Chapter 18 - Sea Breeze

The cellphone spiraled down, fell in the mud, and got half stuck in there as it sank slowly. Chi Xiaoduo's mind flashed with the joke about being in the bathroom, and the cellphone falling into the pit just as someone called, which caused the cellphone to vibrate with the call as it slowly sank down.

AHHHHHH--NO EXACTLY WHAT AM I THINKING?! THE MONSTER HAS WOKEN UP AHHHHHHH!

Chi Xiaoduo was frightened out of his wits, but the facts of the situation didn’t allow him to do any more complicated thinking. With the painful blast to his eardrums, the world spun in front of Chi Xiaoduo’s eyes. The monster rushed to the ladder, while Xiang Cheng let go and flew down.

He spun in the air and pulled at the zipper of his duffel bag. As soon as his head was pointing down at the ground, half a bag of soybeans flew out. Xiang Cheng then grabbed at a corner of the Ziploc bag with his fingers and yanked at it in mid-air.

With a huala sound, the soybeans scattered all across the sky. Chi Xiaoduo looked down and just saw Xiang Cheng running quickly along the wall. The monster slammed its head into the wall, and Xiang Cheng flipped over and seemed to roar out an incantation. Then, all across the sky, the soybeans shot out like a meteor shower, all emitting golden light and bouncing around in the air.

As soon as Xiang Cheng landed, he ran wildly over to his cellphone, put it in his pants pocket, and turned to face the monster, who roared ferociously and set off a hurricane!

Chi Xiaoduo got a clear view of the entire monster: it had a hideous head, its upper and lower tusks were nearly one meter long, and its whole body was covered with black scales. Its four feet were planted on the ground, while its tusks kept opening and closing like a sharp guillotine. Its claws shone with cold light, and many scales had fallen off and were oozing with black blood. 

It had a dragon-like body, which was a good five or six meters long. Its tail was a fish's tail, and it also had gleaming armored fins on both sides of its body. When it fanned them out, it seemed as if they could slice Xiang Cheng in half at any time. It turned around, wanting to chase Xiang Cheng, and it was then that Chi Xiaoduo discovered that one of its eyes had already been blinded, and the other eye was the green light he had just seen!

What was this! Where had he seen it before?!

Chi Xiaoduo simply could not remember, and his memory was a mess, even more so because it had been disturbed by the scene of Xiang Cheng capturing the guiche last time. In a flash, he remembered the monster on the printed notice he saw in Yulan Lane!

It was very similar, but it wasn’t exactly the same. What was it called? Chiwen! Yes! It was a chiwen! But why...what were its weaknesses? Could he help Xiang Cheng? Chi Xiaoduo took out his cellphone and started up Baidu.

Just Baidu it! Then you will know!

However, there was no signal in the sewer….

The chiwen stopped and suddenly raised its head. It let out a long and continuous roar, which echoed in the hollow pipe.

Xiang Cheng couldn’t cast any more spells, so he pulled out the Yao-Imprisonment Banner from the bag and shook it open in the air. In an instant, the guiche flew out of the Yao-Imprisonment Banner and screeched fiercely! Chi Xiaoduo's eardrums nearly ruptured at that, and the screams of two monsters almost made him want to vomit blood. However, Xiang Cheng seemed to be interfering with its screeching.

Then the guiche slammed into things everywhere, as if it was trying to escape. Xiang Cheng pulled the Yao-Imprisonment Banner back, tightening it around the guiche’s chest and belly, and with a leap, he rushed onto the back of the guiche! The guiche chaotically pounced and slammed into things, while Xiang Cheng roared, "Rise--!"

Xiang Cheng drove the guiche in a circle and flew to the cave where Chi Xiaoduo was hiding. The screeching of the chiwen was getting louder and louder, and Chi Xiaoduo looked up anxiously and saw Xiang Cheng shouting to him frantically.

At the same time, the waterways in all directions hummed and vibrated, as if something was rapidly approaching the central area along the pipeline.

"What?!" Chi Xiaoduo couldn't hear; their conversation was being covered up by the howling of the chiwen.

Xiang Cheng mouthed out, Jump——

Chi Xiaoduo recovered his senses, quickly sprung up, and jumped down.

As soon as Chi Xiaoduo jumped, while his body was suspended in mid-air, the twelve pipes behind him all spewed black mud at the same time, and thousands of small black monsters rushed out! They were like rotten monkeys, and in mid-air, they viciously clawed at Chi Xiaoduo. 

Si Gui, radiant with silver light, suddenly burst out from Chi Xiaoduo’s hood. It gracefully circled around him, scattering light motes around as it formed a circle of light, blocking all the black water monkeys!

Xiang Cheng grabbed Chi Xiaoduo with one hand, and they spun in mid air. Xiang Cheng kicked at the guiche’s back, and the guiche wailed as it fell to the ground.

Chi Xiaoduo started yelling, and Xiang Cheng shook out the Yao-Imprisonment Banner again and captured the guiche again!

The scene was total chaos, and the chiwen stopped shrieking as an army of water monkeys large enough to topple the mountains and overturn the seas rushed towards them. Xiang Cheng pushed Chi Xiaoduo behind the wall and stood with his hands together. His left palm was flat, and he pointed his index and middle fingers towards the sky, letting out a fierce roar!

The scattered soybeans started flying with a shua, and flashes of golden light criss-crossing as each soybean, flashing with the light of the array, shot around crazily. Chi Xiaoduo’s eyes were dazzled, and he was so excited that he started to shout. As soon as the water monkeys rushed up to them, they were shot through by the glowing golden beans, wailing as they turned into smoke. 

As Xiang Cheng's hands separated again, hundreds of golden beans shot out in unison, like a meteor shower, whirling around and filling the whole space. As soon as the scattering beans spell was released and they lost their protection, Xiang Cheng took out the Demon-Subduing Staff and extended it.

In the blink of an eye, the chiwen opened its terrifying maw and pounced at the two of them. Xiang Cheng was undaunted, and he held Chi Xiaoduo in his left hand and the Demon Subduing Staff in his right. The staff section glowed with a bright light--the chiwen’s neck directly slammed into the Demon Subduing Staff, and the weight of a thousand jin pushed down on it. Xiang Cheng suddenly kicked back. With his feet against the wall, he was trying his utmost to support the weight of this behemoth, and his body bowed into an arc.

Chi Xiaoduo: “.....”

Everything had happened too fast, and Chi Xiaoduo pretty much didn’t have any time to react. At that moment, the chiwen let out a tsunami-like roar at the two of them. It opened up its gullet and stretched out its thrashing inner tongue. Attached to the tip of the inner tongue was a black colored person who had scarred wounds across their skin like beads on a necklace. 

Half of that “person’s” body was connected to the tongue of the chiwen, as if it was a monster that appeared in its mouth. Chi Xiaoduo absolutely  couldn’t have imagined this appearance, and was immediately terror-stricken.

"AHHHHHH--" Chi Xiaoduo finally cried out.

The person in the chiwen’s mouth was badly mutilated, their face and head teeming with scars. They reached out their hands and grabbed at Xiang Cheng's head. Chi Xiaoduo rushed forward and blocked those hands.

But at the moment of contact, the pupil of the chiwen’s remaining left eye suddenly contracted into a straight slit.

With a loud crash, the chiwen kicked back strongly and rolled its menacing bulk around on the ground, its left eye pinned on Chi Xiaoduo. Xiang Cheng wanted to chase after it, however the chiwen, carrying the Demon-Subduing Staff stuck in its neck, burrowed straight into the drainage pipe. In the blink of an eye, the tens of thousands of water monkeys disappeared with the chiwen.

The passage was tranquil, and sludge was everywhere, as if nothing had happened.

Lady Gaga's voice was still echoing, "Gaga, ooh lalala..."

Xiang Cheng fumbled for his cellphone and turned off the music. 

Chi Xiaoduo: “.....”

Xiang Cheng: “......”

"Crap!" Chi Xiaoduo returned to his senses and cried out, "The Demon Subduing Staff!"

"Don't chase after it." Xiang Cheng said, "We have already found the real master now."

Chi Xiaoduo pretty much had no strength left in his body, and Xiang Cheng bent over and said, "I'll carry you."

Chi Xiaoduo didn’t try to be polite, just lying down on Xiang Cheng's back. Xiang Cheng walked over to the opening of the pipe where the chiwen had escaped from, looked out , and made sure there was no danger. Only then did he walk along the pipe and slowly leave, with Chi Xiaoduo still on his back.

They were covered in dirty and smelly sludge from head to toe. Xiang Cheng walked slowly along the waterway.

"It just rushed out like this, won't it hurt people?"

"No, it's almost dawn. The sun will weaken its magic."

"Then what if it comes out at night again?"

"It can't survive until night. As long as it is forced out, the exorcism committee will encircle and suppress it."

"But what if it hides?"

"The Demon Subduing Staff is nailed to its body, and I also embedded a symbol in its body, so it's very easy to find its whereabouts." Xiang Cheng replied.

"You’re not going to gather up your soybeans?" Chi Xiaoduo asked another question. "What are you going to do the next time you scatter beans to create soldiers?"

"I’ll buy another half jin." Xiang Cheng replied, "Bean soldiers can only be used once."

"The more soybeans there are, the more powerful they are?" Chi Xiaoduo asked curiously.

"En." Xiang Cheng replied.

"Then why not buy a whole sack and carry it around while subduing yao?"

Xiang Cheng laughed but didn’t look back. Instead looked up at the end of the passage, walking forward slowly. There was a bright light there.

"Because I can't carry that." Xiang Cheng said.

Chi Xiaoduo started laughing, and Xiang Cheng let out a sigh and said, "Hold on tight, I'll show you a trick."

Chi Xiaoduo put his arms around Xiang Cheng's neck and lay against his back. Xiang Cheng freed up a hand and made a gesture of recalling things back in the air. The golden beans shone with a dazzling light, just like a golden meteor shower in the passage as they caught up to the two of them.

"Wow." Chi Xiaoduo saw the golden beans twinkling like stars and whirling around them. Xiang Cheng looked at Chi Xiaoduo's eyes, chuckled, then spread out his hand. The soybeans flew one by one into his hands, gathered together, and then poured back into the bag. 

"You were joking with me." Chi Xiaoduo said.

"Beans are very expensive." Xiang Cheng said, "I'll give you one as a souvenir next time."

Chi Xiaoduo sighed.

Xiang Cheng said, "It was hard on you today. I shouldn't have brought you out, but I was worried about leaving you at home. Fortunately, you came, and we figured out the whereabouts of that guy."

"En, it’s fine, you only came here to protect me." Chi Xiaoduo knew that this memory would be erased sooner or later. It seemed like after the exorcism was done, they would still give him the snuff bottle to smell, but he didn't say anything about it. Even if he said anything, it would be no use, so this was fine ba.

For now, at least, it was wonderful.

The passage lit up gradually, and it was already morning. The two of them were filthy and standing at the outlet of the Pearl River. Xiang Cheng had Chi Xiaoduo cling tightly to his back as he climbed up the access ladder. 

Outside Haizhu Square, there were elderly men and women doing morning exercises everywhere. Seeing two foul-smelling people crawl out, they were so scared they nearly had heart attacks. 

"Sorry, sorry..." Chi Xiaoduo and Xiang Cheng got into the subway car, and everyone automatically backed ten meters away from them.

Xiang Cheng looked at Chi Xiaoduo with a face streaked with sludge and just helplessly shook his head.

Chi Xiaoduo was a little depressed. Anyhow, we more or less just saved the whole world. We just stink a bit. Don’t be like this, everyone . 

Xiang Cheng lowered his head and sent a text message to Kuang Desheng. Chi Xiaoduo suddenly remembered the exorcism committee's prohibition and whispered, "We scared it away, but Director Li won't punish you ba."

Xiang Cheng hesitated for a moment, and in the end didn’t send the text message. 

An idea flashed in Chi Xiaoduo’s head, and he said, "I’ve got it!"

At eight o'clock, a red sun shone over the Pearl River, people came and went on both sides of the strait, and ships whistled away.

At the very bottom of the river, the chiwen rolled around painfully. With the buzzing of the engines, it emitted black smoke. However, with its actions, the Demon Subduing Staff became embedded deeper and deeper.

With a suppressed roar, the chiwen opened its mouth. Inside its maw, the monster-like person shot out along the undercurrent of the waters, letting out bubbles and swimming up the river.

An hour later, in Wang Ren’s studio’s conference room.

Wang Ren: “.....”

Chi Xiaoduo: “......”

Wang Ren: "Chi Xiaoduo, what kind of interesting activities did you guys play at last night? You guys’ tastes are too heavy ba."

Chi Xiaoduo: "It's a long story, and I'll tell you later. Let Xiang Cheng sign the contract first."

Wang Ren's HR person signed a contract with Xiang Cheng and copied his ID, while Chi Xiaoduo nagged Wang Ren to help him get a certificate. Wang Ren said, "Hey, Mola, have you become mentally disturbed recently? I won't talk about you coming over in the morning covered in shit, but now you’ve come to stick a duck in our company as a security guard. Don't you think you have mental issues?"

"No, no." Chi Xiaoduo said, "Xiang Cheng is a great world-saving hero. Believe me, you won’t lose out doing this. Going now, bye bye!"

At 10:30, Xiang Cheng rode his bicycle around to the front of the Shaxian Snack store. Kuang Desheng was opening up the shop and stared fixedly at them. Xiang Cheng raised his hand and signaled him not to say anything. He borrowed the kitchen, and he and Chi Xiaoduo entered Yulan Lane. Under the eyes of a group of exorcists, they entered the office and put the employer's certificate and work contract on another director's desk.

"Xiang Cheng." Director Lu put on presbyopic glasses and asked, "Have you found it?"

Xiang Cheng said, "First I need to be affiliated, and I’m applying for the temporary exorcism qualification."

Director Lu pressed down the contract and said, "You first explain how this muddy body of yours happened."

Xiang Cheng replied, "I fell during the investigation. I know what that thing is now."

Director Lu nodded, gave Xiang Cheng a certificate, and put the official seal on it. Xiang Cheng went downstairs to fill out the forms, told Chi Xiaoduo to wait in the yard, and then went out to take photos.

Elder Qu looked at Chi Xiaoduo, and Chi Xiaoduo smiled and greeted him.

"Elder Qu, have you had breakfast?" Chi Xiaoduo asked while carrying soybean milk and fried dough sticks.

Elder Qu didn't answer. Chi Xiaoduo took care of himself and ate. The sludge on him had already dried out.

Xiang Cheng stuck his dark photo onto the form, handed in the form, and was given a temporary exorcism certificate for transient members. Xiang Cheng folded it, put it in his pocket, entered Director Li's office, went downstairs, and said to Chi Xiaoduo, "Let's go ba."

Chi Xiaoduo asked, "It’s done just like that?"

"I’ll take you home first." Xiang Cheng said, "Take a bath and rest. They’ve all been informed, and the exorcism committee will hold a meeting immediately. I don't have to attend."

In the lower reaches of the Pearl River, in the depths of the other side of the drainage pipe.

Black smoke flew over and swept through the air, revealing a man kneeling on the ground, roaring with pain and rage

"AH----"

The man's voice reverberated through the sewer.

Chi Xiaoduo was so sleepy that he couldn't think clearly. After finally getting back home, he directly started to fall onto the sofa with his entire body covered in sludge. Xiang Cheng turned around and grabbed Chi Xiaoduo around the waist in a classic tango position and pulled him back. 

"Take a bath first." Xiang Cheng whirled him into the bathroom, undressed Chi Xiaoduo, and turned on the hot water.

Chi Xiaoduo: “.....”

Chi Xiaoduo immediately woke up completely. Were they going to take a bath together?!

Xiang Cheng took off Chi Xiaoduo's clothes, but then went out again. Chi Xiaoduo nearly had a stroke and died. Standing under the hot water tap, he felt the water was a little hot, so Xiang Cheng should be boiling water outside to soak their clothes in and wash them.

A moment later, Xiang Cheng entered the bathroom completely naked.

Chi Xiaoduo "!!!"

Chi Xiaoduo's entire face was red, but the bathroom was filled with steam, so Xiang Cheng didn't notice his face. Chi Xiaoduo got out of the way and let Xiang Cheng get under the water.

"I'll scrub your back." Xiang Cheng said.

Chi Xiaoduo was embarrassed to death and didn’t say anything. He felt Xiang Cheng’s hands rub against his back with a towel, producing a lot of bubbles. Chi Xiaoduo was already hard enough to explode. He lowered his head, his back to Xiang Cheng, and his head throbbed with waves of blood, just like it had a few times when he was drunk, his mind buzzing away. 

His love was sometimes big and sometimes small, just like his heartbeat pounding away in his mind.

The bathroom quieted, and there was only the hualala sound of water. They didn't speak. There was just the hot water, skin, the creases of the skin between his palm and Chi Xiaoduo’s back, and the peppermint smell of the shower gel moving over him.

"Tired?" Xiang Cheng's voice asked behind his back.

"Not bad." Chi Xiaoduo's breathing was a little heavier, and he said, "Just a little...hard to breathe."

"I'll give you a massage later." Xiang Cheng said, "Relax a bit and wash yourself clean first."

Chi Xiaoduo felt light-headed and closed his eyes. He didn't know why, but an idea appeared in his mind. In the end, will this memory also be erased?

The steam rising in the bathroom amidst the hualala sound of water was like the sudden rainstorm outside the window, covering the whole city. The sky and the earth all went gray, and Chi Xiaoduo turned his head to look and saw the water dripping slowly down the window.

"Ah, it's raining." Chi Xiaoduo said.

Xiang Cheng turned his head to look at it.

"It's raining." Xiang Cheng replied and helped wash Chi Xiaoduo's hair. The two of them stood under the shower, and his fingers ran through Chi Xiaoduo's wet hair. Chi Xiaoduo felt numb all over, and he felt so good that he raised his head and closed his eyes.

"I'll rub your back." Chi Xiaoduo was still a bit erect, but now he already felt much better. Instead of the erotic feeling in his head from when they had first "faced each other openly," there was now a kind of gentle and beautiful atmosphere.

Xiang Cheng turned around. Chi Xiaoduo felt his thing brush past him, and it was hard. 

Chi Xiaoduo: “.....”

Chi Xiaoduo stood under the water to wash off the bubbles and stood behind Xiang Cheng, working hard to rub his back. The naked muscles of Xiang Cheng’s back were knotted, his shoulders carried a male sense of safety, his figure was symmetrical, and every inch of his muscles were hard and lean. Chi Xiaoduo scrubbed vigorously for a while, and he casually touched Xiang Cheng’s waist. Xiang Cheng immediately grabbed Chi Xiaoduo’s hand. 

"Tickles." Xiang Cheng said.

Chi Xiaoduo started laughing. Xiang Cheng held his wrist, and they twisted back and forth a few times. Chi Xiaoduo was afraid that if they went on like this, he wouldn’t be able to control himself from drawing close and hugging him. Thinking like that, he grew hard again. 

"I'm done washing." Chi Xiaoduo said.

Xiang Cheng let go of him, and Chi Xiaoduo turned tail and fled. He went out to blow-dry his hair, shook out the water in his ears, and after great effort, finally restrained himself.

"Xiaoduo." Xiang Cheng pulled open the shower curtain and said, "Help bring me a pair of my underwear."

Chi Xiaoduo got his underwear and went into the room without saying a word.

Xiang Cheng came in after finishing his bath and saw Chi Xiaoduo in pajamas, sitting on the bed with his knees crossed. He was leaning against the head of the bed, looking at his cellphone. Behind the window, rain flowed down the glass. 

"What are you thinking about?" Xiang Cheng asked.

"Nothing." Chi Xiaoduo’s face was red, and he looked up at Xiang Cheng and laughed.

Chi Xiaoduo was wondering if he could find an email account, write down all these memories of Xiang Cheng and himself together, send them to the email account, and then set a time for the email account to send a message to his cellphone. For example, three months later, or half a year later, his future self would be reminded of all of the things that they did together. 

In this way, even if the memories were removed, the feelings from now could be recovered.

But what was the use of that? Xiang Cheng should just regard him right now as a very good friend, a family member with whom he could talk to and share his troubles and happiness with, and a companion who could relieve his loneliness and who could be mutually relied upon. 

Xiang Cheng sat down, and Chi Xiaoduo immediately switched his cellphone to a web page.

"Are you in a bad mood?" Xiang Cheng asked.

"No,” Chi Xiaoduo asked with a smile, "Does it feel like that?"

"Why aren’t you talking?" Xiang Cheng asked, "You haven’t talked much once we returned home."

Chi Xiaoduo replied, "I'm a little sleepy."

"You sleep on your stomach for a bit." Xiang Cheng said, "I'll give you an oil massage, and you can sleep after it’s done."

Chi Xiaoduo lay down, and Xiang Cheng, shirtless and just wearing a pair of pajama pants, bent over to look for essential oils. Chi Xiaoduo stared fixedly at him; if just now, Chi Xiaoduo had the slightest idea of finding a boyfriend, that idea had already been flung to the four winds because of Xiang Cheng's serious expression and warmth.

Xiang Cheng's cellphone rang. Chi Xiaoduo handed it to him, and Xiang Cheng went out to answer the phone. Chi Xiaoduo heard him say, “Okay, I’ll be there at once.”

Sure enough, Xiang Cheng came in and said, "I have to go out."

“Take an umbrella,” Chi Xiaoduo said, “The rain is really coming down.”

Xiang Cheng nodded. They looked at each other for a moment, before Chi Xiaoduo said, "I'll go with you."

Xiang Cheng waved his hand and said, "They’re about to start handing out missions."

Chi Xiaoduo’s heart lurched, and he said, “Then you...make sure to keep safe.”

Xiang Cheng changed his clothes. He was reluctant to use the clothes that Chi Xiaoduo had bought him, so he still put on the migrant clothes he had worn to subdue yao before, took off his slippers, put on his bag, and said, "I'll be back in the afternoon."

It began to thunder outside, and Chi Xiaoduo escorted him to the door. Xiang Cheng rubbed his head vigorously, drew close, closed his eyes, and touched his cheek to his forehead. 

"You sleep." Xiang Cheng said.

"You must be extremely careful ah," Chi Xiaoduo said.

"Don't worry ba." Xiang Cheng said and then entered the elevator.

Chi Xiaoduo closed the door and began to write his memory entries.

"My name is Chi Xiaoduo..." Chi Xiaoduo said, "No, of course my name is Chi Xiaoduo. I’m writing it to myself, en, so there’s no need to introduce myself."

Chi Xiaoduo typed out a line: "Hello, I'm the you from the past." However he looked at it, it was filled with the panic and suspense of a science fiction movie, so he deleted it again, and replaced it with the sentence: "Don't ask who I am." This felt even more terrifying, so he finally decided not to waste time with the opening remarks and went straight to the point.

"Xiang Cheng...is an exorcist." Chi Xiaoduo said to himself, "Although it's very hard to believe, it's true. He's been hiding it from you for a long time. No, should I use ‘you’ or should I use ‘I' ne? …...Ahhhhh my god, what am I writing?"

Chi Xiaoduo felt like two schizophrenic people trying to write a self-analysis of their schizophrenia. He typed less than two hundred words on his cellphone, threw it aside, and stopped writing.

Chi Xiaoduo fell asleep. Dimly, he had a dream.

The tide rose and fell, the sea breeze blew, and as the wave hit the reef, it broke into tens of millions of luminous crystals and floated away.

Every crystal reflected an endless world, which contained flowing time and childhood memories. Little Chi Xiaoduo crawled on the reef and turned his head back to call his friends over.

His playmates were so far away that no one heard him. He saw a bottomless sea cave and climbed in slowly.

In the cave lay a big black fish, slowly undulating and gasping for breath. From little Chi Xiaoduo’s perspective, it was pretty much as big as a stranded ship. What is this? Chi Xiaoduo thought, walked forward, and touched its tail.

The tail moved, and Chi Xiaoduo was frightened and fell to the ground.

"Wu---" the monster's voice echoed in the cave like a siren. With that action, its fish scales peeled off, and blood seeped out.

And on the monster's head, a light appeared. It went from a faint spot of light to a green light the size of a window. It was the eye of the monster opening up.

Chi Xiaoduo trembled with fear as he went around to the other side, trying his best to figure out what it was, but discovered that it had another eye. It was completely clouded over, emitting black gas, and its eyelid was half closed around it, already blinded. 

"You-you-you, what are you? Do you have a name? " Chi Xiaoduo asked.

The monster didn't answer and slowly closed its eye.

Chi Xiaoduo asked nervously and excitedly, "Are you a yaoguai? Did you run aground? You... "

The monster's throat let out an asthmatic sound, like a huge bellows.