Chapter 107
In the end, Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao who both always woke up before dawn to train their skills both overslept on the second day after they were married.
It was only when the sun had risen almost three bamboo lengths into the sky before Liu Fuyi left their room. He had only barely exited the house before he was faced with Ling Miaomiao leaning on a wall. She was hugging her arms as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye with a mysterious smile on her face.
“Big Brother Liu.” She tilted her head to the side, the emerald-green ribbon used to tie her hair floating up with her movement. It felt like her apricot eyes were smiling at him as she shamelessly asked, “Isn’t being newlywed such a wonderful thing?”
This little girl….
“Cough.” Countless charming and gentle sensations and memories bubbled up in the depths of his mind. He tried to straighten his face out, looking up: “Where’s Ah Sheng? What are you doing standing here poking at our business this early in the morning?”
Miaomiao’s teasing grin faded as she started to talk about serious matters, “Big Brother Liu, can I borrow your Nine Mysterious Demon Restraining Pagoda?”
She blinked, a slight hint of heavy anxiety and restlessness within her eyes.
Liu Fuyi was stunned and subconsciously touched the small wooden pagoda in his sleeves. He asked in a baffled tone: “What are you planning to do by borrowing the Demon Restraining Pagoda?”
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Mbl Plxsd Slpvaykdkdt Vytsey oypd’v zkjl ydu aydesx vssz sa scflnv usw xktbv dlle sd y eykzu cypkp. Rv oyp yd lmvalxlzu rsolaqwz yde xktbvu ebyaxy vssz. Ohld kq vblu nswze psxlbso nsdvasz kv, wpl kv psxlbso, bl pvkzz oswzed’v zktbvzu zlde kv swv.
“Xb, Yw Fbldt jllrp yvvaynvkdt elxsdp ps xu assx yzoyup byp pxyzz elxsdp yzz shla vbl rzynl… kv alyzzu kp fwpv vss yddsukdt. R fwpv oydv vs csaaso kv vs pwrralpp vblx.”
Nkw Wwuk nswzed’v blzr cwv pxkzl: “Mbspl yal fwpv zlppla elxsdp. Gb Fbldt nyd lypkzu okrl vblx yzz swv okvb sdl byde, usw pbswze ypj bkx.”
“R esd’v oydv vs.” Nkdt Ykysxkys oyp pllvbkdt yp pbl zlv swv y pktb. Fbl rwzzle sd bkp pzllhl, clttkdt ydmkswpzu: “R fwpv bye yd yatwxldv okvb bkx. Jkt Jasvbla Nkw, fwpv zlv xl wpl kv qsa sdl dktbv. R’zz alvwad kv vs usw lyazu vsxsaaso xsadkdt, sj?”
Nkw Wwuk bye yzoyup clld xspv kdnyryczl sq alpkpvkdt tkazp ynvkdt ldvalyvkdtzu. Tl pyo vbyv vblal olal eyaj akdtp wdela bla lulp yde twlpple vbyv pbl bye sdzu nsxl vs qkde bkx yqvla pbl vawzu nswzed’v clya kv yduxsal. Mbwp, bl pkxrzu rwzzle swv vbl Lkdl Yupvlakswp Plxsd Slpvaykdkdt Vytsey qasx bkp pzllhl.
Mbl pxyzz osseld rytsey oyp sdzu vbl pkgl sq bkp ryzx. Rv oyp yp lmiwkpkvl yp yd yav lmbkckv rzynle sd y vyczl. Mblal oyp ds dlle vs pyu sa nbydv yduvbkdt yde kv oswze xykdvykd kvp pxyzz, elzknyvl yde byaxzlpp yrrlyaydnl. Ohld kq vbyv oyp vbl nypl, kv oswze cl xsal vbyd ldswtb zlyhkdt kv psxloblal qsa y dktbv vs lmvlaxkdyvl plhlayz yddsukdt zkvvzl elxsdp vbyv yrrlyale.
Tl bydele vbl Plxsd Slpvaykdkdt Vytsey vs Ykysxkys: “Myjl kv.”
“Mbydj usw Jkt Jasvbla Nkw!” Nkdt Ykysxkys’p lulp dlyazu dyaasole kdvs pzkvp yp pbl oayrrle bla qkdtlap nyalqwzzu yaswde vbl Plxsd Slpvaykdkdt Vytsey. Fbl pzsozu vwadle yaswde clqsal vasvvkdt cynj vs bla assx.
Liu Fuyi watched her back figure, smiling before shaking his head. He went out to buy some more yellow paper.
In her room, Ling Miaomiao laid on her bed in a daze by herself. Her hand supported her chin as she watched the slightly tilted pagoda in front of her eyes. Quite a while later, she finally reached out to play with the Demon Restraining Pagoda before her eyelashes started to tremble and she closed her eyes.
She thought for a good while before getting up quickly. She grabbed onto the pagoda tightly as she walked to the front of the wardrobe. It creaked as she opened up the wooden wardrobe with flowers carved all over it.
The thick fragrance of white plum blossoms gushed out, revealing the neatly folded piles of clothes that nearly reached the top of the wardrobe.
…. The two exquisite and expensive looking wardrobes were simply just that full.
Ling Miaomiao silently smiled. She tiptoed on her toes as she gesticulated with the Demon Restraining Pagoda. The small wooden pagoda could only horizontally squeeze into the small space. It was clear that it wasn’t exactly the most stable and after several tries, she gave up.
She sunk into thought for a while. Then, she closed the wardrobe and walked into the kitchen.
Early in the morning, only a few beams of weak sunlight came through the window. They threw themselves on top of the kitchen counter and to the side of the kitchen platform was a dark black water pot the height of a human. There was a very simple and crude cupboard set up in the corner of the kitchen. It was filled to the brim with lantern shaped pottery. However, from the third spot from the left was an empty spot. The sunlight shining down also seemed to light up the thin layer of dust on the bottom of the cupboard, causing the air above it to almost appear spotted with white.
Miaomiao placed the Demon Restraining Pagoda into the cupboard, finding that the spot inside the cupboard seemed to fit the pagoda perfectly. It wasn’t too big nor too small, it fit inside as if it had been made for it specifically.
Miaomiao closed the cupboard’s doors and brought out the lock she had prepared, locking up the cupboard. She took a few steps back, trying to measure the distance. Within a meter in all directions of the cupboard, she carefully moved away the shelves and stands. Then, she placed down three talismans.
She reached out and straightened out the edges of the talismans, pressing them against the rough texture of the wall. She dusted off her hands and let out a breath of hot air that turned white in the air. Under the sun beams, countless little motes of dirt swirled and twirled in the air around her hands.
Miaomiao strenuously moved all of the shelves and stands back to their original positions. The pots above trembled as she covered up and hid all of the talismans merged into the wall.
According to the original plot in 《Demon Hunter》, after the main leads arrived in Wufeng Town, the original host Ling Yu would participate in her final incident. This time, Liu Fuyi and Mu Yao successfully got married and it was quite clear that they were a couple that would be together till death did them part. Having been tormented so much by Mu Sheng, Ling Yu’s great desires faced with this disappointment turned into despair and as such — She blackened.
She no longer carried any extravagant hopes that he would be the one to pull her out of her sea of misery and pain. It was no longer just Mu Sheng. Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi had also become targets of her resentment and hatred.
With a twisted mental state that was willing to drag everyone down into the water together, she completed her fourth attempt at causing a disaster written down within the novel — At the same time, Ling Miaomiao was also following the original plot of the story and completing her final mission:
Trick Liu Fuyi into giving away his Nine Mysterious Demon Restraining Pagoda and hide it in a shelf in the kitchen. Then she would tell everyone else that a demon had stolen it, directly causing the main leads to become sitting ducks with no ability to resist once the Resentful Banshee trapped them in a formation.
After all, this dharma tool that belonged to Liu Fuyi was a bug-like existence within the novel. If it wasn’t for Ling Yu playing a scheme in the darkness, they would’ve never been forced to the brink of despair, they never would’ve been pushed to the point where someone had to bleed and sacrifice themselves.
Now, Miaomiao had copied and used a nearly perfectly identical method to hide the Demon Restraining Pagoda. Only, she had added in a little bit of her own personal struggles and used some of the methods Mu Yao had taught her. She used three talismans to create a little ‘pocket’ space.
As long as she burnt the talisman in her hand, she could allow the illusion within the formation and reality to combine into one. That was to say, once they are trapped in the illusionary formation, she could directly go from the kitchen within the illusion to reach the real kitchen based in reality. She could bring back Liu Fuyi’s bug-level dharma treasure.
Miaomiao buried her chin into her furry collar. She stared at the shelf for a long time before finally reaching out with a hand swing the lock back and forth a few times.
The beams of light shining on the wall gradually turned dark as countless black spot-like shadows moved about on the wall. Miaomiao turned around and discovered that at some point in time while she had been occupied, large geese feather sized snowflakes had started to fall, making a soft, nearly indiscernible rustling noise.
There was still about a week before the Resentful Banshee would make her attack.
The heavy snow fell for three days and three nights. The old tree in the courtyard suffered greatly from the snow pressing down upon it. Creaking noises could be heard every night.
The thick snow was just like a comforter for the earth, covering everything evenly, no matter the ups or downs. At the same time, the light reflecting off of it was bright enough to hurt one’s eyes.
MIaomiao’s small deerskin boots made soft squeaking sounds as the thick snow crumpled beneath them. She was holding a giant whisk broom as she strenuously tried to sweep away the snow. Her hair and lashed were all covered with a fine drizzle of pure white snow.
When Mu Sheng pulled aside the thick curtains and left the room, this was the first scene he saw. He stepped through the ankle-high snow and reached her side in a few steps. He immediately snatched away the whisk broom from her hands: “Give that to me.”
Miaomiao raised her head, some of the snow on her lashes melting as she did so. Her eyes were wet and moist and her little face was clearly red. She took off one of the thick gloves she was wearing and stuffed it into his chest: “Wear it ah.”
Mu Sheng subconsciously stuffed his free arm into his robes, letting his long lashes lower: “I’m not cold.”
She made threatening gestures with her extended hand before extending her cold fingers to touch his neck without any warning. Her voice was crisp as she spoke in a loud tone: “Not cold huh? Still not cold?”
The youth didn’t dodge her fingers, allowing her to mess around. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. He grabbed her wrist and stuffed it into his warm inner clothes. His pitch-black pupils glimmered with a sheen of water as he stared at her fixedly. His eyelashes fluttered, seemingly hiding a hint of of his astonishment: “Your face is so red.”
“Mhm… it’s hot.” Miaomiao pursed her lips and raised her face. Somehow, her smile was so wide it made her look a little silly, with how her eyes had turned into upturned half circles.
At such close proximity, he could nearly see the vapor and hot air rising off of her face.
Mu Sheng looked to the left and to the right. He couldn’t help but hug her tighter and then lightly bite her on her cheeks a few times before letting her go.
The snow piles within the courtyard were slowly escorted to a corner and into several hill-sized piles. Now, several spots of bright reflections were revealed on the ground.
This was the second time Ling Miaomiao saw the Seven Killing Formation personally. However, back at Jingyang Slope when she had walked past the corridor within the Li Residence, the sight she saw could not be mentioned on the same level as this. Not at all.
For the sake of subduing the Resentful Banshee, they had spent several days before they finally managed to draw this giant circle. In fact, it nearly encompassed the entirety of their current residence inside of it. Currently, sweeping and cleaning up the frost and snow on the ground revealed only a small corner of its entirety.
Miaomiao compelled Mu Sheng to wear the glove that was as furry and warm as a bear’s paw. She stuffed both of her own hands into her sleeves, shivering nonstop as she watched the youth focused on sweeping the courtyard. She saw that several miniature hills of white snow had been created and her eyes moved before she raised her hands to her mouth to shout loudly: “Ziqi!”
Mu Sheng paused, stood upright and looked at her. His dark pupils seemed extraordinarily pure on the snowy land.
The moment he turned his head, he saw the girl’s eyes glittering with light and laughing excitedly: “Enough sweeping ah, let’s play!”
He paused again: “Play what?”
Miaomiao already bent down with her wait and picked up a handful of snow, compressing it into an irregular clump of thick snow.
Mu Sheng pursed his lips as he watched her actions. His body entered a taut, nervous state, seemingly preparing for a tough fight.
Ling Miaomiao picked up another three handfuls of snow and when she turned her head to look, saw that he was standing there stiffly so she beckoned him over: “Come over you.”
Mu Sheng looked at her hand and found that she had already turned the soft snow into a human head sized ball.
Miaomiao…
He felt somewhat jittery as he clenched his hands into fists. After he estimated the damage the snowball could cause to him and confirming that he could withstand it, he obediently closed his eyes. He silently let out a sigh noiselessly.
“Why are you closing your eyes?” He suddenly heard a voice close to his ears. He blankly opened his eyes and lowered his head to see Miaomiao hugging the head sized snowball in her arms. She was looking up at his with a glint of curiosity in her eyes. She was using her other gloved hand to grasp onto the corner of his clothes as she pulled him to the side excitedly.
“Let’s go, let’s make snowmen!”
Mu Sheng: “……”
“Make… snowmen?” He watched as the girl plopped the big snowball onto the even bigger piles of snow on the ground. Very quickly, it rolled off. She froze for a moment before she moved it back up again, murmuring to herself: “Why does the head keep falling off…”
“That’s right.” Miaomiao spoke up again and used even more strength to plop the big snowball on top of the snow pile. She had nearly created a crater on the top of the snow pile from her repeated actions. “When you were young, didn’t anyone make snowmen with you?”
“In the future, I’ll help you fill those memories.” She crouched down before she turned her head around to peer at him with her bright apricot shaped eyes. Within her eyes, there was a small glow of pride.
The youth’s eyelashes softly fluttered. Before he even had the chance to reply, Ling Miaomiao abruptly slapped her calf and looked at him with a look of sudden realization: “That’s right, I forgot. I need to use branches as support.”
Mu Sheng followed Miaomiao’s directions and picked up a stick, then stuck it into the snowman’s round and plump head.
He tightly wrapped his hand around her little reddened hands: “Are you cold?”
“It’s cold.” Miaomiao raised up both of their hands and started rubbing them, while his hands were still wrapped around them. Once she felt some warmth, she reached out with her hand to rub the bald head of the snowman.
As she said that, she bent down and picked up a dried, withered Phoenix Tree leaf. 1
She carefully placed it onto the snowman’s head, “Here, now he’s got a hat.”
Miaomiao felt satisfied and turned around. She saw that Mu Sheng was looking into her eyes with his own pair of pure dark pupils. It looked like a calm lake with an occasional breeze blowing through and causing ripples to cover the entire surface of the lake. Within the lake, she could see her own figure.
“I feel like it’s still missing something?” Miaomiao tilted her head to the side as she studied the snowman. She blinked a few times before putting on her gloves with slow movements.
“… the nose.” He replied in a low tone.
“Right right right.” She grew excited again as she used her elbow to poke at him. She used an encouraging tone to whisper into his ear: “Hurry to the kitchen and steal a red nose for him.”
Liu Fuyi held yellow paper in his hands as he walked through the corridor. He watched the two sweeping outside, through the window. He watched as they eventually swept the snow into two piles of snowmen. They crouched together and he couldn’t tell what they were saying. He chuckled helplessly a few times before slowly strolling his way back to his room.
He pulled aside the curtains and found that there was a strange scent wafting through the air of the room. As he entered, he also joked a little: “What’s that wonderful scent?”
Mu Yao had her back to him as she bent her back to light some incense in the incense holder. When she heard him, she paused for a moment before replying softly: “The incense Miaomiao sent.”
Most young married women loved to make these sorts of things. Just thinking about the thick fragrance of the water Ling Miaomiao used to brush her hair with made him feel helpless but also caused the corner of his lips to hook upwards: “It truly is like her style to do so.”
Mu Yao slowly moved back and sat on the bed. Her eyes were lowered: “You took a look around, did anything change with the Seven Killing Formation?”
Liu Fuyi pulled up the hem of his clothes as he sat on the round chair. He faced her as he smiled: “How come you’re asking about the formation first thing? How was it last night?”
Mu Yao suddenly flushed red. She looked him in the eye with a bit of embarrassment: “I’ll… sleep in a different bed from you for these next two months.”
Liu Fuyi was about to move his teacup to his lips and froze. He asked nervously: “What’s wrong?”
Mu Yao lowered her eyes even more, taking a while before replying in a voice that was softer than a mosquito: “…. hurts.”
Having just gotten married, he truly didn’t know how to control himself a little… Mu Yao was easily embarrassed and would definitely only say something if she couldn’t bear it anymore. Thinking this far, he suddenly felt remorse along with tenderness fill his heart. Afraid that she would be ashamed, he didn’t dare look at her face, only looking everywhere else. He promised in a soft voice: “Then I’ll sleep outside the room, alright?”
The residences to the left and right of theirs also belonged to them. They had more than enough empty rooms.
They still had many days ahead of them, he was in no rush.
“Alright.” Finally, a thread of a smile appeared on her face.
The icy snow-covered land outside the window reflected bright sunlight into the room through the window. Liu Fuyi extended his hand as he smiled: “Let’s go, I’ll bring you to take a look at the formation.”
Her fair and slender hand fell into his palm. The instant he turned his head Mu Yao’s foot, adorned by an embroidered shoe, peeked out from under her skirt. She silently stepped on the corner of a piece of something white barely visible from beneath the bed and nudged it inwards, kicking it back into the darkness below the bed.
[1]
TLN: Wow the last few paragraphs were quite the rollercoaster. First we find out Liu Fuyi isn’t quite as gentle in bed… and then this foreboding scene at the very end. What a cliffhanger.