Chapter 19- The Crow Woman
*Taptaptap*
Upon hearing the sound of something tapping against the window three times, Lizz sat up to see a crow on the windowsill, staring at her.
The moment Lizz saw it, she yelled, “Shaya!” and in the next moment, she was enveloped in red light and flew out the window to the rooftop, gesturing for the crow to follow her.
The crow seemed to understand what Lizz wanted and followed after.
What happened next was some strange phenomenon. The crow’s body emitted several bursts of strange green light that resembled a series of linked threads. The crow’s figure began to twist, and soon its stomach split open into a crack that didn’t bleed.
Instead, what poured out from the ‘crack’ was even more green light. The green light grew brighter and brighter, and when it seemed to have reached a peak intensity, a girl’s head emerged from the ‘crack’.
At once, the crow’s body began to change rapidly in size. Its torso and limbs stretched out to become even taller than Lizz’s. Next, its feathers and wings were ‘peeled’ off by the green light. The crow’s body changed into that of human’s and the wings morphed into a girl’s delicate pair of hands. The crow’s feet also turned into those of a human’s.
The transformation was finished a moment later, and what now stood in front of Lizz was not a crow, but a girl, about seventeen or eighteen.
The lady wore a long black robe made of woven crow feathers, and on her head was a crow feather headpiece. In her hand was a staff adorned with crow feathers, and her boots were made of black feathers, most likely that of a crow. Though her appearance had become that of a human, she could still be said to be a crow from what she wore. Maybe that’s what people meant when they said, ‘Whatever you change on the outside, the inside will still be the same.’(1)
Still, the girl looked gorgeous. With smooth yellow skin, an oval face, black pupils, and red lips— although not at the same level as Lizz, she was one of those so-called super beauties. To add to those alluring features, she had a pair of ‘huge towering mountains’(2) and nice hips, contributing to her top cla.s.s figure.
Seeing a crow morph into a girl, most people would either scream in fear or think that they had gone crazy.What other response could there be in the face of such an absurd scene? However, Lizz only felt excited and rushed to grab hold of the girl’s hands, wearing an expression similar to the one she wore when she saw sweet and sour pork.(3)
The girl’s name was Shaya, and like Lizz, she was an orphan. The two grew up together, begging on the streets. They relied on each other and were eventually¬taken in by their master. As Shaya did not like to kill, she chose to worship the Raven G.o.d, being in charge of communication and basically not fighting at all.
How could Lizz be unhappy upon seeing her best friend? She quickly grabbed the girl’s hands and shook them up and down in glee. She smiled widely and asked, “Shaya, long time no see! How did you manage to find time to come see me?”
“Okay, okay, you’ll rip my hands off…” Shaya answered while pulling her hands free. “We already know that you obtained the Sacred Blood Stone, and it was really a magnificent achievement. Master’s called you back to make your report… Oh, by the way, earlier you were hugging a guy, was that to warm yourself up? It’s not that cold now though, is it?”
Lizz was reminded of what she just happened with Zhang Shaoyu and immediately blushed. She quickly changed the topic with, “I just met with a minor obstacle. That’s why I couldn’t report in.”
“What minor obstacle?” The crow girl tilted her head a bit, confused, and then asked Lizz, “Is it about that guy?”
Lizz stopped for a moment before nodding slowly and saying, “Yes.”
Shaya seemed to have realized something. She squinted her eyes and revealed a strange smile. “Oooh! I know! You’re…”
Lizz immediately got worked up and said loudly, “No, no, no! I don’t like him!” Though, as soon as she opened her mouth, Lizz cursed herself for being a fool.
Shaya chuckled at that.“Oh wow… I didn’t say anything though… Why would you suddenly say something like that, I wonder…? ”
Lizz blushed madly and retorted loudly, “No! That’s not it! We only just met and you’re already teasing me! If you do this again, I’ll ignore you next time!”
Shaya smiled at her and said, “I’ll tell you something. Men these days prefer mature women.(4)If you act childish, how would any man want you?”
When she heard that, Lizz immediately turned meek, softly saying, “…Really?”
Shaya began to laugh loudly while pointing at Lizz. “AHAHAHA! This is why you’re just like October Mustard!”(5)
Lizz stomped on the floor and turned around, pouting. “Hmph! I’m going to ignore you from now on!”
Shaya had grown up with Lizz and knew her temperament really well. “Okay, okay, I won’t make fun of you anymore… But let me remind you, that guy’s a normal human. You’re a mage. The two of you live in different worlds. If he knew you could use magic, would he still treat you like he’s doing now? In my opinion, just keeping him from seeing you as a monster is already the best possible outcome.”
Lizz began to ponder her friend’s words. Indeed, what she had said made sense, and it made her nod a little. But, the moment she thought of Zhang Shaoyu regarding her like that, she felt an aching pain in her heart, as if acid had been poured over it.
Shaya seemed to have noticed what was going through Lizz’s mind and told her, “Oh, come now, my beloved sister! There are lots of men in the magical world! There are guys thousands of times better than him!Or are you perhaps not confident that you can find a good man with your beauty?”
“…” Lizz just kept her mouth shut without answering.
Shaya continued, “Also, that Lynton guy asked about you.”
Lizz was surprised and inquired, “What did you say to him?”
Shaya bluntly answered, “Of course I said, ‘I don’t know!’ But, then again, Lynton’s a prodigy of this generation of young
magicians. He could even reach the level of Satan or Beelzebub, and he’s handsome too! With that kind of talent, maybe the master will put him in a high position such as a bishop. Such a good guy like him has been chasing for you for five years, how could you still not accept him? I really don’t get it…”
Lizz answered, “You don’t get it… We’re just friends. I don’t feel anything towards him.”
Shaya asked forcefully, “Then how could you like that normal guy there? Appearance, just normal. Strength, just normal. Power, just normal. I have no idea what you like about him!”
Lizz answered, a bit angry, “Hmph! I will ignore you if you say more, you just don’t understand!”
Shaya raised her hands in resignation with a frustrated expression.
“Okay, okay, I understand nothing, so I won’t say anything…” Then she continued, “The master didn’t tell you to hurry back, so if you prefer staying here, it’s okay. But you have to give the Sacred Blood Stone to me so I can give it to the master.”
Lizz twisted her body in embarra.s.sment and muttered, “That… There’s a little trouble…”
Shaya immediately frowned. Taking a guess at what happened, she asked her, “You didn’t swallow it yourself, did you?”
Lizz shook her hands and her head at the same time. “Nononono! Of course not, I wouldn’t dare to!”
Shaya nodded. “I guessed so. If you swallowed it, your magical power would rise, but I don’t feel anything like that.” She stopped talking for a moment, confused, then continued, “Why don’t you give it to me then?”
“Well…” Lizz took a long pause before finally telling the truth, “Shaoyu swallowed it.”
“SAY WHAT!!!” Shaya screamed, her voice rising to an octave that would make even Nic Jones(6) bow down in shame… “THE SCARED BLOOD STONE GOT SWALLOWED BY THAT GUY!?”
Lizz quickly covered Shaya’s mouth with her hand. “Shhhh… Don’t scream so loudly, someone will hear you…”
Shaya was so shocked she felt like she might faint.She took a few deep breaths before saying angrily, “Are you crazy? You know full well how precious the Sacred Blood Stone is. The master was hoping everyday for you to bring back the Sacred Blood Stone you know! And you dare to give the thing that the elder wished for so much to a mere mortal? What kind of drug did that guy force you to drink? Hypnotic potion?”
Shaya grew angrier and rolled up her sleeves, and ruthlessly snarled, “That outrageous son of a b.i.t.c.h! Playing my sister like this! Imma f.u.c.king kill him!” Then, she made to go straight down, ready to punch Zhang Shaoyu’s meal right out of his stomach.
“Waiwaiwaiwaiiiiiiittt!” Lizz quickly pulled her back.
“Actually,it’s not his fault! He didn’t know he swallowed the Sacred Blood Stone. My plan is to trick him into practicing magic to produce a magic nucleus. The moment that happens, I will take back the Sacred Blood Stone along with his magic nucleus. That’s why I’m staying with him, do you understand?”
Shaya finally calmed down and faced Lizz seriously for a long time, before finally asking her, “Really?”
Lizz nodded like mad. “Yes, truly, really!”
Shaya sighed before nodding and told her, “Okay then. I understand. I will explain the situation to the master.”
Lizz coquettishly asked, “Err… Do you think the master will be angry?”
Shaya didn’t need to think and answered bluntly, “Of course he will. Such an important treasure gone like that, he’d be crazy not be angry!”
Lizz was worried now. “c.r.a.p, I’m dead meat, right?”
Shaya took Lizz by the hand, comforting her. “Don’t worry, the master’s a reasonable person. If you really trick this guy and take back the Sacred Blood Stone, he won’t blame you.”
Lizz bit her lips as she struggled with the contradiction in her mind. For some reason, tricking and draining the magic from Shaoyu… I don’t feel like tricking him, but if it’s for my people… What should I do…?Besides, after observing him for two days,Lizz knew that Shaoyu knew nothing about magic. He didn’t know about the existence of the Sacred Blood Stone, nor did he intend to steal it.It was all just a misunderstanding.
Lizz felt deeply troubled inside, but she couldn’t let Shaya know about it so she just nodded and smiled.
“Then I’ll be going, see you later!” When Shaya finished speaking, she swung her hands and once again, green light covered her body.
The feather cloak spread across her body, her hands became wings, her human legs became those of a bird, and her body twisted and shrunk. Finally, a little black crow flapped its wings and flew away.
Lizz watched Shaya as she flew away,her master and Zhang Shaoyu running amok in her mind. She was struggling to find an answer when what Shaya said came back into her mind.
Nothing will ever happen between two people who live in different worlds.
Lizz looked down and muttered softly, “Is it… really impossible…?” before she was engulfed once more in red light and flew back into her room.
At that time two figures, a man and a woman, flashed onto another roof. They were precisely the two people who were getting it on some other building’s roof earlier today.
“Are you sure this is the place?”
“Yeah, it must be close, there was magic in the air, a magician must be nearby!”
“Where?”
“I don’t know, want to look around?”
The male put his arms around the woman’s slender waist and said, “It’s late already, why don’t we go back and have another 300 hundred rounds?(7) We can look again tomorrow.”
“You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, can’t you relax for a second!”
The man laughed. “Then why do you look so tempting, aren’t you trying to seduce me?”
“What seduction!” The woman giggled and they waved their hands. A blue magical formation formed beneath their legs before they disappeared into the air.
TRANSLATOR’S NOTES:
1. This is more or less the ‘English’ version of the saying. The original Chinese literally means ‘a dog can’t help itself from eating s.h.i.t.’ LOL
2. LOL
3. My personal rambling: Lizz is hungry and wants to make a sweet and sour crow.
4. NOPE!
5. It’s a saying that came from the country side. It means just like how green mustard in October grows delicately, but it isn’t full bloom season yet. So it’s like a young girl in love but being so pure, innocent and not yet of marriage age.
6. OMFG?! LEWD!? AND WHAT THE… 300 ROUNDS!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? MEEP!