Chapter 441: 58. Duke of Peach
“Who’s in a hurry?! I’m not in a hurry, you get down here! Who’s the杂鱼 (zá yú)?”
Although she said she wasn’t in a hurry, Tang Zeming Asuka was obviously completely provoked by the annoying little brat in front of her. She raised the peach in her hand and walked toward the giant peach tree at the end of the stream, only to find that the closer she got, the more condescending the brat’s expression became.
Hearing Tang Zeming Asuka’s words, the smug smile on the girl’s face became even more insolent. She flicked her wrist slightly, and the delicate folding fan opened, covering half of her face, but her pair of curved eyes remained visible.
“Look at you, your rank is low, your height is short, your intelligence is lacking, and your looks are just average. You are indeed the ultimate杂鱼 (zá yú), and you’re not happy about being called a杂鱼 (zá yú), you杂鱼人类 (zá yú rén lèi).”
“You!”
It was as if Tang Zeming Asuka was pierced by a thousand arrows; she pointed her finger at the girl, wanting to retort but found herself speechless, which made her want to cry even more.
But everyone has their proud moments; even if one’s painful spots are hit, they wouldn’t easily admit it. Tang Zeming Asuka was so furious that she wanted to invite this little brat to a one-on-one fight when she suddenly became alert.
It seemed they were currently in the barrier of an Elf Grand Duke. This little girl had appeared out of nowhere; she could perhaps be a servant of the Duke of Peach, or maybe… she was the Duke of Peach herself?
Tang Zeming Asuka swallowed hard; remembering the terror she felt when she met the Archangel before, she managed to suppress the urge to curse at the little brat and forced a smile on her face.
“Are you an elf?”
“Oh? So you, a杂鱼 (zá yú), doubt that I’m the Duke of Peach?”
The girl put down her small folding fan, tilted her head, and looked at Tang Zeming Asuka.
“You’re not?”
Tang Zeming Asuka’s words carried a hint of hope, because she could no longer stand this little brat for even a second. Her fists tightened gradually; she swore that if this little brat said she wasn’t the Duke of Peach, she would ensure that this guy had a complete childhood as an older sister.
“Hmm.” The little brat contemplated with a troubled look, and just when Tang Zeming Asuka was increasingly convinced this little brat was not the Duke of Peach, she suddenly smiled and said, “I indeed am Peach, as you say, the Duke of Peach,杂鱼 (zá yú).”
You mythical beings are so annoying!!
With her hopes dashed, Tang Zeming Asuka seemed to lose all strength, slumping to the ground and weakly nodding her head, saying dryly, “Ah, I see. You, your temper is really odd, haha… so cute.”
Seeing the little girl before her filled with “survival instinct,” the girl’s smile deepened even more. She put her hands on her hips and stood up, praising Tang Zeming Asuka, “That’s more like it. A杂鱼 (zá yú) should have the demeanor of a杂鱼 (zá yú). Much more pleasing to the eye. By the way, why did you, a杂鱼 (zá yú), come here?”
“Aren’t the Grand Dukes summoning the ones of the Fourteenth Rank?”
The Duke of Peach tilted her head and suddenly smiled, “What is that? I don’t care about all that,杂鱼 (zá yú). Could you do me a favor? There’s a reward.”
“Eh? You don’t know?” Tang Zeming Asuka was taken aback, seemingly not understanding the Duke of Peach’s words. “But…. Isn’t that order from the Elf King for you and the other Grand Dukes?”
“Hmm, that could be so, but I am the past Duke of Peach.”
The Duke of Peach in front of her said lazily, then jumped down from the giant peach tree, landing in the creek, and approached Tang Zeming Asuka while holding her folding fan, saying excitedly, “Forget about that.杂鱼 (zá yú), help me with a task, and I’ll treat you to peaches.”
“Eh?”
Tang Zeming Asuka looked at the Duke of Peach in confusion. Hearing her refer to herself as the “past Duke of Peach,” she suddenly had a guess.
Could it be that something was wrong with time? The real Duke of Peach had gone outside to talk to the other Grand Dukes as the servant said, and this Duke of Peach was merely part of the barrier like this peach blossom forest?
“What do you want me to help with?”
“Look,杂鱼 (zá yú), there’s a fast-swimming fish in that little creek that looks delicious. Could you help me catch it? We can roast it on the shore and eat it together. How about that?”
Following the Duke of Peach’s gaze, Tang Zeming Asuka looked into the distance and indeed saw several fat black fish swimming in the knee-deep river, their plump bodies appetizing.
For some reason, the creatures here all looked perfectly formed, with rare treasures found everywhere that one could only dream of in the outside world.
She didn’t move but turned around to the Duke of Peach behind her and asked, “You are a mythical being elf. Why do you need me, a杂鱼 (zá yú), to catch fish for you?”
“Eh, well…” The petite Duke of Peach scratched her head, causing a few strands of hair neatly tied in a celestial bun to become disheveled. Then, like a kitten, she lightly tapped Tang Zeming Asuka’s arm with her folding fan, saying, “Hmph, it’s an honor for you to do me a favor, and there’s no refusing. I haven’t punished you for wandering around in this Peach Blossom Spring yet. Just obediently catch the fish for me, and you’ll also get peaches to eat.”
But I already have a peach in my hand, don’t I?
Tang Zeming Asuka silently muttered to herself, but the Duke of Peach’s words about her “wandering around in the Peach Blossom Spring” struck a chord within her.
She was already worried that she was causing trouble for her team; that sense of guilt made her reluctant to resist. Even though the doubts in her heart had begun to spread, she reluctantly nodded, deciding to help the Duke of Peach catch fish.
“Okay.”
“That’s more like it,杂鱼 (zá yú). Let’s go.”
Watching the little brat bounce ahead, Tang Zeming Asuka could not correlate this child with that Grand Duke. Although she remembered Hela’s previous example, all the other mythical beings Tang Zeming Asuka encountered were quite serious.
But this little brat seemed to have too many suspicious aspects, almost entirely lacking strength, yet wanted her to catch fish for her.
Tang Zeming Asuka was growing more certain that this little girl was not the real Duke of Peach.
“But, I’m wearing a white robe, which makes it difficult to catch fish; it’ll all get wet.”
“Tsk,杂鱼 (zá yú), just lift it a little, and it’ll be fine!”
“.How can I catch fish if I’m just holding up the robe? I don’t have four hands.”
“Eh, that does make sense. Let me think; have you ever worn a swimsuit?”
“.Well, I have.”
As Tang Zeming Asuka started to speak, she suddenly found the peach she had been holding had transformed. Looking down in surprise, she saw that the peach had completely changed into a black swimsuit she wore during swimming class back in high school—a school uniform swimsuit known as “スク水.”
“Hey, hey, hey! How did this happen?”
“Hmph, of course, a杂鱼 (zá yú) wouldn’t understand this simple thing, cough cough!”
Before Tang Zeming Asuka could finish her surprise, she saw the little brat lying on the ground as if she was completely exhausted, gasping for breath, as if her earlier small spell had consumed a lot of energy.
But even in such exhaustion, the little brat still called Tang Zeming Asuka “杂鱼 (zá yú).”
“.Are you okay?”
“Of course I’m fine,杂鱼 (zá yú)! Now that you have the clothes, hurry to catch the fish! I’ll wait for you here, go quickly!”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
But regarding the swimsuit…
Tang Zeming Asuka pursed her lips, looking at the women’s swimsuit in her hand. She turned it over, and sure enough, the size on it was the same swimsuit she bought when she first went to swimming class. At that time, she made a mistake and bought a size too small. Well, actually, the other sizes were normal; only the bust portion was a bit small.
She still remembered that time in swimming class when she stayed in the changing room, frightened to go out because she was afraid that the overly revealing swimsuit would be seen by others.
Now…
Tang Zeming Asuka sighed and quietly changed into the swimsuit in front of the exhausted little girl, in fact, her swimming skills were quite acceptable. After changing outfits, she did a few stretches.
The Duke of Peach sat up when she noticed Tang Zeming Asuka hadn’t entered the water yet. Just then, her eyes caught sight of Tang Zeming Asuka’s “weapons,” causing her mouth to curve disdainfully as she muttered,
“Oh, finally, I’ve found something that isn’t a杂鱼 (zá yú).杂鱼 (zá yú), could you hurry up? Don’t suffocate trying to fight off the air around you.”
“I’m stretching! Stretching!”
Veins bulged on Tang Zeming Asuka’s forehead, and she became furious at the little brat’s words from behind. She glared at her, not expecting the little brat to be momentarily frightened and instinctively retreat a step.
Tang Zeming Asuka was slightly taken aback, and then her face suddenly broke into a smile as she said, “Aren’t I a杂鱼 (zá yú)? Why are you afraid of me?”
The Duke of Peach’s face reddened. She snapped back, “Shut up,杂鱼 (zá yú)! Who’s afraid of you! I’m not scared of you!杂鱼杂鱼杂鱼杂鱼!”
“You little brat! You’re definitely not the Duke of Peach, are you?!”
“Who said I’m not?! I already said I’m the past Duke of Peach; were you very capable when you were born,杂鱼 (zá yú)? You’re still so garbage now!”
Tang Zeming Asuka was completely furious; she didn’t even care about the fish behind her anymore. Wearing the swimsuit that the brat transformed for her, she was going to “take advantage of the situation” and teach this damn brat a lesson.
“You! Stop right there! I’m going to exorcise you!!”
“Ugh! The杂鱼 (zá yú) is going crazy!”
The tiny Duke of Peach saw Tang Zeming Asuka rushing over like a wild force, and her small face turned pale as she hastily turned and ran, the desperate expression boosting Tang Zeming Asuka’s confidence. She chanted, “Amitabha,” while chasing after the Duke of Peach.
The tiny Duke of Peach was already small, and with her bare feet exposed, she stumbled on the muddy ground. Her toe hit a rock hard, causing her face to turn white as she lost control and plummeted face-first into the ground.
“Ha, this little brat has a foul mouth, karma has struck!”
Seeing her fall, Tang Zeming Asuka’s momentum surged. She quickly pounced and pinned the struggling little Duke of Peach, lifting her up and placing her over her knee, and forcefully slapped her.
“Crack!”
With a crisp sound, the Duke of Peach shouted loudly, writhing like a loach.
“Still dare to call me杂鱼 (zá yú)?!”
“Ah,杂鱼 (zá yú)!杂鱼 (zá yú)! Wuwuwu!”
“Crack!”
Tang Zeming Asuka, angered, slapped her again. The little Duke of Peach could no longer hold her folding fan and began to cry out pitifully, her legs moving up and down as if swimming in water.
“You disrespectful little brat! Say it! Did you make a mistake?!”
The little Duke of Peach looked back at her with teary eyes, her precious and delicate features adorned with glistening tears, making her look incredibly adorable.
Tang Zeming Asuka noticed her lips moving, sensing that another “杂鱼 (zá yú)” was about to escape her mouth, so she raised her right hand threateningly, scaring the Duke of Peach into quickly shaking her head.
“I was wrong! I was wrong! I won’t call you a杂鱼 (zá yú) anymore, wuwuwu!”
“You little brat…”
Just as Tang Zeming Asuka was about to give a satisfied smile and lower her right hand, the little Duke of Peach suddenly found a gap, and with a strong kick, she began to struggle fiercely, causing Tang Zeming Asuka to lose her balance as they toppled to the side together.
“Splash!”
With two splashes echoing, Tang Zeming Asuka and the little “fake Duke of Peach” fell into the not particularly deep creek, stirring up the scattered peach blossoms at the bottom and frightening the big fish in the distance, which quickly swam away.
“Tang Zeming?!”
Ah, my head hurts; this little brat…
Thankfully, I’m wearing a swimsuit, so even falling into the water…
But just a moment later, Fischer’s voice suddenly rang out from the nearby peach grove. Tang Zeming Asuka turned her head in surprise and saw Fischer, with a cool expression, rushing towards her accompanied by the servant girl with a white cloth on her head.
Upon seeing Fischer, Tang Zeming Asuka’s face turned red and white in an instant. She quickly covered her bust, which was slightly revealed by the smaller swimsuit, and with some guilt, she murmured, “Fischer-sensei…”
Fischer was also taken aback. Since he discovered Tang Zeming Asuka was missing, he immediately began searching around for her. He had been looking for an hour with no sign of her. He and Gouwen had almost turned the entire peach grove upside down. It was then that the servant who guided them returned and informed them that she brought Fischer over to find her after saying someone was missing.
“An hour?! I only went out for less than ten minutes!”
“.Let’s talk later. What are you wearing? Where did you get it?”
“Ah! This… this!”
Tang Zeming Asuka’s face immediately flushed. The strength of her hand covering her chest increased, her eyes spinning like a mosquito coil, stumbling over her words, struggling to explain clearly, “This is a swimsuit from my old school, and that little brat gave it to me. She said I should help her catch fish, but her mouth was so poisonous, always calling me杂鱼 (zá yú). Oh, that little brat!”
Tang Zeming Asuka quickly looked ahead and, with Fischer, gazed at the pitiful little girl in the creek, all her finely crafted clothing soaked through.
“Little brat?”
Fischer turned to look, but noticed that the servant showed no reaction upon seeing the little girl in the water, as if she didn’t care about the incident at all.
She simply knelt by the creek, placing her hands on her thighs, and lowering her head said to the girl in the water, “Duke of Peach, I thought you were going to discuss matters with the other Grand Dukes. I apologize for not seeing you here this morning and for the disturbance caused to you by the guests.”
Upon hearing this, Tang Zeming Asuka felt a sense of catastrophe. She bit her lip, swallowed, and her heart raced a little faster.
Amitabha, is the Buddha coming for real?
I… this little brat really is…
In Tang Zeming Asuka’s astonished gaze, the little girl, who had been spanked and then thrown into the river, slowly stood up. She looked at the terrified Tang Zeming Asuka, and her expression instantly became arrogant as she waved her hand to the servant beside her.
The servant remained silent for a moment, seemingly understanding something, and hurriedly lowered her head to hand the fallen folding fan back to the still standing Duke of Peach.
The Duke of Peach took the fan but didn’t open it. Instead, she placed her hands on her hips and laughed disdainfully, “You little杂鱼 (zá yú), dare to act against me? Prepare to die, ah ah qiu!”
Before she could finish her sentence, she sneezed, losing her balance and plopping back into the cold creek, the sound of her splash leaving Fischer and Tang Zeming Asuka stunned.
“Pfft!”
It was Tang Zeming Asuka who couldn’t hold back and first burst out laughing, making the furious Duke of Peach shout angrily, “You little杂鱼 (zá yú), what are you laughing at, how infuriating!”
“Duke of Peach, haven’t you finished yet? The people of the Fourteenth Rank have already arrived; it’s time to deal with official matters.”
The servant beside her slightly lowered her head to remind, causing the furious little girl’s expression to momentarily freeze.
“Slap!”
The surrounding sound instantly quieted, as if everything became silent, only Tang Zeming Asuka’s pupils slightly shifted, sensing something. But in the next second, the Duke of Peach’s folding fan suddenly opened, piercing the stagnant silence like thunder from the sky.
The creek water began to flow again, and peach blossoms slowly fell, allowing Tang Zeming Asuka’s breathing to smoothen once more.
Before her, the figure of the Duke of Peach remained petite, the opened fan half-covered her face, revealing her curved eyebrows and eyes, but the feeling she gave Tang Zeming Asuka seemed entirely different.
“Aren’t you the past Duke of Peach?”
“Hoho,杂鱼 (zá yú)”
Alright, her habit of calling herself a杂鱼 (zá yú) had not changed, but it seemed this title was no longer as annoying as before.
It was as if previously a pesky kid had carelessly insulted her, and now it sounded more like a mature sister teasing and playing with her. Although it was the same term and its meaning hadn’t changed, the context felt entirely different.
“You, the Trans, are perceptive, but your IQ is too low. It’s a bit hard to explain things to you.”
Behind her fan, her pair of curved eyes slowly turned pink, like blooming peach blossoms,
“Past is me, present is me, future is me.”
“I am Peach, Peach is all.”
(End of this chapter)
