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Chapter 51

Sure enough, as Yan Tuo expected, as soon as he opened the car door, Nie Jiuluo immediately woke up. Yan Tuo sat in the driver’s seat and placed the large bag he was carrying back. “Do you want to eat something?” he asked.

 

Nie Jiuluo responded, “No, I’m not hungry.”

 

Yan Tuo persisted, “I bought a lot—both Chinese and Western food. It tastes best when eaten now. Whether you eat it sooner or later, you’ll have to eat it anyway. Don’t worry, the store packed it, and I haven’t touched it. After a night without food, it’s time to replenish your energy. Besides, the hot, fragrant smells are pretty enticing.”

 

Nie Jiuluo turned slightly and glanced through the bag in Yan Tuo’s hand. Sure enough, there was a mix of Chinese and Western options—coffee, tofu pudding, hamburgers, oil cakes, and spicy soup. The oil cakes were fried to perfection, fluffy and crisp. She reached out to grab one but hesitated, thinking they might be too greasy and would dirty her hands.

 

Yan Tuo reminded her, “There’s a small plastic bag on the side.”

 

Nie Jiuluo took a piece, wrapped it in the plastic bag, and picked it up. She also grabbed a cup of soy milk, poked the straw through the lid, and started drinking. It tasted perfect—warm, slightly sweet, and comforting from her throat to her stomach, spreading warmth to her limbs.

 

Yan Tuo had wanted to open a bowl of spicy tofu pudding but reconsidered. The flavor was too strong for the confined space of the car, so he opted for something with a milder smell. He, too, took a cup of soy milk and wrapped a fried fritter in a plastic bag.

 

Outside, a little boy tugged at the pigtail of the girl in front of him. Furious, the girl picked up her schoolbag and swung it at him, running and hitting him as they continued down the street. Yan Tuo watched the scene, eating half of his fritter.

 

Nie Jiuluo broke the silence and asked, “Do you know about the Nanba Monkey Head?”

 

Yan Tuo replied, “I’ve heard about it these past few days, but I haven’t been there. I don’t know where it is. Did someone arrange to meet you there?”

 

Nie Jiuluo nodded. “They say people are hung on trees there, and if we don’t go, they’ll be left hanging. In this weather, they’ll freeze to death in a few days. After that, they hang someone new until all the captives are dealt with.”

 

Yan Tuo imagined the scene for a moment, and a chill ran down his spine. 

 

Nie Jiuluo asked, “Do you think they’d actually do something like that, or is it just talk?”

 

After a long pause, Yan Tuo finally said, “They’d do it.”

 

Nie Jiuluo choked on her last bite of food and struggled to swallow. “Would calling the police help?” she asked.

 

Yan Tuo shook his head. “First of all, I’ve never been to Nanba Monkey Head, but from the name, I can tell it’s deep in the mountains, with no proper roads. It would take at least a day or two to get there. Getting the police in would be difficult.”

 

Here’s an edited version of the continuation of the chapter for clarity, grammar, and flow:

 

 

“Secondly, when the police are dispatched, there has to be an official report, right? You mentioned it was ‘supposed’—what evidence do you have that there are really people hanging from trees out there?”

 

Nie Jiuluo remained silent. She had experience calling the police before and knew the basic procedures for a police response, but at the moment, there was no solid evidence.

 

“And even if the police do go, do you really think they’ll find anything? By the time they arrive, it’ll be too late. Can’t you grasp such a simple truth?”

 

Nie Jiuluo clenched the plastic bag in her hand, twisted it into a ball, and tossed it into the garbage bag inside the car. “Think it through. Sometimes it’s easier to die when you just listen to what others say. If it were you, would you risk it?”

 

Yan Tuo stuffed the remaining half of his fritters into his mouth, washing it down with a big gulp of soy milk. “Logically speaking, I wouldn’t go. It’s obviously a trap. You’ll end up risking your life, and there’s a high chance you won’t be able to save anyone.”

 

“And outside of logic?”

 

“Well, it depends on who’s in trouble. If it were my parents tied up and hanging there, even if I knew it was dangerous, I’d have to go.”

 

He glanced out of the window and muttered, “It’s so cold today.”

 

The people outside were huddled together, their breaths visible in the frigid air. If his parents were really out there suffering, he wouldn’t be able to stay here comfortably for even a second.

 

“So you’re just going to let those people freeze to death, one by one?” Nie Jiuluo asked.

 

Yan Tuo thought for a moment. “Not exactly. Those who froze probably died already, but most of them won’t. The rest will survive.”

 

Nie Jiuluo frowned. “What do you mean?”

 

“Hanging people from trees to freeze them to death may look cruel, but it’s all for show. Their goal is to break you emotionally. The more unhinged you become, the more satisfied they are. Isn’t that right?”

 

Nie Jiuluo didn’t argue; she had no objection to his reasoning.

 

“But for the show to go on, it needs an audience. Like in a movie, no audience means the performance ends. They won’t keep it up forever. If no one shows up, who are they performing for? They can’t just keep hanging people there indefinitely for no reason.”

 

“They’ll keep it up for a while, sure, but their real objective isn’t to kill the hostages. It’s to trap the rest of you. Once they realize their methods aren’t working, they’ll try something else. After all, even a fool knows that a living hostage is worth more than a dead one.”

 

Nie Jiuluo sighed inwardly, understanding the logic. After a long pause, Yan Tuo started the car.

 

“Where are you headed? I’ll drop you somewhere you can catch a cab.”

 

Nie Jiuluo, however, brought up the same question again. “Will you help me save them? Have you thought it over?”

 

Yan Tuo sighed, exasperated. “Miss Nie, I really can’t. If Jiang Baichuan is the leader, then every aspect of security around him will be tight. A small-time character like me wouldn’t even get close to him, let alone be able to save anyone.”

 

Nie Jiuluo’s voice was steady. “I can offer compensation.”

 

Yan Tuo chuckled bitterly, not bothering to respond.

 

Nie Jiuluo glanced at him. “Aren’t you curious about what the reward is?”

 

“It’s not about the reward…” Yan Tuo started, but Nie Jiuluo cut him off.

 

“You once asked me how to kill the Earth Owl.”

 

Yan Tuo’s grip on the steering wheel tightened involuntarily. His gaze fixed ahead, suppressing the emotion rising within him. “At the time, you said you didn’t know.”

 

Nie Jiuluo smiled. “You didn’t listen carefully. I never said I didn’t know. What I said was ‘I can’t answer.’ But back then, you were too disappointed to notice.”

 

It had been so long that Yan Tuo struggled to remember her exact words. But now that she mentioned it, “I can’t answer” was certainly different from “I don’t know.” It was a crafty shift in wording.

 

His throat felt dry. “So, you do know?”

 

Nie Jiuluo snorted lightly. “What do you think of that as a reward?”

 

Yan Tuo laughed suddenly. “You’ve been beaten down so badly by the Earth Owls, your leaders are missing or dead, and yet you still think you can kill them?”

 

Nie Jiuluo smiled too. “What’s wrong with that? Just because we had a bad start doesn’t mean we’re defeated. In sports, you play the whole game, not just the first few minutes.”

 

Yan Tuo turned the car at a crossroads, barely caring where he was headed anymore, as long as he was driving somewhere. “The Earth Owl isn’t the same as it used to be. It’s evolved, taken on human form. Even the dog family can’t smell them anymore. Can you guarantee your method will still work?”

 

“Yes, haven’t I already dealt with Dogtooth?”

 

“Dogtooth is different. He’s omnivorous.”

 

Nie Jiuluo fell silent for a moment. It was true that she had taken down Grasshopper, a traditional Earth Owl, but Dogtooth was different—an omnivore, not so easily subdued. She couldn’t guarantee that her methods would still be effective.

 

“If you’re not interested, then forget it. Just help me look after him for now. Make sure he’s fed and doesn’t suffer too much.”

 

She gestured to the street ahead. “You can drop me off here. I’ll be able to catch a taxi.”

 

Yan Tuo slowed down and drove into the parking lane. Nie Jiuluo unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and stepped out, but just as her foot hit the ground, Yan Tuo called out to her: “Miss Nie.”

 

She sat back in the car and looked at him. “What did you say?”

 

“As long as I can do it, this deal works, right?”

 

Nie Jiuluo nodded, then added, “But you have to stay alive.”

 

Yan Tuo paused before responding, “I’ll try.”

 

Nie Jiuluo was both surprised and unsurprised. She reminded him, “I can’t guarantee that my method will still work.”

 

“I understand,” Yan Tuo replied. “I’ll contact you again if there’s any news.”

 

Nie Jiuluo opened the door again and got out of the car. As she walked a short distance away, she couldn’t help but glance back. She saw Yan Tuo’s car still in place, and after a moment, he lowered his head and leaned against the steering wheel. The sight reminded her of how she had been lying against the steering wheel the previous night, tired, with a cold feeling in her chest and back.

 

Was her request excessive? She wondered if it was too dangerous for him.

 

Nie Jiuluo hesitated and took out her phone, sending him a message: “Do what you can. Forget it if it’s too dangerous.”

 

In her peripheral vision, she saw Yan Tuo pick up his phone. He read the message, and after a brief pause, he looked around, spotting her. He quickly began typing.

 

Nie Jiuluo looked down at her phone.

 

Yan Tuo had sent: “If I don’t do it, does that mean the deal is off?”

 

Nie Jiuluo replied: “Jiang Baichuan is very important to me.”

 

Yan Tuo responded: “I understand. Everyone has someone important. You make an offer for someone important to you, and I take risks for someone important to me.”

 

When the message disappeared from the screen, his car sped away, the cold wind from the vehicle sweeping past her.

 

Nie Jiuluo held her phone and thought to herself, Jiang Baichuan is still important to me.

 

 

The first time Nie Jiuluo met Jiang Baichuan was when she was five years old.

 

At that time, Pei Ke had not yet passed away, and her parents, Nie Xihong and Pei Ke33 seemed to be living in harmony. At least, she had never seen them argue, though perhaps as Zhan Jing had said, they avoided fighting in front of her.

 

That day, when she came home from kindergarten, there were guests in the house—Uncle Jiang and Jiang Baichuan.

 

Back then, Jiang Baichuan was handsome, mature, and elegant. Although he was in his thirties, he looked as though he was still in his twenties. Nie Jiuluo had always thought her father was handsome, but after seeing Jiang Baichuan, she realized that there was always someone better.

 

An unfilial thought crossed her mind: *I wish Uncle Jiang was my father.*

 

In their house, the children didn’t sit with the guests for meals. After happily finishing her food in the small kitchen, Nie Jiuluo ran to Pei Ke to ask for money to buy snacks. From experience, she knew that when there were guests around, the chances of getting money were higher, and sometimes she could even get an extra thirty or fifty from the guests.

 

But as she approached the door, she overheard a conversation. To her surprise, they were talking about her.

 

Jiang Baichuan said excitedly, “Xixi is really a good seedling. Have you ever considered…?”

 

Pei Ke gently but firmly replied, “No, don’t get her involved in your business from back home. I’ve at least been in the woods and hunted rabbits before, but Xixi grew up in the city. She’s just an ordinary child and will live an ordinary life. Brother Jiang, isn’t it enough to have me?”

 

Nie Xihong asked, “Is this really possible?”

 

Pei Ke smiled. “Look at Brother Jiang’s current success. Isn’t it enough that he’s helped us prosper?”

 

Jiang Baichuan chuckled, “There’s a tradition in Bashan hunting—everyone involved gets a share. Whether you can contribute or not, as long as you’re there for the whole process, you’ll get your share.”

 

 

Nie Jiuluo didn’t fully understand what they were talking about. That night, as she climbed into bed and nestled into her mother’s arms, she asked, “Mom, what kind of ‘seedling’ am I?”

 

Pei Ke laughed and poked her nose, “You’re my precious baby. Uncle Jiang wants you to work for him, but we won’t go, no matter how much money he offers.”

 

Nie Jiuluo asked seriously, “Not even for eight thousand a month?”

 

Pei Ke turned off the lights and responded with a laugh, “No, not even for that. You focus on studying, take the college entrance exams, and then go abroad for a Ph.D. That’s much better than eight thousand a month.”

 

In the dark, Nie Jiuluo was full of regret.

 

She really wanted to work for Jiang Baichuan. Eight thousand a month sounded great to her. Besides, Jiang Baichuan was so handsome, she would have accepted seven thousand.

 

 

The second time Nie Jiuluo saw Jiang Baichuan was at her father Nie Xihong’s funeral.

 

She held the black-and-white portrait of her father, wearing a white mourning cloth on her head. She couldn’t understand how she had suddenly become an orphan. After her mother passed, she had always feared that her father would remarry and bring a stepmother into her life. Her friends had told her that stepmothers were harsh.

 

Now, there was no stepmother, but she still had to live with her uncle’s family. Would there still be room for her?

 

She was sad, her eyes brimming with tears. Through her blurred vision, she saw a tall figure crouch down in front of her. The voice called her, “Xixi.”

 

When she looked up, it was Jiang Baichuan. If this man had been so kind to her father, he surely wouldn’t have jumped off the building.

 

Her sobs grew louder.

 

Jiang Baichuan pressed a roll of cash and a note with a phone number into her hand. “If you ever need anything, just call Uncle Jiang.”

 

She nodded, clutching the money and note tightly in her hands, dampening them with her sweat.

 

 

To be fair, her uncle Nie Dongyang and his family didn’t mistreat her. They didn’t make her wash the family’s clothes in ice water in the middle of winter or force her to eat leftovers as she had feared.

 

But in her uncle’s house, the bowl of water was never quite level when it came to her.

 

One time, her aunt called her in for chicken cake. The cake was soft and fragrant. She nibbled at it slowly, savoring each bite. Later, after playing outside, she returned with the leftover cake still in her hand.

 

Passing by the kitchen, she overheard her aunt whispering to Nie Yun, “Her cake doesn’t have cream. Yours does, but don’t let her see it.”

 

Curious, Nie Jiuluo peeked into the kitchen. Sure enough, Nie Yun’s cake had a swirl of beautiful cream on top.

 

Why wasn’t she worthy of having cream? Bitterly, she threw away the rest of her cake and swore to herself that she would never eat a creamless cake again. That night, she even wrote in her diary: *This babe will only eat cake with cream, or I’m a dog!*

 

 

Another time, she overheard her uncle discussing future plans for her cousin’s education with her aunt.

 

Her uncle said, “Our little one’s grades are average, but Yun Yun will need extra attention and money to get into a good school. Xixi can just stay local, maybe go to a technical school. Afterward, she can find a stable job, like working in a supermarket. It’s fashionable, after all. We can even find her a steady partner. That would fulfill our duty to her parents.”

 

Furious, Nie Jiuluo cried quietly by the door. Hadn’t her mother told her to aim for a Ph.D. abroad? Why was her uncle planning to match her with some ordinary guy?

 

Feeling a deep sense of crisis, Nie Jiuluo believed she was at a critical turning point in her life and needed help.

 

That night, she dug out the phone number Jiang Baichuan had given her. She scribbled a note in her diary: *For the sake of my future, I have decided to negotiate with Jiang Baichuan.*

 

She then broke a mechanical pencil and downed a glass of water mixed with liquor to show her determination.

 

The next day, she made the call from a public phone at a corner shop. As soon as Jiang Baichuan answered, she began to cry.

 

“Uncle Jiang, I want to negotiate with you,” she said.

 

She had wanted to address him by his first name to show they were equals, but she was too nervous, so she added “Uncle” instead.

 

At first, Jiang Baichuan didn’t understand. After a moment, he asked, “Xixi? Why are you crying? Don’t cry. Talk to me slowly.”

 

“I want to study in a big city,” she said, “and I want to get a Ph.D. one day.”

 

Jiang Baichuan responded though he wasn’t sure what connection there was between a Ph.D. and studying in a big city.

 

“I want my own house, she continued, with a servant to take care of me because, after all, my parents are gone.”

 

He let out a sound of acknowledgment and replied, “I can make that happen.”

 

She hesitated, then made her request in a soft voice, “I also want to eat cake with cream.”

This time, he chuckled. “I’ll take care of that too.”


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An Owl Rising From The Green Soil

An Owl Rising From The Green Soil

Love On The Turquoise Land (Drama)
Score 8.0
Status: Ongoing Type: , Author: , Artist: Released: 2020 Native Language: Chinese
Over two thousand years ago on a deep night, Xu Fu* set sail to the eastern seas in a treasure ship to search for immortality, but few people knew that at the same time, a group of black-turban soldiers secretly entered the vast and dense Nanbao forest… A millennium later, the dark legend continues to slowly grow in the shadows. Xú Fú: Qin dynasty court necromancer and was tasked by Qin Shi Huang to look for the elixir of life between 219 BC and 210 BC. He never returned after departing on his second mission in 210 BC.

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