Archfiend Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Earthburst Golden Lotus (Two)

Like a meteor had devastated the landscape…… the soaring streak of red light a moment ago…… had suddenly revealed in front of everyone their blood-drenched captain….. and a ground covered in wilted lotuses.

All words, upon taking everything in an instant, had lost their original function.

Stunned. Besides being stunned, they were also shocked.

Unimaginable…… Apart from unimaginable, it was also outrageous.

"This…… The heck is this……" Vice Captain Chen observed everything before his eyes, not daring to believe. What on earth had happened? What had just occurred moments ago? Even a moron would also be able to see that the violent earthquake had occurred from a terrible blow to the ground by an unknown object. Now that the holes of all shapes and sizes could be seen on the ground, everything could be explained for.

What on Earth had happened?

What was the thing that had struck the ground?

Was there such an organism on earth?

This…… was a serial killer?

Even a blind person could see it; a bloody battle had just been staged here moments ago, however…… Where was Captain Xu's opponent?!

Countless questions lingered on their mind, but suddenly, a voice echoed out. Captain Gao said in a trembling voice directed into his megaphone: "Everyone…… b-besides people in charge, d-depart immediately…… This is an order!"

There were several parties in charge: the army's three lieutenant colonels, Vice Captain Chen, and Captain Gao, yet all of them agreed by chance in walking towards Xu Yangi's direction.

This was because…… there was a tremendous, ten-meter-deep crater over at the side! It was simply too eye-catching to be ignored!

Their footsteps were soundless as they walked over to the side of the crater. Of the several people, they traded looks with each other. They listlessly looked at the crater once more, unable to say a single word.

"C-Captain Xu……" It wasn't known how much time had passed until Vice Captain Chen suddenly turned his head, gazing at Xu Yangyi with fiery eyes and said trilly: "J-Just now, what the heck happened?"

"What was up with that streak of red light?"

"How did these lotus leaves come about?"

"How did this crater come about?"

"Where's the criminal? How did sir handle the criminal?"

Too many questions. The rise of the first question was like a opening of the floodgates, frantically spilling out. The other several people no longer spoke, as well, only their heated gazes made manifest were fixed onto Xu Yangyi.

Already, science was incapable of an explanation…… They didn't dare to think of it, didn't dare go in the direction that was as immeasurable as gods and devils…… Why hadn't they seen a single creature in front of them a moment ago, but in the second, like a rehashed, edited video, how was it that so many things had suddenly appeared?

No one could explain it, besides the man in front of them…… He was simply like the sole witness in a legend. Within their hearts, everyone was curiously waiting for him to open his mouth.

However, Xu Yangyi simply didn't plan to explain it and sat down to treat his injuries: "Mao Ba'er, come out and clean up."

The muscles on everyone's faces slightly cramped.

The heck's up with you, why don't you say something, alright!

One couldn't use the excuse of hunting after a criminal to explain this kind of scene anymore, right?! With so many eyes fixed on you helplessly, you got the nerve to pretend there's no one else around and treat your injuries!

"Did you cause this?" Finally, Old Zhu couldn't bear it any longer and asked.

This ought to have been the case…… The only person here was him…… however…...

Was he still a goddamn human!

Could a human cause these kinds of earthly alterations?

Was a human capable of changing it with this kind of world-terrifying sorcery?

"Yes." Xu Yangyi swept his eyes over, clear and cut to the point. In fact, his scars weren't serious; it was the bone spurs that had pierced into his body that were rather hard to resolve. Presently, he was like a hedgehog, pulling out that which couldn't be pulled out, as well, only using his muscle to clamp tightly on the bone spurs.

A single word seemed to have flipped on some switch. Everyone looked at each in dismay, every single eye conveying the same information: this couldn't be true! Absolutely everything was a dream tonight! However, not a single person came out and said it; the present scene was silently dreadful. 

"C-Captain Xu…… R-Really, it was you?" Several seconds later, Vice Captain Chen's voice floated over the word Captain Xu. This was the first time he had called out to him in true heartfelt sincerity.

Not replying, Xu Yangyi pulled out the short bone spurs neither urgently nor slowly. The drawing of each one brought with it dark-red blood, and his stomach revealed a good few bone spurs on the outside that were thirty to forty centimeters long that he didn't dare to touch. However, the current scene nevertheless formed a kind of strange harmony.

"Captain Xu…… uhh, w-what is that on your body?" No one felt that he was insulting them. Once another minute passed, Captain Gao swallowed mouthful of saliva down his throat and asked.

"Phew……" Pulling out the final minor bone spur, Xu Yangyi furrowed his brows and said: "Mao Ba'er? Get to work."

"Boo hoo boo hoo……" The sound of weeping could be heard from inside the car. Afterwards, the complexion of everyone's faces began to turn odd.

A pudgy husky, no less than half the size of a man, was shifting on its fat behind and was using its paws like a human to wipe its eyes. Its right hand, no…… Its right paw held onto a laptop, dawdling out of the car with difficulty.

"C-Captain Xu……" Old Zhu was the first who couldn't contain herself: "You just said a moment ago it's named……"

"Mao, Mao Ba'er." Xu Yangyi laughed, tacking on a line: "My assistant. My unit is rather bizarre; combat members need to have a supervising agent. He's…… not bad."*

Where on earth was this tamagotchi a cat?!**

Have you ever laid your eyes on a cat wearing a husky's fur?!

What were you saying it wasn't even bad? This was bizarre!

If it weren't for the strange scene in front of them, everyone would be currently shrieking in fear. However, everyone only used a bewildered gaze presently to size up the husky that could talk — one of the internet's Three Great Moe Mascots, along with the equally famous raccoon and Japanese Shiba Inu.***

It couldn't be helped to say…… Captain Xu's interests were somewhat peculiar…… The implications of a young married woman raising a big dog was often heard, but when did young men like to raise big dogs, as well…...

"Pretty boy…… You actually added 'Deliver Me' to the playlist…… It's too touching…… Too sorrowful….. I-I listened to it and cried….." The husky that could speak human words, Mao Ba'er, waddled over and set down his laptop, sobbing: "It deserves to the be one of the Three Great Forbidden Songs that drives humans to death upon hearing it…… Not only humans, even dogs can weep upon listening to it…… and meet a similar sadness……"****

Everyone took a double take. Meeting a similar sadness…… To see a similar death, associate it with your own future ending, and feel the sorrow?

Who was similar to you!

"Mao Ba'er." Xu Yangyi shouted out neither slowly nor hurriedly. 

The husky trembled from tail to snout, using both its paws to immediately flip open the computer and began to type at it clickity-clack. Soon after, he looked at the computer for no less than three seconds and subsequently wailed to the heavens and banged his head on the ground, beginning to weep bitterly.

"Boohoo Boohoo…… Heavens…… I can't go on! Boohoo Boohoo…… Woof! Woof Woof!"

Among the flurry of emotion, it was plain to see that the other's sorrowful mood at the moment was clear as the sun and moon.

"The serpent bones are unable to be appraised. They were completely ruined by you." Mao Ba'er fixed Xu Yangyi with a secretly bitter look. In everyone's frightened gaze, it was like a man beginning to establish himself using an incomparably righteous and strict tone of voice, pressing his paw on Xu Yangyi's stomach: "How many times have I told you! Every time before we capture a demon, you need to avoid injuring your precious place! Otherwise, where are you going to get the money to buy cultivation supplies! Woof! I haven't had any income for a month straight because of your bone-deep mad destruction and because you keep ending up like this!"

It was a scene brimming full of an indescribable strangeness and sentiment. A big husky with one back paw stepping on the computer, the other back paw planted on the ground, a front paw rest on its hips, and the other front paw forcefully pressed on Xu Yangyi's stomach. With his spittle flying and tongue lashing about, it was obvious that a straight month without income really made the fellow husky aggrieved, such to the extent that he had erupted with such a powerful fighting strength.

"The serpent's gall is estimated to be worth a few bucks, but this is a berserker! Don't you know what a berserker is! The purest demon form! The price comparison to ordinary demon bodies is over three times in value! For example, you could hand over a portion of this glorious snake skin for a luxury brand good at least over 200 thousand big ones! But now!"

"It wrecked itself. Perhaps it liked playing the masochist." Xu Yangyi lazily sat down in the car and lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag out of it.

He pulled out a bone spur stuck in his back by pulling it out with the corner of his mouth by bracing his core.

"This isn't important! This is only the details!" A fire burned within Mao Bao'ers two eyes, and he bit onto Xu Yangyi's hand. The crackling fire in his eyes was made audible: "The important point is…… the last technique you used to kill it was Solution Ninety-One! It's demon core is completely fragmented! I've scanned it three times already! We won't be able to sell a single cent of it!

"Xu Yangyi swept his eyes over at Mao Ba'er indifferently for a moment: "Let go of my hand…… No, stop biting me."

"Hmph!" The husky flung his head back adorably defying.*****

"Okay, next time, I'll remember to be a bit more gentle." Xu Yangyi kneaded his temples: "Let's handle official business first."

"Remember your promise!" Mao Ba'er let go of Xu Yangyi's hand and lapped at it.

Upon seeing Xu Yangyi's gaze, he immediately supplemented: "The saliva will heal minor wounds."

Xu Yangyi puffed out a cloud of smoke and raised his middle finger.

In spite of speech and in spite of action. Mao Ba'er stretched out his neck and everyone saw a golden bell hanging from it.

"Ting-a-ling……" A faint ringing sound echoed out, and everyone present felt that their eyelids had suddenly become a thousand catties heavier. No less than five seconds later, all of them gently fell on the ground, the sound of snoring filling the air.

"You sure they won't remember?" Xu Yangyi gazed at the roof of the car, his eyelids beginning to turn heavy, as well. Painful waves of throbbing pressure began to flood his bones. At the beginning, it was only a slightly dull pain, but not even before three seconds had passed, it was like someone was using countless hammers to smash into everyone of his bones. A true pain that bore into his bone marrow!

It didn't stop there…… Even the sea of essence within his dantian was turning in a fit of sudden sharp pain, as well.

His eyelids became heavier and heavier, and before he shut them once more, he saw an adorably cute face and a slobbering tongue that made him disgusted.

You got guts…..

When he woke up once more, he didn't know for how long he had slept. He discovered he was lying down in the hospital.

"Don't move……" A paw accurately pressed down upon his wound. Maliciously using a bit of power, Mao Ba'er's crude smiling face hazily emerged before him: "You've been in a coma for twelve days. This is Sanshui City's top People's Hospital. Do you feel that whatever you see is especially hazy right now? Doesn't it also appear like I have a kind of indistinct Mona Lisa-esque beauty?" 

Xu Yangyi didn't know whether the academy branch that that originally sent him such a reject had a brain or not.

"Water……" He roughly lifted his hand, and a cup was immediately placed at his side.

Just as Xu Yangyi was about to drink, he suddenly locked his eyes on Mao Ba'er, enduring with great difficulty the scalding pain of his throat: "What did you give me?"

Mao Ba'er carried the cup in his mouth and took it to the other side in a routine fashion. Afterwards, he flashed his adorable eyes at Xu Yangyi, looking for praise.

Why was it that an indescribable killing intent had come about in his heart?

Under Xu Yangyi's ice-cold  gaze, Mao Ba'er lowered his head and stood up, using both his paws to pour a glass of water once again and muttered in discontent: "I'm going to sue you for racial discrimination……"

"Hehe…..." Xu Yangyi was ultimately unable to restrain his grim laugh from slipping through.

After he rested for half an hour…...

"Swish……" 

"Woof! Woof, Woof!" 

"Bang!"

A husky was suddenly thrown out of the intensive care unit, and the door immediately closed shut. Soon after, the weredog stood up and began to frantically slam the door.

"Pretty boy! I'm warning you! You can't humiliate me like this! Let me in right now!

"We can split it up seventy/thirty later on! However, I absolutely won't allow you to hold your agent in such a manner!"

"Sixty/forty! Sixty/forty is the lowest I will go!  Hey…… you won't change your agent again, right? It's really hard to find a human form like mine that's self-walking and adorable!"

* He's is actually the pronoun it. For the sake of avoiding confusion about the general situation v.s Mao Ba'er's own standing I made it easier to understand.

** 拓麻 - I think this is the word for tamagotchi… or this might actually be another spelling of 他妈 (lel I think we all know whats this means). I thought it might be the F word, but the author, as you might have noticed, isn't exactly shy about profanity, so why would he use another censor word? Given Mao Ba'er's fluffy appearance, I'm going to stick with tamagotchi for now.

*** Moe is the best word I can use to describe the compound word for silliness/cuteness. It is an abstract concept of things that illicit "cutesy feelings that you want to snuggle". Moe is a word I believe to have roots in Japanese anime subculture with the next closest cultural abstract idea I can think of being the Koreans "aegyo".

**** 物伤其类, chinese idiom that I translated as "meeting a similar sadness". It's actually more like "meeting a similar death" or the explanation I found is that you feel sad to upon seeing someone that meets a similar sad/bitter situation as well.

***** 傲娇 - I translated this as "adorably defying". Another two word character that encompasses an idea like that of "moe". Best way I can describe it as the Japanese "Tsundere".

Chapter end