TBWE Chapter 12

Licking

“I can only shield it for fifteen minutes.” Chu Song looked at the red rope copper coin on her wrist, his gaze faintly wary. “So let’s make this quick.”

“Your mother, Chu Ruoxian, is of the bloodline of the main Chu clan of shamanic sorcery. Twenty-five years ago, she had a conflict with your maternal grandmother and left home in anger, never to return. The Chu clan has family rules—descendants who leave home without permission are forbidden from returning for life.”

“The shamanic Chu clan has worshiped deities since ancient times, but the deity’s actions became increasingly cruel and tyrannical, slaughtering the clan members sent to serve it. The Chu clan had no choice but to find a way to seal it within the ancestral shrine. Unexpectedly, the deity broke through the seal, and part of its power escaped beyond the main family’s territory. We tracked it here and discovered that it has set its sights on you.”

“It is absolutely not benevolent and could kill you at any moment. No matter what, Aunt Xian is still of the main family bloodline, and you are also our Chu clan kin. The Grand Nuo ordered me to rescue you at all costs, so I’m here to help you.”

The overwhelming information threw Chu Li’s mind into chaos.

She had only recently come to accept that supernatural beings existed in the world, and now someone claiming to be surnamed Chu had appeared, saying things that would only appear in television dramas.

“Grand Nuo…?”

“This is the Grand Nuo, skilled in shamanic arts, communicating with yin and yang.” Chu Song pointed to the thin figure wearing a mysterious mask in the center of the photograph.

Chu Li observed him silently for a while.

Taking the risk to come see her first—there must be something he needed her to do personally, most likely something dangerous. Otherwise, Chu Song could have completely eliminated that monster with his companions and then told her the truth.

But there was no choice.

At least Chu Song was human, could call out her mother’s name, and had old photographs.

“What do you need me to do?”

Chu Song had been secretly observing Chu Li’s reaction. Hearing this question, he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart and pulled out a wooden box about the length of a forearm.

The wooden box was ordinary in style, with copper clasps and no patterns, like something that would come free with purchases from a street antique stall.

He spoke rapidly, “The dagger in the box has been enchanted by the Grand Nuo and can severely wound his avatar. In three days at dawn when dark clouds cover the moon, find an opportunity to stab it into his heart.”

“…Me?” Chu Li pointed at herself incredulously.

What kind of joke was this? Didn’t he say he came to rescue her? This was giving her a tool and telling her to go fight the boss herself.

Chu Song smiled bitterly and explained, “We cannot get close to it at all. Only when it is wounded can we use shamanic arts to suppress it.”

“Don’t worry, just one stab, and we’ll handle everything that follows. We absolutely won’t let anything happen to you.”

Fifteen minutes passed in a flash.

Chu Song gave a few final instructions right on time and also gave Chu Li a thumb-sized paper figure with dark red mysterious symbols drawn on its back. He told her this was a substitute paper figure—if that monster tried to harm her, the paper figure could take the damage in her place.

The small copper bell on the coffee shop door jingled with the opening and closing of the glass door, leaving only Chu Li among the customers inside.

They went about making drinks on their own, as if they hadn’t heard this strange conversation at all, nor noticed Chu Song who had hurried in and hurried away.

Chu Li finished the last sip of her fruit tea, stuffed the wooden box into her bag, and calmly turned to leave.

****

Outside the villa, the sky gradually darkened, and the wall clock turned silently.

Chu Li hid the wooden box in a drawer full of cosmetics. After spacing out in her bedroom for a while, she went to the bathroom to wash up, then went to bed early, forcing herself to fall asleep.

Today’s experiences were like riding a roller coaster, leaving her exhausted. She fell into a drowsy sleep shortly after lying down.

In her dream, Chu Li was running through the villa without lights, the only source of light being the pale moonlight from outside the windows. Behind her was a churning black shadow whose specific form couldn’t be made out.

“Huff… huff...”

She ran until exhausted, her lungs feeling like they would explode.

No matter how much she ran, that thing behind her followed like a shadow.

A tentacle-like black shadow suddenly extended, wrapping coldly around her ankle. Chu Li lost her balance and fell awkwardly to the ground, tremendous force dragging her backward.

An icy hand clamped onto her shoulder and flipped her over.

Chu Li lay face-up on the ground as the monster wearing human skin half-knelt down, one hand pressing on her shoulder, the other gripping a dagger.

The snow-white blade reflected moonlight, blindingly bright.

The knife point pierced through her clothes, pressing against her heart.

That overly perfect face was snow-white in color, like a plaster statue displayed in an art gallery, with pitch-black pupils embedded in it, staring straight at Chu Li.

Fingers gently caressed her cheek.

He slowly smiled, his tone gentle. “Caught you.”

Chu Li was trapped in the nightmare, unable to wake up for a long time.

The door handle silently pressed down, but because it was locked from inside, the door wouldn’t open. After trying once, the person outside simply passed through the door.

A figure in a suit and leather shoes approached the large bed.

The blanket formed a lump, and the person on the bed was curled up at the edge, eyes tightly closed, breathing rapidly.

Xi Chu pressed one leg onto the bed, bent down closer, curved his fingers to wipe away the cold sweat from Chu Li’s temples, then put them in his mouth and slowly licked them clean.

“…!” Her trembling eyelids suddenly opened wide.

Chu Li’s vision was pitch black, cold sweat had dampened her bangs, and an icy touch caressed her face.

“Having a nightmare?” The same gentle voice as in her dream whispered close to her ear.

Her heart felt like it was being viciously squeezed by an invisible hand. Chu Li screamed voicelessly and instinctively shrank backward.

Behind her was the edge of the bed, and she fell backward.

Before she could completely fall off the bed, a hand easily scooped her back up.

Chu Li was pressed into an embrace, her cheek against the cold, crisp fabric of a suit, feeling the other person’s nose and lips lingering around her neck and shoulder area.

Her neck was licked once, leaving a warm, moist sensation.

The hand around her waist tightened slightly.

Xi Chu’s voice was low and gentle. “Li Li, it seems you’re hiding something from me—you met someone you shouldn’t have met.”