Chapter 221
Chapter 221
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 221
>Chapter Title: Market
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Hearing Li Huowang's answer, the forked tongue slowly retracted into the gaping blood-filled maw beneath the red veil. The mouth lined with sharp teeth curved up slightly, revealing a faint smile.
The second god lying on the bed gently scooted closer to Li Huowang, who was holding Bai Lingmiao.
The three of them lay on a single bed, and no one said another word. The room finally fell quiet.
As expected, Li Huowang overslept the next morning, but fortunately, no one was chasing them anymore.
"Senior Brother Li, here." A bowl of milky white liquid was brought before the mobility-impaired Li Huowang.
"What's this?" Li Huowang noticed some white clumps floating in it.
"Sheep milk soaked with milk tofu. I heard from Baolu that in Qingqiu, drinking sheep milk helps injuries heal faster."
Li Huowang picked it up and took a big gulp. It wasn't particularly tasty or unpleasant; he just wasn't used to it.
But Li Huowang was never picky about food and drink, as long as it wasn't too salty or spicy.
After he finished, Bai Lingmiao picked up a towel and gently wiped the milk mustache from his upper lip.
"How's Sun Baolu doing with the food preparations?"
"He headed out at dawn. He said the sheep at that place looked sickly, so he wanted to check out a few more houses."
"What? Sheep? I clearly told him to buy grain. What does he need sheep for?"
Bai Lingmiao smiled.
"I just asked him the same thing, but he said in Qingqiu, live sheep are food. You can drink the milk, dry the dung for firewood, and live sheep walk on their own—way more convenient than carrying dry rations."
"Alright then, if that's how it is." For local matters like this, Li Huowang decided to go along with the native's advice.
After setting the bowl down, Bai Lingmiao gently lifted Li Huowang's calf into her lap, rolled up his pant leg, and carefully inspected the healing of the stump.
"Senior Brother Li, look—it's already grown to the ankle. In a few more days, it'll be completely healed." Seeing Li Huowang's body improving filled Bai Lingmiao with joy from head to toe.
Gazing at her delicate face, Li Huowang froze as memories of the previous night flooded back.
"Miaomiao, have you been keeping anything from me lately?"
"Hm? What's wrong? No, I haven't." Bai Lingmiao tilted her head at Li Huowang in confusion.
Whether she truly knew or was pretending not to, Li Huowang got straight to the point.
"I mean about the second god."
"Has she been affecting you? Or have those immortal families been threatening you?"
"No, why would she threaten me? Our lives are linked—if I die, she can't live either."
"Is that so?" Li Huowang eyed Bai Lingmiao thoughtfully.
"Remember, I'm right here by your side. If there's any trouble at all, come find me, got it?"
Bai Lingmiao nodded. Then, with a hint of caution, she asked,
"Senior Brother Li, if there's nothing going on today, can we go out for a stroll?"
"A stroll? Why?"
"Just to have some fun. I've never been to Qingqiu before. When we came in yesterday, the streets looked so lively." A rare sly glint appeared on Bai Lingmiao's face.
Li Huowang looked her over again, her image overlapping with Yang Na's from back when they'd gone to the movies together.
It suddenly hit him—the girl before him wasn't that old. She craved a bit of relaxation too.
She'd always been so sensible that he'd nearly forgotten Bai Lingmiao was still just a young girl.
A pang of guilt stirred in Li Huowang's heart. He hadn't considered that at all.
"Alright, let's go. We'll play as much as we want today." Li Huowang grabbed his crutch from the side and, with her support, limped out of the rundown inn.
The moment they stepped outside into the sunlight, Bai Lingmiao winced and squinted her pink eyes.
"The sun's so bright today."
Li Huowang quickly untied the white silk ribbon from her wrist and covered her eyes.
"No, you have to keep it on. Otherwise, it'll hurt your eyes too much."
"But... then I won't be able to see." Bai Lingmiao's mood sank. It had been so hard to get this chance.
"Then hold onto me. I'll describe whatever I see. How's that?"
"Mm, alright!" A smile bloomed on Bai Lingmiao's face as she grabbed Li Huowang's clothes with both hands.
"Miaomiao, there's someone up ahead selling little lambs. Here, reach out and touch."
Bai Lingmiao extended her hand and immediately felt a fluffy head. A sheep's tongue licked from below, startling her so much she yanked her hand back.
After a moment, she tentatively reached out again.
"Come on, let's keep going."
The one-eyed, one-legged Li Huowang hobbled along on his crutch, slowly leading the blindfolded Bai Lingmiao through the market.
Through Li Huowang's descriptions, Bai Lingmiao gradually pieced together every detail of the market. She was truly happy right now.
Even though she couldn't see a thing, she could feel that Senior Brother Li cared about her. He was spending time with her.
Suddenly, Li Huowang stopped, and Bai Lingmiao bumped into his back.
"Senior Brother Li, why'd you stop? What do you see?"
"Oh, there's a group of performers up ahead. They're spitting fire—so high it singed a guy's hair, and he's jumping around like crazy."
Bai Lingmiao burst into giggles at Li Huowang's description. She even tried to peek by lifting the ribbon, but he stopped her.
"And that guy—he's amazing too. He swallows knives. Three of them straight down his throat, doesn't even blink."
Li Huowang's face lit up with a smile alongside Bai Lingmiao's as he continued describing the row of people chained up before them.
The ragged slaves stared blankly ahead, long since numb.
Clearly, Qingqiu's specialties weren't just the green noodles and tent inns. Its dark side was different too—they were selling people!
"Next to the performers, there's monkey tricks. That monkey's smart—it's whipping its owner with a lash." Li Huowang glanced at a decapitated corpse and kept narrating.
"Quick, the monkey's running toward us. Let's go."
Li Huowang hobbled away, pulling the unseeing Bai Lingmiao from the spot.
He kept strolling with her, thinking things couldn't get wilder than before—until he spotted a corpse on the market platform moments later. Someone was slicing it open with a dagger.
"Senior Brother Li, what's over here?"
"Over here... there's a wrestling match. That fat guy's huge—must weigh as much as two of you."
"Senior Brother Li, I'm not that fat!" Bai Lingmiao shyly gave his arm a light punch.
"My bad, let me rephrase—that wrestler weighs four of you."
Li Huowang suddenly looked up at the sky as something blocked out the sun.
Vultures. Dozens of black vultures dove down, swarming the corpse and tearing at it madly.
There was plenty of meat but few birds, so they fought fiercely. Once they'd gorged themselves, they scattered like flies, leaving only scattered bones and hair on the ground.
Someone who'd been waiting picked up a small hammer and approached, gently tapping the remains into shape.
Once they were the right size, he adorned his hair and clothes with them.
Li Huowang suddenly realized where the Qingqiu folks got their bone ornaments from.
"Senior Brother Li, what do you see? Tell me quick." Bai Lingmiao tugged at his clothes repeatedly.
"Clack clack clack." Just then, Mantou trotted through the crowd on dainty paws and stopped before Li Huowang.
It dropped a half-human skull from its mouth at his feet, wagged its tail, and sat panting happily.