After Escaping From Death, He Went Even Crazier By Criticizing Black Lotus Chapter 37
byChapter 37: The Cure for the Fool Requires Tears of True Sincerity
Su Huan put away the spirit boat, took out the Haoxue Sword, and grinned menacingly at Xiao Jianming: “Hmph, you made me work all night, now it’s time for you to pay the price.”
Although the man was foolish, his spiritual power was intact. How could she let such a resource go unused?
…
Under the clear blue sky and sunlight, a streak of snowy white flashed across the high altitude. Sitting and standing, one in front and one behind, two figures rode upon it, accompanied by bursts of noise.
“Hey, hey, hey, we flew past it! Not this way, it’s on the left!”
“No, no, you flew wrong again, it should be on the right…”
Su Huan held the map, sitting on the sword tip, frowning as she searched for direction. Xiao Jianming stood clumsily on the sword’s edge, piloting the sword and looking wronged as he hurried along.
“Strange, we should be passing through a town next, why is it all desolate forest…”
Su Huan looked at the map again and again. Suddenly, the sword stopped.
Xiao Jianming began to throw a tantrum: “Buhuan Gege!”
Su Huan didn’t lift her head, but skillfully opened her arms toward the figure behind her who was expressing dissatisfaction.
Xiao Jianming immediately pounced over, beaming with joy. After hugging for a while, he foolishly began piloting the sword for Su Huan again.
Yes, the honey trap was truly effective.
It was just that, for some reason, she felt the direction was getting more and more off course…
When the scorching sun was directly overhead, Su Huan had Xiao Jianming stop, choosing a shady spot for a short rest.
Xiao Jianming built the fire, and Su Huan roasted rabbits.
The fresh rabbit meat was roasted golden and crispy, sprinkled with pre-prepared seasonings, filling the air with fragrance.
This inadvertently attracted a peeping presence that shouldn’t have been hiding in the shadows.
Su Huan roasted both rabbits until they were golden and crisp. She handed one to Xiao Jianming, but before he could take it, a black shadow flashed past, snatching the rabbit from the branch and hiding in the grass.
Only a gust of wind brushed past their clothes.
Su Huan was startled. Xiao Jianming looked stunned, then instantly flew into a rage, plunging into the grass, determined to reclaim his roasted rabbit!
A scream came from the grass—
“Ouch! Why are you so stingy, child! You’ve already achieved Bigu, what good is eating this roasted rabbit? Why not let me have it…”
“Ouch, ouch, stop hitting me, stop hitting me! I’ll give it back, alright…”
Although the voice was full of vitality, it was old and hoarse, clearly belonging to an elder.
Su Huan quickly pushed aside the grass to check the situation, afraid the fool might accidentally beat someone to death.
Behind the grass, Xiao Jianming was forcefully pinning the thief who stole the roasted rabbit to the ground.
His face showed fierce aggression mixed with grievance, but the moment he saw her, only pure grievance remained. He ran over and threw himself into Su Huan’s arms, pointing at the old man whose clothes and hair were disheveled on the ground, sobbing and accusing: “Bad, bad!”
Su Huan looked, and sure enough, the old man was fast; most of the rabbit he had just grabbed was already eaten.
She quickly patted Xiao Jianming’s back to comfort him: “Don’t cry, don’t cry, I’ll roast you another one…”
Unexpectedly, the old man, who had been lying on the ground grimacing and wailing, shot up when he heard this, his old eyes gleaming: “I want one too, I want ten!”
Su Huan looked at him indifferently: “I refuse.”
“You are not young, yet you still engage in thievery. Don’t you feel ashamed?”
Moreover, a rabbit thief dared to be so arrogant.
However, the old man showed no shame. He lifted his chin proudly and said, “What’s the rush? I have a condition for exchange.”
Stroking his white beard, he slowly said, “This boy beside you, he has fallen into the Delusion Nightmare, hasn’t he?”
Su Huan, who had been leading Xiao Jianming away, suddenly turned her head to look at him, her eyes guarded.
“How did you know?”
As she asked, she summoned the Haoxue Sword.
Seeing her take him seriously, the old man quickly explained: “Ahem, I am not talented, but a hundred years ago, I traveled to the Sea of No Delusion and treated the former Spirit Rhinoceros Clan Chief for this very ailment.”
Then he looked smug: “I dare say, only I can cure him in the world today. If you give me ten… no, a hundred more roasted rabbits, I will help him recover.”
Su Huan listened quietly to his bragging: “Nonsense. You are not a Spirit Imprinter. How can you cure him?”
The old man snorted: “That shows your limited knowledge. Let me ask you, if you can’t find the innate Delusionless One, does the Spirit Rhinoceros Clan simply cease to exist?”
Su Huan was stunned; she had never considered that question.
Seeing her reaction, the old man knew there was hope for the roasted rabbits, and he was secretly delighted.
Stroking his beard, he continued: “I observe that your destinies are intertwined with this boy’s, so telling you is no harm.”
Hearing this, Su Huan’s ears flushed, and she couldn’t help but let go of Xiao Jianming’s hand.
As soon as she let go, it was grabbed again. She turned her head and met a pair of slightly displeased dark eyes. Su Huan had no choice but to let him hold it.
The old man said: “A thousand years ago, my Medicine King Valley established a Heavenly Dao Oath with their clan to research a method to completely cure the Delusion Nightmare for generations. Although we have never been able to cure it completely, we can certainly alleviate it somewhat.”
Su Huan’s eyes shifted: “You are from Medicine King Valley?”
Medicine King Valley was a reclusive sect located in Tingmeng Continent. Its disciples devoted their lives only to healing and saving people, never stepping onto the path of cultivation, and were known for their virtue.
The old man nodded, then sighed: “Since the disaster eighteen years ago, my Medicine King Valley also lost most of its disciples. Now, I am the only one left who knows how to suppress the Delusion Nightmare.”
Su Huan couldn’t help but look at the foolish person beside her.
Xiao Jianming held her hand and smiled foolishly: “Buhuan Gege!”
Seeing the situation, the old man pressed his advantage: “So, do you want to make a deal with me to save your Dao Companion?”
Heh heh, surely she would agree now that he had explained everything.
Unexpectedly, Su Huan still said: “I still refuse.”
The old man was momentarily dumbfounded.
Su Huan said: “Since your Medicine King Valley made a Heavenly Dao Oath with the Spirit Rhinoceros Clan, you can’t possibly violate the oath and refuse to save him, can you?”
The old man immediately covered his mouth, filled with regret.
He shouldn’t have told this boy so much; his roasted rabbits were gone.
Just as Su Huan said, he had only appeared here because he sensed the presence of the Delusion Nightmare within the Huayao Continent territory.
He worked so hard to rush here and save a life, what was wrong with collecting some interest!
The old man sat down on the ground and whined: “I don’t care, I just want to eat your roasted rabbit!”
“If you want me to save him, you have to roast rabbits for me to eat!”
Su Huan choked.
Suddenly, a green shadow descended from the sky, and a voice spoke to the old man with exasperation: “Master, I only took a nap. Why are you using your age to threaten people again?”
A young man in a green robe, with twin green wooden rings on his wrist and a leaf-shaped wooden hairpin in his hair, appeared. He was as gentle as a spring breeze, refined as jade.
After helping the old man up and dusting off the dirt, the young man in green bowed to Su Huan, his face apologetic: “I am Wen Huai of Medicine King Valley. I sincerely apologize for disturbing Fellow Daoist. My master is merely mischievous and playful by nature, and did not intend to offend Fellow Daoist.”
Wen Huai took off the brocade pouch at his waist and said gently, “I will compensate Fellow Daoist for all the losses my master has caused.”
Before Su Huan could speak, Xiao Jianming blocked her, fiercely baring his teeth at the young man in green, tightly shielding Su Huan as if protecting his food.
“…”
The old man also expressed dissatisfaction: “Compensate for what? He only ate one… half a roasted rabbit! The consultation fee paid by the Spirit Rhinoceros Clan back then was much more than that. No compensation allowed!”
Wen Huai sighed helplessly: “Master.”
Su Huan poked her head out from the tight chest muscles, finally breathing fresh air. She looked up at the nervous Xiao Jianming, then lowered her eyes in silence.
Finally, she sighed and compromised: “Alright, I agree.”
“But only ten.”
The old man immediately voiced his displeasure, but was suppressed by a look from the smiling Wen Huai, and reluctantly agreed.
*
After roasting the last rabbit, Su Huan couldn’t help but rotate her slightly sore wrist.
She looked silently at the old man who was happily eating, truly wondering how his stomach could fit so much food.
Xiao Jianming watched the old man with red-rimmed eyes, his fists tightly clenched on his knees, seemingly still blaming him for stealing his rabbit.
Just then, a roasted chicken was handed to him.
Su Huan offered him the honey-glazed roasted chicken and comforted him: “There, this roasted chicken is just for you. Don’t be angry anymore.”
She had specially asked Wen Huai to quietly hunt a wild chicken. This should appease him, right?
Unexpectedly, Xiao Jianming wasn’t appeased. His eyes grew redder. Instead of taking the roasted chicken, he wrapped both hands around her wrist, his foolish voice choked with sobs: “Buhuan Gege…”
Su Huan was startled.
As if he had been holding it in, Xiao Jianming suddenly cried, constantly blowing on her hand, trying to alleviate the soreness in her wrist.
Wen Huai sat nearby and couldn’t help but chuckle: “It seems Fellow Daoist Xiao is very protective of Fellow Daoist Su, even after losing his memory and becoming foolish.”
Su Huan pursed her lips, feeling an inexplicable sense of panic.
The old man, who had just finished the last rabbit leg, his old eyes darting between the two, immediately lunged for the untouched roasted chicken: “Since neither of you is eating it, give it to me, hahaha… Ah!”
Xiao Jianming punched out, fiercely guarding the roasted chicken, and angrily shouted: “Bad!”
Su Huan burst into laughter, which made Xiao Jianming stare at her intently. He raised the Haoxue Sword skewering the roasted chicken and smiled foolishly along with her, sweetly calling out: “Buhuan Gege!”
Su Huan turned her head and smiled: “Fool.”
Wen Huai also covered his mouth to hide his smile: “The two of you have such good feelings for each other.”
The old man covered his bruised left eye and accused him: “You don’t even care about me! Are you even my disciple!”
Wen Huai was helpless: “If you hadn’t tried to steal Fellow Daoist Xiao’s roasted chicken, you wouldn’t have suffered this unwarranted disaster.”
Despite his words, he still meticulously applied medicine to the old man.
The old man pouted proudly: “Hmph, that’s more like it.”
Su Huan looked at him: “Can you treat him now?”
The old man snorted: “What’s the rush? You must first find one ingredient.”
Su Huan: “What ingredient?”
The old man pointed his index finger at her, looking sagely: “Tears of the Virtuous.”
“Tears of the Virtuous?”
Su Huan looked puzzled. “I have never heard of this medicine.”
The old man grunted and stopped talking again.
Wen Huai sighed helplessly. Ignoring his master’s dissatisfied look, he explained: “The so-called Tears of the Virtuous are tears shed by a person with a kind heart out of genuine emotion. It is said that all things can be used as medicine.”
Su Huan relaxed upon hearing this. So, he needed her tears.
The old man glared at his disciple, then reluctantly huffed: “Ordinary Tears of the Virtuous won’t save him. Since he chose you as his Dao Companion, your tears must be used as medicine. But ordinary tears won’t help him recover. They must be tears shed for him out of true sincerity to be effective.”
Su Huan was confused by this explanation. What counted as true sincerity?
She tried hard to cry out some tears. The old man pinched and smelled them, shaking his head: “No good.”
She tried crying a few more times using different methods, but none could be used as medicine.
The old man gradually lost patience and couldn’t help but scold her: “Isn’t he your Dao Companion? Why do you have no sincerity toward him at all!”
Su Huan pursed her lips and remained silent.
How could she possibly fall in love with the Black Lotus?
Even the Dao Companion contract was bound by accident while she was unconscious.
Who knew that both master and disciple would look at her with strange expressions.
Wen Huai said: “Doesn’t Fellow Daoist Su know? Without mutual understanding and affection, it is impossible to successfully sign a Dao Companion contract.”
…What.
Su Huan was completely stunned.
Wen Huai looked at her gently: “It seems Fellow Daoist Su has yet to see clearly into her own heart.”
How could this be possible?
Su Huan stammered, unable to believe it.
How could she possibly harbor feelings for the Black Lotus?
The old man flicked his sleeve: “I’m not treating him, I’m going home!”
Wen Huai gave a wry smile: “Master…”
But he was restrained by his master. The old man coldly snorted: “If you don’t even know you love him, how can you shed those tears? Without this ingredient, I cannot save him.”
“I will give you the prescription. When you obtain this ingredient, then save him.”
With that, he prepared to leave.
Su Huan opened her mouth, wanting to speak but hesitating.
Wen Huai followed his master with a worried expression, looking back at her and sighing before leaving.
Su Huan held the prescription, looking at Xiao Jianming, her mind in chaos.
Suddenly, a long bird cry echoed in the distance. The Dense Forest in that area vanished with a roar, and smoke and dust rose everywhere.
It was the direction the old man had left!
Su Huan realized something was wrong and quickly rushed to the scene with Xiao Jianming, only to see scattered debris and bloodstains on the ground.
Her heart immediately sank.
Medicine King Valley was highly respected across the Seven Continents and Four Seas. Who would dare attack the old man and his disciple?
Xiao Jianming held her tightly, on guard: “Buhuan Gege…”
Su Huan scanned the surroundings with her divine sense and found a small blue-green feather on the ground.
A figure immediately popped into her mind, but she was reluctant to believe it.
If that person truly existed, they should be far away in Cangxuan, not appearing in Huayao Continent.
However…
Su Huan carefully rubbed the fine feather between her fingers. She would know if it was him by using a tracking spell.
Su Huan had Xiao Jianming hold the feather and taught him the incantation.
A trace of confusion appeared in his dark eyes; he didn’t understand.
She taught him repeatedly over a dozen times, but Xiao Jianming still couldn’t grasp it. Su Huan couldn’t help but take a deep breath.
“Buhuan Gege…”
As if he could read her emotions, his completely dark eyes cautiously peered at her.
Su Huan sighed and rubbed her forehead helplessly.
Alright, she had one last move.
A move she absolutely did not want to touch unless absolutely necessary.
Having made her decision, she beckoned to Xiao Jianming: “Come closer.”
The dark eyes blinked, but he didn’t move.
Su Huan walked over, pressed down on Xiao Jianming’s stiff neck, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips against his.
In an instant, the spiritual power merging between them flowed through their lips and teeth, continuously filling her dry meridians.
Those pitch-black eyes suddenly widened.
Su Huan maintained the posture, slowly separating her fingers. The fool, who unexpectedly received a treat, instinctively chased her lips and sealed them again, licking gently.
Su Huan’s eyelashes trembled slightly. She tried to pull away but couldn’t. Helplessly, she changed the incantation to a formation, using her finger as a brush to draw the formation pattern above the fine feather.
The shimmering golden, deep-blue spiritual power continuously poured into Xiao Jianming’s Dantian, entering the Nascent Soul that began to operate on its own, and then flowed to her fingertips, drawing the formation bit by bit.
The surrounding air surged, and three phantoms slowly appeared.
Two of them were clearly the old man and Wen Huai. The third person had their back to Su Huan, their face obscured. They were twirling a long jade flute in their hand, slowly warning the two elders: “You are the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley? There are demons ahead; it’s best not to take this path.”
“Of course, it would be best if you came with me.”
Wen Huai blocked the old man: “Fellow Daoist…”
“Shh, I don’t have time for your nonsense.” Before the words finished, the person attacked the two first. “I’ll just knock you out and take you away.”
The old man conjured a defensive formation, but the person summoned a peacock phantom that let out a long cry, shattering the formation along with the surrounding trees.
Wen Huai was also no match and was knocked unconscious by a strike from the long jade flute.
The two were thus captured and taken away.
When the person turned around, they looked exactly like the figure that had appeared in Su Huan’s mind—
Hua Wuyou.