Chapter 119: Time for a Bath

At midnight, a figure slipped stealthily out of the Mei residence.

In a dark corner of a nearby alleyway lay a man, his face bruised and swollen. "Damn it! The world has gone mad—even ducks have turned into monsters, biting people! Ssss... it hurts like hell!" The sleazy-looking man rubbed his already unsightly, now grotesquely bloated face, unable to swallow his indignation.

Just then, he caught sight of a suspicious figure carrying something that looked quite heavy. "Heh, looks like I’ve got some work to do."

Gu Yun, intending to dispose of the Mountain Flower demon while no one was watching, was carrying the large sack toward a more secluded area to finish the job.

"Halt! This is a robbery! Drop what you're holding, and I’ll spare your life!" The sleazy man blocked Gu Yun’s path, brandishing a dagger and trying to look fierce—or at least he would have, had his face not been swollen like a pig’s head.

"You want to rob me?" Gu Yun asked, looking down at the short man.

"That's right! Put down what you're holding!"

"You say you want to rob me, and you want this sack?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Stop your yapping! Put it down now, and I might let you live," the man demanded arrogantly.

"Fine, all the best with your future offspring," Gu Yun replied, dropped the sack, and vanished in a flash.

The fierce-looking man stood there, dagger in hand, completely stunned.

"Hmph, you’re a sensible one." He sheathed his dagger and reached out to pull open the sack. As the opening widened, a man’s head popped out, his face painted a ghastly white with two large, vibrant red circles on his cheeks.

A long silence followed.

"Ghost!"

In the end, Fu Bao and her companions left the small town. Shortly after their departure, the entire Mei household moved away in a frantic hurry, destination unknown. As for Sister Shanhua, she ended up marrying again—this time to the sleazy short man—and they had over a dozen children, living a very happy life together.

The sleazy man: "Heh."

Along the way, Little Ginseng hid inside a jade pendant, sulking. This ungrateful bunch! It was waiting to be saved, yet they had gone off to attend a wedding banquet as if nothing had happened. Although they had saved it by pure coincidence, it still felt annoyed. They really were heartless.

"Sigh, when will we ever reach Suzhou?" Fu Bao wailed, cupping her chin in her hands.

Miss Chen, lying beside her, mirrored the gesture.

"I'm so bored."

"Really, so bored."

The two young girls continued their lamentations.

"Master, why do you keep polishing that umbrella?" Gu Li asked, watching Yu Sheng wipe the red umbrella until it was nearly gleaming.

Yu Sheng paused his movements and replied, "This umbrella is my lifeline. I owe a great deal to that girl, Lin Cenbao."

"Huh? What does she have to do with this?" Gong Shaoyu knew a little bit about it; the Master had requested this red umbrella from Master Wuneng at Ci'en Temple, claiming it was used to protect the souls of the deceased. Whether that was true or not, only the Master knew.

"She told me a few things this time. That’s why I..." Yu Sheng trailed off with a light chuckle and said no more.

"Hmm," Gong Shaoyu puzzled.

Gu Li looked at Fu Bao, who was still wailing with Miss Chen, and recalled certain scenes from their childhood. His eyes darkened; this girl was becoming different.

After several days of continuous travel, the boys were holding up, but the girls began to complain again.

"Ah! I'm so dirty!"

"I need a bath!"

Fu Bao and Miss Chen chimed in, pampered and delicate.

"Ahem... a bath? Hey, don't forget we're men, alright?" With three grown men present, how could they say such things? No shame at all.

"It's fine, we're travelers; we shouldn't be bothered by such trivialities. Why don't we all go together?" Fu Bao waved her hand, signaling she didn't care.

Gu Li: "..." She had grown quite bold.

Gong Shaoyu: "Ha! No thanks."

"Look! There's a water source ahead, don't—" Before Gu Yun, who was driving the donkey cart, could finish his warning, two figures had already darted off the cart.

The three men left on the cart: "..."