The Art of Chaotic Divinity-Chapter 1112: My Name Is Yan Hong
Three days slipped by in the blink of an eye.
On the third day, the boy returned.
This time his injuries were even worse. His expression was twisted and frightening, as though he had failed once again.
The villagers grew uneasy when they saw the strange youth come back. But since he had not harmed anyone before, they could only turn a blind eye and pretend nothing was wrong.
The only one who felt glad at his return was the little girl, Xiaohui.
In truth, Xiaohui saw a part of herself in him. Ever since her mother had been devoured by a demonic beast from outside the mountain, she too had become withdrawn and lonely.
She believed she could understand this strange boy. Perhaps he had suffered something just as terrible.
"Damn it! If I hadn't lost to that man, my heart of invincibility would never have crumbled. How else would I fail against a mere beast?"
The boy clenched his fists. Ever since his defeat at Ling Feng's hands, it felt as if his very fortune had been stolen away.
He was no longer the genius who advanced without obstacles. Now, trouble awaited him at every step.
"Hey, you came back!"
Xiaohui ran up to him with her usual bright smile. But when she noticed the blood soaking through his abdomen, her face fell.
"I have herbs and bandages at home. I'll get them for you!"
The little girl dashed off with great determination and soon returned, panting heavily.
"Whew... whew..."
Her cheeks were red, yet she still wore a sweet smile. At that moment, she felt just like her father, a real physician!
The boy frowned. What exactly is this annoying little girl trying to do!
He pressed her shoulder, his gaze cold, and thought to himself that ordinary herbs could never heal a wound like his.
"Don't move around," Xiaohui said with a smile. "I know it hurts, but once it's bandaged you'll feel a little better. Xiaohui is the best physician in the whole village!"
As she spoke, she stuck out her tongue in embarrassment. In truth, she had only ever treated cats and dogs before.
Looking into her innocent eyes, the boy's heart softened. He released his grip and allowed her to dress his wound.
He told himself it was only to repay the favor of that flatbread she had once given him.
Still, he found it strange. He usually despised common folk and looked down on the food they ate, yet here he was, letting a peasant girl tend to him.
Xiaohui busied herself for quite some time before finally tying off the bandage. She nodded proudly at her work.
But before long, the cloth turned crimson once more. Sweat beaded on her forehead as panic set in.
"This isn't right. Why isn't the blood-stopping herb working?"
"That's because the demonic qi from the Qinglin Jiao still lingers on my wound. Ordinary herbs are useless."
The boy finally spoke. He pulled out a bottle of medicinal pills from his storage spirit ring and gritted his teeth. "Crush this and apply it for me."
"Oh..."
Xiaohui froze for a moment. He can talk! And his voice is so gentle, so different from the rough voices in the village!
She crushed the pill and smeared it on his wound. The boy winced, then slowly relaxed as the bleeding stopped.
"Whoa! This medicine is super strong!"
Xiaohui's eyes sparkled with wonder, curious about how he had produced the pill as if by magic.
"Truly ignorant villagers," the boy muttered. He drew a deep breath and said calmly, "If you like this bottle of pills, you can keep it."
"Really?"
Xiaohui blinked, then quickly shook her head. "No, I don't even know your name. I'm not your friend, so I can't take a gift from you."
The boy almost laughed. This little girl was quick-witted!
"My name is Yan Hong. Hong as in startling swan!"
A flash of cold light passed through his eyes. Until he regained everything that was his, he would go by the name Yan Hong!
"Yan... Hong?"
Xiaohui tilted her head. She clearly had no idea which hong it was.
"Is it the hong for red?"
He shook his head. "The hong in startling swan[1]."
"Then is it the hong for bright red?"
The boy's mouth twitched. Explaining this to her was nothing but trouble.
"Forget it," Xiaohui huffed. "I'll just call you Weirdo anyway!"
She tucked the pill bottle away and giggled. "So we're friends now, right?"
"What a joke. Do you know who I am? A little brat like you isn't worthy of being my friend."
Yan Hong cursed in his heart, but aloud he said lightly, "I suppose so."
Perhaps he truly did need a friend.
Even if that friend was only a little girl of seven or eight, living in a nameless mountain village, who appeared when he was injured.
No one would ever know once he left this place.
Yan Hong stayed in the village for another three days to recover. When he left again, he told Xiaohui goodbye and promised that he would return to see her.
Then he departed once more, heading off to challenge the Qinglin Jiao demon king.
This time, he felt certain of victory!
...
Another three days passed.
Every morning Xiaohui waited at the village entrance. She believed the strange boy named Yan Hong would keep his word, even if his temper was odd.
On the morning of the third day, her sense of anticipation grew stronger and stronger.
She felt sure Yan Hong was about to come back.
To her, he was her big friend, the first true friend she had ever had!
Yet what arrived at the village entrance was not Yan Hong, but a billowing black smoke.
The smoke twisted into a monstrous face, and wherever it passed, the uncles and aunties of the village collapsed one after another, their bodies shriveling into husks.
"Heh heh heh... What a tempting scent of fresh blood. This body will be mine!"
The black smoke drifted toward the old tree at the edge of the village. The blood pooled at its roots was the source of that alluring smell.
"Mhmm... already gone, are they? Damn it. Well then... I'll use the blood of you ignorant villagers to quench my thirst!"
The twisted face within the smoke grew even more savage. It raged wildly, devouring the villagers one by one. Cries and screams filled the air.
In moments, the quiet little mountain village had become a blood-soaked Asura battlefield!
1. The raw used 惊鸿 jīng hóng (Yan Jinghong's actual name)
translated,
惊 jīng - means startled
鸿 hóng - could mean swan ☜
