Heart Protection

HEART PROTECTION: CHAPTER 8

Yan Hui watched over Tian Yao the entire night and didn't sleep at all. In the end, she learned that he had been plotting against her from the first day. She felt like a stupid cow, being led by the nose the entire time. She seethed with anger.

She left the lake in the early morning with Tian Yao. After returning to the small courtyard, she climbed into bed and pulled the covers over her head, not caring about anything else.

Grandmother Xiao was very ill and could not rise from her bed. Tian Yao stayed by her side and waited on her. He didn't look after Yan Hui.

Although Yan Hui was snuggled under the blanket, she tossed and turned and couldn't sleep. Her mind kept recalling Tian Yao's words. Ten years had passed since Liang Xiao accepted her as his disciple and brought her to Chen Xing Mountain to cultivate. In that period of time, she didn't kill many demons, but she did encounter many and heard of countless others. There were endless varieties.

But if you were to speak about dragon demons......

Dragon demons twenty years ago......

A bright light suddenly flashed in Yan Hui's mind. Before, at the lakeside, her thoughts were too jumbled, so she didn't remember. Now that her thoughts quieted and she could think, she suddenly remembered something she'd heard somewhere. Twenty years ago, the Master of the Guang Han Sect and her grandmaster, Zhenren Qing Guang killed a large demon together. As for the demon's true self, some said snake, others said fox. The story was muddled with uncertainty. In the end, no one could say for sure if it actually happened or not.

The two cultivators in the story had reached a high level, so naturally, no one dared to ask them. Thus, among the young disciples, the story morphed into a legend.

Some said Master of the Guang Han Sect, Su Ying, had been deceived by the demon and fell deeply in love with him. When she found out everything was a lie, she ruthlessly struck and eliminated the demon for the world's Great Dao. Some said that my sect's grandmaster, Zhenren Qing Guang, was looking at the astrological signs and discovered that a demon entered the city. Thus, he joined hands with the master of the Guang Han Sect, and they vanquished the demon together. They also had an indescribable love-hate relationship between them two Such melodrama quickly became a scandalous topic in the city's gossip.

Yes, Yan Hui's mind suddenly cleared. She remembered there was a day when a few of her fellow disciples huddled together to talk about this matter. It just so happened that Zhenren Qing Guang arrived at the disciples' room to visit kin. A few of the girls were talking excitedly and completely didn't realize he had arrived behind them.

At the time, Yan Hui was sitting off to the side. She looked in surprise at the man who had already been cultivating for 100 years yet still looked youthful, Zhenren Qing Guang. Like a kid, he squeezed his head in to listen to the story.

She heard her senior disciple say: "......but when Sect Master Su Ying saw that Grandmaster was hurt, she became angry. She waved her hand at that hateful demon. At the risk of her life, she saved Grandmaster."

The person in the story, Grandmaster, stroked his chin: "Hey......why did the Grandmaster need saving?"

The senior disciple didn't look over: "Grandmaster got hurt earlier trying to save Sect Master Su Ying!"

Grandmaster nodded: "I see."

Sitting off to the side, the corner of Yan Hui's mouth twitched. When this exchange finished, the pile of eagerly listening people finally turned their heads. They blankly stared at the beaming Zhenren Qing Guang who had been standing behind them. They all had a dumbstruck and speechless expression.

At the time, the scene was quiet. In the end, it was Ling Xiao with a cold expression who chided: "No manners."

Then everyone returned to their senses. They hurriedly stood up and bowed with their hands in front to the Grandmaster.

Yan Hui stood last in line. She saw Zhenren Qing Guang immediately say to Ling Xiao: "No, no, no. I've accepted so many disciples, but you are the most solemn. They are so cute. You're being so fierce. You've scared them, so now they don't dare finish. How am I supposed to hear the end of the story?"

The year-round aloof and indifferent Ling Xiao would only put his hand on his forehead and sigh: "Shifu......"

This was the first time Yan Hui saw their Chen Xing Mountain's Daoist Spiritual Master up close. He was Ling Xiao's shifu. He was the topmost cultivator in the cultivation world.

The Yan Hui at the time felt if she was to become someone, she had to be like Zhenren Qing Guang: laid-back and calm, neither acquiescent nor overbearing, not frightened nor fearful.

But unfortunately, before she could become such a person, she had already been driven out of the sect......

Her thoughts drifted too far. Yan Hui hurriedly pulled her mind back.

 Yan Hui didn't know if her Grandmaster, Zhenren Qing Guang liked the master of the Guang Han sect as the rumors said, but she knew the master of the Guang Han sect did like someone. Although this matter didn't have the involved parties' verification, it spread wide and far in the jianghu. The amount of people who thought it true were countless.

It was said that the master of the Guang Han Sect used to like an ordinary person who didn't cultivate. Later on, that ordinary person died. The master of the Guang Han Sect cultivated in seclusion from then on. It wasn't until later on, when the Chen Xing Mountain called a cultivator meeting, that the master of the Guang Han Sect made an appearance. By her side was a youth who followed her closely.

Some said that he was the reincarnation of Sect Master Su Ying's lover.

But in the heavenly cycle of reincarnation, finding the reincarnation of someone wasn't as easy as just going to look for it. Yan Hui thought perhaps she had just found a similar looking person as a substitute.

Hold on.......

Didn't she pull back her thoughts, so shouldn't she be thinking about the dragon demon? Her mind kept pulling out gossip one right after another. What was going on.......?

Yan Hui lightly hit her head. Then she suddenly realized she still had no idea how to deal with this dragon demon......

It wasn't until her growling stomach woke her up that Yan Hui realized she unexpectedly fell asleep under the blanket. She wiped away her drool and crawled out from the blanket. Then she walked out to go to the kitchen to eat mantou.

Exiting the room, Yan Hui heard "Om mani padme hum" repeating from Old Lady Xiao's room. Yan Hui stuck her head out to look through the window.

It was a Daoist priest wearing jingling clothes. He was standing by the sickbed chanting scriptures: "Illness begone. Illness begone."

Yan Hui looked with curled lips. It was exactly because of these groups of ostentatious swindlers roaming the secular world that cultivators were getting a bad reputation.

The person who sold her, Mrs. Zhou, was standing by the Daoist priest. Mrs. Zhou patted A'Fu's shoulder and said: "Chanting scriptures over your grandma will make her better. Chanting scriptures will help her."

Tiao Yao stood at the side. He didn't say a word.

Yan Hui looked at his slightly downcast eyes. She suddenly realized something odd; she could hear his voice. She could hear his inner thoughts. He knew this man was an ostentatious swindler, but he still hoped it would as Mrs Zhou said, chanting scriptures would make her better.

After ten years of living together, this demon felt grateful toward the old lady.

"Clang!" When the Daoist priest shook his bell, it was like he jarred Yan Hui awake from a dream. Yan Hui patted her face. She suddenly realized, ever since leaving the mountain, she was becoming more and more strange. Why would she waste her thoughts trying to understand the mind of a demon who harmed her?

She shook her head. She entered the kitchen and took two mantou. After eating them, she felt angry and took two more.

In any case, they were all cursed. Not eating them would be a waste, so they had to be eaten, forcefully eaten. Since her anger couldn't be suppressed, she would eat it down.

When Yan Hui walked out of the kitchen with stuffed cheeks, the Daoist priest had finished. The old lady, who was sick to the point of trembling, walked out with the help of Tiao Yao to see the Daoist priest off.

"Thank.......thank you Daoist priest."

Yan Hui silently frowned.

The Daoist priest dramatically nodded his head and raised clasped hands in farewell. He turned around and saw Yan Hui off to the side. She was still chewing her mantou. In the next split second, his gaze fell on Yan Hui's neck.

There, Yan Hui still wore the shattered jade piece from the broken hairpin.

The Daoist priest's eyes brightened: "Who is this?" He stared at Yan Hui and asked Mrs. Zhou.

Mrs. Zhou glanced at Yan Hui. Mrs. Zhou still held a grudge against her: "Oh, the wife Old Lady Xiao bought for her grandson."

The Daoist priest nodded: "Looking at this girl, her features are excellent. She has a good character and promotes a harmonious household. Grandmother, this wife was well-bought." Hearing his compliments, the grandmother smiles until her eyes squinted.

Mrs. Zhou coldly snorted to the side: "Her face is good, but her temper isn't."

Yan Hui gently laughed and clenched her fists. She wanted Mrs. Zhou to appreciate her not-good temper again.

"She does have a temper, but it matches rather well with the jadeite around this girl's neck. [1]" The Daoist priest fixed his eyes on the jade around Yan Hui's neck. "If the jade was handed over for this Daoist priest to work over, perhaps it will prolong the old lady's life for another twenty years or so."

When those words came out, the small courtyard instantly fell silent.

Then everyone's eyes fell upon the broken jade around Yan Hui's neck.

Seeing the situation, Yan Hui's gaze instantly chilled and stared at the Daoist priest: "Do you dare to look at this piece of jade again with your dirty eyes?" Her tone had a heavy murderous intent. "I'll make you leave on your back."

The Daoist priest met Yan Hui's eyes and swallowed spit.

Mrs. Zhou who was standing by the side raised a fuss: "Ah! Listen to those words! What person isn't willing for their elderly to live longer! This unfilial one who should be struck by lightning!"

Old Lady Xiao started coughing in the middle of Mrs. Zhou's shouts. She looked at Yan Hui and reached out a trembling hand: "Girl, save this old woman. I still want to see my great-grandson......"

Tiao Yao, who was still supporting Old Lady Xiao and pretending to be stupid with downcast eyes, slightly inclined his head. He turned his eyes to look at Yan Hui.

But he saw Yan Hui standing opposite to everyone. Her back was stiff, and her expression wasn't the least bit softened.

It seemed like no sharp questions nor hard-to-hear criticisms would be able to even slightly hurt her.

"You all kidnapped me. Now you want to rob me of my will as well?"

"One sold me. One bought me. One treated me as goods to be sold. One saw me as a tool to give birth. None of you treated me as a person. Why should I treat any of you as people? Furthermore, today there was no discussion if this Daoist priest really has the ability to extend life. Weare just taking his word for it. If I decide to save you, it's due to my high moral character. If I don't want to save you, then it's as it should be." Yan Hui slightly raised her chin. Her bearing had a hint of disdain. "You are all vulgar. I originally didn't want to say it, so you all wouldn't be embarrassed. However, today, you've all forced me to. Then, I'll just put my words out there."

"You want a great-grandson, then give birth to one yourself. You want the jadeite......" Yan Hui coldly scoffed. "Come and take it."

[1] It rather matches with the jadeite around this girl's neck.