Free Web NovelChapter 700: Chapter 661: So gripping, so captivating
Zhao Rong held up the Monster-Reflecting Mirror before his three companions. Then, pointing at the village belle, he asked, "Lili, Yu Lan, Xuelian, Assistant, take a guess. This village belle here, who is incredibly beautiful and gentle with a face like a peach blossom—what kind of demon do you think she really is?"
Lili looked the village belle up and down, noting her large eyes, high nose bridge, double eyelids, and elegant, melon-seed-shaped face. She was indeed very attractive. "Brother Zhao Rong," she guessed, "I think this village belle must be a fox spirit. Only a fox transforming into a woman could be so beautiful, captivating, and soul-stirring."
Yu Lan noticed a single, exceptionally long hair on the village belle’s neck. "Although she’s very beautiful and possesses looks that could topple nations," she speculated, "have you all noticed that the hair on her body is unusually thick? I believe she must be a spirit cultivated from some kind of furry animal. As for what specific animal, I can’t quite decide."
Xuelian racked her brain before offering her theory. "I think she must be a snake spirit. Haven’t you noticed how supple and graceful her figure is? When she walks, she sways her hips, and especially when she runs, the movement is very pronounced. It really reminds me of how the snake spirit from ’Calabash Brothers’ walks. So, I’m sure she’s a snake spirit."
The Assistant thought for a moment, then gave a sly grin. "I think she’s a complete degenerate, obsessed with the pleasures of the bedroom. One look into those soul-capturing eyes and you can tell her desires are incredibly strong."
Listening to their guesses, Zhao Rong smiled. He aimed the Monster-Reflecting Mirror at the village belle and said, "You’re all wrong. This village belle is not a snake spirit, a furry animal, or a fox spirit."
When Zhao Rong finally revealed the answer, everyone was stunned speechless. He looked at Lili, Yu Lan, Xuelian, and the Assistant and explained, "This village belle is actually a thousand-year-old koi that has cultivated into a demoness."
When the three women and the Assistant heard that this flower-like beauty was actually a demon transformed from a koi, they were flabbergasted. "I can’t believe it! This woman is actually a fish that cultivated for a thousand years to become a demon. This completely shatters our worldview!"
The Assistant, still skeptical, turned to Zhao Rong. "Brother Zhao Rong, besides using the Monster-Reflecting Mirror, do you have any other way to force her back into her true form? I want to see for myself if she really is a koi."
Hearing this, Zhao Rong immediately pulled a packet of black powder from his pocket and told him with a smile, "Since you don’t believe me, I’ll use this powder to revert the demon to its original form."
He then explained to everyone that the packet of black powder was formally known as Reversion Powder. Any demon sprinkled with it would revert to its true form within a second and be forever unable to take on a human shape again.
Zhao Rong walked up to the village belle and prepared to pour the powder over her forehead.
When the demon saw that Zhao Rong was about to force her back into her true form, she burst into tears and pleaded desperately, "Big Brother, I beg you, please spare me!
"I cultivated for a thousand years to achieve this human form. If you pour that black powder on my head and turn me back into a koi, I’ll have to cultivate for another thousand years just to become human again!
"A thousand years is an eternity. You are all human; you can’t possibly understand the long suffering, the struggle, and the agony an animal must endure to transform into a person."
But before she could finish, Zhao Rong poured the black powder over her head, instantly reverting her to her original form.
Watching the vibrant koi flapping about on the ground, Zhao Rong said with a smile, "I had to turn you back to your original form to prevent you from harming others. If I let you go today, you would only hurt more people, disturb the peace of this village, and even threaten the safety of the surrounding communities. For everyone’s sake, I had to stop you."
When Lili, Yu Lan, Xuelian, and the Assistant, who were standing behind Zhao Rong, saw the village belle truly transform into a koi flopping on the ground, they were so shocked they fell over.
Scrambling up, Lili said in disbelief, "I thought she might be a fox spirit, a snake spirit, or even a wild boar spirit. But I never imagined she would actually be a fish demon born from a koi. This really changes how I see the world."
Yu Lan added, equally surprised, "Who would have thought a woman transformed from a koi could be so stunningly beautiful, an absolute belle."
Xuelian sighed and shook her head thoughtfully. "You silly koi. If you managed to cultivate into a beautiful woman, you should have just lived a quiet, decent life. You never should have become an assassin, especially not one hired by Wang Jingang. Now look at you. Brother Zhao Rong has turned you back, and you have to spend another thousand years cultivating. You made a terrible bargain; it wasn’t worth it at all."
Zhao Rong then picked up the koi and released it into a nearby river. "Although I’ve reverted you to your original form," he said, "I will spare your life and set you free."
Seeing him release the koi, his companions grew worried. "Brother Zhao Rong, if you let her go, what happens in a thousand years when she becomes a beautiful woman again? She’ll surely go back to harming people!"
Zhao Rong smiled at the three women. "Lili, Yu Lan, Xuelian, you don’t need to worry about that. In a thousand years, human society will be so highly advanced that it would be impossible for a single demon to run amok."
Upon hearing this, everyone’s attention shifted to the village belle’s brother, who stood nearby. They turned to Zhao Rong with curiosity. "Brother Zhao Rong, if the village belle was a thousand-year-old koi who became a demoness, then what kind of demon is her brother? He couldn’t be a carp spirit too, could he?"
