Thousand Dusts Ferry Me - Chapter 43

Yun Qing stood in the moonlight, watching their gradually retreating figures. When Fifth Miss looked back at her, she waved.

Jiang Baiyu’s gaze followed her. She probably didn’t know how beautiful she looked tonight.

“Let’s go,” Yun Qing said, lifting her dress and climbing into the flower sedan chair.

Fu Xue nudged Cheng Suiyan’s arm with her elbow and asked with a smile, “Are you afraid?”

Cheng Suiyan laughed, “Afraid? If I feared death, why would I cultivate the Dao?”

Fu Xue still felt that Senior Sister’s divination about “danger” would come true for Cheng Suiyan.

She thought Cheng Suiyan was an excellent friend—though occasionally irritating with his words, he was loyal, often treated them to meals, and had a straightforward personality. It would be too unfortunate if he perished here.

Thinking of this, she took out her protective jade turtle and placed it in Cheng Suiyan’s hand.

The jade turtle had simple, lovely lines with shallow engravings. It was round and plump, indeed similar in shape and size to a preserved egg, which was why Fu Xue had mistakenly pulled it out that day.

The jade turtle was a protective magical treasure refined by her Senior Sister before she left the mountain. She had carried it with her but never had a chance to use it.

Fu Xue thought that although her cultivation wasn’t particularly impressive, her self-preservation abilities were definitely stronger than Cheng Suiyan’s. It would be better to lend the jade turtle to Suiyan for now, at least to protect his life, and she could get it back after they left Linglong Mountain.

Cheng Suiyan felt the object in his hand and asked, “What is this?”

Fu Xue hushed him with a “Shh.”

Yun Qing sat in the sedan chair and urged, “Let’s go.”

Cheng Suiyan hurriedly tucked the jade turtle into his robes and went with Jiang Baiyu to lift the sedan chair.

Fu Xue pretended to be the matchmaker and followed alongside them.

The moon had already climbed to the treetops. The mountain path was covered with dew, which looked like scattered crystals in the full moon’s clear light.

They stepped on these crystals, following a valley deeper and deeper, where the vegetation gradually became more lush.

They stopped when they reached a white stone wall.

The wall was extremely smooth, as if polished by someone, and very conspicuous in the moonlight. Several large characters were carved on the wall: The bride gets off the sedan chair.

The characters were quite ugly, and the character for “sedan chair” was missing a stroke.

This was where brides had disembarked in previous years. The wedding escort would place the sedan chair at this spot and return the next day to retrieve it. As for how the bride would get down, they dared not concern themselves with that.

After setting down the chair, Fu Xue and the others pretended to leave but secretly observed from behind a large tree.

After about fifteen minutes, two figures sauntered over.

Well, if they could be called people.

When demonic beasts cultivated to a certain level, when transforming into human form, unless they were extremely talented and could transform completely at once, most would gradually transform bit by bit as their cultivation increased.

So among cultivated demonic beasts, the most common form was half-human, half-beast.

These creatures usually transformed their heads first; rarely would a beast transform its rear end first.

Now, approaching the flower sedan chair were two half-human, half-leopard spirits.

The two leopard spirits had human heads and wore human clothes, but their exposed hands and feet were furry, and they had whip-like tails behind them.

The two leopard spirits lifted the sedan chair curtain and said, “Please alight, mistress.” Their voices were deep and hoarse like wild beasts roaring.

Yun Qing stepped down from the sedan chair and, seeing a furry beast paw extended toward her, raised her hand to hold it.

One leopard spirit said in surprise, “In previous years, the brides were all so frightened their legs went weak, and we had to drag them out. This year’s bride is quite brave, walking down herself.”

The other said, “Could this year’s bride be a fool?”

Yun Qing then said, “I’ve come to be the Mountain God’s wife. What is there to fear? Quickly take me to see the Mountain God.”

That leopard spirit laughed, “She really is a fool.”

The other said, “This foolish bride is quite beautiful, pity she has no fur.”

Yun Qing allowed them to support her as she walked deep into the valley. All around was eerily quiet, as if even the autumn insects sensed the danger and dared not chirp.

After walking for about half an hour, she saw a mountain gate.

The gate was built with several huge rocks, with bonfires burning around it, and two mountain cat spirits standing guard at the entrance. By the flickering firelight, Yun Qing could see a flag inserted above the gate with four characters embroidered on it: Great King Jinsheng.

Yun Qing asked, “Is Great King Jinsheng the Mountain God?”

The leopard spirit said, “What’s a fool asking about this for?”

The mountain cat spirits exchanged a few words with the two leopard spirits and looked at their wooden identification tablets. One tablet read “Don’t Get Angry,” and the other read “Don’t Be Hasty”—these were the two spirits’ names.

After checking the tablets, the mountain cat spirits let them pass.

Fu Xue and the other two hid in the shadows, watching from a distance. After seeing her Senior Sister enter, Fu Xue gripped her sword hilt, wanting to sneak up and slit the mountain cat spirits’ throats.

Jiang Baiyu stopped her, saying, “No, there will be blood scent.”

Wild beasts were very sensitive to the smell of blood. They could certainly use spells to clean up the bloodstains, but the wounds might continue to seep blood intermittently, and they didn’t have time to stay here and keep cleaning.

Fu Xue asked, “Then what do we do? We need to hurry, or we’ll lose sight of Senior Sister.”

Jiang Baiyu quickly drew two talismans in the air. When completed, they flickered with a faint golden light. He held the symbols between his fingers and said, “Distract their attention.”

“Got it!” Fu Xue ran over and performed several somersaults in front of the two mountain cat spirits.

Jiang Baiyu: “……”

The mountain cat spirits seemed to be encountering such a bizarre situation for the first time and were indeed stunned for a moment.

Jiang Baiyu seized the opportunity and flicked his hand, sending the two symbols flying simultaneously. There seemed to be two sparks of light flashing in the mountain cat spirits’ eyes, and by the time they reacted, it was too late—they were silently pierced in the chest by the light.

The mountain cat spirits looked at Fu Xue and said, “So… despicable…” Their bones and muscles went limp, and they collapsed.

Jiang Baiyu and Cheng Suiyan stepped forward and broke their necks.

The three hurriedly followed, using the same method to pass through two more gates.

****

The path through the valley grew increasingly narrow, and just when Yun Qing felt she would get stuck if she continued, everything suddenly became brighter before her.

They had arrived at a wide, flat open space.

The bright moon hung in the sky, and the scene before them was clearly visible.

This place looked like a naturally formed large bowl within Linglong Mountain, with the open space being the bottom of the bowl. The black arc of the distant mountains formed the bowl’s walls, extending to the horizon, touching the moon.

At the bottom of the bowl, a group of demons were drinking wine, eating meat, and talking loudly under the moonlight.

These demons were either in human form or half-human, half-beast form.

One sturdy demon who had completely transformed into human form said, “Big Brother, why don’t we attack Linglong City and eat our fill at once! It’s better than now, when we can only satisfy our cravings once a year!”

The demon called Big Brother had a striking head of golden hair, golden eyes, and a square face, also completely transformed into human form. This Big Brother’s voice was like a great bell, and hearing these words, he replied:

“Tiger Brother, you’re new here and don’t understand. Just as humans like to eat chicken eggs and therefore raise chickens, these brides are our eggs, and the people of Linglong City are the chickens we raise.

If you eat all the chickens, who will lay eggs for us? This year you could eat your fill in Linglong City, but what would you eat next year?”

“Next year we’ll go to Guangling City to eat!”

“Foolish! Do you think human cultivators are so easy to provoke? Moreover, they have immortals. If we go too far and alarm the immortals, you and I will both die!”

“Are immortals that frightening?”

“Of course they are. Years ago, I… never mind, why bring that up.

In short, we just need to frighten those cowards in Linglong City a little, and we can eat such nourishing food every year, eating for thousands of years, for all eternity—isn’t that wonderful?”

“Big Brother thinks so thoroughly. Big Brother, I toast to you!”

“We’re all brothers, no need for formalities.”

“Big Brother, the bride has arrived!”

“Oh, she’s here.”

Yun Qing walked forward holding a red silk flower in one hand, idly swinging it as she walked.

She wore fire-red wedding clothes with light makeup. Her face appeared peerlessly beautiful in the moonlight, causing the golden-haired Big Brother to stare momentarily.

Yun Qing swept her gaze over the assembled demons and asked, “Is everyone here?”

The golden-haired Big Brother answered, “Everyone’s here.”

“Then let’s begin.”

“Good… wait, do you think you can sit at the table? You ARE the table!”

Don’t Be Hasty explained from behind, “Big Brother, she’s a fool!”

“Is that so? That’s a pity then. As usual, brothers eat the meat, you drink the soup.”

The demons erupted in cheers.

The golden-haired Big Brother waved his hand, and a wolf spirit covered in gray fur came forward carrying a knife, chest puffed out and head held high.

Under the envious and heated gazes of the demons, the wolf spirit dragged Yun Qing to a stone basin stained with blood, pressed her neck, and chopped down hard!

Hmm.

Chopped again.

Hmm.

Chopped yet again…

The wolf spirit said awkwardly, “Big Brother, this knife is a bit dull. I’ll go sharpen it.”

As soon as it finished speaking, Yun Qing suddenly seized its knife and, holding it, struck back with a chop!

The blade drew a silver hook-like trajectory in the moonlight. A great spray of foul-smelling blood erupted from the wolf spirit’s neck, and its entire head was chopped off, falling to the ground and rolling several times.

Yun Qing held the knife, a splash of blood on her fair face, silently looking toward the golden-haired demon, her beautiful almond eyes completely black.

With a crash—the group of demons all picked up their weapons, on high alert.

The golden-haired demon stretched out his hand, and a steel blade displayed on a rack flew into his grasp.

“Senior Sister, catch!” a voice called from the valley passage.

Without looking back, Yun Qing listened for the position and reached out to catch the Cangye sword thrown by Fu Xue.

With a clang—

The dark sword was unsheathed, and in the moonlight, the blade’s reflection couldn’t be seen at all.

The wind blew her wedding dress, lifting the wide skirt in bloody waves. The woman’s countenance was cold and proud as she stood alone, like a red lotus blooming at the edge of the underworld.

The golden-haired demon roared in anger, “Seeking death!” and then led the demons in charging toward her.