Chapter 85: Blossoms of Peace

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That fierce and wild monster called Fork collapsed to the ground, and Luo Gan hadn’t even felt much of the reality of battle. Erhu’s whole body was burning, sweat soaking through the cotton garments to stick uncomfortably to his skin. Luo Gan’s breath turned instantly to mist and vanished.

The small platform was now battered beyond repair, much like Fork himself. Everyone watched Fork closely for any sign of movement. Luo Gan signaled for Yan Shan to go up and check, but Yan Shan appeared timid. Luo Gan gave him a gentle push and waved his hand, urging him to hurry and take a look.

With no other choice, Yan Shan crept across the icy ground, more afraid that he might slip and turn into a figure skater than anything else, but mostly terrified of accidentally waking Fork.

The husky sniffed Fork’s body and even checked the spot where it had relieved itself to see if it had struck true.

Yan Shan carefully examined Fork for any sign of life—it was a monster, after all. He felt a faint, uncertain breath, unable to determine if Fork still lived, and kept checking over and over.

Snow began to fall again from the sky, soon covering Fork’s body, lending a touch of tragic grandeur to the scene.

Erhu looked troubled, a hint of guilt in his voice. “A Luo, did we go too far with this monster?”

Unexpectedly, Erhu had a merciful heart—perhaps this was the tenderness within the iron man.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. He’s done too much evil. A lesson is all he needs.” Though Luo Gan said this, he wondered why, after defeating Fork, nothing around them had changed—no earth-shattering tremors, no floods or tidal waves, only gentle snow drifting through the air.

Uncle De’s face, now dusted with snowflakes, softened as he remarked, “Several years ago, when Magistrate Sima first took office, they say it snowed in autumn, too.”

Yan Shan, still unsure what was happening, plopped down in the snow and stared blankly.

Luo Gan gazed at the tangled mass of blue hair sprawled on the ground, finding it suddenly amusing. Arriving in the world of Great Tang, he had experienced one event after another, and now it all seemed like a farce. What was the monster lying on the ground really after? Why torment the people?

Did it have monster parents at home needing care? Or perhaps it couldn’t nourish its monster children due to a shortage of demonic energy, and suffered discrimination in the monster world? Or maybe it was a wounded creature, hurt by someone in Anping County, now seeking revenge on humans?

The more his imagination wandered, the more uneasy he felt. Looking at Fork, Luo Gan’s heart brimmed with pity.

He shook Fork’s body to wake him. Yan Shan immediately understood, grabbing Fork’s trident and preparing to stab it into Fork’s belly. Luo Gan quickly stopped him, urging calm.

“President! Why spare this monster?” Yan Shan asked, bewildered, thinking he’d accomplished something great.

Luo Gan took away the trident and spoke with gravity, “We’ve already defeated the monster, but nothing has changed! How do we end the frozen disaster? When he wakes, we must ask him properly.”

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Erhu said, “I don’t think this monster is all that vicious. Doesn’t seem very powerful. Could he really have turned Anping County into an icy wasteland?”

As he spoke, the silly dog cocked its head and nodded in agreement.

Uncle De warned, “Don’t get complacent! As the saying goes, carelessness never gets you anywhere!”

Yan Shan replied, “But Uncle De, didn’t we already win? What’s left to run from?”

Erhu then grabbed some dry branches and vines nearby and bound Fork tightly.

No sooner had he finished than Fork’s body began to stir again! Yan Shan was startled and stumbled backward in fright.

“What’s going on, you guys…”

Luo Gan leaned in, thinking that with Fork tied up like this, he would be more docile.

“Monster, why is Anping County’s frozen disaster not over even though we’ve defeated you?”

Fork sneered, “You think just beating me is enough? Hmph, childish! How could such a difficult game end so simply? You have to seal me away and completely destroy that stone, haha!”

Luo Gan felt satisfied and continued, “If that’s so, why do you harm humanity? Have you encountered some hardship?”

Fork paused, his eyes flashing, his expression no longer fierce but gentle and friendly. Luo Gan read a story in that gaze—a longing for rain after a drought, a fervor upon finding a kindred spirit.

“No hardship at all. Isn’t it just fun? Watching everyone freeze like dogs brings such a sense of achievement.”

Erhu punched Fork in the face, making the monster cry out in pain.

“I say, don’t waste time—just kill it!” Erhu’s anger flared, filled with contempt for the monster’s lack of humanity.

Luo Gan replied, “Enough, enough. Monsters have no humanity. Smash that platform and be done with it.”

Yan Shan protested, “Are we just letting it go? President! We can’t be soft-hearted. If the monster comes back one day, who knows how many will suffer.”

Uncle De’s heart was full of both disdain and fear. He chimed in at just the right moment, “If you don’t kill it, disaster will follow. You must root out evil entirely.”

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Luo Gan was at a loss. He had never considered taking anyone’s life, never had such motives. He didn’t want a game to burden him with guilt—money tainted by blood left him uneasy.

He shook his head and walked straight to the small platform. Fork grinned triumphantly.

“That’s the work of my lifetime! How could a mere mortal like you destroy it? Hahaha!”

Fork’s laughter was eerie, unsettling De and Yan Shan.

Suddenly, the Red Sky Sword shone with crimson light! Luo Gan raised the blade and brought it down with decisive force, shattering the platform into fragments that crumbled and vanished into ashes.

Fork’s body glowed in astonishment, and, trembling in fear, he dissolved into points of light and disappeared. The snow stopped falling; the clouds parted, flooding the earth with sunlight.

Winter flowers lying on the ground slowly straightened and burst into bloom, petals dazzling with rainbow hues. The snow melted swiftly, the earth stirred awake, green grass poked out seeking air, and flowers found space beneath the heavy snow to dance in the wind.

Birdsong echoed from afar. The children of the sister’s household, who had slept so long, finally cried out for the first time, rescuing that family’s broken spirit.

The father and son from the Liu residence stepped outside to gaze at the melting snow, bowing to each other like honored guests.

Xiao Zhi claimed he would return to rest but instead slipped over to Sima’s mansion, retrieving the lost Dragon Sculpture Compass to reclaim his treasure.

Han Chong welcomed Bamboo Zhang back, and before Zhang could complain, Han Chong embraced him in excitement.

Luo Gan was filled with emotion and suddenly realized, “This doesn’t make sense! It was autumn just now—how did it suddenly turn to spring in full bloom?”

Erhu replied, “Who cares!”

With that, Erhu collapsed on the ground, sprawling in the shape of the character for “big.” Yan Shan and Uncle De also lay down, exhausted. Luo Gan looked out at the overdue return of life to Anping County and smiled in contentment.