Volume 1 (Human World): Chapter 19
The donkey wasn’t surprised at all. Its mouth curled into a grin, revealing a row of white teeth. “How did you know that Long Er is me?”
“From the time I left the capital until I entered Mount Muxiao, the only non-human I encountered was you.”
Bai Shuo sighed. “Do all you demons think that mortals are brainless?”
“Don’t lump me together with that evil star,” Long Er Donkey shuddered.
“Bai girl, when we escaped from Mount Muxiao, it was your blood that woke up that pig, right?”
A trace of wariness flashed in Bai Shuo’s eyes.
“Don’t be afraid; I don’t need much of your blood, just this little bottle…” The donkey tapped the ground with its hoof, and a small porcelain bottle appeared. “As long as you give me a bottle of your blood, I’ll help you see that fool.”
“Okay.”
Bai Shuo picked up the bottle and nodded without hesitation.
A cunning glint flashed in the donkey’s eyes as it grinned, but Bai Shuo suddenly spoke up.
“I’m curious, why didn’t the Lord of the Haoyue Palace recognize you even though he’s looking for you? And… why does he call you Long Er when you’re clearly a donkey?”
“Well…” Long Er Donkey dragged out the word, its eyes blinking as its front legs bent slightly. “Dawn is about to break; are you sure you want to waste time on this?”
Bai Shuo was taken aback and quickly climbed onto Long Er Donkey’s back. “To the sky prison!”
The donkey’s tail swept across, a flash of light appeared, and both of them disappeared from the ancestral hall.
With a creak, the window was pushed open and then gently closed again.
“Hey, Little Wood, was that girl just secretly mocking you?!”
In the courtyard, a boy in red leaned lazily against a tree while Long Yi Pig flapped its little wings and asked with a giggle.
Fan Yue glanced at Long Yi Pig with an expressionless face.
A flash of light, a person, and a pig appeared on Chang’an Road, not too far from the sound of donkey hooves. The invisible donkey was in plain sight to Fan Yue.
“How did you see through that stupid donkey’s true form? Even I didn’t notice.”
Fan Yue, feeling lazy, didn’t want to waste any energy on the pig.
Not far away, the sound of a drum suddenly echoed. The stupid donkey was startled, its hoof slipping, causing Bai Shuo to nearly fall off its back as she clung tightly to its neck, fearing for her life.
Seeing her fear, Fan Yue suddenly smirked.
“Have you ever seen anyone more afraid of death than this woman?”
Fan Yue suddenly spoke, seemingly out of nowhere.
Long Yi Pig blinked, looking confused.
“Afraid of death to this extent, yet during the escape, she didn’t forget about that donkey,” Fan Yue chuckled playfully.
“If I hadn’t knocked her out and had the Taoist from Mount Daze send her back to the capital and the mortal Chong Zhao have been imprisoned, do you think this stupid donkey could control her?”
Long Yi Pig thought it over and agreed. It had lived for tens of thousands of years, and the last time it saw such a troublesome girl was when True God Shanggu was still a child.
Long Yi Pig snorted, “Her blood is so precious that even I’m reluctant to use it. That stupid donkey is quite daring! Hey, Little Wood, why are we following this stupid donkey? Let’s take this sickly girl and the donkey back to the Extreme North…”
Long Yi Pig was cut off as it bumped into Fan Yue, seeing that they were close to the prison, where the donkey had also stopped.
Long Er Donkey suddenly looked in their direction. A flash of light, and Fan Yue disappeared. Seeing nothing, the donkey turned back, its eyes filled with confusion but focused on the task at hand.
“Hold on tight!”
Before Bai Shuo could react, the donkey leapt into the prison, disappearing from sight.
At the entrance of the prison, Long Er Donkey blew a breath towards the inner cells, causing the guards and prisoners to fall into a deep sleep.
With a flick of its tail, the donkey and Bai Shuo appeared in their true forms. The donkey bent its legs, and Bai Shuo jumped to the ground.
“The fool is inside. Go.”
The long, cold corridor made Bai Shuo shiver as she hurried down the passage, stopping at the only cell with an open door. Chong Zhao lay there, covered in blood, hair disheveled, and unconscious on the straw mat. In just half a month, the once-glorious son of a prime minister was now unrecognizable.
“Ah Zhao!”
Bai Shuo had never seen Chong Zhao like this. She cried out and rushed in, lifting him from the ground.
“Ah Zhao! Are you okay?”
Chong Zhao slowly opened his eyes, and through the blood, he saw Bai Shuo’s face. He smiled tragically and coughed up blood. “I’m dreaming again. In my dreams, I can see you, Ah Shuo.”
“Ah Zhao, it’s me, Ah Shuo! Don’t scare me!” Bai Shuo’s voice trembled, and her heart clenched.
Chong Zhao, delirious with a fever, couldn’t recognize her and thought he was dreaming.
“It’s good… You didn’t marry me. Ah Shuo, you… you must live well…” Chong Zhao coughed continuously, vomiting blood. Bai Shuo’s white clothes were stained red, but she was helpless.
In his delirium, Chong Zhao suddenly seemed possessed. He pushed Bai Shuo away, pounding his fists on the ground, looking towards the imperial city.
“No, my father is innocent! He has served the country all his life; he would never commit treason!”
“Ah Zhao…”
“You framed him! Framed him! I refuse to confess! Refuse!”
With a shout, Chong Zhao slammed his head against the wall, bleeding profusely as he lost consciousness.
“Ah Zhao!” Bai Shuo caught him but couldn’t wake him up. Holding the boy she grew up with in her arms, she sobbed helplessly in the depths of the prison.
“Time’s up; we need to go!” Long Er Donkey’s voice rang in her ear.
Before Bai Shuo could react, a force swept her out of the cell.
In an instant, she found herself outside the prison. The donkey bent its front legs slightly, and as soon as Bai Shuo landed on its back, it began galloping towards the general mansion. Bai Shuo held tightly onto the donkey’s neck, her mind for the first time forgetting about cultivating immortality, filled only with Chong Zhao’s frantic face.
Long Er Donkey lightly landed outside the ancestral hall of the general’s mansion. The glow had not yet faded, and the guards outside the ancestral hall could not see them. Just as the donkey was about to leap into the ancestral hall, a voice sounded not far away.
“Master, at this point, even if you keep blaming yourself, you cannot save the Chong family.”
Mother? Bai Shuo clutched Long Er Donkey’s ear and jumped down from its back. Fearing making any noise, the donkey flicked its tail to hide her presence.
Not far from the ancestral hall, under an old peach tree in the garden, Bai Xun looked exhausted, and behind him stood Lady Bai, her eyes filled with worry and tears.
“There are three jars of wine buried under this tree, which Chong and I buried ourselves when Ah Shuo and Ah Xi were born. We agreed to dig them up when the two children got married…” Bai Xun sighed, his voice hoarse.
“How could he be so foolish! Dragging down the entire family! Chong Zhao is kind-hearted. If it weren’t for Ah Shuo, this wouldn’t have happened…”
Hearing this, Bai Shuo’s heart trembled, and she unconsciously moved closer to the tree.
“Master!” Lady Bai’s voice sharpened as she clutched General Bai’s sleeve. “We must not let Ah Shuo know about this!”
Lady Bai, who had been gentle all her life, had never been so resolute.
Know what? What are her father and mother hiding from her? Bai Shuo felt a chill in her heart, her hand on the wall trembling uncontrollably.
“Ah Shuo and Chong Zhao grew up together; their bond was stronger than that of siblings, and Chong Zhao was deeply devoted to her. If Ah Shuo knew that because she broke off the engagement, Chong Zhao secretly mobilized the prime minister mansion’s private soldiers in Weicheng to find her, which led to His Majesty discovering the Chong family’s private army and exterminating the whole Chong family, she wouldn’t be able to bear it.” Lady Bai couldn’t help but sob, repeatedly urging Bai Xun, “Master, we mustn’t let Ah Shuo know; otherwise, what will become of her…”
Bai Xun embraced Lady Bai, letting out a long sigh filled with helplessness.
In the garden, Bai Shuo’s face turned pale, her entire body trembling. Chong Zhao’s blood-soaked, crazed face intertwined in her mind. If she weren’t leaning against the wall, she might have collapsed already.
A flash of light appeared, and Bai Shuo was whisked into the ancestral hall by the donkey’s tail.
With a thud, inside the ancestral hall, the donkey’s tail flicked, and Bai Shuo, unable to stand steadily, fell to the ground. Her eyes were blank, and her face was terrifyingly pale.
“Hey! Xiao Bai?!” Long Er Donkey’s voice suddenly became clear and childish. It quickly coughed, resuming its usual elderly tone. “Bai girl?”
Bai Shuo remained sitting on the ground in a daze, her eyes lifeless.
Long Er Donkey glanced anxiously out the window. If it didn’t awaken its soul power soon, that ice-cold man would find it, and it would turn into a real piece of wood.
Growing impatient, Long Er Donkey snorted and extended its hoof, ready to wake Bai Shuo forcefully, but she suddenly looked up.
“Help me save him, and I’ll give you my life.”
Long Er Donkey froze, its eyes filled with surprise and then guilt.
Damn! Did she figure it out? How?
“Bai girl, what are you saying? I just need a bottle of your blood… What life?”
“If you only needed a bottle of my blood, why take so many risks? You could have just knocked me out and taken it. Demons are known for their treacherous and vengeful nature. After how I tricked you on Mount Muxiao, you’ve been pretending to be friendly with me, going to such lengths, and I kept wondering why.”
Bai Shuo’s voice was soft but firm.
“I read in a book once that demon cultivation differs from that of immortals. The most common method for demons is to take human essence and blood, but there are certain rules to follow. I guess… for my blood to be useful to you, I have to willingly offer it, right?”
Regardless of whether they are immortals or demons, both can use human essence and blood for cultivation. However, if it goes against the will of the one whose essence is taken, the cultivator becomes a demon. The Nine-Headed Snake slain by Tianqi in the imperial tombs was such a demon.
Long Er Donkey had dreamed of awakening its soul power, but it could only trick Bai Shuo into willingly offering her blood. Otherwise, it would have to resort to demonic methods.
Long Er Donkey looked at Bai Shuo strangely for a while before it couldn’t help but ask, “Bai girl, are you really just a mortal?”
“Absolutely.”
“How can a mere mortal know so much?”
Bai Shuo suddenly sighed and walked to the window, gazing at the moon high in the night sky. No one knew what she was thinking as she looked at the moon.
“My lifelong dream has been to become immortal. Since I was eight, I have read countless books about gods and ghosts. I know these books are mostly filled with lies, but if they are widely circulated, there must be some truth in them. Everything I know comes from those books.”
Bai Shuo wasn’t lying. Over the years, Chong Zhao had spent a fortune collecting strange tales from across the land for her. Many of these tales were written by cultivators, and while the contents seemed absurd to others, Bai Shuo knew that many of the events described were likely true.
“What’s so great about being an immortal?” Long Er Donkey scoffed.
“There are so many rules and false morals. Being a demon is much more enjoyable!”
“It doesn’t matter,” Bai Shuo said, her eyes reflecting a mix of regret and relief as she turned back to face him.
“There’s no time left. As long as you help me save Chong Zhao, I will willingly offer my blood to you. A life for a life.”
With his lie exposed, Long Er Donkey knew that if Bai Shuo didn’t willingly offer her blood, he had no other options. If he couldn’t awaken his soul power, Fan Yue would eventually find him, and he would be reduced to a lifeless piece of wood. He would rather take a chance!
In a flash of light, Long Er Donkey disappeared, replaced by a green-clad youth standing before Bai Shuo. Despite being called a youth, he was really just a child, with a wooden hairpin in his hair and a patched green robe that looked like a sack. His eyes were dark, lively, and cunning.
“Fine, I agree to help you save that fool,” the boy said in a voice that hadn’t yet matured, carrying a hint of childishness.
“But you must keep your word and not deceive me!”
Long Er extended his hand towards Bai Shuo.
Looking at the small boy in front of her, Bai Shuo slapped his palm with hers. “It’s a deal!”
Volume 1 (Human World): Chapter 19
The donkey wasn’t surprised at all. Its mouth curled into a grin, revealing a row of white teeth. “How did you know that Long Er is me?”
“From the time I left the capital until I entered Mount Muxiao, the only non-human I encountered was you.”
Bai Shuo sighed. “Do all you demons think that mortals are brainless?”
“Don’t lump me together with that evil star,” Long Er Donkey shuddered.
“Bai girl, when we escaped from Mount Muxiao, it was your blood that woke up that pig, right?”
A trace of wariness flashed in Bai Shuo’s eyes.
“Don’t be afraid; I don’t need much of your blood, just this little bottle…” The donkey tapped the ground with its hoof, and a small porcelain bottle appeared. “As long as you give me a bottle of your blood, I’ll help you see that fool.”
“Okay.”
Bai Shuo picked up the bottle and nodded without hesitation.
A cunning glint flashed in the donkey’s eyes as it grinned, but Bai Shuo suddenly spoke up.
“I’m curious, why didn’t the Lord of the Haoyue Palace recognize you even though he’s looking for you? And… why does he call you Long Er when you’re clearly a donkey?”
“Well…” Long Er Donkey dragged out the word, its eyes blinking as its front legs bent slightly. “Dawn is about to break; are you sure you want to waste time on this?”
Bai Shuo was taken aback and quickly climbed onto Long Er Donkey’s back. “To the sky prison!”
The donkey’s tail swept across, a flash of light appeared, and both of them disappeared from the ancestral hall.
With a creak, the window was pushed open and then gently closed again.
“Hey, Little Wood, was that girl just secretly mocking you?!”
In the courtyard, a boy in red leaned lazily against a tree while Long Yi Pig flapped its little wings and asked with a giggle.
Fan Yue glanced at Long Yi Pig with an expressionless face.
A flash of light, a person, and a pig appeared on Chang’an Road, not too far from the sound of donkey hooves. The invisible donkey was in plain sight to Fan Yue.
“How did you see through that stupid donkey’s true form? Even I didn’t notice.”
Fan Yue, feeling lazy, didn’t want to waste any energy on the pig.
Not far away, the sound of a drum suddenly echoed. The stupid donkey was startled, its hoof slipping, causing Bai Shuo to nearly fall off its back as she clung tightly to its neck, fearing for her life.
Seeing her fear, Fan Yue suddenly smirked.
“Have you ever seen anyone more afraid of death than this woman?”
Fan Yue suddenly spoke, seemingly out of nowhere.
Long Yi Pig blinked, looking confused.
“Afraid of death to this extent, yet during the escape, she didn’t forget about that donkey,” Fan Yue chuckled playfully.
“If I hadn’t knocked her out and had the Taoist from Mount Daze send her back to the capital and the mortal Chong Zhao have been imprisoned, do you think this stupid donkey could control her?”
Long Yi Pig thought it over and agreed. It had lived for tens of thousands of years, and the last time it saw such a troublesome girl was when True God Shanggu was still a child.
Long Yi Pig snorted, “Her blood is so precious that even I’m reluctant to use it. That stupid donkey is quite daring! Hey, Little Wood, why are we following this stupid donkey? Let’s take this sickly girl and the donkey back to the Extreme North…”
Long Yi Pig was cut off as it bumped into Fan Yue, seeing that they were close to the prison, where the donkey had also stopped.
Long Er Donkey suddenly looked in their direction. A flash of light, and Fan Yue disappeared. Seeing nothing, the donkey turned back, its eyes filled with confusion but focused on the task at hand.
“Hold on tight!”
Before Bai Shuo could react, the donkey leapt into the prison, disappearing from sight.
At the entrance of the prison, Long Er Donkey blew a breath towards the inner cells, causing the guards and prisoners to fall into a deep sleep.
With a flick of its tail, the donkey and Bai Shuo appeared in their true forms. The donkey bent its legs, and Bai Shuo jumped to the ground.
“The fool is inside. Go.”
The long, cold corridor made Bai Shuo shiver as she hurried down the passage, stopping at the only cell with an open door. Chong Zhao lay there, covered in blood, hair disheveled, and unconscious on the straw mat. In just half a month, the once-glorious son of a prime minister was now unrecognizable.
“Ah Zhao!”
Bai Shuo had never seen Chong Zhao like this. She cried out and rushed in, lifting him from the ground.
“Ah Zhao! Are you okay?”
Chong Zhao slowly opened his eyes, and through the blood, he saw Bai Shuo’s face. He smiled tragically and coughed up blood. “I’m dreaming again. In my dreams, I can see you, Ah Shuo.”
“Ah Zhao, it’s me, Ah Shuo! Don’t scare me!” Bai Shuo’s voice trembled, and her heart clenched.
Chong Zhao, delirious with a fever, couldn’t recognize her and thought he was dreaming.
“It’s good… You didn’t marry me. Ah Shuo, you… you must live well…” Chong Zhao coughed continuously, vomiting blood. Bai Shuo’s white clothes were stained red, but she was helpless.
In his delirium, Chong Zhao suddenly seemed possessed. He pushed Bai Shuo away, pounding his fists on the ground, looking towards the imperial city.
“No, my father is innocent! He has served the country all his life; he would never commit treason!”
“Ah Zhao…”
“You framed him! Framed him! I refuse to confess! Refuse!”
With a shout, Chong Zhao slammed his head against the wall, bleeding profusely as he lost consciousness.
“Ah Zhao!” Bai Shuo caught him but couldn’t wake him up. Holding the boy she grew up with in her arms, she sobbed helplessly in the depths of the prison.
“Time’s up; we need to go!” Long Er Donkey’s voice rang in her ear.
Before Bai Shuo could react, a force swept her out of the cell.
In an instant, she found herself outside the prison. The donkey bent its front legs slightly, and as soon as Bai Shuo landed on its back, it began galloping towards the general mansion. Bai Shuo held tightly onto the donkey’s neck, her mind for the first time forgetting about cultivating immortality, filled only with Chong Zhao’s frantic face.
Long Er Donkey lightly landed outside the ancestral hall of the general’s mansion. The glow had not yet faded, and the guards outside the ancestral hall could not see them. Just as the donkey was about to leap into the ancestral hall, a voice sounded not far away.
“Master, at this point, even if you keep blaming yourself, you cannot save the Chong family.”
Mother? Bai Shuo clutched Long Er Donkey’s ear and jumped down from its back. Fearing making any noise, the donkey flicked its tail to hide her presence.
Not far from the ancestral hall, under an old peach tree in the garden, Bai Xun looked exhausted, and behind him stood Lady Bai, her eyes filled with worry and tears.
“There are three jars of wine buried under this tree, which Chong and I buried ourselves when Ah Shuo and Ah Xi were born. We agreed to dig them up when the two children got married…” Bai Xun sighed, his voice hoarse.
“How could he be so foolish! Dragging down the entire family! Chong Zhao is kind-hearted. If it weren’t for Ah Shuo, this wouldn’t have happened…”
Hearing this, Bai Shuo’s heart trembled, and she unconsciously moved closer to the tree.
“Master!” Lady Bai’s voice sharpened as she clutched General Bai’s sleeve. “We must not let Ah Shuo know about this!”
Lady Bai, who had been gentle all her life, had never been so resolute.
Know what? What are her father and mother hiding from her? Bai Shuo felt a chill in her heart, her hand on the wall trembling uncontrollably.
“Ah Shuo and Chong Zhao grew up together; their bond was stronger than that of siblings, and Chong Zhao was deeply devoted to her. If Ah Shuo knew that because she broke off the engagement, Chong Zhao secretly mobilized the prime minister mansion’s private soldiers in Weicheng to find her, which led to His Majesty discovering the Chong family’s private army and exterminating the whole Chong family, she wouldn’t be able to bear it.” Lady Bai couldn’t help but sob, repeatedly urging Bai Xun, “Master, we mustn’t let Ah Shuo know; otherwise, what will become of her…”
Bai Xun embraced Lady Bai, letting out a long sigh filled with helplessness.
In the garden, Bai Shuo’s face turned pale, her entire body trembling. Chong Zhao’s blood-soaked, crazed face intertwined in her mind. If she weren’t leaning against the wall, she might have collapsed already.
A flash of light appeared, and Bai Shuo was whisked into the ancestral hall by the donkey’s tail.
With a thud, inside the ancestral hall, the donkey’s tail flicked, and Bai Shuo, unable to stand steadily, fell to the ground. Her eyes were blank, and her face was terrifyingly pale.
“Hey! Xiao Bai?!” Long Er Donkey’s voice suddenly became clear and childish. It quickly coughed, resuming its usual elderly tone. “Bai girl?”
Bai Shuo remained sitting on the ground in a daze, her eyes lifeless.
Long Er Donkey glanced anxiously out the window. If it didn’t awaken its soul power soon, that ice-cold man would find it, and it would turn into a real piece of wood.
Growing impatient, Long Er Donkey snorted and extended its hoof, ready to wake Bai Shuo forcefully, but she suddenly looked up.
“Help me save him, and I’ll give you my life.”
Long Er Donkey froze, its eyes filled with surprise and then guilt.
Damn! Did she figure it out? How?
“Bai girl, what are you saying? I just need a bottle of your blood… What life?”
“If you only needed a bottle of my blood, why take so many risks? You could have just knocked me out and taken it. Demons are known for their treacherous and vengeful nature. After how I tricked you on Mount Muxiao, you’ve been pretending to be friendly with me, going to such lengths, and I kept wondering why.”
Bai Shuo’s voice was soft but firm.
“I read in a book once that demon cultivation differs from that of immortals. The most common method for demons is to take human essence and blood, but there are certain rules to follow. I guess… for my blood to be useful to you, I have to willingly offer it, right?”
Regardless of whether they are immortals or demons, both can use human essence and blood for cultivation. However, if it goes against the will of the one whose essence is taken, the cultivator becomes a demon. The Nine-Headed Snake slain by Tianqi in the imperial tombs was such a demon.
Long Er Donkey had dreamed of awakening its soul power, but it could only trick Bai Shuo into willingly offering her blood. Otherwise, it would have to resort to demonic methods.
Long Er Donkey looked at Bai Shuo strangely for a while before it couldn’t help but ask, “Bai girl, are you really just a mortal?”
“Absolutely.”
“How can a mere mortal know so much?”
Bai Shuo suddenly sighed and walked to the window, gazing at the moon high in the night sky. No one knew what she was thinking as she looked at the moon.
“My lifelong dream has been to become immortal. Since I was eight, I have read countless books about gods and ghosts. I know these books are mostly filled with lies, but if they are widely circulated, there must be some truth in them. Everything I know comes from those books.”
Bai Shuo wasn’t lying. Over the years, Chong Zhao had spent a fortune collecting strange tales from across the land for her. Many of these tales were written by cultivators, and while the contents seemed absurd to others, Bai Shuo knew that many of the events described were likely true.
“What’s so great about being an immortal?” Long Er Donkey scoffed.
“There are so many rules and false morals. Being a demon is much more enjoyable!”
“It doesn’t matter,” Bai Shuo said, her eyes reflecting a mix of regret and relief as she turned back to face him.
“There’s no time left. As long as you help me save Chong Zhao, I will willingly offer my blood to you. A life for a life.”
With his lie exposed, Long Er Donkey knew that if Bai Shuo didn’t willingly offer her blood, he had no other options. If he couldn’t awaken his soul power, Fan Yue would eventually find him, and he would be reduced to a lifeless piece of wood. He would rather take a chance!
In a flash of light, Long Er Donkey disappeared, replaced by a green-clad youth standing before Bai Shuo. Despite being called a youth, he was really just a child, with a wooden hairpin in his hair and a patched green robe that looked like a sack. His eyes were dark, lively, and cunning.
“Fine, I agree to help you save that fool,” the boy said in a voice that hadn’t yet matured, carrying a hint of childishness.
“But you must keep your word and not deceive me!”
Long Er extended his hand towards Bai Shuo.
Looking at the small boy in front of her, Bai Shuo slapped his palm with hers. “It’s a deal!”
