Chapter 111: Jumang


    Some things may be challenging, but they are never impossible.


    Its been some time since Lu Yibeisst period. Now that he has more than 20 days remaining as a buffer period, hell be able to control his transformations for now.


    <i>Although I dont know why she has business with me, 20 days should be enough for me to find out what shes after,</i> he thought.


    The girl didnt specify the quality of an urban legends core that needed to be fed to her, which means that he could possibly find a way to gather as many cores as possible with the least amount of effort.


    <i>All things are possible!</i> He thought positively.


    Plus, the girl was somewhat right. The Night Division Records are probably the only thing that the members are allowed to read, and Jianglis exnations were entirely from her point of view.


    If Yibei were to ask her for information about the Eclipse Society, she would simply brush him off.


    However, if the girl was able to provide him with more knowledge rting to urban legends, being a goddess herself, it would be more authentic and reliable.


    He pondered for a few moments and looked at the girl who sat by the sofa, surrounded by a thicket of thorns: I ept your proposal!


    Ill help you collect cores and look for that person, he continued. In exchange, you have to teach me everything I want to know. Is that reasonable to you?


    He gripped his kitchen knife and held it firmly by his side so that the girl could see it.


    I think the both of us have trust issues. I might betray you, but I am afraid that youll betray me too.


    His grip on the knife hardened, and so did his gaze. It seemed to be a silent warning to the girl.


    Oh, youre being cautious, the girl smiled, beckoning him towards her. A simple spell will fix this.


    He stepped forward suspiciously, never letting go of his kitchen knife.


    The girl in turn eyed his knife, and she seemed a little apprehensive. She calmly moved her thicket of thorns to the side to allow Yibei some space to sit.


    Give me your hand, the girl said, stretching out her own.


    He stretched his hand out, and she gently pulled it into her own.


    Good. Now repeat after me, I


    You the girl paused as she looked downward in shame. Whats your name again?


    Lu Yibei, he replied. However, he just realised that, despite their incident in thest few hours, he still didnt know her true name.


    By the way, what is your name?


    Although he already knew her identity, he still felt that it would be better for her to confirm his suspicions.


    Jumeng, the girl replied nonchntly.


    Huh? He thought he had heard it wrong and asked again, Just to be sure, its Jumeng and not Jumang, right?


    You heard me the first time, the girl nodded, with a faint smug tone that added to her primordial aura. Isnt it a beautiful name?


    I thought you were


    Ah! she smiled. How should I exin it? Youre both right and wrong, but the real exnation is much moreplicated.


    Youre not being honest, are you? He frowned, edging the kitchen knife closer to her.


    Hey! she peeped. Are you not a man? Its no wonder youve been single until now! After I finish the spell, Ill tell you, okay?


    I wont be single when my dakimakura arrives.


    Im not hearing it! She spat in disgust. Now, lets continue with the spell. Repeat after me.


    I, Lu Yibei.


    I, Lu Yibei


    Will be married to Jumeng today.


    Will be married to wha huh? Excuse me?


    My bad. Back in my domain, I presided over too many weddings. Habits are hard to break. Now, repeat after me.


    I, Lu Yibei, agree to establish a cooperative rtionship with Jumeng. We will thrive in our blessings and weather our sufferings. Through thick and thin, we will treat each other with our hearts, and those who vite the sacred pact will never know peace.


    This sounds like a wedding vow. And it seems iplete! Where are the dates for the agreement, or, or


    What are you talking about?


    This isnt a spell! This is a sworn oath to you! Are you f*cking kidding me?


    This<b>is</b>the spell! the girl sighed as she rolled her eyes. This is how it has always been, ever since I started to exist!


    Youre not lying, right?


    I cant be lying, she huffed. Otherwise, we could go the simpler way, and I can make you my husband, but I think you know what being my husband entails. Of course, being my husband is great; you only need to spend 20 minutes a day praying to me and offering me food, and I can


    No, no, thats fine. I dont need to be your husband.


    Having Du Sixian as my dependent is bad enough. If I technically be her dependent, who knows what will happen to the both of us?


    Is that all? Are you going to recite the spell, or not? She huffed again. If you dont want to, I can just break the spell, and you can continue to be Operator No. 5s littlepdog, and maybe youll wander around like a headless chicken; maybe that will be your peak; maybe youll die tomorrow when I tell them what youve been


    Lu Yibei groaned and repeated her spell. As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes started to burn violently.


    After a brief burst of light, his living room started to dim, and in the darkness, he could see two petite hands sped together.


    His heart skipped a beat, and a surge of electricity seemed to run down his back, beckoning the sweat beads to stain his clothes in a greasy, cold sweat.


    At this moment, he saw a cloud of emerald light hovering by Jumengs hands, and an ethereal nt sprouted from the cloud, releasing the calming fragrance of peach blossoms in the air.


    In the next moment, an orb of me containing a drop of blood ignited the back of his hand as it floated towards the peach blossom bud.


    The moment the two met, they merged. The fiery red of the me mixed with the gentle emerald cloud, forming a dirty grey cloud in her palm.


    The cloud then copsed into ck, hitting her hands like ink as it sshed out aplex sigil that submerged both of their hands.


    At this very moment, an idea stered itself onto Lu Yibeis mind: if he or Jumeng were to break the terms of their contract, something very bad would happen to them.


    The pain in his eye gradually dissipated, and soon he found himself back in the living room. He could see Jumeng still sitting in her thicket of thorns, toying with an orb of me with her fingers, and he couldnt help but cry out in his heart.


    She knows, he cried out. She must know. Theres no way she doesnt know.


    Hmm the girl muttered, snapping the orb of me out of sight. I didnt expect a boy like you to be attuned to fire. Arent you an interesting one?


    Huh?


    Does she not know?


    He gulped and weakly asked, So, thats the spell?


    Its finished. Its much moreplicated, but I omitted a lot of unnecessary details.


    Then, can I ask you a question?


    Go ahead, she smiled.


    Why are you called Jumeng instead of Jumang? I thought that


    Oh. They just call me both names. You know,nguage isnt as developed as it is today, so I am known as both Jumeng and Jumang, she smiled.


    Thats it?


    Woman, I smell lies in you!


    Thats it, she smiled, raising her arms in mock surrender.


    Of course, she couldnt tell him that she was originally a giant peach tree with a magpies nest that rested on its branches but was mistakenly worshipped as a hibiscus tree by a group of ancients. And somehow, she inherited most of Jumangs power down the line.


    She didnt feel like revealing information like this to him. A girl has secrets.


    Forget it, Yibei sighed. If you dont want to tell me, then I wont ask anymore.