Chapter 335: She Is Laughing

Chapter Three

In the twilight, the young man in green robes and green armor sat cross-legged on a cliffside shaped like a woman's slender waist. From the riverbed below, large plumes of purple smoke seemed to churn into his vision. Behind him stood Dan Ying, the four-armed ominous creature with two faces. Before entering the mausoleum, the two had fought fiercely, seemingly as sworn enemies. Who would have thought that these two cunning individuals, during their brief journey into the Qin Emperor's Mausoleum, would form an offensive and defensive alliance with almost no verbal communication, uniting their efforts against the demonic figure, Luoyang? This was out of necessity, as Luoyang could easily overpower them both under normal circumstances. Anyone siding with Luoyang would only be playing with fire, with no good outcome in sight.

Xu Fengnian had wanted to kill Luoyang even before entering the mausoleum. His act of walking out of the corridor alone and then returning was not due to a compassionate heart. It was simply that even if Luoyang had died within Heshan at that time, Xu Fengnian himself would have been certain to die in the mausoleum, making it an unfavorable outcome. Afterward, he and the ominous creature played a 'face-swapping' game, which seemed trivial, but even simple exchanges of glances led to a sense of mutual understanding. Later, when the ominous creature absorbed the foul death qi, Xu Fengnian, despite his feigned look of trepidation, was secretly delighted that it was completely devoured. When Luoyang opened the mountain, and the dragon wall rotated, that was Xu Fengnian's most exquisite move, a seemingly illogical yet meticulously planned maneuver. Luoyang, arrogant and dismissive, had not foreseen it. As the mountain opened, Luoyang continuously used the crimson dragon energy of the red armor to resist the impact of the Tiger Talisman's fortune. It must be known that the red armor, after all, recognized Xu Fengnian as its master, not Luoyang. Luoyang could borrow it, but what would be the consequences if Xu Fengnian insisted on reclaiming it? This had already been partly confirmed when Xu Fengnian teased Dan Ying, the ominous creature, after it put on the Fire Dragon Armor and suffered from its flames within the mausoleum. As the dragon wall spun and Luoyang charged out first, the ominous creature instantly expelled the immense volume of foul energy accumulated within its body, restraining Luoyang and trying to dissipate the seemingly inexhaustible internal energy of this great demon. Simultaneously, Xu Fengnian used his sword control technique to manipulate the red armor, like an immortal performing a 'body-fixing' spell from a fantasy novel, pinning Luoyang firmly in the air. A mere instant was enough.

In that instant, a sword pierced his heart, and a palm struck him. The Great Huangting energy, concentrated with full force, flowed 400 li in an instant, exploding within Luoyang's body, aiming to shatter his heart.

If Luoyang hadn't insisted on taking him to the far north to confront Tuoba Pusa during their initial encounter, it would have been another life-or-death gamble. If Xu Fengnian hadn't reached the Vajra realm, if he had already ascended to the Six-land Immortal realm, if Dan Ying, the ominous creature, hadn't cooperated perfectly—if any one of these 'ifs' had been missing, that sword would never have been unleashed. Xu Fengnian was protected by his green python robe, keeping the mist at bay. In his hand, he held the blood-stained flying sword 'Golden Thread'. He was utterly perplexed: why had she laughed when she fell into the river? Was she laughing at herself for being clever and almost invincible throughout her life, only to suffer a setback in an unexpected place? Or was she laughing at her own malevolent heart, more wicked than a woman's? Xu Fengnian softly said to the river, "The longest journey is the one away from home; I've already told you that. But no matter how far the road, I am not afraid. What I fear is not being able to return to Beiliang. I am very much afraid of dying outside Beiliang."

Xu Fengnian, who had a sword case with three swords on his back, stretched and turned to ask, "Is it our turn to fight to the death now?"

The ominous creature, with its sorrowful countenance, faced Xu Fengnian, remaining silent with no sign of making a move. This was truly strange. Xu Fengnian asked, "I can roughly guess that your first move was to covet my accumulated Great Huangting energy, the residual Buddha's golden blood, and my own purple-yellow qi. Right now, the odds are 70-30 in your favor, but my chances of escape are not small. However, given your gluttony, don't you want to devour me whole? If you succeeded, your cultivation would skyrocket, and with the 'Great Mind' Luoyang dead, the 'Lesser Mind' would likely find it difficult to restrain you again. You could then roam the vast world as a minor immortal. If I were you, I would have made this profitable deal long ago."

The ominous creature mimicked Xu Fengnian, sitting on the cliffside, resting its face in its hands and gazing into the distance. Its remaining four arms had their fingers intertwined over its abdomen, radiating a compassion akin to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's pity for all beings.

Xu Fengnian chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Well, if you're not actively trying to kill me, I won't hold a grudge against you. As long as we mind our own business, that's perfectly fine."

With its unchanging ancient face, the ominous creature gently looked at Xu Fengnian and made a gesture as if reaching for something. Xu Fengnian wiped the blood from his Golden Thread flying sword, showing no reaction to the creature's slightly mocking imitation.

"Why did you laugh?"

Xu Fengnian, lost in thought, and the perpetually inert Dan Ying simultaneously turned their heads to see Old Kui Bai appear behind them. He tossed over a satchel, glanced expressionlessly at the top-ranked ominous creature of Princess Tomb, and said, "I've brought your things. I'm too lazy to ask about anything else; I just feel you shouldn't die here. Old Man Helian's original intention was that if you disappeared downstream for a night, I would take these relics to Beiliang as a somewhat acceptable explanation to Xu Xiao."

Xu Fengnian suddenly stood up and asked, "You're not going to ask where the Great Mind went? What this green armor on me is? Or why Dan Ying didn't fight me?"

Old Kui Bai scoffed impatiently, "Where do you get so many ridiculous questions? At best, I'm just a blade slave, not my own master. Helian Wuwei is the Grand Elder of Princess Tomb; if anyone's going to ask, it's him, with his butt on fire, leading cavalry to chase you. My relationship with that old man is decent, and I get along well enough with you too, so I'm not taking sides. After dawn, I'll return to the city. From now on, you're on your own, don't push your luck by expecting this old man to be your bodyguard. Our acquaintance isn't that deep yet."

Xu Fengnian bowed and said, "Thank you, Grandpa Chu."

Old Kui Bai, the saber-dragging elder, showed a hint of regret, then waved his hand. "Don't be sentimental, scram!"

The small, jet-black sword case, containing three ancient swords, was placed into the satchel, along with the Spring and Autumn Spring Thunder. The Legate's residence was indeed no longer suitable to visit; it was enough for Helian Wuwei to know that he hadn't died in the Yellow River. As for the river-intercepting tomb-robbing by the Zhong and Lu families, Xu Fengnian did not wish to interfere. Whether the dragon wall could be found, whether it succeeded or failed, depended on whether Zhong Shentong truly lived up to the 'Shentong' (divine ability) in his name. The Fire Dragon Armor and the Nation-Guarding Tiger Talisman in the Qin Emperor's Mausoleum had already sunk to the bottom with Luoyang. The mountains of golden armor had also completely collapsed and sealed after Luoyang opened the mountain. This colossal undertaking was a hundred times more arduous than intercepting the river. Xu Fengnian soared to the opposite bank of the Yellow River. As he flew, he cast a glance downwards.

Old Kui Bai's hearty voice echoed from afar, "If you get the chance, pour some wine on Old Huang's grave for me and tell that stubborn old fool that of all the people I've competed with in my life, he's the one I'm most convinced I lost to."

Xu Fengnian flew several miles before realizing the ominous creature was still tailing him. He stopped and frowned, asking, "What do you want?"

The red-robed Dan Ying extended its crimson tongue to lick the corner of its mouth, then stiffly raised a hand and pointed at the green armor on Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian pondered, weighing the pros and cons. This python robe armor was indeed unsuitable for him to wear on his journey. He simply removed the armor and cast it aside, giving it to the large red-robed ominous creature. Unlike the Fire Dragon Armor, which was inherently antithetical to the ominous creature, the green python armor would aid Dan Ying's cultivation. Although Xu Fengnian regretted not being able to wear the green armor back to Beiliang, it was better than parading around Northern Mang. The green armor was far too conspicuous; not to mention others, Princess Tomb, tracking clues, and the demon Zhong Liang would be the first to target him. The ominous creature, somehow managing to put on the green armor without removing its red robe, swayed its four arms as if dancing with extreme joy. Xu Fengnian found it comical and absurd. After a laugh, he began to run forward, but a moment later, he stopped again and turned, his killing intent palpable. "Are you truly going to pester me endlessly? I have a Spring and Autumn sword, perfectly suited for slaying vile creatures like you. Don't think you have a sure victory."

The ominous creature's red robe spun, its joyful and sorrowful countenances rapidly alternating.

Xu Fengnian asked with suspicion, "You're not returning to Princess Tomb? You want to follow me?"

The ominous creature, clad in vibrant red, tilted its neck and stared intently at Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian continued, "Do you want to treat me as the most delicious medicinal ingredient in the world, not killing me, but slowly nourishing yourself?"

The ominous creature's sorrowful countenance shifted to a joyful one. The answer was obvious.

Presumably, Xu Fengnian was the only one in the world who would seriously try to conduct business with the red-robed Dan Ying. "You can't hog all the benefits. If I take you with me, I'll never have peace. It's almost the same as if I were traveling around wearing the green armor myself."

The ominous creature covered half its face with one hand and made a throat-slitting gesture with the other.

Xu Fengnian laughed exasperatedly, "Do you really think I'm an immortal, that I'd know what you're saying just by two random gestures?"

Whenever the ominous creature thought, its head would tilt, and its movements would become notably sluggish and obvious. Then, it pointed in the direction of the Yellow River's dragon wall, drew a large circle, repeated the gesture of covering half its face and slitting its throat, and then drew a small circle.

Xu Fengnian pondered for a moment, then asked, half-believing, half-doubting, "Are you saying that Luoyang is the 'Great Mind,' and there's a 'Lesser Mind' with half a face who will try to kill me? So, if you're well-fed, you'll protect me?"

A joyful countenance.

One wave hadn't settled before another rose; it truly never stopped. Xu Fengnian asked a crucial question, "Then tell me, who is stronger, the Great Mind or the Lesser Mind?"

The ominous creature hesitated for a moment, first drawing a large circle, then a small one, before making a gesture across its own throat. Xu Fengnian instantly understood and exhaled slightly in relief. Then, it drew a small circle, pointed at Xu Fengnian, and again made the throat-slitting gesture.

Xu Fengnian gasped, "I've seen embroidery of a woman 'holding a pipa, half-covering her face' on a sachet belonging to a Zhong family maid. Is your 'Lesser Mind' a half-faced woman?"

The ominous creature nodded stiffly.

It then shifted to a sorrowful countenance.

Xu Fengnian turned and waved his hand grandly. "Alright, at worst, for our respective futures, let's fight side by side one more time. The wind is strong, let's go!"

On the other side of the riverbed, Old Kui Bai stood for a long time, tutting. "You escaped unharmed! You're quite capable, young man. Back in my day, I just teased a woman from Princess Tomb a few times and had my collarbones locked, condemned to be a slave for life. Looking at it now, you truly have some cultivation."

The old man slowly walked away, dragging his saber, sighing with emotion.

The handsome young man he first met by the hidden lake has truly grown up.

The Yellow River plunged into the great trough at Hukou Waterfall.

A wisp of black hair and a wisp of white hair floated to the surface.

Like a lotus emerging from water.

She was still smiling.