Volume 2: Fuzhu Huodou
A Great Enmity is Avenged.
Yi Qiu suddenly felt a little regretful.
On this wonderful Qixi Festival, she could have spent it with anyone, so why did she have to ask this sharp-tongued bad bird to go out with her!
First she was saying that the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd were not a case of two feelings pleasing each other1, and now today she’s saying the Weaver Girl’s magical power is low and she’s just a little immortal2, not worthy of being worshipped at all.
Yes, that was right, she admitted. Coming from You Yan’s mouth, there was truly nothing wrong with those words.
This bird woman had never understood worldly love and affection, so naturally, she considered the story of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl not worth a single glance.
And the Weaver Girl was indeed just a fairy with low magical power. You Yan didn’t even place the Heavenly Emperor in her eyes3, so how could she possibly think highly of a tiny Weaver Girl who couldn’t even fight for the freedom to love?
It was just that she understood all the reasoning, but she still couldn’t help but feel that You Yan was being very scenery-killing.4
Hadn’t she said it before? Enter a village, follow the customs.5
This was the mortal realm, and the custom of the mortal realm was to worship the Weaver Girl on the seventh day of the seventh month!
It wouldn’t hurt to worship her once!
Besides, even if they didn’t worship, they could still go take a look…
The more Yi Qiu thought about it, the more she regretted it. The words “Forget it, let’s go back” had nearly surged from the bottom of her heart to her throat, but they were suddenly pushed all the way back by a single sentence from You Yan.
You Yan: “Whatever. We’re idle anyway, so let’s go take a look. It seems quite lively.”
Yi Qiu was surprised for a moment, and before she had time to think too much about it, she saw You Yan turn and walk ahead.
“Mouth is, heart is not6,” Yi Qiu muttered under her breath. Unable to hold it in, the corners of her mouth began to curve up wildly. But then she worried that it was too obvious how easily she was pleased and that she would be laughed at by the bird woman again, so she quickly pressed her lips together firmly for a moment before hurrying to catch up.
“You Yan, wait for me! Wai-wait for me…”
It was a major festival, and the Qijie’s Flower Palanquin7 happened to be just ahead. The main street was completely packed with people. In order to catch up to You Yan, Yi Qiu had to squeeze through the crowd for a long time, wrinkling her clothes in the process, before she finally managed to push her way back to You Yan’s side.
It wasn’t until she squeezed back to You Yan’s side that Yi Qiu discovered that You Yan was protected by an invisible and colorless spiritual power. Although the crowd beside them was dense, no one could get within half a meter of You Yan, and yet no one seemed to find this strange.
“Did you put up a sound-insulating barrier8 this time?” Yi Qiu asked in a low voice.
“Mhm,” You Yan replied.
Yi Qiu nodded, furrowing her brow as she looked down to straighten out her rumpled clothes.
Seeing this, You Yan’s eyes curved slightly. With a light tap of her fingertip in the air, she smoothed out the wrinkles on Yi Qiu’s dress.
“Having a high cultivation base really makes everything convenient,” Yi Qiu muttered.
“Once we return to the Demon Realm, you can quiet your heart and cultivate9 properly,” You Yan said faintly.
Yi Qiu thought for a moment, then looked up at You Yan and asked curiously, “If you were to teach me, would I be able to become really powerful as long as I cultivate properly?”
“You’re overthinking it. You were born weak. No matter how hard you cultivate, for your entire life, you’ll only ever be a feeble little demon.” You Yan didn’t give Yi Qiu any face at all. “However, you can still learn simple magical arts10 like the one just now.”
“…Oh.” Yi Qiu turned her head away and couldn’t stop herself from sighing.
As expected, in this kind of Xuanhuan11 worldview, innate racial disadvantages couldn’t be overcome by hard work.
An alpaca is just an alpaca. In this life, she could probably only ever spit.
“I’ve said it before, I will protect you.” As You Yan spoke, she lowered her gaze to glance at Yi Qiu and said leisurely, “As long as you follow me properly, even if you are weak your whole life, you can still live peacefully and safely.”
Hearing this, Yi Qiu couldn’t help but start roasting12 her in her heart.
There she goes. You Yan was starting again.
This bird woman really never missed a moment to remind her little alpaca—”You are too weak. Only by following me can you eat fragrant and drink spicy13 and live a life without worries.”
But then again, this was all the honest truth. By You Yan’s side, she did indeed live very comfortably. It would be even better if she could have her own room and her own bed, just like in the Demon Realm, and no longer have to sleep on the floor.
As Yi Qiu was thinking this, she unknowingly followed the flower palanquin to the Qijie’s Temple.
The Qijie’s Temple was built on a mountain in the western suburbs of Moshui City. It was usually quite deserted, but today it was especially lively.
After she started working, Yi Qiu had never gone out to experience the festive atmosphere on the streets. In all these years, this was the first time she had joined in on such a lively event. She was incredibly excited for a moment, but she was also afraid of losing You Yan in the crowd, so she held tightly onto You Yan’s hand and began to wander around with the flow of people.
You Yan was clearly very unfamiliar with this kind of liveliness. Although she was being pulled around everywhere by Yi Qiu, the surrounding excitement seemed to have nothing to do with her.
As they walked, Yi Qiu noticed this. Feeling a bit helpless, she simply took You Yan to a less crowded place, climbed to a higher spot to find a gazebo, and ate some qiaoguo with her.
“You Yan, we came out to celebrate the festival. Can’t you be a little happier?”
“I’m not unhappy,” You Yan replied.
“But I can’t tell that you’re happy,” Yi Qiu frowned.
“There’s a lot you can’t tell.” As You Yan spoke, she raised her eyes to look at the incredibly lively Qijie’s Temple at the foot of the mountain. “I’m quite happy.”
“Really?” Yi Qiu was clearly a bit skeptical.
But You Yan just reached out and casually ruffled her hair, messing up her bangs in a few strokes. It made Yi Qiu have to slap her hand away and straighten her hair a bit with a slight frown.
Finally, she stood up and looked down the mountain. Suddenly feeling that her mind was empty, she simply stood there and zoned out.
After an unknown amount of time, You Yan asked softly, “Why don’t you go make a wish?”
“Hm?” Yi Qiu snapped back to reality. She turned around, sat down on the pavilion bench, crossed her arms, and propped up an erlang leg14. She retorted, “Coming to the Qijie’s Temple on the Qiqiao Festival is either to pray for skill or to pray for a good marriage. I’m lazy; I don’t want to make things myself if I can buy them. And you won’t let me think about mortal love and hate, so what is there for me to wish for?” As she spoke, she pouted and continued, “Besides, you’re right. If you make a wish to the immortals and gods in the heavens, they might not hear it, and even if they do, it might not be granted. I’d be better off praying to the Demon Lord than to them.”
You Yan let out a soft laugh and asked with great interest, “Then, aside from marriage and relationships, what other wishes do you have?”
Yi Qiu tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said seriously, “Of course, I hope everyone can be well.”
“Everyone?”
“Mhm.” Yi Qiu nodded. “I hope Jiang Yuyao and that little pig’s trotter can both successfully pass through this life’s tribulation and return to the Jade Sea with Chao Yun, and live peacefully from now on without causing any more trouble. I also hope that Jian Li can be well. As long as she’s alive, Yue Zhuo won’t bring disaster to the mortal realm, and High God Xun Chi will also be very happy…”
“And what about you?”
“Me?” Yi Qiu looked up at the clouds on the horizon and thought seriously for a good while before shaking her head. “I don’t really want anything either. To live my days peacefully and safely, to have food and drink every day, and to no longer have to rush about working tirelessly—that’s my life goal.”
Actually, if she really had to name a wish, it would probably be to return to her original world.
It was just that, recently, when she thought about this matter, she felt a small amount of resistance in her heart, more or less.
She thought this was very likely because her current life following You Yan, a life of clothes come, stretch out hands; food comes, open mouth15, was simply too comfortable for a salted fish.16
If there were any other wishes besides that.
It would probably be the hope that one day, both she and You Yan could open their hearts to each other and no longer put up layers of defenses…
But she wouldn’t dare say such a wish out loud.
Hearing this, You Yan did not place a yes or no17, only following Yi Qiu’s gaze to look up at the sky.
When the sky began to darken, Yi Qiu brought You Yan back into the city. As night was about to fall, they casually ate a bowl of wontons18 at a street stall and then followed the crowd toward the liveliest area.
Yi Qiu had never thought that she would be able to personally experience a scene she had once only ever seen on television.
In the past, there weren’t many people on the streets at night, but tonight was exceptionally bustling.
Street performers juggled in the middle of the road, beating gongs and drums and shouting loudly for tips. The shops along the street and the many temporary stalls were mostly selling exquisite small items made in advance by the women of the city on consignment.
Just as Yi Qiu had said, they were all small trinkets that weren’t very expensive but were extremely delicate.
She pulled You Yan, running back and forth through the crowd. One moment she wanted this, the next she wanted to buy that, and before she knew it, her hands were full.
It wasn’t convenient to use a spirit pouch in the middle of a crowd, and on such a bustling street, it was a bit troublesome to find a deserted spot. When her hands could no longer hold anything else, Yi Qiu frowned and couldn’t help but nudge the motionless You Yan beside her with her elbow.
You Yan gave her a faint glance. “What?”
Yi Qiu said, “Lend a hand, I can’t carry any more!”
You Yan was silent for a moment, a clear reluctance on her face, but in the end, she still took some of the things from the little lass.19
“Hey, there are sugar figurines20 over there!” Yi Qiu tugged on You Yan’s sleeve while raising her full right hand to point at a small stall making sugar figurines in the distance. “Let’s go, let’s go, come with me to buy one!”
“Childish…”
“Childish, I’m very childish!” Yi Qiu replied, not caring at all, as she dragged You Yan all the way to the sugar figurine stall and stood to the side to wait in line for a long time.
After waiting for a long time, it was finally her turn. The uncle making the sugar figurines looked up and asked, “Miss, what would you like me to make?”
Yi Qiu pondered for a moment, subconsciously glanced at You Yan, and then her eyebrows curved into a smile. “Um… can you make me a bee with bird wings?” As she spoke, she showed the stall owner the side of her sachet with a Qinyuan painted on it. “Like this!”
The stall owner squinted, came closer to take a careful look, and replied with a smile, “I’ve never actually made one of these before, but I can give it a try. Just a moment, miss.”
You Yan couldn’t help but frown, but Yi Qiu paid her no mind at all.
When the sugar figurine was done, Yi Qiu took it and turned to make a funny face at You Yan.
“Boring,” You Yan said, but her gaze unconsciously drifted to the sugar figurine in Yi Qiu’s hand.
“It doesn’t look that much like it, but it’s not like he’s ever seen one before,” Yi Qiu said, glancing at You Yan as she held the sugar figurine to her lips. “Here, want some candy?”
“…No.”
“If you won’t eat it, I will!” Yi Qiu said, pulling the sugar figurine back and biting off half its head in one go.
“…”
Yi Qiu glanced at You Yan’s expression, and a feeling of a great enmity is avenged instantly welled up in her heart.
The author has something to say:
Seeing as you’re all looking forward to Yi Qiu flipping old accounts21, I just want to say, why do you all think Yi Qiu would dare to flip old accounts with You Yan?
You all…
Are really smart. Volume Three is the special feature for old accounts _( ￣▽￣ )_| ∠)_
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