Uncle Bear’s home was on a distant mountaintop, where flowers bloomed everywhere and it was resplendent as a celestial palace. There were crystal-clear ponds with red-headed carp over ten feet long. There were beautiful women, and… candied hawthorns.
Just no roasted meat or rice noodles.
Xin Mei bit into a hawthorn berry, frowning from the sourness.
Uncle Bear sat across from her, holding a fan in an elegant pose, occasionally gazing at her affectionately and speaking in gentle tones: “Little Mei, your eyes sparkle bright as stars in the sky.”
She swallowed the hawthorn and looked at his face. Since he’d complimented her like this, she should think of something nice to say in return.
“You… uh, you’re also very good-looking, just a bit chubby, but very kind. Seeing you reminds me of Dahua in our backyard.”
She was feeling a bit homesick.
Uncle Bear was surprised: “Who is Dahua?”
“A handsome, dashing, graceful pig.”
“Snap!” The fan in his hand fell to the ground. Uncle Bear clutched his head and jumped up in agonized despair.
He hated it most when people called him fat!
Looking down at his bear claws, he wanted to scratch a few marks on that flower-like jade face. But… but she was looking at him so innocently, with her snow-white cheeks and dark, rolling eyes… cherishing and protecting beauty was truly a sin!
“Uncle Bear, the candied hawthorns are delicious. But I prefer roasted meat and rice noodles.”
Having finished two strings of candied hawthorns, Xin Mei felt even hungrier.
Uncle Bear pondered for a moment, then suddenly revealed a wicked, seductive smile, elegantly closing his fan: “Would Little Mei be interested in sharing a cup of fine wine with me?”
Drinking? Xin Mei rarely showed hesitation, but in the end she nodded.
Uncle Bear’s heart filled with wild joy. As the saying goes, wine is the matchmaker of romance. Once a woman is drunk, you can do whatever you want to her and she’ll only be dizzy with passion.
He turned back to instruct the female demons: “Go prepare roasted meat and rice noodles, and bring up a jar of ten-year-aged wine.”
Lu Qianqiao leaped forward, gliding over the vast sea of trees like a great bird.
In the afternoon, Tao Guoguo had come to Guihua Hall looking for him, his face full of hesitation. Finally, he just pointed at the courtyard—Xin Mei, who should have been tied to the tree, had disappeared.
“Who did this?” he asked.
Tao Guoguo refused to say no matter what, only stating: “Brother Qianqiao, that girl was taken by the bear demon from the northwest. You’d better hurry to rescue her.”
The bear demon in the northwest had long been notorious. Female demons caught by him might still survive barely, but if it was a mortal… she probably wouldn’t live.
Lu Qianqiao’s brows furrowed.
He felt somewhat anxious, unable to suppress it.
With another leap, he landed before the bear demon’s residence.
A resplendent golden palace—he certainly knew how to enjoy himself. Kicking down two palace gates with one foot, dust instantly rose. Inside went quiet for a moment. When the dust settled, Lu Qianqiao drew out his newly made wooden sword, planning to go on a killing spree, but saw that all the beautiful female demons kidnapped to serve as servants had bruised and swollen faces, eyes full of tears.
Seeing Lu Qianqiao, they acted as if they’d found a savior, crawling over to hug his legs and crying loudly: “It’s the General from the Imperial Tomb! We’re finally saved! Please… please drive away that disaster star!”
Lu Qianqiao had to step back two paces: “Where is that bear demon?”
The female demons cried even more sorrowfully: “The king is in the rear hall! General, if you don’t hurry to save him, he’ll be beaten to death by that disaster star!”
He was somewhat confused. Carrying his wooden sword, he charged into the rear hall. Everything he saw was chaos—vases shattered to pieces, the red-headed carp in the pond floating belly-up, curtains torn into disorder, and several female demons with bloody faces wailing.
He stood at the entrance to the rear hall, suddenly hesitating, not knowing what monster might appear behind the door.
Gently pushing open the heavy palace door with a “creak,” light poured into the dark inner room. He immediately saw Xin Mei sitting properly in a chair, head lowered, holding an enormous bronze wine goblet in her hands.
The legendary flower-picking bandit bear demon lay like a pile of dead meat at her feet, one claw resting on the table, already foaming at the mouth and unconscious.
Xin Mei had one foot on his soft belly, suddenly smiling sweetly as she poured herself a full goblet of wine, speaking in delicate tones: “Uncle Bear, let’s play finger-guessing again.”
She grabbed his claw and shook it vigorously, then laughed loudly: “You showed five again! I won again!”
With that, she slapped his face, and his bulky body went flying sideways, knocking over tables and chairs before landing right at Lu Qianqiao’s feet.
He fell silent.
Xin Mei carried her wine goblet over gracefully. When drunk, she actually seemed more ladylike than usual—her snow-white face flushed with color, her eyes both bright and confused, with a standard refined young lady’s smile at the corners of her lips.
Seeing Lu Qianqiao, she stared for a long time, then suddenly threw down the wine goblet and respectfully curtsied to him, her voice gentle and sweet: “Young master, facial paralysis is an illness that should be treated early. I know a doctor in Lushui Town with excellent acupuncture skills. Shall I introduce you? No need to thank me too much.”
Lu Qianqiao was so annoyed he almost laughed. He stepped forward planning to restrain her hands and drag her away. Who knew that when drunk, her strength was incredibly great—she grabbed a bronze candlestick taller than a person and threw it over, thoughtfully warning: “Careful, I’m throwing it now.”
He had to retreat several steps.
Several bruised and swollen female demons tugged at his sleeves tearfully: “She was fine when she first arrived. Later the king ordered us to prepare fine wine, saying that with wine’s help the mood would be more romantic. But who knew… who knew she’d go crazy after getting drunk, pulling the king to play drinking games. With one slap, all the king’s teeth were knocked out… Poor king! Will he die?”
Looking at the chaotic scene in the rear hall, Lu Qianqiao couldn’t help but sigh. He raised his hand to knock on the hall door and said: “If you want roasted meat and rice noodles, come to me.”
Xin Mei poked her head out from under the table, like a wild little rabbit full of wariness, trying to gauge how much sincerity was in his words.
He pretended to leave: “If you don’t want to eat, I’m leaving.”
The girl in the shadows immediately bounced out. Lu Qianqiao seized the opportunity to grab both her wrists, then gently chopped the side of her neck with his other hand. She softly collapsed into his arms.
The female demons rushed into the rear hall en masse, crying and wailing as they helped up the bear demon, loudly calling his name, but he showed no reaction whatsoever.
What a human tragedy…
Lu Qianqiao carried Xin Mei and silently left the bear demon’s residence.