Chapter 66 066 Sure enough, nothing good ever comes of staying near this girl. ...
Although he had only interacted with Jiang Ling'er a few times, Pei Xuan had already roughly figured out her temperament. Since every encounter ended with him getting beaten up, this time should be no exception. He was prepared to be beaten, his hands already raised to cover his face. Unexpectedly, Jiang Ling'er met his eyes instead, her eyes sparkling, her honesty startling:
"yes!"
The young Taoist paused, his phoenix eyes peeking through his fingers seemingly captivated by the light in Jiang Ling'er's eyes. He slowly lowered his hand, a rare hint of surprise appearing in his fox-like phoenix eyes.
"……What?"
Jiang Ling'er's joy seemed genuine. For a moment, Pei Xuan's mind flashed back to countless pairs of innocent eyes looking at him, full of hope and trust.
[Senior brother!]
[Senior brother!]
[My senior brother is here!]
[Senior brother!]
The young Taoist's long, narrow eyelashes trembled slightly, and he subconsciously took a step back, as if he were running away from something.
Unaware of his surroundings, Jiang Ling'er was now forcing him to retreat step by step until his back pressed against the cold stone wall behind him. The cold snow made him shiver, and when he came to his senses, his eyes narrowed. A coldness and aloofness, colder than ice and snow, seeped out from the corners of his eyes and brows.
"Did you need something?"
Jiang Ling'er was startled by the coldness in his eyes, but in the blink of an eye, he seemed to have completely changed into a different person.
Jiang Ling'er suspected she was seeing things and was about to take a closer look when a mask was placed over her face.
The yaksha mask that Pei Xuan was wearing was instead forcefully and unceremoniously pressed onto Jiang Ling'er's face by a large hand:
"Wear it if you don't want to cause trouble."
The next second, two or three people wearing ox-head and horse-face masks peered into the alley. Fortunately, the alley was dark and the masks concealed their identities. They only glanced around and, not seeing the feisty woman they remembered, left.
Jiang Ling'er winced slightly as her nose bumped against the wooden mask, letting out a soft "Ouch!" Though somewhat annoyed, she obediently put it on. She hadn't forgotten that she was still one of the Asura Twins wanted by the Demonic Sect, and the mask she was wearing now happened to be a Yaksha mask, as if some kind of unseen confirmation was at play…
Jiang Ling'er had barely finished putting on the robe when the person in front of her turned and left. The smoky blue Taoist robe vanished before Jiang Ling'er like a cloud. She was stunned for a moment, then quickly chased after him:
"...Hey! Wait for me!"
Stepping out of the secluded alley felt like stepping into the bizarre and treacherous world of Fengdu from a storybook. The red lanterns glowed with a scarlet light, and the people coming and going were like ghosts and monsters... How could Little Poison know about such a place?
Jiang Ling'er paused only slightly before shaking her head to clear her mind of the chaotic thoughts and jogging to catch up with the young Taoist.
Pei Xuan was tall and had long legs, so he walked very fast. With so many people around, he stood out among the crowd of ox-headed and horse-faced demons, which prevented him from getting lost, but it was still quite inconvenient. Jiang Ling'er squeezed into the crowd and finally saw him. She couldn't let him get away again!
Suddenly bumped on the shoulder, she stumbled and almost fell to the ground when a large hand caught her around the waist. As soon as she regained her footing, the hand quickly released her. Jiang Ling'er glanced sideways and saw Pei Xuan standing beside her, hands behind his back, looking every bit the gentleman. He glanced at her with downcast eyes.
"The Ghost Market is different from others. If you want to leave here, stick close to me."
Jiang Ling'er paused for a moment: "But..."
It was all because of the large crowd; she'd only uttered two words before being bumped into. Pei Xuan, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, was prepared. Before Jiang Ling'er could react, he'd already placed a hand on her waist to steady her. The moment he put his arm around her waist, he paused subtly, seemingly astonished at how slender her waist was, easily encircled by one hand. He raised an eyebrow, then turned to the side, his phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, his cunning fox-like glint returning.
"Miss Anu is slender and graceful, and with so many people around, it wouldn't be good if she got separated from us. Oh well, I'll see this through to the end..."
As he spoke, he moved the hand that was around her waist to take her hand.
Jiang Ling'er's eye twitched: "..."
As expected, it was all an illusion. All that talk of a virtuous gentleman was a lie. This is his true nature—a scoundrel of a Taoist priest!
With a "smack," Jiang Ling'er slapped him mercilessly!
Pei Xuan winced in pain and withdrew his hand. He had only met Jiang Ling'er three times, and had been slapped three times. Even a clay figure would develop a temper: "Since the young lady is unwilling, let's go our separate ways..."
Before he could finish speaking, his clothes were tugged very lightly.
Pei Xuan paused, glancing sideways. Jiang Ling'er was clutching the corner of his smoky blue robe, turning her head away and saying something reluctantly and vaguely:
"...Thank you."
Pei Xuan glanced at the two fingers gripping his sleeve, and at his own hand, which was already red. He remained silent for a moment, then smiled slightly.
"Are all young women as strong as you?"
"What?"
The crowd was noisy, and Jiang Ling'er didn't hear what he said. Suddenly, the hem of her dress fluttered in her hand, and she passively followed the owner of the dress step by step.
"The ghost market beneath Dagushan Mountain only appears at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), when Yin and Yang intersect. The person behind the mask is not only an evil spirit, but also more evil than one..."
Jiang Ling'er held hands with a figure in smoky blue, the two figures, one tall and one short, weaving among the various ox-headed and horse-faced demons. This scoundrel Taoist priest, though not very upright and fond of taking advantage of others, had a very pleasant voice, like a spring gently flowing over jade, casual and nonchalant. The flickering red lanterns resembled will-o'-the-wisps, yet he seemed to stroll leisurely even in the bizarre ghost market. For some reason, Jiang Ling'er's initial tension eased, and through the mask, she curiously blinked, observing everything around her.
"This is the place where Yin and Yang meet, the boundary between heaven and earth, and it is also a lawless place. You were lucky to escape just now, and your ancestors must have burned incense for you. I advise you not to provoke anyone..."
He had barely finished speaking when he suddenly stopped, his clothes being tugged.
He tugged slightly, but the person behind him, clutching a corner of his robe, remained motionless, rooted to the spot. Then came a murmuring voice, like someone in a dream:
"What...are they doing?"
Pei Xuan looked in the direction of the sound, his brows furrowing slightly before relaxing, and he said calmly:
"Oh, they're just buying and selling." There's buying and selling everywhere, it's nothing special.
Not far from them, the crowd gathered in an even more chaotic manner. Fortunately, they were tall, so there was no obstruction to their view of the huge cage surrounded by the crowd.
Inside the cage was a girl with her hands shackled.
Jiang Ling'er immediately raised her voice and retorted, "That's a person, not an object!"
As soon as she spoke, everyone around her turned to look, a sea of demonic and monster masks staring at her...
Jiang Ling'er immediately held her breath: "..."
The hand hidden in the sleeve clenched tightly.
"So what if you're human? In the Ghost Market, people are the cheapest thing. I've already told you that." A clear, melodious voice, like jade striking stone, rang out. Pei Xuan subtly moved closer, shielding her behind him, and glanced at her, his phoenix eyes clear but devoid of any other emotion. "You don't want to cause trouble, do you?"
Jiang Ling'er paused, clenched her fists, and glanced again at the girl in the cage in the crowd.
She looked...no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, with a delicate and pitiful appearance. She gripped the cage with both hands, pleading:
"Let me out...let me out!"
He's clearly just a child.
Suddenly, the stall owner wearing a judge's mask lashed out with his whip: "Behave yourself!"
Jiang Ling'er was also startled by the sudden, brutal sound of the whip. The girl screamed and her hands, which were gripping the cage, immediately loosened, leaving them covered in blood. She then shrank back into a corner of the cage.
"How much longer are you going to watch?"
Pei Xuan glanced at her, then turned and left.
The hem of her dress tugged at her, and Jiang Ling'er's brow twitched. She pressed her lips tightly together and followed. Noticing the tug on her dress and the person following closely behind, Pei Xuan tugged at the corners of his lips, his expression blank. But the next moment, the tug on his lips froze, and he abruptly raised his eyebrows, stopping in his tracks.
The person who had been holding onto the hem of his clothes let go.
Just as the stall owner wearing the judge's mask was about to lash the girl with his whip again, Jiang Ling'er grabbed the whip!
The stall owner was taken aback: "Who are you?!"
"Your great-aunt!"
With a sudden burst of strength, Jiang Ling'er's long whip slipped from her hand and landed in hers.
She was an expert when it came to wielding a whip.
Jiang Ling'er glanced at the chains on the cage, and the stall owner immediately had a bad feeling. He stepped forward to snatch them:
"No...you absolutely can't let it go!"
Jiang Ling'er gritted her teeth, focused her inner energy in her palm, and with 60% of her internal strength, snapped the chains on the cage!
The moment the chains snapped, Jiang Ling'er felt a gust of wind brush against her face. She instinctively closed her eyes, and suddenly heard a soft laugh.
"Thank you, sister."
A pair of cool hands, carrying a strong smell of blood, covered her temples, and then the mask was taken away. When Jiang Ling'er opened her eyes again, the girl disappeared into the crowd like a mud ox sinking into the sea.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
Jiang Ling'er stared blankly in the direction the girl had disappeared, then blinked: "..."
Such graceful and ethereal movements and light-footed skills were something she had never heard of before and had never seen before in her life.
"Who are you to dare ruin Grandpa's plans!"
By the time Jiang Ling'er came to her senses, she was already surrounded by a group of bull-headed and horse-faced demons.
She quickly covered her face with her hands: "You've imprisoned a little girl without permission, don't you know shame? Is there no law anymore?!"
"Law? Ridiculous! You let Grandpa's men go. The rules of the Ghost Market are barter. What are you going to offer in exchange?!"
Jiang Ling'er hesitated, glancing out of the corner of her eye, and realized that Pei Xuan had already walked away sometime earlier, looking like he had distanced himself from her and was not familiar with her... Seeing her looking over, he shrugged, meaning that he couldn't help her.
Jiang Ling'er: "..."
The stall owner was clearly furious, and suddenly attacked Jiang Ling'er with both hands in the shape of eagle claws: "Since you can't give me anything, then give me yourself in exchange!"
Jiang Ling'er covered her face with one hand and used her long whip to pull the people around her to block the stall owner's attack. She then used her lightness skill to leap to Pei Xuan's side and grabbed him by the back of his collar as he was about to run away!
Pei Xuan paused for a moment, then was pulled in front of Jiang Ling'er, suddenly facing a group of monsters and demons!
Pei Xuan gasped, then chuckled awkwardly, "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, I don't acknowledge her..."
Before he could finish speaking, seven legs and eight feet were already attacking him!
The young Taoist priest cried out, "What a huge misunderstanding!" and awkwardly covered his head to dodge. Perhaps it was good luck, but he actually managed to avoid one heavy punch after another, which gave Jiang Ling'er a little time to catch her breath.
She hadn't expected that this rogue Taoist priest truly didn't know a single move, but he wasn't entirely useless. She grabbed Pei Xuan's arm with one hand, using him as a human shield! With her other hand, she held a bamboo flute, mimicking how Master Lu and Master Ma had instructed her that day, striking Pei Xuan's arms and legs with the flute to force him to punch and kick, repelling the attacking bull-headed and horse-faced demons!
It was surprisingly effective in the short term; the ox-headed and horse-faced demons around him couldn't get close for a while, but Pei Xuan suffered.
His good luck had run out. Not only was he being beaten by these ox-headed and horse-faced demons, but the tapping of Jiang Ling'er's bamboo flute on him hurt even more! So... so he was the only one being beaten inside and out?
Pei Xuan turned his head, enduring the pain while trying to reason with him:
"You're just a burden to me. I only meant well by leading the way, but you've brought me to this... Why not let me go? I see you're quite agile; you could easily escape on your own..."
Jiang Ling'er replied without hesitation: "No!"
She finally caught him, what if he runs away again?
Pei Xuan was caught off guard; he hadn't encountered such an unreasonable person in a long time. Adding to his woes, he'd been punched on the back of the head by some burly guy, his handsome face now streaked with frost, and even the best composure couldn't be maintained.
His old wounds hadn't healed before new ones appeared, making him look both angry and pitiful. He didn't believe he had offended Jiang Ling'er; even if he had gained some advantage, Jiang Ling'er had immediately repaid him tenfold. He was only asking for a beating... no, he finally understood.
Nothing good ever comes from running into this girl.
Is this a variable?
This is a disaster!
Fortunately, Jiang Ling'er still retained a shred of humanity, or perhaps... she knew that two fists could not fight against four hands, and if this dragged on, the two of them would eventually perish here.
She suddenly shouted, "Get out of the way!"
He grabbed the young Taoist's wrist and pulled him behind his back. He took a deep breath from the bamboo flute, gathering his inner strength and the Netherfire on the flute into his palm. He then unleashed a "Thunderous" palm strike at the person wearing the horse-face mask who was in the first place!
The mask shattered instantly with a tearing sound, and he and dozens of people behind him were knocked down by the palm strike!
Jiang Ling'er stopped fighting, grabbed Pei Xuan, and ran:
"Walk!"
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The outskirts of the city.
As far as the eye can see, everything is covered in a vast expanse of snow.
Jiang Ling'er wasn't entirely confident she could shake off the group of monsters behind her. Fortunately, dawn was breaking, and they seemed unwilling to be exposed to the daylight, so they could only retreat in resentment, which saved their lives.
The two ran all night until there were no more pursuers behind them, then collapsed in the snow, exhausted.
It was still dark, with no wind or snow, and all was silent. Only two intermittent breaths could be heard, which gradually subsided after a while.
After a long silence, someone suddenly burst into laughter, and the two of them laughed loudly. Their laughter echoed across the hillside, and at that moment, the first rays of dawn arrived.
The clouds drifted like smoke, the Cangshan Mountains were covered in snow, and the golden morning light gilded Dagushan with a layer of golden silk.
Suddenly, a low, somewhat shy voice came from behind.
"I'm sorry, it's none of your business, but I've dragged you along for so long."
Pei Xuan paused slightly, glancing sideways at Jiang Ling'er beside him. She was staring intently at the golden snow-capped mountains, seemingly stunned by the rare sight. The golden morning light also bathed her in a warm glow, so clear that even the finest hairs were visible.
...So this girl can apologize after all.
Pei Xuan thought to himself, a slight smile playing on his thin lips:
"Alright, consider this repayment for the kindness of saving Chunhua. But if I'm not mistaken, the person in the cage was deliberately feigning weakness, and you were the only one who took the bait. Ha, you dragged him down with you when you kindly led the way, and you're actually letting him have his way with you when you set the trap. Miss Anu is truly... magnanimous."
When the young Taoist priest mentioned the word "magnanimous," he emphasized it as if he didn't care, and added a light laugh at the end.
Jiang Ling'er paused upon hearing this, then abruptly sat up in the snow: "How could I not be angry? Of course I'm angry! Next time I see that girl..."
She narrowed her eyes, steeled her resolve, gritted her teeth, and slammed her fist into the snow beneath her!
"She absolutely has to be given a good beating!"
The words had barely left his mouth when a punch landed, sending snowflakes flying everywhere!
Pei Xuan lay on the snow beside her, inevitably getting splashed with snow.
Pei Xuan: "..."
Even these things can lead to undeserved misfortune.
Bad luck.
What bad luck.
Sure enough, nothing good ever comes from staying around this girl.
Pei Xuan brushed the snow off his face expressionlessly, and heard the culprit beside him, whom he had just inwardly cursed, sniff and say indifferently:
"But I don't regret it. I would do the same thing again if I had to do it again."
Upon hearing this, the young Taoist paused in his action of brushing away the falling snow, glancing sideways at the person beside him. Snow had also splashed onto her, though only a few specks. Golden morning light fell upon her, upon the snowflakes that clung to her long hair, eyelashes, and collar, like sparkling diamonds scattered all over her.
After calming down, Jiang Ling'er hugged her knees, twitched her nose, lowered her long eyelashes, and looked composed. It was less that she was speaking to Pei Xuan, and more that she was speaking to herself:
“My father often said that love between children and heroism can go hand in hand. We, whether we are tender-hearted or chivalrous, would not be gentlemen to stand by and watch someone die, nor would we be human if we did not do what is right. It is only right to help those in need when we see injustice on the road.”
Snowflakes melted on the young Taoist's long, narrow eyelashes. His gaze towards Jiang Ling'er deepened; he looked at her silently for a long time, then suddenly chuckled softly.
“That’s definitely something your father would say.”
Jiang Ling'er paused upon hearing this, stunned, then frowned and glanced at the person beside her:
"...What? You talk as if you know my father..."
“You misheard.” Another low chuckle, tinged with a barely perceptible hint of mockery, “How could I, an ordinary Taoist, possibly know Miss Anu’s father? I would like to ask who your father is and who your master is…” The young Taoist sat up as he spoke, shaking off the snowflakes, “That palm strike, and the one that repelled the enemy leader at night, were truly impressive.”
Jiang Ling'er then realized that Pei Xuan had suffered another undeserved misfortune because of her, and quickly brushed the snow off him, saying, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..."
Seeing the snowflakes fall, revealing the purplish-blue marks beneath, inextricably linked to her misdeeds the previous night, she felt even more guilty. She leaned over and diligently brushed the snow off him, but Pei Xuan was only hurt more by her rough patting. His long, arched eyebrows furrowed even more tightly, and finally, unable to resist, he grabbed Jiang Ling'er's wicked hand. The two spoke almost simultaneously:
"Now that I'm out of the Ghost Market, and you've held me captive all night, can you let me go now?"
"So you smell like trumpet creeper."
Pei Xuan paused slightly, not expecting that Jiang Ling'er would recognize the fragrance of the trumpet creeper.
The trumpet creeper on Dagushan Mountain was quite different from the other trumpet creepers, yet she could tell by smell.
The two were very close at the moment. Jiang Ling'er twitched her nose and took a light sniff of the trumpet creeper scent on Pei Xuan, which was exactly the same as that on the little poisonous creature. She muttered to herself, "Is it fashionable for men to wear trumpet creeper scent these days?"
However, Jiang Ling'er didn't dwell on it any longer. Pei Xuan's words reminded her that she had almost forgotten the important matter again!
He had no time to worry about his hands being gripped by the young Taoist, and even leaned closer to him. Pei Xuan was slightly startled, forced to lean back, and saw a pair of almond-shaped eyes extremely tense, reflecting his face, staring intently at him, saying each word clearly:
"You're both stinky Taoist priests, do you even know the carefree little immortal Taoist master?"
The moment the words left his mouth, a hurricane carrying frost, snowflakes, and countless long-forgotten memories came crashing down on him!
[Senior brother!]
[Senior brother!]
【Little Immortal Taoist Priest!】
[The little Taoist master has arrived! We're saved!]
[Little Immortal Taoist Priest...]
【Little Immortal Taoist Priest!】
The hurricane has passed, but the tsunami that Pei Xuan felt in his heart has not stopped and is even showing signs of intensifying.
However, the more turbulent his heart became, the calmer his face appeared.
"I haven't heard anyone mention this name in a long time..." He heard his own voice, tinged with an inexplicable hoarseness, as he slowly said, "What...do you want with him?"
Indifference, alienation, and resistance grew wildly like climbing trumpet creeper around his eyes and brows. But Jiang Ling'er, immersed in joy, did not notice.
After a moment of silence, his eyes suddenly flashed with a startling light.
"...You knew all along!!!" She then grabbed Pei Xuan's hand, "Take me to him right now!"
Pei Xuan stared silently at the woman before him, his pupils dark, as he slowly pried her hands open. His voice was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger:
"Tell me first, what do you want to see him for?"
Jiang Ling'er paused upon hearing this, the light in her eyes dimmed slightly, and reason returned. Having experienced so much, she had also learned to plan.
"he……"
Pei Xuan didn't miss the strange expression on Jiang Ling'er's face, and now it was his turn to press her, asking aggressively, "What about him?"
"He...he..."
Jiang Ling'er stammered for a long time without getting to the bottom of it. She even fled under Pei Xuan's intense gaze, turning her head away to avoid his eyes.
The Longevity Manual is a sensitive topic, so she couldn't... she couldn't just say directly that she wanted to know everything about the Longevity Manual through the Little Immortal Taoist, including why the Old Escort was involved with it!
She hadn't forgotten that she was one of the Asura Twins wanted by the Demonic Sect. The reason the Demonic Sect wanted her wasn't just because she and Little Poison had eliminated Di Qing and Huo Wu, but also because everyone knew that the "Longevity Manual" on Di Qing and Huo Wu was in their hands! Although the "Longevity Manual" on Di Qing was lost, it was true that the "Longevity Manual" that Yang Dalang had taken from him was in their hands.
Besides, she hadn't forgotten that she was Jiang Ling'er, the daughter of the old镖头 (bodyguard/escort) Jiang Leilong! Everyone in the world thought that the old镖头 had embezzled the "Longevity Manual," and that she was Jiang Leilong's only daughter. If people knew that she was still alive... how could she escape the implication?
So of course I can't say it!
Jiang Ling'er pondered for a long time but couldn't find a suitable explanation. But in Pei Xuan's eyes, it was entirely interpreted as her having a guilty conscience.
He stared coldly at Jiang Ling'er's tightly closed lips, his gaze gradually turning cold.
Suddenly he stood up and shook off the frost and snow covering his body.
He was already taller than Jiang Ling'er, and when he stood up, he blocked out the golden sunlight like a cloak of the sky. Because he was backlit, his handsome face appeared blurry.
"Since Miss Anu has no intention of telling me, and this matter concerns... the safety of my friend, please forgive me for not being able to tell you. Farewell."
Jiang Ling'er suddenly looked up: "No...no! Let's talk this out, don't go!"
Pei Xuan finished speaking and left without any hesitation.
"I'll talk... I'll talk, okay!" Jiang Ling'er was stunned for a moment, then jumped up from the snow and hurriedly caught up with Pei Xuan, grabbing his sleeve just like last night, "He...he...he...he..."
He steeled himself and gritted his teeth, saying, "He's a damn heartless bastard!!!"
A clear, angry roar, belonging to a woman, echoed across the hillside.
The sleeve of his robe twitched in his palm, and the young Taoist twisted his ankle. Luckily, Jiang Ling'er grabbed a corner of his robe, otherwise he would have fallen to the ground.
Pei Xuan turned around, his handsome face showing surprise. He subconsciously picked at his ear, and his voice, which was usually as melodious as jade striking stone, became slightly distorted.
"What do you mean by 'burdened'... Han???"
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Author's note: ① This is from Lu Shaoheng's "Sword Sweep in the Drunken Ancient Hall".
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