The clouds on the horizon rolled and unfurled as if rapidly pulled and gathered by a giant pair of hands. The bustling noise of people coming and going in the Green Emperor Temple gradually faded. The little loach in his palm slept deeply, even exposing her belly.
Fucang covered her with his outer garment to shield her from the scorching sun. Suddenly he heard a clamor of human voices approaching from far to near. Someone kept urgently repeating: “It’s true! Just now we truly sensed something unclean beneath that divine peach tree! The ground was covered in frost! And there was a strange wind! Evil-Exorcising National Preceptor, please be very careful!”
As he spoke, a large group of mortals came rushing over in a flurry, surrounding a man wearing red robes and a thin, long black gauze cap. Seeing that the white frost beneath the peach tree had already completely melted, those four guards could only point at the ground full of peach leaves and repeatedly say: “National Preceptor, please look! The peach leaves fell for no reason! There truly was a strange phenomenon earlier!”
Fucang leaned against the peach tree, quietly watching this “National Preceptor.” This wasn’t any National Preceptor at all—he was clearly a demon. Upon seeing the divine being sitting beneath the peach tree, the National Preceptor’s face turned green. He found an excuse to drive everyone else away, then cautiously bowed in salute and said carefully: “Not knowing… that an Exalted God has descended to the lower realm, this… what is the…”
Before he finished speaking, he also saw the long-legged little loach in Fucang’s palm. His face turned white, and he said in horror: “This… could this be a Zhuyin Dragon God?!”
As soon as the words fell, the ice-cold Chun Jun was already pressed against his throat. The National Preceptor’s entire body froze, and he said in a trembling voice: “I haven’t harmed anyone! I’m a mountain demon who lives in Mount Taihang! I only coveted mortal splendor and came to become a National Preceptor! Exalted God, spare my life!”
His voice pleading for mercy was too loud. The loach in the palm made a very unfriendly “squeak” and rolled over, followed by her stomach making a huge sound—this dragon princess wasn’t much use in critical situations, but she was quite troublesome. Even injured, she still got hungry so quickly.
Fucang said flatly: “Bring some food.”
The National Preceptor nodded repeatedly: “Yes! Yes!”
He tried hard to glance at the Chun Jun sword pressed against his neck with his eyes. This heavenly treasure sword made his entire body sweat like rain and become soft as cotton, yet it seemed to have no intention of leaving his throat.
Fucang looked at him for a while, then said again: “About the matters here, if you speak even half a word outside.”
He didn’t finish the rest of his words. The National Preceptor hurriedly responded: “I… I didn’t see anything! I’ll take my leave now!”
He retreated with bowed posture the entire way, knocking over the artificial mountain by the pond but having no time to straighten it. These sounds again disturbed the little loach in his palm. She moved discontentedly, then suddenly burrowed headfirst into Fucang’s collar, curling up ice-cold against his chest. She opened her mouth and yawned again, then stuffed her head into the collar to block out the noise.
Fucang instinctively pressed against the ice-cold lump on his chest, and a rare trace of embarrassment flashed across his face. Opening his collar, he looked down somewhat helplessly at the loach coiled in his embrace. Although she was sleeping deeply, she wasn’t being honest. Her head kept moving, pressing against his skin, both cold and itchy.
Fucang tried tugging at this loach, wanting to pull her out from his chest. She twisted discontentedly, her head hanging on the collar, drooping weakly.
He felt even more helpless. He wanted to forcibly pull her out, but was afraid of touching her wound. After being stunned for a long while, he finally had to give up.
The surroundings became quiet again, with only the low snoring sounds of the loach in his embrace echoing. Emerald green peach leaves fell like sparse rain. One piece dropped on her little head. Fucang carefully pinched it off with his fingertip, and for a moment couldn’t resist touching her two small little dragon horns again.
They really felt very nice.
The National Preceptor quickly returned, having used his sleeve dimension to load up three full tables of delicacies. He placed them respectfully beneath the peach tree while saying: “Reporting to the Exalted God, these foods have all been carefully selected by this lowly one, absolutely clean. I hope they suit the Exalted God’s taste. This lowly one didn’t see anything and will take leave now. Please help yourself, Exalted God.”
Fucang rose and looked at those delicacies. Most mortal foods were rather coarse. That this National Preceptor could bring these was already quite difficult. He picked for quite a while but found very few that were edible. He could only select one tea pastry with a nicer color and place it by the loach’s mouth.
Her nose wrinkled, and she suddenly opened her mouth and swallowed the tea pastry in one bite.
Looking at her tiny body, one pastry should be about enough. Their whereabouts had been exposed—this place wasn’t suitable to stay long. Fucang pressed his chest and was about to leave when this loach made another “squeak” sound, very discontented.
Left with no choice, Fucang could only grab a handful of pastries and watch helplessly as she stuffed them all in her mouth one by one. Her body became round from being stuffed full, and only then did she contentedly shrink back into his collar to burp inside.
He now really had the feeling she wasn’t actually asleep at all. Opening his collar to look, her small eyes were still tightly closed. Having found a comfortable position, she was sleeping with drool flowing everywhere.
Zhongshan Dijun must not have had it easy raising her this big.
Fucang dove into the earth and fled another several thousand li in one breath, twisting and turning as he rushed swiftly toward the South Heaven Gate. That catfish demon couldn’t find them and would certainly linger and wait near the South Heaven Gate. But no matter what, the closer they got to the South Heaven Gate, the greater their hope of escaping.
Suddenly he saw shadowy figures ahead that seemed to be a large expanse of pitch-black buildings—likely the underground palace of some ancient demon clan. If he passed through it, he would certainly be questioned. Fucang didn’t wish to invite trouble and immediately leaped above ground. He saw the bright moon shining overhead, with branches and rocks scattered chaotically all around—he didn’t know what desolate wilderness this was.
The mortal realm had reached deep night again. If Gu Ting went smoothly, rescue should be arriving soon at this moment.
Fucang didn’t dare be careless. Gripping Chun Jun in his hand, he commanded the wind and advanced in a winding path. Just as he circled around a solitary cliff, he heard someone on the cliff top make a sound of surprise—the voice gentle and sweet, even somewhat familiar.
He looked with the corner of his eye and saw that a delicate bamboo pavilion had been built on the solitary cliff. Shao Yi Shenjun, who should have been leisurely and happy in the East Sea, was at this very moment holding a blue jade wine cup in his left hand and embracing a beautiful female demon in his right, reclining obliquely in the pavilion. With a hint of amusement and three parts surprise, he looked at him in astonishment.
“Junior Brother Fucang?” Shao Yi called out in surprise. “Why are you here?”
The beautiful female demon beside him, upon hearing the two words “Fucang,” actually jumped up, covering her chest in shock: “Heavens! He’s Fucang Shenjun?!”
Fucang couldn’t help but remain silent. He turned his head to look at Shao Yi, who somewhat helplessly spread his hands and chuckled lightly: “Indeed, he’s that Fucang Shenjun. Ning Ying, please calm down a bit. Don’t get too excited. Junior Brother Fucang, please come over for a chat.”
Fucang’s brow lifted slightly. After a moment’s consideration, he opened his mouth: “…Then I’ll trouble Senior Brother Shao Yi.”
He leaped lightly and landed in the bamboo pavilion. The female demon beside Shao Yi let out another cry of surprise, her powdered face flushing red. Covering her face, she just kept staring at him intently.
Shao Yi smiled and stuffed the wine pot into her hands, saying leisurely: “Ning Ying, why don’t you pour the wine?”
Fucang covered the blue jade cup and said flatly: “I’m not good at drinking. There’s no need to trouble the princess.”
Shao Yi smiled lightly, supporting his chin: “I can’t tell that Junior Brother Fucang’s discernment is actually so sharp. Ning Ying, look—he’s already seen that you’re a princess of one of the eighteen ancient clans. Are you happy now?”
The female demon called Ning Ying’s powdered face blushed beautifully red. She stepped forward and bowed gracefully, saying in a cloying voice: “Fucang Shenjun, I am the fourth daughter of the Jade Rat Great Lord, and my name is Ning Ying. I’ve long heard that the Shenjun is elegant and refined, noble and outstanding. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation.”