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Chapter 74: Koi Fish

Swiftly reassuring them, he said, "Don't be alarmed. What happened just now?"

"There was a shadow over there..." one of the more composed maids gestured towards the trees outside the courtyard. "It vanished like a fleeting gust of wind. It was truly terrifying!"

"Both of you! Go back to your rooms and seek refuge now! I'll go check it out," Chu Liang instructed before soaring in the indicated direction.

Unleashing his divine sense, he detected a faint demonic aura in the air. The aura was subtle; the demon must have accidentally released its qi.

Following the trail of the demonic aura, Chu Liang soon arrived in another courtyard. There, he saw a bright, colorful figure standing out even in the dark, which explained why the maidens had noticed it so easily.

Upon hearing Chu Liang approaching, the figure became alert. It quickly spun around and flew off into the distance. It moved with incredible speed!

Chu Liang immediately pursued.

However, the figure moved through the air like a swimming fish; it effortlessly swayed left and right, seemingly impervious to resistance. Its speed was truly remarkable. It flew so fast.

Despite Chu Liang's full-speed pursuit, the figure was getting farther away in the blink of an eye.

The creature's speed rivaled that of the Human-Faced Xiao he'd encountered in the past[1], and even a cultivator in the Golden Core Realm would likely find it challenging to catch up. However, Chu Liang had already used the Spirit Cat Leaping Talisman, making it seemingly impossible for him to have another extraordinary pursuit at the moment.

Nevertheless, the current Chu Liang was not the same as the one from the past; he had added a new enchanted tool to his arsenal.

Whoosh—

A burst of green brilliance erupted as Chu Liang raised his hand, activating the Lifeforce Green Leaf. He stepped onto a large, carpet-like leaf and propelled himself forward!

Though he hadn't mastered fine control, Chu Liang had become much better at using the Lifeforce Green Leaf. With the short distances, he figured he could give it a shot. Even if he hadn't completely mastered the fine control of the Lifeforce Green Leaf, he couldn't just watch as the demon escaped. He had to try and stop it.

Thus, with his feet on the radiant green light, Chu Liang disappeared instantly, leaving only a fleeting afterimage behind.

The demonic creature appeared surprised by Chu Liang's sudden speed. As it turned its head and noticed Chu Liang rapidly closing in, it became visibly flustered. Its movements became more frantic as it tried to escape.

After a brief pursuit, they reached the riverbank—the Qinnan River outside the South Gate City. Its swift currents and seemingly bottomless depths posed a formidable obstacle for Chu Liang. If the demonic creature were to decide to plunge into the water, Chu Liang would be powerless, as he lacked any divine techniques usable underwater.

At this point, Chu Liang was closing in on the demonic creature. He could almost discern its figure, which resembled that of an elegant girl.

The demonic creature was as swift as the wind and as fast as lightning! It leaped high into the air, preparing to dive into the water.

At this critical moment, Chu Liang had an idea.

He shouted, "Go!"

Chu Liang somersaulted midair, landing gracefully on the ground. The flying leaf that had just been beneath his feet continued forward due to inertia at an even greater speed. In an instant, it positioned itself beneath the demonic creature.

Chu Liang immediately formed another hand seal and activated the defensive form of the leaf!

Whoosh!

The large green leaf curled around the demonic creature, enveloping it. The leaf had transformed into what seemed like a zongzi suspended in midair.

Chu Liang raised his hand again, slowly summoning the green leaf back.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm..." Muffled cries and banging sounds echoed from within, evidence of the creature's struggles to break free from the leaf.

"Hmph!" Chu Liang snorted.

Trying to escape?

I couldn't even escape when I was the one wrapped in there!

This situation brought to mind a saying, "Trash is merely a resource misplaced." That... might not be entirely fitting though. The defense-boosting inscriptions that Wen Yulong had engraved in the leaf proved ineffective for defense but turned out to be excellent for binding.

Gently lifting the "big zongzi," Chu Liang retraced his steps back to Li Family Estate.

...

Chu Liang and Lin Bei met up in the loft located in the Li Family Estate. Each of them had someone in their grasp.

"Wow! A new bondage enchanted tool?" Lin Bei exclaimed with mild surprise, eyeing the large zongzi Chu Liang was carrying.

"Just... consider it a bondage tool," whispered Chu Liang.

He briefly recounted what had happened and then placed the zongzi on the ground. Chu Liang and Lin Bei were both brimming with curiosity as they gradually unfurled the green leaf.

It's like an unboxing event, Chu Liang thought.

Whoosh!

With a flash of green brilliance, the leaf slowly unfolded, revealing an exquisite and otherworldly face of a girl. Her skin was as white as snow, her hair disheveled, and her big eyes radiated anger, with puffed cheeks amplifying her irritation.

"Bad guy!" the girl shouted the moment she saw Chu Liang. Upon turning to Lin Bei, she swiftly added another insult, "Perverted bad guy!"

However, when Chu Liang and Lin Bei saw her face, they were taken aback.

"Liu Xiaoyu'er??"

Her name lingered in their memory.

They had watched numerous talented girls showcase their dance and vocal prowess in the audition that happened during the day. Yet, this naive girl, lacking in both singing and dancing skills, was the one who had left a lasting impression. They remembered her well.

"You know me?" the little girl asked as she looked around, appearing scared and weirded out.

"We saw you during the audition... So, you're a demon," Chu Liang said in a serious tone, frowning. "What was your motive for sneaking into the Li Family Estate during the day?"

"I am here to find my sister!" Liu Xiaoyu'er shouted.

"Sister?" Lin Bei raised his hand upon hearing this. "Give us more details."

The little girl cast a glance at him and then at Chu Liang.

Her beautiful brows remained furrowed as she asked, "Will you let me go if I tell you?"

"Miss Xiaoyu'er, you've been visiting Li Family Estate frequently lately. While it has caused some trouble, you haven't harmed anyone. If you promise not to come again, we won't make things difficult for you," Chu Liang said. "But regardless of the reason you came, I hope you can explain it clearly."

"This isn't fair," said the cultivator that had disguised himself as a ghost. He forcefully rolled over and lifted his neck as he complained, "I haven't harmed anyone either. Why am I being treated differently? Shouldn't you at least bind her up like me before questioning?"

"Get lost!" Lin Bei kicked the cultivator away. "Do you think I don't want to—bah! What do you think we are?!"

After that, Lin Bei smiled and looked at Liu Xiaoyu'er as he said, "Little one, continue speaking. Don't be afraid."

"Hmm..." The young girl hesitated for a moment, glanced at Lin Bei's face, then at Chu Liang's face, as if she was judging whether they were good or bad people. After a while, she began, "My sister and I were originally part of the Koi Clan in the Bombax River..."

"Oh... Koi..." Chu Liang rubbed his chin in thought. These koi fish are pretty much our neighbors.

Liu Xiaoyu'er continued explaining, "We used to live happily in the Bombax River, but some bad people always disrupted our peaceful life. My sister cultivated magical powers first, while I was just a little koi fish unable to take on other forms.

"One day, my sister suggested taking me upstream for fun. We reached the Qinnan River and were suddenly swept into a cave at the riverbed.

"Inside, we found an Amber Vermilion Grape plant with two mature grapes. The large one could increase magical power by five hundred years, and the small one by three hundred years. My sister gave me the big one, and after eating it, I gained the ability to transform.

"We were both overjoyed. We planned to play on the shore since I could now transform. My sister mentioned that by reaching South Gate City through the Qinnan River, we could explore more.

"But as soon as we left that cave, a big turtle demon sought to devour us. We escaped and got separated. I accidentally entered a water mansion left by a senior fish demon, where a sitting fish spirit remained...

"That fish left behind its flying fish soul, which fused with my body. Since then, I have gained the ability to swim very fast."

"Hmm..." Chu Liang murmured.

He couldn't help but marvel in awe at what he'd just heard. The two sisters were indeed koi fish. Just by venturing out of their home, they had extraordinary encounters and stumbled upon treasures in their travels.

"I then remembered my sister mentioning going to South Gate City, and I thought I could find her there," Liu Xiaoyu'er said. "But the city had too many people, and I didn't dare to enter. While I was passing by this estate, I noticed my sister's scales outside the gates of the estate and caught a whiff of her scent...

"I thought she might be in here, so I entered to look for her...

"But this place is too big. Even after searching for days, I didn't find her. I even got caught by you," Liu Xiaoyu'er whispered, looking quite aggrieved.

"I see," Chu Liang said with a nod. "I will inquire on your behalf tomorrow to see if anyone has seen your sister, but you mustn't sneak in here at night again. It will frighten people."

Liu Xiaoyu'er looked at Chu Liang and Lin Bei timidly. "Will you really help me?"

"Of course!" Lin Bei promised as he gave himself a pat on the chest. "This big brother loves helping little girls who are lost."

1. Remember the faceless Xiao? Refer to chapter 12. ☜