After a while,
Jiang Yu said inexplicably, ‘…why are you looking at me?’
Hua Ling solemnly patted him on the shoulder: ‘Here’s your chance to earn some merit. Can’t you fly? Carry me down!’
Jiang Yu gave her a sideways glance and jumped off on his own. Pretend, I’ll let you pretend.
Hua Ling shook her head: ‘Bad temper, takes time to teach.’ After saying this, she jumped off right after him.
The little lantern lying on Hua Ling’s shoulder was scared by the accelerated free fall and tears flew everywhere – what a miserable thing it was to follow an unreliable master.
The same sentence appeared in Jiang Yu’s mind when she almost knocked his back out.
‘Can’t you fucking say hello when you get off?!‘ This is intolerable.
Hua Ling innocently said, “I told you so.”
Jiang Yu: “…”
Hua Ling got up from Jiang Yu without a care in the world and patted the dust on her trousers that had got dirty when she landed. “See, I told you to carry me. If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes.”
’Roar…’
A beastly roar that shook the cave interrupted Jiang Yu’s movement as he got up from the ground. His gaze flickered, and he threw Hua Ling to the side with a leap. At the same time, the tail of a huge python-like snake hit the spot where the two had been, sending dust and gravel flying.
Jiang Yu took Hua Ling under his protection, and with his right hand raised slightly, a black broadsword covered in fluorescent blue runes appeared in his hand.
The beast failed in its attack and stopped, opening one menacing eye to survey the two men. Yes, it was an eye, growing in the centre of its forehead.
The beast was the size of three or four rhinos, with four hooves, the shape of a bison, a dark green and black body, and a white beast’s head. In addition to the large eye on its head, it also had antler-like horns, but behind it dragged a long python tail several zhang long.
Jiang Yu suddenly shouted, ‘Hold your breath and concentrate! This calamity beast is full of the virulent poison of disease in every breath it takes.’
Hua Ling replied indolently, ‘I’ve already held my breath, otherwise do you think I could have survived until now? From the sound of it, it seems like you recognise this thing?’
As early as the beginning of their descent into the cave, she had sensed the plague-infused air within, so she had used a talisman to protect herself beforehand to cut off all contact with the plague and its poisonous miasma.
Jiang Yu’s face was not looking good: ‘This creature is an ancient monster called a “fei”. Wherever it goes, the water dries up and the vegetation dies. If people see it, there will be a great plague.’
Hua Ling nodded: ‘So this is the legendary “fei”! I’ve heard a lot about it.’ He said this and bowed to the ferocious beast.