Chapter 85: Down the Mountain

Chapter 85: Descending the Mountain

"Fetch something?" Upon hearing Abbess Jingxin say this, Li Huowang's mind raced with countless thoughts in an instant.

Seeing the grave expression on Li Huowang's face, Jingxin began to explain.

"Don't think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill just to get rid of your master. That thing is the key. Without it, no one in this world could pry your master away from you. He clings to you too tightly, far too tightly. I can smell his scent on you right now."

These words weighed even heavier on Li Huowang's heart. He pondered for a moment before speaking again, "Abbess Jingxin, this must be the final condition, yes?"

Seeing her nod in affirmation, Li Huowang took a deep breath and said, "Very well! It's a deal. What is it that you want?"

He was not afraid of her making demands; he only feared her breaking her word. As long as there were conditions to meet, it remained within the realm of a transaction.

At least from what he could see now, Li Zhi had not lied on his deathbed. The nuns of the Anch'an Nunnery could indeed be called good people in a certain sense.

In this bizarre world, it was already hard enough to find such souls.

Moreover, he had no other choice now. If he went looking for another way, he feared Danyang Zi would arrive first.

"A pair of eyes. The eyes of a most peculiar fiend. Two hundred li east of Mount Henghua, there is a forest. Go there and bring back the fiend," Jingxin revealed her final condition.

"A fiend? What kind of fiend? What are its abilities?" Li Huowang wanted to know exactly what he would be facing.

"It is called the Eighteenth of the Twelfth Month. That thing is exceedingly strange; it changes every year on the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month. Not only does its appearance change, but its supernatural powers shift as well. I do not even know what it looks like now. Just remember that it is red."

"As for how to pluck out those eyes, you will have to figure that out yourself. You carry the Record of the Great World on your person, so are you still afraid you cannot deal with it? Besides, would your immortal master truly let you die?"

"The Eighteenth of the Twelfth Month? That's a name?"

A troubled look crossed Li Huowang's face. That was it? Without a single hint, he was just supposed to go deal with some fiend? Wouldn't that be like going there completely blind?

He certainly did not want Danyang Zi to intervene again. If he did, heaven only knew who his body would truly belong to.

"Could I ask the masters in the nunnery for assistance? Other matters are open to negotiation."

"Hehe, they are lazy, terribly lazy. If you have the ability, go persuade them to move, but I suppose you don't have the money to hire them to descend the mountain anymore, hehehe." Abbess Jingxin teased her juniors in a soft voice.

With the target now confirmed, Li Huowang no longer dawdled. After verifying the location of the Eighteenth of the Twelfth Month with Jingxin once more, he cupped his fists to her, turned around, and prepared to leave.

"I won't trouble the Abbess with a meal any longer. I will go down now and have someone bring up the gold."

"Ah, right, I smell dried persimmons on you. I love dried persimmons the most. Remember to bring me those as well."

"This one understands." He had already handed over all the gold; a little extra food wouldn't make a difference.

As Li Huowang turned and left, the room plunged back into darkness.

However, this had no effect on Jingxin, who was already blind. She extended her right hand, the gaps between her fingers blackened with grime, and reached into the greasy folds of her own flesh to dig around.

After fishing about for a while, with a wet "pop," an emaciated old man with atrophied limbs and a bald head was pulled out, mingled with putrid fluids.

The old man, withered like a dying tree, had a crooked mouth and slanted eyes, occasionally muttering something incoherently.

Jingxin gently cradled him in her embrace, her bosom oozing with pus, and mouth-to-mouth, she transferred the food from the basin into his mouth.

"My son, did you hear that? In a few days, you'll have dried persimmons to eat. Hehehe, aren't you happy? I still remember how much you loved eating dried persimmons when you were in split-crotch pants."

The old man showed no reaction to Jingxin's voice, unconsciously dry-heaving the food out of his mouth.

As if she hadn't noticed, Jingxin continued to repeat her previous actions.

"See that? This boy is a Heartless Vessel just like you. But his future will be far more miserable than yours. You have a mother, but he has none. Who knows what kind of fate awaits him in the future. Sigh, this boy is truly pitiable..."

Inside the Penglai Inn, Bai Lingmiao, completely naked, rested her hands on the edge of the wooden tub and sighed softly, "I wonder how Senior Brother Li is doing. If only I could have gone up with him earlier."

"Should I tell him or not? If I do, won't he just worry about me? But he already has enough to worry about."

After pondering for a long time, until she realized the water in the tub had grown a bit cold, Bai Lingmiao finally stood up from the petal-scented water, dressed herself, and walked toward the bedchamber.

"Forget it. Anyway, in three days, if he hasn't come down, I'll definitely go up to find him. Who says I'm a burden?"

With a creak, Bai Lingmiao closed the door again. As it shut, a bizarre woman standing behind the door was revealed—wearing a red bridal veil, a colorful striped skirt, and red embroidered shoes.

Entering the room, Bai Lingmiao lifted the quilt and slipped in with a playful expression on her face, wrapping her arms tightly around the person inside.

"I like Sister Xiaoman the most. You're so fluffy; it's really comfortable to hug you."

Xiaoman turned around, facing the white-haired girl, close enough to feel each other's gentle breaths.

"What's so good about this? It's because of this black fur that others treat me like a monster. Even old bachelors in their sixties wouldn't dare marry me."

"Don't worry, Sister Xiaoman, you'll surely find your perfect match." Bai Lingmiao reached out and gently rubbed the black fur on the other's body.

"There's no need. I hate men, and I'm going to become a self-combed woman!" Xiaoman spoke with absolute determination. "I can live just fine without relying on a man!"

"Why must it be this way, Sister Xiaoman?" Bai Lingmiao's eyes widened in surprise. She had wanted to ask if it was because of her father, but the words stopped at the tip of her tongue.

Watching Xiaoman turn away and present her back once more, Bai Lingmiao wrapped her arms around her, holding her gently.

"Sister Xiaoman, if you have nowhere to go in the future, come to my home. How about being the godmother to my future children?"

Xiaoman did not answer, but merely looked at the wall before her with hesitation in her eyes. "Are you truly determined to marry Senior Brother Li?"

Bai Lingmiao did not reply, but shyly gave her a light, playful tap.

"Why not think it over again? I'm saying this for your own good. Although Senior Brother Li has been kind to us, there's no need to repay him like this. After all, he... he is that kind of person."

(End of Chapter)