Watching the Mountain

Chapter 228: Chapter 154: Supplement: Jiang Ling’Er’s Transformation

"Mm," Jiang Ling’Er said, hugging him. "Our Xiaohui is the best."

The setting sun stretched the shadows of the girl and her dog until they were long. In the distance, the bell for evening practice rang, its chime drawn-out and serene.

Jiang Ling’Er thought, ’I have to keep working hard tomorrow. One day, Elder Xu will smile and tell me...’

"Jiang Ling’Er, you did a good job."

She believed that day would come.

Because her master would praise her, Xiaohui would be by her side, and there were so many senior martial brothers and sisters who, despite laughing at her, would also help her.

With this thought, she led Jiang Xiaohui, her steps light as she headed for home.

’Tomorrow is another new day.’

*

*

*

Part Two: Life Among the Demon Race

Jiang Ling’Er sat in the doorway of the small stone house the Dog Race had assigned to her, hugging her knees.

The flowers in the yard were in full bloom. She had planted them from seeds she’d found by the roadside.

But no one came to see them.

She tilted her head, looking toward the distant Martial Arts Arena. It was bustling with activity; Xiaohui’s master was instructing the new Dog Race disciples.

Xiaohui was there too, studying diligently. Every now and then, he would even receive a word or two of personal guidance.

’How nice.’

She counted on her fingers. How long had it been since she left her master and the Sect...?

She couldn’t quite remember. All she knew was that her master had been the one-hundredth person to praise her.

At the time, she had thought, ’Once I’m with the Demon Race, surrounded by so many powerful Demon Cultivators, I’ll surely hear my one-hundred-and-first compliment, my one-hundred-and-second... lots and lots of them.’

But there wasn’t a single one.

Ever since that grand apprenticeship ceremony, all eyes had been on Xiaohui.

She was the human Xiaohui had brought along, a little girl trailing behind the Dog Race’s prodigy.

They would glance at her, their eyes holding no malice, but no kindness either. Their gazes simply... passed over her, like they would a stone or a blade of grass.

"Xiaohui, did anyone praise you today?" she would always ask in the evening when Jiang Xiaohui returned, exhausted but with eyes shining brightly.

"Yup! Master said I’m a fast learner," Jiang Xiaohui panted, his tail wagging happily.

"Oh... that’s great," Jiang Ling’Er said, lowering her head to look at her toes.

She wanted to be praised, too.

Even a simple "You did a nice job tidying the house today" would have been enough.

She took out her Communication Jade Talisman, its cold touch making her fingertips curl slightly.

So many times, her finger had hovered over the activation array.

The first time was when she, through her own trial and error, managed to master Withered Wood Revives in Spring, the most difficult technique in the Ten Thousand Woods Transformation Spell her master had taught her. She had revived the dying tree in the yard.

She was ecstatic, and her first impulse was to tell her master.

But just as her finger touched the Jade Talisman, she pulled it back again.

’Would Master think I’m a bother? What if he’s busy? If I tell him now, what excuse can I use the next time I learn something new?’

’I can’t just say, "Master, I learned something new again!" every single time, can I?’

’So stupid.’

She pressed the Jade Talisman to her chest and whispered to the empty yard, "Jiang Ling’Er, you’re great."

But after saying it, she only felt emptier inside.

She longed to hear her master’s smiling voice say, "Great job. That’s my student."

The second time was when she discovered, to her dismay, that the Dog Race had no Human Race cultivation techniques for her to continue practicing. She cried in secret out of sheer panic.

She was terrified that she would never be able to improve again.

In that moment, she desperately wanted to find her master. It was just like back in the Scripture Pavilion—even if he called her slow, at least someone would tell her what to do.

But she bit her lip and held back.

’I can’t always be bothering Master.’

’Xiaohui had said that now that they were with the Demon Race, she had to learn to be a grown-up.’

The third time, the fourth... her reasons varied wildly: the roasted sweet potatoes she made today were especially fragrant, a particularly beautiful flower had bloomed in the yard, or sometimes, it was simply that the weather was nice.

Each time, the longing gnawed at her heart like a tiny worm.

And each time, she would force herself to swallow the words: ’Master, I miss you. Can you please, please praise me?’

She would just silently polish the Jade Talisman until it shone, watching as Xiaohui was showered with attention, and watching as she herself was ignored, day after day.

Until the day Jiang Xiaohui excitedly told her, "Ling’Er, Master said I can go to the Holy Land to receive the inheritance! This is a monumental opportunity for the Dog Race!"

Jiang Ling’Er’s eyes lit up. "Can I... Can I go watch?"

Jiang Xiaohui went to ask his master.

The stern Dog Race Elder looked at Jiang Ling’Er, frowned, but finally nodded.

"You may follow, but you must remain on the outermost perimeter. Cause no disturbances, and you absolutely must not touch anything. The place of inheritance is dense with Evil Qi, which is harmful to a member of the Human Race like you."

"Yes, yes! I’ll be on my best behavior," Jiang Ling’Er nodded emphatically, a small flicker of happiness in her heart.

’At least I wasn’t completely excluded this time.’

「Deep within the Holy Land, the light was dim.」

Jiang Xiaohui was led to the center of an ancient altar, and immense Demon Essence and chaotic Evil Qi began to surge into his body.

Jiang Ling’Er watched from afar, sensing the immense pain Xiaohui was enduring. Veins bulged beneath his beautiful yellow fur, and he let out suppressed, low growls.

Her heart clenched with worry, her fingernails digging into her palms.

Suddenly, a wisp of grey-black energy that had escaped from around the altar drifted toward her on the perimeter, moving as if it were alive.

The expression of the Dog Race guard beside her changed. "Watch out! Fall back!"

Jiang Ling’Er was frozen in fear, unable to move.

The wisp of Evil Qi instantly drilled into her body. A cold, frenzied, and destructive sensation erupted inside her; she felt as if her meridians were about to freeze solid and be torn to shreds.

’I’m done for...’ was her last thought.

However, the anticipated agony didn’t last.

The cold, frenzied energy circled once within her body. When it came into contact with the ridiculously simple cultivation technique her master had given her, it was like a snowflake meeting the warm sun. It actually... began to slowly melt away.

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