Chapter 85
Chapter 85
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 85
>Chapter Title: Going Down the Mountain
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
> “Take something?” Hearing Abbess Jingxin say this, Li Huowang instantly thought of many things.
> Seeing that Li Huowang looked somewhat grave, Jingxin spoke up to explain.
> “Don’t think I’m using this as an excuse to get rid of your master. That thing is key. Without it, no one could separate your master from you no matter who came. He’s stuck to you too closely, way too closely. I can still smell his scent on you right now.”
> These words made Li Huowang’s mood even heavier. After thinking for a moment, he spoke up again. “Abbess Jingxin, this should be the final condition, right?”
> Seeing her nod in affirmation, Li Huowang took a deep breath and said, “Alright! It’s a deal. What thing do you want?”
> He wasn’t afraid of her making demands, only of her going back on her word. As long as she made demands, it was still within the realm of a transaction.
> At least from what he could see so far, Li Zhi hadn’t lied before dying. The nuns at Anci Nunnery could indeed be considered good people in some sense.
> In this bizarre world, such people were already hard to come by.
> And right now, he had no other choice. If he went looking for other methods, Danyangzi would probably arrive first.
> “A pair of eyes. A pair from a very strange and sinister creature. Two hundred li east of Heng Hua Mountain, there’s a grove of trees. Go there and bring back that sinister thing.”
> Jingxin stated the final condition.
> “Sinister creature? Which one? What are its abilities?” Li Huowang wanted to know what he would be facing.
> “It’s called Twelfth Moon Eighteenth. That thing is freakish. Every Twelfth Moon Eighteenth, it changes—not just its appearance, but its powers too. I don’t know what it’s turned into now. Just remember, it’s red.”
> “Figure out how to pluck out that pair of peepers yourself. You’ve got the Great Thousand Record on you—surely you’re not afraid you can’t handle it? Besides, your immortal master won’t let you die, will he?”
> “Twelfth Moon Eighteenth? That’s also a name?”
> Li Huowang looked troubled. Just this? No hints at all, and he was supposed to deal with some sinister creature? He’d be going in completely blind.
> He absolutely didn’t want Danyangzi stepping in again. If that happened, who knew whose body it would be.
> “Could the masters in the nunnery lend a hand? Everything else is negotiable.”
> “Heh, they’re lazy, oh so lazy. If you’ve got the skills, go convince them to budge. Though you’re broke now and can’t hire them to come down the mountain anyway, right? Heh heh heh.” Abbess Jingxin lightly teased her juniors.
> With the target confirmed, Li Huowang wasted no more time. After verifying the location of Twelfth Moon Eighteenth with Jingxin once more, he cupped his hands toward her and turned to leave.
> “I won’t disturb your meal, Abbess. I’ll go have someone send up the gold right away.”
> “Oh, right. I smell persimmon cakes on you. I love persimmon cakes the most. Don’t forget to send some over for me.”
> “I understand.” He’d handed over all the gold anyway—not like a bit of food made a difference.
> As Li Huowang turned and left, the room plunged back into darkness.
> But the blind Jingxin was unaffected. She reached out her right hand, its gaps blackened with grime, and dug into the greasy folds of her fat.
> After fumbling around for a while, with a “pop,” amid a splatter of pus and rot, she pulled out a withered old man with shrunken limbs and a bald head.
> This decrepit elder slanted at the mouth and eyes, mumbling incoherently from time to time.
> Jingxin gently cradled him in her bosom, flowing with pus, and passed food from the basin mouth-to-mouth.
> “My boy, did you hear? In a few days, you’ll have persimmon cakes to eat. Heh heh heh, happy? I still remember how you loved them back when you wore open-crotch pants.”
> The old man showed no reaction to Jingxin’s voice, mindlessly retching up the food in his mouth.
> As if she hadn’t noticed, Jingxin kept repeating the motion.
> “See that? This kid’s a heart elemental just like you. But his future’ll be way worse than yours. You’ve got your mom, but he’s got no mom. Who knows what fate awaits him. Alas, the poor boy.”
> In the Penglai Inn, Bai Lingmiao, naked from head to toe, rested her hands on the edge of the wooden tub and let out a soft sigh. “I wonder how Senior Brother Li’s doing. If only I’d gone up with him earlier.”
> “Should I tell him? If I do, won’t he just worry about me? But he’s got enough on his plate already.”
> She pondered for a long while, until the water in the tub had cooled. Finally, Bai Lingmiao stood up from the petal-strewn water, got dressed, and headed to the bedroom.
> “Whatever. In three days, if he doesn’t come down, I’ll go find him myself. Who says I’m a burden?”
> With a creak, Bai Lingmiao shut the door. Once it closed, a eerie woman appeared behind it—head veiled in red, clad in a skirt of colorful ribbons, feet in red embroidered shoes.
> Bai Lingmiao entered the room, flipped back the quilt with a playful smile, and slipped in. She hugged tightly onto the person inside.
> “I like Sister Xiaoman the best. So fuzzy, feels so nice to hold.”
> Xiaoman turned around to face the white-haired girl. She could even feel the other’s faint breaths.
> “What’s so good about this? It’s these black hairs that make people treat me like a freak. Not even sixty-year-old bachelors dare marry me.”
> “Don’t worry, Sister Xiaoman. You’ll definitely find your perfect match.” Bai Lingmiao gently stroked the black fur on her body.
> “No need. I hate men. I’m gonna be a self-combing woman!” Xiaoman declared firmly. “I don’t need men. I can live just fine on my own!”
> “Why do that, Sister Xiaoman?” Bai Lingmiao’s eyes widened in surprise. She’d wanted to ask if it was because of her father, but the words caught in her throat.
> Seeing Xiaoman turn away, back to her again, Bai Lingmiao reached out and hugged her gently.
> “Sister Xiaoman, if you’ve got nowhere to go in the future, come to my home. How about being the godmother to my kids?”
> Xiaoman said nothing, just gazing hesitantly at the wall before her. “You really planning to marry Senior Brother Li?”
> Bai Lingmiao didn’t answer, only shyly thumping her lightly.
> “Why not think it over some more? I’m saying this for your own good. Senior Brother Li’s done us favors, sure, but you don’t have to repay him like this. After all, he… he’s that kind of person.”
> (End of chapter)