Cataclysm Chapter 138: Extras – Mao Xiaoli  02

Chapter 138: Extras – Mao Xiaoli  02

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

When darkness silently engulfed the entire Wei Family Collection Hall, Mao Xiaoli and Kou Xuanling were both trapped in their rooms. At the time, she was holding the unconscious Wei Ning, while Kou Xuanling was carrying Qi Yin on his back. The passage to the Avici Hell had opened, and the wails of countless ghosts almost pierced their eardrums. The unconscious Wei Ning stirred and struggled to wake up, only to find himself surrounded by darkness and the terrifying cries of ghosts. He shivered, trembling uncontrollably. Mao Xiaoli held him tightly and gently comforted him, saying, “It’s okay, don’t be afraid.”

Wei Ning hesitated for a moment, his little hand wrapping around Mao Xiaoli’s neck, silently expressing his trust. Mao Xiaoli smiled and patted his back before looking up at Kou Xuanling and saying, “Old Kou, let’s go outside and meet up with the others. Based on the situation, we should use the Fengdu Pardon Token. We need to hurry. Chen Yang should have a way… Old Kou?” She took a step forward and looked back, but didn’t hear any response from Kou Xuanling. “Are you there?”

There was no reply from Kou Xuanling. Mao Xiaoli, relying on her memory, walked towards the spot where he had been standing. After walking three or four meters, she still hadn’t encountered anyone. A bad feeling rose in her chest, and she continued walking another two or three meters. It was then that she confirmed her uneasy premonition. At a distance of five or six meters, she should have bumped into a wall, but now the path ahead was clear and unobstructed.

It seemed that the entire Wei Family Collection Hall had not only become a passage to the Avici Hell, but had also turned into a chaotic space. Mao Xiaoli had only heard of the horrors of the Avici Hell and had a limited understanding of its passage. She had no idea that it was a chaotic space where a single misstep could lead to an unknown place.

She recalled that the passage to the Avici Hell was meant to guide evil spirits there. In other words, without the Fengdu Pardon Token, she wouldn’t be able to leave this endless dark passage, and with every step, she could be led further into the Avici Hell. She wasn’t sure whether to move forward or stay where she was, feeling regretful that she hadn’t trained harder before.

Wei Ning looked up and asked, “Sister Xiaoli, can we not get out?”

Hearing this, Mao Xiaoli smiled and replied, “No, we can definitely get out. I’m just thinking about which direction to take to find brother Chen and the others. By the way, Ning Ning, are you afraid of the dark?” Now they were not only surrounded by darkness, but also had to be wary of the evil spirits lurking within it.

Wei Ning shook his head. “I’m not afraid. I’ve gotten used to it.” Ever since he was young, due to the relic, he had been harassed by ghosts, especially after nightfall, when these spirits grew more rampant. When he was little, he had mistakenly thought they were friends and trusted them too much, almost getting pulled into the walls. After seeing through their true nature, he was harassed by them every night.

Mao Xiaoli felt a pang in her heart, hugging Wei Ning tightly and reassuring him, “I will get you out of here, don’t worry.”

Wei Ning asked, “Where’s Mom?”

“Old Kou is protecting us… that’s Kou Xuanling, the handsome big brother.” Mao Xiaoli took a stack of spiritual talismans out of her pocket and burned them to light their way. However, the light from the talismans was limited, and even with light, if they couldn’t figure out the direction, they would still get lost. She then pulled out another stack of the Three-Day Benefactor Blessing Talismans and watched as the blessings slowly eroded, turning into ashes in her palm.

Mao Xiaoli took a deep breath and said, “Let’s go.” With each step, she used up a talisman. After walking about ten or so meters, all of the talismans were used, and the evil spirits sensed the presence of living beings heading their way. They had lived in darkness for so long and were especially fearful of firelight. Once the talismans ran out, the spirits would swarm them.

Once the Three-Day Benefactor Blessing Talismans were gone, there was a high chance of getting lost in the passage and never being able to get out. Mao Xiaoli’s palms were sweaty, her forehead damp with cold sweat, and her breathing quickened. She wasn’t sure whether she should gamble on her luck. She thought back to how many times she had entered raffles in her life—she almost never won. The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became.

Mao Xiaoli stretched out her foot and was about to place it down when she heard Wei Ning say, “I think… it’s better to go left.”

Mao Xiaoli jolted and turned her head so quickly she almost twisted her neck, but the pain in her neck couldn’t compare to her excitement. She asked, “Ning Ning, can you tell the direction?”

Wei Ning shook his head. “I can’t tell, but I think we should go this way. There are a lot of sounds ahead, but fewer on the left.” He couldn’t accurately describe what he was hearing or feeling, but he knew that if they continued forward, they would fall into a deep pit and be torn apart by the evil spirits wailing below.

Mao Xiaoli hugged Wei Ning tightly. “Okay, we’ll go left. If you feel anything, just tell me, don’t be afraid.”

After saying that, she followed the path Wei Ning indicated. The light from the talismans gradually dimmed. Just as the evil spirits were about to pounce, Mao Xiaoli lit another talisman and continued forward. She only had two left. When she lit the last talisman, she finally encountered Zhang Qiudao, who had come looking for her.

Through the darkness, bright firelight gradually illuminated Zhang Qiudao’s figure and face, and in his clear black eyes, only her image remained. The first thing Zhang Qiudao said was, “Are you okay?” The second thing he said was, “I’m here, don’t be afraid.”

Mao Xiaoli bit her cheek, sniffed, and with one hand, tightly grabbed the fabric on Zhang Qiudao’s arm. She lowered her head and couldn’t speak for a long while. Zhang Qiudao looked down at her quietly, his eyes filled with tenderness, but Mao Xiaoli, with her head lowered, didn’t see it.

Mao Xiaoli said, “Thank you.”

Zhang Qiudao smiled, took Wei Ning from her arms, and with his other hand, covered Mao Xiaoli’s hand that was clutching his arm. He held it tightly and didn’t let go. “Let’s go. I’ll take you out.”

Mao Xiaoli asked, “Will we be able to get out?”

“Let’s try,” Zhang Qiudao replied.

Zhang Qiudao led the way in front, and Mao Xiaoli’s gaze slid from his serious profile down to their intertwined hands. The panic and fear in her heart seemed to dissolve in that moment, as if she had found a source of support. She felt a sense of security and reliability she had never experienced before. She gathered her courage and asked, “Did you come specifically to find me, or did you just happen to run into me?”

Zhang Qiudao replied, “It’s up to you.”

“Huh?”

“Whatever you think, it’s up to you.”

Mao Xiaoli frowned. “What do you mean? Just say it plainly, don’t avoid the question. What I think is my business, but how you act, what you mean—if you don’t explain, how am I supposed to know?”

“Are you sure you want to talk about this in front of a child?” Zhang Qiudao glanced back at Mao Xiaoli. Seeing her at a loss for words, he found it amusing and laughed. “You’re really clueless.”

Mao Xiaoli chuckled twice. She recalled that Ma Shanfeng, the expert, had once mentioned that if someone had been in a state of despair for a while, they would develop a dependency or fondness for the first person they encountered. It seemed like those expert opinions weren’t all nonsense. Fortunately, this fake, unreliable affection was short-lived, and people would quickly snap out of it.

She considered letting go and walking on her own, but Zhang Qiudao tightened his grip. “Are you really going to argue with me now? Holding hands is the only way we won’t get separated if you accidentally step off the path. Otherwise, we’ll have to waste time and effort looking for you again.”

Mao Xiaoli said, “Can you say something nice for once?”

“You want to hear nice things from me?” Zhang Qiudao asked in return.

Mao Xiaoli thought for a moment. “Forget it. You choosing to stay silent is my greatest wish.” Upon hearing that, Zhang Qiudao snorted with a noticeable smile.

Zhang Qiudao asked, “Do you still have any talismans?” The light above them was gradually fading, almost gone, and he had no talismans left. He didn’t know if Mao Xiaoli had any. Mao Xiaoli searched through her pockets but couldn’t find any. “No, they’re all gone. You used up yours too?”

Zhang Qiudao replied, “Don’t you usually carry a bunch of talismans? Did you use them up that quickly?”

Mao Xiaoli cleared her throat awkwardly. “I… sold them.”

Zhang Qiudao was speechless. “…Mao Xiaoli, can you not be so greedy?”

Mao Xiaoli retorted confidently, “A gentleman loves wealth, but in the right way. I didn’t harm anyone’s interests. Plus, everyone has their own love—mine just happens to be money.”

Zhang Qiudao asked, “Then what if I give you all my money? Would you take it?”

Mao Xiaoli was stunned for a moment before pretending she didn’t hear him. She quickly continued, “Haha, I’m not really obsessed with money. If I were, I’d have taken all the big cases at the branch office. Even if I couldn’t land the bigger ones, I’d still team up with others to get some of the profit. But as I said, a gentleman loves wealth in the right way. I just enjoy selling talismans and making money from it. It’s the process I enjoy.” After an awkward smile, she quickly changed the subject. “Now that both our talismans are used up, what do we do?”

As the last bit of light from the talismans flickered out and fell, the surrounding darkness closed in again. The evil spirits, like wild dogs sensing the scent of meat, began to rush toward them. Mao Xiaoli was about to take action when Zhang Qiudao grabbed her hand and said, “Don’t let go.”

Mao Xiaoli asked, “If I don’t let go, will we be torn apart and eaten by evil spirits?”

Zhang Qiudao replied, “If you let go now, how am I supposed to find you later?”

“I—” Mao Xiaoli froze, suddenly sensing danger. She immediately formed a sword seal with her fingers and quickly performed a hand gesture to suppress the evil spirits rushing toward them. “I can’t hold them back.” Evil spirits poured in from all directions, their eyes glistening at the sight of three human bodies. They had been hungry for a long time, yearning to return to the world of the living. There was no way they would let them go. Mao Xiaoli placed her sword finger in front of her chest and said, “We need to break through. Charge out.”

Zhang Qiudao, hearing the wailing of the evil spirits around them, said, “One person can’t fight a thousand, especially now that our talismans are all used up, and we have no proper magical tools. Time is limited, too. We need to meet up with Chen Yang and the others before the Fengdu Pardon Token loses its effect if we want to leave here.” He suddenly turned and handed Wei Ning to Mao Xiaoli. “He can lead you to Chen Yang and the others. Hold on to me and wait while I distract them.”

“Me? Charge out?” Mao Xiaoli asked. “What about you?”

“I’ll lead them away,” Zhang Qiudao replied. Just as Mao Xiaoli was about to refuse, he quickly cut her off. “Don’t be willful. If one can get away, that’s a win. I have the Merit Amulet, they won’t dare attack me. After I lead them away, I’ll come find you.” He patted her on the head. “Mao Xiaoli, be good. Trust me this time.”

Mao Xiaoli shook her head. “No. My family isn’t made up of cowardly, timid, or death-fearing people. You have the Merit Amulet, but I also have a trump card that I haven’t used yet. It’s just a thousand demons after all. I’ve grown up seeing ghosts. Why would I be afraid?”

At that moment, Zhang Qiudao lit the rhino horn in his hand and looked steadily at Mao Xiaoli. After a while, he laughed. “You’re always so half-hearted about drawing talismans, what kind of trump card do you have?” He turned and slowly walked into the darkness. “There’s something I need to tell you, but we’ll talk about it later.”

Mao Xiaoli stared at the rhino horn in his hand. She quickly moved forward, trying to snatch it, but as soon as she took a step, Zhang Qiudao was already out of sight. She froze in place, unsure of how to react.

Wei Ning cautiously asked, “Sister Xiaoli, are you crying? Is my brother in danger?”

Mao Xiaoli snapped out of her daze and realized she was crying. Wiping away her tears, she hugged Wei Ning tightly and calmly said, “He’ll be fine. Let’s go.”

The story of the “Rhino Light” that reveals ghosts is mentioned in the Book of Jin. It tells of a man named Wen Qiao, who passed by the Niuzhu Cliff and saw that the water was too deep to measure. He lit a rhino horn to illuminate the area, only to attract the ghostly spirits from below. The difference between the yin and yang energies caused the ghosts to collide with the living’s yang energy, leading to Wen Qiao’s death. It became a legend that rhino light not only reveals ghosts but also attracts them.

Mao Xiaoli remained silent as she walked, her face pale but her eyes shining brighter with each step. It seemed like she was walking aimlessly, but every step was calculated. The Mao family’s talents were terrifying. If they truly wanted to, they could always find a way out of any predicament. With Wei Ning, who had swallowed a relic, helping her, they soon met up with Chen Yang, Kou Xuanling, and the others.

When Mao Xiaoli saw them, she thought she might cry from relief, but instead, she remained calm. After handing Wei Ning to Kou Xuanling, she mentioned Zhang Qiudao, who had led the demons away. “I want to go find him.”

Without hesitation, Chen Yang refused her request and handed the Fengdu Pardon Token to Kou Xuanling before setting off to search for Zhang Qiudao. Mao Xiaoli tried to follow but was stopped. She hesitated for a moment before conceding. In that instant, she fully understood what they had left unspoken—her cultivation was too shallow. Even if she wanted to help, she would only become a hindrance. At that moment, she realized more clearly than ever how weak she truly was.

As they made their way back, Kou Xuanling looked at her with concern. Mao Xiaoli forced a smile but said, “I’m fine, and I’m very clear-headed. Let’s leave the passage first.” After a pause, she asked, “If we leave like this, will Chen Yang and Zhang Qiudao still be able to get out without the Fengdu Pardon Token?”

Kou Xuanling replied, “Don’t worry. Did you forget about the ‘Boundary Pass’?”

Mao Xiaoli followed the group as they left the Hell Passage and stood in the living room on the first floor of the Wei family’s collection hall. The heavy rain outside had stopped, and the sky was beginning to lighten. Suddenly, a warm hand rested on her head. Mao Xiaoli instinctively turned around and saw Kou Xuanling smiling at her. Kou Xuanling said, “Don’t worry about Zhang Qiudao. He’ll be fine.”

Mao Xiaoli blinked. “Mm.”

In the end, Chen Yang brought Zhang Qiudao back. He was seriously injured and had to rest in bed for a few days, and Mao Xiaoli took care of him during that time. In truth, Zhang Qiudao was already fine, and Mao Xiaoli knew that, but she didn’t say anything. It wasn’t until she had thought it through that, when everyone was present, she said, “I want to go back to Maoshan.”

Naturally, everyone rejected her request. Chen Yang said, “Unless you can convince me, I can’t let you leave.”

Mao Xiaoli replied, “I’ll return to Maoshan to study Taoism. When a member of the Mao family becomes enlightened, they go back to Maoshan to learn the ways of Taoism.”

Chen Yang compromised. “The position in the branch will always be here for you. If you complete your studies, you’ll still need to return.”

Mao Xiaoli raised her eyes and looked at the group who tried to keep her there. She was deeply moved. “Mm, I never really planned to leave.” She wasn’t ready to part with Chen Yang’s cooking, the fruit wine brewed by Ma Shanfeng, or everyone else. But at that moment, she felt the greatest reluctance to part with the one who had appeared before her when she was terrified, leading away the thousands of demons for her.

Once everyone had left, only Mao Xiaoli and Zhang Qiudao remained in the room. Mao Xiaoli fiddled with the porridge bowl without speaking. Zhang Qiudao stared at her intently, his voice as cold as ice. “You don’t have to leave. If I’ve caused you trouble, I won’t show up in front of you again.”

Mao Xiaoli looked up in surprise. “What are you talking about? Did you hit your head?” She reached out to check Zhang Qiudao’s forehead, but he grabbed her wrist and didn’t let go, blatantly asking her, “Do you accept or reject me?”

Mao Xiaoli, “Huh?”

Zhang Qiudao, “I like you.”

Mao Xiaoli, “Shh!” She pointed to the closed door, signaling that a bunch of mice were listening outside. Then she pulled out her phone and whispered, “WeChat.” She lowered her head and typed out a message: [I don’t know. I don’t have an answer.]

Zhang Qiudao frowned as he read the message, but Mao Xiaoli ignored him and continued typing: [Let me think. I wasn’t planning on falling in love or getting married. This sudden development has disrupted my plans for the future, and I didn’t have time to process it. This situation is like turning my world upside down, making my future unclear and tangled.]

After reading her words, Zhang Qiudao didn’t press her for an answer. Instead, he calmly packed her things and took her to the train station. After returning, he pulled out his phone and repeatedly reread her message, breaking down each word and embedding it in his heart.

Mao Xiaoli didn’t respond directly, but her words clearly indicated that she was confused. She had started to consider Zhang Qiudao in her future, and even though her plans of not marrying had been disrupted, she hadn’t completely shut him out or given him no chance. Mao Xiaoli usually acted carefree, joking around, and seemed not to think too much about the future, preferring to live in the moment. But in reality, she had a clear goal.

Living in the moment was just her attitude toward life. She liked to playfully trick customers into buying her peach blossom and luck-enhancing talismans in the alleys, loved to annoy Big Fatty by rolling on top of him, and enjoyed sneaking Ma Shanfeng’s tea set. She even stayed up late to secretly do Kui Xuan’s summer homework, only to be stumped by a simple question about chickens and ducks in the same cage. Mao Xiaoli was always chatty and a little scatterbrained, and people who didn’t understand her might find her annoying. But without someone like her, simple, easy to please, always joyful, and full of life, people would feel unbearably lonely.

Zhang Qiudao typed five words into the message box: [I will wait for you.]

When Mao Xiaoli got off the train, she received a letter and smiled for a long time before replying with a smiley face. After returning home, she locked herself in her room for a few days. When she finally came out and sat down with the family at the dinner table, she said, “I’ve opened my spiritual veins and need to go into seclusion to practice. Don’t disturb me!”

The Mao family stared at her blankly for a moment, then simply said “Oh” and continued eating. Later, when Mao Xiaoli came downstairs for dinner, the Mao family was gathered around the table. Her older brother, Mao Xiaoying, suddenly poked his head out from his bowl. “Xiaoli, weren’t you going into seclusion to practice?”

Mao Xiaoli rolled her eyes. “I’m going into seclusion to practice, not to fast.” She still needed to eat; otherwise, how could she have the energy to cultivate her Taoist skills?

“Right,” Mao Xiaoying continued, “How did you suddenly open your spiritual veins?”

Mao Xiaoli didn’t respond and kept eating quickly. As he kept talking, she served herself a second bowl of rice. Mao Xiaoying continued in his leisurely manner, “When a member of the Mao family opens their spiritual veins, it’s usually because of a major life shock or sudden realization. Like how Dad almost got NTR’d by a friend back in the day—”

Mao Dad tossed his chopsticks like a dart, aiming them right at Mao Xiaoying’s face. He then pulled out a fresh pair of chopsticks from under the table and continued eating. Mao Xiaoying caught the chopsticks, placed them gently on the table, and kept speaking, “I fell into a ghost’s den once and almost killed my friend. Several of our aunts opened their spiritual veins because of relationship issues. So Xiaoli, you—”

“Bang!” The bowls in the hands of the Mao family members slammed onto the table. Their eyes instantly fixed on Mao Xiaoli. The aunts cried out in distress, “Xiaoli, who hurt you? We’ll kill them!” Mao Dad asked excitedly, “Do you have a partner?”

Mao Xiaoli put down her bowl and chopsticks and burped. “I’m full. I’m going upstairs to practice Taoist skills. You all take your time eating.” She stood up and tried to head upstairs.

Mao Dad stopped her. Mao Xiaoli smiled coldly. “The last bowl of rice is in the pot. Do you have time to discuss my love life?”

Mao Dad was startled and instinctively looked at the rice pot. At that moment, Mao Xiaoying’s aunt, who was closest to the pot, scooped up the last bowl of rice. “Excuse me.”

Mao Xiaoying looked at his half-eaten rice and, after a long pause, muttered, “I only had one bowl…”

Mao Mom smiled kindly. “Next time, try harder. Keep it up.”

When Mao Xiaoying was about to leave for the Daoist Association, Mao Xiaoli handed him a photo of Zhang Qiudao. “Keep an eye on this person.”

Mao Xiaoying stared at the photo for a long time. “Got it. Is this my brother-in-law?”

Mao Xiaoli looked up at the sky. “Maybe.”

Mao Xiaoying nodded. “Oh, brother-in-law.” He made a fist as if determined to get along with him.

A month later, the Mao family had a big celebration—Mao Zhen, who had been in a coma for over twenty years, had his soul awakened. The whole family was immersed in joy. Originally, the family wanted Mao Xiaoying to immediately take Mao Zhen’s soul back to Maoshan, but since the Taoist Culture Festival was being held in Longhu Mountain, Mao Zhen wanted to stay and attend the festival before leaving. Naturally, the Mao family agreed as long as he was happy.

Taking advantage of this, Mao Xiaoli bought a discounted plane ticket to Longhu Mountain and secretly left at night. However, just as she was about to leave, she was caught by Mao Dad at the door. Mao Xiaoli flung her arms and legs, saying, “I’m just out for a walk.”

Mao Dad looked at her with a meaningful gaze. “A daughter cannot stay at home forever.” With that, he turned and went back inside.

Mao Xiaoli felt a flush of embarrassment, almost wanting to tear her father apart. He had clearly seen everything but said nothing, only waiting at the door in the middle of the night to say that one sentence. Mao Xiaoli was fuming. “It’s just a little extra food. I should’ve started dieting a long time ago.” Mao Dad’s figure was leaning toward the middle-aged man with a slight paunch, and because of that, he often faced complaints from the women of the Mao family, who insisted he eat less.

She hadn’t bought a direct flight to Longhu Mountain; instead, she had to transfer to another province and stay for a day before catching another flight. She hadn’t had time to book connecting flights due to the rush, and at that moment, Zhang Qiudao, as usual, was telling her about interesting things he encountered on his journey.

Unable to resist, Mao Xiaoli said, “I’m going to the Daoist Culture Festival at Longhu Mountain. I’ve heard it’s really fun… I’m already on my way.”

There was a long silence on the other end before he finally replied, “I’ll come pick you up.”

Mao Xiaoli smiled. “Okay.”

When the Daoist Culture Festival began, countless people lit their homemade Kongming lanterns. As Mao Xiaoli got off the train, she saw the whole town filled with lanterns. The warm orange light flickered in the sky above her, beautiful and filled with the hopes and dreams of countless people. The crowd was loud, and Mao Xiaoli couldn’t make a phone call or voice message, so she sent a text.

Zhang Qiudao, staring at his phone, received the message right away. Five words, just like his earlier message.

【I’m on my way now.】

When the Daoist ceremony of blessing and disaster-relief began, people surged into the Tianshi Manor like a tide, leaving the streets nearly empty except for a few stragglers. As the sound of spiritual music—clear, bright, like the striking of gold and jade—rang out, Mao Xiaoli saw Zhang Qiudao standing in front of her.

“That question you asked me before, I can answer it now,” Mao Xiaoli said. “I accept.”

Author’s Note:
NTR: Refers to the situation where a spouse or partner is taken away by someone else.

 

 

 

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