Devilish Disciple [Transmigration] 81

Chapter 81: How Could This Person Be Like This?

For a moment, Li Yu panicked.

She instinctively wanted to deny it, but her gaze fell on Qing Nü’s serene, night-sky blue eyes.

There was no probing, no judgment in her gaze, just a gentle understanding, an acceptance of everything.

Perhaps there was no need to deny anything; her clumsy lies were meaningless before such a person.

But what did Qing Nü mean by “not belonging here”?

This time period, or this world?

She looked at Qing Nü, curiosity in her eyes, but didn’t answer.

Qing Nü looked up, met her gaze, and smiled faintly. “That’s enough for now.”

Before Li Yu could react, the white light enveloping the little wolf dissipated.

The little wolf whimpered and squirmed in her arms.

“Try to persuade Xuanzhu for me.” Qing Nü said, then stood up and walked to the window, sitting down.

She leaned against the window frame, one hand supporting her chin, her gaze distant as she looked at the moon, lost in thought.

Li Yu lowered her gaze, gently stroking the little wolf, then, after a long silence, bid farewell to Qing Nü.

She rubbed the little wolf’s neck, and seeing that it didn’t wake up, stood up and carried it out of the room.

As the snow fell on her, Li Yu looked up at the moon.

Qing Nü had said that she had entrusted everything to Yetan, that her old friend would find a suitable guardian for the Upper Spirit Lamp before her soul dissipated.

Yetan knew about Qing Nü’s plan and hadn’t tried to stop her.

Perhaps, for these ancient gods, repeatedly sacrificing themselves to seal the Heavenly Demon was their inescapable duty.

They didn’t seem to worry about who would protect the world after they were gone.

They were willing to use their remaining lifespans to buy the human realm a few thousand years of peace, not because they believed they were the only ones capable of facing the Heavenly Demon,

But because they believed that even without their protection, the future generations would have the strength to resist it.

That’s why they could accept their fate, paving the way for the future,

Even if it meant being vilified, their names forever tarnished.

But this wasn’t the whole story.

Why did the Demon Bone appear, and how did it end up in Mu Tao?

After Qing Nü’s death, Yetan did find a new guardian for the Upper Spirit Lamp, even entrusting the Jinxu Gui, but the Heavenly Mirror was never mentioned again.

Was it…destroyed…?

The little wolf in her arms stirred, awakened by the cold wind.

It opened its eyes slightly, yawned, and stretched its paws.

Then it looked up at Li Yu and whimpered.

Li Yu seemed unhappy again.

She often seemed troubled.

The little wolf stretched its neck and licked her chin.

Li Yu snapped out of her thoughts and gently held its mouth closed. “Don’t lick me.”

It was disrupting her train of thought.

The little wolf whined and struggled, its paws batting at her hand, then pushed her hand away.

It barked twice, a short, sharp sound, expressing its displeasure.

“You embarrassed me earlier; I’m not letting you lick me…” Before Li Yu could finish, the warm, wet tongue licked her lips again.

Li Yu chuckled and flicked the little wolf’s head twice.

“Yelp!!”

The sleepy little wolf, now fully awake, snapped at her hand.

Li Yu put it down on the floor and walked away.

The little wolf chased after her, barking angrily, but she didn’t understand.

She could easily fly back to her residence, but she wanted to walk, slowly, through the wind and snow, with this seemingly grumpy little wolf.

The moon, high in the sky, illuminated the endless night.

The little wolf nipped at her robe, blocked her path, and finally, when she stopped, it quickly wrote clumsy characters in the snow.

—You seem unhappy; I wanted to comfort you!

It looked up at her, whimpered, and wrote three more characters.

—You hit me!

Li Yu: “Did I hit you?”

—Yes!

—It hurt!

Its little paws patted the characters emphatically, as if to emphasize its pain.

Li Yu couldn’t help but laugh.

—You’re laughing at me!

The little wolf spun around in frustration.

“Aren’t you dizzy?” Li Yu crouched down, held it still, and ruffled its fur. “I told you not to lick me today, and you still did, so I punished you, what’s wrong with that?”

The little wolf whined, its ears drooping, its paws digging at the snow.

Its sad little face and whimpers, as if it was about to cry, were incredibly endearing.

Li Yu, her heart melting, forgot all her other worries.

She picked up the little wolf. “I’m sorry, let me carry you back, okay?”

The little wolf turned its head away, seemingly sulking.

But its sulking didn’t last long.

After a brief silence, it turned back and tentatively stuck out its tongue.

Li Yu closed her eyes, a smile on her face, and presented her cheek.

A warm, wet lick.

When she opened her eyes, the little wolf’s round eyes were filled with joy.

This little wolf cub was so easy to please, a few licks and all was forgiven.

“Alright, let’s go back,” Li Yu said, standing up and carrying the little wolf, walking against the wind and snow.

She couldn’t help but ask softly, “Mu Tao, have you ever…wanted to leave the North Sea?”

“Awoo!” The little wolf barked loudly.

“If one day, I leave this place, will you come with me?”

“Awooo?” The little wolf tilted its head, a flicker of confusion in its eyes.

“It’s fine…” Li Yu smiled, no longer pursuing the question.

She carried the little wolf back to the small house, washed her face, and lay down on the bed.

The little wolf, as usual, snuggled beside her, warm like a little furnace.

She pulled it into her arms, yawned, and fell asleep.

She woke up to the same endless night.

The door was slightly ajar, and she peeked outside to see the little wolf diligently practicing its writing in the snow.

Without any light, it looked pitch black outside.

Li Yu opened the door, walked over to the little wolf, and illuminated the area with a spell.

She then brought a small stool and sat down, watching it.

A short while later, Weisheng Xuanzhu arrived for the little wolf’s writing lesson.

Li Yu sat there, watching absently, her chin resting on her hands.

She felt his gaze on her.

She looked up and blinked. “What?”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Don’t just watch, practice with it.”

Li Yu: “I know these characters!”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “…”

Li Yu: “…”

Fine, she would listen to the teacher.

Li Yu sighed, conjured a twig, and started practicing alongside the little wolf.

So many years after graduating, she still couldn’t escape the dreaded teacher’s supervision.

Fortunately, she did recognize these characters. After practicing a few times, he left her alone.

While the little wolf continued struggling with the complex characters, Li Yu beckoned Weisheng Xuanzhu over conspiratorially.

“What is it?” He looked at her, confused.

“I have a question.” Li Yu glanced at the little wolf and asked casually, “Can you…create a soundproof barrier? I want to save some energy.”

“…” Although puzzled, he still erected a barrier.

“Thanks,” Li Yu said, walking over to the wall and leaning against it. She looked up at him and asked, “Why don’t you want to sleep?”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “I’m not tired.”

Li Yu: “Not tired? Qing Nü said your spiritual energy is weakening.”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “…”

Li Yu: “Just casual conversation, don’t be nervous… Sit down, my neck hurts from looking up at you.”

He hesitated, then sat down beside her.

This felt…strange.

Li Yu had never imagined sitting here so calmly with him, having a normal conversation.

She leaned against the cold wall, looked at the moon, and said softly, “I just realized, Xuanzhu means ‘moon.’ I thought it was some kind of…black candle.”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “…Qing Nü gave me that name.”

Li Yu: “She also taught you all your spells.”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Mm.”

Li Yu: “You know she’s an ancient god, and you know she’s nearing the end of her lifespan, right?”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “…Yes.”

Li Yu nodded, hugging her knees. “You don’t want to sleep…because you’re afraid that when you wake up…she’ll be gone?”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “…”

Li Yu: “But you can’t just…stay awake forever, can you?”

He was silent for a long moment, his gaze distant, then he said softly, “Qing Nü said that when I wake up next time, we’ll…go outside and see the world together.”

That was clearly a lie…

“If she said that, then you should be able to wait until then.” Li Yu paused, then smiled, her tone unclear. “If you sleep now, you’ll wake up sooner… Then, Qing Nü will still be here, and Mu Tao will have grown up. We can all…go out and explore together.”

“You’ve never been to the human realm, have you?” Li Yu said. “It’s so much livelier than the North Sea. It would be a shame to miss it…”

“Isn’t the human realm filled with resentment now?” he asked.

…The conversation was over.

“Why do you all keep telling me to sleep?” he asked, frowning.

“Because it’s unhealthy! What normal person stays awake like this? Are you planning an all-nighter in the North Sea? You’ll die from exhaustion!” Li Yu couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you so averse to sleep?”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “…I don’t know.”

Li Yu: “Don’t know?”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “I just…feel like I shouldn’t sleep.”

Li Yu: “…”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “But I don’t know why.”

Li Yu: “…”

He clearly sensed something, but this feeling couldn’t change anything.

He would eventually fall asleep; it was just a matter of time.

Qing Nü wanted her to persuade him, but what could she possibly say?

He wasn’t a fool; he knew Qing Nü’s time was limited.

He was simply afraid of waking up to a world without her.

He was afraid of…not having the chance to say goodbye.

But if it was just a missed goodbye, perhaps he wouldn’t have become the obsessed, vengeful person he was four thousand years later.

Qing Nü’s departure was far more tragic than a simple fading away…

Li Yu sighed.

She couldn’t bring herself to persuade him any further; he might hate her for it.

“Forget it, I give up, dispel the barrier.” Li Yu said, resting her chin on her knees, staring blankly into space.

The barrier remained, but Weisheng Xuanzhu didn’t say anything more, just sat there silently, gazing at the moon.

The silence didn’t bother Li Yu.

Perhaps because her own mind was filled with chaotic thoughts.

After a long while, Weisheng Xuanzhu spoke again.

He asked, “Li Yu, how long…will you stay in the North Sea?”

Li Yu was surprised. “Huh?”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Are you leaving soon?”

Li Yu: “Why do you ask?”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Mu Tao’s cultivation is too low to abstain from food; she needs to eat every day.”

Li Yu paused. “Actually, I don’t like abstaining from food either.”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Then…can you cook?”

Li Yu: “Yes, a little…”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Good.”

Li Yu: “Why are you asking?”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Qing Nü enjoys having company. Visit her when you have time, talk to her, keep her company.”

Li Yu: “Are you…”

Weisheng Xuanzhu was silent for a moment, then sighed.

He said he was reaching his limit, that he had always worried about so many things, but now he realized he wasn’t that important.

With another person in the North Sea, his absence for a few centuries wouldn’t matter.

He dispelled the barrier, stood up, walked behind the little wolf, and looked at the messy characters in the snow.

A teacher’s gaze always sent shivers down a student’s spine.

The little wolf instinctively flinched but heard him say softly, “I won’t be able to watch over you anymore, you have to…study hard on your own.”

“Awoo?” The little wolf, not understanding, looked up at him, a worried look in its eyes.

He crouched down and patted its head. “It’s nothing, I’m just…a bit tired, I need to rest for a while.”

—Are you going to sleep?

The little wolf wrote in the snow.

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Yes.”

—How long will you sleep?

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “I’m not sure, but when I wake up, you’ll surely have transformed.”

The little wolf’s eyes widened, a flicker of sadness in them.

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “Li Yu will cook for you from now on.”

The little wolf blinked and whined softly, lowering its head.

Li Yu hesitantly approached and asked softly, “Have you…decided? Are you going to sleep now?”

Weisheng Xuanzhu: “I’ll go and tell Qing Nü first.”

Li Yu: “Mm…”

She didn’t say anything more, just watched as a streak of light disappeared into the distance.

The little wolf came over and nuzzled against her leg.

Li Yu crouched down and patted its head.

After a while, an enormous figure, seemingly larger than the floating island itself, appeared in the sky.

Li Yu stared at it, holding her breath.

Bathed in the soft moonlight, it circled the island for a long time, then slowly sank into the dark sea.

The waves it created rippled through the endless night.

Like her own heart, disturbed by a falling stone.

Carrying the little wolf, she went to Qing Nü’s house, her heart pounding with anxiety, a premonition of something…

Thankfully, everything seemed normal.

Qing Nü sat inside, the familiar fragrance filling the air, drinking tea, her expression calm as always.

“You’re here.” She looked up at Li Yu and smiled faintly. “Don’t stand outside, come in.”

Li Yu nodded and sat down as usual, placing the little wolf in her lap and taking the tea Qing Nü offered.

Qing Nü said casually, “You’re good at persuading people, he finally agreed to rest.”

Li Yu: “I didn’t really persuade him. He just…figured it out himself. He asked me to do a few things for him, and then he went to see you.”

Qing Nü’s curiosity piqued. “What did he ask?”

Li Yu: “He asked me to cook for Mu Tao every day, and to…visit you often.”

Qing Nü chuckled and shook her head. “Now he’s worried about me… But speaking of which, can you even cook?”

“Of course!” Li Yu said seriously. “It might not be…delicious, but it’s definitely edible!”

After all, she had lived on her own for years.

She could cook simple meals; even if she hated washing dishes, she couldn’t order takeout every day.

The stove here was a bit difficult to use,

But practice makes perfect; she had struggled with it when she first arrived.

She had been in the North Sea for a while now; she knew where the kitchen was, where the plants were.

She could definitely take care of the little wolf’s meals for a while.

But she didn’t know how long this would last…

That day, Li Yu stayed at Qing Nü’s place for a long time.

They chatted casually.

The little wolf, bored, jumped from Li Yu’s lap and went outside to play in the snow.

After a while, it ran back inside, tugged at Li Yu’s sleeve, and led her outside.

Li Yu looked down and saw three clumsy characters written in the snow.

—I’m hungry!

Li Yu chuckled.

Those three words…sounded exactly like something she would say.

This was the first time the little wolf cub had been hungry before she was.

“Alright, alright, I’ll go and cook for you!” Li Yu bid farewell to Qing Nü and headed towards the kitchen.

The little wolf followed closely behind her, making her slightly nervous.

Thankfully, this wasn’t her first time using a stove. Although a bit rusty, it wasn’t as disastrous as her first attempt.

The little wolf followed her around the kitchen, its eyes fixed on her, clearly starving.

By the time the food was ready, the little wolf’s tail was wagging furiously.

Not wanting it to wait, Li Yu took the dishes, crouched down in a corner of the kitchen with the little wolf, and they started eating, like two thieves sharing stolen food.

Her cooking was still…the same—edible, not exactly delicious.

She was worried the little wolf wouldn’t like it.

But the little wolf wasn’t picky and ate everything, even licking the plates clean.

Seeing this, Li Yu felt a surge of warmth.

She happily patted the little wolf’s head. “If you don’t mind, I’ll cook for you every day!”

The little wolf whimpered and nodded, its warm tongue licking the silver bells on her wrist.

Li Yu thought for a moment, then added, “But you have to repay me. You’re small now, so I’ll take care of you, but when you grow up, you have to cook for me every day, understand?”

The little wolf tilted its head, confused. “Awoo?”

—How could this person be like this?