Chapter 4 (Part 2) Laughing While Crying

  The leaves trembled in the wind, and through the gaps in the tree shade, a thread of blue sky seeped out, as if it was going to fall with the memories of sixteen years. Ji Danmei stretched her waist and curled up her long legs: "How boring."

  I sprang up with a loud voice: "Being able to live is of course meaningful! Isn't it just that no man can touch you? What's the big deal? Watch, I'll deliberately touch you!"

  Red paws stretched out and pinched the plump thighs of Ju Dan Mei.

  Ouch! I gritted my teeth and hastily withdrew my claws. Fortunately, I didn't get burned to a crisp. Who would have thought that even my invincible dragon butterfly claws couldn't touch Ji Danmei? Her skin was like it was filled with red-hot needles.

  Damn it, such a sexy babe, but with a thorn. I'm really curious, what kind of curse is that? Is it innate or man-made? Ji Danmei is really unlucky, she's like a stone girl.

  "Oho, no wonder you're so bold and daring. So you've cultivated the Red Claw, have you? Back in the day, Long Die had seven sharp claws that could change the color of the wind and clouds, but none of them could touch me even once. And now you think you can?"

  "I stubbornly said: 'I didn't hit him, did I?'"

  She looked at me, with a hint of mockery flashing in her emerald eyes. She seemed to be sneering at me: "Do you have this skill? I've seen through you long ago, and that's all the talent you'll ever have."

  Suddenly, a surge of hot blood rushed to my head, and I glared at Ji Danmei, gritting my teeth and shouting wildly: "I, Lin Fei, swear to heaven that one day, I will strip you naked from the inside out!" With a whooshing sound, my bare claws suddenly shot out, striking the ground and creating a small pit.

  A bright red flame suddenly shot out from the claw tip, burning fiercely. I was stunned, and the Red Claw could actually spit fire? Before I had time to think carefully, I suddenly felt a severe stomachache, and without waiting for Ji Danmei to speak, I turned around and ran away.

  "Where are you going?"

  "Grandpa went to take a dump, do you want to chip in?" I clutched my belly and ran quickly, hiding behind a big tree, hastily undoing my pants. Damn it, just now I ate so many juicy fruits, now I'm having diarrhea.

  Across the tree shadow, Ji Danmei seemed still standing in place, stunned. I reckon she must have been shocked by my dashing appearance just now.

  After finishing my shit, I feel refreshed and bored, wandering around. There are so many fruits on the ground that can't be eaten and will rot away, what a pity. I dug up a lot of mud, added water to stir, shaped it into a wine jar shape, and then fired it in the kiln. When the earthenware jar was formed and hardened, I peeled and pitted the sweet fruit pulp, crushed it, and poured it all in. Finally, I sealed the mouth of the jar with wet mud.

  "Little pervert, what are you doing?"

  I gave her a sidelong glance: "Wine!"

  "What is liquor?"

  Is she stupid or pretending to be? Doesn't even know about wine? I moved the earthenware jar to a shaded and well-ventilated spot by the lake, covering it with branches. The sea princess, who had been standing still all along, also cast a curious glance over.

  Ji Dan Mei twisted her waist and exclaimed: "Good Lin Fei, tell me, what is wine after all?"

  My spirits lifted, you also have to ask for advice from me sometimes. However, beautiful woman, your attitude is humble, and the child can be taught. Clearing my throat, I proudly said: "Wine is a drink, legend has it that it was invented by Du Kang in ancient times. When drunk, it's warm and intoxicating, very refreshing. But wine is also a culture, often used in sacrifices and celebrations. Alas, even if I say more, you won't understand, anyway, drinking some wine can invigorate the blood and relax the muscles. It's good for yang and yin."

  Seeing Ji Danmei's seemingly understanding yet non-understanding expression, I felt a sense of delight. It turns out that the northern border doesn't have wine; these people are really foolish.

  "Don't even think about sneaking a drink." I said with a grin, to be honest, I don't know the first thing about brewing, I'm just trying it out.

  Fresh and fragrant, Ning Zhen floated over, faintly saying: "From now on, when we take a bath, you're not allowed to get close, got it?"

  I imitated her tone, raising my head and looking up at the sky: "From now on, when I'm taking a bath, you're not allowed to get close either, got it? Now I'm going to take a bath."

  I turned around, taking off my clothes while slowly walking down into the water. I thought Gan Ning's face must have looked quite interesting at that moment.

  This lake is very large, and it would take half a day to swim around it. I discovered a cave at the bottom of the lake, and when I swam inside, I found that it was actually the crystal palace of the dragon butterfly. The stone pillars had collapsed, and everything was in ruins.

  Past events seem to be wandering in the broken walls and ruins, I feel very familiar with them, but somehow can't recall.

  In my past life, I was a dragon butterfly, a domineering and overbearing demon king. But in this life, I'm just a small-time hoodlum. Is it possible that for the rest of my life, I'll be looked down upon by others? Can I really resign myself to this fate? For the first time in my life, I seriously think about my future.

  Behind the rock, a colorful water snake darted out, opened its blue-glinting poisonous fangs and pounced on me.

  I thrust out my Red Claw, snatching it with lightning speed. Luckily, I had practiced the Red Claw well, or else I would have been a goner. You dare to bully me, the mighty Demon King? My anger flared up, and I crushed the water snake into pulp. Today's lunch will be Snake Soup!

  Just as I was about to swim ashore and have a good meal, I suddenly remembered the strange phenomenon of the red claw spitting fire. My heart moved, and the red claw exerted its strength, trying to recreate the scene of spitting fire.

  I tried for half a day, exhausted, not even a spark came out of my red claws. I was about to give up, but then I thought, if I couldn't even do this, how could I talk about my grand ideal of exploring every inch of Qiu Danmei's body? I calmed myself down, loosened up my muscles and relaxed my emotions a bit.

  With a tranquil mind and a heart as clear as still water.

  I gazed at the red paws, a color more crimson than blood, vibrant and dripping with dew, as if they had just awakened from a dream.

  The pulse in my body is trembling, and the red claw is connected with my essence. For the first time, I feel it's me, and I'm it.

  It's as if it has been with me for a very long time, always with me, inseparable.

  I slowly raised the red claw.

  I think I heard its excited roar.

  All these years, you must have been very lonely, right?

  You must be waiting for me too.

  Wait for me to lift you up.

  Wait for me to wake you up.

  Wait for me to accompany you through thick and thin!

  I howl at the sky!

  Sixteen years of youthful memories turned into a resentful roar! My blood is boiling! My energy is raging! I am the Dragon Butterfly Demon King of the Northern Realm!

  The red claw howls and scratches out.

  The lake water surged forward, creating five sharp waves of air, scarlet flames shot out and bloomed in the water, like a dazzling firework.

  The fierce flames meet water and are not extinguished, but instead become even more brilliant!

  I burst out laughing, if Gan Ningzi uses flower petals to hit me again, I'll use my bare claws to burn the flower petals into ashes. It's best to burn her Taoist robe together too. Hehe, I wonder what kind of clothes Gan Ningzi wears under her Guang?

  I floated ashore and had a delicious meal of snake soup. For the next few days, I either went down to the lake to hunt for fish and shrimp or practiced my Red Claw technique. Sometimes I got very tired and wanted to give up, but I gritted my teeth and persevered. The flames that shot out from my Red Claw gradually grew stronger, until finally, with just a thought, I could shoot out a small ball of raging fire.

  "What's the use of practicing Dragon Butterfly Claw even if it's perfect?" Ji Danmei sat beside me, lazily saying: "You will never escape the heavenly calamity."

  I spat out flames with my bare paws, flipping and roasting a bone-chilling fish, saying: "I'm not the dragon butterfly, it can't escape its heavenly calamity, that doesn't mean I won't be fine."

  Ji Danmei smiled and said: "What a big tone, then I'll wait with bated breath. However, if you die early, the three of us can be freed."

  "Don't worry, I won't die so easily before I've had my fun." I said irritably, crumbling a few yellow fruit cakes into powder and sprinkling them finely over the fish. Although the fruit cakes were salty and bitter, after being dried in the sun, they could be used as a seasoning, just like salt. In these days, I had figured out the taste and properties of every kind of fruit in the forest. After the fish was roasted, I picked up a purple jelly-like fruit, squeezed out a few drops of sour-sweet juice, and applied it to the golden fish, removing its fishy smell.

  The pigeon stretched out its long and soft tongue, lightly licking: "It seems delicious."

  Beautiful girl, your tongue must taste even better. I thought to myself, and said with my mouth: "Nonsense, in the past in Luoyang, what I made was called beggar's chicken, and stray dogs from three miles away would be attracted by the fragrance. How about it? Want to try some?"

  Ji Dan Mei shook her head: "I'm a vegetarian."

  "Oh, anyway, you can't be touched by men, it's like being a nun, and eating vegetarian food is also suitable."

  "It's not like that, it's said that a vegetarian diet can reduce the harm during the apocalypse."

  I cried out in surprise: "What? Is it true or false?"

  Jiudan Mei said: "Take a look at Gan Ningzhen and Hai Ji, which one of them eats meat? Don't blame me for not reminding you earlier. With your little bit of magical power, even if you've been vegetarian all along, you still can't avoid the heavenly calamity."

  I was stunned for a moment and hastily asked: "Will Gan Ningzhen, Hai Ji, and you also encounter heavenly tribulation?"

  Jiudan Mei nodded: "Practitioners of humanity have a small tribulation every twenty years, a heavenly tribulation every two hundred years, and a mysterious tribulation every two thousand years."

  I laughed with schadenfreude: "Haha, it turns out you guys are also going to suffer a calamity, not much better than me. What's the difference between eating vegetarian or non-vegetarian food? I'll eat big fish and meat every day, and I'll live longer than all of you!"

  The sky suddenly darkened, thick clouds gathered, a loud clap of thunder, heavy rain poured down. I hastily grabbed the ice fish and rushed into a wooden house by the lake.

  This wooden hut was built by me after cutting down trees, very simple. The bed is made of giant stones piled up, the bark is twisted into thin ropes and then woven into mats and quilts. More than a dozen mud-baked earthen jars are stacked in the corner of the wall, filled with my brewed fruit wine. Strings of dried fruits of various colors hang under the eaves.

  Ji Dan Mei followed in, she now seems to have become my shadow. I stared hard at Ji Dan Mei's plump and high buttocks, unfortunately, it's not edible.

  The raindrops were dense, and a thick white mist rose from the lake shore. The petals of the snow lotus automatically closed, wrapping the sweet osmanthus tightly, as if melting into the vast misty water. The sea goddess stood still on the shore, not moving, with no water dripping from her body. The rain hit the top of her head three feet above, just like being blocked by an invisible giant umbrella, and could no longer fall down.

  "My god, Hime is so cool!" I said enviously: "Is this that thing, Kōgō no Jutsu?"

  "Ji Dan hummed: 'Hai Ji's Kaito technique is orthodox, and she is also the chief female martial artist of the Myojin Seiden. Of course, she has two moves.'"

  I've heard from Ji Danmei that Mai Jing Hai Dian is a famous Qigong school in the North, and it's very powerful. I just didn't expect that Hai Ji would be the female warrior deity of that place.

  "But she won't be able to take advantage of me either." Ji Danmei said with a hint of jealousy, seeing the look in my eyes.

  "I believe you, beauty." I winked at her. It seems that any of my three beautiful female bodyguards can shake the Northern Territory with just a stomp of their feet!

  Heavy rain pours down, the sky is a vast expanse of white. I hold up an earthen jar, knock open the mud seal, take big gulps of wine with one hand, and gnaw on a bone-chilling fish with the other. On such terrible weather, hiding in the house eating and drinking, accompanied by a beautiful woman, it's truly a great pleasure.

  The fragrance of wine filled the house. Ji Danmei finally couldn't help herself, snatched my wine jug, smelled it, and carefully added a mouthful.

  "How's the taste?"

  She glanced at me, suddenly raised the wine jug, tilted her head back, and gulped down the liquor in big mouthfuls. The liquid flowed down her long neck, swirling in the deep cleavage of her breasts, shining brightly.

  I picked up another jar of wine and started drinking with her.

  From noon till night, the two of them got drunk, with over a dozen wine jars scattered all over the floor.

  "It's delicious, I want more." Ji Danmei's face was bright red, her eyes were shining, and her tongue was tied in knots.

  I let out a belch and set down the empty wine jar: "You're drunk, beauty."

  Ji Dan Mei burst out laughing: "I'm not a beauty, I'm a beautiful demon, and I'm the same as you, we're both demons."

  I waved my hand and the beauty in front of me, Ji Dan Mei, seemed to be shaking: "Alright, beautiful demon, you, tell me, how were you cursed? I want to hear!"

  "He's a weird man. I, I don't even know who he is." Ji Danmei licked the rim of her wine jar and slurred: "He wanted me, I didn't let him, so he put a curse on me. Oh, damn the curse, damn the man! Where's my wine? I want more!"

  I patted my chest vigorously, making a loud thudding sound: "Don't worry, I'll go with you to find him. We'll go kill him and lift the curse for you! With me around, don't worry! Tomorrow, I'll go slaughter him!"

  "Good, let's go and kill him!" With a thud, she fell onto the stone bed, her snores deafening.

  My god, is it true that the bigger the chest, the louder the snore? I stumbled up: "Damn you, how dare you sleep in my bed! You..." Before I could finish, my legs went soft and I fell to the ground with a thud.

  Outside the window, the cold night rain is falling densely on the roof, making a pattering sound. Inside the house, it's dark and quiet, I'm lying still on the ground, listening to the rain, listening to the melodious hum of the pigeons.

  I suddenly laughed.

  The house is very small and simple.

  But very warm.

  Because there were two people.