1314: A Thousand Peonies Bloom
Friendship with Death

If only I could be friends with death

Then I want to go in the most painless way

If only I could be friends with death

I want to leave with meaning and peace

---

Shuwan still survives in the twisting of the half-snake woman.

Is... There really is nothing I can do to finish off this demon? I really don't want to die this way.

Fresh blood flowed from Shuwan's mouth. The internal injuries he suffered turned out to be getting worse again. The half-snake woman was more and more satisfied to see Shuwan's suffering.

“You are already weak like this, you better leave that thing to me immediately!”

“If I hand it to you, doesn't that mean I'm just as bad as you?”

The demon looked annoyed. His eyes glared after hearing Shuwan's words.

“How dare you!”

Grebe...

Shuwan became increasingly helpless. It was very clear that his body was now shattered by the winding of the snake demon that was getting stronger binding him.

"Ohuk!!!"

Shuwan coughed, he regurgitated a lot of fresh blood. His internal injuries looked so severe. His sight was starting to blur.

In his resignation, Shuwan suddenly gets an idea to finish off the women so-called events.

“You want Dragon Tears don't you? All right, I'll give it to you.”

“Hahaha! Finally you know what you have to do before you die,” permpuan it's a joy to see Shuwan who will finally give up the thing he really wants.

“But, you have to loosen your winding first,” pinta Shuwan.

“Why should I do it? What if you suddenly turned around to attack me after I loosened the winding?”

“So you don't want to do it? Alright. It's okay if you don't want that anymore. If I die, then I will also bring it to the afterlife.”

The face of the demon changed. For a moment he turned his eyeballs around, thinking about what he should do, so as not to misstep in the face of Shuwan's request.

“Alright, I'll do what you ask. But, if you do anything, then I will destroy your body without mercy!” threaten the demon.

The circular twists on Shuwan's body slowly loosened. Now he can feel his body a little.

Shuwan immediately raised his hand, trying to ignite his power to pull out the object. Before long, light shot out from her tiny hands, and slowly dimmed down displaying a mini crystal bottle containing Dragon Tears.

“Good, good.” The demon approached Shuwan without a second thought. He took the bottle from Shuwan's hand.

Just now that the demon was being euphoric for successfully obtaining a rare herb, it was now his turn to fight with death.

Jamb...

Shuwan stuck a golden hair pin given by Ying Jie right into the female demon's left chest. He took the stab quickly from inside his shirt.

---

The flashback

Inside the middle room of Ying Jie's residence.

“Shu’er,” Ying Jie called out to him in a soft voice.

“Hm?”

“I want to give something to you,” Ying Jie said as she handed Shuwan a white box.

“What is this?” shuwan asked out of curiosity. What box is this? Did he give me the most expensive and rarest herbs? Inner Shuwan was excited at the thought of what was inside the box.

“You just open.”

Shuwan opened the box. Suddenly a look of disappointment appeared on his face.

“Hairpick? Why are you giving me stuff like this?”

“I thought, you'd be so pretty to use when you're wearing women's clothes. So I gave it to you. Besides, it was a gift from my late mother. He said, I can give that thing to the woman I like.”

“So apparently.” Shuwan did not take Ying Jie's words seriously. He was still focused on holding and staring at Ying Jie's gift.

Shuwan nodded with a gaze that was still staring at the hair pin he was holding. “Alright, I will keep it, and wear it one day,” Shuwan said as he smiled at Ying Jie without noticing her previous words.

I wish he would give me rare medicines. It turns out to be a legacy of hairpins. Hm, it's okay Shuwan.

This is a gift. You shouldn't have refused. After all, this hairpin also looks very pretty.

"Thank you yes, Ying Jie," Shuwan said.

A smile rose on Ying Jie's face after Shuwan accepted her gift. "Yes, equally," she replied softly.

Flashback off

---

Ying Jie, you saw that, didn't you? I've used it. But not in a pretty form wearing women's clothes. I'm sorry, for having to smear it first with this demon blood.

After plunging it deeply, Shuwan plucked the hairpick, and forcibly retook the Dragon Tears that were in the hands of the half-snake demon.

“Ah!!”

Brug...

Shuwan is thrown away from the demon. His body hit with a tree trunk that was there. 

“Ugh!”

Shuwan vomited blood again. Breathing violently. On the other hand, he managed to defeat that demon. But on the other hand, the god of death still faithfully awaited him.

The demon just groaned in pain. His face slowly began to scaly. “You! How dare you!” The woman was increasingly unable to control herself. “Tu-bodies! No!!”

Clinging...

The woman's body disappeared, becoming black smoke which then vanished along with a gust of wind. A bell fell from his body.

Shuwan tried to creep closer to the bell with his remaining force. Finally, after much effort, Shuwan managed to grab the bell.

Clinging.... Clinging... Clinging....

Shuwan rang the bell three times.

Bluked...

Shuwan is unconscious. His body was weak enough to survive the pain.

Meanwhile, slowly Zhang and the others began to come to a realization.

Zhang opened his eyes. “A-what happened to me?” he said while holding the left side of his head. He sat down and looked around. “Why is this place so messy like this?” His eyes were unceasingly staring around the one that had been ravaged. His sight stopped after finding Shuwan lying on the ground with his hands holding a hairpick full of blood.

“Shuwan!” zhang shouted in panic. He ran towards Shuwan's body. As soon as he arrived, he immediately grabbed Shuwan's head and placed it on his lap.

“Shuwan? Shuwan? Let's wake up Shuwan!” Zhang attempted to resuscitate Shuwan by shaking his body.

“A-what really happened? Why did it get like this?” Jiao panicked. Her tears trickled as soon as she saw Shuwan's terrible condition.

So did Yu Hao, who was panicked, confused, and anxious. “Jiao, check Shuwan now,” the door.

Jiao checked Shuwan. Suddenly her crying broke again.

“What... What happened to him, Jiao?” zhang said stammeredly after seeing Jiao's sad expression.

“Shuwan... He's probably already..”

Zhang shook his head in disbelief at the terrible thing that even Jiao could not say. His eyes were glazed over, his tongue was muffled from not being able to say anything. The warm liquid that had flooded his eyes had also washed his cheeks.

“Shuwan!!” zhang shouted with sobs. He could not believe that the woman he loved had just left. He felt helpless as he again had to fail to protect her.

“No Shuwan. Wakes up. Let's wake!” Zhang unceasingly shook Shuwan's body. He asked her to get up and call him again. 

But all of that was in vain. Shuwan never regained consciousness in his calling. Instantly, the forest felt very quiet. There was only the sobs of Zhang, Jiao, and Yu Hao that echoed loudly within the forest.

Kreskk... Kreskk...

In the midst of the blue atmosphere, suddenly there was a noise from behind the bush.

“Who's there?” yu Hao shouted loudly.

The figure behind the bush also appeared before Zhang, Jiao, and Yu Hao.

The three of them shuddered to see it. How not? The figure's body was tall large, covered in fur, his face looked so sinister. His sharp fang grinned as if greeting whoever was before him. Both eyes, glaring to display red strokes from his eye muscles.

“S-who are you?” zhang asked with a voice and a body that trembled in fear.