The Rescuer’s Secret and a Troubling Reunion

Though the Monkey King had narrowly escaped, his tail remained ensnared, rendering any further escape impossible.Yet Tou’s assault was relentless, carried out mid-flight.Having failed to strike the Monkey King’s heart moments before, the Heart-Eating Demoness lunged to one side.Seizing the opportunity, Tou released the remaining ropes, propelling himself directly towards her.In his hand, a large, pointed staff materialized, which he thrust with deadly precision into the demoness’s back.

“Screech… Aow…”

A guttural roar of agony erupted from the Heart-Eating Demoness, her body sent careening a significant distance with a series of jarring thuds.Tou, however, remained unscathed; just as he was poised to collide with the Heart-Eating Demoness, a rope shot skyward, hoisting him swiftly out of harm’s way.

****

Disregarding the Heart-Eating Demoness for the moment, Tou pivoted, soaring towards the Monkey King with his severed tail, a newly materialized, sharply pointed staff in his grip.He still intended to save the Monkey King.

“Clang!”

Upon impact, the Monkey King’s form was propelled backward, his golden head shield fracturing into countless pieces.

“It worked!”

A wave of elation washed over Tou.With the Monkey King now within reach, a profound sense of achievement permeated his very core.Swiftly, he coiled a rope around the Monkey King’s neck, propelling himself forward to smash the malevolent eye embedded in the monkey’s forehead.

****

Yet, the instant he moved to approach the Monkey King, a sudden, heavy tug dragged at his feet, as though he had been caught in an unseen snare.These black ropes bore an uncanny resemblance to his own Ruyi Jingu Bang, somehow transmuted.Before Tou could even process the thought, the black tendrils had coiled around his lower body.A powerful tug followed, making him wonder if he was being hauled directly into the clutches of the Heart-Eating Demoness.

His strength proved utterly inadequate against the Heart-Eating Demoness; despite his ropes still binding the Monkey King’s neck, Tou was swiftly dragged closer.More alarmingly, he watched as the Heart-Eating Demoness scuttled towards him in a grotesque, dog-like crawl, her posture clearly indicating an intent to tear out his heart in one swift blow.

“Awoo~~ Roar~”

The Heart-Eating Demoness shrieked with unbridled excitement, while Tou’s mouth stretched wide in a silent scream of terror.The distance between them had all but vanished.Tou could already perceive the chilling sensation of the demoness’s claws poised to puncture his flesh.

Tou’s arms fell limp, his mind abruptly emptied as a kaleidoscope of memories—of joyous play with his masters in the Demon Fairy Castle—flashed before his eyes.

“Masters~”

This, he realized, must be the ‘deathbed flashback’ people spoke of.He had truly lived such a joyful life!His masters had always treated him with such kindness, and yet he had often responded with naught but kicks and punches.How he yearned to offer them a final apology before his demise!What he yearned for more than anything… what he truly longed for… was to continue living a life of eternal happiness with his beloved masters!

“Ah~~ Yah!!”

****

A searing pain lanced through Tou’s left abdomen, followed by the sensation of being enveloped by something soft, then hurled through the air.Despite his blurring consciousness, Tou’s eyes still managed to register the identity of his mysterious savior.From behind him, a small, black-clad figure had suddenly erupted.

The black-clad figure was remarkably small, barely eighty centimeters tall.She had sprung forth from the Monkey King’s forehead—or rather, she *was* the malevolent eye that had sought to dominate his consciousness.No wonder Tou’s frantic search for the spellcaster had yielded nothing; the true manipulator had been before him the entire time, an inconvenient truth he had utterly failed to grasp.Having materialized, the diminutive figure embraced Tou.From her forehead’s third eye, a crimson beam erupted, instantly severing the black ropes that bound him and allowing Tou to narrowly escape the Heart-Eating Demoness’s lethal strike.

Still, Tou’s left abdomen pulsed with excruciating pain; he was indeed injured, a substantial piece of flesh ripped away, and blood gushed relentlessly.

“Eee… Aah~~”

This delicate cry of anguish, clear and resonant like the chime of tiny bells, did not originate from Tou.

“Waaahhhhh!”

That was Tou’s true voice, raw with agony.Such a grievous wound threatened to overwhelm him entirely.

“Eat this!”

Tou’s mouth was agape in a silent scream of agony as the black-clad figure beside him, clutching an unidentified substance, forcefully thrust it into his gaping maw.

“Mmm~~ Hah~~”

Initially, Tou seethed with anger.He had endured agonizing, splitting headaches from being haphazardly fed various pills in the past.Now, with yet another peculiar substance forced upon him, a chilling fear of poison seized his thoughts, contemplating the dire consequences.

Yet, the moment the pill entered his system, a vibrant red glow emanated from within his body.Tou’s pain vanished in an instant, and to his astonishment, his grievous wounds began to mend before his very eyes.It was nothing short of a divine elixir!Tou found himself wishing for an entire handful.Freed from the throes of pain, Tou could now spare a glance at the black-clad figure who had tackled him to the ground.

She, too, had a red glow emanating from her body, just like Tou’s.She was a tiny creature, with a white bob-cut and a round face as adorable as a porcelain doll, yet piercingly, three dangerously vibrant red eyes glowed menacingly.She, too, had sustained injuries; a significant portion of her plump, resilient thigh was torn away, mirroring the damage to her cloak.Now, with immense effort, she dragged Tou, striving to make their escape.

A sharp pang resonated in Tou’s chest at the sight of her grievous wounds.Now, fully recovered thanks to the elixir, he deftly scooped the small loli into his arms, commanded the Ruyi Jingu Bang, and launched ropes, soaring away to make their escape.

“You… who are you?! Thank you for saving me!”

“Tou? Eh? Your… your wounds healed so quickly!”

Cradled in Tou’s arms, the small loli’s face was a mask of astonishment and disbelief.

The pill she had given Tou was a Blood Qi Pill, known for its restorative properties.Yet, despite having consumed several herself, the gaping wound on her thigh continued to inflict excruciating agony.Meanwhile, Tou, who held her, felt his left abdominal wound completely healed!Such a recovery rate was utterly abnormal!

“You know me!” Tou exclaimed, his excitement palpable. “Which of my masters sent you to protect me?This is absolutely wonderful!My masters truly are the best, so kind to me, even providing such an incredible elixir!One dose and the wound is completely healed, no more pain!”Down the mountain, Tou knew precious few people.The only ones he could imagine risking their lives for him were his beloved masters.

Yet, the small loli in his embrace offered no reply, seemingly at a loss for how to answer Tou.Her brow furrowed, a pained expression marring her features, yet her vigilance remained unbroken as she scoured their surroundings.Then, abruptly, her mouth opened wide and she cried out:

“Xiao Yuan!”

“Xiao Yuan? Your… what’s happening?!”Tou, intrigued by the unexpected name, initially assumed it belonged to the small loli he held.However, the abrupt appearance of another person sent a jolt of alarm through him!

The girl was roughly the same height as Tou, and her twin pigtails were a similar shade of yellow.Yet, upon closer inspection, Tou’s hair gleamed with a dazzling, golden hue, whereas hers was a muted, earthy yellow, tinged with reddish-brown, reminiscent of a village mongrel.The mention of dogs immediately drew Tou’s attention to the twin-tailed girl’s head, where two distinctly canine ears stood erect.

Those dog ears bore an unsettling resemblance to those of the massive, black dog-like Heart-Eating Demoness that had just attempted to end his life!Leaping out abruptly, she chewed on what appeared to be raw meat, with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, staining her pristine white dress.A bloodthirsty grin spread across her face as she gazed at Tou, her thin lips parting to lick away the crimson trace.

“Are you that big… black dog?”Seeking to confirm the identity of the girl before him, Tou cast a quick glance behind him.Only when he found no trace of the massive black dog did he turn back, his lips trembling as he uttered the question.

“Bin~beng~ You guessed right, but I have a name, it’s Xiao Yuan!”

“Xiao Yuan? You’re really Xiao Yuan! You’ve regained consciousness!”The small loli in his arms, witnessing Xiao Yuan converse like a human, was so overcome with joy that she almost sprang from his embrace.

“Eh? You know me?” Xiao Yuan inquired, her voice surprisingly gentle despite her somewhat terrifying appearance.

“Sister Jie, if she knew you were back, how happy she would be!” The small loli, moved, wiped away tears from the corners of her eyes.

“Sister Jie! You said Sister Jie.”Xiao Yuan’s eyes dimmed at the mention of that name.She lowered her head, gazing at the blood staining her hands.Then, shaking her head, she surveyed their surroundings, seeing nothing but corpses devoid of hearts.Her hands began to tremble, fear creeping into her demeanor.

“Sister Jie… No!I’ve killed so many!I no longer deserve to stay by Sister Jie’s side… I… I am a Heart-Eating Demoness, the Heart-Eating Witch… My master has already… already awakened, and I fear I won’t be able to… I’ll have to kill again!I don’t want to… I don’t want to kill anymore!Ahh!No!No!”