Chapter Fifty-Three: “Cheep.”
Awed, Ji XiaoYu said, “Jiang, you crow, are you making your crow descendants help find Liu WeiRen? This method is pretty good, why didn’t you just use it earlier?”
Even a fool knew that tens of thousands of crows acting together had much higher efficiency than one man’s pursuit.
“I said this is a big move, how can I use it easily? I don’t have enough spiritual energy to do it every day.” Jiang WuYa shot him an unsavory look, “And if this was discovered by humans, Laozi will be caught and turned into a living experiment.”
So he says the same…… Ji XiaoYu lamented a little and, in this moment, a little empathy was born in his heart for this black crow.
“Now, let’s wait for some news,” Jiang WuYa said as he burrowed back into his SUV. He turned on the radio, leisurely listening to a passionate little late-night radio station.
Holding Ji XiaoYu’s cold hands, Cheng YuTang said, “Baby, it’s cold outside, let’s get in the car to wait too.”
Ji XiaoYu had no choice but to get in the car, but he couldn’t sit still in the car and kept looking out the window. Cheng YuTang dragged him over and squeezed him into his arms and kissed the top of his head, “Don’t worry, sleep for a while to keep your spirits up, I’ll call you if there’s news.”
“No! What if I miss it because I fall asleep?”
Ji XiaoYu stubbornly widened his eyes, his head still facing the window though he basically couldn’t see anything outside.
He was really sleepy right now, his upper and lower lids fighting to close, but thinking about the little white egg’s situation, how could he dare to sleep?
Cheng YuTang didn’t try to persuade him anymore, just holding him and gently humming “Chicken Run”.
Ji XiaoYu was still stiff at first. After a moment, the man’s familiar, pleasant scent and his low-pitched melodious voice, like a lullaby, made him feel reassured. His tense body gradually relaxed and he had closed his eyes before he knew it.
Who knew how much later but his body jerked from a bump and Ji XiaoYu suddenly woke up. He saw Cheng YuTang was driving quickly on a mountain road and ten meters ahead was Jiang WuYa’s SUV.
At this time, the car’s clock displayed just about 4:30am.
Because he had slept for more than an hour, Ji XiaoYu was suddenly nervous and he hurriedly asked, “Is there any news? Were Liu WeiRen’s whereabouts found?”
While driving the speedy car, Cheng YuTang replied calmly, “Yes, a few crows just flew back. Jiang WuYa said that they found Liu WeiRen on the FengLai Ridge path north of the city. And, according to a message from Yang YiPeng, Han QingShi also drove in that direction half an hour ago.”
Ji XiaoYu was taken aback, Liu WeiRen and Han QingShi? How can these two people who have no real life connections both happen to go to FengLai Ridge? Is it a coincidence or purposeful?
“You’ll find out if you wait.” Cheng YuTang had seen his confusion at a glance. “We’re going to be there soon, sit tight.”
Ji XiaoYu suddenly gasped and, a moment later, he whispered in surprise, “I sense it! I sense the presence of Xiao DengPao! It’s less than ten kilometers ahead!”
Cheng YuTang got thrilled instantly. In a flash, he increased the speed of the car to its limit and, in the blink of an eye, passed Jiang WuYa’s SUV, flying straight towards the ridge of FengLai Ridge like an arrow.
……
FengLai Ridge was a hilly area in the north of Ning City. The terrain was complex with deep and grassy forests; the environment was similar to Xiao Qing Shan. The scenery here was nice during the day and it was very natural. Many people from Ning City would come here for leisure and recreation on weekends, but at night, in the pitch black, no one would be here since they weren’t able to see anything.
Liu WeiRen was riding an old motorcycle numbly on the potholed mountain road. After starting up a hillside, when he wasn’t paying attention, one wheel got stuck in a hole and jammed up. He flew a few meters forward under his inertia, landing heavily on some rocky sand. If he hadn’t been wearing a helmet, his head probably would have been crushed right there.
After a while, he managed to barely stand up. He took off his helmet and threw it on the ground, then looked to see that his arms and thighs bloody from the sharp stones. He couldn’t keep from cursing, “Fuck, isn’t this place no good for delivering the goods? The hell kind of place is this for a meeting, that surname Han better be nearby!”
“Surnamed Liu, who are you cursing like a loser? What about the thing I want? It’s not broken, right?!” A soft, feminine voice suddenly came out of the woods next to him, and then a figure floated out like a ghost.
Liu WeiRen said angrily, “Surname Han, Laozi just fell, but you’re still fucking thinking about a stupid egg! What about the money your promised to pay Laozi, where is it?”
Han QingShi stretched his hand with a graceful flourish and swayed his petite waist, saying with a delicate voice, “When you ask for money, you really are unromantic.”
“Romantic my butt, hand over the money and I’ll deliver it. Laozi can’t go back to Ning City, gotta run immediately after taking the money!” Liu WeiRen’s tone suddenly turned cold. He crossed his arms and fought back, “Speaking of, what the hell is this little egg? That surname Ji kid treated it like a treasure and you’re the kinglike boss of a big company and you went to such trouble to get it.”
“Hmph, I won’t tell you.” Han QingShi narrowed his slender eyes and threw a wink at him, “Aiya, so hateful, you get that little egg out first and you’ll get what you naturally deserve.”
Liu WeiRen’s gaze, originally filled with violence, eased a bit and he pulled the little white egg out of the inner pocket of his coat. He held it out in his spread palm.
At that sight, a light flashed in Han QingShi’s eyes, like in those of a tomb robber who saw a treasure. He rushed forward to grab the egg.
Liu WeiRen was suddenly filled with lust and lost his capacity for clear thinking. He closed his hand around the little egg, making Han QingShi catch empty air, then grabbed his waist. He pressed his mouth against his face impatiently and, while gnawing and gasping, he said, “Give…me, give it to me now……”
When Han QingShi shifted his mouth away, his ears were bitten to the point of bleeding and he couldn’t help but scream in anger. He raised his hand and popped out long claws from his fingernails several inches long. Then, he grabbed Liu WeiRen’s body roughly and shouted, “Fuck, like this, you’re a repulsive toad wishing to eat swan meat, go die!”
Liu WeiRen screamed loudly as several blood marks appeared spanning from his shoulder to his chest. He released Han QingShi and took a few steps back.
Han QingShi couldn’t be bothered to use any more spiritual abilities, he bared his teeth and snarled, “Give me the little egg!”
Dazed, Liu WeiRen came to his senses and saw that original androgynous, charming, lotus-like face had suddenly turned into the long-snouted, pointy, hairy face of a fox. He suddenly peed himself in fear, screamed out “monster!” and turned around and ran.
How could Han QingShi let him escape? He lifted his foot to chase after him.
The mountain road was rugged, plus it was nighttime. Liu WeiRen was panicking, so after running for a while, he stepped on a stone and fell down again. Han QingShi landed on his back, one hand catching him by the vital area and the other moving to grab the little egg in his hand.
The stimulation was too much for Liu WeiRen, as his entire body was in a state of madness due to a mental breakdown. In addition, he is physically strong and had always been among the top dozen of the security guards in HongSheng. He had a small chance in this crucial moment and struggled to fight for his life, like a mad dog. Although Han QingShi was a spiritual beast, he was afraid of the little egg breaking and so he held himself back. Usually, a human couldn’t beat him, but in the chaos, Liu WeiRen punched him and nearly broke his jaw.
Han QingShi became enraged and murderous. With his ten fingers moving as one, he caught Liu WeiRen’s chest and stabbed hard.
Blood splashed from Liu WeiRen’s body like a fountain and he twitched all over. Although his mind was no longer clear, he retained a hint of consciousness. He didn’t want to let Han QingShi get what he wanted, so he gathered up the remaining strength of his body and threw the thing in his hand forcefully ahead of him.
The little egg instantly gave off a dazzling light, drawing a shining arc in the air like a meteor, before falling into the grass a dozen meters away. There was a soft breaking sound.
Han QingShi was flustered. He slapped his palm down on Liu WeiRen’s head and Liu WeiRen immediately passed out.
Just as Han QingShi was about to get up and find the little egg, a silhouette suddenly struck like lightning, a lightning-fast flying kick, right in the center of his back. Han QingShi hit the ground and rolled a few times. He spat out a mouthful of blood and looked up, then instantly transformed his head back.
Ji XiaoYu, with eyes red from rage, said, “You damn fox spirit, you took my Xiao DengPao!”
Liu WeiRen had really colluded with this fox spirit and stolen his own egg. Looking at the situation right now, after getting Xiao DengPao, Han QingShi had been planning to destroy the bridge after crossing the river, getting rid of the cumbersome Liu WeiRen, so he had mortally wounded him.
Jiang WuYa came from the other end of the road, sealing off Han QingShi’s retreat route. He first twitched his nose a few times and then he said indignantly as he approached, “So it turned out to be you, fox spirit. I was wondering why I couldn’t find you, turns out you changed to a different skin sack. Last time, you killed one of my customers and Laozi’s reputation was almost ruined. Today, our old account will be settled up!”
Han QingShi felt terror in his heart. He knew that he wasn’t a capable opponent for these two spiritual beasts. So instead, he fell to Cheng YuTang’s feet and looked at him pathetically. His eyes were filled with tears and there was a trace of blood on the corner of his mouth. He lamented, “YuTang, let me go, okay? I’m your old classmate, I really love you too. This was just something I did wrong in a moment of impulsiveness. Are you so cruel, that you have to let me be killed?”
Cheng YuTang took off his glasses and put them in his pocket. As if he had been bewitched, he crouched down. With one hand, he gently lifted Han QingShi’s chin and he said with an exceptionally gentle tone, “Yes, QingShi, you’re crazy about me and I have a crush on you too, how could I bear to kill you?”
Ji XiaoYu: “……”
Ah, ah, ah, ah, nasty! This fox spirit is so dead for daring to seduce my man!
And this man was actually hooked like this, he has no mental strength at all. This little master is really angry!
He was just about to rush forward to act, but he was dragged aside by his sleeve by Jiang WuYa. The other then squinted his eyes at him and mouthed “don’t be impatient”.
Ji XiaoYu had to force down his urge to resist and continued to watch in agitation.
When Han QingShi heard that from Cheng YuTang, he asked in disbelief, “Really? You like me too?”
“Of course, it’s just that I’m not good at expressing myself.” Under the cold moonlight, Cheng YuTang’s face was covered with a layer of silver light and his expression was unusually gentle. His eyes were as deep as two pools and they were charming, drawing someone in to want to plunge inside and see what was within. “QingShi, if you really love me, can you promise me one thing?”
Ji XiaoYu was so angry that his puffed out feathers were covered with puffed out feathers, ah, ah, ah, ah, I can’t listen to this anymore! This man really doesn’t feel anything for this fox spirit, right?
I absolutely won’t allow it!!!
Han QingShi looked at Cheng YuTang in infatuation and asked, “What thing?”
Cheng YuTang said softly, “Would you give me what Liu WeiRen stole from Ji XiaoYu? It’s very important to me.”
“Okay……” Han QingShi murmured, reaching out to touch his pocket without thinking, but, unsurprisingly, it was empty when he touched it.
Cheng YuTang couldn’t help but frown, how could Xiao DengPao not be on him?
Han QingShi shivered. Then his previously glazed-over eyes were instantly restored to clarity, and he shot him a fierce look. Completely indignant, he screamed, “Cheng YuTang, you lied to me!”
Cheng YuTang quickly took a few steps back and said emotionlessly, “We both lied to each other. You hand over what you stole and maybe I’ll let you go.”
Han QingShi threw his head to the sky and burst into a shrill laugh. He said while baring his teeth in a grin, “I didn’t expect that I, a mighty spiritual beast who has cultivated for hundreds of years, would play into the hands of a human in the end! Damn Han QingShi, you were a piece of crap when you were alive and, when you’re dead, I inherited inherit your worthless bullshit love, how truly miserable for you! But you, surname Cheng, don’t be so proud so soon, I already ate the egg of you and that damn pheasant, ate it! You two have made it hard for me, so I want you to die in misery, hahahaha!”
Jiang WuYa who suddenly heard the keyword: “!!!”
Cheng YuTang’s heart suddenly ached so badly that he stumbled, almost unable to stand.
Ji XiaoYu burst into tears and collapsed the ground, shouting, “No-!”
Han QingShi watched the two men grieve, their thoughts a mess, and then suddenly he transformed into a small shape, a fox. He turned and fled towards the mountain woods.
Jiang WuYa wasn’t as affected, so he threw out a black hunting net, covering the fox without hesitation.
The fox spirit used his claws and teeth, desperately ripping and scratching, but the material of the net trap was very tough. Not only did it press back, it got tighter and tighter and soon it was so tight, he could no longer move at all.
At this time, a white light appeared in the east and the sky gradually brightened, a new day had begun.
Ji XiaoYu cried and cried. And then suddenly, his heartstrings trembled, received a somewhat strange but familiar signal. He cried out, but in joy instead, “Cheng YuTang, Xiao DengPao is not dead, it’s still alive! It’s still alive!”
As he spoke, he wiped his tears and ran into the waist-high grass next to him. He looked around with his eyes wide open. “It’s right here, I feel it!”
Cheng YuTang rushed over to look with him.
After a short time, Ji XiaoYu found a round eggshell lying next to a stone and, overjoyed, he shouted, “I found it, over here!”
Followed by –
“Ah, ah, ah, ah! It’s broken, how can it be broken?! My child, how could you be so cruel as to leave Daddy behind?! Wuwuwuwuwu!”
As he was about to pick up the broken half of the eggshell, Cheng YuTang suddenly hugged him, saying eagerly, “Hush, baby, don’t cry, listen!”
Ji XiaoYu covered his mouth and pricked up his ears to listen hard.
Three meters away, there was the faint, subtle cry of a child.
“Cheep, cheep.”
The two looked at each other and immediately rushed over to the grass patch as fast as they could. They spread apart the grass and saw a small, secluded hole in a rock. A fluffy, trembling little head poked out of the hole. A pair of squinting, soft black eyes looked at them with innocence and ignorance. The bright yellow mouth opened and closed, “Cheep.”
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Footnotes:
1. A toad wishing to eat swan meat (癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉): idiom for an ugly man lusting after a beautiful woman; to crave what you’re not worthy of
2. Destroy the bridge after crossing the river (过河拆桥): idiom, to abandon your ally/benefactor after achieving your goal
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morning has broken~ the chick has hatched~ were you surprised~ for such a quick resolution?
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