Chapter 43: Jerry’s Arrival and the Enigmatic Hundred Flowers Valley

Wang Yu and Yue Cai followed Yue Feng, playfully teasing the golden-furred mouse. They had, quite decisively, abandoned its cage after the mouse’s incessant coaxing, adorable antics, and pleas to be held.

Now, the creature sat perched atop Wang Yu’s head, keeping both her and Yue Cai entertained.

“That reminds me,” Yue Cai said, “shouldn’t we give this little mouse a proper name?”

Yue Feng, naturally, had no reason to object.

“What name do you have in mind, Cai’er?” Wang Yu inquired.

Yue Cai pondered with a troubled expression. “How about you help me think of one, Sister Yu’er?” she suggested.

Wang Yu’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. “Splendid! I’ll name it after a legendary mouse from my hometown: Jerry. What do you think? It’s practically a household name where I come from.”

“???” Both Yue Feng and Yue Cai looked utterly bewildered. Clearly, as inhabitants of a different world, they knew nothing of the famous Jerry Mouse.

Nevertheless, they agreed to the name, reasoning that anything renowned in Wang Yu’s homeland must surely be extraordinary.

“From today on, you shall be called Jerry.” Yue Cai cradled the golden-furred mouse in her palms, her voice filled with delight. “This is a name from Sister Yu’er’s hometown, so you must cherish it dearly ヾ ^_^♪.”

“Squeak, squeak, squeak.” Jerry lay in Yue Cai’s hand, seemingly responding. Although they couldn’t understand its words, its joyful demeanor suggested hearty agreement.

“It’s a pity Xiaoke is with its old friend,” Wang Yu sighed helplessly. “It can’t help us translate, otherwise we’d know what it’s saying. Truly, with old friends, masters are forgotten. Such is the fickle nature of the world.”

Yue Feng and Yue Cai exchanged confused glances. “????”

Yue Cai was the first to speak. “Didn’t Sister Yu’er give it to Elder Zhang?”

Wang Yu, with a perfectly straight face, chuckled. “How can you say I gave it away? I merely perceived the deep affection between Xiaoke and my master, and in my immense benevolence, allowed Xiaoke to spend more time with him.”😊️

Yue Feng gazed at the scheming loli. He decided it was best not to expose her. For the sake of his good standing, he resolved to betray his ally.

“Oh, right!” Wang Yu suddenly exclaimed, as if struck by an idea. “Hey, A-Bao, aren’t you capable of learning other languages? Why don’t you translate?”

A-Bao, who had been placidly serving as a mount, felt a sudden calamity descend upon him. He had already reached Level 10 in otherworld languages, communicating effortlessly with Yue Feng and the others.

This ability was something Wang Yu greatly envied, especially recalling the painful memories of English Level 6.

“Um, Master,” A-Bao began, “my ability to learn other languages is extraordinary, but it’s not instantaneous. If I want to translate its speech, I’ll probably need a few more days to study.”

“Alas,” Wang Yu said, deeply disappointed. The consequences would be severe. “You’re no good either. I’ll give you two days. After two days, either I can speak with Jerry, or you’ll be served as dinner that night.”

“!!!” A-Bao, who had been contentedly munching on honey, instantly froze. “I’ll work my hardest!”

“Wow, how incredible!” Just as Wang Yu was having her fit with A-Bao, waves of admiration erupted from the nearby crowd.

“She looks like such a petite girl, yet her strength is astonishing.”

“You must be ignorant. Didn’t you notice their attire? They are from Hundred Flowers Valley. Of course, their strength would be immense.”

Curious, Yue Feng and his companions stepped forward to investigate the commotion.

At the center of the crowd stood several dazzling young women, adorned with vibrant flowers. One particularly beautiful woman, dressed in a cultivation uniform, was challenging the King’s Strength Wall.

The King’s Strength Wall was constructed from an incredibly impact-resistant black rock. It would remain undamaged unless struck with a force exceeding its capacity.

Resourceful merchants had repurposed these walls for challenges, offering corresponding rewards for successful attempts.

The King’s Strength Wall varied in its resistance depending on the proportion of black rock within it. However, judging by the gloomy expression on the boss’s face, the woman must have progressed to a very high challenge level.

The woman took a step back, drew her fist back, and then unleashed it with astonishing speed.

“Bang!” The fist struck the King’s Strength Wall with a tremendous sound. The woman retracted her fist and exhaled sharply.

To the boss’s disbelief, the seemingly intact King’s Strength Wall began to crack precisely where the woman’s fist had landed. The cracks spread rapidly, engulfing the entire wall.

The King’s Strength Wall shattered instantly, crumbling into dust without a single stone flying off, and without even triggering the protective barrier for the spectators. It simply disintegrated on the spot.

“Such exquisite force control,” Yue Feng praised. “Not a trace of internal energy leaked out; it was all channeled into the King’s Strength Wall, causing it to shatter from the inside out, layer by layer.”

“They are from Hundred Flowers Valley?” Wang Yu asked, incredulous. “Is that the sect Cai’er wants to join?”

Yue Feng also realized the discrepancy. Indeed, this display of violence didn’t quite fit the name Hundred Flowers Valley. Shouldn’t it be elegant and beautiful? Why so brutal?

Shi Yang communicated with Wang Yu and Yue Feng through divine sense, his voice tinged with deep helplessness. “Yes, this is typical of Hundred Flowers Valley’s style.

Even Zhao Ritian and I were surprised when we first saw it. Speaking of which, this actually has a connection to that person from Wang Yu’s hometown.”

“???” Wang Yu was utterly confused.

“When the first Valley Master of Hundred Flowers Valley arrived on the Heaven Profound Continent from ‘your hometown,’ something went wrong.

Her soul entered a flower. But being from that sacred land, this Valley Master, relying on her own insights, miraculously manifested a human form and, overcoming countless obstacles, ascended to the rank of Daoist Venerable,”

Shi Yang explained. “That Valley Master greatly admired a senior from her hometown, claiming to be her fan. She believed that magic cannons and violence were everything, making this the very creed of Hundred Flowers Valley. All her cultivation techniques are related to these two concepts.”

Wang Yu twitched her lips and asked, “What was the name of the senior the Valley Master spoke of?”

Shi Yang thought for a moment. “I believe it was Kazami Yuuka, or perhaps Flower Mom. The Valley Master often called her Flower Mom, but the portrait she painted in the Hundred Flowers Valley hall bore the name Kazami Yuuka.”

This was solid evidence. Wang Yu was certain this Valley Master was an absolute Touhou fan. To dare call her Flower Mom—if she had met the real person, she’d have been pulverized into petals long ago. With that understanding, Wang Yu now comprehended the girl’s abilities.

Yue Feng, highly curious, asked, “Is that Flower Mom truly that powerful in your world?”

‘Young man, do you have a death wish?’

What could Wang Yu do but stammer, “You mean Lady Yuuka? She is indeed incredibly formidable. She has countless fans in our world, at least a Daoist Venerable equivalent.” ‘The ceiling of Eastern combat power, how could she not be strong?’

“That powerful?” Yue Feng was astonished. “No wonder that Valley Master is so strong.”

“I think that Valley Master is so strong because her faith is incredibly firm,” Wang Yu said, unsure how to explain. “That Kazami Yuuka doesn’t accept disciples; it’s all based on the Valley Master’s imagination, haha, haha.”

‘Wang Yu’s hometown truly has countless powerhouses,’ Yue Feng thought, secretly encouraging himself. ‘It seems I need to redouble my efforts.’

“Not at all,” Wang Yu said, almost in tears. ‘I don’t even know how to fill the pits these seniors left behind. Change the subject, quickly!’

“Oh, right, if Cai’er joins this sect, will she also become like this?” Wang Yu wondered, considering the girl’s already great strength. If she became even more powerful, would she turn violent?

Yue Feng clearly had the same thought. He and Wang Yu turned to look at Yue Cai with worried expressions. ‘Please, no!’

Yue Cai, still oblivious, gazed at the women with an expression of pure adoration.

Wang Yu and Yue Feng grew even more distressed. ‘Let’s hope that Valley Master is a gentle person. Alas.’😔

***

Unbeknownst to Yue Feng and his companions, Zhang Xiaoyou arrived at the Hundred Flowers Valley outpost in Brazier City, carrying a silenced Xiaoke.

Naturally, he came in his capacity as the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Palace Institute.

As the acknowledged number one figure, Hundred Flowers Valley dared not show the slightest disrespect, immediately ushering him in and serving tea.

Here, the Hundred Flowers Valley’s leading elder also came to greet him.

A graceful middle-aged beauty emerged, asking with a gentle smile, “Elder Zhang, what an honor to have you grace us with your presence. Please forgive this humble woman for any inadequate hospitality.”

“Hahaha, Elder Hua, you are too polite,” Zhang Xiaoyou replied with a laugh. “It was I who was too hasty, rushing over without notifying you.”

“May I ask the purpose of Elder Zhang’s visit?” Hua Wuque inquired.

Zhang Xiaoyou smiled. “I wish to meet an elder.”

Hua Wuque returned his smile. “You jest, Elder. Who in our Hundred Flowers Valley could be considered an elder in your esteemed presence now?”

Zhang Xiaoyou shook his head. “There is. The Valley Master of Hundred Flowers Valley from when I was a child, is she not my elder?”

“Valley Master Fang?” Hua Wuque said, a hint of surprise in her voice. “Valley Master Fang retired long ago and no longer concerns herself with worldly affairs. We haven’t seen her in ages. Perhaps she has already… alas, time is merciless.”

‘Keep acting,’ Zhang Xiaoyou grumbled in his heart. ‘If I didn’t know how long a cultivator at the peak of the Imperial Realm could live, I might have been fooled by you.’

Zhang Xiaoyou’s expression remained unchanged as he chuckled. “Elder Hua certainly has a sense of humor. If it weren’t for the life-fire of Valley Master Fang in this fellow’s possession, I might have been deceived.”

A life-fire is typically created by extracting resin from a Heaven’s Mandate Tree, fashioning it into a lamp bead using special methods, and then igniting it after binding it with one’s essence blood.

As long as the person lives, the fire burns. Advanced life-fires can even indicate a person’s fortune or misfortune based on the size and vigor of the flame.

Hua Wuque maintained her smiling facade, feigning surprise. ‘Act, act. Everyone knows a life-fire is never entrusted to anyone who isn’t incredibly intimate with the owner.’ “Elder Zhang is truly a jester,” she said.

Zhang Xiaoyou ignored her and continued,

“Valley Master Fang was once a sworn sister to our Heavenly Palace Institute’s Haotian Daoist Venerable. Haotian Daoist Venerable specifically refined two life-beads for Valley Master Fang; one was given to your Hundred Flowers Valley, and the other he kept by his side.

After the life-fire was ignited, Haotian Daoist Venerable placed it within a shikigami that never left his side.”

With that, Zhang Xiaoyou took out Xiaoke and shook it. Xiaoke reluctantly produced the life-fire.

Hua Wuque’s expression shifted, her face clouded with uncertainty, for every word Zhang Xiaoyou spoke was true. That life-fire had, after all, been personally refined by Haotian Daoist Venerable at great cost.

It was rumored to be an supreme artifact in itself, imbued with Haotian Daoist Venerable’s power. Hua Wuque had once glimpsed that life-fire and knew it to be extraordinary.

To this day, no one had been able to replicate such a life-fire, making forgery impossible.

“I bear no ill will; I merely wish to meet her. Aunt Fang saved me many times when I was young,” Zhang Xiaoyou said slowly. “You may contact her. If she is unwilling to meet, I will certainly not force the issue.”

Hua Wuque gave them a deep look, then said, “Please wait,” before turning and walking away.

Xiaoke struggled incessantly, constantly opening its mouth at Zhang Xiaoyou, yet no sound emerged. Zhang Xiaoyou glanced at it, then waved his hand, lifting the silencing spell.

“Hey, Old Man Zhang, what if she doesn’t want to see us?” Xiaoke felt a rush of relief at being able to speak again; it had truly been suffocating.

“She won’t,” Zhang Xiaoyou said with a sigh of emotion. “You’ve always been by their side. Don’t you know Aunt Fang’s feelings for Haotian Daoist Venerable? So, upon learning of your whereabouts, she will undoubtedly be eager to ask you about Haotian.”

Xiaoke chuckled, replying, “Oh.”

Zhang Xiaoyou, however, grew curious. He asked, “Why didn’t Haotian Daoist Venerable accept Aunt Fang back then? Everyone said they were a match made in heaven.”

Xiaoke pouted. “You old pervert wouldn’t understand, of course.”

Zhang Xiaoyou wanted to hit him, but he held back for the sake of their conversation.

Xiaoke said helplessly, “Because Haotian already had someone else in his heart. Haotian may seem unrestrained, but he is incredibly devoted. He is wholeheartedly dedicated to his childhood sweethearts from his hometown. Without their permission, Haotian would never fall for another woman.”

“Little Haotian, are you sure he didn’t fall for her?” A faint, questioning voice drifted from behind them.