Chapter 123: A Tryst in the Fields

The three kings laughed and chatted as they arrived at the home of the Peng Immortal, where a table of delicious delicacies truly awaited them.

Ye Sansi scratched his head and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law has worked so hard this past month, arranging a feast every day and constantly changing the dishes. It shows how much care she has put into it, but it feels rude that we haven't sat down and shared a meal with her even once."

The Peng Immortal laughed, "Sansi, you shouldn't put it that way. It was your sister-in-law who didn't want to disturb us brothers while we drank and talked freely; it wasn't your fault, so how could it be rude?"

Ouyang, sharing Ye Sansi's sentiment, said to the Peng Immortal, "In the past, I was the sovereign and you were the subject, so it was only natural for my sister-in-law to maintain a sense of propriety. But now that we have become sworn brothers, there is a saying in the world: 'An elder brother's wife is like a mother.' How can it be right that we have never shared a table?"

Ouyang whispered to Ye Sansi, "Third brother, look at the happy expression on our eldest brother's face. It’s truly enviable. I wonder when we might find a good partner and enjoy the delicacies cooked by our loved ones—wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"Second brother, your memory is failing you. A month ago, when we first arrived in the Otherworldly Demon Realm, I mentioned that the person I hold in my heart is waiting for me on the Square Inch Immortal Island. So, it is only you, second brother, who needs to find a partner! Hahaha!"

Seeing that his brothers wished to meet his wife, the Peng Immortal was naturally pleased. He scratched his head and laughed, saying, "Alright then, I shall go and fetch her now. Second brother, third brother, please wait a moment."

Ye Sansi gestured with a smile, "No rush, brother. There is still time. We don't mind waiting as long as it takes to invite sister-in-law." The Peng Immortal, his smile never leaving his face, nodded repeatedly, stepped out, and took to the clouds.

The Rabbit Demon waved her hands repeatedly, "My lords, you really mustn't—please, hurry and stand up."

Ye Sansi pulled out a chair and smiled, "Sister-in-law, please sit."

"Oh, this..."

After the two brothers chatted for a while, the Peng Immortal and the Rabbit Demon arrived. As they entered the room, Ye Sansi and Ouyang stood up to pay their respects to the Rabbit Demon.

Ouyang added, "Sister-in-law, please don't be so formal. Third brother is right; setting aside the etiquette of ruler and subject, you are our sister-in-law. Over these thousands of years, I have held you in high regard. The prosperity of the Otherworldly Demon Realm is thanks to your dedication. This bowl of wine is for you."

After finishing, Ouyang stood up and lifted his wine bowl. The Rabbit Demon hurriedly filled her own bowl, stood up as well, and they both drained them in one gulp.

The Rabbit Demon smiled and slowly sat back down, saying, "My lords, please sit as well. I am but a woman; I shouldn't be sitting at the table to eat and drink with you. You are all so courteous, it makes me feel quite uneasy."

Ye Sansi quickly replied, "It is true that I and the second brother are kings, but our eldest brother is the Peng Immortal King, and you are the Queen—our sister-in-law. It is only right that we brothers show you this respect."

The Rabbit Demon leaned against the Peng Immortal, complaining with a pout, "Didn't you tell me you would take me to the human realm for some fun? Why haven't you kept your word?"

"Little Rabbit, you are drunk. Didn't we agree? Once we drive away the demon army, I will take you to roam the mountains and rivers and enjoy the prosperity and beauty of the human world. Today, the second and third brothers are here, so please do not lose your composure."

Ye Sansi laughed, "Sister-in-law has a great capacity for liquor! Third brother must toast you as well."

Half an hour passed, and while little of the food had been touched, two jars of wine were already empty. The Rabbit Demon had drunk the most, and although her tolerance had always been good, she was now intoxicated.

The Rabbit Demon pouted and said, "You’ve told me quite a lot about the troubles in this Otherworldly Demon Realm. I didn't want to bring it up in front of you for fear of distracting you, but today, having drunk too much, I am speaking foolishly. And then there’s Little Ji—aside from eating, she just sits in the fields staring blankly. When I ask her what she’s doing, she says nothing. I fear she is curious about the outside world; seeing her look of longing, unable to reach it, truly breaks my heart."

Hearing the Rabbit Demon's words, Ye Sansi realized something and quickly asked, "Is the niece you speak of a young girl with delicate features and a clever, cute appearance?"

The Rabbit Demon sat up, propping her chin on her hand, and said slowly, "I am not in a hurry, it’s just that my niece is always saying how interesting the outside is, talking about wild boars on the mountains and immortal fruits and trees. For the past month, she has been begging me, and I had no choice but to urge you."

The Peng Immortal laughed, "Little Rabbit, tell Little Ji to wait a little longer. The demon army is heading straight for the border villages; they will surely invade the Otherworldly Demon Realm within days. The safety and survival of thousands of demons may hang in the balance, so we cannot be lax. As for the outing, it must wait a while longer..."

The Peng Immortal clapped his hands and laughed, "That confirms it, the girl is indeed Little Ji. What is it? Does third brother know her?"

Ye Sansi stood up and scratched his head, saying, "Brother, this is my fault. A month ago, I met that young girl and told her some interesting stories about my Bu Yun Mountain. We made a pact to meet again in the fields, but I was busy and forgot. Who would have thought..."

The Rabbit Demon thought for a moment and smiled, "Bu Yun King, given your description, I fear many young girls among the ten thousand demon households look like that. How can you be sure it’s Little Ji?"

"Right, she knows a very exquisite footwork technique; she can travel hundreds of steps in a single breath..."

"If you calculate the time, she should have finished her meal and be cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks at home. In half an hour, she will head to the fields..."

Ye Sansi sat down and smiled, "That’s good. In half an hour, I will go see her. The little girl is quite clever and mischievous, and she is very interested in my mountain stories. I will chat with her some more. Eldest brother, second brother, might you allow Sansi to take a few hours of leisure this afternoon?"

The Rabbit Demon gestured with a smile, "Bu Yun King, this past month you have been setting up defensive lines, laying out formations, planning strategies, and deploying troops. You have been busy and exhausted with every little detail. My niece is playful and mischievous, but knowing she has been waiting so bitterly, I fear for her health. If you have some free time, please stop by to see her. It will give her something to look forward to so she won't keep going to the fields, and it will ease my worries."

"Sister-in-law, where should she be at this hour?"

Ouyang laughed loudly, "Very well, very well! I truly fall short of third brother's humility. By the way, when you talk with Little Ji, don't forget to secretly learn a few tricks. You’ve seen their family's footwork; it’s very impressive. It wouldn't hurt to learn a few moves—it will surely be useful in the future."

Hearing that he should "secretly learn," Ye Sansi glanced at the Rabbit Demon.

The Peng Immortal nodded, and Ouyang promised, "Of course. Third brother has worked hard this month. Rest well this afternoon. I will decide on the small matters with our eldest brother, and we will wait for your return for the important ones. How about that?"

Ye Sansi nodded in agreement, squinting with a smile, "Second brother, you love to joke. How could important matters be delayed? And you say 'wait for my return'—with the decision-making talent of you and our eldest brother, what major issue could you not resolve? In the past, I only assisted a little."

Ye Sansi stood up as well and said, "Counting the time, Little Ji should have gone to the fields. I will go find her and come to the throne room later."

After speaking, Ye Sansi and Ouyang left together. Ouyang headed for the throne room, and Ye Sansi mounted his sword and soared into the sky, heading toward the "Ten Thousand Households."

The Rabbit Demon nodded in acknowledgment and smiled, "If the Bu Yun King wishes to study our clan's techniques, it is truly our good fortune. My niece has had an intuitive grasp of our clan's methods since she was young. In terms of strength, she does not lose to the great demons in this realm. Because she has been playful since childhood, she has mastered this footwork exceptionally well; she is far superior to me now..."

Before half an hour had passed, they had finished eating. Ouyang stood up and said, "I must hurry and use my magic to digest this meal, otherwise my old injuries will flare up again."

The Otherworldly Demon Realm had a sun suspended by Ouyang's magic, allowing the climate to be manipulated at will. There was much spring and autumn and little winter, so crops grew quickly and were harvested frequently, leading to many busy days.

Such vitality was largely thanks to the Rabbit Demon's dedication. The idea of moving soil to create fields was hers, and this massive project was carried out by only a hundred of her kin.

After flying for a short while, a field that had been cultivated with care came into view. Regardless of the soil's fertility, it was planted with various vegetables and fruits, a scene of great vitality.

Although it was noon and the sun was high, many demons were still working in the fields. These farmers were no ordinary mortals, so the work was much easier for them.

Ye Sansi stopped his Heaven's Wrath sword and performed the Eight Treasures Technique, focusing his attention to locate the demons of rabbit descent.

Among the wolves, tigers, and leopards, the aura of the Rabbit Demon was quite unique. With one glance, Ye Sansi detected the demon aura and looked down to see that familiar face. She was squatting on the edge of the field, lost in thought.

As the clan leader, the Rabbit Demon could have claimed the fields for herself, but because of her kind heart, she often gave away grain as rations for the Ten Thousand Households army and distributed the land for other demons to farm. Although it wasn't always perfectly even, none of the demons had any complaints.

There were many demon shadows moving about in the field; finding one specific demon among them was not simple.

Little Ji waved her hands and smiled, "It’s okay. Big brother said he would come find me when he had time, so Little Ji didn't have high expectations. I just felt that watching my aunts and uncles farm in the fields wasn't boring, and I could wait for big brother to find me at the same time."

This child was truly clever and mischievous, and her words were pleasant. Ye Sansi laughed, "You, oh you, you are truly smart. If you weren't so playful, perhaps with more cultivation, you could become a great talent."

Ye Sansi swooped down. Little Ji saw him from afar, and upon realizing it was him, she was overjoyed. She stood up immediately and kept waving.

Ye Sansi leapt down, wearing a smile, and walked toward Little Ji, saying slowly, "Little Ji, I am truly sorry. I forgot our promise, and it has been a whole month before I learned that you were waiting for me in these fields every day..."

"Then Little Ji wants to be like that too—just like big brother, protecting others' well-being. It sounds very interesting. By the way, big brother knows Little Ji's name; do you know my aunt?"

Ye Sansi pondered Little Ji’s words and smiled, "You could say it’s fun, or you could say it’s interesting, but it depends on how you look at it. To me, being able to eliminate evil and uphold justice, protecting the kind and innocent, makes me happy. When I think about it, it is very interesting..."

"A great talent?" Little Ji didn't understand the meaning and tilted her head, asking, "What is a great talent? Is it fun and interesting?"

"That goes without saying. If she hadn't mentioned it, I fear I would have had a hard time remembering we had a promise." As he spoke, Ye Sansi sat down on the edge of the field, and Little Ji sat down with him.

Ye Sansi pointed at the sky and said, "Little Ji, look at the sky. It is truly vast. Beneath it are many living beings, but some demons, some monsters, and even some humans have unkind hearts. They are always thinking about how to do evil and hurt those kind and innocent creatures. Do you wish to use your own power to protect those pitiful lives?"

"Of course I do! My mother passed away shortly after I was born, and my father was killed by a foul Taoist. My aunt raised me, taught me magic, and named me 'Ji' (Lucky), protecting me everywhere. She wouldn't let me do heavy work or go far, fearing I would encounter danger. These years have been truly boring. If I could really do as big brother says and protect innocent lives, of course Little Ji would be willing..."