Chapter 219 - Second Deity
“Horse bones? Where did you end up getting one of those? Please don't bring over random things. I'm almost out of scraps of my own dead skin to feed you,” Li Huowang turned to Bun.
Bun clearly didn't understand Li Huowang's words. It just lowered its head and used its black snout to nudge the horse bone closer to Li Huowang's feet. "Woof?"
Seeing this, Li Huowang patted its head and turned to Sun Baolu who was sitting across from him. “Alright, we are done eating. Since the place is different, the food will also be quite different. Just choose some local goods that aren’t easily perishable.”
After finishing his instructions, Li Huowang nodded in Bai Lingmiao's direction, prompting her to hand him a money pouch she had sewn for herself using some scraps.
Sun Baolu weighed it with his hand, then stood up and wiped his mouth. “Okay, it's on me!”
“It's getting late, so let's check into an inn to rest. Staying outside every day can be quite tiring as well,” said Li Huowang as pushed himself up with his crutch.
However, they soon faced a new challenge. Without Sun Baolu, they didn't understand what the people of Qing Qiu were saying.
After some gesturing from Puppy, they finally managed to check-in.
Bun followed Li Huowang into the tent-like room, circled him a few times and then settled down before starting to gnaw away on the horse bone it had found earlier.
Lying on the straw mat, Li Huowang sighed deeply and closed his eyes, allowing his tense body to relax.
A delicate pair of hands gently cradled Li Huowang's head to rest it on a pair of soft thighs. Then, the same gentle fingers rhythmically pressed against the newly grown hair on his head. As he breathed in the familiar scent, Li Huowang gradually drifted off to sleep.
“Wait, your fingernails seem a bit long,” Li Huowang held her hands and slowly opened his eyes only to realize that the person he was facing was not really Bai Lingmiao but her Second Deity.
From his current position, Li Huowang could barely make out what was inside of the red veil. It was quite dim inside the red veil. Even with Li Huowang's excellent vision, he could only see the fox-like eyes that were glowing with an eerie light. However, there was something unsettling about the number of eyes. It was not a symmetrical pair but one larger and two smaller eyes.
At that moment, something inside the red veil gently moved and blocked Li Huowang's view.
“What do you want?” asked Li Huowang as he looked at her calmly. In the past, trouble from the Second Deity might have been a more concerning matter for him. But after his many experiences, her affairs didn't seem so important anymore.
"Hehe..." The Second Deity grabbed Li Huowang's hand and slowly brought it into her red veil.
Li Huowang felt snake scales, fur, and something that pricked his skin, something akin to a hairpin.
Then, she suddenly grabbed Li Huowang's hand and quickly pulled it, stuffing it into her bulging clothes. She slowly bent down, and the red veil got closer and closer to Li Huowang's face.
As they got closer and closer, some things were faintly appearing in front of Li Huowang through the red veil. There were human-like skulls, animal skulls, and some other objects that couldn’t be identified easily. Li Huowang looked at them and said calmly, “I don't know where you're from or whether you’re involved in the schemes of the Immortal families, but if you dare to harm Bai Lingmiao, then I won't let you off! Since you've always been watching from the sidelines, you must know that I have the ability to back those words, even if... it comes at a great cost.”
Li Huowang threatened her and waited for her response.
To his surprise, she didn't get angry or scared in the face of his threat. Instead, she suddenly broke down.
The sound of her crying resembled the eerie wails of a female ghost, sending shivers down one's spine. Although it was terrifying, the Second Deity was really crying. She leaned against him, nestled in his arms, and continued to sob.
As Li Huowang gazed at the red veil, he hesitated for a moment. Then, he found himself embracing her; it was as if the one crying in his arms wasn't the Second Deity but the girl suffering from albinism with whom he had been through many life and death situations.
Li Huowang hesitated as he reached out his hand. After some contemplation, he began to softly caress her head.
Amidst the soft sounds of crying, the exhausted Li Huowang started to drift off into a deep sleep. After traveling for so long, his body was indeed weary and in need of rest.
“Senior Li, wake up! We've arrived at Cowheart Mountain! We are finally home!”
“Home?” Li Huowang opened his eyes to see the massive mountain and the village nestled beneath, as well as the vast golden rice fields nearby. The scene was quite harmonious and completely different from the gloomy visions of his dreams.
After a moment, he shifted his gaze upward and examined the mountain's appearance. He good-naturedly asked in surprise, “This doesn't look like a cow’s heart at all. Do you guys just name these places randomly?”
Turning around, he saw Bai Lingmiao standing beside him.
“I don't know. My grandpa taught me this, and his ancestors taught him too,” replied Bai Lingmiao as she turned and smiled, revealing her frightening face.
Green snake scales appeared to crawl like centipedes on her white fox fur. Black needle-like thorns dotted the fur without hindering the movement of the scales. However, when the snake scales reached the center of her face, they couldn't go any further; two beastly eyes which radiated an eerie green glow blocked their path.
“Senior Li, what is wrong with you?” asked Bai Lingmiao as she took a step forward, causing Li Huowang to step back.
With his keen senses, Li Huowang suddenly felt something behind him. He abruptly turned around, and the two beast faces, which were now even more distorted and horrifying, appeared before him once again.
“Husband, do you dislike the way I look?”
“Ah!” Li Huowang was drenched in cold sweat as he opened his eyes, only to see that he was still in the grayish canvas tent.
He turned and saw Bai Lingmiao snuggled beside him, then glanced toward Jin Shanzhao and Peng Longteng in the corner. Only then did he realize that he had just had a nightmare.
It felt so real... I haven't had a nightmare in a long time.
Li Huowang turned on his side, pulled Bai Lingmiao closer to him, then closed his eyes again.
Is this a new nightmare now?
Li Huowang shook his head.
No... this time, it is not a nightmare. Because Jin Shanzhao and Peng Longteng are here.
Not long after he closed his eyes, he opened them again; he sensed someone lying down behind him.
At that moment, a bifurcated red tongue slithered from behind and gently licked Li Huowang's bruised neck. “Husband, do you dislike the way I look?”
Li Huowang pulled Bai Lingmiao closer into his arms, holding her even tighter. He buried his face in her white hair, and slowly said, “I don't mind, but you are not Bai Lingmiao.”
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