Jiu Hui turned her head to look at the dense forest. A rustling sound came from the forest. After a moment of chaos, the surroundings became quiet, so quiet that even the sound of insects could not be heard.
“Don’t mind them.” Jiu Hui put the token back in her pocket and said righteously, “They’re just jealous and saying such nasty things.”
“Mm.” Zhi You nodded. “I believe you.”
“Let’s go.” Jiu Hui was instantly satisfied. She pointed to the small path ahead with a smile. “Follow this path for half an hour, and you’ll reach our village.”
After Jiu Hui and Zhi You disappeared around the bend in the path, a white-faced monkey poked its head out from behind a tree trunk. “The little tyrant brought a human back, and he’s a handsome man.”
“Could it be that…”
Swish, swish, swish.
A commotion came from the grass, and five or six different heads poked out from it, saying in unison, “She went to the mortal world to forcibly seize a civilian man?!”
“What?!“carpreads.pages.dev
From the bushes, flowers, and even the soil, all sorts of heads popped out: “Not only is the little tyrant back, but she also brought back a helper?!”
“Alas, how lamentable!”
The joys and sorrows of humans were not the same, and neither were those of plants and animals.
As they walked, Jiu Hui told Zhi You about the funny things that had happened to her on this road when she was a child. “See that little mud puddle up ahead? When I was a kid, I was fighting with a white… cat and fell into this pit. In the end, Uncle Wu pulled me out of the mud.”
After she returned, she was nagged by seven or eight village elders for half a month, and then she inexplicably gained two thousand years of cultivation.
Her grandparents, uncles, and aunts all said that they had not passed on the cultivation to her, and they criticized the other elders in front of her, saying that if it had been them, they would never have spoiled her.
In short, from childhood to adulthood, whenever she fought with the surrounding monsters, regardless of whether she won or lost, she would be scolded. Then, inexplicably, her cultivation would increase by a bit.
“On the other side of that mountain, there are several beekeepers whose honey is exceptionally delicious. I’ll take you there to try it in a few days.” Jiu Hui pointed to the distant mountain. “There are iron-eating beasts in this mountain. Their cubs are fluffy and look like black-and-white rice cake dumplings when they run. They’re so cute and fun. I’ll take you to play with them tomorrow.”
Plop!
A middle-aged man in a gray robe fell out of the grass. He looked up and saw Jiu Hui standing in front of him. His eyes widened, and he quickly got up from the ground and bowed to Jiu Hui repeatedly. “Miss Jiu! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to block your way. I’ll leave right now, immediately.”
After he finished speaking, he crouched down, hugged his head, and rolled into the grass. With a splash, he rolled into the small river next to him, creating a huge splash.
“Hey!” Jiu Hui parted the grass and called out to the river, “I didn’t say I was going to beat you up. Why did you run away? You’re making me look bad for no reason!”
Zhi You walked to Jiu Hui’s side and looked towards the river. He saw that on the river surface shimmering with golden light under the sunlight, the man in the gray robe was desperately paddling with his hands and feet, moving away from where they stood at an incredible speed.
“These are people from Xiahe Village. A few years ago, they fought with our village over… farmland. Ever since they lost, they run away whenever they see us.” Jiu Hui turned her head to look at Zhi You. “Life in the deep mountains and old forests is not easy. They saw that our Shanghuang Village was living a prosperous life, so they came to seize our farmland and water sources. We had no choice but to fight back. It was a helpless situation. Don’t you agree?”
“Mm.” Zhi You nodded. “They came to steal things, but you only repelled them and didn’t take their lives. You are truly kind.”
“Mm-hmm.” Jiu Hui nodded in agreement. “Grandpa Village Chief said that everyone is a living being, and if we can spare their lives, we should. Our Shanghuang Village is known for being tolerant and benevolent for a thousand miles around.”
“Shanghuang Village.” Zhi You read the name with a gentle tone. “It has a truly ancient charm.”
“The village chief said that this area used to be a vast wasteland, and our village occupied the water source and land above the wasteland, so it was named Shanghuang Village.” Jiu Hui led Zhi You forward. “There are also Xiahuang Village, Dalin Village, and others nearby. You don’t have to worry about the people in these villages. The people of our Shanghuang Village have a say in all the nearby villages.”
The further they walked, the more beautiful the scenery became. There were gurgling streams, colorful mountains and forests, misty mountain peaks, waterfalls cascading down from high cliffs, and crystal-clear deep pools.
It was not like a village, but rather a divine land forgotten by the world.
Every step was a scene, and every stretch of road was a different painting.
But Zhi You had no interest in admiring it. The antelope in his heart was beating faster and faster, as if it had already jumped into his throat.
“Once we cross this stone bridge, we’ll be in the territory of our Shanghuang Village.” Jiu Hui took Zhi You’s sleeve and walked to the bridge. She placed her palm on the stone tablet beside the bridge, and the stone tablet emitted waves of green light.
“Let’s go.” Retracting her hand, Jiu Hui looked at Zhi You with a smile. “Don’t be nervous. The village elders know that I’m bringing you here, and they all welcome you. If you don’t know how to address them later, just follow my lead.”
“Don’t be afraid.” Jiu Hui patted the back of his hand gently, her palm warm. “I’m here for you.”
The moment he stepped onto the stone bridge, a thick spiritual energy rushed towards him. Zhi You heard the sound of the river flowing and the ethereal sound of birds singing.
A giant blue bird flew over their heads and dropped a flower from its beak, which landed right on Zhi You’s shoulder.
“This is a gift it brought for you to mark your meeting.” Jiu Hui helped Zhi You pick up the flower branch and placed it in his palm. “Legend has it that when a blue bird offers a branch as a gift, it signifies good fortune and happiness. It’s a blessing from the bird.”
Zhi You gently held the flower branch. The petals were fresh and tender, and there were still crystal clear dewdrops on them. This was a very beautiful flower.
“Thank you.” Zhi You thanked the blue bird as it flew away. He took out a jade box from his storage ring that could preserve freshness and carefully placed the flower branch inside.
Jiu Hui stood quietly on the bridge waiting for him: “Seeing how much you like the flowers it sent, the blue bird will definitely be happy.”
The mountain breeze gently brushed against their robes. Jiu Hui’s heart softened. Zhi You, who lived alone, must have been very lonely and isolated. That was why he cherished everything, whether it was the clothes that Aunt Jiao had given him, the jade ornaments that the village elders had given him, or even the flower branches that the blue bird had given him.
After Zhi You put away the jade box, Jiu Hui extended her hand to him and said, “Hold my hand.”
Zhi You blushed instantly. He looked at Jiu Hui, his hands hidden in his sleeves clenching and unclenching, but he didn’t dare to reach out.
“There’s a protective formation in front of the village. You won’t be able to enter without me leading the way.” Jiu Hui grabbed Zhi You’s left wrist and pulled him forward gently. “Let’s go.”
Zhi You didn’t know how he got off the bridge, or which foot he stepped forward with first. His mind was buzzing, and the wrist that Jiu Hui was holding was hot and stiff. He felt as if he had been thrown into boiling water.
As for what the formation was and how they got out of it, Zhi You had no idea.
After passing through the formation, Zhi You first saw a towering tree. Under the tree was a stone table, and an old man with white hair and a beard sat at the table. He had the demeanor of an immortal.
The old man was leisurely enjoying his tea. When he saw the two of them appear, he immediately put down his teacup and stood up from his stool. “Little Jiu?!”
“Grandpa Bu!” Jiu Hui pulled Zhi You to the old man and said, “I’m back. Did you miss me?”
“Let me see, oh my, let Grandpa take a look, have you lost weight?” Grandpa Bu lovingly circled Jiu Hui, then turned to look at Zhi You with a smile. “This must be the Zhi You you often mention in your letters?”
“Junior pays respect to Grandpa Bu.” Zhi You quickly cupped his hands and bowed deeply.
“Hey, hey, hey, hey, get up quickly!” Grandpa Bu’s expression changed. He quickly supported his hand and didn’t accept his courtesy. “We’re family. We don’t need to stand on ceremony. Jiu Hui is a good kid, but her temper is a bit fiery. I’m impressed that you can tolerate her temper.”
“Jiu Hui is great, she doesn’t have a temple.” Zhi You explained earnestly, “I’m very happy with her.”
“Alright, alright.” As an elder, he could criticize his own child, but he didn’t like others saying anything bad about her. Seeing how sincere Zhi You’s praise was, Grandpa Bu was very pleased. His face was full of smiles, and he no longer had the immortal demeanor he had just now. “I thought you two wouldn’t be back for another two days, so I didn’t arrange for anyone to go to Nushen Mountain to pick you up. Come, Grandpa will take you two home.”
He held Zhi You and Jiu Hui’s hands, one on each side, and walked briskly towards the village.
“Croak, croak, croak!” Upon seeing Jiu Hui return, the frogs in the pond jumped out and croaked incessantly at her.
“Grandpa Bu, did Uncle Wu kick them?” Jiu Hui waved at the frogs, and they hopped back into the pond.
“You know how bad Old Hei’s temper is.” Grandpa Bu clicked his tongue. “Not to mention the frogs getting kicked by him, even Old Long and I got cursed at.”
Jiu Hui felt a little guilty: “It’s all my fault that I’ve dragged you into this.”
“Shhh.” Grandpa Bu glanced around furtively and whispered, “The matter has passed, and Old Hei has already calmed down. Don’t bring up old matters.”
“Uh-huh, uh-huh.” Jiu Hui nodded repeatedly. Uncle Wu’s temper flared quickly, but it also subsided quickly. As long as she didn’t continue to provoke him, everything would be fine.
“I saw you two sticking your heads out from afar, looking guilty.” A middle-aged man in a black robe walked out and looked at Grandpa Bu with a sullen face.
Grandpa Bu：“……”
Since he and Little Jiu Hui were both peeking around, why was he the only one being glared at?
“Uncle Wu.” Jiu Hui ran up to the middle-aged man in a few steps and grabbed his sleeve, shaking it. “I miss you so much.”
Wu Bo glanced at his sleeve that was being tugged on and snorted, “You’re so big and yet you still act like a spoiled child. How shameful!”
“Did you eat on the road?” He took out two spirit fruits from his sleeve and gave one each to Jiu Hui and Zhi You. “Eat something to fill your stomachs. The village will prepare a delicious meal for you in the evening.”
“Zhi You, this is Uncle Wu.” Jiu Hui was holding Uncle Wu’s sleeve in one hand and munching on a spirit fruit in the other. “Uncle Wu taught me how to read and write since I was little. His handwriting is so beautiful!”
“Junior Zhi You greets Uncle Wu.” Zhi You bowed to pay his respects, but Uncle Wu held him up. He handed Zhi You a brocade pouch. “We don’t stand on ceremony here. Once you and Jiu Hui return to the village, make yourselves at home. This is your first time in the village, and I don’t have anything to give you, so take these spirit stones and spend them.”
Zhi You held the brocade pouch and turned to look at Jiu Hui.
“Take it if Uncle Wu gives it to you.” Jiu Hui nodded at him.
“Thank you, Uncle Wu.” Zhi You obediently put away the brocade pouch.
“Mine, mine.” As Zhi You took the brocade pouch, Jiu Hui reached for another brocade pouch on Uncle Wu’s waist. Uncle Wu grabbed the pouch and stuffed it into her hand, his face full of disdain. “Take it!”
“Thank you, Uncle Wu.” Jiu Hui let go of Uncle Wu and ran towards the village with her bare feet, shouting as she ran, “Grandpa, Grandma, Uncles, Aunties, your little sweetheart is back!”
“You really are so reckless!” Uncle Wu coughed dryly and softly scolded, “You’re becoming more and more unruly.”
Zhi You watched Jiu Hui’s bouncing back, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
Following Uncle Wu and Grandpa Bu into the village, Zhi You discovered that the architecture of Shanghuang Village was different from what he had imagined a village to be.
The exquisite red pillars and flying eaves, the blue tiled flower courtyards, although not luxurious, were extremely exquisite and beautiful. Rows of courtyards were arranged in order, and between the courtyards, the huge ancient trees had dense and heavy leaves. Birds flew back and forth among the leaves, and they were not afraid at all when they saw them appear.
Jiu Hui was surrounded by a group of people of all ages, both male and female, old and young. Jiu Hui, who was surrounded by them, held a pile of food in her arms, and from time to time, words like “You’ve suffered”, “You’ve lost weight”, and “Eat more” came over.
Jiu Hui kept saying, “I miss Grandpa,” and “I miss Grandma.” She would say, “Auntie’s clothes are the prettiest,” and then, “I miss Uncle’s cooking.” She made everyone smile.
Zhi You stopped in his tracks, watching Jiu Hui being doted on by the crowd, not wanting to interrupt.
“Zhi You!” Jiu Hui emerged from the crowd, grabbed Zhi You’s sleeve, and pulled him into the crowd. “This is my little junior brother, Zhi You. Look at him, isn’t he especially handsome?”
“Oh my, this is little Zhi You. He’s so handsome.”
“Jiao’e, the clothes this child is wearing, you made them, right? They look great on him.”
“Are you tired from rushing over? There are some strange animals on the side of Nushen Mountain. Did they scare you?”
“Come, come, come. Eat something first.”
Zhi You looked at the food being stuffed at him from all directions, and the voices of concern, blushing and not knowing who to answer first.
“No, not tired.”
“Thank you for your praise, Grandma.”
“Delicious, delicious.”
“Don’t stuff anymore, don’t stuff anymore.” Jiu Hui held a handful of snacks. “If you stuff anymore, I won’t be able to eat the big meal tonight.”
“I happened to catch two deep-sea fish. We’ll roast one tonight and boil the other one.”
Grandpa Long extended his hand, which was like a fan, and patted Zhi You on the shoulder. “Zhi You, have you ever seen a deep-sea fish?”
Zhi You shook his head in a daze.
“Come on, I’ll take you two to have a look.” Grandpa Long laughed heartily. “This thing is not easy to get. I’ve been raising it since I caught it a couple days ago, waiting for you two to come back to eat it.”
Zhi You was stunned as Grandpa Long pulled him along. So this was how it felt when elders had something delicious and saved it for the children to eat together.
“Old Long, wait!” The village chief called out to Grandpa Long, “The two children just came back. Let them rest for two hours before you take them out to play.”
The village chief glanced at Zhi You’s flushed ear tips and his sparkling eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he waved his hand and said, “Alright, the three of you can go. Take the opportunity to show Zhi You around the village so he can get to know it better.”
“Zhi You, don’t be shy in the village. This is Jiu Hui’s home, and it’s your home too.” The village chief smiled kindly at Zhi You and winked. “Everyone in the village is an elder, and only you and little Jiu are children. Children can be willful and naughty in front of their elders.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Village Chief.” Zhi You’s face turned even redder.
“Old Long loves to travel around the most. He may not be good at anything else, but he’s definitely the best at taking you guys out to have fun.” The village chief patted his shoulder, his eyes even gentler. “It’s rare for you to come home, so have fun. Remember to come home for dinner tonight.”
“I know, I know.” Grandpa Long impatiently dragged Zhi You and Jiu Hui away, grumbling as they walked, “Your village chief grandpa is the most long-winded. That’s what I can’t stand the most about him.”
Zhi You followed behind, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
Go home… to eat.
He turned his head to look at Jiu Hui, who was holding half a piece of unfinished meat jerky and gnawing on it. Seeing him looking at her, she smiled and said, “Are you scared by everyone’s enthusiasm?”
Zhi You shook his head. “I… really like it here.”
They did not feign politeness towards him, nor did they ask about his cultivation or family background, as if he were just a child returning home from afar.
He had never experienced such a life before, but whether it was Wangshu Pavilion or Shanghuang Village, it gave him the best kind of happiness.
This made him feel that everything was worth it.
“Little Garlic Chive often mentioned you in his letters, but we’ve never met you before, so we couldn’t help but be a little enthusiastic.” Grandpa Long turned his head to look at the two juniors walking side by side and said cheerfully, “You may not be used to it since you just arrived. Stay with Little Garlic Chive for a few more days, and you’ll feel more at home.”
“Little Garlic Chive is my nickname,” Jiu Hui explained. “I was found in a garlic chive field by everyone, so some of the village elders call me Little Garlic Chive.”
“Yes, yes, yes, it was a dark and stormy night when you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face…”
“Grandpa Long, you’ve told this story countless times.” Jiu Hui interrupted Grandpa Long’s words, “I can recite it by heart!”
“You’ve heard it countless times, but Zhi You hasn’t.” Grandpa Long didn’t care about Jiu Hui’s complaints. He squeezed next to Zhi You and said in a carefree manner, “The night we found this girl, the village chief and I had just come back from outside. The wind was howling, and we heard a baby crying in the garlic chive field. It scared the hell out of us.”
“When we got to the field, we saw it was a baby less than a month old, crying louder than the wind.” Grandpa Long pointed to a corner not far away. “Yep, it was that patch of garlic chives.”
Zhi You looked in the direction that Grandpa Long pointed. It was a plot of garlic chives several feet square. The garlic chives were growing very well, but no one had gone to cut them.
“On the way back with the little garlic chive, the thunder kept crashing, and she kept howling.” Grandpa Long rubbed his ears. “My ears were almost deafened by her.”
“That night… it must have been very cold?” Zhi You couldn’t help but say, “She was so cold and hungry that she kept crying.”
Grandpa Long：“……”
He couldn’t answer that question. After all, it was hard to think about whether or not she was cold after watching a garlic chive cry like a baby and then turn into an actual baby in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Yaos… shouldn’t be too afraid of the cold, right?
“Now that you mention it, it’s possible.” Grandpa Long pondered. He turned his head and asked Jiu Hui, “Little Garlic Chive, were you cold at that time?”
“I was just a baby back then, how could I remember?” Jiu Hui widened her eyes. “Grandpa Long, think about it, how old was I at that time?!”
“I forgot that you were different from us when you were first born.” Grandpa Long smiled as he patted her head. The other yaos had already developed spiritual intelligence when they transformed, but Little Garlic Chive was different from the other yaos. She grew up like a human child, and had no memory when she was first born.
“Come, Grandpa Long will show you the fish and shrimp I caught.” Leading the two children through an archway, a large pool built of white jade came into view.
Zhi You saw a fish with several legs jump out of the pool, but it was bounced back by the formation at the edge of the pool.
“This fish doesn’t taste very good. Eating it will do little for you other than stop you from having nightmares.” Grandpa Long thought that Zhi You was interested in the fish. “I’ll cook one for you tonight so you can try it.”
Zhi You hesitated, but in the end, he could only obediently say thank you.
“What’s there to thank me for? These fish were caught to be eaten anyway.” Grandpa Long said happily, “Just tell me what kind of fish you want to eat. My fish-cooking skills are the best in the whole village.”
“Look, this is the deep-sea fish I specially left for you.” Grandpa Long pointed to a huge, silvery-white fish. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
This fish was flat and transparent, but it emitted a silver light under the sunlight, looking very beautiful.
“Beautiful!” Jiu Hui laid on the white jade railing, “Grandpa Long, you’re amazing.”
“It’s a small matter.” Grandpa Long was very satisfied when he heard Jiu Hui’s praise. “If you like it, after you eat it tonight, I’ll go catch some more tomorrow.”
“Are we going to the sea?” Jiu Hui’s eyes sparkled. “Take me and Zhi You with you. I want to take Zhi You to the beach.”
“Alright.” Grandpa Long agreed on the spot. “I’ll take you to the deep sea to see the fish.”
“Mm-hmm.” Jiu Hui tugged on Grandpa Long’s sleeve. “I knew you loved me the most.”
Zhi You looked at the pond full of strangely shaped fish and couldn’t help but wonder if Grandpa Long had caught all the strange fish in the world and brought them here.
“Jiu Hui, I know you’ve returned. Get out here!”
Suddenly, there was a sound of cursing outside the village.
“Jiu Hui, if you have the guts, come out here! Don’t hide in the village and keep quiet!”
“Why is that kid here again?” Grandpa Long frowned. “How many times have you beaten him up? Doesn’t he give up?”
Zhi You turned his head to look at Jiu Hui. “Is he your enemy?”
“Not really.” Jiu Hui coughed dryly. “He’s the son of the village chief of Kong Village. We fought a few times when we were kids.”
When they were young and didn’t know any better, after fighting with someone, they pulled out two of the person’s most beautiful tail feathers, and from then on, the two of them had a grudge, and they would almost have a fight every year.
“You kids can solve your own problems. We adults shouldn’t interfere.” Grandpa Long waved his hand. “Come back for dinner after you’re done fighting. Don’t…”
Grandpa Long glanced at Zhi You and said tactfully, “Don’t pull people’s hair anymore. The Kong family treasures their hair very much.”
“I only pulled it once when I was six. Who knew he’d hold a grudge for so long?” Jiu Hui rolled up her sleeves. “Let’s go, Zhi You. Come with me to fight!”
Zhi You followed Jiu Hui out of the village and saw a handsome young man standing on the other side of the bridge, wearing a brocade robe and a green jade crown. Several young men and women followed behind him, looking very ostentatious.
The handsome young man was shocked to see Zhi You appear. “Jiu Hui, how shameless can you be? You actually went to forcefully abduct a civilian man?!”
carp: woohoo! halfway done! I’m looking for the next project… any recs? ♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡