dognovel I can't think of a title for Chapter 185. Anyway, when will the thesis be cancelled?
I can't think of a title for Chapter 185. Anyway, when will the thesis be cancelled?
Xing Tianshi and his companions only glanced at the Chang family without disturbing anyone. The two brothers were preoccupied with their own thoughts about what Yao Daoshi had said and had no idea that another visitor had come to their home.
But soon the two brothers lost interest in pondering it, because someone else came to their door about the peony's sudden withering. The flower withered instantly in front of everyone, which was illogical and even a bit eerie. Everyone hoped that the Chang family could provide an explanation.
If the plant had withered and died within a few days, it could be attributed to disease or poor care. But this happened in an instant, before anyone could even react. Poisoning the plant wouldn't have had this effect; it was as if the plant had been cursed!
Whenever supernatural phenomena are involved, people start to panic. Besides, their speculations aren't entirely unfounded. Wasn't the Chang family being targeted by a group of people from the White Lotus Sect? And there are people in the White Lotus Sect who can cast spells and perform magic tricks, so it's possible that they've cast a spell on the Chang family's peonies. They even want the peonies in the Chang family's courtyard.
Chang Daqi wanted to go to Caozhou, but he needed to prepare his luggage. He couldn't just decide and leave on the same day. He couldn't just leave on the same day, and he couldn't ignore these troublesome matters. After all, it was the Chang family's business.
The peonies that had been sold suddenly withered. The two brothers initially thought it was the White Lotus Sect causing trouble to suppress the Chang family's business and force them to compromise. But then a Taoist priest suddenly appeared and revealed that the reason was two peonies of special status, which immediately changed the nature of the matter.
The Chang family's current prosperity can be attributed to the two peony plants in the courtyard, which account for 80% of the success. The remaining 20% was brought about by Ge Jin and Yu Ban before their birth. The Chang family's development began with the peony, and nothing can go wrong in any aspect.
But just as Chang Dayong and the others were about to ask for more details, the young Taoist priest disappeared in a hurry. Chang Dayong had other things to attend to, so Chang Daqi took the initiative to inquire about the whereabouts of Taoist Yao.
Yao Daoshi looked young and had handsome features and a unique aura. He should have stood out in a crowd, but when Chang Daqi came out to inquire, he couldn't find any clues.
"A young Taoist priest surnamed Yao? I don't recognize him. There was indeed a Taoist priest from out of town who came to the city today. He wasn't young, he had a full beard, and he was accompanied by a white-haired monkey."
"A white-haired monkey? That's probably a street performer."
Chang Daqi searched around but couldn't find any trace of Yao Daoshi. It was as if the man had appeared out of thin air and then disappeared again.
The other party knew the inside story of the Chang family and the key to why the peony flowers withered for no reason. Even if it was just for the sake of the peonies in the yard, Chang Daqi had to find the person.
Although Taoist Yao said he would visit again, who knows how long it would be before he said "see you again"? The Chang family is short of time right now. Their peony business in Luoyang has suffered, and there are unknown people putting pressure on them. Chang Dayong wants to curry favor with the powerful and influential in the capital, but Chang Daqi only wants to keep the two peonies in his family.
No matter what, those are the Chang family's children; they can't be compared to ordinary flowers, much less be given away as gifts. Now, the key to all the problems lies with these two peony plants, so he must find Taoist Yao and get everything cleared up.
But by nightfall, he still hadn't heard any news about the young Taoist priest. What he heard more about was a rugged-looking Taoist priest with a monkey subduing the remnants of the White Lotus Cult. Chang Daqi wasn't sure if he was one of the people who were fighting against the Chang family. He only realized that the Taoist priest was probably not a street performer; on the contrary, he seemed quite capable.
If you can't find the young Taoist priest who came to your door today, perhaps you can look for the one with the monkey. You didn't dare to look for people in the past because you were afraid that if the fact that the Chang family married a flower fairy were exposed, it would damage their reputation. Ordinary people are still afraid of strange and supernatural things.
But things had escalated to this point, and the Chang family's reputation in the city was now inseparable from supernatural and bizarre matters. Because of the peonies' inexplicable withering, some people even started suggesting that they hire someone to exorcise the evil spirits. In comparison, the matter of marrying the flower demon seemed like a minor issue.
The two Chang brothers, each with their own thoughts, stayed up all night, completely unaware that their house had already been visited by several "experts," and that they were probably the only ones who didn't know the details of the two peonies in the yard.
Having witnessed the Xing Tian Master's group, Yao Daoshi realized that the plan had spiraled out of control. They were all experts, and even the white-haired little beast following them couldn't discern their true strength. Their previous escape was purely a trick, and they probably wouldn't be able to use it a second time.
Essentially, the two of them are demons, and they can't get the better of the Taoist priest. They have no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation, and they might even lose their lives.
He had told his "sister" about all this, but she was focused on the two little flower fairies of the Chang family. If he didn't bring the flowers out quickly, two little children might suddenly appear in the Chang family's courtyard at any time, and things would become even more troublesome.
There was no other way; someone was urging him on. So, the Taoist priest Yao went to the door again the next day. The knocking sound was just as sudden as yesterday, and the young Taoist priest was exactly the same as yesterday. Except that he arrived earlier today, it was practically a replay of the scene.
Thinking about it carefully, Chang Daqi should have been wary of someone of unknown origin and background appearing at his door twice. However, when he opened the door and saw that it was Taoist Yao, he actually felt a little relieved.
Given the current situation of the Chang family, the two brothers were already overwhelmed with problems. However, the mysterious Taoist priest Yao was able to resolve some of their doubts. Therefore, compared to the White Lotus Sect and the withering of the peony, his appearance actually met Chang Daqi's expectations.
At least today he doesn't have to ask around anymore, and he can find out the connection between the sudden withering of the peonies he sold and the two peonies at home. Once all of this is explained, perhaps his elder brother will give up the idea of using peonies to curry favor with the powerful.
"Master, what you said yesterday..."
"Not urgent."
Before arriving, Taoist Yao was worried that his sudden departure yesterday would leave a bad impression on the Chang family, leading to his being kicked out today. Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened the door, Chang Daqi immediately welcomed him in, and it seemed that the plan could proceed normally.
Where is your brother?
Chang Daqi alone is not enough. Currently, the person in charge of the Chang family is Chang Dayong. Taoist Yao needs to gain his trust before he can make a move against the two little flower fairies.
"Big brother? Big brother is in the backyard, Daoist Master. Is what you said yesterday true? Is the withering of the flowers really related to...?"
"Of course, this flower is related to the fortune of your Chang family, so I would never lie. I left in a hurry yesterday because a friend of mine encountered some trouble. Today I have nothing to do, so I came to help you solve it."
Judging from the Chang family's situation, that Taoist priest probably didn't come looking for them yesterday. Perfect timing, let's take advantage of this lull to resolve things quickly and avoid a head-on confrontation with that group of complicated individuals.
Not far from the Chang family's residence, the woman in purple paced anxiously back and forth in an open space. According to the original plan, while the Taoist priest Yao was "deceiving" the Chang brothers, she was supposed to continue to exert pressure nearby with her people. Whether it was finding someone to make a fuss about the withered peony or sending people from the White Lotus Sect to their door, as long as it put pressure on the Chang family and made them see the Taoist priest Yao as a lifeline, that would be fine.
But now, he can't rely on those half-baked monks from the White Lotus Sect, and he has illegally transformed himself into the "Asura King" to cause trouble again, which would attract the group of people from yesterday. This identity is now invalid, and if he uses his original appearance to put on a show, it will be another form of attracting attention.
"Everything was fine, how could this suddenly go wrong?"
She couldn't understand. Luoyang peonies were indeed famous, but in the past, they attracted either merchants who traded flowers or literati who loved peonies. Those who pursued the path of cultivation were either wanderers to the ends of the earth or cultivating in some remote cave. Why would they come here? And why get involved in the Chang family's affairs?
Could it really be because she became the Asura King based on rumors? But after inquiring, it turns out that this person's reputation is tied to the White Lotus Sect. Orthodox cultivators look down on this group of evil sects, so it's not in line with their style to be so easily attracted to them.
Taking the cultivators she had encountered in the past as examples, they didn't care much about the grudges of mortals. It was precisely because she knew this attitude that she wanted to use the White Lotus Sect to exert pressure.
"Time is running out, we must hurry..."
"Quickly take the Chang family's flower demon away!"
A familiar voice sounded behind her. Tian Ji and Yan Chixia had appeared there without her noticing.
"keep the change."
Seeing the woman looking around, Tianji guessed what she was going to do and took out a yellow talisman.
There are no peonies nearby.
When he and Xing Tianshi returned to deal with the White Lotus Cult members, they discovered that there were actually a few peony plants growing in that dilapidated courtyard. It seemed that the other party had used them, these "kin," to discover Tianji, who had been hiding in a blind spot.
There are no peonies to use here now, and we already experienced the woman's tricks yesterday, so it will be difficult for her to escape this time.
"...Are you two really planning to stir up this mess? To help the Chang family sell out their own children?"
Seeing that she couldn't escape, the woman looked directly at the two men in front of her. The one dressed in black had superb swordsmanship, but his martial arts skills were unheard of and he couldn't figure out where he came from. The scholar was dressed in a sword that could exorcise demons and was a master who could properly subdue demons.
In short, they all seemed to be upright people. Although she was a demon, she was not an evil demon who would cause trouble. She had no blood on her hands and no sins, so the other side had no reason to kill her.
"We'll talk about those two people's character later. You have no relation to Lady Cao of Caozhou, so why did you target the Chang family's flower fairy?"
Yao Huang and Wei Zi are famous peony varieties from Luoyang. Ge Jin and Yu Ban came from Caozhou. They were not related by blood, so their concern for the child they left behind is quite puzzling.
Especially after Xing Tianshi visited the Chang family, the two little flower fairies of the Chang family were about to transform back into human form. The fact that the other party was in such a hurry to get them must have been because they had their eye on this.
"The Chang family uses their own children for personal gain. If they can give their children to powerful and wealthy people, why can't they give them to me? On the contrary, the Chang family is unrepentant, and their mother will not come back. Why can't I give them to me? At least I can treat them sincerely!"
The more agitated the woman became, the more Yan Chixia sensed something was wrong with her emotions. Even though demons' temperaments are very different from humans, and most of them prefer to be straightforward, it was rare to see someone who was usually very dignified suddenly become so emotionally volatile.
Fairies tend to have very simple personalities. If they want to harm someone, they won't mince words and will go straight for it. But when they're kind to others, they're genuinely kind. They can do anything from predicting good or bad fortune to simply providing material support. In short, they see things in black and white, and in some ways, they're easier to get along with than humans.
However, the flower demon in front of them seemed to be possessed by a demon, and was no longer paying attention to Tianji and Yan Chixia, but was talking to herself.
"Since nobody wants them anyway, why not give them to me? I'll treat them well and take care of them..."
"I feel like I've seen this scene somewhere before."
Tianji tilted his head and looked at the woman. The scene of her talking to herself and her demonic aura surging was all too familiar. If there were some stormy weather, dark clouds, lightning and thunder at this moment, it would definitely be a scene of a character turning evil. There are too many such scenes. At least half of the famous martial arts figures have experienced the scene of turning evil.
I never expected to see a similar scene here. This scene is familiar to Tianji, but in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, "being possessed by a demon" is not common, and can even be described as rare.
"She won't do like this; her demonic aura is too strong."
Even the purest demonic energy is still demonic energy. Too much demonic energy will affect the surrounding creatures. There are many capable people in Luoyang City. Yan Chixia drew his sword, but he did not want to cause a disturbance.
"Knock him out first."
Tianji also drew his sword. It was a common understanding that people who had fallen into demonic possession were difficult to communicate with. In such cases, the common practice in the Bitter Realm was to fight them. Regardless of how they fell into demonic possession, knocking them unconscious was considered controlling them.
What? What if you can't beat them? What else can you do? If you're lucky, you'll be seriously injured; if you're unlucky, you'll be blown to pieces on the spot. We don't need to consider that here, and the woman in front of us doesn't have that kind of fighting ability.
"Wait a minute, gentlemen! I have a plan!"
A young man carrying a bundle suddenly appeared and stopped the two who were about to attack. This was Ma Jiepu, who had come to Luoyang after feeling something was wrong and followed the sudden burst of demonic energy.
"A...fox spirit?"
Yan Chixia was surprised to see that the person who had arrived was a fox spirit. This group was quite special, stuck between demons and cultivators. In terms of cultivation, they were cultivators, but in terms of species, fox spirits were foxes transformed into humans, and were still considered spirits.
"Yes, I am a fox spirit and an old acquaintance of Madam Wei. Please don't make a move, I have a way to calm her down!"
Ma Jiepu saw that the swords in the hands of the two men were not ordinary, and that a single blow could seriously injure them. Since they were people he knew, he couldn't care less and quickly called out to stop them.
He hadn't been able to figure out anything during the divination before, so he thought there wouldn't be any major problems. But as soon as he arrived, he ran into an acquaintance causing trouble. Ma Jiepu was speechless about his luck.
"...Let him come."
Tianji glanced at Ma Jiepu before sheathing his sword. From the perspective of the primordial beings, this fox spirit was an acquaintance.
"Thank you."
Seeing that they were willing to trust him, Ma Jiepu quickly turned around, came to the woman, and put two fingers together on her forehead. The turbulent demonic energy around him instantly stopped, and the woman fell down, no longer showing her previous madness.
If you look closely, you can see that Ma Jiepu's two outstretched fingers have some unknown medicine on them, and if you get close, you can smell a pungent medicinal odor.
"Are you awake?"
Ma Jiepu looked at the person on the ground and saw that the other person sat up as if nothing had happened, so he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Tell me what happened once you're sober."
The woman stood up, holding her head, and upon seeing Ma Jiepu, uttered an unexpected title.
"Master?"