The demon vine wouldn’t let go, desperately wanting them to help reclaim bones stolen by demons. He Liansheng didn’t even need to act – his mere presence was enough to make sensible demons flee.
Xing Shuishui explained: “It used to be human, but demons took its bones, preventing reincarnation.”
“He Liansheng, please help it.”
He Liansheng paused, his tone harsh: “What does its reluctance to reincarnate have to do with you? Do you want to help it reincarnate?”
Such a cold person – Xing Shuishui deeply doubted whether the characters in the Book of Life and Death were real. This person seemed devoid of any warmth.
If he ever discovered she was a spirit, he definitely wouldn’t spare her.
The demon vine wilted at his words.
But Xing Shuishui said: “Isn’t a cultivator’s duty to subdue demons? When you discover demons here, they might already be causing havoc. We’re not the only ones on this path – what if they start eating people if left unchecked?”
Indeed, there was more than one demon. Xing Shuishui thought with subtle irony.
For instance, a peach blossom spirit was currently perched on his back.
He Liansheng’s expression turned cold as he impatiently grabbed the demon vine: “Lead the way.”
The demon vine spun joyfully in the air, looking especially happy.
Xing Shuishui stared at the demon vine, suddenly wondering – since it was human in its previous life, how did it transform from human to vine after death? Logically, it should be in soul form.
Could it be possession?
Even she wasn’t sure if her rebirth counted as soul replacement or possession. But what’s done is done – there was no point dwelling on it.
The forest was quiet, with white mist growing thicker as they went deeper. Under a cliff lay something bizarre – white eyes, black hair, shaped like a hippopotamus. Clearly not a friendly demon.
Seeing it, Xing Shuishui wasn’t surprised.
A soul-eating demon… particularly fond of using human bones as pillows, normally feeding on the dead but sometimes attacking the living.
That explained everything.
He Liansheng never concealed his aura.
The soul-eating demon noticed them too, spitting out a pale corpse before crouching to pounce at them. The demon vine frantically pointed at the soul-eater while retreating to the side.
He Liansheng smirked coldly: “Know your place.”
He drew out a talisman. As soon as the spiritual fire touched the demon’s hair, it let out a miserable shriek before quickly perishing – even weaker than the fire toad.
Xing Shuishui looked toward the cliff base where human remains were piled like mountains.
This demon could really eat. Though it was strange where so many bodies came from.
Looking carefully, she noticed something odd about the pile. Some had flower buds growing from their heads, others had blooming flowers – white and red, though mostly white. From afar it looked like a sea of flowers.
The white arms were intertwined with demon vines, similar to these flowers in age.
The demon vine that had just sought their help bowed in gratitude before diving into one of the eye sockets. Xing Shuishui had never seen such a bizarre sight.
She asked: “He Liansheng, what are these flowers growing from their heads?”
How strange.
“Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t.”
He Liansheng suddenly summoned a message talisman. Soon after, Li Guanyu arrived. Li Guanyu was shocked by the scene but seemed relieved upon seeing Xing Shuishui on He Liansheng’s back.
Noticing their gazes, Xing Shuishui explained: “I was tied up for so long it hurts, I can’t walk.”
He Liansheng said simultaneously: “Broken.”
They exchanged glances, both falling silent. Afraid he might throw her off the next second, Xing Shuishui held on tighter. He stiffened, giving her a cold warning look.
Li Guanyu forced a smile: “Good that Shuishui is safe.”
Xing Shuishui noticed Li Guanhang, usually inseparable from Li Guanyu, wasn’t present and asked curiously: “Brother Guanhang didn’t come?”
Li Guanyu seemed to recall something: “Guanhang, he—”
He Liansheng cut in rudely: “Enough nonsense. Check if these flower buds are the jade flowers the king mentioned.”
Xing Shuishui was completely lost.
Seeing this, Li Guanyu patiently explained: “Our destination was originally the Luodan Kingdom. We just happened to pass through Yishan and sensed something strange, so we stopped to handle the demon problem.
Recently, the Luodan king sent a letter to our sect leader about jade flowers running rampant in his kingdom. These flowers use humans as nutrients, gradually growing from people’s heads – extremely dangerous. We didn’t expect to find jade flowers before even reaching Luodan’s borders.”
She lowered her eyes sympathetically: “These people… must have died when the jade flowers drained their nutrients.”
Luodan Kingdom…
Where she first met Du Dizhu, and where Sister later died. She never expected these Lingshan cultivators would go to Luodan Kingdom.
Xing Shuishui composed herself, quickly returning to normal.
Feigning curiosity, she asked: “What are jade flowers? I’ve never heard of them.”
Li Guanyu shook her head: “The common ‘Book of Hundred Herbs’ has no record of such flowers. We don’t know much either, let alone how to eliminate them. Perhaps only Senior Shang knows what these jade flowers are.
Unfortunately, Senior Shang is currently wandering and unreachable, even by the sect leader’s messages.”
The Shang family was skilled in both poisons and medicine, knowledgeable about all herbs in the world.
Having been dead for over a hundred years before rebirth, Xing Shuishui didn’t know who the current Shang family head was, nor which senior Li Guanyu referred to.
She consoled: “Sister Guanyu, don’t worry. Since jade flowers are spreading in Luodan Kingdom, there must be a source. Once we enter Luodan, we’ll find a breakthrough and successfully complete the king’s request.”
Meanwhile, Xing Shuishui thought she might also find a way to break He Liansheng’s demon-suppressing pagoda and escape.
Li Guanyu smiled at her words.
With the demon dead, the piled bones lost their resentment. Li Guanyu wanted to ask about the jade flowers before they were taken away.
Raising her hand to form seals, she chanted an incantation. Blue light flashed over the mountain of bones, but quickly withdrew.
Li Guanyu frowned, face pale: “They don’t want to be disturbed anymore, unwilling to communicate with us.”
Too principled – if not for He Liansheng’s intervention, they’d have ended up in the soul-eater’s stomach.
Xing Shuishui pointed to one of the bones – the one that led them here – and said: “Maybe we could ask that one?”
He Liansheng sneered: “No need for such trouble.”
He conjured fire, setting the bone pile ablaze. Was he trying to reduce them to ashes?
Xing Shuishui felt embarrassed for them. The demon vines indeed became anxious.
Li Guanyu asked again, finally making progress.
She said: “They don’t know the flower’s source or how it spread. But in Luodan Kingdom, many people have been parasitized by these flowers.”
Her face showed uncontrollable worry: “Is it really that serious?”
He Liansheng said: “It’s just a flower, whether jade flower or wild weed. If it causes trouble under my watch, I’ll ensure it dies miserably.”
Xing Shuishui, a peach blossom spirit: “…”
Thankfully she had the aura-concealing talisman.
Li Guanyu said: “Let’s go to Luodan Kingdom and see.”
Though Xing Shuishui was brought out of the forest, she sensed He Liansheng hadn’t accepted her at all, ready to make her walk once feeling better. She didn’t want to get down. He prepared to throw her down.
Xing Shuishui could only pout and walk herself.
Seeing Xing Shuishui brought back from the forest, Li Guanhang resumed crossing his arms and glaring.
Instead, the caught swindler curiously examined the newly-appeared Xing Shuishui, quietly asking Li Guanhang: “I wondered why that fierce cultivator rushed into the dangerous forest – turns out it was to rescue his companion. But why do you keep staring? Oh, I get it – you like him too, it’s a love triangle!”
Xing Shuishui: “?”
Li Guanhang: “???”
He Liansheng shot a glare, directly using magic to hang the swindler upside down from a tree.
“Help! Help! You cultivators dare attack a helpless weakling like me!”
In the end, Li Guanyu rescued her.
Li Guanhang complained: “Sister, you’re too kind. She scammed you but you still save her. I say leave her to fend for herself!”
The girl said: “I told you I didn’t scam your sister or take her money – she gave it willingly. The first burial was for my birth father, the second for my adoptive father.”
Li Guanhang pointed: “Sister, look! Still lying!”
After listening for a while, Xing Shuishui finally connected this suddenly-appeared person with the one from Li Guanyu’s money pouch incident.
Li Guanyu said: “Alright, alright. Maybe she really needed the money. By giving it, we solved her urgent need and earned some merit for ourselves.”
She smiled at the girl: “Miss, where do you live? Traveling alone isn’t safe. If it’s on our way, we can escort you home.”
The girl stared blankly at Li Guanyu, confused but still answering: “I’m Xia Mingkui from Luodan Kingdom. After my father died, I performed for money. Now that I’ve saved enough, I’m heading home to find my mother.”
Li Guanhang sneered: “Are you a performer or a swindler?”
Xia Mingkui: “What’s your problem? So what if I swindle? Whether through tricks or performances, getting money shows my skill!”
Li Guanhang was furious: “You admitted it!”
But Li Guanyu calmed him: “Guanhang, enough. That’s in the past. It’s getting late and we need to travel tomorrow. Let’s rest here for the night.”
Luodan Kingdom…
Xing Shuishui paused, thinking perhaps through her she could learn more about the jade flower situation.
But then she wondered – what connection did the jade flowers in Luodan Kingdom have with this demon?
Seeing He Liansheng by the campfire, Xing Shuishui thought she should try to lower his guard.
This time she didn’t stay away but sat beside him asking: “He Liansheng, are you still angry about last time?”
He Liansheng looked at her: “?”
Xing Shuishui pointed to his forehead, saying: “I’m sorry. Later I asked Sister Guanyu and learned it was a headband from your master. Must be very important – outsiders shouldn’t touch it. I didn’t know.”
She felt she had sincerely apologized.
But He Liansheng just stared with disdain, as if repeatedly confirming something. He suddenly grabbed her hand, pulling her closer. Xing Shuishui lost balance, nearly falling on him.
Instinctively raising her head, they were extremely close.
Fingers lightly touching his armguard, her scalp tingled.
Xing Shuishui could feel his warmth, completely contrary to his cold gaze. She couldn’t guess his thoughts.
The campfire’s shadow reflected in her eyes. Seeing those eyes made He Liansheng inexplicably irritated.
He examined Xing Shuishui’s face for a long while, perhaps finding it too foolish-looking, then pushed her away, finally concluding: “Hmph… impossible that it’s you.”
Xing Shuishui: “???”
What was he mumbling about?
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