SLLBTT Chapter 47
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
⋇⊶⊰Chapter 47⊱⊷⋇
The decision was made — the Snow Wolf King and the Snow Leopard Chief Guard opted for disguises for their upcoming journey.
Liu Jiao, also filled with joy, prepared early for bed. However, before sleeping, he noticed that the Snow Wolf King was still reviewing memorials. Liu Jiao went to bed first. When he woke up, the snow leopard discovered that the Snow Wolf King was already awake, working at the computer.
Liu Jiao suddenly remembered that his "Xiao Baizi" wasn't someone leading a leisurely life of luxury like him, but rather the busy Northern King handling myriad affairs.
These past few days, he had been sticking with the Snow Wolf King for leisure. It might have caused the Snow Wolf King some work delays, and even more seriously, it could have interfered with state affairs. No wonder the Censor called him a "jinx"!
Liu Jiao, with a hint of sleepiness, rubbed his eyes and looked down at his knees. Sitting on the bed, legs crossed, his enthusiasm for going shopping extinguished entirely.
The Snow Wolf King was sitting to the side, writing something down. He picked up earphones, listened to a recording, and furrowed his brows. After a while, the Snow Wolf King picked up a pen and paper again, jotting down a series of characters. After putting the pen down, he raised his eyes, looked towards the bed, and saw Liu Jiao sitting cross-legged with a troubled expression, his tail drooping down to the floor.
The Snow Wolf King, concerned, said, "You're awake, why didn't you say anything?"
Liu Jiao raised his head. "I... can we not go out today?"
"Why?" asked the Snow Wolf King, frowning. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm not unwell," Liu Jiao shook his head and replied, "I just... just remembered what Censor Xu said..."
The Snow Wolf King said helplessly, "Why are you thinking about Censor Xu's words again?"
Liu Jiao pursed his lips, not knowing how to respond.
The Snow Wolf King teased, "In the entire former imperial harem, it seems you're the only one taking Censor Xu's words to heart."
"Huh?" Liu Jiao was surprised. "Really? But he's a Censor, who wouldn't listen to him?"
"Yes, he's been a Censor for two dynasties, with a long-standing reputation. Nobody would have conflicts with him."
"Two dynasties?" Liu Jiao was astonished. "He looks so young!"
"And do you think Censor Li looks old?"
"No, quite young!" Liu Jiao recalled, finding both Censors Xu and Li to be youthful and dignified.
"As the Chief Investigator mentioned yesterday, whether old or young, appearances don't reveal their true nature."
"Really?"
"As my Chief Guard, when we return to the palace and attend court together, you'll see that most of the court officials, both military and civilian, appear young and handsome. If they don't possess conventional attractiveness, they undoubtedly have extraordinary talents in other aspects."
"Really?" Liu Jiao was incredibly surprised. "Why?"
"It's a rule set by the Heavenly Emperor," the Snow Wolf King explained. "He says, 'Appearance reflects the heart.' Whether it's demons taking human form or humans cultivating the Dao, they accumulate the essence of heaven and earth, the vitality of the sun and moon. Their physical bodies are different from those of ordinary people who inherit from their parents. If demons or cultivators don't look good, there must be a problem — either in ability or character. So, unless exceptionally talented, they aren't recruited."
This lengthy discourse was enough to confuse Liu Jiao, but it might be challenging to convince others. In reality, everyone understood — the Heavenly Emperor just liked good-looking individuals, with no other reason.
The Heavenly Emperor was a hardcore connoisseur. Even when the shit he produced wasn't beautiful, he would feel upset for a long time. Eventually, he decided to fast and stopped producing shit. It spared him many troubles.
Liu Jiao, in a puzzled tone, asked, "So, good-looking demons are considered good demons?"
"Not necessarily," the Snow Wolf King chuckled, patting Liu Jiao's tail. "Get up quickly. Let's disguise ourselves and go out."
Liu Jiao twisted and said, "Has the Great King finished official duties to go shopping?"
The Snow Wolf King felt a strange sensation, as if he heard an adult saying, "Have you finished your homework? Let's go shopping?"
The Snow Wolf King smiled and said, "Official duties are never-ending."
"If it's never-ending, why bother doing it?"
"It's not that simple," the Snow Wolf King said, "I just listened to some witness testimonies and feel there are leads in the Northern Pagoda case. How about we go out and take a look?"
Excited by the prospect, Liu Jiao exclaimed, "There are leads?"
"Yes, let's go outside and investigate," the Snow Wolf King suggested. "That's also part of handling a case."
"If it's part of the case, then it's official business," Liu Jiao nodded. "We can go out."
The Snow Wolf King and Liu Jiao playfully helped each other with their hair. However, they heard Censor Xu seeking an audience from outside.
"Really..." the Snow Wolf King sighed in resignation. "Let him in."
Censor Xu swaggered in, bowed to the Great King through the curtain, and said, "Great King, I heard that you slept with the Chief Guard, which is quite inappropriate. Is this true or not?"
Liu Jiao was incredibly surprised. "How... how do you know?"
Censor Xu slapped the floor. "Indeed! There is such a thing! Great King, this is outrageous!"
The Snow Wolf King lifted the curtain and said, "Where is Censor Li?"
Perplexed, Censor Xu asked, "Why do you ask about Censor Li?"
Censor Xu timed his advice when Censor Li wasn't out, ensuring no interruptions during his counsel.
The Snow Wolf King said, "Oh! ... I remember now. Yesterday, Censor Li reported he got bitten by insects and caught a fever."
"What? What kind of insects are so fierce?" Censor Xu exclaimed.
"The royal physician is still diagnosing. Since you're colleagues, go check on him. Don't linger here with me."
Censor Xu took his leave, completely forgetting his initial intention to advise.
The Snow Wolf King then took Liu Jiao's hand, "Alright, Xiao Jiao, let's go out."
Concerned, Liu Jiao asked, "What happened to Censor Li?"
"Nothing serious, just a minor illness."
The Snow Wolf King and Liu Jiao reached the courtyard and saw Da Huangya and Ah Ye playing shuttlecock. Da Huangya had flat feet, struggling with the game, while Ah Ye, uninterested in kicking, soon revealed his feline nature by grabbing the shuttlecock and biting it.
Liu Jiao cautioned, "We're going out, behave at home, no mischief."
Ah Ye sniffed. "You two smell strange."
Liu Jiao laughed. "We're in disguise. What I have now is the scent of a cat demon, and the Great King has the scent of a dog demon. It makes our movements outside more convenient."
Surprised, Ah Ye asked, "You're going out?"
Da Huangya added, "I sneaked out last time, following the river."
"Is there an exit in the river?" the Snow Wolf King was curious. "From what you're saying, walking along the river leads directly outside?"
Da Huangya explained, "The river can flow out, but there's also a wall blocking the way. The wall has aged, so if you have good swimming skills, you can pass through. The problem is, outside the wall, there are some fierce goose demons. Trying to leave that way will surely end in a fight."
Liu Jiao was surprised. "You can't handle geese?"
Da Huangya shamefully lowered his head.
However, the Snow Wolf King was curious, "Why are goose demons guarding there?"
Liu Jiao suggested, "Why not go and find out?"
Da Huangya asked excitedly, "Is Master going to teach those geese a lesson?"
Ah Ye, hearing this, also got excited. After all, he had been beaten up by these geese before and hoped the goose demons would be taught a lesson.
The Snow Wolf King, however, said, "Just going to inquire. Doesn't necessarily mean we have to resort to violence."
Ah Ye countered, "Those geese are aggressive. They peck at everyone on sight. If you don't fight back, you won't get any information from them."
"If that's the case, then there's no other way," the Snow Wolf King sighed.
Excitedly, Da Huangya and Ah Ye insisted on joining. As victims who had suffered at the hands of goose demons, they were eager to witness the geese being taught a lesson.
Ah Ye, being a timid neutered cat, dared not go into the water. Instead, Da Huangya carried him on his back. Snow leopards and wolves were accustomed to water and had no problem with it.
Four individuals emerged from the river, stealthily crossing an old wall underwater. As expected, they found a way out. Below the wall, water had eroded a hole over time. Crossing through the water, they swam out from the hole at the base of the wall. Outside, a sparse forest awaited, with trees not densely covering the sky, and the water flowed slowly with minimal sound. The surroundings were quiet, without even the presence of flying birds, creating a somewhat eerie atmosphere. In the distance, beyond the thin forest, signs of human habitation were visible, suggesting a lively area after passing through the small woods.
Upon reaching the shore, they heard sharp honks. In the sparse woods, a group of aggressive goose demons approached, honking loudly, "Honk honk honk! No one is allowed to pass!"
Da Huangya felt a bit intimidated, recalling his past beating by the geese. However, things were different now, with formidable beasts backing him!
Thus, Da Huangya confronted them boldly, "Honk honk honk! I insist on passing!"
Curiously, Liu Jiao asked, "What does 'honk honk honk' mean?"
Ah Ye whispered, "It seems like a foul word in their avian language."
"Oh..."
The lead goose demon sneered upon spotting Da Huangya and Ah Ye. "Honk honk honk! I recognize you two losers! I've beaten you both until you howled, and you dare to come back?" With that, the goose demon scrutinized the Snow Wolf King and Liu Jiao with a smirk. "Honk honk honk! Bringing a cat and a dog for support? I've never been afraid!"
Da Huangya smirked, "Then come and fight me!"
The goose demon raised its hand to strike Da Huangya, but the Snow Wolf King intervened, "Hold on."
"What's the matter?" the goose demon sneered, "Scared?"
The Snow Wolf King said, "No, that's not why we're here. We're not looking for a fight."
"Huh? Really?" Da Huangya was puzzled.
Ah Ye was also puzzled. "Then why are we here?"
The Snow Wolf King continued, "We have some questions and want you to enlighten us."
"Enlighten? Go find a teacher at school!" The impatient goose demon waved its hand dismissively. "Get back to your temple!"
"But..."
"I have a bad temper, don't annoy me!" The goose demon honked. "Say one more word, and I'll beat the heck out of you!"
The Snow Wolf King pulled out a stack of banknotes.
The goose demon glanced at it. "Trying to bribe me?"
"Hmm."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" The goose demon accepted the banknotes, counted them, and chuckled, "With this, our friendship is secured."
The goose demons parted, creating a path, completely different from their fierce demeanor just moments ago.
Ah Ye and Da Huangya were both stunned: Was this matter really so easily resolved?
The Snow Wolf King asked, "Since we're friends, can you enlighten us?"
The goose demon replied, "Sure. But with this amount of money, our friendship lasts only five minutes."
"That's enough," the Snow Wolf King continued, "May I ask why you are guarding this place?"
The goose demon replied, "The temple lacks security personnel, and there's a defensive loophole here. The abbot of the temple hired me to guard the gate."
Liu Jiao asked, "Is it Abbot Baldy?"
The goose demon was puzzled. "Abbot? Isn't the abbot called Fang Zhang? When did it become Baldy (Xie Ding)?"
The Snow Wolf King explained, "He means that the abbot's hairstyle resembled the 'Four Great Emptiness.'"
The uncultured goose demon didn't understand at all.
Da Huangya simplified, "It means the abbot is bald!"
"Huh? Bald?" The goose demon shook its head, looking confused. "But the abbot isn't bald?"