My heart suddenly palpitated uncomfortably, and the wedding invitation in my hand was clenched into a ball.
"The sky today looks... inexplicably eerie," Ku Yue stopped by the window, then flew back. "I seem to have a strange premonition that I won't see the sun rise tomorrow." It's not just him; everyone else feels it too. Even I, a temporary 'mortal,' sense something amiss, let alone these demons with high cultivation.
Pausing for a moment, Ku Yue continued, "I just went to Unceasing but didn't find anything fishy. Those odd things originating from the store seem to be totally dormant during the day. I didn't see that woman; only Fatty and Skinny were fighting over food. The massacre that happened last night didn't leave any traces during the day."
Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay.
"Can you find a place for me to hide? Your noble circle is really... too chaotic!" Puppet Zhang Daxia, who had been huddled in the corner and only dared to listen but not speak, cautiously approached and asked with a troubled expression on his face.
Right! I totally forgot to dig up noble Zhang Daxia's background. Before, in order to make a living, I decided to try to look for a helper who could make cotton candy. I thought I was lucky when, not even two blocks away, I saw Zhang Daxia selling cotton candy on the street. At that time, he was still a human — or at least, I thought he was. What made me rejoice most was that there was even a "Looking for part-time work" sign by his feet. We hit it off immediately, and the key was that he asked for very little pay, which I could easily afford.
At that time, his appearance was practically a timely miracle for me, a fellow who had recently fallen into dire straits. I was so absorbed in my happiness that I didn't even think about Zhang Daxia's arrival, which was a bit too coincidental.
I grabbed Zhang Daxia firmly and asked sternly, "Tell me honestly, was your appearance a coincidence or intentional? Speak up! Otherwise, I'll have them tear you apart and burn you for firewood!"
As soon as I uttered these words, everyone raised their eyebrows, and Jiu Jue even laughed with a pfft!, giving me a thumbs up: "Tsk, tsk, this is more like you."
"I-I-I... I don't know!" Scared, Zhang Daxia stuttered even more and his dark brown wooden face almost dripped with sweat. "I was sleeping in the ground... someone dragged me out and turned me into a human... told me to pretend to be a cotton candy peddler and wait for you to come-come-come looking for me. They want me to take care of your daily life..."
It was indeed premeditated!
"Who instigated you to come!" I grabbed Zhang Daxia's shoulders and shook him hard.
"I really don't know!" Zhang Daxia pleaded with a teary voice, "Please spare me... I only know he's much more powerful than me... his spiritual power… is so strong... he can turn invisible... he said if I don't obey, he'll tear me apart and use me as firewood..." He extended his stiff wooden hand and pressed on his stomach, which opened a small secret compartment in his rib area. He took out a pearl the size of a pigeon egg and handed it to me, trembling with fear as he said, "This is-is-is the benefit he gave me... I don't dare to want it anymore... it's for you all! Please let me go... while it's daytime... I'm scared!"
Jiu Jue took the pearl and examined it, saying, "Isn't this a thousand-year pearl from the East China Sea? It's priceless."
East China Sea? I banged my fist on the table. Ao Chi... that guy must be nearby!
However, Jiu Jue and the others insisted that they didn't sense any aura related to a powerful species like the East China Sea Dragon Clan in the vicinity.
Is my intuition wrong?
"You can go," I released Zhang Daxia, and he ran out of Musheng rolling and crawling.
Standing up, I slapped the crumpled wedding invitation on the table, looked up and said, "How dare I be absent for such an important wedding?"
I know there has never been a villa named "East China Sea" at the foot of Mount Fulong. I also know that this so-called wedding is more like a Feast at Hongmen[1]. And I am aware that once I set out, there is no turning back.
But I must attend "my" wedding.
Mu, and your master, is our showdown about to begin?
And you, Ao Chi, if you're really back, why won't you come to see me?
"If we're going to Fulong Mountain, we need to set out soon. It's quite far away," Ku Yue called attention to this fact.
"Okay, let's do that. We'll have a bite to eat first, then set off for Fulong Mountain." I took a deep breath, with a moving and tragic 'unafraid of dying' look on my face.
[1] A social gathering (e.g. a party or meeting) with conspiracy against its guest; malicious invitation; trap.
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