Chapter 255: 255
Chapter 255A Cicada?
Old Guo did not find the matter funny, so he gave Xiao Ma a mean stare and turned to asked Ye Shaoyang, “Well, it’s no easy task going down there . I’ll have to go get ready; see you guys later . ”
“Hold on, before you go, help me prepare these things too,” Ye Shaoyang took out a small notepad, wrote down what he needed, and tore off the page for Old Guo .
Old Guo took a quick glimpse and was shocked, “All of these things need at least a hundred thousand… who’s going to pay for them?”
“I’ll pay for them . ” Zhou Jingru quickly chipped in, “Since this is also related to the Evergreen project, I’ll pay for it . Don’t say no, Big Brother Shaoyang . ”
“Okay, I won’t say no,” Ye Shaoyang scratched his head and thought, Well I won’t be able to pay for it anyways… .
After Old Guo left, everyone thought about Tan Xiaohui and fell silent .
Teng Yongqing placed his hands together and chanted, “Merciful Buddha… . ”
“Oh stop it; are you still hungover?” said Ye Shaoyang sarcastically .
Teng Yongqing felt awkward after being ridiculed . He wanted to explain himself, but Ye Shaoyang waved his hand and said, “There’s something I keep forgetting to ask you; what kind of demon is Madam Chee?”
Teng Yongqing was taken aback, “Haven’t I told you? The true form of Madam Chee is a Cicada . ”
“A cicada?”
“Yes, a cicada . ” Teng Yongqing explained, “There’s a type of cicada that we call the twelve-year cicada . These cicadas will live underground for twelve years, before finally coming out . Then it goes through ecdysis and dies several days later . Madam Chee was a twelve-year cicada . Before she became a demon, she lived under the tree in front of a monastery .
“Since Buddhists recognize cicadas as spiritual insects, and she listened to twelve years of Buddhist chants, she quickly became a demon and left the monastery . She went away to cultivate until she eventually met my grandmaster . Then she told everything to my grandmaster . The story was passed down for generations, which is why I know it . ”
Madam Chee is a… cicada!
Ye Shaoyang felt shocked at this revelation and thought, It does fit the description Xiaohui gave . It must be because they went into the temple . This also means that she did not lie to me; she just didn’t know Madam Chee’s true form .
“A cicada demon… . ” Ye Shaoyang frowned and muttered, “I have never faced such a demon . Since it is somewhat related to Buddhism, I bet her powers will not be far from the ‘Four Beasts’ . ”
Xiao Ma heard the new term and curiously asked, “What are the four beasts?”
Ye Shaoyang ignored him, as he was deep in thought . However, Teng Yongqing enthusiastically explained, “They are the fox, the weasel, the cat, and the porcupine . These animals are said to possess some level of spirituality . It is a common belief that there are the four gods, the four immortals, the four beasts, and the four Yuan . ”
Xiao Ma became even more interested; his eyes shone, as he asked, “Quick, tell me more about each of them . ”
The exchange irritated Ye Shaoyang, so he rolled his eyes and walked out of the room . Even though Zhou Jingru and Xie Yuqing were both interested in hearing the explanation, they still followed Ye Shaoyang out and asked about his plans .
“I’ll use a day or two to ready the things for the formation . Yuqing, for now, you can go back . I’ll notify you once I’m ready . Jingru… . ” Ye Shaoyang scratched his head and continued, “I hope you can stay around Xiaohui these two days . I don’t know how to explain this, but I think it’s better this way . After all, you understand her more . ”
“I understand . ” Zhou Jingru nodded .
Ye Shaoyang forced a smile and returned to his room . He threw his bag down and laid on the bed . Immediately, thoughts about Tan Xiaohui filled his mind .
He was not too sad about her being a demon . After all, he felt that she was good to everyone . However, he was surprised by how events had turned out . He felt sad for what ‘Tan Xiaohui’ had been through, I guess if she had a choice, she would want to be an ordinary person and not a demon with great power .
Too bad there are many things that are already set in life . There are no ifs, no redos . I wonder how many people would really appreciate that they are humans… .
Ye Shaoyang felt helpless and powerless as he thought about this; the fact that he could not change reality .
Suddenly, he recalled something, and he took out the handkerchief Tan Xiaohui had given him . At that time, he was too focused on the medicine, so he had forgotten about the handkerchief . Now that he had the time to examine it closely, he found that it was extremely smooth and light . Then he placed it under a light for closer inspection .
Immediately, he realized the material’s identity – silk! There was no way Xiaohui would use other silk to make this handkerchief… that means this is her own silk!
Since she gave it to me… this means… .
Even though Ye Shaoyang would sometimes be oblivious, he was not dumb . He roughly knew the meaning behind this gift, and he felt even worse about the situation . He laid on his bed and took out his phone to call Rui Lengyu .
Ye Shaoyang felt extremely stressed and troubled, so the only person he wanted to hear from was Rui Lengyu .
In the other room, Teng Yongqing was still explaining away, “ . . . the four immortals are the horse, the peng, the snake, and the crane . The snake would go through dragonification, the horse would turn into a Qilin . As soon as these animals become aware, they become immortal . The four Yuan are four sea creatures: the toad, the Blackfish, the carp, and the Chinese softshell turtle… . ”
Xiao Ma paid extreme attention to these words, nodding as he listened .
After talking with Rui Lengyu, Ye Shaoyang felt better . This call also had a secondary purpose: to ask if Rui Lengyu could come and help him fight Madam Chee . However, Rui Lengyu told him that she was busy dealing with another case .
Ye Shaoyang immediately felt that the task at hand was as heavy as a mountain, but there was no other way now . It was either now or never, so there was no need to fear .
Without hesitating anymore, he took out his notepad and drew a sketch of the sakura garden . Then he formed a list of the items he needed to alter the formation . After that, he began to draw the needed talisman papers . At around midnight, Old Guo called Ye Shaoyang and told him that the materials were ready and asked where did he want them delivered .