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墨書 Inktalez
"Roar!" The beast's cry was fierce, accompanied by a cacophony resembling the chorus of a thousand birds. The blue electric light flickered, illuminating the scene as the patterned tiger let out a wail and collapsed.
Boom! The ground trembled as a mountain of flesh fell. Standing nearby, Ye Mingshang slowly withdrew the electric light from his palm, and the world fell silent; the battle was over.
The Azure Bird, transformed from Ling'er, gently descended with Bai Xiangxue. Bai Xiangxue pressed her delicate hand down, her white garments flowing like an immortal descending to earth, landing lightly without a sound or stirring a speck of dust. Ye Mingshang's gaze sharpened; his mother's strength was indeed formidable, and even now he could not perceive the limits of her power.
With a flash of green light and fluttering azure feathers, Ling'er transformed back into her stunningly beautiful form that could bring disaster to nations.
Ye Mingshang nodded at them, first signaling the stone golem nearby to quiet down. He then looked at the unconscious Little Tiger on the ground and pulled out several green talismans from his pocket, intending to heal him. However, a deep voice interrupted him:
"No need for that; this kid has been too arrogant and needs to learn a lesson." A man as sturdy as an iron tower approached; it was Yin Hu.
"Uncle Hu, what brings you here?" Ye Mingshang asked.
"I know this kid too well. I figured he would come looking for you once you returned, so I’ve been waiting nearby," Yin Hu replied, extending his broad palm to press on Little Tiger's head. After a flash of light, Little Tiger transformed back to human size.
Roughly throwing Little Tiger over his shoulder, he said, "I'll take this brat back for now. The old folks over there should come out too."
As soon as Yin Hu's voice fell, laughter erupted as several figures emerged. Leading them was the elegant Bai He, followed by two others: one with bright red skin and patterned scales, possessing snake-like triangular eyes and thin lips that flicked out like a snake's tongue. The other was a short hunchbacked elder with a bald head and deeply wrinkled face resembling dried tree bark. He carried a cane and had a thick tortoise shell strapped to his back, reminiscent of the old tortoise from Journey to the West.
"Crane Uncle, Mang Uncle, Tortoise Uncle," Ye Mingshang greeted each in turn.
These three were none other than Bai He, Crimson Python, and Black Tortoise—veteran strongmen who served under Underworld River as part of the Eight Great Guardian Kings for many years.
Seeing Ye Mingshang, they all nodded in acknowledgment. Bai He remained gentle and refined, warm as the breeze; Crimson Python wore a perpetually cold expression like stagnant water for millennia—though this was simply his nature; he was quite warm-hearted otherwise. Black Tortoise had a face full of wrinkles that crinkled kindly when he smiled.
Several people also bowed to Bai Xiangxue, after all, the elder sister-in-law is more respected than the mother, and basic etiquette must be observed. They then disregarded the departing Yin Hu and admired Ye Mingshang one by one. Ye Mingshang had been away for many years, and his strength was unknown, but Little Tiger had grown up right under their noses and was not to be underestimated in the city; he was also a standout among the younger generation.
They had only arrived after hearing the commotion and happened to witness Ye Mingshang easily defeating Little Tiger, which filled them with excitement. In the demon clan, strength is paramount, and seeing Ye Mingshang's extraordinary abilities made them happy for Underworld River, knowing there would be successors. It was a pity that he was human, with a short lifespan; perhaps Underworld River would still be in his prime while Ye Mingshang would age and die.
After some pleasantries, they proposed an idea to hold a competition among the younger generation to encourage everyone to improve and strive harder. They brought this up here partly because they needed Bai Xiangxue's approval and partly because they wanted Ye Mingshang to participate so they could witness human strength and avoid blind confidence. This was a good thing, and with so many strong individuals overseeing it, there would be no issues. After inquiring about Ye Mingshang's willingness, Bai Xiangxue nodded in agreement. The others expressed their gratitude and left after praising Ye Mingshang.
After that, there wasn't much going on. Ye Mingshang exchanged a few words with the stone man before returning home with Bai Xiangxue. It had been many years since mother and son had seen each other, and there was much to discuss. Ye Mingshang was already mature for his age, and now that his mindset had been tempered, he naturally wouldn’t feel troubled like an ordinary child.
Once home, the two sat in the courtyard for a long conversation while Ling'er supported her chin with her hands, curiously watching them. However, as time passed, she lost patience and ran off to play by herself.
It wasn't until late at night when Yin Qi arrived that they finally stopped talking. Lying on his small bed, he stretched out his legs, realizing how much he had grown over the years; this once comfortable small bed no longer suited him. That night he tossed and turned, unable to sleep until late into the night.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, Ye Mingshang got up and began his usual training in the yard. This habit had been maintained ever since he gained enlightenment on the back mountain; regardless of wind or rain, he persisted. Although he used to be quite lazy and disliked vigorous exercise, he found that the more he persisted in exercising, the more he enjoyed it. While it was tough at first, as you delve deeper into it and grow fond of it, it gradually becomes an indispensable part of your life.
After completing a set of boxing techniques, he was already sweating profusely. This was no mere show; these were serious moves. After all, as an Exorcist dealing with demons, he had high physical requirements. Each move was lethal; one could not afford to hold back against ghosts or monsters—doing so would be courting death.
He washed his face in the small stream at the front gate and turned around to see Bai Xiangxue calling him for breakfast. Although she was a woman, she was still a powerful demon with thousands of years of experience; even while sleeping she remained alert. As soon as Ye Mingshang woke up, she sensed it. She found it quite novel that Ye Mingshang had risen early to practice and then went on to prepare breakfast.
Breakfast was simple: a bowl of porridge along with eggs and pickled vegetables. Of course, these ingredients were not ordinary ones bought from a supermarket; their nutritional value was on another level entirely.
After eating something light, Ye Mingshang felt invigorated and full of energy. Thinking about how many years it had been since he last returned home, he decided to explore around without bothering Ling'er or asking any bird demons for a ride; instead, he relied on his own legs to run through the mountains. As a child, he often ran around in the mountains; every time he returned home drenched in sweat but never complained of fatigue.
His boxing practice included training in agility because one must not only know how to attack but also how to defend—and more importantly—be able to escape if things went awry. Well then, I digress—cough cough—Ye Mingshang moved lightly on his feet, occasionally using his hands to dodge obstacles as he swiftly navigated through the forest like a monkey.
This running style resembled parkour quite closely. I wonder if anyone has noticed that simple long-distance running can be dull and tiresome—like running a marathon—leading one to tire quickly or even need a break after just a short distance. However, if there are obstacles requiring you to dodge them—like parkour—it becomes less tiring and allows you to run faster and farther.
This wonderful feeling reminded me of a passage from "The Ode to the Goddess of Luo": "The body moves swiftly like a flying goose, floating as if divine; Lingbo Weibu leaves dust upon my silk stockings. Movement is unpredictable; it can be perilous or safe. Advancing or retreating is hard to predict; it may go or return at will. Glancing around reveals flowing essence; light shines upon jade-like beauty. Words are unspoken yet breathe like subtle orchids; graceful charm makes me forget my meal."
The original meaning describes Luo Shen's graceful figure, floating above the water waves, walking slowly. In Jin Yong's martial arts novel "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," it is depicted as a type of martial art, with phrases like "Resting swiftly like a flying duck, drifting as if divine" and "Movement is unpredictable, both perilous and safe. Advancing and retreating are difficult to predict, as if going and returning."
Although this movement technique seems crude compared to the one in the novel, Lingbo Weibu, it can still be executed swiftly when used well.
Unknowingly, Ye Mingshang had crossed several mountain peaks. In this state, the most challenging mountain paths felt lighter than flat ground. It wasn't until three hours past noon that his stomach began to protest, prompting him to stop. Biting his right thumb, he let out a loud whistle but received no response after waiting for a moment. Thinking perhaps they hadn't heard or couldn't pinpoint his location, he whistled a few more times but still got no reply.
Gurgle! Gurgle!
Feeling his stomach's protest and looking around at the unfamiliar environment, he felt a slight headache. It seemed he wouldn't be able to return for now; he hoped they would find him. However, before that, he needed to fill his stomach.
Half an hour later, by a campfire, a Black-Clad Youth sat upright. Over the fire was a cleaned animal carcass—Abu—no wait! It was meat; it felt a bit awkward? Never mind that; it was enough to roast a cleaned animal.
Nearby, discarded fur and entrails under a tree indicated that it was fresh. Judging by its size and fur characteristics, it appeared to be a Canine; what exactly it was remained unknown—probably a wolf.
Ye Mingshang had found this based on droppings and footprints in the jungle. When he encountered it earlier, it was fighting another animal. He had thrown a stone that knocked it out cold; the other animal had fled in fright. Since one was enough to eat, he didn't pursue.
The meat had been roasting for quite some time; the surface was already oozing with fine oil droplets that sizzled on the fire, filling the air with a rich aroma. It was nearly ready to eat; however, would eating it plain be tasty? The answer was certainly no. But where could one find seasoning in such desolate wilderness? If you think like that, you're gravely mistaken. Never underestimate the potential of a foodie, especially one familiar with the jungle.
During the roasting process, he had gathered some Cumin from nearby—it really was Cumin! How could roasted meat lack Cumin? He crushed the Cumin with some edible leaves and bark into powder and mixed it with some milky tree sap. Then using a small leaf as a brush, he evenly spread this "sauce" over the surface of the meat.
(PS: If you can't confirm whether plants are edible in the wild, it's best not to eat them. Ahem, just stating the obvious here; importantly, not all milky tree saps are edible—some are nutritious while others can cause severe diarrhea.)
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