight, and would discuss private matters regardless of the occasion. The demon king was troubled by this, but was afraid that a hasty exorcism would harm his mortal wife. So he made a deal with Xie Yuan's men, and his mortal wife returned to normal. And Shan Niang was brought back by Xie Yuan's men and presented to him. Because of her special abilities, she was highly valued."
After saying this, Heqi finally unsealed Sixi's ears.
As soon as he untied it, Si Xi asked, "What exactly is the Mountain Goddess? Why can't I listen to it?"
Heqi flicked Sixi's forehead and lectured him, "White Monkey Spirit. You are an unmarried girl, so stop asking about the affairs of the Mountain Goddess."
Si Xi hissed in pain, then stood next to his godmother.
Yuanli smiled and comforted her: "Okay, I didn't let you ask because it's really for your own good. When you get married in the future, I will tell you about Shan Niangniang."
Si Xi nodded obediently, then asked, "Where is Jiang Chen? What is Jiang Chen?"
Heqi replied, "As the name suggests, the ghosts in rivers are the ghosts of those who have drowned in the water. There are records of ghosts along the banks of rivers that can walk on the water, calling out the names of passersby. Anyone who answers will drown. These ghosts are lured by the souls of the dead."
Si Xi asked, "Can something like this become a big deal?"
"Why not? If a weakling like you can become something powerful, why can't Jiang Chan do the same? Besides, Jiang Chan is as old as your great-grandfather. He's not just a ghost created by drowning mortals. He came from the White Mist River and is the most troublesome one."
Si Xi asked, "Is Bai Wu Jiang really that great?"
"Of course it's amazing. The White Mist River was formed from the corpse of the ancient mythical beast Menghua after his death, inheriting Menghua's dream-making ability. This river flows between two sacred mountains, and is perpetually shrouded in white mist. Within the river live mermaids. A boat made from a new coffin can float on the White Mist River without oars. When the mermaid's song begins, the boat will take you to the time you most desire to return to."
Si Xi said, "It sounds like a wonderful place."
"So, they specifically deceive people like you. What I just said is just a legend. The real White Mist River will never take you to the time you most want to return to. Those are just Menghua's dream-making abilities. No one can wake up from that beautiful dream, and don't even think about being rescued. Even if someone goes to save you, everyone's coffin is next to each other, and you will only see a vast expanse of white emptiness. Until the coffin is overturned by the mermaid and sinks into the river, you will only wake up for a moment. However, your soul is already trapped at the bottom of the river, unable to escape, and will soon sink into your so-called beautiful dream again, over and over again, until the dream collapses due to the disappearance of memory, and you become a wandering soul without memory or consciousness."
Si Xi said, "I still feel very happy. I can always sink into the so-called beautiful dream, repeating the beauty over and over again, without any worries. What's wrong with that? If one day I find myself in a situation where I must die, I will also go to great lengths to find Bai Wujiang and dream of having my mother with me forever."
"Nonsense! If you drown in the Baiwu River, you'll never have a chance to reincarnate."
"Why are you so fierce? Are you angry because I didn't die in your hands? What does my chance of reincarnation have to do with you? Anyway, little uncle, you... don't care about me at all, do you?"
Heqi did not answer Sixi. He walked around her and went to the edge of the cliff, looking down at the bottom, detecting the evil spirit at the bottom of the cliff.
"Wait for me right here."
As soon as he finished speaking, Heqi jumped off the cliff so smoothly that they had no time to stop him.
Seeing Yuanli's extreme anxiety and worry, almost wanting to jump in with her, Cha Suxun tried to soothe her, saying, "What demonic thing could possibly hold him back? The situation down there is unclear, and rushing down would only distract him."
"But…"
"Be at ease and trust him."
"Godmother, I'll go down for you. Yue Niang is just trying to trick you into going down and killing you, but she won't kill me right now. If I go down, her people won't dare to act rashly."
Upon hearing this, Yuanli tightly pulled the corner of Si Xi's clothes.
"Wouldn't it be dangerous if you went down? What if the evil spirit under the cliff doesn't listen to Yue Niang? What if it's one of Xie Yuan's old subordinates? No, none of you can get hurt."
"I know, godmother."
Yuanli still didn't let go of her clothes, tightly grasping them in her palm, while she tilted her head to discuss countermeasures with Cha Suxun. Unexpectedly, Si Xi took advantage of her distraction while she was talking, tore the clothes off, and quickly jumped off the cliff.
"Four Joys!"
Listening to his godmother's calls from the cliff, Si Xi looked up at the cliff face with concern. The cliff seemed very deep. He didn't see the ground for a long time. It was pitch black below, with only a tiny dot of light. As he was about to hit the ground, the light disappeared instantly.
When Si Xi landed, he chose a poor spot, stepping right on the edge of a randomly stacked demon cage. His foot slipped and he fell. He'd expected to fall flat on his face, but instead, he landed in a warm embrace. At the same time, the firelight lit up, and only then could he clearly see He Qi's stern face.
"Didn't I tell you to wait right there? If Su Yang hadn't sent me a message the moment you jumped, you would have been left with a bloody head."
"So, Master is worried that I might fall, so he's waiting here to hold me?"
"Since my sister is not here, you won't call me uncle anymore? You have no respect for your elders."
"We are not related by blood, and neither are you and your godmother. Why should I call you uncle in private? If I really treat you as my uncle, I really can't have any desire for you. Do you think I'm stupid?"
He Qi was about to speak when Si Xi covered his mouth and interrupted him, "Alright, alright, I know what you want to say. You just want me to die, to be sliced up, to stop thinking about you. As long as my godmother is here, I'm not a sinner, so you won't kill me. And let me add, loving you is not a sin."
He looked at her hand covering his mouth, then looked at her again, motioning her to let go.
Si Xi shook his head and said, "If Master likes to hear me call you uncle and say I adore you, I'm not unwilling. But I'm afraid others might misunderstand us if they hear it, which is unethical. What do you think, uncle?"
He Qi put on a sour face and casually threw Si Xi out. Fortunately, Si Xi reacted quickly and stood firm. She said coquettishly, "My little uncle is really heartless. He threw me away without hesitation."
"If I were truly heartless..."
Before he could finish, Si Xi interrupted him with a sarcastic tone, "If I were truly heartless, I would have killed you long ago. Oh, I know, I know, I'm tired of hearing that."
"If you're tired of me, just stay away from me and stop bothering me."
"I'm tired of the words, not the people."
As he said that, Si Xi followed him happily.
In order to avoid alerting the enemy, Heqi extinguished the fire, put two fingers together and cast a spell on his eyes. Everything in front of him became clear. He turned around and wiped Sixi's eyes.
"Hey! This is amazing! Why isn't it used in the mountains?"
"I'm afraid of exposing my identity."
"Oh, by the way, I haven't asked you yet, what is your true identity? You seem to be of very noble status."
He Qi said seriously, "Then you'll probably be disappointed. I'm just a tiger demon, a spy under the Southern Demon King. I know more news and rumors. It may sound noble, after all, I'm working for the Demon King. But only I know that working for the Demon King, no matter how good the position, is just a servant. Besides, I'm the lowest among the spies, so it doesn't matter. You're the daughter of the mountain master. If you marry me, you will also be a servant to the Demon King, and your children will also be servants. My indenture is a life-long contract. My family has been servants under the Demon King for generations. I'm using my position to help my sister. You must not reveal my identity and whereabouts, otherwise I will kill you."
"So what? Being a slave or a servant isn't any less degrading than anyone else. If you work honestly to earn a living and don't steal or rob, you're no less degrading than anyone else. It sounds glamorous, and it is."
"The point is, I can't give you a noble life. You can only be a servant if you follow me. My sister is your godmother, so I'm telling you the truth. You don't have to suffer with me."
Si Xi was silent for a long time after hearing this, as if she had really taken his words in and was thinking about it. He Qi was secretly delighted, for who would have thought she was such a stubborn person.
"How can I redeem your indenture?"
He Qi turned around and frowned at her in disbelief, unable to figure out what was going on in her head.
Si Xi continued, "Didn't you say you were an insignificant, low-ranking spy? The Demon King wouldn't care whether you were there or not. We just need to find a way to solve his problem. There will always be a way out."
"The point is, you can't have a good life with me, understand? We've only met for one day, you can't be completely devoted to me, and I haven't promised you anything. If you can't redeem my indenture, I can't even support you."
After a pause, He Qi said angrily, "Look at your brain. Any man out there can deceive you miserably."
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