Zhang Yi

Pang Juan died beneath a tree.

The Qi army's arrows pierced him through the heart a thousand times; the Wei army was shattered by the Qi forces, and no one had any mind to collect his remains.

Sun Boling wouldn't go, and Tian Ji naturally wouldn't either.

On the battlefield strewn with corpses, only a woman in verdant green and a bird dragged Pang Juan's body forward.

"Mr. Sun..."

Tian Ji watched the Verdant Green Maiden leave with Pang Juan's corpse, his brow slightly furrowed.

He looked at Sun Boling and asked, "Should we stop them?"

"The Master must not be offended!"

Sun Boling said to Tian Ji with a grave expression; Tian Ji had never seen him so serious before, not even when discussing Pang Juan.

Tian Ji took a deep breath and nodded. "Tian Ji understands!"

The Verdant Green Maiden buried Pang Juan at the foot of a nameless mountain.

She was alone, so Pang Juan couldn't expect any lavish tomb or precious burial goods. At most, she'd toss in some food to see him off.

"Sigh... what a waste of this food."

The Verdant Green Maiden sealed the grave mound, her face pained.

Hong Luan flapped her wings nearby and asked, "Should I find some offerings?"

Hearing this, the Verdant Green Maiden immediately shook her head and said to her, "Find me something to eat instead—I threw all my own meat in there."

At these words, Hong Luan stomped on her head and said, "Told you not to leave any for yourself, you stupid snake!"

"Can't let someone go to the afterlife hungry, can I?"

The Verdant Green Maiden muttered, covering her head.

Though Hong Luan scolded her, she understood this was just her nature. And she rather liked that about her, so she grudgingly went to fetch a string of wild fruit. "Here, I found these for you. Eat."

The Verdant Green Maiden looked at the fruit and asked, "Couldn't you have brought back a wild boar?"

She waved a hand beside her head. "Use your brain, use your brain!"

"Does a snake look like it eats vegetables?"

Hong Luan: "..."

"Stupid snake, you're asking for it! With my build, how am I supposed to bring you a wild boar? Be grateful you even got fruit!"

She rushed forward and instantly tousled the Verdant Green Maiden's hair.

The snake girl and the bird sister laughed and bickered as they made their way back from Wei State to Ghost Valley. But this time, before they could even reach Ghost Valley, someone stopped them halfway.

The Verdant Green Maiden frantically grabbed Hong Luan and thrust her toward the person blocking the road. "I'm lazy, I've got no money, and I'm weak! Bandit lord, if you're going to take someone, take this bird!"

"Let me tell you, this bird is a divine bird! You won't regret catching her!"

"Here, here, let me give her to you..."

Saying this, the Verdant Green Maiden tried to hand Hong Luan directly to the person before her.

Hong Luan struggled in her grip, cursing, "Stupid snake! How could you give me away? I'm your best friend! Without me, won't you be lonely..."

Hearing this, the Verdant Green Maiden stopped immediately and nodded. "That's true, I guess. Never mind, then."

With that, she stepped back, looked at the person before her, and asked, "Who are you? If you're here to rob me, can I join your gang? We'll split the loot seventy-thirty? I won't ask for much—give me seventy percent and cook me two dishes."

"Will he agree?"

Hong Luan muttered.

The Verdant Green Maiden whispered, "Worth a try. Maybe it'll work?"

"But he's not saying anything." Hong Luan glanced at the person ahead and said to the Verdant Green Maiden.

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The Verdant Green Maiden blinked, looked up, and saw the man standing there, staring at her and Hong Luan in shock, speechless.

"Hey, are you robbing me or not?"

The Verdant Green Maiden called out. The man suddenly snapped back to reality, staring at her with astonishment.

Seeing his expression, the Verdant Green Maiden clicked her tongue and muttered, "So unsteady. With nerves like that, how'd he become a bandit?"

But just as she was muttering, the man stepped back, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Junior Zhang Yi, pays respects to Ghost Valley Master!"

"Uh..."

When the man gave his name, the Verdant Green Maiden froze on the spot.

Then, at a hundred-meter sprint speed, she bolted toward the other end of the road. But before she could get far, Zhang Yi blocked her. "Ghost Valley Master, why must you leave so quickly? Have I, your junior, done something wrong?"

"Wrong! You showing up in front of me is what's wrong!"

Verdant Green Maiden glanced at him, waved her hand, and said, "Go, go, go. I'm not the Ghost Valley Master. You've mistaken this snake."

"But..."

Zhang Yi blinked and said, "The Ghost Valley Master truly looks exactly like you. I've asked around the whole way—there's no mistake! And also, there's this bird that can speak human tongue."

"It's called Hong Luan."

Verdant Green Maiden held up Hong Luan to introduce her to Zhang Yi.

Hong Luan smacked a wing across Verdant Green Maiden's face and said, "Is this the time to introduce me, Stupid Snake?"

"Oh! Right, right!"

Verdant Green Maiden snapped back to her senses, pointed at Zhang Yi, and said, "I'm not taking disciples anymore. You'd better find someone else!"

Hearing Verdant Green Maiden's words, Zhang Yi's expression turned regretful. "In that case, this Junior has come too late! What a pity—this Junior prepared an extremely lavish array of gifts for you, Master, but now they can't be given! Alas... it is this Junior's fault."

"Wait!"

Verdant Green Maiden blinked, shuffled over to Zhang Yi in small steps, and her eyes sparkled like stars.

"You said just now that you prepared lavish gifts?"

Zhang Yi nodded and said, "Indeed, lavish gifts! What a pity, Master..."

"Stop right there! Let me see what these lavish gifts are."

Verdant Green Maiden wasn't about to be fooled by Zhang Yi's words so easily. She immediately demanded to see the gifts first. Hearing this, Zhang Yi nodded and led her over to his carriage. On the carriage, there was indeed a large pile of gifts!

"These... are all for me?"

Verdant Green Maiden's eyes gleamed.

Zhang Yi inclined his head and said, "Yes, but Master..."

"Ahem!"

Verdant Green Maiden coughed once, cutting off Zhang Yi's words. She turned back to look at him, smiled slightly, and said, "This disciple of yours, I'll take you on!"

"Take me on?" Zhang Yi blinked, staring at Verdant Green Maiden in astonishment. "But, Master, didn't you say—"

"Did I say something just now?"

Verdant Green Maiden was the type to flip her face and deny everything. After all, every few decades she shed her skin anyway—when it came to face, snakes simply didn't have any!

No face, no worries.

Verdant Green Maiden cheerfully took the reins from Zhang Yi's hands, sat down on the carriage, and waved at him. "Let's go, I'll take you back to Ghost Valley!"

Zhang Yi's face lit up with joy, and he quickly followed Verdant Green Maiden.

Only, Verdant Green Maiden drove the carriage farther and farther away, and judging by the direction, it didn't seem to be heading toward Ghost Valley at all!

Zhang Yi asked in a low voice, "Master, where exactly are we going?"

"To kill you and bury you. Then this whole cart of stuff will be mine."

Verdant Green Maiden said calmly to Zhang Yi. These words startled him badly, and he stared wide-eyed at her, as if he couldn't believe she would do such a thing!

Verdant Green Maiden glanced at him and said, "Just scaring you."