Love on the Turquoise Land

You know Xu Fu—he never came back.

Let me just talk about the Turbanned Army. The Turbanned Army remained fiercely loyal. According to the Ding Records, the Earth Fiends had four extremely hidden nest entrances in the Nanba region. The Turbanned Army ventured deep into the old forests repeatedly and found the indigenous people living deep within the woods.

From a modern perspective, these indigenous people were ethnic minorities living in the old forests. Due to their long isolation from the outside world, living alongside the mountains, their environment, lifestyle, habits, and even their height, physique, and the development of certain organs differed from those of outsiders. Their most distinctive trait was their ability to detect the scent of Earth Fiends—reportedly a very strange, musky odor. But neither the Turbanned Army nor anyone else outside these indigenous people could smell it.

But this makes sense. Humans evolve according to their environment—this is just survival of the fittest. For those who lived for generations near the Earth Fiends' territory, only those who could detect their scent could prepare to flee or fight in advance. Otherwise, they would have been wiped out long ago.

From these indigenous people, the Turbanned Army confirmed that the Earth Fiends were not just a baseless legend but had truly existed. They then gradually pinpointed the nest entrances.

Next, they did three things.

First, they recruited the indigenous people. Their noses were far too useful. Those who were recruited later came to be called the "Dog Family"—this wasn’t an insult, but a literal reference to their dog-like sense of smell.

Yan Tuo thought of that big-headed guy who always loved eating cucumber with dipping sauce—he must have been one of the "Dog Family."

No wonder Hua Saozi had been normal when giving him directions earlier, but after checking a new message on her phone, she had inexplicably dragged him back with the clumsy excuse of moving a sauce jar.

Now that he thought about it, it must have been Da Tou who sent Hua Saozi the message—because he had smelled the scent of an Earth Fiend coming from the car.

The second thing the Turbanned Army did was "block"—seal off the four major nest entrances, installing doors and locks.

Though the old saying goes, "Blocking is worse than diverting," not everything is like flood control. Earth Fiends were rare to begin with, so sealing the source meant cutting off future threats.

Of course, this "blocking" came at a steep cost. You might have heard that after Qin Shi Huang unified the six states, fearing rebellion from the people, he "collected all the weapons of the realm and gathered them in Xianyang," casting twelve golden statues. After the fall of Qin, the twelve golden statues vanished—folk legends vary. Some say they were burned when Xiang Yu set fire to the Epang Palace, others that Qin Shi Huang took them into his tomb as burial goods, and still others claim that during the late Eastern Han, Dong Zhuo melted them down to mint coins.

I don’t know where the other golden statues went, but as far as I know, at least one was used in the old forests of Nanba—divided into four parts, forged into four gates. Since they were made from the golden statue, they were called the Golden Statue Gates.

The third thing the Turbanned Army did was enter the nests in waves, locking the Golden Statue Gates behind them, and officially began hunting Earth Fiends. This was actually quite heroic—locking the gates to beat the dog meant they could kill the dog, but once the gates were locked, they had no retreat. They might also be bitten to death inside. In any case, many of the Turbanned Army died. After countless harrowing experiences spanning over two years, they finally found their way and located the first Earth Fiend.

At this point, the story was nearing its end. Nie Jiuluo let out a long sigh and asked Yan Tuo, "In your opinion, do you think Qin Shi Huang would be happy or unhappy about this?"Isn't that obvious? Of course, he'd be happy.

Yan Tuo was about to answer but hesitated for two reasons: first, according to historical records, Qin Shi Huang seemed somewhat temperamental; second, since Nie Jiuluo specifically asked, the answer probably wasn't that straightforward.

Yan Tuo: "Not... happy?"

Nie Jiuluo wore an expression that said, "I knew you'd answer like that."

She said, "Your history isn't great. In 210 BC, the same year Xu Fu sailed to Japan and the Turban Army entered the Nanba Old Forest, Qin Shi Huang had already passed away. The earthbound fiends weren't discovered until over two years after his death. By then, after Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's uprising, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang had risen, and the Qin dynasty was nearing its end under the second emperor."

Really? Yan Tuo felt his answer wasn't entirely wrong. After all, no matter who it was, if something they ordered during their lifetime only showed progress after their death, how could they be happy?

Nie Jiuluo: "The Turban Army was in such a remote location that even carrier pigeons couldn't reach them. Time meant nothing in the mountains. They were solely focused on finding the earthbound fiends, and by the time they finally succeeded, they realized the world outside had completely changed. The emperor was dead, and their direct superior had been killed in the power struggles of the succession. In other words, this Turban Army had been utterly forgotten."

"With the Qin dynasty on the verge of collapse, returning to official service was hopeless. Battles were raging everywhere, and they had no desire to get involved. After a collective discussion, they decided to seal their lips, guard the secret of the earthbound fiends and the Nanba Old Forest, and live as ordinary civilians."

"After that, they settled near the Nanba Old Forest, gradually forming a village. Ancient Chinese society was relatively closed and lacked mobility, so a village could continue for centuries with little change. Over time, living off the mountains, the village became a hunter's village, commonly known as the 'Bashan Hunters.' Of course, this hunter village was different from others—it had its own secrets."

"On ordinary days, they were no different from regular hunters, hunting wolves, leopards, bears, and tigers. But roughly every hundred years or so, when there were enough strong hunters, they would secretly organize a 'Worship the Golden Man, Walk the Green Land' expedition, hoping to hunt earthbound fiends. This was called 'Green Land Bears Fruit, Flowers Yield Harvest.' After all, catching one earthbound fiend meant extra wealth—even if the whole village shared it, each family would get more than enough. Who in this world doesn't love money? But most of the time, these expeditions ended in disappointment, with nothing gained."

Yan Tuo found this a bit hard to believe: "Didn't they catch earthbound fiends before? Aren't earthbound fiends 'immortal'? In theory, catching just one would solve everything, right? Why keep hunting them?"

Nie Jiuluo replied, "Don't forget, earthbound fiends live underground. Their 'immortality' only applies underground—that's their natural habitat. Once exposed to daylight, they age rapidly and die quickly. At best, they might live twenty or thirty years."

Yan Tuo thought to himself: No, that's not how it is.

From the moment Nie Jiuluo began her story, he had been almost entirely exhilarated. Much of what she said aligned with the clues he had observed over the years—he only knew fragments, but now they were being pieced together, revealing past events, old stories, and cause-and-effect. The feeling was so thrilling it was almost unbearable.But things started to differ here. Lin Xirou wasn't like that—she didn't live underground, she hardly aged, and showed no signs of dying.

Nie Jiuluo noticed his troubled expression but pretended not to see it. "Now, I'll formally answer your four questions. The answers I gave earlier were only to help you understand and weren't accurate. Here, there will be corrections. Everything I say now is definitive."

"First, what is Gou Ya, and what is his origin? Earlier, I answered that he was a ground owl. Here, I need to correct myself—I don't actually know what he is. Not just me, even Banya's people don't know. Many of his traits resemble a di xiao, or at the very least, he must have an extremely close connection to them. If not that, then they're closely related."

Yan Tuo wanted to say something, but Nie Jiuluo gestured for him to wait and let her finish.

"There's a crucial piece of information I didn't mention earlier, saving it for now: the Chantou Army became hunters of Bashan, making their living by hunting. Di xiao, like tigers, wolves, and bears, were just another type of prey. Di xiao are beasts, not humans. They are fundamentally different from humans and don't resemble them—monkeys look more human than they do. So, in my eyes, hunting di xiao, while not exactly noble, isn't some unforgivable sin either. After all, they're just beasts."

"This is also why, even when I found Gou Ya extremely strange—able to move freely along high-rise exteriors, enduring a stabbed eye without treatment—I never connected him to di xiao. That was until I discovered that Sun Zhou, whom he had scratched, had begun to 'take root and sprout.' To confirm further, I drew blood from the back of his neck, elbows, and inner thighs—areas where di xiao blood is thicker. But even then, I still couldn't definitively say he was a di xiao. So, the most I can say is that he 'may have an extremely close connection.'"

Yan Tuo's mind was in chaos. The joy he had felt earlier slowly soured. After all these years, after struggling so hard to get close to the answer, why did she suddenly shift and say it wasn't the case? He had finally found someone like her, someone who knew about Gou Ya, only to be given mere speculation?

"Your second question—what 'taking root and sprouting' means—has already been answered."

"Third question: how to treat it. Based on the Chantou Army's experience, di xiao are subterranean creatures that fear fire and detest sunlight. Generally, within 24 hours of injury, you must use 'natural fire'—that is, fire drawn from the sun using a lens (or in ancient times, a yangsui mirror)—to repeatedly cauterize the wound. This gradually forces the roots and sprouts to recede, ensuring safety. It must be done as early as possible—the longer you delay, the worse it gets. If a red line appears across the pupil of the eye, that person is basically beyond saving."

No, this didn't fit either. Lin Xirou wasn't like that—she didn't hate sunlight. At one point, she even went sunbathing at the beach, saying she liked the healthy, wheat-like complexion it gave her.

Fourth question: what is a changgui (a type of ghost)?""The so-called 'chang ghosts' derive from the idiom 'to play the jackal to the tiger.' In the interactions between the Turbanned Army and the Dixiao, there occasionally arise bizarre situations: normally loyal comrades, completely unharmed, would suddenly serve the Dixiao with unwavering devotion, even at the cost of their lives. These individuals retain their sanity and appear normal in every way, yet they become fiercely protective of the Dixiao, turning against their own kind to scheme and kill. Such people are called 'chang ghosts.'"

Yan Tuo understood: "You think I'm a chang ghost?"

Nie Jiuluo didn’t answer. She leaned forward, staring into Yan Tuo’s eyes, and after a few seconds, said, "Aren’t you?"

Yan Tuo’s heart skipped a beat, but he remained silent.

"Gou Ya killed someone in Xingbazi Village and injured Sun Zhou. You were the one who helped him escape. Later, you ordered Gou Ya to abduct Sun Zhou from the hotel and even blamed him for being careless—letting me see his face. Then, at that small inn, you instructed Gou Ya to guard both me and Sun Zhou. Even if you two aren’t close friends, you’re accomplices aiding each other. Calling you a chang ghost isn’t unjust in the slightest. As for your suffering at Banya’s hands—you deserved it."

Having said her piece, her gaze dropped to her teacup. The rim bore the imprint of her lipstick, and half the tea remained inside. She curled her left thumb and forefinger, flicking the cup with the same motion she’d used earlier to send the clay figurine flying. The cup soared through the air, landing without shattering, rolling a long distance and leaving a trail of spilled tea in its wake.

Yan Tuo still didn’t speak, merely glancing sidelong at the fallen cup. He knew this dinner was over—the brief peace and camaraderie they’d shared had reached its end.

"Yan Tuo, I’ve answered all four of your questions. To help you understand, I even threw in extra information. Now, it’s your turn to ask. I’ll decide whether to answer or not. A maximum of three questions—ask them here, tonight. Once we’re done, we’re even."

Yan Tuo looked up at her. "You know so much. Are you a descendant of the Turbanned Army?"

"Descendants of the Turbanned Army aren’t obligated to meddle in their ancestors’ trade. I’m just an ordinary person, focused on my own affairs. I have no interest in prying into you, Gou Ya, or your associates. Next question."

Only two left.

Yan Tuo’s throat felt dry. "How do you kill a Dixiao?"

Nie Jiuluo’s eyebrows lifted slightly—this question was unexpectedly bold.

"So you do know a thing or two about Dixiao… Gou Ya’s new eyeball must be almost fully grown by now, right?"

Yan Tuo remained expressionless, neither confirming nor denying.

"Dixiao have incredible regenerative abilities. It’s no exaggeration to say that even if you cut off their heads, they can grow new ones from the stump—it’s just a matter of time. Heavenly fire, piercing the crown of the skull, or severing the spine can cause significant damage, but these only delay their recovery. As for killing them… The Turbanned Army treasured Dixiao, doing everything to prolong their lives. They’d lament when the creatures died too soon. So, I can’t answer that. Next question."

Yan Tuo sat motionless, a crushing disappointment seeping through him like bone-chilling miasma, spreading from his chest to his entire body, threatening to collapse his very flesh and bones.

He had thought tonight would open a grand door for him. He watched as it slowly began to creak ajar—only to see it shut again before his eyes.Nie Jiuluo urged him to ask the next question. What should he ask next? His mind felt muddled, unable to even perform the most basic logical thinking.

The dim yellow light, which hadn’t bothered him before, now felt greasy—like thick, sluggish oil spilling lazily across the room.

Yan Tuo said, "Is everything you said true? Miss Nie, if you lied, give me a ratio. I can accept it."

Nie Jiuluo sneered. "One thing at a time. I came to return the favor—no need to bring fake goods to deceive you."

Yan Tuo fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "I was being petty. Miss Nie, how... will you get back? Should I take you home?"

Nie Jiuluo was taken aback but quickly stood up, grabbing her paper bag and purse. "No need. I don’t quite dare ride in your car."

Yan Tuo thought about getting up to see her out, but first, his mood was too low, and second, judging by her expression, she likely wouldn’t appreciate it. So though he shifted forward slightly, he remained seated.

Nie Jiuluo reached the door, then turned back to look at him. "Yan Tuo, are we even now?"

Yan Tuo: "We’re even."

"The only reason I sat here today, eating with you and telling you the origins of the Di Xiao, was to return your favor. Since we’re even, once I step out this door, we go our separate ways. Be careful in the future—don’t let me run into you again. I won’t be fooled by the same person twice."

Yan Tuo looked up at her for a long moment, then said, "You too."