Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 383 - 20 Late Night Talks and Midnight Snacks

Chapter 383: Chapter 20 Late Night Talks and Midnight Snacks

Chapter 383: Chapter 20 Late Night Talks and Midnight Snacks

“`

The night was abuzz with chaos: the pounding of boots, the clinking of scabbards, the crackling of torches, and murmurs all tangled into one mess.

After a while, Flying Thunder, jet-black with two snowy hooves raised high, let out a whinny that cut through the noise. Li Yan sat on the horse, the severed head of Supervisor Guo dangling at his waist. He cast a cold glance down at the government officials surrounding the pale-faced Li Wuyi and, flicking the reins, galloped off towards the Dragon Tiger Office.

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“Sir, Supervisor Guo’s body?”

Li Wuyi had yet to calm down. The glance Li Yan spared him before leaving sent shivers down his spine. He had thought he was dealing with a lesser of two evils, but little did he know he’d summoned a fierce and ferocious spirit.

Unbeknownst to Supervisor Guo, Governor Li had tasks of utmost importance, tied directly to the imperial court. How could County Magistrate Li not be aware? Such trivial concerns of rank did not apply; even he, the local authority, could be dispatched by Li Yan without a second thought.

Provoking Dragon Tiger Mountain’s Heavenly Master Tao might not be advantageous for the military-born Li Yan, though…

He caught himself thinking. Just the three of them at the banquet, and Li Yan had killed Supervisor Guo—how could he escape implication? The elders had long held grudges against Dragon Tiger Mountain; one misstep, and this could ignite partisan conflict within the court.

“Sir, sir?”

Li Wuyi was indecisive. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and said to the government officials of the residence, “What are you all standing around for? Supervisor Guo disrespected imperial law and committed heinous crimes. He has been executed on the spot by Governor Li. Hurry, follow Governor Li and see if there are any other co-conspirators to be apprehended!”

…

“It’s quite lively outside.”

Xiaodao was fiddling with a withered grass root by the lamp as Cao Yongchang sat at a table, yawning heavily.

The two were staying in a side room arranged by the County Office, and it was already late into the night.

“Feeling better?”

Xiaodao inquired about Cao Yongchang’s cold.

“Fright during the night startled a sweat out of me; I’m much improved,” Cao Yongchang obediently replied before looking up and asking, “Uncle, where is General Li?”

“Oh, he told me there was fine wine to be had tonight and that we should get some sleep first.”

“Eh? When did he tell you that? I’ve been by your side every step and didn’t hear anything.”

“Why so many questions, kid? Just sleep.”

The pair lay in bed, and it wasn’t long before Cao Yongchang felt his stomach growl. Somewhat embarrassed, he said, “Uncle, I’m hungry. Do you still have any dry rations on you?”

Xiaodao reached into thin air and pulled out a steaming hot bean-paste filled bun, handing it to Cao.

Cao Yongchang, used to such magically appearing provisions, did not question and took the bun.

The bun was soft, the bean filling sweet and sandy; the thin, fluffy outer layer made Cao Yongchang’s mouth water. As he ate, he mumbled, “Uncle, you and General Li both have the power to move heaven and earth—why does he get to command? Is it just because he has an official title?”

“Not really.”

Xiaodao grabbed another bun and took a bite before saying, “He truly is stronger than me—his willpower, agility, calmness in critical situations, and his ambition. Plus, he treats his friends well. I’ve worked with him for some time and never come off worse for wear.”

Xiaodao finished his bun quickly, then couldn’t help adding a few more words,

“Actually, our situation is nothing like the romanticized life of a ranger you picture. Though our days aren’t exactly constricted, we live a nomadic life. When you’re alone and powerless, there’s often little room for resistance—a reality that’s universal.”

A flash of something indistinct gleamed in his eyes for a moment before he continued, “Sticking with him, at least, offers a future.”

Cao Yongchang sensed a change in the atmosphere and switched topics, “Then, Uncle, why do I always get the feeling that General Li is troubled by a vexing matter? You, on the other hand, seem disinterested and don’t like standing out. Only when General Li involves you do you show some energy; otherwise, you act like you don’t exist at all.”

Xiaodao didn’t seem to care, “Why would I hurry if it’s not my wife who is lost?”

“What lost wife?”

“Ah, you don’t know. Your General Li, he’s officially on government business for this trip. But in reality, he’s trying to win back a beauty from his household.”

Cao Yongchang’s eyes lit up, “General Li is married? What happened to his wife?”

“Well, trouble in the rear court,” Xiaodao said casually. “You figure it out.”

“Oh~”

Cao Yongchang dragged the sound, “Hey Uncle, don’t you think that General Li seems a bit interested in Yu Jie’er of Zhen Residence?”

Xiaodao blinked, “Really? I didn’t notice.”

“Yeah, except for you, he only gives a few kind words to Yu Jie’er. He’s been stern with me this whole journey,” Cao Yongchang said, his eyes brimming with curiosity as he chewed, “It’s natural to be moved by beauty. The two maids beside the old lady are unspoken-for and good looking too. I just feel like…General Li has a thing for Yu Jie’er…”

“Shh~”

Xiaodao cut off Cao Yongchang. He coughed, looked around, sat up, and spoke in a lowered voice, “Actually, between you and me, he has this… Oedipus complex.”

“What Oedipus?”

“Come closer.”

Xiaodao whispered for a while before Cao Yongchang exclaimed in shock.

“`

“Him?!”

“Don’t say I told you this.”

Cha Xiaodao pulled a handful of sunflower seeds from his sleeve, giving Cao Yongchang a knowing look.

“Who would have thought General Li would have such a peculiar hobby.”

“The pressure is high.”

Cha Xiaodao said, deadpan.

The two of them got excited about their conversation, and Cha Xiaodao slapped his thigh decisively, “I’ll make something warm, let’s eat and talk.”

After saying that, Cha Xiaodao got out of bed, put on his boots, popped a sunflower seed into his mouth, and walked out the door.

Slam~

With the carved wooden door shut behind him, Cha Xiaodao walked into the courtyard, his expression suddenly turned cold.

He drew his Owl Kiss Twin Blades from behind his waist, standing ramrod straight.

In the center of the courtyard stood a black-robed, dignified man with hands behind his back, flanked by two willowy women in hairpins and skirts, as demonic aura spread all around. Dozens of red eyes gleamed from the darkness, and about half of the Forty-Eight Heretics from the Five Blessings Tower were present.

“So it turns out you two and that General Li with the surname Li are in cahoots. This means that the secret plot of Five Blessings Tower has been exposed long ago. If it hadn’t been for Wind Snow God trailing him, we would have been kept in the dark.”

“Being kept in the dark sometimes isn’t so bad. If it weren’t for Er Jianlian, you might not be standing here in one piece.” Cha Xiaodao glared at the black-robed man, “Sitting at the same table that day was fate, I haven’t asked for the honor of your name…”

“The Five Immortals Outside of the Pass, Chang Tianzai.”

Cha Xiaodao joked, “Shouldn’t a snake immortal’s last name be Bai?”

The man ignored him, just squinting his eyes, “You were able to escape from Five Blessings Tower unscathed because many Demon Immortals were watching and disdained to make a move. Do you think you can escape today?”

Cha Xiaodao smiled and said nothing.

Chang Tianzai seemed quite interested in Cha, in no hurry to start a fight, “Lying to that kid, thinking you can fend us off alone? You should have told him to run away first.”

Cha Xiaodao shrugged, “Maybe I just figured after I deal with you guys, I’d still have time to make a bowl of Xiao Ye to eat.”

“Stop wasting words with him!”

An old man dressed in tiger skin with greying hair standing on end charged out of the darkness, transforming midair into a giant tiger with a scorpion’s tail and pounced towards Cha Xiaodao.

“Mengshan Spirit!”

Chang Tianzai’s warning came too late, as Cha Xiaodao lowered his stance and advanced. There was no sight of his usual Fire-Eating technique, yet the Owl Kiss Twin Blades in his hands glowed like molten lava.

His left blade parried the tiger’s claws and teeth, while his right blade fell like a fiery meteor, slashing from its neck downward, gutting it open. Immediately following, his feet sprang up to kick the tiger’s head, leveraging forward and retreating two steps. A series of fluid movements like a graceful, startled swan — by the time the assembled Heretics reacted, the giant tiger body of the Mengshan Spirit was already lying on the ground, blood streaming in all directions.

The entire process took no more than three seconds.

Spit~

Cha Xiaodao spit out a pair of split sunflower seed shells.

The many Heretics were momentarily stunned, many of the demons that had been seconds from swarming now forcibly stopped their approach.

Mengshan Spirit, with seventy years of cultivation and five hundred years of Taoist practice, wasn’t the top among them, not comparable to Hu San, Chang Tianzai, or Old Lady Fox Bone, but he was among the formidable ones. Yet, he died so abruptly.

No one was a fool, and none dared to seek death under these circumstances.

Chang Tianzai couldn’t help but feel a deep hatred. He hadn’t seen through Cha’s depth back in Five Blessings Tower, and today, meeting him again, he couldn’t find a trace of human Dragon Tiger Qi in him. Instead, Cha seemed more like those human Heretics who practiced evil, bearing a hint of fierce beast’s aura and the scent of the stars. His aura was somewhat on par with Demon Immortals and Wild Gods with around fifteen hundred years of cultivation, but he would probably be stronger in a fight.

Chang Tianzai had intended to probe him with words before deciding what to do next, but Mengshan Spirit’s defiance was one thing; his swift death, however, had dampened the spirits of the assembled demons. Even if Chang Tianzai gave orders now, unless he led by example, these Heretics and Demon Immortals might not be willing to listen.

“Fine, attack!”

Chang Tianzai shook his sleeves, turning into billowing black smoke.

“Five hundred years of Taoist practice, Ten Cities Peak? Heh heh.”

Cha Xiaodao muttered to himself as he groped in his pocket with the hand holding the blades, his thumb and little finger lighting up a cigarette. He slid it into his mouth, the tip igniting without fire, and mumbled, “Since Cao said I haven’t been dazzling and let General Li steal all the limelight, I guess today I will have to put in some effort after all.”

His bloodstained twin blades stood up, the blades emitting streaks of cold air under the moonlight.

From the black smoke emerged a snake body thick as a water jar, and as Cha Xiaodao’s eyebrows shot up like blade edges, ready to explode into action, he suddenly exclaimed.

“The wild boar meat in the carriage is gone, there’s no oil or water in the government office kitchen, what to eat for Xiao Ye later?”

…

Mr. Li, who lives a lonely and widowed life, has yet to be recognized for his chastity and righteousness.

— “Dream Pencil Miscellany: The Legend of Double Swords”