Chapter 19: The Sacrificial Bride—Part 3

Yusang felt a warm, tingling sensation in her heart when Ming Ran called her “sister.”

She couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride, as if she had suddenly gained a new status.

Hearing herself being praised as equal to a Bodhisattva made her even more pleased, and she resolved to take good care of Ming Ran.

With a smile as bright as a flower, she said, “No need to be so polite, no need to be polite.”

“Sister, your great kindness, Ming Ran, will never forget for as long as I live.”

“It’s nothing, really. You’re still weak, so go rest quickly.”

Yusang cheerfully ushered Ming Ran into a nearby straw hut, not forgetting to take off her outer garment and hand it to her, reminding her to drape it over herself when she sleeps.

After Ming Ran went inside to rest, Yusang, feeling quite content, turned around, humming a little tune as she gathered grass to make a bed.

But as she worked, she felt something was off.

Looking up, she found Yan Qige staring at her.

“What are you looking at? Never seen a hardworking beauty before?” Yusang huffed, clearly annoyed.

Yan Qige stood with his hands behind his back, slightly tilting his head as he scrutinized Yusang.

With a hint of disdain, he moved his lips and said, “I really wonder what goes on in that head of yours.”

“None of your business. Whatever’s in my head is better than being a cold-hearted, unfeeling person like you.”

“So that’s why you’re angry.” Yan Qige’s lips curved into a faint smile, as if he had suddenly realized something.

Seeing his nonchalant expression, as if his earlier indifference had been perfectly reasonable, Yusang shot up, her chin raised in righteous indignation, ready to lecture him.

“Just look at her, such a frail girl, sent as a sacrifice—how pitiful! She barely escaped with her life, and in this dark, windy night, you wanted to send her away again. Don’t you have even a shred of compassion?”

“It seems you really sympathize with her.”

“Unlike some people who are just cold-blooded,” Yusang muttered angrily as she grabbed a blanket from her bag and continued making her bed.

“Alright, since you want to keep her, then she can stay. I won’t send her away. How about that?” Yan Qige sighed behind her.

Yusang frowned, thinking she must have misheard.

Yan Qige was always so arrogant, never one to give in.

“Really?” Yusang turned her head to ask.

“Really, as long as you’re happy.”

Yan Qige actually smiled—a rare sight.

Though it was fleeting, it still left Yusang secretly impressed.

His face was truly the kind that could incite envy and jealousy.

With such good looks, just one smile could make it impossible for anyone to hate him.

Seeing Yusang’s dazed expression, with eyes full of admiration, Yan Qige secretly mocked her, but outwardly, he smiled even more charmingly.

Softening his voice, he said, “Since I’m being so considerate of you, shouldn’t you do something nice for me in return?”

Still in a daze, Yusang nodded absentmindedly.

“Good. First, fetch me some water to drink. Then, set up a barrier around us to keep the snakes, insects, and rats from disturbing my rest.”

Completely smitten, Yusang barely registered what Yan Qige was saying, nodding again and taking the water pouch he handed her before heading off to fetch water.

After walking a few steps, Yusang nearly tripped, snapping back to reality.

Looking at the water pouch in her hand, she suddenly realized that she had been tricked by Yan Qige into doing a servant’s job.

Furious, she turned around, but what she saw only made her anger rise further.

Yan Qige was leisurely half-lying on the bed of grass she had just prepared, looking every bit like a landlord.

Noticing Yusang staring at him, he didn’t seem to care in the slightest.

Instead, he pointed in the direction of a small path and said, “Just keep going that way. There’s a stream where you can fetch water.”

Yusang’s anger boiled over.

Just as she was about to retort, Yan Qige, as if anticipating her reaction, cut her off, saying, “Sigh, you did nod your head just now. Are you really going to go back on your word? If you do that, don’t blame me for going back on my word and sending your friend away.”

Pausing for effect, Yan Qige looked at Yusang, sighed theatrically, and added, “You called me cold-hearted earlier, but now someone is not only being cold-hearted but also gaining a reputation for being fickle and untrustworthy.”

“Who said I was going back on my word? It’s just… just fetching some water and setting up a barrier. It’s no big deal for someone like me,” Yusang grumbled, suppressing her anger as she headed toward the stream.

“If it’s convenient, catch a fish and bring it back to grill for me. I haven’t had dinner yet. If it’s not convenient… still catch a fish and bring it back.”

Catching a fish at night was no easy task.

Yusang spent more than an hour fumbling in the reeds before finally catching a decent fish.

As she washed it, she cursed Yan Qige under her breath.

“You want water? I hope you choke on it. You want fish? I hope you get a fishbone stuck in your throat.”

“Hey, girl, did you go raise the fish or what? I just asked for one,” Yan Qige called out impatiently.

“Alright, it’s almost ready!”

Yusang yelled back, clenching her teeth as she squeezed the fish’s guts like it was Yan Qige’s head, then rinsed the blood off before bringing it to the fire.

“I thought, as a bamboo demon, catching fish should be easy for you. What took you so long? I nearly fell asleep,” Yan Qige grumbled as he leaned against the grass bed.

Yusang, busy looking for something to skewer the fish with, paused in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Mortals have a technique for using bamboo to make fishing tools…”

Yusang’s eyes widened in realization, her pupils dilating in anger.

Gritting her teeth, she snapped, “So, you’re saying I should have ripped off my arm, sharpened it into a bamboo stick, and used it to catch fish for you?”

Like a firecracker, Yusang exploded with fury.

Seeing Yan Qige’s innocent expression only fueled her anger further.

Trembling with rage, she pointed at him, her words failing to come out.

“You… you…”

“Whatever you want to say, say it properly. Don’t learn the good things, but you learn how to stutter instead.”

Yan Qige chided Yusang with a hint of playful reproach.

A flash of rage shot through Yusang, and she felt blood boiling up inside her, ready to spill over.

She wanted to spit blood at him but found she had no blood to spit, so she channeled her frustration elsewhere.

She swiftly grabbed a reed from the ground, slicing it into three sections with a single swipe of her finger.

Holding the middle section aloft, she glared at Yan Qige, then viciously skewered the fish, piercing it cleanly from mouth to tail.

“See? It’s not just bamboo that can skewer a fish,” Yusang snarled as she aggressively placed the bloody fish over the fire, treating it as if it were Yan Qige himself.

Yan Qige raised an eyebrow in surprise, touched his nose, and with a slight cough, said, “I was just thinking that perhaps your hair could turn into bamboo sticks, which would be enough. Who knew you’d be willing to sacrifice your arm to catch fish for me? Tsk tsk…”

“You think I’m the Monkey King? Just pluck a hair and it turns into a clone of myself?” Yusang snapped.

Yan Qige eyed Yusang and then slowly recited, “The Book of Demons records:’In all beings, the nature of the demons is inherently intelligent and adaptable. By using their hair as a medium, they can transform their essence with even a small amount of power, thereby taking on the form of a noble body for use.”

Yusang, having read few books, didn’t understand what the passage meant. She assumed Yan Qige was just spewing nonsense, so she glared at him and kept rolling her eyes.

“What kind of nonsense is that? Speak human language.”

“You mean to tell me you don’t even know the spell to transform your hair?”

Yan Qige asked, plucking a strand of Yusang’s hair and placing it in her hand.

He held her hand, closed his eyes, and made a sign with his fingers.

As a glow emanated from Yusang’s hand, a green bamboo stick, the thickness of a thumb, appeared out of thin air.

“This…”

Yusang’s anger instantly dissipated, replaced by shock as she looked at the bamboo in her hand.

“Sigh, it is truly frigthening to be uneducated,” Yan Qige muttered with disdain, shaking his head as he turned over to rest.

Before closing his eyes, he added, “Be sure to cook the fish well. Don’t burn it. Let me know when it’s done.”