Little Alpaca – Chapter 204
by Little PandaVolume 6: Bound by the Life Soul
So She Can Tunnel Through the Ground, Too.
“Those annoying jerks from the Heavenly Realm actually went and blocked the road.”
“Why would Xun Chi lie to you?” You Yan countered leisurely.
“…” Yi Qiu took a deep breath, rolled her eyes, and said, “Right, right, you’ve definitely figured everything out. So stop talking in circles with a slow-witted person like me and just spit it out. How are we getting back?”
“I haven’t figured it out,” You Yan said, sitting down lightly to the side. She propped her chin on one hand, her gaze falling upon the river connecting the two realms as she sank into thought.
Yi Qiu glanced around, then trotted over to You Yan’s side. Clasping her hands behind her back, she leaned over, tilted her head, and asked, “You didn’t think about this problem on your way here?”
“Didn’t I say we’d play it by ear?” You Yan said faintly. Her gaze flickered to Yi Qiu before she closed her eyes and sighed. “I knew the Heavenly Realm had stationed troops here, but I didn’t know there would be this many. It’s impossible to slip past them.”
“Why would Xun Chi lie to you…” Yi Qiu threw the same words back at You Yan.
You Yan took several slow, deep breaths, her brow furrowed in displeasure. “A bunch of incompetent nuisances who are only good for screwing things up.”
Yi Qiu shrugged and sat down beside her. “So what do we do now? We didn’t tell anyone when we left, so it’ll be a pain to ask for help… How about we go back and figure something out with everyone?”
“Figure something out? What could we figure out?” You Yan laughed. “With my identity, if I told them I was here to help, would you believe me? And if they don’t believe me, is the son of that stubborn old fool, the Heavenly Emperor, supposed to defy public outrage and personally escort me back to the Demon Realm?”
“Well…” Yi Qiu was struck speechless. She didn’t know how to respond for a long moment, finally managing to ask, “So we’re just going to sit here?”
You Yan didn’t answer, merely sinking deeper into her thoughts. Her somewhat pale face didn’t look particularly grave; it seemed she wasn’t the least bit worried by their predicament.
The Bird Woman wouldn’t be out of ideas, Yi Qiu thought, obediently hugging her knees as she sat beside her and looked up at the bright moon.
Buhuo City had moonlight just like this. Aside from seeming a little colder, it wasn’t much different from the Mortal Realm.
You Yan had said she would marry her once they returned to the Demon Realm. When that time came, countless people across the three realms would know that she was the one and only wife of the Demon Lord, You Yan.
The mindset of ancient people was so much more rigid than in the modern society she came from. She and You Yan were both women, which was bound to attract a great deal of criticism. But You Yan had never been afraid, so she wasn’t afraid either.
The only thing that frightened her was the possibility that before that day could arrive, this world would no longer tolerate a soul like hers, one that didn’t originally belong here.
In the silence, her thoughts were always a chaotic mess.
Her brief, wild musings were finally swept clear by the sudden gusts of wind that blew in with the early summer night.
But this wind seemed to carry a familiar yet foreign spiritual signature. It felt like an immortal god, but it wasn’t Xun Chi.
Yi Qiu faintly sensed that something was off, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. She had just reached out to poke You Yan and give her a heads-up when she heard You Yan say coolly, “Come on out. How long are you going to hide?”
What… she already knew?
Yi Qiu took a sharp, frustrated breath. But on second thought, it made sense. If the Bird Woman ever became so weak that she needed a low-level little demon like her to warn her of an approaching presence, she probably wouldn’t be able to survive in the three realms anymore.
As You Yan’s voice fell, an incredibly familiar voice echoed between heaven and earth.
“It’s not entirely impossible.” From within the withered mountain forest, under the dim moonlight, the voice carried an ethereal quality. “Leaving without a word… You really don’t see us as friends, do you?”
As the voice faded, the dead trees behind them suddenly sprouted tender green branches as if it were spring. Then, at their most lush, they shimmered with a soft spiritual light and transformed into a human form.
A sparrow on a nearby branch suddenly fell to the ground in a flash of fire, also taking on a familiar appearance.
“You, you two…”
“You were going back to the Demon Realm without telling us? If I hadn’t found out, were you really not planning to say a proper goodbye?” Jiang Yuyao said, walking forward a few steps. Her gaze on Yi Qiu held a hint of dissatisfaction.
Yi Qiu opened her mouth, wanting to apologize, but she didn’t know where to start. In the end, she could only ask guiltily, “How long have you been here?”
Jiang Yuyao replied, “Not long. We just got here half a day before you did.”
Yi Qiu was astonished. “Why are you guys here?”
“You’ve been asking Xun Chi about the entrance to the Earthly Realm repeatedly these past few days. I could have guessed with my toes that you were planning to return to the Demon Realm,” Jiang Yuyao said with a smile. “The day before yesterday, our little shimei said you two were gone, so we came here to wait in advance.”
“That was so fast…” Yi Qiu couldn’t help but marvel. As expected of someone with a protagonist halo.1 Truly, after a three-day separation, you have to see them with new eyes.2
She really hadn’t expected that the two of them could now keep up with You Yan’s speed. But on second thought, it wasn’t that surprising. After all, You Yan’s injuries were too severe, and she had wasted a lot of time stopping to rest along the way.
But still, not only did they show up, they had turned into a tree and a bird to eavesdrop for so long. They could really do whatever they wanted now that they’d recovered their divine power.
While Yi Qiu was grumbling inwardly, Luo Mingyuan got straight to the point. “Are you going to look for Chao Yun and that Yi Bird?”
“Ah… yeah.” Yi Qiu, unable to keep a secret, nodded.
“It’s too dangerous.” Jiang Yuyao couldn’t help but frown. “The Yi Bird has developed a Demon Heart and already possesses demonic power. Chao Yun went with her, so perhaps… she is no longer the Chao Yun of the past, much less Goumang.”
“Not necessarily… Even if she isn’t, we still have to find a way to persuade her to come back,” Yi Qiu mumbled under her breath.
The moment she finished speaking, You Yan, who had been quiet for a long time, stood up and said coolly, “It’s not convenient for you to interfere in this matter.”
Jiang Yuyao said, “How is it not convenient? Is it because Chao Yun is in the Demon Realm, or because your identity is special, and we can’t help you in front of the people from the Heavenly Realm?”
You Yan replied coldly, “You see? You’re both well aware of the stakes involved.”
“But we shouldn’t just stand by and watch,” Jiang Yuyao said. “Others may not know, but Miss You, don’t you? Chao Yun fell into demonhood for the sake of the Yi Bird, but we, who were being protected the whole time, are still responsible, even if we knew nothing at the start.”
Hearing this, You Yan fell silent for a few seconds before continuing, “Why think so much? Just give me some time. I will naturally give you a satisfactory result.”
“Miss You is the same as ever, refusing help from anyone. Are you afraid of being indebted to others?”
“…It’s just unnecessary.” The tone of a certain bird woman’s voice made it clear she was just being needlessly tsundere.3
“Actually, if we’re talking about debts, we owe you far too much, Miss You. We must repay it eventually.” As she spoke, Jiang Yuyao took two steps forward, helped Yi Qiu up from the ground, and smiled. “It weighs on my conscience to owe a debt and not repay it. If you really can’t accept it, Miss You, then I’ll have to trouble Yi Qiu to accept on your behalf.”
“Huh?” Yi Qiu was stunned for a moment. She shot a furtive glance at You Yan and, seeing that she didn’t look displeased, gave a small nod. “You… you and Little Pig Trotter can really get us in?” she asked curiously. “There are so many gods guarding the Netherworld. Are they all going to listen to you?”
“Who said anything about forcing our way in?” Jiang Yuyao laughed. “I have a way to avoid them.”
With that, Jiang Yuyao took several steps back. To Yi Qiu’s astonishment, her feet began to transform into tree roots, which burrowed deep into the earth.
What kind of method was this? Was she going to scout a path with her roots, bypassing the Netherworld to connect directly to the Earthly Realm?
Holy crap. As expected of the female lead, her professional skills are top-notch. She can even tunnel through the ground!
The author has something to say:
I’ll scold myself first: Oh my god, so short!
Footnotes
- ‘Protagonist halo’ (zhǔjiǎo guānghuán) is modern Chinese internet slang for ‘plot armor,’ the narrative convention where the main character is protected from harm by their importance to the story.
- A classical Chinese idiom (shì bié sānrì dāng guāmù xiāngdài) meaning that a person can improve so dramatically in a short time that they must be regarded in a completely new light.
- The term ‘傲娇’ (àojiāo) is borrowed from the Japanese ‘tsundere,’ describing a character who is outwardly cold or hostile but inwardly warm and caring. ‘瞎’ (xiā) is a colloquial intensifier meaning ‘blindly’ or ‘for no reason,’ implying the tsundere behavior is baseless and obvious.
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