16 – Oh No, the Rival Has Arrived
Yuan Ning Wang glanced at the stone clutched in the parrot’s tiny claws. It wasn’t much larger than his own.
So he said with confidence, “You, a divine bird, can only pick up such a small stone. As a frail, malnourished eight-year-old child, how heavy a stone could I possibly move?”
The parrot awkwardly tossed the stone aside and retorted stubbornly, “So what if I’m a divine bird? I’m still just a small, delicate bird after all!”
Yuan Ning Wang chuckled, “Right, you’re just a delicate little bird who can carry a three or four pound rabbit but can’t manage a one-pound stone.”
The parrot glared at Yuan Ning Wang, “Shut up, you brat!”
Then it buried its head in trying to grab a ten-pound stone, muttering as it worked, “What does a brat like you know? I was just warming up earlier, understand?”
Yuan Ning Wang glanced at it, sneered, then also struggled to move a larger stone.
Beneath the rubble, Yun Sangsang listened to her Immortal Pet bickering with the child she had picked up while arduously using both hands to push aside the massive stones above her.
With an expressionless face, she delivered a powerful punch that shattered the huge stone blocking her path.
Hmph, relying on those two good-for-nothings would have been the death of her.
As always, no matter when or where, she had to depend on herself. Sigh, others were truly unreliable.
Channeling all her frustration into strength, she smashed the giant stones with several powerful punches, then brushed aside the debris and emerged from the ruins.
Covered in dust, she walked over to Yuan Ning Wang and took out an elegant outer robe from her bosom, handing it to him. “Here, take it. Aren’t you cold being shirtless at night? Be careful not to get sick.”
Yuan Ning Wang looked at the clothing offered to him, somewhat surprised.
So this Broom Star had rushed desperately into the collapsing cave earlier just to retrieve his clothes?
Was she worried he might catch cold and fall ill?
Holding the Broom Star’s garment, Yuan Ning Wang felt unusually ashamed. He thought to himself that he should have tried moving larger stones earlier—at least it would have shown his sincerity in wanting to help…
“Thank you, celestial maiden, for caring so much about me. I’m relieved you’re safe. I’ll go back to relieving myself now.”
Yuan Ning Wang looked up at Yun Sangsang with a feigned deeply moved expression. After thanking her, he quickly headed behind the bushes. After all, he had claimed earlier that he left the cave due to urgent business—he ought to keep up appearances, right?
Yun Sangsang watched Yuan Ning Wang disappear behind the bushes before turning her gaze to the parrot hugging a large stone nearby. She said dryly, “Stop pretending. It’s so fake.”
The parrot dropped the large stone, looked up at Yun Sangsang, and said gloomily, “What else could I do? I knew you wouldn’t die in there. Should I have put on a dramatic performance of heartbreak and spitting blood? Wouldn’t that be even faker?
And if I had just stayed perched on the branch without moving, you’d have scolded me for not caring about you when you emerged—not even bothering to pretend… So tell me, what should I have done? It’s not easy for me!”
Yun Sangsang rolled her eyes, “You’ve really suffered, haven’t you?”
The parrot, thick-skinned as ever, cawed and hurriedly said, “No, no, I haven’t suffered—you’re the one who suffered! Why did you have to rush in for a piece of clothing anyway? If the clothes get ruined, so be it. Aren’t people far more important than clothes?”
Yun Sangsang sighed.She glanced toward the bushes and lowered her voice, saying, “This is the sorrow of being poor. I have very little Immortal Power left now, so I can’t conjure up a set of clothes for that child. If this set of clothes got lost in the ruins, where would I find a new one for him? Ah, for the poor like us, there simply aren’t any extra clothes to waste!”
The Parrot looked up at its master under the moonlight, feeling immensely sorry for her.
Ah, who would believe there could be such a pitiful Immortal Deity in this world? Truly so useless it breaks one’s heart.
In the bushes, Yuan Ning Wang, with his keen senses, overheard every word exchanged between the woman and the bird.
He stared at the clothes in his hand, his expression shifting from touched to icy and unfeeling, until he was practically grinding his teeth in frustration.
Hah.
He had been moved for nothing.
All that talk about rushing into the collapsed cave to fetch his clothes because she was worried he’d catch cold or fall sick—it was all lies! The truth was, she was just too poor to replace his clothes if they were ruined. It had nothing to do with caring for him!
Damn Broom Star…
Damn, damn, damn!
Yuan Ning Wang gritted his teeth and crumpled the clothes into a ball.
Suddenly, he wondered if he had made a terrible mistake choosing to travel with this Broom Star. What good could come from being with someone so poor, useless, and unlucky?
He took a deep breath.
Forget it. He would follow her for a couple more days and see. If his luck only got worse day by day, he would leave her behind—no more serving her whims. He’d find a cave by himself and slowly nurture his demon bone!
In a foul mood, Yuan Ning Wang emerged from behind the bushes with a grim expression.
With the cave collapsed, he couldn’t use warm water to clean his grimy body inside. So he walked over to Yun Sangsang and demanded without hesitation, “Celestial Maiden, your bamboo tube with warm water is buried in the cave ruins. I can’t wash up now. Can you use your immortal technique to help me?”
He looked up at Yun Sangsang. “Aren’t you celestial maidens incredibly powerful? Shouldn’t you be able to make me clean in an instant with your immortal technique?”
Yun Sangsang felt another headache coming on.
Before, this child had only hinted at wanting to live in a grand house and eat delicious food. Now, he was outright asking her to use her immortal technique to serve him!
He really didn’t hold back at all!
How could she possibly use her immortal technique to clean him now?
Keeping a straight face, she gently said to Yuan Ning Wang, “Celestial Maiden Sister’s immortal technique is for saving people. How can we waste it on something trivial like bathing? Just put on my robe for now, and we’ll skip the bath. Once it’s daylight and we go down the mountain, I’ll find you a proper bathhouse to wash up, alright?”
Yuan Ning Wang felt like scoffing in her face.
Hah. Other people’s immortal techniques might be for saving lives, but what could this Broom Star’s immortal technique possibly save?
More like harm people—after all, her immortal technique was saturated with heavy Misfortune. That’s why her previous eight worshippers started suffering terrible luck as soon as they began venerating her, begging and crying for her to leave.
Yuan Ning Wang looked at Yun Sangsang unhappily. “Celestial Maiden, are you really not going to help me?”
Yun Sangsang bent down and ruffled his little bald head. “Be good now. It’s not that Celestial Maiden Sister doesn’t want to help you, but she needs to save her immortal technique for tomorrow to deal with your grandparents, uncles, and aunts. How can we waste it?”
Yuan Ning Wang gave Yun Sangsang a deep, silent look, inwardly cursing her as useless, then turned around and draped her outer robe over himself.If it weren’t for this Broom Star constantly following him, he would have long since made himself neat and clean—why would he need to endure this filthy, unkempt body?
“Your robe is too long, let me fold it for you—”
Seeing that he seemed displeased, Yun Sangsang smiled gently and crouched beside him, taking the hem of his robe that dragged on the ground and folding it up.
Ah, well—since she needed his offerings, it was only right to try and please him a little.
Fortunately, Yuan Ning Wang didn’t childishly pull away to stop her from helping. He stood motionless, letting her do as she pleased.
After folding the hem of his robe, she moved in front of him and began folding the overly long sleeves as well.
Just as she started, footsteps suddenly sounded from nearby in the woods!
Followed by the clashing of weapons!