Chapter 279 Happiness
Molten Metal Fire Bell had stored its Sword's Resolve before. Like the cultivators, it could absorb the Spirit Primordial Energy under the heavens and use it for itself. The Spirit Primordial Energy cultivated by divine weapons was known as Sword Spirit.
Tian Yin had ambushed Wen Leyang on his wedding night, and Molten Metal Fire Bell had shattered after being wounded. The Sword Spirit inside surged. Countless silver flames flowed out and headed towards the stationary 'You've Got Me'. It eventually enveloped the worm.
At that moment, everyone was focused on Wen Leyang and had no time to care about the worm. Only when Cone Nail left with Wen Leyang, did everyone notice that the Sword Spirit had been completely absorbed by 'You've Got Me', and that the worm had turned into a cocoon.
When Buddha's Light Worms were cocooned, they would usually choose a location where the fire element was well established. Unfortunately, 'You've Got Me' did not have that good of a fortune. It had formed a cocoon without proper planning. When little supreme leader, Liu Zheng, woke up on the second day, he followed the profound orthodox sect's formation spell setting and built a small house. He then sealed it with magic art and made an artificial land of Yang fire for 'You've Got Me'.
Chang Li briefly explained the process of events to Wen Leyang softly, but she paused before continuing, "After 'You've Got Me' swallowed that Firetail small sword, it had turned into Molten Metal Fire Bell's Sword's Resolve. The Sword Spirit had nowhere to go after the giant sword had been shattered, Hence, it gathered where the Sword's Resolve was. Under a huge volume of fire element power, the worm had formed a cocoon naturally."
There and then, the shock on Wen Leyang's face had turned into worry, but he managed a bitter yet hesitant smile, "The true fire within Molten Metal Fire Bell doesn't belong to the five elements. How can it trigger 'You've Got Me' to form a cocoon…?"
Chang Li glared at him impatiently, "Didn't we mention this before? That the five elements, Yin and Yang, Taoist and Buddhist arts were all categorized by the cultivators? 'You've Got Me' aren't governed by those rules; as long as it deems a body suitable, it will swallow it regardless!"
Cone Nail also walked over with a smile and comforted gently, "The reason the other Buddha's Light Worm could not turn into Buddha's Light Fly must be because there was insufficient Yang fire within their bodies, or simply because it was not pure enough. 'You've Got Me' doesn't have to worry about this. Since ancient times, no Buddha's Light Worm under the heavens could ever have such good fortune!"
Upon hearing that, Wen Leyang could not help but relax. He nodded and smiled. Cone Nail and Chang Li were anxious and hastily urged Wen Leyang to go into his bridal chamber. Wen Leyang did not think much of it. He then took great strides up to the entrance, but while entering, a wave of anxiousness swept through his body.
Wen Leyang finally entered his bridal chamber.
Two astonishingly beautiful young ladies stood side by side.
Mumu wore a red shirt, and like a still flame, she was burning and glowing away. She embodied the word 'curls' in a lifelike and thorough manner. However, deep within her eyes, there was the purity of a virgin. She seemed like she had something to say, as her lips gently moved but shut tight again. Only a hint of playfulness was left at the edge of her lips, but she mustered an irresistible urge to diminish it.
Xiaoyi was still as pure and clear as water. It could be because she had 'taken the advantage' in Shanghai, but her eyes were lightly roused with delicate charm, unnoticeable to any. Her not-so-tall frame still had its feminine vibe. She blinked with pure sweetness. She wanted to laugh but held it in, and her nose wrinkled slightly...
Wen Leyang was just about to say something when a mumble was heard from within the house. Prosperous child Ah Dan was pointing at his face and gestured at the two brides. He had stayed inside the bridal chamber from the beginning, just to prove to Mumu that Wen Leyang had turned into an ugly man!
Wen Leyang lifted Ah Dan and set him on his shoulders. He smiled at Xiaoyi and Mumu, "The scars will be gone soon enough…"
Mid-sentence, the two brides exchanged a glance and broke into laughter. They rolled their eyes bafflingly at Wen Leyang. Something important seemed to have crossed their minds. They did not care about his looks, at the very least. Mumu grabbed the flailing Ah Dan and flung him out the window. Xiaoyi pulled Wen Leyang and sat him down on a chair.
Suddenly, Wen Leyang noticed the six intricate dishes served on the table. The newly-wedded trio sat down. Xiaoyi's eyes were filled with cheekiness and urged Wen Leyang with all her might, "Eat up, eat up!"
On the first night of their wedding, they barely spoke a word to each other. The night was all about feasting. Wen Leyang had never expected his two brides to go into character this soon. He picked up the chopsticks and randomly ate a piece of vegetable. Before he even got to chew it, when Xiaoyi suddenly cheered him on and despite Mumu's ears turning red, she still exclaimed in surprise.
Wen Leyang was so shocked that he almost dropped his chopsticks. A thought flashed across his mind; secretly cursing himself for being clumsy. He had been so engrossed with that foolish smile on his face, that he forgot to feed both his brides by hand.
Both the brides could not be bothered about protocol... Xiaoyi was happy. It was as if she had escaped God's punishment. She pointed at the six dishes on the table, "I made three of these, while Mumu made three of those, but you only ate the ones she made!"
Wen Leyang was in disbelief, "What do you mean?"
Xiaoyi was overwhelmed with joy. She nodded with all-apparent seriousness, "You know…" She had not finished when Mumu quickly held up a wine cup to cover Xiaoyi's mouth. The two brides broke into uncontrollable laughter. The pure one cackled like a little hen, while the spicy-hot one laughed like a fox. Xiaoyi prayed that he would take Mumu's dish, and so did Mumu.
The three newlyweds had broken all the ice they had when they first entered the highland snow-covered peak in just under a minute. They laughed and gesticulated. They went on and on about the past, of how they both met in the Red Leaves Forest on Mount Emei, the chill they felt when Wen Leyang escaped from the earth-breaking toad, Xiu Er's mouth. They continued reminiscing about One Word Palace's He Shui's forced marriage, and about the fray of the Five Blessings on Nine Peaks Mountain… Amidst the enshrouding aroma of wine, Wen Leyang's heart raced faster and faster, while Mumu's face flushed redder and redder. Xiaoyi's smile also turned even more and more charming!
They were merrymaking when Xiaoyi suddenly set her chopsticks down. She tugged onto Wen Leyang's arm and whispered, "Will any enemies be coming again tonight?"
Wen Leyang laughed gallantly and shook his head, "The true soul had been exterminated, while the Heaven's Cone Nails' descendants had been crippled by us. Who else has the guts to come!?"
There was still the immortal master teacher, Kong Nuer, but if Kong Nuer wanted to come, he would have come a long time ago.
Xiaoyi heaved a sigh of relief. She pointed at Wen Leyang's face and pouted, "If no enemies are coming, then you should let that… that…" As she spoke, she looked at Mumu.
Mumu seemed to have read Xiaoyi's mind. She reminded him with a smile, "He Xiaosha!"
"Oh, right! Him! Let him remove your disguise, it's too heartbreaking to see you like this!" After Xiaoyi finished, Mumu continued with anger, "It's fine if you want to disguise yourself, but can't you just use any other look? Why must you make yourself this ugly!?"
As she said this, Mumu looked at Wen Leyang. She caressed his face and chuckled at Xiaoyi, "You have to touch this too; these scars feel so real!"
Wen Leyang spat out the mouthful of wine he just drank. He coughed and wiped his mouth. He seemed to have grasped the situation. He looked at his two brides, "They told you two that I disguised myself to… fight the enemy?"
Xiaoyi and Mumu nodded in unison.
"Who said so?"
"Grand Master Chang Li!" Xiaoyi and Mumu answered together.
If Chang Li had wanted to lie, apart from the honest prosperous child, no one on Nine Peaks Mountain would have dared to cover for her...
Wen Leyang smiled bitterly and unraveled the cat demon's lie. Mumu's eyes were red, and she was close to tears, "I thought you were merely in disguise… how did they become real scars!?"
Xiaoyi simply burst into tears. Drops of tears trickled onto the table and made its way into the wine cups.
Wen Leyang quickly repeated 'One Word Palace Scar Removing Medicine'. In the end, he chuckled, "I'll be healed in less than a month. Even the scar I got in the Red Leaves Forest will be gone."
However, the two brides shook their heads and sobbed, "You must keep that!" As they spoke, they huddled closer towards Wen Leyang. They each laid their heads on Wen Leyang's shoulders. They closed their eyes and did not speak a word.
It was Spring inside the room, with a warm fragrance. The candlelight occasionally gave off a spark and crackled melodiously… Nobody knew how much time had passed. Xiaoyi quickly jumped up from Wen Leyang's embrace. She patted her chest and smiled cunningly, "I almost fell asleep and foiled your good show!" After she finished, she ran towards her room.
Wen Leyang's bridal chamber had three side yards. The three of them had their rooms. Of course, Wen Leyang had the largest room and the largest bed. Since Wen Leyang's return, the three of them had only feasted and drank in his room.
When she saw that Xiaoyi had run away, Mumu's face flushed so redly, looking almost bloodshot. She wanted to stop her. Xiaoyi shot out the door and left, uttering with a smile, "Concede defeat!"
Wen Leyang still did not understand what was happening. He asked Mumu in shock, "You've lost?"
Mumu's skills were on par with the best elites of the Five Blessings, but she let Xiaoyi run away. She came back and stood carefully beside Wen Leyang. After she gritted her teeth, she sat on his lap spitefully. She shook her head and smiled, "I've won."
Wen Leyang widened his eyes, "Then why is Xiaoyi still so…" He had not finished when a pair of red lips softly met his own. It made Wen Leyang swallow his own words…
As they shared their first kiss, Mumu's body also seemed to curl inwards suddenly, making her a little stiff. However, when Wen Leyang pried open those white teeth shaped like beautiful pearls, Mumu's body turned into melted instantly. The two of them had only parted from their embrace after a long while.
Mumu let out a deep sigh. Suddenly, she giggled and leaped out of Wen Leyang's embrace. She skipped onto the big bed, lifted the blanket and covered herself. She only revealed her head and was blushing with a beautiful shade of red.
Wen Leyang chuckled and leaped out too. He put out the candle with a flick of his finger… The room was still bright. Wen Leyang complained, "Why are there so many candles!?"
Mumu smiled, "There's nineteen of them! Xiaoyi had wanted to light ninety-nine…" Midway throughout her sentence, she could only see darkness. Wen Leyang had already extinguished all the flames! Like a happy fish, he climbed into the blanket swiftly.
Their gentle laughter soon turned into breathy gasps, which increased in its momentum…
(Don't be mad at me!)
When dawn was about to break, Wen Leyang opened his eyes and stared silently at the roof. Not long ago, he had just slept for four days, so clearly, he was still full of vigor.
Mumu's long hair hung loosely, giving her a cool, tousled vibe. Her entire body curled up in Wen Leyang's embrace. Her brows were furrowed slightly, and the edge of her lips curled upwards slightly. Her breathing was soft and even. His fingers slid across her skin; it was as smooth as silk… At that moment, soft footsteps were heard outside the room. Xiaoyi pushed the door open with all her might. She peeked in; her voice was so soft, anyone could mistake her for a thief, "Are you both asleep?"
Wen Leyang dared not laugh lest he woke Mumu up. He answered in an equally soft voice, "I can't sleep."
Xiaoyi chuckled as she quickly covered her mouth. She tiptoed into the room and moved closer to Wen Leyang. She whispered gently, "I can't sleep as well."
Wen Leyang extended another arm and hugged Xiaoyi close. He smiled as he continued to examine the roof. Xiaoyi stroked Wen Leyang's chest, counting every one of his scars.
Mumu's eyelashes fluttered, but she did not open her eyes. The smile-lines on the edge of her lips grew deeper…
(You still can't be mad at me!) After daybreak, the three newlyweds started with an early morning. They went to greet the elders and sent the people of the Miao and Luo families scurrying back home. They waited for Wen Leyang to bring Mumu and Xiaoyi back.
Chang Li and the others showed no signs of anxiousness. They waited for Wen Leyang to be done with his matters.
Naturally, it was a hustle and bustle in the other two families. Crow Ridge was slightly better, as they were civilized people and had some restraint.
However, the men of the Miao stockade village were so warmhearted. So warm that they would even be able to light themselves up as candles for Wen Leyang's wedding! If it were not for Second Mother's yells, the three newlyweds would never have had a good night's sleep…
Every day, Mumu and Xiaoyi would plan some of the oddest tests to bet on who would get to sleep with Wen Leyang that night. It was either the right or left foot of which Wen Leyang stepped into the house with first, or whether the number of words of the first sentence that Wen Leyang spoke was an odd or even one… However, the three of them had taken their own sweet time outside for more than twenty days. When they went back home, the two brides had switched from dying to lose to dying to win...
Wen Leyang had no vile thoughts. When he was with Mumu and Xiaoyi, he would laugh at his heart's content. They have had their first taste of the world and went through life and death situations together. They also had the bond of childhood friends. The relationship between the three of them was so strong that they could never be separated. It was as sweet as honey.
When they returned home, One Word Palace had already finished refining the formula for scar removal. Xiaoyi and Mumu jumped with joy. Nineteen helped apply for the medicine on Wen Leyang; she even carefully dodged the old scar left behind in the Red Leaves Forest.
Wen Leyang could not feel a thing. He felt nothing but applying a layer of paste onto his face. Unexpectedly, when he washed his face twelve minutes later, not only did his scars disappear, his face was also as smooth as a hard-boiled egg.
Xiaoyi and Mumu were overjoyed; they requested for the remaining medicine from Nineteen and enquired all about the methods of application. They prepared themselves to remove all the scars from Wen Leyang's body.
'You've Got Me' was still inside its cocoon in the small house. The rock tower in midair was already thrown back to the depths of Mount Hua before Wen Leyang left. If Guo Huan wanted to cultivate back into his human form from the devil tower, he simply cannot be floating all day.
There was no word about the golden monkey, Qian Ren, ever since he escaped with Qin Zhui on the wedding night.
Chang Li, Hanba and Red Pot stayed on the mountain. Xiang Liu's true soul was exterminated, and the sword immortals of the Tian generation from the Black and White Island got their revenge. The little supreme leader, Liu Zheng, had already rushed back to Kunlun Mountain to pay homage to the three sword immortals.
Cone Nail had also left a few days ago. Chang Li chuckled as she told Wen Leyang, "Apart from that jade box, Cone Nail had also hidden another object in her previous life. She went to get it and will come back in the next few days. By that time, we would have known all about Kong Nuer." She added, "It's not dangerous, so there's no need to worry!"
Wen Leyang reorganized his feelings from the ceremonious marriage and went over the events in great detail. Everything started two thousand years ago, when cat demon, Chang Li, hastily shattered the demon-subduing ice cone nail on the Black and White Island. Tuo Xie wanted to take the blame for this cat demon. After that, secrets, peerless demon immortals and sword immortals that should have been hidden within the world surfaced, one after another. Eventually, they weaved themselves into a huge web in front of Wen Leyang.
Cone Nail and Red Pot wanted revenge, while Chang Li and Wen Leyang wanted to locate Grand Master Tuo Xie. The little supreme leader, Liu Zheng, also wanted to investigate the origins of the Black and White Island. Everyone's problems seemed to revolve around that immortal master teacher.
Wen Leyang was deep in thought when Red Pot suddenly yawned. It said awkwardly, "I'm almost done with my cultivation. The last few days are the most crucial ones. No matter what, do not disturb me!" After it finished, it went into action, dug a hole and tunneled into the ground.
Seeing Wen Leyang's puzzled expression, Chang Li continued with a smile, "The three battlegrounds were created by that immortal master teacher. The nine-headed monster, Xiang Liu, seemed to know quite a lot. I don't think the matter of it being subdued on the Black and White Island is that simple!"
Wen Leyang understood what Chang Li meant, but it perplexed him even more. Chang Li raised her arm and jabbed Wen Leyang's forehead, "Your abilities have improved, but you're still so stupid! If the toad could cultivate Xiang Liu's true soul, it can obtain the nine-headed monster's memories!" She paused after her outburst. Her wide eyes lit up, "Although the true soul disappeared, we still have a wicked soul in our hands!" She then pointed at Hanba.
Hanba sneered.
Wen Leyang was hit with a sudden realization. Xiang Liu had nine heads and ten souls but was still one entity. Before the ice cone nail was shattered, if the true soul had known about it, so would the wicked soul. They did not have the chance to cultivate the true soul, but melting the wicked soul sufficed.
Wen Leyang had just wrapped his mind around the matter of the wicked soul when he suddenly squalled, "The water element wicked soul and Cone Nail shares the same fate; it mustn't be killed!" He then reached out, wanting to dig the toad out.
It startled Chang Li. She hastily stopped him and dismissed his thoughts with a smile, "Nonsense!"
After Wen Leyang exclaimed, an uncanny feeling crept up to him. At first, everyone thought that the ice cone nail had lived to subdue demons. Heaven's Cone Nails shared the same fate with the corresponding wicked souls. If the wicked soul was destroyed, the Heaven's Cone Nail would have died. However, after that, Cone Nail slowly regained her memories and Heaven's Cone Nail descendants made their debut. The group found out that the demon subduing great formation on the Black and White Island was not forged by primordial Gods, and that Cone Nail was not born out of heaven's will. Her primordial spirit was extracted while she was alive and turned into Heaven's Cone Nail.
It could be ascertained that Cone Nail had nothing to do with Xiang Liu. It was the immortal master teacher who had put them together.
Chang Li also smiled towards Wen Leyang, "Don't worry, they're unrelated! Cone Nail herself knew that Red Pot intends to cultivate the wicked soul."
Wen Leyang sighed with a smile.
The water element wicked soul had already been corroded by the corpse figurines' corpse energy and was greatly weakened. It was naturally much easier to cultivate it now.
However, Wen Leyang frowned again, "If the cauldron cultivated the wicked soul, would Red Pot also obtain the soul's memories?" Even at this point, Red Pot could not regain its stamina. He relied on that magic cauldron to cultivate souls.
This was a critical question. The Yin-killing Divine Cauldron was a primordial divine tool. Although it could not cultivate the true soul, it was more than enough to crush the weakened water element's wicked soul. Red Pot first used the magic cauldron to cultivate the wicked soul to a point where it would disintegrate and pour out. At that moment, although Red Pot's body of sun and moon was weak, he could still cultivate the wicked soul which was only a step away from completion. The nine-headed monster's two thousand years' worth of memories would now be possessed by Red Pot.
After Chang Li's explanation, her expression turned serious, "There's another thing we'll need your help for!"
The colors from Wen Leyang's face had drained. He made a face as serious as Chang Li's and nodded steadily.
Chang Li pointed at herself before pointing at Hanba, "We've received some serious wounds. If we were to seclude ourselves to tend to our wounds, it would take decades and even a century! Now, we have a way to heal ourselves in the blink of an eye and restore our cultivation bases to their peaks."
Wen Leyang's face lit up with joy. He knew that Chang Li would continue regardless, however, he could not help but ask, "What's the way!?"
"Before Red Pot was subdued, he had found an incomplete centipede grass…" Wen Leyang had never heard of centipede grass before. Chang Li sketched on the ground, and no matter how he looked at it, it looked like twenty 'Feng' characters forming a chain.
Chang Li was satisfied with her artwork, "Legend has it, that when the world was made, the spiritual roots of the heaven's and the earth split into two. One of them turned into a dragon's veins and suppressed the divine state's conception, while the other condensed into centipede grass which gathered the essence of Yin and Yang. With just one leaf, even the most serious of wounds could be healed in an instant."
Wen Leyang was initially happy, but when he heard what Chang Li said, he was in slight disbelief.
Chang Li rambled on for half a day. The point was, as long as they had this grass, Hades could only stroke his beard. At that time, the grass had not matured yet, so Red Pot could not bring himself to pluck it. He had only thought about this a few days ago, but over the millennia, the world had changed. Red Pot could only make out its approximate location, as even he could not determine the exact spot.
As she said this, Chang Li shouted, "Wen Buzuo!"
Wen Buzuo immediately replied in a loud voice. He ran towards them like the wind. He held a map and spread it out in front of Wen Leyang, before pointing towards the southwest, "Shiwan Mountains!"
Wen Leyang took in a cold breath of air. This area was simply too huge. If they were going to search for a blade of grass, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack!
Chang Li also sighed, "The Shiwan Mountains during Red Pot's time were very different from how it is today. Also, nobody could determine if this grass was still there, but if we want to be healed quickly, we can only be hopelessly optimistic."
At that moment, Hanba Fifth Brother opened his mouth drily, "Let's wait for Cone Nail to return and Red Pot to finish cultivating the wicked soul. We'll then understand what's going on with Kong Nuer. If we want to discover Tuo Xie's whereabouts, we can't avoid going right up to his doorstep. The real fierce battle is upon us."
Initially, Wen Leyang had no intentions to go, but when Hanba put it that way, he gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement.
Hanba saw Wen Leyang nodding. He then smiled, which puzzled the others, "I'll go with you on this trip. You don't have to overthink things. If you found the centipede grass, you'll just have to follow my instructions!"
Looking at the exposed, bare rotting flesh and black bones on Hanba's calf, Wen Leyang had some reservations. Hanba knew what was on Wen Leyang's mind and snorted, "I can still walk without legs!"
Xiaowu puffed her chest with pride, "I'll carry daddy!"
Hanba flashed a genuine smile, which was a rare occasion. He ruffled Xiaowu's bangs…
