Under the bright moonlight, five people knelt in a row under the big tree at the village entrance, kneeling quite neatly in a row. The heads of the three families stood not far away, not daring to make a sound.
“What did I tell you before you left?” Uncle Wu paced and stopped in front of Jiu Hui. “I told you to take them to the mortal world, where did you take them?”
Jiu Hui whispered, “It was… it was the Demon Princess who forcibly took us away.”
“The five of you, you can’t even defeat a princess of the Demon Realm?!” Uncle Wu didn’t believe Jiu Hui’s excuse at all. He snorted coldly, “If the five of you are really that useless, then stay in the mountains and cultivate for a few hundred years before going out again.”
Jiu Hui silently lowered her head, not daring to look at Uncle Wu.
“Why aren’t you talking now?” Uncle Wu raised the ruler, and Jiu Hui shrank her neck in fear. Uncle Wu looked at her expressionlessly: “Are you scared now?”
He carried the ruler behind his back, feeling both angry and helpless. “You took the four of them to the Demon Clan to kill the Demon King and let the new Demon King take over. What are you trying to do? Are you trying to unify the three clans?”
Jiu Hui quickly shook her head. “Uncle Wu, I don’t dare.”
“Fortunately, you still know to be afraid, but what you did was something that deserved a lightning strike!” Uncle Wu sighed. “I know you couldn’t bear to see the demons continue to harm the human race, so you risked your life to kill the old Demon King, but have you ever thought about the trouble that would come to you if you interfered with the cause and effect between the demons and the human race?”
“The old Demon King wanted to drink my blood, so I killed him in self-defense. It’s not a matter of cause and effect.” Jiu Hui whispered, “If Sha Luojia hadn’t taken us to the Demon Realm, none of this would have happened. We were just bowing to the whims of fate.”
The other three yaos nodded in agreement.carpreads.pages.dev
“How dare you still argue!” Uncle Wu’s ruler hit the tree trunk, scaring Jiu Hui so much that she trembled three times. Even the most stubborn Kong Cangnan didn’t dare to speak loudly in front of Uncle Wu.
“You’re a reckless fool, daring to play such a clever trick on fate.” Uncle Wu was furious. “If fate were so easily deceived, why would we yaos have been hiding here for so many years?”
“Could it be that we, the yaos, are afraid of the human race or the demon race?” Uncle Wu grew angrier as he spoke. “Show me your hands!”
“Elder Wu, the new year is almost here!” Yu Li mustered her courage and said with a blush and a stammer, “Humans have a custom that we don’t beat… we don’t beat children during the new year.”
“That’s a human rule, and it has nothing to do with us yaos.” Uncle Wu pointed at Jiu Hui with his ruler. “Hand, take it out!”
“Elder, it was this junior who failed to dissuade the young master. This junior is also at fault. Please spare the young master. This junior is willing to accept punishment in his stead.” Seeing that Elder Wu seemed to be serious, Bai Yan quickly said, “The fault lies with this junior for failing to fulfill his duty to advise. The young master is blameless.”
“How many hits can this white tea flower withstand?” Kong Cangnan put his hand in front of Jiu Hui. “If you want to hit, hit me.”
Although these children were noisy and clamorous, Uncle Wu saw that they were obviously closer than they had been a month ago. He understood in his heart that secretly doing bad things together behind the backs of adults was always the best way for children to increase their friendship.
“As the young master, she was ordered by her elders to take you to the mortal realm, but instead she took you to the demon realm and killed the Demon King. What wrong have you done?” Uncle Wu raised the ruler high and struck Jiu Hui’s palm with it.
A bony hand covered Jiu Hui’s palm, and the ruler hit the back of this hand, making a crisp “snap”.
Zhi You looked at the back of his hand, then at the terrifying-looking ruler in Uncle Wu’s hand.
It seemed… not to hurt at all.
“She’s this big, and you all spoil her. What do you want her to become?!” Uncle Wu put away the ruler with an expressionless face. “Yu Li, Kong Cangnan, and Bai Yan, go back. Zhi You and Jiu Hui, come in with me!”
Yu Li was afraid that Uncle Wu would close the door and beat Jiu Hui, so she mustered up her courage and wanted to follow, but was taken away by her own elder.
Who would dare to disturb the Elder of Shanghuang Village when he was teaching the children?
Uncle Wu walked in front, and Jiu Hui cast a pleading look at the other elders, but they all looked away. When old Hei got angry, none of them dared to provoke him.
“Zhi You, how’s your hand?” Jiu Hui pulled Zhi You’s hand over and lifted his sleeve to look at the back of his hand.
Zhi You’s hands were fair, and his nails were neatly trimmed, without a single red mark on them.
“Zhi You, your body… is actually so resistant to beatings?” Jiu Hui flipped him over and over to look him up and down twice, and after confirming that Zhi You wasn’t injured, she relaxed.
“Uncle Wu is so useless…”
“What are you two whispering about?” Uncle Wu turned his head and glared at the two of them. “You’re starting to show me less and less respect?”
Jiu Hui quickly shut her mouth.
Entering the house, Jiu Hui knelt down with a thud before Uncle Wu could even speak. “Uncle Wu, I know I was wrong.”
“Here we go again with this trick. Even that stupid old dragon isn’t falling for it anymore.” Uncle Wu saw that Zhi You was about to kneel as well, so he reached out to stop him. “If she wants to kneel, let her kneel. Don’t follow her example and learn such a shameless habit.”
“Uncle Wu,” Zhi You said after a long silence, “the ground is too cold.”
Uncle Wu held his breath for a long time: “I thought you could control her temper, but I didn’t expect you to be an accomplice. Alright, stand up straight.”
“Thank you, Uncle Wu.” Jiu Hui smiled ingratiatingly at Uncle Wu.
“Don’t be so cheeky.” Uncle Wu took out a book and threw it into Jiu Hui’s arms. “This book has caused such a stir. Did you do it?”
Jiu Hui hid the book in her sleeve. “I just used money to support my Eldest Senior Brother’s writing dream…”
“Keep making things up, keep making things up!” Uncle Wu sneered. “Could it be that Mu Qi and Bu Ting in this storybook are just coincidences?”
Jiu Hui obediently lowered her head and dared not speak.
“Little Jiu.” Uncle Wu sighed as he looked at her obedient appearance. “Fate is fickle, and you and I are both ants beneath its rule. I know you’re trying to avenge Mu Qi, but you can’t put yourself in danger.”
Mu Qi?
Zhi You looked at Jiu Hui in confusion. What was the relationship between the Immortal Tree that had died for the world back then and Jiu Hui?
“Humans, yaos, and demons originally stood on equal footing, but if you upset the balance, all the cause and effect will originate with you.” A hint of heartache flashed in Uncle Wu’s eyes. “You’re still so young. How can you bear the weight of these things?”
“Uncle Wu, I understand everything.” Jiu Hui grabbed Uncle Wu’s sleeve. “I really didn’t interfere with the affairs of the demons, and I didn’t meddle in the affairs of the cultivation world.”
“I wonder if you were struck by lightning too many times when you were born, giving you such a rebellious nature.” Uncle Wu had softened his heart long ago. He said helplessly, “Your fate is special. We don’t ask for you to have great fortune. We just want you to live in peace.”
Upon hearing the words “special fate”, Zhi You glanced at Jiu Hui with concern.
“Uncle Wu,” Jiu Hui gently shook Uncle Wu’s sleeve. “I know everything.”
“It’s not enough to just know it, you have to do it.” Uncle Wu wanted to say a few more words, but seeing Jiu Hui’s exhausted appearance, he paused for a moment: “Go back to sleep first, tomorrow afternoon you and Zhi You come to my study to copy books as punishment.”
Outside the door, Grandpa Bu and Grandpa Long curled their lips in disdain. They had thought that the punishment would be harsh, but they hadn’t expected that even the copying of scriptures would be specially scheduled for the afternoon, leaving the morning for Little Jiu Hui to sleep in.
After Jiu Hui and Zhi You came out from being scolded, Grandpa Long took out two bags of snacks from his pocket and gave one to each of them. He comforted Zhi You, “Zhi You, old Hei is just like that. Don’t take it to heart.”
“Uncle Wu was just concerned about us.” Zhi You shook his head. “I understand.”
“Did that last hit from old Hei hurt you?” Grandpa Bu handed Zhi You a bottle of healing medicine. “The village chief made this healing medicine. It’s a rare and good thing, so keep it.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Bu!” Jiu Hui pressed down on Zhi You’s hand as he was about to decline. “The healing medicine that Grandpa, the village chief, refined is a rare and good thing. You should keep it.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Bu,” Zhi You obediently put the medicine bottle back in his pocket.
“You guys hurry back and rest. Go to old Hei’s place early tomorrow afternoon, be good, and sweeten your words, and his anger will subside.” Grandpa Bu glared at Jiu Hui. “But if you dare to be so reckless again next time, don’t even mention old Hei, even we will want to discipline you.”
Upon hearing this, Jiu Hui quickly surrounded the two grandpas and said a bunch of obedient words before coaxing the two grandpas away.
“Ugh.” Jiu Hui returned to the courtyard and flopped down on the swing, feeling lazy. “I told you, after killing the old Demon King, I felt uneasy. Now that I’ve been scolded, I finally feel at ease.”
She glanced at Zhi You, who had followed her into the courtyard, and moved to the left to make some room for him. “Next time Uncle Wu hits me, don’t stick your hand out to block it.”
Zhi You sat down silently.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Jiu Hui nudged him with her elbow.
“I might not be able to do it.” Zhi You lowered his head. “When the ruler came down, my hand simply wouldn’t listen to me.”
Reason told him that Uncle Wu was teaching Jiu Hui for her own good, but sometimes reason was useless to him.
“You’re silly.” Jiu Hui gently swung the swing.
As the night breeze blew gently, Zhi You’s heart seemed to sway along with the swing. He looked at Jiu Hui and asked, “Uncle Wu said that your fate is special. Is it because Grandpa Bu said that you are a woman who defies destiny?”
After a moment of silence, Jiu Hui shook her head.
Zhi You’s gaze grew even more restless.
“Grandpa Bu told me that I should have been born five hundred years ago.” Jiu Hui looked up at the crescent moon in the sky. “When the Immortal Tree died, a new Immortal Tree should have been born. I should have been the new Immortal Tree.”
“Should have been?”
“That’s right, it should have been.” Jiu Hui nodded. “I was born four hundred and eighty-two years later than the destined trajectory, and I didn’t become an immortal tree, but instead turned into a garlic chive.”
“I told you before that during the first few days after I was born, there was almost daily thunder and lightning.” Jiu Hui laughed. “The heavenly thunder struck for a full forty-nine days. If the elders of Shanghuang Village hadn’t stepped in to help, I would have been struck to death by lightning long ago.”
“I came to the mortal realm originally to retrieve the Immortal Tree Soul Bone from the Ten Great Immortal Cauldrons.” Jiu Hui sighed. “But I can’t bring myself to do it.”
“What will happen to you if you don’t take out the Immortal Tree Soul Bone?” Zhi You looked at her with concern.
“What will happen…” Jiu Hui saw the panic on Zhi You’s face and couldn’t help but reach out to pinch his cheek. “Like a fish losing the chance to grow feathers?”
“It doesn’t have much of an impact.” Seeing Zhi You’s bewildered face, Jiu Hui shook her head with a smile. “I don’t think there’s much difference between being an immortal tree and being a garlic chive.”
“Really?” Zhi You didn’t believe it was just that simple.
Jiu Hui nodded. “If I’m lying, then I’m a puppy.”
“But I won’t lie to you,” Zhi You emphasized.
Jiu Hui: “…”
When would her good junior brother forget about being a lackey*?
TN: reminder that lackey is running dog in Chinese
“Then are you really not planning to look for that piece of garlic chive you raised?” Jiu Hui decided to avoid the topic of dogs.
Zhi You looked at her quietly and slowly shook his head. “I’m not looking for it anymore.”
“Zhi You.” Jiu Hui looked at Zhi You with suspicion. “That garlic chive of yours, did you really lose it eighteen months ago?”
Zhi You was silent for a long time before he said, “I… lied.”
Jiu Hui was puzzled. “Why did you lie?”
“I’m afraid you’ll think I’m too old,” Zhi You answered honestly.
“So how long has that delicate and troublesome garlic chive been lost?”
“Nineteen… years.”
Author’s Note
Little Garlic Chive: Actually, I, Little Garlic Chive, am a king when I’m outside of Shanghuang Village…