014 The Little Rabbit Shows Her Might.
Beneath the Blessed Tree, the villagers’ faces were sallow, their lips dry and cracked.
They clutched their weapons tightly, their stances wary and defensive as they glared fiercely at this group of uninvited guests.
Not far from the Blessed Tree, a large pink tablecloth was spread out.
Piping hot corn porridge was ready, wisps of sweet-smelling steam rising from it.
Nan Yao, with a great sense of ceremony, had even placed several soft cushions on the ground. While the porridge was cooking, she had even set up a hotpot, pouring out a large pile of fresh ingredients from her spiritual pouch and arranging them exquisitely on plates.
The gaunt figures under the Blessed Tree clenched their fists, staring hatefully in their direction. But no matter how ferocious their expressions, their stomachs betrayed them with growls.
Opposite the Blessed Tree, Qi Guyuan held his chopsticks and bowl, directing Yu Chichi as he sipped his porridge, “You can’t overcook the tripe. You just toss it in like that with no sense of ceremony. You have to swish it, you know? You must swish it. Wait, you’re swishing it for too long! Quick, take it out, take it out.”
Yu Chichi was furious. “Stop telling me what to do!”
The people under the Blessed Tree were starving and on the verge of collapse.
Qi Guyuan, opposite the Blessed Tree, said, “So annoying, I can’t finish all this food.”
…Damn them!!
Finally, someone under the Blessed Tree started to complain—
“Why should we be starving here while they get to feast over there?”
“Hmph, I doubt they’ll be smug for long. Soon, the dead souls will devour them, leaving not even bones behind.”
“Everyone, listen up! If they try to force their way under the Blessed Tree later, don’t you dare show them any mercy!”
Hearing this, Nan Yao thought it made a lot of sense. Although these dead souls couldn’t really harm her, having them fly around her head, wailing and screeching, was indeed ruining the mood for a meal.
So she put down her bowl and chopsticks and reached out to gently poke Xie Diao’s arm. “Big Brother Xie Diao?”
Xie Diao didn’t even raise his eyes. He snapped the chopsticks in his hand and casually tossed them out. The chopsticks landed firmly several meters away, and from that point, a complete circle extended, enclosing the group within.
Flames ignited from the line traced on the ground. Spiritual power surged up along the boundary, slicing through the dead souls within the circle and forming an absolutely safe barrier.
Nan Yao: …Why are you stealing Sun Wukong’s move?
But Nan Yao didn’t care if Xie Diao was stealing moves or not. She was just happy that it was quiet now, and with her happiness, her appetite returned. And as her appetite returned, the group under the Blessed Tree grew even more envious—
“Utterly disgusting. They are fellow humans, yet so heartless and disloyal.”
“Healer Duan, are these the friends you brought? They’d rather watch us starve to death?”
The protective barrier could block ghosts and monsters, but it couldn’t block these noisy human voices.
Nan Yao rebelled.
She completely rebelled.
She handed her spiritual pouch to Xie Diao. “Hold this for me.”
Then, she reached both hands inside, grabbed onto something, and with a grunt, pulled out a huge and luxurious tent. This thing was called the Galaxy Night Rain, a tent that her Celestial Venerable uncle had commissioned from the master artisans of the Celestial Crafting Hall, taking them half a year to build. The temperature inside the tent could adjust to the current season, making it warm in winter and cool in summer, and its interior was a whole other world, fully equipped with everything one could need.
Qi Guyuan, the designated tool-man, grunted and groaned as he began to set up the tent, while Nan Yao started rummaging through her spiritual pouch again.
She pulled out potted plants and placed them inside the circle as decoration; she pulled out a wind chime and hung it on the tent as an embellishment; she pulled out a vanity table and set it up outside the tent, piling it with rouge, powders, and fragrant balms; she pulled out a giant flag, wrote “Are you jealous? You’re not allowed in” on it, then wobbled over and planted the flagpole in the ground.
Qi Guyuan: “…” This is absurd.
Yu Chichi: “…” Just how much more stuff is in there.
Xie Diao: “…” The Evil Seed was silent.
After finishing all this, Nan Yao dusted off her hands, admired her work with a smug look, then returned to the tablecloth to continue eating.
The people under the Blessed Tree stopped shouting.
They were so furious they were about to faint and simply had no energy left to shout.
The leaves of the Blessed Tree rustled. As the wind blew, a few leaves fell, turning withered and yellow the instant they touched the ground.
Duan Cuo looked at the miserable state of the people under the tree, who seemed to have only one breath left in them. Apparently unable to bear it, he walked up to Nan Yao and pleaded in a low, humble voice, “Miss Nan Yao, since we are in a crisis, please don’t throw a tantrum. If this goes on, I’m afraid they won’t even last half a day.”
Nan Yao thought that made a lot of sense. She carefully picked out two or three pieces of osmanthus cake, stuffed them into Duan Cuo’s hands, and even kindly gave him a flask of water. Then, she placed her hands on his shoulders, turned him around, and pushed him out of the circle, escorting him all the way to the Blessed Tree. “Goodbye.”
Not far away, two little quails were eagerly watching the “romantic” progress of this matchmaking pair.
Qi Guyuan, looking like a love guru, said, “I get it. Miss Nan Yao is playing hard to get.”
Yu Chichi followed up with her analysis, “Exactly. Duan Cuo has such low emotional intelligence, yet she still gave him some food. This shows that Miss Nan Yao cares about him a lot.”
Xie Diao rested his hands on his knees, watching the show.
Duan Cuo was still trying to persuade her with earnest words. “Miss Nan Yao, they can’t protect themselves like you can. If they don’t get any food, they will truly die here. They suggested not letting Big Brother Xie Diao in only to save their own lives. Big Brother Xie Diao is so powerful, he’ll be perfectly fine even if he’s not inside the Blessed Tree’s protection, but they…”
As the target of everyone’s animosity, Xie Diao seemed to have no awareness of it at all. He very naturally picked up a Red Cherry Fruit and took a bite, looking like a spectator watching a fire from the opposite bank, as if the whole affair had nothing to do with him.
But Nan Yao stopped in her tracks.
For a rare moment, her smile vanished. She pointed a finger at the group under the tree. “Alright then. Have them kowtow and thank Xie Diao, and while they’re at it, offer a formal apology and write a five-hundred-word letter of repentance. After that, I’ll help them.”
As soon as she said this, the people under the tree reacted as if their sore spot had been stepped on and began to curse loudly.
Duan Cuo glanced at the people behind him, then looked back at Nan Yao, a pained expression appearing on his face. “It seems, Miss Nan Yao, that you truly care about Big Brother Xie Diao’s feelings. So much so that you would disregard the lives of innocent people for his sake.”
“?”
Nan Yao had no idea how he had arrived at that conclusion.
She had been raised by her three uncles since she was little and had seen many things like this. That year, her Demon King uncle had taken her to Evergreen Mountain for an outing. But unexpectedly, constant heavy rains on Evergreen Mountain caused a sudden mudslide that destroyed an entire village.
Nan Yao was young at the time and covered her eyes, saying, “How pitiful.” So, her Demon King uncle had a burst of kindness, intervening to resolve the crisis and helping them rebuild the village. However, many of the able-bodied men in the village, though their lives were saved, were left with disabilities, big or small, from the natural disaster.
Someone, it’s unknown who, heard that the Demon King’s blood could heal all things and even regenerate severed limbs. So the villagers begged the Demon King to give his blood to save them. But while the rumor was true, for the Demon King to expend his blood would severely damage his cultivation and consume his spiritual power.
Obviously, the Demon King was not going to waste a thousand years of cultivation for these complete strangers.
But the villagers didn’t see it that way.
They spread word of mouth that the Demon King was cold-blooded and ruthless, treating life as if it were grass. They wrote books and biographies, fabricating all sorts of rumors and stories to demonize this experience, many of which even reached Nan Yao’s ears.
Nan Yao was indignant, but the Demon King was used to it.
“Let them curse all they want. I’m not like that Celestial Venerable uncle of yours, who cares about reputation and honor, nor am I as kind-hearted as him. The only reason I helped them in the first place was to show my little Yao Yao how magnificent I am.”
The Demon King had coaxed her with a grin, then said to her, “So, in the future, if Yao Yao wants to become very, very strong, your Demon King daddy can help you with anything. But you must never, ever be burdened by your abilities.”
So, Nan Yao was very unhappy right now.
It wasn’t because the wronged person was Xie Diao; it was that she hated hearing such words and seeing such things.
But since Duan Cuo had put it that way, Nan Yao couldn’t be bothered to explain. She replied perfunctorily, “Yeah, you’re right.”
Xie Diao, holding the Red Cherry Fruit, paused his movements for a moment.
Qi Guyuan and Yu Chichi were still whispering.
“What’s going on? This doesn’t look like she’s playing hard to get.”
“This is what you don’t understand. Miss Nan Yao is trying to make Duan Cuo jealous.”
Xie Diao took another bite. Seemingly finding the fruit too astringent, he frowned and tossed it aside with impatience.
Duan Cuo gave a few bitter laughs and stumbled back several steps. “I see, I see. It was all my own wishful thinking.” His face was filled with sorrow. He lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly. After a long while, he seemed to have finally made a decision. “If that’s the case, then I will go find a way to save them myself. Everyone, I can only escort you this far. After we part today, we shall never meet again!”
After speaking, he clasped his fists in a salute, then turned and vanished into the night.
Nan Yao stood on her tiptoes and looked.
Yup!
He’s gone!
With Duan Cuo gone, her whole demeanor brightened. In high spirits, she turned around, humming a tune, and returned to her cushion inside the circle. She sat down and glanced around, spotting the Red Cherry Fruit that Xie Diao had taken one bite of and thrown away. She frowned in disapproval, picked up the fruit, wiped the dust off it, and stuffed it back into Xie Diao’s hand. “No wasting food.”
After saying that, she reached out to grab one for herself. Just as she opened her mouth to take a bite, she noticed three pairs of eyes staring at her without blinking.
…Nan Yao put down the fruit. “What’s wrong?”
Qi Guyuan began to doubt his own intelligence. “Could my analysis have been wrong? You deliberately brought up Big Brother Xie Diao just now, but it wasn’t to make Young Master Duan jealous?”
Yu Chichi sighed. “I understand now. Miss Nan Yao doesn’t care about this matchmaking prospect. In that case, there’s only one possibility…”
Nan Yao grew nervous.
It’s over.
The lie I casually told is about to be exposed.
She nervously turned her head to look at Xie Diao beside her.
If he found out she had just made up a random reason, given the Evil Seed’s temper, would her life be in danger?
But Xie Diao’s face showed no emotion. He held the Red Cherry Fruit, tossing it up and catching it. Although his eyes were calm and rippleless, a closer look seemed to reveal a current of irritation buried beneath the placid surface.
…I can’t let him find out.
And just then, Qi Guyuan came to a firm conclusion. “There’s only one possibility. Miss Nan Yao, are you secretly in love with me?”
Nan Yao: “?” How did you arrive at that conclusion?
Qi Guyuan was confident again. “There’s no other explanation for why you would insist on staying by my side, even venturing into such a dangerous place.”
Nan Yao was silent for a moment, then stood up. “Alright, I was playing hard to get just now. I’m going to find Duan Cuo.”
If she had to choose between exposing her identity, being secretly in love with Qi Guyuan, or playing hard to get with Duan Cuo, Nan Yao would choose the last option without a moment’s hesitation.
Qi Guyuan: “?”
Why does it feel like I’m being looked down upon?
Watching Nan Yao’s departing figure, Qi Guyuan was still analyzing the possibility of her being in love with him. Yu Chichi rolled her eyes and continued to eat her hotpot, having no desire to listen.
The two beside him were noisy, but Xie Diao seemed to turn a deaf ear to them.
He gazed at Nan Yao’s departing back.
Her slender figure was swallowed by the darkness of the night, but she seemed completely fearless as she walked in the direction Duan Cuo had left.
Xie Diao retracted his gaze, glanced at the Red Cherry Fruit in his hand, and tossed it away, letting it roll into the dirt.
Author’s Note:
Bye, going to write the second update.
Bye.
Almost forgot to give out 100 late red envelopes for this chapter. I refuse to believe I can be late every single time.