TBWE Chapter 22

Private Property

Rumble——

Muffled thunder rolled through the dark clouds.

The wooden sword withdrew. Ming Pu stood behind Xi Chu, her fingers dancing through hand seals, silently chanting incantations.

A fierce wind rose from nowhere, tables and chairs and backdrop panels toppling everywhere, white petals swirling through the air like snow.

Ming Chun embraced Chu Li from behind, also wielding a wooden sword, her sword momentum fierce enough to force Xi Chu to release his grip.

Chu Li turned her head sideways. Her childhood playmate’s features had grown more refined than before, and her expression bore some resemblance to her master.

Many days ago, Xin Tong had already told her that the expert Master Ming Wei had invited Ming Pu and Ming Chun.

Ming Pu was Master Ming Wei’s senior sister, and one of the rare individuals with profound Taoist abilities. The copper coin Chu Li used to wear was given by her.

The blood-soaked glove was slippery. Even though Xi Chu gripped it tightly, that hand still slipped away from his grasp bit by bit.

Only an empty glove remained in his hand.

The ring fell down, soaking in the pool of blood.

“Martial Uncle!” Ming Chun shouted, hastily pushing Chu Li away and turning to raise her sword to block the writhing, menacing tentacles.

The entire engagement venue was in shambles, beautiful bouquets trampled underfoot, guests and staff still remaining in their original positions, maintaining their smiles and applauding gestures.

Xi Chu’s location was already shrouded in thick black mist, grotesquely twisted tentacles flailing wildly, smashing several guests into the ground.

The spell failed. The guests who had just been living people transformed into paper figures with lifelike features, beaten into crumpled waste paper and blown away by the wind.

A figure in indigo Taoist robes darted out from the side, protecting Chu Li as they retreated from the center of the magical battle.

“Ming… Master Ming Wei…” She held up her fishtail dress with one hand, hurriedly following Ming Wei toward the courtyard gate, “Can Aunt Pu and Xiao Chun really handle Him?”

The scene of Xi Chu killing the Chu family members was too deeply impressed. Chu Li didn’t want people she knew to be injured because of her.

Ming Wei maintained his previous appearance, gray-white hair arranged in a Taoist topknot, expression serious. “His avatar is weak now. Senior Sister and my disciple should be able to fight Him. This place is not suitable for lingering – leave first!”

Over there, both sides fought fiercely. Sword-wielding figures appeared and disappeared in the thick black mist, Ming Chun was already injured. Xi Chu had completely torn through his human skin, transforming into chaotic black mist.

Ming Pu summoned lightning with her sword, purple electricity striking down fiercely, tentacles exploding into large sprays of blood mist.

A cold, garbled voice emerged from the center of the black mist. “It’s… you… again. Meddlesome human!”

The tentacles violently threw off Ming Chun and coiled around Ming Pu’s neck.

Ming Pu’s cervical vertebrae made sounds of strain. She severed the tentacle with a backhand strike and said calmly, “She means nothing to You. Please stop pestering her.”

The monster began to laugh, sinister and twisted with madness.

“Faithless, ungrateful humans. I granted her life, bestowed upon her protection.”

“The Chu family offered her to the god. Destiny is already decided.”

The last sentence was spoken with icy coldness, like a curse.

A trace of pity appeared on Ming Pu’s face. She sighed softly, pulled off the sandalwood bead bracelet from her wrist, and cast out one hundred and eight wooden beads that fell to the ground, forming a formation with flowing golden light.

“Activate the formation!”

With a clear shout, Ming Chun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, scrambled to her feet, and quickly took position.

“Jade Pivot Command, stars move and thunder rises, deploy qi and spirits, transform into fine dust!” Thunder clouds surged. Ming Pu stood firm in the fierce wind, swinging down her sword, “Thunder rise——“

RUMBLE!

Deafening thunder and brilliant purple lightning exploded in the courtyard.

Before stepping out of the courtyard gate, Chu Li inexplicably turned back for one glance.

A sinister, terrifying gaze fixed upon her. Through the thunder, she heard Xi Chu say word by word:

“Li Li… we will meet again.”

When they met again, He would make her thoroughly taste the consequences of betraying a god.

****

Xin Tong had parked a Mercedes at the gate of the Chu family villa.

The cloud layer in the sky was so thick it blocked out the light, frighteningly dark. Not a sound could be heard from within the tightly closed courtyard gate.

She paced anxiously in circles. When she was dizzy from turning, the gate finally opened.

Ming Wei protectively escorted Chu Li, whose white dress was stained with blood, hurrying out.

“Miss Xin, drive quickly!”

The Mercedes started rapidly. Chu Li pressed against the car window, watching the gradually receding Chu family villa, the uneasiness and anxiety in her heart never diminishing.

Xin Tong was equally worried. “Master Ming Wei, can the two masters really handle Him?”

“Don’t be anxious. My senior sister’s Taoist abilities are profound, and she’s activated a formation. He no longer has the upper hand – there won’t be any problems.”

Chu Li: “Master, I heard Him say to Aunt Pu ‘we meet again.’ Have they met before?”

“I don’t know about that. Senior Sister likes to travel everywhere. Perhaps they met by chance during her journeys?” Ming Wei pondered for a moment. “Speaking of traveling, I remember over ten years ago, Senior Sister left in the middle of the night, departing very urgently without leaving a word. When she returned, she was badly injured and took nearly half a year to recover. When I asked what happened, she only said she’d encountered a very troublesome existence. Perhaps they met then.”

“Over ten years ago…” Chu Li unconsciously repeated, “Specifically how many years ago?”

“Well… about eighteen or nineteen years ago.”

Eighteen years ago, when Chu Li was four years old, she had suffered a serious illness and forgotten everything that happened before her illness. From then on, she had worn a copper coin strung on red thread, with her parents repeatedly warning her never to remove it.

The timing matched perfectly. When Aunt Pu left in the middle of the night eighteen years ago, could it have been related to her?

Also, Xi Chu had said “the Chu family offered her to the god.” Combined with the story he’d told before about “the lost child,” a vague suspicion formed in her mind.

Her parents had very likely taken her back to the Chu family when she was seriously ill. Something must have happened during that time that created a connection between her and the deity the Chu family worshipped. But her parents would never have offered their child to a god – they must have escaped with her.

So, from the time she could remember, her parents had constantly moved with her and her sister.

Could her parents’ accidental deaths be related to Xi Chu?

Had they been punished by the deity’s wrath, losing their lives and leaving her an orphan overnight?

Chu Li’s body trembled from this speculation, her teeth chattering audibly.

If, if her parents’ deaths had another cause, no matter who the killer was, she would demand equal retribution from them.

For now, these were only speculations without factual basis. To know the truth, she could only ask Ming Pu.

Chu Li could only force herself to wait patiently.

The blood splattered on her chest gradually dried. It hadn’t oxidized, appearing like red camellia patterns printed on the satin dress.

The sweet, fishy, sticky smell wouldn’t dissipate, clinging tightly around her.

The Mercedes drove on the highway. Dusk was falling, the sky gradually darkening.

The last ray of sunset disappeared below the horizon. Ming Wei’s phone buzzed.

After answering, Ming Pu on the other end said only one sentence——

“Resolved. All is well, no need to worry.”

The tense atmosphere in the car that had lasted for hours finally relaxed. Chu Li stared blankly out the car window.

It was over.

She had finally escaped from that monster.

Too many emotions surged in her heart. Tears filled Chu Li’s eyes as she murmured, “It’s over…”

“Yes, it’s over!” Xin Tong stretched her stiff neck, her eyes and brows full of smiles. “Master, Li Bao will be safe from now on, right?”

Ming Wei smiled bitterly. “There are still the Chu family members. Though we don’t know what they’re planning, given their way of doing things, they won’t give up easily.”

“However, Senior Sister can protect Miss Chu. If she lies low for a few years, perhaps they’ll give up.”

Xin Tong, having learned about this mysterious Nuo master family from Ming Wei, knew they were a group of lawless and dangerous individuals. She sighed. “What a complete mess. Master, do you have any charms that can change luck or alter fate?”

Ming Wei shook his head. “As the saying goes, heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed. Most of what a person experiences in life is predetermined. Very few people can see through fate and change their trajectory. Even if changed, it may not be a good thing.”

Xin Tong’s good mood evaporated.

Recalling Chu Li’s turbulent and difficult life, she muttered very quietly, “Why should it be like this?”

Why couldn’t her friend have a stable, happy life?

Chu Li reached out to poke Xin Tong, smiling with pursed lips, a dimple appearing on her cheek. “What’s wrong, feeling sorry for my bad luck?”

“But I have all of you. I have you, Aunt Pu, Xiao Chun, Master Ming Wei. In such dangerous situations, you’ve all been helping me. Isn’t this lucky enough?”

“I don’t believe in such ethereal things as fate. Destiny is in my own hands. What I’ll experience in the future depends on my choices. There’s nothing to fear.”

****

Buildings of varying heights flashed past the window.

The car entered the small city and stopped outside the bus station. At nightfall, the square outside the station was filled with minivan drivers soliciting passengers.

To avoid being too connected with Chu Li and being targeted by the Chu family, Xin Tong only escorted them this far.

Chu Li had changed clothes at a service station along the way, wearing a baseball cap and dressing low-key.

Roadside food stalls had set up tables and chairs, meat skewers sizzling on outdoor grills, their aroma constantly wafting into her nose.

Xin Tong sniffed and joked with feigned lightness. “I can’t take it. Just smelling this reminds me of Aunt Lian’s barbecue. We haven’t been there in so long. When you come back, let’s go eat together.”

“Alright.” The gaze under the baseball cap was gentle. Chu Li stepped forward to embrace her. “Wait for me to come back.”

They said nothing more, silently hugging each other tightly.

The black Mercedes turned around and slowly drove away from the small city.

****

Summer rain in Jiangnan was different from the torrential downpours of Hai City – the rain was fine and continuous, mist wrapping around green mountains.

Raindrops fell like a curtain, dripping from the eaves into water tanks, startling the red fish beneath the bowl lotus to swim about.

Two rattan chairs and a wooden table were placed under the eaves. Chu Li and Ming Chun sat side by side, wielding brushes to write and draw.

“Wow, you learn so fast! You’ve grasped the basics in just five days!” Ming Chun picked up the talisman Chu Li had drawn, clicking her tongue in admiration. “Xiao Li, you have great talent for Taoist cultivation. Why don’t you follow Master in practice? Once you reach my level, the Chu family won’t dare trouble you casually.”

Chu Li looked up at the sky well, green mountains surrounding them in the distance.

“Xiao Chun, how old were you when you started practicing Taoism?”

“Five years old, ever since Master found me.”

“Then wouldn’t I need to practice for over ten years to master these skills?”

“You think that’s too long.” Ming Chun giggled. “You don’t realize – reaching this level in just over ten years of practice is already extraordinary. Besides, this place has clear mountains, beautiful waters, and good scenery. Don’t you like it?”

Chu Li gazed into her pure eyes and smiled too. “I like it. This place is very good.”

The mountain had almost no electronic devices, except for one landline phone.

The two spent most of the day under the eaves. In the afternoon, restless from sitting too long, they put on raincoats and went to the small pond outside to catch fish and shrimp.

Rain misted against her face. Breathing the moist air, Chu Li temporarily set aside all her worries.

They played wildly, returning with trailing mud and water.

Ming Wei was about to start the fire for cooking when he saw two muddy monkeys and his vision darkened.

“You, you.” He pointed at Ming Chun. “When your master wakes up, she’ll definitely make you copy scriptures ten times.”

Ming Chun made a face, stuffing the caught fish and shrimp into Ming Wei’s hands. “She won’t! Master won’t wake up that soon. After bathing, I’ll clean the floor. Martial Uncle, make it salt and pepper flavor – Xiao Li likes that.”

Chu Li blinked. “Thank you, Master.”

The two ran off like the wind, leaving behind muddy water all over the floor and a sighing Ming Wei.

After a refreshing hot bath, lights came on in the hall, and the aroma of salt and pepper drifted far.

Ming Chun linked arms with Chu Li, walking happily inside. “So fragrant, so fragrant. Tonight’s food will definitely be delicious…”

Two people were already seated at the dining table.

Ming Pu looked slightly unwell but had a peaceful expression. She glanced over: “You’ve been busy all afternoon. Come eat quickly.”

This meal was eaten in relative silence.

Ming Chun, who usually chatted about everything, kept her mouth shut and ate restlessly.

Ming Wei even teased her, placing fish and shrimp in her bowl with a smile. “Come, eat more. This is what you and Little Friend Li worked hard to catch.”

Chu Li finished the meal trying not to laugh, her stomach aching from holding it in.

Ming Chun finished eating with her head down, claiming the courtyard was a bit dirty and she needed to sweep it, then fled quickly.

After Chu Li helped clean up the dishes, when she returned to the hall, Ming Pu was sitting in a wooden chair, looking through the talismans they had written that afternoon.

Ming Pu smiled faintly. “You have talent. Why not practice with me?”

Flying insects seeking shelter from rain circled the electric light, rain pattering outside.

“Aunt Pu, I want to know why my parents really died. Why do you take such care of me?”

Ming Pu studied that similar face and sighed. “Xiao Li, it’s rare for people to live in blessed ignorance. Your mother’s greatest wish was for you to live safely and healthily. Must you know?”

Chu Li nodded. “Yes, I must know.”

“Then it’s a long story. Sit down and listen.”

****

Ming Pu had practiced Taoism since childhood. At sixteen, she began wandering, and that year she met Chu Ruoxian.

At that time, she was chasing a murderous witch puppet deep into the Ten-Thousand Mountains, disturbing the Chu family mountain patrol. After an earth-shaking battle against too many opponents, she was injured and hid in a mountain cave.

Every day, Chu clan members patrolled the mountains, searching for traces of intruders.

One day, the patrol leader was a young girl wearing black ornate clothing with a Nuo mask at her waist, her face coldly beautiful.

She glanced toward the cave where Ming Pu was hiding, her expression indifferent as she turned and led her clansmen away.

Half a day later, she came alone, leaving medicine, food, and water at the cave entrance without a word before departing.

This kindness continued for a week.

On the seventh day, after setting down what she’d brought, she spoke her first words: “The ritual is approaching. The mountain will be sealed. Leave quickly.”

The girl left after speaking.

Ming Pu pushed aside the dry grass at the cave entrance and endured the pain to chase after her a couple of steps. “Thank you for your care. I still don’t know your name. Why did you help me?”

“Chu Ruoxian.” She turned back with a sideways glance, not answering the second question but instead asking. “What is the outside world like?”

“The outside world? Have you always lived in the mountains?”

“Yes.”

The two girls sat back in the cave.

Ming Pu introduced her name and background, then described many things beyond the mountains.

Chu Ruoxian listened attentively, occasionally asking questions like “Why can airplanes fly in the sky?” and “What is McDonald’s?”

They talked until the forest darkened, until Ming Pu had finished all the water she’d brought.

After saying so much, Chu Ruoxian developed intense interest in the golden fried chicken Ming Pu described.

“This is my contact information.” Ming Pu wrote an address and phone number on talisman paper. “When you can leave the mountain, come find me. I’ll take you to eat McDonald’s.”

Chu Ruoxian carefully folded the talisman paper and put it away, hiding the loneliness in her eyes. “I can never leave the mountain.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m this generation’s little Nuo master. I’ll inherit the Grand Nuo master’s position in the future. I must serve the deity and cannot leave the mountains.” Chu Ruoxian smiled slightly. “Thank you. I should go back now.”

Ming Pu sensed her hidden unwillingness beneath the calm facade. Watching her departing figure, she suddenly said, “Have you ever thought about leaving here to live the life you want?”

Chu Ruoxian paused but didn’t turn back.

……

“…I thought I’d never see her again.” Ming Pu sipped her tea, recalling the past with a faint smile in her eyes. “I never expected that at eighteen, she would come down from the mountain to find me and honor our agreement for that meal.”

“By the way, did your parents ever tell you how they met?”

From Chu Li’s earliest memories, her mother had always been gentle and smiling. For a moment, it was hard to connect her with the mysterious, aloof girl Ming Pu described.

She nodded. “They did. Mom said Dad liked mountain exploring when he was young. He got separated from friends and accidentally wandered into her hometown. Then they fell in love at first sight.”

Ming Pu shook her head with a smile. “Her reason for leaving the mountain was more or less like that. The Chu family sent people to chase her for a while, but her nuo techniques were exquisite and they couldn’t catch her, so the Chu family gave up.”

“Later, everyone lived peacefully for several years, and you and Xiao You were born.”

Hearing her sister’s name, Chu Li’s heart trembled.

“Xiao You was born with deficiencies, and you – your four pillars and eight characters were yin, naturally having one more aperture than others, able to see ghosts and spirits.”

“Later, when you were four years old, you fell seriously ill. Only then did your mother tell me that the Chu clan bloodline was cursed – descendants were often sickly and clan members didn’t live past fifty.”

“We tried many methods but couldn’t save you.” Ming Pu rubbed the rim of her cup, her voice growing heavy. “So she decided to take you back to the main family to ask the Grand Nuo master for help.”

Chu Li’s heart shook.

“But, but Mom had left the mountain. Given the Chu family’s character, how could they possibly help?”

“Yes, I advised her the same way. But she was determined to go, leaving with you in the middle of the night.” Ming Pu sighed softly. “Xiao Li, a mother will never give up on her child.”

“Later, I received her phone call – that was the first time your mother had ever asked me for help.”

Ming Pu would never forget that night.

She hurried to the outskirts of the Ten-Thousand Mountains. Towering flames lit up the deep mountains, which even heavy rain couldn’t extinguish.

That night brought an extremely gloomy thunderstorm.

Thick black mist wandered everywhere, pursuing a disheveled woman holding a child.

Ming Pu protected them from behind, summoning lightning to drive it back, finally seeing the mist’s true form.

Intertwined, overwhelming menacing tentacles with faint blue patterns. Just one glance caused a dizzying sensation as if one’s brain were being scrambled.

Ming Pu looked at Chu Li with pity. “What extended your life wasn’t the Chu clan’s Grand Nuo master, but that deity they’ve worshipped for generations.”

“He regarded you as His private property, wanting to keep you by His side.”

“You’re also the only one who can directly look upon His true form.”