Yingshi already had what she considered a brilliant plan.
She had chosen the perfect location for them to hide from the disaster.
"...Fengmo Village?" Shuangjian raised his eyes to look at her.
"Uh-huh!" Yingshi nodded vigorously. "It's the village where the original male lead lived as a child, the one that was massacred. Choosing that place couldn't be more perfect. First, Fengmo Village is now an empty ghost town, with miles of desolate wasteland around it. If we make a commotion there, we won't disturb a soul. Second, the plot mentioned that the right hand the Demon Lord chopped off back then should still be buried beneath the village... We can dig up that severed hand in advance to nourish your body!"
"...Nourish my body?"
Seeing that Shuangjian seemed to be holding back a smile, Yingshi blinked and whispered, "Since you are already a demonic cultivator, wouldn't absorbing more demonic energy make you stronger? You didn't actually think I meant we should stew the arm and eat it, did you? That would be pure zombie meat..."
Shuangjian carried half of the Demon Lord's blood in his veins, and the lingering seal in his body was also the Demon Lord's doing. The demonic energy contained within the Demon Lord's severed arm could be considered to share the same origin as him, making it a truly great tonic.
Having them dig it up in advance was much better than letting some random nobodies snatch it away later.
Shuangjian seemed to ponder for a moment. Instead of nodding, he asked, "In the original book, were there no other plot points related to Fengmo Village?"
"Of course there were, otherwise I wouldn't have remembered a location that was only briefly mentioned in the background. However, that part of the plot doesn't happen now. It takes place later, after the original male lead studies at the Dao Yi Immortal Alliance for a while and takes on a demon-slaying mission in Tiandu City..."
"Tiandu City... I remember you telling me about this plotline in the thatched cottage." Shuangjian lowered his gaze and nodded gently.
"Yeah, I was rushing when I told you back then, so I didn't explain many of the details clearly. Fengmo Village is actually within the jurisdiction of Tiandu City. In that demon-slaying instance from the original text, the male lead encounters another female supporting character: the daughter of the Lord of Tiandu City, Princess Jiaping." Yingshi tried hard to recall, "Jiaping had reached marriageable age and was choosing a husband. She had many suitors, but one of them was a disguised fox demon. He had already killed quite a few people in the city, and eventually even murdered the City Lord!"
"When the original male lead arrived and exposed the fox demon's identity, the demon simply tried to kidnap Jiaping and flee back to the Demon Realm because Jiaping possessed the exquisite Seven-Aperture Heart he deeply coveted. And the entrance to the Demon Realm just happened to be in Fengmo Village." Yingshi's expression turned serious. "The male lead chased the fox demon back to his childhood home. There, he recovered the memories he had repressed after the trauma he suffered at age seven. He remembered that the person who slaughtered the entire village was the same one-armed man who had beaten him half to death six months ago, and that this man was actually his biological father! From then on, he set his ultimate goal of seeking revenge..."
"Going back to that fox demon, after he fled to Fengmo Village, he was actually bewitched by the Demon Lord's hand buried deep underground. He chopped off his own arm, attached the Demon Lord's hand to himself, and became a terrifying major boss. Having been chased so miserably by the male lead, he definitely wanted to retaliate. At that moment, he discovered that the male lead actually harbored a demon core inside him, so naturally, the thought arose to kill him and take the core. The problem was, while the Demon Lord's hand gave him immense power, he was also invisibly restricted by a mysterious will and was completely unable to deal a lethal blow to the male lead."
"He could only torture the male lead, curse him, treat him as a slave, and plan to slowly wear him down day by day. But in reality, Princess Jiaping, who had been forced to marry the fox demon, had long secretly fallen in love with the male lead. She helped him from the shadows, and together they killed the fox demon. During this process, the male lead completely internalized the demon core within his body. Originally, he was just a person who had fused with a demon core, but after that, he could be considered a half-demon. He could even freely switch into a demonic form, and his speed of absorbing worldly spiritual energy was more than three times faster than that of ordinary human cultivators!"
"After obtaining yet another cheat-like ability, the male lead took Princess Jiaping back to the Dao Yi Immortal Alliance with him..." Yingshi paused here, frowned, and said slowly, "I really wasn't wrong when I said the original male lead was a scumbag. Jiaping was a mortal brought to an immortal sect. Even though she used to be a pampered noble lady, facing cultivators who rode the clouds and rode the mist, she would feel inadequate and uneasy, just like a freshwater fish thrown into the ocean... She only knew the male lead, but he made absolutely no effort to comfort her. Because Jiaping said she wanted to devote her life to him, he avoided her all day long. In the end, it was even Bai Fangsui who showed Jiaping around the Immortal Alliance. As the only mortal female supporting character, Jiaping was truly pitiful..."
"..."
Shuangjian nodded in silence.
He had never thought of taking a mortal to a place where she didn't belong.
Or rather, all these interactions were things he had never considered.
But resisting at critical moments had exhausted all his strength. He didn't have the ability to deadlock with the rules at every step; more often than not, his soul was trapped in a shell, forced to merely spectate all decisions that went against his true will.
Catching Yingshi's disdainful look at this moment, he felt a faint trace of gloom in his heart, as if he were forced to bear the infamy that rightfully belonged to the rules. He didn't even have the right to clear his own name and could only powerlessly watch Yingshi release and deepen her aversion toward him. He said bitterly, "The current timeline is much earlier than the starting point of the fox demon's mischief in the original book. When we pass through Tiandu City, if we find any trace of him, we can eliminate him ahead of time."
"Yes, yes! Let's set off right now then!" Yingshi's thoughts jumped, and she started feeling a subtle mix of excitement and nervousness about the upcoming half-month tour of Fengmo Village.
They were clearly going to hide from a disaster, but before the countdown to the disaster truly began, it inexplicably felt like they were going on a vacation to a deserted island... like playing house.
"We need to buy plenty of daily necessities... The houses in Fengmo Village are probably unlivable by now, so we might even have to build our own house." Yingshi squeezed her bulging storage bag and smiled, "The bonus we just got will come in handy."
...
Setting off from the Dao Yi Immortal Alliance, Yingshi and Shuangjian spent a fortune renting a flying Luan bird for transportation.
The flying Luan was not allowed to set foot in the mortal realm, so it could only take them as far as the outskirts of Tiandu City.
There was an unwritten rule in the cultivation world that when in the mortal realm, everyone should try to act as normal and ordinary as possible. It was best not to show off spiritual power or special abilities in front of mortals.
Once they entered the city, they would have to walk with their feet on the ground.
Just the journey on the flying Luan took four days and three nights, costing fifty spirit stones.
Yingshi counted the days on her fingers, initially feeling a bit anxious. But as she looked down at the increasingly close mortal lands, she couldn't help but sigh in awe.
It was currently the twelfth lunar month in the human world, and the new year was approaching.
The years in the cultivation world were long, and cultivators did not place much importance on mortal festivals. However, the New Year atmosphere in the mortal realm was quite strong. Ordinary people had long since begun decorating with lanterns and festoons to celebrate. Looking down from high in the sky, one could see rows of dotted red lights, which were strings of connected red lanterns.
The streets and alleys were packed with dense crowds of people, looking like ants. The eyesight of cultivators was truly superior; even from such a distance, Yingshi could see the surging crowds in the market. But if the mortals looked up, they would only be able to see a dancing blue speck in the sky—the feathers of the flying luan were the same color as the sky, making it almost impossible to detect.
"It's so lively..." Yingshi leaned against the soft neck feathers of the flying luan, curling her hands into circles in front of her eyes like binoculars. "Shuangjian, look, are they performing a dragon dance down there?"
"..."
Shuangjian was stumped by the question.
In his third reincarnation, he had seen real dragons more than once at the Holy Spirit Mountain, but he had never seen a dragon dance.
Besides, looking at that short, twisting yellow strip below, it was vastly different from the dragons in his memory. It looked more like a crowd parading down the street holding some sort of banner.
"I suppose it shouldn't be," he said cautiously. "Dragons live in seclusion at the Holy Spirit Mountain year-round; mortals have certainly never seen them."
"Of course, that's just how everyone imagines dragons look... I also saw monkey shows, fish lanterns, cockfighting, and sugar figure blowing!" Yingshi didn't turn her head, announcing enthusiastically, "Once we get down there, we have to join in the fun! Let's celebrate the New Year together too, okay?"
Shuangjian didn't understand a single word Yingshi said.
They might not have come from another world, but they were just as unfamiliar to him as those otherworldly terms.
Because "celebrating the New Year" was, in itself, an extremely foreign concept to him.
But looking at Yingshi's radiant profile, he obediently nodded and held the sleeping Xiangxiang a little tighter, seemingly infected by her mood and feeling a certain warmth and anticipation.
"Okay."
Celebrating the New Year with Yingshi... even if there might be a fierce battle afterward.
...
Beneath the towering city gates, the flying luan, carrying a bag of spirit stones in its beak, let out a clear cry as it took to the sky. It flapped its wings to return and disappeared into the clouds in an instant.
After waving goodbye to it, Yingshi quickly took a deep breath.
The closer they got, the more they could smell the faint sweetness of pastries and the smoky scent of firecrackers that had been set off a few rounds in the air.
It was very much like the temple fairs from her childhood memories! Crowds of people were everywhere, brimming with joy!
"Let's go shopping first!" She tugged at Shuangjian's sleeve with a clear goal in mind. "First, let's change our clothes. Wearing so little, everyone will be able to tell we are cultivators... It's best to buy a few more sets so we have changes of clothes in Fengmo Village. I'm really tired of wearing the same disciple uniform every day. If we can get them custom-tailored, we might as well get a few pieces for Xiangxiang too."
The first stop of their shopping trip was a ready-to-wear clothing shop at the foot of the city gates.
When the boss and the shop assistant saw them come in, they didn't even bat an eyelid. It seemed this wasn't their first time receiving cultivators trying to blend in in disguise. They just calmly greeted, "Dear customers, please feel free to browse. We only accept mortal coins, no spirit stones..."
The shop was warm and cozy, with a dazzling array of various fabrics and ready-made clothes. Yingshi's gaze was quickly drawn to a white cloak hanging in a prominent spot.
The cloak was made of thick material. The outer brocade was embroidered with sparse bamboo patterns in silver thread, and the collar was adorned with a circle of fluffy fur, making it look both elegant and warm.
Yingshi's eyes lit up. She took the cloak down and measured it against herself. When she turned around, the overly long hem almost dragged on the floor.
She looked up at Shuangjian and asked with a smile, "Does it look good?"
Shuangjian's gaze fell on Yingshi's face, which looked even more radiant and delicate framed by the fluff. The cloak was obviously too large for her, but it bizarrely highlighted a kind of wrapped-up charming naivety.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He paused for a moment before saying softly, "...It looks very good."
"I think so too. It caught my eye immediately!" Yingshi smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. Before her voice faded, she had already stood on her tiptoes, raised her arms, and draped the cloak over his shoulders.
Shuangjian remained completely still, somewhat stunned, watching Yingshi walk around to his front. As she tied the ribbons at his neck, she muttered, "Good-looking people should wear white. Even that ordinary painter's outfit was made to look ethereal by you; this one will definitely look even better..."
Her warm fingers occasionally brushed against his cold neck. As she seemingly arranged the fur around his chest, a soft, light tickle rippled through his heart.
Just then, a young male voice interjected, "Is this cloak the only one of its kind?"
Yingshi's hand tying the ribbon paused slightly.
Shuangjian lifted his eyelashes at almost the exact same moment.
Even Xiangxiang, who had been "hibernating" all along, let out a grunt and quietly opened its beady black eyes.
They saw a young master in luxurious clothes, fanning himself with a jade-ribbed folding fan, standing just two or three steps away. It was unclear when he had arrived.
He was born with a handsome face, his brows and eyes naturally carrying a smile and an inherent air of romantic charm. His gaze was falling with great interest upon... Yingshi.
The shop assistants, who had been listlessly waiting to get off work, all raised their heads at the sound. At first glance, they were fiercely stunned for a moment by the appearances of the two customers they had previously ignored. Only then did they notice the wealthy young master who had recently gained some fame in the city, and they hurriedly went to greet him.
"Young Master Li? This cloak... is indeed the only one left."
"Oh? And what if this young master also wants it?"
The assistant said awkwardly, "This cloak uses white fox fur, which is a rare material. We couldn't possibly rush out a second one in a short amount of time. After all, the two customers ahead of you picked it out first. Otherwise... why don't you take a look at the other new arrivals in the shop? They aren't inferior to that one!"
"Forget it, it's not like just anything can catch my eye." The young master's eyes narrowed slightly. With a snap, he closed his folding fan and presumptuously cupped his hands in greeting toward Yingshi, saying gently, "I am Li Li, living in the west of the city. Seeing your extraordinary grace, Miss, like that of an immortal, I couldn't help but feel admiration! I wonder if you would do me the honor of allowing me to play the host and invite you for a drink at Zuixian Pavilion, the best restaurant in the city, to express my hospitality as a local, and also... to ask for your esteemed name."
Li Li's words were so direct they were almost abrupt, and his gaze openly sized Yingshi up, as if he were evaluating a rare treasure—which, in fact, was exactly the case.
Look at what he had discovered?
Not only was there Princess Jiaping's Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart in this city, but a Bodhi Heart had also arrived!
The Exquisite Heart alone could greatly increase his cultivation base. With the blessing of the Bodhi Heart, conquering the Demon Realm seemed just around the corner, didn't it?
Of course, the premise was that these two hearts must beat for him... Li Li swallowed hard.
However, the person before him was a cultivator, not a gullible mortal like the princess... But so what if she was a cultivator?
The more of a cultivator she was, the less she could do to him.
He was proficient in the art of concealing his aura. Having escaped from the Demon Realm, even if a Great Golden Immortal came, they wouldn't be able to discover his true form as a fox demon. In their eyes, he would only be a playboy in the mortal world... perhaps wicked, but still a mortal.
"Attacking mortals, that is something only a demon would do."
Li Li curled his lips into a frivolous smile, but before the smile could fully form, it suddenly froze.
Feeling that exceptionally icy gaze fixed upon him, the hairs on his body stood on end. An animalistic alarm bell rang wildly in his mind as he finally looked toward the man he had been intentionally ignoring.
Earlier, his entire attention had been drawn to the Bodhi Heart. He had merely thought the person standing quietly to the side holding a pig was just an ordinary cultivator with a somewhat colder temperament and an outstandingly handsome face. He had not even paid him much mind, but at this moment...
Meeting that dark, cold gaze, Li Li subconsciously tucked his invisible tail between his legs. His hand gripping the folding fan tightened with a crack, unexpectedly snapping the fan. The broken piece fell perfectly at the man's feet.
"..."
The air was terrifyingly quiet.
Li Li watched as the man raised his foot extremely lightly and slowly, stepping onto the broken fan.
There was no forceful crushing motion, just a simple, seemingly unintentional covering.
"Gulp."
Li Li heard the sound of himself swallowing, which was unusually clear in the pin-drop quiet shop.
His back was instantly soaked in cold sweat. His ornate brocade robe stuck to his skin, bringing a damp, cold clamminess.
He staggered back three steps until his back hit the wooden counter, bumping into the shopkeeper beside him who let out a startled cry, before he barely managed to stop himself.
But that world-spinning dizziness still had not disappeared. He had just been making a casual remark, how could there actually be a demon here?!
