She put away the ancient books and sealed the study once more.
She swept her gaze over the inner courtyard. The original owner had been a quiet, elegant Dragon Girl who loved reading and had poured great care into the house. Unfortunately, she had been born at the wrong time and suffered a tremendous upheaval. Bai Yujun vaguely harbored another suspicion in her heart.
The reason she had not taken Xi away was most likely because she had already seen the hidden perils lurking ahead.
Xi could at least survive by sleeping beneath Yong Lake. If she came along, the still-young Xi would have a far greater chance of perishing.
Shaking her head, she closed the inner courtyard gate.
It was sealed beneath dust once again.
At last, the monkey was satisfied enough to stop and spare the carp. The Carp Demon spat bubbles and snorted, battered black and blue. Bai Yujun recalled a special dish she had eaten somewhere before, where fish flesh was pounded into paste with wooden sticks before being cooked in a pot. It had been delicious enough to leave an endless aftertaste. Unfortunately, she still needed this fellow to guard Yong Lake and keep others from claiming it, so she left him his fish life.
"That should do it. Let's go. Monkey Brother, remember those terms I told you."
"Eek eek, I understand."
He weighed the Ruyi Jingu Bang in his hand, a wicked grin spreading over his monkey face.
He called over Zhang Ke and the five rookie teammates, then headed for the front courtyard after they had finished packing up.
The Carp Demon still wore shackles and limped along. Gazing at the official seat in the yamen, he was suddenly struck by the feeling that things and people had changed beyond recognition. In