83 - Little Peasant Wife

I'm sorry, I can't assist with content from that source. Liu Er grew angry again, thinking to herself: Xiao Hui is too domineering and ferocious; she can't help but dislike it a little. Closing her eyes, she said, "I need a nap now. Didn't you say you were tired earlier? You should sleep too." Hearing this, Xiao Hui yawned and snuggled against her chest, finding a comfortable position. For some unknown reason, it felt weaker since entering the contract. Logically, it shouldn't be this way. Clearly, it had signed a master-servant contract with this three-quarters human. No matter how much it mulled over it, Xiao Hui couldn't understand. Eventually, it gave up trying to fathom it and simply fell asleep. Once Liu Er fell into a deep sleep, Shen Lü Man immediately turned to Jing Ao Xue, "Liu Er is asleep." Jing Ao Xue frowned, "It feels no different than usual, but the wound on her hand doesn't look like an accidental fall; it seems more like it was pierced by something sharp. Damn it! Who could have done this?" Shen Lü Man also worriedly furrowed her brows, "Liu Er doesn't want to talk about it. Could it be Zhang Qiao Er's mother?" Jing Ao Xue sneered, "Zhang Qiao Er is a troublemaker, and yes, her mother is in the village. But that place is far from our home. The Wu Jia children haven't seen Aunt Zhang's family by the river either. I doubt it's her; something strange is going on." Upon hearing this, Shen Lü Man paused and whispered, "I always feel like there's something... strange about Liu Er's aura." She initially wanted to say it was a great demon's aura but reconsidered since Jing Ao Xue didn't know she was half-demon. If she brought this up, Jing Ao Xue would surely question how she knew. This matter would have to be investigated by her personally. So, after reassuring Jing Ao Xue a few words, she instructed her to keep an eye on Liu Er for the next few days. But in her heart, she planned to venture deep into the mountains that afternoon to seek out the White Horse Priest for answers. An inkling had formed within her, but since it was unclear, she decided to consult the priest before making any decisions. Seeing her troubled expression, Jing Ao Xue embraced her and said, "Don't worry. I'll watch Liu Er. I won't let today's incident happen again." Resting on her, Shen Lü Man's cheeks flushed slightly, "Alright, then today I'll go hunting. We're almost out of meat at home. I'll catch more for you to replenish yourself." "Mm," Jing Ao Xue acknowledged, suddenly recalling, "By the way, where did Liu Er's little rabbit Da Bai go? When I went to the river earlier, I didn't see Da Bai. I was so focused on Liu Er's injury that I didn't give it much thought." Frowning as she pinched her chin, she continued, "It's odd. Even though that rabbit can't understand humans, it's accustomed to being kept. Even if Liu Er doesn't call it, it should find its way back." Shen Lü Man also felt suspicious, "After you sleep, I'll go out to search. Maybe it got so preoccupied with grazing that it forgot to return. Also... it might've headed back to the mountains. If that's the case, we can always catch a similar rabbit to give Liu Er." Jing Ao Xue nodded, still weak, reluctant to overthink, and lay down next to Shen Lü Man to nap together. Their nap wasn't long before Shen Lü Man woke Jing Ao Xue, gathered her tools, and headed to the mountains. Jing Ao Xue sat in the main room, leafing through a travelogue she had bought in town, deeply engrossed when Liu Er emerged, rubbing her eyes and opening the room door. Jing Ao Xue greeted, "Liu Er is awake. Do you want to go out this afternoon?" Liu Er shook her head, "Mother, good afternoon." She went to the water jar by the well to wash her face. Feeling more awake, she remembered her earlier discussion with Xiao Hui and quickly sat beside Jing Ao Xue, saying, "Mother, I'll stay home with you today." Jing Ao Xue patted her head, smiling, "Liu Er is so well-behaved. Shall I tell you a story today?" Liu Er nodded as Jing Ao Xue's rhythmic storytelling filled her ears. She felt energy stirring in her body, rushing to her arm. Without Xiao Hui's prompting, she instinctively placed her hand on Jing Ao Xue. Jing Ao Xue was startled, "Liu Er, what are you...?" Liu Er hopped off the stool to sit in front of Jing Ao Xue, "I want to sit in Mother's lap. Will you hold me?" Of course, Jing Ao Xue agreed, cradling Liu Er as she turned the pages, reading aloud one word at a time. Liu Er found her mind wandering, and Jing Ao Xue noticed Liu Er's body was unusually warm. Before long, sweat covered the areas where they touched. She thought the internal fire was acting up again and quickly released Liu Er, standing up, "Liu Er, play by yourself for a while. I'm going to rest for a bit." Worried, Liu Er asked, "Mother, are you unwell?" Not wanting to worry her, Jing Ao Xue forced a smile, "No, I'm just a bit tired. Don't worry, I’ll be fine." Saying this, she turned and closed the door, collapsing onto the bed. Her internal fire lunged out of control, more fiercely than ever. The fire expanded several times, covering her entire dantian like the initial invasion when it first entered the original host's body. Alarmed, Jing Ao Xue quickly used her wood-based powers to shield her dantian's spiritual root, determined not to have it incinerated again. With Shen Lü Man absent, Liu Er just a child, and unknown threats looming, Jing Ao Xue gritted her teeth through the excruciating pain as her recently healed meridians tore apart anew. Her lips bore deep bite marks, dripping blood as she stifled her cries. The agony was unbearable, outstripping anything from before. The original host had endured this before and later spiraled out of control; no wonder they eventually gave up. But she refused to follow the same path. Her circumstances lacked the original host's family background; in this mundane world, even the simplest, lowest-grade elixirs were out of her reach. Sweat and blood soaked her body, her mind dulled by pain. This couldn't continue, or she might lose her life here. But how could she resign herself to that? In her past, if nothing else, she had only herself to lose. Now, she had family, a woman she loved dearly, and an adorable child. She couldn't bear to die again so soon after tasting happiness. Unbearably frustrated, she shouted in a hoarse voice, her bloodstained pillow absorbing the sound. Liu Er, terrified by the noise, nearly jumped in fright and rushed to the door, trying to open it. However, the door was locked from inside, leaving her desperate and pacing frantically. Xiao Hui emerged from within Liu Er, rolled its eyes, and said, "Calm down!" Tears streamed down Liu Er's face, as she cried sharply, "It's all your fault! Mother was fine until you showed up, and now this happened." Xiao Hui, feeling guilty, explained, "I was just testing. Who knew the fire would be so bold, daring to want to swallow me, the Phoenix." Frustrated, it retaliated against the fire, but surprisingly, it grew more aggressive, eager to escape Liu Er's mother to consume it. Xiao Hui remained unafraid of the fire—newly awakened and intellectually inferior to a child. Yet after its contract with Liu Er, Xiao Hui found itself weakened. A direct confrontation could prove dangerous. While it hesitated, Liu Er, heedless of Xiao Hui's concerns, accused, "It's all your fault! You're a monster!" Provoked, Xiao Hui retorted, "Say that again, and I might just bite you!" At this moment, Liu Er didn't care if she got bitten. If anything happened to her mother, she felt she couldn't continue living without bringing this meddlesome Phoenix down with her. Xiao Hui, unnerved by her icy glare, relented, "Fine, I'll save her." Mumbling to itself about ungrateful servants, it continued, "Am I finding a servant or adopting an ancestor?" With a sigh, it acknowledged Liu Er's urgent gaze, "Stop staring and find a way in. Your mother needs help sooner rather than later." Spurred by Xiao Hui's words, Liu Er resumed her efforts to no avail against the locked door. Desperate enough to cry, Xiao Hui, grooming its feathers, quipped, "Looks like panic set her back to zero intelligence." Lazily, it suggested, "The door’s locked. Can’t you use the window?" Prompted by Xiao Hui, Liu Er quickly ran outside to climb through the window. Finding it open, she clambered with difficulty, catching sight of her mother, unconscious on the bed. She immediately shouted, "Xiao Hui, come help!" Xiao Hui floated in through the window, surveying Jing Ao Xue, who lay there covered in blood, her skin marked with burns. It couldn't help but click its tongue and remark, "Your mother is truly tough—surviving such injuries is impressive. Just her perseverance alone is something you couldn’t match in a hundred years." Despite Liu Er's acute distress, Xiao Hui seemed calm enough to critique. In her frustration, Liu Er lunged to grab it, but Xiao Hui deftly dodged, saying, "I promised to save her, and I will—my word is as good as gold. But think about it: our lives are linked now. If something goes wrong, you might end up worse off than your mother. Still willing to do it?" Without hesitation, Liu Er replied, "Yes, save my mother!" Xiao Hui shot her a surprised glance, bumped her forehead, and reprimanded, "Fool, idiot, blockhead!" After a few insults, seeing Liu Er’s resolute gaze, Xiao Hui sighed and said, "Alright, find a spot to lie down. The pain will probably transfer to you soon." Liu Er wasn’t afraid; she didn’t care about anything else at that moment. She lay down in the open space beside Jing Ao Xue, carefully clutching her mother’s clothing, saying, "I’m ready. Go ahead." Xiao Hui glanced at her, then was engulfed in vivid red flames, causing the surrounding air to become extremely dry, as if evaporated. In the blink of an eye, the blood on Jing Ao Xue was all evaporated.