Chapter 70: It Will Heal You

Chen Ji’s face remained perfectly calm, as if he were utterly deaf to the chaos around him. He crooked his index finger slightly and tapped the air. The two characters for “Profound Penetration” materialized instantly as a golden seal on the back of his hand without him even needing to draw them. In the blink of an eye, it sank into his skin.

Chen Ji reached out and grabbed the furry humanoid figure. Another bolt of Heavenly Thunder crashed down. He felt a scorching current surge through his palm, only to vanish in an instant. The System Cat let out a miserable yowl. [Stop it right now! The monkey’s really going to die!]

Chen Ji tilted his head slightly. [What monkey? I can’t see a thing. Isn’t there just a Great Immortal here?]

Whatever he could see qualified as National Class II. Anything invisible was just a freak. Given his current situation, even in court, this would count as emergency self-defense.

The System Cat fell silent. […]

A third bolt of Heavenly Thunder boomed down. Chen Ji watched as the lines on the Great Immortal’s body scattered like dandelion seeds in the wind, leaving only a bare central stalk behind.

Chen Ji was calculating the power of the Five Thunder Talisman.

The first bolt had caught the Great Immortal off guard, stripping away most of its ability to move, which was why he could grab it outright. After the second bolt, it should have been completely immobilized. The third one had likely damaged the core of its cultivation base.

This Great Immortal wouldn’t last until the fifth bolt.

The fourth bolt struck, turning the Great Immortal’s lines into a near-black ash. Chen Ji’s brows twitched. With some regret, he abandoned the enigmatic final line. The thunderclouds dispersed in an instant, but he followed up with a right hook to the Great Immortal’s body.

The Great Immortal let out a muffled grunt. Chen Ji released his grip. Only then did a dozen timid little yellow weasels come scurrying out from their nest behind him. They rushed up to bare their teeth at the Great Immortal, but none dared get too close to Chen Ji.

[What the hell is going on here…] Second Master Huang’s voice echoed from the nest. A fierce gust of wind followed, accompanied by a streak of black lightning bursting forth from the entrance. Chen Ji felt a wave of relief. Sure enough, Second Grandpa Huang’s glow was so intense that it drowned everything else out.

To Chen Ji’s eyes, Second Grandpa Huang now looked like a mobile laser light show cutting through the darkness.

Second Grandpa Huang glanced at the monkey Great Immortal on the ground, on the verge of crumbling to dust, his eyes widening in shock before twisting into mockery. [Holy shit, who did this?! You finally pissed off someone you shouldn’t have and got half-killed for it, huh? Hahaha, aren’t you embarrassed?!]

The little yellow weasels all turned to stare at Chen Ji in unison.

In front of their nest, it wasn’t absolute safety, but it was damn close. Few dared to mess with their whole family.

Monkey Sixth Grandpa was Second Grandpa’s brother and lived pretty far away. He didn’t usually come around their turf. They’d just spotted him teasing Brother Chen… They had sharp eyes, but Brother Chen and Sixth Grandpa hadn’t even exchanged three sentences before they summoned the Five Thunder Talisman and zapped him.

…They didn’t dare intervene. No way.

Monkey Sixth Master’s charred tail stump twitched upright with great effort, then pointed straight at Chen Ji.

Chen Ji was off to the side washing his hands. Little Translator had poked holes in a plastic bottle filled with mountain spring water, turning it into a makeshift showerhead with a squeeze. He’d just touched the thunder-struck Great Immortal, after all, and now his hand was covered in ash.

He noticed Second Master Huang looking his way—it was impossible not to, since the weasel outshone the sun in his vision by only a fraction. But Chen Ji pretended not to notice them all pointing at him and kept silently washing his hands.

Second Master Huang barked, [You’re kidding, right? Chen Ji turning the monkey into this? I’d kowtow to him upside down!]

The monkey’s blackened tail jabbed insistently toward Chen Ji, then it rasped weakly, […You… damn… first… pull… your brother… out…]

Second Master Huang knew better than to doubt it. The grass still bore scorch marks from the Five Thunder strikes, faintly emanating the pure, unyielding aura unique to lightning. He carefully skirted the spot, scooped up the monkey in his mouth, and stopped in front of Chen Ji. [Misunderstanding! Total misunderstanding! Chen Ji, don’t worry—head back and rest. I’ll deal with this monkey!]

Chen Ji smiled at Second Master Huang and extended a hand. The weasel leaned in, rubbing his head against Chen Ji’s palm. Only then did he dash off toward home with the monkey in tow. Chen Ji couldn’t even see him—how could he have summoned those Five Thunders? He couldn’t draw that talisman to save his life!

Poor guy. Second Master Huang had brought Chen Ji back precisely to keep him safe. Who’d have thought a simple sunbath could scare him like that…? Maybe he should pull some strings and find a Daoist to exorcise some bad luck and boost his fortunes.

Little Translator huddled against Chen Ji’s side. [Brother Chen, Brother Chen, this is my fault. I shouldn’t have left your side just now!]

He’d only stepped away thinking Brother Chen might be thirsty from the sun and wanted to fetch some water and fruit.

Chen Ji ruffled his head with a gentle smile. “It’s not your fault.”

Little Translator purred softly in his throat, nuzzling insistently into Chen Ji’s palm. Chen Ji scooped him up casually. As he prepared to head into the nest, he suddenly spotted a bunch of dark red lines scattered on the ground.

They were clearly the lines from that Great Immortal, now lying in disarray. He had no idea what they were for.

Chen Ji paused, then reached down and scooped up a handful. For some inexplicable reason, he sensed they might benefit Little Translator. He pressed them onto him. Before Little Translator could react, a sharp pain stabbed Chen Ji’s chest, as if something were surging up from within. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and the world plunged back into darkness as he fainted.

[Brother Chen’s collapsed—!]

When Chen Ji woke again, it was to blinding light. The White Tiger lay at his feet. It was no longer just a glowing orb—it was like a stadium floodlight, illuminating the entire room in brilliant white. By comparison, Chen Ji looked as dull and gray as the water glass on the table.

All gray lines.

The White Tiger lifted its head. Chen Ji couldn’t help shielding his eyes with his arm. It nosed closer, and his voice came out hoarse. “Guai Guai, come here. Hug time.”

The White Tiger eyed Chen Ji’s outstretched arm and gently pressed its massive head into it. Chen Ji wrapped his arm around it, lips curving slightly. It was the kind of smile born from sheer exasperation. He was about to ask something when a light cough sounded. “Waking up and immediately hugging a tiger? What, planning a vacation to Hangzhou’s West Lake next year?”

Only then did Chen Ji realize there was someone else in the room.

He turned toward the voice with effort. The White Tiger’s brilliance dulled everything else, making it hard to make out the figure composed of lines matching its hue. He guessed, “Daoist?”

Daoist Qingjing snorted coldly. “Yeah, it’s me.”

Chen Ji asked, “What are you doing here?”

Daoist Qingjing snorted again. “Beats me. I was sleeping fine when a yellow weasel bursts in, yapping about how we know each other, give him face, friends help each other out, all that crap. Next thing I know, I’m trussed up and dragged here. Turns out it’s to treat you.”

Chen Ji coughed, suppressing a laugh. “Sorry to trouble you. I’ll send extra Incense Fire money your way later.”

“As if I need your pocket change?” Daoist Qingjing sneered. He recalled the terror of being kidnapped by a demon, Chen Ji’s shocked expression, making frantic late-night calls to his master uncle, grandmaster uncle, and even his patriarch for a remote diagnosis since he sucked at healing. And getting chewed out three times for it, treated like a lowly disciple.

Well, he was the youngest generation, after all.

Chen Ji said, “Fine, then I owe you a favor… What’s wrong with me?”

Chen Ji and Daoist Qingjing blocked each other online half the time and barely chatted otherwise—their friendship was paper-thin. Yet somehow, he always showed up when it mattered. Shallow ties, deep fate.

Daoist Qingjing replied, “Told you not to keep all those weird critters at home. Your vitality’s critically damaged, meridians blocked. My patriarch said if you don’t rest properly, you’ll have… “

Chen Ji cut in. “One year left.”

“Hah.” Daoist Qingjing shot back, “Half a year.”

Chen Ji shrugged. It must have been from feeding those red lines to Little Translator. Monkey’s cultivation, probably. Forcibly transferring a demon’s cultivation to another broke some kind of rule, so he spat blood and passed out?

Daoist Qingjing scratched his messy hair. “Your eyes are from that too.”

“My eyes…” Chen Ji turned his head. His unfocused gaze locked precisely onto Daoist Qingjing. He paused. “Just not used to it yet.”

He’d meant to explain fully, but remembering this was Little Azure Mountain territory, he held back.

Daoist Qingjing arched a brow at the sight. “I don’t get this stuff, but you can’t just ignore your eyes. Come down the mountain with me, stay at the temple for a bit. Get properly treated.”

Chen Ji tilted his head. “Can I even do that?”

“What do you mean ‘can’…” Daoist Qingjing started reflexively, then noticed Chen Ji was looking at the White Tiger.

Chen Ji asked, “Not gonna say anything?”

“…Meow.” The White Tiger let out a tiny mew.

The silence from Chen Ji and Daoist Qingjing was deafening.

Some folks were too proud yet utterly shameless. To avoid speaking and blowing their cover, they’d even mimic a cat.

Daoist Qingjing couldn’t take it. “I’m stepping out to use the bathroom! You two chat!”

Who wanted to watch a tiger meow like a cat?! It might meow, but he wasn’t sticking around to hear it. Everyone knew these demons held grudges forever. What if it remembered and assassinated him in the middle of the night?!

Once Daoist Qingjing was gone, Chen Ji drawled slowly, “Second Grandpa Huang carried you back earlier—in human form.”

“I saw.”

“Guai Guai, got anything to say?” Chen Ji’s pale, slender fingers tugged at the White Tiger’s thick ear. “Or… meow for me again?”

The White Tiger buried its head in its fur, silent. Its paw pads kneaded the hide beneath it rhythmically, claws already gouging deep scratches into the material.

Chen Ji watched. If he poked Guai Guai a few more times, it could probably claw out a heavenly palace with his bare paws. He wondered if Second Grandpa Huang’s place had the layout to support it—or if it could even hold up.

“I can’t see right now. Daoist Qingjing wants me to head down the mountain for treatment.” Chen Ji paused. “Think I can go?”

The White Tiger paused for a moment, then pressed his forehead against Chen Ji’s. A few sentences echoed in Chen Ji’s mind: 【You can descend the mountain, but once It awakens, It will definitely kill you.】

【If you do not descend the mountain and stay away from me, It will cure you.】