[Player Zhou Qian, you’ve been bound to the game and is player A7577.]
[Welcome to the tutorial stage.]
[Please wait for the instance to load…]
[Loading completed.]
With these prompt lines, Zhou Qian pushed open the door in front of him and walked into a pink room.
The ceiling, floor, bed, wardrobe—all were pink.
Sitting on the bed was a little girl with pink hair and pink clothes. The bed and the floor around her were filled with dolls.
Each doll looked different; some had round faces and noses, big heads, and small bodies; some were cloth-made, and the style was more towards the cute side; some were like rubber Barbie dolls, slender and thin, looking somewhat sexy.
The styles were so different that most likely they came from different manufacturers, but like the little girl on the bed, they all had the same long pink hair and were all wearing pink princess dresses.
The moment Zhou Qian stepped in, the entrance door closed automatically. He raised his hand and tried to turn the door lock but could no longer open the door.
At the same moment, the little girl on the bed looked up at Zhou Qian with a pair of cold eyes and said in a childlike voice, “Help me find the doll I hate the most!”
[Player mission has been triggered: Find the most hated doll.]
[Task time limit: 90 seconds.]
[Select the correct doll and say, “Let’s kill it together” to pass the level; the player has only three chances; if all three selections are wrong, it will be considered as a failure, and the player will be devoured by the resentful doll.]
A semi-transparent panel popped out from the watch on Zhou Qian’s left wrist. These sentences suddenly appeared on the panel, blinked for a few seconds, and then disappeared automatically.
At the same time, Zhou Qian heard a rustling sound. He looked up and saw all those dolls standing up. They all cracked a smile in unison and then slowly walked towards him.
Not long after, all the dolls, along with the little girl, and even the pink color of the entire room deepened a bit. Everything was changing towards the color of blood at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if the whole room was a huge mouth of a demon opening. If Zhou Qian didn’t pass the level in 90 seconds, this mouth would close, tearing Zhou Qian to shreds and swallowing his flesh.
At first glance, these dolls stood very chaotically, but they roughly stood in three rows. Zhou Qian easily counted that each row had 10 dolls, so it wasn’t difficult to calculate that there were a total of 30 dolls in the room.
He had three chances to select the correct one from the 30 dolls; purely based on luck, his chance of clearing was 10%.
But Zhou Qian was clearly not a man who believed in luck.
He had been hanging around casinos with his father since he was young. Winning cards was never about luck, but observation, psychological quality, and hand speed.
Therefore, Zhou Qian didn’t immediately take action but thought about the limited information he had.
These dolls were all different, but all cute and beautiful. There were none that had a distinctively hateful characteristic, so why would there be a doll that the little girl hated the most?
Wait, she used the word “most”, which meant she hated all these dolls, but there was one that she hated the most.
The little girl dressed up these dolls like herself, so it stood to reason that she should like pink and them as well.
But since she hated them…
Zhou Qian tried to speak to the little girl. “Do you hate pink?”
“Of course I hate it!” The little girl stared at Zhou Qian angrily. “I hate pink, I hate dolls! Help me find the one I hate the most as soon as possible!”
Hate pink, hate dolls.
But she was wearing a pink skirt again, surrounded by a bunch of dolls who were also wearing pink skirts.
These clues could only point to one thing—she was forced to dress up like this, and these dolls were bought for her by others.
While thinking, Zhou Qian quickly glanced at all the dolls again.
These dolls didn’t seem to be produced by the same manufacturer, which he noticed from the beginning.
At this moment, Zhou Qian focused on their eyes. The eyes of the dolls had different colors: blue, green, black, brown, and the like. As for this little girl…
Looking back at the little girl, Zhou Qian found that her eyes were black.
The dolls’ hair, eyes, and costumes should have been different, but after they were bought back from different stores, they were replaced with uniform pink hair and dresses.
What about the little girl?
How could a little girl with black eyes and a Chinese face have pink hair?
It should be the same as the dolls; she was dressed like this.
Zhou Qian probably guessed the truth of the matter.
But he still needed to confirm it again.
[Friendly reminder: You have 70 seconds left to clear the level.]
Zhou Qian didn’t even look at the prompt that popped up on the panel but walked directly towards the little girl.
As the room approached blood red, all the dolls showed darker and harsher smiles, as if waiting for the countdown to end so they could enjoy Zhou Qian’s flesh to the fullest.
The little girl also smiled. She opened her mouth, and bright red blood flowed from between her teeth. The pink room, which was beautiful and warm just a moment ago, immediately became bloody and terrifying.
Zhou Qian walked up to the little girl, who was bleeding from the corner of her mouth, without hesitation.
Reaching out, he grabbed the little girl’s hair and pulled it hard.
The pink wig was immediately uncovered and fell to the ground.
It was clearly a boy under the wig, but he was dressed up as a girl, looking like a Barbie doll.
Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes, pulled his sleeves and lifted them up. “Sorry, I just want to make sure if there are any injuries on your body.”
After that, Zhou Qian clearly saw that his arms were full of bruises.
This boy was dressed up as a girl, and he had such injuries on his body. It wasn’t difficult to imagine what he suffered.
[Friendly reminder: You have 60 seconds left to clear the level.]
Accompanied by such prompt words on the panel, the little boy’s mouth opened wider, and more and more blood flowed out of it, even onto Zhou Qian.
The dolls were also close at hand. They almost formed three circles, enveloping Zhou Qian inside.
Three of the dolls walked faster and had already bitten Zhou Qian’s trouser legs.
He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but Zhou Qian heard the sound of them swallowing saliva, as if they couldn’t wait to enjoy a good meal.
[Alert: Player has touched the resentment doll. Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 99%.]
When touched by the resentment doll, the player Zhou Qian’s HP drops to 99%.]
[Once HP drops to 0, the player will die.]
On the panel, the red health bar representing life value had only slightly decreased, posing no threat at all.
Therefore, in this simple game, the only thing to worry about was the time limit.
Zhou Qian glanced at the panel and turned his eyes back to the little boy. He asked, “You hate pink, you hate dolls, so what do you hate the most? The person who bullies you?”
The little boy shook his head.
At that moment, a dagger suddenly appeared in his chest, incessantly stabbing inward. More and more blood gushed from his chest and mouth as if it were inexhaustible.
But the little boy was smiling, as if he were about to be set free.
The increasingly blood-red room reflected in Zhou Qian’s eyes, turning them the same bloody hue.
With his bloodshot eyes, Zhou Qian looked at the little boy and asked almost emotionlessly, “I see, you hate yourself the most, don’t you?”
“Yes.” The boy’s face was adorned with a detached smile. Yet as he continued to vomit blood, this smile became eerily strange. “I poisoned myself, and after taking it, I vomited a lot of blood. I was in so much pain. I wanted to die quicker, so I stabbed myself.”
“I feel so cold and lonely after death… Come and keep me company…”
[Friendly reminder: You have 50 seconds left to clear the level.]
After this reminder, more and more dolls started to surround Zhou Qian.
One couldn’t help itself and bit into Zhou Qian’s flesh through his trouser leg.
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 95%.]
Zhou Qian kicked the doll away without any pain or itch, showing no anxious expression.
He asked a few things just now because he wanted to confirm one thing—whether this little boy hates himself the most. Now he had received a positive answer.
The little boy should have been dressed up as a little girl by an adult man with a dark hobby and was forced to be with the dolls all day long.
He was forced and humiliated, but he forgot to hate the person who humiliated him, but instead resented himself.
So he killed himself.
The person he hated most was himself, so much so that in the space where resentment formed after his death, he was still repeating suicidal behaviors.
In this way, it was self-evident what the answer to clear this level was.
[Friendly reminder: You have 40 seconds left to clear the level.]
Taking a casual look at the prompt that jumped out of the panel, Zhou Qian thought to himself—he had enough time to examine a doll every second, there should be plenty of time for everything.
Zhou Qian began to quickly check one doll after another.
[You have 30 seconds left to clear the level.]
[You have 20 seconds left to clear the level.]
[You have 15 seconds left to clear the level.]
[Player Zhou Qian, please clear the level as soon as possible! Otherwise, you will die!]
With time so tight, Zhou Qian had no chance to make mistakes.
But he didn’t panic.
After checking 15 dolls and still not finding the target, all he could do was sigh about his bad luck.
[You have 10 seconds left to clear the level.]
[You have 9 seconds left to clear the level.]
……
When the prompt [You have 5 seconds left to clear the level.] popped up, Zhou Qian didn’t even blink, but the man sitting in front of the screen became panicked.
Seeing everything through the screen, he couldn’t help but yell, “You’ve wasted too much time at the beginning! No need to observe so much, nor ask questions! Just brutally tear open each doll to check!”
The person who was shouting was Yu Xian.
He was currently sitting in a rented room, staring intently at his phone screen without lifting his head.
Whether this player named Zhou Qian could complete the level was related to whether Yu Xian could win a bonus, so he was particularly nervous.
Yu Xian and his roommate Zhu Qiang both lost their jobs a month ago. They were both at the end of their ropes. If they couldn’t find work next week, they planned to leave this big city and return to their hometown to find another way to make a living.
But tonight, they both received an advertisement on their phones at the same time.
[Do you want to get rich overnight?]
[A group of players is trying to complete a game. Bet on the selected player, and if he succeeds, you will win 30,000 yuan.]
Neither of them had money in their bank accounts, so they weren’t afraid of getting scammed or getting their phones infected with viruses.
So they both clicked in.
When it was time to select a player to bet on, many avatars appeared in front of Yu Xian. He chose with the mindset of watching a movie and randomly selected a good-looking player, who happened to be Zhou Qian.
But as the game progressed, Yu Xian couldn’t help but doubt his choice—Do good-looking people really have bad brains?
In fact, Yu Xian didn’t really think that a pie would fall from the sky.
But just 30 seconds ago, his roommate Zhu Qiang received a text message—his bank account had received 30,000 yuan.
The player Zhu Qiang chose was called Lu Mengmeng, a young man in his early twenties who looked quite cute.
Lu Mengmeng completed the level 30 seconds ago. The system sent him a treasure chest. After receiving the prize from the chest, he left the game.
At the same moment, Zhu Qiang received the bank transfer notification.
“Holy shit!” “Holy shit!!” “Holy shit!!!”
After carefully reading the deposit text message three times, both of them simultaneously exclaimed in surprise and then focused their attention on Zhou Qian, who hadn’t completed the level.
Seeing Zhou Qian procrastinating, Yu Xian roared, and Zhu Qiang couldn’t help saying, “Lu Mengmeng’s method of passing the level just now was right! He didn’t ask anything; he just tore open all the dolls to check!”
Yu Xian: “Damn it, I’m really anxious! You got your 30,000, while I’m still hanging here! If Zhou Qian doesn’t pass, you’ll have to cover the rent next month!”
“Ah, finally!” Yu Xian let out a sigh of relief. “Zhou Qian finally passed the level! He finally found the doll!”
Zhu Qiang: “So all those stories and plots are useless. They’re all just coverups, wasting the player’s time! Alright, it looks like Zhou Qian is about to leave the game. Eh… eh? Why isn’t he leaving?! What’s he doing?!”
“Fuck, that little boy is about to turn into bones, and he dares to touch it?! What if he gets attacked?! Even though his health bar is quite high, there’s still a risk, right?!”
At this moment, in the game.
Zhou Qian had no idea that someone was watching him play and even placed a bet on him.
He just calmly found the key to complete the level.
The little boy hated dolls. Because to him, the existence of the dolls was actually a reminder that he, like them, was just a toy to be touched and played with.
Hidden among all the dolls was a boy doll, forced to wear a pink wig and a pink dress, resembling the little boy.
Since the little boy hated himself the most, he certainly hated it the most.
With a swift motion, Zhou Qian picked up the doll, turned to the little boy, and said, “Let’s kill it together.”
Immediately, the countdown on the system panel stopped.
[Player has found the most hated doll and successfully passed the tutorial level. An ending animation will play next. After the animation ends, the player can log out of the game.]
Sounds of faint crying echoed around, seemingly coming from all the dolls.
The bed, cupboard, ceiling, and floor, all of which had turned blood-red, slowly darkened until they merged with the black night. The little boy collapsed to the floor, his flesh peeling off, turning into a skeleton.
Zhou Qian didn’t retreat. Instead, he approached the boy, squatted down beside him, held his hand without fear, and said softly, almost bewitchingly, “None of this is your fault. You shouldn’t hate yourself, let alone kill yourself. The person you should kill is the scum who did this to you.”
Suddenly, a look of hatred appeared in the boy’s eyes. “You’re right, I should kill him! Kill Li Dafu!”
[Player Zhou Qian has triggered a side quest for the associated level: Kill Li Dafu.]
Glancing at the new prompt on the panel, Zhou Qian asked the boy, “Who is Li Dafu?”
“My uncle!” The little boy clenched his fists.
“I see. Your uncle tormented you. Blood must be repaid with blood. I will take revenge for you,” Zhou Qian said with a hint of excitement in his eyes.
His gaze at the boy seemed filled with pity at first, but a closer look revealed a trace of bloodlust. It was as if he was not only seeking revenge for the boy, but also looking for an opportunity to kill freely.
“Now, can you tell me where Li Dafu is?”
“He will be attending a meeting at Apple Paradise. I stole his invitation. Now I’m giving it to you! With the invitation I give you, you can blend into the park. If you run into him, kill him for me!”
[Player Zhou Qian has obtained the item: Li Dafu’s Invitation.]
[Li Dafu, you are the most devout believer in the “God Epoh”. Unfortunately, God has let you down. To make up for it, God has granted you this precious invitation, allowing you to meet him in Apple Paradise.
At that time, you can do as you wish with Him. “No matter how outrageous your actions are, God will not refuse you.”]
So, Li Dafu is a follower of a god called Epoh.
But what could have caused God to disappoint him?
Gods are usually high above us. What could have possibly happened for a god to allow his followers to do as they wish with him?
Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes slightly and quickly asked the boy before he disappeared, “Since you were able to steal such an invitation, do you know any secrets about Li Dafu? What’s the deal with this God Epoh that he worships?”
“The great God can fulfill people’s wishes. Li Dafu wanted money, and God gave it to him; he wanted…”
The boy said resentfully, “He wanted me, and God gave him that too! Bound by God’s power, I couldn’t escape from Li Dafu, so I had no choice but to kill myself! Now… Now Li Dafu has made another wish to God, saying he wants to resurrect me. But God said his power has weakened, and he cannot fulfill Li Dafu’s wish. He felt sorry and sent this invitation…”
Hmm, so… this god isn’t a traditionally benevolent god.
What is his purpose in doing all this?
Zhou Qian pondered briefly, his gaze falling on the last sentence of the invitation—[Only guests with an invitation are eligible to enter the park. Please keep it safe.]
Now that he had cleared this mini-instance, Apple Paradise and God Epoh must be elements in another instance.
Normally, the first challenge for players entering that instance would probably be how to get into Apple Paradise.
But with this invitation, the problem was already solved for Zhou Qian.
Indeed, triggering hidden plotlines could be beneficial.
Everything he had done previously wasn’t a waste of time.
The earlier mini-instance was a beginner’s tutorial mode, with almost no risk of death, just allowing the player to familiarize themselves with the operation process.
Among the 30 dolls, 29 were female, and only one was male. Thus, “gender” became the only distinctive trait that made this doll different from others. Therefore, the answer to the puzzle had to be it.
There was no need to explore any storyline; the player could quickly find the answer by examining each doll.
But after all, the system designed this tragic story, so there must be a purpose behind it.
At this point, Zhou Qian found out that his guess was right.
By the time Zhou Qian put away the invitation, the little boy had completely turned into a pile of bones.
All kinds of furniture, and even the whole room, had disappeared.
Zhou Qian arrived in the middle of the night, with the unlit villa behind him and the villa’s backyard in front of him.
The backyard was very desolate. A skeleton quietly lay on the ground, and the 30 brand-new and exquisite dolls next to it formed a sharp contrast.
After the little boy committed suicide, he was buried in the backyard. These dolls became his burial objects. However, he still hated them after death. Therefore, the player accidentally dug up the bones and dolls in the backyard and entered his space of resentment.
At this moment, both the villa and the backyard were slowly fading away in the night, implying that the end of the animation was about to be played.
A red light rose from the skeleton and fell on Zhou Qian.
[Player Zhou Qian has obtained a one-time defensive buff—”The Blessing of the Little Boy”.]
[When your HP drops to 5%, this buff can help you withstand 100% of the next damage.]
Yu Xian: “Ah, does this mean that this buff can only prevent damage once?! What a poor bargain. I mean, if you encounter a situation where you’re getting beaten up by a boss and only have 5% left, what’s the use of preventing damage once? If the boss uses his toe, the 5% HP will be gone…”
Zhu Qiang: “Indeed, it’s not that useful, but it’s better than nothing. Hey, hey, there’s a treasure chest coming; let’s see what he got?”
After the red light on Zhou Qian disappeared, a shiny golden treasure chest appeared in front of him.
[Player successfully passed the tutorial mode and got a treasure chest. After opening, you can get a random item.]
Following this prompt, Zhou Qian walked up to open the chest and opened it. Inside was a green mass.
[Player gets item: Grass]
[Function Description: A plant?]
[Grade: F]
In the game, Zhou Qian: “Fuck.”
In front of the screen, Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang said at the same time: “Fuck.”
In this game, the level of items was ranked from high to low in the order of A to F, and special level items belonged to the S series.
Undoubtedly, a grade of F was the lowest level of items.
Lu Mengmeng just passed the game and got a Grade C defense bracelet.
It was true, comparing to others could really piss one off.
After collecting the reward item, Zhou Qian’s system panel received a new prompt.
[Player Zhou Qian can enter the associated instance: “Apple Paradise”.]
[Player Zhou Qian is about to log out of the game. You must enter a level one instance within three days.]
[Tip: You have the side mission of “Killing Li Dafu”, who is Rank E. You have just cleared the tutorial mode, haven’t obtained any skills, and all your attributes are at the lowest Rank F.]
[Due to the considerable disparity in power between the two sides, you can choose to tackle other level one instances first. After gaining levels and skill upgrades, you can then enter “Apple Paradise”…]
[Of course, the greater the difference in power, the higher the rewards for completing the task. Players should make a careful choice based on their needs.]
[This game adopts a customized instance recommendation mode.]
[The tutorial mode can also reveal a player’s characteristics and potential. In addition to “Apple Paradise”, the system has provided an additional 5 regular level one instances based on your traits for you to choose from.]
[Please choose the instance you want to enter and the time of entry. You have three days to think about it.]
Zhou Qian didn’t need to think about it at all; he made his choice on the spot—Instance: “Apple Paradise”; Time of Entry: Three days later.
His operation made Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang exclaim in surprise.
—With the useless buff, useless grass, and without obtaining any skills, Zhou Qian was going to take these two things and directly challenge the Rank E Li Dafu?
Yu Xian had no time to grieve for Zhou Qian when he received several lines of prompts himself.
[The player you bet on, Zhou Qian, successfully cleared the level. 30,000 yuan will be credited to your account. Player Zhou Qian will enter the level one instance “Apple Paradise” in three days. You can choose to continue betting on him, or, of course, you can take the 30,000 yuan and leave this game altogether.]
[To participate in the bet, you need to pay 30,000 yuan. If Zhou Qian fails to clear the game, you will lose these thirty thousand yuan; if Zhou Qian successfully clears the game, you will receive a reward of 1,000,000 yuan.]
[Gambler Yu Xian, you have ten minutes to make a decision.]
Kinky Thoughts:
I always wanted to do an infinite/unlimited flow novel, so I picked this one up from a recommendation.
In the principal’s office on the second floor of Bikong Academy, the principal, whose eyes were a light shade of gray, stood leaning by the window. Where his gaze reached, a group of energetic students were coming from afar, laughing and playing.
“When I was young, I met a visitor from a distant galaxy,” the principal lazily said. “His eyes were a clear and bottomless blue, like vast oceans, unforgettable at a glance.”
The corners of the principal’s mouth rose slightly, recalling the pleasant memories. “I once told him that he possesses the most beautiful eyes on his planet, but guess what he said?”
The other person in the room didn’t respond, but the principal didn’t seem to need him to answer and continued on his own. “He said that in his homeland, everyone has eyes of different colors. There are green like emeralds, red like amber, gold like glass… Even though I couldn’t see it with my own eyes, imagining it is already beautiful enough.”
The group of students drew closer, and their faces became more distinct. They were different in appearance and stature, but their eyes were all the same smoky gray.
There were so many magnificent colors in the world, yet here they were unified into the most unremarkable one. Some of the light spectrum was greedily absorbed, and the remainder was mixed into a foggy gray that filled the entire pupil.
“How monotonous the colors of our planet are in comparison,” the principal lamented.
Not far behind him stood the much taller Director of Education, whose eyes were as black as ink, seemingly trapping even light. Such profound eye color, however, was also considered one of the monotonous colors in the principal’s eyes.
The director quietly shifted his gaze from the students on the ground floor to the principal’s profile. Although this man often mentioned things about youth and memories, his appearance and figure weren’t much different from the students of the academy. Without looking at his eyes, it would be hard to discern his real age.
This was the planet Tianxiu, where people’s eyes had only three colors, which were also essential identity markers. The majority of Bikong Academy’s students, regardless of gender, had smoky gray eyes; the color exclusive to minors. Only a few had eyes that had changed, signifying their awakening as adults and their impending departure from the academy.
People on this planet had neither childhood nor old age. They came into existence in a unique way, awakening as teenagers after a long dormant period. Born with survival skills, they didn’t need to learn to walk or speak and even retained the most basic survival memories through generations of reincarnations.
Without parents, siblings, they were born equal without any difference in social status. During their fledgling stage, all adults collectively raised them, allowing minors to spend their formative years in academies like Bikong. After completing the coming-of-age ceremony, they would develop for the second time into adults and maintain that appearance until the next dormant period.
This was the Tianxiu people, with no birth or real death. Generations after generations have lived on this planet for thousands of years.
“These students are in the tenth grade, right?” the principal asked, watching them pass below. Since age couldn’t be judged by height or appearance, educators here generally developed exceptional memory.
The director gave a brief glance and quickly identified a few targets. “Yes, most of them are in the fledgling stage—around nine to ten years—the peak period of awakening.”
“It would be nice if they could pass the awakening period carefree.” The principal tapped on the glass. “I don’t want to repeat the past tragedies. For this year’s health education, should we assign someone gentle…”
The students who had just walked past had splintered into small groups, discussing the physical fitness test that had just ended.
“Have you heard? Two people in our grade scored over three hundred points in this physical fitness test. Are they really that strong?”
“Who else could it be? It must be Ling Xiao and Ying Feng, I bet.”
“Who do you think scored higher between them?”
“Probably Ling Xiao.”
“It must be Ying Feng. Although Ling Xiao is also very strong, he’s still slightly inferior to Ying Feng…”
The students were enthusiastically discussing, unaware that behind them, one of the parties mentioned was walking by.
Ling Xiao’s face was cold. The results of everyone’s physical fitness test were sent directly to their private terminals from the host computer, so others didn’t know. But the instructor hinted to him after the test that although his results were good, they weren’t the best of this grade.
And among his peers of the same grade, there was only one person who could surpass him: Ying Feng.
Ying Feng and Ling Xiao had awakened within half an hour of each other and were both assigned to Bikong Academy. They had been classmates for ten years, since the first grade. They almost had all the prerequisites to become good friends, but due to Ling Xiao’s competitiveness and Ying Feng’s indifference, they remained strangers.
Ying Feng had a slight edge over Ling Xiao in almost everything, but this slight edge was enough to keep Ling Xiao in second place forever. The only thing that could redeem his pride was that he was a few centimeters taller than Ying Feng. This had been his only victory over him in these past ten years.
“Why the long face?” One of Ling Xiao’s best friends, Lan Sheng, hooked his arm around his neck. “Let me guess, you lost to him again?”
Another friend, Ping Zong, gently elbowed him, indicating: Do you have to be so blunt?
“What’s there to fear? Our Xiao* Ling Xiao is best at turning sorrow into strength. This small failure can’t defeat him, right?”
*Little/young (小). When used as a prefix in front of a name, it expresses familiarity or affection towards a person, usually used when the person is younger or lower rank than you.
“Of course not.” Ling Xiao was spurred on by the words. “The instructor said I was only two points behind him. A little more effort, and I can surpass him.”
Lan Sheng punched him in the chest. “That’s a must. I’m counting on you.”
The three walked back to the classroom together. When they entered the classroom, Ling Xiao was still arguing with Lan Sheng. “And, I’m older than you, so don’t call me ‘Xiao’ Ling Xiao.”
“You only woke up half a year before me, and our ages during our fledgling phase don’t mean anything.”
“You’re so confident I won’t become an adult before you?”
“Hahaha. Really? You?”
The two chatted happily, and soon more boys joined in. As the classroom was buzzing, Ying Feng appeared at the entrance, but only Ling Xiao noticed.
Ying Feng’s seat was in the last row, so he had to pass by Ling Xiao’s group. As he passed, Ling Xiao, who had been leaning against the desk, suddenly stood up straight, lifted his chin, and congratulated him in a tone that was hard to interpret as complimentary.
“Congratulations.”
Ying Feng didn’t even turn his face, coldly glancing at Ling Xiao, who was trying hard to make himself look tall, and walked by without a word. The other students were well aware of the animosity between the two and turned a blind eye as usual.
Seeing Ying Feng ignore him once again, Ling Xiao’s anger flared.
“Sooner or later, I will, I will…” Ling Xiao thought of the most vicious threat he could think of as a Tianxiu fledgling. “I will take your heart’s blood and make you my Qizi. You’ll obey me all your life!”
Ling Xiao’s bold words were like dropping an atomic bomb in the classroom, shocking all the students. To these young minds, adulthood was a vague concept. Although many were facing awakening, the relationships between adults were still a mysterious existence.
Their knowledge of adult matters came from surreptitiously obtained vulgar literature, where Qizi were described almost like slaves, completely under the control of their Qizhu without any capability to resist. This made Ling Xiao’s words seem particularly outrageous and daring.
“Haha.” After a long silence, someone laughed awkwardly. “Ling Xiao, you really dared to say that.”
With the ice broken, the crowd immediately laughed and agreed, like teenagers accidentally discussing dirty jokes; embarrassed but unable to resist wanting to know more.
“Hey, I heard the equipment teacher say yesterday,” Lan Sheng suddenly whispered mysteriously, and everyone immediately huddled together, “that he was taken four times in one night, and he was weak-kneed when he went to work.”
“No way?” someone exclaimed as others snickered. “Why did he say that?”
“It’s true. I heard him complaining to his Qizhu on the communicator. There was no one else in the office, and I was hiding by the door, eavesdropping.”
The forbidden door, once opened, would not easily close again. “What else did he say?”
“I don’t know. I only heard this much. I was afraid of being discovered, so I quickly ran away.”
“Tch.” Everyone collectively groaned. A good opportunity to spy on the adult world was killed.
Ling Xiao sneered disdainfully. “Four times a night? That’s nothing. When I become someone’s Qizhu, it will be seven times a night, and they won’t be able to get out of bed for three days.” Having said that, he glanced meaningfully at someone’s seat. The person unexpectedly raised his head, and the two made brief eye contact.
There erupted a round of cheers among the boys, including cries of admiration and encouragement, while the girls distanced themselves, as if they wanted nothing to do with these shameless people.
Yao Tai walked into the classroom just in time to catch Ling Xiao’s arrogant words, making her inwardly curse.
These ignorant* little brats, not even old enough to grow pubic hair, dared to speak so wildly. Rather than psychological health education, the fledgling who started this should be tied up and beaten until he learns his lesson.
*Not knowing the height of the sky and the thickness of earth (不知天高地厚) Idiom referring to someone who is overconfident, arrogant, or naive about the reality of the situation, which can lead them to act recklessly and make unwise decisions.
She strode to the podium in her high heels. Seeing their teacher arrive, the students dispersed and returned to their seats.
Yao Tai possessed a stunning figure rarely seen in the academy and possessed deep black eyes. Many students referred to her as Queen Yao behind her back. Strictly speaking, she wasn’t a teacher of the academy.
Indeed, as soon as she stood at the lectern, a student raised a hand.
“Dr. Yao, are you our substitute teacher today?”
The academy’s health doctor, Yao Tai, crossed her arms. “Starting today, the tenth graders will have additional physiological health classes, and I will be the instructor for this course. If any of you have questions in this area, feel free to ask me.”
Physiological health class? The students’ eyes lit up, but no one dared to raise a hand.
“What’s the matter? No questions? Weren’t you all discussing very passionately just now?”
Realizing they had been caught, several boys who had just been making a fuss started scratching their heads sheepishly.
Yao Tai didn’t press further. She drew two human silhouettes on the sensory board, clearly distinguishing a male and a female.
“As you all understand, we, the people of the Tianxiu, have a unique way of reproducing, which is asexual reproduction. There are only two stages in our lives—fledgling and adult—which is why we have a unique way of calculating age.”
“You.” She pointed at a student in the front row. “How old are you?”
“Nine years in the fledgling stage,” the student replied fluently.
“Good, I’m eighty-seven years old as an adult. How much older am I than you?”
“I…” The student couldn’t answer.
“You should answer, ‘I don’t know’,” Yao Tai continued. “The length of the fledgling stage varies. Some awaken as early as four years, while others don’t awaken until eighteen, although these are exceptions.”
“Over 80% of our people reach sexual maturity around their tenth year after awakening. That means…” She drew out her words, sweeping her gaze over each student’s face. “A significant portion of you here might be approaching your sexual awakening.”
The girls who were shyer were already blushing at this point, but Yao Tai continued unfazed. “Although we reproduce asexually and don’t need to mate for reproduction like other species, that doesn’t mean we don’t have physical desires. Our primary purpose for mating is to complete our secondary development and evolve into actual adults.”
Yao Tai was addressing the subjects the students were most curious about but couldn’t easily learn elsewhere. At this moment, every student was listening intently.
However, Yao Tai suddenly changed the subject, seemingly to pique their curiosity, and then began to describe the customs of other planets.
“Many of our neighboring stars, even those in distant galaxies, have very different social structures. The most obvious difference is they have families. Everyone may be born into different families—some in wealthy households enjoying riches, others in slums struggling in poverty. They have differences in status and wealth from birth, receiving unequal treatment.”
“Their lives are unequal from the beginning, with distinctions of rank and hierarchy, high and low social status, rich and poor. Though a person can change their circumstances through effort, the starting point and required effort will differ vastly. Among them, the only equality might be that no one can choose where they are born.”
Yao Tai’s words opened a door to a new world. For the first time, the students learned that some people were forcefully divided into different social ranks upon awakening—or birth, though they had no concept of birth—while they were only forcibly divided into grades. Hearing such an eye-opening statement, they couldn’t help but feel extremely fortunate.
Yao Tai guessed their thoughts and immediately delved deeper.
“Compared to them, we, the people of Tianxiu, are equal. After awakening, we receive the same material treatment, public healthcare, education, and political rights. This is unparalleled and unique in any galaxy.”
At this point, some students straightened their backs proudly.
“But,” Yao Tai shattered their newly-built pride, “if you think that we are a race that values equality and pursues human rights, you are sorely mistaken.”
“To avoid the laziness stemming from innate equality, our requirements for acquired effort are even more stringent. We have the most brutal ranking system in the universe, which is—”
She slapped the board. “The master-slave relationship between spouses!”
Kinky Thoughts:
I decided to pick this up due to a recommendation from a friend (whom I deeply trust for all recommendations). Some things to note about this novel.
There is smut (which is probably the main factor in why I decided to do it), so be sure you’re at an appropriate age to read it. I won’t be putting up any NSFW warnings and such except here, so be advised.
Given the context, make sure you are comfortable reading this type of theme before proceeding. There will be no warnings throughout the chapters. Just know there is, what some would consider, dubious consent. Check the tags on Novels Update.
——
An important note regarding Qizi and Qizhu.
Qizhu (契主) translated would be contractor/owner/master, while [qi] (契) in [Qizi] means contract/deed combined with [zi] (子) would mean something along the lines of “one who’s being contracted”.
Given that Qizi is the title of the novel, I decided not to give translations to these terms.
——
So… we can hold Ling Xiao accountable for 7 times a night, right?
Crimson’s hearty laughter came through the communication crystal. He was ecstatic. “What to do now, Jack? If you had mentioned it a few days earlier, maybe I would have sneaked in to help you—but now the mission is already a third over, and I can’t enter the instance now.”
“Those two players, the torture target, and me made four at the beginning.” Jack insisted it was an accident. “I didn’t want to kill the torture target the second day I entered. I just didn’t think about getting reinforcements…”
“Oh, are you sure those two are players? Did you see their earrings?” Crimson didn’t really push the point.
“No.”
Jack gritted his teeth. The fireplace burned with fierce flames, making him feel irritated. “Their methods are nothing like the locals. I can tell that much. Even if the instance is full, creatures other than players can still enter, right? Get some locals and monsters in.”
“Oh—you want to use those disposable cannon fodder against players? Seriously?” Crimson was still laughing.
“Those two seem to have some moral baggage,” Jack said. “Their team has a dwarf and a gray wolfkin, and they seem to get along well. The dwarf even cooperates with the wolfkin.”
Crimson’s smile faded. “That’s a rare combination. Dwarfs and wolfkins don’t get along; their languages are completely different… Ah, that reminds me of some recent rumors. It’s said that there’s a place where monsters who understand languages have appeared. The Temple of Life has started paying attention to this.”
“Don’t tell me I should capture them,” Jack said cautiously.
“The dwarf and wolfkin? They aren’t worth the effort. Do as you please.”
Crimson paused for a moment. “I’d rather you capture that swordsman and his companion alive. Since they haven’t joined the Temple of Life, there’s a chance to win them over—but if they are hypocritical do-gooders, killing them is fine too.”
Back to square one. Annoyed, Jack said, “So, I need more hands, don’t you get it? Besides the two players, there are also two monsters. Even if I have many items, it’s not enough to handle all of them.”
“But you have the shadow wolf,” Crimson reminded him. “Use your brain, my friend.”
“You make it sound easy,” Jack muttered, glancing at the communication crystal in front of the fireplace.
Here it comes, the highlight of the communication. Crimson may be smart, but he always loved to show off. He would always hint at what he might do, which was what Jack was looking for.
Game ID Crimson, real name Crimson Lamier. A notorious serial killer from Country A, known for his brutal and bizarre crime scenes.
His known victims numbered 26. He loved to target males in their prime with good families—he would kill them, skin them, and then place them on a homemade altar, offering these “perfect lambs” to his imagined god.
The victims’ families would have their eyes and tongues removed, forced to eat the cooked flesh of their relatives. When found, most were mentally broken, unable to provide useful testimony.
…This was what Jack learned from the news.
This notorious criminal fled to Country C, where there’s no extradition treaty with Country A, hoping to hide among its dense population. When it was discovered that he entered the country illegally, the local police were on high alert. Strictly speaking, Jack was trapped indirectly by Crimson.
But Jack had to admit, when it came to “how to destroy a person”, Crimson had a much greater knack for it.
“Ugh, I’ve said it a thousand times, you killers who murder for the lower half are so boring,” Crimson lamented. “Always targeting the same type of weak person, not understanding the complexity and beauty of human nature…”
“Of course, I can’t compare to a renowned killer like you,” Jack said sarcastically.
“It’s simple. Aren’t those two players actively looking for the white wolf? This means they value the dwarf and wolfkin, who can’t enter the house. Otherwise, they could have just stayed inside, sipping hot soup, and waiting for the timer to run out.”
“To deal with a protector, the best attack is to kill those he’s protecting. Of course, if they don’t care about the deaths of the monsters, it shows they can be won over—don’t think about how to handle those two players, Jack, target the two monsters.”
Crimson casually summarized, ending with a wolf howl imitation.
Jack’s eyes lit up. He knew he could extract something from Crimson.
“I know that.” He snorted. “Never mind, whether I get external support or not, I’ll figure something out.”
Crimson’s chuckle came through the crystal. “Of course, of course, you surely know. Waiting for your good news, friend… Oh, by the way.”
Jack was about to end the call but stopped. “What?”
“Earring,” Crimson elongated the word. “The player’s earring, you have to confirm. In any world, the self-righteous always die the fastest.”
He thought it was something significant. Jack scoffed. Players were the strongest. He might as well assume both were players; what could go wrong?
He already knew what to do.
……
Teest was touching Nol’s left ear.
Nol’s earlobe was of average size, pale in complexion, and cold to the touch, almost like squeezing packed snow. Teest rubbed it gently with the pad of his finger, slowly warming the soft flesh with his body heat.
It felt like some sort of contamination, Teest thought with pleasure, applying a slight pressure. The sharp hook of the earring pressed against the earlobe, and the shining gold slowly pierced into the flesh. A drop of bright red blood oozed out, quickly tinting the gold with a layer of red. Against Nol’s pale skin and dark hair, these colors seemed especially pure.
Teest deliberately slowed his movements to savor the rare sight, even deliberately touching a bit of the blood with his fingertip.
Nol’s brows slightly furrowed from the pain. His breathing was faster than usual, but he didn’t make a sound. His hair wasn’t long, and as he tilted his head, most of his neck was exposed.
Teest’s gaze irresistibly drifted to Nol’s neck.
It was perfect, the lines as smooth as a sculpture. Teest’s eyes wandered to the locations of the artery and throat. They were within easy reach, but he wondered if they were lethal for a lich.
“Done,” Teest said a few seconds later, stepping back with satisfaction.
The player’s earring now adorned Nol’s left ear, still stained with a glaring blood mark. Nol, still with furrowed brows, nonchalantly cast a healing spell on his ear and asked, “Why did it take so long?”
Just to put on a player’s earring, Teest took four to five minutes. The continuous pain made Nol uncomfortable. Not to mention, he had to hold still and let someone else handle him, which wasn’t a pleasant experience.
“I had to get it just right. Otherwise, our enemies would spot the flaw,” Teest explained, gently touching the earring pendant. “You agreed to this.”
The touch made Nol flinch slightly. He glanced skeptically at Teest but only clicked his tongue without saying more.
‘People do need to vent,’ Teest thought. Nol seemed in better spirits than yesterday, reminiscent of their first encounter. In a way, it was easy to deal with him—after all, good people tend to be alike.
And indeed, Nol suited moonstone better; heavy gold would ruin his temperament.
“That burly guy might mistake me for a player, and there might be Eternalists waiting at the instance’s exit,” Nol said seriously. “I’ll pretend to be a player from now on. Remember to cooperate.”
“Of course, I remember.” Teest smiled. “By the way, I need to take you somewhere… How about I blindfold you for a surprise?”
“Let’s go,” Nol replied, pretending not to hear the last part.
If it took that long to put on an earring, who knew what would happen if he was blindfolded? Maybe he’d open his eyes to find himself hung up by the Mad Monk’s golden thread. Nol couldn’t guess Teest’s thoughts, but he was sure the man was unpredictable in this regard.
Upon reaching their destination, Nol once again confirmed that Teest was far more unpredictable than he had imagined.
Their destination was an igloo built a few days ago, where Rosen and Julie had been spending the night. However, the most eye-catching thing inside the igloo wasn’t them—
The old hunter was tied up tightly with a golden thread, sitting in the igloo they had built. An old white wolf was circling him, its nose making anxious sniffs. The wolf was frantically digging around the old hunter, as if trying to hide him.
Catching the scent of herbs on Nol’s snow boots, the white wolf abruptly turned its head. Its nose wrinkled, baring all its teeth, and let out a threatening growl.
“Idiot! Idiot!” the old hunter shouted, his eyes bloodshot. “Run, run!”
Instead, the white wolf lowered its body, adopting a battle stance, getting even closer to the old hunter.
Nol was silent for a while. “What’s going on?”
“Last night we found the hunter and the white wolf. They’re close,” Rosen said, sounding brighter upon seeing Nol had recovered. “I wanted to let you guys know, so I cast a light spell near the cabin… but only Teest came out.”
Teest blinked innocently. “My companion was sleeping soundly, and I didn’t want to disturb him. But this is a great discovery, so I quickly captured them—mainly Mr. Hunter. The white wolf didn’t leave on its own, and I couldn’t do anything about it.”
Rosen frowned, clearly not approving of Teest’s methods. But given the dire situation, he said nothing.
Nol closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Finally, he walked over to Teest and patted his shoulder. “Thank you for not killing the white wolf.”
He was certain if the Mad Monk had entered the instance alone, the moment Teest saw the white wolf, it would have been doomed.
“Of course, I have to discuss this kind of thing with you,” Teest said cheerfully. “Besides, if I killed the wolf on the spot, Mr. Hunter here might have a heart attack.”
The old hunter’s veins throbbed on his forehead, unable to break free from the golden threads that bound him. He cursed vehemently. The white wolf looked even more tense; its tail tucked between its legs but still growling softly.
“Alright, everyone’s here.” Teest ignored the white wolf’s intimidation and looked at Nol. “Honey, what do you think? The Eternalist hasn’t found us yet. If we kill it, we can all leave.”
“It’s just an animal that’s about to die of old age. Think about your compatriots. A cultist and shadow wolf are running amok; the longer they stay here, the greater the risk.”
Nol didn’t answer.
Teest glanced at Rosen and continued with a grin, “This law enforcer didn’t stop me. It seems that in your world, human life is more important than an animal’s.”
“That’s my friend! Damn it, it’s been my friend for decades!!!” the old hunter roared, his eyes bulging as he sprayed spit everywhere. “If you dare to kill it, I will—I will—”
He stumbled over his words, unable to speak.
Rosen pursed his lips tightly, his face looking terrifying. It was Julie who stepped forward, her tone as calm as ever.
“Mr. Xu, we need to clarify one thing,” Dr. Zhu said softly, incongruent with her fearsome beastly appearance. “Without you, we would still be lost. We have no position or right to demand you to end the quest immediately. Both Rosen and I feel the same.”
“It’s our lives at stake, and you don’t have to take responsibility. Whatever judgment you make, we’ll accept.”
Teest didn’t speak. He folded his arms, looking interested. On one side of the scale were the lives of his compatriots, and on the other were the aging hunter and his wolf.
For a kind-hearted person, this choice was somewhat cruel.
To his surprise, Nol barely hesitated. He walked up to the old hunter. With a flash of blue fire, the golden threads fell to the ground. Just as the old hunter was about to rise, Nol pressed him back down with one hand.
He showed no expression and didn’t utter the heartwarming words Teest had expected.
“Answer my question,” Nol said gravely. “If you want to protect your wolf, do as I say.”
The old hunter swallowed hard and nodded.
“The player is your only family. You can’t refuse to help the player, you can’t lie to the player, and when necessary, you have to give the player clues about the white wolf… is that correct?”
The old hunter stopped struggling. He looked at Nol in astonishment. “…Yes.”
Nol was silent for a few seconds. “Who told you this?”
“Nobody told me.” The old hunter sat down disheartened, trying to shield the white wolf with his body. “I was young when I woke up in the cabin… After waking up, all I remembered was that my name was Hunter, I was 19, and I lived here as a hunter.”
He shook his beard, his tone almost mocking.
“Waiting for the player, helping the player, guiding the player to find the white wolf—this is my fate. I just know these things, like a bean knows it should sprout… Isn’t that what destiny is?”
“Do you know if there were other hunters before you?” Nol continued.
The old hunter laughed.
It was hard for Nol to describe that smile—a mixture of pain, contempt, and despair, like a blunt knife stabbing at him.
“Of course, I have some guesses,” Hunter said. “Listen, since I’ve been here, the white wolf has cycled three times. One white wolf dies, and a new one appears right away. There’s always a white wolf here; only ever one white wolf… If that’s true for the white wolf, why not for me?”
He looked up with his clouded eyes, staring directly into Nol’s. “Young man, both humans and wolves live in packs. Why are only we left waiting here alone?”
“You realize all of this but still can’t violate the rules regarding the player,” Nol muttered.
Must help, must be honest, must guide. These were the core rules when the system randomly generated the “Hunter” NPC.
“Fate cannot be defied.” The old hunter sighed. “No matter how much I hope or curse, it will come.”
Nol was silent for even longer. After a sigh, he asked the question he had been concerned about from the beginning—
“You didn’t finish your sentence earlier, ‘If you dare to kill it.’ What were you going to say? ‘I’ll die with it?'”
“Is not being able to end your own life also part of your ‘fate’?”
The old hunter still maintained that wry smile. “Isn’t it obvious? Do you like living alone in such a ghost of a place?”
However, when the system generated the “Hunter” NPC, there was no such rule. That was what Nol thought.
Reality? Game? Countless clues point to the same answer, and Nol didn’t like it.
No, these were just… circumstantial evidence; he needed stronger and more brutal proof.
“That’s enough, Mr. Hunter.” Nol reached out to the hunter. “Thank you for your answers. We—well, at least I—don’t want to kill your wolf. Let’s hold on until the end. Maybe we can find a better solution.”
Teest took a sharp breath, his eyebrows raised high. “Oh honey. A little kindness is charming, but isn’t it too soft-hearted to let your compatriots bear the risk for an old wolf?”
Nol helped the confused old hunter to his feet before turning to Teest.
“It’s not about being soft-hearted or not.”
He smiled at Teest, the golden earring on his left ear gently swaying, almost dazzling against his black hair.
“Rushing to clear the game means killing the white wolf, letting the hunter die in despair. Then we leave here with our heads full of tragic memories—it shouldn’t be like this; this place shouldn’t be that kind of terrible place.”
“I just don’t like the way it is now. That’s my only reason.”
The author has something to say:
Teest: After the hug, my partner seems to be mentally stable!
Teest:
Teest (surprised): …Maybe I was wrong. Let me look again.
“Do you want me to activate the Living Puppet Curse now? Are you eager to die faster?”
Chen Qianfan retorted the absurd words of Sect Master Shi in one sentence. He stood up from the wooden platform and stretched his muscles for a while. Time had taken its toll on him, and despite focusing on breaking the ban for around seven hours, it was still challenging for him.
The defensive formation outside seemed a bit off. It was supposed to last for two or three days, but it decayed much faster than he had imagined.
Fortunately, the enemies were becoming desperate, providing ample corpses. The plan to break the formation that was initially supposed to take three days was completed in just half a day.
Elder Chen showed a little kindness to Shi Jingzhi. “Anyway, let’s eat something first. You look so weak that you could fly and become a flag in the sky. When we start fighting later, be careful; otherwise, your disciple might tear me apart.”
Seeing that the light in the main hall had dimmed, Granny Wei returned.
She brewed a pot of hot tea as usual and served it to Chen Qianfan. Then, she wrung a hot towel and sighed while wiping the dirt off Shi Jingzhi’s head and neck.
Chen Qianfan leisurely drank his tea, gazing at the exhausted young man on the wooden platform.
After Yin Ci left, Shi Jingzhi no longer pretended to be fine. He coughed up more blood and collapsed, struggling to breathe for a while before recovering.
No wonder he was eager to drive Yin Ci away; this master and disciple were getting on his nerves.
Chen Qianfan scolded Shi Jingzhi upfront, and surprisingly, Sect Master Shi didn’t say much and obediently rinsed his mouth and drank sweet porridge. Holding the porridge bowl with both hands, he looked calm, as if he were about to ascend to the heavens with the bowl in his hands.
Chen Qianfan raised an eyebrow involuntarily.
From Shi Jingzhi’s previous clinginess, he thought the sect leader was planning to put on a tragic act and insisted on going outside to help his disciple. However, the man turned out to be surprisingly calm and even enjoyed his porridge.
This guy only recovered memories from when he was three years old; he hadn’t cured his illness completely, and Chen Qianfan couldn’t fathom where this serenity came from.
After finishing his porridge, Shi Jingzhi adjusted his posture on the wooden platform and closed his eyes, preparing to take a short nap.
Chen Qianfan couldn’t hold back and fell into his usual sarcastic manner. “They say that too much concern can lead to chaos, but your mindset seems quite composed, young man.”
Earlier, he was afraid to go up on the wooden platform, and Sect Master Shi seemed desperate, resisting with all his might. Now, they were about to confront the Arcane Arts head-on, facing a considerable risk of death, yet this person appeared calm.
It was unbelievable.
This young man’s appearance didn’t belong to the category of a treacherous villain, but he possessed a heavy demonic aura and wasn’t someone of pure benevolence either. Although Chen Qianfan knew that this person wouldn’t betray him, he didn’t hold back in his words. “Are you planning to make a deal with your disciple to run away as soon as you step outside?”
Shi Jingzhi smiled and replied, “Wouldn’t that be disrespectful to Senior’s goodwill?”
“Goodwill? Once the Living Puppet Curse is activated, you won’t have any peace of mind. I’ll just impart the technique into your mind temporarily and give you a target for the attack. Let me make it clear beforehand. Even if it’s a temporary measure, you’ll experience enough suffering. And once the technique is activated, you and the Arcane Arts will be inseparable, and you won’t be able to escape even if you want to.”
Shi Jingzhi: “I see.”
He didn’t show any fear but rather seemed eager to try.
Oh no, it’s over. It seemed like there was a slight problem with breaking the ban, and it affected that kid’s mind. Shi Jingzhi might not be foolish, but he was definitely eccentric.
Chen Qianfan sighed and got straight to the point. “Aren’t you afraid of death?”
Shi Jingzhi: “I am afraid, but now I fear being confused and living aimlessly more.”
Chen Qianfan clicked his tongue. “Now you are getting spirited. Did you live in a temple before the age of three?”
Shi Jingzhi smiled. “No, it’s just that I have the power to fight desperately and trustworthy companions around me. I don’t want to timidly yield to fate; that’s just not my style.”
Unfortunately, no matter how much Chen Qianfan thought about it, he couldn’t figure out where the three-year-old child got such determination. He could only attribute it to the side effects of breaking the ban. Ignoring Shi Jingzhi, he poured himself a cup of hot tea, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to activate the Living Puppet Curse.
In half a stick of incense’s time, Chen Qianfan rummaged through various objects and pulled out a wrinkled dead person’s head from somewhere, dangling it in front of Shi Jingzhi’s nose.
The head was shriveled and deformed, looking like a misshapen gourd. Its neck was sewn with hair into a small body, and the strange, pungent smell went straight to the nose, looking both funny and horrifying.
Shi Jingzhi’s heroic spirit froze instantly, and he swallowed his saliva, visibly shrinking back.
Well, it seemed he was susceptible to emotions and desires, so he should show some fear.
Seeing him tremble again, Chen Qianfan breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, don’t close your eyes. Watch carefully; I’m about to begin.”
“Understood, Senior.”
The moon was concealed by a gloomy atmosphere outside the door. Shi Zhongyu covered her injured arm, speechless.
She and Yang Qing did their best to stop the Arcane Arts from attacking and managed to secure many corpses. They were afraid of disturbing the formation, so they just threw them into the house through the window.
It wasn’t because their abilities had dramatically improved, but because the Arcane Arts seemed to have gained intelligence and become cunning—it didn’t directly target them but instead focused on the defensive formation. Every time it struck, the brilliance of the formation would dim momentarily, frightening them.
For this reason, it was willing to sacrifice some of its body.
As the night grew deeper, the demonic qi of the Arcane Arts grew stronger. However, the two of them were running out of energy and gradually found it difficult to continue.
Shi Zhongyu’s arm and ribs were injured, leaving her with only half of her combat power. Yan Qing was also exhausted, with a deep wound on his leg. His hands holding the sword trembled slightly, and he was anxious.
The Arcane Arts clearly intended to reap the benefits easily.
Once the defensive formation failed, the hordes of monsters would instantly transform into ravenous locusts, engulfing all living beings within the formation. They wouldn’t be able to retreat to recuperate inside the formation anymore and would undoubtedly be wiped out.
They did their best, made no mistakes, and even fought harder than the previous two days, but they could only watch the situation worsen.
This feeling was quite despairing. While water dripping on stone* may still have an effect and they had collected numerous corpses from the monster horde, it seemed as if the opposing side barely even flinched.
*(水滴石穿) Idiom referring to constant efforts brings success, like how water constantly dripping on a stone will eventually wear it out.
The demonic qi was becoming dense, as if about to take tangible form.
No wonder, given the situation, no one from the Mishan Sect extended a helping hand—aside from considering the restriction of ‘not destroying the Arcane Arts’, the current situation was beyond the capability of ordinary people to handle. Sacrificing one or two disciples was deemed an acceptable “loss” compared to being targeted by the Arcane Arts.
It seemed like the Arcane Arts sensed their frustration; it narrowed its countless eyes, slightly tilting its head, exuding a mocking expression from every single one of its eyes.
Yan Qing’s pair of red ghost eyes looked horrifying; he had been intentionally or unintentionally protected by Shi Zhongyu, which allowed him to preserve some strength. Young people always had such stubbornness; he faced numerous monsters wandering in front of the Sword of Compassion, resembling a scene of hell that completely tarnished Kongshi’s name.
The monster horde on the ground smelled the blood on Yan Qing’s legs, and their oddly shaped eyes widened as they let out ear-piercing squeaks and screeches. The Arcane Arts calmly guarded outside the formation, waiting for this foolhardy young man to seek his own death.
A hand rested on Yan Qing’s shoulder.
“The ban has been lifted, and everything is going smoothly. Taking care of Sect Master Shi. There are even spare corpses, enough for the battle… You both have worked hard.”
Yin Ci spoke in a deep voice.
“It’s time to dismantle these ignorant monsters.”
Shi Zhongyu’s exhausted heart skipped a beat but didn’t settle—having spare corpses meant they didn’t need to worry about the disaster warding talisman. However, currently, only Yin Ci came out; he had no inner force, so the situation wouldn’t change much.
Yin Ci didn’t say anything more. He simply held the Hanging Shadow Sword and walked toward the crowd of screaming monsters outside the formation.
He didn’t conceal his true strength, and there was no caution or hesitation in his steps. The monster horde fluttered like willow catkins; as they were hit by his icy and formidable qi, their demonic qi and killing intent momentarily diminished.
Under the moonlight, the black sword swept through.
This time, even Yan Qing could see the difference in the situation—
Yin Ci stepped on the heads of numerous monsters and headed straight for the Arcane Arts. His sword techniques were intricate; each strike was aimed directly at vital points, seemingly just like in the past. However, this time, the sword actually left a wound when it pierced the Arcane Arts.
For some reason, something had changed.
The Sweeping Bone Sword technique was unpredictable and hard to anticipate. The most famous aspect of it was reflected in its name—the sword technique was filled with a heavy deathly aura, as if it originated from the underworld. Each move was connected to the next, and pulling a single hair could affect the whole body. It was difficult to change techniques.
The power of this sword technique was as oppressive as it was formidable, with only the intent to kill the opponent, devoid of any other emotion.
Shi Zhongyu doubted if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she actually saw a glimmer of vitality in this Bone Sweeping Sword technique.
Like the melting snow and ice, a hint of warm wind emerged in the midst of the cold spring.
Wasn’t it Shi Jingzhi whose ban was lifted? How could this person’s state of mind change so much?
Yin Ci wasn’t much calmer than Shi Zhongyu. The myriad of monsters howled, and the eyes of countless dead people were fixed on him. But he had never felt so exhilarated before, and the cold blood that had been in him for so long gradually warmed, bringing bursts of thawing pain.
Before, this had been a “must-fight” battle. But now, he seemed to have something burning more and more intensely inside him. Countless emotions merged into one, all bursting out from the tip of his sword.
Yin Ci had already guessed that Shi Jingzhi was the Little Mute. He originally thought that “recognizing Shi Jingzhi” wouldn’t change him too much.
But his world almost turned upside down.
Whether it was the initial exploitation or the recent protection, whether it was the previous jest or the current commitment, he never needed Shi Jingzhi to understand or respond.
Immortality was like a cold glass cover, allowing him to overlook the world. However, in the instant when Shi Jingzhi held him tightly, after a hundred years, he was finally completely connected to the mortal world.
The feeling of “attachment”—was it always this wonderful?
Sword techniques were like the heart of a person; he watched as it revealed a faint sense of vitality. When the Arcane Arts retaliated with spells, he even unconsciously made an effort to evade—
In a flash, Yin Ci forgot his yearning for death. He only remembered that there was a place he had to return to.
The accumulated snow of a hundred years cracked at the summit of the mountain, and stagnant water stirred up enormous waves. Yin Ci turned into a bloody wind wrapped in battle intent, continuously stabbing at the Arcane Arts, each strike bringing down considerable corpses. The sword qi and the demonic qi tangled endlessly, creating sharp and explosive noises.
The Arcane Arts couldn’t even touch the protective formation anymore.
Yin Ci seemed to have forgotten the word ‘exhausted’. His techniques became increasingly unrestrained and free; he didn’t retreat to the protective formation even once. Despite Yin Ci having no inner force, the Arcane Arts couldn’t help but slowly widen its eyes, abandoning its previous calm demeanor and becoming noticeably more cautious.
Yan Qing watched with unwavering focus.
In a battle between top masters, each glance was precious. He held his breath, forgetting the pain in his legs, almost suffocating himself.
‘If only Yin Ci had inner force,’ he thought. This man, of flesh and blood, was evenly matched with the Arcane Arts’ spells, but he was reaching his limit. Compared to his and Shi Zhongyu’s gradual progress, Yin Ci was like waves crashing against cliffs, but unfortunately, the rock was still a rock, unable to be destroyed in an instant.
Midnight eventually arrived, transitioning between yin and yang. In a flash, the yang qi diminished and the yin qi intensified.
The Arcane Arts retreated dozens of feet; a sight rarely seen before. It hid among the restless horde of monsters, lifting its terrifying head and gazing at the sky. Its two arms, formed by corpses, crossed its chest, adopting a praying posture.
Countless spells moved rapidly on its body, emitting a dazzling blood-red light.
The next moment, it was no longer in its human form, kneeling on the ground. Numerous deformed arms and legs emerged from the pile of corpses, each wrapped in spiraling spells, stretching to abnormal lengths.
A couple of days ago, the Arcane Arts moved at a pace not much faster than a tortoise. But now, with numerous long arms and legs supporting its body, its movements brought about a nauseating twitching sensation, faster than even the smallest demons.
On the Arcane Arts’ head, countless dead heads surged again. The gap used for devouring widened, emitting a broken and ear-piercing laughter.
Yin Ci stopped his attack for the first time.
He had been battling the Arcane Arts for nearly two hours, and the accumulating monster corpses had formed a mountain of corpses around him. He stood atop this corpse mountain, vigilantly watching the Arcane Arts—
Something was wrong.
Even after lifting the restriction, the Arcane Arts was still just a mindless artifact. Its top priority should be self-preservation, not mutually assured destruction. The Northern Wasteland was barren, and who knew how long it had been accumulating this body made of ancient corpses to provide power.
In previous battles, its sense of self-preservation was no less than its attacking instinct. As an opponent in battle, Yin Ci was clearer about this than anyone else.
However, at this moment, it seemed like it had caught the scent of blood like a rabid dog, recklessly overextending its power.
In the halo of the blood-red spells, the Arcane Arts was covered in corpse water. It rushed toward the fragile protective formation. The formation made a creaking sound, appearing to be on the verge of collapse, causing the earth to tremble.
The spells even temporarily left the Arcane Arts’ body and scattered erratically around it. Yin Ci just barely brushed past them, and his arm was half rotted away.
This was no longer about sitting back while reaping the benefits but about sacrificing oneself before the soldiers.
Although he didn’t know the reason for the sudden change, the battle had to continue. The situation was dire, and he had no time to consider his own well-being. Thankfully, the darkness and the horde of monsters provided cover; as long as he “died” discreetly, Yan Qing and Shi Zhongyu shouldn’t notice any clues.
Yin Ci adjusted his breathing, and his sword was about to rise—
The tips of his hair swept across his cheek, splitting the night into two with golden flames.
Shi Jingzhi had changed into the long robe of the Mishan Sect. He rushed out of the formation with his Medicine Cures Illness Flag burning with golden flames.
“A’Ci, you set fire as an official, burning across the Nine Provinces*, but you won’t even let me light a single candle. You’re really unreasonable.”
*(九州) Poetic name for China, often referring to ancient China when its geographical division was nine provinces.
Shi Jingzhi’s voice was full of amusement, teasingly pointing out the situation as if he hadn’t seen the transformation of the Arcane Arts.
Unlike twenty years ago, Shi Jingzhi didn’t hide behind him, crying for his parents. He leaped nimbly onto the corpse mountain, standing beside him.
“Senior Chen lent me his spell-casting experience, and I have a brilliant idea. Come closer; I’ll tell you.”
Within half a stick of incense time.
Unlike the forbidden area, Shi Jingzhi used the monster corpses as a guide and spontaneously set up a formation in front of them. The yang fire didn’t spread as it had in the past; it floated in the air as fist-sized fireballs, gracefully revolving around the Hanging Shadow Sword.
Shi Jingzhi remained motionless on the mountain of monster corpses, meditating in place. Even though the Arcane Arts were very close to him, he showed no intention of evading—Shi Jingzhi was multitasking. His left hand controlled the fireballs, while his right hand kept moving, arranging an extremely complex formation.
Before the formation was completed, its power was already astonishing. Around Shi Jingzhi, the demonic qi from the corpses turned into whirlpools, creating a mountain-like pressure.
The Arcane Arts seemed to sense the threat and gave up attacking the protective formation. Instead, it charged around at an extremely fast speed, trying to stop the incomplete spell.
However, it couldn’t touch Shi Jingzhi.
Yin Ci switched from offense to defense, standing a few steps away from Shi Jingzhi. Over a dozen golden fireballs rotated around him, igniting along the edge of his sword without the slightest deviation, perfectly compensating for the shortcomings of the Bone Sweeping Sword Technique—
Whenever the Arcane Arts approached, its protective spells were instantly burned away by the golden flames. In the blink of an eye, several ancient corpses fell to the ground and turned into material for Shi Jingzhi’s spell.
If the Arcane Arts were to attack Yin Ci, those fireballs would automatically cluster around it, turning its magic attack into a gust of hot wind.
It was like a living suit of armor.
Naturally dark clouds rolled in, and a pitch-black vortex spun above Shi Jingzhi’s head. Icicles and minced meat on the ground rose with the wind and fell from the earth to the sky.
Shi Jingzhi remained still on the pile of corpses with a calm expression. The sleeves of the Mishan Sect robe fluttered, and he stood on the muddy flesh and blood, controlling the formation with both hands in an elegant and decisive posture. One golden formation after another unfolded behind him, and from a distance, he truly looked like an idol of an evil god.
Before that “idol”, Yin Ci raised his sword horizontally. More and more clusters of golden flames swirled around him, flying faster and faster like living beings. His sword became increasingly elusive. Even though it didn’t touch any spells, it seemed purer and more elusive, unlike anything in this world.
“They want to use a large-scale battle formation,” Shi Zhongyu murmured. “Just two people supporting a large-scale battle formation… Sect Master Shi is simply…”
Simply mad.
She was certain that Chen Qianfan lent his spell-casting experience to Shi Jingzhi, not for him to be so cocky. A large-scale battle formation usually required several people and several days of effort, with no room for the slightest mistake, let alone multitasking. The formation must not be too far from the target, and any unusual occurrences during the process would surely be noticed by the enemy, so even more people were needed to guard the formation.
But now, one dared to cast the spell, and the other dared to defend the formation. For a moment, she couldn’t tell which side was more insane.
The evil qi of the Arcane Arts rolled in, but it was all blocked by the lone sword in front of Shi Jingzhi, preventing it from taking a single step past the lightning pool.
The Arcane Arts suddenly stopped moving.
The golden light of the formation reflected in its countless murky eyes, and it hugged its extended long arms and legs, no longer attacking rashly—
The dead heads on its head trembled, and every one of them opened their dark mouths, revealing their black tongues, as if they were about to vomit. However, after a commotion, what came out of those mouths wasn’t corpse water but a strange melody that gradually became clear, drifting in the night.
It began to sing.
The countless dead heads moved their lips, and their singing was coarse and cold. The lyrics seemed to be an ancient Milan dialect with strange intonations and rhythms.
Hearing it made people’s hair stand on end and their hearts tremble in fear.
“Cover your ears!” Shi Zhongyu immediately roared at Yan Qing, who was still in a daze, and thus missed the perfect timing. The song affected her inner force, causing her to spit out a mouthful of blood on the spot, nearly succumbing to the evil qi.
Yan Qing was a step slow and couldn’t stabilize himself, curling up in pain on the ground. Shi Jingzhi also frowned, her hands trembling.
However, Yin Ci smiled.
He immediately sheathed his sword and retreated behind Shi Jingzhi. The Hanging Shadow Sword was inserted diagonally into the corpse mountain, freeing Yin Ci’s hands, which he used to gently cover Shi Jingzhi’s ears. Instantly, the look of pain on Shi Jingzhi’s face dissipated, and his hands stabilizing the formation regained their composure.
Yin Ci listened to the ominous ghostly song with an unchanged expression.
He had long witnessed more desperate states of insanity; this exotic elegy wasn’t enough to push him into the abyss.
“…You won’t harm him,” Yin Ci silently said to the Arcane Arts.
In an instant, golden light emanated.
It wasn’t the raging wildfire, but tens of millions of finger-thick fire chains. They flashed in an instant, piercing through the enormous body of the Arcane Arts, firmly imprisoning it between heaven and earth.
The blood-red spells fiercely tangled the fire chains, seemingly attempting to break them. However, yang fire inherently countered the yin evil, and Shi Jingzhi’s yang fire was incomparably pure, causing the opposing spells to emit a charred smell and melt away like snowflakes.
The Arcane Arts reached a dead end. Its demonic arms deformed and elongated again, reaching towards Shi Jingzhi not far away. All sorts of spells exploded without hesitation, illuminating the night sky filled with dark clouds.
The song continued, and the curses never ceased.
Shi Jingzhi’s complexion turned pale. Even though he had the ancient corpses and monster corpses as materials, the battle formation had completely drained him. Numerous hands of the Arcane Arts reached before him, seemingly about to touch his body, yet he didn’t even waste energy trembling.
Shi Jingzhi just slightly tilted his head and felt the warmth in Yin Ci’s palms.
Then he exerted his last bit of strength, and with two fingers, he flicked upwards.
The gentle fire chains tightened, finely sawing through the Arcane Arts’ body. Countless fire chains moved slightly but without any mistakes. Complete ancient corpses were stripped away from the Arcane Arts, resembling autumn leaves leaving the branches.
Although he had only borrowed Chen Qianfan’s experience temporarily, Shi Jingzhi still brought it to its ultimate potential.
In just a moment, the blood-red spells were completely extinguished. The “Queen” fell, and the monster horde that had been running around in chaos was stunned for a moment.
Ancient corpses scattered all over the ground, stiff and intact. The Arcane Arts still stood in place, but it didn’t quite look like the Arcane Arts anymore.
Queen Xu Luo of Milan, with her fair skin and beautiful appearance.
Her corpse was still standing, like an immortal born in the snow-capped mountains of the North. The Queen’s cloudy eyes stared directly at Shi Jingzhi with a rigid expressionless face.
The clothes on her chest were rotten and tattered, exposing half of her breasts, and a dark spider-shaped birthmark lay quietly on her fair skin.
The Queen stood still for a moment, opening her arms in front of the two people.
“Smile for me…”
Her vocal cords were stiff and rotten, and her voice was unpleasant, but it carried a different clarity and confusion.
“…Smile for me, please.”
Yin Ci showed no mercy, casually pulling out the Hanging Shadow Sword. The Queen of Milan had long since died; what stood before them was merely a pure corpse, the core of a killing weapon.
However, Shi Jingzhi seemed to sense something. He grabbed Yin Ci’s wrist with one hand and shook his head gently.
The closer Shi Jingzhi got, the clearer her voice became, and the more vivid her expression—on the face of the corpse, a faint trace of hatred appeared.
“…My… compatriot… It’s good that you… defeated me…”
The Queen’s corpse emitted a faint halo. The blood-red light was incredibly faint, more like sorrow than fierceness. Gradually, the light converged and condensed into a semi-dormant rune, lying weakly in the Queen’s palm.
The Queen’s corpse clasped her hands and stiffly handed the rune to Shi Jingzhi, her face becoming rigid again.
“…Smile…for me…”
“A’Ci, under the Living Puppet Curse, I can recognize this technique to some extent. What the Queen of Milan left behind isn’t a killing weapon but a last testament—a testament left to her ‘kind’… Only when the prohibitions of the Mishan Sect are lifted will the weapon recognize me.”
Shi Jingzhi sighed lightly and closed his eyes. He slowly stretched out his hand, touching the fading rune.
“I’ll be fine. Trust me.”
Yin Ci lowered the tip of his sword.
The moment the spell touched Shi Jingzhi’s fingertip, it dissipated abruptly. Yin Ci remained silent, catching Shi Jingzhi’s falling body—the person’s body was warm, and their breathing was steady, as if they had fallen into a deep sleep.
Almost at the same time, the corpse of the Queen of Milan fell.
She fell onto the snow-covered ground soaked with blood and turned to ashes in an instant. The monster horde had not yet dispersed, and the protective formation remained as thin as a cicada’s wings but still steadily flickering.
Not long ago, inside the house.
The juniors were fighting fiercely outside, and Chen Qianfan had already prepared the artifact for escape. Extremely bored, he picked up some pieces of corpses from under the window and made two sets of disaster warding talismans.
As for the housekeeper, Granny Wei, she used demonic flowers to weave two delicate tranquility charms. She didn’t care whether Yin Ci made a sincere request or just casually brushed her off. She only cared about wrapping the charms, patting her stiff back with a serene face.
“It’s getting late. Those kids are still outside?”
“Mm.” Chen Qianfan put away the disaster warding talismans and tidied up the research tools on the table. “Xiao Chun, pack some clothes and food. We’ll have to run later.”
“Why?”
“They might win, but they can only delay for some time. There are many monsters outside, and the protective formation won’t hold for long. We need to go far away and find a new place to live.”
Granny Wei looked at him blankly for a moment and then asked again, “It’s getting late. Those kids are still outside?”
Chen Qianfan’s movements paused. He didn’t lose his temper and instead repeated his answer, “Mm… This place is going to become a monster’s lair. Remember to pack your things and follow me.”
“Yes.” Granny Wei’s face turned pale, twisting her hands uneasily. “I want to go out casually, but the master will beat me again.”
Chen Qianfan straightened up, and he felt Granny Wei’s pulse. His eyelids twitched, but he didn’t say anything in the end.
Granny Wei suddenly came to her senses. Seeing Chen Qianfan’s expression, a hint of sadness appeared on her face. She stood still, like a child who had done something wrong.
Chen Qianfan’s face remained calm. “…Did your dementia strike again?”
Granny Wei lowered her eyes, still smiling. “I just occasionally forget things, getting old and muddled. It has been happening more frequently lately. It’s nothing; I’ll go pack my things.”
Chen Qianfan didn’t say anything and continued to pack his luggage. But in less than half an hour, there was a muffled sound. Chen Qianfan turned around and saw Granny Wei falling to the ground—she struggled for a while but seemed to forget how to get up.
Chen Qianfan walked to her side, and in less than ten steps, she had forgotten how to climb. Granny Wei lay dazed on the ground, unconsciously humming that tune. The surrounding air seemed a bit colder, with a faint smell of urine in the air.
The hoarse voice echoed in the icy hall, carrying a hint of desolation.
Chen Qianfan picked up a piece of monster corpse, carefully supporting Granny Wei’s head. Several blood-red lines wrapped around her forehead. Then Chen Qianfan quickly set up a formation and performed his spell. All day long, he lifted prohibitions and cast the Living Puppet Curse. He was at his limit, and his face showed signs of exhaustion.
Only then did Granny Wei regain consciousness. She murmured blankly, “It’s getting late. Those kids are still outside?”
After asking this question, as if she sensed something, she slowly shed two muddy tears. Then she immediately wiped the tears from her face.
“Master, is this what you call Heaven’s Displeasure’?”
Chen Qianfan said calmly, “Yes.”
There were limits to diseases. Treating them before the limit was reached was twice the result with half the effort, but once the limit was crossed, even the best medicine wouldn’t help. Unfortunately, every person was different, and no one knew the exact location of that boundary.
“I just haven’t thought of a solution for dementia yet.” Chen Qianfan handed her a new pair of pants while replying in a still flat tone. “Let’s leave first; there will be a solution eventually.”
If her intestines were rotten, he would give her new ones. If she had a tumor in her stomach, he would give her a new one. Repeating this, even mortals could become immortal.
But what if her mind was confused?
Chen Qianfan pondered for a long time, unsure of what to replace. This illness was tricky, and he needed more time.
However, time waits for no one, not even for the departed*.
*逝者如斯夫，不舍昼夜) Famous saying from Confucius that describes time passing like flowing water—once passed, it’s gone forever.
Granny Wei stood up swaying, seemingly having opened an invisible hole in her body, and her vitality was irreversibly draining away. She tried to catch the pants Chen Qianfan handed her several times, but each time she failed to do so. When she finally held it in her hands, she looked at it in confusion, unable to understand why she was holding such a strange thing.
Thankfully, there were still many pieces of corpses left. This time, Chen Qianfan simply used ancient corpses, using up four or five pieces in one go. Granny Wei’s face was mostly covered by the formation.
She regained consciousness again, touching the uneven marks on her face, but said nothing.
Chen Qianfan finally let out a sigh of relief and continued packing his luggage. Beside him, Granny Wei changed into clean clothes and calmly organized daily necessities. She also touched the peach blossoms she had embroidered.
“Master, do you remember the day we first met?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Do you remember why I call you ‘Master*’?”
*[Fuzi] (夫子) A respectful title to address an older person who is well-learned.
“I don’t remember.”
“Forgetting is good.” The wrinkles on her face gathered and scattered, whether from sadness or relief.
Granny Wei carefully smoothed out the creases in her clothes and stood still for a moment. Not long after, she seemed to have recovered and said softly, “It’s midnight; I’ll make some tea.”
The small pot sat on the fire, and the fragrance of tea filled the air.
Not long after, the four people who were stumbling and swaying entered—Shi Zhongyu had serious external injuries, while her internal injuries weren’t insignificant either. Yan Qing supported her; his legs were covered in blood, and his once healthy complexion now appeared pale.
Yin Ci held the unconscious Shi Jingzhi and looked relatively composed. “Senior, we completely dismantled the Arcane Arts. The core of the weapon was damaged, but the other ancient corpse spells remained intact.”
Chen Qianfan said, “Good. Since you have fully dismantled the weapon, this place will become lively again. Even if the core is broken, it can be considered an offset; there won’t be any major problems.”
“As for the protective formation—”
“The protective formation won’t hold for long. The demonic qi of the Arcane Arts hasn’t dissipated, so the monster horde won’t retreat so easily.”
Chen Qianfan stroked his beard, looking completely untroubled.
“If you hold on a little longer, we can leave with the artifact and run for a day and night. Those things won’t be able to catch up.”
Yan Qing’s expression changed slightly. “Su Si hasn’t come back yet. What if something happens…”
“Currently, our situation isn’t good, and there’s no way to find him.” Yin Ci shook his head. “Su Si is being guarded by that goose demon, and he knows very well how to protect himself. We’ll find him once we reach a safe place.”
Yan Qing looked at his heavily injured companion, lowered his head, and swallowed back the words he hadn’t spoken.
Yin Ci’s judgment was extremely rational. If he were to cause trouble now, it would only create more problems. Even for himself, with a leg injury, he wouldn’t be able to go very far.
Shi Jingzhi’s golden fire formation and Yin Ci’s peculiar sword technique were firmly etched in his mind, and he understood the vast difference between them.
If only he had that kind of power too, would he still need to temporarily leave his companions?
Yin Ci ignored the melancholy thoughts in Yan Qing’s heart and took the lead, placing Shi Jingzhi on the magic artifact—
The magic artifact looked like a wooden boat, with no arrow horses or other monsters pulling it in the front. There were two boxes with complex arrays at the stern, and beside the boxes were full of monster corpses emitting a faint stench.
The wooden boat floated in the air, and the arrays below were already flickering, activating the process.
Yin Ci placed Shi Jingzhi at the stern and covered him with a thick cloak.
Chen Qianfan picked up the disaster warding talismans and openly handed it to the near-fainting Shi Zhongyu. Then, he secretly slipped a pair to Yin Ci. “You mentioned during the lifting of the ban, we had an agreement?”
“I know where to find the immortal body, and I’ll bring one for you to study.” Yin Ci accepted the talisman with a slight smile. “I’d like to ask Senior to quickly remove the remnants of the Living Puppet Curse.”
Chen Qianfan’s beard twitched, holding tightly to the record book in his arms, and his eyes brightened momentarily. “Alright.”
After about half an hour, the wooden boat finally activated.
Chen Qianfan pulled it outside the house. The monster horde was grinding their teeth outside the protective formation. As the saying went, many ants could kill an elephant*, but without the Arcane Arts, the protective formation’s collapse was slower. However, it couldn’t withstand the impact of the monster horde and slowly began to crack.
*Idiom referring to a large number of weak or insignificant entities, when combined or united, can achieve a powerful or significant effect, even against a much stronger opponent.
Granny Wei responded and carefully extended her body toward Yin Ci. “Child, this is the tranquility charm you wanted. Take it and have a safe journey.”
The brocade bag was exquisitely embroidered with fine stitches, clearly crafted with great care. Yin Ci thanked her. At the time, he only wanted to dismiss the old woman, but Granny Wei still took it very seriously, just like embroidering a tablecloth that no one would appreciate in an empty room, or tying small flowers to dead branches.
Looking at the kind eyes of the old lady, Yin Ci always felt that something wasn’t quite right.
Granny Wei looked kindly at him for a while, then turned to continue, “Master, this bag is for cooking utensils. This bag is for changing clothes. This bag is…”
The wooden boat already had five people on board, and it was full with more than a dozen bags of luggage. Granny Wu was still not satisfied, pulling up a large bag. “This bag is the items you commonly use, Master.”
“Let it be.” The protective formation made a dangerous cracking sound. Chen Qianfan was in a hurry to leave, and his tone quickened. “If it’s gone, I can buy more. That’s enough.”
Granny Wei looked at the group of monsters not far away. “Alright.”
“Come up. We’ll fly out from there later. Then…”
“I won’t go.” Granny Wei smiled.
Chen Qianfan’s words came to an abrupt halt, and he furrowed his brows, as if he had heard something outrageous. “Xiao Chun, what are you saying?”
“After Master used precious materials to cure me, it hasn’t been long since I started to be confused again… I can still speak like this now, but later I might start to talk nonsense again.”
She smiled even more gently.
“Thank you, Master, for allowing me to steal so many years from heaven and live peacefully for thirty years… People always say that fallen leaves return to their roots*, and I also want to die at home.”
*(落叶归根) Idiom referring to returning to one’s place of origin or going back to where your family/roots are.
Chen Qianfan: “There will always be a way.”
“If it could be cured, you would have told me long ago.” Granny Wei shook her head. “It’s alright, I’m not some important figure like a sect leader. I don’t need to fight against ‘Heaven’s Displeasure’. Instead of living in misery, I’d rather leave with dignity.”
Chen Qianfan remained silent for a moment before calmly asking, “Have you made up your mind?”
“I have,”
Granny Wei was extraordinarily calm.
Shi Jingzhi was still unconscious, while Shi Zhongyu had fallen asleep holding the disaster warding talisman. Yang Qing was in a semi-conscious state due to excessive blood loss. Yin Ci remained silent while looking at them with a complicated expression.
No one tried to stop her, and Granny Wei sighed with relief.
“Go.” She waved her hand and turned back into the house.
‘Chen Qianfan had underestimated her,’ Yin Ci thought. The old woman had looked at the horde of monsters and remained calm, without any fear on her face, only tranquility.
Chen Qianfan pulled down the mechanism with a stern expression. The heavily loaded wooden boat floated up with great difficulty, swaying dangerously, seeming unfit for the burden.
Not far away, the protective barrier was on the verge of collapse. Chen Qianfan appeared to have forgotten about Granny Wei as he muttered, “Too heavy, it can’t fly. We need to throw some things off.”
The rest of the people had almost no luggage, so his words were just for himself. Chen Qianfan reached into the baggage, digging through the scattered and broken equipment to find the pack of kitchenware.
The package that Granny Wei had prepared was tidy and convenient to throw away. When it hit the snow-covered ground, it made a series of cracking sounds. The wooden boat stabilized somewhat, but it still couldn’t gain enough height.
Chen Qianfan picked up the bag of clean clothes. The clothes were soft and gentle, and as soon as they hit the ground, they made a dull sound.
The boat flew a little higher, but the height was still insufficient.
Chen Qianfan took a deep breath and opened his bag of “commonly used items”. He looked inside the bag several times before finally untying the opening and pouring the contents out onto the ground. Teapots, tea containers, and other odds and ends scattered all over the place, in complete disorder.
There were no valuable items inside, only insignificant trinkets. Chen Qianfan quickly calmed down, and the pouring speed seemed to have increased.
In the torrent of items, a teacup rolled out of the bag and fell to the ground.
Chen Qianfan instinctively caught it.
Yin Ci remembered that cup. Every midnight, Granny Wei would unfailingly pour a cup of tea for Chen Qianfan. It was his teacup.
Chen Qianfan’s hand trembled as if the cup was scalding his palm, but his fingers refused to let go. He held the cup tightly, frozen in thought.
In the next moment, Chen Qianfan mercilessly cast a spell.
“I need to get rid of these trivial thoughts; I don’t have time to record them. Brother Yin, you’ll fill me in on the situation later.”
Chen Qianfan was undoubtedly a master of sorcery, and his movements were extremely skilled, precise in every detail.
However, the spell stopped midway and failed.
“Senior?”
“…It’s too trivial.” Elder Chen looked somewhat lost. “It’s too trivial, how do I erase this?”
He and Granny Wei had had no heart-stirring events between them. The only thing that seemed different was their initial encounter, but he had long forgotten about it. After that, they spent only two or three hours together each day, with a few plain and ordinary conversations.
In addition, there was a bowl of hot rice, a cup of warm tea, and nothing else.
Other than treating her illness, Chen Qianfan would occasionally bring her a few demon flowers, which she would use to dye threads for embroidery.
He thought and thought, but he couldn’t find anything special. However, for thirty years, he had clung to these tiny fragments, and he couldn’t remove them. He didn’t know what would be left after he cleared away everything, and he didn’t know if he could remove them all without anything left.
Chen Qianfan lowered his head and looked at the dilapidated house where he had lived for thirty years. He remembered every corner inside—the hall was messy on one side, but on the other side, it was warm and inviting, as if two completely different worlds were coexisting.
Should they have been so distinct? It was simply unreasonable.
Most human illnesses were like this. They remained unnoticed when there was no trouble, but when they struck, the pain was continuous and piercing.
The pain, like a dagger, penetrated his heart.
Chen Qianfan shook his head, suddenly bursting into laughter. As he listened to the cracking sounds of the protective barrier collapsing, he spoke as calmly as usual, but it wasn’t clear whom he was addressing.
“It’s amusing. I gained the heart, liver, spleen, and stomach of a living person, and threw away the ups and downs of my life, but I can’t get rid of a broken cup.”
He looked at Yan Qing, who clung tightly to the Sword of Compassion, and suddenly remembered the moment he was sent flying by the sword years ago.
At that time, he had thought that he might not be suitable to be a monk.
Now, he thought he might not be suitable to be an immortal either.
Chen Qianfan pondered for the time it took to finish a cup of tea and let out a long sigh.
“Brother Yin, forget it.” He stroked his beard, feeling a little lost. “I suddenly don’t feel like pursuing that immortal body anymore.”
“Your friends are in bad condition. You need to hurry and find a safe place for them to rest. It doesn’t matter if you’re not skilled in magic; you can activate the formation with the corpse pieces and adjust the direction… As for my records, you can give them to your master. It’s a waste if someone with a bit of talent like you doesn’t use them.”
Chen Qianfan’s tone was still exasperating.
Even though Yin Ci was experienced and knowledgeable, he was momentarily speechless. “You…”
Chen Qianfan shook his head and put the teacup in his pocket. He carefully looked at Yin Ci and smiled.
“Even if I were to obtain an immortal body, I’m not the type to cut off emotions and desires. It’s inherently unsuitable for me, so why bother forcing it?”
“So be it.”
He said.
“This is fine too.”
Yin Ci didn’t have time to respond before Chen Qianfan leaped over the side of the boat and landed gracefully on the ground. With one person’s weight gone, the boat shuddered and shot up into the sky.
Once Chen Qianfan reached the ground, with his hands behind his back, he calmly walked into the house.
“It’s not midnight yet; let’s have another cup of tea.”
The protective formation was broken, and the horde of monsters, carrying the remnants of the demonic qi from the Arcane Arts, surged in. Under the starry sky, a spell was activated. It absorbed all the intruding monsters and then extended its body, blooming vibrant flowers from the buds.
A peach tree stood in the icy northern land, quietly blooming for half an hour.
In the end, it dissipated without a trace.
The author has something to say:
I haven’t forgotten Su Si! Or Lord Bai!!! They will appear in the next chapter, I promise!
Please cherish the pure and sincere(?) emotions between the two male guests. Once the affection bar is full, they might undergo some transformations√
Kinky Thoughts:
The title of this arc is “Seeing A Gentleman”, which is part of the line in the poem “Wind and Rain”. The whole line goes “Having seen a gentleman, why wouldn’t one be happy?”
Applying it as a whole to the poem, it means how can I not be happy to see you in a stormy time.
Dong Zhi found that the place where they emerged from was one of the positions in the Eight Direction Demon Sealing Array.
Beneath the Dragon Cave of Sansha in the South China Sea. This position was hit by a torpedo during World War II, damaging the stone tablet below and thus becoming a little-known weak point of the Demon Sealing Array. It was exploited by Otowa Yasuhiko, eventually triggering the array’s core.
Yet, after all was said and done, this abyssal gap became their lifeline. It truly resonated with the saying, “In the unknown, there’s cause and effect*.”
*Basically means fate works in mysterious ways and everything happens for a reason.
They drifted at sea for a long time. Later on, Dong Zhi lost consciousness and couldn’t remember what happened. He didn’t know how Long Shen contacted the Special Administration Bureau to rescue them.
By the time he woke up, he was already in a hospital. This hospital stay lasted three full months. Although Dong Zhi was out of danger, he was seriously injured and needed to be hospitalized for observation.
Long Shen was in slightly better condition, remaining conscious and only needed rest and self-cultivation for recovery.
Yu Buhui and Liu Si were hospitalized with them. Besides various internal and external injuries, Yu Buhui had a broken arm, and Liu Si had a broken leg. The two of them, one with an arm in a cast and the other limping, were jokingly referred to as “the heavenly handicapped” by He Yu.
Several other figures, such as Sect Master Zhang and Xin, also suffered various injuries while defending the Kunlun formation’s core. However, they didn’t stay in the hospital, choosing to return to their respective sects instead.
It was rumored that Sect Master Zhang resigned from his position at Longhu Mountain and went into seclusion for healing, estimated not to come out for several years. Shortly after, there was news that Sect Master Xin had passed his position to his senior disciple. He Yu even went to congratulate, and as a nominal disciple, Dong Zhi should have gone too, but he was still weak, sleeping half the day, and even if he wanted to go, Long Shen wouldn’t let him.
During Dong Zhi’s hospitalization, many came to visit him. Even William, whom he met at the World Exchange Conference, flew to China to visit him upon hearing of his severe injuries. However, Dong Zhi felt that William’s visit was mainly for Li Han’er.
Besides him, there were also old friends like Ba Sang and Gu Meiren. There’s also Mu Duo and Zhang Chong from the Lucheng office, as well as Lao Zheng and Wang Jie from the Northeast branch and Shu He from the East China branch. Due to their inability to leave their posts, they could only send their greetings via the internet. Some even sent elixirs and snacks.
Since regaining consciousness, Dong Zhi realized for the first time that he seemed to be quite popular.
This hospital was affiliated with the Special Administration Bureau, with one building specifically allocated for its use. During the hospitalization, doctors and nurses were unfazed by seeing patients sitting cross-legged instead of lying down or animals coming and going, like a fat yellow cat nibbling on a patient’s apples. As long as the patient didn’t protest, they wouldn’t stop them.
For instance, right now, Dong Zhi was speechlessly watching at the foot of the bed, where on one side lay a fat yellow cat and on the other, an octopus. The former was playing a game with its paw, while the latter was using all eight of its tentacles with four mobile phones in front of it: its own, Dong Zhi’s, He Yu’s, and Zhong Yuyi’s. They were playing a team battle on all four devices, with one of the accounts taking on the role of team captain. The octopus managed all four simultaneously without any difficulty.
“You were supposed to teach it Chinese, but you taught it to play games?” he asked Kan Chaosheng.
“I did teach it!” Kan Chaosheng replied without lifting his head, focusing intently on following the octopus Meika’s in-game movements. “It’s precisely because I taught it Chinese that it can now understand the prompts in the game!”
Dong Zhi: “…”
The two of them were so engrossed in their game that they lost themselves in it. However, Kan Chaosheng was terrible at gaming. No matter whether He Yu or Dong Zhi teamed up with him, after playing for so long, his skills were still mediocre. On the other hand, the octopus, which was introduced to the gaming world by him only a few days ago, was already much better than Kan Chaosheng and could now even multi-task in four games simultaneously.
Dong Zhi, exasperated, said, “Meika, I didn’t ban you from playing games. But if you want to cultivate and transform, and become an apprentice to Senior Wuzhiqi, just learning game terms isn’t useful and won’t help your Chinese. There’s a saying in China, ‘obsession leads to loss of purpose*’. Look at Chaosheng; because he plays games all day, even when he turns into a human, he still looks like a child.”
*(玩物丧志) Idiom referring to blindly enjoying and appreciating useless things, thus killing one’s ambition.
“Okay,” Meika replied obediently, managing to glance and wink at Dong Zhi while still engrossed in the game.
“I’m not a child! I’m just a bit short!” The fat yellow cat meowed, dropping the phone and pouncing at Dong Zhi. The impact almost made Dong Zhi spit blood.
Just then, Dong Zhi saw the octopus activate the voice chat feature on one of its game accounts and berate a teammate. “Fuck, do you even know how to play? I told you to aggro, and you got yourself killed?”
The teammate replied apologetically, “Sorry, captain. I lost connection for a moment. It’s okay now; the network’s fine!”
Dong Zhi: ‘…Brother, do you even know your captain is an octopus?’
Octopus: “Never mind, follow my lead next time. Don’t rush ahead!”
The teammate eagerly agreed, “Sure captain, you’re so kind! But your accent is strange. Are you a foreigner?”
Seemingly confused, the octopus looked at Dong Zhi and Kan Chaosheng for guidance.
Kan Chaosheng: “Just say you’re an international student. Name any country.”
The octopus responded on voice chat, “Yes, I’m an international student from the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe!”
It said the country’s name in English.
Dong Zhi was exasperated. “…Where did you get that name? Is that even a real country?”
“This is the result of you teaching it Chinese? Do you think the Wuzhiqi would want such a disciple when he sees it? Letting it play games all day for your amusement?” Dong Zhi angrily said to Kan Chaosheng.
The fat yellow cat, speaking softer, said, “The Wuzhiqi has been underwater for thousands of years; he lacks entertainment. Maybe he would be fond of a disciple who can play games…” There was a trace of guilty conscience.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Long Shen entered. Seeing Kan Chaosheng squatting on Dong Zhi, he frowned.
“Boss!” The fat yellow cat quickly jumped to the foot of the bed and tapped the octopus’s head. “Greet the boss!”
“Hello, boss,” the octopus obediently said.
“You’re not from the Special Administration Bureau.” Long Shen paused. “Fish, you don’t need to call me boss.”
Dong Zhi couldn’t help but laugh, which turned into a cough due to his injuries.
Placing a bowl of porridge down, Long Shen turned to Kan Chaosheng. “Haven’t you been assigned any missions lately?”
Kan Chaosheng sat upright, tail stiff, stuttering. “Boss Wu asked me to guard the General Administration.”
Long Shen: “Is this how you guard?”
Even though Dong Zhi knew that Kan Chaosheng’s original form was a dragon serpent, he also knew that Kan Chaosheng wasn’t too fond of his human form, which resembled a short-limbed child. This form made it inconvenient for him in many situations, so he would often transform into a cat. However, after spending so much time as a cat, Kan Chaosheng unknowingly started to behave more and more like one, not only in temperament but also in certain small gestures and movements.
Unmoved by Kan Chaosheng’s pitiful look, Long Shen instructed, “Take Meika to the Wuzhiqi. Ensure he reaches safely within ten days.”
Kan Chaosheng’s ears perked into airplane ears. “Ten days is too short!”
Long Shen: “How many days do you want?”
Kan Chaosheng: “At least a month!”
Long Shen was unyielding. “You’re just looking for an excuse to play, aren’t you?”
Kan Chaosheng chuckled. “How could that be? Seeking a master to learn from is serious business; I never procrastinate on important matters! How about this: is twenty days alright?”
Long Shen: “Nine days.”
Kan Chaosheng protested, “Fifteen days should do, right?”
Long Shen: “Eight days.”
Kan Chaosheng: “Fine… ten days it is.”
Long Shen: “Before you come back, your phone will be confiscated, and you’re not allowed to play games on the road.”
Kan Chaosheng’s eyes widened in surprise. “What if I need to contact you all?”
Long Shen: “I still have a Nokia 1280 in my drawer; you can use it to make calls.”
Kan Chaosheng: “…”
He quickly rolled his eyes and put on an obedient expression. “Alright, I’ll return within ten days.”
Long Shen: “Meika cannot transform right now. On the way, ensure you don’t alarm the common people. I’ll have someone book round-trip tickets for you both. In places without stops, just walk. This way, you don’t need to carry money.”
Kan Chaosheng felt like crying—first not being allowed to play with his phone, and now even money!
“What will we eat on the way?”
Long Shen: “Unless you promise not to go to illegal internet cafes to play games with the money.”
Kan Chaosheng: “…”
He felt as if his innermost thoughts were transparent. The fat yellow cat was momentarily choked on its yowling, while Dong Zhi almost died laughing.
Even when Kan Chaosheng turned human, he still behaved like a child. Regular internet cafes now required ID for entry, which he couldn’t provide. However, in small towns, illegal cafes didn’t have such restrictions. Long Shen’s understanding of him pinpointed every one of his weaknesses.
“I promise,” the fat yellow cat said dejectedly. “I swear in the name of the Goddess Nuwa, I won’t go to illegal internet cafes to play games on the way, nor will I indulge in gluttony or leisure. I’ll make sure Meika reaches the destination within ten days, meet the Wuzhiqi, and then return.”
Though Kan Chaosheng was naive, impulsive, and playful, once he made a vow, he would stick to it. Most importantly, he couldn’t muster the courage to oppose Long Shen, unlike how he’d react fiercely towards He Yu.
Long Shen nodded. “Then, you both prepare now.”
The octopus has a keen sense of danger and a powerful presence. As soon as Long Shen entered, it exited the game and hung motionless at the end of the bed like a lucky charm. When Kan Chaosheng jumped off the bed and walked out, it quickly jumped onto Kan Chaosheng’s back, also sneaking out.
Finally, peace was restored in the room. Long Shen closed the door and said to Dong Zhi, “What you need most now is rest.”
He knew without Dong Zhi’s indulgence, Kan Chaosheng and others wouldn’t have caused a ruckus in the sickroom for so long.
Hearing the disapproval in Long Shen’s tone, Dong Zhi touched his nose. “Lying down all day is boring. Chatting with them is quite fun.”
Originally, Dong Zhi shared a room with Long Shen. However, Long Shen woke up earlier and due to his responsibilities, inevitably got busy. Once Long Shen recovered a bit, the influx of people and documents increased. Only then did Dong Zhi truly realize how hectic Long Shen’s daily work was. However, to avoid disturbing Dong Zhi, Long Shen often went out to handle matters.
Dong Zhi didn’t agree with him diving back into work so soon.
“Master, how have you been feeling lately?”
“I’m alright now.” Long Shen sat next to Dong Zhi’s bed and offered his wrist for a pulse check.
Dong Zhi felt the steady pulse but knew it didn’t reveal everything. He suddenly pulled Long Shen closer, sealing their lips in a long-missed kiss.
Long Shen didn’t resist, and they shared a passionate, lingering kiss.
“I still have a feeling that it’s all unreal, as if I haven’t escaped the illusion,” Dong Zhi murmured, wrapping his arms around Long Shen’s waist and resting his chin on his collarbone.
By rights, when Dong Zhi confronted Mara, he should’ve died. Similarly, after Long Shen absorbed so much demonic qi and was possessed by the demon, his survival seemed unlikely. The reason both were still alive was that half of the divine soul Long Shen infused into the Changshou Sword reinvigorated them at the moment of death. Their lives now stemmed from that half of Long Shen’s divine soul. Essentially, they shared the same life force, making their fates interwoven.
Thankfully, Mara, suppressed by the Eight-Directions Demon-Sealing Array for so long, had diminished powers upon awakening. Coupled with sacrifices by Che Bai and Zong Ling that weakened some of the demonic qi, the situation was salvageable. Otherwise, even if a hundred Dong Zhis were willing to sacrifice themselves, it would’ve been in vain.
“I sometimes feel that we’re still in the abyssal hell, and all this is just a dream I’m having.” He looked at Long Shen, his gaze becoming hazy and distant.
“It’s real, not a dream.” Long Shen was familiar with this feeling. With an iron will, having faced countless trials without wavering, he had achieved a semi-immortal body. Dong Zhi, despite his exceptional talent, had only recently entered the world of cultivation and could easily become confused and lost.
Long Shen reached out and touched Dong Zhi’s forehead; the slight coldness made Dong Zhi shiver.
“All the life force in you now comes from my divine soul. If I say it’s real, then it is.”
“Like that pot of Yulu plant?” Dong Zhi curiously asked.
“Somewhat, but not quite,” Long Shen replied, leaning down to nuzzle Dong Zhi’s nose. “I wouldn’t kiss a pot of Yulu.”
A thought seemed to strike Dong Zhi, and he burst into laughter, hugging Long Shen tightly.
“So being with me now, aren’t you just hurting yourself?”
Long Shen: …
Dong Zhi: “So, calling me ‘Master’ would be appropriate, right?”
Long Shen: “…If I call you that, would you dare to respond?”
Dong Zhi chuckled. “Why wouldn’t I? Let me hear it.”
Keeping a straight face, Long Shen said, “Master.”
Dong Zhi grinned from ear to ear. “Ah, good disciple!”
But in the next moment, he immediately experienced the consequences of his own mischief, finding himself pinned down on the sickbed and overwhelmed with affection. He was playfully touched from head to toe, even being teased at sensitive areas to the point he couldn’t break free. In the end, with tearful eyes, he had to beg for mercy, continuously calling out “Master” a hundred times before the playful torment was over.
After their playful interaction, Dong Zhi, wrapped in a blanket with only his head exposed, complained, “Master, that was a sneaky move!”
Long Shen raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you enjoy it too?”
Dong Zhi was taken aback, noticing that Long Shen’s slight gesture was a bit different from before, carrying a hint of an indescribable mischievous aura. However, it wasn’t the malicious aura like that of a demon, but more like a person playfully up to some harmless mischief.
Yet, this didn’t seem like something that would typically manifest in Long Shen.
“Master, having merged with Mara for so long, did it have any effects on your body?”
Long Shen contemplated for a moment. “Recently, I’ve been busy handling transitions, aiming to resign from my deputy director position.”
Dong Zhi was taken aback. “Why?”
Long Shen: “I feel that the demonic qi inside me hasn’t been completely purged. While it may not impair my judgment, it will likely affect me in the short term. After all that’s happened, I’m tired and want to rest, spending more time with you.”
Hearing him admit that he was “tired”, Dong Zhi felt a surge of emotion. This man, who had always been tirelessly working for the world, seldom admitted his weariness.
“So when I recover and return to Lucheng, will you come with me?”
Long Shen smiled faintly. “Of course.”
Perhaps by then, Dong Zhi might get promoted. But to allow him to rest peacefully, Long Shen decided not to tell him just yet.
“There’s one more thing,” Dong Zhi said, pulling out a notebook from beneath his pillow and waving it. “You wrote about many things in here that you’ve never told me. If it weren’t for the incident at Kunlun Mountain, were you planning to never let me see this?”
Looking at the notebook, Long Shen slowly said, “For every book I write, I burn one. I intended to burn this one as well.”
The reason he didn’t was that this notebook was different from the others. It marked his transformation into a “human” and held unique memories different from the rest. Because of his attachment, he kept it.
Dong Zhi understood that, strictly speaking, there were many details related to the Special Administration Bureau’s operations inside the notebook, which weren’t suitable for outsiders to see. Although it was written in waste text, there were few in the world who understood it, but not none. If someone with malicious intent got hold of this notebook, there would be many ways to exploit it.
Yet, for Dong Zhi, this notebook held a different significance.
Within it, there were many sentiments that Long Shen wouldn’t ordinarily express aloud. Only through his writing, in unseen corners, would Long Shen open up slightly. Dong Zhi even felt that such a version of Long Shen was a bit reserved, but that was just Long Shen’s nature.
This made the notebook even more precious. Dong Zhi thought that even if he read it once a year, he could do so for many years without getting tired of it.
“I will cut out and burn all the work-related parts inside and keep only the parts related to me. Is that okay?”
Long Shen nodded, sighed, and gently touched Dong Zhi’s face, which had become even more gaunt due to injuries and illnesses.
“In the past, I hoped you could soar high and grow stronger than anyone else. Later on, I hoped you could live in peace, even if it meant living like an ordinary person without risking your life, so I wouldn’t have to worry. But now,” he said with a rare hint of concern and self-doubt, “I hope to always stand behind you, so no matter where you go or what you face, I’ll always have your back. Maybe this is also a manifestation of the lingering demonic qi within me.”
Unable to hold back his laughter, Dong Zhi hugged him and gave him a big kiss.
“Congratulations, Boss Long, this means you really, really like me now!”
Lin Chen had never experienced such a life before.
It wasn’t that it was too leisurely and comfortable, but when he thought back carefully, he realized that the concept of a vacation was completely foreign to him.
As a child, due to his parents’ jobs and during an era when working-class families didn’t have much of a concept of vacationing, going out to have fun meant taking time off to visit famous cities and sightseeing. Usually, it was a rushed two-day round trip.
Later, because of his busy academic schedule with high school entrance exams and classes during the winter and summer vacations, traveling seemed too extravagant.
During the summer of his senior year, he should have had the chance to go out and have some fun, but a major incident occurred at home, causing him to lose both of his parents. Because of this, he changed his major from physics to psychology.
In college, needless to say, his department was very demanding, so undergraduates had to work for their professors and be available at all times. Of course, this was also an excuse, as the underlying issue was that he didn’t have much money at the time.
The most interesting vacation-like experience he could recall was a barbecue trip to Nanshan with his college class, which coincided with a torrential downpour. They ended up spending the night in tents while the air was soaked with the damp smell of rainwater and mud.
A group of students played cards by flashlight inside the tents, but the rain was so loud they couldn’t hear each other.
Still, it was fun, and the strong contrast between utter silence and roaring noise provided a feeling of vastness—a powerful world on the outside while they were confined in a small space.
When the rain stopped and they walked out of the tents, it looked like the sky at this moment.
“Just like the sky right now…”
Lin Chen repeated this sentence twice, then turned his head to look at Xing Conglian.
At that moment, they were lying on beach chairs on the cruise ship’s deck. The ship was in warm waters, and the sea breeze was gentle.
The noisy night party had ended some time ago, and the staff had cleaned up the “battlefield”. Parents who had taken their children to play in the water had gone back to their rooms to sleep. Only a few scattered couples, old and young, were chatting and kissing under the starlit sky on the deck.
So Lin Chen turned to look at Xing Conglian.
Xing Conglian, propped up on his elbow, had his eyes slightly closed as he listened to Lin Chen, half asleep, half awake.
After Lin Chen stopped speaking for a few seconds, Xing Conglian finally reacted and turned to look at him, asking, “The same, then what?”
Lin Chen smiled, sincerely saying, “Like the sky right now, but not as beautiful as your eyes.”
Xing Conglian didn’t laugh at this comment but instead grasped Lin Chen’s hand and said nothing.
He didn’t ask what had happened to Lin Chen’s family during his senior year, nor did he comment on the abrupt ending of the story. He simply held Lin Chen’s hand, the gesture meaning simply, “I’m here for you now.”
Lin Chen didn’t mean to complain. He was merely recounting his past experiences. But he found that casual chatting with Xing Conglian could easily become profound.
It was like how patients, when facing a psychologist, unknowingly reveal many things they are unwilling to say or have long forgotten and, in the end, have to pay for it.
For Lin Chen, although he didn’t have to pay money, he still had to compensate in other ways after sharing memories.
It was simply addictive.
Lin Chen pinched his nose bridge, turned to look at the sky, and began to reflect. Xing Conglian rested one leg on his, his rough heel rubbing against Lin Chen’s calf as if to comfort him.
Lin Chen shivered; yes, that was precisely the trick.
Xing Conglian reacted sharply.
“Then let me tell you my story, is that alright?”
“Can you guess if I think that’s good or bad?”
“Which part would you like to hear?”
“…”
“You can choose anything, as long as it doesn’t violate confidentiality regulations.”
“Whatever.”
“It can’t just be ‘whatever’.” Xing Conglian sat cross-legged. “Otherwise, I could give you a list, and you can choose which part to listen to, even dragging the progress bar back and forth for free replays.”
As Xing Conglian said this, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers against the night sky, usually a summoning gesture for Wang Chao.
Lin Chen thought that Xing Conglian had forgotten that he hadn’t brought Wang Chao onto the ship and was about to remind him, but the captain reacted on his own.
What surprised Lin Chen was that Xing Conglian didn’t stop.
He made a show of lying down in his beach chair, shuffling over in his sandals to a deck crew member, whispered something, and the worker trotted off. He then lazily shuffled back to his chair and sat down.
Lin Chen felt a headache coming on. “You didn’t send someone to Hongjing to get Wang Chao airlifted onto the cruise ship, did you?”
“How could I? I’m not that kind of person!” Xing Conglian reacted strongly.
“Really?”
“I’m very low-key, as you well know,” he said. “I don’t squander money like other rich people.”
Lin Chen thought about it and seemed to agree. Then he heard Xing Conglian say, “Mainly because I squander it much better than they do.”
“…”
Xing Conglian sat cross-legged, his eyes clear, not looking embarrassed at all.
Lin Chen thought for a moment, then asked, “Like this cruise ship?”
“It’s mine.”
Hmm… not my family’s.
“I meant, why this ship?”
“Because it’s my ship,” Xing Conglian said matter-of-factly.
Lin Chen changed positions, lying flat on the deck chair, feeling communication was difficult.
“If I take you out, of course we have to ride my ship,” Xing Conglian said.
“Eh?”
“Otherwise, wouldn’t we be boarding someone else’s ship?”
“Makes sense.”
“I think so too.”
Xing Conglian lay back down, continuing to hold his hand, his voice calming.
He said, “Actually, I wanted this ship before I left home.”
Lin Chen closed his eyes, pretending to sleep like Xing Conglian and pretending not to hear.
“Back then, my grandfather wanted to send me away to the ‘Door’ base for training. Before leaving, they said they would fulfill one wish of mine, so I said, I wanted to buy a boat.”
“I had just come of age and only knew about that hellish place from what I had heard. Knowing I had to go, I watched many movies about warfare, both domestic and foreign, and was scared out of my mind. I thought my life was over. So when they promised to fulfill a wish, my first reaction was to say my wish was not to go. Of course, that wouldn’t work. So, I made my second wish, for a boat.”
“I always thought that after leaving that hellish place, I wanted to sail around the world with the world’s hottest babes, to be a king on the sea, to host Victoria’s Secret shows on the water, and to revel in luxury every day. Fuck the civilized world!”
Xing Conglian was impassioned.
Lin Chen couldn’t help but laugh, finding the young Xing Conglian’s ideas utterly adorable.
He could even picture the curly-haired, green-eyed boy with dreams of conquering the world, giving his home the middle finger as he left, tears in his eyes.
“I had many ideas for my ship,” Xing Conglian said. “I had clear requirements for tonnage and functionality, even some sci-fi elements that were beyond the current shipbuilding technology, so it took 10 years to design and build the ship.”
“Actually, I made all those demands to give my grandfather a hard time.”
“I didn’t expect them to take it seriously and actually build it.”
“After my grandfather passed away and I retired, I never once came aboard.”
“I don’t actually like big ships, nor tall women with big breasts. What I asked for was out of spite, but he outdid me by really building this ship and giving it to me as a gift,” Xing Conglian said, taking a deep puff of his cigarette. The highly emotional content was conveyed in a very calm voice. “If I had known, I would have asked for a spaceship…”
“To send you to the stars?”
“How can that be!”
Xing Conglian put out his cigarette, draped his leg over Lin Chen again, turned, and hugged him tightly, almost enclosing his earlobe as he whispered, “Of course, to build a spaceship and contribute to the progress of human science.”
Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes. His gaze slid over Xing Conglian’s profile while he looked deep into the night sky.
“You’ve made a lot of progress in your thinking.”
“It’s not deep enough yet.”
“Mm…”
“Consultant Lin needs to continue to guide.”
“Mm…”
……
When Wang Chao was brought up, it was said that the sky hadn’t yet brightened.
It was said to be because, later, the two of them had cuddled together under the blanket and fallen asleep.
Xing Conglian’s crew didn’t dare disturb them, so they kept guard over Wang Chao nearby for half the night.
The teenager’s hair had been turned into a bird’s nest by the sea breeze, and there were still traces of sauce from the midnight snack on his mouth and collar. It seemed he had been found in some restaurant.
With Wang Chao’s personal abilities, he might even have played a game of cat and mouse with the crew before finally being caught.
Lin Chen sat up, wrapped in a blanket that someone had brought. The sky had just started to lighten. The sound of sea wind and waves could be heard, and all around was peaceful blue.
Wang Chao was escorted forward in front of Xing Conglian, who was lying on his back, smoking, with his legs propped up like a lord.
“A’Chen Gege, did you snitch?” Wang Chao whined.
Lin Chen shook his head, pointing to the one who was smoking.
In fact, he also didn’t know when Xing Conglian had discovered Wang Chao was on the ship.
“Boss, you’re so mean!” Comrade Xiao Wang Chao was very unhappy, ranting, “Not taking me along is one thing, but sending people to catch me, catch me!! They found me even when I hid in the engine room! What’s wrong with that?! Can’t a poor child oppressed by you pay for a cruise himself??? Is this your ship to be so domineering!”
Lin Chen rubbed his forehead and nodded.
“I know, I’m just a sycophant, only saying this to please him secretly!” Wang Chao paused, saving his pride.
Lin Chen wanted to say, Your boss wasn’t really pleased to see this ship…
But Xing Conglian himself had already impatiently beckoned Wang Chao over.
“What do you want, calling me over like I’m your sweet little thing?”
“Do you like abseiling?” Xing Conglian asked.
“???”
“It’s when you’re hung from the high deck and swooshed down. It’s quite fun; many guests enjoy it.”
Wang Chao’s legs went weak at once. “Boss, what would you like me to do?”
“Find Alice’s location.”
“Oh, can I have a computer?”
The conversation between Xing Conglian and Wang Chao was incredibly succinct.
Lin Chen also had a moment where he thought that Alice sounded like one of Xing Conglian’s favorite Victoria’s Secret models.
It wasn’t until three hours later that he saw…
He saw, in the endless expanse of the ocean…
The world’s largest marine creature emerging from the sea. A milky-white spout shot into the sky, and the huge tail slapped the sea, causing waves that echoed across the vast waters.
Cheers erupted on the cruise ship.
All the passengers were gathered on the deck or their own cabin balconies.
They were shouting and exclaiming, awed by a never-before-seen spectacle—the miracle of marine life.
Only Xing Conglian leaned against the railing, very calm.
Lin Chen was stunned for a long time before pointing at the whale that had just surfaced and asking, as though still immersed in illusion, “Alice?”
Xing Conglian nodded.
“Another birthday gift?”
“Just a pet.”
“……”
Xing Conglian turned around and looked at the computer screen beside him.
The blue dot on the screen indicating Alice’s coordinates showed that the whale had re-submerged into the sea, so the concept of a pet was probably just Xing Conglian’s wishful thinking.
“When I was 12, I rescued her when she was stranded near the shore,” Xing Conglian said, facing the sea breeze with certainty. “I said I wanted a huge aquarium to keep her.”
Looking at Xing Conglian’s expression and his unusual behavior after entering this area, Lin Chen guessed something.
He asked, “What did your grandfather say?”
“Grandfather said no.”
“Why?”
“Because my ambition was too small,” Xing Conglian said. “He took my hand by the seaside and told me that I should consider the ocean as my aquarium, rather than building a very small structure.”
“Very persuasive.”
“Yes.” Xing Conglian smiled, showing a reminiscent grin. “So he suggested I put a locator on her. First, to contribute to the protection of marine life by tracking the habits of whales, and second…”
“Second?”
“Second, if I ever have a girl I like, I can take her to the ocean to see the whale, point to her, and tell her this is my pet. It would be very cool.”
Lin Chen also smiled, interlocking his fingers with Xing Conglian’s.
The sea breeze whispered like a loved one, gentle and soothing.
“Now, although the person I like is not a girl, I’ve brought him here too,” Xing Conglian said, looking at the vast sea.
“I love him very much, and even thought for a long time about how to express my love and romance him. In the end, I wanted to bring him here to meet you.”
“Of course, I don’t need your agreement on who I like, so I’m not here to seek your opinion.”
Xing Conglian continued, “But he is the one I love the most, and you are the person I respect the most. I want to be with him for the rest of my life, so I brought him here to notify you.”
Lin Chen was silent for a long time.
The sea was calm, and the whale’s figure was no longer visible.
Xing Conglian was back to normal, clearing his throat and pulling Lin Chen’s hand to walk inside the cabin. “My grandfather was very peculiar; he demanded his ashes be compressed into a diamond and sunk into the trench of this sea area. I’m not sure if Alice swallowed him…”
“…Why?”
“To be closer to the Earth’s core, extremely willful.”
Lin Chen lifted Xing Conglian’s hand. Gazing into his moss-green eyes, he kissed his knuckles and said, “It’s also very romantic.”
Kinky Thoughts:
This marks the end of the novel. I hope you enjoyed it. The smut was a nice surprise.
If you like the novel, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. You can use Google Chrome with their auto-translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great work.
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“If you don’t take me with you, what if a hacker hacks the entire control system? What will you do then?”
Wang Chao sat with his arms folded and his legs crossed, pretending to be calm as he warned them, but his drooping mouth betrayed him.
At that moment, they were sitting in the revolving restaurant at the Hongjing Hotel.
Xing Conglian had reserved the most expensive restaurant in the city to break this cruel news to Wang Chao.
However, since he had spent money, Captain Xing wouldn’t verbally admit defeat.
“Comrade Xiao Wang Chao.” Xing Conglian tapped the table. “The hacker capable of hacking the whole ship’s control system is right in front of me.”
“Boss, you rarely praise me like this!”
“So why would I bring someone as dangerous as you to threaten the safety of tourists?”
“You’re insulting my character!”
“Haven’t you done a few illegal things?”
“A’Chen Gege, say something!”
Lin Chen, who had been quietly tasting pudding, was finally drawn into the flames of battle. On one side was an indignant and seemingly abandoned teenager, and on the other was a gentleman with an eyebrow raised.
Lin Chen put down his spoon, tentatively suggesting, “Or… How about you two go?”
Things started a week earlier.
One night, while watching TV, Xing Conglian excitedly turned up the volume and pointed to a commercial for a trans-Atlantic cruise, asking, “How about we go on a honeymoon?”
In the advertisement, a luxurious cruise ship cut through the azure sea, and a row of stylized romantic characters spelled out, “Join the Darwin for a global journey of your dreams.”
Lin Chen thought it looked nice but didn’t take it seriously. They couldn’t possibly have 35 days off for a global dream journey. But somehow, their leave was approved, and Wang Chao didn’t have a ticket.
Lin Chen thought for a moment about what he had said casually at the time, something like “It looks pretty good,” but he didn’t take it to heart. After all, how could they possibly have a 35-day vacation to go on a global dream journey?
But…
Nothing was absolute. In any case, their vacation request was approved before the end of work today, and they were to board the ship tomorrow. As for Wang Chao… Xing Conglian obviously would not buy a ticket for him.
At first, Mr. Xing probably felt guilty and had prepared to treat the teenager to a lavish dinner.
But Wang Chao wouldn’t be himself if he backed down easily.
After dinner, Xing Conglian broke the bad news, and Wang Chao listed all the potential consequences of not taking him along. Lin Chen was troubled, but Xing Conglian was determined to live freely without children, so Wang Chao’s protests were in vain.
In reality, Lin Chen didn’t care if they brought Wang Chao, but Xing Conglian’s words finally persuaded him.
“What does it mean to bring Wang Chao?”
“What?”
“It means that whatever happens in the world, you will know about it; it means anyone can find you at any time; it means you don’t really have a vacation!”
Later, Lin Chen thought, even if they went on the cruise without Wang Chao, if someone really wanted to find you, they could still find you…
But for a “middle-aged man” who had been raising a child for over a decade, Lin Chen felt sympathetic and understanding, so he chose to keep silent.
Then they boarded the ship with their passports.
When they were actually sitting on the balcony of the cabin, looking at the yellow port waters, Lin Chen felt a sense of magical realism.
They were really going on vacation?
Unbelievable…
He turned around, and Xing Conglian was already sprawled out on the bed, taking a long, deep drag.
Seeing him look, Xing Conglian propped up his head, patted the empty space beside him, and his eyes were filled with laughter. Lin Chen obediently lay down on the bed, his head resting in Xing Conglian’s arm, and closed his eyes.
“Going to sleep just like that?” Xing Conglian was surprised.
“Or we could make love.”
“…”
Lin Chen laughed and yawned but didn’t open his eyes.
“I have no objection; shall we start now?”
Xing Conglian said and kissed him.
If this were not a story of magical realism, then Lin Chen would surely say, “Making such a proclamation in broad daylight seems inappropriate.”
But since they only brought their passports onto the ship, besides doing something inappropriate, there wasn’t much else to do. Lin Chen turned over, affectionately hugged Xing Conglian’s neck.
In the distance was the vast ocean, so there was no need to draw the curtains.
“I have a very strange premonition.” Lin Chen put his hand on Xing Conglian’s back.
“Please, don’t say it out loud.”
“Okay.”
“So what else can be said?”
“Say, ‘Husband, I love you.'”
Xing Conglian’s nasal voice was wet, and he kissed Lin Chen’s ear.
Lin Chen smiled.
……
When they woke up, the ship had already set sail, and they didn’t know where they were.
The sound of waves slapping against the hull came from outside the balcony, and the stars in the sky were twinkling.
Lin Chen vaguely remembered that the boarding instructions mentioned a fixed emergency drill at 17:00. He sat up abruptly from the bed, rubbing his forehead, feeling that something wasn’t right.
The bedside table had lube, and the room was a mess. Lin Chen had only one question in his mind: why was lube prepared in the suite? What was this feeling of being on a pirate ship all about?
Xing Conglian came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and sat down by the bed, considerately asking, “Are you feeling unwell?”
“Did we miss the drill?” Lin Chen asked.
“Um…” Xing Conglian paused. “This kind of large cruise ship won’t have any problems, and it’s not like the era of the Titanic.”
“Safety is important,” Lin Chen said, “and since the cruise ship has this rule, we need to follow it.”
“Actually…”
“Yes?”
“You put on your clothes first, and I’ll take you to the emergency drill.”
“…”
Being in the middle of winter and at sea, the cruise ship’s deck was probably colder than they imagined. Since they hadn’t prepared any luggage, Lin Chen intended to wear a bathrobe over his coat, but Xing Conglian stopped him with a hesitant look.
“Why do I feel like you’re hiding something from me?”
“No, actually, I feel quite guilty.”
Xing Conglian said as he pulled Lin Chen out the door, took him into the elevator, and pressed the floor button to go down.
“Guilty about what?”
“I remember that I seem to be quite rich…”
“And then?”
“Then you actually don’t remember this, and I feel very guilty about it.”
He was holding Xing Conglian’s hand. When the elevator door opened, the shopping street on the Darwin cruise ship appeared before them. Crystal chandeliers sparkled above them while throngs of tourists passed by. There were some parties happening further away, and young people’s laughter filled the bustling ship’s street.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve said the words, ‘I’ll pay by card’. I almost forgot that I’m rich!” Xing Conglian sighed, looking at the street.
Lin Chen felt his chest tremble with the enveloping electronic music, but when he turned his head, he saw Xing Conglian looking relaxed and at ease, as if he was very accustomed to this flashy scene. Lin Chen, too, began to feel nostalgic.
In fact, thinking about it, he had never felt uncomfortable living with Xing Conglian for so long. To say they were in sync, it was probably more accurate that Xing Conglian had been accommodating him quite a bit.
A waiter handed over a cocktail, and Lin Chen passed it to Xing Conglian.
“Do you feel like you’re ten years younger?” Xing Conglian took a sip, smiled, wrapped his arm around Lin Chen, and yelled in his ear.
“My experiences when I was young might not be the same as yours.”
Xing Conglian began by laughing. As they walked into a men’s clothing store, everything suddenly quieted down, and he realized something was amiss. “Not the same when young… Are you calling me old?”
Lin Chen shook his head. “I’m not that kind of person.”
Since Xing Conglian was paying, Lin Chen didn’t hesitate and picked out a down jacket to check out.
Standing at the counter, Lin Chen handed over the ship card and looked out the window, only to unexpectedly see a familiar figure.
He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but the duckbill cap, black hoodie, and that face that screamed ‘Laozi’s really 100% clever’—if it wasn’t Wang Chao, who else could it be?
Why was Wang Chao here?
Xing Conglian stood by his side, looking at him, and Lin Chen hurriedly stepped forward, unconsciously blocking Xing Conglian’s view of the street.
If he had a phone right now, he would definitely send Wang Chao a secret text message questioning if he knew the meaning of the word “death”.
But he didn’t have a phone.
Because Xing Conglian had made it clear that the honeymoon was a dedicated emotional journey (?) for two adults, focusing on adult entertainment activities (?), and prohibiting all distractions.
So they really just boarded the ship with just their passports. Now, Lin Chen began to regret his rash decision.
After leaving the men’s clothing store, Lin Chen remained uneasy.
On one hand, he feared Wang Chao might suddenly appear and cause a scene; on the other hand, he felt he should be honest with Xing Conglian about what he had seen.
Lost in thought for a moment, when he came back to his senses, he was already standing with Xing Conglian in an open space at the highest point of the top deck.
Surrounded by a circle of ground lights, everything else is shrouded in darkness, with bright stars in the night sky and a sharp, brisk sea breeze. The laughter from the heated pool downstairs is faintly audible, and on the distant basketball court, young people are still playing. But where they stand is very quiet, so much so that even the sound of a heartbeat can be heard.
Lin Chen wrapped his down jacket tightly around himself, pointed to where they were standing, and looked at Xing Conglian.
“Lifeboat drill.” Xing Conglian’s face was very close to his, and he could faintly see the other’s moss-green eyes. “In case of a shipwreck, this is our gathering point.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means that according to the level of our room card, a helicopter will come to pick us up when the time comes…” Xing Conglian seemed quite embarrassed. “How wicked.”
Lin Chen looks up at the night sky, taking a deep breath of the chilly sea breeze.
“If the helicopter can’t make it in time, there are other lifeboats, but…” Xing Conglian paused. “But if something really happens, we will probably be the last to leave.”
He said this without regret.
Lin Chen stretches out both arms, embracing him. “Xing Conglian.”
“At your service anytime.”
“Don’t casually set flags for us.”
“Okay.”
“It’s my character setting to set up flags.”
“Then what’s my character setting?” Xing Conglian also hugged him with both arms.
But since both of them were wearing quite thick down jackets, the embrace was somewhat awkward.
“Your character setting…” Lin Chen looked up at him, “is to say with a smile, ‘We should kiss here.'”
The day before the Qixi Festival, Lin Chen went on a business trip to the province to attend an academic exchange meeting.
Xing Conglian initially had no objections to this. After all, it was just over a hundred kilometers, which was only a two-hour drive.
However, when Comrade Zhang Xiaolong put the Qixi Festival duty roster on his desk, Xing Conglian gestured for the policewoman to come to him and stand at attention.
“What does this mean?” he asked, shaking the duty roster, where his name had been assigned to the Ansheng International Mall in the Chong’an Distract column.
Zhang Xiaolong obsequiously smiled, saying, “Captain, on Qixi night, the General Bureau and branch offices are short of manpower. The higher-ups mean for team leaders and above to take the lead in duty, setting an example.”
“If the superiors set an example, what do you subordinates do?”
“We subordinates are going on dates, of course.”
The policewoman finished, showing him the happy smile of a contented woman. Then she took the duty roster from his hand, laying it on the table with a giggling smile “Captain Xing, please, it won’t hurt for a single dog like you to work hard on Valentine’s Day.”
Xing Conglian was so choked up that he couldn’t speak. When he called Lin Chen in the evening, he was still dwelling on it. “She actually called me a single dog; I just disdain to feed them ‘dog food*’!”
*Buzzword referring to couples showing affection in front of others (usually people who are single).
The noise on the other end of the phone was loud, as Lin Chen seemed to be attending a post-conference dinner, filled with the sounds of clinking glasses. Perhaps because he was too busy, Lin Chen just gave a noncommittal “Mm” as if he didn’t care.
Xing Conglian was still a little upset when he hung up. Although he knew Lin Chen had little interest in these holidays, the thought of watching couples cooing at each other in the mall while Lin Chen was dining with others elsewhere made him feel an indescribable chill, like a cold wind in the face.
Perhaps because even the heavens felt he was too desolate, when he got home after work, the central air conditioning was malfunctioning.
Wang Chao pressed the remote control for a long time, stripped to his vest, and then began to wail. “Boss, can we buy a new air conditioner right now? I’m going to die of heat!”
Xing Conglian coldly glanced at him, saying, “Calm your mind, and you will cool down.”
“Abuse!”
“So what if I abuse you?” Xing Conglian removed his coat and walked straight into the bathroom.
When he came out, Wang Chao was nowhere to be seen in the house. From the yard came the sound of a teenager playing games. When he went out to see, Wang Chao had actually dragged mosquito nets and mats to sleep in the yard.
The evening breeze was pleasant, and the night was fine, but Lin Chen was not there. He looked up at the sky and then went back to his room.
Although it was indeed hot at night, opening the doors and windows allowed the cool breeze to pass through, making sleep barely possible. Xing Conglian lay in bed, looked at the empty pillow beside his head, and closed his eyes.
He couldn’t remember the last time he slept alone, but when it was time to sleep, he didn’t feel the loneliness of an old man in an empty nest.
The room was filled with the scent of life.
At the head of the bed was Lin Chen’s unfinished bedtime book, and at the foot were his uncollected pajamas.
Notably, the book was “Harry Potter“, and the pajamas were a set of gray, white, and blue plaid shirt and trousers.
When had he last unbuttoned this set of pajamas? Xing Conglian laughed at the thought, turned off the light, placed his arm under his head, stared at the dark ceiling, and closed his eyes to sleep.
But…
Of course, he couldn’t sleep at first.
He found himself wondering what the difference was between sleeping alone before and now. After thinking for a while, the only differences were a bigger bed, more things around him, and a feeling of fullness in his heart.
Because of that fulfillment, he didn’t even have time to romanticize about Lin Chen’s pajamas and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
In the middle of the night, a strange noise suddenly came from the room, and in the darkness, footsteps could be heard. Someone stealthily walked into the room and stopped by the bed.
Xing Conglian abruptly reached out, grabbing the intruder’s hands. Just as he was about to kick out, the feeling of the skin in his hands gave him a jolt.
He quickly changed positions, pulling the person to his chest and holding them down forcefully.
The lights came on.
“Gentler.”
Xing Conglian thought he was dreaming, but at that moment, Lin Chen was indeed lying on his chest.
His face was fair and radiant, his eyes sparkled with a watery smile, and he was holding onto the corner of a blanket, as if he had been caught red-handed while grabbing it.
“How did you get back?” Xing Conglian exclaimed in shock.
“By train.”
“Weren’t there more meetings left?”
“I skipped it,” Lin Chen said nonchalantly.
“But I have to be on duty tomorrow.”
“It’s okay, I’ll accompany you.”
Lin Chen finished speaking and tried to stand up, but Xing Conglian hooked his leg around Lin Chen’s calf.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“The yard is too cold; I want to give Wang Chao another blanket.”
“No!”
Before his words had even fallen, Lin Chen pinched his chin and kissed him.
“Let go; I’ll be right back.”
Lin Chen’s voice was somewhat hoarse, with two buttons undone at his shirt collar, revealing his neck and collarbone.
Although he said to let go, his tone was teasing, quite provocative.
Xing Conglian let go of his hand, and just as Lin Chen was about to stand up, he slammed the person under his body again, rubbing his penis against Lin Chen’s lower abdomen. “Baby, I said no.”
Lin Chen’s chest was slightly undulating. His eyes were languid, and his lips were red.
He wiped Lin Chen’s lips with his fingers, then pried open Lin Chen’s teeth, put his thumb into Lin Chen’s moist mouth, and stirred gently.
Lin Chen smiled with an ambiguous expression on his face, and his tongue subconsciously cooperated, licking his fingers.
Obviously, it was just licking, but the method imitated oral sex, which made Xing Conglian almost lose control. He stretched out another finger into Lin Chen’s mouth and twitched it gently.
“Mmph…”
Lin Chen whimpered in confusion.
Xing Conglian leaned down. His eyes followed the trail of saliva coming from the corner of Lin Chen’s mouth and closed in on his ears, asking, “Is it hot?”
“It’s hot.” Lin Chen opened his mouth and whispered. One arm was around his waist, and the other was inserted between their overlapping bodies. He grinded up and down through his pants, whimpering, “But I want more heat.”
These words only made Xing Conglian harder. As he subconsciously propped up his body, Lin Chen took advantage of the momentum and reached into his pants.
Compared to the hot bed, hot air, and hot flesh, Lin Chen’s fingers were exceptionally cold, like extremely tender bamboo branches, kneading lightly or heavily, which was refreshing.
“Baby, you are so sweet.”
Lin Chen listened to Xing Conglian whispering in his ear.
He was actually quite sleepy, and the surrounding was so hot, so it wasn’t a good time to have sex.
However, suffocation sex was also a genre, and the feeling of being confused was quite exhilarating.
Xing Conglian kissed his neck. There was no air conditioning, and the two hugged for a while, so he was sweating profusely, especially his neck. Xing Conglian’s movements were extremely gentle, careful not to leave any hickeys, but because of these gentle and careful movements, it made him feel an unbearable itch.
“Mm…”
Unconsciously, he groaned in a low voice.
Xing Conglian licked the area behind his ear, and the itchy feeling bottomed out of his heart all at once. He let go of his hand and subconsciously turned his head to avoid it.
However, it was obviously unavoidable.
Xing Conglian took advantage of the situation to lick into his ear. The feeling of wetness stirred the eroticism of the dark night, and Lin Chen couldn’t help but get goosebumps.
“Don’t lick it in.”
“Haven’t gone in yet.” Xing Conglian rubbed his penis against his hips, indicating that he was still, indeed, honest.
Lin Chen smiled. Xing Conglian’s expression was hazy, but with the moonlight, he could guess the expression on his lover’s face from his imagination.
“It’s itchy.”
Lin Chen touched Xing Conglian’s face and imagined his moss-green eyes. It felt hazy, like a dream.
“Where does it itch?” Xing Conglian asked.
“Everywhere.”
Xing Conglian’s breathing stagnated, and after a while, Lin Chen felt the belt around his waist loosen.
The trousers of the suit were taken off along with the underwear. He raised his feet very cooperatively and then heard the sound of the trousers landing.
Xing Conglian’s dick was already behind him.
Lin Chen was a little horrified and couldn’t help wondering if he had gone too far just now.
“Can I go in today, or are you too tired?”
It was obvious that his dick was hot and rock hard, but Xing Conglian still remained polite.
“Otherwise, why would I buy a ticket overnight and come back to spend Qixi with you under the sheets?” Lin Chen asked rhetorically.
“I thought too much.” Xing Conglian laughed out loud.
However, the words were still spoken.
Xing Conglian didn’t even forcibly insert right away.
The balcony door was open, and the murmur of water was clearly audible.
Under the glistening moonlight, Lin Chen’s slender legs and lower body appeared as if they were nothing. His penis stood erect, calm yet lewd.
His upper body was a stark contrast. Because of his conference, Lin Chen wore a slim white shirt and tie today.
They had been entangled for a while, yet the shirt remained intact, with the exception of a few more wrinkles, and the black tie hung to one side, giving a sense of abstinence that made one want to invade.
And looking closely, although Lin Chen was still wearing a vest, Xing Conglian could see his nipples were faintly excited. Coupled with his naked lower body, this contrast was even more exciting than being completely naked.
Xing Conglian’s fingers were still wet. That was the saliva drawn from Lin Chen’s mouth just now. He held Lin Chen’s penis with his wet fingers while holding Lin Chen’s tie with his other hand. He leaned down and gently nibbled on the red dot on Lin Chen’s chest through the shirt, teasing it with his tongue.
“Mmph…”
“Why are you so excited?” Xing Conglian asked vaguely as the tip of his teeth bit lightly on the cloth and the milk beads below.
“Because it’s comfortable.”
“Am I serving comfortably?”
“Yes.”
“What else can I do for you?”
After speaking, Lin Chen grabbed his hair, raised his neck, and said in a disguised fierce tone, “The foreplay is too long. Enter me, quickly.”
Lin Chen was so cute that Xing Conglian didn’t even care about him. The fingers below rubbed the tip of Lin Chen’s penis and felt a moist liquid oozing out.
“Consultant Lin, be patient and persevere,” Xing Conglian said solemnly.
Lin Chen directly reached out and opened the bedside table, pulled out the lube, and threw it directly on him.
Xing Conglian laughed out loud and wanted to mess with him again.
Lin Chen raised his knees, pushed his hands away, and began to rub Xing Conglian’s dick with his feet. “No, I can’t hold on anymore.”
Xing Conglian had to kneel and sit beside Lin Chen, squeeze out the cold liquid from his hand, and rub it on his fingers indiscriminately.
Lin Chen was very cooperative and raised his body a little bit as Xing Conglian poked his index finger in with a bit of force.
“Ah…… Nn……”
Lin Chen’s insides were tight and hot. Xing Conglian pushed his finger in and out as he kissed Lin Chen.
Hearing Lin Chen’s vague and sleepy moans, as well as feeling his erected penis tremble as it rested on his forearm from time to time, Xing Conglian couldn’t help feeling anxious.
He wrapped Lin Chen’s penis again with his other hand and stroked it as he inserted another finger.
At the moment when the index and middle fingers were inserted, Lin Chen arched his back at the same time and trembled all over. He couldn’t suppress his groan any longer.
“I’m going to cum… Enter me…”
The voice was so hoarse and soft that it almost made Xing Conglian surrender.
“Who do you want to enter you?” Xing Conglian leaned down, let go of his hand, and licked the tip of Lin Chen’s penis.
Lin Chen trembled again due to the sensitivity, as if afraid Xing Conglian would suck him all the way down.
Lin Chen hurriedly said, “I want my husband to enter me.”
Lin Chen never called him that, except at certain times in bed.
This was obviously the considerate interest of Consultant Lin at certain moments. Hearing Lin Chen call him that, Xing Conglian almost entered him on the spot.
However, his sanity as a husband still existed. Lin Chen would definitely be injured if he entered too quickly. He immediately put on three fingers and inserted them into Lin Chen together.
Perhaps because it was painful, or maybe the feeling of fullness pressing against his prostate made him feel uncomfortable…
Lin Chen twisted.
Xing Conglian held him down, kissed his forehead, and said earnestly, “Be good. Bear with me.”
Lin Chen’s forehead was already drenched. He stared at Xing Conglian with lust and love while teasing him. “Don’t want my husband’s fingers.”
Lin Chen said.
“Then what do you want?” Xing Conglian thrust his finger into the deepest part of Lin Chen’s body.
“Hey!”
Lin Chen obviously couldn’t say it, so he stopped him very playfully.
But after a second, Lin Chen softened again. After all, Consultant Lin was a very dedicated actor. He wraps his legs around Xing Conglian’s waist and rubs his ears with his fingers. He was very gentle, and he had exposed his entire body in front of him.
“Hurry up…”
Lin Chen said.
Xing Conglian leaned down and kissed him deeply. As his penis penetrated just as deep, Lin Chen tried to swallow all his moans.
The gurgling sound of the river outside the balcony and the night wind poured into the room together, akin to the moist, warm, deep feeling of Lin Chen’s insides.
Xing Conglian’s movements weren’t crazy, although they should be. After all, in front of him was a magnificent lover, with a beautiful body, who was smart and handsome with a noble aura.
But the feeling of fullness in his heart made him unable to help maintain that delicate balance between intoxication and sobriety.
There was nothing more beautiful than love, and he must treasure it.
“I love you.” When he was embedded into the deepest part of Lin Chen’s body, he said this.
Dong Zhi looked up at Long Shen from afar and heard him say, “I told you not to come.”
“But you’re here. How could I not come?” Dong Zhi smiled faintly. After calling down the heavenly thunder from the abyss to disperse the demonic qi, he was nearly drained. Even his speech was labored, yet his tone and demeanor were much calmer than when he had jumped into the hellish abyss.
If initially, he had felt fear of death and the unknown, that fear had faded over time. He hadn’t been defeated by the demonic qi, and upon seeing Long Shen, the fear had vanished entirely.
“Master, I’ve come to take you home.”
Long Shen didn’t respond for a long while. After what felt like an eternity, he finally flashed an almost eerie smile. From afar, Dong Zhi couldn’t see it clearly, but he instantly recognized that the odd, contrasting tone of the voice wasn’t Long Shen’s.
Or perhaps, after absorbing half the demonic qi, the newly awakened Mara took control of Long Shen’s body. Maybe Long Shen’s will was too strong, or Mara’s power wasn’t yet enough to dominate the abyss. The terrifying demon king hadn’t yet fully taken over the body. But if they lingered, Long Shen would weaken further.
Thinking this, Dong Zhi no longer hesitated. He stepped onto the stairway and confidently began his ascent.
Demonic qi howled toward him, but he slashed them away with his sword. Each stroke opened a gap in the dense demonic barrier that covered the stairs.
In the abyss, there was no light, except for that emitted from the Changshou Sword. It was like a beacon in an endless night, sometimes strong, sometimes faint, but never extinguishing even against the strong wind or torrential rain.
The faint light grew like a sapling into a towering tree, shielding against the storms and protecting those who once nurtured it.
Long Shen watched Dong Zhi’s ascending figure from afar. The corner of his mouth curled slightly, and a glint sparkled in his tranquil eyes, as if hiding a galaxy.
“When he’s in front of you, I’ll use your body to kill him myself. Won’t that be more fun?” Mara remarked.
“You can’t do it,” Long Shen replied calmly. “If you could fully control my body, I would’ve ceased to exist already.”
He didn’t believe that the demon inside him was benevolent. The reason it hadn’t acted was not due to mercy or amusement but because it lacked sufficient power.
It sounded amusing, but it was true. The Eight-Sided Demon Sealing Formation didn’t just seal the gateway between the abyss and the human realm; it weakened the demonic qi. Mara had awoken after many years of slumber in the abyss due to the connection with the world’s vital qi. But an unexpected thing happened with Long Shen. He absorbed almost all the escaping demonic qi and, fearing he might lose control and become a threat, chose to jump into the abyss to resolve the crisis. He never intended to leave. By sheer coincidence, this decision suppressed the awakened heavenly demon.
Mara wanted to reach the human world, but the laws of heaven prevented him from manifesting in his true form. He had to rely on Long Shen’s body. However, upon merging, he found that Long Shen wasn’t as easy to control as expected. Their powers were balanced, and neither could gain the upper hand. Mara’s power was suppressed, and Long Shen couldn’t expel him.
That was why Dong Zhi and the others still had a fighting chance. While Long Shen was restraining Mara, he was also protecting them in his own way.
However, as the time spent in the abyss of hell got longer and longer, Long Shen would only become weaker and weaker. The control over his body would eventually be completely taken by Mara. When he regained all his strength and possessed the human body, the heavenly demon Mara would truly become the terrifying Demon King.
The black demonic qi roiled around ceaselessly, howling and roaring. After being deeply corroded by the demonic qi, Long Shen didn’t even need to try hard to feel; he could hear the inner voices of these demonic qi. They were filled with countless dark desires that could instantly drive any normal human into madness.
“Look at his futile struggles!” Mara watched Dong Zhi with a smirk as he painstakingly made his way up.
He raised his hand and pointed into the void, and a demonic qi flowed from his fingertip. It morphed into a pitch-black phoenix in mid-air. Its tail, which should have been radiant, drawing a circle, but what followed was a stormy demonic qi sweeping towards Dong Zhi.
After being cleaved by the sword light, a wholly black phoenix descended from the sky, rushing fiercely towards Dong Zhi.
The demonic pressure from the phoenix was far more intense than before. This was a part of the demonic qi that Mara had differentiated from himself, a power from the ancient abyss. Even at Long Shen’s prime, it would be tricky to deal with, let alone now when he was all alone.
However, Dong Zhi remained unshaken, still raising his sword to meet it head-on. The Bu Tian Gang qi gathered on the blade, and as the sword qi clashed with the black fire spewed from the phoenix’s mouth, a tremendous shockwave erupted!
……
Yu Buhui slowly approached the peach blossom tree. The familiar sight once again evoked the deepest guilt in his heart and memories of his old friend. However, for Liu Si, it was more of a caution. To him, the peach tree wasn’t one of his kind, but a demonized entity that shouldn’t be here.
Under the tree stood a person, dressed in white, with hair tied up high, a clear and handsome face, and a faint smile, as if having been waiting for a long time.
“Yuchang Sword, long time no see,” the stranger said, his gaze falling on Liu Si, expressing surprise. “I didn’t expect to meet someone destined here.”
Liu Si paused. “What do you mean?”
The peach tree laughed. “Aren’t you also transformed from a tree? If it wasn’t for seeing you, I would have almost forgotten that my original form was the same as yours.”
Instead of being pleasantly surprised by meeting a fellow being, Liu Si’s brows furrowed.
In his eyes, the peach tree was a demon created from Yu Buhui’s memories, representing his inner demon. It might know about Yu Buhui’s past, but it couldn’t possibly know Liu Si’s origins. Doubts about his initial judgment began to creep into Liu Si’s mind.
“Are you still the Peach Tree?” he asked.
The person in white smiled. “As long as a trace of demonic thoughts remains in the world, demons are virtually immortal. Although the Yuchang Sword killed me once, after I became a demon, I escaped the cycle of reincarnation. I couldn’t be reborn or turn into a tree or a person. I could only stay in this abyss, waiting for the day someone remembers me and comes to rescue me from this misery.”
After speaking, he paused and gently asked, “Have you come to save me?”
Since it was a demon, there was nothing much to say. Liu Si replied, “The past is filled with misunderstandings and unforeseen circumstances. Whatever Yu Buhui owed you has been repaid.”
“Repaid?”
The Peach Tree seemed to have heard a joke; his gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by a mocking expression.
“What did he repay me with? If it wasn’t for saving him, I wouldn’t have lost half of my cultivation. If my cultivation wasn’t damaged, I could have escaped later and not been burnt to ashes. I took root and grew between heaven and earth, protecting countless creatures sheltering under my leaves and shading countless humans from rain and wind. I never owed anyone anything. Why was I treated this way?”
With all the grievances of his life unable to be vented, the only option left was to become resentful to retain consciousness. He gritted his teeth. “Why?!”
Each word was full of resentment, questioning not only Liu Si and Yu Buhui but also the injustice of the world.
As if resonating, the peach tree behind him began to rustle, shaking violently. Petals began to fall, creating a shower of blossoms. But to Liu Si, this wasn’t a romantic sight—it was clear murderous intent!
Liu Si reacted swiftly, pulling Yu Buhui back. However, the peach tree was faster. The petals paused in midair, then shot towards them, overwhelming and unavoidable.
“Yu Buhui, you dared to name yourself so*!” The Peach Tree laughed madly. “So, you don’t regret killing me at all? Remember, I saved your life, yet you killed me. I’ve waited here for so many years, just to see you again. You owe me two lives. I will take your heart and liver!”
*Clarity: The [Buhui] in his name means no regrets.
The petals, carrying sharp wind and dense demonic qi, arrived in a flash. Liu Si managed to whip away most of them, but some still got through, especially with Yu Buhui not helping.
“Yu Buhui!” Liu Si shouted angrily. “Wake up! It wants to kill us!”
Yu Buhui released a bright sword light, but it was too late. The petals turned into a surging demonic qi halfway. He hesitated slightly, and half of his face was corroded by the demonic qi, causing excruciating pain. A touch revealed a handful of fresh blood.
Behind him, the demonic qi swiftly approached, morphing into the human form of the peach tree. The person in white clawed at him. Yu Buhui barely fended off the frontal assault, but he was too slow to turn around. Liu Si, already overwhelmed, could only grasp Yu Buhui and took a heavy blow on his shoulder, losing a chunk of flesh.
Liu Si grunted, attempting to use his whip, but roots emerged from the ground, tangling their legs and quickly wrapping around Liu Si’s wrist.
Yu Buhui’s sword light rose and fell, cutting off the roots one after another, but the Peach Tree’s power was much stronger than they imagined. In its territory, it had an endless supply of demonic qi, while Yu Buhui and Liu Si couldn’t utilize it. The Peach Tree waved, and the surrounding demonic qi surged, wrapping the two, immobilizing them.
Under the immense demonic pressure, Liu Si couldn’t help but spit out a large mouthful of blood. His knees weakened, and he almost knelt down. However, he was constrained by the surrounding demonic qi, and his limbs were bound. The man in white, transformed from the peach tree, didn’t spare him a glance, and with a surge of killing intent, he headed straight for Yu Buhui.
Yu Buhui’s sharp sword light was also cut off by the opponent. He reached out to grab the peach tree at an amazing speed, yet he still missed. From above, a cold laugh echoed, followed by a chilling surge of demonic qi from behind him.
At the critical moment, Liu Si spit out another mouthful of fresh blood. This time, it sprayed all over Yu Buhui. The demonic qi that had been about to sever his neck hesitated for a moment.
This mouthful of blood wasn’t from the injury Liu Si had just sustained. Instead, he spat out the blood of his heart, mingled with a part of his spirit. Bound and in a desperate situation, he could think of no other way to assist Yu Buhui, opting for a risky move that could harm the enemy but also greatly injure himself.
Fortunately, Yu Buhui quickly reacted. Using the time Liu Si’s action bought him, he leaped up, the light of his sword blazing, and with a dazzling motion, slashed towards the peach tree.
When the demonic qi met the sword light in midair, the peach tree suppressed it with an overwhelming force, causing the sword light to solidify. Close to each other, the man in white looked indifferent. His face, shrouded by the demonic qi, was slightly darkened and mysteriously eerie. This familiar yet strange expression momentarily bewildered Yu Buhui, making him question reality.
“Yu Buhui!” Liu Si’s voice rang out, pulling him from his daze. The demonic qi had already wrapped around Yu Buhui’s neck and limbs, suspending him in midair. As it tightened, Yu Buhui began to suffocate.
“My name is Yu Buhui, not because I have no regrets about taking your life force and becoming a human,” he said, seemingly trying to peer deep into the eyes of the man in white, expressing a regret that was two millennia overdue. “But because I’ve spent hundreds of years with a peach tree, watching the sun, moon, and stars change, and I have never felt regret.”
After this, the man in white appeared taken aback. Yu Buhui shook his wrist, and the sword light shattered the demonic qi, targeting his opponent’s weak spot.
“A’Tao, I regret countless times that I didn’t come back in time to save you. If I could, I’d give you my life. But after you became a demon, I had no choice but to kill you.”
He didn’t know if the peach tree heard him or if this entity was just a manifestation of his inner demon all along. With teary eyes, Yu Buhui murmured.
Yet, the myriad sword lights still shredded the demonic qi, and the man in white finally vanished entirely. Faint lights mixed within the scattered demonic qi, like the unresolved regrets of the peach tree.
I’m sorry!
Liu Si was about to collapse when Yu Buhui caught him.
“He probably didn’t want to kill you. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had a chance earlier,” Liu Si panted.
“I know,” Yu Buhui whispered, tears silently rolling down. Liu Si noticed but pretended not to. If fate hadn’t played its tricks, Yu Buhui and the peach tree might have been colleagues in the Special Administration Bureau or living together somewhere. Maybe not as partners, but definitely as close comrades.
Liu Si sighed softly.
“Hold onto me,” he heard Yu Buhui say. Acting on instinct, Liu Si did as told. Suddenly, he felt weightless, as if they had leaped into an abyss. “Before he disappeared, he told me this was a gap in the abyss. Jumping from here will lead us to its core!”
The howling wind and Yu Buhui’s words simultaneously reached Liu Si’s ears.
Before Liu Si could respond, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and a shock coursed through his body. Everything was so bright, unlike anything he had seen since entering the abyss. “Dong Zhi has summoned the heavenly thunder!” he exclaimed.
The heavenly thunder broke the darkness and the fog within it. Both of them fell from a great height and saw a gigantic phoenix charging at Dong Zhi not far away. The phoenix split into two, then four, surrounding Dong Zhi from all directions.
The dark qi that emanated from its feathers turned him into a sea of black mist. The immense demonic qi here was even more stifling than before. Liu Si couldn’t fathom how Dong Zhi had persevered under such conditions, attempting to evade the phoenix’s attacks and climb the staircase.
Ignoring the pain in his chest, Liu Si dashed forward, his whip in hand. The whip’s shadow ensnared one of the phoenix’s wings. The phoenix, agitated, turned its head. Its other wing flapped towards Liu Si, bringing with it suffocating demonic qi.
The pain from the qi felt like burning. Just as Liu Si felt his grip loosening, the phoenix flapped its wings, sending him flying. But in midair, Liu Si used his whip to latch onto the phoenix’s neck. With a tight grip, he caused the phoenix to cry out in pain.
Even so, there are still three phoenixes surrounding Dong Zhi. These phoenixes were born from the power of the abyss split from Mara. Although they weren’t true divine beasts, their power was immensely amplified here, rendering them almost invincible.
They flapped their wings and rushed at Dong Zhi. A black whirlwind trapped Dong Zhi in the center, leaving him no room to advance or retreat. Demonic qi caused wounds to appear on his body. The demonic air’s corrosiveness caused the wounds to quickly turn black, and even the blood that flowed out turned dark.
If it had been in the past, Dong Zhi would never have imagined himself facing three phoenixes with power comparable to divine beasts alone. But now, he felt his strength rapidly draining. The sword in his hand became increasingly heavy. If it weren’t for the sheer willpower he held on to, he might have already fallen.
Suddenly, a phoenix cried out in pain. Its body was torn apart by the radiance of a sword. Yu Buhui arrived from behind, and with a single swing of his sword, the phoenix turned into a black mist and disappeared.
“Go find your Senior Brother. We’ll hold them off here!” Yu Buhui shouted.
Gritting his teeth, Dong Zhi seized the opportunity that Yu Buhui provided and continued to rush towards the steps above.
His footsteps grew heavier, and his breathing became more labored. The pounding of his heart was loud in his ears, sounding as though it would burst from his chest. As his physical stamina dwindled, Dong Zhi looked up to see a figure standing at the highest point. He couldn’t discern the figure’s expression but drew strength from the familiar silhouette.
Behind him, the muffled groans of Yu Buhui and Liu Si reached his ears, along with the scent of blood and dark aura. Without looking back, Dong Zhi sensed the severity of the battle. Yet, he never turned around, persistently moving forward step by step, his pace slowing but never stopping.
“Dong Zhi.”
Suddenly, he heard Long Shen’s voice. It was neither close nor far, just like the distance between them. Dong Zhi was taken aback and looked up. Long Shen pointed towards him.
With that gesture, countless demonic qi rushed towards Dong Zhi, transforming into an army of demon soldiers blocking his path, their blades swinging. Instinctively, Dong Zhi swung his sword. The demons in front fell, but more replaced them from behind, a never-ending onslaught.
The cold air he exhaled carried a distinct metallic scent, and a bitter taste filled his mouth. Battles ensued one after another, surrounded by the suffocating presence of the demonic qi. This place, isolated from the mortal world for millions of years, offered no hope.
His protective qi became frail. A demonic qi slashed his shoulder, leaving a wound so deep that the bone was visible. Blood gushed out, splashing his face, and he couldn’t distinguish whether it was his own blood or just a hallucination.
Amidst it all, he felt increasingly isolated, his awareness fading. Memories of the world became distant: Long Shen waiting at the end of the steps, the relentless battles with Yu Buhui and Liu Si. Everything seemed to be ebbing away. Under the erosion of the demonic qi, his mind grew cold and numb; only his body mechanically responded, repelling wave after wave of demons.
Was he dying?
If he did die, would his soul forever be buried in this abyss, becoming a part of the demonic qi?
A part of him welcomed the idea. He was exhausted, yearning for rest. But something crucial remained undone.
It was more important than life itself. What was it that made him jump without hesitation…?
His actions slowed, every blink and sword swing seeming to play in slow motion. His blade, almost consumed by darkness, began to glow, illuminating his gaze and warming his dull heart.
It was the Changshou sword.
Confusion appeared in his eyes as he looked at the sword. Another demonic qi hit his back, but it felt as if his body no longer registered the pain, only reflexively shuddering.
Who gave him this sword, and what did they say?
The sword was named Changshou.
Was it named by its original owner for a loved one?
Because it means to ‘stay loyal and pure-hearted, valuing honesty and virtue’. It was a gift, hoping the receiver would use it to maintain peace in the world, purifying the world with righteousness.
And that world must include you, right?
Guarding the peace and guarding you.
Tears welled up in his eyes, dropping onto the sword, making it shine brightly amidst the dark mist.
He remembered.
He was here for the Seven-Star Longyuan Sword and for someone named Long Shen.
“Thank you,” he whispered, swinging his sword, causing the demons to cry out and shatter.
Thank you for helping me hold onto my clarity.
From a vantage point, Long Shen could clearly see the figure surrounded by layers of demon soldiers. The figure was on the verge of defeat, teetering on the brink of life and death, with his willpower visibly dissipating at an alarming rate.
Long Shen observed almost indifferently. Under the influence of the powerful demonic qi, his own emotional turmoil was waning, nearly vanishing.
Controlling Mara almost drained all of Long Shen’s life’s cultivation. If he weren’t a half-immortal, he wouldn’t have lasted this long. But it was precisely because of his half-immortal body that the backlash from Mara grew stronger.
All his willpower was focused on suppressing the demon. He couldn’t spare even a shred of attention for Dong Zhi.
Standing stiffly, blood slowly seeped from the corners of his eyes. Blood as tears—only the most profound pain could cause such an expression.
“You can’t escape, and you can’t kill me,” Long Shen heard himself say.
It was his voice but not his will; he could no longer control his body.
“Because I am Long Shen, and Long Shen is me. Even if you kill me, you’d also kill him,” Mara mocked.
With a wave of his hand, countless more demon soldiers descended, blocking Dong Zhi’s path upwards.
Blood tears slowly streamed down one side of Long Shen’s handsome face, turning into a droplet at his jawline, poised but not falling. On the other side, his eyes were narrowed, revealing a sinister and wicked smile, reveling in the suffering of all beings, their struggles in vain.
Below the steps, the brilliance of the sword light grew increasingly intense. Long Shen couldn’t move, merely watching as the other wielded the sword, miraculously regaining strength, battling amidst a vast army. From afar, he saw Dong Zhi, drenched in blood, looking as if he had bathed in a sea of it. The blood made Dong Zhi’s usually gentle face fierce.
Long Shen remembered first meeting Dong Zhi on a train. Dong Zhi, curious and fearful of unexplained oddities, was no different from ordinary people. After narrowly escaping a demonic encounter, Dong Zhi had impulsively ventured to Changbai Mountain alone. If not for meeting someone from the Special Administration Bureau, he might’ve been dead.
If time could be rewound and everything started anew, he would have sternly turned Dong Zhi away upon their first meeting on the train. He would have decisively rejected Dong Zhi’s admiring request to be taken as a disciple. Before their bond deepened, he would sever the connection between them.
Because if it had never started, Dong Zhi wouldn’t have gotten hurt and wouldn’t need to risk his life for him.
Master, this mooncake represents my heart. I hope you’ll be happy and content every year.”
Dong Zhi’s words echoed. Long Shen tried to speak but couldn’t make a sound.
He wanted to tell Dong Zhi he had something left unsaid, but more than that, he wished for Dong Zhi to live a content and ordinary life. There was nothing wrong with that either.
The fog gradually lifted, revealing a figure moving with the dance of sword light. With each swing of the blade, the demonic soldiers fell like chaff, disintegrating into dust.
From the depths of the abyss, there echoed continuous screams of fear and despair.
However, Long Shen knew this was almost a fleeting resurgence. Dong Zhi’s stamina should have already been exhausted. Even if sheer willpower was reviving him, it wouldn’t last long. Soon, he would be utterly drained and consumed by darkness, with no identical soul left in the heavens or earth.
Long Shen saw Dong Zhi leap up, his silhouette merging with the sword light, like a meteor in the long night, heading straight towards him.
But instead of feeling panic, the demon inside Long Shen, Mara, scoffed. “Your persistence is a joke. You can’t save yourself, let alone him.”
“I know.”
Dong Zhi’s voice echoed, sounding as if from the edges of the universe, yet as close as a whisper.
“But I have another choice.”
The starlight grew brighter, coming ever closer. Despite its blinding luminance, Long Shen didn’t close his eyes. Instead, he watched the oncoming sword light intently.
If this is your wish…
Long Shen smiled faintly.
Even as tears of blood streamed down his face, this smile was enough to move mountains.
He thought, ‘This is my wish as well.’
Mara’s expression finally shifted. He realized what Dong Zhi was planning!
“The four great enlightenment, heaven and the earth are eternal, by the Jade Emperor’s orders, clear the three realms—”
Thunder rumbled, accompanying the streaking sword light, deafening in its intensity. Mara summoned more demonic qi, but it shattered instantly against the sword light and thunder.
When the abyss no longer remained shrouded in pure darkness, the end of the abyss was nigh!
Intense tremors cracked and shattered the ground, disintegrating into countless pieces, which then transformed into demonic qi, dissipating upon meeting the light.
Mara no longer desired Long Shen’s body; he wanted to return to eternal slumber. Even if it took millions of years, it would be better than total annihilation. But he couldn’t leave this body, for Long Shen was holding onto him with the last of his strength.
“I can let you both go!” Mara finally shouted in anger.
But the sword light was already upon him. In an instant, everything was engulfed in an overwhelming white light.
Long Shen felt someone gently holding him.
Master, I can’t save you. We can only perish together.
The voice, laced with the metallic tang of blood, wasn’t the soft, clear tone he remembered.
But it didn’t matter. Even reduced to bare bones, it was still his Dong Zhi.
Long Shen felt as if he too reached out and embraced the other.
The heavens collapsed and the earth cracked open, the abyss of hell underwent destruction and rebirth, and their bodies became insensible amidst such drastic changes.
Soon, not just their bodies, even their consciousness would be completely devoured, ultimately dissolving into chaos.
……
Under a dim moon, the tides roared.
Dong Zhi felt as if he was swaying, rocked by the waves.
After the tempest, a precious tranquility settled. He felt like he was in a dream, yet awake. He felt he should be dead but wondered why he still had consciousness.
He lacked the strength to struggle, simply letting his body sink until an arm wrapped around him, pulling him up. The sting of the salty water on his wounds reminded him that this might not be a dream.
“Master…?”
In the sea, the two clung to each other, drifting up and down.
“Liu Si, the others…?” Dong Zhi whispered, his voice tinged with the taste of blood.
“I saw them when we were sucked into the sea,” Long Shen replied, his face showing a lifetime of fatigue. “If we’re okay, they will be too.”
Upon hearing this, tears involuntarily rolled down Dong Zhi’s cheeks.
“It was Elder Zong. She saved us.”
Between destruction and rebirth, he had heard a voice—
I will send you away.
“Yes.”
Long Shen had heard it too. He glanced back, faintly seeing two other figures drifting with the waves.
The warmth of the body in his arms was all he cherished. He never thought he would get to embrace Dong Zhi like this in his lifetime. Their necks leaned against each other, unwilling to let go.
“How did you defeat the heavenly demon?” Dong Zhi asked.
“The moment we perished together, I had already died. But the soul bound to the Changshou Sword brought me back to life,” Long Shen explained.
Dong Zhi chuckled weakly. “In the end, you saved yourself.”
“It was your presence that kept me going. Without you, Long Shen would have ceased to exist,” Long Shen kissed Dong Zhi’s forehead. “And now, our lives are intertwined. As long as you live, I live. If you die, I die.”
“Okay.”
The sea was black, and the water was cold. But at the horizon, a glimmer of starlight heralded the coming dawn. Soon, the sky would be painted with golden hues, becoming silent witnesses to the rising sun, eternal watchers of the cosmic river.
……
Deep in the Qinling Mountains, a person carried a heavy and worn-out ancient guqin, moving step by step deeper into the mountain range, seemingly tireless.
But suddenly, he stopped, lifting his eyes to see the winds suddenly rising in the sky and the clouds breaking apart, revealing the moon. The moonlight outlined the mountain range and sprinkled silver luminescence onto the guqin he was holding.
He looks at the guqin in his arms with a gaze filled with fondness and gentleness.
……
Wu Bingtian stood on the top-level terrace, looking up at the rare starry and moonlit night sky in the capital city.
Under his shoulder, one sleeve was empty. But this deputy director of the Special Administration Bureau refused to heed the advice of friends and family to get a prosthetic arm. He viewed it as a badge of honor and a tribute to his late comrades.
……
The lingering fog on Kunlun Mountain finally completely dispersed, and the world became clear, revealing the original appearance of the Lengele Gorge.
Everyone, exhausted, fell to the ground but still cheered and jumped with joy, with tears of happiness streaming down their faces.
…
In the abyss of hell, the lights of the Four Symbol Star-Setting Lamp flickered.
Dots of luminescence swirled in the air, taking the forms of the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and White Tiger, before finally converging into a graceful figure.
Zong Ling looked in the direction where Dong Zhi and Long Shen disappeared, smiled slightly, then swiftly spun around. Her skirt flares, and her figure abruptly shatters, turning into a sky full of stars, falling, and purifying the demonic qi into white light.
The end of the cycle, perhaps, was a new beginning.
——End of Main Text——
The author has something to say:
The main story has finally concluded. Thank you all for accompanying Xiao Dong Zhi and Boss Long over these past few months.
Up next, there’s a side story. It’s quite extensive, covering topics like from which exit they emerged, daily sweet moments, the after-effects of demonic qi, daily happenings at the Special Administration Bureau, Dong Zhi’s promotion, He Yu watching over an octopus monster, and Kan Chaosheng, among others.
Kinky Thoughts:
With that, we’ve reached the conclusion of the main text of this novel. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. You can use Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.
You can also check out (what is probably Meng Xi Shi’s most famous work) Thousand Autumns which has been licensed by 7Seas.
Peerless (which I’ve read and highly recommend) has also been licensed by them, so you can look forward to that.
Yin Ci was dumbfounded by the words “You’re back”, and once again forgot to breathe.
Even though he had suspected it before and was positively sure that person was the Little Mute, he still held onto that thought tightly. He feared that any “coincidental” possibility would shatter his hopes once again.
In front of him, the old house was dimly lit, and outside the door were numerous monsters surrounding them. It all felt like an unreal dream.
After wandering in this mortal world for hundreds of years, Yin Ci finally felt a trace of “fate’s” kindness. The warmth of that kindness was so intense that he instinctively pulled his hand back, feeling a tingling sensation along his spine, bringing out the feeling of pins and needles along the way.
The embrace from Shi Jingzhi tightened even more.
The ban was broken, and the mist in front of him dispersed. Shi Jingzhi had never been so clear-headed.
That strong desire still lingered in his heart, but it had transformed from a ferocious beast into an obedient wolf, no longer able to shake his mind.
However, at this moment, Shi Jingzhi didn’t know how to respond. His usually nimble tongue seemed stiff, turning into a block of wood that didn’t know how to cooperate.
At one moment, he wanted to explain the “final parting” from back then; another moment, he thought about seeking justice on the Imperial Preceptor directly. Feeling the warmth from Yin Ci being so close, his heart softened, and he wanted to tease, “You won’t recognize me as your master now.” But he was suppressed by the question, “How have you been all these years?”
Shi Jingzhi wished he had eight heads to speak all at once and pour out everything he had just seen.
Unfortunately, his throat seemed to be blocked by these trivial words, and he could only let out a short “Mm.”
‘Strange,’ Shi Jingzhi thought.
When he was three years old, he wanted to hug Yin Ci, but his arms couldn’t even reach halfway around him. Now he held the person in his arms, and there was even enough room to lift his hand and stroke the man’s hair.
Yin Ci trembled slightly; his body was stiff, and he didn’t say another word. Compared to before, just looking at the posture of the hug made it seem like the roles had switched.
But that vitality and warmth remained as before, as if nothing had changed.
How could there be such a good thing in the world?
A strange thought popped into Yin Ci’s mind—perhaps Shi Jingzhi was already dead, and he had gone mad without realizing it. The peaceful scene in front of him was nothing but a hallucination in his madness.
He clutched Shi Jingzhi’s clothes tightly, accidentally grabbing onto his flesh under the fabric, but he dared not ease his grip. Yin Ci was afraid that if he let go, the person in front of him would turn into smoke, quicksand, or something he could no longer grasp.
Shi Jingzhi was pinched so hard that he gasped for breath, finally clearing his throat. He didn’t struggle, but instead, he babbled endlessly, as if trying to make up for the twenty-four years of silence.
“In the North, there are no flowers. When we return to the Central Plains, I’ll find some for you. This time, if we encounter that flower monster, with just one flagpole, I can skewer it. You can have as many as you want.”
“I remember why I was afraid of ghosts now. A’Ci, you told me so many ghost stories back then, and they were so spooky that not even a ban could suppress them…”
……
While chattering, Shi Jingzhi’s gaze swept over the dim formation, the scarce remaining flesh, and Yin Ci’s blood-stained outer garments.
The ancient corpse’s smell was slightly heavier and different from that of a freshly dead “corpse”. Chen Qianfan showed surprise on his face but no anger, indicating that the “corpse” wasn’t an innocent victim.
He probably could guess their origin.
Shi Jingzhi’s expression turned dim, but he didn’t question Yin Ci about his self-harm, nor did he inquire about his immortality.
He just recounted those warm moments from twenty-four years ago, telling them one by one in a soft voice. He did this until the person in his arms gradually regained consciousness and was no longer as stiff as a rock.
Having just broken through the ban, Shi Jingzhi was already exhausted. Talking consumed his energy, and as he spoke, he couldn’t help but relax his body, turning the hug into mutual support.
“…Alright, take a rest.”
Yin Ci noticed the other’s fatigue; smoke and sand wouldn’t get tired. He didn’t think he could go mad with such coherence, so he had to turn his confusion into relief.
He let go of Shi Jingzhi and used his sleeve to wipe the blood from the other’s face. When he was almost done, he carefully observed Shi Jingzhi’s face, as if they were meeting for the first time, and he wanted to etch that face firmly into his mind.
“Are you alright?”
Yin Ci looked at him for a while, feeling that it was inappropriate to stare so intently, so he tried to find something to say. He even thought of pretending to be as composed as before, but if it weren’t for Shi Jingzhi’s broken and hoarse tone, he might have succeeded.
Shi Jingzhi glanced at the scattered corpses not far away, and his heart twitched. He didn’t know how the person in front of him dared to ask such a question—wouldn’t the immortal body feel pain too?
Sect Master Shi didn’t care whether Yin Ci had lived for two hundred or twenty years, whether he was Su Zhi or Yin Ci. At that moment, all he felt was that his disciple had caused him great distress, half of it from concern, and half from anger.
So, he leaned back and said truthfully, “Not good.”
Yin Ci’s heart quivered, and he reached out to take Shi Jingzhi’s pulse. Unexpectedly, Shi Jingzhi quickly pulled his hand back, not letting him check.
He mouthed to Yin Ci with his back facing Elder Chen.
[I’ve lived for over twenty years, and the first person to treat me well was A’Ci, and perhaps the last one before my death is also you. If you cut yourself into a blood gourd, how can I be alright?]
“Cut yourself into a blood gourd”?
Yin Ci instantly understood that Shi Jingzhi hadn’t simply regained his desire. Having witnessed his battle with the giant monster, Shi Jingzhi might have guessed what…
Crack, crack.
Chen Qianfan saw the two of them clinging to each other and couldn’t stand watching it anymore, so he gave each of them a smack on the head. Yin Ci was deep in thought, and he had never experienced such treatment before; the killing intent almost burst out.
“What are you doing? What are you doing? That’s enough; don’t you know the situation? Yet you’re still endlessly chattering.”
Chen Qianfan skillfully ignored the killing intent. After spraying saliva all over Shi Jingzhi, his eyes locked onto Yin Ci.
“This kid can’t die, so you don’t need to see him off. Why are you still standing here? I need materials for the Living Puppet Curse, so get out and do something!”
Shi Jingzhi deviated from his usual behavior. Instead of sticking to his disciple, he joined Elder Chen in sending him away—Shi Jingzhi straightened up and lay back on the wooden platform, solemnly saying, “Senior Chen is right. The situation is critical, and important matters take priority.”
Yin Ci didn’t know what could be considered “important matters”.
Could there be anything more important than regaining something lost for twenty-four years?
If Yan Qing and Shi Zhongyu weren’t outside, he would have sacrificed everything and suppressed the Arcane Arts before coming back to interrogate Shi Jingzhi properly. If it wasn’t for the wrong timing, he wouldn’t let this guy out of his sight.
What if he loses him again?
Compared to the anxious and worried Yin Ci, Shi Jingzhi, who had his object addiction, was surprisingly calm. He seemed to be recalling the past in an ordinary manner, as if meeting someone he hadn’t seen in a long time. Despite the dangerous ban, there were neither intense feelings of love or hatred nor any sinister schemes.
“Go.” Shi Jingzhi urged calmly.
It seemed that their current affairs couldn’t be resolved, and they couldn’t sit down and have a proper conversation. Yin Ci looked left and right, but the child who clung to him and wouldn’t let go was no longer there.
So he could only let out a long sigh, change into a clean outer robe, and stride into the wind and snow.
However, behind Yin Ci, Shi Jingzhi turned his head again. Granny Wei wasn’t in the outer room, and no one closed the main door. He fixed his gaze on Yin Ci’s gradually diminishing figure, walking farther and farther away in the wind and snow.
He extended a hand, spreading his five fingers just enough to block the tall silhouette of the other person.
Then, Shi Jingzhi slowly clenched his fist, and a smile of determination finally appeared on his face. This time, he didn’t care about the observing Elder Chen, nor did he worry about whether this smile seemed “normal” or not.
The desire was here, and he knew how to seize it.
On the journey of life, he would no longer stumble away from death but instead head towards the destination he personally chose—after more than twenty years, he finally found a human heart he could touch.
“Senior Chen, I’m counting on you with the Living Puppet Curse. Please act quickly. I want to deal with the Arcane Arts together with my disciple.”
He wanted Yin Ci—to keep this person by his side. Not as his possession, but as a “person” with blood and tears.
He wanted to live, more than he ever had before.
At the same time, in Yidu.
The spring breeze treated everyone the same, passing over the red gates of the Imperial Preceptor’s residence.
Jiang Youyue put down his brush and looked at the nearby shrine—the miniature landscape on the shrine automatically changed without any wind, and the small flower buds bloomed, gently swaying crimson petals. The sweet fragrance of the flowers carried a faint scent of blood.
Jiang Youyue was momentarily stunned, sighing with a complex expression.
“Master, is the ban left by Grandmaster* now lifted?”
*[Shigong] (师公) Refers to the master of one’s master.
Jiang Youyue’s subordinate still wore a mask for the ritual. Their respectful tone was tinged with concern.
“Yes.”
“Shi Jingzhi’s fate is at stake. Originally, he was single-mindedly seeking to survive. Now that he has seen through his root of desire, who knows if he will seek far and abandon the near or even become our enemy…”
“Destiny is hard to defy.”
“If destiny is hard to defy, why did Grandmaster oppose it in the first place and seal his root of desire?” The masked person seemed to be averse to the word “destiny”.
Jiang Youyue raised an eyebrow. “Do you know the meaning behind the ‘root of desire’?”
The masked person looked at his Master, showing a hint of confusion on his face. This question was simple for him, but when asked seriously by his Master, he didn’t dare to answer casually.
Jiang Youyue continued, “The matter of the ‘root of desire’ wasn’t caused by destiny in the first place, so how could it be opposing destiny?”
The masked person was taken aback. “Please enlighten me, Master.”
“In this world, desires are numerous, and it’s difficult for ordinary people to bear them. So the Saints created a technique to fix them—when experiencing the most beautiful things in the world for the first time, you establish your root of desire. By concentrating on this one point, you’re less likely to be disturbed by various desires and can maintain your mental clarity.”
“Youngsters who have determined their root of desire cannot be interfered with, but it’s different for a three-year-old child. My master sealed his root of desire and blunted his will. He could resist all desires and keep his root of desire, so he wouldn’t waste all his mental energy, making it easy for us to tame him.”
Jiang Youyue gestured in the air, and the flowers on the shrine were shattered into pieces, and petals scattered all over the floor.
“Shi Jingzhi is not like the Queen of Milan, who lived in a daze for the first sixteen years, wasting her time. Nor is he like Yan Budu, who acted recklessly throughout his life, without any sense of order.”
“Now the foundation has been established. Everything is set; only the east wind is missing. How much he knows and whether there is a ‘heart’ in that shell… has nothing to do with the great undertaking of the Saints.”
Kinky Thoughts:
This marks the end of this arc. I have to say, I thought the backstory with Su Si and Yang Qing was good, but Shi Jingzhi’s childhood with Yin Ci made me cry buckets too!
Ahh…. Will Lord Bai get an emotional backstory as well (probably not).
Kinky Translations 