Chapter 10: Second Round (4) So Lei Xiu Yuan was still awake? Little Mallet sat down next to him, and asked through Ji Tong Zhou's snoring, "What do you want to know?" "Just... where are you from?" Lei Xiu Xuan was a bit timid. Little Mallet shook her head. "I do not know. I've always been with my master. We lived on a mountain called Qing Qiu." And she had only recently learned of the name Qing Qiu from Master Dongyang. "... Qing Qiu?" Lei Xiu Yuan froze for a moment. If he remembered correctly, that was a place full of demons. "Mhm. And don't ask me what's my last name, I don't know either." "What about your father and mother? They didn't want you?" "... I don't know." Lei Xiu Yuan saw her face dim down and immediately regretted his choice of words. "I was just being curious... Big sister, how old are you?" "Ten." "Huh..." Lei Xiu Yuan seemed surprised. "So you are younger than me, I shouldn't be calling you big sister." Little Mallet stared at him. This child was so skinny and short, he looked at most seven or eight years old. But he turned out to be older than her? Lei Xiu Yuan felt quite proud about it. "I'm eleven, older than you." How in the world had he been living all these years? He was so small for an eleven year old. Little Mallet continued staring at him with suspicion. He fished out the letter from the primary round and unfolded it. The paper really did have "Lei Xiu Yuan, eleven" printed on it. "My situation is only a little better than yours. I used to have a father, mother, brother and sister. They were all killed, and I alone survived." Lei Xiu Yuan's eyes grew slightly red. "Have you heard of the country Gaolu?" Gaolu, sounded familiar. She vaguely remembered being there four years ago with her master. The place seemed to have been pretty rough and dangerous. "I am from Gaolu, and if I guessed correctly, Ye Ye and the Baili sisters should be as well. Although they hardly have any accents, I know the surname Baili. It used to be a noble family in Gaolu." Little Mallet nodded her head. No wonder the surname Baili sounded so familiar to her. They had been nobles. "Gaolu no longer exists. Four years ago, the neighboring state of Wugou invaded. Even though the people resisted with all their might, the other side had the help of immortals. When Ye Ye said it was even more important for royal families to cultivate, that was what he had meant. Gaolu did not have any immortals among the royal family, so no matter what they did, it was futile. They all died in battle. After Wugou took over, they ruled with tyranny and heavy taxes, and anyone who did not comply was killed without mercy. My father was a courtier in the court. He drunkenly wrote a poem ridiculing the imperial government, and everyone in my family over seven years old was sentenced to death... I was already eight years old at the time, but the officials carrying out the order took pity on me and reduced my age by one year, so my life was spared. The day of the execution, I hid in the crowd and watched… I saw my parents, my brother and sister beheaded one by one… Ever since then, I wandered around on my own… until I met Brother Lu... But, Brother Lu was also killed, I..." Lei Xiu Yuan's tears fell into the fire, and he immediately rubbed his eyes in an effort to hold them back. "Luckily I met you guys." He forced a smile. "Big sister, you always have to look after me. I'm so useless. If I were alone, I don't know if I would be able to pass this second round." "We still don't know if we will pass." Little Mallet poked at the fire with a branch. "I never looked after you with anything, no need to say that." The children stopped talking and the forest fell silent, leaving only the crackles and pops of the fire. After a long while, even Little Mallet began dozing off. Suddenly, a strange cry burst out from the distance. It sounded kind of like a group of women shrieking. Startled birds took to the sky and disturbed the mist inside the forest. Little Mallet immediately dropped the branch in her hand. Next to her, Ji Tong Zhou woke up with a jolt and asked, "What's that noise?" She put a finger to her mouth and shushed him, then listened to the sound. It seemed to be coming from the east and was intermittent, mixing with some other people's voices. A sudden gust of wind blew over, tugging at their hair and clothing. "Let's go and see." She quickly extinguished the fire, and the three of them ran toward the sound. The trees grew sparse as they went, and a small trail eventually appeared. Little Mallet was overjoyed. If there was a road, then there must be an exit! The trail soon made a steep turn and the children were shocked by what they saw around the bend. Before them stood a giant fox demon with snow-white fur and nine long tails swaying in the air. It looked beautiful to the extreme, but at the same time, terrifying. It howled to the sky and was surrounded by a crowd of a hundred or so children. Some screamed in a panic while others methodically attacked with their talismans. "So big! And nine tails!" Ji Tong Zhou shouted in a broken voice. "It's the legendary nine-tailed fox demon!" But Little Mallet was feeling a different kind of shock. This fox demon looked very similar to the one she had seen before, just a bit smaller. Was it the same one? A strange hoarse voice suddenly laughed inside her ear. It sounded a bit like mocking mixed with some anger. "... Old man?" she called out in a low voice. The mysterious voice answered, "It's fake, not a real demon. Hmph..." "How do you know?" she asked again. No answers this time. "Hey you! Are you guys just going to stand there and watch?!" Several children who were busy using spells against the demon yelled at them. "Come and help!" Ji Tong Zhou was the first to rush over with a fire talisman between his fingers. It flew towards the demon like a burning meteor, scorching a big patch of fur on its abdomen. "Awesome!" The crowd cheered and Ji Tong Zhou stood tall, finally finding his pride again. "Big sister? Want to help?" Lei Xiu Yuan tugged on Little Mallet's sleeve. She was standing there frozen, and several kids were starting to glare at her. Little Mallet smiled awkwardly. The problem was she did not know how to use talismans. Even though she had learned a new form of breathing, she still knew nothing about spiritual energy inside the body. Talismans required power to use, not just a simple toss. She slowly pulled out a talisman from her bag and randomly picked one to throw out. It slowly floated to the ground with no momentum at all. Other children immediately looked at her with contempt. "Big sister, you don't throw it like that." Lei Xiu Yuan saw her being looked down upon, he felt it more than anyone. "First, pinch the talisman between your fingers, imagine that it is one with yourself. Wait for the spiritual power to wrap around it, then throw." If it were really this easy, she would have done it a long time ago. "Take your time, go slow. I'll go help first." Likely she did not want others seeing her weak side, Lei Xiu Yuan thoughtfully walked away. As if going slow would help... Little Mallet really disliked just standing around and watching. She picked up a bunch of stones and began throwing them at the fox demon, aiming for its eyes. But they all bounced away before even getting close to it. "What are you doing?" A girl on the side finally couldn't help but speak out. "Trying to hurt a demon with rocks?! You're deliberately being lazy!" "Whatever." Little Mallet glared at her. "You are just standing there and not doing anything." The girl said angrily, "That's because I've used up all of my talismans!" "Then be quiet." Little Mallet did not want to bother with her anymore. But she began to feel a little strange. No matter how they attacked the demon, it just stood still and howled, never attacking back. Was it not able to move? The voice had said it was a fake, and not a real demon, so it had probably been created to test the children's ability to improvise. If that was the case, then defeating this fox demon was likely the real way to pass the second round. The children seemed to have discussed some tactics among each other. A water talisman suddenly flew out from each of the fifty or so kids surrounding the demon. They waved in the air and turned into a thousand layers of ice, freezing its legs to the ground. Clever! Little Mallet praised them silently, but this would not trap the fox demon for long. After struggling for just a bit, large pieces of ice had already begun to crack. At the same time, countless paper talismans were thrown out. Some turned into fire, others into thunder, golden spears and icy blades. They all smashed into the demon in one giant, chaotic mess. Thunder and lightning roared, shaking the ground beneath everyone's feet. A thick smoke burst out and forced Little Mallet into crouching down while covering her nose and mouth. The smoke gradually faded away after a while, and the fox demon was now lying still on the ground. "We did it!" someone shouted, and all the children cheered. Lei Xiu Yuan was so excited he began to cry again, while Ji Tong Zhou smiled proudly as he looked at Little Mallet still standing there in shock. "Do you know what real skills look like?" He had completely forgotten about how she had beaten him, and her fierce image was now turning into a useless fool. "Haha! I saw it all! Attacking a fox demon with rocks? If you have no abilities then go home while it's not too late!" Little Mallet cracked her knuckles a few times and Ji Tong Zhou immediately turned around and walked away. "Look! There's a door over there!" someone shouted. A golden door had appeared at the end of the path to everyone's excitement. Exiting the forest before noon would count as passing the second round. Many children ran for the door, but those who reached it first were bounced away and fell to the ground unconscious. Others immediately stopped in their tracks and looked at each other. Suddenly, the fox demon that was supposed to be dead on the ground stood up again. It howled to the sky and everyone was visibly frightened. The sound of the howling made Little Mallet feel as if an invisible hand was squeezing her chest. It was difficult to even breathe. The wind swept up, stirring the sand and rocks on the ground and blurring everyone's vision. Little Mallet quickly closed her eyes, and listened to the wailing all around her. Lei Xiu Yuan seemed to be calling her name, but his voice sounded distant and inaudible. After a long time, the wind finally died down. Little Mallet slowly opened her eyes and saw no one left standing. Most of the children had passed out on the ground, only a few remained on their knees. "Big sister..." Lei Xiu Yuan was squatting next to her, his voice weak and his face full of pain. "De... demonic aura! It's so strong!" Demonic aura? Little Mallet was bewildered. What demonic aura? How come she did not feel anything? Looking around, she saw Ji Tong Zhou also pale and suffering. But he was in a slightly better shape than others, he had managed to remain standing. Those who were still conscious all felt disheartened. The fox demon was now up again with nine long tails swaying in the air. Even though it stayed in one spot and did not move around, it now released a powerful demonic energy that most kids could not handle. Moreover, it seemed as if Little Mallet was the only one who could still move around freely... She did not understand why. Well, now what? There was no exiting the door without first defeating the fox, but what could she do? Rocks were of no use, and she had no power to use the talismans. The hoarse voice inside her ears suddenly came again. "Hmph, robbed me of my stuff, and dared to use it here... Even though it's only a tiny fraction, it can still be useful. Little girl, walk forward, go to it!" Here we go again, the mysterious old man. Little Mallet began to wonder if maybe she had been possessed by a ghost. Why else would she be the only one that could hear him? "Why are you just standing around? Dummy! You always make me say everything twice!" The old man sounded angry. "Why can't I see you? Who are you?" Little Mallet asked in a low voice. "You don't need to know. Do you want to pass the second round or not? Go over there, hurry! Or I'll go back to sleep!" That's right, she had to pass the second round. Little Mallet immediately stepped towards the fox demon. Lei Xiu Yuan exclaimed in shock, "Big sister! Do not go over there! It's too dangerous!" She ignored him and closed in on the demon. Her lips moved, but no one could hear what she was saying. Soon, she raised her right hand and gently pressed it against its fur. Snap! Something seemed to have shattered under her touch, and the fox demon instantly faded into countless particles of light and scattered away. A piece of paper inscribed with rune floated down from the air. This really had been a man-made demon. The powerful demonic aura also disappeared. Lei Xiu Yuan crawled over with red eyes, then opened his mouth to cry. In the next instant, Little Mallet covered his mouth and said, "Do you dare to not cry?" Ji Tong Zhou also walked to her with a face full of disbelief. The five or so kids who had remained conscious all gathered around, each wanting to say something but did not know what. What magic did she perform just now? Subduing a nine-tailed fox demon with a single touch? They looked at the paper with runes, and realized that the second round was not this forest, but the demon. Everyone now felt like a fool next to Little Mallet. Finally, someone moved. No one spoke, but the children began walking through the golden door one by one. It no longer blocked anyone or flicked them away. Ji Tong Zhou opened his mouth, and after a long time, he said, "... I'm going." Lei Xiu Yuan was still rubbing his eyes, but the look on his face had changed from worry to admiration. "Big sister, you really are the best!" His eyes were sparkling. "It's true that really talented people don't always let it show! I want to be just as awesome as you someday!" Awesome? Little Mallet stayed silent. The awesome one was not her, but the mysterious person hiding inside her body. He was the truly talented one. "Let's go." She did not want to dwell on this topic. The two of them walked through the door together. << Prev | Next >>
4 Comments
Brownie
11/10/2021 04:48:53 pm
Is there going to be another update? Because I really like using this site even if it only has 2 stories :)
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Ella
12/2/2021 02:55:49 pm
Thank you for translating! Interesting story.
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klaratan
4/1/2022 10:32:17 pm
Thank you for translating this interesting story. I hope you will have the time to continue. Looking forward to reading the next part.
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Mscay
4/8/2022 06:53:25 am
Love the story so far..love this website...thank you to the translators..amazing work!
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