Chapter Seventeen: Does She Seem to Know Me?
In Shancheng, near Jiujie, at the Peach Blossom Family Inn.
This is a quaintly decorated inn. Pushing open the large red door with copper rings and circling around the shadow wall embossed with peach blossoms and magpies, through the well-tended small garden, one can see a three-story building with flying eaves and blue tiles.
At this moment, on the terrace of the top floor of the small building, two people are gathered around a small table, sitting on the wooden floor.
“Jumeng, try this. This is the roasted brown rice tea I made a few days ago.”
Receiving the tea cup from the woman, Jumeng took a sip, nodded, and praised, “It tastes good. I didn’t expect you to be so skillful now! I remember when you were three years old, you still couldn’t walk, which worried your father. He came to pray under the tree every day…”
“That was when I couldn’t even speak; otherwise, I would’ve definitely gotten him!”
For more than thirty years in the Peach Source, there’s a saying circulating that if a red cloth strip with blessing words written on it is thrown towards the Fushang Sacred Tree and doesn’t fall, it means that Jumeng will grant your wish.
Regarding such rumors, Jumeng stated they were completely false and were bullying her for being unable to speak or move at that time!
However, rumors spread because some silly fools are willing to believe them, and the woman’s father was one of those silly fools.
That guy, in order to ensure blessings for his three-year-old daughter who couldn’t walk, stubbornly threw red cloth strips tied with stones at Jumeng two to three times a day.
If it weren’t for Diang Ye stepping in to stop it, the “young” Jumeng might have suffered before she had even managed to free herself from the Fushang Sacred Tree.
That guy is a Spiritual Ability User! Although his spirit energy fluctuation level is only C, his spirit patterns are of the body enhancement type, giving him incredible arm strength; throwing stones the size of fists is like firing a cannon.
Opposite Jumeng sat a woman dressed in a modified blue Hanfu, her long hair simply tied up.
She had a somewhat non-standard oval face and very fair skin, with a small mole on the left side of her nose. Although her appearance resembled that of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, an aura of maturity could be felt between her brows, making it hard to guess her age.
She left the Peach Source about ten years ago, in a situation similar to Lin Yiqi’s parents—simply wanting to see the outside world.
After all, in the Peach Source, under Jumeng’s protection, life is rich and peaceful, but there will always be some who cannot be content with a dull life that offers a glimpse into one’s fifties in their teenage years.
Hearing Jumeng’s words, the woman smiled slightly as she placed the carefully prepared dessert in front of Jumeng while saying, “Jumeng, you’re joking.”
Afterward, she paused for a moment, sneaking a glance at Jumeng’s expression, then asked tentatively, “Speaking of which, is there something important that brought you to Shancheng so suddenly?”
Earlier, when she received Jumeng’s call, her feelings were quite complicated.
As a casual believer, she was naturally excited to see Jumeng in person, but at the same time, Jumeng was someone from the Peach Source and had a close relationship with her father.
The feeling was akin to one of knowing that the elder relatives at home, who were to be treated with the utmost respect—including one’s parents—were suddenly coming to visit.
Although Jumeng acted like a silly younger sister in front of Luxianbei, she usually maintained the demeanor of an elder when facing a woman like her, a descendant of believers.
It resembled the way distant relatives, who only popped up during festivals, would often bring up embarrassing stories from one’s childhood with a mix of warmth and awkwardness. If they were also skilled at pressuring one into marriage or asking about job status, it could become an unsettling burden.
Currently, the woman’s pressure was considerable.
She felt that Jumeng’s appearance here was perhaps due to her father’s insistence on marriage, having asked Jumeng to come personally and put pressure on her.
What era is it now?
As an independent woman of the new century, is it really strange not to be married at twenty-eight?
“Just playing!” Jumeng rolled her eyes. “Didn’t I just tell you when I arrived that I came with friends?”
“Ah?” The woman was taken aback for a moment before her expression became awkward.
She thought Jumeng was simply saying polite phrases about coming to Shancheng to have fun with friends, but she had come alone, and her so-called friend wouldn’t be staying here.
It was even possible that the friend Jumeng mentioned was of the invisible sort.
After all, the King of Urban Legends rarely leaves the territory he governs without cause; doing so would be like leaving a lot of cash lying around without locking its windows or doors, providing an opportunity for other urban legends to launch a Hundred Demons Walk.
Her father, able to invite Jumeng to persuade her, must have invested a lot.
However,
Does she really have a friend accompanying her?
“By the way, I haven’t gone to the room you arranged for me,” Jumeng started to say, noticing the woman’s unnatural expression, abruptly switching topics. “Xiao Tan, why do you look strange?”
“Um, Jumeng…” The woman stammered, “Actually, I only arranged one room for you, and it’s a double bed.”
Realizing that Jumeng frowned, resting her chin on one hand and appearing to fall into contemplation, the woman hurriedly added, “Jumeng, I didn’t mean any disrespect, I just—”
Before she could finish her sentence, a mischievous smile that sent a wave of unease to the woman appeared on Jumeng’s face, causing her heart to skip a beat, and she fell silent.
In the next moment, Jumeng patted her shoulder and said earnestly, “Xiao Tan, well done! You’re much more accommodating than your father.”
By the way, how is the soundproofing in your rooms?”
“Wait, the plot isn’t unfolding the way I expected!”
Feeling perplexed, the woman pondered for a moment and chose to be honest. “Are you really not here to put pressure on me about marriage for my father?”
“Hmm?” Jumeng tilted her head to examine the woman, rolling her eyes. “Of course not!”
When it comes to matters of the heart, what’s the use of pressure?
Forcing such things is like forcing a prickly chestnut—it’s not sweet, doesn’t quench thirst, and hurts!
“What’s wrong? Did that old guy Tan Caizhu pressure you? Haha, that old man! As a patron of fate, he should understand that fate has its course; pressuring won’t work, how embarrassing! Besides, he can’t afford to hire me.”
Unless he offers me a substantial fee.
Musing this, she glanced at the woman, activated her powers, and carefully examined her red thread of destiny, then patting the woman’s shoulder again, said, “Rest assured, Xiao Tan, I’ve checked it out for you. You’ll likely meet your true love by the end of this year or the beginning of next.”
“By then, there will be no need for Tan Caizhu to pressure you; you both won’t be able to stay apart.”
Upon hearing this from Jumeng, the woman finally felt relieved and seemed to recall something, curling her lips into a smile. “Jumeng, when do you think your friend will arrive?”
Mentioning Luxianbei reminded Jumeng of what Luxianbei had asked her before they parted.
“She’ll come a bit later; don’t worry about her. I suddenly remembered that there are some things I want to ask you.”
After spending two to three minutes, Jumeng succinctly asked a few questions, and the woman frowned slightly after listening but then smiled brightly.
“Are you asking about the Solar Eclipse Society and Haze God? You’ve come to the right person!”
Opening a hospitality business in a place as precious as Jiujie, even if the business is doing well, it’s hard to make huge profits; one can only barely maintain a balance. That’s why the woman occasionally helps the Spiritual Ability Users who stay to relay information, store spirit energy items, and connect them with others.
After doing similar things for a long time, it’s inevitable to hear some “inside information.”
“Actually, the relationship between the Solar Eclipse Society and Haze God is rather simple. Haze God intends to give birth to a child and thus seeks assistance from the Solar Eclipse Society in Shancheng…”
“Wow, they really dare to go that far?!” Jumeng exclaimed.
In fact, when she noticed her powers beginning to decay, she had considered at one point using childbirth to divide her powers in order to eliminate the corruption’s source.
However, she ultimately gave up on that path, which was even harder than switching powers.
Urban legends created by dividing powers are, from a certain perspective, incomplete, which compels them to strive for completeness. The fastest way to achieve completeness is by devouring their “parents.”
Historically, some myths and legends of shared origins have repeatedly split and merged, eventually giving birth to new legends and urban legends through such a process.
Thus, splitting powers to create new urban legends would be akin to creating a formidable enemy for herself, and Jumeng wouldn’t dare to do so.
The hardest enemy to deal with among urban legends isn’t necessarily one that can counter her powers but rather one that shares the same origin.
How does one fight against an opponent trained by the same teacher, who knows all the techniques?
Moreover, there is also the undeniable law of “going black increases tenfold” that must be considered.
Bayan has already given her enough headaches; if she creates another “rebel” that encompasses all the corrupted facets of her powers, wouldn’t that just increase the difficulty of the game?
Most importantly, she still doesn’t want to be a “mother”; she’s only eighteen years old and still a baby!
“However,” just as Jumeng was deep in thought, the woman added, “I’ve vaguely heard these past days that the Solar Eclipse Society has been facing some issues with their agreed-upon arrangements.”
Hearing this, Jumeng nodded thoughtfully. “Got it.
“Isn’t it like Haze God is the expectant mother, and the Solar Eclipse Society here is like the obstetric hospital? Haze God has entrusted the Solar Eclipse Society to assist with the childbirth, but now there’s been medical malpractice, causing a doctor-patient dispute, right?”
The woman…
As expected of Jumeng, she really dares to say it.
Not only referring to the cataclysm-grade urban legend by name, but also using strange metaphors to tease it, but—
“Yes, that’s about right.”
Good times are always short-lived; after Luxianbei and Jiang Li found the alchemical bomb that had accidentally rolled away, before they could truly enjoy the joy of meeting Jiang Li again, Lin Kule, who had met with an informant, called her.
Jiang Li: [I have to go.]
Luxianbei: [Yeah, see you later.]
Jiang Li: [Okay, I’ll contact you later.]
Watching Jiang Li’s back fade away, Luxianbei fiddled with the alchemical bomb in her hand, falling into deep thought.
The sudden appearance of a leader delayed a considerable amount of time. If she wanted to continue causing trouble, it might be too late.
Moreover, the alchemical bomb explosion plan couldn’t be used anymore. If something blew up in this nightclub, the leader would immediately connect it to her, so it’s better to forget it. She should check if there are any updates on Stinky Sister’s side.
After all, infiltrating the Solar Eclipse Society is not a task that can be accomplished overnight. Tomorrow, at the latest, the day after, Lin Nian and the Urban Legends Chat Group should send some useful information.
Thinking of this, Luxianbei collected her thoughts and turned towards the door of the nightclub.
Just as she passed through the doorway, in the soundproof-curtained corridor, a tall girl brushed past her.
The girl was wearing a washed-out thick hoodie, with the hood pulled down very low, which was quite peculiar for early summer and very eye-catching. Luxianbei couldn’t help but take a second look.
It seemed that the girl sensed her gaze. When Luxianbei looked toward her, the girl almost simultaneously turned to look at her.
As their gazes met, Luxianbei distinctly felt the girl slightly startled, before regaining her senses. Excitement clearly flickered in her gemstone-like eyes.
But soon after, as if remembering something important, a look of difficulty surfaced on the girl’s face. She glanced toward the depths of the nightclub, took a deep breath, and dashed forward, disappearing into the crowd.
Turning her gaze to the direction the girl ran off, Luxianbei frowned slightly.
How strange; why does it feel like she seems to know me?
But I don’t know her at all!
Could she be another mysterious romantic interest? Luxianbei thought, shaking her head and quickening her pace.
After walking out of the nightclub, she immediately turned the corner and then stopped.
She planned to wait for that girl to come out, observe a bit to figure out who she was.
Meanwhile, on the second floor of CHARMCUB, in a certain office.
This European-style office was peculiar; directly facing the nightclub dance floor’s center, it was completely open without walls. Everything in the dance floor was visible, but if someone were to look from the outside, there would be thick walls.
At this moment, a refined-looking young man, slightly handsome but with a hint of gloom, sat in a leather chair. His mismatched-colored eyes, behind silver metal-framed glasses, watched the departing back of the silver-haired girl heading toward the nightclub door, a smirk revealed on his lips, forming a meaningful smile.
“Is that the one Mr. Phoenix values? She doesn’t seem that impressive! I thought she would find me soon!”
Just as he was talking to himself, a knock on the door suddenly sounded.
“Knock knock knock!”
“Come in!”
Responding softly, the young man hadn’t even had time to turn his chair around to see who had come in before feeling a gust of wind whoosh past his side. A figure “zooms” quickly darted to the “transparent” wall beside him.
“Wow! As expected of you guys, you’ve turned the walls into spirit energy items. Does it have the function of detecting spirit energy fluctuations? Oh wow! It can lock onto thirty-six targets at the same time and analyze the types of powers through their energy fluctuations? So advanced!”
“Let me see, there are at least three types of concealed energy solidification spells, two illusion spells, and as the base structure, it’s a rock-type sealing spell, right?”
Watching the girl who was clinging to the transparent “wall,” chattering incessantly and wearing a silly expression as if she was about to lose control and take a bite out of the wall, the young man’s mouth twitched.
This scene reminded him of his cousin rushing into his study during kindergarten and fixating on his ship models, which ended up with almost all the diligently crafted models covered in drool and bite marks.
Girl, who are you calling a child?!
Please don’t touch it recklessly; it’s expensive, you know?!
