When one was under the eaves of a house, one had no choice but to bow their head.
Not long after Kan Chaosheng transformed, he serendipitously joined the Special Administration Bureau. Although there were experts hidden among the ordinary-looking staff in the Bureau, even the doorman was a rare master; Kan Chaosheng knew he had always been under Long Shen’s protection. For a newly transformed creature like him, it was easy to encounter interference that could hinder his spiritual progress. It was because of Long Shen that he could transition safely within Group 2.
However, comfort could lead to complacency. Only when he was restrained by Chang Qing and the prestige of the Special Administration Bureau failed him did Kan Chaosheng realize how much he had taken for granted. He understood that he had flourished in Group 2 because people like Dong Zhi and Zhong Yuyi had been accommodating to him. Even Long Shen, who seemed strict, had been lenient. Without this protection, he might have been expelled from the Bureau long ago. Kan Chaosheng began to reflect and regret his past arrogance.
Deng Po glanced at the disheartened Kan Chaosheng and whispered, “Why don’t you apologize to the master and ask him to release you?”
Engulfed in sorrow, Kan Chaosheng didn’t respond.
Even Deng Po’s mother felt pity seeing him like this. However, regardless of their pleas, Chang Qing remained resolute in not releasing him.
“You’ve been deceived by his appearance and now pity him,” Chang Qing said coldly. “Until I’m sure he hasn’t harmed anyone, I won’t release him. Push me further, and I’ll show you his true form. You might just die of fright.”
Left with no choice, Deng Po and his mother headed to the detention center and saw a dispirited and beaten Deng Bin.
In just a few days, he had lost a significant amount of weight, with a full beard. Deng Po hardly recognized him at first glance.
“Don’t worry,” Deng Po’s mother comforted him. “The lawyer is hired from Beijing by your brother. He’s experienced in defending such criminal cases. You must cooperate fully. Everyone is trying to help you. Don’t lose hope.”
Deng Bin, who was close in age to Deng Po, grew up under Deng Po’s mother’s care. He had a great relationship with his elder brother and sister-in-law. He nodded weakly in response, not saying a word. Seeing him like this, Deng Po’s mother sighed and introduced him to Chang Qing. “This is Mr. Chang. A very capable person I contacted through a friend. Let him check if there’s anything unusual with you.”
The case against Deng Bin seemed clear-cut, but to his family, it was shrouded in mystery. Deng Po’s mother didn’t believe he could kill. She even thought he might be possessed, which is why she went through great lengths to bring Chang Qing. It might seem superstitious, but she was trying every possible solution.
Deng Bin looked at Chang Qing, puzzled for a moment. Suddenly, as if recalling something, his spirits lifted considerably.
“Sister-in-law, I remembered someone who might be able to help me!”
Deng Po’s mother urged, “Take your time and explain.”
Deng Bin exclaimed, “Last time, when I went on an adventure to Kunlun Mountain with friends, remember?”
Deng Po replied, “Yes, you sent me photos!”
Deng Bin continued, “Yes, Xu Kun and I were close to Lengele Gorge when two men stopped us, claiming it was a restricted military area. We didn’t believe them until a storm brewed. A lightning strike nearly hit us, but one of the men used a sword to divert it. Later, he gave his contact to Xu Kun. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner! Get the number from Xu Kun and contact that master. He must have a solution. Sister-in-law, I really didn’t kill anyone!”
His emotions were all over the place, but everyone understood him.
Deng Po, familiar with Xu Kun and having trekked with him before, immediately said, “I’ll contact him right away!”
“Xiao Po, you need to tell him that I didn’t kill anyone!” Deng Bin kept repeating this phrase. His current state was very different from the carefree uncle Deng Po remembered. However, anyone in Deng Bin’s current predicament would probably not fare any better.
The haggard appearance of Deng Bin weighed heavily on the hearts of the two members of the Deng family. After leaving the detention center, Deng Po’s mother couldn’t wait to ask Chang Qing what he had discovered.
Chang Qing shook his head. “Even if the killer vehemently denies it, his face would unconsciously reveal a murderous aura. Although he looks unlucky right now, he doesn’t have that killing aura. Logically speaking, he shouldn’t be the killer.”
Deng Po’s mother was first relieved, then sighed deeply.
She trusted these words, but they couldn’t serve as evidence.
Chang Qing said, “If I could visit the crime scene, I might discover something.”
Kan Chaosheng, who had been silent, couldn’t help but mock, “If you’re incompetent, admit it. If my boss had personally taken action, this would have been solved by now!”
Chang Qing glanced at him, subconsciously categorizing his ‘boss’ as a demon, and coldly said. “Then I could capture one more demon.”
Kan Chaosheng laughed instead of getting angry. “Then try it, we’ll see!”
Meanwhile, Deng Po quickly got in touch with Xu Kui and hurriedly asked for the phone number of the ‘master’, only to find that his phone was switched off. Deng Po was persistent and called multiple times, to no avail.
Kan Chaosheng said indifferently, “Now, apart from my boss, no one can solve your problem. I don’t mind waiting.”
Chang Qing ignored him and still proposed to visit the crime scene or at least inspect the body of the deceased, both of which were now in police custody and not under the control of the Deng family. Deng Po’s mother was somewhat disappointed but not surprised. She knew that such a complicated murder case couldn’t be solved by esoteric methods.
In the afternoon, the police called to question the Deng family. Deng Po’s father also rushed back from the company. They went to the police station for questioning and were told that they might also need to visit the crime scene.
Chang Qing said, “I’ll go with you.”
Deng Po’s mother hesitated. “The police may not allow unrelated people in.”
Chang Qing insisted. “It’s okay, if I can’t go in, I’ll observe the surroundings; I might discover something.”
Deng Po’s father was skeptical of the “charlatan” his wife had brought. He didn’t believe in such things, but his father’s generation did. He opened his mouth to speak but eventually said nothing, allowing Chang Qing and Kan Chaosheng to join them en route to the police station.
The case had been exposed by the media. The Deng family’s status as wealthy businessmen, coupled with the sensational element of ‘wife-killing’ attracted widespread attention. A special task force was formed, with Captain Yin as the head. Both sides had met a few times, so they were familiar. But this time, the Deng family noticed that a young man in plain clothes stood next to him, and upon seeing him, Kan Chaosheng became agitated.
“Dong Zhi!”
Captain Yin frowned. “Who told you to bring children here?”
Dong Zhi was also surprised. He had just landed and was planning to rescue Kan Chaosheng but was urgently called by Captain Yin. Thinking that Kan Chaosheng was temporarily safe, he decided to wait until matters were settled here to go find him. He didn’t expect the person he was looking for to show up.
“Captain Yin, this is my colleague from the Special Administration Bureau.”
As Dong Zhi spoke, he walked toward Chang Qing and his group.
He had already noticed that some kind of restraint seemed to be placed on Kan Chaosheng; otherwise, he would have been jumping up by now instead of standing still with a flushed face and teary eyes.
“Hello, I’m Dong Zhi. What’s your name, brother?” He extended a hand to Chang Qing.
But Chang Qing frowned.
He possessed a natural ability to ‘sense auras’. At a glance, he could see the true forms of all beings with a lower cultivation level than his own. Therefore, he immediately recognized that Kan Chaosheng was a creature from the worm demon category. However, in this era, genuine dragons were rare, not to mention lesser dragons. Initially, he had mistaken Kan Chaosheng for a python.
Chang Qing naturally assumed that Kan Chaosheng’s backup would also be a demon, but it turned out not to be the case. The man in front of him seemed human but was surrounded by a faint mist, neither entirely human nor demon, and definitely not evil. For the first time in his life, Chang Qing was taken aback.
“Chang Qing.” He didn’t shake Dong Zhi’s hand. “What are you?”
Dong Zhi was taken aback. “What do you mean, ‘what am I?'”
Chang Qing pursed his lips. “I can’t see your true form.”
Dong Zhi, speechless, responded, “Nonsense. I’m human. What else could my original form be?”
Chang Qing shook his head. “That’s not right.”
Finding Chang Qing hard to communicate with, Dong Zhi moved to undo the restraints on Kan Chaosheng. Seeing this, Chang Qing attempted to intercept. Both remained stationary, engaging in a swift exchange using only their wrists. Dong Zhi swiftly drew a talisman, which flew towards Chang Qing with fierce momentum, forcing him to step back. Dong Zhi seized the opportunity to free Kan Chaosheng. As the latter was about to transform and attack Chang Qing, Dong Zhi decisively grabbed his neck.
“Chaosheng, behave!”
The tone was all too familiar to Kan Chaosheng, almost like that of his boss, Long Shen, but with a different voice. Kan Chaosheng angrily retorted, “He mistook me for a demon and detained me all the way!”
“I know. Let me handle this. Don’t act rashly and remember your status!” Dong Zhi said sternly.
Pushing Kan Chaosheng aside, Dong Zhi stepped forward, grabbing Chang Qing’s wrist as he was about to unsheathe his sword.
“Although Kan Chaosheng looks like a child, he’s an official of the state. Your unprovoked detention of him is a crime.”
Chang Qing, startled by Dong Zhi’s speed and words, asked, “A demon can be an official nowadays?”
Dong Zhi, imitating Liu Qingbo, rolled his eyes. “Where did you come from? Did you time travel from ancient times? It’s the rule of law now, even for demons. Understand?”
He took out an ID from his pocket and flashed it at Chang Qing.
“Director of the Special Administration Bureau of the People’s Republic of China, Lucheng Office, Dong Zhi. You’re suspected of obstructing official business and interfering with investigations. I need you to cooperate until we verify your identity. Captain Yin!”
Almost immediately after Dong Zhi finished speaking, Captain Yin had already thrown handcuffs over. Without looking back, Dong Zhi caught them mid-air and restrained Chang Qing, neutralizing his attacks in a swift, fluid motion that lasted no more than three seconds. It was executed with style and precision.
Not only were Deng Po and the police astounded, but Kan Chaosheng was also left agape.
Ever since Dong Zhi began his duties, Kan Chaosheng had never collaborated with him. He had heard of Dong Zhi solving many cases with excellence, gaining fame in the international conference, and even accompanying Long Shen on dangerous missions. Now, Dong Zhi was a leading figure in the bureau. But to Kan Chaosheng, Dong Zhi was still that newbie. Seeing this ‘newbie’ display such prowess challenged his perceptions, even making him question his own role in Group 2.
Dong Zhi clapped his hands and calmly said, “Alright, let’s get down to business.”
Deng Po’s uncle was the son born to Deng Po’s grandfather in his later years. His upbringing was similar to Deng Po’s, and he was even more cherished than Deng Po. Even Deng Po’s father would always yield to his younger brother. A few years ago, Deng Po’s uncle met a girl who was extremely beautiful. After falling in love at first sight, he ardently pursued her for several months. Eventually, he won her heart. However, the Deng family looked down upon the girl because she came from a humble background and had a low educational level. They initially disapproved of the marriage. In the end, it was only after Deng Po’s uncle pleaded, played stubborn, and argued that the grandfather gave his consent. After the Deng family’s compromise, they arranged for the girl to work as an administrator in the local library. This job was relaxed and dignified, and no one could find fault with it, so everyone was happy with the outcome.
Logically speaking, since Deng Po’s uncle had put in so much effort into securing this marriage, the couple should have cherished each other even more after marriage. But the opposite happened. They quarreled frequently. Deng Po’s uncle didn’t settle down after getting married; he continued to frequent entertainment venues, hang out with a group of friends, and even often went on outdoor adventures. He sought a life full of thrills and excitement and never wanted to stop. However, Deng Po’s aunt didn’t like socializing. She hadn’t lived in this social circle since she was young. After marriage, she felt restrained everywhere. It was said that the couple had a big fight after attending a banquet of Deng Po’s uncle’s friends. Deng Po’s uncle felt his wife never tried to fit into his circle, while his aunt felt her husband never understood her, always speaking in a condescending manner typical of the rich.
The incident occurred a week ago.
The couple had a fierce argument in the car. Deng Po’s aunt impulsively opened the door to get out. Even though the car wasn’t moving fast, Deng Po’s uncle had to brake abruptly. This led to another public quarrel, which even escalated to physical violence.
Afterward, the couple went into a cold war. The Deng family initially tried to mediate but later decided to let them be. However, after Deng Po’s uncle had a night of revelry with friends at a billiard club, he was informed by the police in the early hours that his wife was dead.
Deng Po’s aunt was murdered. Her heart was removed, and her head was smashed open, with brain matter flowing out. Strangely, her expression at death was peaceful, even happy, as if she were immersed in a beautiful dream.
What shattered Deng Po’s uncle was that the surveillance outside their home clearly showed that shortly after his wife returned home, he too entered the house, staying for about two hours before leaving.
Facing suspicion of murder, Deng Po’s uncle vehemently denied it. He did have a two- to three-hour gap before going to the club, which he explained was spent driving around the outskirts to calm down after their fight. However, that area was undergoing renovation, and there were no surveillance cameras or witnesses, so his claims couldn’t be verified.
The Deng family was running around for Deng Po’s uncle’s case, and they didn’t dare inform the grandfather, fearing he couldn’t handle the shock. Initially, Deng Po, who was studying abroad, wasn’t informed to prevent distractions. It was only when Deng Po decided to come home earlier that he learned of this incident.
Admittedly, this was a straightforward murder case. There was surveillance footage and undeniable evidence. The couple’s argument outside and even the instance when Deng Po’s uncle impulsively slapped his wife were witnessed by the public and caught on camera. The theory that their argument escalated into murder once they reached home had a clear motive.
However, Deng Po’s uncle never admitted to the murder, and his emotions seemed genuine. So, who would impersonate him and murder his wife?
Deng Po, along with his father and the Deng family’s lawyer, visited his uncle. The more he thought about it, the more things didn’t add up. At that time, Kan Chaosheng asked him for money, and Deng Po recalled an incident on the train. A sudden thought struck him: Could it be that his uncle was also under some illusion and mistakenly killed his aunt, thinking she was a monster?
Kan Chaosheng, although often silly and playful, did have reliable moments. After hearing the full story and thinking for a while, he said, “If someone can indeed use illusions to compel others to kill, then their mastery has reached an incredible level. Unless your uncle offended someone really powerful, it’s unlikely they would go to such extremes to target him.”
Upon hearing this, Deng Po clung to Kan Chaosheng as his last hope. “Future Master, you must save my uncle. I know him well. He might be impulsive, but he would never kill, let alone do something as horrific as gouging out a heart. Could someone be impersonating him to commit the crime? If you help me, I’ll not only become your loyal apprentice, but I’ll also serve as your personal ATM!”
Kan Chaosheng smirked. “Honestly, I just thought you had potential. Maybe I could train you to be as good as Dong Zhi. Don’t think too highly of yourself! The police are on the case. For such a severe crime, they will surely investigate thoroughly.”
Deng Po was close to tears. “The problem is the surveillance footage is crystal clear. Even facial recognition identifies my uncle. His fingerprints were all over the crime scene. While there are doubts, my uncle can’t explain his actions. Future Master, if you help us this time, not only will I become your apprentice, but my whole family will worship you like a bodhisattva. We promise to burn incense for you daily!”
Kan Chaosheng thought for a moment and finally said, “Alright, I’ll come with you and take a look.”
Deng Po was immensely grateful. Though Kan Chaosheng’s appearance and behavior didn’t inspire confidence, Deng Po was desperate. He’d tried lawyers, the police were investigating, and Kan Chaosheng was his last hope.
After Kan Chaosheng had dispatched some matters in Huai’an, he met with Deng Po, who arranged his accommodations and meals. Soon, a scene unfolded where Kan Chaosheng was feasting on a table full of dishes while Deng Po sat next to him, his face full of worry.
“You’ve been hungry for more than three days, haven’t you?” Deng Po remarked, observing Kan Chaosheng’s eating frenzy.
“No, I just had breakfast!” Kan Chaosheng responded, not even looking up from his food, and continued to play his video game.
Deng Po began to doubt his decision to ask for Kan Chaosheng’s assistance. However, after their meal, Kan Chaosheng finally asked Deng Po to detail the case. As Deng Po described the circumstances, especially the mysterious actions of his uncle during the crime, Kan Chaosheng interrupted, “Wait, your uncle doesn’t remember where he was when his wife was murdered?”
Deng Po sighed deeply, recounting his uncle’s claim of being in a daze, driving around the outskirts of the city, and then heading straight to a club.
Kan Chaosheng mused. “Sounds like an excuse someone would make after committing a crime.”
Deng Po looked desperate. “The police think the same, but my uncle refuses to admit to the killing. The only anomaly is that the clothes he was wearing when he came home, as captured on the surveillance, were the same as when he was arrested at the club. If he had committed the crime, there would be blood on his clothes. And why would he let himself be caught on camera outside his house?”
Kan Chaosheng: “Maybe he has two sets of the same clothes. And in the heat of the moment, he might not consider the surveillance cameras.”
Deng Po pleaded, “My mother thinks my uncle might be cursed, and she’s looking for spiritual masters. But I believe in you more than anyone. Please help, Future Master!”
Kan Chaosheng, finishing his food, lazily replied, “Investigation isn’t really my strong suit.” Seeing Deng Po’s disappointed face, he added, “But I can call someone who is skilled in that area.”
Deng Po, frustrated, responded, “Can you not keep me in suspense when you speak? It’s bad for the heart.”
Kan Chaosheng concluded. “Take me to meet your uncle, or at least let me visit the crime scene.”
Deng Po replied, “The crime scene will be sealed off, but I can arrange a meeting with my uncle with our lawyer present.”
Kan Chaosheng nodded. “Let’s see him first, and then decide on the next steps.”
When he returned home, his mother was hosting a distinguished guest. The guest was dressed in a Taoist robe and had an icy expression. He didn’t react upon seeing Deng Po, but his gaze settled on Kan Chaosheng behind Deng Po, almost fixating on him.
Deng Po’s mother didn’t notice this peculiarity. Seeing that Deng Po had brought a child home, she asked in surprise, “Is this your friend’s child?”
Instead of answering, Deng Po asked, “Mom, are you going to visit Uncle?”
His mother was reminded by his question. “Right, I was just about to invite Master Chang to see him. Oh, I forgot to introduce him to you. This Master Chang is highly skilled. I had to ask a favor from a friend to invite him over. Quickly, greet him properly!”
Deng Po observed that the man looked to be in his twenties, about his age, and seemed somewhat unusual. He found it hard to address him as “Master”.
If Kan Chaosheng knew that Deng Po’s mother had invited someone else for help, he would have been furious on any other day. But now, he was staring intently at Master Chang. Anyone familiar with him would notice that his hair was standing on end, clearly in a defensive and soon-to-be aggressive stance. This was a natural response when a creature senses a threat.
Deng Po finally noticed the intense gaze between the two, neither uttering a word. “Do you… know each other?”
Master Chang said coldly, “I don’t associate with demons.”
Kan Chaosheng instantly got angry. “Which mountain did you come from?”
Master Chang coldly snorted, “Being able to transform these days is quite commendable. However, your cultivation is lacking, and you’re young. Don’t you have any elders at home to guide you? How dare you brazenly parade around? Leave immediately, and I might pretend I didn’t see you. But if you cause any trouble, don’t blame me for turning you into snake soup!”
Nowadays, there were many frauds in the world, but Kan Chaosheng didn’t expect the Deng family to be so lucky as to actually find a formidable figure. He was offended by Master Chang’s words, especially when his true form was revealed. He was furious and lunged at Master Chang.
He was swift, but the man surnamed Chang was even faster. Before Kan Chaosheng could get close, Master Chang’s sword was already out of its sheath, its tip pointed at Kan Chaosheng’s forehead. In a fit of rage, Kan Chaosheng transformed into his true form, revealing a massive serpent head, roaring, and exuding a powerful aura.
Master Chang exclaimed, “Oh, it’s a young Jiao!”
He thought it was a python.
Although both were considered long serpentines, the difference was vast. A jiao was referred to as a “half-dragon” and was just one step away from becoming a true dragon.
Kan Chaosheng retorted. “’Young’ my ass. I’m much older than you, and I’ll beat you until you call me grandpa!”
Master Chang scoffed, “Typical lack of discipline. I’ve had snake soup before, but never Jiao soup. Time for a taste!”
As the two continued to clash, the room was in chaos. Thankfully, they managed not to break any furniture. Deng Po’s mother was terrified. If not for Deng Po’s support, she would’ve collapsed.
“Xiao Po, what have you brought into our house?!” her voice quivered.
Deng Po replied, “Mom, it’s just an illusion! This is the master I invited to help Uncle!”
“What illusion!” Master Chang sneered. “His true form is a demon!”
It was considered highly disrespectful to reveal a spirit’s true form in public. Kan Chaosheng was furious and attacked even more aggressively. However, he had grown lazy and complacent over the years, and to his shock, he wasn’t able to overpower the unknown man. At one point, he was even captured.
Holding him by the neck, Master Chang immobilized Kan Chaosheng, who could only shout in anger, “You bastard, at least tell me your name!”
“Why should I?” Master Chang then turned to Deng Po. “Did he do anything to you?”
Deng Po, in disbelief, replied, “No, no. I met him on the train. We even caught human traffickers together. I invited him to help. Can you please let him go?”
Master Chang stared at Kan Chaosheng. “So, since you’ve transformed, you haven’t done anything bad?”
“Damn your big-headed ghost!” Kan Chaosheng valued his pride the most. Never had he been handled and held onto like this before. He was on the verge of exploding in anger. If it weren’t for the fact that he couldn’t speak human language after turning into a cat, he would have already transformed and broken free from the person’s grip. “Release Grandpa quickly, or I’ll get someone to deal with you!”
Master Chang remained emotionless. “Bad attitude, no remorse. Guess I won’t let you go.”
He took out a talisman from his pocket, ready to stick it onto Kan Chaosheng, when unexpectedly, the phone in Kan Chaosheng’s pocket rang. Mr. Chang paused, reaching into Kan Chaosheng’s pocket to retrieve the phone.
“Didn’t your mother teach you not to touch other people’s things?!” Kan Chaosheng shouted angrily.
“Dong Zhi?” Mr. Chang glanced at the caller ID. “Your friend? What kind of creature is he?”
Kan Chaosheng’s spirit lifted. “You’d better let me go now, or you’ll regret it!”
After saying this, he suddenly found it oddly familiar. Isn’t this what villains in novels often say?
Deng Po, who once admired Kan Chaosheng, now looked doubtful. Deng’s mother was even more frightened. Seeing this, Kan Chaosheng felt utterly humiliated, fuming, and wanting to bite surname Chang on the spot.
That bastard didn’t hang up the phone but instead pressed the answer and speakerphone buttons.
“Hey, Chaosheng, you just messaged me, asking about my situation. My master told me to come over. Where are you? Give me a location, and I’ll come straight after I land.”
Hearing this familiar voice, Kan Chaosheng broke into tears. “Dong Zhi! Some bastard captured me, and he wants to eat me!”
He began to cry so heartbreakingly that even Deng Po’s mother, previously scared, couldn’t bear it. “Master, maybe you got it wrong. He’s just a kid. Why not let him go first?”
Chang Qing coldly responded, “If I let him go, he’ll run.”
The person on the phone clearly heard the commotion and asked worriedly, “Chaosheng? Where are you? What’s happening?”
Chang Qing asked, “Who are you to him?”
Dong Zhi was astonished. Even though Kan Chaosheng was willful, he was a 500-year-old Jiao. To be captured meant the opponent was formidable. Dong Zhi’s tone became more serious. “He’s my friend. Did he owe you money or ate your snacks? I can repay you. Let’s talk it out.”
Kan Chaosheng’s tears turned to anger. “Do you see me as such a glutton in your eyes?”
Dong Zhi replied, “…That’s not the point, is it?”
Kan Chaosheng challenged, “Then what is your point?”
Chang Qing interjected, “Sorry to interrupt your catch-up. Until I can verify he’s not dangerous, I’ll hold onto this creature. If you’re also a creature, I’d advise you not to come.”
Dong Zhi quickly responded, “What’s your name? Kan Chaosheng is from the Special Administration Bureau. He’s never done anything wrong. Please show mercy.”
Chang Qing frowned. “What’s the Special Administration Bureau?”
Dong Zhi was both amused and surprised. He hadn’t expected Kan Chaosheng to encounter a Daoist exorcist from legends who was hostile towards all demons and spirits. Dong Zhi had assumed that such extreme and stubborn individuals no longer existed in modern cities, especially in an era where even disciples from esteemed sects like Mount Longhu had joined the Special Administration Bureau.
However, since the other party didn’t even recognize the Special Administration Bureau, it was likely he was a disciple of some reclusive hermit. While there were very few people dedicated to secluded cultivation these days, they weren’t entirely extinct. As Dong Zhi climbed the ranks within the Special Administration Bureau, he now had the authority to slowly access some of the more general classified files. Within one of the bureau’s systems, records of practitioners who continue to live in seclusion without any specific school or lineage were stored. Yet, there were some individuals who hadn’t registered with the bureau. Perhaps they were hidden in plain sight within the city, or they might have spent their entire lives in remote mountain forests.
“Let me come over and explain. Please release Kan Chaosheng. I should be there by evening,” Dong Zhi said, checking his watch.
Chang Qing replied indifferently, “We’ll talk when you arrive.”
“Wait!” Kan Chaosheng shouted frantically. “Don’t hang up! I have more to say!”
He yelled at Dong Zhi, “Just come alone! Don’t tell the boss, or my salary will be docked!”
Dong Zhi: …How impressive that you can still think of this even after you’ve been subdued.
Chang Qing hung up the phone and slapped Kan Chaosheng on the back of his neck. Using some unknown technique, Kan Chaosheng felt as if half of his strength was sapped away, his whole body tingling and powerless. Forget using any magic; even his legs became limp and wobbly, making him walk as if he were drunk.
He was both shocked and enraged, roaring, “How dare you treat me like this! Our boss will not let you off!”
“Let him come then,” Chang Qing responded nonchalantly, not taking him seriously nor paying any mind to Dong Zhi over the phone. Turning to Deng Po’s mother, he said, “Let’s go and see this Deng Bin you spoke of.”
Deng Po’s mother timidly glanced at Kan Chaosheng. Chang Qing reassured her, “Don’t worry, he’s restrained by me now. He can’t do anything. I’ll keep him close to prevent him from escaping. Once his friend arrives, I’ll deal with them both.”
However, Deng Po seemed somewhat sympathetic. “Master, can we release him? He doesn’t seem like a bad person.”
Chang Qing replied, “Good and evil aren’t discerned by appearance. It’s precisely because he adopts the form of a child that he can easily deceive you all.”
Kan Chaosheng shot him a fierce glare, tears forming in his eyes, thinking, ‘Damn it, Dong Zhi, hurry up and come!’
Back when he first met Dong Zhi on the train, Kan Chaosheng saw him as a frail and ordinary human and scoffed at his desire to become an apprentice and join the Special Administration Bureau. Little did he know that the tables would turn and he’d one day hope for Dong Zhi to come to his rescue, much like a princess awaiting her knight.
Why wasn’t he waiting for Long Shen? Because if Long Shen were to come, while the problem might be resolved, his own fate would also be dire. Between being tortured by this bastard and being rescued by the boss, Kan Chaosheng shivered, realizing he’d rather face the former.
For humans, life might be expendable, but money isn’t.
Originally, when Kan Chaosheng said that those few people were human traffickers, Deng Po didn’t believe it. In his mind, human traffickers were usually very cunning; they could easily disappear into the crowd in the blink of an eye, their skills almost rivaling those of secret agents. But Kan Chaosheng, seemingly impatient with explaining further, just snapped his fingers in front of him.
And then, Deng Po witnessed the most terrifying sight of his life.
A giant snake, indistinguishable whether it was a python, a snake, or even a dragon, appeared out of nowhere. It opened its huge mouth and lunged at him! However, as the snake reached him, it didn’t swallow him whole but suddenly transformed into tiny stars, disappearing into the air.
Deng Po stared ahead; his legs went weak, and he couldn’t even run. He fell to the ground, realizing that when people are scared to a certain extent, they can’t even scream.
Kan Chaosheng, initially feeling quite smug, changed his expression when he saw Deng Po’s reaction. He suddenly remembered that Long Shen had warned him not to use magic to frighten ordinary people outside. He felt a bit guilty.
“Are you okay? It’s an illusion; it’s not real.”
Deng Po took a while to get up. Kan Chaosheng had no choice but to help him up, looking a bit disgusted yet unable to resist explaining himself.
“You didn’t believe me, so I showed you. I didn’t expect you to be more timid than Dong Zhi!”
“Who the hell are you!”
Deng Po finally caught his breath and composed himself. He didn’t know who this Dong Zhi the other person mentioned was. He only knew that he was scared out of his wits. Who could remain calm after seeing a giant snake lunge at them? Especially since he had been afraid of snakes since he was a child.
“I’ll tell you after you report them to the police first,” Kan Chaosheng said. “They really are traffickers, just trapped in an illusion like you.”
Deng Po hesitated for a moment, then called the police over and explained the situation. He only said he found these four people suspicious and noticed the child was constantly asleep, and the four adults didn’t care.
Given that it involved human trafficking, the police took it seriously. After questioning, they found out the child was indeed kidnapped. The child had been drugged, which was why he was asleep. These four people posed as migrant workers returning home and had committed numerous kidnappings.
However, Deng Po later learned more details from the police officer he contacted. He was commended for his vigilance and even received a commendation and reward.
After handing the matter over to the police, Deng Po didn’t need to get involved any further. He and Kan Chaosheng returned to their compartment. The couple that had left with the child to find a doctor hadn’t returned yet. They probably got off at some station. It was just the two of them left in the compartment. Deng Po swallowed nervously.
Kan Chaosheng tilted his head and looked at him. “You’re quite smart.”
He never exposed his identity from start to finish.
Considering Kan Chaosheng currently appears as a child, if he were to report the incident, he would inevitably have to explain how he came to know about it. The issue of him traveling alone with an octopus would be exposed. He would either be asked to get off the train to contact his guardians or he would have to clarify his identity. For the outside world and many grassroots departments, it was as if the Special Administration Bureau never existed. The police would only think he was lying, or they would need to go through multiple layers to verify his identity, which would be very troublesome. But after pushing everything onto Deng Po, things became much simpler.
Deng Po wryly smiled. “You still haven’t answered my question.”
Kan Chaosheng blinked. “What question?”
Deng Po: “The illusion! How did you create that snake?”
Kan Chaosheng feigned innocence. “What illusion? Uncle, have you read too many novels? There’s no such thing as illusions. Those are stories to fool children.”
Deng Po: ……
Just then, a large part of the blanket from the upper bunk slid down. As Deng Po turned to look, he saw a long tentacle sliding out from under the blanket, followed by a round head.
Deng Po felt he was being driven mad by Kan Chaosheng because he actually heard an octopus speak.
“Sorry, can you help tuck the blanket back in?”
Deng Po: ……
Numbly, he reached out to tuck the blanket back into the upper bunk, covering the octopus. Then he turned to Kan Chaosheng.
“This isn’t an illusion either, is it?”
Kan Chaosheng: “Huh? I told you, there are no illusions! What did you see? I didn’t see anything.”
Deng Po, gathering his courage, turned back and pulled the blanket off.
Sure enough, there was an octopus on the upper bunk, and two of its tentacles were even playing a game on an iPad.
The octopus innocently said, “Could you cover me up with the blanket? Someone might get scared if they come in.”
Am I not human? I was scared too, okay!
Deng Po was on the verge of a breakdown. He said to Kan Chaosheng, “Don’t tell me this is another illusion!”
The frequency of Kan Chaosheng’s blinking had increased significantly from before, clearly struggling to come up with an excuse.
“Do you want to use the iPad? I’ll let it give it back to you.”
Deng Po was probably so terrified after seeing the giant snake that he was slowly calming down.
“Since the octopus can talk, who are you? Are you also an octopus?”
Kan Chaosheng looked Deng Po up and down with a look of disdain. “Your foundation isn’t bad. If you become my apprentice, I’ll tell you. Otherwise…”
He chuckled sinisterly. Deng Po’s heart, which had just settled, almost jumped out of his chest again.
“Do… do what? Are you going to kill and silence me?”
Kan Chaosheng replied, “Otherwise, I just won’t tell you!”
Deng Pu hesitated. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell others?”
Kan Chaosheng shrugged. “Go ahead and tell them. See who believes you!”
That’s true. Deng Pu thought if he told someone he met a talking octopus and a child who could perform illusions, they would surely think he was mad.
Deng Pu was torn; his curiosity itching him like a cat’s paw, but he was afraid to probe too deep. What if the child wasn’t really a child but an adult with dwarfism?
The more he thought, the more terrified he became, his goosebumps all over.
Kan Chaosheng, seeing Deng Pu’s pathetic state, sneered and climbed onto the upper bunk.
“It’s my turn to play now!”
“But big brother, I haven’t finished this round!” A sulky voice from the octopus came from under the blanket.
An octopus addressing a kid as ‘big brother’.
Deng Po felt dazed, as if he wasn’t in the real world. He pinched himself hard, and feeling the pain, he knew this wasn’t a dream.
Kan Chaosheng popped his head out. “Can I borrow the iPad again?”
Although he was asking, Deng Po felt as if he’d get a beating if he said no. He nodded quickly. “You can use it!”
In fact, Deng Po wasn’t the most patient person. Coming from a wealthy family and being an only child, he always got what he wanted. The friends around him were either of the same status or always flattering. The reason he took this trip was that he had a fallout with a friend over a girl. He chose to travel by train, hoping the journey would calm him. Instead, it opened a door to a new world for him.
The couple finally returned. Their child had awakened, but he seemed spiritless. Seeing Kan Chaosheng, the child screamed in fear, pointing and shouting “snake!” Only now did Deng Po realize that the child must have been frightened by an illusion as well.
He glanced at Kan Chaosheng, who indignantly said to the couple, “Why is he calling me a snake? I’m clearly a cute child!”
Deng Po twitched at the corner of his mouth while the couple gave him an embarrassed look. It seemed they couldn’t handle their child’s constant crying and despite unsuccessful attempts to change their seats, they got off the train at the Tianjin station. Although Deng Po was supposed to get off at the same station as well, he mysteriously stayed on.
“Little Friend, I still don’t know your name,” he tried to make conversation.
Holding the iPad, Kan Chaosheng glanced at him. “Who are you calling little friend? I’m much older than you!”
‘He must be an adult turned into a dwarf,’ Deng Pu thought. He scratched his head and asked, “You mentioned taking me as your apprentice. What can you teach me?”
“You’re not scared anymore?” Kan Chaosheng asked with a sidelong glance.
Of course, he was still scared. But since the other party had caught the traffickers and urged him to call the police, he didn’t seem like a bad person. Deng Po awkwardly replied, “Not so much now.”
Kan Chaosheng disdainfully said, “Don’t think I just accept anyone. If I didn’t find you agreeable, I wouldn’t have mentioned it. And even if I did, my boss has to approve.”
Deng Pu was taken aback. “You have a boss?”
So it’s an organization? It sounds shady. He was having second thoughts again.
When Kan Chaosheng heard it, he simply replied, “Right,” and then picked up his phone to make a call.
Long Shen’s phone was unreachable, probably turned off. So, he called Dong Zhi, bragging about his encounter with human traffickers on the train, and incidentally asked Dong Zhi to convey his intention to take on an apprentice. Little did he know that Long Shen was right beside Dong Zhi, who promptly vetoed the idea. This led to the previous scene, where Kan Chaosheng went to bed in a huff.
After hanging up, Deng Po had an incredulous look on his face.
“Wait, when you take an apprentice, do you… sleep together? Dual cultivation? Absorb Yin to replenish Yang? Wait, I’m Yang, so are you cross-dressing as a man?”
“Have you been watching too many movies or reading too many novels?” Kan Chaosheng replied disdainfully. “Since the boss doesn’t agree, let’s just pretend I never mentioned it.”
Deng Po, trying to suppress his laughter, asked, “Can I ask you a few questions?”
Kan Chaosheng: “Go ahead.”
“Is illusion magic like the magic in stories? Can you conjure real objects, like a cup? Can you teleport, like the apparition in Harry Potter? Where can I learn such skills?” Deng Po let out all his pent-up curiosity in one breath.
Kan Chaosheng looked at him as if he were an idiot. “If I could teleport, would I need to take the train?”
Deng Pu chuckled. “That’s a good point!”
Kan Chaosheng: “What you mentioned isn’t entirely nonexistent. With enough cultivation, one could ascend in broad daylight and travel vast distances instantly. However, such feats were more common in the Han Dynasty. The spiritual energy of this world has been diminishing day by day. Forget about immortals; there are hardly any spirits left.”
Feeling somewhat disappointed, Deng Po asked, “Apart from illusion techniques, what else can you do?”
Kan Chaosheng proudly said, “Just minor stuff, like creating clouds and fog and turning rivers upside down!”
‘Blowing your own trumpet,’ Deng Po thought. He didn’t verbalize it, but it was evident on his face.
“If you don’t believe it, so be it!” Kan Chaosheng, realizing he couldn’t recruit an apprentice, didn’t want to elaborate further. “By the way, the places you mentioned for cultivation? Maoshan and Mount Longhu have them.”
Deng Pu exclaimed in surprise. “I’ve been to Mount Longhu as a tourist. How come I didn’t see it?”
Kan Chaosheng replied with contempt, “If everyone could easily spot them, wouldn’t it disturb their peace? Those Taoist priests may be stubborn and stick to seniority, but they genuinely possess great skills!”
The conversation ended there, and Kan Chaosheng got engrossed in his game, ignoring Deng Po’s various questions. However, Deng Po eventually got his WeChat contact at the cost of a big bag of snacks.
Upon disembarking in Huai’an, Kan Chaosheng, along with Meika, headed straight for Guishan.
To find Wuzhiqi, going down the Zhiqi well on Guishan was the fastest route. Though after Long Shen and the others had emerged from it, the well was covered with a wire mesh, but that wasn’t a challenge for Kan Chaosheng. With few tourists around and a storm brewing, he pulled out the wire mesh and jumped down with the octopus.
Below was a deep pool, but for a jiao like Kan Chaosheng, entering the water felt like home. He cheered and expanded into a massive dragon, creating waves in the pool. The octopus, however, seemed a bit dejected, staying by the poolside without any intention to play or grow.
“Who dares to be so presumptuous here!”
The sound of chains rattled, followed by an overwhelming force.
Feeling the challenge, the jiao hissed and lunged towards the incoming gust.
“Ah—”
With just three moves, the jiao was flipped, reverted to its human form in midair, hit the mountain wall, and plunged into the water.
The Wuzhiqi sneered. “A mere water dragon dares to make a fuss here! If not for my agreement with Long Shen, you’d be dead by now!”
Kan Chaosheng emerged, head above water. Facing this ancient figure with a legendary past, he humbly said, “It’s Long Shen who sent me. He thought you might be lonely and asked me to bring you an apprentice.”
Kan Chaosheng’s aggressive behavior upon seeing Wuzhiqi was due to his beastly instincts, which compelled him to challenge any dominant force.
Apprentice?
The Wuzhiqi looked at the small octopus by the pond.
“Him? Has his intelligence awakened?”
Kan Chaosheng: “It has. He can speak two languages and play games. He’s quite smart.”
Wuzhiqi: “Where is he in his cultivation progress? Why hasn’t he transformed?”
Kan Chaosheng: “Oh, he’s starting from scratch.”
The Wuzhiqi was silent for a moment and then became furious. “You throw him here knowing nothing. Do you think I’m a junk collector?”
Kan Chaosheng: ……
The octopus also felt wronged. “Big Brother, the teacher you found for me is too fierce. I don’t want to stay. There’s no internet or games here. I can’t even watch web dramas!”
The Wuzhiqi angrily retorted, “What nonsense! With such a playful and gluttonous attitude, you dream of transforming! Take him back and tell Long Shen, don’t just throw anything my way!”
He released his overwhelming aura, which was immensely powerful. Even a true dragon couldn’t withstand it, let alone Kan Chaosheng and Meika. The former turned pale and almost vomited blood, while the octopus cried, “Big Brother, I want to eat fish. I want to go back!”
Kan Chaosheng: …This is so tiring. But I must fulfill the boss’s orders. Who knows how to persuade a monkey and an octopus to coexist peacefully? Help, urgently waiting online!
He then explained Meika’s background and mentioned recent events, including the broken seal at Kunlun Mountain, the sacrifices of people like Zong Ling and Che Bai, and the incident where Long Shen and Dong Zhi almost didn’t make it back. This calmed Wuzhiqi’s anger slightly.
“So, your ‘Special Administration Bureau’ is short on manpower and can’t spare anyone to teach him?”
Kan Chaosheng nodded vigorously. “So I had to bother you.”
The Wuzhiqi sighed. “Fine. Since I have nothing to do here, you both can stay.” He looked sternly at Kan Chaosheng. “Your foundation is too weak. To transform from a Jiao to a dragon, you need to break through a bottleneck. I suppose you haven’t reached that bottleneck yet?”
Kan Chaosheng: ??? Why is he suddenly talking about me?
“Senior, I just remembered, the boss told me to report back after sending Meika here. I must leave. Making the boss wait is not good. I’ll leave Meika in your care.”
He started retreating while speaking and vanished in a blink.
“Brother, leave me a cell phone so I can contact you!” The octopus shouted.
“I’ll bring—you one—next time…” Kan Chaosheng’s voice faded in the distance.
The Wuzhiqi calmly said, “Until you transform, don’t think about leaving.”
The octopus felt so hopeless that it wanted to cry again.
After escaping, Kan Chaosheng sighed in relief, looking back at Zhiqi Well. He laughed gleefully, thinking about his bright future.
Long Shen instructed him to deliver the octopus within ten days but didn’t specify when to return. Realizing this loophole, Kan Chaosheng decided to take a few more days off since he had already completed his task. However, he quickly faced a problem: he was out of money.
Having spent 300 yuan on “some” snacks, he was broke. Without mobile games to play, he felt life was bleak. Then, an idea struck him. He texted Deng Po: [Future apprentice, lend me a thousand yuan. I’ll pay you back next month.]
Deng Po was speechless upon receiving the message. But he was dealing with a tricky situation, and maybe Kan Chaosheng could help or perhaps introduce some genuine experts from Mount Longhu or Maoshan.
As early as during the incident at Kunlun Mountain, on the way when Long Shen rushed there with He Yu, He Yu had spilled all the beans about his relationship with Dong Zhi. Even though at that time, He Yu’s gossiping was limited to Team 2 and Yu Buhui, it was impossible that with his big mouth, he didn’t continue to spill the details as days passed.
Long Shen didn’t mind at all. He simply didn’t want to make a fuss about it and felt there was nothing much to tell. He wasn’t afraid of people knowing. Even if He Yu spread their story for all to hear, it wouldn’t affect Long Shen in the slightest.
But he didn’t know if Dong Zhi minded.
Seeing Dong Zhi’s face turn red after hearing the driver’s attempt to cover up, his eyes darting left and right, avoiding eye contact, a hint of displeasure rose in Long Shen’s heart. He couldn’t help but wonder if for Dong Zhi, their relationship was something hard to disclose to others.
He had thought that after all they had been through, the two of them would have been on the same wavelength. However, it seemed that wasn’t the case.
After his coughing, the driver felt as if the phrase “there’s no silver here*” was brightly stamped on his forehead. He wanted to say more to ease the atmosphere, but it didn’t work as he’d hoped. Glancing at the two through the rearview mirror, he didn’t dare make another sound. Seeing the green light ahead, he floored the gas pedal and zoomed to their destination.
*It’s an idiom derived from a folk story that refers to trying to cover up a fact but instead exposing the truth. You can read the folk story in my Kinky Thoughts.
After letting the two leaders off the car, he heaved a sigh of relief, feeling like he’d escaped a near-death experience.
However, Dong Zhi didn’t overthink it. He and Long Shen returned to their dormitory, and he began packing.
“Master, shall we find a place nearby to eat first or eat at the airport later?”
Long Shen responded with a grunt, ending the conversation.
Dong Zhi took the white cat that had jumped into his backpack out and put his laptop in. Looking up, he noticed Long Shen sitting by the bed, seemingly lost in thought while watching him pack.
“Master?”
Snapped out of his reverie, Long Shen replied, “What?”
Kneeling in front of him, Dong Zhi pressed a hand against Long Shen’s knee. Without hesitation, Long Shen reached out, placing his hand on Dong Zhi’s shoulder.
“Are you okay? Since we came back, you seem lost in thought. Are you still thinking about our sacrificed colleagues?”
Long Shen shook his head. “The departed are gone, but it’s not the end for them. Life is always in a cycle; every season just marks a new beginning. Ming Xian managed to preserve a sliver of Ding Lan’s soul. Upon our return, Boss Wu already had someone from the Yuanming Palace help him pass on.”
By saying so much, he meant that he wasn’t continuously immersed in the sadness of mourning the deceased.
Dong Zhi found it amusing that his master had started beating around the bush when speaking, but his face betrayed no emotion.
“What’s the reason for this?”
After a moment of contemplation, Long Shen said, “The last time Yu Buhui asked about our relationship, I told him.”
Dong Zhi nodded.
Long Shen continued, “Yu Buhui told He Yu, and He Yu told everyone else in Team 2.”
Dong Zhi: ……
“That’s why Kan Chaosheng knew!” Dong Zhi said with a mix of laughter and disbelief.
“It was my oversight. I shouldn’t have told Yu Buhui without your consent,” Long Shen admitted.
But at that time, when he returned from Japan burdened by the demonic qi and seeing the turmoil in Kunlun, uncertain about how much time he had left, he became selfish for once. He hoped Dong Zhi would be as far from danger as possible and also wanted to leave some memory of himself to those around Dong Zhi. In the times without him, he hoped others would occasionally remind Dong Zhi of his presence. This indescribable feeling grew stronger, and while he knew it might be an after-effect of the demonic qi, he let it fester without the intent to stop it.
“It’s okay, I just felt a bit embarrassed,” Dong Zhi said shyly.
“Embarrassed?” Long Shen frowned in confusion.
Dong Zhi nodded. “Yes, it was our personal matter after all. But now that it’s public, it doesn’t bother me. I’m just worried they might misunderstand you.”
Long Shen inquired, “Misunderstand what about me?”
Dong Zhi chuckled. “In my eyes, you’re the most responsible and dependable master in the world. But people can be judgmental. I don’t care for myself, but I fear your reputation might suffer. Those unaware of the full story might misjudge you.”
Hearing this, Long Shen’s mood instantly lifted.
“I never cared about such things,” he said, lifting Dong Zhi’s chin. “I just thought you did.”
Observing him closely, Dong Zhi realized that Long Shen’s eyes were stunningly beautiful. Even though he had always known that this man was so handsome that every movement drew attention, this was the first time Dong Zhi had meticulously studied Long Shen’s eyes.
Before, Long Shen had always been calm and composed, but now he was more emotional. The two of them also had more temper flare-ups when together, and sometimes Long Shen even retreated as a way to test him.
Taking advantage of the situation, Dong Zhi reached up to Long Shen’s neck, pulling him slightly down, and the two exchanged a lingering kiss.
“Master, even though I prefer your initiative now, we still need to find a way to get rid of the residual demonic qi quickly.”
Compared to Dong Zhi’s slightly out-of-breath tone, Long Shen’s voice was much steadier. It was as if the passionate, nearly ten-minute-long kiss, where they were entwined almost as if they were one, hadn’t affected him. Dong Zhi could clearly sense that Long Shen now enjoyed this feeling greatly. But he was unsure if this was Long Shen’s true desire or influenced by the demonic qi.
Long Shen raised his hand to wipe away the silver thread at the corner of his mouth, calmly saying, “There’s no need to seek special solutions. I can slowly dispel the demonic qi through daily meditation.”
Dong Zhi: “Once the demonic qi is completely dispelled, will your temperament revert to how it was before?”
After pondering for a moment, Long Shen responded, “Actually, I think the way I am now is quite good. Some emotions I previously couldn’t experience, and some things I may not have wanted to do, are now just magnified desires.”
Intrigued, Dong Zhi asked, “Like what?”
Touching Dong Zhi’s waist, Long Shen teasingly said, “Making love?”
Dong Zhi hadn’t expected the conversation to take this turn, with his fair face turning bright red in a matter of seconds.
Seeing this, Long Shen chuckled. “Didn’t you already think I had a good physique and wanted to sleep with me?”
Flustered, Dong Zhi stammered, “I-I never told the Yulu about that!”
Long Shen explained, “Before you and He Yu went to Yangcheng, I took a strand of hair from you to use as a medium so I could communicate with you telepathically. You remember, right?”
Of course, Dong Zhi remembered. At that time, he hadn’t become an apprentice yet. Rather than saying he liked Long Shen, it would be more accurate to say he admired and worshiped the strong.
Long Shen elaborated, “Back then, I used telepathy to guide you in finding a way out. All the noisy thoughts in your head reached my ears.”
Dong Zhi muttered, “…I’ve forgotten what I was thinking at that time.”
Long Shen’s memory wasn’t just good; it was astoundingly sharp. He recounted, “You worried about escaping one moment, then compared the physique of the pursuing demon to mine the next, thinking that girls your age would like someone like me and even desire to sleep with me. Somehow, this led you to think of yourself—”
“Alright, alright, stop!” Dong Zhi was beet-red, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.
Knowing the playful nature of his thoughts, especially during times of danger, Dong Zhi tried to explain, “When I’m nervous, I have wild thoughts to lighten the mood and make myself laugh to reduce the tension.”
Realizing he couldn’t get away from Long Shen’s teasing gaze, Dong Zhi finally gave in, scratching his head in exasperation. “Okay, I admit I sometimes think outside the box, daydream a lot, and imagine various scenarios. When you suddenly pinned me against the wall back then, I thought you had ulterior motives. But I also knew it wasn’t possible. It was just a way to amuse myself. Please don’t misunderstand; my intention to become your apprentice is sincere and has nothing to do with those messy thoughts.”
He remembered how Long Shen had been upset about his confession and didn’t want any more misunderstandings.
“I really thought of you as a male god back then, without any disrespectful intentions.”
“Now I’m not a male god?”
Long Shen couldn’t help but laugh. He had long realized that while Dong Zhi might have a wild imagination, he was incredibly genuine, which made him even more endearing.
“Now you’re the most beloved male god, one I can be irreverent with!”
Seeing him laugh, Dong Zhi realized that Long Shen was intentionally teasing him. He couldn’t help but laugh too, lunging forward to give Long Shen a fervent kiss.
“To be honest, Master, knowing you heard all my messy thoughts back then, didn’t you feel like I had ulterior motives?”
Long Shen shook his head. “People tend to have chaotic thoughts when they are anxious. Like you said, imagining the most improbable scenarios to ease tension. At that time, you were just an ordinary person. Given the circumstances, you stayed rather calm. I didn’t take those thoughts seriously.”
Dong Zhi: “What about later—”
Long Shen seemed to know what he wanted to ask. “I can distinguish between jest and sincerity. The words you told the Yulu later on, I knew you were serious. That’s why I got angry.”
Thinking about those days of initial anxiety followed by despair and finally acceptance, Dong Zhi almost felt a familiar sense of desolation.
“But I gradually understood my own feelings and realized that having someone genuinely, unreservedly loving you is such a joyous and precious thing. If it weren’t for you getting cursed and being in imminent danger, I might never have realized this.” Long Shen’s tone was somewhat self-mocking. “People often cherish things only after they lose them. For the first time, I realized I wasn’t exempt from this rule through you.”
“Master.”
“Mm?”
“Even though you’re analyzing your emotions, why do I feel like I’m ecstatically floating towards the sky?”
“Well, with me pulling you back, you can’t really soar,” Long Shen responded seriously with a joke, stretching out his hand to pull Dong Shi into a stoop.
“Hiss!” Dong Zhi sharply inhaled. “We’re running out of time; we should head to the airport first and then eat!”
Long Shen’s gaze settled on Dong Zhi’s collarbone, which was exposed due to his bent posture, and he absent-mindedly said, “How about some white jade tofu*?”
*Clarity: Tofu is sometimes used to describe someone’s skin, so in this context, he’s actually saying, “How about I eat you” flirtatiously.
“What?”
Sighing, Long Shen pulled him closer. “I meant, we can reschedule our flight.”
……
On the other side, when Kan Chaosheng was unexpectedly hung up on by Dong Zhi, he grumbled, “What’s his problem? I wasn’t even done speaking!”
Just as he was about to redial, he saw Deng Po give him a flabbergasted expression.
Kinky Thoughts:
Once upon a time, there was a man named Zhang San who worked hard every day and managed to save three hundred taels of silver. He was very happy but, at the same time, worried, always afraid that someone would steal his money. After thinking about it, Zhang San found a big box, put the three hundred taels in the box, then dug a hole in an open space behind the house and buried the box deeply in the ground.
After doing this, Zhang San felt relieved and was about to go back to rest, but before leaving, he took a look at the place where the box was buried and became worried again, fearing that someone would accidentally dig it out. So he slapped his head and came up with a “good solution”. He quickly took out a piece of paper and wrote on it: “There’s no three hundred taels of silver here.” After writing it, he pasted the note on the corner of the wall and then left with peace of mind.
Zhang San’s abnormal behavior was seen by his neighbor, Wang Er. Wang Er felt curious, so he sneaked behind Zhang San’s house while he was asleep and saw the note by moonlight. Wang Er instantly understood at once, so he dug up the box and stole the silver. Seeing the money, Wang Er was very excited, but he was also afraid of being discovered by Zhang San, so he hurriedly filled the hole again. After thinking about it, he also took a piece of paper and wrote on it: “Your neighbor Wang Er never stole it.”, and pasted it on the corner of the wall where the previous note was.
The next morning, after Zhang San got up, he went to the back of the house to look at his silver and suddenly found that it was gone. After seeing the note pasted by Wang Er, he immediately understood: Wang Er had stolen his money!
From the door’s crack in a compartment, a middle-aged woman was seen holding a struggling child who seemed to be trying to wake up. However, a man next to her gave the child something to drink, and in a blink, the child fell back into a deep sleep.
Kan Chaosheng narrowed his eyes.
The people inside were very alert. Almost the moment Kan Chaosheng stopped to look, another man noticed his silhouette outside the door and swiftly approached to open it. Kan Chaosheng didn’t plan on running; he stood his ground, looked up, and gave a smile that he thought was foolishly naive but which others might interpret as innocent and pure. “Hello, Uncle.”
Glancing around and seeing only a child, the man’s guard dropped significantly.
He said absent-mindedly, “Go find your parents; this isn’t a place for kids!”
Kan Chaosheng pointed to the sleeping boy inside. “That little brother is so cute. Can I play with him?”
The man, now annoyed, warned, “Whose annoying kid is this? If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police!”
Kan Chaosheng, on the verge of tears, pleaded, “But my parents didn’t come with me. Please don’t let the police take me away!”
The man hesitated, and his stern expression softened immediately, becoming more cordial.
“Little friend, you say your parents didn’t come with you? Who brought you on the train?”
Kan Chaosheng shook his head. “I came by myself, going to my grandparents’. My parents got divorced.”
The man’s heart leapt with opportunity, suppressing his excitement. “Then, would you like to come in and play with the little brother?”
Kan Chaosheng feigned hesitation. “Isn’t he sleeping?”
The man reached out, trying to coax him. “When he wakes up, he can play with you. I have delicious candy here.”
Kan Chaosheng did indeed come in with great enthusiasm. The man took out a large bag of candies from his bag and gave it to him, and he also lent him a phone to play with.
“Little friend, where are you from?” the man asked.
Kan Chaosheng mentioned a place name, which was a suburb next to the capital city.
The man confirmed again, “Did you really come here by train alone? How could your parents be at ease?”
With candy stuffed in his mouth, his cheeks puffing with each chew, Kan Chaosheng frowned and said, “My parents are divorced. They have to work and don’t have time to accompany me, so they let me go by myself.”
The woman holding the child also asked, “Wasn’t there someone with you on the way?”
Kan Chaosheng rolled his eyes. “I’m a grownup; I don’t need someone with me!”
The man laughed. “Yes, yes, you’re a grownup!”
He turned to his companion and said, “I think he’s a runaway.”
To prevent the child from understanding, their conversation was conducted entirely in a tricky and hard-to-understand dialect.
However, Kan Chaosheng didn’t need to listen; he could guess what they were probably saying.
The woman said, “Maybe we should forget it. What we have now is enough. Any more and we might overextend ourselves.”
“Women are always so timid!” Another accomplice sneered disdainfully. “One more means more money. Look at his fair and delicate face; he’s definitely well-raised. Most likely, he sneaked out without his parents knowing. Kids like him are top-notch merchandise; once kidnapped, they’re hard to find!”
The third accomplice appeared uneasy. “But when he got on, someone must’ve seen him. What if the passengers in the same car notice he’s missing and call the police?”
Another accomplice thoughtfully said, “So, we should wait for about half an hour. If no one comes looking for him by then, we’ll get off at the next stop. At that time, we’ll hand this kid to Lao Lei. If anyone asks, we’ll say he got sick, the hospital in Beijing couldn’t treat him, so we’re taking him back to his hometown.”
There was continuous rustling from the other end. The man who had opened the door for Kan Chaosheng turned around and was dumbstruck.
“How the hell can you eat so much?!”
He snatched the bag from Kan Chaosheng’s hands, then picked up the snack wrappers from the bunk, pinching a few to confirm that all the snacks inside had been eaten.
“Damn, it’s all gone! Are you the fucking reincarnation of a starved ghost? How can you eat so much from such a big bag?”
Kan Chaosheng looked aggrieved. “Uncle, if you scold me, I won’t play with the little brother. I’m leaving!”
Saying so, he tried to jump off the bed.
The man hurriedly stopped him. “No, no, no, I was just joking with you. There’s still food!”
He then motioned to his companions. “Quick, whatever snacks you have on you, take them out!”
The man quickly handed another bag of snacks to Kan Chaosheng. “Here, eat these for now. Uncle will go buy you a drink, okay?”
“Okay!” Kan Chaosheng happily started opening the snacks without lifting his head. “I’ve already bought a Coke. Get me two bottles of Sprite!”
“Alright, alright!” The man gave a signal to one of his companions, who immediately got up and left.
The man stared at the empty snack wrappers in disbelief. “How did he eat so quickly? Did any of you see him eating? Is he some sort of eating machine?”
One of the accomplices teased him, “He was sitting right behind you eating, and you didn’t even notice! How would we know?”
The man turned his head to see Kan Chaosheng eating and his greasy fingers typing on his phone simultaneously. Despite his nonchalant demeanor, he was eating at an astonishing speed. In no time, he finished a chicken wing and picked up another.
Looking at the greasy fingerprints covering the phone, the man resisted the urge to lash out at Kan Chaosheng.
“This damned kid. Before selling him off, I really want to beat him up,” he muttered furiously in his dialect.
The accomplice returned with drinks. Meeting the man’s inquisitive gaze, he silently nodded and handed over the drinks.
“Kid, you must be thirsty. Have a drink. Uncle went out especially to buy it for you!”
Kan Chaosheng took it and gulped down a big sip.
The only woman among the traffickers tried to make conversation. “Little friend, what’s your name?”
Kan Chaosheng glanced at her, curled his lip, and arrogantly replied, “My parents told me not to tell my name to ugly women!”
The middle-aged woman, holding back her anger, gave a fake smile. “Didn’t your parents teach you to be polite when speaking to adults?”
Kan Chaosheng giggled. “Why should I be polite to someone as ugly as you?”
He finished the last chicken bone and tossed it onto the bed.
“I’m done eating. Is there more?”
The man: …
“None left!” He replied irritatedly, staring at Kan Chaosheng. Seeing the boy still full of energy, he suspiciously asked his companion. “Was the drink ‘fresh’?”
The accomplice replied with discontent, “Of course it was ‘fresh’. I even added a bit extra!”
The man was puzzled. “Then why didn’t he faint?”
Kan Chaosheng wiped his mouth nonchalantly. “My elder told me never to ask others for snacks, but if they offer, it’s fine. You guys won’t snitch, right?”
The man, seeing the boy hadn’t fainted, snapped impatiently, “What are you babbling about? Here, drink this Sprite as well!”
Kan Chaosheng grinned, showing an innocent smile. “Since you don’t have any more food, I guess it’s my turn.”
……
Deng Po waited for a long time without seeing Kan Chaosheng return with the cola. Feeling uneasy and regretting letting the boy go alone, he followed the directions to the dining car. From the staff, he learned that Kan Chaosheng had returned. Deng Po hurriedly searched each compartment, ready to call the police. But then he saw a compartment door open, and Kan Chaosheng’s head peeked out, waving at him.
“What are you doing?” Deng Po rushed over and peeked inside, his jaw dropping.
Inside the compartment, there were five people: three men, one woman, and one unconscious child.
One man clung to the bedpost, screaming in terror, “Stay away, or I’ll call the police!”
Another sat on the small table by the bed, laughing maniacally and pretending to gather something. “Gold, so much gold! I’m rich!”
The other two burly men were strangling each other. One spat out angrily, “You traitor, daring to cheat behind my back!” while the other sobbed, “I didn’t! I didn’t kill anyone.”
Deng Po: …What just happened here?
He slowly looked at Kan Chaosheng. “Is this a group of mentally ill patients on their way to a mental hospital?”
Kan Chaosheng rolled his eyes. “What are you thinking? These are human traffickers, and that kid was kidnapped by them!”
Deng Po was shocked. “What?! And you…?”
Kan Chaosheng shrugged. “Thankfully, I’m clever and skillful. Otherwise, they would’ve succeeded. The boy seems to be another one of their victims.”
Deng Po struggled to reconcile the bizarre behavior of the people with the idea of them being traffickers. As he was still processing, Kan Chaosheng frowned. “Why are you standing there in a daze? Quickly call the police!”
Deng Po didn’t think much about it and turned to look for the train police. Halfway there, he realized a problem: How did Kan Chaosheng, having just fallen into the hands of those people, manage to do this to them?
He dared not think about it deeply. A shiver ran down Deng Po’s spine, with a vague realization that perhaps the kid wasn’t as simple as he seemed on the surface.
……
When Dong Zhi received a call from Kan Chaosheng, he was on his way back from a commendation ceremony.
This commendation ceremony was also a memorial service.
The battle began and ended with the stone tablet. Che Bai, Zong Ling, Ding Lan, and others had sacrificed their precious lives. Long Shen, Dong Zhi, Yu Buhui, Liu Si, and others almost didn’t make it back from the abyss. Wu Bingtian, Tang Jing, and their peers were seriously injured, and they paid a heavy price for a pyrrhic victory.
Although the abyssal channel had been sealed and almost all of Otowa Yasuhiko’s side had been wiped out, with only insignificant figures left who couldn’t cause any more trouble, it was still a profoundly painful experience for the Special Administration Bureau.
Everyone, dressed in black Chinese tunic suits, stood in the cemetery. The summary of the battle and the eulogy for the deceased by Song Zhicun echoed in their ears. The heavens seemed moved, sending a light drizzle as if mourning the heroes.
Under such circumstances, even when Dong Zhi was informed that he had been awarded a second-class individual merit and promoted to assistant director of the Yangcheng branch, he couldn’t feel any happier.
Only when he sat side by side with Long Shen on the way back and received a call from Kan Chaosheng did he begin to shake off the sadness, replaced by a mix of laughter and tears.
“You’re saying you used an illusion technique to turn those four traffickers into lunatics?” Dong Zhi asked.
“I had to do something! By the time the police arrived, everything would’ve been over! They’re perfectly fine now; they’re just pretending to be mad to avoid police interrogation. Anyway, I’ve handed them over to the police, so it’s out of my hands now!” Kan Chaosheng ranted.
Dong Zhi smirked. “Since the situation is resolved, you wouldn’t specifically call unless something else happened, right?”
As expected, there was a pause on the other end. Kan Chaosheng hesitated for a moment. “It’s not a big deal! I just plan to take on a disciple and was wondering if you guys are free to come and witness the ceremony?”
Dong Zhi: …
Without needing to relay the message, Kan Chaosheng’s voice was loud enough for Long Shen to hear.
Long Shen couldn’t help but rub his temples. “We really shouldn’t have let him go out alone.”
He thought that after all this time at the Special Administration Bureau, Kan Chaosheng deserved a chance to go out on his own. Little did he expect that he would find himself a disciple while delivering an octopus.
Long Shen took the phone from Dong Zhi. “You’re not ready to have a disciple yet.”
Upon hearing Long Shen’s voice, Kan Chaosheng’s tone softened. “Boss, his name is Deng Po. I met him on the way. He seems to have a good nature. Without knowing who I am, he still took care of me when he knew I was traveling alone.”
Long Shen calmly replied, “Choosing a disciple is not only about their nature but also their potential. And being a master is not just about the master’s abilities. Besides magic, what else do you think you can teach him?”
Kan Chaosheng: “Eat… eat faster than others?”
Long Shen was silent. Dong Zhi tried to hold back his laughter. Long Shen glanced at him and saw him leaning in to listen, stretching his neck like a giraffe, so he just turned on the speakerphone.
Kan Chaosheng’s dejected voice came through. “Alright, I understand.”
Still, he wanted to try one more time. “But I really want to take on a disciple. Ever since you guys left the capital, I’ve been so bored. Zhong Yuyi is so slow to respond. Sometimes it takes him forever to reply.”
Long Shen patiently explained, “A disciple is not a playmate to keep you entertained. You have to be responsible for their future.”
Kan Chaosheng: “I can do it! Like you do with Dong Zhi, isn’t it just sleeping in the same bed? I can do that too!”
Dong Zhi: ……
Without a word, Dong Zhi hung up the phone.
But it was already too late.
The driver was from the Special Administration Bureau and wasn’t a practitioner but a logistical staff member. He was relatively familiar with the affairs within the bureau. This commendation ceremony was an official outing. Originally, Long Shen and Wu Bingtian were in the same car, but on the way back, Wu Bingtian and Song Zhicun had matters to discuss. Meanwhile, Dong Zhi had to go back directly to pack up to catch a flight to Yangcheng early the next morning. Long Shen accompanied him, so they shared a car. Although Long Shen’s resignation wasn’t approved, the higher-ups allowed him to take an indefinite sick leave, only requiring him to report in urgent situations when needed.
The reason Long Shen wanted to resign was partly that he felt a bit exhausted and wanted to spend more time with his apprentice. On the other hand, it was due to the lingering demonic qi. He didn’t want to have any accidents while in the position of deputy director, which would cause even more trouble. But now that he was allowed to take sick leave, he didn’t insist on leaving. Unlike Tang Jing, who loved freedom, the word “responsibility” was deeply ingrained in him. The Special Administration Bureau, and the people within it had long become a part of his life, and he was reluctant to leave casually.
During Kan Chaosheng’s rant, the car happened to stop at a red light at a crossroads ahead. The driver took a sip from his water bottle, and, caught off guard by the overheard conversation, he spit the water directly onto the windshield.
He coughed a few times and sneaked a glance at the two of them through the rearview mirror. Trying to cover up his embarrassment, he coughed a few more times and loudly mumbled to himself, “Ah, the weather is so conducive to catching a cold. I’ve been having a runny nose lately and even ringing in my ears. I can’t hear anything; what should I do about this?”
A deathly silence pervaded the car’s interior.
Kinky Thoughts:
That’s treading dangerous waters there Kan Chaosheng. In your case, your new disciple might go directly to jail.
Under Kan Chaosheng’s persistent entreaties, he was finally allowed to set out with 300 yuan and a backpack.
He once managed to spend an entire month’s salary in a day, so 300 yuan might not even be enough to fill the gaps between his teeth. Although he wouldn’t die from not eating for half a month, as a creature living in China’s capital and being surrounded by a plethora of cuisines daily, he had developed an insatiable appetite, regardless of whether he was actually hungry or not.
However, under Long Shen’s imposing authority, Kan Chaosheng didn’t dare to protest and could only try to cram as much as possible into his backpack—after all, he could carry it!
Kan Chaosheng brought the octopus to the train station to get tickets and board. After shrinking, the octopus stayed in his pocket. Kan Chaosheng used a blinding spell, so the security personnel neither stopped the octopus nor raised any concerns about him, a child traveling alone.
The octopus peeked its head out of the pocket, looking at the plane overhead, a small black dot in the sky, and said enviously, “Big brother, why can’t we fly? I came from America by plane, and it was really quick!”
Kan Chaosheng responded impatiently, “Taking you to find a master is a personal matter. I’ve spent all my salary; where would I get money for a plane ticket? The train ticket was paid for by the boss. You should be grateful that he, that tightwad1, even paid. Stop complaining!”
The octopus asked curiously, “So, the boss is actually a rooster made of metal1?”
1Clarity: The term Kan Chaosheng is using is an iron cock (铁公鸡) which refers to a stingy person. The octopus, not knowing Chinese well, thinks Long Shen’s true form is a rooster and thus replied like so.
Kan Chaosheng replied, “…No, I was just saying he’s stingy. Your Chinese still needs work, Xiao Zhang!”
Octopus protested, “My name is Meika!”
Kan Chaosheng responded, “Exactly, and since you’re an octopus, shouldn’t your surname be Zhang*? In China, everyone has a surname. It’ll be convenient for you once you transform.”
*[Zhang] (章) means octopus.
Octopus queried, “Can’t I have the surname Mei?”
Kan Chaosheng arrogantly retorted, “Zhang sounds better. You can be Zhang Meika, or you can take my surname: Kan Meika or Kan Zhang! Haha, Kan Zhang sounds fun! When someone asks your name, you can say ‘Kan, Zhang!’*”
*Clarity: The joke here is [Kan] (看) means look. So if Meika takes on Kan Zhang, his name would literally mean look, (an) octopus.
At this point, he couldn’t contain his amusement and kept laughing.
Octopus: …
Unable to understand his big brother’s sense of humor, it finally compromised, saying, “Fine, my Chinese name will have the surname Zhang.”
In its original form, Meika was as large as a small island. In terms of size and power, it wouldn’t be inferior to Kan Chaosheng. But after arriving in China, while Dong Zhi and others rushed to Kunlun Mountain, the octopus spent time with Kan Chaosheng and naturally grew close. Kan Chaosheng treated it like a younger brother. Perhaps due to both being aquatic creatures, the octopus was content following him.
As for playing games, Kan Chaosheng led the octopus astray. Using its eight tentacles to play games was unimaginable for others. Dong Zhi initially wanted Kan Chaosheng to teach the octopus basic cultivation techniques, but without supervision, Kan Chaosheng altered the lessons, turning out an octopus that only knew leisure and games.
Upon Dong Zhi’s return and inquiry, Kan Chaosheng felt a bit guilty. So when asked to take the octopus to the Wuzhiqi, he didn’t hesitate and quickly departed.
“Also, don’t keep popping out. The train is crowded, and I can’t use the blinding spell on everyone. If someone sees you, it will cause trouble!”
Kan Chaosheng pushed the octopus’s head back and sternly warned, “Do you want to be turned into grilled octopus?”
Terrified, the octopus quickly retreated. After a while, its muffled voice said, “I can get big; I’m not scared of them.”
Kan Chaosheng snorted, “You underestimate Chinese people. As long as it’s edible, the bigger, the better. Can you eat human flesh in return?”
Octopus: “…I like to eat fish.”
Kan Chaosheng replied, “See? You don’t want to eat them, but they want to eat you. With over a billion people, can you swallow them all in one bite? But with me around, you’ll be fine as long as you stay in my pocket. Once I’m on the train, I’ll get you a phone to play games.”
The octopus’s phone was confiscated in the capital and couldn’t be retrieved until their return. Hearing this, it brightened up. “Thank you, big brother!”
Seeing that he frightened the octopus, Kan Chaosheng further established his authority as the boss, feeling quite satisfied.
After passing security, Kan Chaosheng headed straight for the train. Long Shen had booked him a soft sleeper berth, which had fewer people and thus fewer problems. Of course, he wasn’t worried about Kan Chaosheng’s safety. Those who would be truly concerned would be those who got in the way of Kan Chaosheng. If Kan Chaosheng caused more trouble, it would eventually be Long Shen who had to deal with it, so the fewer problems, the better.
Inside the soft sleeper compartment, there were four beds—two on each side, one above the other. Kan Chaosheng’s reservation was for the upper left one. Below him was a young man who had arrived earlier. The two beds on the right were still vacant.
The young man, seeing a child with a backpack enter without any parent, found it odd and asked, “Where are your parents, kid?”
Kan Chaosheng casually replied, “They’ve been long dead.”
Young man: ……
Kan Chaosheng then realized he forgot to use his “blinding technique” and hastily added, “They divorced when I was very young. I consider them as good as dead.”
The young man sighed, sympathizing with the mature kid. “So, you’re traveling alone? No adults with you?”
Growing impatient, Kan Chaosheng said, “No, I’m returning to my grandparents’ house in the countryside. Uncle, I’m tired and need to rest. My teacher told me not to talk too much with strangers.”
The young man felt embarrassed, thinking about how precocious kids are these days.
At that moment, a family of three entered the compartment. They booked the two beds on the right. Their child, around five or six years old, was quite noisy—wanting to play a game one moment and eat an apple the next. However, after a few bites of the apple, he complained it wasn’t sweet, then demanded chips. Upon hearing an ice cream vendor outside, the kid clamored for ice cream. His mother tried to appease him gently, but when he didn’t get his way, he began crying loudly. His father tried to silence him with a slap, but it only made the child cry even louder. Realizing they couldn’t be too harsh, the parents continued to coax him, only making the child even more demanding.
For the passengers nearby, this situation was extremely annoying. Those with short tempers could start arguing on the spot. The young man looked at the mischievous child and the parents, barely restraining himself from cursing out loud, when suddenly a loud shout from above said, “Shut up!”
Kan Chaosheng poked his head out from the upper bunk, ominously warning, “Cry again, and I’ll conjure a snake to bite you!”
To others, it looked like a cute kid trying to act tough. If the young man had said that, the parents might have argued, but coming from Kan Chaosheng, it just made things awkward. The child’s mother even tried to pacify her son, saying, “See, even the older boy is getting angry. Try being naughty now!”
However, in the child’s eyes, Kan Chaosheng’s face transformed into a giant snake’s head, with large, blood-red eyes and a long, hissing tongue. The sight was so terrifying that the child fainted.
The parents were shocked. The father whispered, “Our child is so timid!”
But since they treasured him so much, they quickly carried him to find the train conductor.
With their departure, the compartment quieted down. The young man, relieved, took out his phone to play a game.
But after a while, he felt something off. Looking up, he almost screamed. Kan Chaosheng’s head was peering down from the upper bunk, staring at him.
“Little friend, you scared me!” the young man said. He found Kan Chaosheng odd but still preferable to the earlier noisy child. “Want to come down?”
“I’m watching you play,” Kan Chaosheng said mysteriously.
The young man chuckled. “I forgot. Many kids play this game. Want to join?”
Kan Chaosheng looked pitiful. “I can’t on my phone.”
He showed his old Nokia 1280.
Laughing, the young man exclaimed, “Who still uses this kind of phone these days!”
Then, realizing Kan Chaosheng might come from a financially struggling background, he handed him his iPad, saying, “Here, play with this.”
Excited, Kan Chaosheng replied, “Thank you, brother. You’re a kind person!”
The young man smirked. “You just called me ‘uncle’. Now that there’s a game, I’m ‘brother’?”
Kan Chaosheng, engrossed in the game, said, “It’s your kindness that makes you seem younger.”
Young Man: ……
After some back and forth, the two quickly became acquainted. Kan Chaosheng learned that the young man’s name was Deng Po, a senior in college. With few classes left, Deng Po decided to travel solo, planning to visit Tianjin first before heading further south.
“Have you found a job yet?” Out of gratitude for the iPad, Kan Chaosheng shared a bag of snacks with Deng Po and engaged him in casual conversation. “It’s hard for graduates to find jobs these days. You shouldn’t get lost in fun. If you lack self-control, you can give me your phone to keep for a while. I can play games on dual modes and help you earn points.”
He didn’t forget that he still had a little octopus minion eagerly waiting on the upper bunk.
Deng Po couldn’t laugh or cry. “Why do you sound so mature for your age? I don’t need to find a job. I’m interning at my uncle’s company. Everything’s already set up for me. Many of my peers are all about partying, cars, and spending money. Compared to them, me taking a train trip is practically saintly.”
He wasn’t too guarded around a child like Kan Chaosheng.
Kan Chaosheng glanced at him and calmly remarked, “Oh, so you’re a rich second-generation.”
Deng Po found this even more amusing. Most children he had met were either like the mischievous child from before or were polite and obedient. None were like Kan Chaosheng.
“You’re playing games at such a young age, and you’re lecturing me about getting lost in fun?”
“I’m combining work with leisure! I’ll leave the iPad on the upper bunk on auto-play mode and go buy some drinks. What would you like? My treat.”
Without waiting, Kan Chaosheng jumped down from the top bunk, landing safely and effortlessly, startling Deng Po.
“Hey, be careful! Never mind, I’ll go. What do you want to drink?”
Kan Chaosheng responded impatiently, “I said I’m going. Are you having a drink or not?”
Deng Po hesitated. “…Alright, get me a bottle of Coke.”
Kan Chaosheng waved and quickly disappeared beyond the door.
Scratching his chin, Deng Po mumbled to himself, “I’ve never seen such a fierce kid before.”
He himself had a temper, but for some reason, he just couldn’t get mad at Kan Chaosheng. On the upper bunk, two tentacles emerged from a backpack, skillfully playing the game.
Soon, Kan Chaosheng returned with the Coke.
As he passed by other compartments, most had their doors open, while some left just a small gap. He wasn’t interested in the rooms with open doors, but those with a gap caught his attention. A quick glance into one of them made him notice something unusual.
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!”
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.
The abyssal passage was finally sealed, and everyone heaved a sigh of relief.
If everything went as planned, the key point of the formation would be thoroughly closed. Additional sealing techniques could be applied later on, followed by burying and strengthening to ensure complete security.
However, He Yu, Li Han’er, and others had red eyes; no one felt like celebrating.
Li Han’er couldn’t help but whisper, “If… if Dong Zhi and the others are still alive, can they come back?”
Song Zhicun paused for a moment, then replied, “Theoretically speaking, the main formation point is connected to the other positions of the array.”
This meant that there were other paths between the abyssal hell and the human world, not just the main point in Kunlun Mountain. The mountain’s main formation point stabilized the entire magic formation. However, this was purely theoretical. No human had ever returned safely from the abyssal hell.
Li Han’er looked up.
Though the main point was sealed, the gray mist lingering inside and outside the gorge didn’t dissipate. It continued to hover in the sky, even covering the sunlight, casting a persistent shadow over the entire canyon. It felt like a weight on Li Han’er’s heart.
“What’s going on?” Liu Qingbo’s furrowed brow was so tense that it seemed like it could be tied in a knot. Nobody in the group was in a good mood.
Even though Liu Qingbo often found Dong Zhi annoying and griped about him privately, those who knew him understood his stubborn nature. He treated those he liked even worse, making harsher comments.
In the past, when Liu Qingbo was still a young boy, his temperament was even worse. On a whim, he attacked a spirit creature that he had been cultivating for several centuries. As a result, he almost lost his life. Fortunately, Long Shen happened to pass by at that moment and saved him. As time had passed, he now naturally realized that such malicious practices were extremely reprehensible, not only unacceptable in the cultivation world but, had he truly lost his life then, he would have deserved it.
Apart from the mistakes made in his youthful recklessness, Liu Qingbo never regretted any of his actions, including joining the Special Administration Bureau, wanting to take Long Shen as his master, becoming acquainted with Dong Zhi through conflicts, risking his life with comrades, and emerging victorious from the World Exchange Conference. He believed his life should be lived with such intensity and grandeur. Thus, for the second time in his life, he felt regret—regretting that he was a moment too late and didn’t make the split-second decision to jump down with Dong Zhi. Even if it meant death, he preferred a glorious end over the passive torment of waiting and passively accepting fate now. Such passivity wasn’t in line with his usual character.
“Good people are under heaven’s protection. The boss will be fine,” Yang Shouyi whispered.
Liu Qingbo snorted. “If he doesn’t come back, I’ll dig up his ancestors’ graves!”
Yang Shouyi was puzzled. “Do you even know where his ancestral grave is?”
He also wanted to add, “Did you go grave visiting with him?” but stopped himself upon receiving Liu Qingbo’s deadly glare.
……
Compared to Dong Zhi’s immersion in the demonic illusion of another life, Yu Buhui and Liu Si’s current situation wasn’t pleasant.
Dark clouds filled the sky, and the fierce wind stirred terrifying waves, enough to darken the world. Yu Buhui and Liu Si, on a small battered boat, struggled amidst these monstrous waves, almost capsizing several times.
Their hair and clothes were plastered to them, looking miserable and panting heavily.
Yu Buhui yelled, “What did you think of to suddenly have a tsunami?”
In the roaring wind, if they didn’t shout, they wouldn’t be heard.
Liu Si, equally exasperated, replied, “I just felt the fires were too hot. I thought it’d be nice if a big wave would come and put out the fire. I didn’t expect the wind and waves to become so relentless!”
The heart moved as it willed; a single thought could give birth to a myriad of visions. Malicious thoughts deep in the human psyche could manifest as dark qi, a gathering of all kinds of desires. Both Liu Si and Yu Buhui had their own likes and dislikes and emotions of love and hatred. It was impossible for them to have minds as still as water, devoid of any thoughts. But the moment a thought arose, all negative information would flood in, magnified countless times, drowning them within. It became difficult to discern if one’s physical body was still alive or if only their thoughts remained.
This was a terrifying situation. Perhaps the real abyss, the true hell, wasn’t filled with endless corpses as they had imagined or with ferocious demons. Instead, it was an unending state where everything you could imagine existed. Even if you yearned for beauty or fame and fortune, it could be granted here. But when one became deeply engrossed in such temptations and couldn’t pull away, their body could have already been consumed bit by bit by the dark qi. Eventually, even their consciousness would become part of this dark qi, disappearing entirely, with their soul scattered and lost.
A frog slowly boiled in tepid water wouldn’t realize the danger until it was too late, and by then it would be unable to escape and could only wait for its demise.
Otowa Yasuhiko’s illusionary power was undeniably strong. But the power Otowa inherited from the stone box wasn’t innate but acquired. If they were careful, they could have a chance to escape. Yet now, as Yu Buhui found himself in this abyss, he saw no glimmer of hope for escape.
Dark qi was omnipresent, always lurking and ready to pounce, as if there were eyes in the endless darkness watching and controlling everything, treating them as toys to play with, until they lost interest and decided to end it.
Yu Buhui held his forehead. “Why didn’t you think of a bigger boat? Can this small one withstand the storms?”
Liu Si, tired of his complaints, responded irritably, “Then you come up with something! Don’t rely solely on me!”
Not long after, the waves gradually subsided, returning to calm. Using a dilapidated wooden boat, they strenuously paddled from the middle of the sea to the shore. Exhausted, both lay on the ground, panting heavily for a while before regaining their strength.
“What were you thinking?” Liu Si asked.
Yu Buhui replied, “…I wasn’t thinking of anything specific. I just recited the Diamond Sutra*.”
*Mahāyāna (Buddhist) sutra from the genre of Prajñāpāramitā (‘perfection of wisdom’) sutras. Translated into a variety of languages over a broad geographic range, the Diamond Sutra is one of the most influential Mahayana sutras in East Asia, and it is particularly prominent within the Chan (or Zen) tradition, along with the Heart Sutra.
Liu Si pondered. “Given the dangers we’ve faced since entering this place without completely losing our consciousness, it’s possible that Boss Long and Dong Zhi are still alive. What if we both focused our energy on thinking of Dong Zhi or Boss Long? Could we quickly reunite with them?”
Yu Buhui shook his head. “How can you be sure that the Dong Zhi you see is the real Dong Zhi?”
If what they perceived now was merely an illusion born from dark qi, then the Dong Zhi that could appear might also be an illusion. Liu Si couldn’t refute this.
Yu Buhui continued, “When I was silently reciting the Diamond Sutra, I remembered a line from it.”
Liu Si thought for a moment, then asked, “Is it ‘All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, and a shadow, like dew and lightning. Thus, one should contemplate them’?”
Yu Buhui nodded. “Maybe by seeing through the nature of all things, we can find the weak point of this place.” He then scratched his chin and joked, “Who would’ve thought that after living a life of luxury outside, I’d come here and turn into a monk that believes in the impermanence of everything!”
Regaining some energy, Liu Si stood up, intending to scout the area. He noticed a small hill in front of them with a distinct peach tree blooming brilliantly. The falling petals illuminated his sight.
“What’s that?” Liu Si asked, but before he could turn around, he noticed Yu Buhui had already stood up, gazing at the peach tree, showing an indescribable expression, a mix of many emotions.
“I had a fleeting thought, and it immediately picked up on it and magnified it,” Yu Buhui said with a bitter smile. “Weren’t you surprised when I recognized your true form? It was a moment of joy.”
Liu Si inquired, “Is it related to this peach tree?”
Yu Buhui explained, “At that time, I hadn’t taken a physical form but had consciousness. The previous Sword Master buried me under that tree. I was on the brink of taking form, and I faced several tribulations from lightning. One of those times, the power of the heavenly lightning was immense. With my abilities then, I couldn’t withstand it. If I hadn’t endured, my consciousness would have scattered, and I wouldn’t know how many more years it would take to cultivate a sense of self again.”
Liu Si nodded in understanding. Being cultivated from a willow tree, he naturally understood what Yu Buhui was saying.
At that time, the peach tree was just a few hundred years old, beginning to have its own consciousness, barely stepping into the realm of spiritual beings. Buried beneath it was the Yuchang Sword, a masterpiece crafted by Ou Yezi. Forged from the tin of Chijin Mountain and the copper of Ruoye River, and tempered with rain and thunder, it might not have been as powerful as the Seven Stars Longyuan Sword, but it was still a rare and renowned blade in history, naturally granting it unique transformative potential.
Over time, the peach tree and the sword developed a deep bond. When the fifth tribulation approached and the Yuchang Sword had exhausted its ability to protect itself after the previous four, the peach tree, without hesitation, used its own trunk to shield the sword from this life-threatening trial.
Liu Si knew that for any monster that had cultivated into a sentient form, the thunder tribulation was an unavoidable and fatal disaster. Many couldn’t withstand it; the luckier ones reverted to their original forms and started their cultivation anew, while the more unfortunate ones were obliterated, never to exist again.
However, this was the inevitable will of the heavens. Because for a spirit to transform, it was already against the natural order. Therefore, their path of transformation was more challenging and tortuous than other creatures. Both Zong Ling and Long Shen went through the same process.
Only the strong could survive to the end.
At that time, the Yuchang sword, though invincible in the mortal realm, was still somewhat vulnerable in front of the heavenly thunder. To shield against the tribulation, the peach tree took the hit, with half of its body charred, losing most of its cultivation. It took many years for it to slowly recover.
“It should have transformed before me, but in the end, I did it before it did,” Yu Buhui said. “Yet, it comforted me, saying that this was a test from the heavens and asked me to travel on its behalf to the Wushan Mountain—a place it always wanted to visit but never got the chance to see its beautiful clouds and mist.”
Liu Si asked, “Did it eventually transform?”
Yu Buhui shook his head. “I left for ten years, and when I returned, it was gone. A war had turned the nearby village into ashes, and it too was consumed by the flames. Its centuries of cultivation went to waste because it couldn’t transform and escape. It burned for three days and nights, with only a bit of its roots left connected to the soil. With a pinch, they turned to dust.”
An ordinary human might not feel the weight of this story, but Liu Si, who transformed from a willow tree, knew the agony. To be conscious but trapped in fire, unable to move, was like being burned alive.
Yu Buhui walked towards the peach tree, but Liu Si grabbed him. “Even if you feel guilty, that’s just an illusion. It’s in the past! Remember what you just said—all conditioned things are like dreams, illusions!”
Yu Buhui turned to look at him with a strange expression. “It’s not an illusion. My story isn’t over. The peach tree died due to human-caused disasters. Holding onto its grudge, it turned into a demon, causing havoc everywhere. By the time I found it, it didn’t recognize me, filled with the intent to kill, even wanting to kill me. I had no choice but to end its life with my own hands.”
Liu Si was taken aback and his grip on Yu Buhui loosened.
With a wry smile, Yu Buhui said, “It protected me during my transformation, yet I repaid his kindness with betrayal. Maybe, as the sword master Xue Zhu said, I’m naturally rebellious and unyielding. Anyone associated with me meets a tragic end.”
Liu Si responded, “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known!” Even though they hadn’t known each other for long, Liu Si observed that Yu Buhui, being a sword, lacked the typical arrogance and coldness. He always chatted incessantly, not minding that Liu Si’s experience was lesser. But now, Liu Si was seeing a darker side to him.
Presumably, everyone has an indelible past. Even a tiny thought could provide an opening for demons to exploit.
Liu Si warned, “Remember, this place is full of demons. They can see the weaknesses deep within everyone.”
Yu Buhui closed his eyes, calming himself. “Whether it’s an inner demon or not, its death was indeed due to me. Since it has become a demon, it might be suffering in this hellish abyss. I’ve never met another transformed tree after that, so when I saw you, I naturally thought you might be its reincarnation.”
Liu Si replied, “I’m sorry, I’m not.”
Yu Bu Hui said, “I know, but I still owe it a life. No matter what, I have to go see.”
Liu Si sighed. “I’ll go with you.”
……
Yu Buhui thought he was sober, while Liu Si believed he was trapped by his inner demons. However, for those who believed they were clear-minded, in reality, they were just blinded by their involvement.
After Dong Zhi broke free from his illusory life, he was again engulfed by a pervasive demonic qi, along with enemies from his past.
Stealthy Yashka, Yamamoto Kiyoshi, the disciple of the sorcerer Songen, even the unborn demonic fetus in the belly of the actress Han Qi—enemies who once fell under his sword were revived by the demonic energy, coming at him from all directions, their faces twisted in rage, seeking revenge.
In the abyss of hell, these demons possessed powers many times stronger than those of the human world. Dong Zhi, wielding his Changshou Sword, paired it with the power of the Bu Tian Gang. His sword qi was fierce and surged like a violent storm, causing his enemies to scream and explode into nothingness.
However, specks of demonic qi quickly reignited, recongealing and soon merging into a giant figure that loomed over Dong Zhi. With a roaring dragon neck and sharp claws cutting through the dense demonic qi, it attacked him with unstoppable force.
It was the Bone Dragon of Changbai Mountain!
By now, Dong Zhi was unfazed by any manifestation in the abyss. Even if ten dragons suddenly appeared to attack him simultaneously, he wouldn’t be surprised.
But one battle after another, seemingly endless, finally made him weary. The power he had been silently accumulating was now ready to be unleashed. Holding a talisman in one hand and his sword in the other, he leaped into the air using the momentum from the dragon’s tail.
“The four great enlightenments, heaven and the earth are eternal, by the Jade Emperor’s orders, clear the three realms—”
He remembered Long Shen saying that in the three realms and six paths, where there was good, there was evil; where there was darkness, there was light. Even in the abyss of hell, far from the mundane world, righteous qi exists. What he needed to do was harness the power he had cultivated, the healing qi given to him by Che Bai, the half soul of Long Shen in his sword, and even the exorcism power passed down from the Hezao Sect. With these forces, he would invoke the Five Thunder Dharma and summon heavenly thunder.
“The mighty sword of the Divine King, slay evil and destroy its traces. The purple qi ascends to heaven, the landscape collides—”
Who said that once in the abyss, one could never return? He had already overcome numerous tribulations. From a regular person to where he was now, he had endured unimaginable hardships and fears, growing stronger each day. What drove him was Long Shen, his comrades, the predecessors of the Special Administration Bureau who sacrificed themselves, and the countless ordinary people who needed protection!
“Swallowing demons and ghosts, and drinks the wind—”
Where there was heart, inner demons would rise, but along with inner demons, there was also faith. Who says that within the demon realm, all righteousness is obliterated? Dong Zhi refused to believe. Even if he stood alone, he intended to strike at the heart of the issue and bring Long Shen back to the human world safely! Even if there was no righteous qi here before, from his arrival onward, there would be!
“With the sound of wind and thunder, startling ghosts and spirits for thousands of miles…”
The world had righteousness, naturally taking various forms. Below it formed rivers and mountains, above it formed stars and suns.
Amidst a deafening boom, a streak of light pierced the foggy horizon, startling all the demons in the realm. In an instant, the ground shook, and all the demons were alarmed!
The lightning, like a giant blade, shattered the Bone Dragon. The demonic qi scattered in fear, the monsters wailed in terror, and the thunder cleansed, turning the eternal night into daylight!
The dense fog was finally split open by the heavenly thunder, revealing a tall staircase.
And atop the stone steps stood Long Shen, with one eye half-closed and the other half-open, a familiar figure with an eerie gaze.
Dong Zhi was on a road that seemed to have no end.
Both sides were covered with a gray mist, lightly floating yet heavily pressing on his heart, making it hard to breathe.
No matter how fast or slow his steps were, the mist always followed him. At first, he thought it was demonic, but later realized it wasn’t. If he had to describe it, it was like an aura skirting the edges of demonic qi. Not quite demonic, yet filled with numbness and melancholy, much like human negative emotions. Less harmful than demonic qi, but it would subtly invade and permeate, gradually changing a person, making him lose his will to fight, becoming lost, and eventually succumbing here.
This reminded him of the time when he and He Yu went to Yangcheng to save Cheng Hui. They encountered the same gray mist and almost couldn’t get out—if it weren’t for Long Shen’s rescue.
Thinking of Long Shen, his breath caught slightly.
Once, he was just an ordinary person who feared demons and death, but now, trapped in an endless abyss, he felt no fear, for there were things more important than fear to attend to.
Even though his logic told him that Long Shen, corrupted by the demonic qi and sacrificing himself to seal it, might be in great danger, there was still a glimmer of hope in his heart. He hoped that things didn’t turn out for the worst and that Long Shen remained strong, able to suppress the demonic qi, waiting for his arrival.
In the gray mist, a faint light appeared in the distance.
His heart stirred, and he quickened his pace. Any sign of activity in such a place couldn’t be good, but movement meant there was a possibility of a breakthrough. But as he approached the light, he found it was not just one, but a string of lanterns held by people. Some wore shackles and were slowly marching.
The outfits of the officers and prisoners seemed odd, clearly from the early Republic of China era. Everyone looked numb, with lifeless eyes. They all looked at him when he “intruded”. Their dead eyes sent a chill down his spine.
Wasn’t this the same group he encountered when he mistakenly entered the enchantment of the Archfiend Xu Wan in Yangcheng?
Before the thought settled, the lantern bearer had already raised a whip to strike at him. However, he wasn’t the defenseless man from Yangcheng anymore. Without a second thought, his Changshou Sword emerged from its sheath, and with it, he lunged at the attacker. In a moment of shock and fear, his sword light shone down, reducing the group to nothingness, disappearing in a cry.
As the shadows were obliterated, the white light of the sword didn’t fade but intensified. The brightness hurt his eyes, making him involuntarily close them. When he opened them a second later, he found the white light came from a phone held by someone.
Seeing him shielding his eyes, the person hurriedly turned off the light and apologized. “Sorry, I accidentally turned on the flashlight. I’ll turn it off!”
Perhaps his startled stare made the person feel awkward, prompting another apology and a query. “Are you alright?”
He reached back reflexively and found nothing. No Changshou Sword; just the hard back of a seat.
On a late-night train, the outside world whizzed past. The familiar hum of the train and the subtle vibrations beneath him weren’t unfamiliar, but he shouldn’t be here.
“Had a nightmare?” the young man asked. “Want to join us for a card game?”
Dong Zhi pinched himself and felt pain. A deck of cards was spread out on the table, including in front of him. The boy across from him, shuffling the cards, looked a little embarrassed and tried to move the cards away, but he stopped him, causing a bit of a fright.
“…You guys keep playing; I need to go to the restroom,” Dong Zhi said. He then grabbed his backpack and walked out.
He casually found an empty seat and sat down, opened his backpack, and found his wallet, ID holder, clothes, and power bank.
The only thing missing was the rune.
A passenger walked past him towards the restroom at the end of the aisle.
Dong Zhi suddenly jumped up from his seat and grabbed the man.
The man turned his head and looked at him with a puzzled expression. The familiar face made Dong Zhi blurt out, “He Yu?!”
He Yu chuckled. “You know me?”
Dong Zhi stared at him for a moment. Before He Yu could think he was mentally ill, Dong Zhi finally said, “Hello, my name is Dong Zhi.”
He Yu replied, “…Why should I care about your name? Dude, are you okay? Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Do you need a stewardess?”
Dong Zhi lowered his voice. “Are you guys heading to Changchun on this trip? There’s a demon on this train. Be careful!”
He Yu, tall and sturdy, could easily deal with Dong Zhi, but surprisingly couldn’t break free. He looked at Dong Zhi with a skeptical eye, and his expression became sour. “I’ll call the police if you continue like this!”
The two locked eyes for a moment, then Dong Zhi let him go and slowly said, “Sorry, I just woke up and mistook you for my friend.”
“Whatever!” He Yu waved his hand generously and walked away without looking back.
Dong Zhi watched his retreating figure in a daze.
He began to wonder if he had fallen into an illusion where past events would repeatedly play out, trying to break down his defenses. But he also had an even scarier thought—
Encountering monsters on the train, seeing a bone dragon on Changbai Mountain, the hard work to join the Special Administration Bureau, meeting a group of likeminded individuals, being taught by Long Shen, and fighting demons. Could all of this just be a long dream he had on the train?
After waking up from the dream, the world was still the same ordinary world, without any fantastic tales. He Yu didn’t know magic, and Long Shen wasn’t the Long Yaun sword.
He unconsciously drew a symbol on the table.
The core of the sunlight talisman.
If all this was truly an illusion, could even the runes be figments of his imagination?
Dong Zhi slowly clenched his hand, suddenly stood up, and walked in the direction where He Yu had left.
After walking through a few carriages, he finally found He Yu.
With him were several others, one of whose faces made Dong Zhi’s heart skip a beat.
Perhaps it was the strange way Dong Zhi was standing, but the group quickly looked up.
He Yu: “You again?”
Under Long Shen’s gaze, Dong Zhi forced a smile. “Sorry, you look so much like a friend of mine. I… I miss him a lot, so I got a bit emotional.”
He had intended to act pitiful in any way to stay and slowly figure out the situation, but the moment he spoke, without any need to feign emotion, tears started flowing.
He Yu was taken aback and, seeing Dong Zhi’s innocent face and heartbroken expression, couldn’t bring himself to accuse him of lying, quickly saying, “Please don’t cry. Let’s talk calmly!”
“Let’s sit down and talk,” Long Shen finally said.
The voice was as familiar as when they first met on the train, making Dong Zhi’s tears flow even more.
He Yu clumsily handed him a tissue.
As Dong Zhi thanked him, he noticed Long Shen was also looking at him, with a calm expression that wasn’t hostile but indifferent. Feeling a shiver, Dong Zhi quickly looked away.
“You look a lot like an old friend of mine. We played together since we were kids, but he died. I miss him so much that seeing you reminds me of him. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but get emotional,” Dong Zhi quickly crafted an excuse.
He Yu skeptically asked, “Then how did you know my name?”
Dong Zhi pretended to be shocked. “My friend’s name was He Yu too! Is that your name as well?”
He Yu scratched his head. “This is so weird!”
Dong Zhi quickly apologized. “I didn’t mean to bring bad luck. It’s just a huge coincidence!”
“There are many coincidences in the world,” Long Shen said, “but meeting is destiny.”
Feeling embarrassed, Dong Zhi replied, “Thank you. My name is Dong Zhi. I just quit my job and am heading to Changchun for a trip. What about you?”
“Quit your job?” He Yu exclaimed in his typical surprised manner. “You look like a student!”
Long Shen replied, “We’re colleagues from the same company. We’re on vacation and heading to Changbai Mountain.”
Dong Zhi pointed at Kan Chaosheng, who was snacking and playing games, and laughed. “Is he your colleague too?”
A hint of a smile appeared on Long Shen’s face. “He’s my nephew.”
He gently patted Kan Chaosheng’s shoulder. “Say hello.”
While continuing his game, Kan Chaosheng gave a tiny nod. “Hello, brother!”
Dong Zhi glanced at Long Shen and coughed lightly. “You can call me uncle. What game are you playing?”
“The Great Wasteland!” Kan Chaosheng replied without looking up.
At that moment, Long Shen suddenly said, “I’m going to take a walk. Chaosheng, don’t run around. He Yu, can you watch him for me?”
He Yu, who was about to play a game, nodded upon hearing this. Seeing Long Shen stand up, he quickly went over to sit next to Kan Chaosheng.
Dong Zhi was pondering whether to stay or find an excuse to join Long Shen when Long Shen asked, “Coming with me?”
Dong Zhi quickly looked up, seeing Long Shen looking at him. Without much thought, Dong Zhi immediately agreed and followed behind Long Shen.
The two walked through a carriage. Long Shen passed the restroom without stopping. Dong Zhi wasn’t sure where he was headed and didn’t feel right asking. He just followed until they reached a deserted corridor with lights casting mottled shadows, making it secluded.
Suddenly, Long Shen grabbed Dong Zhi’s wrist, and before Dong Zhi could react, he was pinned against the carriage wall.
“You’re here for me, aren’t you?” The two were so close that their breaths mingled, and their noses nearly touched.
Dong Zhi gazed at the approaching Long Shen, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. He felt that the current Long Shen was very different from when they first met.
Back then, Long Shen seemed like a frosty, untouchable alpine flower. How could he now be showing such a mischievous smile?
“What if I say ‘yes’?”
“Then you’ll get what you want.”
Long Shen replied, making a dominant move. Dong Zhi exclaimed in surprise and quickly grabbed Long Shen’s shoulders to stop him.
“What are you doing?”
“You asked for it. Why act so innocent now?”
Long Shen chuckled and moved to kiss Dong Zhi, quickly entwining their tongues and leaving Dong Zhi speechless. Tears formed in Dong Zhi’s eyes as the intense encounter overwhelmed him. Still, a sliver of sanity allowed him to push Long Shen slightly away.
“Stop…”
“You’re all weak, but still talking tough?” Long Shen teased. Dong Zhi took deep breaths, seemingly struggling to differentiate dreams from reality.
“Who are you, really?”
Long Shen raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you still don’t know my name? Let me introduce myself. I’m Long Shen. The He Yu you met earlier? He’s my younger brother.”
“What do you mean, ‘younger brother’?” Dong Zhi opened his eyes wide. Isn’t he your subordinate?
Long Shen sneered. “He used to mix with me in my past ventures. Now, he’s assisting me in some small business. Is that clear? Why are you prying into my life? If it weren’t for your enticing appearance, I wouldn’t bother with you at all!”
With that, he made another intimate gesture. Dong Zhi grunted, grabbing Long Shen’s wrist and pulling in the opposite direction.
“You’ve got some skills,” Long Shen remarked, impressed. After a few exchanges of moves, Dong Zhi made a move that forced Long Shen to retreat a few steps. “Where did you learn that?”
Dong Zhi, staring at Long Shen’s playful smile, suddenly felt a surge of anger.
“You’re not Long Shen.”
Everything about him, from his face to his demeanor, was exactly like Long Shen’s, except his personality.
Confused, Long Shen chuckled. “If I’m not Long Shen, then who am I? My ID clearly states my name. Or have you mistaken me for someone else? An old lover, perhaps?”
Wrong.
It’s all wrong.
Dong Zhi’s mind was in turmoil.
Logically, he believed this to be an illusion created by demonic influences playing on one’s innermost desires. Yet another voice told him this was the real world. That there were no monsters or demons, that Long Shen’s identity and the current scene were simply reality.
“Long Shen…” Dong Zhi’s voice quivered, startling Long Shen. “Tell me, Kan Chaosheng isn’t really your nephew, is he? He’s actually a jiao that has cultivated for 500 years and just transformed into a human, right?”
Long Shen looked at him as if he were crazy. “So it wasn’t that you mistaken me for your lover. You just escaped from a mental hospital!”
“Such bad luck!” Long Shen dusted off the ash on his clothes. After all that commotion, his mood had deflated like a sponge. He had no interest in indulging the other’s madness any longer and turned to leave.
The other party didn’t chase after him. But after a few steps, Long Shen inexplicably stopped and looked back.
Dong Zhi stood there in a daze; his eyes reddened. Although there were no tears, he radiated a sense of despair.
“Hey, are you okay?” Long Shen couldn’t help but ask.
Dong Zhi didn’t respond.
Cursing under his breath, Long Shen left without looking back.
Returning to his seat, Long Shen found his mind still lingering on the previous scene, unable to focus.
He Yu, who was playing a game, took a moment to glance at him, puzzled. “Boss, are you alright?”
Hearing this, Long Shen became even more irritated and stood up to leave. He walked back to where he had been earlier, and surprisingly, Dong Zhi was still there, in the same posture.
Without saying another word, Long Shen grabbed Dong Zhi’s wrist and found a nearby seat.
“Wait for me here.”
He left after saying this. Before long, Long Shen placed a bottle of water and a box of food on the table.
“Eat.”
Tears welled up in Dong Zhi’s eyes, but he also wanted to laugh.
“Thank you.” He accepted the water and pushed the box of food back. “I’m not hungry. You eat.”
Long Shen frowned. “Laozi bought food for a stranger maybe once in 800 years, and you dare to reject my kindness?”
The moment he spoke, he was full of roguish charm. Dong Zhi had never heard Long Shen refer to himself as “laozi”. Besides feeling uncomfortable, he also found it amusingly absurd, as if the world had become unreal.
He forced himself not to care about these details, took a few sips of water, and his mood became much calmer.
“Take this!”
Long Shen threw him a business card. Dong Zhi picked it up and read it: Long’s Designs, Chairman.
The absurdity hit Dong Zhi again. Seeing Dong Zhi staring at the card, Long Shen couldn’t help asking, “You didn’t approach me with a fake excuse, did you?”
Dong Zhi shook his head. “Has someone done that before?”
Long Shen smirked. “Of course. Given my charm, many have. You’re the only one I’ve entertained!”
Dong Zhi: “Should I feel honored?”
Long Shen grinned mischievously. “No need. Just let me take the lead.”
Even though he said this, he did nothing aggressive. Instead, he bought Dong Zhi water and food. Dong Zhi suddenly said, “Would you believe that besides someone having the same name as He Yu, there’s also someone with the same name as you?”
Long Shen: “What’s so strange about that?”
Dong Zhi: “I met them on a train.”
The story began on a train to Changchun. The appearance of that Long Shen was like the brightest star in the night sky, revealing a vast universe to him. Maybe because the story was so bizarre but captivating, Long Shen listened intently, only interjecting when he heard about Dong Zhi’s imminent death curse and confession, “He didn’t accept you out of pity.”
Dong Zhi: “How do you know?”
Long Shen scoffed. “Male intuition! You’re too close to see it. Based on his character, he would never like someone out of pity.”
Dong Zhi laughed. “Yes, I realized that later.”
Long Shen then asked, “What happened next?”
Dong Zhi: “After that, we went to Southeast Asia and dealt with the person who cursed me. The real conspirator then emerged. He went to Japan, while I went to the U.S. for an international conference.”
Long Shen: “Your story is too drawn out. Readers will get bored.”
Dong Zhi chuckled. “But you’re still listening, right?”
Long Shen tried to light a cigarette but saw the no-smoking sign and put it away. “You found a patient listener. What then?”
Dong Zhi said, “Then, Otowa Yasuhiko, the person I mentioned to you earlier, in order to deal with him, Long Shen actively drew the demonic qi into himself. Taking the opportunity, he used the Four Symbols Star-Setting Lamp to completely annihilate him. However, just before Otowa Yasuhiko died, he had already set a trap. He had someone destroy the seal on Kunlun Mountain, break the formation’s focal point, and release the beast, the Phoenix, that was sealed beneath it, thereby fully opening the passage to the abyssal hell.”
His voice gradually deepened. “Upon hearing the news, everyone rushed over. We struggled for days and nights, with many making the ultimate sacrifice. Yet, the gap still couldn’t be sealed. In the end, he chose to absorb the demonic qi, jumped into the abyss, using his own power to mend the rift, allowing others to seal the passage. By the time I arrived there, I witnessed the very moment of his noble sacrifice. The story ends here.”
Long Shen snorted coldly, criticizing without courtesy. “How stupid! I detest these stories of self-sacrifice to save the world! If I were him, I would never do such a stupid thing. With his looks and abilities, wouldn’t it be better to live a carefree life with his lover? Why choose to face danger?”
Dong Zhi replied, “If he hadn’t acted, the demonic qi and demons from the abyss would have invaded our world. Then, no one would be safe.”
Long Shen scoffed. “That’s a problem for later. Maybe the crisis would have been resolved before that. You said there were many people present. Surely, someone else could have stepped up. Why did it have to be him? If it were me who had done so much for the agency and got nothing in return, who would stay? It’d be better if you changed the ending!”
Dong Zhi asked, “How would you change it?”
Long Shen, lounging back and raising an eyebrow, suggested, “End everything in Japan, let Otowa Yasuhiko die at the hands of your character, Long Shen. Let him earn great merit and be promoted upon his return. How about that?”
Dong Zhi shook his head. “Then it wouldn’t be him.”
“Boring!” Long Shen pouted. “Waste of a protagonist who shares my name. If you don’t take my advice, no one will read this story!”
He grabbed a business card from the table and handed it to Dong Zhi. “Bet you a dinner that if this story ever gets published, I’ll treat you!”
Dong Zhi: “And if it doesn’t?”
Long Shen: “Then, how about a date?”
Dong Zhi couldn’t help but laugh. Long Shen clicked his tongue. “A smile suits you better. Ever thought about it, fantasy writer?”
Dong Zhi replied, “I’m an artist.”
Taking out his drawing board and pencils, he told Long Shen to stay still. With just a few strokes, he sketched the scene of Long Shen gazing out of the window. Even in its rough form, the essence of Long Shen was captured.
“I’m giving this to you as a thank-you for listening to my story.” Dong Zhi offered the sketch.
Long Shen shook his head. “It’s a good drawing, but it’s not me.”
Dong Zhi was puzzled. “It’s you.”
Long Shen responded, “It’s the Long Shen from your story, not me.”
Dong Zhi was taken aback, and the two stared at each other silently.
“I think I need to wake up from this.”
This was another Long Shen, another chapter of life. Perhaps the beginning was tempting, but it was definitely not what he desired.
Long Shen smirked. “You should wake up from your story! Let’s reintroduce ourselves. I’m Long Shen, the owner of Long’s Design Company. My net worth might not make Forbes’ list yet, but I can afford to take care of a young artist. Interested?”
“My master wasn’t as smooth-talking or flirty as you. If I hadn’t met him, I might have preferred someone like you. But since it is him, it can only be him.”
Dong Zhi slid the card back. “Any other Long Shen is an illusion. No matter how beautiful the beginning, I don’t want it. This should end.”
He removed a protective charm from his neck.
This protective charm was given to him by Long Shen, and he has always worn it. When the Changshou Sword and sunlight talisman were not with him, and when he encountered a completely different Long Shen and unexpected events, for a moment, Dong Zhi truly believed that everything was just a long and beautiful dream.
Until he found the charm around his neck.
It was this charm that gave him the belief to continue dealing with this world.
“Attack!”
With a fierce shout, Dong Zhi formed the unmoving sunlight seal with his hands and threw the spell at Long Shen. However, it paused in mid-air, shining brightly, and took the shape of the charm itself.
Under Long Shen’s surprised gaze, the shape of the charm grew larger, and its brightness intensified, eventually illuminating the entire space and blocking out all sight.
Wherever he looked, there was only emptiness, as everything ceased to exist.
After an unknown amount of time, the light slowly faded.
Dong Zhi opened his eyes.
Deep down, he was somewhat uneasy, fearing that he would still see that train, that Long Shen, and that completely different story and beginning, and he no longer had the only proof of his encounters with Long Shen.
His vision was filled with a gray mist, and he felt pain below his knees. Looking down, he saw dark, flowing qi gnawing at his clothes and skin.
These were low-level demons called Sneaky Yaksha, which Dong Zhi had encountered before.
Seeing these creatures, he was relieved. Reaching behind him, his heart leaped with joy.
His Changshou sword was still there!
Without hesitation, he drew the sword from its sheath, its radiant blade slashing fiercely at the demons!
……
Long Shen’s body trembled slightly.
On one side of his face, which looked evil, a hint of anger emerged. Blood dripped from his eyes, looking terrifying. Even the demonic qi around him seemed fearful, not daring to approach.
The other half of his face remained calm and serene, eyes closed.
“Why doesn’t he continue the life that was shaped for his personality and hobbies?” Mara asked.
Long Shen slowly opened his eyes and said, “Because it’s fake.”
Mara laughed. “What’s real, and what’s fake? What I gave him was also real. Even if his body gets devoured by demons, his consciousness can forever remain in that world, completing that beautiful life. I’ve never seen a human refuse my kindness.”
Long Shen also had a faint smile.
“Because, he is Dong Zhi.”
……
Kunlun Mountains, Lengele Gorge.
“It’s been two days,” Song Zhicun said.
Without his reminder, everyone realized it.
Master Zhang sighed with exhaustion and said, “Seal the breach.”
He Yu closed his eyes, having no position or ability to object.
Everyone had held on until the very last moment. The formation was on the verge of collapsing and could no longer be maintained. The absence of Long Shen and the others meant their chances of seeing daylight again were slim.
“Prepare to seal!” Song Zhicun gritted his teeth and shouted.
Two days was his final limit. He had to ensure the safety of everyone here and the entire world.
The jade tablet from Mount Longhu had been delivered. Serving as a replacement for the Phoenix’s guardian instrument, it floated at the center of the formation, shining brilliantly. As the formation activated, the tablet “came to life”, its brightness intensifying like brilliant stars. It slowly descended, eventually turning into a huge rock, sealing the pit completely.
Kinky Translations 