Wayfarer

Chapter 681: Xiao Nanfeng Takes on Sage Green Lotus

Another afternoon, the Demon Child was resting on a folding chair at the seat, an ice-cream cone in hand, as he watched a puppet show about the Calabash Brothers being put on.

"Come on, fight them! They're just little snake spirits. How could they have taken down all of you? Spit out fire and burn them to death! All of you suck! I would have stomped them to death with my feet!" the Demon Child exclaimed.

From his side, Ye Dafu called out, "Alright, Demon Child, you've eaten and drunk your fill, so let's keep fighting!"

"Right, it's time to fight!" the golden cultivators shouted.

But the Demon Child was reluctant to stop watching the puppet show. He frowned. "Hold on. Let me finish the show first!"

"What's there to see? The Dazheng Empire is full of such puppet shows. We've all grown tired of them. Don't you want to fight instead?" Ye Dafu called back.

"What? You've grown tired of them?" the Demon Child exclaimed.

"Of course. His Majesty has puppet shows involving those Calabash Brothers, some Ginseng Brothers, little sheep roaming through the plains, Ultraman, the adventures of Egghead and Dogbear—there's far too many of them. None of us like them very much," Ye Dafu boasted.

The Demon Child's eyes lit up. "You lot might not like them, but I do! How can your taste be so bad?"

"Right, what's with this new tattoo of yours? You have another green lotus totem on your body now," Ye Dafu commented.

The Demon Child glanced at the second green lotus on his body and frowned. "That old geezer insisted on helping me fight you. I didn't want it, but he insisted."

Xiao Nanfeng walked up to them and inspected the green lotus in detail.

"Something's wrong with this green lotus. It seems to embody some sort of natural law," he murmured.

"Natural law? What's that?" the Demon Child asked curiously.

Xiao Nanfeng and the others: ...

Just how did the Demon Child become a Golden Immortal if he knew so little about cultivation?

"Proper use of natural law can endow your attacks with tremendous strength, but improper use can be dangerous. I heard that some malicious cultivators carve natural law onto other cultivators' bodies, allowing them to manipulate those cultivators. It's a particularly dangerous affair, so very few would dare subject themselves to it," Xiao Nanfeng explained.

"There's no way the old geezer would harm me!" the Demon Child exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng scrutinized the green lotuses more carefully. "Considering that your strength hasn't improved by much with these totems, I recommend that you don't get any more."

The Demon Child took a big bite of his ice-cream cone. "We'll talk about that later!"

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. It wasn't his place to interfere too much; after all, the "old geezer" the Demon Child was talking about was none other than his master, Sage Green Lotus.

"Very well. Keep on fighting with Ye Dafu and the others, then. I'll have to head back to lecture on cultivation as well."

"See you tonight!" the Demon Child called back.

Shockingly, the Demon Child hadn't realized how his attitude toward Xiao Nanfeng and the others had changed.

"Right, the chefs tonight will be making shaved ice and roast duck spirit. Take a bath after you fight and get some dinner before you go."

The Demon Child's eyes lit up. Saliva drooled from the corner of his lips. "I'll do you the honor of showing up, then!"

"Come on, let's fight!" Ye Dafu and the others shouted.

"Let's fight!" the Demon Child echoed.

The cultivators began to fight once more as Xiao Nanfeng returned to lecture on cultivation.

That night, the Demon Child held a cup of bubble tea in one hand and a spicy roast wing in the other. He hummed jauntily as he made his way back to Taiyi Peak.

Sage Green Lotus watched him with some trepidation. "Disciple, why don't you end things with Xiao Nanfeng? Let bygones be bygones—stop fighting with him any longer."

He could see that Xiao Nanfeng was clearly trying to abduct the Demon Child after preparing such good food and entertainment for him. If this were to continue, his disciple would vanish in the blink of an eye!

"Why not? I like what I'm doing. Don't cause trouble for me, old geezer!" the Demon Child retorted.

Sage Green Lotus: ...

What was he supposed to say now? How much did his disciple even know about his own strained relations with Xiao Nanfeng?

"In that case, you had better showcase your strength. Come here. I'll engrave another green lotus onto your body," Sage Green Lotus said.

"There's no need. It's useless, and doesn't boost my strength by much," the Demon Child replied curtly.

Sage Green Lotus choked on his tea. The reason he had tricked Li Qianjun into handing over the Demon Child was precisely to engrave these green lotus totems on his body. Was his plan already ruined?

"I won't let you ruin my reputation! You have to win. Let me add more," Sage Green Lotus coaxed.

"No! They're useless!"

Sage Green Lotus grimaced, but what was he to do if his disciple wouldn't cooperate? Xiao Nanfeng was truly a menace.

Another day passed. The fighting continued. At lunch, Xiao Nanfeng frowned. "Demon Child, why do you have another tattoo on your body?"

The Demon Child sighed. "That old geezer forced me to get one before I could leave. I don't want them, either."

Xiao Nanfeng's ominous feeling deepened. He felt as though Sage Green Lotus meant the Demon Child ill—could Sage Green Lotus really be intending to control the Demon Child?

Even so, given his position, making such a dangerous accusation simply wasn't appropriate. After all, Sage Green Lotus was the Demon Child's master.

"If these tattoos really are necessary, why don't we tattoo the Calabash Brothers on your back?" Xiao Nanfeng suggested.

He wasn't able to stop Sage Green Lotus, so why not do it in his place instead? His tattoos, at least, could be removed by a technique to restore fair, unmarked skin. At the very least, Sage Green Lotus wouldn't be able to hurt the Demon Child any longer. Once he had reached a sufficient threshold of friendship with the Demon Child, he would abduct him and flee.

"Great idea! Why didn't I think of it?" The Demon Child jumped up in excitement.

That night, he returned to Taiyi Peak after having eaten his fill, as usual.

Sage Green Lotus called the Demon Child to him. "Disciple, let me add another green lotus totem to your body. We'll do your back this time."

"There's no need," the Demon Child replied. "I already have something on my back."

"What?" Sage Green Lotus was perplexed.

The Demon Child took off his clothes to reveal a full-back tattoo.

Sage Green Lotus goggled. "Wh-What sort of nonsense have you tattooed on your back? Who allowed you to do this?!"

"I wanted it. What do you think? It looks great, doesn't it?" the Demon Child exclaimed.

"Great? What sort of nonsense are you tattooing on your own body? An old man smoking tobacco? You've been tricked!" Sage Green Lotus screeched.

"This is the Calabash Brothers' grandfather. When they see me, they'll have to bow down to me!" the Demon Child explained, pleased with himself.

Sage Green Lotus was moments away from spitting out a mouthful of blood. If the Demon Child had gotten a full-back tattoo, where was he supposed to engrave another green lotus?

The next day, the fighting continued. At lunch, Xiao Nanfeng frowned and asked, "Demon Child, why is there a green lotus totem on your thigh?"

"The old geezer insisted, and I didn't have a choice. I refused, but he insisted. He even forbade me from coming today, and I barely got away from him!"

Xiao Nanfeng's frown deepened. This couldn't be anything good.

"In that case, you might as well not go back tonight. Just stay on this island. I'll prepare some extra-fun stuff for you," Xiao Nanfeng offered.

"Really?" the Demon Child exclaimed in excitement. Then, his face fell. "Before I came here, I promised my parents that I'd sleep at that old geezer's place every night. I have to listen to my mother."

Xiao Nanfeng's feeling that there was a conspiracy around the Demon Child grew even stronger.

"How about this? You've watched quite a few puppet shows these last few days. Why don't we tattoo your favorite all over your body? I'll help you reinforce those tattoos with a secret technique, too," Xiao Nanfeng offered.

"Good idea! Let me see!" the Demon Child agreed instantly.

Xiao Nanfeng carefully studied the green lotus totems. His avatar engaged Blue Lantern's help and did the same.

That night, the Demon Child left the island and returned to Taiyi Peak reluctantly.

Sage Green Lotus was waiting for him there. When he saw him return, he instantly began to smile. "Disciple, let me add another green lotus totem to your body."

Sage Green Lotus had no other choice; the technique he was using needed him to engrave a single lotus a day. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to go to all this trouble.

"There's no need," the Demon Child replied, shaking his head. "My body's full!"

"Full?" Sage Green Lotus was taken aback.

"Look here! My leg's full of the monsters from Ultraman. Doesn't it look great? There's a small monster on the sole of my foot, too. And on this arm, it's Mr. and Mrs. Wolf from the plains. Here, it's the Dogbear Brothers. On my neck is the Bald Woodcutter!" the Demon Child explained, happily enumerating his tattoos.

Sage Green Lotus goggled. His green lotus totems needed clear, unblemished skin. What was he to do?

"These green lotuses are better. Why don't we remove your Big Bad Wolf tattoo and replace it with a green lotus?" Sage Green Lotus advised.

"No! Those green lotuses are ugly—the Big Bad Wolf is far better! What's more, all these tattoos have been reinforced. They'll last for a month at least," the Demon Child replied.

Sage Green Lotus narrowed his eyes. He suspected that Xiao Nanfeng knew what he was trying to do, but didn't have the authority or standing to expose him. Sage Green Lotus had to tattoo seven green lotus totems on the Demon Child's body for the sake of his technique, and there were only four. What was he to do?

"What if we tattoo it on your face?" Sage Green Lotus suggested.

"What? That's too embarrassing! Who would tattoo something on their face?" The Demon Child looked at his master disdainfully.

Sage Green Lotus grimaced as if he were constipated. He wouldn't have had to go to all this trouble if his disciple hadn't tattooed his entire body!