RIIDMDR chapter 56

 

Downstairs, a man and a demon were talking quietly. Their voices barely reached the man upstairs. Meanwhile, Ren Ci, carrying a large backpack, pushed open the door upstairs. There were only a few pieces of necessary furniture, nothing else. He wasn’t surprised by how sparse the room was. After all, he had come all this way, and the area beyond the main peak was truly desolate. He’d expected the simplicity of mountain inns.

However, tonight’s meal struck Ren Ci as particularly strange. It tasted incredibly delicious. He had traveled extensively for hundreds of years and had never tasted anything so delicious. The young bird demon’s words were absolutely true. After trying the owner’s food, he felt that everything he had eaten before paled in comparison. Most importantly, the food had a faint spiritual aura.

If this had happened a thousand years ago, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. However, it’s said that over three thousand years ago, a devastating war raged and the spiritual energy of the demon world became scarce. By a thousand years ago, the energy was nearly depleted. In fact, there had been few reports of demons transforming in the past few hundred years.

Yet, even at that time, when two demon tribes were fighting fiercely over a tiny amount of spiritual energy, the meal served casually to guests at this unassuming inn in the Zhuyu Mountains was tinged with spiritual energy. This was truly incredible.

The spiritual energy was faint, yet pure. With the meal still in his stomach, he felt a faint warmth from his esophagus[mfn]esophagus is a muscular tube in your body that connects your throat (pharynx) to your stomach. Its main job is to carry food and liquids you swallow from your mouth down to your stomach for digestion.[/mfn] to his lower abdomen. It was so comfortable.

Ren Ci lay down. The bed felt incredibly soft, cushioned by something. His rough back had never experienced such comfort.

It was worth it! Yaolin was truly a helpful little demon!

Nan Xu was unaware of Ren Ci’s feelings. He was heading to the chicken coop behind the house. Tingchuan usually counted the chicks that returned home every night, but tonight, he had taken Guan’er to bathe in the stream.

Nan Xu wrapped the freshly made soap, which had just emerged from the molds, in colorful paper and put it on the counter for sale. He used the soap that had emerged from the bamboo tubes for his own bathing. He had to admit that the formula was excellent. He had never felt so clean before.

Then, Nan Xu set his sights on Guan’er. Everyone else in the shop was a demon except for Nan Xu. Even the gentlest-seeming Zhixing could cleanse him with a spell. Only Guan’er, like Nan Xu, needed a proper bath. When Guan’er was younger, it wouldn’t have been a problem, but he had grown up and spent his days running around in the mountains. Nanxu had just bought some soap. Feeling the urge, he generously offered Guan’er a bar of it and suggested they go to the stream for a bath. Tingchuan happened to overhear this and took the job.

Nanxu didn’t know why Tingchuan, a proud nine-tailed fox, would bathe a dog. However, since Tingchuan had taken the initiative, Nanxu didn’t object. Guan’er often followed Tingchuan around when he wasn’t out. Perhaps these two demons and dogs had developed a revolutionary friendship.

The chicks always found their way back home after dark, and tonight was no exception. Nan Xu counted them and scattered a handful of rice into the chicken coop. The water bottle in the coop would be filled when he fed the pigs, so he didn’t have to worry about it.

After closing the coop’s door, Nan Xu prepared to go to the vegetable patch. Halfway there, he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his head. The world spun before his eyes, and then darkness. Instinctively, Nan Xu grasped the nearby fence, using the strength of his arms to keep from fainting.

The pain came unexpectedly, causing him to panic. Nan Xu tried to calm down, forcing himself to take a deep breath. However, his arms gradually lost control. His strength faded unconsciously, and his body swayed. Fortunately, the pain didn’t last long. It was like a wave, nearly blurring his consciousness before gradually receding. Unconcerned with cleanliness, Nan Xu slid down the fence wall, sat on the ground with his back against the sturdy bamboo fence, and rested his head on his knees. He pressed his hand to his forehead and felt the water on his face. Only then did he realize he was sweating. In just a few minutes, the sweat had soaked his thin clothes.

Nan Xu had no idea what had happened in that brief moment. He clutched his head with his hands. His first thought was of the inexplicable accident that had brought him into this world. He wondered if the stone that had fallen on his head had caused his current condition.

However, upon closer inspection, he realized that the wound on his head had disappeared when he arrived in this world, as if the accident had never happened. Nan Xu had pondered this matter before, but he was preoccupied with finding his next meal, so he didn’t have the energy to dwell on unanswered questions. Later, after learning that he was no longer in that world and that living conditions were gradually improving, Nan Xu realized that what had happened to him defied his understanding and that further contemplation was futile.

Today, however, a sharp pain suddenly came to his head, and he revisited the things he had put aside. The herbs found in the mountains were limited, and he had no medical knowledge, so he couldn’t treat himself. There were no hospitals in this world, either. The pain subsided quickly this time, but if something similar happened again and he experienced any other problems, he wouldn’t be able to do anything about them.

After some reflection, he realized that he only had one system in his head. However, it was like a dilapidated old machine that was difficult to summon beyond its fixed functions.

As Nan Xu sat on the ground pondering how to deal with possible future problems, Tingchuan returned to the yard with Guan’er. He looked around but, when he didn’t see Nan Xu, he headed toward the back of the house.

Just as he rounded the sheep pen, he spotted Nan Xu sitting on the ground in the distance with his head in his hands and looking down. Guan’er, who was following Tingchuan, seemed to sense that something was amiss. He barked a few times and sprinted over swiftly.

Tingchuan’s heart inexplicably tightened at Guan’er’s barking, and he quickened his pace. Halfway there, Nanxu’s gaze snapped to attention when he heard Guan’er bark. He had just raised his head when Guan’er knocked him into his arms.

Fortunately, his physical discomfort had subsided—otherwise, the impact would have cost him half his life.

Nan Xu held Guan’er in his arms and rubbed his head. He smiled and said, “You’ve gained so much weight! Do you have a grudge against me?”

Guan’er realized his mistake and lowered his head, whimpering softly. He rubbed Nan Xu’s back vigorously to express his guilt.

Nan Xu guessed that Guan’er had been too anxious and hadn’t controlled his strength in his haste. A warm feeling washed over Nan Xu, who held the dog’s head and rubbed it against him.

Freshly bathed, the dog looked clean and smelled faintly of soap, though its damp fur was slightly uncomfortable to the touch. Nan Xu let go of Guan’er and saw someone standing before him.

Tingchuan was like a fairy, beloved by heaven and earth. He possessed the most beautiful face and the most perfect figure in the world. For example, when Nan Xu looked up at him right now, he couldn’t help but stare at his long legs ten times without getting bored.

Nan Xu’s admiration was obvious. Before he could say anything, the person in front of him crouched down and frowned as he observed his ferocious state.

His thin summer clothes, damp with sweat and rubbed against by Guan’er, clung to his body, wrinkling beyond recognition. His hair was damp and matted, and his pants were covered in dust as if he had rolled around on the ground.

“Why are you back so soon?” Nan Xu asked. “Did you really clean Guan’er? Were you just being lazy and letting it swim a couple of laps in the stream?”

His lips moved as he voiced his suspicions. Before Tingchuan could respond, in the growing dark, a pair of slightly cool hands touched his forehead, interrupting his chatter.

Perhaps he didn’t realize that, dressed like that, any further conversation would only serve to conceal his guilt.

“Why are you touching my forehead?” Nan Xu asked, stuttering slightly.

His breathing had become slightly lighter.

“What happened to you?” Tingchuan asked in a soft, gentle voice. He took his hand off Nan Xu’s forehead and smoothed his tangled hair down.

The gesture was so gentle that Nan Xu couldn’t help but shudder inwardly and freeze for a few seconds.

After Tingchuan withdrew his hand, Nanxu slowly replied, “It’s nothing. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention during the day, and I suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. It’s fine now.”

Despite Nanxu’s words, Tingchuan’s expression didn’t soften much. He stood up, held out his hand to him, and said, “Let Zhixing take a look at you when we get back.”

Nanxu took his hand and used it to help him stand. His legs were still a bit weak, but he could walk just fine. Once he was upright, he released his hand. Tingchuan tucked his hand under his sleeve and walked toward the courtyard.

It was already dark, and Guan’er ran ahead to lead the way. Nanxu had long since adapted to the darkness and days without streetlights and walked steadily. Moreover, Tingchuan walked slowly half a meter ahead.

Nan Xu lowered his head slightly and followed Tingchuan’s footsteps. The mountain breeze was gentle, and the only sound was that of their footsteps. Nan Xu felt it was too quiet, so he said, “Zhi Xing is the doctor of your demon world. How can he treat me, a human?”

After a few silent moments, Tingchuan replied, “Thousands of years ago, this wasn’t just the demon world. Humans lived here, too. The Xishan Bai Clan didn’t just treat demons like they do now.”

Nan Xu uttered an “Oh,” but didn’t hold out much hope. It had been thousands of years since he had encountered a human patient, and with the constant evolution of the human race, even the best traditions would have been lost. How could he still be able to treat humans now?

Neither the man nor the demon spoke again. However, the distance was short, and they arrived in just a few minutes.

Outside the courtyard, Zhixing tended to the herbs. Nanxu had brought back many of them from his foraging trips in the mountains as a precaution, not fully understanding their properties. Fortunately, all the transplanted herbs were still alive, a sign of Nanxu’s good fortune.

Since Zhixing moved in, Nanxu had noticed his interest in the herb patch, so he handed him the bundle. Since then, Zhixing has tended to it diligently every day and has brought back numerous other medicinal plants from the mountains, filling the area completely.

Candles burned in several spots throughout the courtyard, and the air was filled with the fragrance of the mosquito repellent Zhixing had concocted from burning herbs. After all, Nanxu was the only one in the inn who attracted mosquitoes.

“Zhixing,” Tingchuan called as he entered the courtyard.

Since he rarely interacted with Zhixing, Zhixing, who was outside the courtyard, almost thought he had misheard. He stood up and looked inside, only to see Senior Tingchuan standing there.

He put down his shovel and hurried back into the courtyard. Before he could say anything, he heard Tingchuan say, “Come check on him.”

This meant that Tingchuan was treating a patient. Zhixing’s face froze. Then, seeing Nanxu’s frightened expression, he asked, “What’s wrong with the owner?”

It was indeed a bit of a fuss. Nanxu felt embarrassed and recounted what had happened in the previous few minutes truthfully. Everyone in the courtyard looked grim.

Zhixing washed his hands at the well and sat down at the stone table. He felt uncertain. Logically, he was a member of the renowned Xishan Bai clan and was famous in the demon world for his medical skills. Other demons often claimed that he was exceptionally gifted and had inherited the true teachings of Senior Tingshu. Yet he knew he hadn’t received a single formal lesson from Senior Tingshu and had never been compared to him in medical skill.

The owner’s identity was peculiar indeed. Although he couldn’t sense spiritual energy, he seemed to possess boundless spiritual power, even in his cooking. The owner claimed to be human, having been inexplicably transported here from the human world. Zhixing wondered if humans were truly the darlings of heaven and earth.

Zhixing gestured for Nanxu to place his arm on the stone table. He placed his fingertips on Nanxu’s wrist and quietly felt his pulse.

Tingchuan stood beside Nanxu. No one in the courtyard uttered a word. The loquat tree didn’t stir, and Guan’er, seemingly aware of the need to remain silent, stood motionless, looking up at them.