51

Capítulo 41

He looked away, took off his jacket, and handed it to me.

I usually thought he was very refined and scholarly, but I never expected his clothes to be so big. He has broad shoulders and long arms. His jacket looks like a short overcoat on me; the sleeves completely swallow my hands, and even my fingertips aren't showing.

After I zipped up my pants, he helped me up, and I realized I had twisted my ankle; it hurt terribly. But I bit my lip, not daring to utter a sound. A stern pressure pressed down on me; through the desolation, I knew she was still struggling, but a team of monsters had already come to search the mountain.

"It's not safe for us to leave," I whispered.

I am indeed worried about Huang'e. But what's the use of me yelling and crying here? I'm just distracting her. I am her host; a part of her life resides within me. As long as I live, even if she is shattered into pieces, there is still hope for her rebirth.

If I die, I will have nothing left.

I wanted to head towards the place with the least pressure, but Tang Chen seemed to be listening to something. "Here, come here." He pulled my arm and led me away.

“No, I don’t want to go there.” I struggled. There was a kind of pressure in that direction that was different from that of monsters, but I didn’t like it, I really didn’t like it.

"This is the right place," Tang Chen insisted. "Trust me, Hengzhi."

With each step I took, my headache worsened. My neck was stiff and tingled with fear. I didn't know what I was afraid of, but I was terrified.

Tang Chen, who is usually gentle, almost rudely dragged me over.

"This is it." He took a deep breath, laughed, closed his eyes, and looked very comfortable.

But I felt even more uncomfortable.

It was an extremely large banyan tree, almost so large that it would take ten people to encircle it. In the endless darkness, it emitted a very faint white light... yet it seemed to repel me.

“Grandpa Tree, this is my most important confidante.” He placed his hand on the banyan tree. “Her name is Lin Hengzhi.”

The feeling of rejection disappeared. I could suddenly breathe again, and the cough that had been stuck in my chest finally came out. I was exhausted from sacrificing so much of my health.

Tang Chen helped me sit down against the tree trunk. I could almost feel goosebumps rising on the trunk, but the banyan tree seemed to endure it. I tried to contact Huang E, but the signal was intermittent. But she wanted me to stay here.

He sat next to me, leaning against the tree trunk. "...I got lost around here when I was a child." He turned to look at the banyan tree with almost childlike longing. "But I found him so far from Uncle Shi's villa."

When Tang Chen was a child, he visited Uncle Shi's villa but disappeared without a trace inside. Tang's mother was heartbroken and, even years after Tang Chen was found, she would still have nightmares and cry out for Tang Chen.

A well-behaved little boy who stayed quietly in the house suddenly disappeared. The adults searched frantically for him. Finally, Uncle Shi drove by, had a sudden thought, and went over to check. He found Tang Chen, who had been missing for a day and a night, lying on the aerial roots of a large banyan tree, sleeping soundly.

"Actually, I don't remember how I got lost." Tang Chen chuckled. "I remember a very fragrant auntie said she would take me to find my mother. We walked for a long time. But an old man hit her fiercely with his cane, called her a vixen, and then pulled me over, scolding me for going with strangers. In the end, he told me a lot of stories and held me in his arms. When I woke up, I saw Uncle Shi."

He closed his eyes, a peaceful smile on his face. "After that, I became a godfather of the tree, and the contract is still at home... Hengzhi, do you think the old man might be the tree god? I told my dad, and he said I was silly."

“…It must be.” A chill ran down my spine, and I leaned weakly on his shoulder.

I've really sacrificed too much of my health.

My consciousness slowly faded, but I felt someone press down on my shoulder.

I really don't like your flamboyant and seductive manner.

But a warm yet refreshing vitality flows in.

“Great Tree Master, Commander Wu has been rude,” I murmured.

Don't try to intimidate me with that old man label. I'm not some great old tree; it's just that short-lived people like to call me that. I shouldn't, and I can't…

I could have refused. I am a tree spirit, and they are short-lived beings; we shouldn't have any connection. But they come to me seeking help and crying whenever they need something. When they have nothing to say, they come to whisper secrets they're too ashamed to share. They tell me who they like, what they're getting married to, or what their children are like.

When she gave birth to her child, she brought her little, red, prickly-skinned, crying baby to me. The baby called me "Dad," "Grandpa," and grew up by my side. When the baby grew up, she came to burn the legal contract and kowtow, bringing her bride to show me. When she gave birth to her own child, she brought the baby to be recognized by the legal contract.

Generation after generation.

They were exhausted, yet they weren't allowed to refuse.

That's why I became some kind of big tree spirit; I couldn't just turn my back and not look. I don't want to be any kind of god, but with them surrounding me, shouting, crying, and laughing like this, I can't refuse.

I burst into tears, and Tang Chen panicked. She asked me a couple of questions, and her own eyes also reddened.

A gentle breeze carrying the scent of banyan trees surrounded us, yet I couldn't stop crying.

The old tree told us to move forward, because it could only block us this far.

“The Moon Goddess will take care of you,” she said.

Following the faint glow of the banyan leaves, we passed through the dark forest and arrived at the valley entrance. At that moment, Tang Chen and I briefly stopped breathing.

It is a full moon.

The dark clouds dispersed, and her smooth face looked down upon us. Madness and reason, reality and illusion, tears and laughter, all blurred and merged into one under the magic of the full moon.

All birds and beasts, humans and all living beings, could only raise their heads and gaze longingly at her fair face.

At this moment, I don't know how to express it, nor do I have any words to say it. We are in awe, and we tremble. But it's not a trembling of fear, but a trembling that is akin to being one with heaven and earth, realizing that we are but a drop in the ocean of insignificant life, a trembling that is close to ecstasy and sorrow.

Even though science has long told us that the moon is just a satellite, a large rock floating in space, when you look up at the full moon, you forget all about science.

The moon is simply the moon. It waxes and wanes according to the desires of all beings, even before their birth, and it will continue to do so after their death.

Especially during the full moon, you forget everything and can only gaze into the distance, just as she silently gazes at us.

Tang Chen touched my hand, and I held it tightly.

At that moment, we were so close, as if we were one. We bowed our heads together, surrendering to the magic of the Moon Goddess, and believing that she would indeed take care of us.

***

As the moon set and the sun rose, bringing golden light, the noisy and terrifying night came to an end.

The desolate creature found us, half her face blackened, her long hair disheveled, her feathers tangled, and some wounds revealing bone. But she was full of arrogance and pride, "...Hmph, lucky me, I actually escaped this time. No wonder I chose this host and food; my judgment is truly excellent..." she boasted gleefully.

"Waste." I cried as I hugged her.

"Tsk, what are you crying about? Do you think you're dead? Who am I? I am the Golden-Winged Roc King, the Heavenly Empress!" She looked down at the sky.

…I won't poke her this time. She's outmatched; let her be proud of herself.

The hunting party's actions were too drastic, resulting in several deaths. It is said that they angered the City God, who issued a warrant for their arrest and launched a massive extermination campaign. The demons were severely weakened by this battle and disappeared for a long time.

Huang'e, who loves gossip, told me that the City God's actions were so significant because a certain prince and empress were "highly concerned" and even proactively mobilized troops. The former commander-in-chief, Fude Zhengshen, also wrote hundreds of "private letters" to various districts in the north, creating an illusion of a vast, inescapable net.

Of course, the news report described it realistically as a "major brawl between car gangs," and it was described so vividly that it was as if the reporter was there... It's a pity the news writer is so bad; he should be writing novels.

There is only one aftereffect.

Tang's mother was worried after seeing the news. She called the Shi family villa but no one answered, so she panicked and came over herself. Just then, Tang Chen and I had finally gotten home after a long and difficult taxi ride. I was changing clothes in my room when she barged in.

She stared at me, then saw Tang Chen turn in. "Hengzhi, are you ready... Mom?"

Tang's mother looked down at my tattered shirt with its torn front and Tang Chen's jacket lying to the side.

"...Tang Chen!" she cried, clutching her face. "What did your mother tell you?! How am I supposed to explain this to your uncle?!"

"Mom, listen to me!" Tang Chen quickly defended herself.

"What else is there to say... Hengzhi, I'm so sorry, Tang's mother..." She burst into tears.

"No, Mom Tang, let Tang Chen explain!" I called out as well.

"Don't try to explain for this little rascal! Hengzhi...poor thing..." Tang's mother cried even harder, "How am I supposed to explain this to Xubai? It would break your rules and precepts!"

…I haven't become a monk yet.

Amidst the desolate and earth-shattering laughter, I covered my face.

(The mountain is not hard to finish)

The Third Uncle

"...So, nothing happened?" Yu Zheng looked disappointed. "Tsk, I thought there was some gossip..."

"No!" I yelled at her, tears welling up in my eyes.

A misunderstanding by Tang's mother caused both Tang Chen and me immense suffering. We swore to heaven that nothing of the sort had happened, and it wasn't until we dragged back the Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was stuck in the valley to be repaired that Tang's parents "slightly" believed us. But Tang Chen still couldn't escape a good scolding.

"Tsk, let such a good opportunity slip by. Let him misunderstand, why struggle? It's a done deal now~" Huang E's dissatisfaction had reached a breaking point. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"Oh, your bird is quite understanding," Yu Zheng praised.

"Of course!" Huang E smugly brushed his hair away from his forehead.

Having encountered such a kindred spirit, both human and demon, I could only weep bitterly at my desk.

“Xiao Chen is not bad either, although it is only at the Lion level during its heat cycle…” Yu Zheng shook his head regretfully, “but it has all the necessary functions.”

"Yuzheng!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face, "If you're so satisfied with him, why don't you just get back together..."

“But I’m not like a lion, I only have a heat cycle, I’m a human.” She held up her pretty finger.

…What's wrong with this woman's mouth? Doesn't she know what it means to be shy? I covered my ears, but I couldn't stop Yu Zheng and Huang E from enthusiastically discussing how men are like this and how men are like that. They both complained that I didn't give them any chance.

What opportunity?!

"Don't talk so happily about things that didn't happen!" I angrily wiped away my tears. "Don't tell me I don't have those feelings for Tang Chen..." I forced myself to speak, "Besides, Tang Chen is still a Leo, I...I..."

After stammering for a while, I gritted my teeth and said, "I'm a lion too, but I'm a neutered one."

Huang E shook his head and sighed, while Yu Zheng's eyes widened. After a long while, she said, "...I know a really capable, muscular guy, although he's completely clueless. But if..."

Before she could finish speaking, I started yelling loudly to interrupt the video she was sending. "I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear it!"

"Hengzhi, you've developed hives." Yu Zheng's eyes were full of sympathy. "This might be something only a psychiatrist can treat. My dad knows a very good psychologist..."

"This child's problem just won't go away," Huang E said, resting his chin on his hand in frustration. "Maybe seeing a psychologist might be a last resort."

What did I do wrong to deserve facing two calamities?!

They were already struggling, and Tang's parents were even more chillingly friendly. I covered my eyes, afraid to look, but Huang'e's incessant chatter was deafening. He said Tang's parents felt I was covering for Tang Chen and were acting out of deep guilt. The conclusion would inevitably lead to the absurd notion that "she wanted to kill Tang Chen because she wanted to marry him quickly."

Huang E has really gone to great lengths, enduring the karmic turmoil of mutual generation and restraint, and constantly making a ruckus. He's making such a fuss, but if I really harbored murderous intent towards Tang Chen, I'd probably be chopped into seventeen or eighteen pieces by this stupid bird.

Despite being called a silly bird, this silly bird truly caused a sensation in the martial arts world and alarmed all sects.

Master Zhao, who was heading north to deliver a "private message," told me excitedly that although the old commander didn't say it, he was truly proud. He led a shrine maiden, a shikigami that hadn't yet transformed into human form, and fought against the 90,000-strong Northern Demon Alliance army all night, managing to escape unscathed.

Afterwards, Huang E naturally bragged about it a lot, and the question of whether it was better for her to have her nostrils pointing to the sky or her tail pointing to the sky really put her in a difficult position. But having been around her for so long, stripping away all the boasting, I was quite surprised by her quick wit.

Our senses are intertwined, usually quite distinct. But when I read, she senses a little bit of it, though she ignores anything too boring. But when I read *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* or *Journey to the West*, I don't know if it's because I've read them so many times, or because she's curious about the monsters depicted by humans, but she seems to know them by heart.

Facing 90,000 demon soldiers alone, she still felt a chill run down her spine. In a moment of quick thinking, she charged forward for a while, then flew high and shouted, "There aren't many pounds of Tang Sanzang's flesh left, how can everyone get a share? You're all incredibly stupid! You've sold your own lives to help others achieve immortality!"

This silly bird suddenly became so cunning, even knowing to use the methods from Chapter 74 of Journey to the West to demoralize the 90,000 demon soldiers. Her swift movements, like lightning, gave her the upper hand. Removing the possession wasn't like taking off clothes; it took time. By the time they returned to their demon forms to fight, they were already terrified. A third fled under cover of night, another third chased after Tang Chen, and the remaining third disobeyed orders and fell into disarray.

They held out until dawn before the City God, belatedly realizing the danger, finally mustered his troops to quell the rebellion. Upon arrival, he witnessed the "Golden-Winged Roc King and the Heavenly Goddess" displaying her divine power.

(Uh… demonic power?)

It's said that the Qing army relied on half of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms to enter the pass. Our Bird King, however, only relied on a few lines from Journey to the West. No matter how you look at it, our Bird King wins.