usatvline Chapter 187 Gathering at the Chang Family
Chapter 187 Gathering at the Chang Family
"...He's a fairy too?"
Compared to Xing Tianshi, the two Chang brothers were truly out of the loop. Just now, Chang Dayong and Chang Daqi were almost convinced when Xing Tianshi descended from the sky with Ye Dai, subdued the man in a few moves, and told him that the man in front of them was a fake Taoist priest, and that he was actually a peony flower in disguise.
First, a peony flower transformed into a beautiful wife; then, a son was born and turned into a peony; now, a peony flower has appeared as a Taoist priest. The Chang family's connection with peonies is truly profound.
"Fairies again! Fairies again! Why can't you just leave us alone?"
"That's none of my business."
Taoist Yao, or rather, Ah Yao, seemed unconcerned about Chang Dayong's distraught questioning.
"I am merely following orders; what the Chang family is like is none of my business."
Because he had previously impersonated a Taoist priest, A Yao subconsciously wanted to use the previous title again, but he quickly remembered that there was a "fierce and evil"-looking, proper Taoist priest next to him, so he quickly changed it.
"Besides, what right do guys who make money off their own children have to accuse us of lying? Which of the peonies your Chang family sold was grown normally?"
"You and I……"
Chang Dayong instinctively wanted to refute, but in the end he couldn't say anything. What the other side said was right. The source of the Chang family's peony business was the two peony bushes in the backyard. Not only Gejin Purple Jade White, but also other varieties. If the flowers on the edge were transplanted to other places, those flowers would become other varieties. The peonies sold by the Chang family looked very diverse, but they all came from the backyard.
The person standing there looked anxious, trying to explain but unable to speak, while the tightly bound fairy remained calm and composed, completely ignoring the anger of the person in front of her.
Indeed, he didn't take him seriously. He couldn't beat Xing Tianshi, and he was too stupid to mess with. But he wasn't afraid of Chang Dayong, this mortal A Yao. Anyway, his identity had been revealed, so he didn't need to be polite.
"And this Taoist priest."
After silencing Chang Dayong, A Yao dodged Ye Dai's mischievous paws by tilting her head and looked at Xing Tianshi, who was muttering something to himself.
“We are not related to Lady Cao, but we are of the same clan. We only want to take those two children away from their suffering. Why are you stopping us?”
The Taoist priest who suddenly appeared out of nowhere was of unknown origin, and the spirit beast he brought was also unfamiliar. For a moment, he was indeed afraid that the other party would mistake him for a demon and kill him. After all, there was the conflict between Wei Niangzi and the other party, and now he had been caught impersonating a Taoist priest to deceive people. The two siblings had guessed the trigger.
So far, all they've done is tie him up; they haven't used any coercive methods. They're much gentler than the usual government offices. Plus, he's a very upright person, so maybe we can try to talk to him again.
It's not uncommon for demons to befriend cultivators. In fact, given the sheer number of people who embark on the path of cultivation, the composition of these individuals is quite complex. Take A Yao and Wei Niangzi as examples. They have no blood on their hands and some connections elsewhere that they can exploit. A proper conversation might allow them to escape.
"Wouldn't it be better for us, two of our own kind, to raise these two little ones instead of letting them continue to be used by their biological father?"
"You two don't seem to be the same species, do you? Those two babies underground are Gejinyuban, and you two are... what are you again? Yellow something?"
Xing Tianshi wasn't interested in that. He was more interested in what Tian Ji and Yan Chixia had done. Last time, no one expected that the pile of petals would have the same effect as a smoke bomb. Now that they knew the enemy's methods, with the strength of those two, they should have brought back the other flower fairy long ago.
"...Yao Huang, the Yao Huang in Yao Huang Wei Zi."
Unexpectedly, the focus on the other side was here. A Yao was speechless for a moment. Although the peony varieties in Luoyang were almost dominated by Gejin Ziyu Banbai due to the difficulty of cultivation and the impact brought by the Chang family, Yaohuang and Weizi were still very famous peony varieties. After all, they were the "King" and "Queen" of peonies. Although they were less common in Luoyang, they were still loved by the nobles and even the royal family in the capital.
"With your cultivation level, you must be a highly knowledgeable expert. How come you still can't recognize my original form and Sister Wei's original form?"
In terms of cultivation and strength, Madam Wei and A Yao are quite well-known in the area. However, as flower fairies, they lack some means of attack, so no other demons will come to oppose their actions in the city.
Xing Tianshi and his group suppressed them from the start. Their strength and cultivation were definitely beyond the lifespan of ordinary people. Their age meant they had more experience. They could recognize the imported Gejin Ziyu Bai, but they did not recognize the local Yao Huang Wei Zi of Luoyang.
"There are flowers and plants everywhere by the roadside, how could I have time to recognize them?"
Xing Tianshi didn't care. He didn't bother with an elegant persona. Unless the enemy side had some strange and unusual creatures that needed to be dealt with, he didn't need to pay much attention to these things. He could only recognize Ge Jinzi and Yu Banbai because of the "script".
"Stop playing innocent here. We have people in our area who are more professional than you at this. We'll talk about it properly when Tianji and Fellow Daoist Yan return."
Up until now, the two flower fairies' statements have focused on their attitudes toward the two little flower fairies of the Chang family. Their reason is that as members of the same kind, they do not want to see the two children being used by the Chang family and want to take the children away from the Chang family.
Based on the information available, the Chang family is indeed in the wrong. They are using their own child to make money, and Chang Dayong even had the idea of using them to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy. The child's biological mother is missing and has been taken away and raised by two flower fairies who are both peony spirits. They have indeed escaped from their misery.
Aside from their identity as "peony flower fairies," they had no relation to the children. In fact, the Chang family's series of shady dealings indirectly caused the two children to encroach on the living space of other peonies in Luoyang.
Is it really true that the other party is so kind to just want to save two children they don't know? This cannot be guaranteed. The rules of this world are still somewhat unfamiliar to Xing Tianshi. The law that one will not incur sins if one does not harm others is known, but how to calculate between demons is still unclear, especially for plant spirits. Killing a rabbit and picking a flower are very different in terms of appearance alone.
That's why Xing Tianshi and his group wanted to capture both flower fairies. What was their purpose? Everyone confronted each other at the Chang family, the source of the conflict.
If they really can't solve the problem, they wouldn't mind going to Caozhou to visit the legendary Lady Cao, ask if she knows that they have grandchildren in Luoyang, see if the children's birth mother is still there, and see if they can bring the two children back to Caozhou to raise them.
If the flower demon is in the wrong, given Chang Dayong's current attitude, even if the two children turn back into humans, he will likely find it difficult to raise them as ordinary children.
Seeing that more and more people were gathering, Tianji knew he couldn't stay in one place any longer. So Xing Tianshi didn't wait any longer and soon saw the people, but the number was a bit off.
"Hey, did you guys go to the East China Sea?"
It wasn't just Tianji and Yan Chixia who brought the flower fairy to the Chang family; there were also two people who should have been in the East Sea Dragon Palace, and a few others they didn't recognize. Two went out and a whole bunch came back—how interesting!
"Strictly speaking, we just came back from the East China Sea. We left in a hurry and didn't bring any souvenirs."
Liu Qingyuan immediately spotted the young man bound on the ground and knew that this was Wei Niangzi's companion. In addition, the flow of spiritual energy underground in the Chang family's place was also very abnormal, as if something was about to break out of the ground.
"...There are living things underground."
Jian Feidao looked down at the ground, his eyes slowly moving along the invisible veins beneath the earth, finally locking onto a certain direction in the backyard of the Chang family.
"Fortunately, we made it in time."
Peng Haiqiu glanced at A Yao briefly and was relieved to see that she wasn't seriously injured. Although he and Ma Jiepu both let their animals roam freely, they were still somewhat related. Besides, the two flower fairies were quite endearing, so they had to keep an eye on them.
The fairy and the fox went to negotiate with Xing Tianshi, asking him to release A Yao first. With these two "elders" in charge, at least the two flower fairies wouldn't cause any more trouble, and they could honestly explain why they did these things.
Seeing that there was no need for further tension, Yan Chixia put away his weapon. His sword was quite different from the swords used by ordinary swordsmen; it was a small sword with a unique shape that could be easily put into the box he carried with him.
Which faction are you from?
Suddenly, a head popped up. When Peng Haiqiu opened the door to create a direct passage from the East China Sea to Luoyang, besides Liu Qingyuan and Jian Feidao, there was also an unfamiliar young man behind him. Tian Ji didn't even recognize him, and he couldn't explain it to Yan Chixia.
Peng Haiqiu and Ma Jiepu went to talk to Xing Tianshi, while Liu Qingyuan and Jian Feidao went to find the Chang brothers who were forced to stand by. However, judging from their appearances, the two of them looked more like "immortals" than Peng Haiqiu and were easier to communicate with. In the end, a young man who was not very familiar with either side was left and approached Yan Chixia and began to talk to himself.
Even though Yan Chixia ignored him, the boy's mouth didn't stop.
"This sword is quite good; it's a great weapon for exorcising demons. By the way, do you know how to control lightning?"
Judging by appearance alone, the boy looked younger than Ma Jiepu in human form, but Ma Jiepu was a fox spirit, and his true age was unknown, so Yan Chixia couldn't easily judge the other party's age.
Rather, aside from Yan Chixia himself and the two Chang brothers who were ordinary people, it was difficult to estimate the true age of the rest of the people present. This self-talking young man in front of them was neither human nor immortal; he might actually be an "old monster."
"If you could control thunder and lightning, why not fight me a few times..."
"Almost forgot about you."
Before the boy could finish speaking, Liu Qingyuan appeared behind him, picked him up and put him aside, making him stay with him to prevent him from harassing Yan Chixia again.
“You weren’t this lively when we were in the East China Sea.”
This boy was the same dragon that Liu Qingyuan encountered when he went to the East Sea, the one that crashed down from the sky and was covered in lightning wounds. Just as the Third Prince said, this guy hadn't mastered many spells related to lightning, but he had accumulated enough resistance to lightning. Before long, he was lively and energetic as he went to the Dragon Palace.
At that time, Peng Haiqiu was talking to the two of them, explaining his origins and requests. When he learned that this wandering immortal could open a "door to anywhere" directly to Luoyang, Liu Qingyuan also mentioned that he wanted to borrow a dragon to act as a liaison. Then, the Third Prince turned his head and saw the Chilong with a little electric current still on its body, and with a wave of his hand, he arranged for it to be taken care of as well.
As much as he's mischievous and difficult to manage, this kid is of pure blood, a true Chilong, making him the perfect candidate compared to the other miscellaneous dragons out there. Besides, giving this brat a harmless job is far better than sending him to harass the Thunder God and Lightning Goddess in the sky, only to return to the sea covered in lightning and blast fish.
So the little dragon joined Liu Qingyuan's team. After helping Peng Haiqiu deal with things here, it took him directly to Changqing to resolve the issues of the snake cave and the giant snake.
However, before they arrived, the boy looked quite weak, after all, he had just been in a fight and some injuries would not heal quickly. But as soon as they left the East China Sea, he became lively again.
"I was the one who installed it before."
The boy spoke his mind.
"If I pretend to be more seriously injured, I'll hear less cursing. Please keep this a secret, Immortal Master. I'll give you dragon scales or dragon horns if you want."
"...Where did you get those dragon horns?"
Forget about dragon scales, the dragon's head doesn't have horns.
"In the past, when fighting, someone's body was broken."
"Also, keep an eye on him."
"Wow!"
Liu Qingyuan felt that this little dragon was no longer just a bear or something; it was definitely a belligerent creature. Fortunately, this guy didn't have any talent for the magic he liked, otherwise, if he had actually mastered it, the thought of that scene would have been a headache.
"I don't want to be with this white monkey."
"This isn't a monkey; it's the only legendary spirit beast in the world, the Demonic Flow Sword Wind Demon! One of the top masters of the Daoist sect..."
Yan Chixia watched as this Taoist, dressed in plain white and called Sword Immortal by Tian Ji, rambled on and on, coaxing the boy who seemed to be a dragon into believing that the little beast in front of him, who was not even as tall as his waist, was an unparalleled expert, and that by building a good relationship with him, he could spar with him.
Then both the dragon and the beast were happy, but the white-robed Taoist clapped his hands and retreated, disappearing without a trace.
"...Sis, when it comes to eloquence, we're still no match."
Because of the intervention of an "elder," Wei Niangzi and A Yao could only obediently stand by as background figures. They had seen everything Liu Qingyuan had just done. If they had that kind of eloquence, they wouldn't have needed to put in so much effort, only to end up being scolded by their benefactor and master.
"With me and Brother Peng as guarantors, just tell me what you're planning to do, and confess everything honestly."
Ma Jiepu walked over and couldn't help but glance at A Yao a few more times. Ever since they came to the Chang family, Ma Jiepu's gaze had always been on A Yao, paying more attention to her than to Wei Niangzi. Some people found it strange, but considering that he was the nominal master of the two flower fairies, Peng Haiqiu didn't say anything, and no one else asked him what he was looking at.
Just because others didn't ask didn't mean Ma Jiepu wouldn't say it himself. After seeing the other person again after many years, a question arose in his mind. He didn't have a chance to say it before, but now was the perfect time.
"You've been following Lady Wei in a female body for years, how come you've suddenly switched to a male body?"
"?"
Before the person being asked could react, several people around instinctively turned to look. According to Ma Jiepu, A Yao was originally a woman, and the sisters became brothers.
“This is more convenient. In the past, whenever people heard that we were transformed from peonies, they would always ask me, ‘The peony is the king of flowers, so why is your king a woman?’ Tsk, I was so tired of hearing that, so I simply transformed into a man.”
Under the scrutinizing gazes of several demons, A Yao answered frankly that as a demon, gender is not a very important thing. Male demons can also transform into beautiful women to seduce scholars, and female demons can also transform into rich young men to deceive people.
However, A Yao's transformation is a bit different. Other demons' gender-switching is temporary, but he has already transformed into a woman and then added a male form, which can be used for a long time. Liu Qingyuan turned his gaze over because of this, which shows that A Yao is very strong in the art of transformation. It is already very troublesome for ordinary demons to cultivate to human form.
"I must say, it's no wonder it's a peony that has come to life..."
"What do you mean, Immortal Master?"
Yan Chixia heard Liu Qingyuan talking to himself, but he didn't understand the meaning of the other person's sigh.
"After all, it is a hermaphroditic flower... cough, fellow Daoist, you don't need to mind it."
It's a bit out of place to talk about this in the world of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.