Getting farther and farther away from Lu Hua Mountain, I finally stopped. I turned around and glared at the deer-horse demon: âStop! I let you go once and you still dare to come looking for trouble a second time? Do you really want to die?â
The deer-horse demon ignored me. He stomped his hooves and rushed to me while screaming. He came so fast, I barely dodged him. While he was passing, I reached out my hand and grabbed the horns on his head. My feet lifted, my body moved and I sat on his back. I rode on his back, making him extremely dissatisfied. He stomped his hooves in a fury and tried every way to toss me off.
My legs clamped his body tightly. My hands hold his horns tightly. While using force, did I feel that the thing on his head was actually made of meat. While squeezing it, it felt softâŠâŠ
Could it be that just now he wanted to corner me to death with these two meats? I laughed on his back: âHey, you stupid. Now I donât even have the heart to beat you anymore.â
Words could be said like that, but what needed to be beaten still had to be beaten.
I only used a hand to firmly pinch his flesh. With a little spell I connected his horns with me. With the other empty hand, I took out a fan. This fan was a thing of humans, but it was very useful in many ways. I hold the fan and slapped the deer-horse demonâs ass.
âA thing with no eyes! Dare to come look for trouble! The previous time I didnât beat you and it didnât leave a memory. This time Iâll see if you donât remember. Do you still dare to come cause trouble?!â
While I was slapping him, I was also teaching him a lesson.
The deer-horse demon felt pain and screamed more severely. His body was also desperately moving to throw me down. I held onto his horn tightly. The more he struggled the tighter I clenched his horn. FinallyâŠâŠbecause of carelessness, I only heard a âpuâ sound. The horn that I was grabbing had been pulled out by me. Blood flew out from that hole and splashed all over my face.
PuâŠâŠpulled out?
I squeezed the horn and was stunned. The deer-horse demon also didnât make any movements. He looked at me. I sat on his back for a while. Then I threw the fan and hurriedly stuffed the horn back in the hole.
âSorry, sorry. I really didnât have the intention to pull your horn. This was an accidentâŠâŠwho told you to keep struggling?â
The blood from his head kept flowing out, making my hand full of blood.
Finally, the deer-horse couldnât bear the humiliation anymore. He stuck his forepaws upright in the sky. I wasnât paying attention and slid straightly down from his body. The deer-horse demon turned and bit my arm. His teeth were dull and didnât bite through the flesh. He shook his head and wanted to tear my arm off.
My heart tightened. I grabbed the horn and knocked on the angle of the hole. The deer horse demon gave two more strokes, couldnât bear the torture anymore and let go of my arm. He hissed in the sky and went away with an embarrassing defeat. While he went away he sprinkled the ground full of blood rain.
I waved to the oncoming cloud to stand still. I rested for a moment and looked at the meat horn in my hand. In my heart, I was thinking that I could take it back and soak it wine. I might be able to get a different taste. I hid it in my arm. Then I rolled my sleeves and looked at my injury. I felt it wasnât a big deal and leisurely went back home.
The closer I was from home, the more my heart felt that it wasnât right. Although Chu Kong didnât like to practice cultivation, but he had been forced by me and practiced for a few years. His body had a small amount of immortal energy. Today we run into a stupid demon that came to search for revenge. If he was a bit smarter, he shouldâve swallowed Chu Kong first and then come fight me. I could protect him once, but I couldnât always protect him. If he didnât even have some self-defense skills, it was given that in the future he would be bullied.
BesidesâŠâŠif he didnât cultivate into an immortal body, how could I stay with him? Chu Kong being a human, when he goes to the netherworld to reincarnate, he would surely drink the soup of oblivion. At that time, every memory about me would be washed together with his soul. Just thinking about it, Iâll feel afraid.
Back at home, Chu Kong was still being locked in the enchantment. Seeing that I was back, he immediately stood up. I waved my hand and the enchantment disappeared. Meatball Kong didnât run in my arms as I imagined. He just stood there blankly and looked at me with big eyes. His expression was startled.
I was at loss for a moment. I looked down at my clothes and instantly understood why Chu Kong was startled. The blood of the deer-horse demon dyed my white cotton clothes in red. My face and head must also be full of blood.
I sighed and was about to open my mouth to say that Chu Kong should not be worried. Suddenly I saw a golden light across my mind. My heart tightened. WellâŠ..although deceiving children was bad, but it was all for his good.
I covered the arm that was bitten by the deer-horse demon. I groaned. My legs went soft and my whole body fell onto the ground. I closed my eyes and moaned in pain.
It was quiet for a while. I heard Chu Kongâs footsteps rush to me in panic.
âXiaoâŠâŠXiao Xiang?â
I struggled to open my eyes, breathed for a moment and then called out: âA! I! The wound really hurts!â
If this was the Chu Kong from the past, he would slap me twice and let me get up myself. But meatball Kong was different. My whole body covered in blood was enough to scare him to death.
He held out his hand. They trembled and wanted to touch me, but didnât dare to touch. With a pale face and a voice full of panic, he asked: âWhere does it hurt? Xiao Xiang, where does it hurt?â
My heart went soft and I felt that this was a little shameful. But since the play had already begun, I needed to do it well.
I coughed twice and made my voice hoarse: âI didnât think that the demon was so powerful. Iâve underestimated him.â
I pulled up my sleeves and showed him the bite wound.
The deer horse demon didnât transform into a full demon yet. The demonâs aura on his body was muddy and turbid. The aura remaining on my wound was also the same. A dark mist wrapped around my arm. It looked scary, but if you looked at it with a clear mind, youâll be able to clean it.
Meatball Kong saw my wound and his face turned paler. I grabbed his hand and said: âChu Kong, Xiao Xiang is useless. In the past I didnât practice cultivation properly. This timeâŠâŠIâm afraid that I need to give my lifeâŠ..â
âIt wonât.â
Chu Kong shook his head.
âXiao Xiang is very powerfulâŠâŠwill notâŠâŠâ
His tears fell down. He stared at me unblinking as if, if he blinked I would be gone.
âEven if Iâm gone, you need to live on happily. Chu Kong, goodbye.â
I closed my eyes. HeyâŠâŠthis seemed to be a little overboard.
Chu Kongâs voice was really small: âXiaoâŠâŠXiao Xiang?â
I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. I grabbed Chu Kongâs hand and said weakly: âThereâs still a way to save me, butâŠ..forget it, forget it.â
I was waiting for Chu Kong to give me a determination. But it was silent for a long while and he didnât say anything. I curiously looked at him. I saw that his eyes are surprisingly bright and staring at me. My heart felt a little afraid. Could it be that this child saw that I was lying to him?
But after a while, meatball Kong came over and hugged my neck. He patted my back. With an adult tone he comforted me: âXiao Xiang, donât be afraid. Chu Kong will always stay with you. Donât be afraid.â (Awww, this cute pie)
But obviously, he was so afraid that he was trembling.
I sighed and didnât bother to pretend to be weak anymore. I said: âXiao Xiang wonât die so easily. If every month someone uses immortal energy to drive away the demonâs aura on my arm, Xiao Xiang wonât die.â
Chu Kong let go of me: âEvery month drive the demonâs aura away? Can, can Chu Kong do it now?â
âCan.â
With my other hand, I touched his head.
âItâs just that now you wonât drive it away cleanly.â
âIâll practice cultivation really hard,â he swore loudly after getting my answer. âIn the future, Iâll surely practice cultivation!â
At this point his eyes were finally red. Big tears fell down.
âIn the future, Chu Kong wonât be lazy anymore. I want to practice cultivation really hard to protect Xiao Xiang. Never againâŠâŠnever again letting Xiao Xiang getting hurt! Wu wa!â
This strange kid, he actually cried after knowing that I could be saved.
I didnât know what meatball Kong was thinking at that moment when he saw me close my eyes. But after that time, he really practiced cultivation very hard. He was never lazy again. I thus realized one truth: Children and manâŠâŠneeded to be taught.
Time passed really fast in the human realm. In a blink of an eye, Chu Kong was eighteen years old.
Chu Kong with three immortal souls and seven mortal souls after years of practice is no different from an ordinary human. He practiced cultivation faster and faster. After day in and day out learning about cultivation, he became increasingly interested in cultivating. He wanted to learn more and more.
Gradually, I had nothing more to teach him.
Chu Kong would often travel outside. But regardless where he went, every month on the fifteen, he would surely return to Lu Hua mountain to disperse the âdemonâs auraâ on my arm. This was an agreement he set since he was a child.
Although he and I both knew that there simply wasnât any demonâs aura.
Seeing Chu Kong grew up, Iâm naturally happy. My only worry is that he still hadnât cultivated into an immortal.
In the summer this year, the tiger demon Da Hua took a fancy on a scholar in town. She took him back to be her husband. The wedding day was set in the night if mid- autumn. I as a fairy of course didnât allow such thing as forcing someone to be your husband. But when I went to Da Huaâs territory a few times to take a look, I saw that scholar was half-hearted to leave, I let them continue their bad fate.
Chu Kong as someone who was cultivating into an immortal, naturally, wouldnât tolerate something like forcing someone to be your husband. But I didnât know what kind of ideological pollution he received all this years down the mountain. He insisted on taking the scholar back to town. In the end, he had fallen out with his childhood playmate Da Hua a few times.
Mid-autumn festival eve. Chu Kong went to âsaveâ that scholar once again. I followed him and brought him back. I taught him a lesson: âThat scholar also likes Da Hua. Why do keep messing them up?â
I glanced at him: âCan it be that you also fancy that scholar?â
Chu Kong pouted: âXiao Xiang, what are you thinking? Humans and demons go different paths. How can they be together?â
I wondered: âWhy canât they be together? When Yue Lao pulls a string, no matter what kinds of thing, they still can be together.â
Chu Kong hesitated and sighed: âAre all the immortals in heaven strange like Xiao Xiang? Head full of messy things.â
I turned and walked away. I didnât even bother to turn his head back.
âThe one who is strange now is you. The one whose head is full of messy things is also you. Can outsiders control such a thing as fate? Stop for me for a while.â
Chu Kong behind me was silent for a while: âThenâŠ..Xiao Xiangâs fate, can I control (care about) it?â
My footsteps paused. I turned and looked at him. I saw that in his dark eyes, there was a star gleaming brightly and moving. My heart skipped a beat. My cheeks turned slightly hot.
âWhat?â
Chu Kong suddenly turned around and quickly shook his head: âNothing, nothing. Today I should drive the demonâs aura for Xiao Xiang. Letâs go back quickly.â
This midnight, because of Chu Kongâs unknown words, I couldnât sleep. I stumbled and crawled out of bed to urinate. I just sat when I felt two night winds came in the house. I raised my head and looked up. Chu Kong climbed on the window and quietly looked at me with a serious face.
I scratched my head and blurted out: âDid you wet your bed again?â
Chu Kong continued to stare at me. I recovered my mind. The Chu Kong now wasnât the child Chu Kong whose mind was crippled anymore.
He was silent for half an incense stick and suddenly said: âI dreamed of Xiao Xiang closing your eyesâŠâŠin the snow.â
He looked down at his hands.
âIt felt real and didnât seem like a dream. I was scared and couldnât sleep anymore. So I came to see you.â
I understood the meaning of his words. I was instantly more awake: âYouâŠâŠâ
âRegardless how much cultivation Iâve learned, Iâm still like when I was a child. Still relying on Xiao Xiang. Really uselessâŠâŠ.â
And I no longer focused on these things. With some urgency I interrupted him: âWhat did you dream of? When did you dream it? Is there still other things?â
Chu Kong raised his head and looked at me for a while. In his eyes he hid something I didnât understand. He shook his head: âNo, I just dreamed of this.â
He was slowly beginning to remember!
I was extremely pleased. If I found the last mortal soul, if he could cultivate into an immortal, maybe Chu Kong could find all the memories back!
I said: âChu Kong, in the future if you have some other business, you donât need to come back on the fifteenth.â
I sternly said: âYou should now concentrate on the critical moment of cultivation. To see if you can cultivate into an immortal is dependent on the foundation that you laid all these years. If you have a chance outside, donât give it up for me. You should have known a long time ago that thereâs nothing here.â
Chu Kong stiffened. He froze for a long time before he weakly responded with an âmmâ sound.
Comment:
I think Chu Kong is unhappy, because he knows that Xiao Xiang approached him not because of him but because of some other reasons. Maybe he also knows that the one Xiao Xiang likes isnât him, but that other him. Is he jealous of himself? I like both Chu Kongs. Hope none will disappear when the other appear. â