Chapter 227: A Mang, I Like You
Nan Xun and A Mang really did live in that forest for a full ten years.
Whenever they ran out of food, they would ride on Da Hui to distant lands to hunt animals. The little family—husband and wife, along with Da Hui and Da Hei—would gather together to eat.
They ran joyfully through the forest. They climbed to the tops of towering trees that had begun to revive, watching the sunrise and sunset. They rode on Da Hei to patrol the entire forest, and soared through the skies on Da Hui, taking in the whole forest beneath them.
Just as Nan Xun’s days were growing more and more comfortable, Little Eight suddenly reminded her,“Dear~ it’s about time to go.”
Nan Xun immediately replied, “Sure, let’s go. But Little Eight, have you recovered to adulthood yet? The spiritual energy in this world is so dense, and there’s no one around to disturb you. If you don’t seize this chance to cultivate properly and return to your adult state, what are you waiting for?”
Although Little Eight felt that her earnest persuasion hid some kind of “shady” ulterior motive, what she said did make sense. Over the years, even intermittent cultivation had benefited it greatly. In another ten years, it would definitely be able to recover to its peak adult form—by then, carrying Nan Xun through a dozen or even twenty worlds in one go wouldn’t be a problem.
So Little Eight, lacking all backbone, compromised. Nan Xun and A Mang then lived another ten years in sweet bliss.
In the twentieth year, a wild grapevine appeared beside their treehouse. Clusters of green and purple grapes hung down from the trellis, filling the air with fragrance.
The two of them lay together on a rocking chair. A Mang held her in his arms, gently rocking.
Nan Xun felt that her life had reached its end. Little Eight told her it was because the Spirit-Gathering Array had consumed too much, costing her lifespan. The average lifespan of ancient humans on this otherworldly continent was only thirty to forty years. Having lost lifespan and still lived until now was already remarkable—Little Eight expressed deep amazement at this.
Nan Xun snuggled closer into A Mang’s arms and said softly, “A Mang, thank you for staying with me for so long. I thought such a long journey would be dull and boring, but I’m really glad that you were with me all the way…”
A Mang gently patted her back, as if coA-Xing her to sleep. Hearing her words, he leaned closer and said, “A-Xi, if there really is a next life, then in the next life you’ll still be mine. No one else is allowed to possess you. You belong to me, A Mang!”
Hearing such domineering words, Nan Xun curved her lips into a beautiful smile and chuckled softly. “If you don’t want anyone else to have me, then come chase me.”
A Mang answered with a “Okay,” then used his rough, calloused hand to stroke her face, sparing no praise at all.
“A-Xi, you’re still just as beautiful as when I first met you. When you fell from that tree, you didn’t fall into my arms—you crashed straight into my heart.”
Nan Xun hissed, “A Mang, my teeth are aching. How is it that at such an old age, not only did your habit of saying sweet words not fade, it actually got worse?”
A Mang burst out laughing.
“When you’re old and all your teeth have fallen out, I’ll still love you just the same as before.”
Nan Xun laughed along, then suddenly thought of something and asked, “A Mang, I never gave you children. Do you feel any regret?”
A Mang said, “Of course not. You are everything to me. With no extra people to disturb our lives, I’m actually even happier.”
Nan Xun closed her eyes in contentment. Her voice grew softer and weaker.
“A Mang, I like you…”
It seemed she had never said those words out loud before.
The two of them lay on the rocking chair, from daylight until nightfall.
When A Mang realized that Nan Xun was no longer breathing, he felt neither sorrow nor pain. He only held the woman in his arms tighter, supporting the back of her neck, pressing his forehead against hers.
Slowly, he too drifted into sleep. His vitality seemed to be drained away in an instant; his breathing gradually weakened, until it vanished completely.
Little Eight did not immediately take Nan Xun to the next world. Instead, it brought her into its Star Space.
This time, Nan Xun did not see a ball-like juvenile Little Eight. Instead, she saw the beautiful, glowing white horse she had seen when they first met.
The white horse circled around her. Its limbs were long and elegant, its large tail gently swaying, as if scattering stardust across the ground.
“Look, look at me! I’ve fully recovered to my peak adult state! Hehe—my beast form is beautiful, right?”
The white horse spoke human words, constantly striking different poses in front of Nan Xun. Its tail opened and closed, like a large white umbrella.
Nan Xun: …
So Little Eight had brought her into the Star Space just to show off its beast form and strut in front of her?
“Handsome. Extremely handsome,” Nan Xun praised.
Upon receiving the compliment, Little Eight immediately lifted its tail high into the air.
“Hearing that, my slightly depressed mood instantly improved.”
Nan Xun was confused.
“You were depressed? What were you depressed about?”
Little Eight snorted and didn’t answer.
The reason it had allowed Nan Xun to stay in the ancient world for so long was partly because it wanted to cultivate—but another reason was that it still held onto a shred of hope.
Over those twenty years, A Mang’s malice value had been steadily decreasing. At the final moment, when Nan Xun died, his malice value really did drop to zero. Little Eight waited eagerly for merit to descend upon it—but nothing happened.
What did that mean?
It meant that A Mang’s malice value had never actually reached one hundred to begin with! Maybe it was 96, 97, 98, or even 99—but it never hit 100!
Thinking about it, Little Eight felt that made sense. In the original world trajectory, there had never been a major villain with a malice value of 100. Even if a small anomaly appeared now, it still wouldn’t be enough to provoke the wrath of the Heavenly Dao.
What Little Eight was most curious about was where A Mang’s malice value had come from in the first place. His life had gone smoothly; at most, he had killed a bit more while hunting. That malice value couldn’t possibly have been innate, right?
This time, Little Eight didn’t ask for Nan Xun’s opinion. It directly shattered space and carried her away.
Nan Xun had enjoyed this vacation very much. No matter what the next world would be like, or who she would transmigrate into, she planned to accept it happily.
However, when Nan Xun opened her eyes and discovered that she was hiding in a farmer’s pigsty, about to fight a group of pigs for their feed, she immediately took back that thought.
She looked down at herself. Her clothes were tattered, her bare feet pitch-black—who knew how many months it had been since she last bathed.
Little Eight gave an awkward chuckle.
“Well, it can’t be that every identity is perfect, right? In the last world, you basically just sat around eating and drinking. In this world, transmigrating into a little beggar is understandable, don’t you think?”
After hearing that, Nan Xun really had nothing to say.
So after indulging enough in the last world, this one reduced her to a beggar fighting pigs for pig feed?
Even if she was a beggar—did it really have to be this miserable?!
